Don't Lose Your Marbles

After we got back from Honda Bay, we decided to do the Firefly watching tour (P600/person) at the Iwahig River .  It's not as popular as the Undeground River or Honda Bay Island tour but I would recommend this educational/ecotour, especially if you have school-aged kids with you.  It's a joint project of the ABS-CBN Foundation together with the Iwahig community who manages the place and the boatmen/guides are knowledgeable and are proactive in preserving this ecosystem.   Travel time was about 45 minutes through some very dark and creepy-looking roads and the only vehicle on that long stretch of road is yours.  We scared ourselves sh!tless by imagining about the appearance of white ladies and mysterious creatures (not a wise thing to do.) Tsk tsk. I've seen a few fireflies around our backyard when I was a kid and we used to catch them by trapping them inside our white shirts so you could see them shining their light underneath.  Fireflies are one of th...

Day 2 started out early.  A fter a quick breakfast at the inn, we bought a few snacks and bottled water to bring with us for the trip  and we were picked up for our Honda Bay island hopping with Ms. Jackie of Inland Tours.   Tips:   Wear your swim suit underneath your clothes because there's no decent changing area when you get there. Slather on the sunblock several times in the day and don't forget your sunglasses. Bring bread if you want to feed the fishes at Pambato Reef. You can rent snorkeling gear and underwater camera cases at the port for P150-200.  Not sure if they have DSLR cases though.  We paid P150 each for the snorkeling mask rental. The trip to Sta. Lourdes port took about 1 hour because we had to stop over and pick up our food for lunch.   Boat rental ranges from 1300 to 1500 for 6 people and then P220-250 for each additional person.  Life vests are given once you get into the boat. Registration is done at the port and th...

Trip Summary: Travel Time: approximately 2 1/2 hours from Puerto Princesa City  (land travel and boat ride from Sabang pier) Undeground River paddleboat tour: 40-45 minutes Footwear: Comfortable walking shoes/sandals for beach, boardwalk Not wheelchair-accessible. Elderly or persons with walking difficulties.   Getting to the boat at the Sabang pier involves the use of concrete stairs. Basic restroom (sometimes with wet/muddy floors) at the Sabang pier and at the registration area;   pail-flush (aka buhos system) Kids younger than 7yrs should be with parents/guardians at all times due to open waters. Lifevests and hard hats are required for all guests.  Sweat, perfume, and body odor included.  Plus-sized guests might find it difficult to find one that fits them. Bring sunblock, sunglasses, and mosquito repellent. Photo ops: Yes!  But know that water (cold) and bat pee (warm) drips down from inside the cave.  Low light conditions ...

 Also known as the St. Paul Subterranean Underground River or the  Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP), it's a recognized UNESCO World Heritage site  and recently became one of the New 7 Wonders of the World after a global poll.  It is considered the 2nd longest underground river stretching 8.2 km and flows directly into the sea. Travel to Sabang from Puerto Princesa City takes 2 hours by van with some zigzagging roads.  Our tour guide gave a brief orientation about the place enroute to Sabang, with a marked emphasis on not bringing stuff in plastic bags to avoid being stolen or harassed by the monkeys endemic in the area.  The monkeys think that all plastic bags contain food so once they see it, they'll try to grab it from you.   A permit is required before going to the site since the city government has set a carrying capacity to protect the river (see  Tourism Advisory for Puerto Princesa Underground River To...

We were booked at Marianne Home Inn for 3 days and 2 nights.  It's less than 15 minutes from the airport and     includes roundtrip airport transfers and free wifi in the rooms.  The market is less than a 10 minute walk from the inn. Breakfast included in the package consists of rice, hotdog/fried fish/ham, fried egg, 1 banana, and a sachet of Milo or instant coffee.  They also offer free mineral water thru a dispenser located at the end of the corridor.  Rooms are air-conditioned with an intercom, small LCD TV, desk & chair and the bathrooms include soap, shampoo, and toilet paper in the dispensers.  White towels are also included but you might want to check it first before using. This bed is good for 2 people but can fit 3.  The mattress is a little firmer than what I am used to and the yellow blanket is a little thin for my liking.  We should've booked for twin beds instead. closet, LCD TV (with TV out), bathroom, desk &...

Went to Puerto Princesa, Palawan with my college friend last October 2011 .  After nearly being scammed by Ensemble travel agency thru Metrodeal , I booked our flights via Air Philipines at their regular fares at P5,042 each for roundtrip tickets. I've also managed to book the accommodation and tours via a forum member from PinoyExchange . We left Manila last October 21, 2011 Friday.  The flight took about 1 hour and landed at Puerto Princesa airport at around 9:20am.  Like most most provincial airports here, you'll need to walk across the tarmac before going inside the terminal.  Since we didn't have any checked in luggage, we headed towards the exit where there was someone waiting for us from Marianne Inn .  It took about 10-15 minutes to get to the inn including traffic along their main highway. Tip: If you do not have airport transfers, you can just walk towards the tricycles stationed out front or walk towards the main road and take the trik...

Just came from PRC Manila yesterday afternoon to renew my license and got stuck at Sucat Exit for almost an hour due to flooding along Sucat Road. -------------- I already printed and filled up the form  before going there.  Renewal instructions can also be found at the PRC website ( see here ) although it's best to check their site for more updated information.  You'll need the accomplished form , 1 photocopy of your license (front & back), and 2 pieces of passport-size photo with white background and name tag .  I arrived at 12noon and proceeded directly to Window 17 and gave my form.  Took less than 3 minutes.  Hmmm, this should be easy.  NOT! I proceeded to the cashier (Window 2) and lo and behold, a long snaking line that took me 80 minutes to finally pay for my renewal fees (P150 for 3 years) at the cashier window.  Maybe the other one was on a lunch break.  Tsk tsk.  Window 1 opened up after 1 pm which made it a...