Perfect View of the Sunset from SM By the Bay

At the back of SM Mall of Asia, there's SM By the Bay. It's this long stretch of restaurants overlooking the ocean. And it's not just restaurants. There's also this long boardwalk where people can take a leisurely stroll along the bay and just enjoy the scenery, the sunset /sunrise, and the ocean. And if you're too tired to walk, SM even provides a free shuttle that stops at the designated tram stops. And for the kids and young at heart, there's a playground to burn all that energy.

Great view of the sunset from SM By The Bay



My daughter and I just enjoying and bonding as we watch the sunset.



It seemed like a lot of the couples had the same thing in mind...and why not? What better way to enjoy the sunset but with someone you hold dear



A view of the boardwalk

It was definitely a nice break from our usual Sunday 'malling' routine. The kids really enjoyed running around and watching people walk their dogs. We actually just bought a bike for our daughter before going to SM so they even rode the bike there (only in the areas where it's allowed, of course). An added perk was the great weather! It was windy and the air was cool. We all had a great time just taking in the simple things in life and appreciating mother nature. And we did not even spend a single cent (except for parking)!

SM Mall of Asia
Central Business Park
Bay Blvd., Bay City
Pasay City

Ark of Avilon @ Tiendesita's

Most zoos are open so if the sun was scorching hot or if mother nature decided to make a downpour, the trip to the zoo would become unbearable. This was definitely not the case in Ark of Avilon. What I love most about this place was that all of the exhibits are right beside each other and very accessible and it was covered. This really helps when you have young children in tow. Since all the animals are near each other, the kids do not have to walk far and thus, they don't whine and complain. And there's no need to bring hats or umbrellas or rain coats so definitely less things to carry which definitely lessens the load for us, mothers =)

So on to the animals...all I can say is that for a two storey building (shaped as a boat)...WOW! They had a lion, white tiger, sun bear, puma, jaguar, orangutan (with whom you can take pictures), owl, a sheep dog, parrots, owl, eagle, snakes (I was a little disappointed with this because they were small), fish feeding pond, turkeys, chickens, mini horse, rabbits, and much more. The kids definitely had a blast. They especially enjoyed feeding the rabbits.

True, the zoo is quite small but for just P250/head, I think it is money well spent. The place is clean and well-maintained. The animals are healthy. And it's very accessible as it is located near Tiendesita's, beside Fun Ranch.