Traveling is always exciting and fun no matter where you go, but I found some amazing spots that both kids and adults will absolutely love. I initially went to the malls with the casual thought of “let’s just stop by for a bit,” but every single one was so massive that you could easily spend the entire day there! Since there were so many surprises and discoveries, I’d like to introduce them to you in detail.
Giant Malls That Kids Will Love
Since the Philippines is such a hot country, the mall culture here is incredibly well-developed. There’s so much space to enjoy inside, with some featuring actual roller coasters, others being absolutely massive, and many designed with open layouts that never feel cramped. There are several malls in each area, so it’s actually really fun to go on a tour and explore the different ones.
SM Mall of Asia (MOA)
This is the mall that boasts being the largest in Asia. I went there knowing it would be big, but it was even more massive than I imagined! Since I arrived in the afternoon, I was only able to see a tiny fraction of it.
Because it was the Christmas season—a huge, festive period in the Philippines—and a weekend, the surrounding roads and restaurants were so crowded that just getting inside was a struggle.
If you are visiting as a tourist, I highly recommend taking a Grab instead of trying to enter the parking lot yourself.
Beautiful Coastline and Amusement Park
The mall is filled with tourists and features shops from all over the world. Along the seaside, there is an amusement park complete with a massive Ferris wheel. This area is famous for its beautiful ocean views and stunning sunsets (though I unfortunately missed the sunset due to the heavy traffic). Here is a photo of the coastline I captured on the way there because it was just so beautiful.
To ride the Ferris wheel or other attractions at the amusement park, the system required you to buy a ticket at a separate ticket booth first and then show the receipt at the ride entrance.
Please note that they don’t accept cards and you need cash (even the security guards were walking around chanting “Cash Only”). The lines can be surprisingly long, so make sure to give yourself plenty of time!
Here is the panoramic view from the Ferris wheel. Even with this shot, I couldn’t fit everything into the frame! There is a whole amusement park spreading out in the area not visible on the bottom left. This photo was taken around 8:00 PM, but because of the Christmas season, the traffic was backed up the entire time.
I heard it’s usually not this intense outside of the Christmas season.
Tips for Traveling with Kids
About stroller!
We decided not to bring ours this time to save on luggage, but I think it would be very convenient if you have one. They do have rentals available, and I saw many people using them! Even with a standard 4-seater Grab car, the trunks are usually large enough that they should be able to take it as long as it’s folded.
Clean and cozy nursing room
The nursing rooms were very clean and even fully equipped with reclining sofas. Perhaps because the Philippines strongly encourages breastfeeding, the nursing room I entered had a sign stating “No Bottle Feeding / Breastfeeding Only,” meaning that using baby bottles was not allowed inside.
The rules for bottle feeding and the availability of water dispensers can vary depending on the specific mall or even the location within the same mall, so I recommend checking the signs in front of the nursing rooms. In the case of MOA, it seems that the nursing room near IKEA does allow the use of formula. To be safe, it’s best to prepare as if there won’t be any hot water available.
Festival Mall
This is a mall you’ll see after heading south from central Manila on the expressway for a while. The red “LANDMARK” sign stands out clearly even from the highway. Although it’s a slightly older mall, it felt spacious and clean thanks to various expansions and renovations. Compared to MOA, there are more locals here, making it a fun spot to get a glimpse of real life in the Philippines. I truly felt that this place, in particular, was a “paradise for families with children.”
Just Like an Amusement Park!
There is an indoor amusement park area for kids, featuring a train and go-karts on the 1st floor, a merry-go-round on the 2nd floor, and even a mini amusement park with a roller coaster running through the 3rd floor! They even have tennis courts inside.
A river flowing right through the mall grounds!
There’s a beautiful river flowing right through the mall, with grassy areas, hills, and a riverside walkway that create such a lovely atmosphere, especially with the illuminations. Since many restaurants face the river, you can enjoy a meal while taking in the stunning lights.
Arcades are incredibly cheap!
You exchange your money for special tokens to play, and a single ride of the same quality costs only about around $0.13! What’s more, many of them are two-seaters, making it a very budget-friendly environment for siblings to enjoy together.
There was even a Ferris wheel inside the arcade, and maybe it was because there weren’t any other customers around, but they actually let us go around 8 times! (lol).
There were also small-scale log flume rides, and it seemed like there were several mini amusement parks scattered throughout the mall. They even had a great value package for about 400 pesos ($7.00) that includes the train, so it’s definitely worth considering if you have enough time!
Learning a lesson from a budget crane game
Back in Japan, the two of them never really had the chance to play at arcades. Of course, they had only ever watched UFO catchers from a distance. This time, we used one remaining token worth about 10 yen ($0.07) to try the crane game for the first time! My eldest son, who thought he would definitely get something once he put the money in, burst into tears when he didn’t win… It wasn’t even that he particularly wanted the prize, but he seemed so convinced it was a guaranteed win that he cried for a very long time. I felt a bit sorry for him, but it turned out to be a good chance to learn how crane games actually work for just about 10 yen ($0.07)!
Ayala Malls Serin
About two hours south of Manila, you’ll find Lake Taal, which is a caldera lake. There’s an active volcano right in the middle of the lake, and it seems like it erupts every now and then (apparently, depending on the scale, volcanic ash even falls around the area). The view overlooking Lake Taal is absolutely beautiful, and the surrounding area is full of tourist spots like amusement parks and stylish restaurants. Since it’s located at a relatively high altitude, it’s known locally as a popular summer resort.
This photo was taken when we had lunch near the amusement park. The restaurant is called Buon Giorno, and I’ve introduced it in a separate blog post.
When you think of malls in the Philippines, SM Malls or Ayala Malls usually come to mind. While this one is large for the area, it felt like a typical mall. It has an open design with beautiful illuminations and a great variety of restaurants.
I was really happy as a Japanese person to see so much popular Japanese food available. Since we were visiting the Philippines, we decided to go with Jollibee this time!
Surprising Discoveries for Japanese Travelers
Security check at the entrance
There are guards with guns at the entrance. It has an atmosphere similar to an airport security checkpoint. In the past, they used to thoroughly inspect the inside of bags, but recently, I got the impression that it has been relaxed to just a quick glance at your appearance and overall vibe.
Once inside, it was safe, and we never felt scared at all.
I heard that stories of pickpocketing come up every now and then among residents, but I felt that as long as you take standard precautions, you should be fine.
Since we usually live in Japan—an environment where you don’t have to worry about such things at all—I was a little concerned about the children. In particular, when waiting for a Grab, you end up standing right by the road. There were beggars and people who were hard to distinguish from the staff, so I thought it’s best to be careful not to get too distracted by searching for the car.
Pet-friendly malls
Actually, in the Philippines, it seems that dogs are allowed in malls and restaurants as long as they are wearing diapers! I was so surprised because in Japan, with the exception of a few commercial facilities, pets are basically not allowed in malls or restaurants. I guess it’s not that uncommon when you look at it from a global perspective!
My eldest son isn’t very good with dogs barking, and there was even a time when a large dog was barking like crazy inside a restaurant, so we had to move to a different table (lol).
The Reason Behind the Mall’s Massive Scale
When I asked a local, they told me, “Since it’s hot all year round in the Philippines, cool malls serve as a substitute for walking paths.” That made perfect sense to me! Perhaps because of its extraordinary size, even during the weekend of the Christmas season—one of the busiest times of the entire year—there was more space for pedestrians than in Japan, making it very easy to walk around. Also, there were plenty of amusements and a huge variety of restaurants. Since Japan is also scorching hot in the summer and freezing in the winter, I couldn’t help but wish we had more facilities on this scale back home.
Conclusion
You might think, “Why go all the way to a mall during a trip?” But in the Philippines, malls are invaluable spots where children can move their bodies to their heart’s content, regardless of the weather.
From each person’s perspective, I think you can truly experience the differences from your own country! I hope this helps as a reference for your Manila sightseeing trip with children!
