Our Bohol Tour Guide: Tatsky Cubero

Rates below are updated as April 2011:

Our Bohol Tour Guide: Tatsky Cubero

If you are traveling in a big group, I don't recommend that you get your tours from the resort where you are staying. They usually charge on a per head basis so it will turn out more expensive than getting a a local guide. After much research, with consistent good reviews from pinoyexchange.com forum members, I decided to hire the services of Tatsky Cubero. He's very reliable and replies quickly by text message. If you want him to reply by email, I recommend you text him first because he does not reply as quickly through email. Here are his contact numbers:

JESSER "TATSKY" CUBERO

                              email: jessercubero@yahoo.com
                              Sun: 0922-367-1051
                              Globe: 0914-794-5556
                              Smart: 0912-747-2737
                              PLDT: 038 415-6040

The terms we got from him last April 2010 are as follows:

Roundtrip airport transfers for 6 persons: Tagbilaran airport-resort at Alona Beach, and resort at Alona Beach– Tagbilaran airport: P1000 P600 per way, P1200 for roundtrip (rates updated as of April 2011.

Sea tour and snorkeling for 6 persons  to Balicasag  Island and Virgin Island , without dolphin watching: P1300

• we decided not to do dolphin watching because we have to leave 530am and the kids do not want to wake up early

Sea tour rate is inclusive of:

• pickup and return to resort at Alona Beach 
• free 4 snorkeling masks; rental for excess of 4 snorkelling masks shall be charged P 75 each 
• with life vest for 6 persons

For our account:

• guide at snorkeling site at P150 per person 
• meals

Countryside tour for 6 up to 12 persons (1 van): P2500 P2700 (updated as of April 2011)

Rate inclusive of:

• visit to 12 sights: Blood Compact Shrine, Baclayon Church, Biggest Python in Captivity, Actual Blood Compact Site, Tarsier, Floating Restaurant at Loboc River, Hanging Bridge, Manmade forest, Chocolate Hills, Hinagdanan Cave, Bohol Bee Farm 
• pick up and return to resort at Alona Beach 
• you have to book him at once  because he is in demand and his schedule is always full

For our account:

• buffet lunch at river cruise/ floating restaurant - P400 per person 
• entrance fees for sights: 130 per person

Park n' Fly: Transport Service to the Manila International Airport

Park n' Fly: Transport Service to the Manila International Airport

About Park n' Fly
1. It is an offsite airport parking building
1. It has a multi-level covered parking building.
2. It is open 24 hours.
3. Security is 24 hours.
4. It can accommodate approximately 200 cars.
5. No reservation or pre-booking of parking service.
6. It provides free airport shuttle to all the terminals of the Manila International Airport (Terminal 1, Centennial Terminal, Terminal 3 and the Domestic Airport)


What Service They Provide:
When you depart from Manila:
You park your car at the Park n Fly covered parking lot. They bring you to any terminal of the Manila International Airport, including the Domestic terminal using a shuttle.

When you arrive in Manila:
You call Park n Fly, to pick you up at the airport and bring you to the Park n Fly parking lot where you pick up your car.

Location:

 It is located in the corner of MIA and Domestic Road, around 500 meters from the Manila Domestic Airport.


View Larger Map

Rates:

Rates as of August 2010: 
358 pesos per 24 hours (1 day) to be counted from the time of check-in. 15 pesos per hour in excess of 24 hours. Free airport shuttles to and from the airport (includes all terminals of the airport: Terminal 1, Centennial Terminal, Terminal 3 and the Domestic airport terminal)

Special rates for long stay:
5% discount for 7-14 days of parking

Contact numbers
For more updated information you can call them at 0918-991-0000, 854-9302 to 04

How to go to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport

How to go to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport

Planning for airport transportation for a big group, or in our case, a family of 6 is more challenging than usual. We have a car but we don't have a driver. The car too must be big enough to accommodate both the passengers and the luggage. In other countries, there are reasonably priced airport shuttles for people who are in the same situation as us. But in the Philippines, I have found these options for people who are in the same situation as us:

1. Drive your own car

• If your car or van is big enough to accommodate a big group like us, you can opt to use your own car to go to the airport. This is possible even if you don not have a driver. 
• What we did during our Boracay trip, was use the services of Park N' Fly. My husband drove our car, dropped us off at the airport, then proceeded to the Park N' Fly building to park our car. Park N' Fly is located near the Manila Domestic Airport.
• After parking the car, Park N' Fly provided my husband with a free shuttle van to bring him to the airport. When we returned from our trip, my husband called the Park N' Fly contact number and requested the shuttle to pick us up and bring us to the Park N' Fly parking building to get our car.
• Park n' Fly parking rates is on a per 24 hour basis. The parking rates will not be too expensive if your trip is just a short one. They have discounts for parking duration of 7-14 days.
• See more information on Park N' Fly

2. Ride a taxi 

• As we Filipinos know, getting a taxi in Manila is not that easy. Even if you're willing to pay the more expensive taxi fare, it doesn't automatically mean you will be able to get one.
• Finding a taxi for a big group will be more challenging than usual because you will need more than one taxi to be able to accommodate more than 4 people together with their luggage stowed in the taxi's luggage compartment.

Taxi options going TO the airport:

To be certain that a taxi will be available when you go to the airport, you can pre-book a taxi at these contact numbers. I'm mentioning only those I have used before and proven to be reliable.

Tai Taxi: 8011093

Basic Taxi: 9001447 

Taxi options FROM the airport:

From the airport, you do not need to call the taxi I mentioned above and pre-book your airport pick-up. There are 2 kinds of taxis available for hire at the airport curb: 

1.  the airport coupon taxi, which has a fixed rate, and 
2.  a metered taxi, which uses the meter to determine the amount you pay. 

• We usually use the metered taxi because it's cheaper. It's even convenient for a big group to use a taxi coming from the airport, because the taxi are all lined up curb of the airport arrival area and waiting for passengers to ride them. 
• New! My update as of April 21, 2011: see the ff. post 

How to get a coupon taxi

How to get a metered taxi 

2. Take the public transportation
I don't  recommend taking the bus, the MRT or the jeepney because it's  hard to predict when you will arrive at the airport using these means of transportation. Since arriving at the airport on time is essential, I would suggest you use the other options shown above. 

The Best Age to Start Bringing Kids on Trips

 The Best Age To Start Bringing Kids On Trips

When friends ask me what the best age is to start bringing your kids with you on long trips, I often tell them that their youngest child should be at least 7 years old. Of course, you can always bring them on trips even when they are younger than that, but I discovered I don't need a vacation after a family vacation if the youngest child accompanying me is at least 7 years old. Apparently, there is logic in the school requirement that a Grade 1 student is at least 7 years old. But in my case, I found it easier to travel with them when they are at least this age because:

1. They can pack their things on their own.

• See my article Let Kids Pack!

2. They can follow directions well.

• On our first overseas trip, I instructed my kids to refrain from talking to me or interrupting me while checking-in at the airport or purchasing tickets.On these occasions, I need full concentration because errors on my part will create more problems than usual. They understood and followed my request.

3. They have some measure of control over their emotions and their moods.

• In my experience, kids generally behave when they are not overly tired or hungry. By keeping a well-paced itinerary, I avoid emotional meltdowns. 

4. You can reason with them regarding purchase of souvenirs.

• My technique is usually to give each of my kids a fixed amount of money for use to purchase souvenirs. It avoids haggling with them about what's a reasonable and an unreasonable purchase

5. They can assist you in handling luggage.

• Younger kids could watch over luggage. They provide another pair of eyes who can keep sight of your luggage for you. I normally tie the same ribbon on each luggage which they look out for at the carousel. They can count luggage and can alert your attention in case someone attempts to take your luggage.
  

6. They can memorize your name, address and phone numbers already.

• This will be useful in case they get lost. Before trips, I ask them to repeat names, address, and phone numbers weeks before the trip to make sure they memorize it.
• As an additional precaution, I usually give each one a small pouch that they can hang on their neck, close to their body, with our name, phone number and address of the resort or hotel written on the piece of paper inside, and a small amount of emergency cash.
  

7. They understand how the buddy system works.

• Since I have four kids, I assign as partners during trips, my eldest and youngest child together, and my 2nd and 3rd child together.
• Each one makes sure that they can see their partners. They alert me when their partner is missing or not within their sight.

8. They are potty-trained.
 

If you want to bring them with you when they are younger than 7 years old, accept the fact that it will be a tiring vacation. I suppose when you do bring them with you, you already assessed the pros and cons and concluded that the advantage far outweighs the disadvantage. Otherwise, I suggest you wait until they are older so all of you will only have good memories of it. 

Good luck traveling with your kids!

 

Let Kids Pack!

Let Kids Pack!

The greatest stress for me when preparing for a vacation is the packing. As a parent, you want to make sure all that you need, especially in emergency situations, are right there on hand to aid you. You even pack your kids' clothes to make sure they're complete. The disadvantage of doing this is that when you arrive at your destination, your kids will be asking you where those things are everytime they need it. The solution for me is to let them pack their own things so they know where everything are when they need it. 

How do I help them pack?

• First, I hand them a list. 
• Then, they gather everything they need and bring it it one room. 
• We gather in the designated room with all our luggage/sportsbag. 
• As we actually put the things in the luggage, we tick off the things from the list. 

The purpose of doing the packing together, especially if you have more than one child, is so that you can see for yourself that they actually placed the things inside the luggage. If you have more than one child, you do it all at the same time and save a lot of time checking on their things. This way, both you and your child know where all the things are. It will save you the effort of having to hand them their things when you are on vacation.

More Tips:

1. Bring a laundry bag.

•  Teach your kids to put dirty clothes in the laundry bag after use so it doesn't get mixed up with the clean clothes when you pack everything for home. It will also save you the time and trouble of gathering each piece of dirty clothing before you leave.

2. Have a separate bag for each child.

• I do not mean that you must have a separate luggage for each child. What I mean is that each child's things must be separated from another child's things. To have it all mixed up would defeat the purpose of making it easier for everyone to find their things.
• For children who can carry their things or are able to drag a school-sized stroller bag, you can have a separate hand-carry size stroller bags for each of them to put keep their things. That way, they can also take charge of dragging them and helping you transport their things from the destination to destination.
• For children who cannot carry their own things yet, this means you will have to do so. I find it easier to put each child's things on a sports bag, and insert the sports bag in one larger luggage. That way, you transport more than one sports bag in one luggage, without mixing your children's things with each other. When you arrive at your hotel/resort, you just pull out the sports bag from the bigger luggage.

 

My Bohol Itinerary with Kids (5 days)

My Bohol Itinerary with Kids 
(5 days and 4 nights)

Day 0

-- pack (see my Bohol packing list)
-- if kids experience travel sickness in airplanes, drink Bonamine the night before so the kids don't become drowsy during the flight. Bonamine is effective for 24 hours after drinking it.

Day 1

Departure from Manila, Arrival at Panglao Beach

     530 am: wakeup

     630 am: leave the house and go to the Manila Domestic 
                 Airport  

• see how to go to the Manila Domestic Airport

     8 am: arrival at the Manila Domestic Airport  

• see facilities of the Manila Domestic Airport

     9 am: departure from Manila via Zest Air Z2 350

     1020 am: arrival in Tagbilaran Airport   

• We booked roundtrip airport transfers from Bohol Tour Guide, Tatsky Cubero. See rate

My Tip:  After picking you up from the airport, you can request the driver to pass by a grocery in Tagbilaran City, so you can buy bottled water, breakfast items, and bread to feed the fish during snorkeling. It's more expensive to buy those items at Panglao Beach.

     12nn: lunch at Isis Thai Restaurant

     2pm: check-in at Isis Bungalows

     2pm onwards: bum around the beach

     7pm: dinner at Pyramid Resort

Day 2
Snorkeling at Balicasag Island, Visit Virgin Island

     7am: wakeup

     9am: pickup of boat to go to Balicasag Island  

• see tour guide contact numbers and rates

     10am: arrival at Balicasag island

     10am-12nn: snorkeling at Balicasag Island

     12nn-1pm: lunch at Balicasag Island

     1pm-2pm: Virgin Island

     3pm: back to resort

     5pm: Mass at Panglao Church

• See Our day with the kids snorkeling at Balicasag Island and walking the sandbar of Virgin Island

Day 3
Countryside Tour

     8am: pick up by Tatsky Cubero, our tour guide.  

• see tour guide contact number and rates

     8am-6pm: Countryside tour  

• Chocolate Hills 
• Manmade Forest 
• Hanging Bridge 
• Lunch at Loboc River 
• Tarsier Sanctuary 
• Actual Blood Compact Site 
• Biggest Python in Captivity
• Baclayon Church 
• Blood Compact Shrine 
• Dauis Church 
• Hinagdanan Cave 
• Bohol Bee Farm

     6pm: arrival at Panglao Beach

     7pm: dinner at Pyramid Resort

Day 4
Free day 

     AM: swimming

     12nn: Lunch at Hayahay Pizza

     PM: Henna Tattoo, Swimming

• see my article "Henna Tatoo at Alona Beach" 

     7pm: dinner in the room at the resort

Day 5
Departure from Tagbilaran, Arrival in Manila

     AM: swimming at the beach

     12nn: lunch at Pyramid Resort

     230pm: departure from the resort

     330pm: arrival at Tagbilaran airport  

• see Tagbilaran Airport facilities

     455pm: departure from Tagbilaran via Philippine Airlines PR 178

     615pm: arrival in Manila

Pasalubong 

Cheapest peanut kisses: At the Biggest Python

Cheapest souvenirs (shirts, keychains, etc): Hinagdanan Cave, Hanging Bridge

Total cost of the trip:

Approximately  php 66,000 for 6 persons, 5 days and 4 nights, or 11,000 per person

For a details of tour cost and fees, see bohol travel budget and summary of cost

Facilities of the Domestic Terminal (Terminal 4) of the Manila International Airport

Facilities of the Domestic Terminal (Terminal 4)
of the Manila International Airport

The Manila International Airport (officially known as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA) has 4 terminals:

1. NAIA Terminal 1: the main international airport where foreign carriers land, except Nippon Air.

2. NAIA Terminal 2, or the Centennial Terminal: exclusively used by Philippine Airlines (both domestic and international flights)

3. NAIA Terminal 3: the newest terminal used by Cebu Pacific (both domestic and international flights), Air Philippines and Nippon Air

4. NAIA Terminal 4, or Domestic Terminal: the oldest terminal and the original international airport. It was built in 1948 and currently used by Zest Air and Southeast Asian Airlines (Seair). This is called by the locals as a the Domestic Airport.

Check out the website of the Manila International Airport Authority for detailed information.

See my post Manila International Airport: Location of Terminals for information on where the terminals are located in the city and their distances from each other.

These four (4) terminals share the same runway so when one airplane experiences a problem at the runway, all the other flights are affected. 

We used the Domestic Terminal in our flights to Bohol and Palawan. In a span of one year between those flights, the facilities have been upgraded.  

Here's a summary of the facilities of the Domestic Terminal as of April 2010:

1. Toilets

• Additional toilets have been constructed. Instead of just 1 toilet for male and 1 toilet for female, a new set of toilets was constructed. So there are now 2 toilets for male and 2 toilets for female
• There are now hand sanitizers in all the toilets.
• Bathroom sprayers are also installed in the new toilets located on the left of the photo.
• Toilets are religiously cleaned after every use.

2. Stores

Public payphone, Red Ribbon bakeshop and a drinks store

The drinks store and the cellphone loading store

The magazine/book store, Goldilocks bakeshop, Cinnabon, Vibes massage

My tip: Bring your own food and drinks. The price of the food and drinks are around 70% more expensive than usual. Surprisingly, they allow water to be brought in beyond the secure area.

3. Massage area

•  shown on the right side of the photo above

4. Laptop area

• although there is no free wifi at the airport, there is a laptop station with a desk where you can place your laptop and charge it.

5. Chapel

6. Cellphone charging station and public pay phones

7. Waiting area

Airport Lounge

Airport Lounge facing the gate

• As I mentioned before, since there are only two airlines using this terminal, the waiting area does not become crowded. There are sufficient seats for everyone.