If you want to reenact that Tom Cruise rock climbing scene in Mission: Impossible 2, one possible…read moreway to do that is via wall climbing. We have to at least start with a harness and a belayer. Otherwise, we might fall to our untimely demise without those two important things. BaseKamp is stationed at the 5th floor of Market! Market! welcoming wall climbing hobbyists and enthusiasts. They offer lessons at P3500 for 9 sessions. It's 2 hours per session, so you'll really get those arms toned in no time. A single climb with a belayer is only P50. Imagine that! And I've always thought that this sport is expensive. For unlimited climbs for adults with belayer is P340; P140 without a belayer. They even encourage kids to try this sport out! If your child is between 7-13 years old, then he or she can try wall climbing already. An unlimited climb for kids without a belayer is P110 while with one, it's P310. It's also open from 12nn-9pm.

This is the 2nd time that we had an event held at Valle Verde Country Club. This past Sunday,…read moreafter 2 years of planning, our family reunion was realized. I'd like to do this review and share our experiences from planning and the actual event. First of all, I give Anne, the Sales Reservation Officer 5 stars for her assistance through the process. I am based abroad and I did everything remotely and it was not easy. She was very attentive and truly cares in giving us a great experience at this club. We encountered some mishap on the function room set up and she facilitated the set up changes we requested and still able to meet our timeframe. The event was a family reunion which entails a lot of bonding and therefore this Agono & Barras rooms should not be recommended to cater for this purpose because the divider cannot be opened fully to have 1 big function room . The food was delicious from the main to the desserts but the best part are the service staff. They were attentive and catered to everything we needed. Lastly, this club has a very old and dull looking facade. The club sign is an eye sore and truly needs some serious refurbishing. It matters because that's the first thing you see and the club sign would be nice to be featured on the video of the event. That takes out 1 star for this my review. Thank you Anne and to your wonderful service staff.

Note: This is a 4.5 Stars Review!…read more My parents have been going here even before I was born. This Country Club was one of the first clubs in Manila. Though the facilities are not as new or "flashy" as the other clubs in the Makati area, Valle Verde Country Club or VVCC feels like a second home for me and my family. I spent my summers here with my friends and cousins. This is where we would have Sunday lunches with family and friends. My dad and brother still go here on weekdays to play tennis. I go here to eat! :) Like any club, you need to be a member to get into VVCC. I only get to eat here because of my dad's membership and he's been a member since the 70's. Some of the waiters here have been working for VVCC since the 80's and know the members like they were family. They know my dad so well that, once they see him, they will have his regular order prepared! The food here is top-notch and they also make a point to add new dishes every month. My favorite dishes are the Pork Chops (two thick pork chops + rice and unli-gravy), Corned Beef, Lengua con Champignon (ox tongue with mushroom butter sauce), and Roast Beef. All their dishes are delicious. I haven't ordered anything I did not like. On Sundays, they have their lunch buffet which includes made-to-order Mongolian rice and barbecue/grilled meats. The lunch sets are "super sulit" and the desserts/pastries are very good too! Did I mention that their dishes each cost about Php250-350 only? Nice! :D Lastly, they also have a "Party Pack" or "Christmas Specials" menu! Available for Take-out and Pick-up, their big orders are perfect for special occasions or get-togethers with family and friends. My dad ALWAYS orders their Paella and Chicken Galantina! I also recommend their Roast Beef. Super delicious dishes! Saves you time and energy come Noche Buena! :D

I was around 6-8 when I was first bought to this place called Kid's at Work. It was basically one…read moregigantic playground or jungle gym. It was a maze of different rooms with a whole load of different things to do. Long slides, a room full of plastic balls, and so much more. It was amazing. It was great. Then came the point where video games were the only things kids would do. It closed. Kidz Republic reminds me of that. It's not something I can review in the sense that I actually tried it, I mean I'm too old for this sort of thing, though I wish I wasn't. As a psych major, I just want to emphasize how something like this can be important for a child's development. They need to learn to have fun in this kind of way and understand what it means to have fun while being active. It's never a bad idea to bring kids to a place like this, so do your kids a favor and take them here.

I remember first finding out about Mystery Manila when one of their sponsored ads caught my eye on…read moreFacebook. I have to give props to their advertising agency or advertising team as the ad was extremely enticing and I know I wasn't the only one whose attention was caught by the copy and graphic that they used. Anyway, when the website finally launched (www.mysterymanila.com), my friends and I rushed to book the first room we could get our hands on. It was called Chained Chamber and we were a group of five (two guys, three girls). Upon entering the grounds at Libis, we were greeted warmly, briefed, offered drinks, and finally, blindfolded, and accompanied to the room we would be solving the mystery in by a guide. I was extremely expressed by what the owners have done with the place and how they've been able to so ingeniously utilize the small space that they have. For that space in time, I really did feel like I was somewhere else and the challenge in itself was quite a feat to tackle. I don't want to give away too much, but allow me to liken the experience to the Amazing Race. Been back several times since the first visit, and I can say that those experiences were super fun as well. I can vouch for the Sinister Sensorium (Jupiter branch) and the Ticking Time Bomb (Libis). Have fun... and don't forget your brain food!

If you feel like you want to play a game... *puts on a Jigsaw voice*…read more You're bound to have fun at Mystery Manila. You and your friends are locked in a room for one hour, and you need to solve some kind of puzzle (depending on the scenario) to get out. No athletics or brute force needed here, just lots of skill points in problem solving and teamwork! It's all about mind games and riddles, which you'll have to solve under an hour. I went with a group of 5 friends for the Sinister Sensorium room in their Makati branch (across Mapua). This was lots of fun because each of us had to pick a disability: 2 of us had to be deaf, 2 blind, and 2 mute. I won't give any spoilers here, but let me just say that it we had an awesome time. Gather a group of friends and try it out! :D (We also realized that if we were to actually be in a serial killer scenario, we'd be so screwed. :P)

This club has a sleepy, low-key, more easygoing vibe compared to the other country clubs in the…read moremetro that are more into activities, activities, activities. It's located a bit farther, in the hills of Antipolo, but I think that contributes to a more naturally beautiful landscape for the golf greens. Valley Golf's much more dedicated to golf actually, and despite having that more laidback "personality," it still has regular patrons from oldtimer members and their guests to newbies. It consistently gets full on weekends! I've never tried golfing myself and have always just gone straight to the club's swimming pool, haha. I like that pool because there are hardly any people and you can just do laps or float along to your heart's content. Once, my friends and I even set up a blanket poolside for tanning. Haha! It's that private. The maintenance staff generally leave you alone once you show up there, but a lifeguard immediately pops up. The pool's big and kidney-shaped, and goes pretty deep at the farther end so be careful. There's a kiddie pool over on one side though for children. Shower & changing rooms are right there too, separate from the golf showers. The amenities at Valley Golf are pretty dated but they've steadily been improving through the years. The men's and women's locker rooms have been refurbished, and so have the gym and lobby/reception area. The restaurant's also been renovated and a new caterer currently services it. Good stuff! You can even have them serve the food poolside. There's also a gym somewhere, a golf shop, lounges, and function halls where you can hold events. Valley Golf's always a great lazy weekend hangout.

Great and nice coaches but, struggling managment. Reservation and scheduling processes is causing…read moretoo much inconvenience. LGU, DOH, other gyms, malls, all of them have adjusted the limitations for medical safety to pave way for slight flexibility but their current processes are outdated that it does not solve current problems and instead its causing very uneccesary headache. If your up for a classic and uncompromised schedule then be my guess. Until they improve that, ill stick to my feedback.

Just got home from playing football here and my first impression was "THIS PLACE IS SO HAWT, I…read moreCAN'T BREATHE!!!". I can only comment on this aspect of the complex since it's the only part I've been to but they really should try to improve the ventilation here. It was seriously like a sauna in there. I sweated more playing here than I usually do outdoors. But hey, maybe that's what they were going for? However, another nuisance is the low ceiling. Play was stopped or disrupted many times when the ball would hit the rafters and stop play during an attempted long pass or throw/kick from the keeper. Overall, you get the sense that this place is where some serious training goes down. They have sections for football, Zumba, yoga, and I've heard even ballet. I'd love to come back here and explore what else this place has to offer. Another plus, they have their own parking and lots of it.

To climb here, you'd need about Php 650. Php 400 for unlimited climbing, Php 100 to rent the…read moreharness, Php 50 to rent climbing shoes, and Php 100 for the single purchase belayer card. You want to clim a wall yes? They'll teach you how to and additionally they'll teach you how to belay (because a belayer costs Php 100 per hour, it's cheaper to climb with a buddy). The coaches were very friendly and taught us about belaying and climbing really well, always highlighting the safety and proper equipment handling. How was it? IT WAS FUN FUN FUN aside from being challenging and tiring. I've been here 3 times and I will still be coming back. Parking: There are limited slots and the road is kinda small. If possible, it would be better to get dropped off but if you're bringing your car, pray for parking or try to get there in the afternoon.

I never thought I would be able to conquer my fear of heights (and frankly, my fear of any physical…read moreactivity aside from eating and stuffing my face with junk food) until I tried wall climbing at Power Up Climbing Gym. The gym is only a few minutes away from my place in Diliman, and it is such a convenient location since it is near public transportation routes. You don't even need to worry about being a beginner. Since the climbing gym is also a club of avid wall climbers and hobbyists who understand how it is to start somewhere, the environment is very conducive to making your first tentative steps to enjoying this strenuous and physically demanding hobby. The first time I went there with a bunch of other friends to celebrate a friend's birthday, I was a bit apprehensive about being hooked up to a harness, since the PJay, the person belaying the rope below (one of the permanent instructors in the gym) was literally half my size. But size doesn't matter, apparently. He was very skilled at hoisting me up the wall, and he cheered me on during my way up. The friendly staff at the climbing gym are very well-trained and experienced in all aspects of wall climbing and bouldering, and they are quick to offer advice as to which hand- or foothold to hang on to next to keep you from falling. They start your climbing session (if you are a first-timer) with an orientation about the basic techniques, and they will also introduce you to the lingo and the jargon that you need to use to make your climbing experience as safe, as enjoyable and as fun as possible. The venue may not be as clean, air-conditioned or well appointed with comfort, but you won't need that here. Don't worry about equipment. Just bring enough cash to rent climbing shoes, and you only pay minimally for the instruction, the belaying, the actual rental of the climbing equipment. There will also be guides to assist you if you are a complete novice. Power Up is a fun and friendly environment even for those who are so out of shape. No prior preparations required. Just bring your guts, lots of chalk for your clammy hands and a good set of activewear.

I still call the place ULTRA. Most of my friends still do. Now, it is formally named Philsports…read moreArena, short for Philippine Institute of Sports Arena. My earliest memory of ULTRA was when my parents brought me here for various sporting events. After that, I would not hear about ULTRA again until I got into running and my friend encouraged me to try its outdoor oval. The track has a rubberized surface designed to relieve the force of impact in my strides, which must be the reason why it attracts both casual joggers and hardcore marathoners. To give some sort of order, the sprinters were relegated to take the inner lanes while the slow joggers stayed on the outer. (Also, I think this is where our national athletes practice and they have the place all to themselves in the morning.) It was a midsummer sunset run but somehow, the place was cool. It had a nice view of the tall buildings by the horizon, which reminded me of the field at the Manila Polo Club. One only has to pay 35 pesos to use the track, which is open until 9pm. It stretches 400 meters long, meaning I had to go around 25 times if I were to achieve my target distance. Another thing worth mentioning is that ice-cold water and Gatorade is being sold by the bleachers.

Carl (the previous reviewer) is right. Nobody I know calls this place "PhilSports Arena" or…read more"PhilSports Complex". To us, it was and it will always be ULTRA. I love it here. I have plenty of fond memories in the oval as I used to run for the track team back in college. So I've witnessed several sunsets here with people that I loved and bonded with even for but a time. The pool is decent too. I've even been inside the fencing hall because my best friends used to train there as they were part of the varsity team in their respective universities. This place is great for a run, a swim, or even just for hanging out. The arena isn't half-bad either.

Finding a resort close to Manila is becoming a challenge these days. For when the hot springs,…read moreprivate pools and resorts of Laguna seem too far, one can always go to Rizal. Good thing a friend of mine discovered Punta De Fabian in Baras, Rizal, accessible via a less-than-two-hour-drive from the heart of Manila. For a "swimming pool collector" like me (and "mamaji" from the Life of Pi), the two swimming pools (one is an infinity pool) of the resort are heaven on earth. Sadly, one was undergoing repair the last time we went there, but that's probably longer a concern now. What I like about these pools (and the resort in general) is that it is not at all crowded. They seem to be doing a good job managing the booking schedules and venues, as the pools and dining areas are never overcrowded, at least in the three times we were there. One additional reason for me to come back again and again is the size of their rooms. You and your friends can literally do cartwheels inside. In one room we stayed at, the bathroom was the size of a studio apartment, no kidding! If you want a tranquil place for your R&R, this is highly recommended!

Basically a mini indoor theme park inside of the City of Dreams complex, DreamWorks DreamPlay is a…read moregreat place to take kids. If you've ever been to DisneyQuest in Orlando, it's sort of a smaller version of that, geared toward a younger crowd. They have a "participant" ticket for 1500 pesos which includes access to all the attractions and a "non-participant" ticket for 350 pesos. Non-participants get to walk around the facility, as well as the Shrek House and Madagascar areas. Basically a cheaper chaperone ticket for the adults that are accompanying the children. You can also upgrade from your ticket at any time if you decide you want to take part in the fun. There's also a VIP pass for 2999 pesos which includes a meal (food, drink, and ice cream) and the ability to skip the line. Although when we went there weren't really many lines for anything so I'm not sure if it's worth it. We only got non-participant tickets just to take a look around but even that was pretty fun. The facility is well designed and well maintained it feels like a legitimate theme park. Even just walking around the themed areas was entertaining and there were various activities scattered around. We got lots of cute pictures and even got a pic with Alex the lion from Madagascar. Although we didn't try any of the attractions they also looked like a ton of fun for kids. It includes things like ropes course, cooking class, theater, and lots of games. DreamPlay is definitely a place to check out if you've got children, especially if they're a big Dreamworks fan!

Dreamplay, City of Dreams Manila some of your staff and crew need a better understanding of Autism,…read morewe had a reservation for 4 pm today under Jerome (3 participant and myself). When we came back at 3:50 pm I was not allowed in because I was not wearing a badge. I told her I was just there to really watch Jerome and when I did the reservation I was not wearing one either. The young girl was obviously not aware of Autism and so is her idiot of a Manager. Seriously? I really don't mind paying an upgrade if it was mentioned when I made a reservation for my son. All other staff at the center was pretty accomodating with my son. FYI my son was wearing a medical bracelet. Thank you for ruining an almost perfect day for my son. #autismsocietyphilippines #dreamplace #cityofdreamsmanila #cityofdreamsplace #autismfamily #autismawareness #autismacceptance #OnlyInThePhilippines