Philippines Wins “Best National Tourism Organization” Award in India

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Travel and tourism professionals in South India voted the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) as the “Best National Tourism Organization” for 2013.

“South India Travel Awards will create an all-India platform to recognize those behind the success of the travel and tourism industry and to recognize their achievements,” Amit Bhasin, Convener of the India Travel Awards, said

The DOT was awarded for its branding campaign and roadshows in South India, particularly in the cities of Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. Last year, the Philippines organized three roadshows and one location meeting with filmmakers in the region alone to promote various destinations and facilitate business-to-business deals among its private sector partners.

Amit Bhasin added that the South India Travel Awards, supported by the Indian Ministry of Tourism, is the first of the four regional recognition events (the other three are in the North, East, and West) leading to the nationwide India Travel Awards scheduled later in the year.

Basix Restaurant: Waffles, Cereals, Omelets and Everything Else Sumptuous for Breakfast

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We spent a family bonding opportunity at the Dusit Thani Manila hotel after my father was invited to try out a staycation at the said hotel. It was perfect timing to celebrate my sister’s high school graduation which was happening in just a few days from now. After a great dinner at the Benjarong Thai Royal Cuisine restaurant and an overnight at a magnificent hotel room, we woke up eager to try out the buffet breakfast at the Basix Restaurant of the hotel.

Basix Restaurant had quite a selection of food since it seems to contain the popular type of breakfast choices: American, Filipino, Continental and a few more to satisfy your appetite. Our breakfast here was the best we’ve experienced so far, because everything was so delicious, like an adventure for our taste buds.

Witnessing the surroundings, everything was portrayed conveniently so you wouldn’t look like a lost kid searching for your parents. We got our plates, and raided each station to our hearts content. We chose food to make the perfect breakfast; I chose cereal, waffles and pancakes, bread, noodles, rice with franks, corned beef, chicken curry, bacon and finally yogurt (carbs on carbs on carbs on carbs on carbs on carbs...hehehe….just joking).

Dusit Thani Manila Hotel: Where Family Staycations Become Memorable

Wazzup Pilipinas!

To continue with our Dusit Thani Manila Hotel family staycation story, I left you wondering what it was like inside our hotel room. Well now I bring you inside to get a few glimpses of how it looked like.

Since it was a family staycation, the room should be big enough for all five of us (two adults and three kids aged 15, 14 and 10). Lucky enough, we were given a hotel suite at the 12th floor.

Basically, there were two partitions. One partition is where you can find two beds along with some tables and a flat screen TV monitor where you can watch cable TV, and the other the living room containing a sofa set plus an extra bed for the fifth member of our family. The living room also had a flat screen TV monitor with cable TV connection. Its like living at home except that there was no kitchen and dining area.

However, who needs a kitchen in a hotel when it already has four specialty restaurants that can serve the best meals possible. But we'll be sure to visit the hotel gym as too much eating will surely increase our waist size soon.