06 September 2009

My Iloilo



Before leaving Al Khobar for Iloilo, I was so worried about the weather. News reports say that Iloilo’s weather was not so desirable and some parts of the City were even flooded. It was a relief to learn when we landed at the Iloilo Airport that my fear was baseless. The design of the new Iloilo Airport is similar to that of Davao. It’s better compared to the old Iloilo Airport in Mandurriao. You’ll only miss the proximity of the old Iloilo Airport to the city. The ride from the New Iloilo Airport to the City was smooth. The road to the Airport was superb in Philippine standard.

I was billeted at the Century 21 hotel in Quezon Street. I love the hotel location because of it’s proximity to SM Delgado, St. Paul’s Hospital and the Atrium at the Capitol. There are so many changes in the city that one day is not enough to explore it. The only comment I have with Century 21 is that their AC is so small that it would take ages for the room to cool. Overall, my experience with Century 21 was alright.

A trip to Iloilo City is never complete without visiting Boardwalk and Smallville Complex. The restaurants at the Boardwalk are hip. You’ll be surprised how the dining in Iloilo totally transformed from the usual Mansion House, Breakthrough and Tatoy’s Manokan. My favorite hang out place inside the smallville is the Pirates Resto Bar. I really love the ambiance of the place. Their concept is also very interesting. I also had the chance to visit Bourbon Street and tried their baby back ribs. I compared their (Bourbon) steak to that of Chilis, Applebees and Tony Roma but Bourbon’s are way better in terms of quality and price.

The best thing that a visitor should do after hours of drinking at the smallville complex is to walk instead of taking a cab. What my friend and I did after night of partying was walking until we reach Ted’s Old Timer Batchoyan near UP Visayas. We did it for five nights!

It was nice to be back. I’ve missed Iloilo so much. I’ve been away for quite awhile that I almost forgot its beauty.

No comments: