Smokey Tours

Smokey Tours offers guided visits to some of Manila's poorest communities and is run in connection with the Bless the Children Foundation, a Manila charity. Its main tours are the Smokey Mountain and Happyland Tour in Tondo and the Baseco Tour in the Port Area. Proceeds from the tours go to support community projects.

Tours like this are not for everyone, and they raise fair questions about how to visit poor neighbourhoods respectfully. The value of a guided community tour is that guides can explain the realities of daily life, the work people do and the projects that support them, in a way that is hard to grasp from a car window. Go with an open mind, listen more than you photograph, and treat residents as hosts rather than subjects.

Bookings are made by email with the foundation, and the website asks for your name, nationality, WhatsApp number, group size, preferred date, morning or afternoon start and which area you would like to visit. Confirm the meeting point, duration and what the fee covers when you receive a reply. Expect to be on foot, so wear closed shoes and modest, comfortable clothing.

Ask before taking any photographs of people, and be guided by your guide on where cameras are welcome. Bring water, a hat and some small change, and leave valuables at your hotel. Parents should think carefully about whether the experience suits children. Tondo and the Port Area are some distance from Makati, so allow time for traffic.

If you are unsure whether a tour of this kind is right for you, write to the foundation first and ask how visits are organised, how residents are involved and how the money is used. A clear answer will help you decide, and it is a sensible question to ask of any community tour anywhere in the world. Allow time after the visit to reflect on what you have seen.

The tours suit thoughtful travellers who want to understand Manila beyond its sights, students, volunteers and anyone interested in urban poverty and community development. They complement a visit to Intramuros or Binondo by showing a very different side of the same city. If you want to support the community further, ask the foundation about its programmes and how donations are used.