How to get to and from the Clark Airport

Clark Airport (CRK), or the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), in Clark Freeport, Pampanga has become a major gateway for several international low cost carriers such as Air Asia (Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu), SEAIR (Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok), and Cebu Pacific (Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Macau and Cebu).

SEAIR also flies from Clark to Boracay (it's the only airline that flies direct to Caticlan from Clark).

There are flights to Incheon, Korea and onwards to the United States with Asiana. While Spirit of Manila will soon be flying to/from Southeast Asia (Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur), East Asia (Taipei, Kaohsiung, Osaka, Hong Kong and Macau), the Middle East (Kuwait, Bahrain, Doha, and Dubai) and the Pacific Islands (Palau).

It's less stressful flying to/from DMIA since there are not that many passengers yet. The problem is the airport is at least an hour away from Metro Manila. So how does one get to/from the Clark Airport to the various tourist destinations?

Taxis from the airport can take you to Greater Clark (Clark Freeport, Angeles City and Mabalacat). But they're not cheap. Clark is a destination in itself, a culinary center and home to several golf courses, casinos and leisure estates. It's also a jump-off point for the Mount Pinatubo trek and the Mount Pinatubo Sky Tour. Also check out the Puning Hot Spring and El Kabayo. Plus there are a lot of hotels in Clark Freeport, Don Juico Avenue and Fields Avenue among many other areas. You'll never run out of things to do in Clark Freeport and Pampanga.

To/from Metro Manila, Philtranco has direct buses to the Clark Airport that leaves SM Megamall five times a day (2:30am, 7am, 11:30am, 1pm and 3pm). You can also catch the bus from their Pasay and Cubao stations. To/from Pasay, the fare is PHP350, and to/from SM Megamall and Cubao, the fare is PHP300 (schedule and fares at time of posting).

To/from South Luzon, from the Philtranco stations in Pasay and Cubao, you can switch buses to destinations in South Luzon, Bicol (Daet, Naga, Legazpi, Tabaco and Donsol), and even to the Visayas (Samar, Leyte and Panay) and Mindanao (Davao). Daet has a surfing beach, Tabaco has ferry services to Catanduanes, another popular surfing area, while Donsol is where you can swim with the whale sharks from November to May.

To/from North Luzon, you can now hop on a bus from the Clark Airport direct to various destinations in North Philippines. Partas has regular aircon and VIP buses to Ilocos (Laoag and Vigan) and Abra. If you plan to go surfing in La Union or Pagudpud, or explore Vigan, you can take these buses. If you want to go to Baguio, Partas drops off passengers at the Sison, Pangasinan station of Victory Liner. Partas VIP buses from the Clark Airport to Laoag cost PHP600 and to Vigan cost PHP484.

Genesis buses take passengers to Baguio City and Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija as well. From Cabanatuan, you could find buses to Cagayan Valley and onward buses to Ifugao (Banaue). You can also get buses to the rest of the Cordilleras (Banaue and Sagada) from Baguio City.

Update (03/10/2010): Clark Airport/DMIA claims to have a 24-hour direct air-conditioned jeepney/shuttle services to/from the Dau Bus Station and SM City Clark. It's Php45 for the Dau Bus Station, and Php30 from SM City Clark. But it seems many people say they did not see any.

In case you miss any of these buses, you can always take a cab to the nearby Dau Bus Station where buses to various destinations in North Philippines and Metro Manila (Pasay, Cubao, Sampaloc and Caloocan) depart from. Sampaloc in Manila is the station closest to Malate where most of the budget hotels and backpackers accommodation can be found. In Cubao or Pasay, you could switch buses for other destinations north or south of Metro Manila.

If you are bringing a car, you can park at the Clark Airport and catch your flight. Overnight parking is PHP90 for every 24 hours, and PHP30 for the daily rate.

Philtanco schedule to/from Clark is Pasay-Clark 06:30, 07:00, 11:30, 14:30 (except Thursday) Php350; SM Megamall-Clark 07:00, 07:30, 12:00, 15:00 (except Thursday) Php300; Clark-Cubao/Megamall/Pasay 12:00, 13:00, 16:30, 20:30 (except Thursday). Philtranco numbers are (02) 8518077 to 79; (0918) 2288831; (0928) 4768203; or (0920) 7981422.

There is now a free shuttle bus service for AirAisa guests from Clark Airport to Marquee Mall and vice versa. Buses leave Marquee Mall at 09:00, 10:20, 13:00, 15:00, 16:30 and 19:00 arriving in Clark Airport after 20 to 30 minutes. Buses leave Clark Airport for Marquee Mall at 10:00, 11:00, 14:30, 16:00 and 17:40. Another free shuttle is for Dau Bus Station, leaving Clark Airport at 21:20. For more information, contact Victory Liner at +63(2) 5597735 or info@victoryliner.com.

Update (03/01/2013): Trinoma now has the Clark Airport Lounge. Buses leave for Clark at 03:30, 08:00 and 14:45; and leave Clark Airport for Trinoma at 07:00, 12:00 and 18:30.

Around Clark: Kambingan in Bayanihan Park

Only the Pampanga locals knew that right beside Bayanihan Park in Angeles City is a small row of restaurants which serve different dishes of goat meat. But now, these kambingans have become very popular after Anthony Bourdain visited them when he was in Pampanga.

They serve kalderetang kambing, pinapaitan, sinigang na kambing and kilawin among other things. Craving for goat meat? Then Pampanga is the place. And there are more food choices in Pampanga than visitors could ever imagine!

Pampanga: C' Italian Dining serves breakfast for the first time!

C' Italian Dining usually opens in time for lunch. But for our Ultimate Philippines tour, we requested Chef Chris Locher to serve breakfast for us. Chef Chris mentioned this was the first time he was serving breakfast. And he sure did not fail to impress.

One the menu was (1) assorted home made freshly baked breads, banana and chocolate muffin, assorted imported jams, honey, muesli and juices, coffee, tea, fresh milk and chocolate milk, fresh fruit platter, (2) fritata with three kinds of cheese, (3) slowly wood fire baked fresh giant white mushrooms, baby white onions and sun ripe tomatoes, (4) home made Italian sausages, honey baked ham and herb smoked pork loin roasted in olive oil, (5) smoked salmon and (6) butcher steak (U.S. Angus beef) char-grilled with fresh rosemary served with Florentine style white bean stew. Everything was as expected, unbelievably good!

Related entries
C' Italian Dining is simply superb!
C' Italian Dining, another sumptuous dinner!

Around Clark: C' Italian Dining and Azur Bistro & Bar

When in Clark Freeport, make sure to try out the many wonderful restaurants that offer a fine selection of international cuisine. After our visits to El Kabayo and Puning Hot Spring, I brought the Qtube crew to C' Italian Dining for lunch. No doubt, this is the best Italian restaurant, if not the best restaurant in town!

Of course, Chef Chris Locher served us their world famous panizza (these are pizza strips you roll with alfalfa and arugula), their homemade sausages, wood fire roasted chicken and pasta. Great selection indeed! If you want to taste the best of C' Italian Dining, join our Mothers' Day tour on May 9!

Anyway, for dinner we trooped to Azur Bistro and Bar, an up and coming restaurant and bar at Enclave along Friendship Highway. With me was Claude Tayag and Meng Tayag-McTavish who also wanted to try it out. Pampanga is really home to so many good restaurants!

Each of us had something different. We ordered (1) Meat Pie Salad, (2) 6-hour Slow Cooked Pork, (3) U.S. Certified Angus Beef Onglet, (4) Lamb Sausage, Mushroom and Tomato Pasta, (5) Corned Pork, Sausage, Black Pudding and Cannellini Beans, (6) Chilean Sea Bass, and (7) Braised Ox Tongue, Mushrooms a Jillo. What a feast!

Part 1: Around Clark: El Kabayo & Puning Hot Spring

Around Clark: El Kabayo & Puning Hot Spring

Who said Clark Freeport was all about leisure estates, duty free shopping and golf? Well, aside from eating, and eating, and eating, there's more to Clark than most people know. Today I got to try two recreational activities one can do while in Clark. And Andy Smith and Andi Manzano of Qtube were there to join me as I explored Clark.

One of those activities is horseback riding at El Kabayo Riding Stables. While you can take the horse around the area, if you are adventurous and up to the task, why not go for a ride down to the Sacobia River and enjoy the lahar canyons created by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption?

The trek can last for hours. But for those who love the outdoors, it's worth it. Well, we got to ride on the horses around Clark. But since we didn't have much time, we decided to save the Sacobia River for another day. I'm definitely coming back!

For the second activity, we moved to another side of Clark to board 4x4 vehicles that would take us to the Puning Hot Spring. It's in the ancestral domain of the Aetas so you'll get to meet a lot of them as you make your way to the hot spring. In fact, the employees of the Puning Hot Spring are mostly indigenous Aetas.

The ride is an attraction in itself, passing through lahar canyons and small streams in Sapang Bato. In fact, some canyons were so narrow, we were driving on the water. The ride from Station 1 to 3 was about 30 minutes, bumpy but exciting!

Station 1 is the Base Camp and has a garden restaurant. Station 2 is the spa and massage area. While Station 3 is the hot spring itself. As we neared Puning Hot Spring, we could feel the water of the stream warming up as we splashed our way through.

At the Puning Hot Spring, we got to go near the source which was a steaming hot waterfall. The water in the stream was close to 90 degrees Celsius. They divert some of the water into various pools with different temperatures ranging from 40 to 70 degrees Celsius. There are eight hot pools and one cold pool. So if one pool is too hot for you, you can take a dip in the next one.

The Puning package costs PHP3,000. And that includes buffet meals, the 4x4 ride from Garden Restaurant to the hot spring and back, entrance fees to the hot spring and use of the facilities, sand steam (that's where they bury you up to the neck under volcanic sand), body mud pack, and a foot massage.

Next up is eating, eating, and eating at C' Italian Dining and Azur.

El Kabayo Riding Stables
Gil Puyat Avenue cor. Panday Pira, Clark Freeport Zone
(045) 4990920, (02) 8523117

Puning Hot Spring
Sitio Target, Sapang Bato, Angeles City
(045) 4990629, (0920) 8664246 & (0919) 3392795
(0917) 5360618 - Korean

Part 2: Around Clark: C' Italian Dining and Azur Bistro & Bar

Pampanga: 14th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (Day 3)

We found ourselves up and about early in the morning in time to catch the lift-off of the the hot air balloons at the 14th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark Freeport. Our tour group left Manila at 3 a.m. and got there before the crowds arrived.

Anyway, it wasn't as sunny as the first time I got to watch this event. But there were more unique balloons this year including one in the shape of an elephant and another in the shape of a Coke bottle.

Related entries
14th International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
Day 1 at the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
Day 3 at the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2008 in Clark Field, Pampanga
Are you going to the 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta?

Pampanga: 14th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

The 14th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta will be held in Clark, Pampanga from February 12 to 15, 2009. Our Valentine's Day tour to the festival is fully-booked already but you can e-mail us at info@ivanhenares.com if you want to be included in the waiting list.

Anyway, you can catch the hot air balloon flights from 5:30 to 7 a.m. daily during the festival. That means leaving Manila by 4 a.m. to be sure you make it on time. Take into consideration that the later you arrive, the harder to find parking.

The schedule also mentions flights late in the afternoon but I'm not quite sure about this since the evenings are usually for the night glow event which you should not miss. Night glow is scheduled for Saturday, 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. The full schedule of the festival is here.

Pampanga: Hot Air Balloon Fiesta tour on Valentine's Day! Book now!

After last year's successful run of Up, up and away! Huffing, puffing and pumping in Pampanga, we're at it again. It's another ultimate experience on February 14, 2009 as we romance up for Valentine's Day and be amazed by the high and mighty in Pampanga!

Gawk at the giant hot air balloons of the 14th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival! Savor the delights of an authentic Italian breakfast at the best cafe this side of Clark. Finally, we'll while away the afternoon in a soothing retreat while stuffing ourselves silly over a sumptuous Kapampangan feast at rustic farm setting! A feast for the body, mind and soul!

This tour leaves Makati at 3 a.m. and includes entrance to the 14th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, a sumptuous breakfast by Chef Chris Locher at C' Italian Dining (they don't usually open for breakfast but made an exception for this tour), and a hearty Kapampangan lunch at Abe's Farm owned by the LJC Group of Cafe Adriatico. Package price is PHP4,500 all inclusive. Only 30 slots are available on the tour on a first-come first-served basis. E-mail info@ivanhenares.com for bookings.

Spa treatments at Nurture Spa Pampanga are optional but highly-recommended! We'll e-mail you the Nurture Spa menu of services and price list if you are interested. Treatments have to be pre-booked due to the number of tour participants.

Speaking of tours, you all might be interested in this...

The BIG Binondo food WOK! Nibbling our way through Chinatown
(Special Chinese New Year Weekend Edition)
Oh yes, its that time of the year again when we BINGE ourselves silly as we welcome the Lunar New Year with a BIG, BIG BITE! It's the BEST time of the year to do the BIG Binondo Food WOK as we say goodbye to a RATTY year and welcome the YEAR of the OX! COWabunga!

Take a WOK with us! Tour dates are on January 24, 2009, Saturday (8 a.m. & 2 p.m.) and January 25, 2009, Sunday (8 a.m. & 2 p.m.). Chinese New Year this year falls on January 26, 2009. Rate is P999.00 per head inclusive of tasting menu. Limited slots and reservations required. Details at (0917) 3291622 or fun@oldmanilawalks.com. I joined the tour in 2007.

Pampanga: C' Italian Dining, another sumptuous dinner!

After so many months of waiting and all those mouth-watering text messages from Chef Chris about their new dishes, I finally got the chance to have dinner again at C' Italian Dining! And indeed, it was filling as always.

We were first given one serving of panizza, the restaurant specialty, and a glass of Carménère red wine to go with it. Then we were served C' sausages, a selection of fennel, garlic and herb, and calabrese. Chef Chris also brough out oriecchette with pomodoro, and onion roasted potatoes with rapini, a kind of brocolli. We could hardly finish everything when Chef Chris came out and asked us, "Are you ready for the main course?"

It was just too much to handle and we had to politely decline whatever that dish was. So we were given some sweet endings, a serving of crème brulée and tiramisu! Yummy!

It's a mystery how we were able to drive up to Baguio with a full stomach. Yup, were staying overnight in Baguio since we have a meeting here early tomorrow. Today was day 1 of our road trip around North Philippines. We're visiting the different convention and visitors bureaus to check how they're doing.

After our regular morning meeting in MNTC, we joined the Pampanga Convention and Visitors Bureau (PCVB) for their courtesy call to Governor Ed Panlilio in the afternoon. In the evening, we met with the Greater Clark Visitors Bureau (GCVB). And in between, we had a staff meeting in Clark. Now, we're here in Baguio to meet with the Baguio Convention and Visitors Bureau (BCVB) tomorrow morning.

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C' Italian Dining is simply superb!

SCTEx Clark-Tarlac stretch opens on Friday, July 25

The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway will be fully operational beginning Friday when the Clark-Tarlac portion of the 94-kilometer opens to the public. I got a sneak preview of the closed portion of the SCTEx today since we were given special permission to drive from Subic to the Luisita Exit in Tarlac.

With the SCTEx complete, travel time from Balintawak to Subic is now just about an hour and forty minutes. While travel from Balintawak to Luisita will be just one hour and twenty minutes. When it opens on Friday, motorists can drive from Subic to La Paz, Tarlac in just a little over an hour. Now that's progress!

Notes: I'll post more photos of my SCTEx Tarlac preview as soon as I get back to Manila. I was quite happy to see that they corrected the "MacArthur Highway" signs which I complained about in a previous post. I found out in San Francisco how the observation made its way to BCDA top brass and got the signs corrected.

Anyway, so much has been happening the past few months, I could barely update everyone about my travels. I'll try to get back in the groove within the next few days so expect a lot of updates from my recent trip to the US and the Mayoyao, Ifugao harvest experience last weekend.

SCTEx on test run until March 24

If you have not yet tried out the most scenic highway in the country, you have until March 24 to do so free of charge! The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway is on test run beginning today and is open from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Remember that they close at 5:30 p.m. and they won't let you in after that.

The SCTEx Exit is a few meters after the Dau Exit of the NLEX. There is a short spur road which will take you to the actual SCTEx. What I found amusing is the fact that there were several signs which had the wrong spelling of MacArthur Highway. To the silly person who did those signs, it's "MacArthur" not "McArthur" since the road is named after Douglas MacArthur! That's what we get for having too much of McDonald's.

On the way to Subic from Clark, the only open exits in the SCTEx are the ones in Dinalupihan and Subic. The SCTEx ends right at the entrance of the Subic-Tipo Tollway so it's really convenient for those going to Subic.

We tried it out on the way to Subic today and it was worth the trip. Imagine arriving in Subic from Clark in just 35 minutes! I still remember the days having to pass through all the traffic in Sta. Cruz, Lubao, Pampanga and other busy intersections along the Gapan-Olongapo Road (now Jose Abad Santos Highway). Finally, smooth travel all the way!

I hope they finish C6 - Lakeshore Expressway soon. The proposed expressway will connect Cavite City to Marilao, Bulacan as well as the SLEX to the NLEX so that you need not travel through chaotic Metro Manila.

Add to that the fact that the highway is so scenic. It passes through the untouched countryside in Porac and Floridablanca, Pampanga. The drive itself is an attraction you should not miss! Enjoy it while it lasts because I could already foresee development creeping in as the different exits are constructed and opened.

And if you make it just in time for sunset (we were almost not allowed inside since we were a few minutes late) the views are nothing but surreal.

North Luzon Expressway
(02) 35000

Pampanga: Cold Spoon serves the best frozen yogurt!

I was told that the best frozen yogurt in the country can be found in Angeles City. And Cold Spoon did not disappoint. It's along Friendship Highway at the corner of the Carmenville Gate 3 access road.

There were just so many toppings to choose from. For my pick, it was Butterfinger bits. If I only could have another one, I would have tried out Comstock blueberry, Oreo, Maltesers or muesli! Yummy! And hear this, they have a drive-thru window for those on the run!

Pampanga: Last day at the 12th Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

It was the last day of the 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta last Sunday and we were hoping that today wouldn't be like the previous day. We got our wish! At least our waking up in the wee hours of the morning paid off. Although it was a bit cloudy, the winds weren't strong so the hot air balloons were able to inflate and take-off.

We were lucky to get photographer's passes for the group (they only sell 100 passes a day) which allowed us to come close and literally touch the hot air balloons! By 7:30 a.m., most of the hot air balloon had taken off for their hare and hound race. And we were off for breakfast at VFW. I took these photos using my Sony Ericsson K850i.

Pampanga: C' Italian Dining is simply superb!

We went to the 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta late Saturday afternoon hoping to see the night glow. But just like the hot air balloon events that morning, it did not push through since the winds were just too strong. People were joking it was all hot air but no balloons.

But that wasn't much of a setback since the highlight for the night was dinner at a by-reservation restaurant called C' Italian Dining, one of the best Italian restaurants not just in Angeles City but in the entire country. It was twice named Best Restaurant by the Philippine Tatler. We had a four-hour, 10-course dinner that night!

Chef Chris Locher prepared for us a special menu with the theme, "Chris, I'm hungry! Feed me!" And here is what we got: (1) panizza selection, served with arugula and alfalfa sprouts; (2) fine carved goose salami and tripo fino from the Piedmont presented with our special ricotta cheese enticed with lemon and virgin olive oil; (3) assorted garden green with balsamic cream; (4) spaghetti bottarga di tonno (a true gift from the gods)

(5) grouper fillet baked with virgin olive oil, tomatoes and fresh basil presented on white truffle oil enriched polenta and Italian broccoli; (6) wood fire roasted chicken with green baby asparagus; (7) pork shoulder braised with black olives and fennel served on butter whipped potatoes; (8) grilled Angus flank steak "the C' classic" served with whole artichokes; (9) lemon cheese cake and (10) chocolate panna cotta.

We were also given a wonderful white wine called Corvo Glicine right before the grouper fillet was served. I also got some kiwi and apricot-flavored Italian soda. It was no surprise that after dinner, we simply could not move!!! Indeed C' Italian Dining is worth the visit!

C' Italian Dining
Don Juico Avenue (Perimeter Road)
Brgy. Malabanas, Angeles City
+63 45 8924059
+63 45 8926993

Pampanga: Armando's Pizza at the Historic Camalig Restaurant

Now have you ever heard of Kapampangan pizza? If not, then you must visit Armando's Pizza at the Historic Camalig Restaurant, the old Nepomuceno rice granary in Angeles City, that had been converted into a restaurant. And what toppings might one find in Doy's Kapampangan? Longganiza, ebun buru (salted duck eggs), onions and pickle relish! It sounds nasty, but tastes heavenly!

I've always been a fan of pizza at the Camalig. The crusts are baked to a perfect crisp with a generous serving of toppings. And if you choose to bring some home to your friends and family, the packaging is a novelty as well since the pizza is placed in a bilao and wrapped in Manila paper like pansit. Well, we're passing by the Camalig after our tour on Sunday. Yum!

Historic Camalig Restaurant
292 Sto. Rosario Street, Angeles City
+63 45 3225641
+63 45 8881077

Pampanga: Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2008 in Clark Field, Pampanga

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

FIRST FIESTA DAY - February 7, Thursday
5:30 - 7:00 am	Hot Air Balloon Flight
7:00 – 7:30 am	Paragliding Exhibition
7:40 – 8:30 am	Ultra-Light Aircraft Formation Flying
8:30 – 9:30 am	Ultra-Light Bomb Dropping Audience Participation
9:30 – 10:00 am	Sky Diving Exhibition
10:00 – 11:00 am	Kite Flying Exhibition
11:00 am – 1:30 pm	Light Airplane Balloon Bursting Competition
1:30 – 2:00 pm	Sky Diving Exhibition
2:00 – 2:45 pm	Army Jeep Club Demonstration
3:45 – 4:30 pm	RC Demonstration Flying
4:30 – 5:00 pm	Rocketry Demonstration
5:00 – 5:20 pm	Ultra-Light Formation Flying
5:20 – 6:00 pm	Hot-Air Balloon Fly-In
SECOND FIESTA DAY - February 8, Friday
5:30 -7:00 am	Hot Air Balloon Flight
7:00 – 7:30 am	Paragliding Exhibition
7:40 – 8:30 am	Ultra-Light Aircraft Flyby
8:30 – 9:30 am	Aerobatic Flight Display
9:30 – 9:50 am	RC Helicopter Show
9:50 – 10:20 am	Fire Fighting Exhibition
10:20 – 11:00 am	Radio Control Aircraft Flying
11:00 – 11:30 am	Sky Diving Exhibition
11:30 am – 12:30 pm	Ultra-Light Bomb Dropping
12:30 – 1:30 pm	Choreographed Kite Flying Exhibition
1:30 – 2:30 pm	AOPA Aircraft Flyby
2:15 – 3:15 pm	Aircraft Balloon Bursting Competition
3:15 – 4:00 pm	Aerobatic Show
4:00 – 4:30 pm	Rocketry Demonstration
4:30 – 5:15 pm	Paragliding Exhibition
5:30 – 6:00 pm	Hot Air Balloon Flights
THIRD FIESTA DAY - February 9, Saturday
5:30 -7:00 am	Hot Air Balloon Flight
7:00 – 7:30 am	Paragliding Exhibition
7:40 – 8:30 am	Ultra-Light Aircraft Flyby
8:30 – 9:30 am	Aerobatic Flight Display
9:30 – 10:00 am	Search and Rescue Flying Exhibition
10:00 – 10:30 am	Missionary Heliostat Aircraft Demo
10:30 – 11:00 am	Sky Diving Exhibiton
11:00 am – 12:30 pm	Light Airplane Balloon Bursting Competition
12:30 – 1:30 pm	Choreographed Kite Flying Exhibition
1:30 – 2:30 pm	Ultra-Light Flying Display
2:30 – 3:15 pm	Agricultural Plane Spray Demo
3:15 – 3:45 pm	Sky Diving Exhibition
3:45 – 4:30 pm	Aerobatic Exhibition
4:30 – 5:00 pm	Rocketry Demonstration
5:00 pm onwards	Kapamilya Caravan Variety Show
5:00 – 5:30 pm	Ultra-Light Flyby
5:30 – 5:45 pm	RC Airplane Flying Demonstration
5:45 – 6:15 pm	Hot Air Balloon Flight
6:45 – 7:30 pm	Hot Air Balloon Night Glow
LAST FIESTA DAY - February 10, Sunday
5:30 - 7:00 am	Hot Air Balloon Flight
7:00 – 7:30 am	Paragliding Exhibition
7:40 – 8:30 am	Ultra-Light Aircraft Flyby
8:30 – 9:30 am	Missionary Heliostat Aircraft Demo
9:30 – 10:00 am	RC Helicopter Show
10:00 – 10:30 am	Helicopter Flying Exhibition
10:30 – 11:00 am	Sky Diving Exhibition
11:00 am – 12:30 pm	Light Airplane Balloon Bursting Competition
12:30 – 1:30 pm	Choreographed Kite Flying Exhibition
1:30 – 2:30 pm	Ultra-Light Flying Display
2:30 – 3:00 pm	RC Airplane Flying Demonstration
3:00 – 4:00 pm	Aerobatic Exhibition
4:00 - 4:45 pm	Rocketry Demonstration
4:45 - 5:00 pm	Search and Rescue Exhibition
5:30 - 6:45 pm	Hot Air Balloon Night Glow
7:30 pm	Crew and Awards Night Party

Pampanga: Are you going to the 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta?

There may not be any slots left in our second tour at the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta but I'll be updating everyone about it anyway. It was an overwhelming response since we already have 35 reservations for the day tour. Unfortunately, we can only accept 30 people at most for both the day tour and overnight. There's a wait list if you are still interested and if those who reserved do not confirm their reservations by paying on or before January 31, then you might just get that slot.

Good news to those who will be joining us. While the entrance fee to the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is P100, this will only give you access to the general viewing area where you can see the hot air balloons from a distance. They issue 100 photographers' passes per day so that you can have a close encounter with the balloons. The passes are sold out and we managed to get passes for all those who will be joining our tour! And to those asking whether you could ride the hot air balloons, it's US$150 per head.

Also remember, we are opening up the overnight option. Aside from the day tour package, overnighters will go the extra mile and start a step ahead, spending a night in Pampanga. The overnight tour leaves Manila at 3 p.m. on February 9 and as the sun sets, you'll get to watch the colorful hot air balloons illuminate like giant light bulbs during the night glow.

If you choose the overnight package, you won't miss out on the dinner we planned for you. We'll be hosted by Chef Cris Locher at C' Italian Dining, one of the Philippines' best Italian restaurants according to the Philippine Tatler. We'll spend midnight at the Oasis Hotel, Angeles City's serene garden hotel. And to top it off, a one-of-kind walking tour as we bare it all and take down one of the country’s most famous red light districts... Fields Avenue! Package price for overnight trip is P8,888 all inclusive. For bookings or more information, e-mail me at info@ivanhenares.com. So are you going?

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Up, up and away in Pampanga!
An afternoon in Abe's Farm
Day 3 at the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
Day 1 at the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Pampanga: Up, up and away in Pampanga!

After the success of the Ultimate Kapampangan Show-off, we now bring you our second tour offering: Up, Up and Away!!! Huffing, Puffing and Pumping in Pampanga on Sunday, 10 February 2008.

Really, another way to pump up your boring weekend and get your spirits soaring as we conquer the high and mighty in Pampanga! Gawk at the giant hot air balloons at 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta! Conquer and hike up the mystic and majestic Mount Arayat! Finally, we'll rest our weary feet over a sumptuous Kapampangan feast by one the country's most artistic restaurateurs, while soothing the afternoon away at a rustic, relaxing retreat! A feast for the body, mind and soul.

This tour leaves Makati at 3 a.m. and includes the 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, breakfast at the VFW Outpost, a five-hour hike up mystic and majestic Mount Arayat (optional), lunch at Abe's Farm owned by Larry Cruz of Cafe Adriatico, a massage at Nurture Spa Pampanga plus more surprises. Package price for the day-trip is PHP4,800 all inclusive.

Overnight Package
Go the extra mile by taking our overnight package from 9 to 10 February. We leave Manila at 2 p.m. and as the sun sets, you'll get to watch the colorful hot air balloons illuminate like giant light bulbs during the night glow. If you choose the overnight package, you won't miss out on the dinner we planned for you. We'll be hosted by Chef Cris Locher at C' Italian Dining, one of the Philippines' best Italian restaurants. We'll spend midnight at the Oasis Hotel, Angeles City's serene garden hotel. For bookings or more information, e-mail me at info@ivanhenares.com.

Pampanga: Day 3 at the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Since we were coming from Manila, I had to get up much earlier today. We wanted to leave before 4 a.m. to make it there early enough to get decent parking and a good vantage point. So we had to be up at 3 a.m. And since I was driving, that meant I couldn't catch up on sleep.

When we arrived at 5:15 a.m., there was already a queue entering the parking area. In fact, there was also a line at the ticket booth and it was a good thing I had pre-purchased tickets.

We went straight to the hot air balloon area and good enough, there were still gaps in the crowd and Dad and Bettina were able to sit down right by the fence. One thing I noticed was the garbage that littered the grounds. It seems no one cleaned the place at the end of each day. I don't remember seeing any trash cans either. I hope the organizers read this and make sure it doesn't happen again next year.

The program started with an unusual flag ceremony with a sky diver from the PAF bringing the Philippine flag. It was indeed a spectacle but I wonder if that is allowed by our Flag Law since it's quite strict as to what you can and cannot do with the flag. Another thing they should have done was to ask everyone to stand up to render due respect to the flag as the national anthem was being played. These are SOPs that should have been followed.

Anyway, since I had watched the balloons up close from the restricted area on Thursday, I decided to go as far back from the crowds as I could so that I could take photos of the balloons from a distance.

When I got back, I could see Bettina was having a blast watching the balloons since she was all smiles. I got to meet a lot of bloggers too such as Anton Diaz and Philippine blog guru Abe Olandres. In the photo are Anton and son Aidan with me and Bettina.

Of course, my friend and travel photographer Karlo de Leon was also there to document the event. The photo of the balloons above, I snatched from Karlo. Hehe!

After going around to check out the exhibits, we went to VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Restaurant for breakfast. The menu was similar to that of AC Rumpa although they had their own specialties. But prices were a bit higher in VFW. For breakfast, I ordered beef bangers and mash, and pork schnitzel which came with corn and bread.

We then passed by SM Clark for a while since it was still early for us to drive to Tarlac City where we had a lunch reunion scheduled for the Magat family. I bought myself some iced coffee to keep me up. But when we got back on the road, I was still sleepy. So I begged off from driving back to Manila. Anyway, I have midterms on Monday so I need to study.

More photos in Multiply. Check out the blogs I mentioned. Rico Mossesgeld also gives a roll call of the other bloggers who were there.

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