Fancy a sort of time travel experience? Head on to Intramuros and experience a different way of learning history with a modern twist!
I have been to Intramuros many times. It is where my then boyfriend's (now husband) school is located and it is also where one can find the Manila Bulletin building, where I am a contributing writer. Whenever I have some extra minutes to spend in past visits, I'd make sure to go up the walls' walkway for a scenic stroll.
I was so glad to discover that people can actually tour and learn more about Intramuros in a really fun way! Last Tuesday, two of my good friends, Myke and Ryan, and I visited White Knight Hotel Intramuros (WKHI) located at Plaza San Luis Complex, General Luna St. corner Urdaneta St. It is right across San Agustin Church. We were invited to try out what they call electric chariots that tourists can ride around Intramuros with.
The self-balancing machines or personal transporters (that's the generic term, not Segway 'coz WKHI uses the brand Enjoy) were intimidating at first. I was doubtful if I could ride it properly as I have a poor sense of balance. Amazingly, on the first try and few attempts to maneuver my e-chariot, I discovered that it's really easy to stay on top of it! Many minutes later, I believe all of us already felt like expert drivers! :)
Of course, before anybody can take a ride, we were outfitted with safety gear. The helmets are bright yellow, which will make them easy to spot by incoming vehicles. Our guides patiently taught us how to make the chariots work and had us take several turns around the fountain in the Plaza San Luis courtyard before allowing us to go out into the street.
There's a wonderful sense of freedom that riding the electric chariots give. I had so much fun zipping past the many historical sites we stopped by such as the San Agustin Church, the ECJ Building, Galeria de los Presidentes, and the Baluarte de San Diego Gardens.
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| I captured the funniest photo of the year! LOL (zoom in please) |
Our guide shared a lot of information about the places we went to. I couldn't help thinking how useful the facts and figures would be to students who are currently taking history classes. We were told that a lot of foreigners, mostly Europeans, indeed stay at WKHI to experience this kind of educational tour. With this blog post, I hope more Filipinos will also be encouraged to take a peek into our country's past by visiting and seeing first hand this place where history continues to live on.
Aside from the two-wheeled chariots, you may opt to ride the mini-ATVs instead. I found out though that these cute little vehicles are harder to get used to than the personal transporters. Heavy-weight guests who may not fit into either two, can still join the tour by riding on one of White Knight's bikes or the pretty red and white shuttle that older people prefer to ride in.
Whatever mode of transportation you choose, you'll definitely have fun going around Intramuros because the hotel's guides and assistants will be there to ensure your safety. Rates for the e-chariot tours cost P500 for 30 minutes and P1000 for 1 hour. I can guarantee that riding them is ultra fun!
If you're booked at White Knight Hotel Intramuros, consider availing of their other tour packages so you can see more of the Philippines. These include tours to Tagaytay, Subic Bay, Pagsanjan, and Enchanted Kingdom as well as tours to Metro Manila landmarks outside Intramuros such as Fort Santiago, Casa Manila, Rizal Park (Luneta), Manila Ocean Park, and SM Mall of Asia.
Contact WKHI at (02) 526-6539 or 525-2381. Email whiteknighthotel@gmail.com and visit www.whiteknighthotel.com. Keep updated with their promos and new offerings by liking White Knight Hotel Intramuros and White Knight e-Chariot Tours Manila on Facebook.
* See more photos of our adventures and check out WKHI's other nice facilities in this Facebook photo album
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