Manila is arguably Southeast Asia's most under-explored capital. Metro Manila is a megacity of nearly 15 million people, with just about any form of entertainment imaginable. Most amateur travelers make the mistake of confusing Metro Manila with the City of Manila, which is just a slice of the National Capital Region and which today can hardly be considered the center of modern Manila life. Ateneo Australs will be situated at the heart of the region, in either Makati City or the Ortigas Center.

Ateneo de Manila University is located in Quezon City, a short drive from Ortigas Center. Right outside the campus is Katipunan Road, a commercial strip populated by student-filled cafes and restaurants.

Metro Manila has something for everyone. Its nightlife offers slick cosmopolitan bars and clubs, hole-in-the-wall performance venues, karaoke joints, gay and lesbian venues, all night restaurants and cafes. Manila is a metropolis that sleeps very, very late and its numerous districts cater to all sorts of urbanites.

Dining out in Manila offers a similarly vast range, including restaurants run by top international chefs, some of the most outrageous street food, as well as your standard global franchises. Our well-traveled committee members swear that Manila still has the best food on the planet, rivaled only by a few choice cities in the region. Shopping in Manila is also difficult to compete with. Gigantic malls litter the city (including the Mall of Asia, now the region's largest), housing everything from luxury brands to local boutiques to rows and rows of pirated goods and cheap electronics. From the hotels in Ortigas alone, there are four massive shopping centers within walking distance. Like other Asian cities, Manila's long hours extend to eating and shopping, with malls closing as late as 10pm daily.

More adventurous travelers will be overwhelmed by street markets and by the city's grittier neighborhoods. Those looking for culture can find contemporary art galleries and pieces of colonial history like the walled city of Intramuros. The opposite breed of traveler - those who just want a bit of pampering - are perhaps even better off. Good spas in Manila will charge less than 15 AUD for a full body massage. Indeed, one of the best things about Metro Manila is that it's an astonishingly affordable place to explore, as these prices indicate.

Part of Manila's charm comes from its unwillingness to be tamed. It's a bit of an urban jungle, with secret haunts, twists and turns familiar only to its residents. At Ateneo Australs, we'll provide you with our very own guide to the city, which will give you tailored, up-to-date insider information that no tourist guide available in the market can compete with. This is your best if not only chance to visit Manila. And if you've been there already, we guarantee that during this trip you'll realize how little of the city you've seen in the past.