Zion Travel & Tours Ancient South Package

Zion Travel and Tours launches its ANCIENT SOUTH PACKAGE. This package tour dubbed as the new destination of the south, caters to private corporate companies that would seek Eco-cultural Tourism for their unique Team Building and Management Trainings, for Local Government Units and Non Government Organizations for lakbay Aral programs, and to indvidual who enjoy back packing and see the wonders of Agri-Industrial, ECOZONE, and Eco-Cultural-Historical Tourism.
We designed a package that would bring us to the Agri-Industrial and Economic Zone of Gen Santos City. The growing city of the south which is known at the Tuna Capital of the country would teach us various classifiction of Tuna Fish, a number one export of a maximum output of 11 Tons per shipment per day. A stop over to the bustling, grumbling white waters down pours to the 1.6 Kilometer drop zone of Pangi River in Maitum, Sarangani for a very worthwhile experience of White Water Tubing. The informative people of Kiamba, Sarangani and the preservation of our marine turtles.
Further down south, Koronadal City, which is the new Regional Capital, named as the Administrative Seat of SOCSKSARGEN REGION (The Greater South Central Mindanao Region), or the new Region 12 which comprises of SARANGANI, GEN SANTOS, MAGUINDANAO, SOUTH COTABATO, COTABATO PROVINCE, SULTAN KUDARAT. The warmth smile of it’s Tri People where the spectacular colorful T’nalak Festival are held every 18th of July and the Koronadal Hinugyaw Festival, every 10th of January in celebration of their founding day anniversaries.
The Inland resorts of Koronadal City, provides the amenities of the landlock area, serve as one of the tourist destination of the Up Landers and Low Landers. The presence of our well preserved cultural minorities such as The B’laans, The T’bolis, Maguindanaoans, and the Christian Community who migrated from various provinces from Luzon and The Visayas, bringsforth a unique cultural traditions of the Region.
Further up South, traversing at 3,000 ft above sea level to what it is called as one of our regioanl treasures, where in a wide bodied lake is found, and where the municipality got its name after, LAKE SEBU. But one of the famous Lake Sebu’s treasure is “U’LANG DULAY” known as the Dream Weaver, at the age of 90, Her Legendary T’Nalak Design made her to be one of the Philippine Treasure, Declared as a NATIONAL ARTIST by then President Fidel V. Ramos.
Lake Sebu is one of the Ancestral Domain of the country, led by many tribal datus. A stop to a Tribal Village is a must in this area and a sumptuous meal awaits after a Lake Cruise for our guests. Rich in natural resources, an enchanting scenic view of the 7 Water falls awaits a picture taken.
Our package tours are designed for people who wanted to Explore, Adventure, Back Packing, Trekking and Experience what SOUTH CENTRAL MINDANAO can give. We have well verse tour guides, and state of the art package plans that will suit our clients needs. Zion Travel and Tours, our 14 years in the business has provided us the name and signature in SOCSKSARGEN AREA as your TRUSTED TRAVEL GUIDE.

Other options to explore this HOLYWEEK if you have EXTRA....TIME and CASH???

The heat of the sun is deeply penetrating our skin each time we go out during mid-day. It is highly recommended to wear on sun blocks that protect our skin during this time of the year. From SPF 15-40 depends on skin types. But im not here to give advice on derma aspect, but HOLY WEEK, The season of Lent, and could bring us to other destination of choice. This is the only time of the year where we can spend time with our families,special someones, friends, co-workers etc....For the past 8 years, I have been travelling in and out of the region during this time of the year. I have been to the famous Gumasa Beach of Sarangani, The 7 Falls of Lake Sebu, and The Water Tubing of Maitum, The beaches of Boracay, Pearl Farm, and Honda Bay of Puerto Princesa. Others do the same, hidding off to its favorite beach houses, or spending the Holy week at home, do PENITENCIA...During the post Spanish Era and even up to now, We Filipinos do still practice the old traditional way. PROCESSION, on Good Friday, waving of palms, on Palm Sunday, and the observance of Black Saturday, and of course, THE SALUBONG, on Thanks Giving Day in welcoming "The Risen Lord on EASTER SUNDAY". Now these practices can still be observed while on vacation.

I did ask some friends on what to do, with a QUESTION...."WHAT OTHER OPTIONS YOU THINK YOU WANTED TO EXPLORE THIS HOLYWEEK WITHOUT BREAKING THE OLD TRADITION"?? and here's the consensus reply.

1. Go to the usual destination: The Beach.

2. Go out of the Country

3. Climb Mt Apo

4. Stay at home and bond with the family

5. Visita Iglesia - 7 Churches visit

These consensus replies of my friends were the basic new family traditions. Others who have extra -extra money, would fly out of the country, Southeast Asean Tour, Hongkong, Singapore, Macau, Beijing, Shanghai and Bangkok to name a few countries. I did that before too! I remember, in 2007 Holy Week, I hid off to Boracay with my friends, wow, the party is still there. The observance and tradition is still there too. When our family were still base in ILOILO, the whole family tagged along and do Visita Iglesia, all the way from the famous Miag-ao Church down to St Clement's Church. On Good Friday, We stayed at home and bond with our parents watching classic movies on Video, THE JESUS OF THE NAZARETH, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, PASSION OF CHRIST, and in the evening, we would "Du-aw" visita Iglesia, where kissing of the feet or the body of the replica of the CRUCIFIED CHRIST. These are old Traditional observation and practices handed to us by our parents, coming from their parents too! Then on Saturday Night, We would attend the SALUBONG MASS in welcoming the Risen Lord.

But I have my own options for the Holy Week and wanted to explore if I have extra-extra TIME AND CASH. For a One Week Destination without hampering the old practices of the Season of Lent. And here are my Itineraries. I have a good friend who would normally ask my plans for the long break. Maybe, these would be my plans in a 7 Days Observance

Day 1. Attend Mass on Palm Sunday.

Day 2. Fly to Manila and Hid Off to Clark, in Angeles City Pampanga.

Day 3. Do a Hot Air Balloon Experience. Flying in a Hot Air Balloon. Pampanga is famous for its

HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL every 2nd or 3rd week of February.

Day 4. Do a Visita Iglesia. Pampanga is one famous for its old Spanish churches with history

that dates back in the 18th and 19th century. The Church of Santa Lucia in Santa Lucia in

Pampanga is one the Philippine Heritage Watch. The Santa Ana Cathedral of Mt Arayat,

Pampanga is one of the must visit churches

Day 5. Observance of the Good Friday. Do Penitence and Fasting

Day 6. Do Paragliding and Ultra Light-Air Craft Fly. After Lunch pack and drive down to Manila.

And in the evening, SALUBONG or Attend the Easter Sunday Mass.

Day 7. Fly back to Gen Santos

I guess, with these suggested itineraries, I have a complete Break, without breaking my old Catholic tradition in observing HOLYWEEK at the same time I had my best time to relax and enjoy with friends or with family.

Meet...MS JUANA CHANGE

Have u Heard About JUANA CHANGE???????

I was on the road visiting Northern Luzon and It’s famous Heritage sites last month. Laoag, Vigan, Baguio, Pangasinan and Pampanga together with Koronadal City LGU headed by Mayor Fernando Q. Miguel, together with his top caliber Cabinets. Towards the end of the trip, and after the culmination night of WOW PHILIPPINES in Intramuros. I came across few old friends back in the 90’s who are now base in Manila now husband and wife, 2 LA base, and 1 in Melbourne. As we get along, and doing some tete-ta-tete trying to update each one of us in a restaurant in Malate, where they served the world famous Kebab. It’s a must visit restaurant and with such affordable prices. There was this lady, named MS JUANA CHANGE, known to my friends as Little May. She was introduced to us, “Masaya syang kausap”, and we did get along and had some fun. Though, I was able to read in the daily paper about her satire in the present issues in the goverment. Her advocacy for CHANGE is really amazing. Come to think of this beautiful lady, campaigning for change, presenting with issues, realities that had been happening to our country. You think it’s now time for CHANGE???? Attached is her YOU TUBE LINK....view it.....and rationalize....if you think it is RIGHT....then what are we doing for????? COME JOIN HER ADVOCAY.....

THE ExCIteMenT that SuMmEr BrInGs....

THE EXCITEMENT THAT SUMMER BRINGS.....

When I was still a high school student at ILOILO CENTRAL COMMERCIAL HIGH SCHOOL. Wow! that was 2 decades ago. Hehehehehehe, I used to mark a big RED X on each day that passes by starting from March 1st til the closing day. As the day drew nearer, I was so excited to our last final exam day not minding the review and study, without having considering if passing the exam was the first priority. Everybody were very much excited to finish the exams. Meaning, packing our big bags and trolleys, keeping old books, old uniforms in our lockers, and awaiting for the flight next day home. Forgetting about laundries, exams, the feeling excitement of going home and spending time summer vacation with your family and friends was OVERWHELMING. Our lives in HWASIONG was just like living in an formative school with more than 300 students as one big family in a dormitory. Coming from LUZON,VISAYAS, MINDANAO, and from a few previlege chinese-filipino families that can provide a little extra money, with a purpose of sending their children to this school. And for them to be trained, disciplined, nutured, educated in a 2nd oldest chinese school in the Philipines, with history that dates back from its founding day Feb 25, 1912. Now on it’s 97th year of existence.

Every child sent to this boarding school was very excited of coming home, I myself was very excited of seeing old classmates who studied from different schools, friends, of course my family. Being away for 10 long months, with Christmas time and Summer is the only time that you could bond with your family and friends. Some of our classmates and dormates would laugh out loud....it’s once again FREE DAY for us. Living in our homes again for 2 months without chores to do, with out time to follow, and without food cycle to watch were our luxury. Everything was with time allocated, time of going out on Saturdays and Sundays was limited to buy your weekly toiletries. Hahahahaha we were like in a semi prisoned state condition. When that day came, a huge crowd assembled at the ground. The chaotic queueing from our dormitory grounds to old Iloilo Airport, where in all dormitorians coming from Mindanao would take the first flight out that would connect from Iloilo to Cebu and to Other Philippine Airlines to Mindanao, Davao, Dipolog, Zamboanga, Butuan, Cotabato, General Santos Students. From my Generation to our next higher genertion, I should say, we were like 100 coming from Iloilo to Cebu, with BAC-11 PLANE that has a capacity of 108 passengers including the flight crew, and the HS 748- PLANE from Cebu to General Santos with 48 passengers coming full packed. Practically, we chartered the whole flight just for us students. OHHHH....we jumped one seat to another, and we would roam around the aircraft....hahahahaha very chaotic, our flight crew were like referees holding us to just seat back and buckled up. Hahahahahaha Very Exciting experience. As we landed in Old Rajah Buayan Airport, the old old airport, with a trimmed grass runway, with dilapidated building, with no conveyor, were megaphones were used to announced the boarding and the arrival, we have to pull our own luggages as our parents were waiting in the arrival parking area. The excitement of reaching home, and feeling again the warmth of our parents, our brothers and sisters, the yayas, our grand parents, which we never felt during our school days, was hardly MISSED. As we spent the days, my sisters and I, were excited about my dad and mom scheduled for the summer. Here goes the summer outing at the Kawas beach, or the spring swimming, the trip to Davao, or if there’s extra, a trip abroad.

Today, in my 39th year of existence, I still look forward for that official day of summer. The plan of treating the kids, my nephews and nieces, to a summer vacation for domestic or international travel. Bonding with my brother and sisters in a vacation abroad. My late dad when he was still alive, he would always prefer a day in a beach, Boracay, Pearl Farm, Gumasa, London beach. Treating the company staff for a day swim break especially during holyweek. I had applied the disciplined what I had learned in that formative dormitory school, the hard work of 10 months, and the relaxation one month. Now if you can feel the heat on day time, and the cloudy weather in the after noon. It only signify onething......IT’S NOW OFFICIALLY SUMMER TIME.....so let’s grab our summer clothes, slippers, bathing suites, travel bags or anything, portable pool for the kids, and let’s enjoy it friends and family......until now....I AM STILL EXCITED WHAT SUMMER COULD BRING ME.....

How to get cheap TRAVEL Experience....Domestic or International......??????

I have been travelling since I was 5 yrs old, and have been to various places from North to South of the Country, From East to West of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. But have YOU ever thought of how to get a good vacation with such an ample budget?....here are some of MY SUGGESTED TIPS.....

1. Save some BUCKS for the upcoming trip of your barkadas and families

2. Plan out where and when to go.....look for that very nice place you think you and your family will enjoy

3. Watch out or Search the Web of the cheapest fares..... cebupacific, airphils, Philippine Airlines and EvenSuperferry. These companies has book and buy promos that are being sold ahead of time and at certaindate of departures. Or other International airlines like Air asia, Tiger airways to name a few that caters toZERO FARES PROMOS.3. Ask your nearest travel agents for cheap land arrangements. Meaning Hotel, and Tour destinations.

4. Always use credit cards and bring a little amount of Cash.....for those who are shopaholic....shop forsome little souvenirs not the whole city....or else.....YOU BALLOONED for EXCESS BAGGAGE FEES.....

5. Bring Medicines, water, biscuits, or some food stuffs you might need along the trip

6. TRAVEL LIGHT.....just do backpacks...never never bring trolley bagss if you plan out to go to BORACAY, HONDA BAY, ELNIDO or GUMASA......our beaches are well known for its white sands.....

7. ALWAYS SAFETY FIRST.....dont be carried away on what you have seen, appreciate the sceneries, TAKEPICTURES ARE THE BEST THING TO BRING HOME and FUN MEMORIES......

IF YOU NEED ADVICE....dont hesitate to call on your travel agents......im very much sure they are willing to assist you....