Shell up and drive
MANILA, Philippines - Planning quick weekend getaways is a lot harder than it seems. Unlike booking budget flights in advance to scoff up those promo discounts, road trips are a lot more complicated, especially because of all the options: Do we drive north to the beach or do we eat at that new restaurant that everyone’s posting on Instagram? Do we hit the end-of-summer mall sales or trek up Mt. Pinatubo instead? Decisions, decisions, decisions.
But the thing about having a getaway car is that you can easily take your well-deserved break whenever you want (read: whenever work allows it). The only limit is the gas in your tank and, sadly, the cash in your wallet. But regardless of the destination, the goal is the same: to unwind and reconnect with our friends, families, or significant other. And while having all of them with us on one trip is a dream, the reality is, most of us have different schedules. But that doesn’t mean others who can’t make it have to miss out on all the fun. Lucky for us, Pilipinas Shell is there to fuel our road trips and our connections with loved ones. By gassing up with Shell V-Power Nitro+ fuels, Shell FuelSave Gasoline, Shell FuelSave Diesel, and selected Shell lubricants, we can enjoy prepaid and postpaid perks from our chosen telco which we can use to redeem services such as unlimited calls, texts, and mobile data. The FOMO is real, but keeping friends and family in the loop makes it a little more bearable.
To put this new promo to the test, the Conquer Adventure Road Trip with Shell V-Power Nitro+ kicked off last June 7 with a hearty breakfast at Wildflour Bakery in Salcedo. By nine in the morning, we were already making our way to Pampanga aboard the new Mazda CX-5 that we all took turns driving. It was the perfect road trip vehicle for any barkada — cost-efficient, off-road-friendly, and capable of seating up to five people comfortably.
Bull’s-eye: channel your inner Katniss Everdeen by trying out the Oculus Archery course in Sandbox, Pampanga.
In no time, we arrived at the first stop of the day: Sandbox in Porac, Pampanga. Think giant playground for adults, but a lot more challenging. The park activities included making your way through an aerial walk rope course, riding a roller coaster zipline, and not having a choice but to free-fall or rappel from the Adventure Tower (although everyone agreed that the Oculus Archery course was just as fun and exciting). After a few activities, we hit the road again to recharge with an authentic Kapampangan lunch in Apu Litsunan and restaurant. Who can ever really say no to kare-kare with bagoong, sisig and organic lechon?
It was already rush hour when we drove back to the city. The traffic was perfect for a nice long nap and the anticipation of the well-deserved pampering at The Spa in BGC was what helped us get through it. Upon arrival, we were treated with our choice of services that ranged from an aroma scalp and shoulder massage, Casamara facial, Thai foot massage, to a classic whole body massage. We capped off the night with dinner at Mango Tree Bistro for everyone who was part of the trip.
As I was making my way home, I could feel my body ready to doze off. But at the same time, I couldn’t wait to tell everybody about my day. That’s when I realized that I had posted the whole day on Snapchat for my friends to see and I had been updating my family throughout the day. Because I was connected with everyone throughout the day, I didn’t really need to worry about missing out on anything — just my well-deserved sleep and planning my next trip.
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The Shell V-Power Nitro+ fuels, Shell FuelSave Gasoline, Shell FuelSave Diesel, and selected Shell lubricants promo period is from May 2 to July 31, 2016.
