Zoocobia Fun Zoo: Wish Lantern Festival 2013

Carrying hopes and wishes to this year's Zoocobia's Wish Lantern Festival, which is dubbed as Love in in the Air Year 2, we headed up north, in Clark, Pampangga, last February 23 to see again this exciting and heart-warming celebration that is sure to be memorable again.

Arriving at exactly 4 in the afternoon after that unexpected traffic in NLEX that day, the group that I'm with was guided first to the refreshment area where we had a cup of juice and some snacks. And since the whole Wish Lantern Festival was slated to the time when all the guests are in, the program followed, starting with a tour around the place.

On my first visit here, I wasn't able to see all corners of this fun place. The birds were all kept then, and it was almost dark that I wasn't really able to be amazed by the beauty of it. Fortunately, this time, I had my time and moment to capture every exciting bits and pieces of this tourist destination here in Clark, Pampangga.

The 18th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

As it celebrates it 18th year of showcasing world-class exhibition of Pinoy talents, as well as its international guests, Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta made this year flying season more extravagant and more exciting as it moves back to its original venue the Omni Aviation Complex at Clark, Pampangga, Philippines.

This is my third year to attend this exciting event where everything flies, and this is my first time that I'm about to experience all myself, well, that was until I found some friends who happen to be there too! So, yeah, my day at the first Fiesta Day or the 18th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta started nicely and just fun.

I arrived at the event's ground at around 5 in the morning and unlike the past three years, I was obliged to walk probably a kilometer before finally reaching the main entrance. Since the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is back to its old home, the Omni Aviation Complex, visitors of this colorful and fun fiesta have to endure the "Death March to the entrance" before you get a glimpse of the exciting things that they have here.

The Giant Lantern Festival of San Fernando, Pampangga

A kaleidoscopic festival indeed! Twinkling through the beats of wonderful Christmas carols filled the view of thousands of viewers as Robinson Starmills hosted once again the annual festival in San Fernando, Pampangga that display the true craftsmanship of their fellows on this year's Giant Lantern Festival or the Ligligan Parul 2012!

This is my first time to truly experience this very colorful festival in this part of the country. And even though I'm alone on this journey, I had a wonderful time finding some familiar places on the venue that added more colors to this trip.

Last Saturday right after my "raket", I immediately take the ride going to Victory Liner in Caloocan to reach the earliest possible bus ride bound to Olonggapo. Yes, Olonggapo bound buses takes the Starmills route, so it was kinda easy to go to this festival actually.

Love is in the Air with Zoocobia Fun Zoo's Wish Lantern Festival

This Love Month, aside from the different Valentine's Day promos and activities that you are seeing all over the metropolis and aside from the country's most attended fiestas and festivals such as the Panagbengga Festival of Baguio City and the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta of Angeles City, Clark, specifically Zoocobia Fun Zoo, has come up with another captivating and lovely festival that couples and even singles can enjoy! This year, let's also join the Wish Lantern Festival!

Who doesn't enjoy that scene in "Tangled" where Rapunzel and Flynn Rider singing on the boat with thousands of lanterns flying over them? It is one of the many scenes in many movies that I will never forget because it was really, really great. The effects, the animation, the colors, the acting, and the scoring, everything is perfect!

And this time, I think I can have the chance to experience something lovely like that with this Wish Lantern Festival. This is like a post-Chinese New Year celebration and pre-Valentine's Day celebration rolled into one.

The 16th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival

Packed with love for balloons and other flying objects, some food, money and shirt, I and two of my superfriends went to Clark Field, Pampangga to co-celebrate and witness for the first time the 16th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival.

We’ve been hearing a lot of great stuff about this event, and so, early this year we decided to see it with our own two eyes and enjoy the said flying objects up-close and personal.

At around 9 a.m., we took a Philippine Rabbit bus at Recto Avenue, Manila. This transpo costs us Php120.00 each. It drove us from Manila to SM Clark where we took our next vehicle – a jeepney ride that will take us to the main gate of Air Force City, Clark, Pampangga. This jeepney ride costs us Php8.00 each.

Upon arriving the busy road to the main gate, I texted Miss Kankan, who’s been so nice to give me tickets to this event. The ticket cost Php150.00, so I’m really thankful to Miss Kankan because it saved us some money. :-) Thanks, Miss Kankan and Sir Laszlo!