Category: Philippines

As soon as I received an email containing an invitation to a reception onboard the USS George Washington, I was ecstatic!  I did not want to miss the rare opportunity.  Most of all, it was an honor to be able to meet the honourable men and women of the U.S. Navy.  I also knew that 20% of the ship’s crew are of filipino-descent.

Knowing that they took the time to visit Manila just showed that the United States is committed to us, Filipinos, and is a strong ally.

For some reason, typhoon Ofel came at the same time, rain was pouring so hard the whole night.  I was soaking wet because I forgot to bring my umbrella with me.  I braved the rain as I didn’t wanna miss the opportunity!  I arrived at SM Mall of Asia Fleet Deck at exactly 4:30PM.  I went in queue together with hundreds of guests eagerly anticipating what was ahead.

We went aboard the Glenn Bataan Belize for a 45-minute boat-ride to USS George Washington.

I looked around and observed that most guests were either embassy officials, expats, police officials, businessmen or media men.  It was at that moment, I felt how blessed I am to be given an invite.  While I was alone, I did meet some wonderful people in the USS George Washington reception event.

As we were nearing the ship, I peaked outside and saw the number ’73’.  I knew then that it was USS George Washington (CVN 73).  My excitement grew!  I really was going to the ship and experience being there for the 2-hour reception!

USS George Washington (CVN 73) is a U.S. Navy ship named after the first president of the Unites States.  It is a nuclear-powered super carrier and the sixth ship in the Nimitz class.  It was built by Newport News Shipbuilding, sponsored by Barbara Bush and was commissioned July 4, 1992.

While I admired all the different parts of the ship, all I could think of was how honorable the men and women that comprise the USS George Washington are.

The reception was a social event.  As for me, I went around the room taking pictures, smiling at everyone, thanking the U.S. Navy and eating (hehe!).

The cake which looked like the USS George Washington CVN-73 was an awesome sight.  It was located at the stage where the program was held.

Commander, Battle Force 7th Fleet Rear Admiral John R. Haley, Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, Jr. and Captain Greg Fenton were among the speakers that night.

Guests bought souvenirs to bring home for their loved ones.

There were caps, jackets and shirts for sale with ship’s name in it.

The ship was named after George Washington, one of the founding fathers of the United States.  He became the first president of the United States and served from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797.

On the floor were what looked like the USS George Washington CVN 73 insignia.  It has a profile of George Washington and the ship’s motto, “The Spirit of Freedom”.

The ship is huge!  It has a length of 1,092 feet and a height of 244 feet.  There are over 2,500 compartments on board, and requiring 2,520 tons of air conditioning (which is equivalent to roughly powering 2,00 homes. (source: http://www.military.cz/usa/navy/uss/carriers/washington/washington_en.htm).

USS George Washington can accommodate around 80 aircraft and has a flight deck of 4.5 acres, using four elevators to move planes between the flight deck and the hangar bay.

George Washington and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region (including our country, the Philippines).

This has got to be one of the unforgettable experiences for me.  I thank each and every member of the USS George Washington for all the things you’ve done for the country and for the world! *salute*

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USS George Washington (CVN 73)
Official Site: http://www.gw.navy.mil/index.html
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/USS-George-Washington-CVN-73/177732872397

Last month, my friend Jen called me up if I wanted to stay overnight at Casa Ibiza Antipolo with her and another friend.  She told me she availed of a promo, Php 3,500 for a one-night stay with complimentary breakfast for 6.  The coupon was expiring already so she wanted to use it.  She asked if I have any friends who wanted to go with us, but considering we were planning to stay on a weekday, I couldn’t get anyone.  We pushed through with only just the three of us.

It was a 1.5 hour drive from Quezon City.  Our friend knew where Casa Ibiza is so the ride was pretty quick and smooth.

When we arrived inside the resort, we went to the first unit among the colorful villas to register.  I loved the design of the exterior that I took my camera out to take some pictures.  Surprisingly, the place looked so much better in pictures.  If we can describe people as photogenic, then Casa Ibiza was picturesque.

We all wanted to just relax so I didn’t really plan on blogging about this.  I actually didn’t plan to take pictures too.  However, blogging is already in my system so I took a few photos just in case I wanted to write about the experience.

The villa was good for 6 people.  It had 3 floors: 1st floor just had a bathroom, 2nd floor had the living room and kitchen while the 3rd floor had 3 bedrooms.  The villa was okay, but nothing spectacular.  It wasn’t even hotel-like so if you’re expecting ‘wow’ interiors, I don’t think Casa Ibiza will be your place of choice.  Casa Ibiza grand villas would be a good place for group of friends who wanted to hang out, play cards, drink alcohol and chit-chat the whole night away.  It’s like a townhouse you can rent for yourselves.

We spent the whole night playing cards – poker, tong-its, pusoy dos, name it, we played them!  We made it a bit exciting by gambling a bit of money.  I shouldn’t have agreed as I was the biggest loser then (I wish we were playing for number of pounds LOL!).

Breakfast was served at 10AM as we woke up so late.  We went to the pool area where the food was served.  I noticed the consistency of the design of Casa Ibiza.  Apparently, the resort’s theme was Mexican.

I was obviously disappointed with the food.  I guess we really got what we paid for.  It’s a good thing, we were only three people because we got ourselves, two servings of those breakfast meals (since we paid for 6 pax).  The serving was like so small, imagine two spoonful of corned beef, and the egg seemed like just a half-egg.  The drink was powdered orange juice.  Nothing to rave about but the food was decent.  I hope they improve this a bit as the food was really, really disappointing.

Anyhow, I didn’t concentrate on my disappointment as I was in good company.  We got ourselves double serving anyway so it doesn’t matter 🙂

Casa Ibiza has a spa room which can also serve as a conference room.  It was a pretty neat room.  I don’t think anyone availed of their spa services as no one was around when I went in to check it out.  I didn’t bother trying it out too as we didn’t have time left for a one-hour massage.

The pool was really nice and I must say Casa Ibiza had great ambiance.  The beautiful garden and the way the cabanas were positioned around the pool area was pretty cool too!

My key takeaway from my first visit to Casa Ibiza is that it’s a perfect place to have pictorials.  Really, the place was just built for photographers.  I guess engaged couples should consider this as one of the destinations to have their pre-nup pictures.

Group of friends who are camwhores would love this place!  I assure you your pictures will come out really really good especially if you have a good photographer with you.

I was surprised myself when I saw the photos I took of Casa Ibiza.  It was astoundingly beautiful there, much more beautiful than it is in actuality.  I’m not sure if it’s a good thing for the resort.  I guess if guests had seen the pictures from Casa Ibiza’s website, they might be surprised when they see the place in person as it wasn’t the same.  We can’t blame the resort though because Casa Ibiza was just too photogenic 🙂

I now believe that some people OR places can transform in photos.  Casa Ibiza indeed is.

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Casa Ibiza
Sapang Buho Road, Barangay Dalig II, Antipolo City, Rizal, Philippines 1870
+632-4823487
management@casaibiza.com.ph

This has got to be the shortest Boracay trip for me.  It was also the first time that I stayed in the hotel all throughout and didn’t even go out strolling on the beach.

My main theme for the trip was relaxation and I’m glad I got it.  I stayed in a wonderful hotel – Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel and was able to dine in one of the Philippines’ best restaurants in 2011, Don Vito Ristorante Italiano.  Lastly, I was able to get a facial from the well-known, high-quality establishment – Mandarin Spa.

Last, but definitely not the least, I discovered the newly renovation Boracay/Caticlan airport!  It was an awesome experience!  A great way to spend a weekend away from the stressful life in the city.

Here’s a rundown of what transpired:

Mandarin Spa Boracay

Breakfast Buffet at Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel

Don Vito Ristorante Italiano

Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel

The Awesome Transformation of our Boracay Airport

While I rested and relaxed at Boracay Mandarin Hotel a few weekends ago, there was one thing that I couldn’t forget.  One major thing that impressed me so much that I can’t help but share the good news with everyone.  It’s something that we, Filipinos, will be very proud of.  It’s something that we have been wishing our government would do.  It’s a wish that has finally come true.

Is this the mental image you have of our Caticlan airport?  The jump-off point to our very own Boracay, a world-class holiday destination in the Philippines?

• The Über old airline counters: manual, old-school, inconvenient, unimpressive and chaotic…

• the uber-small and cramped terminal fee counters which we always wondered where our money go to… as the Boracay airport is so damn dirty, old and not maintained well…

• the uber uuurrrgghhhh waiting area that looked like an evacuation center.  I’ve always dreaded going to Caticlan airport each time.  After spending such a good time in paradise, here we are greeted by an ugly airport just to be able to catch our flight back to Manila…

We don’t have to worry anymore.  Because guess what???  Yes!  Yes!  Yes!!  The Caticlan airport is now renovated!! 😀  I was totally blown away when I stepped foot in the new airport.  I couldn’t believe that I was actually in the same ugly place that I had in mind before.  My gosh, I was like a kid enjoying the sight of the new Boracay airport.

Now, we can now proudly recommend Boracay to our foreign friends!  We can now proudly rave about the beautiful paradise of Boracay.  Especially now that the jump-off point has been upgraded to match the world-class image of our wonderful Boracay paradise!  I’m so happy!  I’m so proud!  Thank you so much Philippine government for finally listening!  This will definitely help our tourism and now we know, that at least, where our terminal fees and taxes went.  We saw the result!  I’m oh so proud! 😀

The new airport is now fully air-conditioned.  You can also feel the holiday season as the place has been decorated oh so beautifully!  I also noticed how much happier the security and staff are.  You see, when you work in a very pretty and luxurious environment, your mood changes for the better too!  I just love it!

The check-in counters have been upgraded big time too!  They are now COMPLETELY computerized!  I love how you can see the upcoming flights on top of the counter.  The lines organized and the beautiful and uniform design of the different airline counters.  The transactions being so smooth-sailing too.  We don’t feel stressed anymore when lining up!  It felt like an international airport already.

The terminal fee counter?  Not cramped anymore!  And yes, it’s still at Php 20!  No increase in fees in spite of the major upgrade, LOVE it!

The best sight I’ve seen in the new Boracay (Caticlan) airport?  The waiting area that I had been dreading before!!  It’s now something that I look forward hanging out in!  My gosh!  The seats are much more comfortable to sit on.  The view was just so nice!  All television units are flat-screen!  There’s ample space for all awaiting passengers.  I sooooo love it!

The flights list is so pleasing to the eyes too.  It’s easy to see the updates!  The color scheme and the airline logos are evident.  We just need to glance quickly and we can see how much waiting time we have before boarding.

There are more food and souvenir shops too!  And yes, they are dressed appropriately!  They’re Christmas-y!  I do think that the prices are a bit steep though.  I bought a can of soda for Php 50.  Yaiks!

Since we have transformed our Boracay airport into something world-class, we surely can expect more tourists to come!  So even the 2nd floor has been upgraded.  I love the artwork on the stairway wall.  It’s very Filipino, the creativity of our countrymen shines!

The second floor waiting area mirrors the first floor.  Equally spacious and just as cheerfully decorated with the Christmas-y theme.  A perfect place to rest if you arrive too early for your flight.

For those who stayed at Boracay Shangri-La Resort & Spa and Discovery Shores, their lounge area are located at the second floor.  I didn’t take a peek inside anymore as I stayed in a different hotel 🙂

That’s my good news for the day!  Now, book your flights to Boracay! 😀

As soon as I received an invite for a weekend getaway at Boracay courtesy of Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel, I got immediately excited.  It was a pleasant surprise.  Every bit of a chance for me to go to our so-called Boracay paradise, is something I wouldn’t wanna miss.  I was giddily planning in my mind what I’d do during those 2 days.  However, when the time was near, I became sick 🙁

Since everything had been booked, I decided to go ahead.  I said to myself, my plans may not be followed but at least I’d get my much-needed rest.  Even if I had to skip most of the activities, I’d still get to enjoy the facilities of the hotel.  I was looking forward for a relaxing and restful weekend at the beautiful place called Boracay.

As soon as we touched down at the airport, Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel staff were on hand to welcome us with placards and everything!  Despite being under the weather, I immediately felt like a VIP.  We were escorted to the hotel on a boat and, afterwards, on a van.  It was great service and an awesome first impression!

When we arrived at the hotel, I remembered that I used to hang there.  Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel has the best exteriors and tourists always stop at the front to have their pictures taken.  That weekend, their theme was Christmas!  There was a cute snowman greeting guests with a big smile, and there were reindeers running across the roof of the resort.  What an astounding sight!

I always had the impression that all great hotels in Boracay were located in Station 1: clearly, I was wrong.  There’s a gem of a hotel in Station 2 and that is Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel.  Even better, since all the fun happens in Station 2 anyway, everything is uber accessible!

Starting with welcome drinks that greet guests upon their arrival, the pampering goes on and on, giving you a taste of what it feels to be treated like royalty!  Very nice indeed.

The swimming pool in the hotel is oh, so nice too!  I wish I was able to plunge in but since I couldn’t, I made a mental note to remind myself that a dip in the cool blue waters would be an indispensable part of my next visit.

Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel didn’t fail to impress me. They have the best rooms, great vistas, excellent food, and their massage services are top-notch. All of that coupled with friendly and efficient service practically guarantees that all guests will enjoy they’re stay at the hotel.

Rooms

I spent 80% of my time in Boracay in my room.  I had the most relaxing sleep ever.  It didn’t take much time preparing for sleep as the place was so comfortable to stay at.  My room had the nicest view too.

Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel has 49 bedrooms that are inspired by modern comforts.  I appreciate that even inside the bedroom, you can feel that you’re in a beach.  I love the tropical island setting in each of the rooms!  You can choose which type of bedroom to get as each has its own unique features.  Let me show you around 🙂

By the way, guest rooms are equipped with private bathrooms, split air-conditioning system, flat-screen television with cable connections, complimentary internet access, IDD/NDD telephone, complimentary coffee & tea, mini-bar, beauty and bath amenities and a digital in-room safety deposit box.

• Deluxe (Php 8,800)

Deluxe rooms include queen-size and twin-size beds.  Best for group of friends who want to have a nice time together in Boracay.  There are 8 deluxe rooms in Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel overall.  Each room is at 25.46 sq. meters.

It was awesome how the room was so artfully decorated – can you imagine sand and shells on the desk? – that it truly made you feel you were still on the beach even while relaxing in air-conditioned comfort.

• Deluxe Family (Php 12,500)

For a much bigger group of unto five people, the Deluxe Family room is a good choice.  It has two queen beds and one twin bed.  Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel has a total of 2 Deluxe Family rooms, each room has an area of 34.3 sq. meters.

Since the room is located on the first floor, it will just take a few steps to go to the swimming pools in the hotel!  For those who love to swim, then this is the room for you and your friends.

• Premiere Sea View (Php 8,900)

I stayed in the Premiere Sea View room.  This was the perfect room for me considering the beautiful view from the balcony.  Also, the size is more than enough for me.  The usual arrangement of a Premiere Sea View room in Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel is a queen size-bed and twin-size bed.

However, you can choose to have a king-sized canopy bed instead of the usual queen-size/twin-size bed combination (which my room had).  There are a total of 20 Premiere Sea view rooms in the hotel and each room has an area of 30.45 sq. meters.

• Premiere Deluxe Sea View (Php 10,200)

The room is quite similar to Premiere Sea view room.  The only difference is that there’s a tatami bed.  It can serve as an additional bed or might be a place to have your in-room massage treatments from Mandarin Spa.

The tatami bed is so cute!  I had to take a picture sitting in it when we had our tour.

The balcony is just awesome!  We can have a view of the pool and the beach from the room.  Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel has a total of 6 Premiere Deluxe Sea View.  Each room has an area of 25.46 sq. meters.

• Grand Poolside (Php 12,200)

I was totally astounded when I saw the Grand Poolside room.  It shouted romance!  I can safely say this room is perfect for couples and honey-mooners vacationing in Boracay.

There are a total of 10 Grand Poolside rooms in Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel and each room has a size of 26.28 sq. meters.

• Grand Deluxe Poolside (Php 14,000)

Remember the tatami bed I mentioned earlier?  That’s pretty much the additional item in Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel’s Grand Deluxe Poolside rooms.  It has the same awesome bathroom and has the same king canopy bed inside.

The pool is also just a few steps away as all Poolside rooms are located at the first floor.  There are a total of 3 Grand Deluxe poolside rooms in Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel and each room has an area of 35.7 sq. meters.

Suites

And of course, if luxury is your thing – and why not? – then the three suites of the Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel are for you.  On our last day, we were taken on a tour of the luxury suites and I must say, it exceed even my expectations.  Although a stay at these suites will definitely not be for the budget traveler like me, the simple privilege of viewing them did make me feel  more posh than usual.

With a flat-screen LCD satellite cable television, a DVD/CD player and iPod dock, and a surround-sound system, the suites were clearly designed for the vacationer who understands and appreciates the finest things in life.  It even has an outdoor lounging area for those times when you just might want to sit around and revel in the fact that you’re in an island paradise, in the lap of luxury. Nothing says “I’ve arrived” quite as much as a stay at a Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel Suite.  Unless of course it’s a stay at the Penthouse Suite.

• Penthouse Suite (Php 17,000)

Located on the top floor of the hotel.  Suite area is at 67.33 sq. meters.

One of the things that really caught my attention in all the rooms at the Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel was that they featured towels folded to look like two kissing doves.  I admit, it was an effort to undo that little bit of art to use the towels, but in end, wrapped in the soft pillowy whiteness of the towels, I thought “this must be what it feels like to be caught in the wings of doves.”

Needless to say, the cute little notes the attentive staff leave to remind me of breakfast and any other activities lined up for the day, were greatly appreciated.

• Ambassador Suite (Php 23,000)

The Ambassador Suite was my favorite of all the luxury rooms of the Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel.  A two-room suite with a spacious 89.78 sq. meters, it features an indoor pool where you can luxuriate in complete privacy.  It’s like having your own secluded island, as perfect for the discerning diplomat as it is for people who simply must get away from the maddening crowds.

• Mandarin Grand Suite (Php 25,000)

2-rooms, balcony, private pool, spacious lounging area are things you can expect in the largest suite of Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel.  It has an area of 127.87 sq. meters.

The Mandarin Grand Suite is best for people who are celebrating special occasions.  You can even hold your own party in the suite!

Mandarin Spa

I shared my experience with you regarding the facial spa I took in Mandarin Spa.  I highly recommend you try their hilot or hot stone massages.  I saw my travel companions’ blog entries about it and I’m so envious!  Try it out when you visit Mandarin Spa.  All spa therapists in Mandarin Spa are fully trained and their aura is so nice!  Service is definitely superb!

Don Vito Ristorante Italiano

You all know that I’m a foodie by heart.  Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel’s dining services went way above my expectations.  Their in-house restaurant, Don Vito Ristorante Italiano, serves the yummiest food in Boracay.  A must-visit for all Boracay travelers, really.  I know I’ll be back there surely.

Events

Boracay is a place that everyone loves to go to.  Whether we want to relax, unwind or party, Boracay always comes to mind.  Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel knows that, that’s why they offer the facilities and services we’ll need.  We can expect a smooth and easy planning process with their help 🙂

• Weddings

I once dreamed to have a beach wedding.  However, since I’m still single, I don’t have that in mind anymore, haha!  Anyhow, I know tons of couples would love to have their big day in Boracay.  You can let Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel help plan for you.  Intimate weddings are always the best especially if you’re overlooking the beautiful white sand beaches of Boracay.  Oh, how heavenly!

• Corporate

Offsite Teambuilding is a pretty popular activity among companies.  In my case, we do it annually and we usually hold it at a popular beach resort.  I remember 2 years ago, we had our team building at Boracay.  I hope we discovered Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel then because the hotel has great amenities.  Their function rooms are great for work meetings too!

I know people might say why do we need excellent amenities in a hotel when we spend most of the time on the beach?  If we can have the best of both worlds, why not, right?  We get to enjoy the beautiful beach of Boracay and the activities available, as well as, get the same satisfaction when we go back to our hotel room and hotel restaurant.  Then, we can say that our vacation is more than perfect.

Funny, as it seems, I was completely sick during my short trip in Boracay.  The plane tickets has been bought and hotel reservations had been made so I decided to push through.  It might not have been the trip that I was imagining but I surely had enough rest as I was staying in one of the most beautiful hotel in Boracay.  Thanks Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel!

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Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel
Beach Front Station 2, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan, Philippines
63 (36) 288-3444
http://www.boracaymandarin.com