Weekend at Island Cove Cavite

Weekend at Island Cove Cavite was a definitely a break from office. It's very near from Manila but you won't feel any sign of the buzz and stress of the metro. I've never been in a place that has very very friendly and accommodating staff(they'd greet you along the way and if you ask questions, you'll surely get coordinated answers). Plus, it's huge resort that offers so many activities, but doesn't include seawater wading. I know, you thought this was a secluded island resort...I thought the same thing when I first heard it from a friend.

You can get there from Makati in about 30 minutes, without traffic, taking Cavitex(Manila-Cavite Expressway) toll. After passing the toll stations, halfway along the long bridge, you'll see the resort on your right, but look for the next left turn right after the bridge that will lead to U-turn road to the resort gates.

From the gates, you won't see the water or the hotel right away, just the entrance bridge to the island. So you'll have a lot of walking to do, or request a free ride from their electric trams. From and to any point in the resort, you can ask any personnel, waiter or receptionist for the tram service to pick you up. We headed to their hotel lobby then to our 2-bedroom cabana. The Cabana is beautifully designed bungalow with 2 bedrooms(1 with queen bed, the other room with 2 single beds), with sala and dining room. Everything's airconditioned within the cabana, complete with a personal fridge, bathroom(shower and toilet - no bathtub), and LCD TV with cable channels. I'm not sure if the management had set the cable in bad reception to encourage outdoor activities, but all I get was antenna-like picture for HBO or any channel. Not something I would really complain about, we were all so eager to go outside.

They have the Oceania water park(shown below). Shot was taken in the morning and we were lucky to have it all alone for the next hour. Apart from this huge pool, we saw another pool near the Cabanas, and 2 more kiddie pools near Oceania.

At night, from the hotel, you can request the tram for a ride to the Fishing Village, a whole network of native cottages standing in bamboo bridges and stilts. We had a sumptuous seafood dinner, and after that, we headed to the Bayside bar overlooking the Cavitex and Manila night skyline. We were early at the bar and there were only few people, but an hour, a live band came(you can request songs from classic to Lady Gaga hits). After a couple hours, we decided to go back our rooms. we just called the waitress and the service tram was there in about five minutes to take us back to the hotel.

In the morning, I woke up early, and spent about 45 minutes at the gym. For hotel guests, they only charge 50php per visit. After that we rented a bike and went around the area, found out that they have Animal Island(mini zoo), an area for paintball, shooting range, billiards, KTV and a lot more activities that you can handle in one day.

Canyon Cove Resort, Nasugbu, Batangas

Last time I went to Nasugbu was 2 years ago, when our office team decided to take an overnight break there. We passed by Punta Fuego and stayed at Talisay. I’d say, Nasugbu has one of the beautiful beaches to go to, right outside the metro, private beaches, but one should prepare good budget for it.

And so this summer, the first beach I laid my feet on was on the sands of Canyon Cove, Nasugbu. I was thankful that one of our friends had a van we can rent for the weekend. Took about 3 hours from Ortigas to the resort, and we  had taken a bus, it would have taken 4 or more hours due to stopovers.

When I stepped out of the van, I can’t see any sign of any sand or beach, but I can smell the sea. At first I was a bit devastated when I saw some unfinished villas at the side of the cliff, already consumed by moss and vines. Made me think, how old is this resort?

But to my relief, we entered the building in front of the parking lot and found out that the beach was just right on the other side. The reception area was elegant, but a bit crowded; we heard there was a group holding their company outing there. Eager to feel saltwater on my skin, we checked-in at our room.

The room was excellent, clean and well maintained; studio with balcony at the 4^th floor, with a gorgeous view of the whole resort and the sea. I reminded myself that this wasn’t just like any other beach resort where you’ll get a basic room with your bed and shower.  The studio room we got had a queen bed, flat TV, mini fridge, electric kettle with coffee cups, and vanity table with mirror. The bathroom was complete for me, with separate shower and bathtub, vanity kit and hairdryer. The best part was the small bed by the huge glass window facing the sea. I told myself, if I were going to design my own house, I’ll have one like that, a comfortable mini bed with great view, perfect as a reading nook.

Looking out the balcony we saw that there were a lot of people at the pool.  Canyon Cove’s popularity have grown over the years, with a day pass, complete facilities for the family and easy travel from Manila, I shouldn’t expect this to be a secluded resort.

The next day, as expected, everyone was asleep and wasted from the night party, the whole resort looked like a deserted place.

Here's the true color of the sand. 

We envy this guy for having such an easy job in a resort like this. Just clean the beach, run this about twice in the morning, and he gets to stay in this place.

Beat the Seat Sale Race - Other options

If you came late from the last week's seat sale for June flights, don't fret becauese you can still save about 10-15% from regular fare.

How???

Tip #2 Buy discounted gift certificates.

Just search online, for example "cebupacific gift certificate". There are a lot scattered here in Manila, you just have to contact them for meet-up or cash-on-delivery deals. Most CebuPacificAir gift certificates come in Php500 denominations and you'll probably find someone selling it for around Php 425-450 each. Usually, you'll find a better deal if you buy in bulk.

How to use CebuPacificAir gift certificates? You have to book and pay your ticket on CebuPacific booking offices, pay the excess amount that's beyond the denomination of your gift certificate. I haven't heard anyone use them for online booking, but you can just call CebuPacificAir hotline for other inquiries.

I'm sure other airlines have similar options, but here are some useful reminders when buying gift certificates.

Reminders:

• Make sure you buy/use the gift certificates before expiration period.
• You're dealing with someone you don't know, so please check their feedback or profiles online. Most selling sites online have this feature, make sure to check feedback for seller's credibility.
• When you're scheduling a meet-up place, choose a location you know and has a lot of people. Do not agree meeting up somewhere unknown or secluded, like a village or a house address. This is to avoid being ambushed by group of scammers. Choose a place inside a mall, a cafe, or somewhere public(where you can call for help just in case something wrong happens) but is private enough to talk.

Tip # 4 Get a discount card.

Most airlines have their own discount card. For example, ZestAir has Z2 Voyager Pass, currently you can avail this privilege card for only Php300, avail 10% discount on regular fares, and best of all, 50% off your regular fare for a ticket during your birth month. Neat, right? I figured Php300 membership fee for regular 10% discount ain't bad.

Other airlines may have similar options, just call their hotline and ask if they have a discount card you can avail.

April Vacation Leave: Off to Sorsogon

I finally got a VL approved this coming Friday, so I'm off to a long weekend to Bicol. My itinerary? Lots of pictures of Mayon Volcano, and of course, beach time and all I can do under the sun at the southern tip of Luzon.

Luckily, I got a ticket on sale for Manila to Legazpi flight from CebuPacific Air for only about Php1,3++ (around US$28-30) for a one-way fare, all inclusive(base fare+charges+taxes), compared to the usual Php 3,+++ base fare price online. If I add the Php 200 terminal fee for domestic flights, that's around Php1,500 for one-way.  I'd say this one is a good deal for someone who'd book three days before the flight date.

So why Legazpi? First, the airport there has a great view of the majestic Mayon Volcano. The last time I went there, it was raining, so no luck in getting pictures of that fiery near-perfect cone. This time I'm hoping to get really good shots. Next, I'm off to Sorsogon City (2hrs from Legazpi City) for the next 2 nights, indulge in pili nut delicacies, visit every beach I can, and just take my mind off from the stress at work. I'm also pondering about going on that side trip to Donsol(about 1-2 hrs from Sorsogon City), famous for butanding or "whale shark"sightings.

I know Sorsogon has one of the best beaches I've been to. I'd say the town of Bacon has a wide variety, there's a lot of resorts for swimming, snorkeling and diving. the type of sand also varies, grey to black volcanic sand, there's some with white fine sand like the beaches in Boracay, and there are also areas with orange to white shell and sand conglomerate type. I'll try to post as many pictures by Monday.

Manila to Boracay Flights

If you're here in Manila already, there are several ways to get to Boracay by air. But before we proceed further, let me correct the term "Manila to Boracay", there are really no direct flights that land right on the island of Boracay. You may either get a flight to the airports nearest to island; the Caticlan Airport or the Kalibo International Airport.

By so far, I've seen domestic flights available for booking online, from CebuPacificAir, ZestAir, AirPhilExpress, Philippine Airlines, Seair, AirAsia(from Clark);

1. Manila to Boracay Kalibo Airport
2. Manila to Boracay Caticlan Airport
3. Clark to Boracay Kalibo Airport
4. Clark to Boracay Caticlan Airport
5. Cebu to Kalibo Airport
6. Cebu to Caticlan Airport

Direct and connect flights coming from outside the Philippines are also available;

1. Taipei to Kalibo Airport
2. Seoul to Kalibo Airport
3. Busan to Kalibo Airport
4. Beijing to Kalibo Airport

You can search about "Kalibo airport arrivals" to get an overview of the airlines landing at the Kalibo International Airport. 

With our goal getting to Boracay, what's the difference between the Caticlan and Kalibo Airport?

The most popular terminal to get to Boracay is the Caticlan Jetty, where small boats or 'bancas' can take you to Boracay Island ports.

• If you arrive in Caticlan Airport, the Catticlan jetty is just about 10-min walk.
• If you arrive at the Kalibo Internation Airport, it takes about an hour and a half to get to the Caticlan Jetty.

Clark flights are generally cheaper, but if you're coming from Manila, you have to spend about Php200(about $4-5, price depends on the type of bus) for a one way bus trip from Cubao to Clark(Dau Bus Terminal). From my recent trip to Clark Hot Air Balloon Festival, we took a bus from Cubao, Manila to Clark, Pampanga early in the morning(around 5AM) and arrived at the Dau Bus Terminal about an hour an half later. Some buses can drop you off, or from Dau terminal, you can ride a shuttle or jeepney to the airport.

Beat the Seat Sale Race

For the past 3 months, I've been browsing through domestic and international seat sale ads of various local airlines, in hope to get the best pricing for my travel goals this year. Here's an overview on what I found out and how you can save on your airfare, and put those extra bucks into your hotel, tour fees or souvenirs.

Before I start, please note that I am not affiliated with any airline companies or travel agencies, I'm just someone who happen to observe patterns in seat sale promos that may be useful for those who'd like to travel in a budget. My conclusions may go offset in the future as airline sale gimmicks change over time.

Tip no.1 - Airlines send seat sale updates via email, so subscribe to their promo updates. If you really want to get ahead, then be the first one to be informed. Filter and have a separate folder for these so it wont mess with your regular inbox. During big sales, seats are taken already even by the first 2-12 hours of the sale period. Last January, I waited for AirAsia's big sale and for the first hour, I can feel the website crawling already due to heavy traffic.

Domestic flight promos last about 3 days at least. For example, AirPhilExpress right now has their Php 0(zero) Express Easter Sale for selling period April 8-10, 2012 with travel period July 1 to Sept 30, 2012, and Feb 1-28, 2013.

image source: www.airphilexpress.com

That's for all domestic flights within the country. As expected, most of the discounted seats are taken already if you check mid or last day of sale. Don't expect to find seats on the first months of the posted travelling period, especially if you check mid or last day of sale. I just checked for Manila to Boracay (Caticlan) flights for August, and most of the Php1 seats are scattered already.

(to be continued)

Seat Sale Shopping 2012: My First Purchase

For the past months, I've been sweeping through airfare sales. Here in the Philippines, you have a lot of options, which makes it really really good. If you get to know their promo patterns, you can save a lot for your future travels.

Among the affordable airlines here in Manila are ZestAir, CebuPacific, AirPhilExpress, AirAsia, Seair and TigerAirways. In my opinion, Philippine Airlines or PAL may also fall in my affordable category only if you get chance to avail their big promos.

Most of them post discounted airfares for travel periods about 2 months ahead. Watch out for my next blog about the seat sale patterns tomorrow. Heads-up, the best discounts go for flights about 6 months ahead. You can actually get Manila to Boracay flights (one-way) for as low as Php500 or $11, compared to year-round fare of $40, which can flare up to more than $100 for a one way domestic flight. The logic is, the earlier you book, the lower the airfare.

I got my Manila to Boracay flight really cheap from CebuPacificAir. I booked the round trip ticket - Manila to Boracay(Caticlan) last January 2012 for a September trip during their sale, paid only about Php 1,100 in total(that's around $25 for a roundtrip deal!). I know September will never be like the summer months April and May, but I don't really like going to crowded beaches. Same day, I submitted my request for a 4 day vacation leave at the office(That's eight months ahead, I'll really be mad if they don't approve it).

Marked my calendar in case I forget, but who will? That's gonna be Boracay in a budget!