Where are the world's largest super malls? Most would guess they’re at big cities of New York, Beijing, Moscow, Tokyo or Minneapolis. However, on one respected list, the top 11 include three in an unexpected location: Manila.

Forbes Magazine ranked the trio of malls located within 10 miles of downtown Manila, Luzon. The Mall of Asia in Pasay City is listed as 4th; 8th is Megamall in Mandaluyong City; and 11th is North EDSA in Quezon City.

Connections With Manila: Your travel4seniors.com editor first came to Manila in April 1945 as a 19-year-old member of a U.S. Navy advance team. The once-beautiful city lay in ruins as American and Filipino GIs were in the final stages of retaking the islands after three brutal years of Japanese occupation.

If your travels take you to the nation’s capital city, you’ll quickly discover how expensive it is to book a hotel room, dine in the fancy restaurants and attend first-rate entertainment events.

However, if you happen to be in town on certain no-ticket-cost days or nights, you can help balance your budget by taking advantage of one or more of the absolutely free offerings in the city.

These are just a few of the many happening in and around Washington. Some are seasonal and/or require advance reservations and have limited seating. Before you show up for a free concert or other performance, check out all the necessary information about schedules and locations.

Speakeasy DC: With reminders of earlier days of Prohibition hangouts, this improv theater at 2639 15th St., NW, presents professional and amateur storytellers, jokesters and stand-up comedians on the second Tuesday of the month. Here they test their skills on appreciative audiences. It’s free, but donations are appreciated. (www.speakeasydc.com)

Since it first emerged from the Nevada desert a century ago, Las Vegas has long been known as an adult playground. The theme, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”, is a not-so-subtle hint. It invites grown-ups to indulge in the naughty charms of aptly-named Sin City.

Las Vegas Welcomes Families: Today, there’s great emphasis on urging the entire family to enjoy the city’s many features beyond gambling. These five are very entertaining, and offer loads of fun to even the very young. Better yet, they’re all free! If you’re in Las Vegas with grandkids, consider these.

The Atlantis Show: 3570 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109. A fun experience for all, and is conveniently located in the Roman Great Hall of Caesars Palace. It’s a fascinating sight and sound experience of the imaginary city of Atlantis. Visitors of all ages enjoy the fantastic visual and special effects, realistic sound, costumes and lifelike animatronics.

Guest Senior Travel Reporter, WPP, Boston MA: Recently, I arrived in Kiev, the city where my mother’s family lived for centuries before coming to America in 1906. I had been to Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia previously. My latest venture was to the former Imperial Russian city, now the capital of the Ukraine, with a population today of nearly three million.

Getting To Kiev: I went by rail, taking a Eurostar scenic route from London under the Channel to France, Belgium, Germany Warsaw and on to Kiev. It takes 40 hours in a comfortable sleeping compartment, and cost about $500, including tips, snacks and meals.

City History: Kiev was a thriving commercial center on the Dnieper River as far back as the 11th Century. It was in Czarist Russia in the 19th Century and the Soviet Union in the early 20th Century.

In 1941, German and Romanian troops occupied Kiev for several years, with devastating casualties among the Jewish and other communities. Under Soviet domination again after World War II, the Ukraine became an independent nation in 1991.