AURA - A Breath of Fresh Air in Iloilo's Nightlife

CLUB AURA on the right wing of The Avenue at the Smallville Business Complex opened its doors to Metro Iloilo’s party goers, chill-out seekers, and fun lovers on May 7. The stairway to the Club on the second level of Coffeebreak is like an invitation to journey into a higher plane of celebrating friendship, great food, and fine drinks or, in sum, the happy life.

The new club boasts of an intricately designed interior never before seen in local clubs. Partyphiles hit the dance floor on the reverberating sound of house and other music genres creatively played on the most modern, top of the line sound system in this part. The magnificent lighting system provides steady, albeit subdued, brightness by the bar and in the balcony, yet randomly and sporadically fills the cool place with streaks of light that seem to dance with the crowd.

The harmonious combination of lights makes party goers appreciate why the place is called AURA. In the field of parapsychology, an aura is “a field of subtle, luminous radiation (light) supposedly surrounding a person or object (like the halo or aureola of religious art).” Club Aura, in this sense, is a perfect rendezvous of people possessing different auras or energies or powers.

Etymologically, the word “aura” is from the Greek: αὔρα, aýra, which means a “breath of wind” or “breeze.” Club Aura is likely to live up to its name. Club Aura is and will be a breath of cool, fresh air in the nightlife of Ilonggos, their families, friends and guests.

(Thanks to Peter Jaena for the photos.)

Sunset in Boracay

Photos by Kyle Griffin Chua and Jonathan Ozbot.

Pleasant Tagaytay - Taal Tagaytay

Considered as the alternative Summer Capital of the Philippines is Tagaytay, a multi-awarded high-altitude city in Cavite, just 55 kilometers away from Manila. The relative cold temperature, averaging 22 degrees centigrade, provides travelers a pleasant experience, made even better by the sight of the enchanting Taal Volcano and Taal Lake. The cool breeze in the city has made it ideal for various sports, family or company picnics, conferences, and spiritual recollections and retreats. Because of the many congregations maintaining retreat houses in the city, some people have referred to Tagaytay as the "Vatican" of the Philippines.

Taal Tagaytay

Sand, Sail and Sunset in Boracay

There are many reasons why there has been a continuing exodus to the paradise that is Boracay in decades. Fine and white sand, world-class resort-hotels, spirited party places, a variety of water and shoreline sports, interesting people from different places, among others, have made Boracay a favorite rendezvous for families, friends and acquaintances. Of the many reasons people have in taking the next trip to Boracay, three sights worth the travel are the white sand, the colorful sails, and the beautiful sunset. - boracay beach,

Manggahan Festival in Guimaras : Beyond Sweetness

April is Manggahan Festival in the scenic island-province of Guimaras, 15 minutes away by motor boat from Iloilo City. The annual festival calls the world's attention to the most popular produce of the province - export-quality sweet mangoes. Beyond the sweet mangoes, the Manggahan Festival also showcases the best of the fiestas of the province's municipalities and barangays, most of these beautifully blending agro-fisheries productivity, tourism and ecology -good reasons why the peaceful island-province has reaped a number of citations for tourism development. Moreover, the Manggahan Festival is an annual reminder that tourists, foreign and domestic, need not go far to find the ideal place for relaxation and fun. Guimaras is just nearby, offering not only its sweet mangoes but also its fine beaches, inland resorts, nature camps, coves and caves, diving areas, shrines/monastery, heritage/historical sites, and its sweet, smiling people.

Baguio City : Cool In Many Ways

The summer capital of the Philippines, with temperature that can go down to 8^C, Baguio City is not only cool temperature-wise but also in many other aspects of happy living. People are cool along the Session Road, where Kidlat Tahimik's Vocas is located, as well as other must-drink in bars and must-eat-in restaurants like the Flying Gecko, Volante, Jack's, etc. One shouldn't miss the cool must-see sites like the Mines View Park, the Burnham Park, the City of Baguio Botanical Garden, The Mansion, the Philippine Military Academy, Camp John Hay, and many more.

Guimaras - The Philippines' Sweetest

The young island-province of Guimaras in Western Visayas is globally renowned for its sweet mangoes. Yet, sweet mangoes are not the province's only asset.

Guimaras is small yet majestic, standing tall between Iloilo and Bacolod cities. It boasts of ornate rock formations, diving sites, mountain biking routes, caves, rest houses, beach resorts, varied seafoods, retreat houses and pilgrimage centers, and many more.

To the weary residents of nearby Iloilo City, which is just 15 minutes away by boat from Guimaras, the island beckons, offering much needed rest and recreation from the hustle and bustle of urban living. In recent years, people from Iloilo embark on a leisurely trip to Guimaras on board speedboats and jet skis.

Every day is a red-letter day at RED Steakhouse and Gallery

There’s something special about the color red that has made traditions associate it with celebrations and holidays. Imagine a month’s calendar with all the days in red. That means a daily celebration, right? This is possible at the RED Steakhouse and Gallery at the Smallville Business Complex, Iloilo City.

Any day of the month, all year round, you visit RED to celebrate. At RED, there’s a fine blend of celebrating the many faces of art – from the culinary to the visual to the aural and to infinite possibilities of artistic expression. One goes to RED to make the palate feast on salads, steaks, burgers, pizzas, and what could probably be the best buffalo wings in the city. On top of that, one goes to RED and up to its mezzanine gallery to have one’s eyes feast on paintings and sculptures and photos and films, while one’s ears get filled with jazz and classical music at one time, and with reggae, bossa nova and acoustic at another time – all these variations simply reflective of the eclectic character of RED as a resto-bar and a gallery.

Yet, the best of all reasons in painting Smallville Iloilo red is the celebration of friendship. Every day, at the RED STEAKHOUSE AND GALLERY, we celebrate friendship. Cheers!

El Nido, Palawan - Simply Enchanting

El Nido, Palawan is paradise. No doubt about it. Imposing marble cliffs, clear waters on more than 50 white sandy beaches, caves, lagoons and a vibrant biodiversity – all these make up what is widely known as an enchanting nirvana in the western side of the Philippine archipelago. Travelers have a wide variety of activities to choose from, making every trip worth the time and the money. Island hopping, scuba diving, boating, marble cliff climbing, kayaking, windsurfing, motorbiking, exploring caves and hidden beaches and many more challenge travelers to explore the limits of what they can do to enjoy life to the fullest. Restaurants serving various cuisines, foremost of which seafood that is bountiful in the island, are plenty to energize hyperactive adventurers. Oh, yes, there also are massage services, bars and entertainment centers in the paradise. El Nido is one of the most beautiful island and beaches in the Philippines. El Nido Palawan offers a variety of hotels and beach resorts. Go and explore El Nido Palawan today.

Casa Nostra, Escalante Negros Occidental - Our house that can be your house, too

Two hours away from Bacolod City, the provincial capital of Negros Occidental, Philippines, is the booming city of Escalante, where a beautiful private resort is located. It's aptly called Casa Nostra, Italian for "Our House." The resort has two large bungalows, one overlooking the green plains and the other overlooking the private beach. The pavilion complete with amenities is a really nice place to spend an afternoon at while viewing the scenic sunset. The swimming pool, surrounded by cottages, is an accessible, cool alternative to guests who don't want to go down the hill for a swim at the beach. While Casa Nostra is a private family resort, its doors are open to close friends. As they say in Spanish, "mi casa es tu casa." My house is your house.

Danjugan Island - a natural sanctuary for the weary traveler

An emerging tourist destination in the Philippines is Sipalay City in Negros Occidental, which could be reached through a three-hour land trip from Bacolod City, the provincial capital. The city offers smart travelers seeking relief from the hustle and bustle of urban centers many beach resorts. Off Sipalay is Danjugan island, a marine reserve and sanctuary, where you can commune with nature at its purest, prominent features of which are three lagoons, a bat cave, rare species of birds, including eagles that have found a peaceful abode on the island. From the Sipalay town proper, you can hie off to the island in 30 minutes by pump boat, with limbs of nature welcoming you along the way.