To those who love to travel, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2011 is currently free in iTunes for a Limited Time only!

- Posted from my iPad

Last few days ago, some of my relatives and I flew in to Macau for a holiday trip. It was their first time in Macau so I, being the only person in the group who have toured around the City, became their guide to visit tourists spots and at the same time photographer.

When Aunt Hattie and I are still discussing on the place to visit, I recommended on watching the latest attraction that Macau offers to their visitors – The House of the Dancing Water. However, due to seat availability and expensive ticket prices, we opted of watching Zaia at Venetian Macau.

Venetian Macau houses the Zaia Theater. It is not that difficult to find as almost all parts of the Hotel has marks on where the theater is. We booked for the HKD 388 per person and amazingly even if we had the cheapest ticket there’s no need of steiner binoculars just to get a better view of the show and their performances.

The theater can accommodate 1,800 people seated on a cushioned seats. As soon as you step in on the entrance, it will give you the illusion of being on the space with all the lights lit up on the hall way.

Zaia is the first resident show in Asia by Cirque du Soleil. It is all about a journey of a young girl in exploring the space, and her perception of stars and planet. Like any other Cirque du Soleil’s show, Zaia focuses on performance and not on the story. So if you’re looking for a Broadway show, you would be disappointed as Zaia focuses on performance and not on the story line. However, it is still a must see performance as the acrobats, gymnasts, trapeze artists and fire breathers were superb. I would still recommend the show even if it will just makes you amaze of their stunts, costumes and production design. Anyway, that’s Cirque du Soleil is for – Circus Performance.

Macappleboy

I’ll be flying out next week for a Holiday with some of my relatives. And in this trip I have the following in my mind:

THE BUYS

1. Buy a pair of shoes courtesy of my Tita (LOL – sige na kahit Adidas lang)
2. Buy a CDG Play x Converse x Purcell from my wallet

3. Buy this for Chanel and her 1st Month-Day Dress

4. Buy Baby Chanel a gift for her 1st Month-Day (I have something in mind here in Manila but I might find something better in HK)
5. Buy Dwayne Beyblade
6. Buy my Kiehls Facial Wash
7. Buy my Burberry Shirt (I was supposed to buy that last February but I opted for the wallet muna – di afford ng budget)
8. Buy a leather bag from Coach if there’s cheapo
9. And lastly, undergarments for papa

THE LOOK (THEIR BUYS)

1. CDG Play Shirt for my cousin
2. Longchamp Planetes Medium Black for my cousin
3. Lacoste Biggest bag for my sister’s friend

That’s it! And Im Happy!

Macappleboy

NOTE: I was supposed to post this last few weeks ago…. Anyways, thanks to Google for the pictures.. I’m too tired to power on my HD.

While I was doing my daily routine at work earlier, I read some tweets from people I follow on Twitter on their complaints about our very own NAIA Terminal 1. I may not be a well traveled person using this terminal but I have the same sentiments like other globe-trotters on the need of reconstructing our door to the world.

With this, I decided to come up with my very own list of Best and Worst Terminals that I’ve been to.

TOP 3 BEST TERMINALS:

1. Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 (Hong Kong)

2. Changi International Airport (Singapore)

3. Suvarnabhumi Airport (Thailand)

Runners Up:

Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport
Narita International Airport
San Diego International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport

TOP 3 WORST TERMINALS:

1. Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (Manila, Philippines)

2. LAX Arrival Terminal (Los Angeles California, USA)

This is the departure lounge, cant find any for arrival – will update as soon as I’ve checked my photos

Note: I actually like what they have outside at the departure terminal. The one with LAX sign but the arrival is a MESS!

3. Macau International Airport

Runners Up:

NAIA Terminal 2 and Terminal 3

UPDATES:

Well I heard that the NAIA Management is tapping known personalities to renovate Terminal 1. I just wish they set up WiFi and Cobonpue’s designs would be great.

Macappleboy

I have to repost this article as I agree 100% on the result of the online survey! Will post my worst and best later.

NAIA 1 rated among world’s 10 worst airports
By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:50:00 04/13/2011

Filed Under: airport security, Internet, Ratings, Travel & Commuting, Safety of Citizens
MANILA, Philippines—An interactive website has voted the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) one of the world’s 10 worst airports and the worst in Asia in 2010, with travelers describing it as “a bombed-out ruin” and “a cattle yard, only worse.”

The website, “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports,” ranked the Manila airports, particularly NAIA Terminal 1, fifth worst in the world, behind two in France, including Charles De Gaulle in Paris, and the Los Angeles and Moscow airports.

The ranking was based on reviews of air travelers who complained, among other things, of “safety concerns, lack of comfortable seating, rude staff, hostile security, poor facilities, no (or few) services to pass the time, bribery and general hassles of being in the airport.”

Two lists of the best and the worst airports are updated annually by the website (http://sleepinginair
ports.net), which travel agent Donna McSherry started in 1996.

NAIA actually rose two places in the list. In 2009, it was ranked seventh. Two other Asian airports made it to the worst list in 2010, both from India, in New Delhi and Bombay at sixth and eighth, respectively.

On the other hand, the world’s three best airports in 2010, according to the website, were also in Asia: Singapore Changi, Seoul Incheon and Hong Kong, the same top three the previous year.

‘Bombed-out ruin’

Most complaints about NAIA concerned the old Terminal 1, which hosts all international flights except those of Philippine Airlines, which uses Terminal 2, and Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines and All Nippon Airways, which use Terminal 3.

A reviewer named Brenty said of NAIA: “It has to be experienced to be believed. Think of a bombed-out ruin and you’ll get some idea. It’s like a cattle yard, only worse. Toilets filthy. No seating once you get through customs (maybe 40 seats for a thousand passengers).”

“Bribery and corruption in this airport is rife and the scams start the minute you walk off the plane,” said another critic named Mecanix.

The website, however, acknowledged that “there is hope at this airport if you go to Terminal 3 where it is clean, spacious and has Internet connection.”

Improvements underway

Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Jose Angel Honrado said he respected the feedback, but added that he hoped the public would see the improvements at NAIA.

“We are aware of the deficiencies. We really appreciate the comments and we’re trying to correct these things. But please understand that this will take time,” he said.

He also encouraged NAIA critics to visit Terminal 1 again and take note of the upgrades. He said they should understand that renovating a 30-year-old terminal is not easy.

Honrado noted efforts to fix toilets at Terminal 1 and plans to put in “a new carpet.” He also said coordination with immigration and customs offices would hopefully eradicate bribery.

For ‘spill-over’ flights

In the next few years, he said “definitely” all international flights would move to Terminal 3 in spite of legal troubles involving compensation disputes with its builder, Philippine International Air Terminals Co.

Honrado said the government clearly has a mandate to operate Terminal 3, and he sees no reason to put off plans to develop it until it becomes fully operational within “one and a half years.” He, however, added that Terminal 1 would still likely be retained for “spill-over” flights.