Hundred Islands, Philippines!

Days of Travel    : Day Trip (January 17, 2015)

Budget                 : Php 3,000.00 (Included: Bus Fare, Food and Entrance Fee, Island Tour)

Bus Liner            : Victory Liner (Cubao Station)

Ticket Fare          : Php 393.00 (One way fare to Alaminos, Pangasinan) 

Type of Travel   : Backpackers

My sister and I had been curious where we can spend our most precious one day rest. We figured out by searching through the internet on how to get to Hundred Islands just for a day.

Day 1. (January 17, 2015)

We arrived at Victory Liner, Cubao Station at exact 3:00 AM to catch the first trip at 4:00AM. The bus company does not accept ticket reservation to Alaminos, Pangasinan so we decided to go early to secure a seat. The Bus leaves at exact 4AM. It is suggested to buy something heavy and hot for breakfast to keep you energized during the 5 hour bus ride to Alaminos. There are 15 minutes stops (2) two stops 

                             

Budget trip to Cagayan De Oro, Philippines!

Date of Travel      : June 01 - June 04, 2013
Days of Travel    : 3Days/3Nights (Included travel period)

Budget                 : Php 7,500.00 (Included pasalubong, cheaper if you are in group of 3pax)

Airline                 : Cebu Pacific Airline

Ticket Fare          : Php 1,250.00 Round Trip for one (Piso fare)

Type of Travel     : Backpackers
Flying Hours       : 45 minutes to 1 hour

This trip was totally unplanned. My sister and I have been wanting to get-out of our province even just for a day or two. We were not aware that there was a Piso fare promo in Cebupacific Airline when we checked out their website.

Lucky enough in just few minutes we were booked! And we dragged along my other friend to join us in our Cagayan De Oro Adventure trip!

Day 1.

We flew from Zamboanga International Airport to Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan De Oro. It was an early flight but we were full of energy because we were looking forward to exciting activities! And this how our first day began..

Straight from the airport we checked in at Will’s Place for only Php 650.00/night. Our accommodation is a Deluxe Room that is already good for 3 persons; it has 1 Matrimonial Bed and 1 Single Bed. It is clean, comfortable and the location is very convenient to the city’s mall and night stores that are ideal for chilling. Free use of Wifi and the rooms are new! I found about this hotel through the internet and with just one call, we are booked!

Our first activity was the Water Rafting. Again, I searched in the internet and found 1^st White Water Adventure. They offer Php 1,000.00 per person which includes transporation and (1) meal. A jeep will fetch you from the hotel and proceeds to the location. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get to the starting point of the river.

We left at 1pm and headed directly. The experience was truly a story-to-tell! We thought the rafting will only last for an hour but to our surprise from the starting point to the end of our adventure is a total of 3 hours rafting! Sulit na sulit ang p1k!

The rafting was so fun because of the guides, they were very entertaining! All in all the rafting has 21 rapids so it is advisable to either bring your nicest under water cam/waterproof cam or just rent a camera from the guides to make sure that you have captured all great memories you have during the rafting. Even now that I am writing I can still feel the fun and excitement! The guide will also take a picture of you using their camera for only Php 350.00. They will email you the photos and the CD which can also be claimed from their office. But since we no longer have enough time to claim the photos we asked them to send it to our email. Do not forget to bring towel and some extra clothes, you will surely get wet! I recommend you to wear something long and avoid shorts and sleeveless, there are too many rocks that you can stumbled upon. The guide will also let you experience to drop-off from the raft and that will give you the best experience. Though there's a bigger chance that you will get drown but you'll be safe because you have a life jacket. :)

After the rafting we took a quick shower and rested for half an hour before we headed-out to the night market. During our rest at the hotel we have experienced an earthquake and we ran out from the hotel with the fear that the building may collapse. But thank God it was just a quake.

Take a walk at night in CDO's Market.
From there you can just simply walk from the hotel to the Divisoria, Ukay-Ukay, and Food outlets! You do not have to worry about the security. The Bomb Squads and Police are visible in the area. Most of the tourist attraction within the city can be visited by walking.


Day 2.

We were scheduled to go to the famous attraction in CDO the Dahilayan Adventure Park, we left the hotel at 7:30am. It's a long drive and so to save time, it is best to buy breakfast and some snacks while on the road. Before we flew to CDO my sister already researched in the internet about the park and found a promo for Php 2,500.00/person. Check out heir website https://www.dahilayanadventurepark.com/ . This actually already affordable, why? Because in the package includes:

- Zipline and Drop Zone
- 1 snack and 1 Lunch
- 1 Private Car and a driver that will take you from the hotel all the way to Dahilayan Park.

The ride to Dahilayan Adventure Park is 1 hour and 30 minutes. Along the way you will see the wide plantation of Delmonte Pineapple and many other fruits plantations like Bananas and Strawberries. The park is actually not in CDO, it is already located in Bukidnon Mountains.

The one of a kind experience that we encountered in Dahilayan is the Drop Zone! If you want to feel you are truly alive, this ride is the best adreline feeling! Way more better than the Zipline. Just hold your breath and make to open your eyes during the drop off and you're off to go to the extreme adventure! The Superman Zip line was a good ride too, it is as if you were just flying! While doing the ride I thought of KC Conception and Sam Milby because this is where they shoot their movie Forever and a day.

It would be best to go the park early to avoid long queue  in the rides. We saved a lot of time since we were one of the few who came and tried all the rides before the place were full of tourists and families who are having a weekend off.

The people in Dahilayan are friendly and very accommodating. We had a nice fine and elegant lunch at Pine Grove Mountain Lodge. The restaurant has a beautiful scenery of the place, the weather was cold but the ambiance was warm. We had Baby back ribs and a cold ice tea which are all included in the package! I suggest, if you can afford to stay at-least for a night at Dahilayan it would be great for you to enjoy the cold fresh air of the forest.

What made me say that the Dahilayan package is already a good deal? Because aside from the nice meal, rides and transportation, you have all th chance to stop at the Pineapple Plantation and Bukidnon to take some pictures. You can also drop by the Pasalubong Center of the Delmonte Farm. All in all it took us more than half day for the trip.

When we got back, instead of going back to the hotel we went directly to Limketkai Mall. It is the first and famous mall in CDO even though there are other famous malls like SM and Ayala Mall. This is where we bought our I love CDO shirts, my collection. The T-shirt costs about Php 120-150.00, depends on how you bargain. And some souvenirs for pasalubong. There also local delicacies that you can find here, all in an affordable price.

Day 3.
Actually, from CDO you can have a day tour to Camiguin. But because of our early morning flight the next day we decided no to go, instead we called our driver in Dahilyan since he offers a package trip to Maria Cristina Falls and Tinago Falls in Iligan and quick stop to the famous Divine Mercy.

While everyone is back to school, we on the other hand are on our way to Tinago Falls and Maria Cristina Falls! We rented the car and the driver for Php 3,500.00 which includes the Gasoline and the driver's fee. You can however ask the driver to bring you to the Divine Mercy without any extra charges. The ride from CDO to Iligan will take you 2 hours maximum to reach to the city proper, but you won't notice the long drive due to the scenery along the way.

Our first stop of the day is the Tinago Falls, there's an entrance fee of Php 5.00/person and for the Life Jacket Php 20.00/person. They will require you to wear a life jacket because they have several incidents that some are drowned due to strong current. Upon arriving at Tinago Falls, there's a local guide who can assist you all through your time in the Falls and it is up to you how much you will give to them and it is your choice whether you need one. But I suggest you need one becuase they can be really helpful and fun! They can tell you the histories and some stories that may scare you and inspire you. The guides will ask as your "Knight in Shining Armor" and your photographer. It will be hard to get on top of the falls because of the strong impact of the wate, so you need them!


There is an available Bamboo Raft that will take you to the falls for only Php 10.00/rental. The raft can be really fun to use! The water was cold and it gives a light feeling in your skin because they say the water was full of minerals. There's a small water hole where you can take a bath like the olden days. The Bathroom is not well-maintained so it is important to bring a towel or 'malong' to cover you while changing.

The Maria Cristina Falls is just 10-15 minutes drive from Tinago Falls. For Php 35.00/person and only Php 25.00 for students, you can visit the place and take some pictures!

To maximize your rent-a-car, drop by at the Divine Mercy for a great view of the city. I can compare the place at the Budha in Hongkong. Take time to meditate before heading back to the buzzing city of CDO, since it's a good place to do so. You only have to pay Php 30.00 for the car parking and some donations. Before entering, they will require you to wear something long if you are not wearing pants they already have an available 'sarong' long skirts at the entrance.

There different colors of candles available inside the Divine Mercy, each colors represnt love, friendship, fortune, career etc. If you light a red candle means love, if you light a pink candle means career.

After a day trip to Iligan and the Divine Mercy, we were back at the hotel and fixed our things for our trip back to Zamboanga. But we won't let the night pass without us having a good meal and some chill drinks to celebrate an awesome trip in Cagayan De Oro!

So they you go, a short trip budget trip that can ease you stress. Leave some comments if you need more details about this trip!

Travel to Davao City, Philippines!

Days of Travel    : 4Days/3Nights (Included travel period)

Budget                 : Php 7,000.00 (Included pasalubong, cheaper if you are in group of 4pax)

Airline                   : PAL Express

Ticket Fare          : Php 700.00 Round Trip Ticket Fare for Two

Type of Travel   : Backpackers

Let me share with you a budget travel of mine to the nicest and the largest city in the Philippines -- DAVAO City, it is located in the Mindanao part of the Philippines.

Before I start with my confession, you should at-least need a pen and a paper to jot down some ideas that you think it may help you with your travel to Davao City...

Here it goes..

Day 1.
The trip won't be possible without the Promo of Airphil Express! So thanks to the airline, I only spent Php700.00 roundtrip ticket for 2 people! I booked this ticket for me and my sister as my gift for her birthday.

Our travel date was last July 13, 2012, we landed at Davao International Airport around 10 in the morning.

From the airport we took a taxi to our hotel and paid Php200.00. We stayed at Aveflor Inn for only Php 650.00 per night with (1) Matrimonial Bed that is ideal for two! It is located right at the center of the town, if you take the jeep it will only cost you Php 7.00 per ride.

We had our lunch at Penong's Barbecue House, the taste is delightful, and you might want to bring some  as your pasalubong! You're already full with one big slice of barbecue chicken and unlimited rice for only Php92.00!

After we checked in and had our lunch, our adventure in Davao City, began. . .

We started our adventure by visiting the famous People's Park. No entrance Fee!

What can you see?

- The place features the culture that Davao has. You can take a picture with the big statue of the Philippine Eagle, the local tribes, and most especially the famous Durian!

The place is also most visited by Families; it has all the facilities for picnics, jogging, and for camping too! It has a mini convention inside and Library for children.

Another must see places are:

*GAP FARM - "Land of Promise".

Entrance Fee - Php 30.00

Taxi Hotel to Gap Farm - Php135.00

Things to See in Gap Farm:

                                - Parade of the Philippines

 - Statue of 'Aswangs'

 - Sinaunang mga Ninuno

                                - Philippine Tribes

*CROCODILE FARM

Entrance Fee - Php 150.00/pax

Taxi from Gap Farm to Crocodile Farm - Php 90.00

Inclusive of:

 - Animal Show @ 4PM

                                                Tiger

Crocodiles (Pangil) Must bring extra clothing, you might get wet because of the Crocs!

                                                Birds (Eagles/Kalaos)

                                                Snakes - You'll get the chance to take a picture with them!

                                                - Fire Dance - It's Free, just give a tip, 'cause it's a lot of fun!

                                                - Cultural Dancing while you're having your dinner.

* Dinner at Tribu Kamindanaon!

Beef Kaldereta, Manok sa Gata (Chicken Curry), Plain Rice and Drinks for only php 485.00 good for (3) heads.

Additional Services: (Excluded in Entrance Fee)

Water Rafting and zipline - Php 2,000.00 per head. The Bigger your group is the cheaper you can get the price!

At Night, after a long tiring adventure, you can relax at Jack's Ridge relaxing view! Enjoy a sip of coffee at Karlos Gourmet for only Php 130.00. Or, you can even have your dinner there!

NOTE: Must bring a good quality camera for good shot at Night!

Day 2.

Island Get Away!

Jif you are looking for a place where you find peace and quiet but in a most affordable and in quick way, Isla Reta is the answer to that!

Take a taxi to Santa Ana Port and from there take a boat to Isla Reta. It will take you an hour and a half to get to the island.

There are a lot of Resorts that you can choose from. It is reachable via Habal-habal for Php 150.00 to and from your chosen Resort. =)

Day 3.

City Tour. Get into the city proper and enjoy the rest of your day observing the ways of life of the Davaoeños.

It is time to try the sweet pomelos and yummy Durians!

Malls in Davao!

- Abreeza, Ayala Malls - Taxi Fare - Php110.00

- SM Mall - Taxi Fare - Php 130.00

For Pasalubong you can buy the delicious sweet Pomelo and the Durian candies!

Need help in planning your first travel? Let me help me you! I am just a message away! =)

About the Blogger.

Traveling is my passion. In my leisure time I organize a trip to somewhere I have not seen. During my journey, I always look forward to talking to old-people may it be a tourist or a local; I listen to their life stories and learn from their experiences. I make friends. I observe the locals; I seek to live the way they live. And I meditate. I create great memories; I cherish every story to tell. I keep good company. And I value each experience I come across.

This is how I explore. I seek and gain knowledge from my explorations.

Life for me is short. And I don’t want to waste my time wandering in the place I used to see every day. Nothing or No one can stop us from seeing the world. I believe that traveling is not expensive and it does not mean that we only have two or three days holiday we cannot plan a trip or be out somewhere. I have been traveling many times, and I only spend a little amount of money to finance my trip

My motto has always been, “To work. To save. To travel. To be able to explore during my leisure time in a most affordable but pleasurable way.”