Department of Tourism Releases Nostalgic TVC for IloIlo

The Department of Tourism is now putting the spotlight on the Western Vizayas province Iloilo. They released a TV commercial earlier this month to promote the province as a destination where the "past is always present."

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Up-and-Coming Vacation Spot 'Borawan' Gets Spotlight

Before the end of the summer season, broadcast journalist Anthony Taberna visits Borawan beach, an up-and-coming vacation spot in Padre Burgos, Quezon to examine what the place has to offer and how tourism uplifts the lives of the local residents tomorrow (May 29) in “Tapatan ni Tunying.” Coined from the names of two top Philippine getaways, Borawan is known for its white sand beach compared with Boracay and the huge rock formations similar to that of Palawan. With the arrival of tourists, long-time resident Precy and her family found additional sources of income. Her husband, Pando, uses his fishing boat to ferry visitors to and from the island while she assists at the resort’s canteen during the peak season. Meanwhile, Joel, who used to be a former dynamite fisherman, has now found better means of living with the advent of tourism in his town and has learned to take care of the environment that provides him with his livelihood. Aside from bringing tourists to and from Borawan, he also scours the beach in his free time, collecting discarded plastic bottles and other junk items he could sell. Watch “Tapatan ni Tunying” tomorrow (May 29), 4:30 PM on ABS-CBN’s Kapamilya Gold.

[Press Release provided by ABS-CBN to WanderPH.com]

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Hotel Review: Nara Hotel in Nara, Japan

Classic and elegant--these are the two words that best describe Nara Hotel in Nara Japan. This 106-year-old hotel has been my home in Japan for 4 days and 3 nights.

Nara Hotel was founded in 1909 to serve as a “state guest house” in the southern-central region in Japan that is located on a hill in the postcard pretty Nara Park. To date, this hotel has accommodated a number of famous personalities like Albert Einstein (1922), Charlie Chaplin (1936), Richard Nixon (1951), Audrey Hepburn (1983), Marlon Brando (1956), Glenn Ford (1956) and our very own Jose P. Laurel (1945) who has a statue located in the Sakura tearoom.

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Everland Resort in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Although daytime temperature in Seoul for the month of January ranges from -3 to 6, it really did not snow during my 1 week stay in the city. Or perhaps it did (while I’m sleeping) at dawn around 4:00am when temperature is at its lowest -9 degrees. So we decided to travel to Everland Resort at Gyeonggi-do province south of Seoul where the upper hills of the theme park are covered with snow.

From Euljio 3(sam)ga station where our hotel is located, we rode the subway train and transferred to 4 subway lines to reach the Ever Line in Yongin. It has a petite train similar to the Hong Kong Disneyland train that connects the MTR to the theme park, only the Ever Line has a longer route with 15 stops.

From the train, you can see that parts of the river are frozen despite the sunny weather.

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Hotel Review: Bijuu Residence in Kyoto Japan

We travel to discover new things and to gain new perspective. And most of the time, our adventures are about stepping our feet to popular landmarks or tourist spots and setting our eyes to something beautiful and mesmerizing. We perceive hotels as just a place to sleep.

Last month when I went to Kyoto, Japan, I was fortunate to be accommodated by the beautiful Bijuu Residence, and it changed the way I think about hotels. It’s one of those rare moments that a hotel has been part of the destination experience because of its uniqueness.

Bijuu Residence, first and foremost, has a powerful location because its located in Shijo area, the shopping and nightlife capital of Kyoto. It’s only a minute away from Kawaramachi subway station of the Hankyu Kyoto Line making it accessible to tourists coming from Osaka, Nara, Nagoya, Tokyo and other cities connected by Shinkansen (high-speed trains). It’s only a 10-minute walk away from the Yasaka Shrine and the Gion area while the Kiyomizu Shrine is a 20-minute walk.

Bijuu offers only 2 rooms, 301 de luxe at the third floor which offers a mesmerizing view of cherry blossoms (in Spring) and the manmade river below; and 501 suite which occupies the whole of 5th floor and offers a panoramic view of the Higashiyama mountains and the Kamo river. Both suites, all floors actually, offer free wifi connection for the whole duration of your stay.

The 301 de luxe boasts of a very spacious living room with a huge plasma TV equipped with a satellite TV and CD/DVD player. It has a Japanese-style center table made of wood, a wood sofa, stone flooring, some lamps, a large vase with a plant, blackout curtains, etc.

On the other side of the wooden divider is the bedroom. It has two double-sized beds. The divider, by the way, has the music and light switches, some outlets and reading lamps.

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Osaka: Japan’s Food Capital

Do you want to visit Japan but feels like Tokyo is so overrated? Why not come and visit Osaka?

Discover this unique destination where Japan’s conservative culture perfectly meets its modern and urban lifestyle. If you want to explore a place filled with good food, booming night life, ancient and modern architecture, historical landmarks and friendly people, Osaka is the right place for you! Tokyo may be Japan’s capital, but Osaka remains to be its best place to eat, drink and party.

Osaka is located at the South coast of the Western part of the Japanese island of Honshu. It is Japan’s second largest city and primary economic center. The place is known as a food lover’s paradise and has been dubbed as the “Nation’s Kitchen” since the Tokugawa period up to the present.

However, it’s not just the okonomiyaki and takoyaki which draw millions of tourists to Osaka annually (though those yummy dishes are partly responsible for it); different sites and attractions also lure a lot of people to come and discover Osaka.

Here are the top 10 things to do when you’re in Osaka:

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Cebu Pacific Marks 100M Trips, 100M Stories, 100M Juans

Cebu Pacific Air marks 100M Trips, 100M Stories, 100M Juans

Cebu Pacific Air recently flew its 100 millionth passenger, Yelen Bontuyan, from Cebu to Manila, marking a major milestone in its 18-year airline history. As CEB’s 100 millionth guest, Yelen received PHP100,000 as well as 100 tickets to any domestic or international destination, during a special inflight announcement that took the place of the airline’s trademark Fun Games. The airline celebrated the milestone with the rest of the passengers on her flight, with each being given free round trip tickets to the domestic destination of their choice.

A warm reception greeted Yelen upon arriving in Manila. Cebu Pacific employees, some of whom have been with the airline since its inception, welcomed Yelen, the passenger who will now be forever part of the airline’s history. Manila-based Yelen shared, “I’ve been going back and forth to Cebu, where many of my relatives are based, since I was very young. For the past 16 years, I fly Cebu Pacific because their airfare is much more affordable than other airlines. With my ticket prize, I really want to visit more places in the Philippines, and visit my relatives more often. Being the 100 millionth passenger is my most memorable travel experience. This is really a blessing for me. It’s a great way to start the year,” she added.

100M Trips, 100M Stories, 100M Juans

Late last year, as Cebu Pacific got ready to reach its 100 millionth milestone, Cebu Pacific provided tickets to 13 Facebook friends, who nominated their loved ones they believed deserving of free flights. Their stories, ranging from a close sibling bond to a mother’s dream destination, were also featured on the Cebu Pacific Air Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CebuPacificAir).

The airline also continues to share the different stories of the people one meets while traveling, via the Juan of a Kind Stories Facebook page (www.facebook.com/JuanOfAKindStories). From the heartwarming to the humorous, each anecdote captures the similarities and differences of our cultures.

CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog related, “We started operations in 1996, at a time when air travel was expensive. It will always be a privilege for us to link islands and countries together, contribute to nation-building, and play a role in our passengers’ life stories." Cebu Pacific has grown into the Philippines’ largest airline with approximately 90 domestic and international routes, taking more people to farther shores and providing affordable air travel. It now operates the most extensive network within the Philippines, as well as between the Philippines to 28 international destinations, including Australia (Sydney), Brunei, Japan (Nagoya, Tokyo, Osaka), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Dammam, Riyadh), and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai). For more information, visitwww.cebupacificair.com.

[Cebu Pacific Air Press Release]

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