There is something special about traveling back to the Philippines, whether it is for business or pleasure. The excitement gets palpable a few days before the trip, and grows exponentially until the day of the flight.
It’s not everyday that one gets an offer to fly free to Manila, with side trips to Cebu and Bangkok to boot. Let’s just say it is one of the perks of the job. With New York in the middle of yet another bitter winter, I accepted the offer faster than you can say “adobo”.
With a tour group of 11, we embarked on a journey to Asia to discover what’s in store for travellers during the travel season. As soon as we hopped on that evening’s Philippine Airlines flight from San Francisco to Manila, we knew we were in for a big treat.
The friendly attendants handed us our towels and offered us our welcome drinks. Really comfortable seats aside, I realized why some people get addicted to flying via business class. One gets relaxed and refreshed, and arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport with a huge smile on their face.
Did I mention the comfortable seats? With the long-haul flight in mind, I tried the different ways to recline the seat and settled on the almost-180 degree recline and settled into my almost-cocoon. It was among my most relaxed (and stress-free) travels in a while.
I was awakened from my stupor by the fragrant smell of the garlicky arroz caldo, and one of the attendants, sensing movement from my area, approached and asked if I wanted to try their trademark porridge. “Yes, please,” I remarked as I trained my focus on exploring my personal television where I had almost 20 movies waiting for me. I settled for The Next Karate Kid as I slurped my congee, one spoon at a time.
Since it wasn’t a full flight, there was no need to refuel and make a technical stop-over in Guam. Hence, we arrived at the very unholy hour of 3:30am. After picking up all our luggage, we proceeded to the call center of our host, Mango Tours. A breakfast of some pan de sal and corned beef and daing na bangus later, we were off to our first stop, our home for the night, the newly-opened Microtel Inn Mall of Asia.
A no-frills, value-for-money international hotel chain, Microtel opened last month its ninth and latest Philippine branch right next door to one of the biggest malls in the world, the Mall of Asia. The hotel is ideal for travellers, specially since they have branches in key cities and tourist destinations such as Baguio, Batangas, Boracay, Cabanatuan, Cavite, Davao, Tarlac, Puerto Princesa and SM Mall of Asia. With MoA, the SMX Convention Center and a slew of restaurants and bars within five minutes, hotel guests will definitely not be at a loss for things to do or eat.
One early highlight for the trip was the Intramuros Heritage Tour, arranged in coordination with Jeepney Tours. If you have been to Manila in the past few years, you would have noticed these over-sized, air-conditioned jeepneys plying the roads of the metro. For this tour, we were brought inside the walled city of Intramuros.
Of course, the ubiquitous jeepney is a uniquely Filipino mode of transportation, originally made from US military jeeps. With a little creativity and ingenuity, the jeep’s body was remodelled, a metal roof was added and eventually decorated with loud and vibrant colors. Through the years, the undisputed ‘King of the Road’ has become an enduring symbol of Philippine popular culture.
Dressed in native Filipiniana garb, our guide brought us on a fascinating and quite memorable trip of Manila, particularly Old Manila. We were able to visit San Agustin Church, the oldest church in the Philippines and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We also made a rolling tour aboard the jeepney, passing through landmarks such as the Manila Cathedral and Fort Santiago, an old Hispanic stone fortress which was once the site of the new kingdom of Rajah Soliman, a Muslim chieftain of pre-Spanish colonization.
Within the walls of Intramuros lies the Light and Sound Museum, an interactive attraction that features life-sized dioramas that showcase the historic highlights of the Philipines, from the pre-Hispanic era to Spanish colonization to the construction of Intramuros; from the country’s conversion to Christianity to the life and times of the country’s national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.
After quick visits and sumptuous buffet feasts at Traders Hotel Manila and Manila Hotel, we called it a day.
Off to Cebu!
Home to such resort hotels like Shangri-la, Plantation Bay and Hilton, the island of Mactan in Cebu is touted as the resort destination in southern Philippines. Last month, a new hotel/resort opened its doors to the public and joined these pre-eminent names in luxury vacation. Its name? Crimson Resort & Spa.
Crimson, an exclusive oasis mere minutes away from the Mactan International Airport, is the country’s newest tourism destination. Masterfully-designed by WATG, designer of the world’s finest resorts and hotels, Crimson is cocooned in lush greenery.
Guests have a choice of accommodation: from deluxe rooms to garden suites to beach-front and ocean-front private pool villas. The rooms are designed with the world traveller in mind: the basic room starts at 36 square meters with an open plan bathroom with bathtub and separate shower. Yes, that’s just the basic, so you can just imagine what could be in store for the more luxurious rooms.
The suites are perfect for families. At 44 square meters, kids have more than enough space to run around and a huge king-size bed to just huddle into. Its bathroom overlooks a lush garden, with its own 22” LCD television. That’s aside from the basic 42” LCD TV in the bedroom.
The most luxurious of all are the private pool villas, ideal for honeymooners who only want the best. They are called as such because each villa has its own private plunge pool and you have a choice to have it beach-front or ocean-front. At an astounding 115 square meters of pure pleasure, the villa offers a large indoor garden in the entry area, a four-poster canopy king-sized bed, a his-and hers double vanities with luxury amenities, a separate living room with its own 42” LCD TV and a DVD entertainment center.
Everyone in our group gasped in awe when we saw these villas (the entire resort has 40 of them). It is indeed the height of luxury and Crimson promises to treat their guests as royalty. From the four bars and restaurants to indoor badminton courts; from children’s playground to beachfront cabanas; from 3-in-1 infinity pools to water sports like parasailing, jetski and kayak, Crimson will make sure that guests will enjoy every minute of their stay, whether they are basking in the sun or frolicking on the sand or just enjoying the food.
Then came the city tour which brought us to some of the finest destinations that Cebu had to offer: from the beautiful resorts of Mactan to the breath-taking views of Marco Polo Hotel; from Cebu’s own version of Beverly Hills to Tabo-an Market, the home of the best danggit and dried squid in the city.
The only downside about traveling to the Philippines during the holidays—specifically a week or so before Christmas—is that bittersweet feeling one feels upon leaving. It’s like every single balikbayan is coming home for the holidays and there you are, bags packed, on your way out.
Of course, Christmas in the Philippines has always been, and will always be over-the-top fun with all its beautiful components. That’s what makes leaving such a hard chore, thinking of all the parties and gatherings that will be missed.
Thankfully, traveling back to the home country has become more fun and efficient. Now, we can check flights and book everything online. In fact, Mango Tours has brought it one level higher by introducing last month a mobile application for iPhone, iPod or iPad users. Now, tech-savvy travelers can now check airfares, book flights online, check flight status, pay with credit cards and get e-tickets using their Apple gadgets.
(To know more about Mango Tours Mobile Application, or to inquire about the various tours in the Philippines they have to offer, please call toll-free 1-866-2-MANILA (1-866-2-626452) or visit www.mangotours.com.)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(NYNJ Dec 24-30, 2010 LifeEastStyle p.2)
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