The Spanish introduced the kalesa to the Philippines in the 18th century when they occupied the area. What exactly is a kalesa? It’s a horse (or donkey) drawn calash type of carriage. Basically, any carriage with a folding hood became known as a calash.

Trivia Question

If the Spanish introduced the calash type of carriage to the Philippines, did they also introduce horses? (Click or tap the tab above for the answer)

As a side note, the Malay also took the carabao, or water buffalo, to the Philippines. But back to the kalesa…

This YouTube video takes you on a horse-drawn kalesa ride with the traditional kalesa folk song playing in the background.

Linda Aksomitis going for a kalesa carriage ride being pulled by a donkey.

Kalesa carriage horses clip-clop down the streets through the tourist areas of Manila. They’re most popular in Intramuros, the historic walled part of the city. Just waving at an empty one is enough to flag it down. And, since there’s a lot of walking to explore the area, you may need the ride on a hot afternoon!

I do have one warning. Make sure to negotiate a price before you get in the carriage. Otherwise, you may have an argument trying to get a highly inflated price reduced. Carriage drivers prefer local currency, but will take US dollars too. They only take cash.

Check out some tips for visiting the Philippines in this article.