InFlight January 2012

Clark for thrill seekers w w w.inf light.ph

january 2012

Hot sports for 2012

Insider’s Guide to Hong Kong Peninsula’s Echo Zhu shows us her favorite city Casa Enrico A perfect Alpine hideaway

Adventures in Clark

Adventures in Clark

Adventures

Plus

lartok Ccompact inAguide major Asian cities

Adve

Inside inflight | january | 2012

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04 e ditor’s note 06 in the news El Nido’s Pangulasian Resort opens in May; The Mandarin Oriental Manila undergoes major facelift PLUS! First watercolor artbook on Batanes 06 Cale ndar What not to miss in January 10 Ke e ping Fit Follow one of Survivor Philippines’ official castaways, Solenn Heussaff’s fitness tips and regimens

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12 In My Bag Henann Resorts marketing manager Karl Chusuey on life in Boracay 14 In Room Resort reviews: Estacio Uno Boracay Lifestyle Resort, Wild Orchid Resort 18 In Pe rson Me and my travels: Toni Gonzaga, TV host

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22 The Gre at E scape , Swiss -St yle Giselle Javison falls in love with nature — and gets handy with an axe — at a rustic Alpine hideaway in Ticino, Switzerland 26 cove r s tory: Clark for Thrill Seekers Drift driving, off road racing and mountain climbing in the former US air base 34 Inside r’s Guide to Hong Kong The Peninsula Hong Kong’s chief concierge Echo Zhu shows us around her favorite places in Hong Kong 41 INFLIGHT Guide s Destination guides to the Philippines and neighboring countries Airline Guides: All you need to know about leisure airlines South East Asian Airlines and Island Transvoyager

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Cover credits Photo by Jeffrey Sonora; Art direction by Jocas See Modeling by Audel Sison, champion drift driver; Location: Clark Speedway january 2012

| InFlight | 3

editor’s note

People. Places. Adventures.

W

elcome to InFlight’s first monthly edition!

Starting this month of January, our frequency increases from seven-times yearly to monthly, covering both local and international destinations for the first time. During the year, we will continue to bring to you regular Indulge food and drink guides and mini destination guides. Catch up on fresh travel stories and blogs regularly uploaded on our website at www.inflight.ph.

Check out Oggie Ramos’s “Clark for Thrillseekers” story, Peninsula Hong Kong’s concierge Echo Zhu’s Insider’s Guide to Hong Kong, Toni Gonzaga on her life and travels, and my personal account of a recent stay in a charming stone cottage in Ticino, Switzerland.

InFlight contributor Freida Dario’s first of a series of blogs on Boracay is now live on inflight.ph, giving you tips on the best places to go to ring in the New Year.

From all of us at InFlight…Have a Happy New Year! giselle javison Editor, InFlight editors@inflight.ph

www.inflight.ph

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executive Editor Editor-In-Chief managing EDITOR Art Director Writer

C o n t r ibu t i n g p h o t o g r a p h e r s

Jay Alonzo, Mario Babiera, Ferdz Decena, Joel Garcia, Ken Go, Oggie Ramos, Jeffrey Sonora, Daniel Soriano, Steve Tirona C o n t r ibu t i n g w r i t e r s

Romelda Ascutia, Lei Chavez, Freida Dario, Ferdz Decena, Catherine Kirchhoff, Jan Lao, Oggie Ramos, Ces Rodriguez, Mari-an Santos

Advertising Sales and Marketing

Margie Defensor Kathleen Joy Parayno Ad traffic & circulation assistant Kris Diane Sario media representative Joyce Ann Moros Sales and marketing director account executive

P ubli s h i n g

publisher Publishing director

InFlight

| january 2012

Dornier Media Nikos Gitsis

Board of Advisers

Seair chairman Publishing director Editorial director Director General manager Legal counsel

Iren Dornier Nikos Gitsis Giselle Javison Delza Apostol Monica De Leon Atty. Celina Cua

I n q ui r i e s

Editorial: +632/ 553 7976; Email: editors@inflight.ph; Press releases: press@inflight.ph Advertising: +632/ 553 7978; Email: ads@inflight.ph Subscription and Archive: Email: subscribe@inflight.ph p h ilippi n e C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 1 2

Dornier Media International 4F, Lerose Building, 832 Edades Street corner Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City, Philippines Telefax: +632/ 840 2802 • Email: editors@inflight.ph

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INTheNews t r av e l | l i f e s t y l e | h o t e l s & r e s o r t s | a r t s & fa s h i o n | a n d m o r e

Dedon Island Resort to Open in March 2012

Clockwise from top: Canopy Villa’s verandah; cottage interior; and kayaking by the pristine beach

Dedon Island Resort, the former Pansukian Tropical Resort, is opening in March 2012 in Siargao, Surigao del Norte, about 800km southeast of Manila.

The resort faces the Pacific Ocean, and is nestled between a gentle lagoon fringed by white-sand beaches and mangroves that lead to the rainforest. It promises guests “a place to retreat, rejuvenate, and return to the world in a barefoot state of mind.”

German luxury furniture brand Dedon bought the resort in 2010 to form part of Dedon Places, the company’s collection of “one-of-a-kind accommodation”. French designer Jean-Marie Massaud and his architectural partner Daniel Pouzet have been renovating the resort in line with Dedon’s vision of a sustainable lifestyle and love of the outdoors.

Siargao is the Philippines’ surfing capital. Its waters are also ideal for fishing and diving. ■ Visit www.dedonisland.com

Mandarin Oriental Manila to Undergo Major Facelift This Year

Pangulasian Island Resort to Open in Summer El Nido Resorts is opening its 42-room Pangulasian Island Resort in Bacuit Bay, El Nido in May 2012.

The resort, which is on its own private island, has a 750-meter stretch of white-sand beach and a marine reserve. Surrounding waters are ideal for swimming and diving with some 30 dive sites in nearby areas. The island has a thick forest cover, and is home to diverse tropical plants and wildlife.

Pangulasian offers three types of villas: The canopy villas, perched above the forest with magnificent ocean views, the beach

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InFlight

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villas, and the pool villas tucked away in a secluded cove for ultimate privacy. Each villa has a private balcony, IDD telephone, WiFi access, satellite TV, iPod dock, in-villa safe, mini-bar, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and signature bath amenities.

Resort facilities include a boutique, library, restaurant and bar at the Clubhouse, infinity pool, beach bar, poolside grill, gym, spa, and hiking trail. Located just minutes away are vibrant coral reefs and El Nido Resorts’ beach clubs. ■ For more information, visit www.elnidoresorts.com

Mandarin Oriental Manila is undergoing a major refurbishment in the first quarter of this year, targeted to finish by yearend.

The hotel designers are giving the rooms a “more modern Filipino look” with use of warm earth tones, weathered wooden accessories and furniture mixed with highly-polished tropical hardwood and wooden cutouts.

The refurbishment will cover all 442 guest rooms, the club floors and hotel facade. New amenities will include orthopedic mattresses, 32-inch plasma TVs, and energy-efficient lighting.

CCTVs will be installed in designated floor areas. Work on the hotel’s restaurants and ballroom will start in 2013. ■ For bookings and inquiries, call +632/ 750 8888

R eport b y M argie F rancisco

INTheNews

R eport b y M argie F rancisco

ECHOmarket Opens in Serendra

ECHOmarket Sustainable Farms at Serendra recently opened with organic fresh food and produce.

The latest brainchild of the ECHOtrio Chit Juan, Jeannie Javelosa and Reena Francisco, the ECHOmarket supports more than 100 local food producer and organic farmer groups all over the country. Jeannie Javelosa says, “It’s the only organic market that’s open daily from 9am to 9pm. Before

you had to wait for weekends to go to those markets.”

All of ECHOmarket’s products are sustainable and organic. “You can be sure of the quality of the produce — the dairy, meats, even our cutlery and disposables are kind to nature, made of bamboo and are biodegradable. You can buy free range chicken and pork in ECHOmarket. We’d like to call them ‘happy chicken’ and ‘happy pork’.”

You can also buy chocolate bars, cocoa tablets, bagnets and herbs at ECHOmarket.

Chit Juan, who oversees ECHOfarms in Amadeo, Cavite, says that they decided to open ECHOmarket when people started asking to buy their eggs and vegetables at Le Bistro Vert Sustainable Foods in Salcedo Village, Makati. ■ ECHOmarket Sustainable Farms is located next door to ECHOstore Sustainable Lifestyle, along the driveway of Serendra across Market!

Market! in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Call +632/ 901 3485 or email echolifestyle.store@ gmail.com.

First Watercolor Artbook on Batanes Javid sawen nu Vatan! (How Beautiful is Batanes!), an art book by ArtPostAsia in collaboration with Fundacion Pacita featuring a watercolor collection of Batanes will be out this January. The 84-page book contains 56 paintings of author/editor Vicky Adab Kerblat, early works of Ivatan artist Pio Abad, and works of members of Yaru Nu Artist Ivatan Olan Gonzales, Jaypee Portez, Awee Abelardoand Javier Ponce and Mafe de Sagon Mieville. ■ Initially selling at P1,300 on a per order basis, the rate will increase starting January 16.

To order, call +63917/ 814 0517 (look for Jacky Arquiza) or Protogenes Galarion at 0939/ 198 2733.

Filipino Writers on The Subject of Travel “Connecting Flights: Filipinos Write From Elsewhere”, a compilation of prose and poetry on the subject of travel, written by Dean Francis Alfar, Jessica Zafra, Yvette Tan and Lourd De Veyra is now available for retail. Edited by Ruel S. De Vera and published by Anvil Publishing. ■ Connecting Flights is available in all National Bookstore outlets for P295.

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Calendar

What not to miss in January

5-28 Sinulog 2012

Celebrate the Sinulog festival in Cebu and enjoy pulsating drumbeats, colorful floats and Atiatihan street dancing. The festival will kick off with a parade from the Basilica del Sto. Niño to Cebu City Sports Center with the program featuring Mandaue City Children’s Choir, Dancesports Team Cebu and dance troupes from Cebu’s schools and universities.

For more information, visit www.sinulog.ph

13-February 5 Next Fall

Repertory Philippines presents a funny yet inspiring story of a gay couple, very much in love but separated by their religious belief. Set to open at the Greenbelt 1 Onstage, with Bart Guingona and David Bianco playing the role of gay couple Adam and Luke. Directed by Audie Gemora.

For tickets, call Repertory Philippines at +632/ 571 6926 or visit Ticketworld at www.ticketworld.com.ph

22 Katy Perry: California Dreams Tour

Katy Perry comes back to Manila for a one-night concert at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds, part of the Asian leg of her California Dreams world tour, which started in February 2011.

Presented by Music Management International.

For tickets, call SM Tickets at +632/ 470 2222. For more on Katy Perry, visit www.katyperry.com

T

ime flies when you’re having fun – at work or at play, alone or with family. And having fun at the solace of your room means a lot of things to different people on different occasions.

But on any vacation, sleep is just as important as fun. It is the body’s requisite as much as the brain’s need. One of the most commonly known sleep

Microtel Hotels knows best.

&

Resorts

All of nine Microtel Hotels & Resorts in the country offer

From the modern furnishings, warm atmosphere and clockwork outstanding service, there is paradise in every Microtel room. But the best five-star feature is Microtel’s famous chiropractor bed, the only item that is directly sourced from the USA. Check in at any Microtel hotel across

Lying down in one of these chiropractic beds gives personalized control of the structural body support you need. It decreases surface pressure and improves body posture that helps relieve lower back and neck pains, headaches, and even reduces high blood pressure.

These features of Microtel’s chiropractic beds stabilize the sleep zone of the body, providing the needed comfort and support for a more restful sleep.

The only downside of having too much fun with luxuriating on Microtel’s chiropractic bed is that, it makes a large part of you wish that you never had to get up again or too soon!

Because once you sleep on the chiropractic bed’s mattress, you’ll surely be ready for full day of work or recreation after an assured good night’s sleep.

Good Night’s Sleep facts is that people spend approximately a third of their lives asleep! You can’t have fun when your brain wants to shut down instead, so like it or not, you’ll need all the sleep you can get.

Thing is, most hotels promise luxury and fall short on serving a guest’s need for a good night’s sleep. Good thing

first-class sense in the funat-rest guest services area department. To a weary traveller or to a no-nonsense vacationer, this is the ultimate.

the country and you’ll get to spend your night on the ultimately satisfying comfort of this USA-approved health and wellness bed.

With a Microtel experience at Baguio, Batangas, Boracay, Cabanatuan, Cavite, Davao, Mall of Asia, Puerto Princesa or Tarlac, you can expect more than a good night’s sleep; you can expect a stay that’s a cut above all the rest.

Microtel is an international chain of hotels under Wyndham Hotel Group.

All Microtels in the Philippines are managed by Microtel Development Corp., the hospitality arm of Phinma Group For more information, call (02) 899 7171 or log on to w w w . m i c r o t e l p h i l i p p i n e s . c o m

mrdo 110911

More than a

For fun and comfort, Microtel Hotels & Resorts is ahead of its time. Of course it’s their in-room decor, warm interiors and friendly staff; but it’s more about its commitment to your general sense of well-being.

Feature

Keeping Fit

One of Survivor Philippines’ official castaways, Solenn Heussaff talks about fitness regimens and staying healthy for 2012 R eport b y M A R G A R I T A F R A N C I S C O

How do you keep fit? I mix my exercises, alternating Bikram yoga, running and swimming. Cross training is best.

What are the new fitness trends for 2012?

I think Zumba and crossfit will be popular workouts in 2012. Zumba and other dance workouts are really in since you don’t actually feel like it’s a workout. You’re dancing; you’re filled with energy; you have that upbeat music.

For those who don’t really have the time to stay long in the gym to do a workout, crossfit may be the workout for you. Crossfit workouts are a combination of cardio, track and field, plyometrics, rowing, gymnastics, kettlebell and weightlifting. The workouts are rarely more than 45 minutes long so they can fit into even the busiest schedules.

Zumba and other dance classes are offered at 360° Fitness Club. Call +632/ 577 7807 or+632/ 940 9575 . Visit www.completethecircuit.com. For more on Crossfit MNL, call +63917/ 533 1787 or visit www. crossfitmnl.com.

What training tools are hot? The TRX suspension trainer, the TRX Rip Trainer, battle ropes, and carpet sliders, I think, will all be gym fixtures. Nowadays, workouts aren’t just about the machines and the dumbells and other weights.

Lifestyle apps also appear to be helping fitness regimens. I know lots of people who use their phone to record workouts and track their progress. Even social networking sites are being used to help users accomplish their health goals. Twitter hashtags like #TweetWhatYouEat and #TweetYourWeight can be embarrassing (or humiliating) but help those aiming to lose weight.

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TRX products and other fitness equipment are available at Finix, 2nd Floor Serendra, Bonifacio High Street, Global City, Taguig. Tel: +632/ 552 1588. Check out Endomondo from your app store for tracking your workout progress. You can download for P170 or get the free version.

Are you on a diet? I try to eat right. No carbs except for a slice of bread in the morning and no artificial juices or soft drinks. I only drink water, buko or coconut juice or freshly-squeezed juice with no added sugar.

I always eat three meals a day. I usually start my mornings by taking four tablespoonfuls of pure calamansi, a glass of carrot, papaya, pineapple, cucumber juice with two teaspoons of Brazilian Acai powder, one soft-boiled egg and a bowl of muesli with dried fruit. For lunch, anything grilled or steamed and no

carbs. When I have tapings, I take a packed lunch, usually salad. For dinner, soup or steamed fish with veggies.

Lime or calamansi has far more vitamin C than lemon and it is an ideal remedy for cold and dry cough. The Acai powder is said to be a source of nutrients like fiber, phytosterols, and vitamin C and E. Brazilian Acai powder is available in all Healthy Options branches. Call +632/ 729 6104. ■

French-Filipina Solenn Heussaff, one of the official castaways of Survivor Philippines: Celebrity Showdown, which aired in 2010, is a print and commercial model, singer-actress, and professional make-up artist

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INVogue

In My Bag

Party Island

Henann Resorts marketing manager Karl Chusuey on life in Boracay I nterview b y M argie F rancisco P roduct shots b y C arlos L egaspi

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Turn to

page 50 for store contact info

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“I’ve only been to three places in the Philippines — Boracay, Cebu and Bohol.

Boracay’s my favorite. I’ve been going there three times a year for the past 10 years.

My family has a resort on the island and in a way, it’s like a second home to me. I practically grew up there. I don’t particularly like beaches but I’ve grown to love it. I guess my most memorable experience on the island is partying and getting drunk, that’s it. Nowadays, if I go drinking, it’s usually at our resort. I used to go to Club Paraw and Guilly’s, which I realized I actually didn’t like. As a kid, I liked to explore around the island. For parties, I usually go to Epic (www. epicboracay.com). I like Epic because, for one, it’s near our resort. Two, the food’s great; it’s not just some quick bar chows, but real food, different cuisines. Epic lets you make your own fresh cocktail, like taking a traditional mojito then muddling it up with coconut.

When I get the chance, I still take a stroll around the island, but most of the time now, I go to Boracay for work.

Outside the Philippines, I love going to Singapore. It’s a two-hour flight. It’s very clean, very organized. The traffic there is like Sunday traffic in Manila. Shopping in Singapore is always fun.”

Chusuey in Boracay, where his family owns and runs a resort

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Things I take when I travel: 1 H&M bag (about P2,234) 2 HTC Desire S (about P19,300) 3 Acer Iconia tablet (P28,992) 4 Armani Code perfume (P4,400) 5 Oakley sunglasses (from P6,750) 6 Gatsby oil film (about P120) For more ideas on travel gear

and essentials, visit www.inflight.ph

INRoom hotels and resorts

Estacio Uno Bor ac ay

All Fresh-faced and Scrubbed Up

Waling-Waling comes back as Estacio Uno, a Caribbean style, beachfront resort perfect for families, says Margie Francisco

FIRST IMPRESSIONS. Estacio Uno Boracay Lifestyle Resort is low rise, built amid cabanas and cobblestone walkways, offering an enviable view of White Beach. Situated in a tranquil location, it is the perfect setting for a family vacation or a romantic holiday.

Deluxe executive room

music and occasionally stages a fire dance show. I slept well during my stay. My room and the hotel public areas were well maintained and clean.

I especially loved hanging out in the resort’s Sky Lounge as I watched the sunset and sipped cocktails.

Location. Formerly Waling-Waling Boracay Beach Resort, Estacio Uno is in Station One, facing the beach, but still set back so guests can enjoy a degree of privacy. Just outside the resort on the beachfront are cabanas for guests to lounge in.

Not So Keen. Some minor building work on the second floor balcony. ■

ROOMS. I was booked in a deluxe room for two. The room has just been renovated, decorated in whites and creams. There’s free WiFi, LCD TV, king size bed, air-conditioning, telephone, in-room safe, coffee machine, fullyfitted bathroom, hairdryer and mini-bar.

Essentials

Rates start P5,600 per night, inclusive of daily breakfast and souvenirs for two.

Boat Station 1, Boracay Island, Aklan Tel: +632/ 556 4071; +6336/ 288 5558 to 60 Url: www.estaciounoboracay.com

FOOD. The menu includes a variety of dishes from Filipino to Continental. Try the cream dory fish with butter and lemon sauce and a side of French fries (P420) and the lamb chops with lemon (P705), perfectly seasoned, with portions that are good enough for two.

HOW TO GET THERE SEAIR (www.flyseair.com) flies from Manila and Clark to Caticlan, and from Caticlan Airport, and offers passengers free shuttle to the pier, and free boat transfers to the island.

Deluxe room

WE LIKE. The beachside restaurant plays mellow

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P h oto s c o u r t e sy o f e s tac i o u n o b o r ac ay

INRoom

Wild Orchid resort

The Allure of Good Value

A rainshower, 42-inch LCD TV, free WiFi, and delicious local breakfast give most people reason to look this one up Report by Oggie Ramos

Location. At the fringe of the row of hotels, inns and lodges along A. Santos in Balibago, Angeles City. About 10-15 minutes away from the Clark Freeport Zone.

ROOMS. The resort has 55 airconditioned luxury rooms. A typical family room (P5,200 or about US $121) has a balcony that overlooks the pool and can easily accommodate six to eight people. The room’s toilet and bath is nicely fitted with a rainshower. There’s a 42” LCD cable TV and DVD player.

FOOD. Order Filipino breakfast and chances are you won’t be disappointed. My bangus (milkfish) was well seasoned and fried to a golden crisp, which is how I liked it. The brewed coffee was not bad. There are two maritime-themed dining halls — one al fresco and the other, airconditioned.

LIKEs. Basic toiletries and medicine in the toilet and bath (all for sale, charged to the account of the guest) may come in handy when you don’t feel like going out just to buy a few items. The staff were helpful. The resort has an in-house travel agency so you don’t even have to leave the resort to arrange for tours and other travel needs.

Each wing has its own pool so overcrowding seems not to be a problem even during peak season.

Deluxe room

There’s free WiFi but the signal is too weak to surf in-room. There were minor snafus like a leaking airconditioner but thankfully, the service staff were prompt in attending to our complaints.

Family room

Family room’s living area

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| january 2012

Essentials

Room rates start at P3,900 for the deluxe room.

The family lagoon balcony room is the most expensive at a reasonably-priced P5,400.

Tel: +632/ 892 0138, 892 0316 Url: www.wildorchidresort.com HOW TO GET THERE There are buses from Manila that pass through Angeles via the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) en route to destinations like Dagupan. Travel time: approximately one to one-and-a-half hours

Twits. The newer wing, which houses the Lagoon rooms, is located at the back. It’s a bit of a walk especially when you’re lugging a heavy bag.

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Comments. Good value for money. Even the basic deluxe room can easily accommodate three to four people. The hotel seems not to have scrimped on appliances. Our villa had a 5cuft refrigerator instead of the usual mini-sized version. ■

deluxe room Photo by jocas see

fa m i ly r o o m P h o t o s b y o g g i e r a m o s

january 2012

| InFlight | 17

INPerson

Me and My Travels Toni Gonzaga, TV Host Interview by Monica De Leon

What’s your typical day? I wake up at 9am and get ready for my noon time show. Then at Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) I wait for like an hour to get my spiels ready and my hair and makeup done. Then I shoot my spiels around 4pm to 7pm for PBB. On weekends, most of the time I’m really booked up with work. My schedule is like this when the PBB season opens.

Your favorite hotel? Shangri-La (www.shangri-la.com/en/ property/manila/edsashangrila) because we’re a member there.

And because of Heat, Senju and Summer Palace, my favorite restaurants. I like the sweet and sour pork and yang chow fried rice of Summer Palace, the sushi and maki of Senju, and of course Heat’s buffet.

How often do you go on holidays? I only get breaks once a year or once in two years. My travels are usually planned a year ahead. I usually visit our relatives in LA, Orange County or New Jersey. When I have a day off, I just stay home.

Your favorite leisure activity? Watching a movie in Rockwell.

What’s your best holiday? My most memorable I guess would be my 2009 American trip because we went to New York. We experienced a white Christmas.

Do you love to travel? Given the chance I would like to travel but right now I’m really focused on my work.

Where does work take you most of the time? Iba iba (it varies). Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. All parts of the world.

I fell in love with Australia, with how simple life was, how beautiful the city was, how laidback. It’s a place where you’d like to retire.

Where do you want to go next? Amanpulo. I haven’t been to Palawan.

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Your favorite shopping place? I don’t shop a lot and I do that only when I’m abroad. My sister does my shopping.

What’s your biggest acquisition? A Patek Philippe watch I bought for myself. Properties.

What’s the first item you bought from your first fat paycheck? A cellphone. My first salary was P30,000 and half of it I used to buy a cellphone.

Things you can’t live without? My credit card, my phone and my watch.

What do you pack when you travel? Underwear. I always pack that first. I also pack shirts, jeans and comfy shoes, my typical outfit.

Toni while on vacation in the US

INPerson

Yes, it’s in the blood.

Above, Toni (right) with sister Alex Gonzaga, who, like her sister, is a talk show host too.

Toni also reveals to InFlight that it’s Alex who does shopping for her

What do you take home with you from a trip? Fridge magnet, something unique from a place that looks good in the house, something antique or old but small enough to carry.

Do you have a secret place? I’ve fallen in love with The Goose Station (+63917 85 GOOSE or 46673) at the Fort.

I’ve recommended it to all my friends. Chef Rob Pengson prepares a seven-course meal and explains how best to enjoy each course. I like everything — their snacks, soups, appetizers, cakes, steaks, eggs benedict, their caviar oyster.

Do you have a vacation home? I bought a land in Tagaytay but I haven’t started building a house. I want it to be a rest house that’s cozy, homey with lots of glass.

Aside from showbiz, do you have other business ventures? I bought a property and my mom wanted to put up a building and rent it out.

Three material things that you value most? My watches, my diamonds because I feel like I can pass it on to the next generation, and my cars. When I was starting out, I didn’t have a car and I had a hard time getting to places that I needed to get to. Now I have eight cars. My favorite is my [BMW] X5. I had my black [Ford] E150 customized.

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The non-material things? My family, Paul [Toni’s director boyfriend] and my dog Wuwu.

What do you do at home? I read, watch dvds or watch movies from my HD Box. I always play with my dog.

What don’t people know about you? That I love to sleep.

I’ve been so sleep deprived for like 10 years. My normal sleep hours per day is five hours.

What’s your beauty regimen? I just keep my face clean and I don’t put on make up unless I have to. I do yoga now, but I’ve never really been on the heavy side.

How do you see yourself five years from now? I’ll be 32.

I’ll probably think of settling down and having my own family. ■

Toni Gonzaga, 27, hosts ABS CBN Filipino network’s noontime show Happy Yipee Yehey, reality show Pinoy Big Brother (PBB), ASAP, a weekly live variety show, and The Buzz, a weekly showbiz talk show. She’s also a recording artist and actress. Catch her in her Dubai concert this January.

For more on Toni, visit www.tonigonzaga.net

Feature From left to right: Most mornings, we watch the sun’s rays illuminate one part of the mountain and then another, while sipping coffee.

At night, candles are lit up to supplement solarpowered ceiling lights

The Great Escape, Swiss-Style Giselle Javison falls in love with nature — and gets handy with an axe — at a rustic Alpine hideaway in Ticino, Switzerland P h o t o s b y D av i d D a lt o n

“A

re we there yet?” asked our daughter Bridget from the back of the car. We’d been driving for three hours and could see the tantalising outline of the Swiss Alps in the distance. I called the travel company — they had the key to the place we were staying — and told them we were almost there.

We had stumbled across photographs on the internet of Casa Enrico, an isolated stone shepherd’s hut — what’s known locally as a rustici — in the Italian-speaking area of Switzerland, and thought it looked like the perfect place to hole up for a week or two, away

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from the world. No television, no telephone, no internet, no electricity save that which was generated by a small solar panel. Thankfully there were lots of matches and candles.

But our teenage daughter was unsure. How does a gadget crazy adolescent survive half way up a Swiss mountain, surrounded by cows, and without Facebook? Horror of horrors, she might have to read a book.

We met the lady with the keys in a car park behind a small restaurant and followed her by car, in the semi-darkness, up a terrifying track into the mountains. We parked in a clearing surrounded by forest and did the last 500 meters the hard way: on foot up a treacherous mule track with all our luggage.

When Casa Enrico came into view, we were smitten. The house, our guide said, was a local favorite. There were no neighbors, just meadows and mountains, and uninterrupted views across the Blenio Valley to snow-capped peaks. We sat and stared.

Inside there was an open fire, a kitchen with a wood-burning stove, and the evocative smell of woodchip and smoke. The guide, speaking incomprehensible Swiss-Italian, told us how to operate the stove, the gas and the solar electricity. Then she disappeared.

Casa Enrico was straight from the pages of Hans Christian Andersen, a fairytale cottage in the middle of the forest, with gardens of lavender and mint, and a giant pear tree that had colonised one wall.

We spent the holiday alternating lazy days at home with days out. Evenings were spent barbecuing and playing Scrabble by candlelight. And we needn’t have worried about bored teenager syndrome. Our daughter explored, she read ghost stories, she swam in cool mountain streams and joined us on sorties to the local markets.

There was wood to be chopped and she

“Casa Enrico was straight from the pages of Hans Christian Andersen, a fairytale cottage in the middle of the forest, with gardens of lavender and mint, and a giant pear tree that had colonised one wall�

Feature

From left, the Alps, Casa Enrico’s small breakfast area, and shepherd huts in a nearby forest

became a mean wielder of the axe, celebrating loudly when she managed to split a log straight down the middle with a satisfying thud. If ever a more therapeutic activity than woodchopping has been discovered, then I don’t know what it is. Our arms ached, but the result was a regular supply of hot water and enough heat from the stove to boil the coffee pot.

Isolation imposes its own routine, so we were up with the sun and in bed when it grew dark. In the evenings we sat on the patio with a cold beer (from the gas-operated fridge) and watched the setting sun turn the snowy peaks a thousand shades of pink. There were bats, and furtive rustlings in the undergrowth that could have been foxes, badgers, civet cats or lizards.

We threw a punnet of stale cherries onto the compost, only to find them gone by morning.

At dawn, we were woken by the bright Alpine sun rising over the mountains opposite, and by the ethereal sound of some large bird, which we heard but never saw.

Isolation, and a certain privation, also impose the kind of pleasure in small tasks that have long been forgotten by many of us. There’s nothing quite as satisfying and mesmerizingly anticipatory as waiting 30

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minutes for the morning coffee to boil, the pot gently chugging away over a wood fire while the smell permeates the house.

The mornings are best. We watch the sun’s rays illuminate one part of the mountain then another, while sipping coffee and cutting fresh bread for breakfast. It’s cool and sunny and the air is invigorating, with butterflies and bees buzzing through the grass like an electric charge. All meals are al fresco, and the whole time we are here we see no one.

Days out are easy. There are fantastic walking trails through the Alps, all clearly marked with yellow signs, and the small but cosmopolitan towns of Bellinzona and Locarno are a short drive away. In the villages around Casa Enrico there are artisan shops that sell homemade gelato and the sweetest salami we’ve ever tasted.

Further afield you can arrange days out in Zurich and Bern, the Swiss capital, or head south across the Italian border to Milan, about two hours by car. Bern, with its medieval old town, is a great place for exploring, and for interesting shopping and dining. Time your visit on Thursdays and Saturdays because these are market days.

The downside? Well, somebody needs to chop the wood otherwise you’ll be taking cold showers. But think of all the calories you’ll burn. A solar charger might come in handy for keeping your mobile charged, but you won’t miss the wired world. And the night sky makes much better viewing than anything television can offer.

The verdict? As soon as we got home we booked again for next year, but this time for longer. Enough said. ■

Essentials

You can book Casa Enrico and other “rustici” in the Blenio Valley via www.holiday-home.com. For information about the Italian-speaking area of Switzerland, see www.ticino.ch.

From Manila, book a flight to Zurich, a 12-hour flight, depending on your airline. From Zurich, you can stop overnight in a hotel or go straight to Ticino, about a one and a half hour drive.

Clark for thrill seekers Adventures in Clark

p28 Audel Sison

p32 Nesty Zapanta

DRIFT DRIVING

Decades after the US forces left Clark, the former hub of military exercises and R&R has reinvented itself as a haven for adventure sports. p30 Jojo Oggie Ramos speaks Javier to three adventurers to find out what makes them do what they do

Photos by Jeffrey Sonora

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Adventures in Clark

| january 2012

OFF ROAD RA

ACING

Cover Story

Adventures in Clark

MBING EXTREME MOUNTAIN CLI

Adventures in C

Drift driver Audel Sison poses with the handsome Slingshot — what Sison named his car, fully set up for drifting

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ift Driver

n Dr Audel Sison, Champio

Adventures in Clark

Adventure

“While I was glued to my bucket seat, too wired up to think about anything but when my heart rate will normalize again, Sison looked composed and in his element�

Sison drifting in style.

Right, Sison, up close

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Photos by jocas see

es in Clark

ift Driver

n Dr Audel Sison, Champio

Adventures in Clark Cover Story

Drifting is a motorsport

P HI LI P P I NES

N

Pamp an ga

MAGALANG MAB A L A C A T AR AYAT

Clark Speedway

A N G ELES

PORAC

where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns while maintaining control and exiting at high speed. For drivers like Audel Sison with a taste for the extreme, it was the next big challenge. “The first drifting competition in the Philippines took place in January 2006. I had to use somebody else’s car because of problems with my own. I had no practice, but went home with second place.”

Age — Sison is now 43 — apparently has not slowed him down one bit. “I still have passion for the extreme. My nerves tingle when I drift. But these days I also teach. One thing I tell my students is that you and your car should become one. You should sense every movement, every nudge of the car, and know where it’s going. ”There are four criteria in judging: Entry speed, clipping point, angle of attack and style. Your purpose is to create more angle, to get as close to the clips without toppling them. And of course, you’ve got to do this with style, with confidence.”

He likens drifting to “poetry in motion,” a notion difficult to get your head round. Five minutes with him in the passenger seat was enough adrenaline for me. While I was glued to my bucket seat, too wired up to think about anything but when my heart rate will normalize again, Sison looked composed and in his element. He effortlessly steered the car into a sideslip, glided sideways at 140kph as the tires squealed and the tracks heated up along the treacherous uphill and downhill stretch of the Clark Speedway.

So what does it take to be a good drifter? Sison’s advice: “the right tuner who can set up your car properly and the means to buy tires, fuel and race parts. And of course, a good teacher.”

Sison, a 2011 Pro-Am Lateral Drifting overall champion, teaches students at the Clark Speedway. One lesson costs P3,000 (about US $70) per day if you have your own car, and P15,000 if you use his championship car. Price is inclusive of tires, fuel, breakfast, lunch and lessons. Call +63927/ 601 8133, +63922/ 425 4900, email autocraft_drift_team@yahoo.com or visit Autocraft Drift on www. facebook.com.

m a p i l lu s t r at i o n by m a r lo n s e e

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Adv

Jojo Javier, Off-road

racer

Adventures in Clark

Adventures in Clar

“The scary part of the course is what we call the wall of death. Climbing it is hard enough. But coming down the wall is even more nerve-wracking — there’s a real possibility that your vehicle may tumble forward”

TOP OF THE WORLD: Off-road racer Jojo Javier and his bespoke 4x4 Suzuki Samurai. Right, mud and the man: negotiating a 90-degree angled slope - named aptly the Wall of Death

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rk

racer d oa -r ff O , r ie v Ja Jojo

Adventures in Clark

Jojo Javier, Off-roa Cover Story

A veteran of numerous races, P HI L I P P I NES P a m p a ng a

N M AGAL ANG

M ABAL AC AT A RA YA T Clark Speedway

ANGELES

P OR A C

Jojo Javier, counts the Colt 45 Tough Truck Challenge held at the Clark Speedway last December as his most memorable.

“There were trucks that overturned on their front end because the track got more and more slippery as the race went on. I was second to the last, the 19th runner, and got to race at seven in the evening. It was raining and dark with the only illumination coming from my headlamps and just a few floodlights.” Driving his Suzuki Samurai outfitted with a Toyota Landcruiser engine and differential, he finished a respectable fifth out of 20 racers. ”The scary part of the course is what we call the wall of death. Climbing it is hard enough. But coming down the wall is even more nerve-wracking — there’s a real possibility that your vehicle may tumble forward.”

The 4x4 off-road racing sounds like big fun but it isn’t for the vain nor faint hearted, according to Javier. “By the end of the race, you end up smelling like the road.” he said. For those who don’t mind trading the requisite scent of mud for a rush of adrenaline, you’ll need the resources to own a specially-modified vehicle and lots of racing time. “A good mechanic is also a must”.

For more on off-roading, you can contact Javier, former president of the PORCI (Pampanga Off-Roaders Club, Inc.), at +63917/ 887 7713, email jojojvr@yahoo.com or visit PORCI on www.facebook.com. m a p i l lu s t r at i o n by m a r lo n s e e

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in Nesty Zapanta, Mounta

Climber

Adventures in Clark

Adventures i

“I was only 11 years old when I went on my first climb. My father was my climbing buddy. Maybe I became a climber because I was keen for sightings of the wild boars and monkeys often found in the forest around Mt. Arayat�

Mountain climber Nesty Zapanta on a trail in Mt. Arayat, some 1.5hour trek away from the foothills of the mountain

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in Clark

in Nesty Zapanta, Mounta

Climber

P HI L I P P I NES P a m pa n g a

N

MAGALANG

ARAYAT

Mt. Arayat

C AND ABA

SAN LUIS

“I climb to test

my endurance, to see how far I can go. But part of my motivation comes from the fact that I get the opportunity to teach people about the mountains, and the need to keep them free of trash. That’s a big deal for me.”

Every climber has his share of tough trails and for Nesty Zapanta, that’s the Delta 5 trail of Mt. Pinatubo.

“It is technical and extremely exhausting. Hiking it for the first time in 2003 was a terrifying experience for me and my group from the Angelenos Mountaineering Society. We started the trek at 7am and reached the campsite at 10pm. What we thought was going to be an easy climb turned out to be the opposite.” Closer to home, he says “Mt. Arayat is another good local climb.

You can climb to the summit in four to five hours. The trail starts at Brgy. Ayala in the town of Magalang. For a traverse from the North to South Peaks, you enter through Magalang and exit to Brgy. San Juan Banyo in the town of Arayat. We use the mountain for training every time we have a major climb. Next year, we plan to introduce rock climbing at the White Rock formation halfway through the mountain trail from Magalang as well as trail running.” Zapanta’s group, the Angelenos Mountaineering Society, takes guests and visitors up Mt. Arayat (P800 for a group of five) and the Mt. Pinatubo Delta 5 Trail (P2,000 for a group of five, for three days, inclusive of rapelling, guides).

Contact Zapanta at +63905/ 974 8416, or visit AMS FAMILY on www.facebook.com.

m a p i l lu s t r at i o n by m a r lo n s e e

Adventures in Clark

Advent

Cover Story

Next time, try paragliding Paragliders say that once you’ve taken off, rising a few hundred feet, slowly climbing, until you can see the land disappear beneath you like toy town, and feel the freedom of flight, chances are you’re hooked.

Randell “Buko” Raymundo, a world champion paraglider and paragliding pioneer in the country, says “it’s flying like a bird. If you see a bird up in the air that’s not flapping its wings, that bird is using a ridge lift or thermal to stay aloft. The same principle applies to paragliding.” The thermal is a blob of air rising from part of the ground heated up by the sun.

“Anyone can paraglide,” says Raymundo, “as long as they are physically fit – meaning able to walk up and down a mountain ridge and carry their equipment. It’s not physically demanding as joining triathlons or other cardiovascularendurance sports, but it will demand mental alertness.”

You use all your senses to feel the wind, listen to it flow through the land. Depending on wind conditions, height and experience, flight takes anywhere from a few seconds to several hours. ■ If you’d like to have a go, Raymundo can take you up on tandem.

Call +63917/ 816 7820. For basic paragliding courses, inquire at R.O.X. Building, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City or call +632/ 856 4639.

Essentials Where to stay in Angeles City, Pampanga • Holiday Inn Clark located at Mimosa Leisure Estate, Mimosa Drive, Clark, is one of Clark’s prime leisure hotels.

It offers standard air-conditioned rooms facing a palm-tree lined outdoor pool and the more private garden villas. The Mimosa Golf and Country Club is only two minutes away.

Rates start at P7,260++ for a deluxe room for two with breakfast. Visit www.holidayinn.com.

• Hotel Stotsenberg located inside the Clark Freeport Zone has 238 spacious, modern rooms with cable TV and WiFi. Room rates start at P7,000. Call +6345/ 499 0777, 584 9224, 576 3542 or visit www.hotelstotsenberg. net.

• The 103-room Wild Orchid Resort along Johnny St. in Balibago offers good value with room rates starting at P3,900; call +6345/ 892 0134, 892 0138, or visit www. wildorchidresort.com.

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Insider’s Guide to

Hong Kong

Kong Kong's skyline viewed from The Peak

The Peninsula Hong Kong's chief concierge Echo Zhu shows us around her favorite places in Hong Kong WHAT NOT TO MISS THIS MONTH January 23 is the Chinese Lunar New Year, marking the beginning of the blossom season so flower markets are the places to visit. Don't miss the elaborate flower expo at Victoria Park on January 24 to see the interesting variety of blooms.

Victoria Park is at 1 Hing Fat Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

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Also on January 24 join the crowd to witness the fireworks display over Victoria Harbour, celebrating the city’s Lunar New Year.

For first time visitors, I would recommend watching the daily light shows from The Peak at 8pm, a cable car ride to the Big Buddha, a dim sum meal with a local friend or tour guide, a 20-minute ferry to Lamma Island for a local seafood meal. And don't forget to unleash the power of your credit card on many of the local and international designer clothing retailers. What I love most about Hong Kong is that it is one of the best ‘East-meets-West’ cities in the world. You can sit at one place and feel like you're back in the West and then after a 20-minute bus trip you'd think you are in the heart of China.

THE BEST TOURS AND SHOPPING • The Peak is the highest mountain on Hong Kong Island at 552 meters above sea level and one of Hong Kong's most popular tourist destinations and the best way to get to it is by getting on the historical Peak Tram

(Garden Road, in Central, just a short stroll from the Central MTR station), an unforgettable

experience. The Peak gives you a spectacular bird's eye view of the city skyline, Victoria Harbour and Kowloon.

• The Peak Tower, standing about 396 meters above sea level, is a most unusual building, with its iconic wok-like top. At the top of the Peak Tower, you get the highest 360 degree view of the Hong Kong and Victoria Harbour. Inside the Peak Tower, you will find some shops, restaurants, and Madame Tussauds, London's famous wax museum.

URL: www.thepeak.com.hk • Set in an elegant, charming, colonial-style building where Hemingway once stayed, The Repulse Bay offers a unique shopping experience. Built on the grounds of the old Repulse Bay Hotel, it is just a short car ride away from the city, and offers breathtaking views of the South China Sea. • Horse racing is not just a sport in Hong Kong; it’s a passion and one that is taken seriously, attracting more than two million people every year. Night racing in Happy Valley, usually on

Clockwise from top:

About Our insider

Peak Tower; The Peak Tram; Madam Tussuds Wax Museum; Victoria Harbour

Echo Zhu first joined The Peninsula Beijing’s concierge team in 1995. She left in 2007 to finish her Masters in Business Administration. When she completed the course in 2008, she was hired by The Pen, Hong Kong and was appointed as Chief Concierge.

The Pe ak Tower, Pe ak Tr am & Madame Tussauds wa x museum photos by jocas see

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H o l ly w o o d R o a d p h o t o b y O g g i e R a m o s

Insider’s Guide

Wednesdays, is an exciting affair that should be experienced at least once.

Happy Valley was a malaria-ridden location in the 1800s. Now, it is known as a trendy residential area that looks down onto one of Asia's famous race courses.

URL: www.happyvalleyracecourse.com • Temple Street Night Market. This is the most famous open-air market in Hong Kong.

Also called “The Night Market”, Temple Street doesn’t open before 2pm and only comes to life in the late evening. There are stalls selling a diverse array of goods, from watches and leather to clothing and souvenirs. Occasionally there are Cantonese opera performances.

One of the best things about Asian night markets is the atmosphere — bright lights, loads of people, full of noise and color. The food is generally good, and in many cases, the stall or street café has been run by the same family for generations.”

Temple Street, Jordan/Yau Ma Tei Clockwise from left, • Jade Market. Collectors, jade this spread: lovers and tourists flock to this Holloywood Road; unique market where stalls fireworks display on Victoria Harbour; display everything from carvings night market and statues to jewelry pieces and other small items.

Junction of Kansu and Battery Streets, Yau Ma Tei

• From the Sheung Wan market area of Hong Kong, head up the hill towards the antique district of the city, located along Hollywood Road. This road was the second road to be constructed in Hong Kong, following the construction of Queens Road Central, which runs through Sheung Wan. Hollywood Road today connects Sheung Wan with Central Hong Kong. Major galleries and antique stores are found along Hollywood Road. Man Mo Temple, one of Hong Kong’s oldest temples, is also located in the area.

For fine furnishings, art, ceramics, baskets and exclusive gifts, head to the Asian Artworks Gallery (Tel: +852/ 2606 7093). Indigo (Tel: +852/ 2592 8721) and Inside (Tel: +852/ 2812 6685) offer Asian-inspired home furnishings, accessories, linens and silks NIGHTLIFE • Dragon-I is the see-and-be-seen spot for Hong Kong's hip society — you’ll see models, movers and shakers and a few celebrities. It has the hottest VIP rooms in town. Lunch and dinner menus feature Japanese and fi r e w o r ks d i s p l ay p h oto b y m o s e s n g

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Insider’s Guide

Cantonese cuisine.

UG/F, The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street, Central.

Tel: +852/ 3110 1222. Url: www.dragon-i.com.hk • Ultra contemporary Felix, which strikes me as something straight out of a Bond film, was designed by Philippe Starck. It's a great place for enjoying cocktails and dinner while at the same time savoring the breathtaking views of Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Chef Yoshiharu Kaji, a Tokyonative, dishes out exceptional European cuisine. Felix features a Wine Bar, The Balcony, American Bar and The Crazy Box miniature discotheque.

28/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: +852/ 2315 3188 FAVORITE EATS • Hutong. Awarded Asia's Best Restaurant in 2007 by Asian Legal Business, Best New Restaurants in Travel+Leisure’s May 2006 Food & Wine Go List, and Hong Kong’s Best Restaurants in Conde Nast Traveller’s Hot Tables List in 2005, Hutong Cable car ride is a clever play of faux rustic to Lantau Island. décor against the backdrop of Right, the Big Buddha modern Hong Kong seen from set in a dramatic mountain location floor to ceiling. Reminiscent of an ancient Chinese noble residence, Hutong offers unobstructed views of the Hong Kong Harbour and serves contemporary cuisine from Northern China.

Try the shark's lips marinated with ginger and black fungi, stewed fish head, sea cucumber salad or poached frog legs with sponge cucumber.

28/F, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Tel: +852/ 3428 8342 • Isola Bar+Grill. This restaurant has great views of the harbour from the outdoor terrace; just make sure you don’t get rained on! The antipasti is highly recommended – they have a great selection, and it’s absolutely delicious. If you have room for more, go back for seconds.

The bar and restaurant is housed in a great, glass box, with views of the city and the river.

Furnishings have been kept simple, mainly white, and minimal, so as not to detract from the views outside.

Levels 3 and 4, IFC Mall, Central. Tel: +852/ 2383 8765 ■

For more on Hong Kong, visit www. discoverhongkong.com or call of the Hong Kong Tourism Board at +852/ 2807 6543 Report by Margie Francisco

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m a p i l lu s t r at i o n by m a r k dav i d s e e

c a b l e c a r r i d e & B i g B u dd h a p h o t o s b y j o c a s s e e

City Guides

B ata n e s // b or ac ay // C ebu // C l a r k // davao // el n i d o // M a n i l a // B a ngkok // Hong kong // m ac au // Si ng a p or e // Ho t el di r ec t ory // promo t ions

Updated Every Issue

p42 Destination guides

p48 Airline guides

Hong Kong skyline viewed from The Peak

Hong Kong sk yline photo by oggie r amos

m a p i l lu s t r at i o n s by m a r lo n s e e

january 2012

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Batanes

The cliffs of Viang, just 20 minutes from the airport

Owners and Drivers Association (BATODA) at +63906/ 697 0679 or +63929/ 703 8404. Rate within Basco proper is at P30. itbayat island

Where to eat

• Therese Coffee Shop serves Ivatan dishes. Try

batan island

sabtang island

Country code: +63 Area code: 78 Currency: Philippine Peso (P1 = about US $43)

From the airport • Car Hire: For car and van rentals, contact Ivatanya c/o Batanes Cultural Travel Agency (BCTA). The hire costs P2,200 per day. For more information, call BCTA at +632 635 4810 or email ccivatanya@yahoo.com.

• Tricycle: Tricycles can be found along Lizardo Street, Barangay Kayhuvukan in Basco. You can also call the 24-hour service of Basco Tricycle

their perfectly grilled cow ribs. Tel: +63916/ 114 2632 and +6921/ 404 0567.

• Brandon’s Restaurant serves sandwiches and fruit shakes and some Ivatan specialties.

Located along National Road and Abad Street.

• Casa Napoli’s Pizza or Pasta serves good homemade pizzas and pasta dishes.

Mobile: +63999/ 990 7553.

Where to stay • Batanes Resort is nestled atop a hill, facing the South China Sea. A typical cottage here has two rooms with ensuite bathroom, airconditioning, and hot water. Rates are about P1,800 a night.

Mobile: +63999/ 990 7554 • Batanes Seaside Lodge and Restaurant. This 12-room lodge is popular for celebrities. There is TV, free WiFi, aircon, and hot shower. Rates start from P1,200. Tel: +63921/ 229 0120 or +63915/ 940 4823 • Fundacion Pacita Batanes Nature Lodge is a boutique hotel perched on top of a hill and has had

good reviews. Rates start at P7.425, inclusive of set breakfast and roundtrip airport transfers. (www. fundacionpacita.ph). Tel: +6327/ 290 2402 • For more on places to stay in Batanes, visit www. inflight.ph

Boracay leading to White Beach. Tricycle fare starts from P10. Chartered rates for tricycles range between P75 (from Cagban to Station 3) to P200 (from Cagban to Yapak). Tricycles also offer island tours for up to a group of four for P300 per hour. For more information, call the Boracay Land Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BLTMPC) at +6336/ 288 3090 or 288 3271.

Country code: +63 Area code: 36 Currency: Philippine Peso (P1 = about US $43)

From the airport • You can fly to Boracay via Caticlan Airport and Kalibo Airport. From Caticlan, a shuttle bus takes you to the jetty port where you ride a boat to take you to Boracay Island in five to 10 minutes. From Kalibo, it’s another two-hour land travel to Caticlan jetty port on air-conditioned shuttle bus or coasters.

• Tricycles: Though not allowed on the beach, tricycles can drop you off on Main Road with alleys

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Where to eat • For a complete list of the best Boracay restaurants, read our InFlight Guide to Boracay at www.inflight.ph • Real Coffee is a good place for breakfast and a nice cup of coffee. Try their freshly baked brownies, banana walnut and calamansi muffins, and oatmeal cookies. Tel: +6336/ 288 5340 • If you’re into Moroccan cuisine, try Kasbah’s lamb tajine, a stew slow cooked in the traditional tajine, a glazed terra cotta casserole with a funneled lid. Tel: +6336/ 288 4790 • Aria is best known for authentic Italian cuisine.

It’s a good place for pasta, salad and pizzas cooked from wood-fired oven. Tel: +6336/ 288 5573 • Zuzuni serves delectable Greek cuisine. Try their moussaka or baked layers of eggplant with ground beef and béchamel sauce, souvlaki or

skewered meat, garides saganaki pasta and the Mati chocolate sin for dessert. Tel: +6336/ 288 4477 Where to stay

• Boracay Regency Beach Resort is a

Mediterranean-style, 285-room property with excellent facilities and amenities ideal for couples, group of friends and families alike. Tel: +6336/ 288 6111 to 17 • Punta Rosa Resort is a resort in a secluded area in Station 1, with seven types of accommodation, each with its own verandah that overlooks White Beach, en suite bathroom with rain shower, and fixtures made of native materials, ideal for couples. Tel: +6336/ 288 6740 • Discovery Shores Boracay has 88 spacious guestrooms all exuding luxury, combining traditional fabrics and furniture with modern amenities. Its two-level clubhouse has the resort's restaurant, bar, function room and spa.

Nightlife

• Epic for celebrity spotting and some of the best

parties on the island. Visit www.epicboracay.com • The Sand Bar for watching fire dancers and enjoying a drink by the beach. Visit www. thesandbarboracay.com or call +6336/ 288 3161

photo by oggie ramos

InFlight City Guides

BATAAN

photo by jocas a. see

BULACAN

Cebu Where to eat • Anzani is highly-rated restaurant that served affordables European food.

Tel: +6332/ 232 7375 • CNT Lechon serves the best lechon or roast pig in Cebu City.

Tel: +6332/ 254 4249 • Golden Cowrie for Filipino food and Cebuano dishes.

Tel: +6332/ 238 1206

bantayan island

cebu island

Golden Cowrie

CHINA

HONG KONG

mactan island

Where to stay

• Cebu City Marriott Hotel features 301 rooms

and 23 suites equipped with aircon, cable TV, mini bar, high-speed internet access, and with luxurious beddings.

Country code: +63 Tel: +6332/ 411 5800 Area code: 32 URL: www.marriottcebu.com Currency: Philippine Peso (P1 = about US $43) • Marco Polo Plaza Cebu mixes Western comforts and Asian hospitality, comprised of 329 guest rooms (some with a view of the mountain or From the airport sea) and suites.

• Car Hire: Call any of Cebu Trip Rent-a-Car's Tel: +6332/ 253 1111 24-hour numbers +6332/ 262 4697 or +63917/ URL: www.marcopoloplazacebu.com 320 5688.

• Taxi: Metered taxis are lined up outside the • Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino has 561 MALAYSIA arrivals' terminal. Fares down town to the city rooms with two casino floors open 24 hours. proper are about P150.

Tel: +6332/ 232 9000

SINGAPORE

URL: www.waterfronthotels.com.ph Nightlife • Formo is a resto-lounge frequented by Cebu’s young professionals.

Tel: +6332/ 420 7070 or 236 7700 • Vudu is the place for after-dinner drinks and dancing.

URL: www.vudu.com.ph

MACAU

InFlight City Guides

p h o t o b y e r i ck l i o n g o r e n

Clark Where to eat • Pampanga's capital, San Fernando, just 20 minutes from Clark, is home to Everybody's Cafe serving local dishes.

• Angeles City is the birthplace of sisig (chopped grilled pork cheeks) and make sure you taste the original at Aling Lucing's. Call +6345/ 888 2317 or +63918/ 212 6461.

clark

Where to stay

• Mimosa Resort. Situated in a 175-hectare

pampanga

Country code: +63 Area code: 45 Currency: Philippine Peso (P1 = about US $43)

From the airport • Car Hire: MLS VIP Rent A Car has daily rates from P800. Call +6345/ 892 6216 or +63918/ 906 7265.

• Taxi: Taxi stands are located in the arrival halls of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) and the fare is metered.

• Jeep: Public jeepneys areCHINA available outside the airport. Rates start at P8.

Davao

landscaped property, Mimosa offers both standard hotel rooms and villas. Rates start at P6,600 per night. Tel.: +6345/ 599 7000 • Montevista Villas has 125 villas. A standard villa has two rooms, living room, lanai area, a modern pantry, guestroom and a spacious master's bedroom with ensuite bathroom. Rates start from P7,260. Tel: +6345/ 599 7000 • Holiday Inn Clark. A local favorite, the Holiday Inn has air-conditioned rooms and WiFi. Private garden villas are also available for families and groups. Tel: +6345/ 599 8000 Things to do

• One of the activities in Clark is horseback riding at El Kabayo Riding Stables.

• For P3,000, tourists can enjoy a dip at the

0445 or 234 1360 or 235 1784

cotabato davao city

south cotabato davao del sur

Where to eat • Jack's Ridge, located just across the Santo Nino Shrine, serves delicious Filipino cuisine in a venue that overlooks the city. Tel: 6382/ 297 8830 to 31 • Harana offers great food at reasonable prices.

Try their tuna panga or tuna belly. Tel: +6382/ 227 3937 or 227 5615 • Riverwalk Grill. Located right next to the famous Crocodile Park, Riverwalk Grill is for the adventurous eater, serving crocodile meat, ostrich meat and egg, and pangasius fish.

Where to stay

Country code: +63 Area code: 82 Currency: Philippine Peso (P1 = about US $43)

• Mictrotel Inns & Suites Davao has fully fitted

double rooms and suites, all designed to for a comfortable stay. It's right in the Damosa Gateway Complex and IT Park, Davao’s major business and commercial hub, and about a 10 minute ride From the airport away from the airport. Mamay Road, Lanang, • Car Hire: Ecotrans Car Rentals provides point to Davao City. Tel: +632/ 899 7171. Visit www. point and charter service. Car hire are on per hour,

per day, per week or pick-up and drop-off basis.

MACAUmicrotelphilippines.com Rates start from P500.

• Pearl Farm Beach Resort lies in a secluded cove on Samal Island off the coast of Davao City.

• Taxi: The simplest way to get around is by taxi.

It's perfect for a romantic getaway, for diving Fares start from P40. A typical trip can cost about and snorkeling. This 11-hectare resort was once P70-P95. You can call Mabuhay Taxi directly to a pearl farm, thus the name. Kaputian, Island have a cab driver pick you up. Tel: +6382/ 233

44 |

InFlight

| january 2012

Puning Hot Spring.

• Omni Aviation offers Mount Pinatubo Sky Tours overflying Mt. Pinatubo for P5,000 per

person in a 10-seater RP-C8832 aircraft.

Tel: +6345/ 892 6664 or 599 5524 • If you're a high-roller or just looking for some fun, the Clark area has several casinos including Casino Filipino Angeles, Casino Filipino Mimosa, Fontana Casino and Hotel Stotsenberg's Casablanca Casino.

For more information, call the tourism office at +6345/ 599 2854 The cliffs of Viang, just 20 minutes from the airport

HONG KONG davao del norte

Aling Lucing's sisig

Garden City of Samal. Tel: +6382/ 221 9970 • Eden Nature Park & Resort is a mountain resort

surrounded by lush forests and overlooks the city and the gulf. Great for camping, nature hiking, bird watching, and horseback riding. Matina Town Square McArthur Highway, Matina, Davao City.

Tel: +6382/ 299 1020 or 296 0791 Things to do

• Visit the Davao Crocodile Park, a breeding

center for saltwater and freshwater crocodiles.

Visit www.psdgroupph.com for schedules of crocodile shows • People's Park along Legazpi Street showcases a mini forest, interactive fountains, ponds and waterfalls, a durian dome, a shady and open plaza, a statue of a gigantic Philippine eagle and a fantasy-themed park with large sculptures made

by Mindanaon artist Kublai Millan.

• Davao Wildwater Adventure across Davao River. The three-and-a-half-hour wild water rafting starts from Barrio Tamugan in Calinan, and ends at the lowlands. Tel: +6382/ 221 7823 • The Xcelerator is the third longest zipline in Asia at 720m long, with the zipline suspended 200ft above ground. Choose to slide along the zipline either sitting down, superman style or the extreme inverted position. Tel: +6382/ 282 2339

El Nido • Bus: Two bus companies operate regularly between Puerto Princessa and El Nido, stopping in Roxas and Taytay. Departures are daily at 5am, 6am, 7am, 8am both from El Nido and Puerto Princesa. Travel time is six to eight hours with a fare of P350 per person.

Country code: +63 Area code: 48 Currency: Philippine Peso (P1 = about US $43)

From the airport • El Nido Airport serves South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) and Island Transvoyager, Inc. (ITI).

• Van Rental: From Puerto Princesa Airport, van company Fortwally Shuttle Service has daily shuttles to El Nido. Fare is P600 per head. Private tours range from P2,800 to P3,600, inclusive of food. Travel time takes about five hours.

Where to eat • The Alternative Center has an extensive menu of delicious vegan cuisine from soups to entrees plus exotic teas. Meat dishes are also available.

Tel: +63917/ 896 3408 • Artcafe for freshly-baked pastries, pizza and pasta. They are known for their pancakes, fresh muesli and homemade yoghurt. Tel: +63917/ 560 4020. Visit www.elnidoboutiqueandartcafe.com • Vista Beach Resort in Corong-corong is known for their lemon pepper tuna or Cajun maya-maya. www.elnidostunningvistas.com • An institution in itself, Balay Tubay on Real Street serves Filipino and European cuisine. Local musicians regularly perform.

Where to stay

• For a private, luxurious experience, El Nido Resorts has premiere resorts on Lagen and

Miniloc Islands. Visit www.elnidoresorts.com • Marina Garden Beach Resort at the center

of El Nido town offers native-style cottages with basic facilities for budget travelers and concrete country villa rooms with air-con and hot showers.

Visit www.marinagardenelnido.multiply.com or call +63917/ 624 7722 or +63908/ 884 3711 Things to do

• Rock climbing & walking. The western side of El Nido town lies in the shadow of an impressive sheer cliff face which is just the visible portion of an even more impressive headland. There are organized walking treks to the top of the headland.

• Bacuit Bay has islands with limestone cliffs, ideal for climbing, diving, and swimming.

• Explore the island on foot. After a 14 kilometer ride from El Nido Town proper, you can go on a one-hour trek to Nagkalit-kalit Falls in the town of Pasadena. Five kilometers from the waterfalls is the undeveloped Makinit Hotspring, open only for sightseeing. Bulalakaw Falls in Villa Paz, 15 kilometers from El Nido town, is about a two hour hike. Seven kilometers from El Nido town proper is Ille Cave with its archaeological artifacts dating back 10,000 years. The waterfalls are best visited during the rainy season by tricycle. Fares from P600-P800. For more info on El Nido contact El Nido Tourism Office at +63926/ 993 8803 or email info@elnidotourism.com or elnidotourism@yahoo.com

Bangkok Where to eat

• Bed Supperclub is Bangkok's trendiest address

Country code: +66 Currency: Thai Baht (US $.032 = THB 1)

with its contemporary, all-white, tubular design, serving modern Asian cuisine. Try the roast duck and mushroom risotto with foie gras cream and dried shallots, and the BSC Burger, wagyu beef, gorgonzola, smoked bacon and hand cut fries.

26 Soi Sukhumvit 11, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoeynua, Wattana. Tel: +66/ 2651 3537 • Hidden in Talaat Mai in "Trok Itsaranuphap" is Hong Kong Noodles, famous for its wheat-andegg noodle soups. Come for breakfast or lunch, but prepare to wait for a seat.

136 Trok Itsaranuphap, Th Charoen Krung • You'll find Thai and Chinese street food at Soi 38 Night Market. Try the famous flame-fried phat thai and divine mango sticky rice. Soi 38, Th Sukhumvit

From the airport • Bangkok Skytrain: Bangkok Skytrain (BTS) operates from 6am to 12mn everyday with two main lines – Sukhumwit and Silom lines. The fare ranges from 15 to 40 Thai Baht (THB 15-40).

• Taxi: Finding a taxi is not a hassle, especially around hotels, shopping malls and other tourist attractions. The fare starts at THB 35 for the first two kilometers, and THB 2 per kilometer thereafter.

Where to stay • Wendy House is a good-value budget choice.

A brightly colored coffee shop and reception greet visitors. There's internet, laundry and business services. 36/2 Soi Kasemson 1, Rama1 Road, Patumwan. Tel: +66/ 2214 1149 or +66/ 2214 1150 • The Sukhothai is surrounded by lush, tropical gardens and decorative pools, close to shopping, entertainment and historical sites, and the Suvarnabhumi Airport. The hotel features 210

thailand bangkok

laos

cambodia

contemporary Thai guestrooms, three restaurants, a swimming pool, health club and spa. 13/3 South Sathorn Road Tel: +66/ 2344 8888 • The Peninsula Hotel has 370 guestrooms and 60 one-bedroom suites, each with state-of-the-art electronic system for access to features at the touch of a button, modcons, luxurious furniture, bespoke accessories, and a large balcony that overlooks the city and Chao Pharya River. 333 Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan. Tel: +66/ 2861 2888 Shopping

• Chatuchak Weekend Market is where to go

for antique pieces, beautiful plants, hand-woven textiles and ceramics. Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road, Chatuchak • Flower Market is one of the most interesting places in Bangkok. You can fill up an entire car with orchids and spend only $6 maximum. Chak Phet Street, Bangkok • Gem shops are ubiquitous in Bangkok – and many of them will rip you off. David Glickman at Lambert Holding Co. offers a cash-back guarantee with no time limit; if you change your mind about a purchase, you can return it, no questions asked. 807 Silom Road. Tel: +66/ 2236 4349

january 2012

| InFlight | 45

InFlight City Guides

Hong Kong china

hong kong

Country code: +852 Currency: HK Dollar (US $1 = HKD 8)

From the airport • Train: The MTR (Mass Transit Railway)-operated Airport Expresscan get you to Kowloon in just 21 minutes and Hong Kong Island in 24 minutes.

It also operates a complimentary shuttle bus service from the stations to most major hotels. The platform is located within the terminal building, connected to the Arrivals Hall, and is clearly signed. Return fare is HKD 160 (Kowloon) or HKD 180 (Hong Kong). It is also possible to purchase

Macau

Where to stay

• Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. Located in

Central near the major business landmarks that’s an ideal place to stay if visiting for shopping.

With 501 guestrooms, 67 of which are suites, all

Where to eat • Wong Chi Kei (Tel: +853/ 2805 1331) for its traditional hand-made noodles and shrimp roe noodles.

• Margaret’s Café a Nata (Tel: +853/ 2871 0032) for its egg tarts.

• Camoes (Tel: +853/ 2872 8818) for authentic Portuguese food.

• Restaurante A Lorcha (Tel: +853/ 2831 3195) for good Portuguese cuisine. Ideal for large groups.

macau

Country code: +853 Currency: Macau Pataca (US $1 = 8 MOP)

From the airport • Taxi: The charge is MOP13 at flag down for the first 1.5km and then MOP1 for each subsequent 180m. To get a taxi by phone, call tel. +853/ 2893 9939 or +853/ 2851 9519.

• Bus: Public buses run daily from 7am to midnight, with fares costing MOP2.50 for travel within the Macau peninsula, MOP3.30 for travel to Taipa, and MOP4 to MOP5 for travel to Colôane.

InFlight

Where to eat • Yung Kee is a local favorite and has been awarded a Michelin star in 2010. Famous are its roast meats, especially the goose, seafood and dim sum. Address: 32-40 Wellington St., Central Tel: +852/ 2522 1624 • Ajisen Ramen serves affordable and satisfying noodle soup and curries and bento boxes served in a traditional Japanese setting, with over 30 outlets across Hong Kong. Address: Shop 5, 4/F, Langham Place, 8 Argyle St., Mong Kok, Kowloon Tel: +852/ 3514 4396

overlooking Victoria Harbour and the surrounding cityscape. Operates 10 restaurants and bars, including the Michelin-starred Pierre and the threestorey Mandarin Spa. Rates start from HKD 7,600.

Address: 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong Tel: +852/ 2522 0111 URL: www.mandarinoriental.com/hongkong • The Peninsula Hong Kong. Hong Kong's grand old dame that features rooms with high ceilings and classical proportions, all spelling luxury. Rates start from HKD 4,160. Tel: +852/ 2920 2888 Visit www.peninsula.com/Hong_Kong • Park Lane Hong Kong offers 805 fully equipped guestrooms and suites with the view of the famed Victoria Harbour and Park ideal for business and leisure travellers alike. Rates start from HKD 2,470. Tel: +852/ 2293 8888 URL: www.parklane.com.hk • W Hong Kong has 393 rooms and specialty suites featuring interesting infusions of wood, fire, earth, metal and water and modcons in each room.

Rates start from HKD 3,300. Address: 1 Austin Road West Kowloon Station Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Tel: +852 3717 2222 URL: www.whotels.com/HongKong

MACAU china

46 |

tickets that include unlimited use of the MTR for three days, which are very good value for money.

• Taxi: Upon arrival, make your way to the Taxi Station via the left-hand ramp outside the Arrivals Hall. Taxis are color-coded but red taxis will travel to most areas, including Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula. An approximate taxi fare to Central is HKD 290 and to Tsim Sha Tsui is HKD 230.

| january 2012

Where to stay • Venetian. A 40-storey 70sqm hotel and casino resort with 3,000 suites, each with separate bedroom and living area canopy-draped beds, and Italian marble bathrooms with separate bath and shower. Rates start from MOP 12,900. Call +853/ 2882 882 for reservations.

• Hotel Lisboa. A convenient hotel with 1,000 rooms and suites that are richly decorated and furnished. Most rooms offer a magnificent view of the South China Sea and Macau landmarks. Rates start from MOP 880 to MOP 4,100. Call +853/ 2888 3888.

• Pousada De Sao Tiago Macau. 12 luxurious fully equipped spacious suites each with a balcony overlooking the Inner Harbour of Macau and

the Pearl River Delta, with bathroom that has rainforest shower, steam room and TV. Rates start from MOP 2,600 to MOP 4,500. Call +853/ 2837 8111.

Nightlife • Go to The Docks, a string of sidewalk cafes and bars lining Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-sen near the Kun Iam Statue.

• A great place to watch the sun go down is 180 Lounge and Grill in the Macau Tower (Tel: +853/ 8988 8659).

Shopping

• Largo do Senado Square sells overruns and

seconds from Macau's many garment factories.

You can pick up Chinese jackets here cheaper than those sold in Hong Kong.

• A weekly outdoor market is held Sundays from 11am to 8pm in Taipa Village, selling traditional crafts, souvenirs, clothing, toys, and food.

• In Coloane Village, check out Asian Artefacts, 9 Rua dos Negociantes (Tel. +853/ 2888 1022), which sells restored antique furniture from North China and other Asian countries.

Macau Government Tourist For info on tours, call +853/ 2831 5566

Singapore • Bus: A trip will cost you between 60 cents and SG$ 1.20. Buy a copy of TransitLink Guide available at most bookstores for a comprehensive guide on bus time-tables, routes and fares, sold at SG$ 1.50.

• Taxi: A taxi stand is located outside the departure hall of the airport. A taxi from the airport to the city has a SG$ 3 surcharge but there is no surcharge when you travel from city to the airport.

A trip from Changi airport to the city costs about SG$ 13, excluding surcharge.

Where to eat

• 49 Katong Laksa. For authentic Peranakan

Country code: +65 Currency: SG Dollar (US $1 = about 1.30 SGD)

From the airport Getting around Singapore on foot is a pleasant and hassle-free way of seeing the center of the city, but when you want to venture slightly farther or dart between different districts, then a bus or train is the fastest and most economical option.

• Car Hire: San’s Tours and Car Rentals charges daily rates between SG$ 100 and SG$ 150.

Call +65/ 6734 9922.

specialty Laksa. Tel: +65/ 6344 5101 • Jumbo Seafood. Known for its black pepper beef short ribs, sweet and sour prawns, and Yangshou fried rice. Tel: +65/ 6442 3435 Where to stay • The Scarlet Hotel Singapore is an 80-room “lavish” hotel set in a four hectare property at the center of Singapore, close to the Thian Hock Keng Temple, Sri Mariamman Temple, and Raffles Place. It’s designed in modern Moulin Rouge style. Room rates start from SG$ 220.

Tel: +65 6511 3333

New Majestic Hotel

URL: www.scarlethotelsingapore.com • New Majestic Hotel offers 30 exclusive and unique rooms that incorporate the 1920's style with being state of the art, with modern luxurious amenities. Rates start at SG$ 260.

Address: 31-37 Bukit Pasoh Road, Chinatown Tel: +65/ 6511 4700 URL: www.newmajestichotel.com • Wanderlust is a left-field and totally experimental boutique hotel set to draw madcap voyagers and curious travellers to its doorstep. Located in Little India, the hotel has four thematic levels with 29 rooms created by award winning Singapore designers. Rates start at SG$ 235.

Address: 2 Dickson Road Tel: +65 6396 3322 URL: www.wanderlusthotel.com

AirlineGuide Airbus 319

SEAIR (Low Cost) Destinations • Singapore • Hong Kong • Macau • Bangkok (Thailand)

Fleet • 2 Airbus A-319

Booking and Ticketing • Book online at www.flyseair.com or www.tigerairways.com • Clark: Unit 166, SM City CSEZ, Clarkfield, Pampanga Tel: +6343/ 499 0258-59 • Makati: Unit 202 La O' Center Building, 1000 Arnaiz Avenue (formerly Pasay Road) corner Makati Avenue, Makati City Tel: +632/ 849 0111

Dornier 328

South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR Domestic Islands) Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR), a premier leisure airline, is the second oldest airline in the Philippines.

SEAIR was founded in 1995 by Capt. Iren Dornier, Capt. Nikos Gitsis, and Tomas Lopez, starting operations from Manila to Rodriguez and Busuanga, Palawan. In 1996, it started the Caticlan route, servicing Boracay bound passengers.

To date, SEAIR has the longest history of flights to Caticlan for 16 years. The airline also helped develop Batanes into a major tourist destination.

SEAIR now flies to prime tourist destinations such as Caticlan (Boracay), Clark, Batanes, El Nido (Palawan) and Tablas (Romblon), as well as to regional routes Singapore, Hongkong, Macau and Bangkok in Thailand.

Destinations • Clark • Caticlan (Boracay) • Manila • Basco (Batanes) • Tablas (Romblon) • El Nido (Palawan) • Singapore • Hongkong • Macau • Bangkok (Thailand)

Fleet • 4 Dornier 328 • 1 LET 410 UVP-E • 2 Airbus A-319

Booking and Ticketing • Book online at www.flyseair.com • Makati: Unit 202 La O' Center Building, 1000 Arnaiz Avenue (formerly Pasay Road) corner Makati Avenue, Makati City Tel: +632/ 849 0100 • Cebu: SEAIR Cebu Office, YMCA Building, Jones Avenue, Cebu City Tel: +6332/ 341 4879

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| InFlight | january 2012

Dornier 228

Island Transvoyager (ITI) Island Transvoyager, Inc. (ITI) is the airline that operates to prime tourist destinations El Nido and Taytay, both in Palawan, offering as much as daily flights from Manila.

ITI is the official carrier of the upmarket El Nido Resorts that operates three resorts in El Nido and one in Taytay. Both El Nido and Taytay are known for having stunning limestone cliffs, white sandy beaches, and highly diverse eco systems.

ITI is also engaged in air taxi services and air charter operations using the 19-seater Dornier 228-212 aircraft. It is committed to protecting the environment and conserving the natural resources and beauty of El Nido, and is the first airline to establish a program to offset carbon emissions in 2008.

Destinations • El Nido (Palawan) • Taytay (Palawan)

Fleet • 3 Dornier 228

Booking and Ticketing • ITI Hangar No. 5-03-127, Andrews Avenue (near PAL Medical Center), Domestic Airport, Pasay City Tel: +632/ 851 5664, 851 5674, 851 5667 Email: info@itiair.com URL: www.itiair.com

CHINA

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

BHUTAN

PAL

CHINA

SEAIR (Low Cost)

JA

REPUBLIC OF KOREA REPUBLIC OF TAIWAN

HONG KONG

BANGLADESH

MACAU

MYANMAR

LAOS PHILIPPINE SEA

LUZON

PHILIPPINES CLARK, ANGELES

SOUTH CHINA SEA

THAILAND

MANILA

VIETNAM BANGKOK

VISAYAS

CAMBODIA SULU SEA

MINDANAO

ANKA CELEBES SEA

BRUNEI

TAIWAN SINGAPORE

HONG KONG

KONG

AR

NEI

TAIWAN

MALAYSIA

Basco

SEAIR Route Map

ITI Route Map

BATANES

LAOS

INDONESIA PHILIPPINE SEA

PHILIPPINE SEA

SOUTH CHINA SEA

PHILIPPINES

LUZON

Clark, Angeles

SOUTH CHINA SEA

PHILIPPINES EAST TIMOR

LUZON MANILA

MANILA

THAILAND Tablas Island

VIETNAM VISAYAS

ROMBLON

VISAYAS

Caticlan AKLAN

El Nido

El Nido

CAMBODIA

Taytay

PALAWAN

PALAWAN

SULU SEA

SULU SEA

MINDANAO

MINDANAO

AUSTRA CELEBES SEA

CELEBES SEA

BRUNEI

january 2012

| InFlight | 49

INdex

store directory

For INVogue H&M www.hm.com

2

Mega One (for HTC Desire S) 4F, Market! Market!, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig +632/ 856 7934

In My Bag

Party Island

Henann Resorts marketing manager Karl Chusuey on life in Boracay

Oakley www.oakley.com

IntervIew by MargIe FrancIsco Product shots by carlos legasPI

3

Rustan’s (for Armani Code) Ayala Center, Ayala Avenue, Makati City +632/ 813 3739 Villman Computers (for Acer Iconia tablet) 4F, Market! Market!, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig +632/ 757 2277 www.villman.com Watsons (for Gatsy oil film) 2F, Market! Market!, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig +632/ 886 7611

1

Invogue

4

for store contact info

InFlight

Chusuey in Boracay, where his family owns and runs a resort

5

6

ThIngs I Take when I Travel: 1 H&M bag (about P2,234) 2 HTC Desire S (about P19,300) 3 Acer Iconia tablet (P28,992) 4 Armani Code perfume (P4,400) 5 Oakley sunglasses (from P6,750) 6 Gatsby oil film (about P120)

Turn to

page 50 12 |

“I’ve only been to three places in the Philippines — Boracay, Cebu and Bohol.

Boracay’s my favorite. I’ve been going there three times a year for the past 10 years.

My family has a resort on the island and in a way, it’s like a second home to me. I practically grew up there. I don’t particularly like beaches but I’ve grown to love it. I guess my most memorable experience on the island is partying and getting drunk, that’s it. Nowadays, if I go drinking, it’s usually at our resort. I used to go to Club Paraw and Guilly’s, which I realized I actually didn’t like. As a kid, I liked to explore around the island. For parties, I usually go to epic (www. epicboracay.com). I like Epic because, for one, it’s near our resort. Two, the food’s great; it’s not just some quick bar chows, but real food, different cuisines. Epic lets you make your own fresh cocktail, like taking a traditional mojito then muddling it up with coconut.

When I get the chance, I still take a stroll around the island, but most of the time now, I go to Boracay for work.

Outside the Philippines, I love going to Singapore. It’s a two-hour flight. It’s very clean, very organized. The traffic there is like Sunday traffic in Manila. Shopping in Singapore is always fun.”

| jAnuAry 2012

For more ideas on travel gear

and essentials, visit www.inflight.ph

InFlight Classifieds

CLASSiFIEDS

For more information: Call: +632 840 2802 or 553 7978 Email: ksario@inflight.ph

january 2012

| InFlight | 51

All That Buzz Dornier Media launches Indulge Cebu Edition Dornier Media International, publisher of InFlight magazine, recently launched the Cebu Edition of Indulge, its food and drink guide at Cebu’s Maya Mexican Restaurant, attended by some 100 hotel and restaurant industry guests.

The launch culminated in raffling off of some 30 prizes ranging from bags to an overnight stay in the luxury five-star Manila hotel The Peninsula. Indulge advertisers received framed copies of their published restaurant feature.

Dornier Media publishing director Nikos Gitsis gave the welcome remarks at the launch. Also at the launch were Indulge managing editor Monica De Leon, and the Indulge sales team headed by sales and marketing director Margie Defensor.

Guests included representatives of A Cafe, Abaca Boutique Resort + Restaurant, Maya Mexican Restaurant, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu’s Blu Bar & Grill, Plantation Bay’s Fiji Restaurant and Kilimanjaro Kafe, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino’s La Gondola, Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino Mactan’s Uno Restaurant, and Cebu City’s Marriott Hotel’s The Garden Cafe. Indulge’s good friend and owner of Islands Group Jay Aldeguer also attended.

Raffle prize sponsors included The Peninsula Manila, Maya Mexican Restaurant, Abaca Boutique Resort + Restaurant, A Cafe, Plantation Bay and Cebu City Marriott Hotel.

InFlight is the onboard magazine of SEAIR and Island Transvoyager Inc. Indulge will be sold in retail soon at select National Bookstores in Manila for P150.

The Indulge team. From left, ad traffic and circulation assistant Kris Sario, sales & marketing director Margie Defensor, publishing director Nick Gitsis, managing editor Monica De Leon, and media representative Joyce Moros

-Monica De Leon

From left, Plantation Bay’s sales manager Stephanie Trocio, Gitsis, Defensor, Be Resort general manager Gary Garcia, Plantation Bay’s PR associate Hannah Patalinjug, and Plantation Bay’s assistant F&B manager Jimmy Martinez

Indulge Cebu host Jude Bacalso

Garcia, Moros and De Leon

Maya’s beverage manager Richie Paquibot (left) and Defensor

From left, Gitsis, Islands Group owner Jay Aldeguer, Defensor and De Leon

52 |

InFlight

| january 2012

Marriott Hotel’s PR manager Charlene Go, and right, Defensor

From left, Sheridan’s Emma Ruth Empic, Moros and De Leon

Ph o t o s b y p a u l g o t i o n g

inflight promotions

One White Beach One White Beach (OWB), a five-star residential resort development in Boat Station 1 beside Friday’s Resort in Boracay, will launch their resort in the first quarter of this year.

Some 10 properties with a total of 144 rooms for sale are now being offered with an introductory 10% to 15% discount. Properties are part of a fully managed five-star residence within a resort setting. The property owner will also have the option of having his property rented out.

A standard residential property will have one bedroom.

Amenities include a roof-top infinity-edge swimming pool and deck overlooking white beach and the turquoise ocean.

Other features are the Art gallery featuring Philippine artists, residents’ lounge and pool, spa, state-of-the-art fitness center, day-care facilities, full-service rooftop observatory deck, several dining outlets.

The full service home will offer a dedicated personal assistant, who will take care of your needs, from pre-arrival shopping, concierge services, butler attention, personal trainer, 24-hour in-room menu service, private chefs, inhome spa treatments, and laundry services.

For more information, call One White Beach at +6336/ 288 1532.

Gastro Chef Launches Green Kitchenware Line Gastro Chef, producer of kitchen products made from finest Philippine hardwood, launches six new products in its array of worldclass kitchen products and accessories on offer. But this time, it’s not just your typical Philippine hardwood; Gastro Chef is taking its share in giving back to the environment what it’s due by using small pieces of wood salvaged from saw mills and crafting it into fine kitchenware.

Gastro Chef’s new products are the Euro Napkin Holder, Electric Salt & Pepper Mill Set, Electric Spice Mill, Small Glass Bowl with Lid & Tray, Storage Jars, and End Grain Cutting Board.

Gastro Chef’s products are crafted based on Scandinavian design traditions that focus on quality craftsmanship.

Gastro Chef is available at Rustan’s, Dimensione, MakeRoom, Crossings Department Store, Unimart Greenhills and Kultura Filipino. Visit www.gastrochef.com.

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InFlight

| january 2012

Boracay