The Unprepared OFW: El Nido & Puerto Princesa 6D/5N

As you know from my previous posts, our Palawan trip was a last-minute one - so the itinerary was not really planned and I did a lot of changes up to the day before our flight to consider budget limitations. Nevertheless we had a blast and our eyes and souls were filled to the brim with Inang Kalikasan's timeless and wondrous beauty, and that's just El Nido and Puerto Princesa!

One thing that we did regret though, is that we should've started our trip in Puerto Princesa, at Palawan Heritage Museum. There we had a crash course in the wonder that is Palawan, and there's really more to see than just El Nido, Coron and Puerto Princesa.

It was really an eye-opener for us as well, that we come to know so little about our own heritage as Filipinos, and that there are really a lot that wasn't covered by our primary education. This should be a priority for our lawmakers and the people at DepEd so that we won't just have an overview of our country's history in our textbooks but an in-depth, inclusive, factual and comprehensive history-telling of Philippines as a whole, not just the event highlights as perceived by the author/s.

Anyway, ranting aside, here's our revised itinerary for the whole trip:

Day 1

• Flight from Manila - Puerto Princesa via Air Asia
• Van to El Nido (6 hours)
• Check in to Novie's Tourist Inn
• Grocery shopping

Day 2 

• Tour C
• Early dinner

Day 3

• Van to Puerto Princesa (6 hours againnn)
• Check in to Palawan Village Hotel
• Dinner at Mang Inasal
• Sightseeing at NCC Mall

Day 4

• DIY City Tour via bike rental (500 PHP for 1 day)
• Baker's Hill
• Palawan Butterfly Garden
• Palawan Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Center
• Mitra's Ranch
• Laundry Time / Early Dinner 

Day 5

• Palawan Heritage Center (Palawan Museum)
• Palawan Special Battalion World War II Memorial Museum
• Souvenir Shopping

Day 6

• Flight from Puerto Princesa to Manila (amidst typhoon warnings)

If you can see, our trip was not packed with activities, most especially in El Nido. We actually got a pretty good rate from our tour agent for both roundtrip shuttle and Tour C but since we're on a budget and we get to spend only 2 nights there (including the transfers), we only had time for 1 tour which usually takes up a whole day. You do have the option to take combo tours but since we didn't research on this much before the trip, we just went with the most popular one.

Puerto Princesa, on the other hand, was a treat and much more affordable than El Nido. We were able to stretch our pesos further here although we should've availed of the Underground River (1,769 PHP/ person) and Firefly Watching tours (already included in the City Tour if you'll avail of it via your hotel or any tour agent or friendly trike driver  for 600 PHP/ person). The last leg was pretty laid-back but we learned a lot and managed to meet our fellow katutubos (Butterfly Garden) as well so we didn't feel short-changed at all, just that a week is not enough to discover everything there is in Palawan.

Hope you have fun in your trip as much as we did! I'll do a budget breakdown as well, to encourage other budget conscious OFWs to take time to discover and have fun in PHL without breaking the bank :)

Ta! ~~

The Unprepared OFW: MLA / PPS/ TPE 2017

You step off the airport, disoriented, sleep-deprived and bedraggled after a 10 hr flight. You get your baggage, go through customs and further outside where a throng of families were waiting for their respective OFW loved ones and you instantly regret not telling your nanay that you were coming home.

Shaking off the sting of the unfamiliar, you remember you booked your airbnb just across T3 and you set off finding your way to Runway Manila, thinking to yourself just how your far your obsession with Biyahe ni Drew has led you astray.

Arte! HEHEHEHE

But really, that was what I felt as soon as I got off the plane. This was the first I'll be going home without a welcoming committee - which felt scary and liberating at the same time. Scary because I don't know what to do next as soon as I get out but liberating as well since I'm in Manila and I don't need to go home if I don't want to -- at least for now *wink wink*

Alright! We're here! What do we do next?

First, get a free sim card from either SMART or Globe, the 2 main telcos in the Philippines. They have booths just in front of the exits so you won't have a hard time seeing them. You'll need this once you're in El Nido and you have to coordinate with your tour/transport agent for your schedules/pick-ups, etc. Or else, it's a 45php sim card if you buy at your neighborhood sari-sari store.

(E-tip: SMART has better service in northern Palawan vs. Globe which worked for us only in Puerto Princesa. But if you get Globe, you only have to text MABUHAY to 8080 and you get free unlimited calls within the network for 24 hours and 15mb data. I haven't tried SMART though so I'm not sure which promos they have so if you do, feel free to comment below).

Second, if you're like me and you'll be staying near Airport T3 because you have an early flight tomorrow, find your way to Runway Manila. Take the elevator up to the 4th floor of T3 then head off to the food hall section. There are signages to the bridge that you can follow or just ask any of the guard/ staff around to guide you. Once you exit, it's around a 5-10 minute walk across the bridge to the other side.

Third, check in to your hotel or airbnb. We opted for airbnb and stayed at One Palm Tree Villas (click here) for a night because it's like only 3-5 minutes away from the bridge and more importantly, Resorts World Manila. Plus, they have Lay Bare at the backside so in case you're not prepared for your beach trip yet - you can do the needful here hehehe - well only if you have 3 days prior to spare.

we won our dinner back! YAHOOOOO 

Ok, Day 0 is finally over. You have finally stopped fussing over being the prodigal daughter and started to enjoy Pasay as it was meant to be enjoyed. You slaved away for 2 months for this and you were homesick for 8 so carpe diem!

See you in Palawan!

P.S. If you wanna do Airbnb as well, click here to sign up! Get ﺩ.ﺇ92 off your first trip of ﺩ.ﺇ275 or more!

#Taiwan2017: Taipei + Meteor Garden Odyssey

I've been obsessing going to Taiwan since I saw AC's video on his journey to Meteor Garden mecca in Chiayi - and back when Chico & Gino stayed in Hotel Papa Whale (only rushers might guess the reference) on their own Taipei trip #kaliwaliTyphoonTalim HEHEHE

In fairness, bad weather came only on our last day in Puerto Princesa. We didn't even feel signs of it in Palawan although we saw on the news classes being cancelled and flights postponed left and right (our own return flight on the 14th was cancelled as well) that we were positive that we won't be going to Taiwan anymore.

We were just waiting for official cancellation news from the airline so we can do a legit refund and we're outta there - which didn't come (fortunately) because my heart and soul was so set on fangirling in Chiayi.

Day 0 (with heavy rains):

11:00 PM MLA-TPE flight via Air Asia

3:00  AM Slept at the airport while waiting for the morning bus to Taipei Main Station

6:00 AM Collected my wifi device 

6:30 AM Bus to Taipei Main Station

8:00 AM Breakfast 

9:00 AM Taipei Big Bus Tour

3:00 PM Checked in at Hotel Papa Whale

Crazy hectic day ~ we were so wiped out by check-in time that we slept till late night. Around 9PM, we had dinner at 7-11 (that you can find at every corner). 

Day 1 (still with heavy rains, in Taipei that is):

Typhoon was shifting from Taiwan to Japan by this time.

8:00 AM Breakfast

9:00 AM High speed train from Taipei Main Station to Chiayi

12:00PM Bus from Chiayi THSR to National Chung Cheng University (aka YingDe University)

I watched AC's Taipei tour again before our Chiayi trip and it made me remember how head over heels in like I was with Dao Ming Si and how memorable watching Meteor Garden was for me back in the day. It left such a big impact that I knew I'll be going to Taiwan myself to find and fangirl over their filming locations as soon as I was able to do so.

Buti nalang a fellow kabayan who I think is working in Taiwan had mapped out the way for us. I used his guide to know exactly where to go and what bus to take since we only bought a one-way train ticket to Chiayi.

And it was sunny! and hot! Completely opposite in Taipei where it's like signal no. 1 everyday.

From the train station, it will be 1 45-minute to 1 hour bus trip to the university. To check out the complete stops, click on the link above.

The students did not mind us going around the grounds, even the security. We drank our fill of San Cai and F4 vibes, and stayed at the building above to people-watch.

I so love the college-y atmosphere of the place. Here, they can go to class wearing even their most threadbare clothes and slippers while in Manila you have to be dressed properly just so the security will let you in. University feels talaga, even if the students look like they should still be in high school.

We allotted a whole day just for Chiayi since it's a 4 hour trip (per way) even for a high speed train. On our trip back it was around 5 hours since it's only a regular one, though the tickets were far cheaper. You just have to wait & ask patiently for the right bus to the train station though, so there was a mini-fight before going back.

Day 3: Uwian na! 

Over-all it was such a treat going to Taiwan! I would really love to come back now that it's totally visa-free for Pinoys. However, since we're also preparing for our wedding in late 2019, we have to plan our expenses smartly.

Still, 2 days are not enough to enjoy the place. Kapos! I'll definitely make sure we factor Taipei again in our honeymoon plans para maka-hoard ulit ng black milk tea from 7-11 and enjoy Taiwan in a more leisurely pace. Excited! :)