Mabini Street came to fame for its vibrant nightlife past the midnight hours. Expect the bites to be anything from Korean barbecue to halal, while the drinks are more on the buzzed side. Of course, you could just eat and drink. But before accusing it of being another after-hours street, give it the daylight treatment. You might like it. Not only are new galleries and performance art slowly taking over the two-kilometre-long road, outside on the street there’s a whole lot to explore before you hit the restaurants. Here are some of them.
Malate Church Photographer: Allan Jay Quesada
1. A hint of Hispanic culture
The Hispanisation has had an enormous influence on everything in the Philippines. Just look around. The churches are a clear connection with the Spanish heritage. One is the Our Lady of Remedies Parish (but everyone calls it the Malate Church) built by Augustinian friars in the 16th century. The magnificent work of arches and stone, as San Agustin described it, is one of the oldest existing Baroque churches in the country. And despite standing there for more than 300 years, when you get there, you’ll know why it’s on our list.
Star City Photographer: Krstnbnda
2. Cool amusement park bro
Amusement parks are fun, but they can also get sweltering. All-weather, air-conditioned theme parks, such as Star City, with the majority of its rides being covered, are showing how much fun you can have even in the tropical weather (for just 80 pesos per person). The rides? Thrilling and cool. Look out for the inverted rollercoaster, Star Flyer, and the tallest Ferris wheel in the Philippines, suspending 32 air-conditioned gondolas that can seat more passengers than an average Camry. And fittingly to the theme, their Snow World’s ice carvings, snow fight area, and the longest ice slide in the country (they break a lot of records) make you want to go back out under the scorching sun.
CCP Photographer: Patrickroque01
3. Art art, Zumba
The Cultural Center of the Philippines is sitting on Roxas Boulevard in the reclaimed Bay City area between Pasay and Manila. With its monolithic design, maximalist concrete façade, and a majestic water fountain, it has managed to house six performance venues, two exhibit halls, and two more satellite venues inside. The beauty pageant hype was cemented into the Filipino culture here by the Miss Universe candidates, who featured at the CCP in the memorable 1974’s kasaysayan ng lahi parade, the first year the Philippines hosted the contest.
The centre is, in general, home to music, film, architecture, and visual arts events and activities around the clock. But in the morning, the CCP is flocked with joggers and early morning exercise junkies. If you’re into the latter, go on a Sunday when the area becomes a Zumba revolution stage.
4. Bay City Area
Imagine being chased by the Manila police in the small alleyways of Malate. This is one of the movie settings in Bourne Legacy. And you can relive that scene at the Remedios Circle. As the name suggests, it’s a roundabout that becomes a centre of nightlife when the lights go out. Expect good eats with local and international bites and corresponding drinks (anything from small to big tickets).
Mabini Street in Malate is located close to the Baywalk, a seaside promenade with cool ocean breezes. In fact, the district name itself is believed to be derived from the Tagalog word maalat, meaning salty. And the view from Manila Bay features some panoramic luxuries — like the legendary sunset over the bay.
And with Red Planet Manila Mabini as your base, you can walk to any of the above destinations, and find the best things to do on Mabini Street.