Remember Rachel Grant, the Filipina-British actress who starred with Pierce Brosnan in the 2002 James Bond flick “Die Another Day” and was recently in town to promote some of the country’s most popular tourist destinations?
After her initial visit to Boracay where she learned how to be a “real-life mermaid” at the Philippine Mermaid Swimming Academy, Rachel has updated her social media followers on the latest installments of her 12-part video series called “Fun in the Philippines.”
Rachel’s tour of the Philippines is endorsed by the Department of Tourism and is documented by Storia, a unique social multimedia platform that curates and creates user-generated content that entertains and informs.
So far, one of the released videos documents Rachel’s Kawa Hot Bath experience in Tibiao, Antique as facilitated by the Kayak Inn there. While sipping coconut juice, Rachel is “boiled” inside a large wok filled with spring water with local herbs and flowers.
“What’s cooking Meee! These large woks known as “kawa” baths were once used as sugar cane cauldrons in the Philippines. They now sit in tropical Philippine jungle at Kayak Inn in Tibiao where they are used as hot relaxation spas. Heated with burning bamboo, spring water is then mixed up with local herbs to heal mind and body, and sooth sore muscles. I should have worn my mermaid suit! We’d be having fish ‘sinigang’ soup for supper! Lol,” Rachel posted on Instagram.
In Villa Escudero at Tiaong, Quezon, Rachel plays “footsie” at the Labasin Waterfalls Restaurant, a fascinating diner where local cuisine is served at the base of a waterfall.
In Bani, Pangasinan, Rachel had fun at the Watermelon Festival and also explored the uncharted Angel Cave that she helped discover.
Off-camera, Rachel is also deeply involved in several humanitarian efforts. In one of the Storia videos, she shared her initiative to establish an evacuation center in Bani, Pangasinan for the residents who were displaced by Typhoon Emong in 2009. The center is located near a relocation area called Fountain of Love which also serves as the community’s school.
Outside of acting, Rachel is also known for her travel and lifestyle videos that, to date, have amassed over 100 million views. Her first hit viral content was the two-minute video “How to Pack Over 100 items into a Carry-On” which was released in 2016 and has since been featured in over 200 websites across the globe and was even shared by celebrities like Ashton Kutcher and Oprah Winfrey.
To date, Storia has released seven videos of Rachel Grant’s Philippine adventures, with five more to follow.