Parents, their kids, and other adventurous souls who want to experience a more exciting Easter can now rush to the Sky Ranch in Tagaytay for fun rides and more prizes beginning March 29 up to April 5.
The SM-owned Sky Ranch has gained attention and popularity as the go-to-place for fun rides, mesmerizing families who want something more exciting from the daily grind, and yet something that can likewise shelter them from the usual hustle and bustle of city life. The Sky Ranch has provided all that with its 19 heart-pounding rides. Those who would like a touch of nature can do a bit of horseback riding while viewing the panoramic vista of Taal Volcano. A weekend escapade can be wrapped up by a stay at the nearby Taal Vista Hotel on Aguinaldo Highway in Tagaytay.
Sky Ranch’s current “Eggciting Escapade Promo” will dazzle Easter celebrators with a live show featuring the funny Mr. Eggbert on April 5. A purchase of ticket rides worth P500 from March 29 up to April 5 will get one free ride-all-you-can event pass and one free loot bag. An eye-catching unique costume that makes you stand out from the rest will also bring a special prize.
Mr. Eggbert will start and end the Easter Event as its emcee. The musical dance numbers are guaranteed to invite participation from the audience. Then there are the games which will keep everyone happily on their toes, challenging them to find common patterns in “The Egg Match”; bring out their creativity in the “Eggciting Art Attack;” and see how good they are in a make-believe kitchen in “The Kettle Kornn Poppin’ Fun Game.”
The SM-owned Sky Ranch in Tagaytay is open daily from 8 AM to 10 PM during the weekends, and 10 AM to 10 PM during weekdays. From Manila, Sky Ranch is accessible through the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) exit to Santa Rosa, Laguna, and from there, travelers can feast their eyes on the panoramic views while on a road trip along the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Rd. going up the hills and landscapes to Tagaytay.
Sky Ranch Tagaytay is a 5.5-hectare development by SM Prime under Commercial Properties Group and Family Entertainment Center, a wholly owned subsidiary of SM Prime in charge of the creation and installation of rides in Sky Ranch and in By The Bay park adjacent to the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
SM Prime is the property holding firm of the SM Group of Companies, which has major business interests in banking and retail sectors apart from property segment. SM Prime has developed key establishments in the residential, office, hotels and other leisure-oriented projects.
With awards season drawing to a close, it is not only movies and actors that deserve recognition for their work. Global real estate network Lamudi rolls out the red carpet for the Property Oscars—recognizing some of the leaders in international real estate.
Category: Tallest Building
And the Oscar goes to…the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is 829.9 meters (2,722 ft) high and has claimed the official title of tallest building in the world since opening in January 2010. It is almost twice the height of the Empire State Building, which was the world’s tallest building for nearly 40 years.
Burj Khalifa features 162 floors, took six years to be build and is owned by Emaar Estates. It holds several records such as tallest skyscraper, building with the most floors, world’s highest escalator installation, world’s highest restaurant and nightclub, and many more.
Both the height of the building and its costs are enormous. The building’s price tag, at US$1.5 billion, was about 37 times the amount of the Empire State building.
Category: Oldest Building
Considered the oldest building in the world is the nearly 7,000-year-old Barnenez, overlooking the bay of Molaix in Brittany, France. The estimated weight of the massive stone structure is 13,000 to 14,000 tons. It features 11 chambers, each entered by separate passages. No doubt the building has had many more than one owner and purpose.
The Neolithic monument was built around 4,800 BC and classified as a tumulus (a type of grave) in 1850. But over time it was not only used to host the dead. At first the building was 32 meters long, 9 meters wide and 8 meters high. In 4,200 BC and 3,900 BC the building was extended to six further chambers added to the west, increasing its size to 72 meters long, 25 meters wide and over 13 meters high. The structure was almost destroyed after it was used as a quarry for paving stones.
Category: Most Expensive Home
The 400,000-square-feet private skyscraper—situated in the south of Mumbai, India—is the residence of the world’s fifth richest man, Mukesh Ambani. He is the chairman of Reliance Industries Limited and moved in to the 27-storey skyscraper with his wife and three children.
The first six floors are only parking lots, followed by a huge lobby with nine elevators going up Ambani’s 167.64-meter-high (550 feet) home. In the enormous home, which is known as Antilla, no two floors are the same in terms of interior and materials used. The property features several storage rooms, lounges, a large ballroom with 80 percent of its ceiling covered in crystal chandeliers, several swimming pools, a yoga studio, an ice room with man-made snow and a four-story open garden.
The costs of the world’s largest and most expensive home were approximately US$1 billion.
Category: Most Expensive Building
Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the world’s most expensive building is the Abraj Al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower. It is owned by the government and had an estimate building cost of US$15 billion.
The 601 meter-high building is part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project, which was introduced to modernize the city in order to cope with the massive amount of visitors who make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Abraj Al-Bait Towers has a large prayer room capable of holding more than 10,000 people and also includes a five-star hotel to host the pilgrims, who participate in the Hajj each year.
Category: Most Famous Home
The White House is the most famous home in the world and principal workplace of the most powerful man in the United States—the President.
Built in 1792, it features six stories, of which two are in the basement, 132 rooms, 16 bedrooms and 35 bathrooms, measuring altogether 5,901.65 square meters (or 55,000 square feet). Each week the White House receives up to 30,000 visitors, 65,000 letters, 3,500 phone calls and 100,000 emails.
In 1962 Jacqueline Kennedy, the wife of the president, directed the extensive and historic redecoration of the White House. For each room there a different theme related to the early republic and world history was selected. The best-known room is the Oval Office, which also provides the backdrop for many Hollywood blockbusters.
From presidential palaces in Colombia to film centers in the Philippines, the most normal places are not always as they seem.In honor of Halloween, global real estate marketplace Lamudi guides you through the world’s top 10 haunted properties.
1.
Lawang Sewu, Indonesia
A landmark of Semarang, Central Java,
Lawang Sewu (which translates as “Thousand Doors”) is a former Dutch colonial
era building, rumored to be haunted by headless ghosts. This large, deserted
structure is open to the public 24 hours a day, so if you’re looking for a
scare this Halloween, why not take a midnight visit?
Image via Shutterstoc
2. Manila Film Center, the Philippines
A national building in Pasay City, Metro Manila,
the Manila Film Center was built in 1981. During construction, on November 17th
1981, the construction collapsed, burying over 150 workers in quick-drying
cement. It was believed that some of these workers were entombed alive in the
concrete. However, records show that all bodies were retrieved from the site.
Ghostlore says that those who died roam the film center to this day, making
mysterious sounds.
Located in Karachi, the Mohatta Palace is
an elaborate, pink, and yellow stone building, consisting of 18,500 square
yards. Legend has it that there is a superhuman presence at the palace, with
guides believing the building is haunted. While on guard, workers are rumored
to have felt the presence of spirits, and experienced objects moving without
human touch.
The former prison of some of England’s most
renowned historical figures, the Tower of London is one of the most haunted
places in the UK. Reportedly, the headless ghost of Anne Boleyn, one of the
wives of King Henry VIII, still resides within the tower, following her
execution in 1536. The oldest part of the building, the White Tower, is also
home to the White Lady, who is said to have been seen standing at the window,
waving to children in the opposite building.
Image via Shutterstock
5. Bhangarh Fort, India
Legend has it that a black magic wizard
named Singhiya, in love with the Princess of Bhangarh, cursed the fort with the
death of all who lived there, following the Princess’s rejection of his love.
The year following the curse, both war and famine broke out, leading to the
death of the Princess. Tourists are unable to enter the building after sunset
and before sunrise, so not to disturb the ghosts of Singhiya and other locals
who haunt Bhangarh Fort.
Xochimilco, a district just south of Mexico
City, is home to a number of artificial islands and canals, one of which was
owned by a caretaker named Julian Santana Barrera. When Barrera discovered the
body of a young girl in one of the canals near his island, he began to collect
dolls to hang around the island to ward off any evil spirits, and to make the
young girl happy. The island, known as Isla de las Munecas (Island of the
Dolls), is now visited by thousands of tourists a year, who bring dolls to
carry on Barrera’s work.
A medieval castle hidden away in the hills
of Western Germany, Eltz Castle is one of just a few haunted castles in
Germany. Allegedly, ghosts of medieval knights roam the grounds of the great
12th century castle, which has been owned—and haunted—by the same family for 33
generations. One of the more famous ghosts, Agnes, apparently died defending
her honor, and her specter remains in the castle to this day.
Image via Shutterstock
8. Edinburgh Castle, United Kingdom
The vaults of Edinburgh Castle are famous
for the unsettling noises and movements that come from within. Constructed in
the 15th century, the underground maze makes up 120 rooms, which were used to
quarantine and entomb victims of the plague. Visitors can expect to see Lady
Janet Douglas, who was burned at the stake following accusations of witchcraft,
the spirit of a headless drummer, dogs wandering around the cemetery, and
numerous prisoners roaming the labyrinth.
Image via Shutterstock
9. Marroquín Castle, Colombia
This stunning mansion, built in 1904 near
the Colombian city of Chía, was an asylum for several years. Allegedly, the
castle is haunted by the ghost of a nun who once worked there, numerous
patients who met their demise in the asylum, and “La Zancona,” a mysterious
woman dressed in all black, who roams the building.
Port Arthur is allegedly the most haunted
place in Tasmania. During its almost 50-year history as a convict settlement,
hundreds of men died at Port Arthur. Furthermore, the massacre in 1006 led to
the death of 35 men, women and children. Tourists visit the port with the hope
of catching a glimpse of the Lady in Blue—the crying ghost of a young woman,
who reportedly died in childbirth—as well as over 2,000 ghosts that have
apparently been seen over the past 20 years.
Image via Shutterstock
ABOUT LAMUDI
Launched in 2013, Lamudi is a global
property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets. The fast-growing
platform is currently available in 28 countries in Asia, the Middle East,
Africa and Latin America, with more than 600,000 real estate listings across
its global network. The leading real estate marketplace offers sellers, buyers,
landlords and renters a secure and easy-to-use platform to find or list
properties online. For more information, please visit http://www.lamudi.com.ph
Spirits are high as residents of Sampaloc town in Quezon Province lay the groundwork for the 4th Bulihan Festival scheduled from April 23 to 26.
Thanks to Mayor Emmanuel S. Torres, who vigorously campaigned to highlight the Bulihan Festival. “This is something I want to highlight in our municipality: the importance of the Bulihan Festival. Through this festival, we give jobs to our residents, and we are able to promote tourism. There’s so much fun and excitement here. I hope they will visit us soon. Discover Sampaloc now!” Torres declared.
There is a full list of exciting activities at Sampaloc beginning on April 23 with the display of native delicacies in a program dubbed “Lutuing Sampalukin.” 14 barangays from Sampaloc are taking part in the food show. On April 24, the Payas Contest will be held, wherein houses along the parade route are encouraged to decorate the exteriors of their homes with colorful buri and other indigenous materials. The theme for this year’s festivity is “Blooming Sampaloc,.’ Forty-six houses are vying for cash prizes. On April 25, the Paradang Bayan 2014 will take place, followed by the awarding of the Search for Natatanging Anak ng Sampaloc. On April 26 comes the Lunesan ng Fiesta sa Ilog to be held on the Maapon River in Kakati, where residents will join in a boat race and hold picnics by the river.
Mayor Torres encouraged constituents to invite their friends from all over the country to join in the festival’s events. In promoting the fiesta, the local government has launched a homestay program where the residenst of Sampaloc “adopt” visitors for the duration of the event.
