Philippines

61

THEY’RE HERE, THEY’RE QUEER, & THEY LOOK STUNNING! MANIL A MS IAGKHATTSI

Bangkok may have invented the concept of transsexual and transvestite variety stage
shows, but Manila may do it better.

The best of the city’s tranny stage shows take place at the opulent Club Mwah! (off
Map p66; %535 7943; www.clubmwah.com; 3rd fl, Venue Tower, 652 Boni Ave, Mandaluyong City),
an incredibly shiny, sparkly and fabulous place with obvious Las Vegas interior-design
influences. Manila’s gay expats give it a huge thumbs-up.

In the heart of the CCP, the Manila Film Center building stages performances of the
Amazing Show (Map p58; %834 8870; www.amazing-show.com; admission P1200; h8pm
Tue-Sun). The one-hour revue-type shows and beauty contests star all manner of trans-
people. This group caters mainly to Korean tour groups, but it’s easy to piggy-back.

There are also a few low-profile transvestite shows in Malate. If you wander up and
down Adriatico St and Mabini St, especially on weekend evenings, just keep your eyes
open for clusters of tall ‘women’ wearing feather boas and slinky dresses recruiting punt-
ers outside club entrances.

ice rink and an IMAX theatre, among other 6pm Tue-Fri, 10am-7pm Sat & Sun) This excellent
diversions. modern museum has ethnographic and ar-
chaeological exhibits on Filipino culture, art
MAKATI and history. At the heart of the collection is
a brilliant exhibit consisting of 60 dioramas
The business hub of Manila has also become that trace the nation’s violent history. The
its restaurant and nightlife centre. The tow- museum’s rotating art exhibits tend to show-
ers here house the nation’s major corpora- case Filipino masters like Luna and Amor-
tions and most of the major hotels. It all solo. Guided tours (P100) of the museum are
came about after WWII when the Ayala fam- highly recommended (call ahead).
ily seized upon the destruction of the rest of
the city as a chance to start building. The American Memorial Cemetery CEMETERY
heart of Makati was Manila’s airport in the (Map p38; Old Lawton Dr, Fort Bonifacio) This
’30s and ’40s: Ayala and Makati Aves were sprawling cemetery on a grassy, beauti-
the runways, while the Filipinas Heritage fully manicured plot is a must-see for WWII
Library was the terminal. buffs. In addition to hundreds of rows of
perfectly aligned white crosses, there are
Today the Heritage Library sits on the pe- several excellent open-air galleries with
rimeter of Ayala Triangle Gardens, recently murals and descriptions of key battles. It’s a
converted by the Ayala family into Manila’s poignant and peaceful spot.
cleanest urban park. The park forms the
geographic core of Makati’s central busi- FMuseo Ng Makati MUSEUM
ness district. Immediately south of park is
the Ayala Centre, a vast, seemingly endless (off Map p66; JP Rizal St; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri)
maze of upscale malls.
Down by the river, the Museo Ng Makati is
Makati seems to have boundless growth
ahead of it – but just when you think you’re a classic old Manila house from the 1800s
somewhere like Singapore, a whiff of sew-
age will bring you down to earth! The up- (look for the capiz-shell windows), with
and-coming Fort Bonifacio area, which lies
in Taguig City but is effectively an extension some great photos of old Makati and murals
of Makati, does a better Singapore impres-
sion. ‘The Fort’, as it is known, is included of past mayors, among other exhibits.
in this section.
Ninoy Aquino Statue MONUMENT

(Map p62; cnr Paseo de Roxas & Ayala Ave) This is

a famous Ninoy Aquino statue that shows

him right before he was shot. It’s built on

the spot where many pro-democracy rallies

took place in the 1980s and 1990s.

1 Sights 2 Activities
Ayala Museum
MUSEUM It’s not hard to find a massage in Makati,

(Map p62; %757 7117; www.ayalamuseum.org; and in the central business district they are

Greenbelt 4; foreigner/resident P425/225; h9am-

62

Makati

A B C D1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 1 1 Ma1nila1Sou1th T1o LR1I De1sign1 Pla1za &
Guijo St To Makati ‚ Sanchez St
Ayala Extn‚
SNtic(aRneoprosGoarScti)a

Comet St
ý# 28 YMCA Hostel (20m) 1 1 1Cem1 ete1ry 1 1 1Roo1m (3100m);

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Trip1le A1 Car

Bagtican St Sacred Heart St 1 1 1 1 1 111 1 1 11 Re1nta1l (1km) #ú
Yakal St 1 1 111 1
1 1M1et1r 111 13
111
op1o lita1nAve
Malugay St
MANILA MAKATI
Sen Gil Puyat Ave (Buendia Ave)
ò# Dela Costa St
Chino
40 6San AguLesvtiinstSetSt

morsolo St í# Tord es illasSt
Roces í# SALCEDO Jaime
‚ Urban St 20
41
2 To Collective ú#
(200m);
B Side (200m); Ave A VILLAGE Velazquez
Wingman (200m) Park
Makati
(Pasong î# Medical Center Ayala Ave Valero St

Dela Rosa St 6643í# Sedeño St
á# 2
TamSaon)tillan St Bolanos St (HerRrufairnaoStS)t
Washington Sotto St
3 Salcedo St CPPGaialsleaSRotnocCddaaeristSRgtrRouoaxedazSsatStSt ì# Ayala Ave
St 6666GambaoSt
4
To (HReurfrinaoraSSt t) ì#
Pasay
LEGAZPI Ayala
‚(1km) VILLAGE

Adelantado St Legazpi Museum
P Medina Village Legazpi St #þ 37 â#

Park
6666AArnaizAve (PasayRd)
Soria St Trasierra St 39 33 #ú 21 15 ú#
ð##þ36
Aguirre St #þ ý# #þ Greenbelt
Park
Jimenez St 24

Benavidez St 3E4s#þpe#úr1a4nú#1z6a 35 22û# #ú 17
#þ 23ý# #ý26
Pasong Tamo St St
Pres(SSeorugtihoSOuspmeerñHawHyw) y ÿ# 4 ÿ# 10 ý#
8 ÿ#
Evangelista St
25

5 Amorsolo St SAN Makati Ave 29 #þ

LORENZO

VILLAGE

AB 66C D

mostly on the up-and-up (the same can’t be The Spa MASSAGE
said for the P Burgos area).
(www.thespa.com.ph; 1hr massage from P820) This
Even the least metrosexual man should
not leave Manila without availing himself of chain has about a half-dozen locations, in-
the full range of services on offer, for stun-
ningly low prices, at just about any barber- cluding Greenbelt 1 in Makati and Bonifacio
shop (see the boxed text, p49).
High St in the Fort.

Neo Spa MASSAGE

(%815 6948; www.neo.ph; 26th St cnr 3rd Ave, the

Mandarin Oriental Spa SPA Fort; 1hr massage P1000) A pricier option, but

(Map p62; %750 8888; www.mandarinoriental.com; worth it.

cnr Makati Ave & Paseo de Roxas; packages from Footloose FOOT MASSAGE

P3200) At this five-star hotel’s recently reno- (various locations; www.clickthecity.com for loca-

vated spa, you’ll find an array of treatments, tions; 1hr massage P350) Thorough foot scrubs.

plus regular yoga classes Various locations; check the website.

63

e# 0 500 m home to a fine selection of legitimate bars
0 0.25 miles and restaurants.
F
E What little budget accommodation there
Du is in Makati is located outside of the central
Saturn St#ú Hercules St rban St business district.
Orbit St Juno St 1
Makati Ave18Jupiter Stolaris St AYALA CENTRE & AROUND
P
45 í# oMakati Shangri-La HOTEL $$$ MANIL A MS LAEKEAPTIIN G
í# 42
(Map p62; %813 8888; www.shangri-la.com; cnr
666#ú1211 Ayala & Makati Aves; r from P14,500; naiWs)
44 ð# ì# With a jaw-dropping main entrance that
í# faces the Glorietta mall, the beautifully done
ÿ# Roxas Shangri-La may very well win the award for
Villar St Makati’s most aesthetically stunning inte-
Triangle 2 rior. The world-class Asian restaurants and
mini-waterfalls on every floor greatly con-
ÿ# 7 de Roxas tribute to the overall Zen energy. Walk-in
guests can use the pool for P600.
Paseo

66666666#ú Real St Cruzadas St

Ayala Peninsula Manila HOTEL $$$
Triangle
Gardens (Map p62; %810 3456; www.peninsula.com; cnr

1 #ý 27 Santo URDANETA 3 Ayala & Makati Aves; r from P8600; naiWs)
Buses DominUgrodSantVetIaLALvAe GE 4
#æ With rooms that highlight the best of Filipi-
Ave
›# PVP Liner
to Quiapo
no design, the Peninsula is a Makati veteran
ÿ# 9
that nevertheless appears brand new. The

19 cafe in the soaring lobby has a fine Sunday
6
Ayala brunch and is a 24-hour destination for the
# ÿ#
city’s business elite. A side note: a tank drove
Avis
666MAKATI through the front doors here in 2007 during
CITY þ#
31 a foiled coup attempt.
To Fort Bonifacio (1.5km);

38 þ# 30 American Memorial Mandarin Oriental Manila HOTEL $$$

þ# 32 Cemetery (2km); (Map p62; %750 8888; www.mandarinoriental.com;
Namria R(e3ckomleSt)tos
#þ ‚ cnr Makati Ave & Paseo de Roxas; r from P8000;

66#SEAIR naiWs) As with any of the world’s Man-

SEapniÿ#ftaon¡#As5ioyAavdleea(loEMsDScAKR)idnley darin Orientals, the level of service here will

simply astonish those who’ve not experi-

5 enced it before. The rooms are freshly reno-

vated and the spa is arguably Manila’s finest.

3 El Cielito Inn HOTEL $$

ÿ# (Map p62; %815 8951; www.elcielitohotels.com;

EF 804 Pasay Rd; s/d incl breakfast from P2750/3150;

Piandré SALON naiW) If you want to be near the Ayala
Centre malls but don’t want to pay five-star
(Map p62; %816 3884; www.piandre.com; Green- rates, this is your obvious choice. A recent
renovation has it looking in fine fettle, and
belt 1) The place for great, professional wax the rooms have little things that matter like

jobs (no, really).

4 Sleeping desks and ample bathroom counter space.

Makati’s five-star hotels are located in close Pensionne Virginia GUESTHOUSE $$

proximity to each other near the Ayala (Map p62; %844 5228; pensionnevirginia@yahoo.

Centre. The midrange hotels, for better or com; 816 Pasay Rd; s/d P1150/1700, ste P1500-

worse, are clustered around Makati’s red- 2050; aW) The only thing resembling a

light area, north of the central business dis- budget choice in the area is this quirky fam-

trict. This area contains plenty of girlie bars ily-run guesthouse. While on the tatty and

concentrated on P Burgos St, but it is also depressing side, it’s nonetheless a good value

for solo travellers. The suites are huuuuge.

64

MANILA MAKATI Makati û Drinking
Conway's .......................................... (see 6)
æ Top Sights Dillinger's........................................(see 26)
Ayala Museum......................................... D4
22 Havana......................................................D4
æ Sights
1 Filipinas Heritage Library........................E3 ý Entertainment
Mandarin Oriental Spa ....................(see 7) 23 Greenbelt 3 Theaters..............................D4
2 Ninoy Aquino Statue .............................. D3 24 OnStage Theatre .....................................D4
Piandré ............................................(see 33) 25 Palladium..................................................D5
26 Red Box.....................................................D4
ÿ Sleeping Repertory Philippines ...................(see 24)
3 Dusit Thani Manila ...................................E5 27 Robot.........................................................E3
4 El Cielito Inn............................................. B5 28 SaGuijo...................................................... A1
5 Hotel InterContinental ............................F5
6 Makati Shangri-La ...................................E4 þ Shopping
7 Mandarin Oriental Manila .......................F2 29 Balikbayan Handicrafts ..........................D5
8 New World ............................................... D5 30 Glorietta 3.................................................E4
9 Peninsula Manila......................................E3 31 Glorietta 4................................................. E5
10 Pensionne Virginia.................................. C5 32 Glorietta 5................................................. F4
11 Picasso Makati .........................................E2 33 Greenbelt 1 ...............................................D4
34 Greenbelt 2...............................................C4
ú Eating 35 Greenbelt 3...............................................D4
12 Army Navy ................................................E2 36 Greenbelt 4...............................................D4
Benjarong Royal Thai Restaurant..(see 3) 37 Greenbelt 5...............................................D4
13 Corner Tree Cafe ....................................D1 38 Landmark .................................................E4
Grappa's.......................................... (see 17) 39 National Book Store................................C4
14 Masas ....................................................... D4 Power Books ..................................(see 36)
15 Museum Cafe .......................................... D4
16 Nuvo ......................................................... D4 ï Information
17 People's Palace....................................... D4 40 Australian Embassy ................................B2
18 Queens ...................................................... E1 41 Canadian Embassy .................................B2
19 Sala ............................................................E4 42 French Embassy...................................... F2
20 Salcedo Community Market ................. D2 43 German Embassy....................................D3
21 Travel Café Philippines .......................... D4 44 Netherlands Embassy ............................E2
45 New Zealand Embassy ............................E1

The following are just a step below the ‘Big Dusit Thani Manila HOTEL $$$
Three’ (ie the Shangri-La, Peninsula and
Mandarin). They have a variety of restau- (Map p62; %867 3333; www.dusit.com; cnr EDSA
rants and top-notch service, but the rooms
aren’t quite as modern and they lack that & Pasay Rd; r from P8000; naiWs) Recent
whiff of history.
renovations have brought this closer to the

big boys.

P BURGOS & AROUND

Hotel InterContinental HOTEL $$$

(Map p62; %793 7000; www.intercontinental.com; oOur Melting Pot HOSTEL $

1 Ayala Ave; r from P8000; naiWs) The ar- (Map p66; %659 5443, 0932 950 0255; ourmelt

chitecture here recalls a time when windows [email protected]; A Venue Suites

were best kept small lest political upheaval Unit 18 N-O, 7829 Makati Ave; 2-/4-/6-bed air-con

break them. dm incl breakfast P850/800/750, r incl breakfast

New World HOTEL $$$ P1000-1600; nais) Rarely can a hum-

(Map p62; %811 6888; www.manila.newworldho ble hostel claim such a swanky address as

tels.com; cnr Esperanza St & Makati Ave; r from A Venue Suites. Occupying an apartment

P8200; naiWs) Good promo rates are of- within the revered hotel/residence, OMP de-

ten available here. livers on minimalist style (lovely beds), yet