It was the last few days of 2012. According to the Mayan calendar, the world was supposed to end so a trip outside the country was the last thing I expected on my own calendar. AirAsia Philippines is launching their inaugural flight to Singapore and I’m one of the lucky few who were invited to take part in their maiden voyage to the Lion City.

Our group would be flying out to Singapore from the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga. Getting there however posed no problem as an airport lounge connecting Manila to Clark has just opened. We were however special and an air-conditioned jeepney from Trinoma was waiting for us; it’s gonna be shuttling us to Clark in style, jeepney-karaoke style.

Our group, composed of people from print, television and online media, were soon belting out song after songs as we hurled through the expressway. Everyone was singing along even without mics. It was just unfortunate that we weren’t riding a traditional jeep else the whole expressway might have joined in the fun haha.

The karaoke party continued even as we arrived at Widus Hotel for AirAsia Philippines’ Clark-Singapore inauguration party. After a brief introduction to Singapore from the airline’s big bosses and the Singapore Tourism Board, the party continued.

A live band was set on the stage and backed the brave souls willing to sing in front of the whole hall. As much as I wanted to jam with the band and belt my own version of Teeth’s Laklak, I’m really more of the shower-type singer and fortunately, there really weren’t any beers around to get me drunk enough to humiliate myself in front of everybody hehe.

So we went back to the hotel with my song was kept for another (drunken) karaoke session. Our hotel for the night is the nearby Tune Hotels in Angeles City.

Tune Hotels is a no-frills accommodation for travelers looking for an affordable accommodation without resorting to cramped roach-infested rooms. I love the hotel’s concept of paying only for the things you need. Guests are given the choice of opting out on the hotel’s air-conditioning, cable television, Internet connection, towels, toiletries and even luggage storage. In turn, lowering the nightly fees for guests.

The room itself is pretty amazing for its price. The room is done in modern style; clean lines and minimal decors. The toilet and bath is spacious and sparklingly clean and the beds are super comfortable. So comfortable in fact that some of our companions overslept and have to rush to the airport the next day.

Reckoning day arrived and we were soon filing in line for AirAsia Philippines’ first ever flight to Singapore. The sun was still nowhere in sight and the sky was painted an electric blue as we finally got past the immigration and started boarding our plane.

AirAsia’s airbus revved its engine, launched through the runway and was soon flying above the still sleeping countryside. Through jigsaw fields of rice paddies, breaking above the cotton clouds; we hurled into the sky. We were finally on our way to Singapore!

The engine roared and with it our stomachs growled. It was a three-hour flight and we didn’t have any breakfast yet. Just then an announcement pinged through the cabin; breakfast is served courtesy of AirAsia! Three hoorahs for sweet syrupy pancakes!

I slept, woke up and found Singapore through the window of our plane. A dancing lion befitting the country’s title of being the Lion City greeted us as we disembarked. We zoomed through the beautifully modern Changi airport and was soon on our way to our first destination. Here we go Singapore!

THIS SINGAPORE TRIP IS MADE POSSIBLE BY:
AIRASIA PHILIPPINES – NOW FLYING DIRECTLY TO SINGAPORE
HOTEL AND TRAVEL PACKAGE BY AIRASIAGO
SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD

        THREE DAYS IN SINGAPORE TRIP ITINERARY & SUMMARY
        MANILA – CLARK – SINGAPORE | PERANAKAN LUNCH AT BLUE GINGER RESTAURANT | THE FLOWER DOME AT GARDENS BY THE BAY
        ABOVE AND BELOW GARDENS BY THE BAY’S CLOUD FOREST | FLYING HIGH AT THE SINGAPORE FLYER
        A NOCTURNAL RIDE AT THE NIGHT SAFARI | NIGHTS AT THE ROYAL PLAZA ON SCOTTS HOTEL
        AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE RIVER SAFARI’S GIANT PANDAS | LUNCH AT SENTOSA’S TASTES OF ASIA
        AN EVENING WALK AT THE ORCHARD ROAD | ELECTRIC NIGHTS AT THE MARINA BAY | HAWKERS HUNT FOR A FREEZING BOWL OF CHENDOL
        STARBUCKS GLOBAL ICON CITY MUG PLUS A FEW MORE | SINGAPORE – CLARK