Carlos Celdran’s Tours
URL: http://celdrantours.blogspot.com

Carlos Celdran is someone who is trying to change the way people see Manila, one step at a time. And he does this via his tour-slash-history lesson-slash-play-slash-production number. I joined his Intramuros Tour two weeks ago with my officemates and I had done his Binondo Tour awhile back. And I found both tours to be very good.

Just as the tour is not your typical “on your right is the Church of San Agustin run by the Agustinians, etc. etc.”, Celdran is not your typical tour guide. He sings, acts, jokes, plays music, and (literally) changes hats. He takes some historical liberties and exaggerates a bit here and there, but I understand that that is needed to make a point. The tour is also more emotional than physical. You walk from one place to another, but the real attraction are the stories and anecdotes that accompany these places.

And I just love it when he said, “The tour will now take a five minute intermission; you can go to the restrooms, take some complimentary ice tea, and World War II will begin shortly.”

CeldranTours are for foreigners who are visiting Manila, expats who have lived in Manila a long time and want to see another face of the city, for Filipinos (like me) who need some nationalistic shot in the arm, and for kids who will surely benefit from the history lesson presented in a very cool and hip way.

There were several foreigners who joined the tour and I think the tour helps them by opening their eyes to the Filipino psyche. They leave the tour more sympathetic and more understanding of the Filipino and the country. And with that, the tour has already done its mission. As Carlos Celdran puts it, “I may not be able to change how Manila looks, but I can change the way people look at Manila.”

For reinventing the concept of what a tour is, and for making the whole experience a really cool, fun, educational and “nationalistic” experience, AngPeregrino Recommends CeldranTours this week.

Note: For those who are visiting from the provinces, you might want to check out Celdran’s Manila Itenerary, which includes places to visit, restaurants to eat at, and shops to buy from. It wouldn’t be your usual Ocean Park-and-mall-hopping fare, but it’s worth a try, if only for a different and more “cultural” experience. You have to text him in order to reserve slots and to confirm the sked.

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