Eight ways to explore Makati on P500 a day
1. IF it?s a Sunday, start the day with 7 a.m. Mass at the Santuario de San Antonio in ritzy Forbes and Dasmarias Village. This is a great place to people-watch and indulge in some celebrity sighting. Outside the church, grab a healthy snack of taho (sweet soy-based snack) for just P15.
2. After Mass, pop into the neighborhood Starbucks and get a tuna pandesal for P35. Help yourself to the free water and the chance to read the newspaper for the day.
3. For some sightseeing, walk to the nearest MRT station five minutes away and head for the Guadalupe Church (two stops away). Built in the 1600s, it is Makati?s oldest church and sits atop a hill where one can have a dramatic view of the city.
4. By 10:30 a.m., you can be back in McKinley Road with an option to check out the outdoor shopping mall of Serendra and High Street. Jump on the free Fort Bus on McKinley Road, grab a window seat and check out the best show dogs taking a stroll with their owners. Feeling peckish? Swing by Krispy Kreme when the outside light is on and score yourself a free donut.
5. By noon, when your tummy starts to grumble, take a five-minute walk to Serendra and go for a tasty meal in one of the open market stalls. Food ranges from Aling Nene?s famous BBQ to Sinigang at iba pa. Average price of a meal with rice and a soft drink is P100.
6. After lunch, hie over to Fully Booked High Street and curl up with a good book in this mecca for book lovers. Splurge on your favorite local magazine or a bargain book for P150.
7. By 4 p.m., if it?s not too hot to walk, catch that free Fort Bus again and head for the Ayala Malls to check out the galleries that feature some of Manila?s rising young talents.
8. As the sun sets, you have the option of catching a movie or testing out your stock knowledge. If you choose the former, head over to Greenbelt and spend what remains of your funds on a movie and a Jamaican Meat patty for P175.
If knowledge is your game, take your Jamaican snack to-go and walk over to Legaspi Village some15 minutes away, where you?ll find yourself in Murphy?s Pub for the weekly Pub Quiz. Find yourself a team and help yourself to a Coke or a beer, and end your evening wracking your brains with your best new ?trivia buddies? for P70.
