Rest. Heal. Renew at Park Inn By Radisson Davao

Rest your body and uplift your soul at the comfort of your hotel room. Park Inn by Radisson Davao in partnership with Elysia Wellness Spaintroduces a relaxing and soothing in-room massage that will help you refresh and rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit. (Read: Davao City Complete Travel Guide)

Enhance your overall wellness by enjoying an array of massage treatments that can increase circulation and relieve stress. Take a break from your exciting Davao vacation or business trip and enjoy a massage customized to suit your needs and preferences. Elysia Wellness Spa’s masseurs and masseuses are professionally trained.

Spend a night in one of Park Inn Davao’s colorful standard rooms and avail of the relaxing massage package. It includes a welcome drink, revitalizing tea & a fruit platter, your choice of a 60-minute massage or facial treatment by Elysia Wellness Spa. Then, you can start your day with a morning juice or tea at the poolside, followed by their Super Breakfast (also included in the package) for lovely day ahead. You can also enjoy the late check-out benefit until 2pm.

Park Inn Davao’s Super Breakfast includes a selection of fruits, yogurt, congee, noodle soup, fresh salad bar, cold cuts, hash brown and freshly baked breakfast breads. You may also enjoy their traditional hot Filipino variety of Tapa, Tocino or Longganisa and American breakfast favorites such as Bacon and Eggs, Pancakes, Cereals and freshly done Waffles. The Buffet breakfast is served daily from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM on weekdays and 6:00 AM to 10:30 AM on weekends.

PArk Inn Davao's GM Mr. Pavan Kakar and Elysia Spa's Ms. Cherry Al-ag

“This room promotion is a total wellness package at Php5,700 net for double occupancy and Php 4,400 for a single room.” says General Manager Pavan Kakar. “Our well-appointed rooms will give you your much needed rest, the massage can calm your nerves with just the right touch and our superb breakfast buffet will surely energize you in the morning” he added. “All this is possible due to our partnership with Elysia Wellness Spa.”

Park Inn Davao's Management Team with City Tourism Officer Lisette Marques & Eden David of DOT XI

The partnership between Park Inn Davao and Elysia Wellness Spa brought a new hotel experience. Elysia Wellness Spa company began with the husband and wife tandem of Dr. Bernie and Cherry Al-ag to provide work to those asking help from them. From one batch of women sent for formal training at a Department of Health accredited training institution in 2013, a massage center was established where they could work and apply what they learned immediately. It now has four (4) branches in Davao and a well-established loyalty among local residents.

I was lucky enough to try this package and I really enjoyed it. It was perfect after a very tough week I’ve had. It felt like I was in a massage room. The masseuse brought an mp3 player and played tranquilizing music. She also had an aroma humidifier so it added to the spa experience. It was indeed relaxing that I immediately hit the sack after. I suggest you avail of this package and experience rest and rejuvenation at Park Inn by Radisson Davao.

*Disclaimer: The writer was invited along with other media guests to experience the massage package at Park Inn Davao.

Foreigners Who Fell In Love With The Philippines: Karolin Banhardt

Born in the US and raised in Germany, Karolin enjoys traveling and experiencing different cultures all over the world. Instead of going to the "usual" tourist attractions in the Philippines, she found herself having fun in some less-traveled destinations in the country. Let's get to know her more and her interesting adventures in The Philippines. (Read more : Foreigners Who Fell In Love With The Philippines)

So about myself:

I was born in the US (South Carolina – that’s why my name is Karolin), and raised in two small towns in Germany. My whole family has been travelling a lot ever since. I have two older brothers who mean a lot to me and inspire me. I am open-minded; I like the outdoors and of course always a little bit of action, therefore I couldn’t live without sports.

So last year I finished high school, worked in the summer and saved money to go travelling in October. I booked a flight, grabbed my backpack and flew alone to South East Asia.

When I came back I was deeply hit by the post travel depression, so having not much money left I did some trips in Europe, I worked and moved to Vienna, the capital of Austria to study International Business with my dream in mind to once combine my passion for travelling and work.

When did I first visit the Philippines?

I first visited the Philippines in December 2014 for one and a half month, which was far not enough.

Why did I choose the Philippines?

Well, first of all I decided to go to South East Asia because I haven't been there before. Then I did some research and I knew I’ll either have to go to Indonesia or the Philippines. In doing some more research I was sure I'll have to go see the Philippines. I don’t remember why, but I really wanted to stay there during Christmas and New Year and that was a very good decision.. To be honest, I didn't know much about the culture, more about places. Since I didn't travel this region before I thought it couldn't harm taking a look at the Department of Foreign Affairs' web page, which scares many travelers away. They tell you to stay away from areas of conflict and warn you about lots of things. In the end I felt really safe and was not scared at all, but of course my parents were scared. When I was about to fly from Ho-Chi Minh City to Manila there was a Typhoon (Ruby) heading towards the Philippines. My closest friends and family told me to wait till it's over and I already made up plan B visiting my brother in Japan. Many flights were cancelled, but mine was running, so I decided to just trust that airline went in the plane. Luckily when I arrived the Typhoon was gone, it was only raining and pretty cold for Philippines.

What do I love most about Philippines?

That is a very hard question. But if I had to choose, I would say besides the incredible nature it's the feeling you get travelling in the Philippines, the vibe...the people who welcome you, who let you join their lives, their culture and want to show you the most and best of it. Throughout my whole trip I felt like I am really free, and because everyone speaks English travelling is so easy in the Philippines.

My top 3 destinations and why:

Islas Gigantes (Carles, North of Panay): A few islands, hidden away from tourism (that will probably change soon). The nature is incredible, they don't even have roads or cars, only a few motorbikes, no cell service, no wifi and of course lots of scallops-a very special place.

El Nido-Palawan: Even though tourism is expanding in El Nido and prices are quite high for Philippines, this is a must see. The rocky island formations are just breathtaking, I once found myself staring and processing that beauty for 15 minutes without being able to say anything. The nightlife is also nice, not that much partying like Boracay but sweet little bars.

Sipalay, Sugar Beach: I only went there because I was on my way from Dumaguete to Bacolod/Iloilo, but then I stayed longer than I planned. There a few resorts along the beach, but I felt like there were 10 people living. Very quiet, good food, super cheap and very nice locals, whom I played Volleyball with every evening. But like Islas Gigantes it's quite hard to get there.

What makes the Philippines stand out compared to other countries in Asia:

A big difference to other countries in Asia is that the Philippines is a Christian country, therefore the culture is different. Then of course everyone speaks English and everyone is welcoming and friendly and helpful, you will never get lost in the Philippines because there is always someone waiting to help you, sometimes next door's police officer, friends of friends of friends or just a stranger on the other side of the street. You can feel how alive this country is, everything is colorful ( tricycles and jeepneys for example). I visited other countries in Asia and I didn't get to really go into culture like in I did in the Philippines. I actually really enjoyed not having tons of other tourists around me all the time, but I think that might change in the future, so now is the perfect time to go there.

Other things I want to share:

I would like to share my arrival in the Philippines, because I got right chucked into the Philippines haha:

I landed in Manila sometime around noon and planned on doing couchsurfing for one night. My host gave me the address, but the taxi driver didn't find it right away, he had to ask several people on the way. Then I finally got there but my host was still sleeping and didn't hear me knocking on the door, so I wasn't quite sure if it was the right house, but the police officer across the street assured me and helped me knocking and shouting till she finally woke up and let me in. Her flatmate loves to sing karaoke which is a typical thing for Philippines (or whole Asia), so I had to do that. His girlfriend is a model and owns lots of dresses she doesn't need. At night we wanted to go to a very posh hotel bar in Makati, where my host's flatmate works. So he wanted to impress his chef and insisted of dressing me with one of those many beautiful dresses and high heels of his girlfriend , which was something totally different for me on my trip as I was a backpacker and normally dressed myself with convenient and comfortable cloths. The next morning I left for Cebu and wanted to do couchsurfing again in Cebu City. On the flight, my neighbor started talking to me and told me about his family, his usual destinations for vacation and gave me tips. Since I was planning on taking a taxi from the airport to the city, my neighbor invited me to drive with him, because he had a driver. On the way they invited me for lunch and dropped me off right in front of my host's house. And of course they didn’t take any money.the only thing they wanted me to do in return was to have a beer at night with them.

Many things like these happened to me and made me feel safe and welcome throughout my whole trip.

Follow Karolin's adventures:

Instagram: @kaluban

Do you know any foreign traveler who also fell in love with the Philippines? Let me know their contact details so I can also feature them here. Please comment below or hit me an email at glen@escapemanila.com.

Let's make The Philippines a better place to live and a better place for travelers to visit. Let's work hand-in-hand to promote responsible tourism which will ultimately lead to a sustainable tourism industry in the country.

***Photos were provided by Karolin.

TRAVEL INTEL: I amsterdam City Card, is it worth it?

I had nine days to spend in the Dutch capital so it seemed like a good idea to actually buy an I amsterdam City Card. It did promise to be quite the bargain but was it really worth it, you might ask.

In my case, it was indeed worth it!

I bought a 48-hour pass for 59 Euros at the Amsterdam Tourist Information Office across Amsterdam Centraal. The pass included the card, a map, a magazine, and a list of all the attractions you can visit for free with the pass. 

an I amsterdam three-wheeled delivery van outside the amsterdam tourist information office.

The Amsterdam Tourist Information Office across Amsterdam Centraal.
Image grabbed from www.dutchamsterdam.nl

And within the 48 hours since I activated it, I was able to enter eight pay museums and one free museum, hopped on and off trams and buses, and go on a canal cruise. 

When I tallied it at the end, everything should've cost me 136 Euros. That's a saving of 77 Euros. I guess that's not bad, not bad at all. 

	Price in Euros
Van Gogh Museum	17
Portrait of the Golden Age	17.50
Hermitage Amsterdam	17.50
Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam	20*
Amsterdam Museum	12
Oude Kerk	10
Verzetsmuseum Dutch Resistance Museum	10
Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer Op Solder        Our Lord in the Attic	9
Hollandsce Schouwburg	Free
Canal Cruise	16
Public Transport for 48 Hours -Trams, Buses, Metro operated by GVB within Amsterdam	12
TOTAL	136 Euros

*When I was there, The Oasis of Matisse show was on so there was an additional fee one needs to pay to get it. But thanks to the I Amsterdam City Card, I didn't have to. The usual Stedelijk Museum fee is 15 Euros.  

The key to making the most of your City Card is to plan ahead – figure out which museums you’d like to visit and setting a time limit for every stop.  I gave myself about two to three hours for each museum so I really go to enjoy them. 

The I Amsterdam City Card doesn’t get you inside the Anne Frank House but it does get you 2.50 euro discount to the Rijksmuseum. It also gives you a 25% on a bike rental at MacBike. So I guess with all your savings you could pay the fee to get inside one of Amsterdam’s most popular attractions. 

some work going at outside the Van Gogh Museum. the tarps hiding it are prints of Van Gogh.

the Stedelijk Museum was showing "The Oasis of Matisse" when i was in Amsterdam.

the 1895 building part of the Stedelijk museum.
it houses the museum's one of the permanent collections dedicated to design. 

the permanent collection features significant furniture pieces. 

it also features some interesting products. a smoking gun, perhaps?

rembrandt's portrait of his wife, Saskia, at the Amsterdam Museum

a lesson on french and russian history at the Hermitage Amsterdam

the eternal flame at Hollandsce Schouwburg for the victims of the holocaust.

Hollandsce Schouwburg was a theatre that became a deportation center for the jews in occupied Holland.

the older lady shares of stories about what happened in Hollandsce Schouwburg during World War II. 

Our Lord in the Attic is a church in an attic of an old dutch house along one of the canals. 

inside the Oude Kerk (or old church)

the Oude Kerk is the oldest church and building in Amsterdam

the floor of the Oude Kerk features markers like these, of people buried in the old church. 

rembrandt's wife saskia was buried inside the church. 

saw that small dutch house (?) while on a canal cruise

my requisite turista shot in front of Anne Frank's front door

it was a scorching summer day! people tried to cool off at the fountain in front of the Rijksmuseum.

riding a macbike does scream 'i'm a tourist!' but i didn't mind.
wasn't able to avail the discount because i cycled around amsterdam before i bought the pass.

Cebu Pacific Adopts Philippine Eagle "Mindanao"

Philippine Eagle, the country's national bird is one of the largest  and most powerful birds of prey. It is endemic to the Philippines and it's population  is rapidly declining with only about 400 pairs remaining in the wild. It is now considered as one of the world's rarest and most critically endangered vertebrate species.

In order to help these Philippine Eagles survive the threat of extinction, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) was formed. PEF is committed to promote the survival of the Philippine Eagles as well as sustainability of our forest resources. 

Through its breeding program, the foundation aims to augment the dwindling population of these species by releasing the captive bred eagles back to the wild. To date, the foundation has successfully produce 25 captive-bred eagles. 

One of these captive-bred eagles is "Mindanao", the Philippine Eagle ambassador for education. Over the years, 13-year old "Mindanao" has inspired both locals and visitors of the Philippine Eagle Center. "Mindanao" has helped raised awareness about the current situation of the Philippine Eagles as well as the challenges they are currently facing.

PEF does not have enough resources to take care of the eagles in the center. So, they are partnering with companies to help them preserve the life of these wonderful creatures. Recently, Cebu Pacific, the country's leading airline, adopts Philippine Eagle "Mindanao" in an effort to save the Philippine Eagles from extinction. The adoption of "Mindanao" is in line with the company's commitment to act on environmental conservation issues that are linked to the country's biodiversity.

PEF's Executive Director Mr. Dennis Salvador and Cebu Pacific's Director for Products Ms. Apple Ignacio

For five years, Cebu Pacific will take care of the expenses incurred by the center in providing food and necessary veterinary care for "Mindanao".

Through this partnership, Cebu Pacific directly supports PEF's Conservation Breeding and Conservation Education initiatives that will prevent the total extinction of these mighty species. It also extends a helping hand to further accelerate the Captive Breeding Program of PEF, as well as raise awareness about the plight of the Philippine Eagles.

Join the cause and help save the Philippine Eagles. Donate, adopt or volunteer and visit www.philippineeaglefoundation.org. 

Where to Eat in Tacurong : 5 Recommended Restaurants in the City of Goodwill

Situated at the heart of South Central Mindanao, Tacurong City sits at the crossroads of Davao-Gensan-Cotabato highways. It is proud of its multicultural society as it is home to migrants from the Islands of Panay and Negros, Ilocos, Cebu as well as Moro tribes such as Maranao, Tausug and Maguindanao. It is home to some delectable Pinoy comfort food that you can enjoy while exploring the city. (Read: Talakudong Festival 2015).

Here is a list of Must-Try Restaurants in Tacurong City.

Palm Bistro

Situated outside the city proper in Barangay Calean, Palm Bistro offers a relaxing ambiance and delectable dishes including some of Ilonggo's favorites. Must-try is their Kansi - a soup dish that can be likened to a combination of bulalo and sinigang. You can also try their baby back ribs and bulalo steak.

Kansi

Bulalo Steak

Baby Back Ribs

Fortune Place
Fortune Place has been in the business for over 40 years. Ask a local and he/she would probably know about this restaurant. I recommend you try their fresh lumpia and palabok. Their serving is huge, be prepared! 

Fresh Lumpia

Palabok

El Favoritos

One of the most interesting places to eat in Tacurong City is El Favoritos. They are known for their Native Chicken Bulalo and crispy fried chicken in different sauces. Yes, you read it right, they serve a delicious and peppery Native Chicken Bulalo. It is a must-try when you eat at El Favoritos. The tenderness of the chicken and the savory taste of the native chicken make this dish delectable. Eat it while it's hot.

El' Chicken ala NDT sweetcorn and mushroom

El' Chicken ala Chocolata

El' Chicken ala NDT Pineapple & Cream of Mushroom 

Native Chicken Bulalo

Dad's Menu

One of the restaurants we tried when we visited Tacurong City a couple of weeks ago was Dad's Menu. It opened in 2012 and has been positioned itself as one of the must-try restaurants in the city. It offers a wide array of Filipino dishes including kare-kare and a whole lot more. Must-try is their Huatsay soup and their garlic chicken.

Kare-kare

Garlic Chicken

Huatsay Soup

Nandings

Never leave Tacurong without trying the sumptuous and tasty native chicken and hito at NANDINGS. I am a fan of native chicken so I definitely enjoyed every bite of the Native Chicken Barbecue I ordered at Nandings. It's really good. I am drooling while writing this post. Hahaha :) 

Grilled Native Chicken

Inihaw na Hito (Grilled Catfish)

Did we miss anything? Let us know so we can try them when we visit Tacurong again.