Dinner Cruise along Manila Bay

For my 26th birthday, my boyfriend treated me to a dinner cruise along Manila Bay. We availed the package offered by Sun Cruises. There's another company offering the same package- Prestige Cruises.

The yachts for the dinner cruise are docked behind the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The easiest way to get there is if you have your own ride. For our part, we hired a cab from SM Manila to CCP Complex. With light traffic, the ride cost P90.00. There are also some jeepneys from Taft that pass through CCP Complex.

docked ship for dinner cruise

Sun Cruises prefer prior reservations but they also welcome walk-ins as long as there are available spaces. It's a good thing that it was a Thursday when we had the cruise. There were less people and we're all in the upper deck. For peak seasons, try to arrive early so you can choose your place. The cost of the cruise is P550 per pax.

The best things about the cruise are the view and the experience itself. For more than an hour, you get a good glimpse of the Manila Bay shores- the buildings, the ships and the sunset. The trip starts from CCP to SM Mall of Asia. 

before the dinner

staring at the sunset

They have daily trips from 4:30 to 10:00 pm. They have three trips. If you're sailing to see the sunset, board the 4:30 trip. But I think the best time to sail is their second trip, 6:30 pm because it's just right for dinner with the darkness and light playing hide and seek. The third one is rather late but best for a romantic ambiance scheduled at 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm.

view from the deck

sunset view from the deck

There's also live entertainment.

As for the food, it's a big disappointment. We were served with a salty watery bowl of soup, a plate with a cold cup of rice and two dishes. There was also a small serving of gulaman dessert. The worst thing is, drinks are not included. WTH! When is a dinner served without drinks?

The seamen aboard the cruise were friendly and helpful. Ironically, the waiters were not so friendly. They did not offer a welcoming smile. While eating, we also heard them talking about the guests aboard the ship. Tsk, tsk bad manners!

So in conclusion, it was a good experience for a first-timer with a few downsides that did not necessarily spoil the fun!

taking a shot on the open deck

 

Manila Ocean Park: A Destination for Kids

For the past 3 times I've been to Manila Ocean Park, it was always because of a field trip for my students. Hence, it was such a relief to visit the place this December as a mere visitor- without the numerous kids I have to take care of.

My family and I availed the Holiday Delights promo of Manila Ocean Park. For P600, we can take a glimpse of the various fishes at the Oceanarium and take the Trails to Antarctica. Personally, I had enough of the Oceanarium but since we have a baby with us, it seemed like a good idea to have her see the colorful fishes.

the gang visiting the Oceanarium

 The Ocenarium starts with fresh water fishes including an unmoving crocodile. 

motionless croc

Moving on are salt-water fishes enclosed in different aquariums. For first timers, it would be a surprise to see unimaginable fishes like the rock-like stone fish, the grandiose lion fish among others.

my sister posing with unknown fishes

the lionfish!

The highlight of the Oceanarium is the section named "Sa Ilalim ng Karagatan," wherein an aquarium surrounds the place- left, right and overhead.

 a friend "underwater"

The last section contains the big fishes underwater. There's a tank with sharks where visitors can swim with them for a fee. (Honestly, it's not worth it. The swimmers will just be dropped in the tank caged. It's not really swimming but a close encounter.)

What I was excited about was the Trails to Antarctica which is a new attraction that just opened this year. It has three parts- the Slide O'Fun, Penguin Exhibit and Snow Village.

my mom and niece posing against a snow-covered backdrop

Upon entering, the Humboldt Penguins can be seen already. This is the Penguin Exhibit. According to the Manila Ocean Park's website, Humboldt Penguins can thrive in warmer climates. The exhibit is a glass encased corner. There are several small penguins with large statues of big penguins.

the Penguins!

 Across the Penguin Exhibit is the Slide O' Fun is similar to sledding. The good thing about it is it's a new thing in Manila Ocean Park. And the rest is that it's not worth mentioning. For first timers, just try it to get your money's worth.

after sliding...at the end of the slide

Last stop is the Snow Village. This is similar to Star City's Snow World but it's smaller yet colder. According to the staff, the temperature is about 15 degrees Centigrade. The best thing to do here is take pictures! Just a friendly reminder, wear closed shoes and pants if you're planning to go to the Snow Village. It's really cold so after a while, your hands and other exposed skin will get numb. Free jackets are offered but beware that a lot of guests have already used them.

my mom and niece chillin' at Snow Village

trying to be serious amidst the cold

"choking" Santa at Snow Village

It took us three hours to go through the Oceanarium and the Trails to Antarctica. Manila Ocean Park offers other attractions such as the Sea Lion Show, the Musical Fountain Show, Birdshow and Jellies. They also have a swimming area. So I think, an entire day is needed if you're planning to experience them all.

The best way to experience the place is when you have kids with you. They haven't loss their sense of wonder yet and everything may seem new to them. And unless the park offers a new set of attractions, a visit to this place once or twice is something to look forward to. 

After visiting Manila Ocean Park, you can go for a historic walk at Rizal Park which is just across the park. You can also dine and shop at SM Mall of Asia, a few minutes away from Manila Ocean Park.

Bataan Resort: An Intimate Hideaway at Bonito Resort

Tucked along the shores of Morong, Bataan and hidden by the Zambales mountain ranges, Bonito Resort is the perfect place for a relaxing weekend getaway. 


It's an accidental blessing that I came across the website of Bonito Resort. Initially, my family planned to stay at Coralview Resort, also in Morong Bataan. However, Coralview has an earlier peak season (Nov. 20) compared to other resorts so we decided to look for other places. (When it's peak season, prices are so way up!) Two days before our trip, I was able to personally talk with Ms. Zenaida Guico, the owner of Bonito Resort. She was very congenial and was generous enough to give us a discount and discharge us with corkage fees. Since there are more than ten of us travelling, we were able to save a few thousands!

My brother's girlfriend along the shores of Bonito Resort

We arrived at Bonito Resort at around 2 pm. We were readily welcomed by one of the staff- Ate Nelia. She doesn't smile that much but she looks approachable. She allowed us to have our lunch at their restaurant while the other staff were preparing our room. The best thing is that we have the whole place for ourselves since we were the only guests at that time!

After eating lunch hurriedly (since we're so starved cause it's way past lunch), Ate Nelia ushered us to our room- a dorm room good for 12 people. It's airconditioned, with cable TV and private bath. The room size is enough to move around. The double-decked beds are wide enough to hold two people for each bed. Aircon was cold that we had we turn it off several times. The private bath has hot and cold shower ideal for families with little kids.

My sister on the viewing deck

Bonito Resort also has a restaurant and bar but they did not open it since we were the only guests. However, Bonito Resorts offers cooking services for their guests. The staff was helpful enough to instruct us where the market is. We bought rice, fish, danggit and longganisa good for dinner and breakfast for the following day. The staff was very accommodating. They lent us utensils and glasses without charge and they prepared our food on time! Given that there were a lot of us, I think they were very patient with our demands.

The shoreline of Bonito Resort is clear and fenced. There were also several resorts next to each other so the place was quite lively until the early hours at night. The beach water is clear with moderate waves. The sand is fine and dark. Sunset is the best time with the horizon changing hues several times. Bonito Resort has a viewing deck that can give you an overview of the area.

My brother swimming on Bonito's pool

A 4 feet pool with slide is also available for kids. Open cabanas that can hold 15 people surround the pool area. I think it's not a good thing to visit this place during peak seasons since the resort is not too big.

The market and other stores are also within the area so it's convenient to buy water, food and other stuff. 

With clear shoreline, glorious view of mountain ranges plus an accommodating staff, Bonito Resort can offer you a relaxing stay.

How to Get There: 

Bonito Resort is best reached through a private car.
From NLEX, exit through at Fernando, Pampanga.
Pass through San Fernando, Guagua and Lubao until you reached Layac Junction.
As a marker, Layac Junction has a group of statues clustered togeter. When you reach Layac Junction, drive straight towards SCTEX.
Drive through SCTEX using Tipo Exit.
Continue driving until you reach Morong Gate. From Morong Gate, follow the winding roads until you reach the town proper.
From the town proper, follow the markers of Bonito Resort.

Caution: Although the roads are not rough, they are winding so beginners are not advised to tackle these roads.

Cost: From our house in QC to Bonito Resort and back, gas cost us less than P1000 using Mitsubishi Adventure. Toll fees are about P500 in all.

Other Activities: 

1. Singing with Videoke

Bonito Resort has a videoke machine. You can request the staff to turn it on.


2. Island Hopping and Snorkeling

The Pawikan Sanctuary is about 20 minutes away but to be honest, there's nothing much to see there. The boatmen also offer snorkeling services but there's nothing much to see underwater so it's not worth it.


Other Tips: 


1. The best place to swim is on the shore at the right side of the resort after Phi Phi Laya Resort. The immediate beach area of Bonito has some big rocks.

2. Make reservations through phone call so you can haggle with the owner if you're on a budget.


For more information: http://bonitobeachresort.com/