NEW YEAR'S EVE OVER MANILA BAY

All photos by Kokoy...

On New Year's Eve, Mall of Asia's SM by the Bay amusement area facing Manila Bay is teeming with hordes. This blog recommends taking a taxi to avoid the pain of trying to find parking. The nationally televised entertainment has limited seating with an adequate view of the stage. One would have to arrive extra early in order to find a place to sit if you want to watch the program. There isn't much space to sit anywhere in SM by the Bay actually. To pass the time while waiting for the fireworks, rides are open late, but be prepared for long lines at the ticket booths...

The taxi drops you off at the MoA Globamaze rotunda. It's just a five-minute walk through the mall to the oceanside. Don't expect to find a comfortable place to sit while waiting for the fireworks display...

Jharis enjoys riding the mini-motorcycles. Rides are open late for the little ones to have some fun prior to the big fireworks show...

The fireworks show above the bay begins around 11:30 pm. As midnight approaches, the display rises in intensity and frequency until the climactic cacophony of explosions and streaking colors - undoubtedly one the most spectacular shows of its kind you will ever see... 

At the conclusion of the show, make your way with the throngs back inland. Adjacent to the globe rotunda is the U/V Public Transport Terminal. U/V express vehicles are modified minivans that pack passengers in like sardines. Typically, the U/V express lines stop operating by 10 pm. On New Year's Eve however, they run overtime, the fleets of vans ferrying long lines of passengers on their designated routes. The Vito Cruz line drops you off on Roxas Boulevard right in front of Legaspi Tower. This is not a bad option, considering the wait for taxis is much longer and much more expensive as New Year's Eve is a regular price-gouging night for taxi drivers. Happy New Year...

"Life is not a journey, but a pilgrimage..."

- Kokoy Severino has been in a constant state of travel since he was four years old.

Photo by Dad.