Zoobic Safari: Kamikazoo and ZOO much more!

Last March 28, print, broadcast and online media were invited to have a sneak peek of the newest and only zipline ride with the tigers, the Kamikazoo. Kamikazoo is Zoobic Safari’s latest attraction wherein a capsule (cable car made of welded wire) carrying about eight passengers will be dropped down to a tiger sanctuary. But here’s the catch—chickens will be attached to the capsule so that tigers will eagerly come near and gobble up the chickens around the capsule!

Kamikazoo is somewhat similar to the Tiger Safari but instead of an enclosed jeepney ride, you will be riding a capsule on 130-meter long zipline. Then from a height of 10 meters, the capsule will dropped to about one foot from the ground where the tigers are. Now that’s an added thrill!

We were also given a chance to enjoy the other attractions at Zoobic Safari. Of course, there’s the Tiger Safari—it was a one-of-a-kind experience to be able to come that close to tigers in a “natural setting” and be able to feed them.

Another favorite of mine is the Croco Loco. Here, you can feed the crocodiles (there's so much of them!) with chicken meat dangling from a wooden pole/rod. It was thrilling to see the crocodiles jumping for the bait!

Some of the attractions we visited:

Zoobic Cave – display of preserved exotic animals such as Bengal cats, wild goats, etc

Forbidden Cave - dark mini forest with a mini hanging bridge (& a crocodile underneath!)

Close Encounter – see numerous tigers up close in their breeding

Savannah - tram will pass through the “savanna” where animals such as ostriches, potbelly pigs, mountain goats, camels, etc roam around

Bone/Skin Muzooeum – collection of skeletons and preserved skin of rare animals such as sheep, deer, ostriches, crocodiles, etc

Aetas’ Trail – traditional Aeta village showcasing their dance and indigenous items. An Aeta can also teach you to shoot arrows for a minimal fee

Hip-Hop Bay-A-Walk- we had fun hopping on cut tree trunks with different elevations to go to the next attraction

They also have an animal show displaying the trained animals’ antics. Zoobic Safari is definitely a fun place to be for the whole family or for the whole barkada. Zoobic Safari, the only tiger safari in the Philippines, is located at the Subic Freeport Zone. For operating hours, directions on how to get there and rates, visit www.zoomanity.com.ph or contact them at 09166299381.

Marciano’s at SM Southmall

A few weeks ago, our balikbayan friend treated us for dinner at Marciano’s at the Food Street, SM Southmall in Las Pinas City. Marciano’s is a New Yorker meets Italian casual dining restaurant.

Marciano’s dining area is quite small and there were only a few diners when we arrived. Names for their dishes is quite interesting—like Dow Jones (steak), When Harry Met Sally (pizza), Blair Waldorf (risotto), and  Times Square (fish and chips).

For starters, we had  Donnie Brasco Calamari and Marciano’s Signature Salad. Donnie Brasco is beer battered squid, deep fried and served with lemon aioli. I liked that it’s lightly flavored and easy to chew. Marciano’s Signature is lettuce, provolone cheese, caramelized pears, prosciutto ham and candied walnuts in honey balsamic dressing. I liked the combination of salty, sweet and tangy taste and the caramelized pears is a winner!

Marciano’s Signature, PhP 459 famiglia / Donnie Brasco Calamari, PhP 308

We also had Pumpkin of the Opera and Robert de Niro Bacon and Asparagus Creme. The pumpkin soup is so-so, I’ve tasted better pumpkin soups in other restaurants.  On the other hand, I liked the hint of bacon taste on the asparagus soup.

Robert de Niro Bacon & Asparagus Creme, PhP 128 / Pumpkin of the Opera, PhP 128

For the pastas, we tried Joey Tribbiani Meat Lasagna and Woody Allen Linguini. The lasagna is the usual Italian beef lasagne. But Marciano’s linguini is really good! It has three kinds of mushrooms—shitake, button and oyster, blended with creamy truffle cream sauce, then topped with prosciutto.

Woody Allen Linguini, PhP 278 solo / Joey Tribbiani Meat Lasagna, PhP 308 solo

For the finale--pizzas straight from Marciano’s brick oven! To sample their various pizza flavors, we ordered West Side Four Seasons. It is composed of four kinds of pizzas--pepperoni , mushroom, seafood and four-cheese. All were flavorful, but among the four, I prefer the pepperoni and four-cheese. What’s great is we get to have a free 12” pizza (either Bendel’s Margheritta or Adam Sandler Four Cheese) because our bill reached PhP 1,500! We picked Adam Sandler Four Cheese. It has pomodoro, gorgonzola, provolone and mozzarella cheeses. Very simple but tasty.

Adam Sandler Four Cheese, PhP 388 for 12” / West Side Four Seasons, PhP 848 for 16”

For the drinks, we just had the regular iced tea and lemonade. I find Marciano’s pricey considering that their serving portions are small.

Big discounts and exclusive deals at Lazada.com.ph on March 24 to 26!

Great news for online shoppers! Lazada.com.ph will celebrate its 3^rd year anniversary with a 3-Day Shopping Extravaganza.

Lazada Philippines, a part of Lazada Group which operates Southeast Asia’s number one online shopping and selling destination, is celebrating its third anniversary this month with three days of sales from March 24-26, 2015.

Simply log on to http://ho.lazada.com.ph/SH88Qm and on the Lazada Mobile App to get a chance to be part of the biggest birthday extravaganza from Lazada.com.ph.

Here’s what’s in store for Lazada shoppers during the 3-Day Birthday Shopping Extravaganza:

• 3 Days of Flash Deals on exciting products from 8:00 AM until 8:00 PM
• Announcement of Discount Vouchers for the Night Shoppers (12:01 AM – 7:59 PM)
• Best-selling Items marked at its best prices
• Fun contests and games on the Lazada PH Facebook Fanpage
• Hot discounts and bundles available on the Lazada Mobile App

Lazada features an extensive product offering in categories ranging from consumer electronics to household goods, toys, fashion and sports equipment. So get ready for next week and happy shopping!

Zipline with tigers: Are you brave enough?

Imagine riding a 130-meter long zipline on an 8-pax capsule made of welded wire where chickens are attached to it. From a height of 10 meters, the capsule will then drop down to about 1 foot from the ground. The tigers will then excitedly outdo each other to get the chickens around the capsule. What a way to zoom and drop in the tiger sanctuary and test your bravery!

So are you brave enough? Then, be the first to see and experience this through the newest and only zipline ride with the tigers, the Kamikazoo. Kamikazoo, a new heart-stopping attraction in Zoobic Safari, will be launched on March 21, 2015.

Zoobic Safari, the only tiger safari in the Philippines, is located in Subic Freeport Zone. Aside from Kamikazoo, experience other exciting adventures in visiting its classic attractions--Serpentarium; a wild encounter with snakes, lizards and iguanas; Zoobic Park, a walk-through petting zoo; Tiger Safari, an enclosed safari jeep ride that will take you to the tigers’ natural habitat; and Croco Loco, a crocodile lair with more than a hundred crocodiles where you will have a chance to feed them.

Other amazing attractions at Zoobic Safari are Savannah, Zoobic Cave and Forbidden Cave. Packed with more thrill and excitement, discover your braver side and tour around this exotic sanctuary. Plus, anticipate a wilder quest with another feral attraction, the Lion Safari.

For an overdose of fun and excitement this summer, visit one of the happiest places, Zoobic Safari, open daily from 8am to 4pm. For details you can visit its website www.zoomanity.com.ph or contact them at 09166299381.

The Viking goes to the South!

Popular buffet chain Vikings Luxury Buffet recently opened a branch at SM BF Paranaque (hooray for southerners like me!). Been wanting to treat my mom here and it’s great that they have a birthday promo because she’ll be "buffet-ing" for free! (another hooray!)

When we arrived, there were already a lot of people waiting at the walk-in queue. Good thing that I already made reservations so we were immediately led to our seats. Vikings SM BF is high-ceiling, has elegant lights and at the center is a very extensive hors d'oeuvres spread. I liked their waldorf salad, watermelon gazpacho, caprese, and tuna geviche. I find their cheese and cold cuts lacking tho.

I then proceeded to the belly chon, forty cloves roasted chicken and deep fried turkey which you can drizzle with wild mushroom or barbeque sauce—yummy! Vikings SM BF also has a make-your-own shawarma station.

I also enjoyed the Asian dishes such as beancurd roll, hakaw, roasted beef mechado, pork asado, steamed suahe and fish ampalaya tausi. They also have different kinds of siomai—pork, chilli chow, beef and quail egg.  For soup lovers, Vikings SM BF has seafood bouillabaisse, seafood hototay and birthday noodles soup.

My mom, meanwhile, feasted on various seafood and Japanese standards such as maki, sushi, etc.

Finally, time for dessert! Well, it’s not that extensive—the usual fresh fruits, panna cottas, ice cream and halo-halo. But they have plenty of cakes and Flipino native delicacies like puto bumbong, kutsinta and pichi-pichi. Plus, they have a chocolate and white chocolate fondue!

The PhP 932.40 I paid (weekend lunch rate of PhP 888 tax exclusive) also comes with unlimited drinks. And there were plenty to choose from—from Jacob Creek wines, milk tea, to Milo shake! But I’m quite disappointed with the various juices (lemongrass tea, fresh tamarind, lemonade, etc) because it was too “artificially” sweet.

Anyways, they gave a small cake for my mom , made her wear a “Vikings” hat and sang her a birthday song. Truly, my mom celebrated her birthday like a Viking!

For more info, you may visit https://www.facebook.com/vikingssmbf