Started the day off with an early morning breakfast at the historic Manila Hotel.  The hotel has been around since 1912.  It served as General McArthur’s headquarters during the first part of World War II in the Pacific.

The lobby of the hotel is very beautiful, with lovely large flower arrangements centered around large sitting areas with over stuffed antique sofas and chairs.

Breakfast at the coffee shop is a real treat.  You can enjoy an all you can eat breakfast buffet from 6am to 10am for 750php.  Ala Carte breakfasts run around 350php, and they are more than ample for me.

After a delicious morning meal in historical, luxury surroundings, we took a short walk to the brand new Manila Ocean Park .  The Ocean Park features some good aquarium exhibits, and is well worth the 400php entrance fee. Including a very nice “tunnel” going through a large reef aquarium complete with large rays, sharks and reef fish.  I was impressed with the beginnings of this park, and look forward to seeing the planned mall and other exhibits completed.

To finish our exploration of the wild life offerings in Manila, we jumped into a taxi for a quick 10 minute ride to the Manila Zoo.  I have mixed feelings regarding the Manila Zoo.  It certainly does not match up to zoos in more developed countries.  The cages are quite old, and the amount of animals is fairly small.  However the grounds are shaded with large trees, the kids are all laughing, and families are spread about the grounds enjoying picnics.  Considering the entrance fee of only 40php, I have to suggest you try it at least once.

All in all, if you find yourself in Manila on a Sunday morning looking for something to do, I can recommend this little excursion.

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The museum has four levels of exhibits.  The entrance fee for resident is around 275php and for visitors about 475php.  I was able to have a tour guide for an additional 100php.  What a deal this turned out to be, as my guide Charles, is extremely informed about all aspects of the exhibits.  As an added bonus, it was a private guided tour, there were no other visitors with us!

The tour lasted 2 1/2 hours, and the time flew by as all the exhibits were beautiful and interesting.

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We started on the 4th level at the Gold of Ancestors Pre-colonial Treasures In the Philppines exhibit.  The exhibit has 1,059 dating back as far as the 10th century. Most were acquired by a private collector, and have never been seen in public. Among the pieces on display are cutwork diadems (like crowns), funerary masks, ornaments and ritual containers.  There is one piece that is almost 4 kilos in weight.  The displays are beautiful.  Each one has a drawer below it that you slide out for even more pieces to look at.  On top of the drawer is a magnifying glass you can move around and study the intricate details of the gold works.

Embroidered Mulitples 18th to 19th Century Philippine Costumes is another fun exhibit.  I found it very educational regarding the local material used in the making of the clothes.  The stitching and detail on the pieces on display are amazing.

A Millennium of Contact: Chinese and Southeast Asian Trade Ceramics in the Philippines Collection of over 500 pieces of ceramics from China and other places in Asia collected by  the Villanueva famly.

For art fans, the collection of Fernando Amorsolo’s works of the Pilipina (Women of the Philippines) is a sure winner.  Juan Luna and Fernando Zobel works are also included in the Pioneers of Philippine Art exhibit.

All in all, the Ayala Museum is a great way to spend a few hours to see some of the treasures of the Philippines and learn more about the rich history of the archipelago.

Related Links:
Newsweek – Going For The Gold
Ayala Museum