Binondo, Chinatown (Philippines part 3)

Hey there guys!

It has been almost a week since I last blogged and darn it, I miss blogging. Firstly, I wanna thank you guys for visiting my blog and subscribing to my newsletter, you are an awesome support! 

You may have read my posts on travelling in the Philippines, this is part 3. If you haven't check the first 2 parts, here are the links! Intramuros (Part 1) and Ermita (Part 2).

Binondo also nicknamed Chinatown is the official Chinatown in Manila extending its influence to places of Santa Cruz, Quiapo and San Nicolas. Amazing fact, it is the OLDEST CHINATOWN IN THE WORLD! Dayummm! Oldest! It was established in the 1594 by the Spaniards. It is located just outside of Intramuros but accross the Pasig River. You'll find yourself surounded by chinese stores, vendors and restaurants. That's because business owners are mostly Chinese-Filipino.

Me and Steph walked to Binondo all the way from Intramuros. It was a long long long walk across the bridge. Each ligaments/muscles in our legs were tearing apart bit by bit. Overall, it was exhilarating. Navigating your way into Binondo is easy but still, having Google Maps with you would be handy at times.

I had to keep my DSLR in my Caribee backpack so we used our Samsung Galaxy S4 and Note 3 to take these pictures. Not all but some of em'. 

Cover Photo: Walking across the bridge over Pasig River to Binondo from Intramuros

Yes, there are lots of skyscrapers in Binondo along Escolta Street which runs parallel to the Pasig River. The skyscrapers are not as fancy nor new looking. They are fine examples of early skyscrapers design in the Philippines.

Pasig River

A glimpse of Pasig River and Lucky Chinatown Mall 

On the bridge over Pasig River

Selfie with the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch

The Friendship Arch Selfie

There is a Filipino-Chinese friendship arch and that is considered as the entry point. From Intramuros, it is approximately 1.5km walk. The sun was scorching hot so we got ourselves small glass bottles of Pepsi which you rarely get here in Malaysia. As far as I could remember, a bottle costs 13₱ (RM1).

Binondo Church also known as Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz is one of the oldest church I've seen so far. It was founded by Dominican priests in 1596 to serve their Chinese converts to Christianity. However, they reconstructed it over and over due to damages inflicted during the world war II. You guys have to visit this church! 

Binondo Church also known as Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz

Pardon me. I'm not really an enthusiast for taking pictures of food. I normally get so hungry I chomped the whole meal before I could even blink. However, if you're looking for authentic Chinese cuisine, you're in the right place. The food here is awesome! If you're looking for fast food chains, you'll find Jolibee, Mang Inasal, Chow King, or Mc Donalds with ease. 

For those who are looking for Halal food, it is not impossible. You'll find stalls that serve Halal food normally in food court of a mall. 

It is also common to see kids roaming around asking for money/food/drinks. Don't hit them, you're in their country. If you don't like it, reject with manners. We bumped into some too, we gave them our Pepsi leftovers and hell they were euphoric. 

We bumped into the Manila Traffic!

Oh! You can take a Calesa tour around town. It's a horse-drawn carriage. Still, you've gotta make sure you got the right deal or they might cut you off your guard and little did you know, they ripped you off with their price. I'm not saying it will happen, but it happened to me once. :)

This picture was from my first trip to Binondo years back!
In the carriage: My friends, Jas and Bel

So, you're looking for cheap stuffs? You love shopping? HAHAHA! Say or ask no more! In Binondo, there are two ways to shop. Malls or Bazaars. Here is where your negotiation skills will be tested to the maximum limit. Everything here is cheap! It comes with a tag that says "Made in China" though haha! But hey! Still, who doesn't like cheap stuffs right? Here's a map and the names of places you can shop till you drop. DROP!

So, here are the places you can go for shoppings. It is all within a walking distance. 

1. 999 Mall
2. 168 Mall
3. Meisic Mall
4. Juan Luna Plaza
5. Divisoria Bazaar

If you could, make a visit to Divisoria. You won't regret it.

Well, that's it for Binondo. I'll be posting about Ortigas in my upcoming blog posts. I hope you find some of my info useful. Personally, I love writing about my travels because I get to visualize the timeline of my period abroad. You'll only get the best memories when you travel.

Again, here are my links to previous posts of my Philippines trip. Intramuros (part 1) and Ermita (part2). Be sure to check it out!

I'll be posting blog posts probably twice to three times per week as I'm trying to cope up with my upcoming Youtube project. So bear with me :)

You! Yes YOU! Be nasty, stay happy. Thanks for supporting us.

Salamat sa iyong suporta! 

Love, Nath.