Baywalk

Baywalk is a hub of activity, with open-air cafes and restaurants, souvenir shops and late night music performances lining the promenade. What was once a rundown no-go area with a bad reputation has been transformed into a leisure hotspot.

Take a lazy stroll along this 1.4-mile (two kilometer) seaside promenade. It lies in front of Manila Bay, the city’s main harbor and stretches between the U.S. Embassy and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Join the crowds of people who come here to watch the sunset over the bay. Stay for the evening and dine in an open-air café. Listen to live acoustic music, admire the brightly colored lampposts and watch street artists sing, juggle and perform acrobatic stunts. Go on a night cruise along the bay. Ships depart from near the Cultural Center complex.

Get up early in the morning and come back to join the fitness fanatics walking and jogging along the paved footpath. Take part in an aerobics or Tai Chi class. Relax on one of the benches and watch people go by and ships come in and out of the harbor. Stop by the life-sized statues of prominent Filipinos that are on permanent display here. They include a sculpture of Benigno Servillano "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., an opponent of the government of President Marcos. He was assassinated in 1983.

Sample some traditional Filipino street food such as balut (premature duck eggs) from vendors along the promenade.

While here take a ride inside an air-conditioned gondola on the Eye of MOA. This 180-foot (55-meter) tall Ferris wheel is situated in the nearby Mall of Asia.

Baywalk is situated by Manila Bay, easily reached by taxi, bus or jeepney. Alternatively, many hotels operate a shuttle service to the Mall of Asia. Book a seat and then walk the few steps from the shopping center to Baywalk.

The Baywalk is open at all hours. There’s no admission fee.