it would be my first time to ride this very cute PAL Express Bombardier Q300This is the fruit of my travel bargain hunting last September 12 at the 19th Philippine Travel Mart in SM Megamall. As an avid independent traveler I am not really a fan of organized or package tours. I love to research something about a place, I also love being my own tour guide and I don't want anybody to limit my time in visiting interesting places. But how can you resist a package from PAL Express consisting of roundtrip airfare, 4 days/3 nights accommodation at Escondido Resort, 3 breakfasts and airport-hotel-airport transfers for only 8,860 pesos for 2 persons (4,430 each). Is that a bargain or what? I know a bargain when I see one and upon learning about this rate I didn't left the booth of PAL Express until I got the tickets.
There is a package even lower than our 4,430 Boracay package. Air Philippines offered a 3-day package for Palawan for as low as 4,100 pesos which is almost the same banana. I hesitated going to Puerto Princesa on a package because I have a friend who lives there and I can stay in her house for free which I gratefully availed a year ago. I also have a free overnight stay which I will avail soon in a hotel in Puerto Princesa for refering a number of my friends to stay there. I don't have a friend who lives or work in Boracay so it is wiser to go to Boracay on a cheap package than in Puerto Princesa.
This would be my first time to try PAL Express and also my first time going straight to Boracay on an airplane. As my father is from Iloilo province, my previous 6 trips to Boracay all originated from Iloilo and one instance when my family tried the Ro-Ro Strong Republic Nautical Highway proudly being advocated by President Arroyo so I drove from Metro Manila all the way down to Iloilo with a stopover in Batangas, Mindoro and Boracay.
So now, to give justice to my post title... This is just a trivial analogy as I just noticed that since 1996 when I first saw the fine powdery white sand of Boracay I keep on returning on that island every Olympic year. I have been there the same year as the Atlanta Olympics (1996), Sydney Olympics (2000), Athens Olympics (2004) and now the Beijing Olympics (2008). Well, to keep in line with my sports-Boracay analogy, my three other non-Olympic year soujourns in Boracay all coincided with the regional SEA Games (1997, 1999 & 2005). So who says that sports and beach are not closely related? Hahaha! ;)
NOTE: I will not approve comments related to this post which will say that it is a corny analogy ;-)
There is a package even lower than our 4,430 Boracay package. Air Philippines offered a 3-day package for Palawan for as low as 4,100 pesos which is almost the same banana. I hesitated going to Puerto Princesa on a package because I have a friend who lives there and I can stay in her house for free which I gratefully availed a year ago. I also have a free overnight stay which I will avail soon in a hotel in Puerto Princesa for refering a number of my friends to stay there. I don't have a friend who lives or work in Boracay so it is wiser to go to Boracay on a cheap package than in Puerto Princesa.
This would be my first time to try PAL Express and also my first time going straight to Boracay on an airplane. As my father is from Iloilo province, my previous 6 trips to Boracay all originated from Iloilo and one instance when my family tried the Ro-Ro Strong Republic Nautical Highway proudly being advocated by President Arroyo so I drove from Metro Manila all the way down to Iloilo with a stopover in Batangas, Mindoro and Boracay.
So now, to give justice to my post title... This is just a trivial analogy as I just noticed that since 1996 when I first saw the fine powdery white sand of Boracay I keep on returning on that island every Olympic year. I have been there the same year as the Atlanta Olympics (1996), Sydney Olympics (2000), Athens Olympics (2004) and now the Beijing Olympics (2008). Well, to keep in line with my sports-Boracay analogy, my three other non-Olympic year soujourns in Boracay all coincided with the regional SEA Games (1997, 1999 & 2005). So who says that sports and beach are not closely related? Hahaha! ;)
NOTE: I will not approve comments related to this post which will say that it is a corny analogy ;-)
12 comments:
turuan u naman po us ng ganyan. okay na yung tour package na yun. for 2 pa. kung baga, good buy, good buy.....enjoy.
ang galing ah. timing din ang pagpunta mo ng boracay, laging may sports event. senga pala, na-compare mo ang boracay noon sa ngayon? alin ang mas maganda? sa akin, ay noon. mas malinis at kokonti lang ang tao. mas maganda ang environs.
wow enjoy boracay! im an independent traveler too, but sometimes i think packaged tours are cheaper because of the discounts that travel agents get. i haven't tried packages though. i have always loved exploring places on my own! it's more exciting that way. :D
certified byahero ka talaga. backpacker pa. salamat talaga sa mga info na binigay mo sa akin. sarap kasi bumyahe pag mura ang mga pamasahe sa eroplano.
hindi ko pa nasubukan ang pal express pero malamang ok din ang serbisyo nila.
enjoy!
hahaha. okay, its NOT a corny analogy.. weee
wow galing naman nun talagang every olympic year nasa boracay ka......
@ salingpusa: Tuwing may travel fair lang kse meron ganun super baba na packages. I will update you in this blog kung meron mga promo na airlines o kung meron mga travel fairs
@ marites: I like the present Boracay but I love the Boracay 12 years ago ;)
@ mitz: Yup, tama ka. Super discounted kse ang nakukuha ng mga airlines at travel agents kaya in the end eh mura din ang package tours. It's just a matter of preference kung ano ang gusto mo
@ the dong: salamat dong, ok naman ang PAL Express. Para nga I like it better than the ATR-72 of Cebu Pacific.
@ carlota: tama, di naman talaga korny ah ;)
@ travel philippines: cguro nagkakataon lang. Ayoko naman na sa 2012 nako uli babalik ng Bora, hehehe :)
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