Are you already out and about?
With the lifting of many quarantine restrictions, we now have more opportunities to escape the four walls of our home into the great outdoors.
For many of the metro’s denizens, Manila Ocean Park remains one of the most desired destinations for a fun family or barkada outing. After all, as the country’s first world-class marine theme park and premiere educational entertainment destination, Manila Ocean Park houses exciting and educational attractions that will surely appeal to everyone in the group.
That said, there is definitely a need to organize your visit to Manila Ocean Park to ensure that you get to enjoy all it has to offer.
Here are some tips to help you do so:
Tip #1: Check online for great deals and discounts.
Until February 28, 2023, tickets at MOP’s ticketing counter are priced at just ₱750/person (from the original price of ₱3,300/person), giving the visitors access to the park’s seven exciting attractions:
- Oceanarium: home to 14,000 marine creatures across 277 species indigenous to the Philippines and Southeast Asia with a 220-deg curved walkway tunnel with an amazing view of sea creatures swimming overhead
- Jellies Dancing Sea Fairies: a breath-taking showcase of jellyfish in their element against a fascinating display of multi-media effects and soothing music
- Trails to Antarctica: provides a peek at the merry antics of Humboldt Penguins and a tour of the cheery Christmas Village
- All Star Bird Show: MOP’s resident macaws, cucckatoos and raptors display their intelligence and skills through stunts and tricks
- Sea Lion Show: MOP’s South American Sea Lions showcase their skills through funny antics and entertaining skits
- World of Creepy Crawlies: a peek into the world of scary and icky snakes, frogs, lizards, worms and insects
- Super Toy Collection: the largest collection of Superman toys and memorabilia
However, thanks to its Early Deal Online promo, you can get more savings with tickets priced at ₱680/person just by purchasing them online at manilaoceanpark.com/tickets. Thanks to Hotel H2o’s Love Month Exclusive Deals, you can also get two free tickets when you book your stay at the hotel this February.
By the way, kids below two feet in height are free of charge.
Now that’s a lot of savings!
At the Oceanarium
Tip #2: Get updated on the park’s safety guidelines and protocols
While many COVID safety regulations may have been relaxed by now, it doesn’t mean we should let up on our safety practices.
Currently, the safety protocols implemented in Manila Ocean Park are for Alert Level 1. This allows the park to operate at full capacity, provided that guests 18 years old or older are vaccinated (and should present vaccination card and valid ID prior to entry) and while guests below 18 years old may be unvaccinated, they should be accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent or guardian.
While inside the park’s premises, guests are advised to practice minimum public health safety standards such as proper wearing of facemasks, maintaining physical distance of at least 1 meter from each other, and regularly washing and/or sanitizing of hands.
Be sure to check the latest IATF-EID guidelines prior to your visit.
At the Jellies Exhibit
Tip #3: Wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
With so many things to see and do at Manila Ocean Park, you can expect to do a lot of walking so be sure to wear clothes and shoes that are cool and comfortable. Airy shirts and shorts or pants, as well as comfy closed shoes are the order of the day given that these free you up to do a wide variety of activities with ease.
You might also want to bring an extra shirt that you can change into later in the day.
At the Sea Lion Show
Tip#4: Protect yourself from the sun.
Two of Manila Ocean Park’s attractions – the All-Star Bird Show and the Sea Lion Show – are held outdoors.
Protect yourself from the sun by wearing caps or hats, and be sure to apply sunscreen before stepping out.
Note: Open umbrellas during these shows are discouraged as these may be distracting to the animals.
At the All-Star Bird Show
Tip#5: Bring your own water bottle or tumbler.
With all that walking, you can expect to get really thirsty so be sure to rehydrate often.
Personally, I found it best to bring my own water bottle or tumbler in my bag and just refill it with from the water that I bought from the restaurants and establishments in the park. This way, I have something I can readily drink from as I wander through the exhibits.
At Trails to Antarctica
Tip #6: Plan your day.
With the increasing number of visitors to the park, you would need to have a strategy for your visit to maximize your time there. You might want to schedule your visit on a weekday to avoid the weekend crowd.
If you’ve got kids with you who might get tired or irritable during the course of the day, it would be best to plan breaks in between attractions wherein the kiddos can sit down or have a snack and get energized for the next exhibit.
Preserving your memories of your MOP visit is always worthwhile so be sure to get great pictures among the highlights of each attraction. Search through the Manila Ocean Parks social media accounts for Instagrammable spots to get the best shots; just be sure to mind the other people there when you’re snapping your photos!
You can also ask the MOP crew about special encounters that make for cool memories and exciting photos such as the Penguin Feeding, Bird and Sea Lion Encounters, and others. These may entail some fees but the memories (and the conversations arising from the pictures that showcase your experiences) are surely worth it!
At the World of Creepy Crawlies
Tip #7: Mind the safety reminders, especially when interacting with animals.
Manila Ocean Park prides itself on its interactive attractions, exhibits wherein visitors can do far more than just admire the displays from a distance. These usually involves interactions with the park’s animals.
While these creatures are well-trained, it would still be best to carefully listen to and follow any instructions from animal trainers, particularly those that involve your safety and those of the animals’. These include reminders such as:
- Avoid tapping the glass walls of the fish tanks and reptile enclosures. Particularly for fish, sound pressure is four times higher under water so incessant tapping can lead to higher stress levels for the poor creatures.
- Do not feed the animals. Except for the penguin-feeding, receiving food and treats is part of the animals’ training and is calibrated into their diet plans. Feeding them outside of their routines messes up their training and may even endanger their health.
At the Super Toy Collection
Tip #8: Point out interesting and educational tidbits to the kiddos.
While MOP is for the whole family, it is especially a wondrous experience for the kiddos who have been largely limited to learning from home for the past couple of years.
Supplement their learning by guiding them through the exhibits, reading the descriptions with them or talking with them about their reactions to the park’s attractions.
At the Christmas Village
Tip #9: Check out the dining options within the park.
Your tour around the park will definitely work up an appetite but, don’t you worry because MOP has a lot of dining options available at the park.
One of its newest dining destinations is Hapag, which features an extensive menu of all-time favorite Pinoy dishes such as: Sinigang na Hipon, Sinigang na Baboy, Chicken Inasal, Sizzling Liempo Steak, Pinakbet, Beef Caldereta, Sizzling Prok Sisig, Crispy Pata and Bagoong Rice.
Other gourmet food outlets inside the Manila Ocean Park compound include:
- Makan Makan Asian Food Village for Chinese staple food and Singaporean hawker fare.
- Garden Cafe for coffee, snacks and desserts
- Retro Grill Diner for American staples such as steaks, burgers, tacos and more
- White Moon Bar for bar chow and cocktails
At MOP’s newest restaurant, Hapag
Your visit to Manila Ocean Park is sure to be a fun and memorable one. With these tips, I hope you can make the most out of the time you spend there.
Have fun and stay safe!
Manila Ocean Park is located behind the Quirino Grandstand, Luneta, Roxas Boulevard, Manila. You may book your tickets via Klook.
Klook.com (function (d, sc, u) { var s = d.createElement(sc), p = d.getElementsByTagName(sc)[0]; s.type = “text/javascript”; s.async = true; s.src = u; p.parentNode.insertBefore(s, p); })( document, “script”, “https://affiliate.klook.com/widget/fetch-iframe-init.js” );For more news and updates on Manila Ocean Park’s attractions and offers, visit its website or follow it on Facebook and Instagram.
Check out my previous posts about Manila Ocean Park: