It was late at night during the summer season in 2019 when I first experienced the sight of rich travelers. My dream to travel to Italy was 20% fulfilled (I wanna taste their food and see their museums too! – and that’s the other 80%.)
An international sight from a domestic land!
Venice Grand Canal Mall is located at McKinley Hill in Taguig City, Philippines. Evident by its name, its inspiration is the Venetian Style from Venice, Italy. I remember seeing a lot of couples here coz it’s such a romantic place! The lights, gondola boat, and designs of the entire open-mall scream romance and elegance.
It’s guaranteed that the mall offers such magical sight for free! But to elevate your tour experience, Venice Grand Canal Mall offers a whole 360° of malling experience!
Its grand canal is located at the center of the open mall. So, you can stroll around the mall or even eat while enjoying the scenic view! To bring joy to everyone, pets are allowed! Yey! 💜
Beyond the great picturesque that the mall has to offer are the expensive stores, restaurants, and gondola ride. So, ready your wallets, everyone!
As a person who did not live in luxury, prices are quite pricey for me (I can only dine in at McDo, lmao. Would like to treat the whole fam here, soon!). You can check their open stores and restaurants here and here.
Floating hearts in the air
Aside from stores and restaurants, an enchanting gondola boat ride awaits every couple (and everyone!).
To fully experience a romantic scene, a piece of Italian music will be played in the background throughout the whole ride! Familiar scene? Imagine the magical scene from Tangled! Definitely recommended for the couples out there!
From what I've searched, this ride's cost ranges from Php 250 to Php 500 per head. I can't find the definite amount since the price may shift due to the pandemic.
Floating cinema?
And to elevate everyone’s malling experience, they now have the McKinley Hill Floating Cinema open from 6 PM – 9 PM! What can you expect from big companies? Their marketing level is intense!
Please be reminded that only two (2) moviegoers are allowed per gondola boat for a price of Php 500 per head or P1,000 per gondola boat. Snacks (medium popcorn), bottled water, gondola premium item, and personal kits are also included! You can book your tickets here.
Read more about their floating cinema.
Photo credits to here.
Going back to what we did at Venice Grand Canal Mall. My aunt brought my sister and me here, days before we left her home coz school was about to start. So, we didn’t dine here or ride the gondola boat cause we’re quite shy to my aunt. That’s a huge amount, lol. Also, we already ate when my aunt excitedly invited us to Grand Canal, lol. I remember I was about to sleep that night, HAHA.
Instead of dining, we went to BGC (Bonifacio Global City) to buy brown sugar boba milk drinks from Tiger Sugar. I dunno why, but my aunt suddenly craved her favorite sugary drink.
To get to BGC, we rode a taxi from Grand Canal to Market-Market (2.2km away) for Php 140.00 ($2.76).
And, from Market-Market, we walked to BGC to buy the Tiger Sugar drink for Php 120.00 each ($2.37) (my sister and me insisted on paying with our own money, hehe).
We also witnessed a singer performing in front of a store. I remember his voice was so amazing! It’s a pity that I don’t frequently take pictures before :<< But now, I promise I'll be collecting memories! I realized that only pictures could help me recall good and fun memories when I get old!
After buying from Tiger Sugar, we went to Krispy Kreme, which is still inside the BGC. We had a take-out for my other aunt and cousin. We head back home after that.
But before we could go home, I remember seeing my dream mythology book upon passing by the National Book Store. I interrupted my aunt and sister from walking, lol. But the price was around Php 1,250.00 ($24.65). Imma get you one day!
The photo came from here.
I hope you got a good read! All the pictures, aside from outside sources are from my old phone (Vivo y69) and my aunt's phone (iPhone X). All the pictures were edited using Photoshop 2018, Snow, Remini, and Canva. Please be noted that the pictures with Grand Canal have shades of pink and purple that were edited using Photoshop 2018 💕
I am starting this blog series of mine: Throwback Travel because I'm missing the city's polluted air, lol (and the air from our province!) And I can't travel as of now coz my parents won't allow me due to the massive COVID-19 cases here in our country 😭 So, I'll be uploading a lot of travel blogs but bear with me as I upload them gradually coz online classes have started kicking in. 😉 And as always, have a great day, everyone!
Contact information of Venice Grand Canal Mall at McKinley, Taguig City:
Go to their Official Facebook Page
Send them an e-mail
Check their Instagram
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