Owen: Good morning! Thank you very much for checking out this episode of Gallivant with Us
Maya: On this episode we're on a 24-hour layover in Manila Philippines. We'll catch the shuttle to the Mall of Asia,
go to the dentist, and then hang out at the Sofitel until our flight tonight to Saigon, Vietnam
Owen: We're over here in Manila, Philippines at the Sofitel hotel. It's gonna be a beautiful
day today. We're gonna go down to the Spiral Buffet. I heard it's the best in Manila.
I'm super excited about it. We got in very late last night. We flew out from Oahu to Guam,
quick layover in Guam and then we shot over here to the Philippines. We were super tired, just came
in ordered a little room service and went to bed. But we will keep you guys filled in with what's
happening over here and talk to you guys soon. Love you guys!
Maya: The Sofitel is a French hotel brand
located on Manila Bay. The award-winning Spiral Buffet is one of the hotel's two restaurants
and is made up of 21 chefs ateliers. In France, an atelier is an artist's special workshop.
And at Spiral it is where recipes are masterfully prepared right in front of you.
Owen: The spiral buffet has been on my list of must-do's for over four years. I chose to ease in just a little bit
with the plate of fresh fruit and for the next round I decided to go with an omelet. I added
bell peppers, ham, onions, and cheese. It was super delicious and extra cheesy, just the way I like it.
Maya: The crepes, waffles, and pancakes were very tempting. But for my second plate I went with a Filipino-style
fish, garlic rice, and roasted potatoes.
The bread station...
The cheese and cold cut station...
The Japanese station...
The French station...
Thai station...
Maya: And to top off an excellent meal we tried TAHO. A gentleman carrying two
stainless steel buckets, on a pole, came by our table and prepared the delicious, warm
Filipino snack. TAHO is made out of silken tofu, brown sugar syrup, and sago pearls.
We're outside of the Sofitel hotel, we're waiting for the shuttle to head over to the Mall of Asia
Owen and I have dental appointments.
Owen: The SM Mall of Asia is 4.6 million square feet
and has over 600 stores. It is the Philippines fourth largest shopping mall
and offers services such as health care, dental care, and even some government services.
Owen: We just got done eating some lunch over at Martabak. It's an Indonesian/Maylaysian
food place. It was really good and we enjoyed our food
We're over here at the Mall of Asia walking around.
Maya: When the Mall of Asia was built in 2006, it was the largest shopping mall in the Philippines.
The main mall has clothing, electronics, and other retail stores.
Like many other parts of Asia, shopping appears to be a big part of a Filipino culture.
Not only for a bit of retail therapy but also for a place to hang out with friends
and family and enjoy other leisure activities.
Owen: The bay area amusement park is a mini carnival
with ferris wheel, bumper cars, games, and a perfect place to catch the Manila sunset.
The Entertainment Mall is two stories, has a 31- lane bowling alley, and 16 cinemas. Including both
Event and IMAX theaters. This mall is also equipped with a skating rink, and a 20,000 seat arena.
Maya: The drive back to the hotel was quick, under 2 miles from
the 5,000 stall parking lot at the Mall of Asia.
Owen: We stayed in the Superior King Room which is a standard room here at the Sofitel. Each room
comes with its own balcony overlooking the Manila skyline. Our room had both ocean and city views.
So we are going down to the Sofit gym to go get a quick little pump before dinner.
Owen: Hello Sofit employee: How are you sir?
Owen: Good, how are you? Sofit employee: Good sir, thank you!
Owen: The Sofit gym had a nice setup. It is located above the spa and is equipped with a weight room,
cardio machines, free weights, and a kinesis wall, a yoga studio, and some boxing equipment.
Maya: The Sofitel was built at the request of Imelda Marcos for the 1976 annual meetings of the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. At the time, it was called the Philippine Plaza.
The current layout is 609 rooms and 46 suites. The pool area has slides,
waterfalls, a swim up bar, and the second restaurant on the property.
Owen: This candle lighting ceremony is performed at all
Sofitels around the world and finds its inspirations
from old traditions of lighting the streets of Paris during the reign of King Louis XIV
Maya: As the sun sets in the Philippines we get ready to head to the airport.
We've definitely enjoyed our 24 hours in Manila and look forward to coming back!
Owen: The Ninoy Aquino International Airport is one of the two airports serving Manila.
We were flying Cebu Pacific out of terminal 3 and there were
three Priority Pass lounges. We had a few hours before our flight so we went to two.
We're over here at the P-A-G-S-S lounge at the Manila airport we're gonna hang out over
here for about three hours. They have some really good food, they have a shower facility,
very comfortable place to wait. And then we will go on to the next lounge for another couple of hours.
Owen: The PAGGS Premium lounge is definitely my favorite lounge at the Ninoy Aquino Airport.
Fully stocked with fruits, snacks, desserts, alcohol, and great food. I tried the Japanese beef
bowl called gyudon. I topped it with green onion and roasted garlic which was amazing.
Maya: Thank you very much for watching! On the next episode, we'll land in Saigon, check
into our Airbnb, and embark on a Saigon street food journey. Don't forget to like,
subscribe, and hit the bell icon so you don't miss any videos. See you next time!