A Glimpse of Manila

When I said I haven't been to a lot of places, I meant I was spending most of my entire life at home. In fact, my first post, about our province Bohol, was also my first all-day long family trip. And it felt great to finally visit these places. Feeling so free and yearning to have more.

Our next fam trip was in Manila. We were lucky to have booked a peso-fare promo ticket in Cebu Pacific which costs only 700 pesos round trip. Yes pretty sulit (well worth the value). Our flight was scheduled at past 11 pm but was delayed probably because of the storm coming. It was our first plane ride too so we we’re pretty excited. We departed at almost 2 am and arrived at 3.

My sister contacted a rent-a-car, friend of hers which she got at a cheaper price.

At first, we were just touring around the city hoping the rain would eventually stop. And because its all new to us, we appreciate the towering building around us.

First on our list was of course, the ever famous Luneta Park.

Then to Manila Zoo but because it was still raining, we decided not to go inside. We just took pictures at their entrance.
Next stop, MOA. We had our lunch here at Yoshinoya. 
The food here was delicious and they also offered free California Maki. We went ice skating after, that was so fun though we weren't so good at it. :)

We checked in at Eurotel in Pedro Gil (across Robinson’s Place). They had a room called Euro Suite 2 (Queen and Single Beds) worth ₱3,200 (3 adults, 3 children free of charge, free breakfast). We thought its very sulit so we took it. We then all had pampering baths in the tub.

Feelin’ so refreshed, we head on to our next destination, The National Museum (Ang Kasaysayan ng Ating Lahi (The History of our Race).

Star City

We only went to Snow World. We paid 65 pesos each for the admission and 150/person for the Snow World. Cameras weren’t allowed but they have a photographer inside (100/picture). Its freezin’ cold inside even if your wearing their free jackets (which was big for my size). I suggest you wear proper clothing like jackets, long pants and rubber shoes. I was wearing canvas shoes and it was wet when we came out. But weeeh liked their ice slide- a minute of fun as you slid down their winding ice slide.

After we had our dinner, we then went to SM By the Bay.

It was already night and we didn’t get to see the sun set in Manila Bay. It would have been a great sight. It’s similar to Star City, both have thrilling and entertaining rides but its much more maaliwalas (bright, pleasant) because its an open area. Just like in a park, you can enjoy sitting while eating in their creatively designed benches or in Bermuda covered ground (synthetic Bermuda grass). We only tried the Wowowheels (scooter ride) and the kids in their boat ride. Hubby and daughter tried Bungee Fun. I was  scared to try some of their exhilarating rides like the Tower Drop and the Dream Twister. I bet it’s pretty fun though. You can hear their all out screams and laughs. All in all, it’s a very fun place, perfect for families and barkadas. The only downside I think was the awful smell of the bay when you’re near it.

Manila Ocean Park

Of all the places we visited in Manila, this one was what we liked most. They have lots of fun-filled attractions and shows that will surely make your day.

• Oceanarium 

• Jellies Exhibit

• Birds of Prey Kingdom

• Sea Lion and All-Star Bird Show

You can buy your tickets there or you can buy online here and here. It’s a whole day activity so I suggest you arrive early and you always keep track on their schedules of shows. We didn’t get to encounter the sharks and rays because we loose track of time. The other show was in the late afternoon and we needed to go to catch our flight.

A little stroll in the park before heading home.