Matthew Gwapito

Las Vegas? Nope. Hong Kong? Not this time of year. Paris? It's getting old. London? Too cold this time of year. While searching for a travel destination this year, I suggest you do the unorthodox. In the midst of a relentless economic recession, the usual vacation hot spots are either empty or unbelievably expensive. The dry spell of finacial prosperity has driven away most tourist, or caused many resorts to hike up thier prices to make up for the lack of volume.

Nightlife in the Philippines is alive and well. On recent excursions to Las Vegas one would enter the vast casinos that line the famous strip with a sense of excitement only to be overcome with the sense of disappointment. It is not that Las Vegas has done anything wrong, it just seems that the economic depression of recent years has effected more than just the way we live, but also the way that we dream.

Nightlife in the Philippines is different than nightlife in its general context for a variety of reasons. Sure there are towering night clubs, luxury accommodations, five star restaurants, and an unlimited supply or both foreign and local accomplices standing there with the same intentions as you, to live the night to the fullest and obtain the unforgettable. With that said, there is something different about nightlife in the Philippines which will always echo in your mind at night.

There were days when cities like Las Vegas, Hong Kong, or London were nearly synonymous with the urge to indulge. The minute a global traveler would get that itch that could only be scratched be late night excursions in Paris, martinis in New York City, or reckless abandonment in Bangkok, off they would go on chartered planes and underwater trains, heading into abyss and loving it.

The jet seemed to be bouncing off of the clouds at this point in my flight. The turbulence was business as usual for those used to the flight from Tokyo-Narita to Manila International. With that said, most of the passengers seemed to be either gripping there seat handles tightly or saying a silent prayer that they landed safely. I was not nervous, for two reasons.

Visiting the Philippine Islands is a totally different experience these days, as opposed to the pictures imprinted on my mind from days long ago. Visiting the pearl of the orient was always a pleasure, one generally described as relaxing. Long days at the beach, the white sand between my toes being gently pulled away by the soft clear tide of the south pacific.

Philippines tourism has usually been typified in the past as an eventful experience of the exotic archipelagos, sprawling with undiscovered wildlife, lush forests, and indigenous people with mystical and colorful traditions. Although that would easily describe over seventy-one hundred of the beautiful islands within this tropical nation, there is a city known to Southeast Asia as "Global City" which is an exploding metropolis over looking the Chinese sea which will redefine your paradigm.

Global City has emerged as a culinary powerhouse for those seeking a fine dining experience not just in Makati, not only in Metro manila, and not just the Philippines, but in all of Southeast Asia. Bonifacio Global City is home to hundreds of restaurants, many of which are world class in aesthetics as well as cuisine and the world best kept secret is no longer a secret! From fine Filipino cuisine to Mexican dining, Fort Bonifacio features it all.

Buying a condominium overseas can range from wonderful to horrid depending on how you go about the process of finding, researching, acquiring and maintenance it. Having a beach side condo in Guam for winter escapades in the pacific sound majestic, but often ending up with a run down apartment in a shady part of town for similar cost can be a cumbersome reality.

Global City is emerging from the flames of a relentless economic depression as a financial oasis of business opportunity, but in the aftermath we see not only that strong ingenuity can thrust a city past the safety of survival and into the prosperity of growth. After the dust has finally settled, in addition to seeing a new financial player born, we also see that city find its identity as one that likes to have fun, perhaps a hybrid of Wall street meeting Bourbon Street is finally upon us.