The Peninsula Manila has enhanced its iconic experiential
program, The Peninsula Academy, with new activities designed to delight and
educate guests of all ages. Eight experiences for adults and children staying
at The Peninsula Manila include lessons in whipping up the most famous of
Philippine iced desserts, the halo-halo; a private studio visit to one
of the Philippines’ most eminent private jewelers; reliving the past in a
heritage tour of the colonial town of Taal; a full day at the atelier of three
of the country’s iconic art, style and fashion mavens while discussing trends
and shopping to one’s delight; an exhilarating helicopter and tranvia (tram) visit to Corregidor, and
more – providing guests with an authentic taste of the culture of the
Philippines.
The Peninsula Academy was
created to give guests an insider’s introduction to key aspects of local
culture, lifestyle, cuisine, arts and history through individualized classes,
tours and activities. The Peninsula Manila has meticulously curated its
programs by sourcing the very best tour guides and local partners, bringing the
city and the country to life through exclusive activities, all accomplished
with the celebrated Peninsula attention to detail.
Spirit of Corregidor: World War II Tour by
Helicopter and Land
The Peninsula Manila’s
signature WOW! program. This program brings to life the drama of the last stand
of the combined Filipino and American defenders against the invading Japanese
forces in World War II.
The day begins with a lift-off
from the hotel’s helipad where guests will cross Manila Bay to the rocky island
fortress of Corregidor where a guide will take them on a private tour of the
island onboard a 1940s tranvia (tram)
and relive the history of major sites, their strategic importance and legacy.
Later in the morning, a Peninsula page will offer Champagne and canapés before
the helicopter flies along the spectacular Cavite – Batangas coastline before
descending into Taal lake and hovering over Taal volcano, one of the most
geologically active environments in the Philippines. Then the coconut
plantations ringing Taal lake open to reveal the hillside town of Tagaytay
where the helicopter will land near Antonio’s restaurant for a garden lunch at
one of Asia’s best restaurants. This is the perfect finish to the The Spirit of
Corregidor tour before returning to The Peninsula Manila with enough memories
to last a lifetime.
If
These Walls Could Speak: Tour of the Old Walled City of Intramuros
Intramuros brings
to life nearly 400 years of Philippine history in a breezy three hours with
some of Manila’s most accomplished, educated and interesting historians as the
hotel’s private tour guide. The tour starts in Fort Santiago, retracing the
steps of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal and in the process, providing a
backdrop for a sometimes biting, oftentimes humorous but always incisively
intelligent commentary on the Philippine psyche. The tour ends with either
lunch or dinner at a 1930s Art Deco mansion.
Manila
Design: Experience Philippine Art, Design and Fashion
Die-hard stylistas will love this experience. Wander at leisure through a pretty and peaceful gated 1950s
residential compound that houses the galleries and atelier of three Manila
style setters –
Albert Avellana (art), Eric
Paras (interior design) and Jesus “Jojie”Lloren (fashion) – and where they can
discuss over lunch current trends and even buy or commission artworks,
limited-edition furniture and couture designs.
Defining Luxury: Jewelry by Wynn Wynn Ong
We take guests to the private studio of Wynn Wynn Ong, one of the Philippines’ most
eminent bespoke jewelers whose pieces have been extensively featured in The Robb Report, Town & Country, Asian
Fortune, Platinum and on the
cover of Women’s Wear Daily and NY. Over coffee, tea or Champagne and
canapés served by a Peninsula page, she will explain the process of creating
her works of wearable art that are celebrated for their beauty, craftsmanship
and attention to detail. Hotel guests may also commission jewelry which,
because of Wynn Wynn’s refusal to make more than one piece of a kind, and no
more than a limited number of pieces each year, makes her brooches, bracelets,
rings, necklaces and minaudières highly sought after by a select list of
clientele who appreciate the extraordinary vision and unflagging commitment to
quality that is her hallmark.
Art in the Hills: 27
Years of Philippine Contemporary Art
With a new dawn rising for
Philippine contemporary art, The Peninsula Academy will arrange for curious
minds or art enthusiasts to go on a private guided tour of Pinto Gallery, the
Silangan Gardens and Pinto Art Museum with the Art in the Hills: 27 Years of Philippine Contemporary Art program.
The tour starts at Pinto Gallery with refreshments served at Silangan Gardens.
From there, a guide will take guests to the capilla
(chapel) with its antique santos (saints)
and then on a short walk down the hillside compound to the museum. The “Art in
the Hills” tour comes to a close with a chilled glass of Deutz Peninsula
Champagne in hand, as well as a greater appreciation for contemporary
Philippine art.
Pasalubong: A
Filipino Crafts Class for Young People
Lutong Pinoy: Sweet
Cooking the Filipino Way for Kids
Junior guests of The Peninsula
Manila eager to learn the ABCs of easy-to-make Filipino desserts can join the Lutong Pinoy: Sweet Cooking the Filipino
Way for Kids class and learn how to make halo-halo which is a compound Tagalog
(the Philippine national language) word for “mix-mix” because halo-halo means just that – to mix in a
glass layers of cooked fruit, egg custard, pulses, shaved ice and ice-cream and
scooping it up with a spoon. Adult guests are welcome to join too!.
A
Taal Tale: Tour of the Grand Old Houses of Taal Town
The
Taal Tale: Tour of the Grand Old
Houses of Taal Town academy program relives the lifestyle, customs and
traditions of a wealthy Filipino home during the Spanish colonial period.
Guests will start their journey back in time at Villa Tortuga, a restored
19th-century bahay na bato (stone
house) whose gracious owner will host them to a typical provincial lunch and
then take them on a walking tour of the centuries-old Basilica of St Martin de
Tours before finishing with merienda
(Philippine afternoon tea) at Casa Villavicencio
Call 8872888 for reservations.
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