Bambike Ecotours Intramuros

Bambike is a social enterprise that makes bamboo bicycles by hand, and its Ecotours arm offers guided bike tours of Intramuros. The company is based in the Plaza San Luis Complex, at the corner of Real and General Luna streets, opposite San Agustin Church. Its bikes are made by builders from Gawad Kalinga, a Philippine community development organisation, using local bamboo, and the company says it provides full-time, fair-trade work to rural villagers.

The tours launched in 2014 under the founder, Bryan Benitez McClelland, and have become one of the most enjoyable ways to see the walled city. Cycling covers the distances between sights more easily than walking in the heat, while keeping the pace slow enough to stop, look and listen. Stops have included the walls themselves, Fort Santiago with the Rizal Shrine and its dungeons, the Puerta Real Gardens, the Baluarte de San Diego, San Agustin Church and Manila Cathedral.

The company has offered several formats. The Intramuros Experience has covered eight sites in about two and a half hours, the shorter Express six sites in about an hour and a half, and a two-hour Sunset tour in the late afternoon ended with a drink at The Bayleaf Intramuros. Tours have included the bike of your choice, a serving of local ice cream and a cool towel. If you are not comfortable cycling, sidecar bikes with a trained operator can carry two people.

Book through the Bambike website or contact the company by phone or email to check the current schedule and tour options. Wear light clothing and closed shoes, bring sunscreen and water, and choose a morning or late-afternoon tour to avoid the strongest heat. Tell the company if you are a nervous cyclist, and take care with traffic on the streets of the walled city.

Before you set off, take a few minutes to adjust the saddle and test the brakes, and tell the guide if you would like to stop for photographs at particular places. If your group includes children or less confident riders, mention it when booking so that the company can suggest a suitable format and bike sizes.

The tours suit families with older children, couples and groups of friends who want an active, sociable introduction to Intramuros. They also appeal to anyone interested in sustainable design. Combine a morning tour with lunch nearby and an afternoon in the museums at Rizal Park.