Food Trip: Islas Pinas Food and Heritage Village

Are you growing tired of the usual food courts? We've got some great news. Things are looking up in the food court industry. Some food courts are now becoming restaurant type of experiences rather than just places for quick bites. These have been turned into places to hangout and enjoy the atmosphere. 

One such place is Islas Pinas in Pasay City. Dubbed as a food and heritage village, this indoor dining hub is a collaboration between the Double Dragon Group and Chef Margarita Fores. 

Islas Pinas is a new food hub in Metro Manila

Islas Pinas is an expansive 2,500 square meter food hub that features various flavors from the different regions of the Philippines. It also features a picturesque interior design showcasing the country's most popular landmarks. There are recreations of the old-town charm of Vigan's Calle Crisologo and the breathtaking Ifugao Rice Terraces, and re-imaginings of the Chocolate Hills, the Palawan Limestone Cliffs, and the enormous walls and buttresses of Paoay Church. 

Tarsier Conservation Area: Not Exactly A Conservation Sanctuary

An up-close encounter with a Tarsier is probably one of the top must-dos for visitors to Bohol. After all, the Philippine Tarsier is considered one of the smallest primates in the world and is very rare. 

So when we planned our trip, we made sure to include seeing the Tarsier in our to-do list. We may have made thorough work on our flights, accommodations, and itinerary but we admit we missed to research on the right sanctuary we should be visiting as we left it to our tour driver to make the decision. 

The Bohol Tarsier Conservation Area looks promising from the outside

After making a mandatory stop at the Chocolate Hills, we were dropped off at the Tarsier Conservation Area in Loboc. We bought the tickets and walked through the entrance while under the impression that it is a responsible and non-exploitive animal sanctuary.

From the inside, it looks like a huge animal cage

Shangri-La's Boracay Resort and Spa: A Beautiful Tropical Hideaway

With the reopening of Boracay Island exactly a week ago, everybody gets a second shot at enjoying one of the world's best beaches. However, to maintain the island's pristine condition, the government has implemented various restrictions. One of which is to require visitors to book only in accredited hotels and resorts. Only by showing proof of booking confirmation will visitors be allowed entry into the island.

Shangri-La's Boracay Resort and Spa

If you're wondering where to stay in your Boracay comeback trip, let's take a look at Shangri-La's Boracay Resort and Spa, one of the luxury hotel options that has helped Boracay earn its reputation as one of the world's best island destinations. This is also where we stayed in one of our previous trips to Boracay.

Here's our review of this luxurious beachfront property.

Bohol: A Budget Travel Guide for Juans

We've seen travel and tour packages to Bohol priced from PHP5,000 to PHP7,000 per person. Some may think these are well-priced but these packages do not include meals, shopping expenses, and surcharges. The total cost would easily come up by another thousand or so. So why would you want to book these packages when you can create your own 3D2N itinerary for under PHP4,100 all in? 

Panglao Island in Bohol

Here's our guide to doing it.

Flights
Airfare can be one of the biggest expenses when traveling. But you can always take advantage of airline promotions and schedule your trip months or even a year in advance to drastically reduce transportation costs.  

For our trip to Bohol, we booked our tickets back in November 2017 during Air Asia's Red Hot Sale. At that time, round trip fare from Manila to Tagbilaran were offered at 16 BIG points plus taxes and fees. Luckily, we were able to book promo seats and managed to score a pretty good deal for 6 persons. We each paid 16 BIG points and PHP415.24 for round trip flight tickets to Tagbilaran. 

Tip: To book cheap flights, be always on the lookout for unbeatable flight deals. When you find one, be ready to make an immediate purchase as these deals sell out really fast. Lastly, be flexible. In a lot of cases, adjustments of a day or two in your travel dates can make a big difference in the price or availability.  

Airfare: 16 BIG Points + PHP415.24 total per person