Cebu Pacific’s hot summer deals

MANILA, Philippines - You know it’s summer when you suddenly start sifting through your closet to look for that teenie-weenie bikini stashed away somewhere. Of course, you know you can no longer fit into your old bikini — why, you can’t even fit into the front seat of your car! Time to shape up and hit the gym. Or hit the road or take to the skies this summer. Now, I can tell you what makes the perfect fit for summer — Cebu Pacific and Singapore Tourism Board.

Yes, Cebu Pacific has partnered with Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to offer some really hot summer deals and awesome discounts — so roaring hot you can’t wait to take the first flight for the Lion City.

Apart from Hong Kong, Singapore is a fave destination for a lot of Filipinos. And now, every Juan traveling to Singapore from March 28 to July 31 via Cebu Pac only has to present his boarding pass to avail himself of the special summer discounts. 

“Now, not only can our guests fly direct to this city-state from four major Philippine cities (with 52 direct flights weekly from  Manila, Clark, Cebu, and Iloilo, Cebu Pac offers the most flight options and schedules to Singapore than any other airline), they can also make the most of their travel budget with these special summer discounts,” says Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and distribution.

Wheel power

How do we have more fun in the Lion City? Let me count the ways. First off, enjoy a 15-percent discount on the world’s giant observation wheel, the Singapore Flyer. Couples can sweeten the deal by availing themselves of the Singapore Flyer-Sky Dining Flight package. Get 15-percent off by using the Cebu2013 booking code on the Singapore Flyer website. This deal’s a steal, what with your elegant four-course dinner served by your own butler, plus you get free entry to the Journey of Dreams Interactive Gallery.

Or you can plunge right into the action at the newly opened Marine Life Park in Resorts World Sentosa where you can get 10-percent off on one-day S.E.A. Aquarium or Adventure Cove passes. Go ahead and bring the whole family or the whole barkada as you can get up to six tickets at a discounted rate per Cebu Pacific boarding pass.

As for kids, well, they can meet their fine-feathered friends (all 5,000 of them) with the one-for-one promo at Jurong Bird Park.

A walk in the park

Can’t get enough of Singapore? For an authentic taste of the city, book the Original Singapore Walks (think Carlos Celdran’s Intramuros walking tours) and get 20-percent off on The Tipple Exchange Walk to unravel a different side of the city.

“Whether you’re traveling with family or the barkada, Singapore has a couple of new attractions that are very highly recommended,” says a beaming Sherina Chan, STB area director for the Philippines and Brunei. “Because they’re new, you go in with a fresh pair of eyes whether you’re a frequent traveler or a new traveler.”

She adds, “There’s always something new to see, taste, and experience in Singapore — new attractions at the Universal Studios, new malls, new restaurants. Plaza Singapura just opened a new wing, now there are 80 stores. But how do we cram everything into one small city? We know that being a small city, we do need to keep ourselves on our toes basically. How do we do it? By reclaiming land to build new things or bringing down old buildings to build new ones.”

If you’re a nature lover (Sherina confesses she’s not, but she’s a lover of beauty), you can check out the newly opened Gardens by the Bay with its postcard-pretty domes, intricate installations, and amazing flora and fauna. It’s got the largest climate-controlled glasshouses and conservatories, snagging the World Building of the Year Award at the 2012 World Architecture Festival.

Street food congress: eat’s incredible!

I can’t think of Singapore without thinking food, glorious food! For an astronomic gastronomic adventure, guests can eat their way through the World Street Food Congress, a 10-day event starting on May 31 at the F1 Pit Building and Paddock. Eat’s something to look forward to as 40 of the world’s best street-food masters will be offering visitors everything from Indonesian kaki limas (small carts carrying an assortment of meals and popular snacks) to American food trucks to Chinese food inns. And you may even get to catch famous foodies like Anthony Bourdain and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Sherina, who’s based in Manila, has a list of things she likes to eat when she goes back home. On top of her list are char kway teow (like pancit) and roti prata (Indian pancake).

The Singaporeans have a word for all these sheer visual and visceral pleasures: Shiok. It’s a word you’ll probably be saying again and again when you visit Singapore.

So again, STB, on behalf of Cebu Pacific, is happy to invite everyone: Let’s all Sing this summer!

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 For more information on these hot summer deals, visit www.cebupacificair.com/HTML/hot-deals.html.