Hey there! Have you ever tried this Venetian-inspired experience at the Venice Grand Canal Mall?

Discover the Venice without leaving Philippines!
Wrap up for another day with me as I share to you my first ever experience visiting The Venice Grand Canal Mall. And wait, wait, wait, I am not talking about Italy here.Yes you are right! you can visit this kind of place within the Philippines.

The Venice Grand Canal is located at Mckinley Hill, Taguig City and as a twist of information, this place is a mall. This shopping mall in Metro Manila features a 200 meters long man made canal offering a very memorable gondola ride experience.This is also inspired by one of Italy's most romantic cities.

And as you can see the artificial canal is a homage to the iconic waterways of Venice, Italy surrounded with pastel-colored buildings, arched bridges, and a variety of shops and boutiques, diverse dining establishments, and live performances. A picturesque venue for relaxation and photography, and also a perfect venue for special events and celebrations. One of the mall's standout features is its pet-friendliness, with facilities and amenities tailored for pet owners through its Pet Pass system.

Venice Grand Canal Mall offers a diverse dining scene, from Italian eateries such as Ponte Amore and Toni and Sergio to international options like Tim Hortons and Mitsuyado Sei-Men. The mall is also home to a variety of shopping brands, a supermarket, lifestyle stores, bookstore, services shops, novelty shops, and wellness and fitness centers.

For entertainment, the mall's 3rd level is home to the Venice Cineplex, equipped with Dolby Atmos, and a Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Ultra Cinema. Regular events and activities cater to all ages, including Venetian mimes, concerts, and the McKinley Hill Grand Christmas Parade.

Upon arriving to the place, I am amazed by its unique structural design of the building, it feels like you are in a foreign country. You can do a lot of activities here like shopping, food tripping, or you may also try the gondola ride. The Gondolas are sleek black boats which are imported straight from Italy. Manned by expert gondoliers, these vessels are here to give you the authentic Venetian experience without the jet lag.

Here are the things you might want to know about the McKinley Gondola Ride:

• The ride is P500 per head & can accommodate up to 6 people. But you can rent the whole boat for P2000.
• It opens daily from 11AM to 10PM.
• This type of activity is not suitable to pregnant women and to those with physical disability
• In some cases like bad weather, the ride can be cancelled. The canal section of the mall is open-air, so safety comes first!
• The gondolier while maneuvering the boat, sings a few classic Italian tunes setting a magical & romantic mood.

Venice Grand Canal Mall has a lot of unique features that you can enjoy like italian dining experience. The Piazza is also patterned after Venice’s other iconic visage and landmarks such as the St. Mark’s Tower, the Piazza Grande, and even the flock of pigeons during afternoons.It is like an all-in one package destination, right? Whether it catches your eyes by its beautiful architecture, dining styles, or bustling entertainment scene, you're sure to leave with a memorable experience. For the best experience, visit during weekday mornings to avoid the crowds and lines for the gondola ride.

There is something that stucks in my mind, and it is the realization that if we want to trigger more joy in our life - we need to try something new. Life is like a food, you may feel normal or ordinary but you can always add some spice to enhance the taste of food that you are eating. So that is how life works, it depends on us how we add some spice on it. That is why, I am so much happy that my husband brought me here and I got the chance to experience a venetian-inspired place just within the country.

Our country, Philippines really has a lot to offer when it comes to tourist spots, food dining, leisure activities and many more. Literrally, you can have a story to tell when visiting any travel destinations. This is one of the reason why I studied Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management because I really wanted to travel all around the world. My love to travel is enormous because when I travel, I got to escape the current moment of life. I know many of us here loves to travel. Visiting to new places feels like you are in another paradise. Everything is new and you can also learn something from a certain place like history, structural designs, and many more.

This is my first time visiting the Venice Grand Canal & definitely, I'll be back very soon. And to those who haven't visited the place yet, try and check it out! See you again soon to another travel blog.