A Night Swim At Double V Resort

Before we leave Cavite, we  will add Double V Resort because it's a popular place in this area. This resort is located in Burol Main, Dasmarinas, Cavite. It's open 24 hours, and have room units with aircon, also called lodge, and the price for a room varies from Php 450 to Php 4000 for overnight staying. Cottage rates are from Php 550 to 2800.
There is one large pool only, and it  has a canteen in the middle, it's also suitable for kids. For entrance fees, just left click the picture of the signboard below. For location map, click Here

The Main pool

Room unit for overnight stay

A bamboo cottage

Price list as of May 2013

Jonalyn Viray Music & Me Tour, April 20, 2013 - Entertainment Philippines

She has the talent, she has the voice, she has the look, and she got what it takes to achieve international fame, but there was one thing that frustrated me. Read more below the video...

 

I uploaded this to youtube to make it easier to upload it here

 

I shot 140 pictures and two videos of her, but she spotted the middle during the whole concert. She didn't move back and forth, and as I was sitting at the outer right side of the concert hall, it was hard to get a front view of her. Frustrating. But shes got the voice, and I guess she could sing "Unchained Melody" even  better than LeAnn Rimes. Anyway, the concert was worth a visit.

Jonalyn Viray Live on Stage 

This shot is the only one close to a front view

Fun at Cool Martin Family Resort and Hotel, Bacoor

Cool Martin Family Resort and Hotel is situated across the highway from SM City Mall Bacoor, which is about a 15 minutes bus drive from the Metro Manila. This establishment has 20 rooms, including family rooms, and can host about 100 guests. It has an indoor swimming pool, restaurant, sauna, spa and karaoke bar. Check in time for the hotel is 2 pm, while check out is 12 noon. Price for swimming is 120 pesos  per head for adults, and 60 Php for kids. You can rent a family room for as low as 2500 pesos per night, equal to US$ 61, or € 46. It's also open for walk-ins, that is for people that just want to use the facilities, without renting a room. Friendly staff, good service. International food is served. For more information, and location map, please click here

They had a lot of fun here

The swimming pool with sauna in the background

The living room

The kitchen

The parents bed

Double decker for the kids

    

Bali Village Hotel Resort and Spa, Tagaytay

This is Bali Village Hotel Resort and Spa. A place of comfort and relaxation. It has one swimming pool for adults and a pool for kids. There are different kind of hotel rooms with room rates ranging from Php 3000, ( Bali rooms) to 10500 ( Family house ). Breakfast are included. This place is ideal for wedding since it has a ballroom, and it seems like tailored for wedding parties. The room service is good, and the staff are friendly. The swimming pool is open from 7 am to 10 pm. In addition they offer different kind of spa, massage, manicure, pedicure at affordable prices. Groups can rent the swimming pool for a price of 200 pesos pr head (150 for kids). The price for cottage rental is 600 Php for six hours. Address of this place is Kaybagal South, Tagaytay City which is about two hours bus ride from Metro Manila. For more information and location map, please click here

The entrance 

The Main pool

The kids pool

Playground

    

Entrance to the ballroom

A souvenir store

Information and front desk

An Afternoon at Jardin de Dasmarinas

If you prefer a resort "off the beaten path", Then Jardin Resort and Restaurant might be the place for you. There's nothing negative in the word "off the beaten path", it just reflects that most of the people visiting there are locals living in the subdivisions around the place. The resort has five pools, restaurants and a small hotel. Entrance fee is Php 150 for adults, and 120 for kids. In addition you must rent a cottage. the prices for cottages depends on how many persons. If you belong to a small group, the lowest price is Php 400, and the highest price is Php 1200 for large groups.  Room rates are from Php 450 ( three hrs only ), a 12 hours stay cost Php 1500. All rooms are equipped with air-con, bathroom and refrigerator. Since it is the coldest time of the year, there were not many people this Thursday afternoon, but it is a popular place, and usually it is more crowded. See location map here

The welcome sign board 

The kids pool

The main pool

The hotel

Manila Chinatown, and what you can find there

Cellphones with radio and TV, Prices equal to US$ 31 or 24 Euro. CAUTION: Try before you buy!

The entrance of Manila Chinatown

And this is a Chinese temple from the inside

It was strictly prohibited picturing the Buddha himself, but after some negotiations with the principal of the temple, she gave us permission to take one picture only, this picture may be unique, because here he is:  

A front view of the holy Buddha.

Manila China Town is located in Binondo which is a part of Metro Manila. It was established in 1594 by Chinese businessmen and vendors, and it's the oldest Chinatown in the world. For many people Manila Chinatown is associated with low price mobile phones/ cellphones and gold. We saw many cheap cellphones, but the gold was not cheaper than in any malls in Manila.

A street child's confessions

It's early night in Manila. I'm sitting by a table outside a Ministop store drinking a cup of coffee. A female friend is sitting beside me. As I'm sitting there, a street boy stopping by, asking for one peso only. Im asking him: What's your name, and he reply: My name is Christian. How old are you? I'm 12 the boy answered. Me: Why are you a beggar? The boy answered: My mom left me, and I'm hungry. Me: Why and when did your mom left you? The boy: It's many years since my mom left me, and I don't know why she left. Me: Where is she now? The boy: I don't know where she is now. Me: Where do you live? The boy: I have no home, and I'm sleeping at the sidewalk. Me: You said you're hungry? The boy: I'm always hungry, and that's why I'm a beggar. Me: what if I invite you to my home for a meal, would you accept? The boy: No. Me: Why? The boy: Many adults invite me home, and when I'm there, they put me to hard work. Me: So you don't trust me? The boy: I don't trust anybody. This story continues below the picture.

A homeless boy in Manila

Me: So you are happy being a beggar then? The boy: Not really, but I have no choice. Me: Are you a snatcher? The boy: What? Me: Do you ever steal anything from the stores? The boy: Yes, but usually I'm being cached by a guard. Me: If I give you 20 pesos, what will you do then? The boy: Buy some food or an ice-cream. I gave him 20 pesos, and he went into the store and bought an ice-cream, then he said "salamat kuya" and disappeared. "salamat kuya" is Filipino and means thank you brother. (The conversation between me and this boy was translated into English by Sherry Anne Taberdo).   

Puerto Galera, Sabang Beach and The White Beach

Puerto Galera is located in Mindoro, about 130 km or 81 miles south of Metro Manila, and it takes about six to seven hours by bus and ferry to get there. See travel direction map at the map site here. The island has a population of 30.035 according to National Statistic Office (NSO), and it's one of the Philippines most popular diving and scuba diving destinations in the country. The Puerto Galera Bay has many beaches, and it is listed by THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BAYS IN THE WORLD CLUB. That's the main reason why we went there. The most popular beaches are Sabang Beach, and Puerto Galera White Beach. Sabang Beach is most popular among foreign tourists, while The White Beach is most popular among local tourists. Along the beaches there are  lots of clubs, restaurants and bars which are open until 2 or 3 AM. Sabang Beach has one restaurant open 24 hours. At The White Beach they usually close earlier. There are very few banks near the beaches, and it is strongly recommended that travelers bring cash.Don't take it for granted that the ATM machines there will accept all kind of ATM cards. Read more and see more pictures click here

Puerto Galera White Beach

Sabang Beach Club

The battle against human trafficking

When someone is forced  into prostitution or child labor, it's called Human trafficking. In the Philippines it's estimated that around four hundred thousand women are victims of human trafficking, and about one third of them are children below 18 years old. They are usually  kidnapped by foreign syndicates and forced to work either into labor operations or the sex industry in other countries. In some cases even local Filipino labor offices are involved in this illegal operations. Most victims are between 10 and 22 years old. Destination countries are mostly other Asian countries, but that's not always the case. Almost all  countries in the world are involved. The Philippines is more a source of human trafficking, since most of the victims are exported out of the country. This is the dark side of tourism, and earlier this year, the Philippines and Thailand governments decided to cooperate in fighting this problem. Thailand is still on the top of the list of human trafficking according to UN and The International Federation of Red Cross. Second is Brazil, followed by India and Mexico. The Philippines is number four on the list, and it remains to see if the cooperation between Thailand and Philippines will work. We hope so.

This innocent girl might well be a victim of human trafficking.

The DOT Campaign ' It's More fun in the Philipines ' goes on

The Philippines has for many years been regarded as a country not belonging to travelers first choice. It has even been regarded as 'The Forgotten Country' or a country off the beaten  path. In the presidential period  of Mrs.Gloria M. Arroyo, they tried to promote the country as a  medical treatment destination, but she did a giant blunder when she herself earlier this year sought medical treatment in Germany. Many travelers avoided this country because of it's strict laws. An European tourist became famous after being held in prison for many months after being involved in a minor traffic accident in 2006. Such stories has a tendency to go viral, and can stigmatize a country's reputation. In fact, it's a false reputation. Most foreign tourists are  treated with respect and friendliness in the Philippines. Early in 2012 The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) decided to start another campaign under the slogan 'IT'S MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES' and the current government under president  Benigno S. Aquino III has decided to spend around 74 million pesos on this campaign. Most Philippine citizens are proud of their country, and few or nobody are against the campaign, they are rather taking part in it like the beautiful girl on the picture below giving her contribution by showing the campaigns slogan.Yes It's true. It's more fun in the Philippines!

This girl name Ahra showing her support to the ongoing campaign. © bonzon-travel.com

Mall of Asia, a giant 'landscraper'

In a former post we had pictures of skyscrapers in Makati, but when talking about Mall of Asia (MoA) it's more of a 'landscraper' than a skyscraper.With its total floor area of  390,193 square meter, equal to 4,2 million square feet, MoA is supposed to be the 4th largest mall in the world. MoA is owned by SM Prime Holding, a trade organization founded by the Chinese business man Henry Sy Sr. SM Prime Holding are now  the largest company listed in the Philippines Stock Exchange. The mall itself is divided into three departments, The Main Mall, The Entertainment Mall and SM By The Bay. Mall of Asia is situated in Pasay City by Manila Bay. It has countless of stores, and are selling everything from needles to airplanes so to say. Many of the most famous artist in the world had concerts in the entertainment dept. among them Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and recently Justin Bieber. The mall has also sports arenas where you can play volley ball and ice skating among many others.  

The LED globe or GlobAmaze is a part of MoA

One of the many entrances


Ice Skating

What about ice skating in a tropical country? Mall Of Asia has it all. Entrance fee for the skating rink is PHP 300 (unlimited time). Hockey games cost PHP 500 per games.   

This is the ice skating rink. It has international Olympic standard size.

Not a good picture, but this is Christine on her second rehearsal.