A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
My photo biking in Intramuros in Manila is featured in National Geographic Magazine!
Sometime in early 2023, one of the magazine’s photo editors reached out when they were looking for an image to represent new bike lanes being built around Intramuros in Manila. They found this photo with me and a Bambike from an article I published on this travel blog in March 2019 and asked if they could publish it.
Batala Bar in Intramuros recently reopened! Right before the lockdown restrictions in March 2020, I met up with good friend Mica of Senyorita for a “business meeting” in the area and we spent a chill afternoon with mugs of local craft beer here. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed random meet-ups with friends over drinks and it’s nice to know that more establishments are finding ways to reopen with the proper health and safety measures, like contact tracing and health declaration forms in place.
Bambike is one of the most popular locally-made bicycle brands in the Philippines. These unique bicycles made from durable and all-natural bamboo and abaca materials are hand-made and crafted by builders from Gawad Kalinga, a Philippine-based community development organization. Bambike aims to be one of the greenest bikes on the planet.
For travelers, backpackers and province-based tourists, Manila is often just thought of as a stopover between flights on the way to another destination. The big city can be overwhelming with the heavy traffic and crowded streets. It’s often seen as gritty and chaotic, especially if you visit the areas of Quiapo and Divisoria.
I often take the tourist sights in Manila for granted because I live here. But if I were a first-time tourist in the Philippines or if I had to take around foreign tourists, balikbayans, expats or province-based friends, what would I do and where would I go?
Corregidor, an island at the entrance of Manila Bay, mostly attracts history buffs. Known as “The Rock” because of its rocky landscape and the heavy fortifications, this historic island is a great destination for bikers as well. Traversing the island’s well-paved roads and jungle trails on a bicycle and getting to visit the different ruins and landmarks offers a totally different experience from the usual day trip tour onboard a tramvia.
You must be logged in to post a comment.