SEAIR Announces Special Anniversary Promos

Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR), the Philippines’ premiere leisure airline, offers special anniversary promos in celebration of its 15th anniversary on March 25, 2010.

Travelers can avail of the special morning rates of as low as PhP 1,999.20 per way all-in when they book as early as February for travel from March 2010 onwards. The special rates are available for limited seats for all flights to and from Boracay before 7 a.m.

SEAIR is also offering exclusive discounts for online bookings. Vacationers can get PhP 1,500.00 discount per way for all seats, flights and routes when they book via www.FlySeair.com. To avail of the promo, online users can type iloveseair15 in the promo code field when booking on Jan. 11-18 for travel on Feb. 19-March 26, as well as when booking on March 14-25 for travel on June 15-Oct. 15.

This is SEAIR’s way of thanking travelers for their continued support. The airline has been serving key tourist destinations since 1995, most notably Boracay, and has the longest history of uninterrupted service to Boracay direct via Caticlan.

SEAIR now offers up to 27 flights per day to Boracay (Caticlan) and is now flying daily to the island paradise of Batanes. It also flies to El Nido, Palawan every Wednesday and Sunday, as well as Marinduque every Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

SEAIR is the nation’s second-oldest airline and has flown almost 3 million passengers to local destinations including Tablas (Romblon), Cebu, Clark, Zamboanga, Jolo, and Tawi-tawi. SEAIR also offers the most routes from Caticlan with flights from Caticlan to Manila v.v., Caticlan to Clark v.v and Caticlan to Cebu v.v.

To avail of the SEAIR 15th anniversary promos call SEAIR Reservations at (632)8490100 or book online at www.FlySeair.com. Join SEAIR Facebook Fan Page for updates on promos.

“Spending your vacation here is a great pledge to love your own and do your part in boosting our country’s growth,” said Ace Durano, Secretary of Tourism.

Aside from country’s eight anchor spots, Boracay, Palawan, Davao, Cebu, Bohol, Vigan, Baguio, and Manila, the department is also actively promoting unexplored sites to benefit the communities in said remote areas.

“We enjoin people to visit tucked-away destinations as well for economic gains to trickle down to the grassroots level,” Durano said.

These alternative spots are readily available and highly accessible for tourists who prefer to immerse themselves with the local life, enjoy the flavor of home-grown leisure, and stay in accommodations such as homestays and inns, added the tourism chief.

In the past year, the DOT has launched some alternative sites like the Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park in Leyte and the Danao Adventure Park in Bohol.

Citing other examples of undiscovered spots, Durano shared, “While beaches of Boracay and Palawan are still top-drawers, Camiguin, Leyte, Mindoro, Occidental and Oriental Negros, Siquijor, Quezon also have pristine waters and stunning coastlines.”

Nature-lovers may head off to Bataan, Batanes, Benguet, Bulacan, Cavite, Marinduque, and Romblon, while heritage hunters may seek the old historical charm of Bacolod and Iloilo, aside from Ilocos.

Tourists who plan to troop to the cities of Manila, Makati, Cebu and Davao have a range of options laid out for them. “On top of shopping, food trips, night-time entertainment and theme park activities, we have huge theater performances and concerts lined up for the year,” said DOT Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque, Jr.

The head of Planning and Promotions also noted the travel trends that the public should look out for. “Extreme outdoor activities are big this year. The range is more expansive now, with tourists who are open-minded and raring to experience something new,” Jarque shared.

The department has been relentlessly supporting adventure activities such as plunges, zipline rides, wakeboarding, skimboarding, kayaking and cylotourism among others.

The young-at-heart on the other hand may try other activities, as the country caters to a broad spectrum of different preferences of travelers.

“A beach lover can enjoy a relaxing spa retreat in Palawan, a festive party in Boracay, or a surfing break in La Union. Our islands offer a unique plethora of things to do for all kinds of tourists,” continued Jarque.

Spiritual pilgrimages, cultural festivities and colorful ethnic celebrations are some other highlights that tourists may also wish to join.

Lastly, the department reminds the public to book early. “It’s ideal to plan ahead, and avail of value-for-money packages offered by hotels, restaurants, malls, theme parks, and entertainment venues,” ended Durano.

The DOT is pleased to share the following long weekends, with the Palace’s declaration of regular and special non-working holidays for 2010 as stated on RA 9492 and Proclamation 1841:

• February 20 – 22, Saturday to Monday (February 22 – EDSA Anniversary)
• April 1 – 4, Thursday – Sunday (April 1 – Holy Thursday, April 2 – Good Friday)
• April 9 – 11 Friday – Sunday (April 9 – Araw ng Kagitingan)
• May 1 – 3, Saturday – Monday (May 1 – Labor Day moved to May 3)
• June 12 to 14, Saturday – Monday, (June 14 – Independence Day)
• August 21 – 23, Saturday – Monday (August 23 – Ninoy Aquino Day)
• August 28 – 30, Saturday – Monday (August 30 – National Heroes Day)
• October 30 – November 1, Saturday – Monday, (November 1 – All Saints Day)
• November 27 to 29, Saturday – Monday, (November 29 – Bonifacio Day)
• December 24 to 27, Friday – Monday (December 24 – Non-Working Holiday, December 25 – Christmas Day, December 27 – Rizal Day)
• December 31 – January 2, Friday – Sunday, (December 31 – Non-Working Holiday, January 1 – New Year’s Day)

The observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adha will be issued by the government upon the advice of the Office on Muslim Affairs.

SEAIR offers Batanes Winter promo

Ready for cold days up north? South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) offers a special limited online offer for travelers who want to experience a chilly holiday season within the Philippines.

Visit www.FlySeair.com and get a ten percent discount on flights to Batanes when you book anytime from December 1 – 25, 2009. Just type “ilovebataneswinter09” in the promo code field upon booking. Travel period is from December 1, 2009 to January 31, 2010. The promo is available for a limited number of seats only.

Batanes, a visual feast of rolling hills and green pastures, traditionally goes through more seasons than the rest of the country. Its close proximity to Taiwan brings the temperature down to as much as 7°C in December and January.

Visitors will be enthralled by historical stone houses, lighthouses guarding immaculate shorelines, rocky beaches and cold weather. This picturesque destination is also known for the freshness of its cuisine, and the warmth of its people. Long likened to the Scottish Highlands and Ireland, the Batanes islands more than holds its own as a uniquely pleasurable travel destination.

SEAIR flies to Basco in Batanes daily. SEAIR also offers up to 27 flights per day to Boracay (Caticlan) and just resumed flights every Sunday and Wednesday to El Nido

SEAIR is the nation’s second-oldest airline and has flown almost 3 million passengers to local destinations including Marinduque, Tablas (Romblon), Cebu, Clark, Zamboanga, Jolo, and Tawi-tawi. SEAIR also offers the most routes from Caticlan with flights from Caticlan to Manila v.v., Caticlan to Clark v.v. and Caticlan to Cebu v.v.

(Photo from www.flyseair.com website)

SEAIR Extends 14th Anniversary Promo with Another P70,000,000 in Discounts up for Grabs!

Due to insistent public demand, SEAIR extends its anniversary promo by giving additional discounts of up to P70,000,000. All online ticket purchases from April 1 to May 31, 2009 get P1,400 discount per roundtrip, for all fare classes, for all seats, for all routes, and for all flights from June 15, 2009 to October 15, 2009. Just type iflyseair14 in the promo code field when booking online in www.flyseair.com.

SEAIR adds Flights to Boracay for 2009 Holy Week

SEAIR just added more flights from Manila to Boracay and vice versa from April 6 – 13, 2009. Those who want to spend their holidays in Boracay can still get seats! For bookings please call (02)8490100 or book online at www.flyseair.com.

Hermanos Tapas and Deli Bar is located along Julia Vargas Avenue in Ortigas. It’s inside the Home Depot compound along with other new restaurants and bars people would usually hang out on a typical Friday night. Hermanos opened last February. They invited over some friends and bloggers to try out their food. Gail and I needed to unwind at that time so we decided to check it out.

The place is not too big and yet it’s very classy. Everything you see inside have a Spanish touch to it – from the big entrance door, walls made of bricks, aged picture frames, wooden tables and benches, etc. They adorned the whole place with old yellow-lit lamps which can be very romantic. The second floor seems to be the main dining area. And there’s also tables outside where you can hang out with friends drinking beer while eating one of their Tapas de Kastinoy dishes.

Hermanos offers traditional Spanish food and wine as well Filipino delicacies. During the event, we got to try most of their famous dishes like their famous Tapang Usa de Katipunan (P250) served with wine vinegar – very tasty, and (Vigan) Longganiza de la Revolucion (P280). My favorite was the Boquirones ala Ibarra (P250) which was very similar to the kinilaw. Here are some of the photos I took:

Bola-Bola Paella dela Guerra (Deep fried breaded paella rice with chili tomato sauce) – P150.

Gambas de las Islas (Shrimp sauteed in garlic, chili and olive oil) – P290.

Overall, I find the food very exquisitely pleasing to the taste buds. Or in other words, very flavorsome. In most restaurants I’ve been too, there would always be food that I like and do not like. But over at Hermanos, nothing was boring. All the the dishes I got to “taste test” were delicious. They also serve red and white wine (P100 per glass), and an assortment of cervezas (or beer).

The price may be a bit pricey but not overpriced because the food is excellent. You can check out their menu over here to see for yourself. Hermanos Tapas and Deli Bar is the the kinda of place businessmen and yuppies would love to go to and eat really good food. It can also be a good place to have a romantic dinner for some.

Tapas Filipinas Hermanos Deli and Bar
Unit 104 Bldg C Ortigas Home Depot Complex
Doña Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig city
Phone: (+632) 706-4978
Website: http://hermanosdelibar.multiply.com/

You can learn more about Hermanos over at the FoodBlog.ph. The event was featured in QTV and here’s a video clip of it:

In celebration of SEAIR’s 14th anniversary on March 25, 2009, it is offering a very special treat online. All online ticket purchases from March 25, 2009 to March 28, 2009 get P1400 discount per way, for all fare classes, for all seats, for all routes, and for all flights from June 15, 2009 to September 15, 2009. To avail of the SEAIR 14th anniversary promo, just visit www.flyseair.com and type in the promo code iloveseair14 in the promo code field.

SEAIR offers daily flights to Batanes this summer

SEAIR now flies daily to Batanes to serve tourists to this beautiful northern paradise. Visitors now have full flexibility on their itinerary and have more options on what day they want to go to Batanes and return to Manila. The flights utilize SEAIR’s Dornier 328 planes which take vacationers comfortably to Batanes in just 1 hour and 20 minutes.

For bookings please call SEAIR reservations at (632)8490100 or book online at www.flyseair.com. For packages please call SEAIR Leisure Escape Packages at (632)8437308

Bolero and Fishbar give 10% discount to SEAIR passengers

Two more establishments in Boracay now give special privileges to SEAIR passengers. Bolero, in station 3 area, and Fishbar, in D’mall area, both give 10% discount to all SEAIR passengers upon presentation of their SEAIR boarding pass. These are the most recent additions to SEAIR Hot Deals Boarding Pass Privileges Program.

Together with fastest flights to Boracay, fastest queues and check-in procedures, fastest baggage claim, and VIP transfers to Boracay and back, boarding pass privileges in establishments in Boracay and Manila add to the advantages of SEAIR.

To see the partner establishments check the hot deals boarding pass privileges ad in the Inflight magazine. To book flights to Boracay call (632)8490100 or visit www.flyseair.com.

BlueWater Day Spa has recently introduced this spa movie theatre concept as a one-of-a-kind service being offered at their newly opened Ortigas Avenue branch. It’s the first ever spa movie theatre in the whole wide world according to their president, Francis Simisim. If ever you see one of those posters or billboards of Marian Rivera and Piolo Pascual endorsing a spa, it’s them – BlueWater Day Spa!

Sorry for the horrible visuals earlier. Imagine this instead – relaxing foot reflex treatment with back and shoulder massage, Marian Rivera as your masseuse (just kidding), HD cinema projector with Dolby Surround 7.1 sound system, reclining Lazy boy type leather sofas, and a refreshing drink of whatever drink they serve there. (I hope they serve wheatgrass – it’s the new “in” thing with health buffs nowadays). The spa theatre can accommodate up to 28 people so this is ideal for business or group meetings, private parties, conferences, and the like. You should check out their website at www.bluewaterdayspa.com to learn more about their other products and services. To see how relaxing it is over at Blue Water Day Spa, here’s a YouTube clip:

BlueWater Day Spa Movie Theater Competition

They are doing this online contest wherein 28 lucky winners will get to experience their spa movie theater for free. It’s called – Blue Water Day Spa Movie Theatre Competition (duh!). So I have to blog about what would be a great “family” (or wholesome is what Francis is trying to say I believe) event inside the spa movie theater.

Here are my suggestions:

• Watch an Ateneo vs. La Salle UAAP Basketball finals match together with your buddies. The number of Ateneans and La Sallites must be proportionate so that in the event of a rumble inside the theatre, the brawl is even.
• Enjoy the upcoming Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton fight inside the BlueWater Day Spa – Spa Theatre instead of watching it in SM Megamall or in the basketball court of your barangay together with the city mayor, tanods, and manong guard.
• Let say it’s your family’s turn to sponsor this year’s grand family reunion. So to impress your grandest lolo alive and everyone else in your clan, take them to a “Spa Movie Theater Family Reunion”. But since only 28 people are allowed at a time, maybe you can just do it in batches. As for the movie, make sure you prepare a special one-hour family tribute presentation.
• You can save up and celebrate your next birthday party in the spa theatre (para sosyal!). And then so that your girl pals will no longer think you are cheap, treat them all to a surprise Brazilian wax. They’ll either thank you or never talk to you again for that. If you have more than 28 friends at the moment, then you better start making enemies.
• Since I will most likely volunteer again (as if I have a choice) for the next Philippine Blog Awards (PBA) event, a spa movie theater session would be a nice treat to the volunteers. Better yet, why not do all the planning and meetings in the comfort of a spa theater! Anybody else want to be a PBA volunteer? (And can someone please send Francis a sponsorship letter! Hehe.)
• Lastly, and since this is a travel blog, I surely wouldn’t mind going straight to a spa movie theater session after spending a weekend trip together with my travel mates. That will be truly awesome!

If you’re looking for a no-frills, cheap yet classy mini hotel in Boracay, then The Taj is one of several guesthouses located just 3-minutes away from D’Mall in Station 2. How to get there? You can check out Nina’s (of JustWandering.org) guide to cheap accommodation in Boracay diagram. Rates for their Standard Room accommodation can go as low as Php1,000 during off-peak (June to November), Php1,500 during peak season (December to May), and Php2,500 during holidays. Here are their rates and amenities.

It’s important to note that The Taj is a actually a guesthouse and not a big hotel. It’s ideal for people who wanna make the most of Boracay by spending the least as possible with the accommodation to maximize their spending on the other stuff that you do in Boracay. And among all the guesthouses I’ve seen along Station 2, The Taj is by far the cleanest and most appealing. It is also near a sari-sari store. It is managed and operated by the owners themselves.

THE TAJ GUESTHOUSE
Balabag, Boracay Island (Station 2)
Malay, Aklan, Philippines
Phone: (036) 288-4628 (+6332-2884628)
Mobile: (0920) 919-6509 (+63920-9196509
Fax: (036) 288-5695 (+6332-2885695)
E-mail: tajboracay@gmail.com
Website: http://thetajboracay.com/

Note: As far I know, their official website is the one indicated above and NOT the old www.tajboracay.com website. Most of the time, they are fully booked so it’s best to call them up via phone. Make sure to ask if they have any special promos or discounts ‘coz most of the time, they do.

You can learn more about The Taj from these blog posts:
Taj Guesthouse: Classy yet affordable Boracay accommodation
Review: Taj Guesthouse in Boracay
Boracay Hotel? Stay at The Taj Guesthouse!
Taj Guesthouse : Your Perfect Boracay Accommodation

Here’s good news to all lovers and friends, South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) has announced its Valentines promo: Manila-Boracay-Manila and Manila-Busuanga-Manila Buy 1, Take 2 promo or a Manila-Batanes-Manila Buy 1, Take 1 promo which may be booked only at the 16th Travel Tour Expo: Travel in Style 2009 on February 6, 7 and 8 at the SEAIR booths 85 and 95, SMX Convention Center, Seashell Lane, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

For only PhP14,344 (“I love you very much“), travelers could spend a romantic getaway at the island paradise of Boracay or Coron on a Buy 1, Take 2 promo or at picturesque Batanes on a Buy 1, Take 1 promo.

For inquiries and reservations, please call SEAIR at (632)8490100 or book online at www.flyseair.com. The SEAIR ticketing office is located at the La O’ Centre Bldg.1000 Arnaiz Ave. cor. Makati Ave. Makati City , Philippines. For packages please call SEAIR Leisure Escape Packages at (632) 8437308.

I wasn’t too familiar with Moroccan cuisine so I didn’t know what to expect. Moroccan food use an assortment of spices including mint, olives, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, chillies, lavender, and saffron which is considered as the most expensive spice out there. It was dinner time when we arrived at Kasbah.

While waiting for our food to be cooked, we tried out their freshly baked Hummus that you eat along with three different kinds of dips. Their signature drink is called Fez which tastes a lot like a mojito because of the vodka and mint blended with iced tea. (Speaking of Fez, you can check out their ‘Fezbook’ account here. They don’t have a website yet.)

A blurry image of the Fez.

Different blends of dips for the Hummus.

The food were served in special dome-shaped Moroccan pots called tajines (or tagines). Apparently, this is where they cook the food as well. A tajine somewhat resembles a convection oven so it keeps the food moist and bursting with flavors. We got to taste some of Kasbah’s specialties like the Beef Tajine – the meat was very tasty and tender, Chicken Tajine – not as spicy as I expected, Moroccan Grilled Shrimp – very juicy and a bit spicy, and Seafood Saffron Tajine – very rich in flavor. Too bad their best-seller Lamb Tajine was not available at that time but we were able to sample Lamb and Seafood Kebabs.

Those are some large, nasty Moroccan Grilled Shrimps… yummy!

Nope, that’s not Chicken Curry. It just looks like one.

Seafood Saffron Tajine. It looks and sound expensive, but it’s worth it.

Overall, it was a very hearty dinner we all enjoyed. Very exquisite. Very different. Truly Moroccan. At the end of it all, we were served with Moroccan Mint Tea. And like all the Moroccan dishes we have sampled, this mint tea tasted uniquely different. It was cleansing and addictive because of the combination of sweetness and mint. I kept coming back for more cups while everyone was busy chit-chatting.

As for the place, what more can I say. It’s very Moroccan, duh! You have blue tables and chairs, tajine pots all over the place, brass Moroccan lamps, and even the little things like the ashtrays and curtains all have that Moroccan look and feel.

Kasbah Moroccan Bar and Restaurant in Boracay (Station 1)

The people in Kasbah including the owners (Donna and Martin) are very friendly. If you’re planning to go to Boracay and want try eating at a place that is something out of the ordinary, then you should try dining at Kasbah Moroccan Bar and Restaurant. If you have any questions, you can get in touch with Evelyn Pena (Operations Manager) at 0923-3533803 or email them at kasbahboracay@gmail.com.

Eric of Byahilo.com wearing a Fez hat while drinking Fez.