Sail Away, Sail Away, Sail Away!!: Museo del Galeon Finally Opens!

- May 7, 2026, Thursday.

- I'm ready for my trip to Acapulco!! -- At least, not in a straightforward sense. The Museo del Galeon, or the Galleon Museum, has finally opened in SM Mall of Asia after almost a decade of delays! The museum emphasizes the maritime history of the Philippines especially during the Spanish era. The museum is currently open from Wednesdays to Sundays, 10AM-7PM. Entrance tickets need to be purchased at the entrance (with big discounts for students and teachers). 

There's a giant compass in front of the museum name.

I look like a news anchor.

- The galleons were used during the 1500s to 1800s and went between Manila and Acapulco, Mexico. This transnational trade was crucial in bringing all kinds of goods across the Pacific. It was only until the invention of steam ships and the opening of the Suez Canal in Egypt that brought an end to the Galleon Trade.

- The museum exhibit space is separated into four floors. The ground floor is mainly the entrance and reception area. Going up the second level, visitors can first see native Philippine boats such as the Butuan canoe and the balangay. Afterwards, everyone can behold the giant galleon, which is a life-sized replica of the galleon named Espiritu Santo. There are some items that were traded through the Manila-Acapulco route.

Butuan canoe.

Balangay.

Espiritu Santo. It gives you an idea of how big it is compared to my human size. (And my height is above average for Filipinos.)

And just so you can see me better, I walked closer to the camera haha.

Religious items.

Manton de Manila. (Bonus because the left manton is orange!)

Silverware.

Significant documents written by the Spanish during their stay in the Philippines.

- The third level focuses more on encounters with the Philippines, with maps that the Spanish drew of the country, as well as statues of Rajah Humabon and Lapulapu. This is also the level where guests can enter the Espiritu Santo for a more immersive experience of life on a galleon. I appreciated the touch of giving the galleon floors a sensation of being on water, making the experience more realistic.

Old chest.

Raja Humabon.

Tabletop altar with Santo Nino.

Lapulapu.

Ready to out-explore Dora.

Mother Mary carving.

Inside the galleon.

On the deck.

See the captain's wheel!

I don't think I can survive with a space this small!!

Captain's room.

Divine guidance while out in the sea.

- The fourth level currently doesn't have much, although it does provide a nice view of the galleon from a higher angle. I also know that there are galleries that are waiting to be finalized and created in time for the museum's grand opening in October 2026. Because it's on soft-opening capacity for a couple of months, the museum staff told me that I can hold on to my ticket and go back in October with my ticket for a discount should I be interested to visit the museum again during its grand opening. 

Love the LED screens with the artificial waves. (They sometimes show stars too, or at times there is an informative video about the galleon's history.)

Thank you kind person for taking my photo because I wasn't allowed to use my tripod in the museum. (In my earlier photos, I could get away with leaning my phone on my bag, but I couldn't do that with this angle.) 

- The museum space has gone through so much before coming to this point. At one point it was even a vaccination center during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the many setbacks, it is now ready to serve its main purpose from the day the museum was conceptualized: to take everyone on a journey through time and the oceans!

The FRIENDS Experience: The One in Manila AND The One with the Late Birthday

- October 15, 2025, Wednesday.

- You have NO IDEA how long I have waited for this!! The FRIENDS Experience is an immersive pop-up museum based on the 90s series, FRIENDS. The FRIENDS Experience has been done in countless cities all over the world. As a big fan of the series, a running gag of my life (until now that is) is that I kept missing it in other cities due to bad timing. I guess this time, it was meant to be and conveniently in Manila, at Solaire! Perhaps the heavens felt sorry for me, because the FRIENDS Experience opened a week after my birthday, so I bought a VIP ticket as a birthday gift for myself. I was also one of the first few people to buy a ticket, because I saw an ad about it on the first day of ticket sales and almost none of the slots were filled. (Thank You Lord!!!!)

- I went on a weekday because I knew most people would go on weekends. I heard how long the lines were, which made me happy that I bought a VIP ticket - it was a bit more expensive but it allowed me to skip lines in photo spots and a 10% discount on souvenirs at the gift shop (and I knew that I would be buying myself some FRIENDS merch!!).

This can be found at the ground floor of Solaire, where the shops are. Taking a photo with this couch is free, and perfect for those who don't want to buy tickets.

- Dressed in my best 90s-inspired fit, I waited patiently for the gates to open, since I booked the earliest weekday slot, which was 2PM. The staff let us in a bit earlier, perhaps in anticipation of long lines (by this time, all slots for our entry time have been sold out!) I was the first one in line, and with VIP privileges too!

- Upon entry, guests are made to watch an introductory video about FRIENDS with an orientation from the staff about the dos and don'ts inside the museum. As an immersive museum, guests are usually allowed to touch the items in the replica sets. I guess the usual problem, however, would be people cutting lines or being too rowdy.

Can't believe I'm here!! By the way, this is located at the second floor, around the area where the theater is.

The door that opens to the FRIENDS world.

Intro video.

- The first set and photo spot was the fountain with the iconic orange couch as seen in the opening credits. There is an official photographer here, but personal phones can also be used too. I also want to acknowledge as early as now how helpful and skillful the staff were at taking photos (I also intentionally visited on the second week of opening as I knew that the staff would be used to taking good photos after a week of customers. Boy, I wasn't wrong!)

The only thing missing is an umbrella, which the cast used in the opening credits.

So no one told you life was gonna be this way (clap clap clap clap)!!!!

- After the fountain, there is a corridor with the clothes worn by the 6 main characters, and a few memorable props used throughout the series' 10 seasons. There were autographed scripts on display too, as well as wigs with various hairstyles that Rachel (played by Jennifer Aniston) had through the series - that many ladies tried to copy in the 90s!! The hall leads to the staircase with a sofa, where Ross (played by David Schwimmer) would tell Chandler (played by Matthew Perry) and Rachel to "PIVOT!!"

I think these were exactly the same clothes used in the series. (Also see their most notable lines at the base.)

Autographed scripts.

The many hairstyles of Rachel.

PIVOTTTT!!

- The next set replica is the boys' apartment, one of the two main apartments shown in the series. For the most part, it was resided by Chandler and Joey (played by Matt LeBlanc). It has the two "LA-Z Boy" Recliners that they both love, as well as a model of Hugsy, Joey's penguin stuffed toy. Adjacent to the boys' apartment is a model of the unforgettable look  that Joey had in what was supposed to be a filler episode; he wore all of Chandlers' clothes at the same time to spite him at a time when they're supposed to be in a hurry to get dressed to attend Ross' function at the museum.

Rachel's love letter to Ross - 18 pages front AND back!!

Science Boy - a comic made by Ross when he was a little boy.

The perfect chair to watch FRIENDS! (And yes, the TV behind me is working, and does of course show clips from FRIENDS!)

Maybe I should get myself a recliner too!

The boys' apartment has a doodle board behind their door. These doodle boards show the many illustrations throughout the episodes, which often say something about the episode or foreshadow something about the series.

HUGSY!!

Pat the dog! He's a big ceramic dog. It's a reminder of Joey's brief life as a filthy rich actor.

Could I BE wearing any more clothes????

- Outside the boys' apartment is a replica of the apartment's hallway. Though uninteresting in terms of color, FRIENDS fans know how many memories add color to what looks like a "dull" hallway. And of course. this hallways leads to one of the main sets of the series: the girls' apartment, where Rachel and Monica (played by Courtney Cox) reside for the most part of the series.     

Looking for a flat?

Reenacting that famous Thanksgiving episode.

Love the colors!!

Coffee, tea, or me?

Another thanksgiving classic: when Monica wore this turkey on her head, complete with the fez and sunglasses!

 - The final set is where the whole group usually likes hanging out: Central Perk! It is also where Rachel worked for some time after she decided to support herself, and where Phoebe (played by Lisa Kudrow) occasionally plays her songs. This was where the song "Smelly Cat" was born!

I've always wanted a cafe like this in my neighborhood.

Giant cup!

Smelly cattttt SMELLyyyy cat, what. are. they. feedingyou????

Because there weren't a lot of people, the FRIENDS backdrop from outside the cafe could easily be seen from the cafe's interior.

Couldn't resist pretend playing the keyboard on display....as a pianist myself.

Cafe exterior.

- I wasn't able to take a photo of the gift shop as I was too busy shopping, but I was so happy that they had a necklace with a pendant in the shape of the yellow picture frame from the girls' apartment. That was the first thing I got. There were hugsy stuffed toys, socks, mugs, notebooks, sweatshirts, and other amazing (slightly pricey of course) merch on sale too!

- I was able to finish the whole thing in around an hour. And because I was the first in line and was able to plan what to do and what photos to take per location (I did my research beforehand on what the FRIENDS Experience was like, because when did I not do my research??), it felt like I owned the whole place! (I told one of my friends who went during the weekend with a big crowd, she described my experience as not just "VIP", but the "VVVVIP experience"!!)  I was also quite fast that the staff were slightly concerned that I was not making the most out of the experience, but believe me, I did!! More importantly, I experienced something special and something that I really waited so long to do for my (late) birthday!!