SG-Melaka-KL Trip Day 1 (Bound for SG)

November 29, 2012 (Thursday)

Our trip to Singapore and Malaysia had finally ended as quicky as it had started. What took about a year to plan was through after a 6 day tour of Singapore, Melaka and Kuala Lumpur. Our first day started with us waking up early even though our flight was still at around 12 noon. Since it was our first time to use the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Pampanga, we decided to leave Manila early.

We took a bus at the Victory Liner bus terminal in Pasay and was told to take the Dagupan bound bus as this will pass by the Dau Terminal. From there, one has to walk out of the terminal and turn left. There is a queue of air-conditioned jeepneys waiting for passengers bound for the airport. I think it costs P100 each for 25 minute trip.

Upon arrival at the airport and x-ray of the luggages, we went to a counter and paid for our travel tax. It's P1,620 per adults and slightly lower for kids. Since the check-in counter was still closed, we get copies of the immigration cards and filled it up while waiting. 

Upon checking-in, we proceeded to the gate and paid for the terminal fee and then queued to have our passport and immigration card checked by the immigration officer. If you are a government employee, make sure you have a travel authority to avoid the hassle of explaining to the officer. Upon stamping of the passport, we were at last free to go inside and wait for our boarding call.

The Responsible Tourist and Traveller

"Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time." I think this sums up what a responsible traveller should be.

While browsing through the internet, I stumbled upon a link on "The Responsible Tourist and Traveller". Apparently its brochure has been approved by the World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE) in May 2005 and endorsed by the UN World Tourism Organization (WTO), a United Nations agency in charge for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accepted tourism, and adopted at Dakar, Senegal in December 2005, by which the General Assembly recommended the dissemination of this text to the travelling public worldwide.

Post-Summer Vacay in Boracay - Part 2

On our third day, we decided to start the day with a buffet breakfast at La Carmela. For P100, we upgraded our set breakfast to this. The spread consisted of pancit miki, chicken adobo, glazed pineapple and eggs (scrambled and sunny side up). There were also rice, toasts and butter with unlimited brewed coffee and what tasted like "Eight O'Clock" orange drink.

 

After breakfast, we went to the beach infront of the hotel again to take a quick dip.

We had visited the old talipapa during our first visit to Boracay and before it got burned. So we went to check out the place. It's now between Sands Hotel and another accommodation. It's not as busy as it was when we last saw it. Only souvenirs and clothes are now being sold.

Post-Summer Vacay in Boracay - Part 1

typical scene on white beach, boracay

On our third trip to Boracay, no plans were made except to just bum around. No adventurous activities. Just lie down on the beach, read a book, swim in the sea or pool, or just return to our room have a siesta or watch TV.

The trip to Boracay all started when I booked a flight from Kalibo going to Manila on the morning of 13 February 2012 with a 15 kilo baggage allowance for P1,500 for the three of us (P500 each).

I told myself that I will have to wait for another promo fare going to Kalibo since the trip is still on June 2012. That same night, I found an Airphil flight bound for Kalibo which costs us P770 each or a total of P2,310 for the three of us with a total baggage allowance of 30 kilos. The total round trip fare for the three of us then was P3,810 (or P1,270 each).

We will be staying Boracay for 5 days and 4 nights. Considering that it's a long weekend (Tuesday, June 12 is our last day), we only have to take 2 day leave from work, while our daughter will be going to school the following day after we returned.

The Travel Bug: In the beginning

The bug has bitten me later in life than most travllers. Sure, my family usually go out of town during summer vacations: baguio, bicol, batangas and laguna. But I think it started when I was already working and became financially independent (well sort of, ha ha ha).

Aside from the official travels I had, my officemates and I usually go out of town during those long weekends: Hundred Islands in Alaminos, Iba, Zambales and Sinait, Ilocos Sur, were some of them.

Then I resigned from work and found myself having less and less time going on vacation, during the early days of my self-employment, as I discovered that having one's business took up more of my time than being employed. I did have some out of town trips with friends though: Boracay and Iloilo via the Superferry, and tagging along with a friend's family going to Manaoag in Pangasinan and Iguig in Cagayan.

Surprisingly, being employed again gave me more time to travel than ever before. When we were given a one week centennial leave in 1998, I decided to go on solo by visting our Regional Office in Cagayan. And from there, I met a friend in Tuguegarao who told me about a place in Ilocos Norte called Pagudpupd. With only a map and some information where I can take a bus going to the place, I was able to visit and stay at Terra Rika (the viewty and the beach), which was not yet fully developed then.

Travel Expo: Looking for a bargain

Our visit to the 19th Travel Expo held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City was a last minute decision and in fact we were able to go there after lunch of the last day of the expo.

Since we were going to Singapore and Malaysia in December, we thought it best to check out what ever information we can get about those places.

There was an entrance fee of P50 per person and good for one day (just have your hand stamped so that you can get back to the expo if ever you decide to go out).

The place was huge and although it was the last day, there were still a lot of people trying to get a good bargain.

I've noticed that the airline companies, both Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, had the longest queues. Most probably, visitors looking for promo fares which the local airlines normally offer. We didn't bother checking these booths as we had already booked our flights over the internet.

It's more fun (funnier) in the Philippines?

With the new DOT campaign slogan, Filipinos are divided as whether to support it or find fault again (remember "Pilipinas Kay Ganda"?). But with Pinoy creativity and sense of humor, a lot of memes can now be found on the internet using the said slogan.

Here are our take on the slogan with photos recycled from previous travels:

San Juanico Bridge, Samar-Leyte

Kawa-kawa, Ligao, Albay

Planning Our Singapore-Melaka-KL Trip

Our plan of doing the Singapore-Melaka-Kuala Lumpur trip started when I was able to book a one-way flight from KL to Manila for my wife, daughter and me on the 5th of December this year for less than P4,700 (I inadvertently did not remove the 20 kg allowance for the 3 of us, which I don't think we will be able to use the 60 kg baggage allowance). Since it was only a one-way trip, we decided to wait for another promo fare to Singapore. That way, we get to see two countries in one trip. Since Melaka is between the two cities, we also included it in our plan, which is to stay three days in Singapore, a day in Melaka and two days in KL. Our target date for the flight to Singapore is on the 30th of November.

photos courtesy of http://www.streetdirectory.com, http://www.petronastwintowers.com.my, http://www.malacca.ws

We chose that month because it is a Friday as well as a holiday in the Philippines making it a three-day weekend.  Coupled with the following events: it's my daughter's birthday on the 29th and my 50th birthday on the 13th of the same month. It will also give us a year to save for this travel. The first and last time I set foot in Singapore was about 20 years ago and this would be the first time for my wife and daughter. I am sure that a lot has changed since then.

Angel's 10th Birthday Celebration in Dumaguete City

On the third day of our vacation, we returned to Dumaguete to celebrate Angel's 10th Birthday. We usually go out-of-town during the end of November as part of Angel's birthday.

After our Siquijor trip, we requested Bethel Guest House to have their shuttle pick us up at the pier. After checking in, I went down to Shakey's Restaurant which is just across the hotel to buy pizzas. Fortunately, I have a Pizzanatic Super Card, so I ordered a large Hi Protein thin crust pizza and got a large pepperoni pizza for free. Lunch is served.

CDO: On the road with Mang Lito

Mang Lito was someone we met on our last day in Cagayan de Oro. We hailed his cab just across the Vjandep Bakeshop along Bulua Highway to take us to Gaisano Mall (it opens at amazingly 9AM). When we were near the mall, I casually asked him how much it would cost to take us to the Divine Mercy Shrine in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental and just show us around CDO and finally take us to the airport for our flight back to Manila at 4:50 PM. He asked for P1000. I asked for his mobile number and told him that I will send him an SMS in case we need his services.

We waited for the mall to open and did some last minute shopping. We finally decided to txt him and asked that we be picked up at 10AM in a gasoline station near the mall. He answered back immediately that he can fetch us right away. But with some more things to buy, we stuck to our original schedule.

Camiguin: Come Again

Our trip to Cagayan de Oro/Camiguin this last week of August 2011 started when we bought our plane tickets from Air Philippines last November 2010 at P886 per person for a round trip ticket. On the second day of our trip, we took a taxi going to the Agora Terminal where Bachelor Tour buses bound for Butuan City, which passes Balingoan port, wait for passengers. The travel time is about 2 hours and it costs P140 per person.

Upon arrival at the Balingoan bus terminal, one has the option to take a tricycle (P8) or just walk towards the pier. There is a terminal fee of P2.25 and the ro-ro fare is P170.

the ro-ro that will take us to camiguin

Visit to the Land of the Kiwis

We were able to visit New Zealand (NZ) in February 2006 during school break at the University of Queensland. We had saved enough funds from  my wife's full time job at the Queensland University of Technology and my summer job at an electronic assembly company to have this vacation. We got a promo fare from the Virgin Blue/Polynesian Blue for our Brisbane-Auckland-Brisbane flight.

To get our NZ visa, all we had to do was send by mail a self-addressed stamped envelope, our passports, bank statement, flight itinerary and the application form to the NZ Consular Office in Sydney and waited for a week to get our approved visa.

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We booked a cab the night before our departure to pick us up at our apartment in St. Lucia. The trip to the Brisbane International Airport was quite lively, with the cab driver doing most of the talking. He narrated that he originally was from England and that he arrived in Brisbane almost penniless and how he began as a baker until he met his wife and got different jobs. Now retired, he drives the cab part-time for the extra income.

After checking-in at the airport, we waited at the lounge's floor for lack of available seats.

Our two week trip around Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne

I was fortunate enough to be given a scholarship to finish my masteral degree at the University of Queensland in 2005. My family joined me in Australia about 2 months after I got there. My wife wanted to visit her sister in Melbourne but lack of funds made us defer the trip.

We started planning on how to go there the cheapest way we can. It was then that I came about the website of CountryLink which offered a travel pass where one can travel almost anywhere between Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne by train/bus for two weeks for about A$200. The pass comes with four bonus CityRail passes. First there's a DayTripper ticket so you can travel all day on Sydney trains, buses and ferries. Next is a return bus/train ticket to the famous Bondi Beach. And then there is a return train tickets to Katoomba, heart of the scenic Blue Mountains. You can choose between making a day trip or staying in the mountains for longer. The good thing with the pass is my daughter travels for free since she was less than 6 years old then.

Kainan sa Paete, Laguna - Capati Kainan

What does one do when one didn't take lunch because he was in a hurry to get to church as the wedding invitation says the ceremony starts at 1PM but in reality is scheduled at 2PM? That's what happened to us last Saturday, we got to the church before 1 PM, realizing later that no wedding was to take place as indicated in the inviation.

the facade of the church

Zero Plane Fare: Is it worth it?

Cebu Pacific had announced yesterday in their website that they are offering ZERO fare to all domestic and international destinations up to June 10 or until seats last. I have always seen this advertisements but somehow haven't really availed of it. It's either all those zero fare seats are already sold out (maybe they just offered 1 or 2 seats per flight and were already taken by friends of Cebu Pac employees who have advanced info?) or you get a zero fare one way but have to pay full fare on your return trip or vice versa.

Paradise Revisted - Boracay

We always dreamt of returning to Boracay eversince my family went there 7 years ago. Plane fares were expensive then and we were a lot more adventurous that we decided to try the nautical super highway or via bus and ro-ro ships passing thru Mindoro.

The opportunity came when I booked last year for our flight to Boracay this April 10-13, 2011. The fare costs less than P2,000 for a round trip ticket per person. We flew to Boracay via Caticlan using the turbo prop plane and returned to Manila via Kalibo, which is about 2 hours away from Boracay.

Panagbenga 2011: Baguio's Flower Festival

Every year, on the month of February, Baguio City holds a flower festival, which culminates on a floral parade, that passes through its main street, Session Road. People start to line the street as early as 5 AM to get a good seat on the sidewalks. The floats alternately pass through both ways of the road. It is suggested that you go there early and find a good place fronting Don Henrico's or Andok's as the other side of the street faces the sun making it difficult to take photographs. Be sure to bring your own blanket or paper to use as seats on the sidewalk.

Diyos Mabalos Bicol

We went to Sorsogon to celebrate our daughter's 8th birthday. We booked our flight with Cebu Pacific for the price of the bus fare. We planned to stay in Sorsogon for two nights and another night in Albay. We really had no plan except to see Paguriran Island in the Bacon District in Sorsogon City. Our trip was from 27 November to December 1 so we only had to get a one day leave because it was a long weekend.

We left Manila early in the morning and after about less than an hour flight, we arrived in Legaspi City, the jump off point to Sorsogon. We took a tricycle to the Legaspi City Grand Terminal where we took a van going to Sorsogon City. The flight was so early that Angel slept on our way to Sorsogon.

Bantayan Island - a slice of paradise

Bantayan Island has always been one of our dream destinations. However, time and money constraints have always prevented us from going there. Finally, last March my officemate and I planned about going there with my family and her siblings. We searched the airline websites and checked out the only available long weekend after holy week, June 11 - 14, 2009. We will be applying for a one day leave in order to have a 4-day weekend. We finally booked our tickets with the Philippine Airlines: The first flight going to Cebu and the last flight returning to Manila in order to maximize our time in Cebu.

In search of Digyo Island - Inopacan, Leyte

Our plan to go to Tacloban started when we were able to buy our plane tickets from Cebu Pacific last October 2008. It cost us less than P3,200 for the the round trip flight for the three of us.

As we love going to beaches, we set aside a day to visit one in th Leyte-Samar area. We started surfing the web and finally decided on Digyo Island in Inopacan, Leyte. Without any idea on how to get there, we started researching via the internet. Luckily, there are a couple of sites in Multiply with pictures of Digyo Island, so we were able to ask for directions and cost of staying there.