Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR), the Philippines’ premier leisure airline, will offer a “Buy 1, Take 1” Batanes roundtrip promo and up to 75% off on Boracay and Tablas roundtrip tickets at the 2010 Philippine Travel Mart (PTM) Sale on September 3-5, 2010 at Booths 108-109, SM Megatrade Halls in SM Megamall.

Batanes Sabtang Lighthouse

Travelers can purchase “Buy 1, Take 1” Batanes roundtrip tickets for only PhP 14,344 all- in for travel until December 19, 2010. Boracay and Tablas roundtrip tickets will be at PhP 3,500 all-in for travel until October 15, 2010, and PhP 4,463 all-in for travel from October 16 to December 19, 2010. Continue Reading

If you are tired of the same old party scene weekend after weekend, maybe it’s time you left the regular clubs behind and break into something super. The Eivissa Superclub is the epicenter of Manila’s vibrant nightlife. What makes it super? It’s probably the best bar I’ve visited among the Rev & Rave Bar partners of the 2010 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix.

Party… Party and Party @ Eivissa

Hundreds of partiers in their teens and twenties wearing the sexiest clothes, moving to the hottest music, and drink specials that will save your pocketbook and get you boozed up. Last night, I was a little bit buzzed and I left my drink on the bar when I had to go to the bathroom. Now, you might think that my drink would have disappeared by the time I got back, but no, it was sitting there and the staff had placed a coaster over it so that people would know I was coming back. Now that is what I call service. Continue Reading

It’s a funny thing how life happens when you are making other plans. Last weekend I was planning on visiting my family in Quezon and probably have a nice meal, and then maybe doing some reading before I went to bed. It might sound boring to you, but I was looking forward to it. Then I suddenly got an irresistible invitation from STB to visit several Rev & Rave bars in Metro Manila that promotes the upcoming 2010 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix.

Lets get the Party Started!

White Avenue is on the list of Bars to visit so I immediately invited my friends and we all went on down to the party town. Inside the bar everything was white. I mean white, white, white. Not the people, not the drinks, but the furniture, the walls, the decor. They call it White Avenue for a reason. Continue Reading

People are always trying to say that some other neighborhood is better, more up and coming, or filled with more places to go. Sure, there are lots of great places to go in Metro Manila, but when you are looking for that special something, there really is only one place to go to and that is Makati.

Toyz Cafe Makati

After having my “second dinner” at IL Ponticello Cafe Ristorante, I found my self in a corner couch having iced cold beer at TOYZ Cafe Bar in Palanca. Toyz Cafe is one of the local Rev&Rave Bar partner of the 2010 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix. Continue Reading

After a wonderful dinner at Sidebar Cafe in Ortigas, I went straight to IL Ponticello Cafe Ristorante in Makati to meet another set of friends. Oh boy, I’ve discovered a real treat. At first, I thought about keeping it to myself but it’s too good not to share and besides, with this the more people that know about it, the better it gets. Its my first time visiting Il Ponitcello Cafe Restorante, good thing STB invited us to visit this restaurant since its one of the REV&RAVE Bar partners of the 2010  Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix.

IL Pontecello Cafe Restorante

A lot of times, those of us who write about travel make a great discovery and we are faced with asking ourselves if we should share it or keep it for ourselves. It’s a difficult question because you can ruin a place by making it too popular, but you want to let people know about it. IL Ponticello Cafe Ristorante is in no danger of getting ruined by more people though. In fact, it’s best when the place is jampacked. Continue Reading

While you are in Ilocos Norte, don’t miss seeing one of the most iconic views in the province. Near Burgos Town is one of the most beautiful parolas in the Philippine Islands. The Cape Bojeador Lighthouse has been bringing vessels to safety since it was completed in 1890. In a country that is made up of more than 7000 islands, you will see plenty of lighthouses but the one in Burgos is exceptional.

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

There are thousands of travelers who make special trips around the world to see lighthouses and when they come to the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, they are never disappointed. Continue Reading

In preparation for the 2010 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix, STB challenged selected bloggers for a different kind of race, this time – to visit 8 Rev&Rave Bars in just a span of 3 days.

Wine Selections

I’m always up for a challenge and for the first pit stop, I had a great meal in Sidebar Cafe Ortigas. Sidebar Café is a small, quaint bar on the right side of Café 1771 (formerly Chateau 1771) at El Pueblo, Ortigas. Sidebar is also part of the Chateau group of restaurants and there’s a door inside Sidebar connecting to Café 1771. The place is perfect for cozy drinking dates with friends or special someone since music is not too loud (people can actually hear each other), place is well lighted (dim but not too dark), seats/couches are comfortable and most importantly, they have the Buy 1 take 2 for P120 beer promo and Buy 1 take 1 for P200 cocktail promo. Food’s okay but would not recommend it as dinner place because of their limited food menu. We ordered Sidebar Nachos, Sausage and Onions, Holy Cow Pizza and Iced tea. Continue Reading

There are many great reasons to head to Ilocos Norte and one of them is the visually stunning Paoay Church. The church is also known as the St. Augustine Church and has been standing sentinel since 1704. The church design combines a glorious mixture of Filipino, Spanish, and Chinese influences into a truly Filipino structure.

Paoay Church : An Architectural Wonder

The building itself is a very solid construction of coral, stucco, lumber, and tree sap. Yes, tree sap. The huge mosaics are glued with natural tree resin. The Spanish friars who built the church wanted to make sure it would withstand earthquakes and so the used the strongest materials they could find and to good effect.

Inside the Church

With a detached belltower and walls that are up to three feet in thickness, this massive structure has weathered earthquakes, storms, and the 1896 revolution without showing signs of becoming weak.

Paoay Stone Buttresses

While earthquakes and the second world war took their toll on the building, it stands as a testament to the materials, history, and spirit of the Filipino people who have worshipped there. So much so that it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Philippines national treasure.

St. Augustine Church in Paoay

Upon coming to the church, something that you will notice right away are the 24 massive 1.67 meters thick stone buttresses that have held the church up since it’s completion in 1894. When you look at the historical marker located at the church facade, you will start to understand why this church is so unique. Construction took place over 190 years and during that time the church was active and held congregations who marvelled at the sky blue ceiling inside. You won’t find another church like this anywhere in the world.

To get there just go to Laoag and then head out the road a few kilometers. You’ll see plenty of tourist friendly signs directing you to this incredible national treasure.

Where’s the best place in the Philippines? If you ask me, you are going to get a prejudiced answer. I made up my mind long ago and while I’ve seen plenty of other amazing places in this beautiful country. I think Babuyanes is the best for me, let me share to you why it is and will always be the best place for me.

Kids in Babuyan Island

A part of it must be the difficulty of getting there. From Manila it takes at least fourteen hours by land to get to Aparri and then another four hours by boat to Camiguin Island. From there, it’s just a hop, but it never gets easy. Nor does it get boring, or ugly, or crowded with tourists. Ah….I love the Babuyanes! Continue Reading

There isn’t much better than dropping your gear on snow white sand, grabbing your snorkel, and then walking into crystal blue waters where you will see thousands of fish, very few tourists, and the cares of life will disappear into the perfect hide away spot.

Real White Sand Beach in Puerto Galera

You might think you would have to go to the farthest reaches of the Philippines in order to find a place like Encenada Beach, but in fact, Puerto Galera is only about 160 km from Manila. Located on Mindoro Island’s northern peninsula, this is a world class diving and snorkel spot and one of the best places in the Philippines for outdoor activities of all kinds. Whether you are into trekking or just discovering new isolated coves with undisturbed sand. This is the place for you to go. Continue Reading