What To Do In The City Over The Holidays

There are many blended words that have crept into our vocabulary over the years, like brunch (breakfast+lunch), glamping (glamorous+camping) and spork (spoon+fork). But one of the most often used blended words currently is staycation (stay+vacation), meaning an alternative to going out of town for vacation and just staying at home or the city.

With Christmas literally just days away, most people are scrambling to get their shopping done (unless they were the lucky ones who were able to plan ahead and get it done in October). The holidays this year aren’t as long as that of last year, with Christmas and New Year both falling on a Sunday, and chances are most people have work the day after. There are those who have opted to just stay in the city and celebrate here instead. Staycations in the city over the holidays don’t have to be bland or boring. There are a ton of things you and your family can enjoy right in the Central Business District of Makati.

You can have your staycation in style, as the city of Makati offers a holiday extravaganza to make the season a memorable one. Take the family on a great holiday at Raffles Makati, Fairmont Makati and Holiday Inn & Suites Makati.

Have lunch at Flavors Restaurant at the Holiday Inn & Suites Hotel, where they have a well-curated selection of international and local dishes and a dessert bar that will make anyone’s inner child squeal with joy (you must try the Crepe Samurai, Ube Cheesecake, and the DIY ice cream sandwich). You can wash down their delectable dishes with two of their signature mocktails (with another one to follow early next year): Lemon-Mint Slushie, a refreshing drink with a subtle lemon flavor and a hint of mint, and Cool Cucumber (cucumber, mint, topped with soda water), a fresh, fizzy drink that cuts through the richness of dessert or heavy dishes. They also serve great coffee (rich, well-rounded, with hints of dark chocolate and hazelnut) which you can ask for them to put in a to-go cup for you if you’d rather enjoy your coffee on the go.

You can lounge by Holiday Inn’s roof deck pool and enjoy drinks from Oz Bar, which has a great selection of spirits, as well as signature and classic cocktails, and mocktails.

While they aren’t really a staple of Filipino Christmas tradition (yet), gingerbread houses are slowly becoming part of local holiday celebrations. Not only are they amusing to look at, but once you get over (or get into) the fact that you have to destroy them to consume them, they are quite delicious. Great to have with a cup of hot cocoa. There are gingerbread houses big and small, and other sweet treats that you can choose from—to enjoy with your family or give away as gifts—at the Holiday Inn lobby (you can’t miss the giant gingerbread house where these goodies are sold).

If you want to try something different, head over to the basement of Makati Cinema Square along Pasong Tamo and get ready to channel your inner Merida or Legolas or whatever fictional or famed archer you’d want to emulate at Kodanda Archery Range. Here, you can hone your archery skills and even practice for a possible zombie apocalypse (they have target sheets with a zombie figure instead of your regular bullseye). You’ll look cool doing it and it’s a great arm workout to boot.

Head to Circuit Makati and check out Miracle Art Happy World Museum, where you can take countless pics in 3D setups that immerse you in the scene. There are around 20 3D paintings you can interact with, ranging from having coffee with the Mona Lisa to being caught by Cupid’s arrows and riding a gondola in Venice to running away from a T-Rex. It’s a fun bonding experience for the whole family, especially if everyone is game to really get into it. After you’ve had your goofy fun, you can just take a short walk to the gigantic 56-foot Christmas tree at the Circuit Makati Grounds. It’s a sight to behold at night when it’s all lit up (they recycled old Christmas lights from Ayala’s previous display). You can even go inside the tree and experience it from a different angle. Surely this has become one of the most Instagrammed areas of Circuit Makati.

If you just can’t get enough of lights, the Ayala Triangle Garden’s Festival of Lights is sure to give you the visual and aural delight that your senses are looking for. Thousands of people flock here nightly to witness the spectacular lights and sound show. This Makati signature tradition has been named among Conde Nast Traveller’s Seven Most Spectacular Light Shows in the World, and this year, it brings you three themes: Fiesta (Brazilian and world beats to the tune of your favorite Christmas carols), Classic and Epic Christmas (big, orchestral sounds inspired by magical, heroic and period films), and Sweet and Magical Christmas (Disney-inspired Christmas medley). The sights and sounds are sure to impress even the most Scrooge-like of people and will definitely fill children with a big dose of Christmas spirit.

After a long day of fun, you can head over to Long Bar at Raffles Makati and enjoy any or all of their well-crafted cocktails. They also have an extensive selection of spirits and a happy hour deal that’s hard to beat (from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. you can enjoy free-flowing local and imported beer, cocktails, and red and white house wine and house pour liquors). The bartenders here know their stuff and are a pleasure to talk to (when the bar’s not too busy, of course). Casa Noble Philippines brand ambassador Paul Perez shared a couple of cocktails you can order at Long Bar.

Crafted Gin and Tonic

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ oz Gin
• 1 maraschino cherry with syrup
• 1 slice wheel of lime
• 1 slice wheel of cucumber
• 1 mint or basil leaves
• 1 orange/grapefruit disc
• Top up with tonic water

Directions:

1. Build in a rock glass with ice.
2. Garnish with lime, cucumber, mint/basil leaves, orange disk.

This special gin and tonic (suggestion: ask the bartender to use Sipsmith’s Raffles 1915 Gin) has a citrusy aroma with a hint of mint. The citrus balances the gin, with a slight sweetness from the cherry and a dry finish.

Panutsa Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 2 oz bourbon (Maker’s Mark)
• 2 dash Angostura bitters
• ½ oz homemade panutsa syrup (1:1 panutsa and water)
• 1 orange peel

Directions:

1. Pour whiskey, Angostura bitters, and home made panutsa syrup into mixing glass.
2. Add ice and stir.
3. Strain into rock glass with ice.
4. Garnish with orange peel (lightly burn/flame the orange peel to release oils and add smokiness).

This cocktail has a distinct orangey smell, and is smoky with a hint of caramel.

If you’d rather relax at the Fairmont Lobby, you can enjoy their selection of cheeses and cold cuts, and appetizers. They offer mulled wine and eggnog to warm you up and give you the Christmas feels. The mulled wine is warm, sweet, and comforting, with notes of cinnamon and clove and just a hint of tanginess. The eggnog is served cold but heats you up because of the liquor; it is like a Christmas-y Bailey’s—sweet and creamy.

Staying in the city this holiday season need not be a drag. These are just some of the activities you and your loved ones can enjoy while on your staycation. Your friends who go out of town might even be envious of your experience. Holidays are about making new memories and the city of Makati promises something for everyone this Christmas season.

The Priceless Makati Staycation 2016 is made possible by Mastercard, Raffles Makati, Fairmont Makati, and the Holiday Inn & Suites Makati. Avail of the Makati Staycation packages by logging on to www.makeitmakati.com or by contacting the Reservation Desks of the participating hotels.

For more information, visit Make it Makati’s official pages:

• www.makeitmakati.com
• www.facebook.com/makeitmakati
• www.twitter.com/makeitmakati