Archery 101: Arrowland by Gandiva

One thing I do not like about Manila is the lack of fun activities one can do in the city. Unlike other places like New York, Seoul and the like, we do not have parks, easily accessible mountains, or even spacious and well maintained zoos to spice things up and avoid mundane activities such as shopping and watching movies. Don’t get me wrong, I also enjoy shopping and catching the latest blockbuster but there are times when I crave for adventure or simply do something different. And I found the solution when I stumbled upon Gandiva in Ortigas. I had a blast firing arrow after arrow but I didn’t like the heavy price I had to pay for an hour of fun. Thankfully, Gandiva heard my prayers and created Arrowland.

Hello, Arrowland by Gandiva. 

I’m sure you’re wondering what makes this different from Gandiva. It’s also an archery place with pretty much the same set up as Gandiva which just happens to be located inside the always busy and packed SM Megamall. 

The venue alone already serves as a clue on what differentiates Arrowland from Gandiva. It made archery a lot more affordable and accessible to everyone interested to try being Katniss or Hawkeye by offering this action-packed activity in sachet-like packages.

Arrowland features an archery range with 10 lanes of 10 meters each. Beginners all start with bare bows, allowing players to enjoy archery in its most basic form. This, again, sets Arrowland  distinct from Gandiva and other archery places which uses bows with target guides.

I have to admit, I suck with bare bows. I prefer the bows with that small circle in front to help me hit the target (or at least have all my arrows land on the sheet of paper). 

For the rates, Arrowland did an amazing job in creating its shooting packages. Listed below are its rates inclusive of bare bow rental and lane:

25 arrows - PHP250

50 arrows - PHP475 (arrows could be shared by 2 players)

75 arrows - PHP675 (arrows could be shared by 3 players)

120 arrows - PHP1,020 (arrows could be shared by 4 players)

150 arrows - PHP1,200 (arrows could be shared by 5 players)

200 arrows - PHP1,500 (arrows could be shared by 5 players)

240 arrows - PHP1,680 (arrows could be shared by 6 players)

300 arrows - PHP1,950 (arrows could be shared by 6 players)

If you think 25 is a small number, you might change your mind after sending a few arrows off your bow. As a person who is far from being called fit, my arms felt sore after shooting about 10 arrows. 

In order to attain the right form, one has to exert effort in pulling the bow string at the right angle and it takes muscle strength to do that. And since I lack such, I think I pulled more than just the string. 

Despite having jello arms after finishing my stash of arrows, I could not resist firing more when our friendly instructor gave us a few extra arrows challenging us to hit bullseye. (Yes, we’re very competitive even if we suck at the game.)

Overall, it was a fun afternoon and I can’t wait to go back for more and bring out Katniss instead of Katmiss!

NOTES:

-There are times when the place is packed with mall-goers interested to try archery. Make sure you pass by Arrowland ahead of time to book your preferred time slot. 

-Arrowland is also kid friendly! They have smaller bows for your tykes. The staff will let them try holding the bow and arrow first to determine if they could indeed play before you pay the fee. 

-To make things more interesting, you may also avail of a target face for an additional fee of PHP40. You may also just rent a lane at PHP300/hour if you already have your own equipment. 

-Arrowland is also open to private events such as birthday parties and team buildings. Just contact them at (02) 577 0956 or at 0917 877 2425 for inquiries and bookings. 

Arrowland is located at 5th Floor, Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.