It's More Fun in the Philippines: Boracay! Day 1

     We went to Boracay almost a year ago, i.e., December 2011.  It was my first time going there and most of my companions were first-timers, too.  Well, I wanted to touch the famed fine, white sand and to see what the fuss is about Boracay.

     So, from Manila, we all boarded a Cebu Pacific plane.  However, since we were a big group (around 15), we were in 2 different flights: the super early one and the afternoon one.

     It was also my first time to board a plane smaller than the regular airbus, so I was kinda scared.  I asked if I could be seated in front and my request was granted.  I got seat 1, on the first row, but it was a seat facing all the other passengers!  So, I felt like a flight attendant.  It was an odd experience but a memorable one.  

     Anyway, when we got to Caticlan, our van service, courtesy of The Sands Hotel, was already at the airport to transfer us to the jetty port.  From the port, The Sands' own boat picked us up to take us to Boracay island.

 Jetty Port

Transfer Service

     What can I say?  We arrived in style.  Teehee.

    After another short ride from the Boracay jetty port, we finally reached the hotel, and I was so relieved.  I know that Boracay is supposed to be fun and full of people. However, since I'm one of those weirdos who seek tranquility while on the beach, I was hoping to that our hotel would be somewhere more secluded.  And I was not disappointed.  The Sands is located in Station 3, some 15  minutes away from the unbearably crowded Station 2.

The sand in Boracay are powdery white, but not in this photo!

The setting sun made the sand look beige. 

    Boracay's sand proved to be as soft as talc and as white as snow (almost).  And I don't know if I just have thick soles but the sand does not get unbearably hot.  I could walk around the beach barefoot even under the midday sun.  One thing I noticed though is that not all Stations have the same texture of sand.  Station 3 has the coarsest powder-sand and it gets finer going towards Station 1.

    Hmm...I was expecting Boracay to be crowded when we arrived mid-afternoon.  But apparently, most people were out riding the paraw, taking refuge from the midday sun or sleeping in.  Surprisingly, Boracay was relatively serene when we arrived.

     Starting 5pm, the crowd got thicker, and by sunset, Station 2 became the ultimate party destination.  Then again, partying has never been my cup of tea, so I just walked along the beach to watch the setting sun.

   

     

   

BLOG STATS RESET!

     Argh!  I know I am not a popular blogger or anything.  But at least I have readers and visitors on my blog every so often.  So,  imagine my shock when I saw my Blogger statistics got reset to zero today.  WTF?!

   

It's More Fun in the Philippines: Bataan - Day 2 at the Dambana ng Kagitingan

Dambana ng Kagitingan

   

     For our second day in Bataan, my family and I went to see the 00KM marker of the Bataan Death March, which is located nearby the NPC Village, before heading to the Dambana ng Kagitingan.  I wanted my little nephews and nieces to see the marker for their Philippine history studies. 

It's More Fun in the Philippines: Bataan - Day 1 at the Westnuk Beach Cove

Westnuk Beach Cove on a stormy afternoon.

     Our accommodations at the NPC Village includes a free day pass to the Westnuk Beach Cove.  It is located inside the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) in Morong.  Before, you cannot go to the Westnuk Beach unless you know someone from the National Power Corporation who could accommodate you as a guest.  But not anymore!  It is now open to the public, but for a minimal fee.  If I'm not mistaken, entrance for day-trippers is around Php 130.00 per person, more or less, with discount for government employees..

     Now that it is accessible to the general public, the secret of its beauty is now out!  And it says so in its website:

Hidden away in the heart of Morong, Bataan, Westnuk Beach Resort is the perfect getaway for weary travelers looking to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Our resort is only a two and a half hour drive from Manila. Getting there is an experience in itself as the roads you travel are filled with scenic views of where the mountains and the sea meet.

Even in its simplicity, Westnuk Beach Resort features comfortable accommodations with scenic ocean views. We cater to friends, families, and even companies seeking to have fun under the sun. For larger groups and company outings we can accommodate over five hundred people at our hotel at NPC Resort Village, a twenty minute ride via our shuttle service. That’s two venues to experience in one convenient package.

Be surrounded by nature unspoiled by man. When you’re not swimming, facilities for basketball, beach volleyball and karaoke are available for you to enjoy. Come and enjoy one of the Philippines most beautiful and unspoiled beaches for a holiday you’ll never forget.

It's More Fun in the Philippines: Bataan - Day 1 at the NPC Nuclear Power Village

     Since I am just a short post away from wrapping up my Macau travel adventures, I'm going to blog about my Bataan adventures since I've been itching to do it for a long time already.

     If you remember, last August 2011, the Philippines had a rather extra long weekend because of several holidays.  So, I was so flustered thinking about being stuck at home.  I wanted to go to Baguio but my reservation was put on-hold and when it was finally okay, it was already too late to go.  Anyway, my family and I ended up staying at the National Power Corporation's Nuclear Power Village in Bagac, Bataan.

Seat Sale: Cebu Pacific's Independence Day Sale 2012

     Since we'll be celebrating Independence Day on the 12th, Cebu Pacific has a seat sale promo for January 1, 2013 to March 15, 2013.  Cebu Pacific quotes their fares one-way, all in, but the final price for their Incheon flights still went over by several hundreds because checked-in baggage and country-specific taxes are not included.

     Happy travel planning!

Seat Sale Promo

We’re ALL-IN this together! Pick your favorite seat for as low as P200 Super size your baggage! Pre-book and SAVE up to 50% Get insured with travel insurance. Choose from available domestic and international rooms with Hotels Get exclusive deals! Sign up for SeatSaleAlert!. Philippine Destinations TO ALL PHILIPPINE DESTINATIONS P700  ALL-IN DOMESTIC fare is one way, INCLUSIVE OF: fuel surcharge, admin fee, aviation security fee, 12% VAT and 7 kg hand carry baggage allowance but exclusive of check-in baggage. Limited availability. Flight changes are permitted with Php 800 rebooking fee and Php 900 cancellation fee. CAB approved terms and conditions of carriage apply and are available online at http://www.cebupacificair.com/Pages/SeatSalePromo.aspx Regional Destinations Clark to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Macau or Singapore P1,088  Manila to Bangkok, Brunei, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hanoi NEW! or Siem Reap NEW! Cebu to Singapore P1,488  Manila to Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Shanghai or Xiamen NEW! Clark or Kalibo to Hong Kong NEW! P1,688  Manila to Manila to Busan, Incheon or Osaka Cebu to Busan or Incheon P2,588  Sale Period: Up to Jun. 12, 2012 or until seats last | Travel Period: Jan. 1 - Mar. 15, 2013

ALL-IN INTERNATIONAL fares are one way INCLUSIVE OF: fuel surcharge, admin fee and 7 kg hand carry baggage allowance but exclusive of country specific taxes and check-in baggage. Limited availability. Flight changes are permitted with Php 1, 800 rebooking fee and Php 2, 500 cancellation fee. Advertised fares are subject to changes due to foreign currency exchange fluctuations. CAB approved terms and conditions of carriage apply and are available online at http://www.cebupacificair.com/Pages/SeatSalePromo.aspx

Macau Adventures: Day 3 - The Venetian Hotel

     It wasn't my first time at the Venetian but I was glad to be back.  I love the huge rooms and the opulence, and the fact that you can fit 6 people in the Bella Suite; more if you don't mind sleeping huddled like sardines on the bed, or sleeping on the floor.

     Anyway, Venetian is such a huge hotel so it's easy to get lost.  Good thing they give their guests maps for easier navigation.  While there are a lot of people milling around, once you get to the hotel wings, you'll see a staff checking people out, asking which room you'll go or asking to see your key card.  Security is good.

It's More Fun in the Philippines - Blog Series

Cagsawa Ruins and Mt. Mayon, Bicol

     Although I have reservations about the Philippines' tourism slogan, I can do nothing about it.  Might as well find something useful about it.  So, I've entitled my Philippine travel adventure series, "It's More Fun in the Philippines."  

     Lately, I've been going around the country one tourist destination at a time.  I'll start blogging my adventures after wrapping up my Hong Kong and Macau adventures, but here's a sneak peek:

West Nuk Beach, Bataan

Boracay, Aklan

Caramoan, Camarines Sur

Pico de Loro, Nasugbu, Batangas

Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas

Seat Sale for Labor Day 2012: Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines

     Tomorrow, May 1, is Labor Day, and, there's going to be seat sales for both Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines.  Yay!  Totoro-line wave!

UPDATES: 

Cebu Pacific's promo has a 90% off on the base price of their domestic and regcional flights.  It means, the fuel surcharge remains the same.  So, a roundtrip ticket to Incheon will still yield an almost Php 7,000.00 price.  Promo period is from May 1 to May 2; travel period is from September 1 to December 15.

As for Air Philippines, their P1 fare refers to the base fare as well and it covers flights from Cebu and Clark, and Php 288 base fare for their Manila outbound flights.   Promo period is from May 1 to 3; Travel period is from May 16 to July 31.

     Cebu Pacific posted this teaser:

     On the other hand, Air Philippines tweeted this:

Tomorrow = May P1. :)
— Airphil Express (@airphilexpress) April 30, 2012

     So, it's possibly an 80% off from Cebu Pacific perhaps for flights until December or even beyond, and Php 1.00 base fare for Air Philippines' domestic flights.  Most likely, both seat sales shall commence at 12 midnight.

     Good luck and happy travel planning!

Macau Adventures: Day 3 - Ferry to Macau

Screen cap of Google Map's street view of China Hong Kong City Building

     Yes, my friends and I decided to have an Amazing Race across China and its special administrative regions (SARs).  We visited, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Macau in our 4d3n tour last February.  It's a very crazy idea. I don't encourage anyone to do the same, especially for first-time travelers.

     Throwing caution to the wind, we spent a night in Macau just to be able to say that we've been there.  Well, I've been there before, but most of my companions were first time visitors of HK, China and Macau.  

     So, from our hotel, we took a shuttle going to TST.  The stop was very near the China Ferry Terminal.  It's very easy to find.  Just go inside China Hong Kong City,where the huge Esprit outlet store is located at the ground floor.  Refer to the photo I screencapped from Google Maps.  Entrance is beside Esprit, just go up to the short escalators until you reach the third floor, I think, where the booking offices are located.  From there, you can take your pick of ferry service depending on the time you want to depart. Most services leave even every 30 minutes, except for Cotai Jet which departs late in the afternoon if I remember correctly.  This ferry station also services passengers to Mainland China such as Zhuhai. [Update April 2014:  The Esprit outlet store relocated inside the China Hong Kong City Mall]

This is the floor where the ticketing offices are located. 

Departure Area at the China Ferry Terminal Station

     After buying tickets and while waiting for our ferry to depart, we ate lunch at Cafe de Coral, a fast food chain in Hong Kong which offers cheap meals, of course by Hong Kong standards.  The food there is quite tasty and they change their menus depending on the time.  After 2 p.m., no more lunch sets, for example.  Be sure to state clearly your choice of set meal and which beverage you want since not all cashiers understand English well.  You can point to the menu on the wall, then say if you want milk tea, or if you want cola (additional price).  You'll be given a printed receipt plus an order slip which you'll have to hand over to a staff at  a separate counter where roasted ducks are hung.  Wait for your order and hope that the cashier and helper got your orders right.

Well, what do you know?  Look at how dirty my cup was.  

Probably, the tea spilled.  It was just surprising that the staff were unconcerned 
about the messy cup and did not even bother to replace it.   

This was my lunch.  It was an oven-baked pork chop with pineapples and sauce poured over the rice.

Yummy, but there was too much sauce. 

     We picked First Ferry/Turbo Jet as our service provider.  It was the same company we used when I went to Macau in 2009 with my family.  It leaves every 30 minutes from 7am to 10:30 pm everyday. Makes you wonder how many gamblers, tourists, businessmen and locals shuffle to and from Macau each day.  Hmm.

     Anyway, I think we paid around HKD 150+ per person since it was a weekend.  But the ferry was not packed and it was a pleasant ride so we were able to take a nap.  About an hour later, we reached Macau! Yay!

      Once in Macau, and after passing through the immigration, we took the underpass going to the other side of the street to catch a free shuttle bus to our hotel, the Venetian.

The Venetian Hotel's Mascot was at the Ferry Terminal to welcome Macau's visitors!  

So cute!

The Free Shuttle to Venetian.

Shenzhen Adventures: Day 2 - Lunch, Windows of the World and Splendid China

Windows of the World

    After passing through the HK Immigration, our guide waved at us and waited for us to get through the Shenzhen border.  Our first stop: lunch at a restaurant.  It's part of the tour so it's free.  

     While the tour to Shenzhen is free and comes with a group visa plus free lunch, you won't see much,  just a photo ops outside the Windows of the World and the factories, e.g., jade factory, silk factory, etc.  If you want to get inside the Windows of the World and the Splendid China, you have to pay extra.  We paid RMB 300 each for Splendid China which includes tickets to 2 cultural shows and a ride around the park.

Windows of the World

Splendid China

     

Still shots from the first show.

Snapshots from my videos of the Dragon and Phoenix Dance Show

     Having watched the Dragon and Phoenix Dance in 2010, I was slightly disappointed with the performance I watched this February.  It was not as solid a performance as the first time I watched it.  It was still a feast on the eyes, but not as spectacular as I remember it.  I have videos of then and now to compare the performances.

     By the way, it was freaking cold! Way colder due to the open spaces.  Good thing we had some 30 minutes to spare before the Dragon and Phoenix Show to eat some hot meals, like noodles and hot milk tea with tapioca.  Yum!

     I highly recommend, too, those grilled mutton on sticks.  For 3 sticks at RMB 10, you'll get your money's worth!  It's so darn tasty, tender and goes well with a sort of hard naan-like bread sold separately.  You may opt to have it without the spices, like I did if you're not into spicy foods.