Anjo World

I took my nephew and my niece (both are 10 years old) to Anjo World, a small amusement park in Minglanilla, a municipality about 15 kilometers south of Cebu City. Considering we lived in the north, it was a long way for us to go. And with Cebu's notorious traffic, was it even worth the time?

The drive there wasn't bad at all—it was a Sunday! Haha! We arrived at Anjo World a little before 5pm and had expected there'd be a lot of people, but, nope, the queue for tickets (Php600 weekend unlimited pass; Php 800 with Snow World entry) was short! (Tip: Have the kids' height measured first before buying tickets. The rides have a height restriction and there are some rides that will require kids below a certain height to be accompanied by an adult.)

Of the dozen rides in Anjo World, the first one the kids wanted to get on was the Viking. It looked harmless! I remember enjoying this ride when I was younger but the last time I rode on one (was it at Enchanted Kingdom in Laguna?), I sat at the end of the ship, and I felt my knees throughout the ride. I vowed never to go on one again! (Yes, I am old!) The kids sat in the middle of the ship—the area with the less queasy effect on the tummy—and even then, my niece couldn't help but ask herself "Tell me again why I rode this?!"

The next one they dared try was the Space Shuttle. This one goes around in circles and because I am prone to motion sickness, this and other rides that rapidly go in circles (five out of the dozen rides in Anjo World) are off my list! Best not to make a fool of myself, yes?

Space Shuttle before take off

I steeled myself for the Tower Drop (the look of this ride scared the kids and they gave it a pass). I had been on a similar one (takes you to the highest point and suddenly drops you) some 15 years ago and had enjoyed the free fall feeling. But the Tower Drop was different: this one revolves around the tower and drops, repeating a couple of times throughout the ride. On the way up I couldn't help but laugh, but at the sudden drop, I'd scream like a girl. Repeat laugh-and-scream countless times.

I encouraged the kids to try Mr. Toad, a shorter and non-revolving version of the Tower Drop. We got strapped in, and my niece, seeing the lady beside her without a seatbelt, exclaimed in alarm "She doesn't have a seatbelt!" Which was alright since there was a bar to keep the riders in place. Mr. Toad's drops were short, sudden, and successive, much like a frog hopping. My nephew did not like the feeling at all and had closed his eyes and was quiet throughout the ride. He was about to turn as green as a toad.

All the four rides we had just tried either had no or just a very short queue, but the next one, the London Taxi (bumper cars), we had to wait in line for about 30 minutes. There are 10 cars and each turn takes about five minutes. We tremendously enjoyed ramming into all the cars as hard as we could!

London Taxi (Bumper Cars)

The Pharaoh, a spinning coaster (the seats spin as it goes along the rail), looked interesting. And it seems everyone else thought it interesting too—the queue was too long (only four could ride at a time)! Instead of wasting our time waiting in line, the kids just tried their luck at the game booths (each game costs a minimum of 5 tokens at Php10 per token). There were five (or was it six?) games but I could only remember three: a game where you had to toss a ring around a colored bottle, another where you had to topple some tin cans with a small hand sack, and another where you had to make the ball bounce off a board and into a basket.

Our stomachs were begging us to have dinner (there are snack and souvenir shops inside Anjo World, and a food court outside), but the kids wanted to go on the Bumper Boats. It looked boring: the boats were too slow. But the surprise there was the water pistol attached to each boat. My nephew gleefully aimed his water pistol at the strangers who came within range. One little girl got soaked!

Bumper Boats

The last one we got on was the Anjo Eye, a 9-minute ride in an air-conditioned crystal cabin with background music and a bit of narration. A slow and relaxing ride to end our day in Anjo World!

Looking down from Anjo Eye

I do not regret skipping Mr. Cup, Golden Carousel, Boomerang, and Hip Hop. But I do regret not taking a lot of photos: I was too busy enjoying the day to even think of taking out my phone!

GOOD NEWS! Up to December 31, 2019, Anjo World has a 3-Ride Pass available for only Php180. If I have the chance to go back, I would opt for this 3-Ride Pass and just go on the Tower Drop three times (or maybe the Tower Drop, London Taxi, and, if I gather enough pluck, the Pharaoh!).