The capital of the Philippines is technically known as Metro Manila - a grouping of ten smaller urban areas - but is usually referred to simply as MANILA . Today's accepted wisdom is that Manila will never be a serious tourist destination until the authorities deal with the twin evils of traffic and pollution. Most tourists are in the capital because they have a day or two to kill either at the beginning or the end of a trip to the rest of the country. But all is not lost. In its favour, Manila has friendly people, some excellent nightlife, a few sights that are worth the effort, plus some of the biggest and ritziest shopping malls in Asia. At first sight, Manila may seem clamorous, unkempt and a bit rough around the edges, but what it lacks in architectural sophistication it makes up for with an accessible chaotic charm. The way to enjoy it is to step into the fray and go with the flow, which is exactly what Manilenos have learned to do.

Manila started life as a tiny settlement around the banks of the Pasig River. The name comes from the words may ("there is") and nilad (a type of plant that grew near the Pasig). With Spanish colonization, Manila grew into an important port. King Philip II of Spain called it Insigne y Siempre Leal Ciudad (Distinguished and Ever Loyal City). Images of the city in the eighteenth century show grand merchants' houses and schooners moored in the Pasig. The area around Bindondo, later to become Chinatown, was alive with mercantile activity. Before World War II, Manila was one of the most elegant and cosmopolitan cities in the Orient. But when the smoke cleared at the end of Japanese occupation in March 1945, it was in ruins, having undergone relentless shelling from American howitzers and been set alight by remaining Japanese troops. The Battle of Manila lasted 29 days and claimed 100,000 civilian lives. Rebuilding was slow and plagued by corruption and government inertia. As a consequence, the city that greets visitors today is one of emotional counterpoints, with areas of extreme poverty and degradation lying cheek by jowl with tower blocks and designer boutiques.