Gilak by Hossein, a Muslim owned restaurant located in Makati City, Pilipinas offers home style, expertly made, fresh and authentic Iranian food dishes.
succulunt kebabs served with saffron rice.
166 G/F Beneficial Life Bldg, Salcedo St (Dela Rosa St), Makati, Makati City, Pilipinas
2nd floor, A.M Flores Building, corner Constellation Street,, Makati Ave, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Greenbelt Park, Makati, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
KidZania Manila, Park Triangle, North 11th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Roxas Blvd Ermita, Barangay 666 Zone 72, Manila, 1000 Metro Manila, Philippine
2ND Level Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center Makati Avenue Makati City Makati 1223 Metro Manila, Philippines
Ground Flr, Prince Plaza II (at Legazpi St. & Dela Rosa St.), 1223 Makati City, Makati City, Pilipinas
166 G/F Beneficial Life Bldg, Salcedo St (Dela Rosa St), Makati, Makati City, Pilipinas
2nd floor, A.M Flores Building, corner Constellation Street,, Makati Ave, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Al-Huda Masjid 2409 Alabastro St. San Andres Bukid Manila 1017 Philipines Manila Metro
Al Assal Masjid 2656 Taft Avenue Malate Manila Philipines Manila Metro
1588 Pedro Gil St, Malate, Manila, 1004 Metro Manila, Philippines
Globo de Oro St Quiapo, Manila Metro Manila, Philippines
Greenhills Masjid Greenhills Shopping Center San Juan 1503 Philipines Metro Manila
We Win As One! via GIPHY The SEAGames 2019 will be the 30th edition of the Southeast Asian Games and this year, it will be hosted by the Philippines. From 30th November to 11th December, Manila, Clark and Subic will serve as hubs throughout the games. If you are planning to fly in for the SEAGames but have setbacks due to food restriction, fret not because we are here to list it down for you. These list of Halal eateries are those you can find in Manila, Clark as well and Subic. It will definitely leave you spoiled for choices! via GIPHY 1. Al Batra Restaurant & Coffee Shop Image Credit: Al Batro Restaurant & Coffee Shop on Facebook Al Batra Restaurant is located in the heart of Makati. It serves an authentic Mediterranean, Arabian and Indian cuisine. Apart from this, the restaurant also serves fresh seafood. Take note that this restaurant offers shisha.Halal status: Halal menu served.Address: 2nd floor, A.M Flores Building, Makati Avenue corner Constellation Street, Makati, PhilippinesOpening Hours: 24 hoursFacebook 2. Pamanganan House of Malaysian Halal Foods Image Credit: Pamanganan House of Malaysian Halal Foods on FacebookPamanganan Restaurant is located in Manila Muslim Town. This is a place for you to dine at to get your craving for Malaysian food fixed, bringing you closer to home. Apart from that, you can also try their pizza with a variety of flavors to choose from.Halal Status: Halal menu served.Address: G/F Shaima 2 Hotel, 310-D Elizondo St., Quiapo ManilaOpening Hours: 8am – 11pmFacebook 3. Ababu Persian Kitchen Image Credit: Ababu Persian Kitchen on Facebook Ababu Persian Kitchen is another restaurant with few branches around the Philippines. It specialized in Middle Eastern and Persian cuisine, from Shawarma to Kebab and Hummus. The stated branch below is famous among students nearby as they can savor Persian cuisine without burning a hole in their pockets.Halal status: Halal menu served.Address: 75 Xavierville Ave. Loyola Heights Subd. QC, Quezon City, PhilippinesOpening Hours: 11am – 3am (Mon-Sat), 10am – 2am (Sun)Facebook 4. Martabak Cafe Image Credit: Martabak Cafe on Facebook Martabak Cafe is a halal restaurant located in the biggest mall in the Philippines. Getting its name from a Malay street food Murtabak, this restaurant serves Indon-Malay cuisines which will definitely cure you from being homesick.Halal status: Halal-certifiedAddress: Ground Floor, 131 North Parking Building, SM Mall of Asia, Bay Boulevard 1308, PhilippinesOpening Hours: 10am – 10pmWebsite | Facebook | Instagram 5. Kashmir Image Credit: Kashmir on Facebook Kashmir is the first Indian restaurant that was established in Manila. With almost 40 years in business, Kashmir has extended its branch throughout Manila. With their dishes ranging from meat overload to vegetarian, dining at Kashmir will let you experience the best of what Northern Indian cuisine has to offer.Halal status: Halal-certifiedAddress: 816 Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City, The PhilippinesOpening Hours: 11am – 10pmWebsite | Facebook | Instagram 6. Gilak by Hossein Image Credit: Gilak by Hossein on Facebook Another successful eatery that you should check out is Gilak by Hossein. Serving you with an authentic Persian and Mediterranean cuisine, you will be satisfied by its Shawarma and Kebab.Halal status: Halal menu served.Address: 2/F Greenbelt 3, Makati Avenue, Ayala Center, Makati, National Capital Region 1223Opening Hours: 11am – 12mnWebsite | FacebookThe list doesn't stop here. Check out these Halal eateries too when you are in Manila. More Restaurants You can Lookout For 1. The Chicken Rice Shop in Robinson’s Place, ManilaServes: MalaysianHalal status: HalalAddress: G/F, Space 304, Robinsons Place Manila, Pedro Gil Cor. Adriatico Sts., Ermita, ManilaOpening Hours: 10am – 9:30pm (Sun – Thu), 10am – 10:30pm (Fri & Sat)Facebook2. Ziggurat in Makati CityServes: Indian, the Mediterranean, African, and the Middle EastHalal status: HalalAddress: Ground Floor Sunette Tower, Makati Ave Corner Durban St.Opening Hours: 24 hoursFacebook3. Potato CornerServes: SnacksHalal status: Halal ingredients usedAddress: Various locations around ManilaOpening Hours: Depends on the branchWebsite | Facebook | Instagram4. Hossein’s Persian KebabServes: Iranian, Arabian, Indian and MediterraneanHalal status: Halal-certifiedAddress: 2nd Floor 7857 LKV Building, Makati Avenue, right across Burgos Street, Makati CityOpening Hours: 11am – 11pmWebsite | Facebook4. Dulang Restaurant in Ermita, ManilaServes: Malaysian, Tausug (an ethnic group of the Philippines, Malaysian and Indonesia)Halal status: Muslim-ownedAddress: 1313 M. Adriatico St. cor Padre Faura, Ermita, ManilaOpening Hours: 9am – 9pmFacebook5. Garuda PhilippinesServes: IndonesianHalal status: Halal-CertifiedAddress: 166 Salcedo Street Makati City, PhilippinesOpening Hours: 11am – 10pmWebsite | Facebook | Instagram6. Mister KababServes: Middle Eastern and MediterraneanHalal status: Halal menu served.Address: 31 West Avenue, Del Monte, Quezon CityOpening Hours: 24 hoursFacebook7. Shawarma Snack Center ManilaServes: Middle easternHalal status: Halal-certifiedAddress: 485 Salas St., Ermita, ManilaOpening Hours: 24 hoursFacebook8. Arya Persian Restaurant ManilaServes: Iranian and The MediterraneanHalal status: Halal ingredient used, alcohol is served.Address: Robinsons Place Manila, Level 1, Alfresco Wing, Ermita, Manila, 1000, Metro Manila, PhilippinesOpening Hours: 10am – 9pmWebsite | Facebook9. Feta MediterraneanServes: Turkish, Greek, MediterraneanHalal status: Halal meat used.Address: Ground Floor, Intrawest Center, 101 Annapolis Street, Greenhills, San Juan CityOpening Hours: 10am – 10pmFacebook10. El Prado at Berjaya Makati HotelServes: Local, Asian, InternationalHalal status: Halal-certifiedAddress: 7835 Makati Avenue Corner Eduque Street, Makati City, Philippines 1209Opening Hours: 24 hoursWebsite11. Kabab & CurryServes: Indian and PakistaniHalal status: Halal-certifiedAddress: 20 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air, Makati CityOpening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm, 6pm – 12mnWebsite12. Hummus Elijah MakatiServes: MediterraneanHalal Status: Vegetarian and HalalAddress: 7850 Makati Avenue, Makati, 1209 Metro Manila, PhilippinesOpening Hours: 9am – 3amWebsite | Facebook13. Moud Halal RestaurantHalal status: Muslim-owned, Halal ingredients used.Address: 827 Globo de Oro Street, Quiapo, Manila, The PhilippinesOpening Hours: 11am – 10pmFacebook 14. Iza's Chicken CornerServes: WesternHalal Status: Halal menu served.Address: 873 P. Campa Street, Sampaloc, ManilaOpening Hours: 24 hoursFacebook15. The Marriott Cafe in Marriot Hotel ManilaHalal status: Halal menu available upon request.Address: Newport Boulevard, Newport City, Pasay 1309, Metro Manila, PhilippinesOpening Hours: 6:30am – 10:30pmWebsite16. New Bombay RestaurantServes: Authentic Indian foodHalal status: Halal-CertifiedAddress: G/F, Glorietta 3, Ayala Center, Makati CityOpening Hours: 11am – 11pm17. Rehan Halal Food HubServes: ArabianHalal Status: Halal menu served.Address: Food Court, Lower Ground Floor, Theatre Mall, Greenhills Shopping Centre, Greenhills, San Juan CityOpening Hours: 10am – 10pm So there you have it, a list of Halal eateries in Manila. Now that food is settled, what are you waiting for? Get your plan started for a trip to Manila!...
The experience of a 5-day visit to Philippines was nothing short of magnificent. We were given the opportunity to explore everything there was to know about the country, together with two other social media influencers from Indonesia and Singapore. Organized by Halaltrip and Tourism Philippines, this journey was definitely an awaited one as I’ve been dying to visit the wonderful country that is the Phillipines. Day One To summarize our first day, we visited the capital city of the Philippines, Manila. We were given thorough explanation on how the country was first built during our tour to Intramuros. The visit pretty much gave us an insight on the history of Philippines. We were also given the opportunity to visit a mosque, located in an Islamic community vicinity there. Furthermore, the hotel where we stayed in, Dusit Thani Makati was practically a Muslim-friendly hotel as it provides a complete facility needed by Muslim tourists. And if we go into the topic of food, for breakfast and lunch, we were able to enjoy the savoury taste of local food specially served by the hosts at Dusit Thani. For dinner, we were privileged to drop by at Shangri-La to enjoy the wide spread buffet. Most importantly, everything is made Halal! Day Two We started our second day tour by visiting Ayana Museum. There, we managed to feast our eyes a whole range of extraordinary art collections related to the Philippines. We, then had to rush off as we were about to have lunch at the oldest hotel in the Philippines, Manila Hotel. Apparently it was built around 1909. How interesting is that? After that, we were already on a plane heading to Bohol. And as we arrived at the Tagbilaran Airport, we were greeted by a few attendants just waiting to bring us to the Bohol Beach Club. No words could express how breathtaking the view was. The white sandy beaches actually left us speechless. And to make things better than it already is, our Halal food served by the Bohol Beach Club was nothing short of exquisite! Day Three Today is the day we went around the Bohol Island. Our first stop was the Philippines Tarsier Foundation where we were introduced to a cute animal called Tarsier. This primate, who was an inspiration to the character of Yoda from the Star Wars, is extremely rare in other parts of the world. Next, we dropped by to Chocolate Hills. Even when we had to climb 214 stairs, it was all worth it when we saw what was in store for us. A scenic view of the mountain was simply an awe. And while we were there, we walked to the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park to challenge ourselves with various extreme games made available there. Then we headed to the Loboc River Cruise to experience having lunch on a moving boat crossing the Loboc River. It was definitely an experience you will never forget! Finally, we went back to our residence in the Bohol Beach Club and took a breather at the picturesque beach. Obviously our night wouldn’t have been complete without our Halal food for the night, so we headed to South Palm Resort Panglao, located beside Bohol Beach Club to enjoy another range of mouthwatering dinner. Day Four Today, we proceeded on with our next tour to another location: Cebu! It took us two hours to arrive using the Oceanjet boat. The second we arrived in Cebu, we immediately headed to the Persian Kebab Tandoori Restaurant to enjoy our lunch. Interesting enough, this particular Halal restaurant actually serves Malaysian food, such as the Chicken Fried Rice! After lunch, we made a move to the Alkhairiah Mosque to perform our prayers. Once done, we were heading to Profood Cebu’s Mango Factory Tour. While we were there, we managed to learn and see for ourselves how the famous dried mangoes of Philippines were processed. Our accomodation for the night was Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan. We were fascinated with the beautiful and coziness decor of our living area as each of us were given a whole villa equipped with a private swimming pool. And lucky for Muslims, they do not forget the most essential items needed for us as the Al-Quran, Qiblah pointer and sajadah was provided for us. Our appetizing Halal dinner was served while we bask in the panoramic view of dawn. It was simply spectacular. Day Five Unfortunately, this is the last day for us in the Philippines. As we had just finished our breakfast, we were given the chance to tour around the resort where we visited their 5-star spa. Before heading off to the Cebu Airport, we first feasted on lunch, and then transited in Manila before heading off to our respective countries. Unfortunately, our flight to Manila was delayed for two hours. We were scheduled to have dinner at Marriot Hotel Manila before heading home, but sadly it didn’t go according to plan. But thankfully, our hotel took the initiative to pack our foods and we managed to devour them at the Manila airport together, while sitting down on the floor, as though we were having our very own picnic! We were happy enough for our stomaches that we were ready to head home. But I guess, lighting does strike twice, as our flight from Manila to Malaysia was delayed for two hours... Again! But we tried to look at things on the positive side, as the experience we had earned for the past 5 days in the Philippines was priceless; and that made us smile throughout the whole way. Thank you Halaltrip and Tourism Philippines for giving us this once in a lifetime opportunity. Before ending my story, I’d like to list down five captivating things about the Philippines: 1. Friendly Locals They are really friendly and gives the best service to the tourists who visit their country. Although we were constantly mistaken for locals, the hospitality that we’ve received has been extremely great. 2. No Language Barrier Don’t worry about having language barrier in communicating with the locals. Almost everyone that we meet in the country can speak fluent English, making it easy for tourists to communicate. 3. Dried Mango The business of dried mangoes in the Philippines is well-known worldwide and should not be underestimated as it is also made Halal for Muslims. If opportunity arises, do take the time to visit its factory in Cebu. Could you imagine, the dried mangoes I bought as souveniers were finished in less than a day! People were giving feedbacks on how tasty Philippine Dried Mangoes are. 4. Breathtaking Beaches Words couldn’t express how beautiful the beaches are in the Philippines. Though we only managed to spend time at Bohol Beach Club, Panglao, there is no doubt that other islands in the Philippines such as Davao, Palawan and Boracay isn’t that far off when it comes to its beauty. 5. Halal Food If there are some of you that are worried and sceptical about the Halal status in food served in Philippines due to its high population of Christianity, fret not. We had no trouble at all getting Halal food for the whole five days we were there. To make your trips easier, just download the HalalTrip App in your smartphones. Not only do they provide information on which places serve Halal food, it also provides various facilities for Muslims who are travelling abroad. Click here to follow Faiz's timeline on HalalTrip ...
So it was actually my 2nd time to go to Philippines, but it was my first time to Cebu & Bohol. I had only gone to Manila & Boracay but my friend told that me that Cebu was also beautiful. When I received the email from HalalTrip, I directly accepted the offer! Because Cebu was also on my wishlist if I were to go back to Philippines! Yaynesssss! And also, it was so interesting to have a real 'Halal' trip and we could share all things Halal we could find in Philippines. So the trip happened on May 30th - June 3rd, our first stop was Manila. I arrived in Manila in the morning and directly went to the Dusit Thani Hotel in the Makati district - just 10 steps away from malls. SM Makati, Greenbelt and two other malls. I barely knew that the hotel had such a 'Halal' certificate; our hotel got a Crescentrating of 5 - which meant that the hotel would be able to provide information about prayer times, nearest mosque and prayer directions. They also had a Halal certified restaurant & kitchen. At noon, we just went to touristic places in Manila and had a little stop at the malls near the hotel. Our schedule was pretty full, 'cause we went to 3 cities in only 5 days. So on the 2nd day we went to Bohol by plane. It was a 1.5 hour flight from Manila, but something bad happened when we just arrived in Bohol - 2 of our friends lost their luggage! So they needed to wait until the next day for their luggage. Thankfully when we arrived in Bohol, we didn't have any schedule - we just went to the hotel and had dinner together. We stayed in a resort called Bohol Beach Club - it is a beautiful resort with beachfront view. The beach is really relaxing - we can just lay down in the hammock in front of the beach and enjoy the sunset. Best! The next day, we went to some touristic yet famous places in Bohol, the first one is the famous Chocolate Hills. But to see the beautiful Chocolate Hills, we had to take the 214 stairs. It was pretty tiring 'cause we went there around 11.30 am and the sun right above us! After that we went to the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park and some of us tried the bike zip - where we have to paddle a bike in a rope, between 2 hills. The length was about 600 metres and the height was 150 feet above the ground. Another great experience!! Even we were so nervous at first! We had our late lunch at Loboc River. The river was just so beautiful; the colour was light green and it was sooo clean. We had our own boat and we just went around the river. The next day, we went to Cebu by ferry. Yayyyy!! It took only 1 hour from Bohol to Cebu. We arrived and had lunch first and directly went to the Profood Factory, who made the famous brand of dried mangoes. Afterwards we went to one of the mosques in Cebu. In the afternoon we went to our resort called Crimson Resort & Spa Mactan. MY FAVORITE ONEEE!! Ahhh that was why my friend told me Cebu was beautiful. Hihi, we got our own private pool at the villas. The resort also a beachfront view resort. We had dinner right by the beach. The resort also had Halal certification. They provided the Quran, praying mat, and praying direction in our room. Of course the food was Halal too. We had dinner and lunch at the hotel and everything was just soooo goooddd :) Too bad we only had 1 night in Cebu. But everything was worth it! Thank you so much HalalTrip & Tourism Philippines for providing us the best! Click here to follow Mega's timeline on HalalTrip ...
I can still vividly remember the first time I stepped foot in the Philippines. It was all thanks to HalalTrip that I got such a great opportunity to explore and learn more about my neighbouring country. I am really honoured to be able to share this experience with 2 other influencers from Malaysia and Indonesia. Initially it was pretty awkward when I first got to know them. But as time went by, we became friends. We broke the ice after our lunch at Dusit Thani hotel in Manila. Day 1 in Manila The first day on our intinerary was to check-in as we reached Manila early in the morning. After resting for about 2 hours, we went down for breakfast. Later in the afternoon - after a filling lunch - the hotel manager took us for a small tour around the kitchen area as Dusit Thani offers a Halal certified section. We were able to interact with the GM as well as the Chef who explained to us in detail that all Halal food that they handle, right up to their servings, were all done separately in an enclosed Halal kitchen. Right after that, we went to Intramuros (Spanish for "within the walls"). It is the oldest district and historic core of Manila, Philippines - also known as the Walled City. The tour guide explained to us about the history of the walls. It was such an amazing experience to learn the story of those walls. We also had the opportunity to learn of the existence of an honourable man Jose Rizal who was executed by the Spanish colonial government for the crime of rebellion after an anti-colonial revolution inspired in part by his writings, broke out. He is widely considered one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines, and is implied by Philippine law to be one of the national heroes. Oh I got to share this with all of you. After the Intramuros we went to a souvenir shop - Mananzan Handicraft. I was looking around for something to get for my mom. And a table cloth set caught my eye. Without calculating or knowing the currency well, I just took it and made payment at the counter. After which, I realised that I had bought a tablecloth set that cost SGD 200. That was only after 30% - original price was SGD 266, equivalent to 8000 pesos. It was kind of expensive but it was handcrafted by the Filipinos and made of banana leaves. But in the end, it was worth the money as I don't think you can find such detailed handcrafted, banana leaf tablecloth set anywhere in Singapore. Right after souvenir hunting, we went to the Golden Mosque to perform our Asar prayer. The mosque is also known as the biggest mosque in Manila, surrounded by the minority Muslim community in the area. It was such an eye-opening experience to go there and get to know how Muslims live there. After touring around we went back to our hotel to freshen up before our dinner. We went to SM also known as ShoeMart Department store founded by Henry Sy, a Filipino Chinese who worked as a shoe shiner during his younger days. He worked with all his might and perserverance until he managed to be one of the listed billionaires in the world. The mall was located right beside our hotel and it was so convenient. After that we had our dinner buffet at Shangri-La hotel which also served us Halal food. It was a pleasure to be able to go to Philippines where most citizens are Christian but where Halal food was easily available. After all that touring, we finally got back to the hotel for the night. Day 2 in Bohol Our second day on the itinerary started with a nice breakfast at the Dusit Thani. Upon finishing our great food, we proceeded to Ayala Museum in Makati, Metro Manila Philippines. It is located in Ayala Center adjacent to Greenbelt Mall and is run privately by the Ayala Foundation. The museum has been committed to showcasing overseas collections and situating contemporary Philippine art in the global arena in a two-way higway of mutual cooperation and exchange with local and international associates. After that we had lunch at Manila hotel. It was such a posh place filled with history. We were served a few dishes which were so savoury - such as beef rendang served with pita bread. Most food was Indian cuisine. After we were done with the food, we then proceeded to Ninoy Aquino International airport for our flight to Tagbilaran Airport to Bohol. The flight from Manila to Bohol took about almost 2 hours. When we reached there, we thought everything would go as planned. But sadly, our HalalTrip members' luggage were left at Manila. They told us it was because we were amongst the last passengers to check-in our luggages. But it was kind of strange how all the other influencers plus their partners got their luggage, except for the two HalalTrip members. It was sad that they could only receive their luggage the following day cause there were only a few flights to Bohol from Manila and our flight was the last one to Bohol. Travelling from the airport to Beach Club took us about only 15-20 minutes. The traffic there was kind of better than Manila. Manila traffic was crazy! When we reached Beach Club, we were sooooo excited to finally see the BEACH! Who doesn't love the beach? It was really calming and relaxing to be there. When we reached there, we had our own time for the whole day until late night for our dinner. The room really was big to be shared by 2 people. Our scenery was amazing. I was really happy that we touched there at the Beach Club. What I heard from our tour guide was that Bohol is a mini-Boracay. So if you think that Boracay is overrated, you should come to Bohol and stay at their Bohol Beach Club. I would give it 5 stars for their service. When we were having our dinner at the restaurant at the Beach Club, we were serenaded by the staff there with live singing whilst we enjoyed our food. Bohol Beach Club is Halal certified and also has a Halal section, so we didn't need to worry anything about it. We got to know that they also use different cutleries and plates for the Halal section. We had Indian cuisine as well, but with a mixture of Asian Cuisine like Fried Noodles, Fish Salsa, etc. We had fresh fruit cuts from them for our dessert but we wanted their mangoes! So glad that they accommodated our needs and wants. You can find sweet mangoes during summer. That is the best time to get the sweetest mangoes. So if you want sweet mangoes, you should come to Philippines during summer time! \ Day 3 in Bohol & Cebu We had our breakfast at Bohol Beach Club, I must say that I love their garlic fried rice! It is to die for! No kiding. There wasn't much choice for breakfast but I was glad that there was an actual Halal section that catered for us. We headed down to see Bohol's cutest primate ever - the Tarsiers. There were only a few of them that we saw. They have huge eyes and small body. The adult size of a Tarsier is so small that you can fit them perfectly into your palm. We were informed that babies of Tarsiers are as small as your thumb. How cute! They are also known as the smallest primate in the world. They can turn their head 180 degrees to the left and right, similar to owls. Another similarity to owls is that they are only active at night. You should visit the Tarsiers Foundation if you visit Bohol. You'll be happy and you won't be able to stop squealing when you see the cute tarsiers! Afterwards we went to Chocolate Hills where we had to climb 214 steps up the hill just to get a the paranomic view of Bohol. But it was all worth it! The place is called Chocolate Hills because during summer the grass on the hills turn brown, to give it the appearance of chocolates. So that was how they got the name. There are over hundreds of hills around Bohol. We went to Chocolate Hill Adventure Park - also known as CHAP - for the activities there. We took the bike zip which was one of the best experiences ever! The bike zip is 150 feet high and it was about a 7-10 minute ride to the other end and back to the start. It was really really fun! There were many other activities there such as butterfly viewing, fish feeding, sumo wrestling, bike zipping and also air surfing. How cool. And the activities there are 100% safe! We had our seafood lunch at Loboc River, where you can have your lunch on the boat while it goes around the river. Such a romantic atmosphere. Haha! We had a great lunch with live entertainment on the boat. It was really nice to see such river - I can't find something like it anywhere in Singapore. After that we headed back to our hotel. We were all tired from climbing hundreds of steps. We had our dinner at South Palm Resort which was just next to our Beach Club. South Palm Resort is Halal Certified and has a Halal section as well. We had a super full filling dinner where we had lamb shank, peri-peri chicken and some other Indian dishes. We loved their chicken that we asked for more! Day 4 in Cebu I couldn't get up for breakfast so we just headed down to meet the others at the lobby on the dot of the time for us to gather. We could not be late as we were taking a fast ferry to Cebu. The ferry ride took about 2 hours to Cebu. Had our lunch straight away right after we reached Cebu at Persian Kebab Tandoori at Park Mall. Persian Kebab is Halal Certified for sure. Had Asian cuisine finally! Had nasi ayam goreng like finally.. We went to visit the Mosque at Cebu. The mosque there I can say is better taken care of. I was so glad to see Muslim Filipinos. Because we all know that most Filipinos were Christians. So when you see your own brothers and sisters from another country, of course you would be happy. The traffic here in Cebu was similar to Manila. Busy traffic with lots of cars around. We went to ProFood Factory where we learnt about the popular Dried Mangoes!! The brand "Cebu Dried Mango" was so popular that it went all the way to Hawaii, Japan, USA and many more countries! Can you imagine! We saw how they processed the dried mangoes from the first step where mangoes were kept, until the end where they were distributed out as the finished goods. It takes about 5-7 days to complete the whole process from A-Z. Couldn't resist myself and I shopped a lot at their giftshop there where all you could see was, MANGOESSS~! But! ProFood does not only make dried mangoes, they also make other dried fruits such as dried pineapple, dried guava, dried coconuts and etc. They also don't do only dried foods - they also make puree, jam and many more. Finally, after a long day. We checked-in to the most beautiful resort ever. Crimson Resorts & Spa. I couldn't take my eyes off the Villa that we stayed in. I thought that we would stay in normal room. But I was so glad that they didn't disappoint us! We stayed in the Private Pool Villa! You have to stay there and you know how happy and wonderful it is to have such a room. After we checked in, we had our splendid dinner at the resort while we enjoyed the sunset. Crimson is Halal Certified and has a Halal Section. It is CrescentRated 5. I love their service and everything there. After the filling dinner. I soaked myself in the pool for hours and in the bathtub too. There was a TV in the toilet, HOW COOL? Slept quite late that night cause that was the last night for the whole trip and I just loved the place that I wished we could stay there for a longer period of time. Day 5 in Cebu & Manila Had a wonderful spread of breakfast at the Tempo Restaurant. Gosh, I didn't know where to start cause there was so much food that you could eat early in the morning! We had a tour around the resort to see the different types of rooms. I was so happy that they were able to give this opportunity to us to see the resort and their spa. It was sad that we only stayed there for a night and didn't have the time to go to the spa. I left my heart at Crimson Hotel and I HAVE to go back to claim it back and enjoy a few more days there! Had a 5 course lunch that I already got full when they served only the 3rd course. I couldn't eat anymore that I only had a few bite of my Tenderlion. Apart from that, we were rushing for the time as well because our flight back to Manila was at 2:00 pm and we only started our meal course at 11:45 am. We had to be at the airport latest by 1:00 pm. Luckily we were able to reach it on time. But guess what? The flight got delayed for TWO hours. With the two hours, we could have had our lunch slowly and finished everything up! But it was okay. We flew back to Manila at 4:55 pm and we didn't have the time to go back to Mariott Hotel for our dinner. But Alhamdulillah, thank you Mariott for packing our dinner and sending it to us at the airport. We had our dinner at Manila airport. Mariott Hotel is also Halal Certified and had a Halal section with CrescentRated 5! Alhamdulillah, we safely landed in Singapore at about 1:30 am as our flight got delayed at Manila back to Singapore as well. I couldn't thank HalalTrip more for this given opportunity. I was so glad to be a part of this trip and to actually go to the country that I had been wanting to go. May Allah bless you. Thank you. Click here to follow Ruzainah's timeline on HalalTrip ...
Day 2 started earlier because we had to catch a flight at noon. In the morning, we were going to the Ayala Museum which was near from the hotel, located at the heart of the Makati Central Business District. The museum is surely one of the best places to lose yourself in amazing contemporary art and uplift your spirit through the Philippines’ inspiring history. After that, we had an early lunch at Manila Hotel; it was a whole different kind of food compared to yesterday's food. Manila Hotel provided us mixed food, letting us choose between Asian food and Middle Eastern food. All the food was really goooddd and of course, Halal :) Lunch was for 30-40 minutes and we were in a rush to go to the airport because the flight changed times to 1 pm, when the schedule said it should be 2 pm :)) We were in a hurryyyy, until they called our names few times and finally we arrived on time to the plane. We were heading to Bohol, it took us 1.5 hours to get here. We safely arrived and headed directly to the hotel named Bohol Beach Club which took us about 30 minutes from the airport. Buuuuut the place was really beautiful, really. In front of the hotel was the blue sea, with white sand. It was really a good day with a relaxing place to rest. See you tomorrow on day 3! :) Click on my timeline for more updates from my journey ...
Prayer times for Manila,Philippines