boracay: how to get to and out of white beach

caticlan jetty port is the jump-off point to your boracay island experience. after a 20-minute ferry ride, you will arrive at either one of the two ports: cagban jetty port during high season or tambisaan port during low season. during our september trip, my sister and i arrived at cagban jetty port.

cagban jetty port

boracay: how to get there

2004 was the first time i stepped on the fine white sands of boracay island. it took me some 7 years before i could visit the place again. i've written a post about how to get to boracay in my other blog. this post was written based on my first trip when cebu pacific's zero fare promotional is yet unheard of. that entry could still be useful if your point of origin in getting there is iloilo city. nothing much has changed, i think - except probably of the prices anyhow, i could be wrong as 7 years is a long time.
so, unlike the original entry, i'll start off from caticlan airport instead of iloilo city.

boracay travel guide

edited screen grab from travel + leisure magazine's website
yep, boracay is hailed by international magazine travel + leisure as the world's best island 2012. Last year, boracay ranked 4 and moved to the top spot this year. it toppled last year's number 1, santorini in greece to rank #6. that said, it's high time you visit this place. boracay boasts one of the best sunset by the beach views. so, to encourage readers to pack and get tan in boracay, i've created an index for all posts on this top Philippine destination: Boracay. Just click on a link to direct you to the information you are seeking. Happy navigating!

• How to get to caticlan from iloilo
• How to get to boracay island from caticlan airport, officially called godofredo p. ramos airport or boracay airport
• How to get to white beach and out of the island
• Where to stay in boracay
• Boracay: Bans Beach Resort
• Where to eat in boracay
• Crepes at TiBraz
• Breakfast at Mama's Pinoy Hot Pot & Grill>
• How much to get to boracay

NOTE: If there's no link provided on the topic, then it means I have yet to post an entry for it. Do come back sometime for updates. Thanks for visiting!

travel guide: palawan

palawan is one of the best destinations in the philippines. by far, it's the place in the country i'd never get tire of visiting if only there's no money involved and i have a lot of time in my hand. i like palawan for the simple reason that when you're there, you'll have front row seats of how spectacular God had created this place. it offers beaches with crystalline waters, amazing corals, and great wildlife.

travel guide: laguna

back in march last year, i snatched a two-way ticket for two to manila via cebu pacific promo fare. the ticket for two only cost PhP194.40. however, my original companion couldn't make it to the trip. not one to waste such good tickets, i contacted my friend in makati if she could slip from the family for a weekend getaway. luckily, when i contacted miss debi, she warmed up to the idea expressing that she could use the break. thus, she met me at naia's terminal 3, took the bus, and headed to laguna; visited jose rizal's family home in calamba, went to U.P. los banos for its famed yogurt and fresh milk, some dinner of japanese food at a carenderia-like japanese establishment, and had a dip in a relaxing jacuzzi at splash mountain hotel where we spent the night.

travel guide: camiguin

camiguin is yet another top destination in my beloved philippines. it has hot springs, cold springs, waterfalls, a sunken cemetery, a to die for crystalline water over at white beach, and a host of other natural wonders. i was fortunate to have visited this place sometime in august 2009. having been there i strongly recommend that you visit the place, too. so to help you plan out your trip to camiguin, let me direct you to my earlier posts over at www.decrechoice.wordpress.com. i've compiled here all the posts i've written about camiguin.

travelogue: thailand

like the philippines, thailand is a member nation of ASEAN. as such, thailand is one of the southeast asian countries that filipinos can enter without a need of a visa. in 2010, an opportunity to visit bangkok and ayutthaya came to me and i just had to grab it. i tagged along two of my friends with me, and what do i know - they ended up married to each other months after (",).
moi, dennis, claire at the grand palace, bangkok

click on the links to read our experience in amazing thailand:

• yup, to thailand we went - a preview of the places we visited
• bangkok hotel and travel expense - kind of explanatory, hehe

travelogue: macau

i started traveling late. it's not because i didn't want to travel. our family circumstance just didn't make traveling possible. traveling just wasn't in our family's vocabulary. it was only until i started working that traveling was introduced to me and it wasn't until i was 28 years old that i had the opportunity to travel outside my beloved philippines. like most filipinos who don't know and live in affluence, my first international travel destination was in neigboring asian cities - for budget reasons. in 2007, armed with our then green passports and a lot of bravado, a friend and i braved the cold streets of hong kong december of that year. in the course of our research, we learned that macau is just less than two hours by ferry. so, we had to go there! additionally, the korean comedy-drama series "princess hours" was such a hit in our country. in fact,

travelogue: hong kong

Hong Kong. This place will always have a distinction in my heart. Primarily because i saw mickey, einstein, bruce lee, jet li, and jude law there! Hehe... :)

Kidding aside, though the trip happened back in December 2007, I could still remember almost everything that Line and I experienced during this first international trip. It's as if some years have not passed. Of course, the blogosphere is a big instrument in keeping the memories alive. That said, check out the links below to read about our adventures in Hong Kong:

• 2007: Off to Hong Kong
• 2007: Hong Kong Arrival
• 2007: Lost in Hong Kong
• 2007: Nightmarish First Fight in Hong Kong
• 2013: Hotel Review: Dorsett Kwun Tong
• 2016: Hotel Review: Best Western Plus Hotel in Sai Ying Pun
• 2016: Hotel Review: Evergreen Hotel in Kowloon

Photos of 2007 Credit: line
UPDATE: July 20, 2016
Back in June 7 to 11, 2013 I was fortunate to return to HK courtesy of my former company. As it wasn't a planned travel and it was company-sponsored, my activities there where limited to the itinerary that the company had for our group. Nevertheless, I had great memories there, too. It was my first time to be billeted in a luxurious hotel. As you know by now, I'm a cheapskate traveler. So, normally I would skimp on accommodation costs.



This time around, I also finally experienced Disneyland. YAY! Well, back in 2007 - it wasn't part of our itinerary. Thus, we only went to Disney without getting into the compound, haha!


Just last month, I was fortunate to return to this beautiful city. This time, I was with my younger brother. He attended a conference called International Conference on Geographies of Health and Living in Cities: Making Cities Healthy for All at the University of Hong Kong. As it was his first time to go there, and I had nothing better to do, I accompanied him. While this was my 3rd visit to HK, this trip was in a way a solo travel. During the day, I would explore HK on my own while my brother was at his conference. The experience clinched my thought that HK is truly a tourist-friendly city. Given one day, one could get the hang of traveling on one's own using the city's very efficient transport system. First time to ride the MTR, bus, and tram alone!

IFC Rooftop Garden on June 21, 2016



Hey, Mickey!!!!! June 24, 2016
with brother at The Clock Tower in Central Pier 1, Hong Kong - June 22, 2016

a look back on dec. 26, 2007

there is something about "first time experiences" that have to be memorialized. so, you will have to forgive me if i'm reposting the article below. december 27, 2007 is simply a very important date in my travel history and the day before that was a witness to the excitement for the days ahead.

.... pre-departure to hongkong december 27, 2007 is a red-letter day in my calendar. my beautiful uterus concurs with the resurfacing of moderate R.E.D. flow. notwithstanding my beautiful u's ill mood, i still couldn't contain my excitement. in a few hours, i'll be off to my first ever out of the country trip. yay!!! The Passport For guidelines on passport application, visit the Department of Foreign Affairs or DFA's website. You may choose to process your passport on your own or ask the assistance of travel agencies that offer passport services. I got mine, courtesy of my office, through an agency for a fee of PhP850. The DFA Regional Consular Office - Cebu can be found at this address near Plaza Independencia: DFA Regional Consular Office - Cebu Causing Lozada Bldg., Osmeña Blvd., cor. Lapu-lapu St., Cebu City Tel. No: (032) 256-3193 / 253-6798 Fax No: (032)256-0624 E-mail: cebu@dfa.gov.ph The e-Ticket Fees Amount of Round Trip Ticket - PhP7,303.55 excluding Philippine Travel Tax Phil. Travel Tax - PhP1,620 to be paid at the airport. PTT may be included in your airfare if you buy your ticket at over-the-counter ticketing offices. The PTT is excluded in the computation if you purchased your tickets online. This is because the Philippine Travel Tax has to be paid in cash. Mactan Airport Terminal Fee - PhP 550 (for international travel) Tip: To save a few pesos, try advance booking. I purchased my ticket online last August 2007. Had I booked much earlier, say in June when Line and I decided to take this trip, I would have paid PhP6,000++ only. Luckier if you could get the piso-fare of cebu pacific 'coz it would only cost you PhP4,000++. As of this writing, round trip ticket costs PhP11, 420.18. The Hotel / Hostel Vouchers Room Rate: US $77 haha.. since line and I are budget travelers, we only got cheap accommodations. our logic is, "we won't be cooped up in our rooms, anyway." as for me, i sleep on a folding bed at home; so no complaints if i get a real bed this time, hehe ..[notice the blue thingy where my bags are on?] The Travel Bags haha, as i hate having to carry something in my hands, i opted to use a gym bag and a small backpack instead of the regular luggage. go disposable!!! you can buy them at any watsons outlets - that is, if you're lucky to get your hands on them. as i have a complicated but beautiful uterus, i have to arm myself with hordes of whisper ammus. Travel Companions Line purchased this from the newly-opened Powerbooks at the North Wing of SM City Cebu. This Lonely Planet edition costs around PhP 900++ [can't remember price.] Line - on board SuperFerry bound for Manila [taken during our december 2006 north luzon trip with Leylan. (www.decrechoice.wordpress.com - december 26, 2007)

wanderlust

.... a strong desire to travel i have yet to meet a person who doesn't have it. i generally think that all humans have this desire to explore and discover new places. in fact, people will readily grab the chance to travel if opportunity presents itself. unfortunately, factors such as time and money always give people pause. well, at least these two are the main reasons why i haven't seen much of the world. if only money and time are not factored in. hayyyyyyyy...... for someone who's been in this planet for 28 years, my "been there list" is very pitiful. like i said, money is a big consideration when traveling so however huge my desire might be, going to new and different places isn't really that feasible. for now, at least. darn if i will curb this lust. (www.decrechoice.wordpress.com - october 3, 2007)

decide to buy the ticket

was the best travel advice given to me.
my high school friend, yogi, said that to me and to a few other friends. he told us that there’s no reason a person cannot travel. a person only has to do one thing:

DECIDE TO BUY THE TICKET.

we asked, “is that as simple as you make it sound?” he chuckled and said,

lonely planet travel books

when i started traveling, blogging wasn't as popular as it is now. thus, to get information on the places i wanted to check out - turning to books was the first option for me. secondly, i didn't trust the Internet then. good thing that Lonely Planet exists. they provided any traveler with as much information about a certain place.

mark twain on traveling

i found myself "googling" again for travel quotes. the net abounds with them.in fact, i came across this book containing 100 of the most inspirational travel quotes of all time

the book was published december 2011 and was authored by matador network. the book is something i would definitely

why travel?

back in college, we had this test conducted to determine temperament. my results indicated that my temperament is 'slow to warm up.' taking this result VERY loosely, i couldn't disagree more. it takes me so long to develop new friendships. it also takes me soooo long to try out new things. worse, it takes really "SOMETHING i don't know what" to get me excited. i'm 33 now, and it wasn't until i hit the 30s that i had "bangs" for crying out loud and grew my hair beyond its usual shoulder length! for people who know me, it's a BIG step out of the comfort zone. but with traveling - it's a different story. a mere mention of "a new place" gets my hands itchy to google what and where the place is, or it gets me daydreaming of visiting the place in the future.