I have been to Manila quite a few times, and I went there recently for my Christmas holiday, so I thought I'd share some of the activities and things you should definitely try if you ever go there yourself.

1. Try an ensaymada

Like a glorified doughnut with cheese, this is a very popular Filipino pastry that you can find in most pastry shops. Most shops sell it for about 14 Pesos. Alternatively, braver souls can try the balut. It is an egg with an unhatched chick embryo inside it. It costs between 3 and 6 Pesos. Personally, I have not tried the balut, but some of my friends have tried it and claim that it's nice.

2. Check out 168 Mall

Located in the heart of Divisoria - which is one of the busiest shopping districts of Manila - and along Sta Elena and Soler streets, the mall has over 1,000 stores where you can get bargains at up to 30 or 40 per cent off. If you are the first customer of the day, you can even get a 50 per cent discount as the Filipinos regard their first sale as a blessing.

3. Bring home a scale model of the Jeepney

One of the city's most iconic features, it is an adapted version of the American jeep and has been dubbed 'The King of the Road'. It seats about a dozen people and a ride costs only about 0.3 Pesos. A scale model will cost from 230 - 290 Pesos

4. Chill at one of the many Figaro cafes

It is a home-grown brand and customers come to people-watch and drink coffee. Figaro is like the Starbucks of Manila. A latte costs about 86 Pesos and a hot chocolate will be about 58 Pesos. Filipinos are hospitable and friendly and go out of their way to make you feel at home, so you can just have a good time lounging in cafes and coffee shops.

5. Get a MusicSing Microphone

Give the Karaoke bars a miss. Instead, do as the locals do and buy a MusicSing Microphone. This is a microphone that has a chip installed to enable it to store up to 500 songs. Just plug it into your television set or your car, punch in the song number and sing. It even rates your singing abilities when you are done. Almost every household in Manila owns one. A standard microphone should cost about 4600 Pesos. You can even bring it home as keepsake.

6. Visit the town of Tagaytan

It is about one hour away by car to the south of Manila. Many people head there during weekends to have organic food and enjoy the cool weather. The temperature ranges between 16 and 18 deg C. You can rent a car from Avis. You can check out their website www.avis.com.ph for details on rental rates.