Manila
The capital is loud, hot, and dense, and most travellers see it only as a layover. That is a missed opportunity. Intramuros, the Spanish-era walled city, is one of the best-preserved colonial centres in Southeast Asia: Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church, the cobblestoned plazas. Binondo, the Chinese district just north, is the oldest Chinatown in the world and the best food district in the city. Pair a half-day at the National Museum with an afternoon walk through the cemetery at Manila North, where the mausoleums are the size of small houses.