I have too many good memories here at Worlds of Fun. From the haunted train ride to the bump cars,…read moreeverything was magical specially because it was a time I spent with friends and I was at a point where the biggest problem I had was my first crush, it was indeed a good time. Looking back I was thankful that they've put up small amusement parks like these in malls where kids can easily go to, not just this one in particular but also in other malls too. As a child, we couldn't afford to go to big ones on our own because: 1. we didn't know how to drive and 2. our baons weren't enough to cover the expenses to go there. Unlike most kids nowadays! Worlds of Fun though, they're really budget friendly. Give a kid a couple of hundred and he'd be all set for the day. I also loved playing arcade games there though that wasn't my main focus. It was the haunted train ride that still haunts me to this day (scaredy cat!).

When the baby boomers of the previous generation had children of their own, the demand for places…read moreto take the little toddlers rose considerably, leading to some malls and supermarkets or other major shopping establishments to create mini-carnivals which catered to the young and the young at heart. I don't know if this is something unique to the Philippines, but when you're not up to travel all the way to Star City or Enchanted Kingdom, Worlds of Fun may be a very viable option for you. Boasting mini roller coasters and smaller scale carousels, as well as a plethora of modern, digital arcade games, this area provides children with multiple worlds of fun to go to! Designed in a grandiose fashion that I still find impressive (the entrance gateway is in Egyptian style, for example), the area manages to make something affordable and reasonable look like a lot of fun, even to a young adult like myself, who may be secretly wishing to have the ability to go back to those carefree times.

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.

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)

If you're sick of the UP acad oval or the sunken garden, would like a little more tranquility and…read moreless of the UP populace, but enjoy the promise of athleticism, you could always head over to the UP track oval. The track oval is the clear field behind the UP Bahay ng Alumni which often serves as an outdoor sports area for our athletes, both iskos and non-iskos alike. The place is more level and often much drier than the sunken garden, which is why it's much better suited for soccer, baseball, and running in general (because concrete hurts your knees!), and likely a number of other sports I'm unfamiliar with! There are even bleachers beside the oval to drive the point home. For non-athletes though, it's a nice place to just get away from the world of UP, as it is almost at the Commonwealth edge of the campus. There are makeshift benches made out of logs for people to sit on at the incline leading to the actual field and a bunch of trees to provide shade. It's just a generally nice place to sit down and have a moment.

I was unaware the University of the Philippines. Actually had a Rubberized Track Oval. Maybe it is…read morejust dirt. I think they have had plans for a while to Rubberize their track oval. But it hasn't pushed through yet. Their athletes train at Phil Sports, Bulacan and Makati. I have attached a comprehensive list of Track Ovals in the Philippines which should help locals and foreigners travelling around the Philippines to find the nearest rubberized oval if they need a work out fix. https://pinoyathletics.info/2013/07/03/track-ovals-the-philippines-revision-9/

We have already tried Escape Hunt Bangkok and it being the original, we assumed we already tried…read morethe best. But Escape Hunt Manila was way better! First off, we love the place. It was bigger and more comfortable, and it exuded a more elegant yet still cozy feel. And of course, the best assets of this Manila branch is its people. From the owner (Mark) to the game masters (we had Carlo and Sam), we were treated like royalty. We were a big family celebrating my niece's 15th birthday, and Escape Hunt provided a nice cake for the birthday girl. All 14 of us also played at the same time and the staff volunteered to look after our 3 little ones under age 7 since it was not yet a busy hour. And of course the games were so much fun! It required lots of teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving, fast decisions, and even some math (yes!) but it was all worth it. Good thing we were the only ones scheduled to play during our assigned time because I'm pretty sure we got pretty loud. :) Definitely a place to visit for locals and tourists alike. And since their 3 themed rooms change every 6 months, there is so much more to look forward to. Thanks Escape Hunt Manila for a wonderful family bonding experience! We'll be back!

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

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.

The background of Breakout Philippines is actually very interesting as the people behind the "first…read morereal life escape room in the Philippines" are the same guys behind the popular running marathon "Outbreak Manila" wherein zombies would show up out of nowhere and chase participants in an effort to get them to run faster, and secondly, to scare them out of their darn wits. With this in mind, I was curious to see what these guys had cooked up for their new venture. I was actually surprised to read about Breakout online just a few days after Mystery Manila was making its online presence felt on Facebook. There goes a stellar example of healthy competition. Of course, with my friends and I being hooked on live escape rooms at this point, we made a booking immediately. We've been here thrice already, but the first game we played was called "Outbreak Manila" (identical to the name of the marathon -- I'm confused too). Here, the goal is to solve a hypothetical situation wherein the entire Manila would be affected with a deadly virus if the case isn't solved. We had to get through three rooms in order to crack the code but unfortunately we didn't make it. Needless to say, it was an extremely fun experience and the fact that five brains couldn't solve the puzzles should testify to the high challenge presented by its creators. Room 13 and Prison Room were equally fun to play as well. Nice job, Breakout Philippines!

Pinoy Wrestling Revolution is an independent pro wrestling promotion made by pro wrestling fans for…read morepro wrestling fans --and people who just want to enjoy a darn good romp and an amazing crowd. It was also made by total morons for total morons. The brilliant kind of total morons, that is. PWR events are usually held in the Makati Cinema Square Arena. (When in Makati Cinema Square during a PWR night, really, just follow the noise. It's how I found it. Very hard to miss.) The program's format follows those of major pro wrestling brands like WWE and TNA, but still has that rough, independent, slightly unsafe feel to it. However, PWR and its patrons are completely self aware ahout this. Both the audience and performers know it isn't genuine and it's all for wild fun to a point that they carry it in stride, and that's where all the magic and chemistry that hold the whole event together comes from. I believe you might be sold by these stories alone: the characters are over the top, entertaining and are rowdier caricatures of Pinoy character stereotypes. One of the pro wrestlers' names is-- ahem-- "Kanto Terror." Another wrestler's tagline is "Minimum wage, maximum rage," but his character enters shaking literally EVERYONE's hands as if he were on everyone's side, and is portrayed as an over energetic nice guy dressed in head to toe yellow. (To which the crowd has often chanted "UST! UST!" or "PIKACHU! PIKACHU!") The energy and sense of community is so strong that even skeptics will eventually find themselves fist pumping, chanting, cheering and trash talking along with everyone else. Despite it being a performance, the level of action that happens live combined with the characters' senses of humor and commitment to their characters, as well as some wrestlers' mastery of pulling off pro wrestling moves, makes it very difficult to NOT get totally lost in the matches. I've witnessed wrestlers jumping from the 2nd floor of Makati Cinema Square's arena, as well as a fight literally ploughing unapologetically through the audience area fast enough to run over anyone who isn't careful. There are times when it's a little obviously staged, but sometimes the action gets so real you feel a genuine thrill, and it's the balance of these two that make PWR so enjoyable. Another part of PWR's charm is that these guys are obviously just cool regular dudes by day that like to train and pretend to beat each other up some nights for the pure fun of it, and for their passion for it. It makes you admire their generosity, dedication and spiritedness enough to tempt you to join them and create a PWR wrestler persona of your own. If you want an extremely crazy night full of action, unapologetic foolhardiness and most of all roaring passion, please, PLEASE watch PWR. Dare I say it's one of the most awesome and unique forms of entertainment you can find in the Philippines. Tickets are usually P250 a pop, but the experience is utterly priceless. Catch a show. It'll definitely be one for the books.

I always believed that we should support our own local brands, but never did I expect to see a…read moreprofessional wrestling promotion operating in the Philippines. As a professional wrestling fan who has never missed an episode of WWE RAW since 2009, I have always dreamed of witnessing an event right in front of my eyes. Through Yelp! Manila, I discovered that this is possible via the Philippine Wrestling Revolution (PWR). The shows are currently held at the iAcademy Auditorium in Makati City. The promotion is still at its relatively infant stages similar to smaller organizations in the United States, but the environment is already wildly fun and energetic. Nothing says a terrific wrestling show than free drinks, a lively crowd chanting whatever it wants, and seats close to the ring. The local flavor of PWR can be seen in its top performers. Social issues prevalent in the Philippines are represented via the wrestlers, whether it is social media (Ken Warren), networking scams (The Network), romance (Rederick Mahaba), or online gaming (VIntendo). Of course classical pro wrestling gimmicks such as a supernatural being (The Apocalypse), an underdog fighter (Ralph Imabayashi), and an arrogant true heel (Brian Leo) leading a heel group (Royal Flush) are present, interacting with characters heavily inspired from Filipino themes, which makes for an electrifying dynamic inside and outside the ring. The matches are fast-paced and action-packed from start to finish. However, some of the popular finishing moves such as the Stunner and Spear are used in the middle of the match, which lessens their eventual impact. Nonetheless, innovation is also evident as there were some moves I have never seen before. The transition between moves need some polishing, although this will improve in time. I applaud the PWR for starting a true wrestling phenomenon in the Philippines. There is always room for improvement, but seeing the dedication of the performers and the enthusiasm of the crowd, I strongly think they will make it. Once the PWR hosts a show at the Araneta Coliseum, the revolution will be a success. Support our own.