Discover Manila: Yehey and yahoo at Star City!

When in Manila or actually in a suburb Pasay City, don’t forget to try and visit an amusement park perfect for superb friend and family bonding. Just like what I had last January where I had a superb friend bonding at this famed amusement park in Manila. It is a fun place to enjoy time with friends as there are many activities and rides to have fun and enjoy with. This amusement park that I had a great time with is Star City.  It is a premier must-visit amusement park in Manila.  My supreme day spend with my best work buddies and friends was an ultimate shout of “yehey” and “yahoo” at Star City!

Star City - yehey, yehey... Yahoo!

It has been a long time since my last visit to Star City. Actually, my last visit was during my elementary school days on an educational field trip! So when my office colleagues invited me to try visit the changed Star City, I gave a try. Much has really change since then on my comeback visit. I observed there are more rides and attraction now than before, both for kids and adults.  Star City is a family-oriented 35,000 square metre amusement park next to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in Pasay City. It is considered one of the attractions inside the CCP complex.

Unlimited ride!

First time in Star City?

Let's volt in!

My top three best ride in Star City were Surf Dance, Star Flyer and Jungle Splash. Surf Dance is the first  ride I tried together with my workmates. It is a suspended ride like a big swing imitating a ride in an ocean wave in various direction. It was a fun ride at the start but towards the mid and end part of the ride, it starts to swing wildly like you almost thrown in the air. But don’t worry, safety belt are locked and fastened tightly on you before the ride starts. As for my experience, it was wild ride on a splash of wave! At first, it was a likable swing but as it progresses to be wilder than before, I started to scream and shout from mix emotions of fun, nervousness and joy.  Plus it is suspended on a high beam that you can almost see the entire amusement park from above while on a wild swing! As I will not forget Surf Dance because of its wild swing, I’m sure you would not forget it once you try to “surf dance”.

Riding the Surf Dance!

Super wild swing!

Ayoko na!

Woohooo!

Next is Star Flyer. Actually, I have hesitations on trying this ride. Because first and foremost, it is a roller coaster ride. Second, it is on a high and a speed type of ride. And lastly, its my first time to try it! My friends tried their best to convince me to try and since all of them are going to take the ride and I will be the only one left saying no to this ride, I was “half” force to try it. “Ok, I’ll do it! I can do it.” I said to my self with all thrill and chill at my back. Then the time came when we’re about to ride Starflyer. It was in pairs by seating but I was surprisingly left without a partner! “What?!” But its fine, because the security belt holding my body in the ride is thick and wide enough to block my view on who’s sitting beside me. So having a pair partner is quite useless in the entire ride. I didn’t like how slow and teasing Starflyer started. It started on a slow climb up on a very high position which was teasing to a pre-start of a fast ride. Then when it reaches the highest point, it fell immediately on a high-speed run that went to upside down, rolling and side-way tracks! It was so fast and I just close my eyes at some point where I can’t bear the rolls and heights that I’m seeing! It lasted for about 40 seconds only that’s why some felt it was too short but enough for those who seeking enough thrill ride in Star City like me.

So much fun with work and friend buddies at Surf Dance!

Ang kulit ng Starflyer!

Jungle Splash was the last best ride I had with my friends and work colleagues. The ride is riding a log-like three seater that constantly moves on a watered guide path and then slowly moves up on a higher ground then suddenly falls off in the water – much like the real log transporter. Be ready to be wet on this ride as this will literally splash you with water! The first fall is just a few splash of water but the on the second fall which is higher on the first one, I had a big splash of water! My shorts was totally wet with water! But nonetheless, it is one of the most enjoyable ride I had in Star City. The exhilarating fun and thrill was unforgettable for me especially shared with my best work buddies. Now, I realized getting wet in Star City is real fun!

I’m surprise to learn that Star City is also popular with its horror houses where you enter on dark rooms and pitch black spaces with pathways like mazes and suprising stunts that you will let you scream until you find the exit. The first horror house we try is Gabi ng Lagim. Well, some of my colleagues especially the girls were so hesitant to go inside that we force them to join us. Haha... Inside Gabi ng Lagim, the theme was local and native Filipino scary horror scenes and supernatural beings. I was so dark! It was so dark that me and my workmates almost stumble in a small arch bridge that we didn’t see coming out of dark, screams, and adrenaline rush!

Jungle Splash time!

Time to get wet in Jungle Splash!

The second horror house we went through is the ancient Egyptian theme of Kilabot ng Mummy. This is the most scariest and thrilling horror house I have been in Star City. At the entrance only, there is already a silent and eerie drama of a long dark pathway that you have to cross or else you won’t be able to finish the maze of Mummy. This is also the horror house that has so many thrilling surprises and adrenaline rush suspense. This is where I really scream out of thrill and darkness! I think I shouted all verbal expressions inside this horror house just to get over with all the thrill and suspense I had. I was really caught in surprise with all the “gulat” played inside this themed horror house. I remember one of my colleagues who almost ride at my back because of scariness and creepiness of Kilabot ng Mummy. And we even didn’t split up inside while walking the maze. We walk together as we track the exit, yet were all scared, thrill and screaming out of our breath! My exit to this horror house really made me scream another verbal expressions when some kind of mummy mannequin drop at my back and caught me off-guard in surprise! Then, many of those dropping mummy mannequins followed that made me run with my buddies out to the exit. We exited Kilabot ng Mummy gasping for our breath and tired of scream, stress, run and thrill!

Kilabot ng Mummy horror house.

The last horror house we went through was called Dungeon. The theme of this horror house were ordinary scares of ghosts at haunted places like old houses, prisons, hospitals, etc. This is also the horror house that has so many and confusing maze pathways before reaching exit. I felt it doesn’t seem to end because of the longer path and walkthroughs that we have to endure before exit. Dungeon is also scary as the other two horror houses I previously went with all the thrills it has and surprising plays that will also let you shout all the verbal expression out of horror and suspense. But among the three horror houses, Kilabot ng Mummy is the best and must-experience in Star City.

We're ready to beat the scares of the horror houses!

Our dinner time started at 9 in the evening because of the activities we had. Star City’s food court has a wide selection of food restaurants to choose from. Actually, it was hard to find seats even it was nine in the evening already. Most seats were occupied by big groups and families. It was crowded but we still managed to find seats after looking and waiting for almost 30 minutes. We had a sample of grilled chicken inasal.

We decided to try the other rides after we had energy from having our dinner. The first “mellow” ride we had was a Ferris wheel ride called Balloon Wheel. Above Balloon Wheel, you can almost see the entire grounds of the amusement park and nearby buildings around the area. Blizzard Blast was the next ride we tried. It is a mini-roller coaster ride that is also fast but without an inverted run-through. It is a mild version of Star Flyer but also a fun and thrill ride because of its rapid speed run. The last ride I had with my colleagues to cap our visit to Star City is the Grand Carousel. It is the first double-decked carousel ride in the country. Actually the ride is for kids and family since it is a carousel ride but who can’t stop those who are kids at heart like us? After all, we were all once a kid.

Blizzard Blast!

Caterpillar wriggle at one of amusement park games.

Grand Carousel.

Aside from these, there are also other attractions and rides that visitors may interests in trying when visiting Star City like the spinning Magic Tea Cup, Viking (a pirate ship ride), Magic Forest (train ride), Kiddie Bumper Cars, 4D Super Maxrider, Pirate Adventure (boat ride), Lazer Blaster (Simulator ride), Fish spa and amusement games. There is also a section of shopping area for souvenir items, clothes, accessories, stuff toys and shoes.

My visit to Star City was truly a shout of yahoo and yehey! I had so much fun bonding with my friends and work buddies.  Its like spending quality time with your second family. How much more with my own family? Definitely worth a comeback visit again. And though, I’m tired after all the activities I had in Star City, everything was worth it as I had a day so much fun! One word - Yahoo!

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Discover Manila is a series of travel stories and articles about the interesting places of Manila in promoting the capital of the Philippines as a destination of choice and proof that the Manila still has the must-see and must-experience for every visitor.

Star City 

Sotto cor Jalandoni Sts. CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd, Pasay City, Philippines 1300

Contacts: (+632)832.3249/832.4484/833.2019832.3248
Facebook Page - Star City
Twitter - @starcityPH

Learn more about Star City at their website - click here.

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