Bakebe PH

A very large medium to high end shopping mall in Manila. I was pleasantly surprised as this was my first visit. The mall itself is very well decorated and there are many stores and brands I like. Air con is great, bathrooms are fine although I'm not sure if there is one on each floor. We had to move floors a few times and with the size of the Mall it would be nice to have more. The maps are interactive. We spent a couple hours here and got everything we needed but I'd like to explore more. Kultura is here for Philippine made items. We had great coffee at Toby's Estate and we purchased items at Uniqlo, a personal favorite. We used taxi to get there and leave and it was easy although a bit busy like any highly visited mall.

SM Aura in BGC is a premier shopping destination that blends modern architecture with a diverse selection of shops, dining options, and entertainment. The mall features high-end retail stores, a well-stocked supermarket, and a wide array of restaurants catering to various tastes. Its rooftop garden provides a serene escape with stunning city views. Clean, spacious, and well-maintained, SM Aura offers a luxurious shopping experience with something for everyone.

The last time I visited SM Aura was when it was newly opened (yes, I know, ages ago). I'm not usually a BGC person, but work brought me here twice in less than a week, and I must say, the mall blew me away. SM Malls are typically known for being crowded, but this one had more of the Greenbelt and Rockwell vibe that I prefer. Post-Covid, large crowds really scare me, so the less crowded, more spacious feel was a huge plus. The selection of shops looked good, and the food court was a pleasant surprise, a cut above the usual SM fare. It's a fantastic place to unwind and relax on a weekday. I can't speak for the weekends, though—proceed at your own risk!

On 06-Jul, I had a shopping mall hopping on that day, so SM Aura Premier was my first Station. At first I had a cup of coffee at McDonald's, then I decided to go to the Cinema to take a look how was the Philippines Cinema looks like. You know what, I was invited by a staff to have a free movie session for Despicable Me 4 with free popcorn and drink as well. I was surprised, I asked the staff again is that completely free? And yes I'm in It's great to experience cinema in the Philippines, the space and the seat was very comfortable, I'm not sure if all of the cinema standards in the Philippines are the same? Overall this is a very good experience for me.

Located at the posh Bonifacio Global City, SM Aura would seem to be the high-end version of SM Malls. Although it still has the main fixtures of SM Malls, such as the supermarket, department store, Ace hardware, etc., it boasts of high-end stores and gourmet restaurants. If you are into expensive brands and fine dining, you might want to check out SM Aura. But it's not in any way exclusively for the well-off as there's plenty to enjoy and experience, even for those with a tight budget or bargain-hunters. The mall is well-lit and spacious, and its design and the ambiance exudes class and elegance.