Baguio-Sagada-Banaue Trip 2013

Around 10pm of the 12^th of November, me and three of my officemates were bound to Manila for another adventure. We landed at Manila around 11:30pm and our office mate, Arthur was at the airport waiting for us. I personally experienced the scariest flight ever because we were riding on a propeller plane and the weather that time was not so good. We could feel and see the thunderstorms outside the plane. However, we still reached Manila safely. Upon reaching the airport, we decided to fill our stomachs at Jollibee since we were bound for a long trip. We rode a taxi cab for 100 pesos from NAIA to Victory Liner in Pasay. The bus left Manila around 2am and we had a 6-7 hour land trip to Baguio. The fare from Manila to Baguio is 460 pesos per head. We reached Baguio around 9am. We first headed to Baguio Information Center which is just a walking distance away from Victory Liner Station. We were able to get a van for 2500pesos. Since we were five, we were only able to pay 500 pesos per head. That was inclusive of whole day town trip to Baguio. Our driver was really very kind! We dropped by the inn we stayed before the town tour. We stayed at La Brea Inn which is located at 24 Session Road. It was a good place to stay and has a very reasonable price of 350 per head.

These were the places we visited.

• ·         Baguio Chinese Temple
• ·         Easter Weaving
• ·         Lourdes Grotto 
• ·         Diplomat Hotel
• ·         Kennon Road Viewing Deck
• ·         Philippine Military Academy
• ·         Good Shepherd Convent
• ·         Mines View Park
• ·         The Mansion
• ·         Wright Park Baguio
• ·         Botanical Garden
• ·         Burnham Park

at Lourdes Grotto

 

at the Diplomat Hotel - the creepiest hotel in Baguio City

at Kennon Road Viewing Deck

at the Philippine Military Academy

at Camp John Hay

It was already around 7pm when we reached Burnham Park. Since we already wanted to have our dinner, we asked our driver to drop us off at SM Baguio. We had our dinner at Sizzling Plate. The food was okay at reasonable prices. We decided not to go back to the inn yet after dinner. Instead, we strolled for a while and found this milk tea shop named SIP Milk Tea. It was good just like the other ordinary shops. After heading back to the inn we stayed, we decided to go shopping at Night Market. The stuffs there are really very cheap and I was able to buy gloves for only 100 pesos. It was totally worth it!

The next day, we travelled to Sagada. Before heading to Sagada, we had our breakfast at Good Taste Cafe and Restaurant. The food was okay but the service is one of the worst. The fare from Baguio to Sagada is 220 pesos and the travel time is six hours. We reached Sagada around 2pm already. We did not do anything special this day since we arrived at the town late. Upon reaching the town, we went to the Sagada Information Center to inquire about their daily tours. We had an early dinner at Bana’s Restaurant. Food there was good and prices ranged from 150-300 pesos. We had our dessert at Lemon Pie House. We had our stay at Residential Lodge during our 3 day, 2 night trip at Sagada. The place was very clean and cheap. The room was only 250 pesos per night. I would personally recommend this lodge to people who are travelling on a tight budget.

The next day, we went to Kiltepan Sunrise at 4am where we were supposed to have a view of the sunrise on the mountains.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to see the sunrise because of the thick fogs that covered the mountains. After, we headed to Rock Inn Orange Orchard where we had our breakfast and picked some oranges. The food there was quite expensive. One serving of a breakfast meal ranged from 150-300 pesos. Their blueberry pancake is a must try delicacy! One would need to pay 50 pesos to pick unlimited oranges, however, if you bring home the oranges, they will weigh it for 50 pesos/kilogram. After breakfast, we went to St. Mary’s Church. From the church, we hiked our way to Echo Valley and the Hanging Coffins. We were really amazed with the stories about the place. J After the very tiring but fulfilling walk, we went to Ganduyan Museum. We were stunned of the stories on how the owner collected the antiques. After, we hiked for an hour to reach Bomod-oc Falls. We were really chilling since the water was as cold as ice. When we hiked back to the station, we were very tired already. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the view going back anyway. We had our lunch at Salt and Pepper around 4pm already. We had to be brave going up the restaurant because they had a very big bull dog named Tinkerbell. Ironically, the dog has a cute name. Lol. After the meal, we went to the entrance of the 4hr cave which I forgot the name. On the entrance were coffins piled up. Our last stop was the Sumaguing Cave. Spelunking there was very fun! It was a wet cave under with lots of amazing rock formations. It was a one hour hike back and forth the cave. We really had so much fun. The whole day tour at Sagada costed us at around 800 pesos each. It was really worth it. We had our dinner at Kusina Ysagada where servings were big and delicious. The prices ranged from 150-300 pesos per dish.

at Rock Inn Orange Orchard

at Echo Valley - The tour guide will explain why this place is called "Echo Valley" :)

at the Hanging Coffins - cool place! :)

Bomod-oc Falls - the water is as cold as ice! Brrrr!

Notice the coffins at our back. Creeeepy!

The next day, we headed to Banaue to see the ever famous Banaue Rice Terraces. We had to wake up early to catch the first jeepney to Bontoc which is only costs 45 pesos. The jeep left on time – 7am. It was only a 30 minute drive to Bontoc. Upon reaching Bontoc, we looked for a restaurant/canteen to eat. We had a hard time finding for a good place to eat since Bontoc is not a tourist spot. We were able to leave Bontoc aroung 10am already since the driver waited for other passengers that were also bound for Banaue. Fare from Bontoc to Banaue is only 150 pesos for a 2-3 hour land trip. Banaue RiceTerraces is really breath taking! J Since our goal that time was to only have a picture of the rice terraces, we waited for our trip to Manila until 7pm. Fare from Banaue to Manila is 450 pesos. While waiting, we just stayed and chilled at Uyami’s Green View Lodge and Restaurant.

at the Eighth Wonder of the World - Banaue Rice Terraces! :)

7pm came and we just slept during the whole trip to Manila. We arrived at Manila at 4:30am. We went to Arthur’s house to leave our things and had our breakfast at Burger King at Timog. After breakfast, me, Jodie and Alnessa went to mass at the church near SM North Edsa. While waiting for Trinoma to open, we stayed at Starbucks at Trinoma until 10am. People went crazy on the sale that day. We went back to Arthur’s house at noon since we had our lunch there. After lunch, we went to Cebu Pacific office at Galleria to avail of our baggage. After, we went to Greenhills to play Laser Maxx. It was really fun playing with complete strangers. Hahahaha. Then, we had our dinner at Wendy’s. Arthur  dropped us at the airport around 7pm and we waited for our 11pm flight to Cebu.

Malapascua Island 2013

Malapascua is known for its white sand beaches and a good place for snorkeling. It is located in the northernmost tip of Cebu Island. Me and six other friends went there last September 28-29, 2013.

To reach Malapascua, you would need to ride on a bus bound toMaya from North Bus Terminal. It would cost you around 150php. Upon reaching Maya port, you would need to go on a boat ride for 30 minutes. This would cost you 80 php. Upon reaching Malapascua island, you would need to ride another mini boat to reach the shoreline which costs 20php. We really did not like the way passengers/tourists can reach the island. For only around five minutes, you already need to pay for 20php. The worse thing we encountered is that when we went back to Maya port the next day, we rode again on that mini boat since it was low tide. Pretty sure, tourists won't come and go to Malapascua in the future because of the poor transportation strategies.


We stayed at Mr. Kwiiz over the weekend. This resort is very affordable though it is not beachfront. You would need to walk for about 3-5 minutes to reach the beach. The room rate(aircon rooms was 2200 php good for four people, additional head would cost 250 php. Not bad for a group of seven. We were really able to save! Most of the resorts here have room rates(fan rooms) that would only cost 500-600 php good for two persons. Aircon rooms, in general, on this island would cost a bit higher since electricity there is expensive. Well, this is what they told me while I was canvassing for resorts few days before we went there. There was an eatery beside Mr. Kwiiz and we only had our meals there for us to save. However, the only restaurant that we were able to try was Exotic Bar and Restaurant. There pizza is good. But there ube shake is <3!!! It really tastes like ube ice cream and we loved it!

Pizza at Exotic Bar and Restaurant (i forgot the name. lol.)

Ube Shaaaake <3

When we had our beachin' on the afternoon, I was really amazed on the clear blue waters in Malapascua. However, as I looked under the water, I saw a jellyfish and that freaked me out. I was not sure if it was alive or not! lol. What I did not like on their beach is that there are a lot of "sea leaves" or whatever you call that. The leaves are present even if the water is still shallow. Thus, it was not really a good beach to swim with. :( Me and my friends did not get to try snorkeling or diving. But, I guess those activities would be worth it in Malapascua since there are a lot of resorts around the island that offers those activities at a reasonable rate.

White sands and crystal clear waters

Basically, Malapascua is good, but I won't bother to go there for the second time.

El Nido and Puerto Princesa, Palawan 2013

Last September 6-11, 2013, me and other ten of my officemates went to Palawan. Our flight was at 1pm of Septemer 6, 2013. When we arrived at the town, most of us were hungry so we had to fill our stomachs at Chaolong Restaurant. The reason why we had a heavy meal is that we would still need to travel to El Nido for approximately five hours. It was really a tiring trip! We arrived at El Nido town around 8pm. Upon reaching the place, we decided to take our dinner at El Nido Corner Restaurant. The prices are reasonable. It would cost you around 150-300 per dish. But mind you, one dish is good for 2-3 persons. After dinner, we didn't bother to roam around the town since we were very tired already. We stayed at Hadefe Cottages. It is one of the good places to stay in El Nido though you need to walk for 15 minutes to be able to reach El Nido town. And the most exciting part is that you would need to pass by a cemetery in order to reach the hotel. Basically, Hadefe is a good place to stay. We did not regret our stay there.

Puerto Princesa Airport

Our trip was arranged by Hadefe Travel and Tours. This is owned by Mr. Hanny Enor. The tour costed us 6, 500 pesos exclusive of dinner for the rest of the tour.

Here are the contact details of the said agency:
Mr Hanny Enor
Manager/Owner
Hadefe Travel and Tours
09209523280

09178496877

Here is our itinerary of the rest of our trip.

El Nido Day 2: Small Lagoon. Big Lagoon. Miniloc Island. Simizu Beach. Seven Commando.

Big Lagoon.

Miniloc Island.

 Simizu Beach.

                        

Seven Commando.

Pristine waters of El Nido.

We had our dinner at Atmosphere Restaurant. The food was good but the prices were so overpriced since the serving is very small. I would not recommend this restaurant to travellers especially those who are on a tight budget. :(

El Nido Day 3: Hidden Beach. Matinloc Shrine. Talisay Beach. Secret Beach. Helicopter Island.

Hidden Beach.

Awesome view at Matinloc Shrine. A very mysterious place because of its untold history, yet very amazing.

Helicopter Island. The island where Survivor Philippines had their shooting. A great island to relax. The island is named such because of its shape. 

After the island hopping, we had our dinner at Sea Slug Restaurant. The food is good, prices are reasonable, BUT, the service is slow. Don't follow the hype.

The next day, we had to leave El Nido and travel to Puerto Princesa. It was another five long hour trip. We had our lunch at Paneo Restaurant. Food there is not that great. :P Then afterwards, went to the Puerto Princesa Underground River.

Puerto Princesa Day 4: Lunch at Paneo Restaurant. Puerto Princesa Underground River. Ugong Rock Adventures.

World's Famous Puerto Princesa Underground River. A must-travel site when you go to Puerto Princesa.

Amazing rock formations inside the underground river.

Ugong Rock Adventures. Spelunking is a must-try activity here. We were able to conquer the tiring activity up to the top of the mountain.

We had our dinner at K'na Boyet sa Baywalk. The food was good and the prices were affordable. After we had our dinner, we had an hour of strolling at Baywalk. Bicycles are for rent for 50-75 pesos per hour.

After which, we went back to the hotel, Ysabelle Mansion. A very great and clean place to stay. :D

Puerto Princesa Day 5: Isla Pandan. Starfish Island. Cowrie Island.                                                                    

Our Honda Bay Tour was arranged by La Tiara Travel and Tours. The whole day island hopping was 1, 140 pesos per head, and honestly, it was not worth it. Island hopping in El Nido is way better than in Honda Bay. If in case, you would want to rent booties and snorkels, there are a number of stores that offers renting of booties and snorkels for 100 pesos each in Honda Bay Port. DO NOT rent if it is 150 pesos each. We got scammed because our tour guide brought us to a store meters away from the port. 

Isla Pandan. We had snorkeling here since there are lots of fishes on this island.

Starfish Island. Nothing but starfish, fishes are hard to find. Water was kinda itchy.

Cowrie Island. The most developed island we went. There is a restaurant on this island, though I was not able to take a look at the prices of their menu.

Since we still had ample time to stroll before having dinner, we decided to buy souvenirs instead. We rode on tricycles going to the shops. Our driver was Mr. Catalino Vitug. You can contact him thru Facebook if in case you would want a private driver when having a city tour at Puerto Princesa.

We had our dinner at JA Restaurant near Baywalk. Food and prices were good. :)

Day 6: City Tour. Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral. Binuatan Creation's Factory. Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Preservation Institute. Rancho Sta. Monica. Baker's Hill. Lunch at Dampa Restaurant.

Binuatan Creation's Factory. We were able to try weaving. Souvenirs are also sold here at a reasonable price.

Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Preservation Institute. Lots of crocodiles here.

Rancho Sta. Monica. Overlooking view of Honda Bay.

Baker's Hill. Their products are sold at a reasonable price. Also a good place to buy pasalubong.

Basically, I really had a fun vacation at El Nido and Puerto Princesa. But, I would still prefer Coron, Palawan over El Nido/Puerto Princesa. Why? Coron seas are richer in marine life that the El Nido seas.

Bohol 2013

It was a very special day last August 10, 2013 for my former team lead. It was the day that he shared vows with the woman he loved for a decade. Since the bride's hometown is at Baclayon, Bohol, the guests from other places have to travel all the way to Bohol. We arrived at Tagbilaran Port at around 12 noon. We rode a fast craft going to Tagbilaran that costs 450 round trip. We had lunch at my colleague's canteen located at the town of Tagbilaran. Some of us did not have to check in on a hotel since my colleague, Teresa lives at Bohol. Fortunately, we just stayed at their house for 3 days. We were really able to save money. :D We went to Island City Mall that afternoon to prepare and buy stuffs for the next day’s big event. We also had our dinner at the mall.

The next day, we were so excited for the big event! The wedding was held at Baclayon Church at 2pm. It is one of the oldest churches in the country. The reception was held at Panglao Nature Resort and Spa. The setting was very beautiful and unique! Indeed, I would really consider it a fairytale wedding.

                                          at Baclayon Church

Reception at Panglao Nature Resort and Spa 

So, the day after the wedding, my team lead decided to go to the beach, instead. So we went beaching at Dumaluan Beach Resort at Panglao. Since the weather that time was not that good, we weren’t able to witness the clear waters of Panglao. We went back to Cebu around 6pm that day.

                                                                at Dumaluan Beach Resort