Jaunted - Tag: Philippines Travel

Foreign Grocery Friday: 'Boy Bawang,' the Corn Nuts of The Philippines

JetSetCD — 2011-04-08T14:04:22-05:00

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

You're drunk and you're in Manila, Philippines and looking for a late-night salty snack to absorb some of the liquid sloshing around in your belly or at least kill some hunger pangs. One of the most popular quick, pop-a-handful-into-your-mouth options is called Boy Bawang. A little bag of these things, like a Filipino version of Corn Nuts.

The Taste: "Bawang" is actually Tagalog for "garlic," so you've been warned. This flavor we've got is "super garlic," and after two handfuls, we can barely stand our own breath let alone venture outdoors to talk to our friends. Best to keep "super garlic" a strictly at-home indulgence. The crunch, solid like biting into hominy, is extremely satisfying and it's easy to gobble up to the whole bag and reach for another. This time though, may we suggest the chili cheese flavor to temper the garlic?

Can Manny Pacquiao Save Philippines Tourism from Disasters, Incompetence?

Omri — 2010-11-24T13:30:44-05:00

Manny Pacquiao is most famous for being the world's best pound-for-pound boxer. Right below that, he's famous for being the world's best pound-for-pound boxer who's also a prominent politician. The athlete first ran for the Filipino House of Representatives in 2007, was elected in 2009, and has been serving his country in an official capacity ever since. Now he's taking the next step in boosting the nation's image by potentially serving as the face of the island nation's next tourism campaign.

The Philippines saw its tourism industry take a hit in 2009 on account of the kind of weather that you usually only find in the Bible, and only when God got particularly angry. Things got worse in 2010, with terrorism warnings throughout the year and an August hostage crisis ending with the death of eight Hong Kong tourists plus the hostage taker. Efforts to repair the country's reputation have been rocky, culminating last week with a new tourism site that had to be immediately withdrawn because the url was an almost letter-for-letter copy of a porn site. Even worse, the porn site had the usual English spelling of "filipina," the tourism site not so much.

The Dancing Men and Women Flight Attendants of Cebu Pacific Airlines

JetSetCD — 2010-10-08T12:35:00-05:00

Okay, so you've probably already wasted a couple minutes this week watching the viral video of the female Cebu Pacific flight attendants performing the flight safety briefing to the tune of Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, complete with dance moves, but now that a male version has popped up, it's time to watch again.

In this newest video, you can see three male flight attendants dancing their safety briefing to "The Safety Dance" on another Cebu Pacific flight. Just so we're all clear here, these videos are done by Cebu Pacific and the plane is at cruising altitude during the performance; heck, even the seatbelt signs have already been turned off.

Check out the first, female FA one, below.

Could the Jail With the Thriller-Dancing Inmates Become a Tourist Site?

JetSetCD — 2010-02-02T09:35:11-05:00

We've all seen it and thought it the weirdest/awesomest thing ever: the prisoners who perform the full dance routine for Michael Jackson's Thriller in the prison yard. Back in July 2007 when this video hit YouTube, it took the world by storm and now has garnered over 38 million views. We're sure we're not the only ones to wonder exactly where this prison with rhythm is, and thanks to a little digging, we've discovered its location.

Although it could probably become a tourist destination if the prison was open to giving performances, we doubt there are any plans for that happen—so long as they've still got access to YouTube.

See where the inmates dance to Jackson, after the jump

Luzon: Lava Spews From Mount Mayon in the Philippines

Heidi Atwal — 2009-12-15T15:34:44-05:00

Already battered by typhoons in recent months, it doesn't appear that Mother Nature is easing up on the Philippines, a destination that holds a special place for those of us who have traveled there in recent years. On our last trip, we had the opportunity to trek up an active volcano on horseback, but even the most adventurous of tourists will have to abstain from getting close to Mount Mayon, which is currently spewing lava "half a kilometer downslope," according to a report from The Philippine Star.

Located on Luzon, the largest of the Philippines' 7,000-plus islands, Mayon's seismic activity has triggered "43 volcanic quakes" in recent days, says Business Mirror online. Suffice to say, now is not optimal for visiting the area, though the holidays are a particularly popular time of year for tourists and Philippine expats to travel there.

The World's Five Most Shocking Malls

JetSetCD — 2009-11-11T09:47:45-05:00

Amusement parks, ice-skating rinks, wave pools, and IMAX theatres—believe it or not, these are all found inside of select malls around the world. And although many know of Minnesota's Mall of America, which continues to be a popular road trip destination, the shopping centers that beat it in both size and attractions require an international voyage.

So we spilled the beans; the most shocking malls are not within the United States, but can you guess where they are? Here's a hint: although mall culture is typically associated with North America's suburban malls, a continent on the other side of the world is taking their malls a thousand times more seriously, not to mention larger.

Join us in awe, won't you, as we run down the The World's Top Five Most Shocking Malls, after the jump.

Hope You Aren't Planning A Trip To The Philippines This Month

amandak — 2009-09-28T09:00:17-05:00

We hope not too many Jaunted readers were traveling through the Philippines over the weekend because it hasn't been pretty: a tropical storm hit the north of the country and caused the worst flooding Manila has seen for more than 50 years.

Almost half a million people have been displaced by the floods and sadly, at least 86 have been confirmed dead, with the final death toll expected to be a lot higher.

What this means for travelers: right now is clearly not a fantastic time to be landing in the northern Philippines. Apart from the fact that the locals are busy with more important things than entertaining tourists, with such widespread flooding there's also the danger of disease outbreaks. Postpone your trip if you can. When you do get there, remember we've also warned you to be wary of ferries, okay?

Related Stories:
· Storm Kills Dozens in the Philippines [NY Times]
· Note To Self: Avoid Ferries In The Philippines [Jaunted]

[Photo: Dan Saavedra]