We have recently created a new family tradition of going somewhere we’ve never been before on Christmas Day. We started this last year + decided to go to Enchanted Kingdom in Laguna with the whole family + our cousin, Dennis, who also happens to be the little man’s godfather.
It was a whole day of fun + new experience, not to mention endless queues + loads of rushing people about. But all in all, it was something we all enjoyed + would love to do all over again, minus the hassle of commuting, that is! This year, we have not decided on where to go for our annual celebration, but am thinking of some place nearer so we won’t have such a hard time taking public transportation, maybe somewhere in Pampanga or nearby, will be a good idea. Any suggestions? ^_^
Check out the rest of our Christmas travel story here. + while you’re here, you might want to check out my humble giveaway, which should be ending very soon. Thanks!
It has been some time since I joined Tuesday Travels + I am glad to be sharing a travel adventure with you today. Here goes:
I was fortunate to be included in Nuffnang‘s Nuffamily Day in Crosswinds, Tagaytay in June. As the name suggested, it was a family day so bloggers went with their families to join the festivities. I went with my baby {it was his first time to visit Tagaytay} + my 2 sisters. A couple of blogger friends were also present in the event, including fellow PMC mum, sis Eihdra, + my blogger friends, Vance + Daryll, with their families.
I have been to Tagaytay a few times, but I will always love the cool Baguio-like weather + the refreshing smell of pines that peppered the elevated park.
a snap with the pines
There are loads of fun games + enjoyable activities to participate in. I tried my luck in joining a couple of parlour games but our group did not win any prizes, nevertheless, I really had fun joining! A lot of other bloggers went home with exciting prizes, including a one-night accommodation for the entire family to Tagaytay Crosswinds. How cool is that, right? 🙂
lanterns lit the beautiful Tagaytay night sky
It was a good thing weather was cooperative that day, that as dawn approaches we were able to light lanterns, a la Rapunzel in her latest film adaptation, Tangled, which my little man really enjoyed. This is the highlight of the event, really. + even if it took us awhile to make our lantern float in the air, it was one of the first ones that did + it was truly a scenic view to marvel at + everyone had a wonderful time trying their hands on their lanterns.
visiting Christmas Village
Before leaving Tagaytay, we also paid a quick visit to the Christmas Village, where the little tykes are treated to sweets + treats + a glimpse at the Christmas house full of toys + Holiday goodies. We also went home with a bagful of giveaways + freebies from generous sponsors.
We went to Zoobic Safari to celebrate my little one’s 2nd birthday in August. We have never visited a zoo before, plus I know that my little man loves animals so I scheduled this different kind of birthday celebration.
We left home a bit late than scheduled, but it was all good. We enjoyed passing by the vast rice fields + think, lush greenery. The view of the mountains is simply breathtaking. We saw this village situated at the foot of the hill, it was fascinating. It was our second time to pass by this way {we took a trip up-north over the summer}.
We arrived to Subic around lunch time, just in time for the next batch to take the Safari adventure trip. Participants are to ride the Zoobic Safari Tram that will bring us around the vast zoological park. After a brief orientation, we headed to the tram waiting nearby for our adventure.
The first stop was the Serpentarium, + as the name suggests, it was the home of the serpents + other reptiles. We saw this fascinating yellow snake {a phyton or other} + turtles + monitor lizards {indigenous to the Philippines}, among other reptiles.
After which, we are treated for an animal show courtesy of dogs, cats, wild pigs + some exotic birds who all performed a trick or two. Jared totally enjoyed this show + was so entertained watching animals dancing + drawing a picture, even.
After the show + a quick trip to the loo for a dappy change {+ a stick of ice lollies on the side, two for Jared’s dad, after we’re done :)}, we are aboard the tram again to head to other parts of this very huge zoo.
We visited two caves, one featuring taxidermy of animals found in the park, followed by our visit to the lions’ lair for one close encounter. As a precaution, we are told to watch out for the lions’ tail, we are to keep in mind that if the tails are up, they are most likely to take a pee + that we are to duck or run away as lions’ urine has strong smell + if we have the misfortune of being caught dead {figuratively, of course} in the middle of it, the stench will stick for about a week or two {if I remember it clearly!}
After the close encounter with the kings + queens of the jungle, we are off to the Croco Loco for some close {not that close, thankfully!} encounter with the crocs, this time. The crocodiles lie lazily around all day, only lifting their humongous head to catch snacks of chicken bits which visitors hang on fishing rods like bait. We took a couple of souvenir shots and went on to our next destination.
For our next safari adventure, which is probably the most adventurous of all, we are to ride this custom-built jeepneys, specifically designed to withstand tiger attacks! Yes, you read that ride, we are going deep into the tigers’ den + watch them up-close in their natural habitat. For an optimal experience {+ to lure the animals near our jeep}, we bought P200-worth of raw chicken to feed the tigers. A zoo personnel goes with us in the jeep to take care of the feeding tasks!
We also browsed through the souvenir shops + got a stuff toy of the white Zoobic Safari lion for the birthday boy. I also managed to grab this very cool postcard:
The last stop was the aviary that housed hundreds of exotic birds. We only managed to see a few as it started to drizzle when we began our walk inside. We do not want to risk walking under the rain + getting the little man sick.
It was really an adventure of a lifetime to visit this place + be this close to nature + to the tigers. The next time we go back, I will make sure to have a souvenir photo taken with the baby tiger.
If you’ve read all the way here, thank you for your patience + I hope you find it a worthwhile read, plus, here is a surprise 🙂
My very first travel giveaway
This giveaway is to celebrate the birth of my travel blog. I have a few little tokens to give out in exchange for a few simple steps for you to qualify. The lucky winners of this giveaway will win:
One {1} Zoobic Safari Voucher for 2 pax
One {1} .INFO {TRAVEL} domain
One {1} Lion Hologram Postcard from Zoobic Safari
One {1} Travel Kit {with Nivea products}
Five {5} Zoobic Safari Postcards {for 5 winners}
Note: I will have to confirm with the voucher company first if I can send the voucher as a gift, otherwise I will just replace it with Paypal Cash equivalent. For the Lion Hologram Postcard, it will be the winners choice whether he/she would like me to mail it or send it in an envelope {Mint Condition}. The Zoobic Safari Postcards will be mailed to the winners 🙂
Please wait for the Rafflecopter widget to load 🙂
So, what are you waiting for? You’ve got until the 3rd of November, 2011 to join.
