Jayson Travels: April 2017

This season of relaxation, enjoyment and long vacation trips, surely your family, friends and love ones are planning to make this summer vacation a memorable one, unique and matchless compared to your previous summer escapades. These and more is something Zoomanity Group’s “ZOOPER ZUMMER” has to offer. Prepare to experience a very exceptional summer adventure as we give you a line-up of very interesting, exciting and fun-rich activities.

Going to the North from Manila is where the wild adventure happens. Bring out your animal instinct as Zoobic Safari being the only tiger safari in the Philippines located in Subic, offers an amazing experience for everyone. Hang on for a new wave of safari adventure in this exotic sanctuary with its latest attractions, Eggziting Story, newborn animals like donkey and Clydesdale horse. Another attraction to look forward is the opening of Safari 3, a safari ride featuring White Tigers, Lions, Ligers and Tigons. Zoobic Safari also brings back the much awaited “Night Safari”, packed with more thrill and excitement. Discover your braver side and tour around this exotic sanctuary at night, the first of its kind in the Philippines, all Saturdays from April 1 to May 27, 2017 including April 14, Good Friday.

Zoocobia Fun Zoo in Clark Pampanga offers you a different fun filled experience. Attractions include the Maze, Zoocology Museum, The Barn, Menagerie, Giant Slide, and the Zooc Ride the first and only gravity car ride in the country that's safe for all ages. Enjoy a night of fascinating show in Zoocobia Night Owl every Saturday from April 1 to May 27, 2017 featuring Animal Parade, Horses on Parade, Aeta’s Tribal Show, Neon Show (Philippine Pride and Adventure Rides, LED Dancers, and Night Owl Dancers).

Beside Zoocobia is Clarkzilla, it is the newest extreme adventure destination in Pampanga that offers a “Dubai Feel” experience. Prepare and enjoy the mind blowing drive towards the slopes, mud and terrains using a well-secured leisure vehicle. Challenge yourself to zooper up your 4x4 experience by crossing river, lahar and Mt. Pinatubo. Go beyond your limit and Blast it off the road. Experience other exciting activities like Zip line, ATV Ride and Camel Ride.

Want some more? Try also Residence Inn Tagaytay a perfect getaway destination all the way to South. It is famous for its mini zoo and breath-taking view of Taal Volcano. With a majestic location and spectacular show Residence Inn also offers a day tour zoo adventure, zip line, wall climbing, and horse-back riding. Witness our very own cirque du soleil inspired show, in “Green Magic Show” every Saturday starting April 8 to May 27, 2017. It is a magical presentation featuring green mythical creatures representing the environment. Watch out for a heart-stopping performance that will surely tickle your curiosity and imagination. Another picture perfect attraction in Residence Inn is the 1 Million Litez, a grandiose display of different lights inspired by Nabano Nosato in Japan.

A side trip from Residence Inn is a relaxing ambiance of nature and farm – Paradizoo in Mendez, Cavite. A 12 hectare farm land with lots of flowers, vegetables, and farm animals that is ideal for family bonding. It’s a combination of a farm and a zoo that aims to promote inclusive growth in the field of Agriculture. Experience a very Pinoy style staycation in Banig and Breakfast the newest amenity in Paradizoo. Sleep and dine in a modern kubo style accommodation with pinoy games and facilities to try.

And all the way to the Visayas region, visit Zoocolate Thrills, the only adventure Theme Park in Bohol. This promising tourist destination in Bohol offers captivating attractions for everyone. A river cruise is provided for those who want to explore the Loboc River, our fun zoo with different animal encounters such as ostrich, tigers and bearcats. We also offer tram ride, horse ride and zip line.

Enjoy these wonderful activities in Zoomanity Parks where the happiness begins. Get exciting discounts and freebies by liking Zoomanity Group’s official facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/zoomanitygroup. For more info please Call: 847-0413/ 899-9824; Text: 0927-5899696. Email: events@zoomanity.com.ph or visit our website at www.zoomanity.com.ph .

Aside from the beautiful geological formation, old churches and river cruise, Bohol is also famous for its white-sand beaches. Alona Beach in Panglao Island is one of the famous places in Bohol especially for those who are looking for a sun and sea combo. White sand beaches, crystal clear water and party-all-night life are just some of the fun and lovely things that Alona has to offer. I would say that it's very much like Boracay but I find Alona's white sand much finer than Boracay's and the crowd isn't as much as Boracay. Though both islands are uniquely beautiful on their own ways and I love em both.

Bohol definitely have many things to offer especially for the diving enthusiast or those who loves snorkeling or go on a dolphin watching and Island Hopping. You can rent a boat from Alona Beach and go on a Dolphin watching and island hopping. Balicasag and Virgin Islands are the two common islands included in the island hopping tour.

We signed up on a package tour during our 3-day trip to Bohol and Dolphin-Whale Watching and Island Hopping was our activity on our first day. Our driver fetched us from the Inn at around 5:00AM. We boarded on an L300 Van from Tagbilaran to Panglao Island. We were the only guests inside the van (plus the driver) so we asked Kuya driver if there will be other guests but he said no, this is a private tour and I will be your driver for your whole 3-day tour here in Bohol. We were amazed! We thought that it would be a group tour but it turned out to be a private one. Kudos to Bridgeway Travel and Tours!

We reached Alona Beach in Panglao Island at around 6:00AM, we head straight to the beach and Kuya driver introduced us to the owner of the boat. Again we were expecting that we're gonna be joining a different group in the boat for the tour but it turned out to be a private island hopping tour again, haha. It was a 10-15 seater boat and we were the only guests (plus the 2 boatman).

DOLPHIN WATCHING

First on our itinerary was the Dolphin and Whale watching. I was actually thinking that it might be a little late but as per the boatman, the dolphins usually show up around 6:00 to 7:00 AM. I was excited as our boat heads closer to the area where the dolphins usually are. There were already few boats in the area when we arrived. We spent few minutes looking for dolphins to show up but unfortunately no one showed. The boatman told us that there's gonna be no dolphins because of the rough waves. Later that day we found out that there was an earthquake in Surigao City so maybe the dolphins went somewhere else. I was sad but then there was really nothing that I can do so we just decided to proceed to our island hopping activity.

BALICASAG ISLAND

There were only two islands included on our tour and first island on our list was the Balicasag Island which was near the dolphin watching area. This is also where you can go on snorkeling. From our boat we transferred to a small boat which took us to the snorkeling area. Snorkeling gear is available for rent at P150 each, much better if you have your own snorkeling gear though. One more thing, don't forget to bring some bread! There were different kind of fishes in the snorkeling area. I enjoyed feeding them, they were seemed nice and cute, lol.

After few minutes of swimming with the fishes, we head back to the island and looked for a place to eat, we were starving as we haven't had any breakfast that day due to the early call time. Good thing there were stores and eatery in the island. The prices of the food are not that backpacker friendly but given the fact that we were on an island and a tourist spot, it's expected. We ordered shrimp sinigang. We waited for around 10-15 minutes as our order was freshly prepared and cooked. One of the perks of living in an island is that you get to have fresh seafood.

TIP: Given the fact the almost everything in Balicasag Island are expensive, one thing that I can suggest that might probably save you money is too bring your own food. A night before your island hopping, go to Tagbilaran Market and buy all ingredients needed for your desired menu. When in the island, you can look for a person and ask for "paluto". They will cook your desired food for a certain fee.

VIRGIN ISLAND

Virgin Island was the last stop on our island hopping activity. After feasting on the shrimp sinigang, we went back to the boat and head straight to Virgin Island. It is known as Virgin Island because nobody lives there and it sinks during high tide leaving only the palm trees visible. Virgin Island is an attraction because of its long stretch white sand beach during low tide. Aside from this, there's really nothing more that you can do in the island. There's no snorkeling area and the water is too shallow and full of underwater grass but there are parts where you can swim and relax.

Some locals are setting up stalls/tents in the island everyday selling different kinds of fishes, shells, sea urchins and a lot more. Some are selling bananaque and Coconut Juice. Coconut juice here are way much cheaper than in Balicasag Island.

HOW TO GET TO PANGLAO ISLAND

Island Hopping and Dolphin Watching are usually offered as a tour package by travel agencies and hotels. This is the easiest and convenient way, so you might want to arrange this prior to you trip or ask the hotel staff.

If you didn't have enough time to sign up on a package tour and your hotel doesn't offer this tour, here's how you can reach Panglao Island. From Tagbilaran City take a tricycle and go to Dao Integrated Terminal (right beside the Island City Mall) and board a jeepney bound for Panglao Island. The fare is around P20 (one way) and travel time may take up to an hour. Tell the driver/conductor to drop you off at Alona Beach. Take note though that jeepneys will wait for the jeep to be filled with passengers before starting the trip and it may take up to an hour or more.

Another option is to rent a taxi (which is quite expensive) or a habal-habal (motorcycle for rent) which will take you directly to Panglao Island.

WHAT TO BRING

You'll be out in the sun the whole day so make sure to prepare and bring these with you:

* Water ( at least 1-2 liters)
* Sunblock
* Shades
* Hat/Cap/Umbrella
* Towel/Sarong
* Snorkeling gear (if you have one but you can also rent)
* Packed food
* Waterproof Bag/pouch to protect your electronic devices from getting wet (click HERE for affordable dry bags)
* Waterproof Camera to capture your underwater moments (looking for action camera? Click HERE)

Bloggers attended a highly enjoyable laser tag event organized by TravelBook.ph and LazerXtreme. Entitled “You’ve Been Tagged: TravelBook.ph x LazerXtreme Blogger Event,” it was held last March 26, 2017 at Market! Market! mall in Taguig City.

As part of TravelBook.ph’s goal to establish stronger relationships with both affiliated and non-affiliated bloggers, the event started with an icebreaker where attendees had the chance to know each other by introducing themselves and the blogs they represent.

The icebreaker was then followed by a series of short talks from Mr. Jude Aniñon, LazerXtreme Branch Manager, about LazerXtreme; Ms. Pinky Librada, Officer-in-Charge of TravelBook.ph’s Business Development Team, about TravelBook.ph; and Ms. Pia Bernaldo, TravelBook.ph’s Business Development Officer, who encouraged bloggers to join the company’s affiliate program by presenting its benefits such as a high commission rate, free getaway trips, exciting events, and many more.

Attendees were divided into four teams—Blue, Red, Green, and Yellow—for the laser tag. To win, a team must acquire the highest score as they shoot their opponents with a laser gun within the game platform. Each body part corresponds with a certain score, and the opponent’s laser deactivates for three (3) seconds every time they are hit. Players can also score extra points every time they shoot enemy bases.

At the end of the game, which lasted for 20 minutes, Blue Team won, which composed of Nikko Madrilejo, Bedalyn Aguas (represented by her son during the game), Bae Milanes, Mikhail Rollan, and Facebook Photo Contest winner Ron Paolo Luna.

The winners took home LazerXtreme umbrellas and TravelBook Affiliate Program merchandise items.

This event is a collaborative effort of TravelBook.ph and LazerXtreme to provide quality leisure services to the Filipino market.

For more details, please contact:

Maria Lyn Bernaldo

Business Development Officer

MariaLyn.Bernaldo@travelbook.ph

+63 (998) 840-4852

+63 (2) 662-1113

Sharah Pinky Librada

Business Development Manager

SharahPinky.Librada@travelbook.ph

+63 (917) 530-7464

+63 (2) 662-1113

About TravelBook.ph

TravelBook.ph is one of biggest online travel e-commerce company (online travel agent or OTA) in the Philippines dedicated to offering great value hotel bookings and with a varied selection of Philippine hotels and resorts in Baguio, Batangas, Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, Davao, Laguna, Metro Manila, Palawan, Pampanga, Tagaytay, Zambales, and more. A total of 3,000 of affordable hotels are currently listed in Travelbook.ph.

TravelBook.ph offers the best price guarantee with attractive discounts for hotels and resorts, and various types of payment options without a credit card:

- Pay at Hotel No credit card needed
- Over the Counter: banks, 7-Eleven, department stores, and payment centers

Travelbook.ph also offers exclusive reward points: Customers also automatically earn back 5% of the total amount they spend as reward points, which they can use to get discounts on their future bookings (1 point is equivalent to PHP 1.00).

Customers can also use TravelBook.ph’s convenient mobile app to book accommodations on the go. It is available on the App Store and Google Play.

Lastly, TravelBook.ph is a proud Philippine-based company with 24/7 support. It has a Filipino call center ready to assist customers anytime. They can be reached through these numbers:

Landline: +63 2 662 1111 Globe: +63 917 850 9029

Sun: +63 925 887 2835 Smart: +63 998 961 3012

To know more about convenient and affordable hotel bookings all over the Philippines, visit www.travelbook.ph. Follow TravelBook.ph on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TravelBook.ph/, Twitter https://twitter.com/travelbookph, and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/travelbookph/.

Loboc River Cruise is probably in your must-do-list if you are planning to go to Bohol. It is one of the famous tourist destinations in Bohol, Philippines. Loboc River is known mainly because of its emerald green and clean water and of course the famous river cruise. While cruising the river you will also see the famous Loboc Church which is more than 400 years old, one of the oldest churches here in the Philippines. Though it was severely damaged by an earthquake last 2013, it still hasn't lost its charm and solemnity.

We took a countryside tour during our last day on our 3-day Bohol escapade and Loboc River Cruise is one of the stops. Our driver, Kuya Mario, drove us there at around 1:00PM hoping that the crowd might have dissipated and we could get a ticket easily, but we were wrong. Maybe because we went on a weekend or the place is just too touristy that that crowd was really overwhelming. It was my first time and I was excited to try the infamous Loboc River Cruise so waiting wasn't really a big deal. Kuya Mario secured a queue number and since we want to make the most of our time, we decided to go to the Butterfly Sanctuary, Prony the Python and Bamboo Hanging Bridge while waiting for our turn.

Looking for a place to stay in Bohol? [Click HERE]

We came back after an hour and the crowd was still jam-packed though we were a bit closer on the queue. We waited for more or less 15 minutes until we were called. We were very hungry that time and all we want to do is eat, good thing it was a buffet lunch. The ticket costs Php450.00 per person, that includes both the ticket to the boat and for the buffet lunch.

Different nationalities were on board and we were seated on a table with other guests. The food was already loaded and prepared and since it was past the lunch time, the staff told us that we can start eating while other guests are boarding. The food was the usual Filipino dishes and desserts, nothing really special but since I was really hungry it made me think that I was feasting the best food ever!

The cruise started after all guests have boarded. By the time the raft reaches the middle of the cruise, we were done with our lunch, which was actually a good thing because we were able to enjoy the moment while the raft glides on the emerald-green water of Loboc River . I couldn't help but appreciate how beautiful the river was and I was amazed on how they were able to keep the water clean. While we were sailing on the river, a live band was performing singing different old country songs entertaining the guests on board. I was actually quite amazed that they can sing songs in different languages, like Korean or Mandarin.

I noticed that there were few houses located near the river. There were also some tourists diving and swimming in the river while the locals live their lives as they normally do. Our boat stopped in front of a hut on the riverbank at the end of the cruise. There were group of locals (children and adults) wearing a traditional Filipino attire while performing different traditional Filipino songs and folk dances. Guests are free and encourage to sing and dance with them and of course donation is very much appreciated.

As the boat turned around to make it's way back to where we came from, we saw a small falls. Busay Falls is what the locals call it, it's just a small falls, nothing so extraordinary.

By the time we reached the port, the ticketing counter is already closed and the overwhelming crowd was gone. Kuya Mario told us that Loboc River Cruise had a day and night cruise before but due to the intense earthquake last 2013, light posts along the river was damaged so the local management had to suspend the night cruise.

Getting There

Loboc River Cruise is one of the famous tourists destinations in Bohol and is very much accessible via all means of land transportation. If you are coming from Manila, the fastest way to get to Bohol is via plane. If you are coming from Cebu, multiple fast ferry's offer a daily trip to Bohol, vice versa.

From Tagbilaran airport, take a tricycle to the bus terminal and board a bus to Loboc. You can also rent a car or take a taxi to Loboc. If you are in a tour (mostly offered by hotels and travel agencies) Loboc River Cruise is one of the stops in the Countryside Tour.

Photo credits: Okada Manila Website

Okada Manila, the newest addition to the growing hotels and casinos in the Philippines , unveiled it's spectacular dancing fountain to the public last March 31st 2017. Hosted by no other than, our Queen P, 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wutzbach, it was a night full of jaw-dropping dancing fountain show and fireworks display.

Guests performers who joined the grand celebration were the international pop music sensation Robin Thicke, World of Wonders, Asia's Got Talent contestant Gerphil Flores and the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra.

Free shuttle service was provided from SM MOA, in front of Pet Express which took us directly to Okada Manila. The bus was fully air-conditioned, with CR and each seats were equipped with a tablet loaded with movies, songs and games and can be switch to either English or Chinese language. It only took us around 5 minutes to reach Okada from MOA and the shuttle dropped us at the Fountain foyer.

Here's what the shuttle bus looks like.

A tablet loaded with movies, songs and games for each passengers.

An en-suite comfort room

We went through security checks before entering the building and they even had an X-ray machine, for the bags. We presented our e-tickets and we were given an Okada commemorative token.

The event started around 7:45PM which is 45 minutes late from the scheduled time. I was a bit disappointed, knowing that it's a Japanese-owned company, I was expecting that the show will start at exactly 7:00PM. Also the stage was located on the other side of the fountain and only facing the VIP's. Well, we only had a GA ticket so who am I to complain.

The show started with a performance from Gerphil Flores, she sang a couple of opera songs. Next was the The World of Wonders then last was Robin Thicke. He sang some of his songs including the famous Blurred Lines.

The Okada Manila Commemorative Token

The last part and the highlight of the night was the unveiling of the grand multi-color dancing fountain in Adele's Set Fire to the Rain song, it is the world's largest multicolored dancing fountain. It was indeed spectacular and truly amazing. We were all amazed and entertained. The fountain is as expensive as 50 Olympic-size pools and costs US$30 million, surely competes those in Dubai's Burj Khalifa and Las Vegas Bellagio. It is equipped with advanced underwater robots, more than two thousand lights, dozens of Hi-Fi speakers and more than 700 high-power jets that can shoot water behind the height of the Okada Manila building.

After almost 2 minutes of fountain show the event ended with a fireworks display. The sky was illuminated with elegant and jaw-dropping fireworks, what an extravagant way to cap the show off.

After the show, we went inside the Casino to have a look and play some games. Before entering the Casino, the security officer stopped me and asked for my age. When I told him how old I am he didn't believe me and asked for a valid ID with my birth date on it, haha. Do I look like a 16 year old kid? But anyhow I took it as a compliment, haha at least I know that I look younger than my age. We have to be a member first before playing so since membership is free, we decided got ourselves an Okada membership card and since we watched the Fountain show we were given 200 free play for the slot-machines.

Inspired by their Spring Theme. Cherry Blossoms

Look at the crowd heading to the Casino area

Huge interior designs

Okada Manila indeed know how to make a grand, elegant and world class opening. It was a night full of amazing show. The Fountain is Okada Manila's bold stand in creating a global icon. It is open to the public everyday, for free; Mondays - Sundays 6PM to 10PM with an hour interval.

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