My Manila: Kinder Zoo at the Manila Zoo

The Kinder Zoo is the one thing that you shouldn't miss when visiting Manila Zoo. I missed it last week and went back to see it. The return trip was so worth it.

Kinder Zoo only occupies a small area but every meter gives a dose of animal fun. As soon as you pass through their  arc, you will be welcomed by a snake and a crocodile on a table, colorful birds perched on a tree and a couple of pot-bellied pigs lazily walking around. Following the cemented path, you will find small turtles in a pond, more birds perched on branches, a tamed ostrich and an enclosure for giant turtles.

There weren't that many animals and the Lego figures for picture-taking purposes were faded but I still enjoyed the mini-zoo. What I loved about Kinder Zoo was that it was highly interactive. Birds gamely pose on visitors' shoulders, kids can ride the giant turtles and the ostrich and you can have a picture taken with a snake draped on your shoulders or a crocodile on your lap. A lot of the animals are not in their cages and their handlers encourage visitors to touch them. The friendly handlers seem genuinely fond of the animals and show them off as if they are children. I had so much fun watching a bird fake its death when the handler says, "Bang!" Even the pot-bellied pigs know how to turn around and bow. I even found it funny when the smaller pig, Benjie, started crying when the bigger Jackpot stole its food.

I was planning on being there for just an hour since I was planning to take shots of the Manila Bay sunset. I stayed there for 2 hours as I really enjoyed watching the animals. I can always watch the sunset another time.

*** Kinder Zoo charges an entrance fee of P75.00 on top of the P40.00 entrance fee for Manila Zoo.
*** While the Kinder Zoo try to keep their animals clean, people should wash their hands every time they touch the animals.

More pictures are here.

My Manila: White Moon Bar at Manila Ocean Park

After our Manila Zoo adventure, we just wanted to sit and relax. When we're in Manila, we usually have ensaimada at the New Diamond Hotel. But since we were on adventure mode, we decided to try something new.

I remembered seeing a feature on White Moon bar so we headed to Manila Ocean Park. White Moon Bar is an open-air bar with a gorgeous view of Manila's famous sunset. It has huge, comfortable white sofas, low tables and capiz-decorated speakers. Last Sunday, they were playing 80s music, which was probably perfect for most of the customers. It served really cold beer (a bit pricey at P80/bottle) and other cocktails. Our waiter nicely suggested that we also order food and swore by their beef nachos, but we had to decline as we already had dinner plans. Most of the other customers also just ordered drinks, which the waiters efficiently served.

The atmosphere was very relaxed. Some of the customers were a couple, 2 small groups of tourists (4 or 5 persons in each group), and a group of men. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves with drinks but the place was never noisy. I couldn't even hear the laughter from the group of men who were 3 sofas away from us. The gentle winds probably carried out the sound.

With the comfy chairs, the magnificent sunset, the 80s music and the perfectly cold beer, we forgot all our cares and snuggled deeper into the sofa. For that moment, there were no bills to pay, no global warming to worry about, and the world was in peace.

Tips:

• If you're bringing a car, park inside the gate of Manila Ocean Park. There are plenty of parking spaces inside even on a Sunday.
• Go early. The sofas get filled at around 5:30 PM.
• If you get there before 5PM and you can't stand the heat, you can explore the complex first.
• You can catch the Musical Fountain Show after sunset. If you pay online or get an SMS coupon, the ticket is only P99. Check out http://www.manilaoceanpark.com/promos.php?id=96&l=indexnews for details. Promo is valid until 31 March 2011.

*White Moon Bar is at the second floor of the Manila Ocean Park complex. You can take the main entrance, take the escalator near the food stalls at the left side of the mall, then walk right, heading towards Hotel H20. You can always ask the guard for instructions, they're very helpful.

My Manila: Manila Zoo

7 Feb 2011 - B and I have decided to see Manila as if we were tourists. First stop: Manila Zoo, the field-trip destination when we were in elementary school.

Manila zoo has improved over the years. Only the chimps' cages retained the broken tile and cement flooring. There are now huge cages for our eagles and other fowls. There are lots of picture-taking opportunities - you get to carry a snake or a bird on our shoulders, you can ride a horse or ride a boat. There are also several play areas for kids. It's still not as nice as the public zoos I've visited in other countries, neither does it match Avilon Zoo on the other side of Metro Manila. But it's not a bad place to spend your P40.

Travel tips:

• We went on a Sunday afternoon and while there were a lot of people, the place wasn't too crowded. 
• Bring lots of coins or small bills for the toilets and the other stuff that you may want to purchase (ice cream, bottled water, soft drinks, etc.)
• Be patient - a lot of kids are running around.
• Read the signs.
• Wear closed shoes. With kids running around and parents running after them, someone is bound to trample on your toes.
• Look of the Kinder Zoo - I didn't so I now have to go back to Manila Zoo!

Batanes

I've always wanted to photograph Batanes. So, after having so much fun in Backpack Photography - Banaue, it was only a matter of time before we signed up for Backpack Photography - Batanes.

Batanes did not disappoint - it had power outages, our inn had problems with water supply, bottled water was a precious commodity and the sun was blazing so hot it activated my dormant sweat glands, but the views were so magnificent that I was always torn between just standing and breathing in the beauty of the landscape or attempting to capture them in photos. And the food, specially the daily serving of lobster and coconut crabs, was a treat to my  sleep-deprived body.

Here's the album I ordered from Artscow.com (you may also visit this site to see the album):



More pictures may be viewed here.

Remembering Batanes - travel notes

Travel dates: 24-27 July 2010

Companions: joined a Backpack Photography workshop organized by Ferdz Decena (ironwulf.net) and Oggie Ramos (lagalog.com)

Budget: P22,500 ALL IN (this includes airfare, inn, food, tours and photo lessons/tutorials) ; or P12,500 without airfare.

Travel mode: Plane - SEAIR

Travel Tips

• Places to visit: Fundacion Pacita (if you're not staying there), Radar Tukon, Viang rolling hills, Ivana church, House of Dakay, Honesty Coffee shop, Basco lighthouse, Valugan Bay, Marlborough hills, Mahatao Lighthouse, Imnajbu, Diura fishing village, Song-song ruins and Sabtang (Savidug village, Chavayan village, Tinan and Nakabuang beach).
• Fundacion Pacita still remains the nicest place to stay but for  other alternatives check out: http://www.ironwulf.net/2009/05/13/batanes-accommodations-and-places-to-stay-in-basco/
• It would be good if you can find an air-conditioned vehicle for your tours. There's very little shade in the places to visit in Batanes. Summer in Batanes is quite severe. I normally don't sweat even after 2 hours of exercise (I just get red and oily) but Batanes woke up my dormant sweat glands. On the third day, sweat kept pouring out of my legs. We went around on a jeep and every time I stood up, I'd see pools of sweat on the area where I sat. So bring a hat, hand towels and lots of sunblock. Or ride on top of the jeep (which I did!). Or choose to go there in December or January, when the weather is much cooler.
• This year, Seair's lean season started mid-June and ends mid-October. You can get roundtrip airfares for 6T. You can still go to Batanes in June and July. According to our tour guide, there aren't much typhoons during these months. Or wait for the promos around the time of Seair's anniversary (end-March). Better still, click on the Like button on Seair's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/#!/flyseair) to get notified of their promos. (Note: I don't work for Seair.)
• Wear hiking sandals specially if you want to explore Marlborough and Viang rolling hills and Tinan. I survived even if I just wore flipflops but it would have been a lot easier if I wore hiking sandals.
• Eat lobsters and coconut crabs! They're cheap in Batanes.
• Eat at Pension Ivatan - they serve native dishes. And their lobsters and coconut crabs are cheap. (But don't go there with an empty stomach. Service is terribly slow.) We also had delicious lunches at the Diura fishing village and at Nakabuang beach.
• Avoid going there during the fiesta - they have rotating brownouts.
• Bottled water is a precious commodity - probably because locals are used to drinking tap or spring water. I did, and I didn't have tummy problems.
• If you plan to visit Sabtang, bring a wet bag - there are times when the waves are so huge, you can really get drenched. We were lucky when we went there in July, the boatmen said that the waters were relatively calm.

Rate the trip: 9.99 out of 10

It would have been perfect if we didn't go there during the town fiesta. The rotating brownouts were so irritating since the generator of the inn we stayed at (DDD Habitat) couldn't power their air-conditioning units. I understand that Pension Ivatan has a more powerful generator. I guess it would have been better if we stayed at an inn or resort by the sea, at least we would have the sea breeze. Another participant liked Shanedel's Inn better.

Batanes is really beautiful. The views are so awesome, looking at them becomes a religious experience. We were joking that even blind people can take beautiful pictures of Batanes. The people are also so nice and helpful (I don't believe in the guide's zero crime rate spiel, though. We got to visit a small courtroom and there were a few hearings on the calendar, one of which involved serious physical injuries. But still, the list of hearings is so much shorter than the lists in Manila courts.)

And a free-plug for Backpack Photography (http://www.backpackphotography.net/) - I like joining their tours. Aside from Batanes, I've joined their Banaue and Lake Sebu Backpack Photography sessions. The tours are far from luxurious (but still far from roughing it out) and we're always up before sunrise but the trips were always so much fun! Ferdz and Oggie plan the itineraries so that the views are seen in their best light (sunrise in Valugan Bay, sunset at the Viang rolling hills, etc.) and we always have lots of opportunities to interact with the residents of the places we visit (the Ifugaos in Banaue and the T'bolis in Lake Sebu). Both of them are also very generous with their travel and photography knowledge. And since the participants are all photo-enthusiasts, we always have enough time to explore and take pictures, and we always have nice portraits as we also take pictures of each other. I'm just thankful that I have a nerd of a husband who doesn't mind that I travel with friends once in a while.

My Batanes album is in: http://www.artscow.com/share/Batanes-Batanes-Philippines-travel-Ivatan-landcapes-Basco-Sabtang-Abie-Co-tn58np9m5tuu?Ref=FB879828

More photos are posted here.

A different beach experience in Alona Beach, Panglao Island, Bohol

Choosing a place to stay at in Panglao Island is a daunting task even if we already had a budget in mind. We had  to choose between Alona beach, a stretch of beach with a wide range of resort, restaurant and entertainment choices or the area of Bohol Beach Club and Dumaluan Beach Resort with the better sand. After reading travel books, lurking on internet sites and forums, and interviewing friends who have visited Panglao Island, we decided to stay at Alona Beach.

Alona beach may disappoint some people. The sand, while white, isn't as fine as what you see in Boracay or Palawan. There are some corals, rocks, and sometimes even seaweeds, mixed in the sand. The restaurants that had good reviews online served ordinary-tasting food, and some of the entertainment bands were a torture to watch (there was a time when I just wanted to get on stage and grab the mic!).

After a couple of so-so meals, we just walked on the beach and chose a restaurant based on the price on the menu,  the smile of the servers and the temperature of their beers. The criteria worked for us because we got to eat inexpensive grilled meals which we enjoyed with our chilled drinks. (If you really want delicious meals, try the restaurant at Amorita,  pricey but worth the money.)

I also loved watching the dozens of boats docked on the shores of Alona beach. I loved how these vessels, which were all painted white, bobbed in rhythm to the sound of the waves.  

But the gem of alona beach is the fish sanctuary near Amorita resort. There were plenty of fish and you only need to swim a few meters from the shore to see them. They weren't as big and colorful as the ones in Balicasag Island, but I really loved the fact that you don't need to ride a boat to get to the wall (or the drop to the deep blue sea where the fish usually swim).

Imperfect as it is, Alona beach has a different charm, and gives a different but still enjoyable experience to its guests.

Banaue - more than its rice terraces

After visiting Sagada twice when I was much younger (and had stronger legs!), Banaue has always been on top of my to-go list. It also helped that I grew up thinking that the Banaue rice terraces was the "8th wonder of the world." (I guess children from different countries have different ideas on what the "8th wonder of the world" is.)

Visiting Banaue made me realize that it is more than just its famous rice terraces. It is a culture-rich heaven with intelligent and dedicated people who acknowledge that the terraces are not only a blessing but also a responsibility that they are willing to bear.

Details


Travel dates: 18-21 March 2010 
Companion: joined a Backpack Photography workshop organized by Ferdz Decena (ironwulf.net) and Oggie Ramos (lagalog.com)
Budget: P8,000 ALL IN (this includes bus fare, inn, food, tours and photo lessons/tutorials) 
Travel mode: 8-hour bus ride on Florida bus line


Information and travel tips

• The rice terraces is not only located in Banaue. There are rice terraces in Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet, Mountain Province and Ifugao. 2,000 to 6,000 years old, these are located 1,500 meters above sea level and cover 10,360 kilometers.
• The view of the rice terraces from the Banaue town proper is dotted with steel-walled houses that  harshly reflected the sun's rays. To appreciate the magnificence of the terraces, hire a jeep or a tricycle to take you to the viewpoints. The views in Batad and Hapyao are also much better.
• We stayed at the Banaue Ethnic Village and Pine Forest Resort. Located in Apar Nga-oh, it is approximately 20 minutes from the town proper. The resort has replicas of native Ifugao houses. We even got to sleep in one! The resort also organized a cultural show where the Ifugaos shared their dances, songs and rituals with us. The resort manager's tour of the ethnic village was also interesting - we learned how the Ifugaos improved their dwellings over the years, and we got to see the tools and things that they use. 

• I understand that the Banaue Hotel also organizes cultural shows for its guests.
• We toured the rice terraces in Hapao. It has steep stairs that lead down to the terraces. The hike isn't too far but there were times when walking along the terraces made my knees weak - the terraces were approximate a foot wide and in some places, you had the irrigation on one side and a 10 to 12-ft drop on the other.
• A lot of travellers also visit Batad, where the terraces form an impressive ampi-theater. My friends say that the ride over kilometers of bad road and a challenging 1-hour downhill hike was worth the view. (I have yet to go to Batad, though.)
• Hire a jeep or a tricycle to take you around the viewpoints.
• If taking the Florida bus, eat dinner first and bring snacks. There is only one stopover, which is halfway through the 8-hour trip.
• At the stopover, try the chicken mami - it was served hot, and it tasted like they've been boiling the broth for hours. It is also topped with really tasty dried garlic which you can also buy in bottles.
• It can get very cold in the bus - bring a jacket!
• Be prepared for emergencies. On the way back to Manila, our bus stopped. We were stuck in the middle of Nueva Ecija in the middle of the night with a not-so-helpful conductor and driver. The only option they gave us was to transfer to other Florida buses that are already full of passengers that you'll have to stand (or sit on your bags) the whole way back to Manila. We decided to take a jeep to the nearest bus terminal.

More pictures are posted here.