I swung by Ayala Triangle Gardens after a long day at the office last week, and man, it was exactly…read morewhat I needed. Grabbed a spot on one of the benches under the big trees, cracked open a book, and just let the city noise fade into the background while kids ran around laughing and joggers zipped by. The air actually felt fresher in there compared to the rest of Makati--huge green escape right in the middle of all the concrete. Ended up staying longer than planned, got an iced latte from one of the cafes, and watched the sunset hit those colorful "Make it Happen, Make it Makati" letters. Felt so peaceful and alive at the same time. Five stars, no question--I'll be back whenever I need to recharge without leaving the CBD.

Just got back from a quick evening stroll through Ayala Triangle Gardens and honestly, it never…read moredisappoints. After being stuck in back-to-back meetings all day, I needed somewhere to clear my head without fighting traffic out of the CBD. Found a quiet corner near the fountain, plugged in my favorite playlist, and just watched the lights start twinkling as the sun went down. The place was alive but not chaotic--couples walking hand in hand, groups of friends laughing over takeout, a few serious runners circling the paths. Grabbed a cold calamansi drink from one of the stalls and sat there longer than I meant to, feeling the stress literally melt away. That big colorful "Make it Happen, Make it Makati" sign glowing against the skyline is such a vibe too. It's the perfect little pocket of calm in the middle of all the hustle. Easily five stars--can't wait to swing by again soon.

Whenever my friend, Mica, and I get bored of the Belvedere Park, we end up in Merville's…read moreContinental Park. This park is more secluded and there are fewer cars that pass by this place. It's also a great place to just hang out and talk because the airplanes don't really pass overhead. Yes, the noise of the airplanes can be heard but not as bad or as loud as the sound you'll hear when you visit the Belvedere Park. When the airplanes pass, you don't have to stop telling your story to your friend. During the rainy months when Mica and I visit the park, we end up here because there's a little gazebo that has a roof. There are no tables or chairs, so we just sit around on the floor and have a little picnic. At night, children don't really visit the park. There are times when people come to play basketball or practice some dance they need to perfect. Another thing, you can smoke in this park and they won't tell you to stop. Bad for your lungs. But, oh well.

Early this summer, my best friend and I planned a hang out at Fort Bonifacio. We were both tight on…read morecash so we were brain storming on how we can save money on food and drinks but still hang out somewhere nice. We were joking around when my best friend said, "Why don't we have a picnic at Sky Park at SM Aura?" We started laughing but then stopped, looked at each other and smiled. It was actually a great idea! Now, we didn't think actual, full-fledged picnics were allowed, so we just brought some homemade cupcakes and lemonade to share. Sky Park is a little space of an oasis in the desert of the city. Where in a city, it's a concrete jungle, here there's pretty greenery, a nice fountain and fresher air. We spent literally hours their, having snacks, catching up, having fun and taking pictures. We ended up staying until night time and it's really pretty up there at night. You see a great view of the Fort with all the pretty city lights.

We took a bus trip from El Nido to the Underground River. The trip there was a little scary because…read morewe had to switch buses in a small area where there was only a bus stop. We weren't sure that we were in the right place. Once we got on the correct bus, we felt better. The bus ride was bumpy with a lot of turns. My son even got car sick. The town where you get the boats to the Underground River was packed with people. We had to wait in line for quite a while to get tickets. The tour included a lunch which was served in an outdoor tent like area. I even saw a rat! It wasn't very good food. The boat ride to the Underground River we really rough that day. Luckily it wasn't a very long ride. The actual tour of the Underground River was fabulous! My pictures speak for themselves.

When in Palawan, the Underground River is a must! I've toured this river in 2009 (without kids) and…read morein 2018 (with a 1- and 3-year-old) and it was effing amazing both times. It starts at a dock by Sambang Beach where you board a motorized (loud) outrigger boat with about 5 other people. Staff hands out hardhats and life vests. My hubs and I were the only folks who brought kids of any age and while they had childrens' life vests, they were too big for my kids. Yet, we made them work while holding adult hardhats on their heads. We were lucky that child protective services weren't watching. It's about a 20-minute ride to this other spot where you walk a little and switch to a simpler paddle boat you share with about 11 other people. Staff gives you an earpiece to listen to a recorded narration while your tour guide tells you more. It's a short and beautiful ride into a underground/cave part of the river. I don't have good pictures inside the cave because it was too dark, but there are lots of beautiful formations thousands of years old that your tour guide will illuminate with a flashlight within an incredibly peaceful ambiance. This part lasts about 45 minutes. My family really enjoyed it and I super recommend it! TIPS: **Wear rugged clothing (or stuff you don't mind getting f*cked) and waterproof/resistant footwear. **Expect to get your crotch wet. You have to wade at certain parts of the tour. **Try to bring a dry bag (brands like Earth Pak, Marchway, etc. which are also sold at stores along the way there) for your personal belongings. **Your tour guide will offer to take your picture with your own camera/phone. It's a good chance for a full family/group photo. **Life is simple around these parts including the toilet. Bring your own toilet paper for rest stops along the way. Hand sanitizer's also a good idea. **Bring cash to tip your boat crews and tour guide.

This is one of my favorite parks in Makati. While they are more strict than other public parks…read more(like Legaspi Active beside it or Salcedo Park), it is really well maintained. They have areas where you can quietly sit and draw or listen to music (with a headset, of course), grassy areas where kids can run around or appreciate the artsy structures, there's also a gazebo on top of a man-made pond with koi. This park closes at certain hours of the night and has a guard roaming around (so it's pretty safe), it has three entrance doors and piped in music when it is open. Smoking is not allowed inside the park as are pets. This is a great stress-reliever when you feel like taking a walk in a peaceful setting in the middle of the work day.

I'm a big fan of parks. I grew up in the province, and there are days when I miss seeing green…read more This verdant oasis in the middle of Makati was a welcome sight, I tell you. I used to work in the Asian Institute of Management, and I used to take long walks during my lunch break because I didn't have any friends and I didn't want to spend an hour alone in the office. Eventually I stumbled into Washington Sycip Park, and started going there everyday, with my lunchbox and drink, to sit on a bench and enjoy another great day to be alive. It didn't matter if it was sunny, there were great big trees forming a leafy canopy over the park that kept things fresh and breezy.

This is a safe place for children to play in. There are a handful of major parks in the Makati area…read morethat are great for children, among my favorites is Salcedo Park. On Saturdays, they hold the weekend market right beside it so you can spend a little time shopping and a few hours playing with your kid. I love their playground area because they use high-quality materials - none of those dangerous stainless steel slides that rust over time. They use fiberglass and plastic materials for most of their play areas. The flooring along the play area also uses cork material so even if kids fall or tumble, they are relatively safe. Then there's the wide area for grass and lush trees where you could have a nice little family picnic with your Salcedo Market purchases, just bring a blanket and you can have a great family weekend.

Perhaps it is because I grew up in the city and during the 90s, but I appreciate a good park. Not…read morethat I had a ton of parks around me growing up (back then we didn't need any), but because of the value that it offers today. You don't see young children running around and playing on the streets anymore. You don't see their parents hanging around them while they play. You don't have too many places in the city to enjoy fresh air, the outdoors, and what little greenery it has. The Salcedo Park provides all of these things. A visit on a Saturday afternoon will be nostalgic and heartwarming, more than anything. Its playground is a great place for children to be active, and to socialize. It may be good for adults also, as a convenient and refreshing workout spot outside of the gym.

After seeing the Binangonan-Angono Petroglyphs, my travel companions and I hastily went down to…read morecatch the Laguna de Bay sunset from Angono Lakeside Park. The park was definitely a happening place, and a popular place among locals. When we arrived we saw a lot of people sitting and talking, and many children running around or playing in the playground. We also saw a row of restaurants which I later found out serve fresh catch from Laguna de Bay. Even here you will find an artwork, particularly of a sculpture of two mermaids. These are said to be the goddesses of the lake. We walked farther out, away from the crowds, and found a tranquil spot with boats and water hyacinths, though no flowers were in bloom then. From here we watched the sunset and took photos. All was calm, and it was the perfect ending to our day of Angono art tripping.

My 2 and a half year old daughter calls this the My Little Pony playground because it's vast enough…read morefor her to pretend she's Apple Jack or Rainbow Dash. There is a large green space with trees lined about so she can pretend there's a forest. The playground features a kiddie gym with slides and a bridge. She can play on it for hours thinking it's a castle. There are also a few other playground sets surrounding the gym and feature seesaws, rocking horses/trucks, smaller slide sets and a pair of swings. The place also has a basketball court in the back, clean bathrooms because of the rentable clubhouse and well yeah, a clubhouse you can rent for parties. The park is also fairly empty except in the late afternoons but it's never as chaotic as the one in Salcedo. There's a mini grocery nearby and a branch of Becky's Kitchen so you can grab juice and brownies after a tiring afternoon of playing.

My daughter and I have been spending a lot of time in Valle Verde 1 since my boyfriend moved into…read morethe neighborhood. The park is one of the things my daughter and I love about the move because of the playground. Situated in the middle of greenery, the playground features padded flooring and a nice jungle gym set. My daughter loves the slides and the rope bridge. At first, she was hesitant to cross it because the spaces between the ropes were too big for her little toddler feet. She started out by crawling across, then she got more confident and started walking on it. Me and my mommy milestones! *tear* There are a number of parent-child or yaya-child tandems that hang out here, too. It usually doesn't fill up until around 2 or 3 pm, but coming by earlier isn't too hot as well because of all the trees that shade the playground. Aside from that, there are jogging and biking paths around the park. The main function hall, which can be split into two smaller areas or opened up to become one big room, is located by the driveway. It seems like there's a birthday that happens there every weekend so if you plan to rent the place out, make a reservation well ahead of time. Sunday masses are also held here. There's a basketball, tennis, and badminton court on the premises as well. There's a convenience store, a tutorial center, laundry service, and a Metrobank ATM, too. The convenience store closes at around 8 pm, from my observation.

Having transformed several times over the past few years, Baywalk is once again in the midst of…read morechange. This time around, the plan seems to be to add a small road nearly in the middle, big enough to fit a car. This does, needless to say, look like it will definitely be far from attractive when all the work is done. Some things, however, have stayed the same. There are still numerous people hanging out (although the number of fishermen seems to have decreased significantly; perhaps they migrated to the area beside Harbor Square). The various stalls selling a plethora of items to eat, drink and wear are still present. The ubiquitous dogs are also still very much around as are the many cats (a personal favorite) that seem to make their home in the area beside the Manila Yacht Club. Come at the right time of day (early morning or late afternoon, to be precise) and you'll encounter swarms of joggers and dog walkers. Their presence is testimony of the area's appeal for those ambulant by choice. Be warned, the smell of Manila Bay varies in intensity but never really goes away.

My girlfriend will hate me for this, since she prefers the UP Academic Oval (Isko at heart, what…read morecan I say) but this is my favorite jogging route. All throughout college, I jogged from the Taft entrance of Luneta, all the way to Kilometer Zero, hard left to Roxas Boulevard and straight to CCP. 80% of this route is along Baywalk, and when done at the right time, it offers the most gorgeous views. I've lived by the sea all my life, and I find sitting on the breakwater with the sea breeze in my face relaxes me. Try not to get too much of the sea spray on you though. That's Manila Bay. You can get a third eye or an extra arm if you swim in that muck.

The park at Phil-Am Village (PVHA Park to some) is wonderful. Why? Let us count the ways…read more 1. Lots of trees means lots of shade so you can actually lay a banig, rest under trees and enjoy the breeze. 2. There's a jogging patch along the perimeter of the park. Then there's one inside as well, which the trees hover upon so the path is quite shaded. 3. Aside from the jogging path, there are also benches under the trees where those who don't have their banigs can rest. 4. Free massage! The baranggay of Pamplona Dos gives free reflexology training and the dedicated are for the masseuse to put these skills to practice and gain customers is at the PVHA Park. 5. There's a well-maintained children's playground with the standards like swing sets, a slide, see-saw, monkey bars and more. 6. The full-sized basketball court at the PVHA Park is of such good quality that it is even rented by companies for their sportsfests. 7. There's also a tennis court which the PVHA Tennis Club calls home. 8. An open area serves as a small soccer field where villagers and non-villagers play in the afternoons. 9. Another structure serves as a badminton and volleyball court, plus a venue for zumba classes at least twice a week. 10. Every Sunday, there are several food stalls selling an assortment of snacks and other delicacies for villagers and church-goers alike. Would I dare say it's the best park in our area? Why not visit then you be the judge.