Ar-wee-der-yet... Home--where my travels always start & usually end

Cebu Pacific Labor Day Sale: Php 382

2010-04-29T21:16:00.004+08:00

Price: 382 pesos

Destinations: All domestic destinations of Cebu Pacific Air

Selling period: now up to May 2, 2010

Travel period: September 1 to 30, 2010

Note: Quoted fares are one-way and are exclusive of government fees and taxes. Visit Cebu Pacific's website for more details about this seat sale.

Air Philippines Express Sale

2010-04-28T10:11:00.003+08:00

The banner says it all . . .

PAL Midnight Special

2010-04-24T01:00:00.007+08:00

A package of new low fares and other surprising promos will be unveiled over the weekend by Philippine Airlines (PAL) as part of its year-long "Soaring to 70s" anniversary celebration.

Dubbed as Midnight Special, the PAL promo is kept under wraps until the stroke of midnight of Saturday, April 24, at which time the new promos will be announced and made available exclusively at PAL's web site.

Late-night/early-morning Internet surfers can take advantage of the promos which will end at 6am of April 25, 2010

Payday Zale from Zest Air

2010-04-15T09:55:00.003+08:00

The banner above says it all. Zest Air is offering a 3-day seat sale starting today for as low as Php888 inclusive of taxes. It's good to know that the travel period for this sale will start tomorrow and ends until the last day of this year.

Many of my friends are still hesitant to book tickets with this airline because of the two incidents in Caticlan, Aklan last year. Personally I won't use this airline going to Boracay because up to now Zest Air does not fly to Caticlan, instead they fly to Kalibo (1.5 hours from Caticlan by bus or van). For a review of Zest Air you can click THIS.

Cebu Pacific's 999 Domestic Seat Sale

2010-04-06T22:41:00.005+08:00

The Philippines’s low-fare airline pioneer, Cebu Pacific (CEB) announces a Php999 "Go Lite" seat sale for all domestic destinations from April 7-8, 2010, for travel from June 1 to August 31, 2010.

The airline’s 33 domestic destinations include Boracay (Caticlan), Coron (Busuanga), Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Iloilo, Bacolod, Laoag, Tacloban, Cebu, Davao, Pagadian and Cagayan de Oro.

Those with check-in luggage will just add P100 to ‘Go Lite’ fares upon booking.

European No Fly Zone for Philippines-based Airlines

2010-04-05T18:56:00.000+08:00

I can't believe what I read in the newspapers that the European Union (EU) blocked all airlines based in the Philippines to fly in its member countries because of "serious safety deficiencies" as assessed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). I think that this is a more political issue rather than whether airplanes being operated by our local airlines are really on their brink of health. We might all agree that the problem is not with the airlines operating in this country but with the regulating body and the government.

Although there no Philippines-based airlines currently flying in any European destinations, given the current state of the industry, flag carrier Philippine Airlines is the only local airline which could anytime launch a flight in Europe if it so desire as its closest competitor does not have the type of aircraft that could make European flights viable and practical. In the defense of Philippine Airlines, its aircraft (comprising of more than 30 Airbus Industrie-made aircraft and a couple more Boeing types) are very well maintained by Lufthansa Technik Philippines. What do you know... Airbus and Lufthansa sounds European right? I am also very sure that Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air and even Zest Air to that extent are all using newer aircraft compared with a number of airlines in the U.S. and Europe.

Philippine Airlines cited two events led to the inclusion of Philippine carriers in the European Union ban. The first one is the decision of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to downgrade the safety rating given to the Philippines and the other one is the safety alert issued by the ICAO against the local aviation safety regulators.

I hope this issue will be solved the soonest possible time because this is such a negative publicity for the local airline industry.

Christ the Lord Has Risen Today!

2010-04-04T00:02:00.001+08:00

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." --Psalm 118:24

To all my loyal readers: Happy Easter! This is the most important day for Christians so let us all celebrate.

Cebu Pacific Seat Sale: 70% off on ALL Destinations

2010-04-01T00:06:00.005+08:00

It is very obvious that Cebu Pacific Air is teasing Philippine Airlines (PAL) with this domestic and international seat sale in line with PAL's celebration of its 70th anniversary in the business as Asia's first airline.

I am not jumping up and down with this promotion as you could notice that the travel period for this supposed 70% off seat sale is not until the first quarter of 2011. For example, a Manila-Cebu-Manila flight will set you back more or less Php900 while a Manila-Hong Kong-Manila flight will only cost less than Php 3,000... Oh come on CebuPac, you can do better than this!

HoliDeal Promo Fares -- Air Philippines

2010-03-25T09:49:00.004+08:00

For last minute travels in time for the long Holy Week vacation you might want to check Air Philippines for tickets as low as Php 688++. I believe that air tickets for the Holy Week season are now cheaper than 10 years ago despite of the high fuel prices, well, that's the beauty of competition, it is such a good equalizer. I hope there will be more new airlines to come in the future for us to enjoy cheap fares.

Wherever your travels might bring you I hope that we all have a meaningful observance of lent. Happy travels!

Air Philippines: A New-Old Airline?

2010-03-23T09:13:00.006+08:00

When you visit the web site of Air Philippines you will notice a front page banner similar to the image above. It seems that Air Philippines will follow the footsteps of Asian Spirit Airlines which became Zest Air without changing ownership. As you will notice the logo is now different and the web address will become airphilexpress.com.

Is this the same banana? I am not a fan of Air Philippines even a bit because I had a horrible experience with them last October 26, 2008 on my way to Iloilo to attend my cousin's wedding. Former Department of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales shared my nightmare together with a 100+ more passengers as we endure a 5-hour delay because they said that our aircraft is still undergoing some maintenance works. I am not surprised at all because the Boeing 737-200 aircraft being used by this airline is way much older than me. It's a good decision to finally replace those Jurassic-era aircraft with modern Airbus A320 planes.

I can't help to notice that the new logo is somewhat the same with another local airline. Is that an eagle's head? And the aircraft livery... I know I've seen this before. I can't wait to buy a ticket with Air Philippines to give them another chance now that they are rebranding their product.

SEAIR's 15th Anniversary Promo

2010-03-01T23:07:00.003+08:00

Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR), the Philippines' premiere leisure airline, offers special anniversary promos in celebration of its 15th anniversary on March 25, 2010.

Travelers can avail of the special morning rates of as low as PhP 1,999.20 per way all-in for flights to and from Boracay before 7 a.m. The selling and travel period is from February 1, 2010 and onwards. SEAIR is also offering exclusive discounts for online bookings. Vacationers can get PhP 1,500.00 discount per way for all seats, flights and routes when they book via www.FlySeair.com. To avail of the promo, online users can type iloveseair15 in the promo code field when booking on March 14-25 for travel on June 15-Oct. 15.

This is SEAIR’s way of thanking travelers for their continued support. The airline has been serving key tourist destinations since 1995, most notably Boracay, and has the longest history of uninterrupted service to Boracay direct via Caticlan.

SEAIR now offers up to 27 flights per day to Boracay (Caticlan) and is now flying daily to the island paradise of Batanes. It also flies to El Nido, Palawan every Wednesday and Sunday, as well as Marinduque every Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

SEAIR is the nation's second-oldest airline and has flown almost 3 million passengers to local destinations including Tablas (Romblon), Cebu, Clark, Zamboanga, Jolo, and Tawi-tawi. SEAIR also offers the most routes from Caticlan with flights from Caticlan to Manila v.v., Caticlan to Clark v.v and Caticlan to Cebu v.v.

To avail of the SEAIR 15th anniversary promos call SEAIR Reservations at (632)8490100 or book online.

How to Pack a Balikbayan Box

2010-02-16T09:46:00.000+08:00

I saw a very ingenious product called Balikbayan Box Cover being offered by Balikbayan Gear for those who have a ton of things to pack as pasalubong, personal effects or when just moving out to a new house. Because my grandfather will celebrate his 88th birthday on Valentines Day many of our relatives in the U.S. went home to attend the celebration. I always help them unpack when they arrive to get my pasalubongs and help them again to pack when they go back to the U.S. so I consider myself a semi-professional "packer."

For me, packing is an art as there are more than a 100 ways to pack your things and not have the skill to do it efficiently. I am not a packing guru so I want to share these tips to have a stress-free as featured in the website of Balikbayan Gear.

1. Pack the heavy items on the bottom first. This includes your canned goods, books or other flat paper products that can serve as a strong base for the rest of your cargo.

2. Wrap the breakables with your clothes or any other soft material that can take the impact off those perfume bottles or souvenir plates from Europe.

3. Stuff all empty containers with other items. If you are taking a bowl home, make sure you put something inside it to save precious space.

4. Save room for those last-minute requests from relatives. Of course, there's always space for friends' requests.

5. Save room for those impulse purchases you will going to make at the airport -- that extra box of chocolate or another bottle of Johnnie Walker.

6. Use Zip Lock plastic bags for bottles of liquid products like shampoo, lotion and cologne. High altitude pressure tends to make them explode.

7. Use double-walled boxes. They cost more, but they provide better protection from the steel-toed boots of baggage handlers.

8. Bring an extra friend at the airport. In case your box is overweight, you can unpack the non-essentials and give them to this person to take home.

9. Get someone to help you weigh your box. You probably cannot read a scale while carrying a big box.

10. With the Balikbayan Box Cover, there is no need to worry about your box being overweight at the check-in counter. If the weight reading at the airport is a few pounds over, all you have to do is unzip your cover and hand-carry those extra cans of corned beef.

Spend Over $30,000.00 for Valentine's Day

2010-02-08T14:02:00.009+08:00

Are you willing to spend 1.4 million pesos (US$30,400) for Valentine's Day? If your answer is yes, then you might want to give a try the "Suite Valentine Affair" package being offered by Manila Hotel which will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2012. Here are the inclusions:

Overnight stay at the MacArthur Suite, Room décor with flowers and pralines, Limousine service within Metro Manila, Express check-in/out, 24 hours butler services, Special Treatment Package (Detoxification Package) for 2 (two) persons, “A night under the stars” special romantic dinner at the roof deck of the Manila Hotel, Jewelmer's one matinee-length strand necklace composed of multi-colored baroque Palawan South Sea pearls for the lady in the room, flowing champagne, Special room service breakfast, internet access & Free mini-bar.

If you are not a CEO of a multi-billion peso company here in the Philippines or a hacienda heiress then you might want to try the other packages that are more economical.

PACKAGE 1: “LOVE LETTER”

RATE: PHP 7,995.00 NET
AVAILABILITY: February 12-14, 2010

PACKAGE 2: “LOVE SONG”
RATE: PHP 8,995 .00 NET

AVAILABILITY: February 12-14, 2010

PACKAGE 3: “LOVE POEM”
RATE: PHP 9,995.00 NET
AVAILABILITY: February 12-14, 2010

PACKAGE 4: “LOVE STORY”
RATE: PHP 19,995.00 NET
AVAILABILITY: February 13-14, 2010

NOTE: photos taken from the hotel's official web site

Cebu Pacific: This is Not a Review

2010-02-03T13:09:00.000+08:00

my first Cebu Pacific paper ticket

Many of my friends and readers who stumbled upon this blog already asked me different questions about the country's largest budget airline Cebu Pacific. So here are my thoughts about this airline which I first had the chance to ride going to Iloilo with my family when it is barely a household name in the summer of 1996. Cebu Pacific has its good points and bad points so I am not in any way endorsing or discouraging you to become one of its loyal passenger.

look at the date of this ticket... April 3, 1996

I am very happy that they retired those Jurassic era DC-9 aircraft and replaced them with brand new Airbus and ATR so the safety concerns of most air travelers are not an issue to me. They are claiming to have the youngest fleet here in the Philippines so you can just relax and enjoy the flight when you ride Cebu Pacific.

Ticket price WITHOUT a seat sale: If the ticket price is the deciding factor for your airline choice in travelling to a local destination then I strongly encourage everyone who are planning to book a Cebu Pacific flight thru its web site to check first the web sites of Philippine Airlines or Zest Air. In my experience, sometimes Cebu Pacific is even pricier than two airlines. Although I used Cebu Pacific countless of times already I would always prefer Philippine Airlines over it specially if the price difference is insignificant.

Ticket price WITH a seat sale: Cebu Pacific is famous for their ubiquitous PISO fare and other seat sale which comes in catchy name. PISO fare seat sale is always a day to expect as the price of its domestic and international flights are most often cheaper than riding a taxi from Quezon City to my home in Las Pinas. Some seat sale are not worth it. If it would cost me more than 1,000 pesos for a one-way local trip then I would not make a fuss out of it.

As for the service, some flights I did enjoy and some were very forgettable. I had my share of 1, 2, 3 and even 8 hour-delayed flights not because of force majeur so I once avoided this airline for that reason alone. For the past months Cebu Pacific did improve their on-time performance as published in its web site so I congratulate them for that achievement. As for Philippine Airlines (PAL), they are advertising in their web site that they have a more than 90% on-time record for their domestic and international flights. I 100% believe that as for the past several flights I had with PAL I didn't experienced even a 1 minute delay. And also, don't expect any complimentary refreshments because it is a budget airline although during the late 1990s they are serving canned soda and junk food made by Universal Robina Corp.

I just wish that airline would revise the schedule of some of its international flights (Bangkok, Jakarta, Saigon etc.) because most people don't enjoy taking a red-eye flight. Arriving in your destination past midnight can be stressful as you are tired with the things you did for the whole day then you will endure a flight when you supposed to be sound asleep in your comfortable bed.

Ready, Jet Set, Go!

2010-02-02T23:04:00.004+08:00

Travel expos are here again. Next in line is the 2010 edition of the Travel Tour Expo of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association.

According to PTAA's web site, the event features two new segments – lifestyle (which will cover travel accessories, health and wellness products and services, culinary schools, car rentals and the like) and food sellers with lounge areas.

Date:

19 to 21 February 2010

Venue:

SMX Convention Center Halls 2, 3 & 4,

Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

Opening Hours:

19 February - Friday

11 AM - 9 PM

20 February - Saturday

10 AM - 9 PM

21 February - Sunday

10 AM - 6 PM

Ticket booths close 30 minutes before end of show hours

For more information about this event visit http://tte.ptaa.org.ph/

My First Published Article

2010-01-26T19:40:00.000+08:00

front cover of the 3rd issue of Manila Skies magazine

Spirit of Manila Airlines is a new budget airline currently operating at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport that serves the following destinations as of January 2010 according to wikipedia: Bahrain, Kuwait, Macau and Taiwan.

Its official inflight magazine is called Manila Skies. An associate editor of Manila Skies contacted me if I want to contribute an article for the 3rd issue of their magazine. It would be my first time writing an article for a publication so accepted the offer in a jiffy. You may click THIS to read the full article I wrote about the Damnoen Saduak floating market near Bangkok, Thailand.

None of my friends knew about this airline and I can't blame them because I never saw even a newspaper advertisement. I just hope that Spirit of Manila Airlines would prosper just like the leading national budget carrier Cebu Pacific.

MD-83 aircraft with Spirit of Manila livery

photograph taken from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spirit_Of_Manila_Airlines_MD-83.jpg

Philippine Airlines 777 Seat Sale

2010-01-24T00:41:00.006+08:00

Boeing 777-300ER

Last 2 days for the 777 seat sale of Philippine Airlines in line with the delivery of its second Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

If you are planning to go on a holiday from February 1 to March 15, 2010 then you just need Php777 for a single journey trip to any destination in Luzon or Visayas (from Manila) and Php1,777 for destinations in Mindanao. These fares include taxes but exclusive of Aviation Security Fee.

The seat sale ends tomorrow January 25. For more information about this seat sale please click HERE.

There are still available seats as of 11:44PM of January 23, I just bought a roundtrip ticket to Iloilo next month to attend my grandfather's 88th birthday celebration.

photograph taken from http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2007/q2/070605f_pr.html

I'm Alive!

2010-01-23T22:48:00.009+08:00

It's been months since my last post, no I am not dead, I just took a time off from blogging. Now I realized that I am ready to blog again. I'll try my best to inform you all again about travel promos, news and pretty much anything that has something to do about travel.

I decided to disable my "chat box" in my Blogger panel and I encourage anyone who would like to tell me anything to please leave your thoughts in the comment section of every blog post. It seems that many stumbled upon this blog when searching about airlines like Cebu Pacific, Zest Air and Philippine Airlines. I am really sorry if I can't answer your queries about the ticket prices in a particular destination on a particular date as I am also depending on the online booking facility of airlines for my trips. Ticket prices may change anytime so I have no way to guarantee you a particular amount on a particular date for different destinations. The best way for you to find out is to go to the official web site of the airline of your choice or call a travel agent whose telephone numbers you can find in the Yellow Pages. If there are promos/seat sale from airlines which I may find worth informing you as my reader then I will definitely blog it.

For my regular visitors I will try my best to visit your blogs and leave a comment so you will know that I am still alive, hehehe :)

My Lakbayan Grade

2009-07-27T17:49:00.001+08:00

My Lakbayan grade is A-!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Those which are shaded in light and dark blue on the map above are the places where I have been to for the past 20+ years of my existence. It seems a lot but I still need to cover many grounds of our 70+ provinces. I have visited all of the provinces in Visayas region as it is the smallest region of our country and it helped a lot that my father is from Region 6. My Northern Luzon trips were courtesy by our visit to my mom's hometown in Cagayan Valley and we also have relatives in the Ilocos Region.

Despite of my blood ties in Luzon and Visayas it is odd to reveal that my favorite region here in the Philippines is Mindanao... Yes, I am a Mindanao lover!... I learned to love it because I discovered that the perception of a war haven Mindanao is not true at all. There is a presence of terrorism activities in some parts of the region but it is unfair to brand the whole of Mindanao as a haven of lawlessness and terrorists. I would love to explore more of that very beautiful region and meet more friendly people in my upcoming trips.

P.S. I have a secret... Don't tell my mother I have been to Basilan :)

Looking for a Hotel/Resort?

2009-07-20T11:47:00.000+08:00

Aside from saving big bucks for booking that airline seat because of a seat sale you can also save substantial amount when you book your hotel to your intended destination. Whenever I plan to go out of town or even out of the country I always make it a point to visit Asiatravel.com to find good bargains on hotels or resorts. I also visit other hotel booking sites to compare prices but I always end up booking with Asiatravel.

I already used their services to book a hotel for my trips for more or less 20 instances already so I must say that Asiatravel is my favorite hotel booking website. I haven't solicited nor received any monetary favors from Asiatravel so I am not being biased with the other hotel providers. I chose Asiatravel more often because after comparing the price of my preferred hotel/resort from different providers I found it that they offer the lowest price. On one instance I needed to change a booking because of an unforeseen event they even waived without hesitation the cancellation fee when I told them that I am a frequent client.

The choices of hotels and resorts in a given destination are varied which can satisfy any budget that you may require. Compared to other similar websites the choices are also extensive so you can be sure that your favorite hotel will be on offer. It also doesn't take a genius to navigate and book a hotel using the website's interface. The pricing format is also straightforward so the price that you see as being advertised is what you get.

P499 Seat Sale From Cebu Pacific

2009-07-16T22:15:00.007+08:00

Many of my frequent readers visit this blog because they want to know if there is a seat sale/promotion from airlines to their favorite destinations here in the Philippines or even abroad. I will not disappoint you so here is another of my freshest catch:

Cebu Pacific, Asia’s third largest low-cost carrier, is offering seats for as low as PHP499 from Manila to established adventure destinations Naga (Cam Sur) and Kalibo (Boracay), as well as from Davao to Cagayan de Oro.

The PHP499 "Go Lite" fare also extends to flights from Manila to Tuguegarao, Catarman and Calbayog, and Cebu to Iloilo.

Passengers can avail of the one-way PHP499 Go Lite fare to all three adventure destinations. The seat sale is from July 17-19, 2009 and is valid for travel from August 16-September 30, 2009. Passengers with check-in baggage up to 15 kilos will just add P200.

P.S. Thank you very much for those who left their greetings in this blog's comment section in line with the 2nd anniversary of this Ar-wee-der-yet blog last June 18. I never thought that I would last this long because somtethings I am lazy updating this blog. Anyway, I will try my best to keep you all updated with travel news and issues.

I Have an Award

2009-07-09T18:32:00.004+08:00

It's been nearly a month now since my last post in this blog. I am just busy with something so I haven't updated my blog lately nor visited by favorite blogs. I promise to all who left a comment in my blog to visit your site soon.

I also didn't realize that this blog turned 2 years old last June 18. Wow! It's been 2 years since I discovered the joys of blogging. Anyway, it is too late to even greet my blog a happy birthday. I am sorry that I am too bad with dates :)

I wrote this post to thank the people behind Tripbase.com for including my blog as one of the Top 20 finalist of the Travel Blog Awards 2009. I don't know the criteria or whoever nominated my blog so I just want to thank my visitors who found my blog informative and those who gave encouraging comments for my more than 200 posts.

I want to quote the award description which can be found at Tripbase.com: "The award for the best Philippines blog is an indication that the blogger is adept at being able to maintain their readership through a wide variety of skills including being able to convey their ideas and travel stories in a way that contains a great attention to detail and has the ability to be both informative and interesting to others, thus making it a vital source of information for those with a keen interest in the Philippines as well as those just passing by. The bloggers have been found to demonstrate that they can craft a fine blog in terms of content, both written and visual and can combine them in such a way so as to produce the award-winning blogs that you see before you here. These bloggers have ably captured the essence of the Philippines and have distilled it into their blogs in a way which makes them deserving of the best Philippines blog award."

Happy 111th Birthday Pilipinas!

2009-06-12T11:38:00.005+08:00

It's been 111 years since the Philippines gained independence from the 3-century rule of Spain. We associate our independence day to a birthday because it is like giving birth to a different country with people gaining a new identity. For this, I want to greet my beloved Philippines a very happy 111th birthday!

111-Peso Seat Sale for 111 Years of Independence

2009-06-12T11:17:00.002+08:00

Leading domestic airline, Cebu Pacific, is offering a Php111 all-in "Go Lite" fare for all of its domestic services in celebration of 111th anniversary of Philippine independence. The one-day seat sale is available on June 12 only and is valid for travel from November 1 to 30, 2009.

Go Lite fares are for passengers traveling with no check-in baggage. Passengers with check-in bags just have to add P200 to the fare. The seat sale is all-inclusive and non-refundable.
For flight bookings and inquiries, passengers may log on to Cebu Pacific's website, call reservations at 70-20-888 (Manila) / 230-88-88 (Cebu) or visit their nearest travel agent.

Way-to-Go Promo Fares from Philippine Airlines

2009-06-01T02:11:00.008+08:00

It may be the start of the lean season for the Philippine travel industry so expect many promotions from airlines, hotels, resorts and other travel-related businesses. What a way to kick-off the lean season with this promotion from Philippine Airlines (PAL) which is valid for ticketing up to June 5 only.

The prices below are for roundtrip travel (economy class) originating in Manila:

$98 - Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei

$118 - Bangkok, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh

$148/$168 - Jakarta

$178 - Shanghai

$188 - Osaka

$198 - Beijing

$228 - Fukuoka, Nagoya

$468 - Sydney, Melbourne, Honolulu

$668 - Vancouver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco

Prices listed above are inclusive of surcharges and exclusive of government taxes and other fees that are to be collected at the airport (terminal fee & travel tax).

APPLICATION: * Valid for round trip travel on economy class.
TRAVEL VALIDITY:

TRANSPACIFIC * Valid for outbound travel from 01 SEP 09 through 25 DEC 09

REGIONALS * Valid for outbound travel from 01 JUL 09 through 30 NOV 09.

For more information about this promotion visit PAL's website or call your favorite travel agent.

The Great Miles Getaway Is Back!

2009-05-28T09:38:00.007+08:00

For those who are enrolled in the Mabuhay Miles program of Philippine Airlines this is our chance to travel on business class for just a fraction of the cost. You can now redeem your accumulated miles for 50% off.

For as low as 1,500 miles you can be on your way to a vacation on an economy class ticket while for as low as 2,000 miles can get you a business class seat.

Sales and Ticketing Period: 20 MAY 2009 - 10 JUNE 2009
Travel Period: 01 JULY 2009 - 30 NOVEMBER 2009
Travel Black-out Period: 22 OCTOBER 2009 - 04 NOVEMBER 2009

For more information about this promo call Philippine Airlines at:
Manila: (632) 855 7888
Cebu: (032) 340 0191
Davao: (082) 222 7423
Mabuhay Miles Service Center: (632) 817 8000- Manila, (032) 340 8000 - Cebu

Lights... Camera... Action!

2009-05-20T23:17:00.002+08:00

It's my first time to see a television production on shoot. This is a shoot of a children's quiz show airing in Jakarta, Indonesia. I took these pictures in the island of Bali near the statue of Garuda. Too bad that I have no school uniform so I can't participate in the show as part of the audience, hahaha. One of the television crew told us that the episode they are shooting for the day will be airing after a week so we should tune in so we can see ourselves on TV as curious onlookers walking and taking pictures of the scenery in that tourist landmark. We never had the chance to see ourselves on TV as we only stayed in Indonesia for 5 days.

We observed what's happening during the shoot for about 15 minutes but I can't understand Bahasa so I got bored and my attention veered somewhere else. I don't know who won in the quiz show. Here are some of the pictures I took:

Happy Hour Sale From Cebu Pacific

2009-05-13T11:44:00.005+08:00

This is a new and innovative way to induce travel. The Philippines' leading low cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air is introducing the Happy Hour seat sale for all its domestic and international destinations except Japan. The one-way Go Lite fare for the domestic sectors is Php299 all-in and Php599 for the international sectors.

The Happy Hour seat sale is only available from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm & 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm on May 13, 14 & 15 and valid for travel from September 1 to 30, 2009.

Airport Posters

2009-05-04T05:06:00.001+08:00

Found these two interesting posters at two different local airports here in the Philippines...

a poster with a catchy tagline at Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City

An Php8,000,000 reward anyone? (Zamboanga International Airport)

I hope these two posters would not scare foreign tourists, hahaha! ;)

Im Off to Cambodia... I'll be Back in a Jiffy!

2009-04-29T07:12:00.009+08:00

Thank you for the 5-star airline ranked Malaysia Airlines for having a seat sale several months ago that was too good to resist. Malaysia Airlines is one of the only 6 airlines in the world with a 5-star rating assessed by SKYTRAX. As there are no flights available between the Philippines and Cambodia I will have a compulsory overnight layover in Kuala Lumpur before setting foot in the city of Siem Reap where the world famous Angkor Wat complex and other equally stunning ancient temples are based.

The complex of Angkor Wat is the setting of the Hollywood blockbuster Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie. Too bad that I will never meet Mrs. Pitt unless there is a sequel that we don't know which they are now filming discretely in Cambodia. Nevertheless, I will try my best to be an Indiana Jones for the next few days as many travel guides are saying that you need plenty of upper body strength in able for you to climb some of the ruins and temples.

According to wikipedia, Angkor Wat is a temple complex which was built in the 12th century. The temple is a source of national pride that it has been depicted in every Cambodian national flag since 1863. Angkor Wat is the central feature of the Angkor UNESCO World Heritage Site containing the magnificent remains of the Khmer civilization.

the national flag of Cambodia

My bags are packed and I am now ready to have a little adventure. I just hope that the weather is good as what the predictions for the next 5 days would be. Even if it is still a Wednesday I want to wish you all to have an adventurous weekend ahead.

Note: As this will be my first trip to Cambodia, the three photographs above are not mine, they were taken from various articles at wikipedia.com

The Real Deal From Philippine Airlines

2009-04-27T03:37:00.008+08:00

It's raining travel promos left and right. This is the talk of the town since last week. I saw an advertisement in at least 2 broadsheets and heard from a TV show host discussing about this seat sale. Calling all compulsive travellers! This promotion is on sale from Today up to TOMORROW only (April 27-28). Asia's first airline Philippine Airlines is having a Real Deal Promo Fares in its Asia, Australia and North America sectors. You can get a roundtrip ticket for as low as $38 all-in and valid for travel starting June 1, 2009. To be precise, these roundtrip tickets which originate in Manila will only set u back...

$38 for travel to Taipei

$58 for travel to Hong Kong & Macau

$78 for travel to Bangkok, Saigon & Singapore

$108 for travel to Beijing, Jakarta & Shanghai

$148 for travel to Guam

$162 for travel to Tokyo, Fukuoka & Nagoya

$318 for travel to Sydney, Melbourne & Honolulu

$418 for travel to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco & Vancouver

There are many sales restrictions and other miscellaneous provisions that you need to know when you buy this kind of ticket. Visit http://www.philippineairlines.com/ for the complete information regarding this promotion.

Cebu Pacific Sale for June, July & August

2009-04-24T11:45:00.007+08:00

It looks like it's not summer anymore because it rains almost everyday since last week. But don't let the rains dampen your plans to explore our country or beyond. Cebu Pacific Air offers what it calls an all-out sale for the rainy season months of June, July and August for as low as 249 pesos one-way fare for certain domestic destinations and as low as 599 pesos for some international destinations.

The seat sale is available from all of the airline hubs in Manila, Cebu, Clark and Davao starting today until April 30 only. Tickets on sale with these promotional prices are valid for travel from June 1 to August 31, 2009.

I haven't checked yet the full details of this sale whether all destinations are included in this promotion, just go to http://www.cebupaficair.com/ to find out for yourself.

Philippine Airlines Promo Fares to/from Manila

2009-04-17T17:40:00.004+08:00

Correct me if I'm wrong but I observed that this is uncommon for Philippine Airlines (at least for domestic travel) that is why there is a reason for travel vultures to celebrate. Catch and avail their newest promo fares for domestic destinations to/from Manila. For sales and ticketing from 21 to 30 April 2009. For travel between 01 June - 15 December 2009. Travel must be completed by 15 December 2009. As with all other seat promos in the world, seats are limited. The prices below are for one-way travel:

488 pesos for Laoag, Legaspi, Cebu & Iloilo

788 pesos for Bacolod, Dumaguete, Kalibo, Puerto Princesa, Roxas, Tacloban & Tagbilaran

1,888 pesos for Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Davao, Dipolor, GenSan & Zamboanga

Prices above are inclusive of insurance and fuel surcharges and VAT. Exclusive of Airport Security Fee and other fees that will be collected at the airport.

Conditions :

*Valid for one way and combinable for roundtrip travel on economy class.
*Restricted for sales and ticketing in the Philippines.
*Open-dated tickets and go-show not allowed
*Non-refundable but upgradeable to a higher fare type. Re-issuance fee waived.
*Downgrade/re-routing allowed. Re-issuance fee must be collected.
*Re-issuance is allowed at PHP600 per ticket
*No-show surcharge is PHP600 per sector
*Rebooking is allowed at PHP600 per sector
*Valid for travel from 01 June to 15 December 2009.
*No other discounts apply except for Senior Citizen and Infant without seat

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 80)

2009-04-13T03:36:00.002+08:00

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T00:35:00.000+08:00

To all my Christian readers: HAPPY EASTER!!!

Let's Have a Meaningful Holy Week...

2009-04-07T16:00:00.005+08:00

It is a tradition here in the Philippines as a Catholic country that the last week of the Lenten season is being observed seriously so business and commerce will be in a standstill. Malls, restaurants, bars and other establishments will be closed for a couple of days. The streets of Manila will be deserted as the population will swell in the provinces. It is a legal holiday every Holy Thursday and Good Friday and the normal workweek will start on Easter Monday. There is a reason for having such a very long weekend. I believe it is not because the government wants us to be on vacation and stimulate the local travel industry rather it is the time when we should reflect why that week is being called "Holy" in the first place.

Wherever you will spend your Holyweek I hope we all have a very meaningful observance of this very important season as Christians.

Zest Air Promo for the Off-Season

2009-04-02T22:03:00.009+08:00

Zest Air (former Asian Spirit Airlines) is once again active in their marketing strategy as they released an across the board seat sale for all their domestic flights for the off-peak season. A one-way fare will only set you back as low as 468 pesos (all taxes included) for a number of its domestic sectors including the ever popular routes of Boracay, Cebu, Puerto Princesa and Tagbilaran. These one-way fares are applicable for flights originating/terminating in Manila.

I know that Boracay fanatics will be very happy with these fares as I get a lot of questions from my friends regarding the price of Boracay flights for the off-peak season.

Zest Air flies to the following destinations to/from Manila for only 468 pesos: Boracay, Bacolod, Busuanga, Calbayog, Catarman, Cebu, Iloilo, Kalibo, Legaspi, Marinduque, Naga, Puerto Princesa, San Jose (Mindoro), Tacloban, Tagbilaran and Virac. While the Manila-Davao sector will cost you 1,188 pesos.

The above fares are valid for travel from June 1 to December 31, 2009. Act fast as the selling period for this promotion will end on April 15 and the promo seats are only limited.

For those who are not familiar with this airline, I reviewed this airline in my post last February 27, 2009. Click here for the details.

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 79)

2009-03-23T09:36:00.000+08:00

I'm Off to Dumaguete... I'll be Back in a Jiffy!

2009-03-20T20:39:00.003+08:00

The monicker of Dumaguete City in the province of Negros Oriental has the monicker of "The Land of Gentle People." It is somewhat true as the last time I was there with a friend we did not encounter any difficulty in exploring the city and to some extent the other parts of the province as everyone is willing to help their two visitors from the jungles of Manila. The locals are so proud with their homeland that they have countless of suggestions where we suppose to go and what we should try to eat.

I am anticipating this brief trip to Dumaguete to be an enjoyable and hassle-free one. I hope what I said will not jinx my trip in any way, hehehe!

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 78)

2009-03-16T05:22:00.001+08:00

I'm Off to Dakak... I'll be Back in a Jiffy!

2009-03-13T00:01:00.003+08:00

photos taken from Dakak's official website

It's summer! A number of surveys said that the #1 activity of Filipinos during the dry season is going to a beach with family, friends or both. Dakak Beach Resort near the city of Dapitan in Zamboanga del Norte is quite famous in the 1990's as it hosted a batch of Miss Universe beauties way back in 1994 when Manila hosted that prestigious beauty pageant. When I told my friends that I will go to Dakak most of them asked me if it still exists. Well, in the first place, would I go to an imaginary place like Neverland or the Atlantis? hehehe.

I can't say anything more about the beach resort as it would be my first time to go there. I don't really believe in what a brochure says as it is often sugar coated with adjectives that men use to court women. Anyway, here it is: (according to the official website of the resort)

"A timeless experience.........Imagine strolling on a pristine powdery white sand beach... looking across a beautifully shaped island cove stretching out to deeper blue waters. . .picture gazing a sunset horizon while lying on a hammock set under lush native trees, hearing the waves clash quietly against the shore. . . .only a few relaxing pleasure we have to offer.

Our resort boasts of 15 hectares of wooded land, a natural reservoir for native plants and animals, providing the ideal setting for a 750-meter private beach blanketed with powdery white sand.

Natural spring water and tumbling waterfalls feed our resort's two pools, whilst providing the ultimate hideaway at a private open air Jacuzzi where you can relax in the sauna and whirlpool amidst an atmosphere of blissful solitary refinement.

Entertainment and culinary treats abound as well. Dine on freshly grilled seafoods, sample exotic Filipino dishes, continental cuisine and feast on an array of fresh fruits. Be treated to a cultural show or party the night away at Dakak Pirates bar or Fusion Disco.

Get the family involved in a group sport! Whether it be bowling, billiards, tennis, basketball or golf we're the resort that has it all."

You Know You're a Flight Attendant When...

2009-03-10T21:33:00.000+08:00

1. You can eat a 4 course meal standing at the kitchen counter
2. You search for a button to flush the toilet
3. You look for the "crew line" at the grocery store
4. You can pack for a 2 week trip to Europe in 1 roll-aboard
5. All of your pens have different hotel names on them
6. You NEVER unpack
7. You can recognize pilots by the backs of their heads-but not by their faces
8. You can tell from 70 yards away if a piece of luggage will fit in the overhead bin
9. You care about the local news in a city three states away
10. You can tie a neck scarf 36 ways
11. You know at least 25 uses for air sickness bags-none of which pertain to vomit
12. You understand and actually use the 24-hour clock
13. You own 2 sets of uniforms: fat and thin
14. You don't think in "months"-you think in "bid packs"
15. You always point with two fingers
16. You get a little too excited by certain types of ice
17. You stand at the front door and politely say "Buh-bye, thanks, have a nice day" when someone leaves your home
18. You can make a sentence using all of the following phrases: "At this time," "For your safety," "Feel free," and "As a reminder"
19. You know what's on the cover of the current issues of In Touch, Star, and People magazines
20. You stop and inspect every fire extinguisher you pass, just to make sure the "gauge is in the green"
21. Your thighs are covered in bruises from armrests and elbows
22. You wake up and have to look at the hotel stationery to figure out where you are
23. You refer to cities by their airport codes
24. You actually understand every item on this list
25. Everytime the door bell rings you look up at the ceiling.
26. You change into you "galley shoes" to cook dinner at home!
27. You open your bathroom doors at home slowly incase someone forgot to lock it.
28. You only know 250 or 350 degrees on your home oven
29. When you ask your spouse when they will be coming home from work you ask for their "ETA"
30. You can spot out an airplane from the ground above and tell the other person what airline it is!
31. You go through each room at your friends place looking for magazines to read!
32. You bring home different grocery bags full of goodies that you can't get in your home town! and tell a story about it!
33. You know better NOT to date a pilot!
34. Your a fire fighter, a nurse, a security officer and a server all in one!
35. Your a GREAT multi - tasker!
36. You have mastered the art of walking very quickly down the aisle and not catching anyone's eye.
37. Your at a friends party and you start wiping your hands on their curtains.
38.You call for the car doors to be armed and cross checked before pulling away.
39.you answer your phone by saying "Hi its ..... at "position"
40. when you try and put the foot brake on your shopping cart.
41.When releasing your seatbelt in the car, you try to 'lift the top portion of the buckle and pull apart" and are confused when you can't find it.
42. When sitting in the backseat of your friends car, you check the seat pocket for garbage.
43. when your friends or family ask what time it is, you ask in what time zone!
44. When you're really tired and are staying in for the night, you tell you're friends you're 'slam-clicking'.
45. you remember the hotel phone numbers better than your home phone number.
46. You see rubbish dropped on the floor in your own home and instead of bending down to pick it up, you kick it under the sofa.
47. You have 400 mobile numbers in your adress book of crew you still wanted to meet up with....but when you finally get the time and browes for numbers you cannot put their faces and names together!
48. You locate all the exits when on public transport and learn the door operations.
49. You are standing in an elevator in your hotel and cant remember what floor you're supposed to go to, or what your room number is.
50. You can never make definite plans, otherwise you know you'll be delayed/called out, for sure!
51. You can't help saying goodbye to friends or anyone without sounding patronising... "b'bye now.. bye!
52. when you've finished your dinner you throw the dirty plate in the cupboard and kick the door shut.
53. If you check your breast pocket for a pen when you are going to write a shopping list at home.
54. You automatically uncross your legs, sit back, and fold your arms across your lap when you hear an engine rev up, whether you're a passenger on a flight that day or just in the car!
55. Every time someone ask's a question your reply is ... 'Just bear with me, or standby...
56. when ur going out from the hotel on a layover u smile and greet ppl u meet in the lifts... and ur not even in uniform! lol
57. You take out one blanket from the overhead bin or closet....and you hide it behind your back, running fast so no one sees it so you can use it!!!!
58. You know the water gague is showing empty and you grab a bottle of water and start washing your hands!
59. You spin around in the aft galley and yell, i love my job, i love my job....
60. You carry around ultra concentrated spray for the smells that come out of the lavoratory to protect you and your fellow co-workers!
61. You carry around a sharpie marker!
62. You work 18 hour days then go home and start cleaning up after someone else!
63. You have soo much time off you have 2 jobs!
64. Your dead heading on a flight and your sleeping and you wake up when they say "doors for departure and cross check" or when you hear the high low chimes in the cabin!
65. You tell people to turn off their cellphones or ipods.
66. If someone is smoking you show them the sign and remind them not to smoke!
67. You are ready to shop when you get to your destination!
68. You get so use to standing up while eating you don't even look for a chair anymore.
69. You hate people that slam their doors and call them slam-clickers!
70. You have soo many pictures, you don't know what album to start with and what pictures belong where anymore!
71. You don't like long walks at the beach anymore, cause all you do is walk the ocean, but 36,000FT above!
72. you stuff your cell phone in your bra while out clubbing in case you get a call from crew sked
73. you have mastered the art of putting on makeup in the car/bus/subway
74. you carry in your purse a stain-remover pencil at all times
75. you apologize for everything
76. you are no longer disgusted at stepping in dog poo: you've seen worse...trust me!
77. you appreciate time at home more than anyone else
78. when you ask someone a question, you stick your ear in their face and put your hand around it in order to hear better
79. you've developed an interest for astrology, and constantly ask "what's your sign?"
80. you're a pro of small talk and specialize in four categories: children, mortgages, divorces, and your in-laws
81. you've got a bunch of old worthless coins from the pre-Euro era
82. you bring your big suitcase on a one-day layover to get your groceries!
83. you know how to create a gourmet fondue using jersey milk bars, stale crew fruit, plastic cutlery and china from the business class cabin.
84. you bring home some passenger meal trays and wash them, then fill them with your own food and heat it up on board during your next flight!
85. you're dead-heading and you offer to place other passengers' luggage in the overhead bins, or bring them blankets.
86. you keep your crew tags visible when you are dead-heading, so that the flight attendants will know you are crew and offer you free food/booze.
87. you keep all your creams/perfumes/cosmetics in small pots and bottles so that they pass security cause you know its has to be under 100ML
88. You hear your cell phone ring even when it's not ringing
89. you bid flights according to the hotel at a destination, and not necessarily the destination itself
90. your fruits and veggies at home always go bad because you're always away

*taken from a group page in multiply.com

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 77)

2009-03-02T18:22:00.000+08:00

Zest Air : A Review

2009-02-27T12:14:00.007+08:00

An Airbus A320 parked at the tarmac of Mactan-Cebu International Airport

Many of my friends are asking me about Zest Air, whether it is a new airline or it is reliable or if the fares are cheap and it is safe to ride in their airplanes. Zest Air is much more commonly known before as Asian Spirit. I happen to ride in one of Asian Spirit's plane last summer to Baguio City and I'm just glad that we landed safely in one of their decades old Dash-7 aircraft which even triggered my allergic rhinitis due to the aircraft's very dusty interior.

It's a good thing that Zest Air now operates only brand new turboprop planes and for the first time they acquired an Airbus plane as they are now expanding their routes. I happen to experience riding in their first Airbus A320 aircraft last December 2008 and the following are some of my rants and little praises for Zest Air.

* What a relief to finally see the Old Domestic Terminal with just several passengers. As far as I can remember even when I'm just about 4 years old on our way to Iloilo that the terminal is always full of passengers as it is the sole terminal of Philippine Airlines for all its domestic destinations. During the 1980's even at 2AM the Old Domestic Terminal is a bustling building because of people taking the "Bulilit Flights" of Philippine Airlines. Cebu Pacific Air outgrew the terminal and is now enjoying the vast space at Terminal 3.

* Check-in was fast. The flight was delayed by about 30 mins. but it is tolerable as it is the busy holiday season. No aerobridge when you board the aircraft as the terminal does not have them.

* I was assigned to seat 5A (I always request for a window seat) but inside the aircraft the flight attendants transferred all the passengers to occupy the middle part of the plane to distribute the weight & balance thing as the flight is just 1/3 full. In the end I was transferred to an aisle seat and I completely blame it on the check-in counter girl as it is her duty to distribute the passengers accordingly because she knows beforehand that we are only 50+ who will take that flight.

* I initially thought that their first Airbus A320 aircraft is brand new but I was wrong the very second I entered the aircraft just because of the smell... Yes, I know how a brand new airplane smells like. It didn't smell like a brand new airplane at all. Aside from that, the seats are not new as there is a cover on the back of the seat where a personal entertainment system of its previous owner might be placed. Then I saw the passenger safety information card, if you look closely on the picture below there is just a sticker of Zest Air covering the words JetBlue. I therefore conclude at that time that U.S.-based JetBlue Airways is the original owner of the aircraft. A funny thing is that it contains a Spanish translation targeted for the Hispanic passengers of JetBlue. I hope by now Zest Air replaced those safety cards as I think it is not that costly for an airline to print those cards so it can display their official company colors rather than the design which is only intended for JetBlue. If they want they can put a Filipino translation to replace the Spanish translation as it is more practical for a Philippines-based airline.

* Inflight service is quite good. I don't know if Zest Air is calling itself a budget airline as the flight attendants pass newspapers just like what legacy carriers offer. And then I was even more surprised when they offer refreshments of either mineral water or Zest-O juice drinks (Zest Air's majority owner is also the chairman and president of Zest-O Corp.).

* The flight ended in a smooth landing at Mactan-Cebu International Airport. When it is time to deplane I was dumbfounded to know that we need to walk all the way to the terminal as Zest Air does not use the aerobridges which Mactan Airport obviously have unlike its terminal in Manila. I don't know why, maybe because the other gates with an aerobridge are reserved for other airlines or Zest Air just does not want to pay extra to access an aerobridge. Oh well, the weather is good at that time and I need a little exercise anyway.

* On the flight back to Manila it is such an inconvenience to passengers when only 1 check-in counter is open to accommodate all of us passengers. I'm still on queue 30 mins. before the official departure time and I found out that the flight is only half-full. It didn't stop there as the flight was delayed for 2 hours and they only announced it way past our scheduled departure time.

* For the inflight service back to Manila almost everything is the same as my previous flight.

Would I fly with Zest Air again? Why not? I had also bad experiences with Cebu Pacific, SEAIR and Philippine Airlines. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BAD EXPERIENCE AND A BAD AIRLINE. If Zest Air would not improve their Airbus service then that would be a different story and I would tell you again about it here in my blog. It's a good start that they are now operating with newer planes to all of their flights.

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 76)

2009-02-23T05:23:00.001+08:00

I Love Couchsurfing!

2009-02-18T08:00:00.003+08:00

I think that CouchSurfing (CS) is a genius idea for all sort of travelers. I have made several wonderful friends in Indonesia and here in the Philippines because of CouchSurfing. Some of my CS friends showed me their town/city and served as my tour guide and translator as well. The only thing that I have yet to do to comply with the mission of this project is to actually surf someone's couch.

To be honest, I have reservations and concerns about meeting and staying with or hosting strangers in my home although my initial doubts changed and the fears disappeared when I met Sita and Haru in Bali, Indonesia and Benny together with other CS members in Jakarta, Indonesia. CS is for any traveler with an open mind and would love to meet new friends and enjoys learning about and experience other cultures. A wonderful time can be guaranteed as long as you have common sense as with anything involving meeting strangers. Who knows, these strangers can be your lifelong friends or even your soulmate.

CouchSurfing FAQs:

Q: What is Couchsurfing?
A: According to wikipedia, it is an Internet-based, international hospitality service and it is currently the largest hospitality exchange network. Members use the website to coordinate contacts and home accommodation (couch-surfing) with other network members around the world.

Q: How it works?
A: Memberships in the organization is free and is obtained simply by registering on the website. The core activity of the organization is exchange of accommodation. Acting as a host, a member offers the possibility of accommodation at his or her leisure. Acting as a surfer (guest), a traveller may search for and request for accommodation at his or her destination. Accommodation is entirely consensual between the host and the surfer and the duration, nature and terms of the surfer's stay are generally worked out in advance to the convenience of both parties.

Q: Do I recommend it to other travelers?
A: Definitely! Although you should carefully choose whom to stay for the night or several nights.

Q: Have I used the website to sleep in other people's house?
A: I have an issue when it regards to security so I haven't yet tried to couchsurf in other traveler's home. In my recent trip to Bali and Jakarta, Indonesia I used the website to try to find locals who could show me more about their city/town. I enjoyed every minute of being with other couchsurfers.

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 75)

2009-02-16T05:50:00.000+08:00

Free Seats Up for Grabs! Thank You Air Asia!

2009-02-10T01:57:00.000+08:00

This is an annual event for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based Air Asia. Enjoy free seats to all Air Asia destinations in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia and of course the Philippines. This seat sale starts NOW!

To enjoy this promo all you have to pay is the Administration Fee. As far as the routes Clark-Kuala Lumpur-Clark and Clark-Kota Kinabalu-Clark are concerned they will just amount to 1,000+ pesos. Meanwhile, destinations originating from Kuala Lumpur to Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia or Vietnam will range from 1,000 pesos to 4,000 pesos roundtrip. If you have an Australian visa then this is the cheapest airline in the world going to Perth, Brisbane or Melbourne from the Philippines.

This is an impulse buying thing because it is too good to resist that you don't have the luxury to think if you will fall prey to this seat sale but the beauty behind this seat sale is that you will have all the time in the world to plan for your chosen trip as you have at least 6 months to spend for planning your itinerary and budgeting for your chosen trip.

Just book! Plan later!

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 74)

2009-02-09T08:08:00.001+08:00

I'm Off to Surigao & Butuan... I'll be Back in a Jiffy

2009-02-06T07:29:00.005+08:00

Mabua Pebble Beach in Surigao City (photo taken from Annemarie)

This Surigao trip would be just short, it is so short that I have no time to go to Siargao, the surfing capital of the Philippines. I learned to surf when I was in Bali, Indonesia last year and I definitely would love to try it again in Siargao but due to time constraints I will not visit that island even it is only a 3-hr. boat ride away from Surigao City. I would really want to brush up my surfing skills if there's any left after 6 months of its hibernation. Nevertheless, it would be my first time in Surigao City so I am still excited. Thank you Cebu Pacific Air for offering an almost FREE seat last December 24, 2008. A one way ticket during the promo just cost Php 28 nett to any Philippine destination being served by the airline.

Have a great weekend to you all!

my itinerary

Pre-Summer Seat Sale

2009-02-03T18:55:00.005+08:00

Cebu Pacific Air and Zest Air have their own versions of seat sales. The images below said it all so I don't need to further explain here in this post. They are both applicable for domestic travel.

Seat Sale from Cebu Pacific Air

Seat Sale from Zest Air

16th Travel Tour Expo

2009-02-03T10:04:00.000+08:00

Calling all travel bargain hunters in the Philippines. The 16th edition of the Travel Tour Expo (TTE) being organized by the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) will take place on February 6, 7 and 8 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

I went to this event for the last 3 years and I was treated to a number of packages for local and regional destinations being offered by travel agencies and airlines. I hope this year would be better in terms of choices and of course the price. Example, for those who are Boracay bound for the summer you will find many resort operators who will have their own booths like One MGM Boracay, Patio Pacific and Microtel Inn & Suites. South East Asian Airlines (Seair) will be offering a "Buy 1, Take 2" promotion for its Busuanga and Boracay roundtrip tickets while a "Buy 1, Take 1" promo will be available for the Batanes route.

Department of Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the TTE is an essential element in the government's drive to market the Philippines as a leading Asian tourist destination. There will be more than 200 travel and tourism companies from the Philippines and abroad which will participate in the country's biggest travel and tourism expo.

With the theme "Travel in Style," the event features two segments - lifestyle (which will cover travel accessories, health and well products and services, culinary schools, car rentals and the like) and food sellers with lounge areas.

Established in 1979, the PTAA is the country's biggest grouping of tourism related companies.

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 73)

2009-02-02T09:52:00.008+08:00

44 Places to go in 2009: Boracay

2009-01-28T08:00:00.004+08:00

The New York Times released a list of 44 recommended places to visit in 2009. Thank you for my blogger friend Dong Ho for breaking this news. It is exhilarating to know that the #1 island destination of the Philippines is included in the list. Here is the description of Boracay according to the article:

"The next Phuket? The island of Boracay -known for its emerald water, white sand beaches and glassy lagoons- may be just that. Less than an hour from Manila by plane, this small, four-mile-long island has long been a destination of wealthy Filipinos. Now, a new breed of South Beach-style hotels is broadening the island's appeal. The Tides, a chic boutique hotel, has quickly become the pool-and-party spot for the Philippine jet set. And later this year, a Shangri-La hotel opens with 219 rooms and villas and a 61,000-square-foot spa on a private bay."

All Filipinos should be generally happy with this news. But, I just can't help to notice the first sentence of the description. Boracay should not be described comparing another great island, which is Phuket. Boracay has its own qualities and charm and so as Phuket. It is also an honor to be paired with very well known destinations like Chicago, Hawaii, Vienna etc. and at the same time "exotic" destinations like Bhutan, Zambia and Kazakhstan.

Boracay is also categorized under the "Luxury" section of the list rather than the "Frugal" section where Las Vegas and Buffalo, New York were batched. Come to think of it, for a Filipino point of view, it may be somewhat true as sometimes it is cheaper to buy a Manila-Hong Kong package tour rather than a Manila-Boracay package tour (well, it all depends on the season of course). As far as I am concerned my last trip to Boracay is almost a giveaway, it cost me only 4,300 pesos for a roundtrip airfare via PAL Express, 3 nights accommodation at Escondido Resort, 3 breakfasts and roundtrip airport transfer. You just need to know where to get cheap deals and when to go.

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 72)

2009-01-26T23:59:00.000+08:00

PINK Sand Beach Anyone? I'm Off to Zamboanga

2009-01-24T14:27:00.002+08:00

This would be my first time to set foot in Asia's Latin City... Zamboanga. Many would be a fan of white sand beaches but do you know that there is also a pink sand beach? The sand of the Great Santa Cruz Island, in its natural state is uniquely "pinkish." It is a coloration effect of pulverized rare red organ-pie coral from erosion mixed in with the white sand.

Aside from Santa Cruz Island you will not be able to find any pink sand beach here in Asia as it is very rare that if you want to find other pink sand beaches you must go to Hawaii, Greece or in the Caribbean.

Why is Zamboanga City dubbed as Asia's Latin City? The major language of the locals is known as Chavacano which is based on 70% Spanish words and the remaining 30% from Tagalog, Cebuano and other Philippine languages. It may also be because of the similarity of the traditions with Spain, particularly the patroness Our Lady of the Pillar which is also the Patroness of Spain.

*picture taken from www.zamboanga.com

Zest Air All Year Round Fares

2009-01-23T10:02:00.002+08:00

Zest Air (former Asian Spirit Airlines) is once again active in their marketing strategy as they released their all year round OKS fares in time for the Chinese New Year celebration. These one-way fares are applicable for flights originating/terminating in Manila.

Php688 ALL-IN for Busuanga, Marinduque, San Jose (Mindoro) and Cebu sectors

Php988 ALL-IN for Caticlan (Boracay), Calbayog, Catarman and Virac sectors

I know that Boracay fanatics will be very happy with this fares as I get a lot of questions from my friends regarding the price of Boracay flights for the months of April and May.

What 2009 May Bring

2009-01-22T10:17:00.000+08:00

I love the year 2008 as it brought me to many wonderful places within and outside of the 7,107 islands of the Philippines. As a citizen of the world I therefore conclude that no matter where I go whether from the numerous islets that dot Halong Bay in Vietnam or the concrete jungles of Singapore it always resulted in the same excitement and pleasure seeing new things and meeting wonderful people along the way.

The past year also made me to explore more my beautiful country. After my 6-province journey in Eastern Visayas during the summer, I now officially visited all the provinces in the Visayas region. I will never forget the highlight of my 17-hour journey in a non-aircon bus from Tacloban, Leyte up to Albay in the Bicol region. As half the fun of travel is getting there, I did got that share of fun while sitting on that bus alongside the common people who are used to travel more than 24 hours just to get to Manila.

I always believe that many parts of the region of Mindanao offers a number of places and sights that every Filipinos should explore. Many will be afraid to venture or even set foot in that region but I guess as long as you have common sense while traveling you will be perfectly fine.

Lastly, thank you Cebu Pacific Air for the almost FREE seats last December 24, 2008, because of that my travels for the 1st quarter of 2009 are already in the drawing board. How can I resist a round-trip travel anywhere within the Philippines for just over $1.

I wish all avid travelers and would be avid travelers more journeys and adventure to come in 2009!

What Will I Remember of 2008

2009-01-19T13:25:00.005+08:00

This post is overdue by 2 weeks, nevertheless, here it goes...

Traveling always brought me endless pleasure and many life changing experiences which I always want to reminisce over and over. I’ve been to many new places in and out of the 7,107 islands of the Philippines during the past year. Most of it are worth to remember and brag about and some are also worth forgetting.

More than the beauty of what a place might offer are the experiences that you may want your memory to retain forever so you can tell your family, friends and would be children and grandchildren. So now, before amnesia sets in what 2008 brought that made it as my best traveling year (so far), I would like to chronicle here in my blog just some of it which are still vivid in my memory. The following are in random order as they are all memorable in their own right.

Bantayan Island, Cebu (January 2008)

I consider Bantayan as the “friendliest island” in the country as the people there include the word hospitable in their daily vocabulary. We arrive in that island with the weather not cooperating but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The owner of Jegra John’s Resort volunteered for me to use his Mitsubishi Adventure so me and my companion will not be drenched in rain. But the moment we set-off to explore the 3 towns in that island the weather instantly.

Ogtong Beach in Bantayan

Bus ride from Tacloban City, Leyte to Daraga, Albay (April 2008)

I never thought that I would ride the bus ride of my life in Tacloban on my way to Legaspi. Who would forget a 17-hour ride in a non-airconditioned bus coupled with delays and with different characters as my seatmates. I just hope that the national government make improvements and pave the whole stretch of the Leyte-Samar highway. It may sound squimish but I just don't like the idea that a less than 12-hour trip took 17 hours.

San Juanico Bridge connecting Leyte & Samar provinces

Near disaster in Hanoi, Vietnam (April 2008)

Me and my travel buddy in Vietnam were born and raised in the city which made us familiar with the tricks & trade of “bad” people. Because of that near-pickpocket experience, from then on I always see to it that I have a small padlock for my backpack. One of my greatest fear while traveling is to loose or misplace your passport, money and credit cards that is why I am always on-guard.

Halong Bay in Vietnam

Couchsurfing friends in Bali & Jakarta (August 2008)

I will feature in one of my future posts why I think that founder of couchsurfing.com is a genius. Avid travelers will benefit from this idea. I made several friends during my trip in the "island of the gods" and in Jakarta. Haru, Sita, Benny, Kristin and Anita made my Indonesia trip extra super special. No professional tourguide can replace them as they all showed me and my buddy the true side of Bali and Jakarta.

Bali

Good and bad taxi drivers

Taxi drivers can either make your trip pleasant or they can be your worst nightmare. All of us who use this kind of transportation know what I mean so I need not explain any further. In my opinion, the best taxi drivers in this country are all in Baguio City and Davao City. It is disappointing to know that the bad taxi drivers are lurking almost anywhere outside of those cities.

Meeting new friends in General Santos City (November 2008)

I didn't expect that buying a blogger-themed T-shirt would come with a friend. I am really fortunate to meet Rosilie and her husband when I went to Gensan. I seemed that I am one of their relative because that is the kind of hospitality they gave me during my brief stay.

Free travels (last quarter of 2008)

Never in my wildest dream would I expect an airline to giveaway 100% FREE tickets to anyone who booked a flight last September 18. Up to now I am still grateful to Cebu Pacific Air because I, my family and several friends went to Cebu, Butuan, Davao, Legaspi, General Santos, Iloilo and Roxas City for FREE!

And now, I only pray that 2009 will bring me to more new places and meet new friends!

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 71)

2009-01-19T09:59:00.000+08:00

Stranded in Camiguin and Cagayan de Oro!

2009-01-15T09:29:00.009+08:00

Just got back from my Cagayan de Oro-Camiguin trip with my 3 other travelmates. Our flight back to Manila was canceled twice and also the ferry from Camiguin back to the main island of Mindanao was canceled twice. In an instant, our 3-day vacation became a 6-day adventure and misadventure. I'm glad that I am in company of good friends so despite of our "bad luck" we never experienced a dull moment.

Because of the bad weather I decided to just reroute our return flight to Davao City. It is the best travel-related decision I made! If not for that we are still in Cagayan de Oro City (CDO) by now as the weather deteriorated rather than improved after we left. If you watch the evening news or read the newspaper you know what I mean. The local government of CDO said that the last time they encountered such a disaster was in the 1950's.

No pictures yet of our misadventures and the chaos at the Lumbia Airport in CDO, maybe in a few days...

Thank you God for the protection during our trip. Thank God also for Citibank for providing me a free Travel Inconvenience Protection insurance. I now need to wait 7-10 working days for the reimbursement form to arrive.

I'm Off to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ... I'll be Back in a Jiffy!!!

2009-01-09T06:31:00.005+08:00

this shot was taken while I am enroute from Butuan City back to Manila

Guess where am I heading to today. . .

Clue, it is my favorite province here in the Philippines.

I Love Waterfalls!

2009-01-07T09:26:00.002+08:00

1. My favorite so far is the Tinago Falls in the city of Iligan in Lanao del Norte.

2. The Maria Cristina Falls which is also in Iligan is the most well-known waterfalls in the country. It provides hydroelectric power to some parts of Mindanao and also helped Iligan City to attract many industries because of cheaper electricity.

3. I jumped off from the middle tier of Cambugahay Falls in Siquijor as evident in the photo above. It's not as tall as Maria Cristina or Tinago falls but I still consider it to be an adrenaline overload experience.

4. I can't find my photos of Katibawasan Falls in Camiguin. On the bright side, I will go to that island province again this weekend. I would like to thank my friend Jana for allowing me to grab this photo.

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 70)

2009-01-05T15:51:00.002+08:00

Happy New Year to All

2009-01-01T00:01:00.005+08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I pray that 2009 will bring us good fortune despite of the presence of an economic slowdown for the months to come.

May the new year bring us all to new exciting places & God protect us from harm when we get out of our home to explore and appreciate the beauty

of his creation. I look forward to see more interesting

places and meet wonderful people.

Have a safe, memorable and enjoyable travel(s) to you all.

the image above was taken from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/photonbomb/322914038

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 69)

2008-12-29T05:16:00.001+08:00

floating volcano?

A Perfect Gift for Travelers and Would be Travelers

2008-12-25T04:05:00.002+08:00

What a perfect gift for avid and would be avid travelers out there as for the 2nd time in Philippine history, Cebu Pacific Air is giving away ABSOLUTELY FREE tickets for all its DOMESTIC destinations for travel from February 1 to March 18. But I don't know what do they mean by the term "absolutely free" seats as I got mine for 56 pesos roundtrip. Regardless of that, I have no qualms whatsoever (a roundtrip ticket for just over $1). I just don't know whether this is the first of its kind in the world... an airline offering absolutely FREE seats not once but twice already.

For those who want to go shopping in Hong Kong or Bangkok, just pay a little over Php500 to Php 1,000 ($11-$21) for a roundtrip ticket in any of the airline's international destination except Osaka, Japan.

So much for the blabber... just go to the official Cebu Pacific Air website to confirm the authenticity of this very good news.

Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas to All!!!

2008-12-24T08:07:00.001+08:00

I want to greet my fellow bloggers and loyal readers a very meaningful and enjoyable Christmas!!!

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 68)

2008-12-22T08:39:00.000+08:00

Are You a TOURIST or a TRAVELER?

2008-12-18T10:19:00.000+08:00

For many, they don't know whether they are a tourist or a traveler in a particular place or country. Is there a difference? In the first place, you are a traveler if you can distinguish the difference between the 2 words. The following are not a scientific criteria as they are just pointers which will in the end might label you as a traveler or a tourist. There is nothing wrong to be labeled as a tourist or a traveler.

I compiled a number of articles and comments from forums, blogs and magazine articles regarding this very trivial matter. It looks like the debate on this issue is still on-going for quite some time now. As for me, I enjoy being a tourist and enjoy more being a traveler. What's the difference? You figure it out for yourself because I don't want to label anyone as this or that and then pat myself on the back for being open-minded, anyway the following criteria are self-explanatory. There's nothing wrong to be labeled as a traveler or just a tourist as it is a matter of preference. This is a free planet, do whatever morally right and legal all you want, including labeling yourself as a traveler or a tourist.

Locals like the waiters serving your breakfasts and taxi drivers would definitely prefer big spending tourists rather than seeing a flock of travelers. Explanation: Locals always prefer a bus full of Japanese tourists than a Boeing 747 full of backpackers.

One traveler said that if you go to another country, sit in your hotel the whole time, maybe only leave it to go and eat at a restaurant that is themed for foreign visitors to seem like you have never left your own country and if you never even interact with any locals in a destination, then it could not be called as TRAVEL

Tourists ditch the backpack and instead prefer those bags with wheels that you can easily drag from the airport up to your hotel/resort/motel/hostel. When you open a tourist's bag you can smell perfumes which were all bought from the Duty Free shop unlike a traveler's bag which emits a spicy scent of clothes that haven't been washed for days or even weeks.

Few tourists go traveling alone while backpacking travelers often vagabond solo. For a start, luxury hotels would be charging extra for a single supplement.

There is an irony in the sense that the "self-labeled" traveler begins to define himself against the habits of a tourist. Some judge it by how meager the lodgings or how low the budget rather than a personal navigation of the transformative experience.

It is sad to know that tourists are looked down on by travelers, but to an expat there is no difference between the two. But to a local, an expat may as well be an extended tourist.

According to travel writer Rolf Potts "The tourist/traveler distinction has largely degenerated into a cliquish sort of fashion dichotomy: Instead of seeking the challenges that mindful travel requires, we can simply point to a few stereotypical ‘tourists’, make some jokes at their expense, and consider ourselves ‘travelers’ by default.”

So now, are you a traveler or a tourist?

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 67)

2008-12-15T17:05:00.003+08:00

I'm Here in Cebu... I'll be Back in a Jiffy!

2008-12-14T13:40:00.001+08:00

This is the 2nd to the last of my series of absolutely FREE tickets because of the generosity of Cebu Pacific Air. To end my traveling spree in a high note, me and my family are now booked in a 2-bedroom suite at Waterfront Hotel & Casino in Lahug, Cebu City also for FREE including FREE buffet daily breakfasts and FREE airport transfers. Sorry, I am not at liberty to disclose here in my blog why are we not going to pay for our stay in the said hotel :) All I can say is that I am very thankful for the generous offer given to us.

This is my 4th time to be in Cebu this year. The Queen City of the south is not actually my top or even second favorite city or province here in the Philippines but I find it very appealing as you can do and find anything like what other big cities offer plus it has also the charm and all what you look for in a province. Beautiful white sand beaches are just minutes away from the city plus there are many islands accessible by small boats which rival the top beach destinations here in the Philippines.

I only hope that Cebu Pacific will win more awards or be the #1 domestic airline again in the Philippines they will again think to have another round of "absolutely free seats." For those who missed it or didn't hear about that very good news, Cebu Pacific offered through its website 50,000 seats last September 19-21 which you will only pay 0.00 pesos.

the above photo was taken from http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=646758&page=20

Why I Want (and love) to Travel

2008-12-12T17:23:00.008+08:00

There is an unexplained jovial ecstatic animated feeling that build the foundation of most successful travel stories shared with friends, family and strangers. My friends are always asking me why I enjoy traveling. First thing first, traveling is quite addictive so by just saying that I don't need to explain my point further. Nevertheless, for the next paragraphs I will share to you some of my most frequent response to my friends who are curious to know the hidden joys and pains of traveling.

1. Believe it or not, traveling is cheaper than what most people think

If you know very well when, where and how to go to a certain place through persistent research then you will save not only money during your travel but also you will save time asking strangers for directions and it may also save your life as you will find out what to do and not to do in a particular place. Like a boy scout, you should always be prepared in case there is a seat sale being offered by an airline or room discounts being offered by a hotel or resort. I already experienced traveling outside the country in a 5-star flag carrier (as accredited by Skytrax) for just the same price of a low-cost carrier ticket going to Davao (no it's not Philippine Airlines as it is only a 3-star airline according to Skytrax). I am not just being lucky as I availed it again for my April 2009 travel for Cambodia. If you don't look for a bargain then you will never find one. In other words, if you patiently look for it you will find it.

2. I love learning new and exciting cultures.

This is the most common answer on why people want to travel. Well, it is 100% true. New place, new culture, new experience, new life lessons.

3. Eat anything exotic for your taste without thinking about your diet and counting calories

It's so passe saying that what is exotic to you may be just ordinary to others. For me, ordinary or exotic is just one and the same. If it looks good, just eat it.

4. I want to see new things

Duh! As very obvious as it seems, almost everyone travel to see new places. I love tall buildings, I love beaches, I love mountains, I love temples... see my point?

5. Traveling made me a better person

Traveling made me appreciate the culture and beliefs of other people. I gained many friends who are Muslims, Buddhists and even an atheist. After hearing many negative adjectives about a place I still got what I want and I never had a moment that made me think twice not to go to a certain place. Through traveling I learned that most people are wrong to think that Mindanao is not safe. "Certain parts" of Mindanao are not safe for tourists but not Mindanao itself. Zamboanga and Basilan here I come! (not until next year)

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 66)

2008-12-08T04:17:00.000+08:00

I'm Off to Bicol... I'll be Back in a Jiffy!

2008-12-05T17:25:00.001+08:00

at the tarmac of the most picturesque airport in the country

This time I will be traveling with my family together with our househelp to Legaspi City, Albay through the generosity of Cebu Pacific Air. Our househelp is now very excited because this will be her first time to ride an airplane. We will be in Bicol for just 2 days so we should make the most out of our short stay.

We have no concrete plans yet. One thing is for sure, we will watch the "boxing match of the century" between our very own Manny Pacquiao and Oscar "Golden Boy" de la Hoya of Mexico from early in the morning of Sunday up to maybe past noon (I think the match would not be that long but you know how the number of TV commercials exponentially rise whenever Pacquiao has a fight). After the fight we plan to go to Tiwi Hot Spring or go island hopping. After that it would be just a spontaneous decision where to go or what to do...

Have a great weekend everybody!

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 65)

2008-12-01T04:52:00.000+08:00

I'm Off to Butuan City... I'll be Back in a Jiffy!!!

2008-11-28T09:40:00.004+08:00

Manapa Beach

Agusan River scenery

I love long weekends but I love FREE tickets more. This trip is part of my FREE ticket hunting last September 19 when Cebu Pacific Air offered 50,000 domestic tickets for only PHP0.00 including taxes, administration fee and fuel surcharge.

Me and my 6 other friends have no clue what to do in Butuan and we still don't have a place to stay. I'm now humming the tune of "Que Sera Sera" as my philosophy for this CARAGA region trip is "whatever will be, will be." I'm glad that I was given free maps and travel guides of Butuan and Surigao during the Philippine Travel Mart I attended a few months ago at SM Megamall. My map and travel guide is now our lifeline to explore the city. It has the telephone numbers of recommended hotels in it and besides I don't think that hotels will be fully-booked so I am very confident that we can walk-in straight to the hotel without any problems of securing 3 rooms.

I know there is so much to see there in Butuan and the whole province of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur so I will just let my two feet bring us to wherever. Our first stop is the Butuan City Tourism Office to ask for recommendations where to go, what to see, what to buy as souvenirs and of course what to eat. Anyway, I believe that there will be no dull moments if I'm in company of good friends. I'm now excited to arrive in Butuan as I smell adventure in the making!

Have a great long weekend!

P.S. Thank you to my blogger friend Dodong for allowing me to grab his Butuan photos.

My New Shirt & Friends from General Santos City

2008-11-26T04:49:00.002+08:00

Me with my new friend Rosilie

I am so lucky to meet a wonderful blogger named Rosilie. I was in General Santos City (GenSan) last week just to buy a t-shirt being marketed to bloggers. All I want is a t-shirt so I traveled more than 2 hours from Davao City but upon reaching GenSan I didn't expect to gain new friends with my brief stay in the city. Even if I am a complete stranger to them, Rosilie, her husband and her sister treated me to lunch in a restaurant I didn't even bother to know because I am preoccupied chatting to all of them. That restaurant serves the best tasting garlic fried chicken I ever ate.

The generosity of Rosilie's family didn't end there as we went to KCC Mall and had coffee after a leisurely walk inside the confines of the airconditioned mall (a luxury for a very humid day). We just talked about blogging and almost anything under the sun. I am so envious to her adventure-junky husband as he almost tried every extreme sport there is. He hasn't yet gone skydiving but it is now included in his to-do list.

If you want to order "blogging-themed" t-shirts then all you have to do is contact Rosilie through her blog. She ships the shirts anywhere in the country. But when you personally buy your shirt at her store in GenSan I guarantee everyone that your purchase will come with a free friend or friends which to me is priceless.

The design of my blogger shirt is not one of these (see pictures below) as mine is a specially made limited edition type, hehehe ;)

Another of those 500-Peso Seat Sale

2008-11-24T13:31:00.005+08:00

For those who want to travel between January 1 to March 18 next year. You should book your tickets now as Cebu Pacific revived its 500-peso ALL-IN seat sale to all its domestic destinations and ZERO fare to all its international destinations.

The sale period starts NOW until November 30, 2008 only. More than 400,000 seats are being allotted for this seat sale. For more information just go to the airline's website.

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 64)

2008-11-24T05:34:00.001+08:00

I'm Off to Roxas City... I'll be Back in a Jiffy!!!

2008-11-21T16:02:00.001+08:00

First of all, thank you again Cebu Pacific for this 2 roundtrip tickets to Roxas City, Capiz which you gave for FREE. Roxas is dubbed as the "Seafood Capital of the Philippines" as you can find almost anything edible that swim in abundance. My favorite seafood is oyster and when I once saw a truckload of oyster ready for distribution to nearby provinces I suddenly felt excitement in devouring tons of them. I love grilled or baked oysters with melted cheese, butter and garlic on top (the best in the world!!!). I mouth can't also wait to devour those grilled squid with lots of onion, tomato, ginger and garlic stuffed in their cavity.

My Favorite Resort in Panglao Island, Bohol

2008-11-18T10:03:00.000+08:00

I have been to Panglao Island in Bohol in 3 different instances and each time we were billeted in a different resort. Of the 3, my favorite is the boutique resort called Amarela. Beyond from its physical attributes which is very pleasing to the eyes is the ambiance you get that it feels you are really on a vacation although the whole of Panglao Island is open to public.

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 63)

2008-11-17T07:35:00.000+08:00

I'm Off to Cebu... I'll be Back in a Jiffy

2008-11-14T09:52:00.003+08:00

picture taken from the official website of Quantum of Solace

Thank you Cebu Pacific Air for my free roundtrip ticket to Cebu! This would be my 2nd Cebu City trip in less than a month. I don't know what is my agenda in Cebu together with my friend. I would like to go back to Bantayan Island or explore Malapascua but we don't have enough time to do that. Maybe we will just stay in the city and watch the Quantum of Solace at Ayala Center and then indulge ourselves to a seafood buffet in one of the restaurants near the mall and then we would probably attend the mass service at the Basilica del Santo Nino de Cebu.

When I was in Cebu last month I tried my luck at Casino Filipino at the Waterfront Airport Hotel to kill time waiting for the boarding time, luckily I won enough money to pay for my dinner, terminal fee, a few packs of dried mangoes and taxi from NAIA 3 to my house. I guess I'll try it one more time and hope that lady luck is still on my side after a month. I only allow myself to lose up to 300 pesos before I head up to the door and never come back as gambling can be addictive.

I guess that's all it for my Cebu trip.

Thank You Air Asia! No More Reason Not to Go on a Holiday

2008-11-13T09:52:00.008+08:00

Air Asia claims to be the first airline in the world to do away with fuel surcharge. And to make everything more special to the riding public they are offering 500,000 FREE seats in the sense that you will just need to pay for an "Adminstrative Charge" and "Airport Taxes."

This is a very sweet deal as a roundtrip ticket to Kuala Lumpur from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga will only set you back 1,100 pesos ($25) all-in. It is good to know that Air Asia offers a wide variety of destinations so if you love the beach you can go to Phuket or Bali. If you love old cities you can go to Siem Reap, Cambodia to see the Angkor Wat or Yogyakarta, Indonesia to see the Borubodur temple. If you love nature I highly recommend going to Vietnam to see Halong Bay or the breathtaking rock formations in Guilin, China.

You can go to any destinations in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Brunei, Laos etc. via Kuala Lumpur starting June 2009 for a total of less than 5,000 pesos all-in. That's a steal in itself! Less than 5,000 bucks for 4 plane rides to your destination beyond Kuala Lumpur. Me and my friends purchased tickets to Kuala Lumpur and Phuket for less than 4,000 pesos all-in. Book ASAP as the seat sale will run up to November 16 only.

My First Underwater Photography Stint

2008-11-11T09:03:00.000+08:00

I own an Olympus digital camera that guarantees to be waterproof up to 33 feet and shockproof up to 6.6 feet. I have no plans to test its shockproof capability but to give justice to its waterproof feature I thought that I should start taking underwater photographs. I don't know if I do well with this attempt as a novice underwater photographer. The following images where just taken from the lovely infinity pool of Amarela Resort in Panglao, Bohol. There's nothing to see at the bottom of the pool so I just concentrated taking pictures of the beautifully colored building.

I also took underwater photographs few days ago in Boracay but it would be in a separate blog entry. I will try to enhance further my underwater photography skills there in Mactan in my next trip in several days. I am not yet a certified diver but I took scuba lessons before so if I have a budget I'll go diving during the weekend to take more underwater pictures.

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 62)

2008-11-10T04:51:00.001+08:00

It's an Olympic Year so I'm off to Boracay

2008-11-07T01:15:00.001+08:00

it would be my first time to ride this very cute PAL Express Bombardier Q300

This 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 ;-)

Is Philippine Airlines Now a "semi" Budget Airline?

2008-11-05T09:31:00.006+08:00

Asia's first airline and the country's premiere carrier Philippine Airlines has now what it calls EconoLight Class. Evidently it is a lower service class than what me and other are used to in economy class as it offers No-Frills service to its regional destinations for as low as $48++ and as low as 488 pesos all-in for domestic destinations. It is good that airfares continue to go down despite the present situation of the travel industry.

I am just a little bothered with the restrictions of availing this type of fare. According to the website the following are the fare conditions for EconoLight Class for regional destinations (Bangkok, Beijing, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Macau, Shanghai, Singapore and Taipei):

1. Free baggage allowance is 15 kilos (the usual for Economy Class is 20 kilos)
2. No meals (only water for domestic flights) (free soda, juice, water, coffee, tea & peanuts for international sectors)
3. No headsets
4. Infants and children travelling with adults holding EconoLight tickets will also have no amenities (No Bassinets/No Milk)
5. Not applicable for passengers who require special handling
6. No advance seat reservations
7. No Mabuhay Lounge Access regardless of membership level
8. Tickets are non-refundable, non-rebookable and non-reroutable

What??? No meals? As EconoLight passengers will be seated on the last row of the aircraft then I just might as well get used to just inhaling the smell of the newly heated meals in the galley which is only a few feet away from my seat for nearly 4 hours when I go to Jakarta because I am not entitled to a meal. At least you can munch that free peanuts all you want. Even if you may be not a fan of airline food, a box of bland piping hot chicken looks so much yummy than the ham sandwich bought from the airport concessionaire and has been in your carry-on for 6 hours already.

This EconoLight Class are for able bodied passengers only. It's so sad to know that my 84-year old grandfather and my cousin inflicted with polio cannot get cheap tickets for EconoLight Class because of their physical condition as they will have a hard time walking up to the last row of an aircraft. They should be contented with their regular Economy Class airfare.

EconoLight seats when utilizing an Airbus A330 aircraft for some flights to/from Cebu, Davao and selected regional destinations

Another thing, EconoLight Class are not for diabetics unless you want to starve for 3-4 hrs. when you go to Jakarta, Singapore or Bangkok. On the bright side, passengers can bring their own food. I love picnics 30,000 feet above sea level!

I'm sure that passengers don't care not having Philippine Airlines facilities and services when they buy a Cebu Pacific ticket because they know that they will ALL receive the same services and treatment inside a Cebu Pacific airplane. That is why there is also a curtain separating the business class passengers with the rest of the cattle class so that the airline can make their pampering service discreetly from the rest of the economy class. Maybe there will be also a curtain which would separate the EconoLight Class passenger in the last row of the airlplane in able for them not to smell the ubiquitous airline food being served to non-EconoLight passengers.

If passengers want a budget airline airfare with budget airline services and treatment then why should they fly with Philippine Airlines which in the end will only serve them as if they are riding a Cebu Pacific airplane? And in the first place not all EconoLight airfares are lower than Cebu Pacific airfares.

Well, it all boils down to this... would I try this EconoLight thing? Yes, why not, moreover if the EconoLight airfare is more competitive than Cebu Pacific and with better time of arrival/departure in my intended destination. I don't also mind seating on the last row of the aircraft. Many even believe that the safest part of an aircraft during an emergency landing or other situations is on the tail end. That is also why the black box is located at the back because there is where it can most likely to survive an accident. I would definitely try this EconoLight thing in one of my future flights but definitely not in any flight more than 2 hours.

Zest Air Seat Sale... the Philippines is More than Boracay, Cebu & Davao

2008-11-04T10:06:00.013+08:00

De Havilland Dash-7 turbopropeller aircraft

I love competition! Now the rebranded airline Zest Air has a seat sale on all of its destinations for only 499 pesos which already includes fuel surcharge and government taxes. You must purchase the 499 bucks tickets up to November 8 if you plan to travel from January 15 to March 18, 2009. The good thing about this seat sale is that you can have your bags to be checked-in at the airport without any additional charge unlike the leading domestic budget airline. Zest Air may be considered as a missionary route airline to some extent as it offers destinations that other airlines would not offer because of being not that too profitable like Antique, Calbayog, Catarman, Marinduque, Masbate, Ormoc, Virac, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo. I'm very glad that there is an airline that connects these underdeveloped but very beautiful provinces to the rest of the country.

I think that Boracay, Cebu, Davao and other mainstream local destinations don't have the monopoly (technically speaking it's an oligopoly rather than a monopoly) of beautiful beaches, landscapes and fun activities. I've been to Antique, Calbayog and Catarman and they have many beautiful beaches, waterfalls and other thrills for the adventure vulture. As I don't have yet a digital camera 3 years ago that is why I don't have pictures of them to post here in my blog. If only Zest Air would extend the travel period to April and May I would love to go to Marinduque of Masbate as I have an inkling for small provinces like Camiguin, Guimaras and Siquijor so I know I would definitely enjoy my stay in Marinduque or Masbate.

Note: photograph taken from the official website of Zest Air

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 61)

2008-11-03T10:19:00.002+08:00

ZEST Air: A New or Old Airline?

2008-10-29T01:30:00.002+08:00

It's sad to know that my 4th favorite local airline Asian Spirit is now a thing of the past as it underwent rebranding and change of ownership. It's new business name is now Zest Air, Asia's most refreshing airline, according at least to its owners. The company name is so catchy from a consumer's point of view. I may view it as they are targeting young and single professionals who have a higher disposable income than young daddies and mommies out their. The company through its website promised to serve with enthusiasm and passion. Their passengers will feel the refreshing change of the Zest Air experience from the moment they book their tickets until they arrive their destinations. My most favorite line is: "Our passengers are the VIPs of Zestair."

The president and chief executive officer of Zest Air is Mr. Alfredo M. Yao, who is more popularly known as Juice King of the Philippines for being also the Chairman of Zest-O Corporation. How I miss the ubiquitous juice drink Zest-O, as it is part of my daily diet until my high-school years, specially my favorite strawberry and mango-orange flavors. So I guess, by now you already know the reason behind the name Zest Air.

As I always believe in the beauty of healthy competition, I hope this "new" airline will give its top rivals like Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air a run for their money. According to Zest Air's website it will offer some of the same aircraft as with Asian Spirit but they will also acquire new planes and it looks like that they will also be operating the Airbus A320 model. I know this will be a good investment for the airline.

It's good to start with an appealing brand name, so now all they have to do is offer value for money flights and in no time they can be on top of the industry.

So what's next? Will Cebu Pacific change its name into Chippy Airlines or C2 Airlines? Will Philippine Airlines change its name into Tanduay Airlines or Allied Airlines? I guess only time will tell although I love the sound of Chippy Airlines, hahaha!

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 60)

2008-10-27T04:50:00.000+08:00

I'm Off to Iloilo... I'll be Back in a Jiffy!!!

2008-10-24T05:18:00.008+08:00

I've been to Iloilo province countless of times already as it is the homeland of my father. But this will be the first instance that we will stay in a hotel as it will be the wedding of my older cousin Dr. Ramil. For the first time also I will feel like a tourist there because of our hotel stay as it would be impossible to fit more than 4 families inside our Iloilo house and it would be more convenient to stay in a hotel than in our other relatives.

I never felt that I am just a visitor in Iloilo as I can roam the city with ease and I never asked for directions even if I drive by myself. Although, I am not that familiar with the public transportation system there as I either drive or take a taxi when nobody is available to fetch me at the airport. I'm used to travel alone to Iloilo starting when I was 12 years old when my dad will just drop me off at the Domestic Airport and then my grandfather will fetch me at Iloilo Airport and vise-versa.

My dad is among the busiest person during this event as starting last week here in Manila he kept on shuttling all of our relatives either from NAIA or just the domestic airport and then his role will be duplicated in Iloilo as he will be the official airport meet-and-greet personnel. Our relatives from the U.S. either arrived via Northwest Airlines (late evening flight), Korean Air (afternoon flight) or Philippine Airlines (early morning flight) so I am very proud of the time management skills my dad had.

photo taken from http://iloilo.com.ph

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 59)

2008-10-20T01:57:00.000+08:00

I'm Off to Bohol & Cebu... I'll be Back in a Jiffy!!!

2008-10-17T09:15:00.001+08:00

from my January 2008 visit

As evident in my previous posts if you follow this blog that I love FREE/subsidized travels (particularly free tickets). This time it is not due to the generosity of Cebu Pacific Air and I already used up my Mabuhay Miles from Philippine Airlines to upgrade my roundtrip Iloilo ticket to business class several months ago.

My very good friend Sukhbir, a Philippine-born Indian who is now a resident of Canada but works in the U.S., generously offered me to accompany him because he wants to go to a beach. It is too good to resist as he will be paying a big chunk for this beach trip. I would probably not go if I will pay for my expenses as I have many FREE trips to come in the coming weeks courtesy of Cebu Pacific. This is his first time to visit the Philippines in 6 years so he wants to explore the islands as he only been around just in Luzon during our high-school days.

He set a generous budget for both of us and I managed to get good deals from Triple-A category resorts in Panglao (Bohol) and in Mactan Island (Cebu) with few thousands of pesos more to spare. I could have even booked us business class tickets but we rather spend the extra budget in hotel food and maybe a massage by the beach. He is not interested to do a country tour of both provinces rather he just like to get a sunburn as when he goes back to Canada next month it would be the start of winter. I hope the weather would cooperate so he could defeat the purpose of visiting the Philippines. As for me I don't mind it as the saying goes"beggars can't be choosers" and I've been to those provinces 2x already.

I'm so happy that I chanced upon Ms. Lilette Gacera who operates Angelbert Tourists Transport Services. She seemed to be very accommodating and she answered all my queries regarding the tour I specifically want. She gave me a very good deal for the wholeday tour for Bohol. I highly suggest everyone to contact her mobile at (917) 304-2385 or email lpgacera@yahoo.com if you need transportation or even a good resort/hotel anywhere in Bohol. Of the countless transport & tour operators who were receommended by many travel sites, I know I made the right choice.

I like Panglao more than Boracay as it has a charm of being like Boracay in terms of physical beauty but with less crowd and less commercial activities. Panglao and Boracay are the same in many ways as sometimes my photographs of Panglao are being mistakenly identified by my Boracay-lover friends as Boracay. I don't know if its a good or bad sign that you can't find fastfood chains Andok's, Mang Inasal and Yellow Cab in Panglao. Panglao is definitely much expensive than Boracay in terms of accommodation, restaurants and even transportation as there are more demand than supply of everything there.

I am not a stranger to Cebu but I have no idea what the beaches in Mactan Island looks like as I've only seen them from afar during takeoff & landings at Mactan International Airport. I've only been to the beaches of Bantayan Island in Northern Cebu but not Mactan. It's good to know that we got a resort with a private secluded beach so there will be no jostling of a good spot with other vacationers.

I have a problem though... I will be attending a cousin's wedding and family reunion on Oct. 25 in Iloilo City so I can't bask in the sun very long as I want my best face forward during the two important events, not a sunburned peeling face ;)

PAGCOR Tower Manila

2008-10-14T11:36:00.001+08:00

This is an artist's impression of the proposed PAGCOR Tower to be erected within the PAGCOR Entertainment City near the SM Mall of Asia. Upon completion it will be the tallest tower in the world with a height of more than 650 meters. Many might confuse the tallest tower from the tallest building, it's not the same banana. Currently, the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada is the world's tallest tower with a height of 553 meters.

A tower differs from a building in the sense that buildings have floors and is designed for residential, business or manufacturing use. The world's tallest towers are principally telecommunication towers and while they may have observation decks or restaurants, they do not have floors all the way up. I have been to the 5th tallest tower in the world, the Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower in Malaysia, and I love its revolving restaurant which serves daily buffet dinners.

The PAGCOR Entertainment City complex will be built in three phases on 800 hectares of reclaimed land. The first phase will host a hotel-resort and a theme park. The next two phases will have retirement villages and entertainment centers. Almost 90 percent of the funds for the project will come from foreign investors. Other funders from Japan, Europe and U.S. and South Korea have also signified interest in financing the project.

The 5 tallest towers in the world

My Wordless Monday Picture Blog (Week 58)

2008-10-13T01:40:00.000+08:00

CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC)

2008-10-08T01:29:00.002+08:00

me with Camarines Sur Governor L-Ray Villafuerte who is an avid promoter of wakeboarding

The following are from what I remember from our recent trip to CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) in Pili, Camarines Sur. I will only suggest what I and my friends personally experienced to make my suggestions as accurate as possible. I cannot fully trust my brain to remember everything so if anyone reading this has a question just leave a comment here in my blog.

How we got there: The most convenient way is to fly. Cebu Pacific Air and Air Philippines have daily morning flights to Naga from Manila. If you book your stay inside CWC a complimentary shuttle will be made available upon exiting the Naga Airport. Same goes for your return flight to Manila, the CWC shuttle will be making its round at about 6:30AM to take you to the airport just in time for your morning return flight. Don't forget to mention your flight details upon booking to avail of the free airport shuttle.

Where to stay: The most talked about accommodation at CWC is the Villa del Ray containers. The containers are all located just across from the cable lake so it is the most convenient for cable riders. The Green container which sleeps 2 only cost Php1,000 per night while the Blue and Red containers cost Php2,850 per night and can accommodate up to 4 persons. I had a comfortable stay as the bed is firm and you will be provided with 2 pillows per person. The bathroom is spacious with a high-pressure shower. We stayed at container nos. 101, 102, 108 & 109. All are with acceptable condition with room 102 as the best among the four. You can't ask for more for a 1,000 value accommodation which includes roundtrip airport transfers.

green and blue trailers

Wakeboarding or Kneeboarding: For beginners, it is required that you learn how to kneeboard first just to have a feel how it is like being dragged by a cable on top of a board. We only availed of the one hour kneeboarding just to test our skills. It costs 165 + 100 pesos equipment deposit. Every cent was worth it. The adrenalin rush I gained definitely was worth more than 265 pesos. After an hour and a total of 4 rounds, I don't anymore have the strength to hold on to the cable handle as every much in my body from the neck down to my legs were aching. My first try only resulted in a few feet away from the starting block but the succeeding tries were a success.

Other facilities and services: For those who would like to sample Bicolano dishes you would not be disappointed as the CWC restaurant serves laing, pinangat and even laing pizza. They have pastas, steaks, sandwiches, pizzas, rice meals and varried Filipino, Japanese and Korean staples available from 7:00AM to 12 midnight. For chlorine lovers, they have a big swimming pool besides the clubhouse but it is open only up to 7:30PM. There is a skateboard and bike park but we never tried that so I can't say anything about it. A scheduled two-way shuttle service is also available for those who would want to visit the town center of Naga. We took the 2:00PM and I think the last one is at 7:00PM from CWC. Just inform the reception if availing of this service.

Our stay and experience at CWC were all worth it whatever it cost us as the services we received from CWC were at a premium. The staff we encountered starting from the airport shuttle coordinator, receptionist, housekeeping attendants, the patient kneeboarding instructors, waiters at the clubhouse and security personnel were all aware of their duties and are all trained to please their guests.