Lakbay Museo with Kids: What to Expect and Is it Worth it? (Manila, Philippines)

We joined a homeschoolers group last month on a visit to the newly opened attraction, Lakbay Museo. Before we were invited, I didn’t have any plans on visiting yet because I felt that it didn’t really suit my 4 year old based on photos. But we joined anyway.

Here’s how our experience went. I’m also listing down things you can expect when you visit Lakbay Museo, particularly if you’re visiting with kids.

What is Lakbay Museo?

Located at S Maison at Conrad Manila, Lakbay Museo is an interactive museum that takes you around the Philippines in 2 hours. It follows the same format as Dessert Museum where you get to visit different instagrammable stations.

(Check out related post: Should you bring your kids to the Dessert Museum?)

Things to Expect:

1. You Can “Purchase” Snacks

Everybody gets chips at the start of the tour and you can use these chips to claim snacks all around the museum.

Different snacks are offered at different stations. There was arroz caldo on one stall and some kakanin on another. We also tried the fishballs and sago’t gulaman. Didn’t like the melon drink though!

2. Free taste!

You can also try some snacks for free. Definitely a hit with the kids who are always up for some munchies!

3. There are photo spots

Unlike most traditional museums, Lakbay Museo actually encourages people to take as many photos as possible. And they do this by creating different “instagrammable” spots around the museum.

…just like this garlic display. Pretty random, but still, instagrammable! Haha.

4. Interactive displays

There are a number of props you can use all around the different stations. In fact, staff will encourage and help you try them on.

5. You can join in on the fun!

There were a number of performances that showcased different local dances. But probably my son’s favorite thing about Lakbay Museo was how he, and all the other kids, were invited to go up on stage to join the performers!

So verdict: Will Kids Enjoy?

Whether your kids will enjoy or not will depend on their ages and expectations.

My 4 year old had no idea what to expect and was pleasantly surprised with the number of different things to do. He enjoyed the puppet show, exploring the different interactive display, having snacks as we were touring and as mentioned, joining the performers on stage.

One thing to note though about going to Lakbay Museo with kids: The place is very colorful (a very high sensory experience.) So keep in mind in case this is an issue for your kids.

Is it Worth It?

Now is it worth it? It will also depend on your expectations.

• If you’re there for the ‘gram: It’s not as instagrammable as The Dessert Museum. It’s nice, but visually, I felt that there was just too many things going on at the same time. A little too busy for my taste. Also, lighting could be improved.
• If you’re there for the educational value: It’s honestly not very educational. I doubt kids, especially younger ones, will be able to learn facts and actual info about the Philippines after their visit. It doesn’t seem like the purpose of the museum anyway either. However…
• If you’re there for an exposure to Filipino culture: You’ve come to the right place!

The beauty of Lakbay Museo is really in presenting the Philippines and Filipino culture in a fun and engaging way. Kids may not know what Tinikling is called, but now they know how to dance it themselves!

The entrance fee is a bit steep  at P699/pax (or P599 for group rate) so think about what your expectations are and decide if it’s worth it to visit. For me, it’s a nice place to visit once and may be appreciated more by kids a little older than my 4yo (he liked it but it didn’t really stand out to him.)

Overall, we had a lot of fun. I would definitely recommend it if you have foreign guests, especially if they have kids. Locals will also enjoy it and it’s a good way to introduce the Filipino culture and the Philippines.

There is so much to appreciate in our culture and it was nice to expose my son to it through Lakbay Museo.

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Looking for other fun places to visit in Manila with Kids? Click here!

(NOTE: THIS POST IS ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE LAST SEPTEMBER 2019.)