Old & New Manila

This definitive tour of Manila reveals its colonial past, road to independence and contemporary lifestyle through an amazing diversity of attractions.

Traveling from the pier, you will make your way to the heart of Manila, where you'll make a brief stop at La Loma, a marketplace renowned for displaying row after row of roasted suckling pigs on skewers. Known as lechón, they are a staple among traditional Manilans. After this glimpse into the local life, you'll proceed to the Chinese Cemetery, which was founded in 1879 for Chinese who were denied burial in Catholic cemeteries. The more ostentatious tombs look like homes, complete with running water and air conditioning. Then, it's on to the deeply moving Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, the world's largest World War II burial ground with more than 17,000 soldiers.

After a tasty buffet lunch, you'll delve even further into the past and enter the medieval walled enclave of Intramuros to tour magnificent San Agustin, a stone church constructed in 1606, and the 16th-century Fort Santiago. Manila's national hero Dr. Jose Rizal was imprisoned here before being executed in 1898 for his anti-colonial writings. Your final stop before traveling back to the pier will be Rizal Park, a serene setting dedicated to the freedom fighter and his dream of peaceful political reform.