Lakbay Museo: Travel around the Philippines in this Instagrammable museum

Updated February 13, 2020

Imagine discovering and experiencing the most beautiful Philippine destinations in less than two hours, in the most millennial and fun way possible. If you are looking for a weekend getaway that will allow you to visit many places on a limited time and budget, Lakbay Museo, an interactive museum in Pasay City, Philippines, is worth adding to your list.

“Lakbay Museo offers you a unique opportunity to witness the country’s festivals, traditional dances, costumes, and food all under one roof,” says Bobby Joseph, Lakbay Museo chairperson.

See the Philippines in one gallery

Lakbay Museo is a convenient, fascinating one-stop-gallery to experience the best destinations in the Philippines as well as the richness and diversity of its culture. Travel the country’s different regions in one spot and take hundreds of IG-worthy travel photos in less than two hours.  

“Paano ka maglalakbay?” (How will you travel?), asks the display at the museum entrance.

The classic jeepney, the colorful airplane, and the vibrant vinta (a traditional outrigger boat) displayed in the lobby are a great reminder that the Philippines is an archipelago which you can explore by land, by air, or by water. Take the jeepney, climb the airplane and slide down, or walk through the vinta—that’s how you enter Lakbay Museo, which promises an amazing start of your museum journey.

Inside, witness Tondo streets with carinderia (food stalls) and sari-sari stores.

Walk along the heritage city of Vigan’s Calle Crisologo while taking a glimpse at Ilocos region’s cuisine and souvenir items.

Feel the warmth inside the Ivatan house of Batanes. Experience the extravagant Pahiyas Festival of Lucban, Quezon.

See the Sto. Niño Shrine of Tacloban Leyte and the world-famous Mayon Volcano up close.

Explore the Mindanao royal house with traditional clothing and musical instruments on display.

Enjoy the underwater scene depicting the Visayas region’s rich marine resources and stunning beaches.

One-of-a-kind experiences at Lakbay Museo

“This is the first Philippine interactive millennial museum,” beams Lakbay Museo president Lawrence Tan with pride.

Here, you can go around interactive exhibits and experience a taste of the Philippines in so many ways, unlike in most museums where visitors are not allowed to touch the displays.

Swim in a giant rice bowl, balance a stack of palayok (rubber pots) on top of your head, sit on a beautiful giant clamshell, touch various traditional textiles and tapestries, do the iconic lava walk inside the small tunnel of Mayon Volcano replica, play indigenous musical instruments, or snap photos beside the 120-plus mannequins donning authentic Filipino attire.

If you feel overwhelmed with the Instagram-worthy displays, you can always rely on the well-trained museum staff who are always ready to explain and share interesting information about each station.

Interestingly, Tan said 90% of the staff working here are out-of-school youth. The company also employs a PWD (person with disability) and a senior citizen.

Art displays with a message

Lakbay Museo also aims to raise environmental awareness to its visitors.

“We used recycled materials for most of the structures and displays here,” claims Tan. “We used over 4,000 rubber slippers, over 300 pieces of old rubber tires, old rubber mats, and other recyclable materials.”

Empty plastic bottles are on display on the ceiling of the Visayas region station, a reminder for travelers to be mindful when disposing plastic waste when traveling.

Culinary journey at Lakbay Museo

Any trip will not be complete without exploring the local cuisine.

The interactive museum showcases lifelike replicas of over 600 local dishes and delicacies. Among the food displays are replicas of popular Filipino dishes like adobo, sinigang, and lechon.

The museum also features regional dishes such as sinanglaw (beef innards stew from Ilocos), kansi (a beef shank soup from Bacolod which is a cross dish between bulalo and sinigang), and laswa (Ilonggo boiled vegetable soup).

Another amazing display is a replica of Cebu’s famous Taboan Public Market which showcases a vast collection of dried fish, from boneless dilis to dalag baybay, tuyong lapad, and dried ayungin.

Other popular spots are the Ilocos region’s Instagrammable longganisa and empanada installations.

Your visit to the museum will also let you learn more about the regional variations of vinegar (from Sukang Iloco to sukang paombong), different coffee beans (from barako to alamid), and rice grain varieties (from Mountain Province’s ominio to Ifugao’s minaangan).

“We hope to do food tourism event starting with NCR (national capital region) and then the other regions so that we can feature and be proud of our diverse cuisine and the people who prepare them,” said Joseph.

Lakbay Museo offers a collage of beautiful and interesting experiences. “I hope you give me a chance to prove to all Filipinos that they need to come here and enjoy the cultural shows, the tradition, the costume, and the food,” invites Tan.

Lakbay Museo is located at S Maison in Conrad Hotel Manila at the Mall of Asia complex. It is open from 10:00AM to 10:00PM. Last call is at 9:00PM. The entrance fee includes 12 chips which guests can use as payment for different local treats and snacks inside the museum. Goods normally cost around one to four chips each.

To book online or check more details, you may visit www.lakbaymuseo.ph.

For more travel ideas and inspiration, click here.