Take an electric chariot ride through historic Intramuros

White Knight Hotel in Intramuros recently unveiled its latest attraction, the Four-Wheel Electric Chariot, for scooting around the walled city. This electric all-terrain vehicle (ATV) joins White Knight Tours’ Two-Wheel Electric Chariot —actually rebranded Segway Personal Transporters introduced March of last year— as one of the budget hotel’s chief amenities.

 

White Knight Tours puts tourists in control of a Segway with which they can ride around Intramuros. Now visitors can choose between the Segway and its alternative, the ATV.

 

White Knight Tour’s newest addition to its fleet is a bright yellow vehicle that sort of looks like a miniature dune buggy. Manufactured in China, this ATV does not run on gas and is therefore eco-friendly. Currently, White Knight Tours owns ten Segways and five ATVs, although there are plans to acquire more units.

 

Safe Segway alternative

 

After a brief session in which a priest blessed the Four-Wheel Electric Chariots, the event allowed foreign ambassadors, embassy personnel, and several travel agents to try the ATVs out for themselves. The trainers were courteous and quick to help, providing just the right amount of encouragement to those who felt intimidated by the unfamiliar vehicles.

 

According to Fremista, one of the other major reasons behind the decision to bring the ATV to Intramuros is to entice those tourists who are too intimidated by the Segway. Some people may be put off by the balancing act required to keep the machine under control, and the idea that one has to remain standing on it for the whole duration of the tour.

 

As one will be sitting on the Four-Wheel Electric Chariot, the ATV does away with all the Segway-related concerns by providing a stable and more comfortable ride. It is also simpler to control. Twisting either handlebar grip moves the vehicle forward or backward, depending on the setting on the dial in front of the saddle. The brakes are situated in front of these grips; a gentle squeeze is enough to halt the vehicle. Turning the handlebar left or right will turn the entire vehicle in those directions, respectively.

 

Although both types of chariots are meant for everybody, Morgan Say did state that the appeal of each machine is different. The Segway, which tests one’s skills in balancing and control, is for the more adventurous. The ATV, aside from offering a more convenient drive, may also be more attractive to the speed junkies.

 

Aside from the Segway and the ATV, White Knight Tours also offers mini-shuttle rides around Intramuros. This is for families and large groups of people who wish to stay close together while sightseeing around the city.

 

Local tourism

 

After studying abroad, Morgan Say returned to the Philippines to start White Knight Hotel. He realized early on that it isn’t enough that a hotel offers affordable accommodations; it also has to provide amenities that will entertain people and encourage them to return. Fremista shares the CEO’s confidence in this strategy; the better the hotel’s services, the more smoothly everything else in the business will flow. It is for this reason that they created White Knight Tours.

 

Morgan Say also aims to help improve local tourism. “Currently our locals, they always think, ‘going abroad is the best way for tourism’,” he said. “But if you provide the right amenities in our own country, people will actually endorse local tourism, which is one of my key objectives in promoting this kind of business.”

 

Preserving the cultural heritage of the Filipino and reigniting the Filipino youth’s passion for history is another matter of importance to Morgan Say and Fremista. They said they designed White Knight Tours to be appealing to students so that the youth are encouraged to learn about their country’s past not only from books, but from direct personal experience as well. 

 

Future plans

 

According to Fremista, the White Knight brand was never meant to be limited to Intramuros alone. Plans to have tie ups with Subic, Clark, and other areas will introduce the hotel and their special tours to locations outside Manila.

 

Fremista also considers it important that White Knight Hotel becomes synonymous with White Knight Tours, so that people won’t be able to think of one without thinking of the other. This unique and innovative service is, after all, the first of its kind in Manila.

 

The focus of their tours will remain on the historical and cultural sites of the Philippines.

 

For those interested, White Knight Hotel has a Facebook page, as does White Knight Tours. — TJD, GMA News