'Pop Talk' reviews 3 summer parks: Nuvali, Crocodile Park and Scream Park Manila

Summer is here! While we all have our favorite summer destinations, it's always nice to look for places we've never visited before. After all, isn't summer the perfect time to try new adventures?



"Pop Talk" host Tonipet Gaba invited travel and lifestyle blogger Richard Ben Senga, 103.5 K-Lite DJ Nikki Gaviola, and Kapuso actress Bela Padilla to review three family-friendly parks. Did Nuvali, Crocodile Park, and Scream Park Manila pass the “Pop Talk” review? Read to find out.

Nuvali
Sta. Rosa, Calamba, Laguna

One of the challenges of planning a summer getaway is finding an activity that the whole family will enjoy. Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna offers amenities and recreational activities for every member of the family: a real one-stop-shop summer solution!



Want to exercise while sightseeing? Nuvali has off-road tracks suited for both biking and running, complete with a view of Mt. Makiling and Laguna de Bay. Feeling adventurous? They also have areas for wakeboarding, rappelling, wall climbing, and paintball. Interested in simple relaxation? Head over to their koi pond and try fish feeding or boat riding.



Nuvali also has restaurants and shops where visitors can dine and shop. Families and friends can even have picnics on the place's grassy grounds.

The "Pop Talk" reviewers enjoyed biking, fish feeding, boat riding and wakeboarding. Bela, who tried wakeboarding for the first time, recommends the place for the variety it offers. "Yung mga cousins ko may pinupuntahang wake park, wakepark lang. Wala kang ibang pwedeng gawin masyado. Not like here [sa] Nuvali, pwede kang mag-bike, sumakay ng boat. Ang daming ibang activities na pwedeng gawin," she said.

"Not all people can wakeboard. So at least the kids can go biking, parents can go boat riding. Marami kang pwedeng puntahan and gawin. And maganda siyang tingnan overall," she added.

Richard agrees, "It's very fun kasi you can plan out a whole day of events na wala kayong maaksayang oras.  Sports, bike, then food trip kayo after."

Final verdict: 9 pop points

Crocodile Park
Boom na Boom Grounds, Pasay City

“Buwis buhay.” This is how the "Pop Talk" reviewers described the performances at Crocodile Park, which included fire dancers, tightrope walkers, and of course, crocodiles. Crocodile enthusiast Philip Dizon opened the first Crocodile Park opened in Davao in 1995. Since then, Crocodile Park has established itself as one of the most advanced crocodile farms in the country.

The popular Davao attraction has now reached Metro Manila with a branch in Pasay, making crocodile farms more accessible to those in Luzon.



Visitors are in for a nerve-racking treat once they reach the crocodile sanctuary, home to approximately 90 crocodiles. Here, you can watch as the crocodile keepers feed the hungry reptiles with slabs of meat, while a tightrope walker crosses overhead.

"Death defying performance 'yon," Nikki gushed. "Pero naka-smile talaga siya. Medyo na-stress kaming tatlo [nila Bela]."

Crocodile Park also features fire dancers who twirl blazing batons, hula hoops, and bamboo poles.



For Bela, the fire performers were on another level. "The fire show was unbelievable. You have to go to watch the fire show. Ibang level. World class." She added, "I will not mind paying a lot of money for that.  This is like one of the best things I have ever seen."


Final verdict: 6 pop points

Scream Park Manila
Diosdado Macapagal Avenue cor. Gil Puyat Avenue, Pasay City

If you love exchanging horror stories or watching scary films with your friends, you'd probably enjoy Scream Park Manila. The first horror theme park in the Philippines opened its doors just last December 2013.



Think a few costumed zombies won't scare you? Think again. Every "zombie" in this horror theme park takes their role to heart, staying in character no matter the circumstance. Their makeup and strategically positioned props also make the experience more believable. Reviewers Nikki and Bela screamed their lungs out throughout their stroll around the park!

"'Yung setup, yung sounds… ang laki ng nagagawa ng audio sa emotions ng tao so perfect sila doon. Ang galing ng pagkakagawa," Bela commented.



Richard added, "Gusto ko talaga i-praise yung dedication ng zombies na nakita natin kasi in character sila the whole time and pati yung costume nila, 'kala mo may balat talaga na natutuklap sa mukha."

Final verdict: 9 pop points

– Lara Gonzales/PF, GMA News