Tour Manila Philippines » Subic Hotels

The 12th Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Manila Freak — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:43:33 +0000

The 12th Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is already next month and balloon enthusiasts are all prepping for this big, colorful event.

This year’s fiesta of flight will be held at Subic, as with last year’s. Happening on February 7-10, 2008 at Clark Economic Zone, it is expected to be bigger, brighter and brimming with more surprises this year. The annual Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF) is the country’s biggest aviation sports event today. It’s the time when hot air balloon and airplane pilots from across the globe come into the Philippines to join their local counterparts in this out-of-this-world funfare.

In addition to daily flights of the hot air balloons, other activities include: skydiving, daily flag jumps (a skydiver jumps with the Philippine flag while the National Anthem is played to the start of the day’s activities); micro light demonstrations; small planes fly-bys and fly-ins; remote controlled airplanes exhibitions; aerobatics; light airplane balloon bursting competition; ultra-light formation flying and bomb dropping exhibitions; helicopter fly-ins and exhibitions; an air rally from Clark to Vigan; rocketry demonstrations; kite flying exhibitions; and races between ultra lights and motorcycles. Tickets cost P100 for both children and adults.

Last year, the event proved to be a very successful one, with people from all over the country (and even other countries) flocking to Subic to behold the majestic festival. Here are some photos to give you a glimpse of what to expect in this year’s biggest aviation fiesta.

Photos from My Sari Sari Store

Here’s the tentative schedule of the festival, as posted in their official website:

(Click on thumbnail to enlarge)

Other visitors opt to stay in Subic during the entire duration of the festival to fully maximize their stay. There are a lot of accommodations inside Clark that are accessible. Visit these hotels in Subic: Courtyard Inn Subic, Bayfront Subic, Arizona Subic, Subic Park Hotel and Vista Marina Hotel and Resort .

For inquiries, visit the PIHABF website or call 0929-3149191.

An Evening of Music and Art at Subic Park Hotel

Manila Freak — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 08:35:10 +0000

Just a few days ago, I was having dinner at the Ricco Renzo gallery in N. Garcia St. Makati. I was with a fellow writer and we were surveying the room. Hmm…mostly middle-aged folks and barely did we see people our age (twentysomethings). I guess Ricco Renzo really catered to the older crowd. Halfway through dessert, a group of people came up in front of the whole restaurant to sing. They were called Makati Vocalese Group and they were people our age. They sang Christmas carols amazingly, I had goosebumps all over especially with their rendition of “Carol of the Bells” (Merry merry merry merry Christmas!) Then afterwards, a man about 60 years old stood up and proceeded to replace the choir. He sang in the most languid way I’ve ever seen a tenor sing. And I was actually enjoying listening to him! I looked at my friend and she seemed to be listening intently at the cute grandpa with the golden vocal chords. So, I figured, people my age can enjoy “old” music too. And just when I was leaving the restaurant, I heard an old man say, “The music today is all about bling-blings!” I had to stifle a laugh. True enough, the music of yesteryears is slowly fading into oblivion. Sadly, not a lot of people in my age bracket have heard of good choirs, tenors or sopranos. So, when I saw that Subic Park Hotel will have a classical music serenade, I grabbed the chance to post it here. Here are the details of the event. The Subic Park Hotel is one of the best hotels in Subic so do visit the website too to make any room reservations.

Neil Gaiman is back in the Philippines!

Manila Freak — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:41:34 +0000

You just watched Stardust but still can’t get enough of Neil Gaiman? Fret not. The Mutli-awarded English author of science fiction and fantasy graphic novels “Sandman,” “Anansi Boys” and “Coraline” is back in the country for the 20th Philippine Ad Congress. He is set to expound on the topic “Imagination and Creativity in the Contemporary World” on the 22nd of November, the second day of the Congress.

He’s also in town for the the launch of “Expeditions: The 1st Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards Compilation.”

He will co-present the Graphic/Fiction Awards with Fully Booked at Fort Bonifacio, High Street. Speaking of Fully Booked, they have an ongoing contest which science fiction, fantasy and horror fans might want to participate in. View more details here. All winning entries will be compiled and published by Fully Booked, with a foreword written by Neil Gaiman.

A certified Neil Gaiman fanatic?

Attend both the Ad Congress and the Graphic/Fiction Awards! Nothing beats getting up close and personal. Tour Manila has compiled a list of hotel accommodations you can check out when you stalk–erm, MEET Neil Gaiman (haha)

Hotels in Subic:

Subic Park Hotel
Courtyard Inn Subic
Bayfront Hotel

Hotels near Fort Bonifacio: (in the Makati area)

Oxford Suites Makati
Makati Prime Tower Suites
City Garden Hotel Makati
BSA Tower
Fersal Inn – Makati
Saint Illian’s Inn

Treat this as a once-in-a-lifetime event. Neil Gaiman is back in the Philippines! If you weren’t able to catch him before, mark your calendars and make it your date with him.

The 20th Ad Congress Goes to Subic

Manila Freak — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:44:25 +0000

Advertisers, unite!

The 20th Philippine Advertising Congress or what’s commonly called the Ad Congress was formally launched together with the unveiling of its official logo at the NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio, Global City last May 2007. Themed the “New Order,” this signals the commencement of exciting challenges in the advertising industry.

It will be hosted by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies-Philippines (4As), and held on November 21 to 24, 2007 at Subic Bay. The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has been preparing for the biggest advertising event in the country and this included the re-development of the GVC Building located in the Subic Bay Industrial Park (SBIP) into a fully air-conditioned, highly-equipped and well-designed convention center that will house around 5,000 delegates of the Ad Congress.

Subic Bay expects that people will come in droves to participate in this annual event. I reckon it will be an exciting time to schedule a vacation in Subic Bay! The Ad Congress will coincide with Subic Bay Freeportâ€™s own milestones–the 15th anniversary of the SBMA and the annual Karakoa Festival, which is a cultural celebration named after the first warship that prowled the Southern seas. It’s wild in Subic Bay next month!

Here a few tips and recommendations if you’re going to Subic this November! After all, travelers should always be prepared!

Accommodations:

Subic Park Hotel
Courtyard Inn Subic
Bayfront Hotel

Food tripping:

Aresi – for fusion cuisine
Meatplus – for steaks and fantastic apple pie!
Coco Lime – for oriental cuisine
Extremely Espresso – for pizza & pasta

Shopping (for that after-Congress leisure time!):

Freeport Exchange – for designer clothing. Score Lacoste and RL shirts that sell for $10-12 apiece!
Adidas Outlet Store – near Royal Subic
Nike Outlet Store – near the cinemas
Guess Outlet Store – at the Freeport Exchange building
Duty Free Superstore (DFS) – located right next to Meat Plus Cafe. They sell a huge variety of brands such as Bulgari, Armani, Calvin Klein, Nike, Ray Ban, etc. Check this place out too for a great selection of perfumes, watches, sunglasses, cigarettes and liquor products on the free port.

Day tours/sightseeing:

Eco-Adventure
El Kabayo
Ocean Adventure
Zoobic Safari

There are also fishing areas around Subic!

Subic can never be just about business! Leisure havens are everywhere! Make the most out of your Subic stay even after the Ad Congress! You’ll get to savor it more

Jet Skiing and More in Subic

Manila Freak — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 10:14:06 +0000

For the more athletic adventurer, Jet skiing is one sport that beach buffs would probably want to engage with. Why is it so? Perhaps for some, it gives them the thrill of driving just like riding on a motorcycle bike, but the only difference isâ€”one can feel the waves come in lapping, splashing and getting wet while riding on such Clayton Jacobsen IIâ€™s personal watercraft, better known as PWC, which Kawasaki Heavy Industries Incorporated was successful in coming out with this type of water engine that dates back in 1973. Today in the Philippines, particularly in Subic, Jet skiing is one of its tourist attractions since the sport is also good for beginners or even for the physically challenged individuals, but of course with proper safety precautionary measures applied. Subic Bay, a former American naval base, when the country still has been closely working with the US and is one place that most beach lovers or even Jet ski buffs would like to pay a visit.

Going to Subic may be an ideal grand vacation getaway not just for those who love to ski, but it is ideal for travelers to experience eating with their bare hands, which is popularly known as â€˜kamayanâ€™ since the Filipino forefathers, the Malays and Indonesians ate with their hands. Eating with oneâ€™s bare hands is even much easier than using spoon and fork or chopsticks and stuffing food wrapped in a freshly-cut banana leaf is far more exciting than eating from a bowl or a plate. Aside from pigging out around Subic, shopping galore is one recommended activity for tourists can purchase lavish deal of affordable goods either at Pure Gold and Royal Duty Free. Then, the immersion of the Philippinesâ€™ historical memories since during the Spanish occupation, they built a gate, which eventually fell into their battles against Americans and Japanese.

One of the best places to stay in Subic is Courtyard Inn, which takes pride of being a family-oriented hotel that exhibits genuine Filipino hospitality and excellent service. Having to choose to stay here promises a well-deserved tummy experience via their Aresiâ€™s bar that opens as early as 7 oâ€™clock in the morning till 12 midnight for the whole week. The bar is known for its delectable Western cuisine the likes of grilled steaks, pastas and pizzas. For Jet Ski lovers, Courtyard Inn is just across Networx Jetsports and located on Waterfront Road, SBMA in Subic.