It's crowded; difficult to navigate; shabby and worn down. But an excellent experience of an eastern market. Beware of pick-pockets. But do not give it a miss.

Divisoria market is not just one building or one block of market. It is compose of may be around 5 malls and blocks of streets. It is actually a whole town of market. Here you can buy anything you want from eco bags to toys to clothing and even household and office items . There are some stores where you can buy Tshirts in whole sale prices. Even industrial materials you can buy here. The cheapest place where you can buy anything and everything.

I read about this place before going to Manila, and knew that I wanted to visit. My hotel was right next to the new glitzy Mall of Asia, to which the Concierge recommended that I go. When I mentioned that I was interested in seeing Divisoria, the guy at the Concierge said I should avoid the place and that the Mall of Asia has much better merchandise. I told him that I was not interested in the merchandises, but rather to see a lively marketplace fotr the ordinary Phillipinians. Long story short, I went to the Divisoria Mall. It is a 4 story building chuck full of cheap merchandise, but the experience was well worth it. Oh, I would be remiss if I did not mention the backrub I got: for 100 pesos (2 USD) it was a 45 minutes back / shoulder / head / neck massage - the best 2 dollars I have ever spent!

Yes, it is in a bit rundown neighborhood, and you should be aware of your surroundings, but despite the crowds and despite sticking out like an obvious tourist, I did not feel unsafe. If you really want to see the real world market place and see a bit about the real culture, this is the place you should go. Just don't expect high quality merchandise, but hey you just might find a really good deal on a clothing.