Makati Manila: A Day Out
Coffee Academics
After arriving in the city we chose to have brunch at Coffee Academics. Michael really loves specialty coffee and this did not disappoint. Coffee Academics is a chain from Hong Kong that has expanded to several other countries in South East Asia including the Philippines! You walk into a relaxed ambient vibe greeted by the scent of a V60 pour over. Along with great coffee, they have a variety of beverages and farm-to-table dishes. We ordered the acai yogurt bowl and the weekly pasta which happened to be my favorite cream pasta.
Habitual Coffee
We decided to go coffee shop hopping and found ourselves at Habitual Coffee. It’s smaller compared to Coffee Academics but it offers similar things such as specialty coffee and food. We were stuffed so we couldn’t try their menu. Habitual Coffee is famous for its Aeropress, placing in World and National Aeropress competitions. Of course, Michael had to try their Aeropress which tasted so good it made him do a little dance. I gave his coffee a “shot” but once again I realized coffee wasn’t for me. I’ll stick to tea for now. If you’re a coffee lover and need a quick cup definitely stop by Habitual Coffee.
Michaels Thoughts:
I was not expecting Filipino coffee to pop off so much! Everywhere we went was exceptionally good. There are lots of other shops in Makati itself, let alone all of Manila. This would be a great place to do some specialty coffee shop hopping.
Jolly Jeep
Jolly Jeeps are food carts located on curbsides where you can purchase local food. We wanted to try some Filipino cuisine so we checked one out. At the location we went to the food was fresh. If you decide to eat at a Jolly Jeep, choose carefully. Foreigners are known to get food poisoning from food that sat out too long. We chose simple items such as noodles, rice, and chicken. At the time we had not eaten much food abroad, so we wanted to be safe. Our food was delicious and incredibly cheap, so in the end we had a great time.
Greenbelt Mall
The Greenbelt Mall is a large indoor/outdoor mall in the center of Makati. There is a long elevated walkway all along the main roads that lead to the mall, so it is convenient to walk to. We have been to many malls all over the world, but this is still one of the most unique. There are elevated walkways covered in greenery, and the mall has every shop you can imagine, both Western and Asian.
In the center is a large outdoor green space, with a catholic cathedral. We happened to walk by as Mass was being held, which was very interesting to see in a mall. Because of the extra amenities attached to the mall, you could easily spend half a day here especially if you want to do a lot of shopping. The mall is also very close to line 3 of the MRT, making it a good area to stick around if you plan on going further into the city.
Staying in Makati
Manila isn’t really built for tourists, so there is a surprising lack of hotels in the city. That being said, Makati has more hotels with great reviews due to the financial businesses. We opted to use Airbnb because it is legal in The Philippines and is a great way to find more affordable options closer to your destinations. Our stay was right in the heart of Makati near the Greenbelt Mall. It was very affordable and had every amenity we ever needed, and the owner was very nice. I know people complain about Airbnb in America, but we’ve used over 50 Airbnb in 20+ countries and never had a problem. We love Airbnb because the options are more unique and flexible. This stay was super nice and we still talk about it to this day.
Note: When flying out of Manila’s airport–Ninoy Aquino International Airport–be aware of which terminal you will depart from. Manila’s terminals are not interconnected and it’s not possible to walk between terminals. We forgot to check which terminal to leave from and almost missed our flight, so don’t be like us!
Jollibee
Before we left Manila, we had to do one more thing. Jollibee is a fast food chain from the Philippines that is huge in South East Asia, so we wanted to try it out. We were just expecting a normal fried chicken experience, but it was surprisingly great. The chicken was super tender and moist, and it has a much more interesting spicy kick than American chains. The spices were right and it comes with rice which we found charming. As far as fast food chicken goes, don’t sleep on Jollibee!
Final Thoughts
Makati was a nice slice of everything Manila has to offer. We hope to come back to the area and explore more like the famous cathedrals. Manila is a truly massive city with many places to explore, but we can vouch that Makati is a great location that has everything you need and good access to the airport.
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