it’s already time to start thinking about summer. Travel deals won’t be where they were at last year, meaning that the airlines are not dropping their fares to ridiculous lows. But there is still time to take advantage of some sales that have started.
Domestically, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pecific have both launched summer fare deals, but be attentive to the fine print. Some of the catches are weekday-only travel or smaller time frames to travel within.
There are many ways of finding cheaper airfares, but sometimes the quickest way to find out about sales is sign up for alerts either directly from your favorite airline’s website or from a reliable search engine like google. These sites will let you customize your alerts to particular airports as well as select the maximum airfare you’re willing to pay and search under that.
But whether or not you’re going to hit the open road or fly the friendly skies, rising fuel costs will affect you. That shouldn’t stop you from taking a vacation altogether, but it is something to keep in mind when planning your budget.
Remember that the best fares are usually posted on Tuesdays. While this would be a good time to plan ahead, there are sometimes last-minute fare sales during the summer, but they usually go fast or have a lot of restrictions attached. So wait at your own financial risk.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Shopping while being Rub Down..aa? ............By: Nea Mirizma P. Gaspar
I think this was the most relaxed day of my life, but I wondered on something? But apparently I’m so lucky because my aunt just got home from abroad and she was here to give us different favorable treats…
We went to metro Manila again on this day, scooting up to Makati ,the wonderland of foreigners that aren’t daring enough to risk the rest of the city. We walked around the upscale Greenbelt mall, then Landmark and finally to Glorietta.
Greenbelt was an oasis in the middle of the urban chaos. It has a good sampling of Euro and American stores and cafes. Landmark and Glorietta was pretty much more of the same and it started to get fairly boring.
But after we got back to the hotel, we decided that it was a good time to relax and get a massage. That’s when the fun really started …
We had been told that full body massages were ultra cheap , I’m talking P 500.00 an hour for soft, little Asian hands!
So Aunt Liza made an appointment for three therapists to come to the hotel room for the five of us. Three female masseuses arrived dressed in professional white medical uniforms and they’re the typical Filipina size tiny.
Now, I’ve only had two professional massages in my life, so anyone other than my boyfriend laying their hands on me, and I get a bit nervous. But I’m in the first batch of massages, so I strip in the bathroom down to my undies. My masseuse is light skinned, but has a faint mustache and a really thick accent. I step out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me, my therapist is fiddling around in her bag. She puts some oil on her hands and asks “You want a dry rub or oil?”
Not wanting to get oil all of the sheets that I’ll have to sleep on later, “Dry rub.”
After an hour of trying to relax while she did her best to rub me down with a towel between me and her hands, I’m glad I chose the dry rub. I’m really glad after hearing about everyone else’s experience.
Apparently when the oil it make me personally feel iwww…like Im very dirty, as if I didn’t took a bath, so I chose not to have that.A towel never felt so comforting.
We went to metro Manila again on this day, scooting up to Makati ,the wonderland of foreigners that aren’t daring enough to risk the rest of the city. We walked around the upscale Greenbelt mall, then Landmark and finally to Glorietta.
Greenbelt was an oasis in the middle of the urban chaos. It has a good sampling of Euro and American stores and cafes. Landmark and Glorietta was pretty much more of the same and it started to get fairly boring.
But after we got back to the hotel, we decided that it was a good time to relax and get a massage. That’s when the fun really started …
We had been told that full body massages were ultra cheap , I’m talking P 500.00 an hour for soft, little Asian hands!
So Aunt Liza made an appointment for three therapists to come to the hotel room for the five of us. Three female masseuses arrived dressed in professional white medical uniforms and they’re the typical Filipina size tiny.
Now, I’ve only had two professional massages in my life, so anyone other than my boyfriend laying their hands on me, and I get a bit nervous. But I’m in the first batch of massages, so I strip in the bathroom down to my undies. My masseuse is light skinned, but has a faint mustache and a really thick accent. I step out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me, my therapist is fiddling around in her bag. She puts some oil on her hands and asks “You want a dry rub or oil?”
Not wanting to get oil all of the sheets that I’ll have to sleep on later, “Dry rub.”
After an hour of trying to relax while she did her best to rub me down with a towel between me and her hands, I’m glad I chose the dry rub. I’m really glad after hearing about everyone else’s experience.
Apparently when the oil it make me personally feel iwww…like Im very dirty, as if I didn’t took a bath, so I chose not to have that.A towel never felt so comforting.
Shopping Religiously…amen....By: Nea Mirizma P.Gaspar
I am a veteran of church shopping trips, buying things for our parish places of worship. But a visit to Tayuman, in the northern suburbs of Manila, has to be the mother of them all. Tayuman is an otherwise non-descript place, except that Tayuman St. is filled with shops for religious objects of just about every description. Statutes predominate; from tiny wood-carved El Ninos to huge, life-size plaster statues of Our Lady in the most extraordinary gilt costumes. Books, brass fittings, vestments, and just about everything else in between round out the collection.
Religious items are very much a consumer durable in the Philippines. Even up-market malls such as Glorietta in Makati (where I am now) have their share of stalls and books dedicated to religious statues, amulets, medallions, and small devotional and religious books.
Religious items are very much a consumer durable in the Philippines. Even up-market malls such as Glorietta in Makati (where I am now) have their share of stalls and books dedicated to religious statues, amulets, medallions, and small devotional and religious books.
Vacation with a Spice of Thrill….By: Nea Mirizma P. Gaspar
For a lot of people, vacations are a time to rest and relax while for others they’re a chance to see some sights and experience interesting cultures around the world. But some people couldn’t imagine wasting a second of their vacation sitting on a beach or dining at a restaurant when they could be setting off on their next adventure. If that sounds like you and you’ve had your fill of average ski trips and snorkeling then check out these extremely dangerous tour activities from around the world.
And if you awaits for a different exciting vacation, here are some extreme retreat:
Swimming with the Whale Shark in Donsol, Sorsogon Philippines
If you’re on the hunt for big adventure with an emphasis on the big, head over to the shores of Donsol in the Philippines for an incredible undersea adventure and swim with a whale shark. You’re not allowed to use scuba gear or under water scooters—it’s just you, the massive fish and the deep blue ocean. Just be sure you stay at least about 10 feet away from its head and don’t get in its way!
Racing the Nuerburgring in Nürburg, Germany
If “become a racecar driver” is on your list of things to do before you die, we hope for your sake that it’s last on your list. The Nurburgring racetrack in Germany is the most dangerous circuit in the world and for €22 a lap anyone can drive it. The part you can drive isn’t the F1 circuit, but the Nordschleife or “Nothern Loop” which is a famous testing ground that’s sometimes closed off for racing events. During “Touristenfahrten” the road is open to the public and (for the most part) doesn’t have a speed limit. Photo
Running of the Bulls in Tamil Nadu, India
If you think the running of the bulls in Pamploma, Spain is dangerous then you have to see how it’s done in India. The Bullfight Festival in Tamil Nadu, India isn’t as well known as the Spanish version, but it’s a lot more dangerous. People aren’t just running with the bulls, but getting dangerously close while trying to catch them to grab money tied to their horns. Photo
Heli-skiing in Alaska
Skiing and snowboarding in the Pocono Mountains is nice, but we’d hardly call it extreme. Heli-skiiing in the Chugach Mountains in Alaska? Now you’re cooking with fire. Get dropped off by a helicopter at the top of a dizzying 20,000 ft high summit get ready for the most intense slope you’ve ever dreamed of. And because what’s the point of extreme sports without awesome videos, some heli-skiing packages include your own videographer to capture footage to create your own heli-skiiing video.
Shark Cage Diving in South Africa
Swimming with whale sharks ranks pretty high as a dangerous travel activity, but you wouldn’t catch anyone swimming with great whites. That doesn’t stop adventurous travelers from getting up close and personal with one of these big and deadly predators. The terrifying experience begins off the coast of South Africa in the dead center of where the great white sharks hunt. Fish guts are poured overboard to get their attention and then you’re dropped into the water in with nothing but a steel cage separating you and their massive jaws. Photo
Tow Surfing the Jaws break in Peahi, Maui, Hawaii
Big wave surfers come from all over the world to surf Jaws, a big wave surfing reef break on Maui island in Hawaii. Jaws has played a big role in popularizing tow-in surfing, a technique in which the surfer is towed into a breaking wave by a watercraft—which you’ll need if you ever plan to get back out of one of its famous 33 foot waves crashing down at 30 mph. No one has ever died trying to surf at Jaws but pro surfers are concerned since its starting to draw more inexperienced surfers.
Biking Across the Sahara
With virtually no water and nothing but sand and sky for miles, cycling through the Sahara sounds impossible, not to mention insane. Thanks to modern technology like GPS and hydration packs biking through the desert is far from impossible. In fact, not only are people successfully making their way across, they’re blogging about it. Photo
Ice Climbing in the Canadian Rockies
For most people a frozen waterfall is a beautifully serene scene, but for some it’s an adrenaline rush. Basically take rock climbing, one of the most dangerous extreme sports, and remove the stability of stone and replace it with sheets of ice. Ice Climbing requires expert experience since the ice takes on many forms from thick to thin and hard to soft.
Sandboarding in Cerro Blanco, Peru
When snowboarding just doesn’t cut it anymore turn up the heat and try sandboarding. Sandboarding in Cerro Blanco Peru, home to the largest sand dune in the world, has become popular among snowboarders who are sick of waiting for winter to experience the rush of boarding down a slope at break neck speeds. After an arduous 3 hour hike to the top you’ll really feel like you’ve earned the ride down this massive 800 meter long slope.
Space Adventures Orbital Spaceflights
One small step for man, one amazing vacation for mankind. If you need to get away—we mean, really get as far away as possible then you really can’t get any further than outer space. Space Adventures doesn’t just offer zero G simulations, but actual orbital spaceflights. While it sounds just peachy to fulfill your 8-year old self’s fantasy of becoming an astronaut, the truth is that not much separates you from the cold, empty void of death that is outer space.
And if you awaits for a different exciting vacation, here are some extreme retreat:
Swimming with the Whale Shark in Donsol, Sorsogon Philippines
If you’re on the hunt for big adventure with an emphasis on the big, head over to the shores of Donsol in the Philippines for an incredible undersea adventure and swim with a whale shark. You’re not allowed to use scuba gear or under water scooters—it’s just you, the massive fish and the deep blue ocean. Just be sure you stay at least about 10 feet away from its head and don’t get in its way!
Racing the Nuerburgring in Nürburg, Germany
If “become a racecar driver” is on your list of things to do before you die, we hope for your sake that it’s last on your list. The Nurburgring racetrack in Germany is the most dangerous circuit in the world and for €22 a lap anyone can drive it. The part you can drive isn’t the F1 circuit, but the Nordschleife or “Nothern Loop” which is a famous testing ground that’s sometimes closed off for racing events. During “Touristenfahrten” the road is open to the public and (for the most part) doesn’t have a speed limit. Photo
Running of the Bulls in Tamil Nadu, India
If you think the running of the bulls in Pamploma, Spain is dangerous then you have to see how it’s done in India. The Bullfight Festival in Tamil Nadu, India isn’t as well known as the Spanish version, but it’s a lot more dangerous. People aren’t just running with the bulls, but getting dangerously close while trying to catch them to grab money tied to their horns. Photo
Heli-skiing in Alaska
Skiing and snowboarding in the Pocono Mountains is nice, but we’d hardly call it extreme. Heli-skiiing in the Chugach Mountains in Alaska? Now you’re cooking with fire. Get dropped off by a helicopter at the top of a dizzying 20,000 ft high summit get ready for the most intense slope you’ve ever dreamed of. And because what’s the point of extreme sports without awesome videos, some heli-skiing packages include your own videographer to capture footage to create your own heli-skiiing video.
Shark Cage Diving in South Africa
Swimming with whale sharks ranks pretty high as a dangerous travel activity, but you wouldn’t catch anyone swimming with great whites. That doesn’t stop adventurous travelers from getting up close and personal with one of these big and deadly predators. The terrifying experience begins off the coast of South Africa in the dead center of where the great white sharks hunt. Fish guts are poured overboard to get their attention and then you’re dropped into the water in with nothing but a steel cage separating you and their massive jaws. Photo
Tow Surfing the Jaws break in Peahi, Maui, Hawaii
Big wave surfers come from all over the world to surf Jaws, a big wave surfing reef break on Maui island in Hawaii. Jaws has played a big role in popularizing tow-in surfing, a technique in which the surfer is towed into a breaking wave by a watercraft—which you’ll need if you ever plan to get back out of one of its famous 33 foot waves crashing down at 30 mph. No one has ever died trying to surf at Jaws but pro surfers are concerned since its starting to draw more inexperienced surfers.
Biking Across the Sahara
With virtually no water and nothing but sand and sky for miles, cycling through the Sahara sounds impossible, not to mention insane. Thanks to modern technology like GPS and hydration packs biking through the desert is far from impossible. In fact, not only are people successfully making their way across, they’re blogging about it. Photo
Ice Climbing in the Canadian Rockies
For most people a frozen waterfall is a beautifully serene scene, but for some it’s an adrenaline rush. Basically take rock climbing, one of the most dangerous extreme sports, and remove the stability of stone and replace it with sheets of ice. Ice Climbing requires expert experience since the ice takes on many forms from thick to thin and hard to soft.
Sandboarding in Cerro Blanco, Peru
When snowboarding just doesn’t cut it anymore turn up the heat and try sandboarding. Sandboarding in Cerro Blanco Peru, home to the largest sand dune in the world, has become popular among snowboarders who are sick of waiting for winter to experience the rush of boarding down a slope at break neck speeds. After an arduous 3 hour hike to the top you’ll really feel like you’ve earned the ride down this massive 800 meter long slope.
Space Adventures Orbital Spaceflights
One small step for man, one amazing vacation for mankind. If you need to get away—we mean, really get as far away as possible then you really can’t get any further than outer space. Space Adventures doesn’t just offer zero G simulations, but actual orbital spaceflights. While it sounds just peachy to fulfill your 8-year old self’s fantasy of becoming an astronaut, the truth is that not much separates you from the cold, empty void of death that is outer space.
Monday, March 8, 2010
SHOPPING EXPERIENCE IN MANILA by: ANNE BERNADETTE VILLEZA
Summer is really here, with strike of el nino, all you want to do is jumped on the approaching cab and off to the airport and quala! you're in the famous Boracay. But that is not as easy as it appears to be. First, you need to plan your trip, make certain arrangements, shop for your belongings and off you go.
For summer vacays, one cannot miss the perfect summer get up to complete the trip. Shopping for your vacation is quite complicated though, especially if you're in a tight budget and still aiming for quality products. But you need not to worry. If your wise and patient enough, you can get what you wanted without sacrificing your budget.
This is the perfect time to explore different shopping malls. Trying and searching is not forbidden for customers. It is good to try and try until you get a firm grip to the things you have pictured for. Like for example, hats. Hats are very tricky, they look good from a far but once you tried it and the effect on you is not as good as the way it looks then you need to move on to the next. Yes, it is now essential to bring hats with you on summer trips like in beach so you have to have it. So, before you cram for the last minute shopping, try to research to avoid the “i cant find one!” dilemma.
If you’re in Manila, Mall of Asia, Trinoma, SM Megamall, Robinsons Ermita, Edsa Rustans are among those gigantic malls that provide everything that any customer would ask for. From men and women’s wear, children’s apparel, different shoes, bags and accessories, furniture and appliance showcase, food with every options and blablabla are all in there under the famous local and international brands.
Yes, there is no any better shopping experience than in Manila. Though most of the time jam-packed by window shoppers, you cannot help but go with the flow especially during promotions or one day sale. I know the long walks may hurt your feet but the price cut off will surely paid your efforts.
I HAVE FALLEN by: ANNE BERNADETTE VILLEZA
It happened several years ago. I was so displeased by my parents descision of taking me back to the place I don’t want to welcome anymore. That time, my mind was fixed on how my life would be without my parents around and im looking forward to it. It would be my very first taste of independence, so I don’t want to entertain the idea of going away with them. The fact that im not interested with my would-be environment is my number one defense. I know Manila is a big city, a place of glitz and glamour and anyone will never think twice just to get there. But NOT for someone who is too comfortable with her comfrot zone like me. (nah, I just cant leave my friends behind.hehehe!)
But nothing is important with my father than being together as a family. And so I go with the flow. At first, im so worried by the place that awaits me. Will it be as nice as my beloved home back there? Hayy..better be or I’ll fly back to the place were I belong.
Then I just caught myself breathless in the middle of the place my mom referred as our new found home. It was as if a country within a country. China town in Manila? Cool! The place is the living proof of the invasion of the Chinese culture in our country. Looking at the chinky eyed people that coming and going past me made me forget that im in Manila. From the dragon archs to the typical chinese herbal stores will left you in awe. Binondo is not just a home for outcasts like them, it’s a place were two cultures collide.
I walk downtown the busy street of Ongpin. I learned it was named after Don Roman Ongpin, a chinese businessman wh gained fame when he financially support the “katipunero” rebels in 1896 uprising against Spain. He was soon become a supporter of Filipino independence movement.
As I move forward, im surprised by many historical moments that once enveloped Manila Chinatown. Im sure one cannot help but adore the place. The place full of colors and life. Me myself cant help but get fascinated by chinese food, glittery jewelry shops, volunteer fire stations, sacred temples and ofcourse the stories behind Binondo.
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