Lunch at Fundacion Pacita

Lunch at Fundacion Pacita

Meals at Fundacion Pacita are very expensive. As you can see from the photo above, the chef provides only 2 choices:

For 750 pesos per person: the meal includes coconut crab, steamed fish, ivatan pakbet, rice, soup and dessert.

For 550 pesos per person: the meal includes beefsteak, baked tanige, ivatan lumpia, rice, soup and dessert.

Batanes Airport Transfers

Batanes Airport Transfers

1. Resort Pick-up

• resorts usually include free airport transfers in the room rate. If they don't have free airport transfers, you can request them to arrange it for you. 

2. Tricycle Pickup

• an alternative is to  hire a tricycle wating just outside the arrival area so they can take you to town.
• if you wish to have a pre-arranged tricycle pick-up, call/text: 

BATODA(Batanes Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association): 09066970679, 09297038404

Bohol: Summary of Cost and Travel Budget

Bohol: Travel Budget  & Summary of Cost

Airfare

Fees

• Manila Domestic airport fee: 200 pesos per person
• Tagbilaran Airport Fee: 20 pesos per person

Accommodation

Transportation

• Roundtrip Tagbilaran airport-Alona Beach resort airport transfers: 1000 pesos per van

Sightseeing

• countryside tour: 2500 pesos per van good for 6-12 persons (cheaper rate for small groups in a car)
• loboc river cruise lunch:  400 pesos per person
• entrance fees at tour sites: 120 pesos per person
• sea tour of balicasag island (without dolphin watching) and virgin island: 1300 pesos per boat
• sea tour of balicasag island (with dolphin watching) and virgin island: 1500 pesos per boat
• balicasag island snorkeling guide: 150 pesos per person
• aqua shoes rental: 600 pesos per person
• snorkel and mask rental: 75 pesos 

 Meals

• meals along Alona Beach: around 150-200 pesos per person
• meals at Amorita Resort: around 400 pesos per person

For an interactive excel file, see bohol tour cost

Our Palawan (Puerto Princesa) Tour Guide: Joseph Hidalgo

Our Palawan (Puerto Princesa) Tour Guide:

Joseph Hidalgo of Wildrock Travel and  Tours Palawan

If you have kids with you, they will find Joseph Hidalgo an interesting tour guide to listen to. Instead of just mouthing information during the City Tour of Puerto Princesa, he makes comments that make the information interesting to kids. My kids listened attentively because he was funny. As a result, the kids remembered a lot of information he gave us about Palawan. Although vacations are meant to be simply enjoyed, I usually prefer that my kids go home learning something more about the place and people we visited.

JOSEPH HIDALGO

                        Email: wildrock_tours@yahoo.com

                        Smart: 0929 795 5131

                        PLDT: (048) 434 1290

My Tip: Get all the tours from him because he gives the following special rates and freebies, ONLY if you get ALL tours from him:

1. 10% discount on all tours 
2. Free roundtrip airport transfers to and from your Puerto Princesa hotel. 

The terms we got from him last April 2009 are as follows:

Roundtrip airport transfers for 6 persons: Puerto Princesa airport-Casa Linda Inn or any Puerto Princesa town hotel, and Puerto Princesa town hotel–Puerto Princesa airport: FREE

• Since we got all tours from him, he gave us free roundtrip airport transfers.
• He personally welcomed us at the airport with souvenir shell necklaces.

Honda bay island hopping tour for 6 people: Total of P6600 (only P5940.00 with 10% discount)

• Rate: P1100 per person, minimum of 6-8 persons (with 10% discount, we got it at P990 per person)
  
• Inclusions: Entrance Fees to the islands, Boat Transfer between islands, Packed Lunch, Licensed Tour Guide, Air-conditioned Land Transfer from hotel to boat
• Islands to visit: Pandan Island, Snake Island, Starfish Island
• Joseph Hidalgo didn't join us for this tour. He assigned one of his tour guides to join us. The tour guide assisted us in riding the boat and prepared our meals. The boat man assisted us during snorkeling. 

Underground River Tour for 6 people:  Total of P9,000 (only P8100 with 10% discount)

• Rate:  P1500 per person, minimum of 6-8 persons (with 10% discount, we got it at P1350 per person)
• Inclusions: Entrance Fees and Permits to go to the Underground River, Roundtrip Boat Transfer from Sabang Beach to the Underground River, Packed Lunch, Licensed Tour Guide, Air-conditioned Land Transfer from Puerto Princesa hotel to Sabang Beach

Puerto Princesa City Tour for 6 persons: Total of P3600 (only P3240 with 10% discount)

• Rate: P600 per person, minimum of 6-8 persons (with 10% discount, we got it at P540 per person)
• Inclusions: Entrance Fees to sights, Licensed Tour Guide, Air-conditioned Land Transfer
• Places to visit: Palawan Museum , Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral, Plaza Cuartel, Princess Eulalia Park , Butterfly Garden , Crocodile Farm, Iwahig Penal Colony, Mitra’s Ranch and Baker’s Hill.

Other terms and discounts: Kids below 6 years old are free of charge, kids 6 to 8 years old are given half price rate, and kids 9 years old and above are considered adults and therefore pay the whole rate.  

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.