Seoul Searching | SMTown at COEX Artium!

For any Kpop fan, no trip to COEX (or Seoul, for that matter) would be complete without visiting SMTown - a sprawling, six-story hub of all things Kpop.

Hello, SMTown! We finally meet! :)

The huge 'SMTown' sign was actually the first thing that I noticed as we entered the premises of COEX Mall. And like a piece of metal attracted to a magnet, my feet just automatically took me there. My boys obviously had no choice but to follow suit. Haha!

Life-size versions of EXO Paper Toys.

Follow me to SMTown! Virtual tour after the jump! :)

Seoul Searching | COEX Aquarium.

On our second Sunday in Seoul, the boys and I visited COEX Aquarium, which is just a few subway stations away from where we live. 'Twas a perfect day to go to a family-friendly attraction as that Sunday coincided with Mother's Day and Parents' Day here in Korea.

Welcome to COEX Aquarium!

Beware of Jaws!

Shark teeth on display at the entrance.

Shark art! :)

Let's go on a Water Journey! More of COEX Aquarium after the jump!

Seoul Searching | Seoul Forest.

In South Korea, May 5 is declared as Children's Day, one of the eleven official holidays in the country. On this day, parents give presents to their children and spend time with them by taking them to zoos, museums, playgrounds, and other child-friendly venues.

We had the chance to celebrate this foreign holiday yesterday - a first for us, since we don't have Children's Day in the Philippines. I originally planned to take Yue to the Children's Grand Park, a popular family destination during Children's Day, but I had been warned by my Korean friend that we might not be able to fully enjoy the park as it would most likely be jam-packed.

I took her word for it, so I took Yue to nearby Seoul Forest instead. I anticipated that the place would be just as crowded, but at least it would not be a waste of bus/subway fare since Seoul Forest is just a fifteen-minute walk from where we live.

Yue at Seoul Forest.

The third largest park in the city, Seoul Forest was established to satisfy the people's desire to have more green spaces and recreational places in Seoul. The park was officially opened in June 2005, and has since been a popular destination for both tourists and locals.

Lovely trees surrounding the car park. 

Our Children's Day/Seoul Forest experience after the jump! Lots of photos! :)

Seoul Searching | Lotte World Folk Museum.

To cap off our adventure at Lotte World, we paid a visit to the Folk Museum located at the far end of the third floor.

Lotte World Folk Museum.

Established in 1989, this museum gives visitors a chance to experience folk village life through an eclectic array of exhibits, miniature displays, and real-life renditions of architecture. The museum showcases pretty much everything about Korean history - from the Stone Age era to the period of Three Kingdoms (Baekje, Goguryeo, Silla), from Goryeo to the Joseon dynasty, all the way to the Japanese colonial period.

A Tyrannosaurus Rex replica, half of its original size.

Hunting during the Paleolithic era.

Fishing and gathering food the Neolithic era.

The use of animation (yes, the displays move and they have sounds, too) and smaller scale models allow for better illustration of Korea's history. It also makes the museum more fun and enjoyable, especially for children.

Yue: This museum is not boring! I like it!

There are also 'play areas' that allow you to touch and feel traditional Korean musical instruments and even play traditional Korean games, too.

Yue playing Tuho, a traditional Korean game of throwing arrows
into the top of a narrow-necked wooden jar.

More of the Folk Museum, in pictures, after the jump!

Seoul Searching | Fun at Lotte World!

On our second Sunday in Seoul, my husband and I chose to go to a place that Yue will never be able to resist - Lotte World! It is a theme park after all, and there would be no chance in hell that Yue (or any other kid, for that matter) would say no to this. The little man got out of bed as soon as we told him we were going to a theme park. He even ate breakfast in a jiffy, and was the first one to take a bath that morning.

By 8:30 am, we were out and about, waiting for the subway to take us to Jamsil Station. It was our first time and the only time we took the subway during our two-week stay in Seoul.

Waiting for the train to arrive.

The train came after a few minutes, and about three or four stops later, we finally arrived at Lotte World!

Hello from Lotte World!

But first things first - tickets! We purchased ours at a discount, thanks to my Korean unni. She was the one who bought them at the Ticket Office using her credit card, which had some sort of ongoing promotion.

Ticket Office.

From the regular rate of 48000 won (around $41 or Php 1900) each for the 'Daily Passport Ticket', we were able to buy ours for only 15000 won (around $12 or Php 600). That's just 45000 won (around $38 or Php 1785) for the three of us!

Our tickets to adventure!

The Daily Passport Ticket includes admission and playing facilities to both the indoor and outdoor theme park, as well as free admission to the Lotte World Museum (will write a separate blog post about this later). If you're not into rides, you can settle for the Admission Only Ticket, which is a bit cheaper at 33000 won (around $28 or Php 1300). However, I suggest you buy the Daily Passport Ticket for you to fully enjoy the theme park. 

Lotte World Adventure!

More of our Lotte World Adventure after the jump!

A Visit to the Manila Ocean Park.

Weekends are usually crazy fun whenever Mum is home. It's either we're out of town, or out of the country if the time and budget permits. As long as we're out of the house, that's fine for us wanderlusts.

And so three weeks ago, my family and I visited the Manila Ocean Park as Mum's treat to all the September birthday celebrants in the family. There are four - my brother, my sister-in-law, and my niece, as well as my brother-in-law. (If I were to include my cousin, who's currently living in London, that would be five. It's like having a birthday party every week of September!)

The little man has landed!

Our little wanderlusts.

The country's first marine theme park, the Manila Ocean Park first opened to the public in 2008. (I can't believe it took us six long years before we finally visited, lol.) This 'integrated urban resort' features marine life attractions, educational facilities, shopping and dining amenities, as well as an aqua-themed hotel.

The Manila Ocean Park is open daily, all-year round. They operate from 10am to 9pm on weekdays, while on weekends, they're open from 9am to 9pm. Ticket prices range from Php 400 to Php 1100, depending on the attractions included in the package. Out of the six packages available, we chose the Deep Sea Rush package (Php 550) which includes five attractions - the Oceanarium, the Jellies Exhibit, the Sea Lion Show, the Fish Spa, and the Penguin Talk Show.

Fambam! There were ten of us, including my brother who took this photo. :)

Our first stop (after what seemed like a thousand photo ops in the entrance and at the lobby) was the Jellies Exhibit, which features various species of these so-called 'dancing sea fairies'.

Jelly fish galore!

This exhibit is like a scene from a sci-fi movie, with those huge cylindrical tanks and multi-colored lights illuminating the jelly fish. There's even classical music playing in the background which makes this attraction even more enchanting, as if these delicate sea creatures are actually dancing to the music.

Fascinated!

After being wowed by the jelly fish, we headed outside for the Sea Lion Show, which I reckon is my little man's most favorite attraction. The show, which runs for about 20 minutes, features the adorable sea lions from South America.

Basking in the sun while waiting for the show to start.

With the help of their individual trainers, the sea lions performed in front of the crowd, showing cool tricks such as clapping their flippers, shaking their head, playing with balls and water guns, and covering their faces as if to hide embarrassment.

The sea lions and their trainers.

These smart sea creatures can also stand straight and salute, and 'dance' by wriggling their back flippers and spinning round and round. The little man enjoyed the sea lions so much that he wanted to stay and watch the next show. That wasn't possible, of course, as re-entries are prohibited in all attractions.

Salute!

We were famished by the time the show was over, so we decided to have lunch first before visiting the other attractions. From the numerous food options at the Manila Ocean Park, we chose Liquid Pool + Lounge for their Eat All You Can offering.

Liquid Pool + Lounge.

Now priced at Php 230 per person, the buffet features a variety of dishes for a full course meal. There's soup and nachos for starters, and noodles and pasta, too. For the main course, there are fish, chicken, pork, and vegetable dishes to choose from. And for dessert, you can choose from a variety of fruits in season, or the usual buko pandan and fruit salad.

Burp! :)

I must say, we enjoyed our dining experience at Liquid. The food was great, and the price was pretty reasonable, too. Definitely not bad for Php 230.

After our tummy-fill, we made our way to the Oceanarium, the most popular attraction of the Manila Ocean Park.

These trailing vines greet you as you make your way inside the Oceanarium.

Home to 14,000 marine creatures from more than 200 species, the Oceanarium is a stunning underwater adventure, a walk-through of the depths of the ocean.

Underwater adventure. :)

At the heart of the Oceanarium is the main attraction - a 25 meter long, 220° curved walkway tunnel with a spectacular underwater view of amazing sea creatures swimming overhead.

Stingray.

We were all in awe of these sea creatures, especially the sharks and the stingrays. The kids, on the other hand, loved the little fishes especially the ones that they were most familiar with - Nemo (clown fish), Dory (blue tang fish), and Sheldon (sea horse).

Shark.

Spine fish.

Dory!

Piranhas!

We were supposed to watch the Penguin Talk Show afterwards, but decided to skip it after realizing that it's just an animated lecture with no live penguins. And after seeing the long queue at the Fish Spa, Mum decided to skip that as well, and go souvenir shopping instead.

Duty Free Philippines at Manila Ocean Park.

We went to the souvenir shop located at the second floor, where we bought plushies, tees, and fridge magnets. Their merchandise are reasonably priced, with tees ranging from Php 250 to Php 350, plush toys from Php 200 up, and fridge magnets for as low as Php 30. 

Shopping for fridge magnets, shirts, and toys. :)

Our visit to the Manila Ocean Park was definitely fun and very educational. Next time we visit, I'll make sure to include the Trails to Antarctica in our package. I know my little man would love to see the real-life penguins up close and personal. :)

The Manila Ocean Park
behind Quirino Grand Stand, 
Luneta, Manila, Philippines
(02) 567 7777
inquiry@manilaoceanpark.com

Scary fun at Ocean Park Hong Kong Halloween Fest 2014!

Halloween is just around the corner, and Ocean Park - Hong Kong's unique, homegrown theme park - is now set to give its visitors a memorable, spook-tacular, scream-tastic experience.

Performers from Ocean Park Hong Kong.

At a media launch held two weeks ago, characters from Ocean Park Hong Kong flew all the way to Manila to give us a sneak peek of their Halloween attractions. Some of the attractions include:

H14 at Thrill Mountain, The Summit.

H14 presented by Modern Education.
Admission to this ultimate haunted attraction will be restricted to persons aged 16 or above, and requires online registration in advance. Those brave enough can take the challenge alone, or go in a group of up to six people. Different from the usual spooks, H14 is designed to challenge the limits of the senses and the fright tolerance of each guest, who must overcome their phobias to complete different tasks as they advance through a series of locked chambers. More hauntingly still, the experience of each guest is specifically customized based on personal information collected before entering the attraction.

Rigor Mortis Live at Cable Car Plaza, The Summit.

Rigor Mortis Live presented by Yahoo! Hong Kong.
Together with film director Juno Mak, this attraction brings to life scenes from his award-winning movie, Rigor Mortis. This attraction will have its guests walking through dark corridors while being chased by a masked vampire.

Horror-wood Studios at Waterfront Plaza.

Horror-wood Studios.
One of Ocean Park's 'transforming attractions', Horror-wood Studios is actually Phantom Studios during daytime. At 5pm, the lighting, music and even the set design will change to reveal a new adventure of terror, thereby transforming the attraction into Horror-wood Studios. After guests leave the attraction, they can review their journey as captured on camera. A selfie video camera is also available for rent – a first for haunted attractions worldwide – so guests can capture and take home their most frightful moments.

Forest of Doom at Thrill Mountain, The Summit.

Forest of Doom.
A second transforming attraction is themed on the forest, changing from Forest of Legends during the day to Forest of Doom in the evening. In both incarnations, guests can collect unique commemorative seals on a complementary Ghost Journal at different spots throughout the attraction.

Chinese Mad-icine Hall at The Abyss, The Summit.

Chinese Mad-icine Hall.

Not for the faint of heart, this 'intense scare' attraction  features floating organs, a maze of corpses, and a mad doctor ready to experiment on his guests.

Doraemon Halloween Party!

Doraemon Halloween Party.
Asia's first Doraemon-themed Halloween attraction, Doraemon Halloween Party is catered to families for some good, clean, child-friendly fun. Doraemon & friends will showcase their new Halloween looks in Asia for the first time at Whiskers Harbour, where they can interact with the visitors.

Halloween fun!

Guests will be able to visit the Doraemon House of Gadgets, featuring his favourite gadgets such as the “Time Machine” and “Anywhere Door”, and take photos with various Doraemon decorations and meet-and-greet the gang of characters. Doraemon fans will also love the Doraemon-themed food and drinks, and merchandise.

During Halloween Fest, guests can enjoy fun and scares all day and night for the price of one regular ticket. As an added treat, Philippine Airlines passengers with valid boarding passes will enjoy a 12-percent discount on Ocean Park admission tickets. This promo will run until December 31, 2014. In addition, Ocean Park visitors can get a 10- to 15-percent discount on admission to 21 other theme parks worldwide, including our very own Enchanted Kingdom.