Go Palawan! (Underground River Tour)

As luck would have it, irene, my girlfriend is from Puerto Princesa, home of the Underground River and so much more. Last October, when Cebupacific dropped their fares to Php1, I immediately booked my family a trip to Puerto Princesa for my birthday weekend a few months ahead.

A couple of months 'til our flight, I went to Puerto Princesa last December to see my girlfirend for a couple of days and to have a preview of what the city has to offer. From there I started to check-out places and tours that my family would be interested in and their corresponding prices of course. I want to make this trip as cheap as possible. More luck came our way as my girlfriend's family bought a van recently for a travel and tours business. All we needed was to pay for gas and the driver.

Amazing Thailand (MBK and Pantip)

It was our last day at Amazing Thailand and as much as we wanted to go to more beautiful places in Bangkok, time and money aren't on our side. With our flight taking off later that evening, we chose instead to just go around the malls for some window shopping MBK and Pantip.

Located just outside the Skytrain's National Stadium station, MBK Center, also known as Mahboonkrong Center was named after the developer's parents, Mah and Boonkrong. It opened in 1985, the same year our very own SM City North Edsa opened. MBK Center is huge and you can find almost anything you need, in the same spirit as SM's "we got it all for you." The food center have a variety of food choices and uses a coupon system.

After having lunch and shopping for some last minute pasalubongs at MBK, we went next to Pantip plaza or some techie stuff. Walking towards Pantip Plaza we passed by a couple of malls barricaded, visibly damaged by the protests months back.

From LG, HP, Lenovo, Sony, Epson, and other familiar electronic brands, the brand that attracted me the most was A&W. That familiar smiling bear and his rootbeer float was surely missed.

After a quick snack at A&W we walked around some more until we reached the Baiyoke Tower II, Thailand's tallest building. At the ground level was a huge clothing market, closely resembling Tutuban's Cluster building. When it was time to go back to our hotel, it started to rain and we got lost so we hopped on a taxi to bring us to the closest Skytrain station.

For dinner, we chose a nearby place, just below the Chong Nonsi BTS. The food was good and the homemade spicy fish sauce was priceless. I wish they'd sell those in bottles. After dinner, we were supposed to take a taxi to the airport but after reading the local newspaper, we found out that the Airport train was recently opened and accepts passengers for free. Awesome.


Lunch at MBK: Php150
Float and Fries at A&W: Php75
Day 3 Transportation: Php75
Dinner: Php165
Day 3 TOTAL: Php465

Airfare and Hotel TOTAL: Php9,738.52
Day 1 TOTAL: Php1,435.50
Day 2 TOTAL: Php3,615.00
Day 3 TOTAL: Php465
Entire Trip TOTAL: Php15,254.02

***exchange rate assumption: 1BHT = Php1.50


Previous: Amazing Thailand (Floating Market, Siam Ocean World and Pat Pong)
First: Amazing Thailand (Temple Tour and Chatuchak)

Amazing Thailand (Floating Market, Ocean World and Pat Pong)

When going to a different country, it's vital to get as much information as you can to make your stay easier. Upon arriving at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok we grabbed almost every free map available at the counters. Almost because we didn't get maps not in english. The maps helped us navigate through Bangkok and the ads around the map paved the way for our Floating Market Tour. I've seen Floating Market Tours on the internet go as low as 650BHT. So when we saw an ad on the maps that offered 500BHT per person, we immediatey booked it.

The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is roughly 2 hours away from the city proper and is popular among tourists. This floating market is featured in most tourism ads of Thailand. I remember this particular spot in a tourism ad I saw in CNN.

The floating market is a must try for first time Thailand visitors but the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is too much tourist-friendly that somehow I felt like it's a show. It's still a great experience nonetheless and Damnoen Saduak is thought to be better than those near the city, created specifically for tourists.

Amazing Thailand (Temple Tour and Chatuchak)

Back in 2010, Thailand, specifically Bangkok, was painted red by anti-government riots. This led to security concerns prompting the Foreign Affairs Department to issue an advisory asking Filipinos to postpone non-essential travel to Bangkok. By June 2010, tensions have waned down. A couple of friends went to Bangkok and enjoyed their trip so much that I cound't resist a Cebupacific seat sale to experience Bangkok for myself. Airfare was Php9,037.04 for me and my girlfriend (Php4,518.52 each then add Php750 Terminal Fee and Php1,620 Travel tax).

August came and it was time to fly. Another couple was with us and was great since this makes things cheaper and one of them is already familiar with Bangkok. We arrived around midnight and shared a taxi to our respective hotels. Taxi to Silom was around 400THB or around Php600 for more than an hour ride (Php150 each). We stayed at The Heritage Hotel Silom which at their 2010 rate of Php1,800 per night was a steal given the spacious room and the delicious buffet breakfast. Our friends stayed for free at the Sofitel Hotel using loyalty cards.

Hong Kong Hustle (Part 2)

Up early on our second day, we headed for our new favorite food place Café de Coral. Their breakfast menu didn't disappoint and it was a perfect start for a busy day. (Php1,320 total or Php220 each)

From Mirador Mansion we walked towards Victoria Harbour to the Avenue of Stars. It was a clear sunny day and the view was breathtaking, tall buildings crowding between water and mountains. Clearly, not an inch of land in Hong Kong is wasted.

After admiring the view, its time to go to it. Next stop was The Peak in the opposite side of the harbour. We rode the timeless Star ferry to get to Hong Kong Island and paid only Php12 for the 10 minute ride.  Travel guides suggest taking the Tram up to The Peak but after a mix-up in bus numbers, we ended up riding the bus all the way to the top instead of just the tram station. The bus ride up to the peak, particularly on the double-deck bus, was a nice experience. Although a bit slower, the ride gives great views of Hong Kong just the same and is much cheaper than the tram (Php72 vs. Php168). There's not much to do at the peak except admire the view of Hong Kong from the top. We already experienced a Wax Museum in Manila when I was a kid and visiting Madame Tussauds was not that appealing. After having some coffee and buying some stuff, we left The Peak this time using the Tram. The tram ride was a steep ride and the view, though scenic, was short to be awed at it.

Hong Kong Hustle (Part 1)

After my Malaysia trip, my next stop was the fragrant harbour, Hong Kong. This time I was with my family, taking advantage once again of cebupacific's promo. Coming from Clark, or as the locals prefer Disodado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), our airfare was Php2,950.76 each roundtrip then add on the terminal fee of Php750 and Travel Tax of Php1,620, then the total air travel expense was Php5,320.76 per person. I knew the DMIA was small but was surprised how really small it was. It's almost the same size as the Puerto Princesa Airport.

We arrived at Hong Kong International Airport at around 9am and took the A21 Bus to the city. The trip costs around Php198, cheaper than taking the train and offers a great view of Hong Kong, a must for first timers. Sitting at the front of the second level of the double deck bus also offers great photo opportunities. After about an hour of scenic views, we arrived at our stop in Tsim Sha Tsui and checked in at the Cosmic Guesthouse, Mirador Mansion. We got 2 rooms, one accomadates 4 and the other accommodates 2, for a total of Php7,890 for 2 nights or Php1,315 per person for our entire 3 Days 2 Nights stay.

Pick and Pawn

History shows I hated history. During my elementary and my highschool days, I dreaded the history exams. All my grades were decent except for my history class. I couldn't care less about dates and what not. I didn't care who killed who or who conquered what country. I just didn't care.

Years forward and I'm a fanatic of history. I don't know exactly what triggered my passion for history but maybe my desire to travel and learn about everything about the world we live in combined with my fixation with knowledge channels on cable is the culprit. Now I'm hooked with the History Channel particularly the shows The Pickers and Pawn Stars.

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Walking Short

Long before the infamous Damaso stunt, me and my friends have always wanted to try and experience Carlos Celdran's walking tour of Intramuros. My sisters joined the tour a couple of months back and had good reviews, much like as advertised  on TV or in blogs. I finally got the chance to walk the way of The Pied Piper of Manila last Sunday.

I've been to Fort Santiago a couple of times, latest was just march last year. I was surprised at the number of tourists, foreigners and locals alike, but was surprised most when more or less a hundred of them was also joining the Walk This Way tour. I was really expecting a small group, around 20-30 just like what I saw on TV. It's even more surprising that there are a lot of locals who were willing to shell out a steep Php1,100 for the tour.

The "show" began at the entrance gate of Fort Santiago with the Philippine National Anthem. With a small Philippine flag in the Pied Piper's hand, locals started to sing with their hands on their chest. This, I believe is a really nice touch to the tour.