CHRISTMAS has little to do where you spend it, as long as you’re with people closest and dearest to your heart, right? Now would you fancy a Yuletide season in the great outdoors with mountain ranges for Christmas trees and a sky full of stars for Christmas lights?
Alviera’s “Christmas Jamboree” is offering exactly that this November 28 and 29 in its outdoor adventure park, Sandbox, in Porac, Pampanga, which will be transformed into a Christmas wonderland.
With holiday games, traditional camping treats, arts and craft workshops, among others, to go with the festive Christmas vibe in the air, Alviera General Manager John Estacio said, “This unique outdoor experience is filled with Christmas-themed activities that are guaranteed to make every member of the family smile, from little kids to the kids-at-heart.”
Campers can choose from two packages for the Christmas Jamboree, which both include round-trip transportation from Manila to Alviera. First is the “Day Dasher” for day trippers, and the other one is the “Christmas Campers,” which include overnight camping accommodations and more on top of the offerings day trippers get.
Day Dashers will be able to enjoy the use of Sandbox facilities, that include the first roller-coaster zipline in Asia to the tallest giant swing in the country, plus holiday-themed offerings, such as the “Christmas Cookie Corner,” “Merry Angel-Making, Parol-Making Sessions,” and “Quiz Kringle.” More activities are in store when night falls, including dancing with LED lights, a sing-along to Christmas songs, star gazing with professional telescopes and star experts, and outdoor viewing of favorite holiday movies.
Meanwhile, Christmas Campers can enjoy all the aforementioned offerings plus camper exclusive activities such as a “Jamboree Jingla Night,” “Santa’s Campfire Smores,” “Christmas Stocking Surprise” and “Merry Morning Buffet.” Those who will avail themselves of this package will also have a bonfire treat complete with grilled set dinner, free use of Coleman tents for the overnight stay, exclusive use of Sandbox the morning after, plus a buffet breakfast.
Christmas Jamboree follows the trail of another outdoor fest Alviera hosted earlier this year, titled Brightfest, which was to welcome the summer. This time, to accommodate more people, the campsite’s capacity has been increased to 50 percent from 200 to 300. Estacio said the Alviera Christmas Jamboree gives people a peek into the future of the 1,125-hectare Alviera property, Ayala Land’s first mixed-used development in the northern and central Luzon. It is touted to be the growth center of the region that will house commercial, business and residential districts.
Estacio added that they put great emphasis on preserving the environment of Alviera, saying, “Even when [it is] fully developed, with all the houses and offices, we will always preserve certain portions of the land as sacred spaces.”
Another point of emphasis is the promotion of awareness on nature preservation for its tenants and visitors, like the ones coming for the Christmas Jamboree. “We want to bring people closer to nature so there will be awareness. Hopefully, awareness will lead to appreciation and appreciation would lead to preservation.”
Aside from that, Estacio said Alviera, through the Christmas Jamboree, prides itself in being an avenue for memories. “We want to bring everybody together, establishing spaces for families to create memories that will last them a lifetime.”
*** For reservations and booking, guests can visit the Travel Factor web site at https://travelfactor.org/.