Flight Summary
There are no direct flights to Manila from the UK, although connections are available via some other European cities, as well as via major airports in the Middle East and Asia.
Destination Summary
Manila is the chaotic capital of the Philippines which is said to have been one of most charming cities in south-east Asia before it was flattened during World War II. Manila is now the very epitome of the concrete jungle.
James Says
It may come as a surprise that Manila, which is one of the largest cities in Asia, does not have any direct flight links with the UK. As with the Indonesian capital Jakarta, Manila suffers from being at the far reaches of the capabilities for aircraft to reach non-stop from London, and lacks the sufficiently strong demand from business passengers or tourists to make such a route profitable. Regular connecting flights to Manila are available through various Asian cities, with Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong being the most popular transfer hubs. The strong demand for migrant labour in the Middle East also ensures that an increasing choice of flights to Manila is available through cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Bahrain. Although some European airlines, such as KLM, do also offer flights to Manila, these do not usually operate non-stop from their respective hubs.
Mark Says
Poor Manila; first it was flattened by the US and Japanese during World War II, then it had to suffer Ferdinand Marcos and his shoe-loving wife, and to cap it all, the Philippines has become a major sex-tourism destination, and Manila is usually the perverts' first port of call. The city has hit the news for all the wrong reasons in recent years because of its reputation as a favourite hunting ground for paedophiles. The current administration have made token efforts to curtail all forms of prostitution, but sadly it is a facet of life in Manila that even the most innocent visitors will struggle to avoid. Foreign men walking alone in certain parts of this concrete jungle, especially after dark, are assumed to be looking for 'action'. Manila also has a fearsome reputation for street crime and rip-offs, ranging from bag-snatching and muggings to phoney police officers. Keep your wits about you at all times, and always demand to see identification if you speak to anyone claiming to be a police officer. The Philippine capital was once considered among the most charming cities in Asia, and there are still remnants of the Spanish colonial era in parts of the old walled city of Intramuros that survived bombing during the Battle for Manila . Manila has two distinct seasons: wet and dry. Most of the time it is hot, but expect heavy rainfall from June to December. Hotel rates are cheaper during the rainy season but rocket accordingly when it's dry. Many visitors stay in pensions, the Philippine equivalent to a b&b, which are often good value. ;
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