Daytrip Manila - Seafood Galore and National Museum of the Philippines

I'm reliving one of my memorable trips of 2012 hehe. One of them happened to be a daytrip to the newly renovated National Museum! I'm fond of going to museums abroad and, surprisingly, this was the first time to visit our very own in Manila =) The trip was worth it because I'm all grown up and I can appreciate history more and the things before me now hahaha. What made the trip even memorable was that I drove all the way there and it was a rainy day hehe. I also looked for the seafood restaurant (for lunch) that my dad used to take me to when I was young near Manila bay and found my way to Intramuros (for dinner) because I had a craving for adobong balut in Illustrado then we went to the newest hip Lucky Chinatown Mall in Downtown Manila! Here's a fun itinerary for a daytrip in Manila =)

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

Lunch - Okay, I was a little too late for this one. The old restaurant (called Seafood Wharf) where my dad took me to for some yummy bamboo razor clams in tausi sauce was already closed. We went to the one beside it Harbor View Restaurant - food was so-so (they didn't have the razor clams) but the ambiance and experience was as wonderful as I expected. They have this extension out into the water.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

And on the left view of this picture - voila! the fallen Seafood Wharf. These restaurants are beside Manila Ocean Park left side if you go in through Roxas Blvd.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

We ordered the (seafood) soup of the day (P65 + SC),

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

the Sizzling Squid Chili (P245 + SC),

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

and this yummy (which was the best of the three) Mixed Seafood (P350 + SC).

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

They offer desserts in a cart.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

I would suggest that you eat out here on open air instead of inside the restaurant. There's pay parking by the way. I wonder what the view will be at night..

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

Main Event - The main building of the National Museum (the National Art Gallery, NAG) was just near the restaurant. I parked inside the gates of NAG.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

I will head over to the Museum of the Filipino People (MFP) in a while. Here are the entrance rates below. Ehem - FREE ON SUNDAYS! Hehe.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

They don't allow bags in by the way. But small cameras are okay. You can find Juan Luna's huge Spoliarium here.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

The carnage depicted will haunt you and the sheer size of the painting will leave you dumbfounded for a while. But the people can get a little distracting.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

There are little galleries with various works of art (from our National Artists) in display.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

I liked the paintings of Vicente Manansala

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

particularly this one below =)

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

Carlos (Botong) Francisco's The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines is also kept here and takes up an entire showroom! These large-scale works of art were originally made for the inaguration of the Philippine General Hospital. Now, these massive originals have found a new home here at the National Art Gallery.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

The National Museum closes at 5 p.m. and I didn't have time to look for the entrance of these pocket gardens haha. It is still kind of freaky to go down the dark corridors where there were no people (yes, I kind of chickened out and I wasn't sure if it was allowed haha).

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

We crossed the street to the other building at the back to the Museum of the Filipino People. I was more at home here, where things are for the curious and were not as abstract haha.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

Like this Ifugao house =)

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

Go up and you'll find this.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

We went up the elevator to go from top to bottom.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

We were a bit lost and saw a room or two full of jars and stuffed animals from a hole / door crack. OMG. I was having a Madagascar moment hahaha. 

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

What will you do if you saw crates upon (animal?) crates of Fragile and This Side Up containers?! hahaha. Unbelievable! Hahaha. Wow! *Note: I'm sorry we just got lost, don't attempt and deliberately find these. Authorized personnel only. I hope one day they would invite me in to be amazed more.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

We finally found our way to an exhibit of fossil shells and other marine life specimens!

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

This pretty one was found in Catanduanes, Philippines!

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

The collection gave us an idea of what the Philippines was like before according to expert studies.

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

I also got excited when I saw this - the Philippine National Herbarium! We have that? hahaha. Maybe this was what the restricted room was all about!

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

"The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture." - Thomas Jefferson

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

Here are samples of jars,

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

how you would know if a mushroom is poisonous

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

and the medicinal plants found in different parts of the Philippines like Baler in Aurora!

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

I would love to show you more things to find at the National Museum of the Philippines. This post is super long so I have to cut it! Feel free to read the next post - The Museum of the Filipino People, A Day Trip in Manila!

In the meantime, you can tell me below: Have you been to the National Museum of the Philippines? Which one would you go to: the National Art Gallery or the Museum of the Filipino People and why? What kind of museums do you go to anyway? Any good ones worth visiting (where)? If you have a recommendation, please suggest seafood restaurants in Manila! I would love to hear from you! =)

Details:

national museum day manila national art gallery and museum of the filipino people herbarium and zoological collections art collections day tour of manila itinerary http://guiltlessgetaways.blogspot.com/2013/01/daytrip-manila-national-museum.html

Manila Bay, Rizal Park
514-6339 / 359-0570

National Museum of the Philippines - National Art Gallery & The Museum of the Filipino People
Open Tuesdays to Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.