December 27, 2015

KidZania Manila Invasion: For First Timers

My children have been asking for a trip to KIDZANIA since it opened in Manila a few months back. 

We finally gave it a go and bought tickets online via TicketWorld.  The boys were just so thrilled.

MamaSpeaks, welcomes you  to KidZania!

What is KidZania?
KidZania is an indoor role play city where kids can be anybody they want to be. It is it's own nation, where kids actually rule! And my boys are ready for some action.


Our timing was perfect. There were fewer crowd than KidZania's normal full house.   Waiting time was under 10 minutes (well except for the blockbuster Fire Station) ~ Lucky us. 

My 7 year old finished 11 activities (excluding lunch break, bus tour, opening an account and getting a passport) in his 9am-4pm shift. Not bad at all!



First stop ~ the Bank

At entry, the kids were handed KidZanian checks worth 50 kidZos.  Kids (yes parents wait outside, as for all of the other activities) must cash-in their check in the bank. 

  They can then open a bank account, to get an ATM card.  It is real fast and easy.  


Next Stop ~ Immigration

Before role playing, the boys applied for KidZanian passport. Applying for a passport requires parental consent and costs P250. I pre-applied the kids on-line, so the Immigration officer needed simply to retrieve their application from the database.


A passport gives your children a citiZen  status.  CitiZens get special benefits such as discounts and higher pay.  

Naturalized CitiZens for instance gets:
  • 5 kidZos discount on redemption items at the Department Store
  • 5% discount on National Store and Photography and
  • earns extra 2 kidZos per activity

A passport is a good investment, especially if you plan of coming back for more of KidZania.



Third Stop ~ City Tour Bus



A ride on board the tour bus cost 1 kidZo each. Taking the tour bus before doing any activity was a good call, as it gave us a good vista of the town for easier navigation afterwards.

 Parents wanting a break, would appreciate the Parents' Lounge located at the Mezzanine level. Here adults can charge their gadgets, or have coffee.




The boys had a blast playing make believe.  Here are pictures from from the activities they did.

As a radio talent at the DZMM/MOR Radio Station 



As a baker at the Goldilocks Bakeshop 



As construction workers




 Developing treats at the Oishi Creative Hub


 Flying a plane as a Pilot at the Cebu Pacific Hub



 As a patrol police officer at the KidZania Police Department (KZPD)


There are dozens of activities kids can try, a shift is not enough to finish them all. 

Here are the other activities we would come back for:

As a dentist  ~ just look at the make believe child seated on the dental chair. She looks life like.


As a fireman at the Fire Station ~ would definitely do this on our next visit.


As a court observer in the court house




Things to remember when visiting KidZania:

1. Activities may either earn your kids kidZos or cost them. Work activities earns, while activities that teaches cost kidZos.


 Use the map you receive upon entry as guide to check if the activity earns or costs kidZos.

2. Check the census plaques (like the one below), which are helpful guides to learning about the town's different activities. It contains information on age requirement, length of activity, number of visitors who may join the activity and whether the activity will earn or require spending of kidZos. 


Note: CitiZens pay 2 kidZos less or earns 2 kidZos more than published rates.

3. A visit to the KidZania website will  help you choose activities pre-hand.  Prioritize your child's personal interests, but try to encourage him on other activities outside these interests as well.

4. Get your tickets online to avoid disappointments.  You don't want to go there learning there are no more tickets left. When getting your tickets via TicketWorld you would notice that there is a ticket availability indicator (green means light crowd, while red means full house) ~ if you are not particular on the date, I suggest you delay your trip to a less crowded day.

5. Bring your camera and take lots of pictures.  Have fun and enjoy an educational bonding day with your kids.

6.  Most of the activities are for children ages 4-14 years old, however, I noticed that my older child (age 12) was not so keen on joining most of the activities. I think he has already outgrown role playing. It was however, perfect for my 7 year old, who was all over town.


Thumbs Up for KidZania Manila ~ Perfect place for Kids is a perfect place to dream and play!

We had a wonderful day at KidZania ~ we would surely be back for more.




 KidZania Manila is located  at the Park Triangle, North 11th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Tel No: +632 711-KidZ

For inquiries check KidZania's media pages:
instagram: @KidZaniaManila
twitter: @KidZaniaManila

December 16, 2015

MBP Christmas Party: A Christmas to Remember ROCKS!!!

 
It was truly a memorable day for the mommy bloggers who attended this years MBP Christmas Party last December 5 at The Linden Suites' Sky Lounge.
 

I will always remember...
 
 
1. The wonderful mommies I met, who arrived all glammed up in their red and gold outfit (a welcome change from our kitchen uniforms) ready for some serious fun! 
 
(Photo grab from Mommy Gracie of FabMama.net)
 
 
2. Mommy Lariza's "kakulitan" and love for curtains!

 

 
 
 
3.  The wonderful job of the event stylist ~ Amari Events in bringing an elegant and joyful mood to the party. 
I felt like a royalty attending a grand ball. 
 
 
 

4. The hefty lunch buffet sponsored by Mesclun, Linden Suites' in-house restaurant.
 
 
5. The gift roulette ~ which brought the house down with laughter! 
 
 
6. Shoppers Stop for the pretty jewelry boxes.
 

 
7. The MBP friends and sponsors  ~ who gave the mommies aching backs, arms and shoulders by showering us gifts almost impossible to carry :P 
   
 
Thank you for making MBP's Christmas Party 2015, truly "A Christmas Party to Remember".
 
 
  
Jolly

Rebisco VitaCubes
 

Villa Del Conte Chocolates
 

 
Lotus Biscoff

 
Frabelle Foods
  
 

Robinsons Supermarket
 

Melawares
 
Shoppers Stop

Chelsy and Casey

Wacoal

Red Ribbon
 

Cinnabon

 
 
Event stylist and venue:
  
The Linden Suites

Casa Litrato

And the Raffle Sponsors:

Fujidenzo
 
National Bookstore

 
 
 
"Smile... Happiness looks gorgeous on you!"
Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to All!

December 14, 2015

Microtel South Forbes (near Nuvali): Hotel Review

My sister planned a weekend get-away for both our families and our parents. It has been a while since we visited Enchanted Kingdom and thought it would be nice to rekindle lost memories together.  The last time we were there was about 11 years ago.  We were there with our brother, who now lives abroad; and my sister still single.   It was indeed a long time ago, but I can still remember the fun time aboard  Space Shuttle; And my My mom's first and last ride time ride Anchor's Away  (she almost disowned us, after that hellish ride).

We arrived at EK at 11am, and was overwhelmed with the volume of guests.   Too much for catching up with lost memories :P

We only got to ride the Bump Car (twice) and the paid 7D Theater.  The 7D was cool and my boys liked featured attraction on "Zombies".  We had lunch at the Amazon Grill (which was a bad choice, since we smelled like grilled chicken after, strolled a bit, again paid extra to play the Carnival games, bought souvenir shirts and jackets, before finally surrendering to the long lines and the full packed park.  
Did we get our money's worth?  Nah!  It was way too crowded. We should have chosen a weekday to visit! 
We left the park at 3pm and headed to our humble accommodation for the night ~  
MICROTEL South Forbes (near Nuvali).

Microtel South Forbes is about 25 kilometers away from Enchanted Kingdom. And took us 45 minutes to get there.

I love Microtel Rooms, they have spacious rooms and offer basic convenience to travelers at an affordable price.  


My sister handled the room booking and charged me P2600 for the room inclusive of breakfast.

Now about Microtel  South Forbes ~  check in was fast and easy. Having paid just a fraction, of a hotel cost, we already expected less than a 4-5 star hotel accommodation.


We got three deluxe rooms at ground floor.  All the rooms are spic and span.  We requested two queen beds for us.  The beds were comfortable and fits our family of 2 adults and 2 kids snuggly.
My boy testing his side of the bed :P

However, toiletries was lacking. And there are no slippers or bath robe to speak off. 

They do have a safety deposit box for your valuables and hair dryer.




There is also no in room refrigerator, instead the hotel services a mini-pantry with hot water, with coffee and tea, a vendo machine (also located at the ground floor).  They also have ice available at the 2nd floor. 

There is also no pool, which was a downer.  The kids would have loved that.  

Although very near Nuvali, where the action is, it is still about 10-15 minute drive (with traffic).  It would be an inconvenient commute if you are travelling by public transport.

Breakfast was served buffet style at the Umenoya.  Choices was limited, but surprisingly delicious.  We had our fill before our final check-out.    

Overall, we had a fine stay at the Microtel South Forbes.  It is a good halfway house, if you are heading to Tagaytay, which is just an hour away from the hotel.  



Microtel by Wyndham South Forbes
(near Nuvali Sta. Rosa) is located at
South Boulevard, South Forbes Golf City, Brgy. Inchican, Silang, Cavite

      (I got the following photos from the Microtel website).




For reservations and inquiries, you may contact them through the following:
Phone Number:+63(49) 543-4888
Fax Number: +63(49) 543-4800
Email: southforbes@microtel.ph   


Manila Sales Office
Phone Numbers: +63(2) 899-7171 | +63(917) 888-1800
Fax Number: +63(2) 870 0319
Email: sales@microtel.ph, reservations@microtel.ph


December 12, 2015

Holiday Inn Makati: Our Favorite Makati Hotel

For my birthday, my family treated me to a staycation at the Holiday Inn in Makati.
 
My boys figured, mama could go birthday shopping, while they stay and relax (and yes, maybe play their video games) at the hotel.
 
Mama shops while the boys play (in mama's terms: no whining kiddos)...
 
It was such perfect timing too, as Glorietta Malls was running a weekend sale.
  
My loot! Yahoo!
 
 
Holiday Inn in Makati is the newest of the Holiday Inn hotels in the country.  The hotel just opened in 2013.
 
True to the Holiday Inn branding, Holiday Inn Makati distinguished itself as a family hotel ~ with it's children friendly activities and promotions.  Their "Kids Stay and Eat Programme" is a real come on.
 
 
We stayed in a twin  deluxe room, which was stylish and spacious at 32sqm.  It comes equipped with all the basic conveniences.
 
Comfortable beds...  
 

 
A 32inches cable tv (which kept my boys occupied the entire time, while mama went out to do her birthday thingy)...
 
 
 
A loaded mini bar ~ (my boy had his eyes on this Holiday Inn promotional teddy bear).
 


 A safety deposit box to keep your valuables safe, when you go out.

 
 
An iron and board, robes and sleepers...   

 
 
Separate shower and toilet (with bidet, yehey)...



 
 
Toiletries were also of good quality.

 
We paid extra for our breakfast though, since we got a room-only package.
 
We had  breakfast at "Flavors" their in-house restaurant.  Breakfast was good, but with find their spread quite limited.
 

 
Dessert on the other hand was great.

 
 
VERDICT
  1. Holiday Inn Makati is a great choice if you are up for some shopping.  The hotel's direct access to the Glorietta Mall was so convenient. 
  2. Being located the Makati Central Business District (MCBD), it is also a smart choice for business travelers.  
  3. Customer Service is unquestionable. An A+ from the doorman, receptionist, room attendants, concierge and staff at Flavors.  
 
MamaSpeaks and the kiddos will be back! 
 
Holiday Inn Makati is located at
Glorietta 1 - Palm Drive, Ayala Center
Makati City
 
For inquiries visit their website: www.holidayinn.com 
or call 909-0889.