It’s the time of the year folks. The stage is set for this year’s World Pyro Olympics.

Prepare for a more explosive, more spectacular experience! Witness the country’s first pyromusical competition at the Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

The world’s best teams will showcase their artistry and technical skill by shooting dazzling fireworks synchronized with musical scores. The competition’s new venue, a departure from the past years’ water-based firing, will allow for more creativity and versatility in the use of ground level and special effects.

World Pyro Olympics

World Pyro Olympics Schedule of Shows by Country:

November 21 – Germany, China
November 28 – Japan, Australia
December 5 – Canada, Italy
December 12 -South Korea, USA
December 19 – Fellowship of Fire, Philippines

Ticket Prices:

Regular Pass – Php200, Php500, Php1500 (VIP)
Season Pass (All Shows) – Php800, Php2000, Php6000 (VIP)

All VIP Tickets are reserved seats and come with Food Package from Via Mare.

Reservations – Please call 568-6908 or 384-0239

If you’re planning to spend time with your friends or families at Enchanted Kingdom this month, you couldn’t come at a better time. Enchanted Kingdom celebrates its 14th year anniversary this October which is loaded with a whole lot of exciting events.

To start off, the Regular Day Pass is now priced at P320 for weekdays and P380 during weekends for the whole month of October to commemorate the original ticket price when Enchanted Kingdom opened in 1995.

Grand Wizardry Competition

A fireworks competition will be held for the whole month of October and every weekend starting Oct. 10, you will see a triple dose of fireworks as pyrotechnicians all over the country will be showcasing their expertise.

Then on October 24, 6 finalists will be vying for the grand prize so expect a whole lot more of spectacular display of lights.

Otaku Kingdom

The 2nd annual cosplaying event for Enchanted Kingdom will take place on October 18. “Otaku Kingdom” will gather animé, manga enthusiasts, movie & toy hobbyists and cosplayers and there will be toy & manga exhibits, film showings, drawing & gaming contests, animé bands and Woodstock, the much-awaited grand cosplay contest and parade in the afternoon.

Guests wearing a full otaku costume can enter the park for FREE. They can also upgrade their tickets into a Regular Day Pass for only P250. Just head to the registration area at the front of the park from 10AM to 5PM.

Student Sembreak Anniversary Blowout

From October 1 to November 15, students get to avail the Regular Day Pass at a discount. It will be P275 during weekdays and only P335 on weekends. This is exclusive to students who must present a valid ID or certificate of registration/enrollment.

Only two tickets can be purchased per ID so that’s enough to bring the whole barkada to Enchanted Kingdom.

Enchanted Kingdom’s Princess 2009

The Grand Coronation Night for the Search for Enchanted Kingdom’s Princess 2009 will take place on October 25. Girls 6 to 10 years will be competing for the title of EK Princess 2009 and will get a chance to win cash, EK Privilege Cards and other fabulous prizes.

Mardi Gras Halo-ween

On October 31 to November 2, a haloween costume party will take place at the park. Kids and teens ages 0-19 are welcome to join the Mardi Gras Halo-ween and can enter the park for free if they come in their Mardi Gras costume.

Park Schedule

From now until December 18, Enchanted Kingdom is open Thursdays to Fridays from 12NN to 7PM and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 11AM to 9PM with Fireworks Display at 8PM.

For more info, visit www.enchantedkingdom.com.ph.

Batanes will never be complete without the freshest seafoods. The province is known to be a good source of various seafoods, some of tem are even flown to as far as Manila. Lobsters, Coconut Crabs and and a wide assortment of fishes are readily available at the wet market.

Continue Reading here in Travel Batanes

Upcoming Events

Be prepared as the country’s biggest, loudest, and the most colorful festivals will once again converge at the Philippine capital of Manila for the annual Aliwan Fiesta 2008.

This year, the Aliwan 2008 is slated May 1-3. The Aliwan Festival is organized by the media outfit, Manila Broadcasting Company. The Aliwan Fiesta is actually made up of three parts, the beauty pageant known as the Reyna ng Aliwan, the Float competition and the street dance competition of the various festivals from all over Luzon Visayas and Mindanao.

The list of the 2007 Aliwan Fiesta winners can be found here

This year, 27 festivals will be seeing action during the Grand Streetdance competition

1. Pakalog sa pasig
2. pangisdaan – navotas
3. panagbenga – baguio
4. Lang-ay – bontoc
5. Pamulinawen – laoag
6. Gakit – Angadanan, isabela
7. Desposorio – hagonoy bulacan
8. boling boling – catanauan quezon
9. Peñafrancia voyadores and pilgrims festival – naga
10. pintaflores – san carlos , negros occidental
11. saad – Leganes, iloilo
12 Dinagyang 2010 – iloilo
13. Halad – midsayap
14. Sinulog – cebu city
15. Sinulog sa Carmen – Carmen, cebu
16. Alikaraw – hilongos Leyte
17 Buyogan – Abuyog Leyte
18 Bakhawan – Zamboanga Sibugay
19. Shariff Kabunsuan festival – Cotabato City
20. Meguyaya – Upi, Shariff Kabunsuan
21. Kang’Gelal – Sultan Kudarat
22. Buklod – Parang Maguindanao
23. Kalilintad – Mamasapano, Maguindanao
24. Lami Lamihan – Lamitan Basilan
25. Kasag Festival – Banate, Iloilo **(unconfirmed)
26. Kadayawan – Davao City
27 Zamboanga Hermosa – Zamboanga City **(unconfirmed)

The highlight of the Aliwan Festival is the grand streetdance competition on May 3, 2008. The streetdance will start from the Quirino Grandstand and will end at the Aliw Theater, beside the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Based on the last 2 Aliwan Fiestas I have witnessed, there will be three judging areas: The Quirino Grandstand and the Aliw Theater as the main judging areas and the area right in front of the Rajah Sulayman Fountain in Malate for the streetdance competition. The Aliwan Fiesta 2008 Streetdance parade will start at 4PM.

For the complete coverage of the 2008 Aliwan Fiesta, please go to the Aliwan Fiesta page

For more travel tales, click here

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

One of the most favorite churches for weddings down south of Luzon can be found at Nasugbu, Batangas. They say that the Caleruega Church is so in-demand from would-be couples that you need to book a date a year ahead of schedule to get a spot. Sometimes, it’s even hard during peak season like June and December.

The Caleruega Church is still a bit off Tagaytay City and the road into the location is a little rough (talk about rocky, non-cemented and dusty road paths). Despite that, the panoramic view is just fantastic that it’s also the favorite location by most professional wedding photographers. There are only two wedding rites held every day — one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They management charges about Php15,000 for the use of the venue which does not include the donation to the parish priest for officiating the rites.

The church is actually small and can seat just over a couple hundred but the area surrounding it is quite large with greeny hills in all directions. They also have several medium to large reception halls that couples can rent to serve as venue for the after-ceremonial party.

Further down the hill, there’s a hanging rope bridge connecting to a larger garden and orchard which is always flocked by families and tourist for an afternoon picnic. On a regular day, visitors are charged a minimal entrance fee of Php20.

On December 2007, my wife and I went on a 6-day Ilocos tour. We visited places in Laoag, Pagudpud and Vigan. We don’t know anybody there so it was a great adventure for us. I’m writing our experience to help others out there who want to visit the place but don’t know where to start, what to visit, how to get where, etc.

Our plan is to go to Pagudpud first and stay there for 2 nights then go back to Laoag for 3 more nights. It was raining pretty bad the week before we’re supposed to leave and since it’s already December, we decided not to go swimming anymore on the nice beaches of Pagudpud.

We travelled by plane (Cebu Pacific) to Laoag instead of the cheaper but 12 hour bus ride from Manila to Laoag. As many of you may experience riding Cebu Pacific, always expect that the flight would be delayed. Anyhow, we were greeted with a nice sunny weather landing in Laoag Airport.

TIP: Call your airline before you leave for the airport for schedule changes. It sucks to be stuck on the terminal for hours.

Our next order of business upon landing is to head straight to Pagudpud which is covered on the next part.

Part 1: From Manila to Laoag
Part 2: Going to Pagudpud
Part 3: Pagudpud
Part 4: City of Laoag
Part 5: South of Laoag
Part 6: Going to Vigan from Laoag

If you have any questions/suggestions/corrections, please feel free to leave a comment. Thanks!

Here are some tips for a great Panagbenga 2008 experience in Baguio!

Update: Flower Festival photos 2009 – ka edong

1.) Know the schedules of the parades. There are two highlight parades at the Panagbenga.
The first is the grand parade of street dancing where schools compete on best marching band and street dancing performance.
The second is the parade of floats where different groups and commercial establishments flaunt their floats decorated with thousands of flowers.

The two parades happen on different days. Best to catch both of these parades. Here’s the schedule for Panagbenga 2008

2.) Find accommodations as close to the city center as possible. On parade days, traffic rolls to a halt. You don’t want to spend an hour in a car stuck in traffic trying to catch the parade at Session Road. Best to walk to the parade area, and easiest to do that if you’re staying near the city center. You can choose from the many hotels in Baguio, or you can try your luck finding a transient house close to the city center.

3.) Be mobile. Travel light so that you can walk around to see the parades from different vantage points. Wear comfortable shoes. Get used to walking, it’s a good way to see the beauty of the city center.

4.) Bring your camera and feast in the beautiful sights! Take close up shots (if you can) of the street dancers. Fill the frame with colors of flowers and costumes. Smile at the street dancers so that they will smile back at you for a great photo!

5.) Leave the babies behind. It’s not the best time to bring babies and very young kids. The babies won’t enjoy the parade, anyway. Do yourself a favor and excuse the kids from the hassle of the very thick crowd during the parade.

6.) Catch the parades at the culmination area – usually Melvin Jones field for the parade of floats and the athletic bowl for the grand parade and street dancing. The culmination area is a good place to have photos with the floats and the street dancers.

7.) Don’t pick the flowers! The floats are for everybody to appreciate and for nobody to take home. (Just take home the photos). Don’t pick the flowers, leave them there for everybody else to enjoy.

8.) Eat local food. Try Oh My Gulay restaurant at the top floor of La Azotea at Session road. Try Baguo’s strawberries, strawberry flavored taho, binatog, afternoon street food (the exotic isaw and the likes) and the plethora of other kakanins in Baguio.

9.) Don’t forget to book your return bus tickets. Although Victory Liner has mastered the art of transporting a huge number of tourists during events like this, it’s still best to book your return tickets in advance.

10.) Smile, let your hair down and enjoy! Life is good, God is good!

ka edong
vivo

Yesterday, I went to Makati City, Philippines to witness the Caracol Festival. The first time I heard of these festival was in 2006, but I wasn’t able to witness it because I went to Bacolod then. Last year I also skipped this event for Cebu Sinulog Festival. Now, I no longer have any reasons for skipping this event. It’s actually my first time seeing this parade.

Caracol is derived from a Spanish word meaning “Snail.” As the name implies, the theme of the festival revolves around the preservation of the Mother Earth. Young kids from elementary schools as well as the High School and College students all dressed up in various Mother Nature theme. There were kids dressed as bees, sea horses, jellyfish, birds, tarsiers, flowers and grasshoppers. There we also some dressed as rice planters and illegal wood cutters to complete the whole picture.

The parade started late because of the drizzle. That’s fine. I know the organizers a re keen in protecting the well-being of these students. What really disappointed me is that these so-called “dancers” just walked down the streets of Makati Avenue instead of dancing. They just did their presentation at the judging area near the Park Square 1 building, were only a few people got to witness. The place is so small, and the view is obstructed by several trees and a lamp post. I guess the number of people who watched in the street is far greater than the number of the people cramped in the judging area. That is why they should have added street dance criteria to their judging mechanics.

Another thing that pissed me off is the power fluctuation in the judging area. I did not finish the performances at the judging area, but I have seen at least two power fluctuations which lead to two contingents dancing and performing their routine even without the music.

I see a big potential in this festival. I just hope that the organizers can very well improve it for the next year’s edition. And have a street dance, please.

View the Caracol Festival Photo Slideshow here

More travel tales here.

Upcoming Festivals to watch out for!

Sinulog 2010
Ati-atihan 2010
Dinagyang 2010
Panagbenga Festival 2010
Philippine International hot Air Balloon fiesta 2009 Clark Pampanga

This year’s 3rd World Pyro Olympics 2008 will finally be pushed thru. According to news reports, the schedule of the World Pyro (WPO), which is annually held in Manila, will be held at the Bay Area of the Mall of Asia in Pasay City from February 16 to March 15, 2008.

Participating countries include:

February 16 – China (CN) vs Germany (DE)

February 23 – Japan (JP) vs Australia (AU)

March 1 – Korea (KR) vd Dubai (AE)

March 8 – Italy (IT) vs Venezuela (VE)

March 15 – Frace (FR) vs Philippines (PH)

This is going to be another interesting year for the WPO. Here are links to the 1st WPO held here in Manila. plogHost Web Hosting has been a constant web hosting provider of the WPO and sponsors the event annually. Gallery of pictures of the 1st and the 2nd Pyro Olympics. More photos here.

One does not need to go as far as Camarines Sur to go wakeboarding. Lago de Oro Resort in Calatagan, Batangas has one you can enjoy and have tons of fun wakeboarding.

Just a couple of hours drive from Manila (about 115 kms), Lago de Oro is the next best thing in water sports.

There are normally two schedules for wakeboarding — one is in the morning from 9:00AM to 1:00PM and another from 2:00PM to 6:00PM. You will have to be early for these schedules in order to maximize your surfing time. On occasions, there will be a lot of people there so you’ll end up spending more time falling in line rather than in the water.

The half-day sked costs Php840 per person. For two people, you can book a room for the night at Php4,400 which comes with free breakfast and 2 half-day tickets for wakeboarding.

If you are staying overnight though, you may want to skip the resort and go somewhere else. The food inside are very expensive. It would have been better to stay and eat in Tagaytay and drive the rest of the way for an afternoon session. Imagine regular steamed rice for Php80!

The equipments (vests, wakeboard, skis, etc) are inclusive of the tickets. You may bring your own boards if you don’t want to line-up and take turns with their equipments. Also make sure to do some stretching before hitting the water. The cables pull you off at an average 30-32km/hour and the continuous tugging could end you up with body pains later on.