Promo Fares at the 18th Philippine Travel Tour Expo 2011

February 18, 2011


Promo Fares 

at the 

18th Philippine Travel Tour Expo 2011



Batanes & Boracay Treats from SEAIR


BUY 1 TAKE 1 ROUNDTRIP TICKET for MANILA–BASCO-MANILA per adult / child
PHP16,160
Seat / Flight Restrictio 
For every purchase of roundtrip ticket to BATANES, the buyer is entitled to another roundtrip ticket for
FREE. (
  • LIMITED SEATS , ALL FLIGHTS

Note: Passengers must be traveling together. In the event that one passenger will rebook the flight, bothpassengers will be subjected for fare difference and other charges.

  • RESTRICTIONS: 

o SELLING PERIOD: FEBRUARY 18-20, 2010
(SEAIR BOOTH ONLY)
o TRAVEL PERIOD: MARCH 01 – OCTOBER 15, 2011 
(NOT VALID DURING EMBARGO)
o TICKET VALIDITY: ONE MONTH FROM THE FIRST DATE OF TRAVEL
 
ONE WAY TICKET for MANILA–CATICLAN v.v. per adult / child
PHP1,616
o SELLING PERIOD: FEBRUARY 18-20, 2010
(SEAIR BOOTH ONLY)
o TRAVEL PERIOD: MARCH 01 – OCTOBER 15, 2011
(NOT VALID DURING EMBARGO)
o TICKET VALIDITY: ONE MONTH FROM THE FIRST DATE OF TRAVEL

RESTRICTIONS APPLICABLE ON BOTH SALE FARES:
o INCLUSIVE of Airline taxes (YQ, INS, ASF) and VAT
o NON – COMMISSIONABLE 
o BOOK-AND-BUY BASIS ONLY 
o STRICTLY NON-REFUNDABLE (NON-REF), NON-TRANSFERABLE (NON-TRNSFR), NONREROUTABLE (NON-RROUTE) and NON-UPGRADABLE (NON-UPGRD).
o REBOOKABLE subject to rebooking fee of PHP 560 / way, No show of Php 560 (if applicable) and fare difference (if any)
o Valid for all MARKETS 
o CHILD, INFANT, STUDENT AND SENIOR CITIZEN passengers have no special rate based on theabove and will be given their corresponding discount based on the NORMAL fare. 
o Other Reservation and Ticketing issues that may arise and not covered by the guidelines in this bulletin are understood to follow company protocol and  procedure. 
ACCEPTED FORMS OF PAYMENT:o CASH or CREDIT CARD ONSITE

_________________________________________________________________________________





_________________________________________________________________________________





Seat Sale Banner






Quick Guide to Using the Phone in the Philippines



Quick Guide to Using the Phone in the Philippines


The Philippines is known as the "Texting Capital of the World". A recent US study has shown this to be true. So, the best way to communicate with people in the Philippines is thru their cellphones, and by texting them. Texting refers to text messaging, which is a brief written message sent from your cellphone.

I discovered that even in the remote parts of the Philippines and in the poorest areas, people have cellphones. This means that if you wish to communicate with your tour guides, airport transfers (which may be a regular taxi or a tricycle transfers), tricycle tours, motorbike rentals, etc., the most reliable way to to do so is through a cellphone. Almost everyone in the Philippines has cellphones.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PHILIPPINES...
... And wish to communicate with people in the Philippines, your cheapest option will be to buy a cellphone in the Philippines, and a prepaid SIM.
 

1. Estimated cost: 

phone:1000 pesos (cheapest brand new Nokia phone available is the Nokia 1208 available at Shopwise stores). Check out this website for price list.
sim card: 30-60 pesos 
call charge: around 6.50-7.50 pesos per minute; text charge: P1.00 per minute if you are on the same network.

2. Where to get it:

a. phone: at any SM department store, Shopwise grocery, Smart wireless center (see smart.com.ph), Globe wireless center (see globe.com.ph)
b. sim card and load: at groceries and department stores. Not hard to find because stalls where you can buy sim card and load are practically everywhere. Just ask any local so they can refer you to the nearest shop.

... And wish to communicate with people in other countries, you have the following options (which depends on how heavy your use will be):

1. Use a magic jack if you wish to communicate with someone in the US or Canada. 


See magicjack.com. This is what we use to communicate with relatives in the States. But this option will limit your mobility. You need a laptop, an internet connection and a standard phone with cord. Calls from the Philippines to the US are free with magic jack. Your cost for this option will be from the purchase of magic jack and the rate of internet use.

2. Use a PLDT budget card. You need a PLDT landline phone to use this card. Cost is 1.50 pesos per minute for calls to the US. Seehttp://www.pldt.com.ph/products/consumers/prepaidcards/Pages/BudgetCard.aspx

3. Use the prepaid cellphone you purchased in the Philippines. Call rate is around US$.40 per minute.



My tip:
If you're buying a cellphone and don't know which SIM card of a telecom company to buy, inquire from people residing at your proposed destination in the Philippines, which telecom company has the strongest signal in their area. The major wireless telecom companies are Smart and Globe . I personally discovered that Smart has the widest coverage. They even have a signal all throughout the remote island of Batanes, while Globe has only intermittent signals. But then, this is on a case-to-case basis. You have to ask people residing in your destination, which has the best signal.

Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR) Flies to Vigan

February 16, 2011

Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR) Flies to Vigan!

Starting February 25, 2011, SEAIR will fly direct from Manila-Vigan. This is great news since Vigan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And before the launching of this route by SEAIR, the only way to access it directly from Manila is by two ways:
(1) by taking a 9-12 hour long road trip; or 
(2) by taking a Philippine Airlines or Cebu Pacific flight to Laoag and then taking a 1 1/2- 2 1/2 hour land trip from Laoag to Vigan. 
Now, there is a third option. With the launching of this route by SEAIR, visitors who want to visit Vigan for the weekend and maximize their time can fly direct from Manila to Vigan via SEAIR. Flight time is only 1 hour, and with SEAIR's schedule, you have two (2) full days already to explore Vigan. 

Right now the flights offered are as follows:

Manila-Vigan: 
Fri, Sun: 230pm departure from Manila-330pm arrival in Vigan
Vigan to Manila: 
Fri, Sun: 350pm departure from Vigan-450pm arrival in Manila
Check out what UNESCO world heritage sites you can see in Vigan here.

NOTE on airfares:
Manila to Vigan (roundtrip) via SEAIR is around 5000 pesos ++
Manila to Laoag (roundtrip) via Philippine Airlines is around 4000 pesos ++
Manila to Laoag (roundtrip) via Cebu Pacific is around 2500 pesos ++.

At least with the opening of the new route, foreign visitors with limited time in the Philippines can have Vigan as an option. And for domestic travelers, the schedule allows us to have Vigan as a weekend vacation option.

Below is a sample booking of the Manila to Vigan flight


18th Philippine Travel Tour Expo 2011

February 9, 2011


18th Philippine Travel Tour Expo 2011



Highly recommended!!!
Why you shouldn't miss this event:
It's the biggest annual event in the tourism industry. All participants, the airlines, the travel agencies and the resorts, all give huge discounts. You get the best travel deals during this 3-day event.

A few examples of last year's discounts:
1. Batanes SEAIR (Southeast Asian Airlines) early bird promo rate of 2835 pesos ++ per way
2. 50% off Corregidor day tour by Sun Cruises
3. Zest Air 50% off domestic airfares
4. Cebu Pacific and PAL discounted fares.


To see the promo fares available at the 18th Philippine Travel Tour Expo, see here


Here is the list of exhibitors and participants to this expo


When: 
February 18-20, Friday to Saturday
10am to 9pm

Where:
Halls 1,2,3 & 4, SMX Convention Center
Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

How to get there: 

View Larger Map

For more info on how to get there by public transportation, check out this blog


Honda Bay Island Hopping Tour with Kids

January 26, 2011

Honda Bay Island Hopping Tour with Kids

What Kids Will Learn
1. This is where my kids first experienced snorkeling. The advantage of snorkeling in the islands of Honda Bay is that the snorkeling site is very near the shore. Unlike snorkeling at Balicasag island, the snorkeling site at Honda Bay is deep and undercurrents are strong. 

2. Aside from learning to snorkel, we discovered that swimming in the sea/bay is very different from swimming in the pool. Knowing how to swim in the pool does not guarantee your safety at sea/bay. Because of the strong undercurrents in deeper parts of Honda Bay, the technique that our boatman used to move from one point to another is to use a walking motion with his legs underneath the water rather than staying horizontally on the water and kicking with your legs on the surface of the water. You stay in the same place when you use this technique at sea.

Word of Warning
Do not allow your kids to take off their life jackets while wading in water in the islands of Honda Bay. There are  parts of the  of the islands that suddenly deepens just a few meters from the shore. The undercurrents are strong and could easily pull you into the deep parts of the bay. As I mentioned above, the swimming technique learned at the pool is not very helpful when swimming at sea with strong undercurrents.


Our Itinerary
6:00 AM           
Wakeup

  •  what to bring to the island hopping:   

    waterproof backpacks, extra change of clothes, cellphone, swimsuit, sunblock, off lotion, coconut oil, hand sanitizer, underwater camera case, underwater plastic case for gadgets, cellphones, wallet, toilet paper, emergency medicines, slippers, bottled water, cookies or biscuits
My tip: for feeding fish, tear the white bread in small pieces and place it inside an empty mineral water bottle. Then while snorkeling, fill the mineral water bottle filled with bread then feed the fish so you can see them up close. It's easier to hold the mineral water bottle than the plastic bag containing a loaf of bread. See pictures below:
Mineral water bottle filled with bread for fish feeding
This is how it is used to feed fish




7:00 AM          
We were picked up at Casa Linda Inn by Wildrock Tours. Before proceeding to Sta. Lourdes wharf, we made a stop to pick up the cooked food that we were supposed to bring with us during our island hopping. Our lunch was included in the fees we paid Wildrock Tours

8:00 AM 
Arrival at Sta. Lourdes Wharf. Sta. Lourdes Wharf is the place where we take the boat to go island hopping at Honda Bay.


Customer service center at Sta. Lourdes Wharf. 

Waiting for our turn to board the boat

This is the boat we used. 
Note the orange lifejackets ready to be used. Palawan is strict on the use of lifejackets.

Boarding the outrigger boat

8:30 AM 
Arrival at Pandan Island



11:00 AM-1:00 PM 
Buffet lunch at Pandan Island


This is where we ate lunch at Pandan Island. A tent was reserved for our use.


2:00 PM 
Arrival at Starfish Island for more snorkeling.


3:00 PM 
Arrival at Snake Island


Approaching Snake Island

Huts at Snake Island



Walking the sandbar of Snake Island

This is what a sandbar looks like



4:00 PM         
Leave Snake Island  and head back to the wharf


5:30 PM      
The Vietville restaurant is along the route going back to Puerto Princesa city. So we requested our guide to stop over at Vietville restaurant to take out Vietnamese food and view what used to be the refugee center of the Vietnamese boat people in Palawan.







6:00 PM 
Arrival at Casa Linda Inn


7:00 PM 
Dinner at Casa Linda Inn


How to go from El Nido (Lio Airport) to El Nido Town

January 24, 2011


How to go from El Nido (Lio Airport) to El Nido Town



Distance from El Nido Airport to El Nido town: 
around 4 kilometers


Travel time from airport to town: 
10 minutes


Ground transportation: 
Only tricycles are availble for hire when you arrive at El Nido airport. Tricycle rental costs 200 pesos per way from El Nido airport to El Nido town, or 400 pesos roundtrip. The tricycle has a maximum capacity of 2 persons.


See my post " El Nido (Lio) Airport: How to get a tricycle to El Nido Town"


My tip: If you're 6 or more in a group, ask the resort you booked how much are their airport van transfers. We were charged P600 per way for airconditioned van transfers. Since we were 6 in a group, the cost is already equivalent to hiring 3 tricycles. So for our situation, hiring a van  is the better option. The additional advantages of hiring a van if you are a big group are:


1. If the 6 persons in your group is composed of a couple and 4 kids, you won't have to think about who among the 4 kids will have to be together in 1 tricycle.  Remember that I tricycle can only accommodate 2 persons. By hiring a van, you can be together in one vehicle.


2. Since the van will be hired by your resort, you are sure that the driver of the van knows the location of your resort even before the driver picks you up.


3. You don't have to look for a tricycle and haggle the price upon arrival at the airport. Price is already fixed before you arrive at the airport.


The map below will show you the distance from El Nido airport to El Nido town. 


Henna Tatoo at Alona Beach

January 22, 2011



Henna Tatoo at Alona Beach

In the Philippines, a beach vacation is not complete without getting a henna tattoo. It's part of your outfit as much as your swimsuit is. It's a form of self-expression.

First, you choose the motif from several pages of sample designs. The price depends on how complicated the design is. The cheapest is at 100 pesos

Then you choose where to place it.
On the arm
On the chest
On the hand
Where to have it:
There are a lot of places along Alona Beach where you can get a henna tattoo. But we got ours at Baywatch Divers. 

Baywatch Divers is at no. 12. Check out http://jimspears.net/alona/map.htm for more details. Thanks to jimspears.net for the map

How long does the henna tattoo last: 
One week

Caution: 
When my daughter was 8 years old, she got an allergic reaction from the henna tattoo. The part where the henna touched the skin became inflamed. So even after the black tint was gone, the motif remained and showed on the inflamed skin. I suggest you test the henna first on a small area of the skin to find out whether or not your child is allergic to it. Years later, my daughter outgrew her allergy and was able to have a henna tattoo on our Bohol trip.