Reuters runs a series on what tourists can do in 48 hours in a tourist spot. It is Manila’s turn this week. There is no rule that says Metro Manilans cannot enjoy or experience can also experience what Reuters correspondents feel visitors got to see. Have a great time.

FRIDAY

7 p.m. - Hop onto one of Manila’s famous jeepneys, the colorful, noisy and iconic national mode of transport, and aim for Makati, the financial district where many of the capital’s top restaurants are located.

8 p.m. - Rise above the heat and din of the streets at Top of the Citi, a high-end restaurant nestled on top of the headquarters of Citigroup. The menu offers a mix of oriental, Filipino, Japanese and French dishes.

10 p.m. - Grab a private cubicle and a microphone at Red Box, the karaoke club on the third floor of Greenbelt 3, and let rip with some 1980s hits.

11 p.m. - If dancing is more your thing, take a taxi and hit Embassy, Manila’s swankiest club, where Imelda Marcos recently had a twirl and foie gras is the de rigueur post-groove snack.

12:00 p.m. - Still standing? You deserve a hearty serving of halo-halo, a popular Filipino dessert comprised of shaved ice, milk, boiled sweet beans and fruit all served cold in a tall glass or bowl. The plush Manila Peninsula Hotel has the best version in town.

SATURDAY

7 a.m. - Stock up on native specialties, pastries and organic fruit and veg at the Salcedo Market in the heart of Makati.

9 a.m. - Stroll around the American Cemetery, one of the most tranquil spots in Manila. In a white memorial at the center of the graveyard, twenty five mosaic maps chronicle the World War Two battles in Asia.

11 a.m. - Visit the famous Walled City of Intramuros. The walls are all that remain of what was once the center of Spanish power in the Philippines. Inside, the gates, churches and cobblestones give visitors a feel for how beautiful Manila was before the destruction of World War Two.

1 p.m. - Take a horse-drawn carriage or calesa around Rizal Park. Check out the giant relief map of the Philippines, scenic Chinese gardens and locals playing chess, one of the country’s favorite pastimes.

2 p.m. - Grab lunch at one of the seafood restaurants lining the bay in front of Rizal Park. A must try is Pantalan, where you can feast on crispy ulo ng pusit (crispy squid head) and nilasing na hipon (shrimp marinated in alcohol).

4 p.m. - After the calm of the park, get your adrenalin pumping with a visit to the Cinema Square shooting range in Makati. Gun ownership is widespread in the Philippines and signs requesting patrons to deposit their firearms at the door are common in some bars and clubs.

8 p.m. - Check out up-and-coming Filipino bands at sa Guijo Cafe + Bar in San Antonio Village in Makati.

10 p.m. - If you are looking for something a little off-the-wall, go to Burgos Street in Makati’s redlight district, where female, or "foxy" boxing, complete with gloves and headgear, takes place in one of the main bars, Ringside.

SUNDAY

7 a.m. - Breakfast at Jollibee will sort out the groggiest of heads. Try local breakfast classics such as tapa (beef jerky), longganisa (native meat sausage) and tocino (cured pork) all served with garlic rice and egg.

10 a.m. - If you are going to stay on the mainland check out Sunday mass in a shopping mall, a truly Philippine experience.

12 a.m. - In the city that brought you the shoe queen par excellence, Imelda Marcos, a trip to Marikina, the home of the Philippine shoe industry, is a must. The Marikina City Footwear Museum houses over 700 pairs of Imelda’s shoes, including the black espadrilles she wore when fleeing Manila in disgrace in 1986.

2 p.m. - Take in a cockfight at one of the special arenas for the event in the Pasay City district. Everyone bets on the outcome of each of the fights, and dozens are held in a day, with the number rising at weekends.

3 p.m. - Stop for coffee at one of the Figaro Coffee stores, which serve only local varieties of organically grown coffee, including a rare bean called "barako," or wild boar, that will pep you up for the rest of the day.

4 p.m. - Suitably fortified, head east to the Chinese cemetery in La Loma, Manila, where Buddist, Confucian, Taoist and Catholic traditions are blended together. Reflecting the wealth of many of its occupants, areas of the cemetery are referred to as Millionaire’s Row and Little Beverly Hills. Some of the more luxurious mausoleums have airconditioning and flushing toilets.

One is even designed to look like the Sydney Opera House.

6 p.m. - Close to the graveyard is Retiro Street, where you can buy lechon (roast pig) from the lines of vendors roasting the meat on spits.