Travel Expo’s is where we can find discounted travel packages, plane tickets and other travel deals. This year, the Philippine Tour Operations Association (PHILTOA) held the 27th Philippine Travel Mart, the longest annual travel event in the country. The event lasted for three days (September 2-4 2016) allowing everyone to book an affordable travel deal to their favorite destinations. The event was held at the SMX Convention Center Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.
I got the chance to visit the event on its first day last September 2. Registration fee is only Php50 per person. It was my first time attending such event and my only purpose then was to get a SKyjet Php727 plane ticket to Batanes. Unfortunately slots were already fully booked that day as early as 11AM, just one hour right after the event started. Citibank credit card holders also had a priority booking hence the early cut off. We were given a priority certificate and number and that we will be assisted first the following day, so we decided to just spend our time checking other booths.
Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Airasia were present in the event offering exclusive discounted plane tickets to the on-goers. A lot of other Travel Agencies and booths from different regions were also in the area promoting different tourist destinations. There were a lot of super affordable travel deals that one can choose from, for as low as Php900. I was quite amazed when I saw Punta Bulata’s booth, a well-known resort in my beloved hometown as well as other newly discovered beautiful beaches. Negros Occidental also had their own booth, amazing!
There were different cultural shows from different cultural groups and organizations showcasing their talents in music and dancing, chorale competitions; Harana ng Kundiman and folk dances, to name a few. Food kiosks were also available in the area.
Indeed, Travel Expo’s is a place where one can find super affordable travel deals. Will definitely not miss next year’s event.
It was very nostalgic when we entered the walls of Intramuros. I felt like I was taken back to 16th century. Seeing those hundred year-old walls was so overwhelming and I was so amazed that I started imagining that I’m in the “calesa” (horse drawn carriage) and that the people walking around are wearing “Saya” and “Barong/kamisa tsino”. haha
It was raining when we visited the place so we asked “mamang kotsero” (cab driver) to drop us off at the Fort Santiago entrance. There were few modern establishments built in the area but the old Filipino-Spanish cultures and structures were still very visible. We also spotted many “guardia civil” (this is what the guards are called during Spanish era) along the road.
Intramuros (Spanish term for “within the walls) or also known as “Walled City” is one of the oldest and history-rich place in the Philippines. It was the original city of Manila and the center of the government, religion and military during the Spanish regime. Located at the southern part of Pasig River, the walls covered an area of 64 hectares of land that served as a protection and defense against any possible foreign invasions.
First stop in our itinerary was Fort Santiago. Fort Santiago or Fuerto de Santiago is a citadel first built by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, a spanish conquistador and founder of the city of Manila. This mighty fortress located at the mouth of Pasig River, served as the first line of defense of the then newly established city of Manila. Today, it is one of the top tourist spot in the Philippines housing a beautiful and relaxing park with benches and picnic tables, Jose Rizal shrine and a museum dedicated to our national hero (this is where Dr. Jose Rizal spent his last days before he was executed through a firing squad on December 30, 1896).
one of the two fountains located in the middle of the park
Lovely Doves that’ll make you feel like you’re in Milan (haha). My friend is really seizing the moment with the birds
a statue of the late President Osmena and Gen. Douglas MacArthur
These shoe prints embedded in the pavement greeted me as I entered the gate of Fort Santiago. I followed the shoe prints and it led me to a cell where Gat Jose Rizal was held during his imprisonment. These markings were placed in the area where he passed on his way to Bagumbayan from his cell in Fort Santiago marking his last walk to martyrdom. (I wasn’t able to take a picture of the cell with a statue of Gat Jose Rizal standing behind the bars)
A statue of Dr. Jose Rizal
Postigo De La Nuestra Senora Del Soledad ( Postern of our Lady of Solitude)
This gate was used by the Fort occupants as a passage to the Pasig River. In 1762 when the British soldiers captured the city, Lt. Governor-General Simon de Anda escaped here. He fled to Pampanga where he established himself as Governor-General of the Philippines while leading a resistance movement until the end of the British occupation.
Ruins of an old military barracks.
This cross marks the final resting place of approximately 600 Filipinos and Americans who died during the World War II. Their remains were found in a nearby dungeon and the cause of death were said to be suffocation and starvation.
An over sized head statue of Dr. Jose Rizal, with me as a photo bomber haha
As mentioned above, there is a small museum inside the Fort housing different things used by the Rizal family such as tables, chairs, paintings, books and many more. A replica of Dr. Jose Rizal’s book, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo are also displayed in the museum (the original copies of these books are in Manila Museum). The entrance fee is only 10 pesos.
Dr. Jose Rizal’s book, Noli Me Tangere
Dr. Jose Rizal’s book, El Filibusterismo
Dining table used by the Rizal family
Dr. Jose Rizal’s suit jacket. Cute huh? Indeed our national hero is a small guy but with a very big and brave mind and soul
On our way out we also spotted some souvenir shops where you can buy different memorabilia’s and other locally made stuff. Roaming around the Fort will surely make you hungry (at least for me) but don’t worry, few mini-restos/eatery are also available in the area with a very affordable price.
My time travel was indeed full of fascination, learning, fun and amazement. For a couple of hours I got to see and experience how life was back then. We were colonized by the Spaniards for 300 years and I can’t imagine how hard it was for our forefathers to be a slave in our own land. Thanks to those who gave their lives and fought for our freedom.
Selfie with the Guardia Sibil
Please check my Facebook page for more awesome pictures.
Will be posting a travel guide soon as to how to go to Intramuros, entrance fees and hours of operations.
Thank you for virtually travelling to the past with me!
As we all know Sagada is located in the mountainous area of Northern Luzon thus, making it a perfect spot for mountain climbers or those who are just simply looking for thrills and excitements. Your Sagada moment is surely not complete without trying extreme activities especially spelunking both Lumiang and Sumaguing Cave.
Almost 3-4 hours cave exploration, hundreds of meters underground, squeezing into tiny holes, crawling, bending into weird positions to go through a spine-tinging passage, walking through the unknown darkness. This activity is surely not for the faint hearted. You must exert extra caution and never ever enter the cave without a guide or you will end up getting lost in the unknown. Okay, I’m not trying to scare you here, I’m just setting up your expectations, at least you already know what it is like down there (gives you the idea to make the decision of whether to go or not but is suggest you go haha).
My heart pounded fast to the excitement as we drew closer to the entrance of the cave. I’ve been into different caves before but this one was really different as there was no trail or handrails to hold on to (free style caving! woooh!). We were greeted with a lot of wooden coffins piled on top of each other at the entrance of Lumaing cave. Ancient people of Sagada used to place the coffins at the opening of the cave with the beliefs that the light coming in will protect the deceased from bad spirits and will light their way to heaven.
You will notice that almost all coffins are of the same size, that is because the deceased bodies are placed in a fetal position as they believed that when people dies they go back to birth. This area is sacred for the locals, you are free to take pictures but please refrain from touching the coffins and don’t take anything. You may spot a gecko carving in some coffins, this is a sign of prosperity, peace and long life.
We started descending into the dark paths of the unknown with a kerosene lamp as our only light and with our 3 guides. The view underground was spectacular. It’s as if we were in a huge kingdom in a different world underneath the earth. Huge rock formations, numerous stalactites and stalagmites , it was very overwhelming. We continued our journey down to the very bottom where probably we are allowed to go to and breathing without an oxygen tank is still possible (as we all know, the oxygen becomes thinner as you go underground). A lot of challenges, fun and excitement. There were times that we have to rappel up/down using a rope and some instances that we need to squeeze in a tiny hole and fully trust our lives to our guides. They were our only chance of surviving in that dark place so we carefully followed their instructions. The were even times that we have to step on our guide’s shoulders, so be nice with them and give them a tip 🙂 they deserve it.
It was chilling cold down there and the water was very clear and cold. We can see smokes coming out from our mouths every time we breath or talk (that was fun, i enjoyed it! haha) There were mini pools that you can relax and swim for a while. Just make sure to ask your guide first if it’s safe before plunging into the water or sometimes they will proactively ask you if you want to swim into the cold blue and green water.
At the last part of the tour our guide asked us if we want to continue as there were parts of the cave that we haven’t explored yet. Others have declined and went out of the cave while 3 of us agreed to explore further (i like adventures!). Our guide showed us different rock formations such as Kings Curtain, Queens Curtain, the Rice Terraces, Pregnant Woman, Alligator, Turtle, Snake head and many more. According to our guide there is a river down at the bottom but unfortunately we were not able to visit it due to the strong current of the water. There was a storm during that time (yes, you read it right, there was a storm when we explored the cave!) so t’was dangerous for us to go to the underground river (sigh!)
We exit out at Sumaguing cave and as we climb up we noticed that there’s a lot of sticky things around. We thought it was just mud but our guides laughed at us and told us to look above and there we saw a lot of cave bats. Haha, yuckie! but that was part of the tour, lol.
Overall, I really enjoyed that moment. In-fact I wasn’t able to take a lot of pictures because I was so busy appreciating the beauty of the underground world. I was seizing the moment and enjoying the experience that I didn’t bother to take pictures. Well, memories are the best pictures after all so, it’s ok with me.
If there is one place that I want to visit again that would definitely be Sagada. I would define it as a precious stone hidden behind the mountains of Cordillera Mountain Province. A small town at an elevation of 5000 feet above sea level, Sagada is a perfect escape from the busy and organized-chaos life in the city. The cool relaxing weather and peaceful community is what i miss the most. For nature lovers like me this would be a perfect place. I’m not a beach goer and I would rather choose to explore rivers, trek, climb different mountains and dive in the falls (though i don’t know how to swim, haha!).
Famous Hanging Coffins in Sagada
I went to Sagada last year together with my friends to celebrate my 24th birthday. It was an awesome and challenging Sagada experience for me as a first timer. I really struggled much during our way to Sagada and going back to Manila. I easily get dizzy on a long land travel and Sagada is 431 km away from Manila not to mention the long and countless zigzag roads. So I almost puke my guts out (ew! and Bonamine didn’t work, I took 2 tablets before we depart from Manila) but luckily I was able to hold everything that was attempting to get out of my mouth (woohoo!) and somehow enjoyed the overwhelming view on the road.
We signed up on a group tour via travel agency (click here to visit their Facebook page). There was a storm during our trip which adds to the excitement and thrill (storm chasing-bring it on! haha) and so instead of more than 12 pax in the group, there were 8 of us left (the courageous 8! lol) others did not come because of the storm.
We paid Php 2990 each for a 3 day and 2 night trip. That includes the round trip air conditioned van transfer (Manila-Banaue-Sagada-Baguio-Manila), fuel charges, toll, parking, entrance fees and permits. It also includes the 3D2N accommodations and tour guide fees except for the Sumaguing Cave that we paid differently which amounts Php 450/person (cave connection from Sumaguing to Lumiang Cave).
The meals were not included in the package so we paid on our own. There are many eatery’s/mini-restos in Sagada which serves delicious food on a reasonable price. Some of those that i can suggest which we’ve tried are, Salt & Pepper, Yoghurt House and Sagada Lemon Pie House which is one of our favorite because of their large servings, almost good for 2 persons and the prices are very affordable.
Bomod-ok Falls and Sumaguing Cave Entrance
We were very fortunate that it didn’t rain when we had our caving session. Sad though coz were not able to witness the amazing sun rise due to the clouds blocking the sun because of the bad weather:( But nevertheless we still enjoyed our first Sagada experience. It was one of a kind and very memorable. We did a lot of walking but who would mind walking in a cold weather while seeing the beauty of nature?
Given a chance, I will definitely go back to this cool and relaxing place and I wish i could stay there a little bit longer.
Have you been there before? Please feel free to share your experience in the comment section.
Are you a fan of street dancing? Colorful costumes and night party? Then you must visit Cauayan in Negros Occidental and witness the annual and locally famed Lubay-Lubay festival.
Lubay-Lubay Festival is a thanksgiving celebration of the locals abundant and bountiful harvest. It portrays and preserve the early culture of Cauayanons in facing adversities, hardships and difficulties as well as abundance, plenty, prosperity and sufficiency, and to foster the spirit of unity, cooperation, camaraderie and thanksgiving especially for the blessings endowed by the Almighty. Cauayan got its name from bamboo thickets abundant in the area. Spelled as “Kawayan” (tagalog term of Bamboo) during the Spanish colonization and eventually became Cauayan during the American occupation. Bamboos are naturally tall and thin and tends to bend thus the Lubay-Lubay (bend) Festival was founded.
It is a month-long celebration (for the locals). The festival officially starts in Jan 21 up until the highlight which is Jan 25. During that day, people from 25 Barangays gathers in the Poblacion proper and witnessing the festive and colorful parade of street dancers as they compete, dancing to the beat of bamboo-made band instruments. Another highlight of the event is the Lubay-Lubay Pageant as the beautiful ladies from 25 barangays competes to bring home the Lubay-Lubay Queen title and the crown.
How to get there
Cauayan which is my hometown, is a first-class municipality here in the Philippines located in the southern part of Negros Island. It is 70 mile away from Bacolod City and accessible via regular or air conditioned Bus and/or Jeepney located at Bacolod South Terminal.
From the airport:
You can ride a van going to Bacolod City as the airport is located in Silay City. The fare is Php150 (it is the cheapest mode of transportation getting out of the airport, as far as i know). Just tell the driver to drop you off exactly at the Ceres South Terminal.
You can also rent a taxi but i believe the fare is around Php250-500 (fixed rate).
You can also ride a tricycle going to Silay proper and ride a Bus or a jeepney giong to Bacolod however it’ll only drop you off at the Ceres North Terminal so you have to ride a Bata-Libertad jeepney and asked the driver to drop you off at the South Terminal. (For this one, i’m really not sure how much will be the fare coz i have always been riding in a van whenever i go to Bacolod)
From the Ceres Terminal
Hop in a Bus going to Hinobaan or Sipalay. Ask the driver or the “konduktor” to drop you off at Poblacion, Cauayan. Much better if you seat right behind or near the driver so you can see the road and remind him every once in a while to drop you exactly in Pobalcion Cauayan. It’s a 3.5 to 4 hours travel ^_^.
Fare (as of this writing): Air-conditioned (Php179), Regular (Php139)
You can also ride a Jeepney (striker as what the local call it). But i don’t really recommend this because it’s not comfortable for a long trip, well at least for me.
That’s it! I believe i have covered everything here. Sad though coz i can’t go home this year 🙁 . I’ll surely not miss this event next year!
If you have any questions please feel free to email me or write it in the comment section.
If you’re from Cauayan and/or already experienced Lubay-Lubay Festival, please share your experience! ^_^
Museums are one of the places on earth that i want to visit most. It gives me a sense of peacefulness. The calm ambiance of the place provides a relaxing sensation plus i get to have the chance of seeing different things like art works of different artists or historical artifacts and stories of the past and present. On that note, our fantastic vacation in Baguio is not complete without visiting the famous Bencab Museum. It is a place full of different art pieces, may it be paintings, drawings, sculptures and a lot more art pieces not included on those categories.
Bencab (Benedicto Reyes Cabrera) is a Philippine National Artist for Visual Arts (Painting, 2006). It was 1986 when he decided to settle in Baguio and built his studio which then eventually became a place housing a lot of art pieces made by him and other well-known artists. It has 9 galleries and 1 function room for workshops, seminars and other art-related gatherings.
How to get there
Bencab is located in Km. 6 Asin Road, Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet. Since i was travelling with my mom and partner, we opted to ride a taxi from our hotel. The museum was quite far from the city so we agreed to pay Php 250 (fixed rate). If you are on a tight budget, don’t worry! There is another way to get there, more pocket friendly. You can go to Baguio Public Market and look for a jeepney that will be heading that way (km. 6). It will only cost you 11 pesos (each) and you will be right at museum’s doorstep.
Ticket – Php100
It was peak season when we went there (Dec 31 2015) so there was quite a lot of people. We paid Php100 each for the entrance fee (less 20% for students and seniors). The architectural design of the place is more of a modern glass and steel which is kind of a mismatch for the location (nature) but nevertheless i still love it 🙂 (i’m really not an architectural expert, just giving you my own honest opinion). NOTE: They do not allow mono-pod (selfie stick), food and water inside so if you have those, better keep it in your bag.
We were greeted with a lot of art pieces when we started touring around. We strolled all 9 galleries and we were so busy looking on all beautiful master pieces and of course taking pictures! We’re so overwhelmed with what we saw inside the museum.
There’s more! The museum does not only offer an overwhelming sight inside, it also allow the goers to appreciate nature at it’s best and you can enjoy the zest of the fresh air. We were amazed by the view at the balcony of the museum. You can see mountains covered with green trees and they have this beautiful garden with a man-made lagoon with a small gazebo in the center. We went there and enjoyed the breeze of the fresh air while feasting our eyes to the beauty of nature. Of course, the place is so picture perfect so we didn’t let that moment pass without taking some selfies ^_^.
Man made lagoon with the gazebo in the middle
From right to left:
Longaniza Pasta – Php200
Banana Pancake – Php200
Cafe Latte – Php100
We then found ourselves sitting in the cafe (CafeSabel) located at the lower ground floor, after a tiresome tour around the place. We were lucky to have occupied a spot without waiting on queue, since i have mentioned earlier there were a lot of people during our visit. I have read in some reviews that if you’re going to visit Bencab in Baguio, this cafe is a must try, so we did! Me and my partner ordered Caramel Latte and Banana Pancake while my mom ordered Longanisa Pasta. Zipping a cup of hot coffee sitting in front of a garden overlooking the nature is a super perfect moment! The Caramel Latte taste so good, really different from other coffee’s that I’ve tried. I was overwhelmed when they served my order, i think it was good for 2 persons and it was very delicious. Maybe the strawberry syrup added a different flavor to it. Their Longanisa Pasta was also one of a kind. Overall the food in that cafe is really a must try. The prices were not that expensive. I mean, i wouldn’t mind paying an expensive food as long as it tastes like no other and Cafe Sabel’s food really catches my “foodtension” (like attention) ^_^. I wish i was very hungry and had a lot of money so i can order all food from their menu, lol. Your Bencab experience is not complete without at least tasting some food in the cafe.
Bencab was only our first stop during that day so as much as we would want to stay longer, which i really want to but we have to leave and head to our next itinerary, Burnham Park. As mentioned above, the place is quite far from Baguio City so there’s no cab around. You can wait for a cab which i don’t know how long. We opted to ride in a jeepney. It’s just a 5 minute walk from the museum. Please take note that there’s no jeepney terminal so you have to ask the locals where can you hail “para” a jeepney. ……and that’s all about it! ^_^ Our eyes really feasted all the art works that we saw and of course the beauty of the nature. Oh! I almost forgot, they also have a Souvenir shop and we bought a shirt and a planner ^_^. Your Baguio escapade is surely not complete without visiting this famous Bencab Museum. Hope you enjoyed reading and got some helpful tips if you’re planning to visit this place soon! If you have been there before please share your experience in the comment section ^_^. Have a safe trip and enjoy!
For the past years my mom and i usually celebrate new year at home. This time we decided to greet 2016 in the City of Pines, Baguio! We came up with this idea around 2nd week of December so i just had a short time preparing for it considering that it was already peak season. We stayed there from Dec 30 2015 to Jan 1 2016.
Hotel
The first thing that came into my mind was finding a place to stay. Since it was peak season, almost all hotels or transient houses are fully booked plus the prices are really high. Luckily, i saw a hotel posting in agoda.com with a pocket-friendly rate (for the peak season) and when i checked they had a room available for our chosen dates so i immediately booked it. T’was only Php 2,185.84 (USD 46.26) for 2 days and 2 nights good for 2 persons with breakfast, plus Php 400.00 per night for additional person.
Hotel Henrico Facade
Transpo
Another concern that i had in mind was the transpo going to Baguio. Dec 26 was when i decided to go to Cubao to reserve a ticket (yes, i know t’was a lil bit late :p ). I first checked with Victory Liner and all First Class/Deluxe buses traveling from Dec 29,30,31 are fully booked. I almost lost hope due to a lot of people lining up just to get a ticket but luckily when i checked with Genesis Transport they still had trips available for Dec 30 for deluxe bus so i immediately reserved a ticket bound for Baguio departing at 12:10PM. I chose Deluxe coz i was travelling with my mom so i wanted to have a comfortable trip for her plus the C.R inside the bus is really a must. Here’s the funny thing, when i was at the Genesis office patiently waiting for my turn to reserve a ticket i found out that they accept online reservation (after kong tiisin ang init at dami ng tao may online pala sila! 😀 ). You can just log on to iwantseats.com.ph then create an account if you don’t have one yet then conveniently reserve a ticket! Click here for the step-by-step instructions on how to reserve a ticket in iwantseats. They accept payment thru Bayad Centers, ATM Online and OTC Transactions. They don’t have Credit Cards as mode of payment though 🙁 .
We depart from Cubao via JoyBus (this is what Genesis calls their Deluxe Bus) at 12:10PM and we arrived in Baguio at around 5PM. We then hailed a taxi and went directly to our hotel, we rested for a while then went to SM Baguio for Dinner since there was no resto or fast food near our hotel. The nearest 7/11 is like 10-20 minute walk (depends on the pace of your walk). The hotel was quite creepy and the room was big enough for us but it was kind of dusty and smells old. The bed sheets and comforters were so thin and seemed like it was not changed and there were stains in the pillows (ew!) but we had no choice, we already paid it in full and we will just sleep there anyways so in short nag tiis na lang kami. There was no Wifi in the room as it was only available in the lobby (saklap!) our mobile phones can only get 3G signal inside the room, good thing the TV got a couple of basic cable channels. I’m not recommending that hotel to anyone and will never go back there. The following day we woke up early, we went to Bencab Museum, famous Burnham Park, Mines View Park and Botanical Garden. We went back to the hotel at around 6:00PM and went to Melvin Jones Park at around 9:00PM for the New Year countdown. On our last day we went to Strawberry Farm in Benguet and picked fresh strawberries (yey!). We checked out at the hotel at 1:00PM and went back to the busy world 🙁 via Victory Liner Deluxe.
Bencab Museum
Burnham Park
Mines View Park
Botanical Garden
Strawberry
Strawberry Farm
I will post a different blog for our complete itinerary and other pictures in Baguio 🙂
To wrap things up, the things that you need to do if you want to visit Baguio, especially during peak seasons are:
Plan ahead. a month or so if possible.
Book a hotel a month or so prior to your desired dates.
Reserve a Bus ticket 1 or 2 weeks before your travel. 1 month in advance if possible.
Plan your itinerary.
Always have a plan B and/or C in case plan A doesn’t work.
Thank you for reading and have a safe trip! 🙂 Lagaw pa more!!!
