Phuket FantaSea - The Ultimate Nighttime Cultural Theme Park

ABBEY: Fantasea is a cultural-magical-modern-elephant show rolled into one. For 2500 bhat, you can have a buffet dinner before the show and you'll be experiencing a one-of-kind entertainment. 

The Fantasea show is located in a make-shift village where you can have arcades, dine in restaurants, buy souvenirs and watch street performers. 

At the buffet you will be eating in a huge dining hall replicating the one in their presidential palace. Be sure to remember your table number so you'll not be lost when you got back from the buffet. The menu includes corn soup, pork, chicken and fish fillet in different curry flavors, pasta, crispy pork belly and fried chicken. Fruits, kueh lapis, cream puff and brownies were the desserts. 

The gates opened as early as 8:30PM and viewers were asked to deposit their camera-loaded gadgets as photography and videography is prohibited. Guests can strike a pose with tiger cubs, mascots and art installations for photo souvenir (2000 bhat - includes 1 8R photo and 3 5R ones and a CD). 

The auditorium and the stage has a rainforest-like setup; trees, plants, and fog. A roar of applause will be heard when the show started as the elephants paraded towards the stage. The show is great. Magicians, cultural dancers, light trapeze and the fireworks really impress me and gave me enjoyment. The elephants were adorable upon doing their tricks. There is still a big room of improvement though with regards to the plot, action scenes and the pyro-techniques. A must-see show for the tourists.

WILL: As usual, every tour I planned I always ask my friend Denise for recommendations and this Phuket Fantasea is one of those. Well there are 2 shows she want me to choose but I ended up buying tickets for this.

For THB 2,500 we got the ticket for Fantasy of a Kingdom Show, buffet dinner Golden Kinnaree Restaurant, and roundtrip transfer from Frutta Boutique. I chose to go here on eve of New Year so we can have nice dinner and we can still watch the fireworks at the beach.

Their service van came on time to pick us up. After almost an hour we reached the theme park. We take paved our way and take photos while are eyes we awed to delight on Tiger Jungle Adventure, Similan Entertainment Centre, Carnival Village Shopping Street, and the great architecture of Palace of the Elephants Theatre.

The dinner do not have so many choices but I like the taste of each viands, oh even their desserts. We really sit there for more than 2 hours, filling our tummies up. Indeed we have a very sumptuous dinner for last night of 2013.

After pigging out, we walk inside the palace, deposited our cameras and handphone. Yes this is compulsory. I am totally excited to see the elephants to perform in front of me. But when the show goes on, it bores me also. Sorry to say because I slept inside the theater.  The performers are quite lousy on their acts, no enthusiasm on their part. Maybe because it is holiday and they are on the stage, still working.

I may not say that I should hear the advice of Denise. Haha!  Hard-headed girl I am! This will not be our last trip at Thailand. Next time we will see the other show. 

Marina Bay Sands' Painting with Light: Christmas Special

ABBEY: We went to the exhibit of Little Black Jacket at ArtScience Museum. At the lobby of the gallery was Painting by Light activity area. 

In time for the holidays, it invites guests to design a Christmas tree decoration by cyanotype; a technique similar to developing a photo on a dark room. Individuals were given cardboard shape cutouts and they will choose for a design to be used. The template will be put over the card board and then expose to UV light. Marks like snowman, snowflakes and sleigh will be etched on the board. After rinsing, the finished product will be hanged on the tree. 

Wishes can be written on the other side of the board.

WILL: After the awesome potrayals of different hollywood actors / actresses, models and known people of The Little Black Jacket, we went straight to Painting with Light just few steps away from the Chanel's exhibition room.

For free, we wrote down all our wishes. We use different kinds of designs and put it under the heat of a black light. After few more steps, the ornament came lovely in our eyes. We put it on at ArtScience Museum all-white tree. Very pleasing on my eyes.

It is my pleasure to take part on this Marina Bay Sands project.

Dhoom 3 (2013) - Singapore

ABBEY: After watching a couple of Hindi action movies like Dhoom 2 and Da Bang, Dhoom 3 is the best by far. 

I was anticipating this in silver screen since I saw its trailer. Not only that Katrina Kaif is part of the cast but I was amazed on the effects specially on the scenes involving the twins (spoiler alert). Compared to local films in Philippines the action scenes are better but still plot is predictable. Also they should minimize the use of slow-mo during explosions, and on impossible feats of the hero/villain. Other stunts defy the law of physics but you just need to laugh them off and continue watching the movie. But I assure you all of those criticisms will be gone when you see Aaliyah dance and smile. 

7/10 for the film and 10.5/10 for Katrina. No wonder why she was named sexiest in Asia for the fourth time. Woot! Woot! 

WILL: Dhoom machaleeeee! My colleagues got angry whenever I sing the Dhoom Machele Dhoom. I think for a week that was my LSS. Haha! Dhoom 3 is a big hit here in Singapore and thanks to Sir Nitin Parab for the free tickets. We watched the movie at Golden Village VivoCity.

For almost 3 hours I stared at the silver screen because need to read the subtitle as keen as possible.

I cried. Yes! I cried! My heart is really soft on a siblings-stories. The critics says that the movie is not so good or some were just copied to Hollywood films but for me, 8/10. 3 is nicer than Dhoom 2, I assure you!