I Got Hooked! It's More Fun in the Philippines

It's been a few days since the Department of Tourism launched its 2012 campaign. And its new slogan "It's more fun in the Philippines" I can say has been successful since its inception because it has created a buzz online, leaving the netizens hooked into digging up their creative minds to come up with their own More fun in the Philippines caption.

And, yes, I am among those who got hooked. Today, I searched on my archives, downloaded the Harabara (the official font) and did quick editing to come up with my own version of It's more fun in the Philippines. I will do more of these as I travel and explore the Philippines. It's viral, it's addicting and IT'S FUN! Try it! :P

Join the FUN!! Follow @DOTPhilippines on Twitter or the hashtags #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines and #1forFun. (HOPE YOU COULD JOIN MY MINI "PAKULO)

Taal Volcano, Batangas

Burnham Park, Baguio

Marcelo H. Fernan Bridge (Old Mactan), Cebu

Ifugao native dress, Baguio

Quezon Bridge, Manila

Mountain Province

Filipino Ingenuity: Using old bottles on fences of houses

Puso, Cebu's heart of rice

Subic with friends

Ibon Ebon Festival of Candaba Pampanga

113th Philippine Independence Day at Quirino Grandstand

Strawberry Taho, Baguio

Nuvali and the Missing Kois, Sta. Rosa Laguna

When visiting Laguna, I'm sure you've heard of this popular place called Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, developed by the Ayala Land, Inc. The first thing that comes to my mind whenever I hear Nuvali are the Koi fishes! Yes, it has this man-made pond and it has hundreds of hungry koi fishes (see photo below) and you get to feed them. And no, I haven't seen them face to face yet-- sad to say, when I went there for the first time last month, the pond is under renovation and it's all drained up, so no koi fishes for me. Well, I can always go back as soon as the renovation is done.

What I like about Nuvali, just like any other Ayala Land projects, is that it is filled with greenery, thus the free access to fresh air and nature. Nuvali Evoliving as what they call it, combines family, recreation and work all in one community centered to preserving and caring for the environment to make sure there will be more left for the next generation. I guess we should put more like this all over the Philippines, don't you guys think?

Welcome to Nuvali

View from the center island of the intersection

Brothers Burger, Nuvali

Starbucks and its wishing pond with this giant white rock

The walkway

Here's what's supposed to be on the man-made pond- KOIS!! But nada for me!

(photo grabbed from ch1nelas.blogspot.com)

And here you go, the empty pond

View from the bridge

Walking around Nuvali

At Tagaytay, with my friends after a long trip from Manila

Subic Food Trip: Meat Plus Cafe and Steakhouse

Subic in Olongapo, Zambales is known to most of us as a place to buy cheap imported goods because of the duty free shops that sprouted like mushrooms all over the former naval base; second: Subic is a place you would fall in love with if you are a fan of the sun and the beach. Yes, that's probably what Subic is best-known for, but there's more to that to tell you honestly. And I'm not talking about extreme sports, water adventure, zoo or whatever. This time, it's all about FOOD.

One of my recent discoveries in Subic is a restaurant/cafe you will surely love if you are a fan of anything meat especially of steak. Meat Plus Cafe, as the name implies, serves different kinds of meat dishes and is famous for its delicious and affordable steaks: Topsirloin steak, Tenderloin steak, New York steak and a whole lot more choices of burgers, pasta dishes, salads and pastries.

The place is not hard to find actually. It's literally few steps away from two duty free shops. And FYI, Meat Plus is already an institution here in SBMA and your visit to Subic will not be complete unless you dropped by at Meat Plus. It started its operation when Subic was still a US Naval Base which catered to American soldiers, and continuously satisfying the cravings of today's generation.

Meal prices range from Php200-400 depending on the set order. I ordered Roasted Beef Belly- delicious, yes, but I like the Grilled Pork Ribs more because the serving is huge. Here are some photos to drool over. :D

Meat Plus Cafe
Address: Sampson Rd., Subic Freeport Zone Olongapo, Zambales
Facebook Page: Meat Plus
Phone: +63 (47) 252-6090 or +63 (47) 252-7091
Open Everyday from 10:00am to 9:00pm

Roasted Beef Belly

 Grilled Pork Ribs

Porterhouse Steak

Caesar's Salad

Cheesecake

Meat Plus is just a couple of minutes walk from Boardwalk Inn

Inside Meat Plus Cafe

*photo of the vicinity grabbed from the Web

Mövenpick Resort & Spa (former Hilton) Mactan Cebu

The Floating Restaurant, Mövenpick Resort & Spa

Mactan Island is just one of the many tourist magnet destinations in the province of Cebu because of its beautiful beaches and breath-taking views of mountains and coastlines. And if it's your first time to visit the province and you want to quickly jump off a white-sand beach, Mövenpick Resort & Spa formerly Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa is one the best near-airport hotel choices. Yes, Mövenpick is just a few kilometers away (a roughly 10-minute drive) from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, both of which lie in the Lapu Lapu city territory. It also very close to the Mactan Shrine where the famous statue of Lapu Lapu is erected.

There are actually a lot of hotel options along the eastern coastline of Cebu. Some of the neigboring hotels of Mövenpick are Shangri-la Mactan and Be Resorts, to name a few.

Aside from the private beach, there is also a large pool and a floating restaurant walking distance along the coastline. During the night, you'll get serenaded by live music performances in the open-air bar and restaurant of the hotel. And of course, one important requirement for the earthlings in today's generation, internet access- yes, there's FREE WIFI access everywhere. In fact, you can still get a strong wifi signal even when you're on the farthest side of the shore.

The room rates? Well, knowing it's Mövenpick, it's really not cheap. But as I've said, since it's THE Mövenpick, their rates I guess is just reasonable, considering the awesome services and amenities. It's actually Mövenpick's first hotel venture in the Philippines. To know more about their room rates, check on their official website.

FYI: Mövenpick Resort & Spa has 246 rooms including 74 spa suites!

Mövenpick Resort & Spa
Address: Punta Engano, Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu city
Website: link
Telephone #: +63 (32) 4927777
Fax #: +63 (32) 4927704
Email: Resort.Cebu@moevenpick.com

[Video] The beach/shore area

Mövenpick is so easy to locate, just look for the pink building!

We're on the 20th floor, and the view is just priceless!

The view from our room, overlooking Shangri-La Mactan

Our room is good for 2-4 adults and has a huge bathroom

The shore

The pool

The girls (haha!)