6 ways to have fun during the rainy season

Now that the rainy season is here, it’s easy to think that there is less to do. But that’s where you’re wrong.

Rain is actually another opportunity to get to know and experience the city you live in. It opens us up to another kind of Manila we may not be that familiar with. Yes traffic might be a little heavier, and flooding is a real pain in the neck, but consider your gloomy attitude a manifestation of your cabin fever.

Perhaps you really just need to get out of your house and go on what we all know these so-called hassles to be: adventures.

1. Go on a food trip. Long hours of staying indoors makes you crave for hearty meals from various cuisines. When you’re tired of getting everything delivered to your doorstep, it’s time to call your friends and head to over to food parks and/or foodie communities. Buendia in Makati, Maginhawa in QC, or Kapitolyo in Pasig are just a few ideas. Hop from one restaurant to the next, or one food station to another, and get your fill.

2. Go bargain-hunting in thrift shops! Your cabin fever should give you the right amount of patience and energy for major thrift-shopping! Go to Hub: Make Lab in Escolta, Binondo, or hop around all the Ukay-Ukays in Cubao and you’ll score one too many new outfits!

3. Check out specialty indoor game centers. Ever gone wall climbing? Tried out trampoline parks? How about swimming in ball pits? Coop up with your friends in board game cafes or, if you want some mental and physical action, how about solving mind-bending challenges in mystery rooms inside malls? Who thought there were so many other things to do in Manila, right?

4. Learn a new skill or finish a project you love. Don’t let the rain stop you from ticking items off your to-do list. Watch tutorial videos online and learn how to put on your make up. Maybe learn how to do do typography. Or jumpstart that urban garden you've been talking about for so long already! If you couldn't find the time to finish that novel or movie because you were always out last summer, waiting for the rain to stop gives you plenty of free time, at last.

5. Rediscover your town. Visit museums, churches, landmarks, and heritage sites in your city. Metro Manila alone is filled with historical landmarks and indoor entertainment centers so you won’t run out of places to visit. Watch a show in Cultural Center of the Philippines or BGC Arts Center; or tour the National Museum in Manila, Book Museum in Marikina, or the Presidential Museum and Library in Malacanang.

6. Cover up and travel, regardless. Ah, the rainy season is surfing season! Take a road trip and ride the waves in La Union or Zambales. Hit Baguio where rain always the right mood. Book a trip to Cagayan de Oro where white water rafting should be extra.

Start mousing on Traveloka, a new travel app, for flights and accommodations. It boasts of having the best prices as well as having exclusive deals minus booking fees. You can pay online using your creditcards (Visa, MasterCard and DragonPay are all accepted) or your coins.ph wallet; you can also pay offline through over-the-counter methods at 7-11, M. Lhuillier, and Cebuana Lhuillier. — LA, GMA News