manila ocean park

Say goodbye to summer, goodbye to outdoor activities too....looks like my activities will be confined indoors. sigh. It's going to be a long rainy season so I guess I better look for something to do during boring weekends without necessarily going far.

One classic example is the Manila Ocean park which is just behind Quirino Grand stand in the city of Manila.

This is something I don't fancy about. Had received a lot of invitations in the past but I turned them down. I thought I have already seen too much in Sentosa Singapore and again in Subic. Few weeks ago though, my family visited me here in Binangonan and so I thought of taking them to Enchanted Kingdom. But as soon as I realized that I will be spending for all 7 of us...I backed off. So we went to Ocean Park instead.

Well, I heard that the company behind it is the same with the one which manages that of Singapore, so I thought of checking the difference.

The entrance area and ticket area is rather not impressive. Still have a lot to improve. Given the time. The picture below is where you wait for your turn to buy tickets. give you the feeling that you are in the Big Dome waiting for your drivers license test or say at SM food court waiting for a friend before picking anything.

The promo tickets could be bought in the booth before entering the building, but in the case of my sister who opted for the regular tickets, she waited here for eternity. I don't know what's with their ticketing system but it's annoyingly inefficient.

One inside the oceanarium though, everything is smooth and pleasing to the eyes. The Oceanarium has 7 sections, Agos, Bahura, Laot, Buhay na Karagatan, Ang kalaliman, Pagi and Pating.

It's in the 4th stage where we spent most of our time marveling at the fish and taking pictures.
The 25-meter underwater tunnel  is better coz I thought the walkway is wider. Plus, they don't use travellator so you can stay there as long as you want without worrying you are keeping others from taking their turn.

the tunnel...where we stayed for more than hour.....

my brother Albert....wala lang.....

And there's more. Past the underwater tunnel is a parade of giant aquariums after another. This place is huge.

Ang Kalaliman’s resident fish are the jacks - well-known among anglers for the spectacular fights they put up when hooked on fishing line.

provides an unmatched and truly remarkable encounter 
with the explosive richness of the underwater world.......

could also be a perfect romantic spot.....

my favorite part of the oceanarium.....

One of my favorite spot inside the oceanarium. Here, you can watch as stingrays from many different species glide from above as you stand beneath this unique overhanging tank. Distant relatives of sharks, stingrays often evoke a mix of emotions such as fear, awe, and fascination.

Upon exiting the oceanarium, you will go through a wide variety of shops and restaurants.. Weather you looking for pasalubong---cheap or expensive or simply want to eat or drink, they have it. The maze which leads you to the exit is like a big shopping mall where you can find what you want. If you don't have spare money, window shopping will still be utmost entertaining.

All in all, I can say that this place is enormous and while there are areas of weakness, that means there's still a lot of room for improvement. You might be hesitant at first, but this place could offer more that you thought it could.
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entrance fee: 400 adults , 350 kids ( oceanarium only)
                    300 pesos---laser water show
                    500--- combo ( save 200php)

up next: AQUATICA: Manila Ocen Park's  laser water show

check their website: http://www.manilaoceanpark.com/