10 Fun Things to Do In and Around the Manila Bay Area

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(SPOT.ph) It's often said that Northies don't compromise by heading South for hangouts. If you're from the South of the Metro, more often than not, you're the one who has to adjust and visit your friends in Quezon City. We know, we know, it's not fair. But next time you get in a heated debate about where to hang out, you might want to entice them to head a little bit down south to the Manila Bay Area, which technically spans the cities of Parañaque, Pasay, and Manila. It's that part of Roxas Boulevard where you can find the Mall of Asia Complex, the City of Dreams, ASEANA City, Entertainment City, and other developments.

This emerging hotspot, sometimes dubbed the "Las Vegas Strip of Manila," has a lot of sights and attractions that you can use to make your case for your friends to start visiting your neck of the woods. We rounded up 10 spots that will make your friends want to visit the South of Metro Manila more often.

Also read:
10 Fun Activities to Try In and Around North EDSA
10 Amusement Parks In and Around Metro Manila for Your Weekend Drive
10 Indoor Date Ideas for When Netflix and Chill Just Ain't Cutting It

Here are the different fun things to do around Mall of Asia and the rest of the Manila Bay Area:

Marvel at Okada Manila's multi-color indoor fountain show

Looking for a chill thing to do at night? Head over to Okada Manila and watch their world-famous multi-color indoor fountain show. This isn't your ordinary mall or hotel fountain. Okada Manila's The Fountain is the world's largest multicolor dancing fountain. It's as expansive as 50 Olympic-size swimming pools put together. But size isn't the only thing amazing about this sight. It's also equipped with underwater robots, over 2,000 dazzling lights, dozens of speakers, and 700 high-powered jets. This set-up creates a futuristic, awe-inspiring lights-and-sounds show. Its most exciting feature is that it can shoot water beyond the hotel's 19-story building, almost defying gravity.

Okada Manila is at New Seaside Drive, Entertainment City, Tambo, Parañaque City. For more information, visit Okada Manila's website.

Have a slimy good time at Gootopia

Fun and slime know no age at Gootopia. Whether you're a youngin discovering the ooey-gooey world of slime for the first time or a millennial with fond early 2000s memories of Nickelodeon's slime, this is the fun house for you. A mix of both a slime lab—where you get to mix and make your own slime—and a fun theme park with games and activities, Gootopia is a spot for all. Take part in the various Gootopia games and activities and get a high score to avoid getting slimed at the end (or you could aim low if you really want that Nickelodeon feels).

Gootopia is at Level 3, South Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Rates start at P699. For more information, visit Gootopia's Facebook page.

Scream your lungs out at SM By the Bay's many thrilling rides

Tired of shopping at SM Mall of Asia's huge complex? Take a break from retail therapy and go on an exciting adventure aboard the 12 different attractions at SM by the Bay. This amusement center is right outside the main Mall of Asia (MOA) complex, and it's bound to give you and your friends a good time. Scream your heart out on the Dream Twister, feel all your worries slip away aboard the Drop Tower, and, best of all, marvel at the beautiful Manila Bay sunset aboard the MOA Eye.

SM by the Bay is at MOA Complex, Seaside Boulevard, Pasay. It is open daily from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. You can get ride-all-you-can tickets for SM by the Bay at Klook. For more information, visit SM by the Bay's Facebook page. 

Put on your Bob the Builder hat and dive into home improvement at IKEA

If you're like us, who got into the home improvement rabbit hole back during the height of the pandemic, then you're going to go gaga over IKEA. From inspiration rooms to a plethora of home finds, it's hard to imagine something for the house that's not here. If you just want to window shop and note pegs for your future dream home, that's fine, too.

Pro-tip: Head over to IKEA's Swedish restaurant on the top floor. Meatballs, chicken wings, chocolate tarts, there's a bunch of Nordic eats just waiting to be discovered here. 

IKEA is at MOA Square, Mall of Asia Complex, Marina Way, Pasay City. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit IKEA's Facebook page.

Have a weekend walk with your furry friends around Parqal Greenway

You might have heard about a new mixed-use commercial complex opening in Parañaque. Parqal, as this new shopping area is called, excited a ton of you at the prospect of a new sight down South.

You might have to wait a while before this new retail haven opens, but if you're excited to see what's in store, Parqal Greenway is already open to the public. Make this your new weekend spot for walking your dogs, running, jogging, cycling, and doing other fun weekend activities for free from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Parqal Greenway is at Parqal, Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Tambo, Parañaque City. It is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information, visit Parqal's Facebook page.

Discover the food and culture of the different Philippine regions at Food Wanderer x Lakbay Museo 

Food Wanderer x Lakbay Museo is the bigger and newer iteration of the then-IG playground in S Maison. For just P799 (P699 if you buy tickets online), explore the massive 3,000-square-meter space that features food art installations of the different regional dishes in the Philippines. There are also exhibits of various famous destinations in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, native fabrics, a collection of grains and beans, a playground with Filipino street games, and other experiences unique to the Philippines represented here. Keep your IG game on point as this spot is highly Instagrammable.

Food Wanderer x Lakbay Museo is at 2/F Filipino Village, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Parañaque City. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit Food Wanderer x Lakbay Museo's Facebook page.

Get creative at Craft Academy

Looking for a fun way to pass the time while keeping your hands and mind busy? This newly opened crafting playground might be for you. Craft Academy at Ayala Malls Manila Bay lets you and your pals unleash all your creative juices by making cute trinkets, scented soaps, and whats-its galore.

Entrance is free, but if you want to get your hands "dirty," rates start at P50. There are areas dedicated to slime-making, baking, painting, candle pouring, soap-making, and other fun simple crafts. You can avail of activities individually, with each activity having a different price point depending on the complexity, or book a package of several things to do. 

Craft Academy is at 2/F Filipino Village, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Parañaque City. Activities start at P50. For more information, visit Craft Academy's Facebook page.

Join your favorite Dreamworks characters on an adventure at Dreamplay

DreamPlay is the first and only Dreamworks Animation-themed park in the country. Located in the City of Dreams complex, play, dance, laugh, and party with all your favorite characters from animated flicks like Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Trolls, and many more. It may seem like the activities here are for young children, but they're open to all. There are big kid activities like the Rope of Legendary Legends, The Wall of Destiny, and the Thread of Enlightenment, which require tons of courage and physical strength. But if you don't want to get tired and you just want to go around, you can do that too. There's tons of opportunity for photos and making core memories at this spot down South. 

DreamPlay is at City of Dreams Manila, Aseana Avenue, Tambo, Parañaque City. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Entrance starts at P350. For more information, visit DreamPlay's Facebook page.

Play arcade and VR games at Timezone Ayala Malls by the Bay

Gone are the days when going to Timezone simply meant playing arcade, shooting, and racing games. Timezone at Ayala Malls Manila Bay is one of the largest branches of the franchise. Its total area is a whopping 2,000 square meters and includes not your usual activities like bowling, billiards, a virtual reality corner, a children's playground, and karaoke rooms. It used to be the country's biggest Timezone branch prior to the 2023 opening of the one in SM Fairview. So if your friends aren't from that far north, they wouldn't be able to find a Timezone as big as this.

Timezone is at 3/F Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Diosdado Macapagal Avenue corner Aseana Avenue, Parañaque City. For more information, visit Timezone Philippines' Facebook page.

Get much-needed R&R at Okada Manila's The Retreat Spa

If rest and relaxation are what you really want, then Okada Manila is the place to be. Their in-house spa and treatment center, called The Retreat Spa, is a highly acclaimed establishment with five stars in the Forbes Travel Guide. Choose from a variety of treatments, including massages, touchless therapies, and aesthetic services or you can even customize your own kind of bespoke therapy depending on the kind of "me" time you want to have. As an added feature of The Retreat Spa, guests of this part of the hotel have their own dedicated spa pool which is not only a great place to cool down but also a killer place to get a tan or take some swimsuit photos for the 'gram.

Okada Manila is at New Seaside Drive, Entertainment City, Tambo, Parañaque City. Book activity packages for Okada Manila at Klook. For more information, visit Okada Manila's website.

Also read:
10 New Indoor Attractions in the Metro You Should've Visited by Now
10 Places In and Around Metro Manila to Bring Your Balikbayan Friends

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