Apo Island D.I.Y. Tour

Apo Island is located at Dauin, Negros Oriental, Philippines. It has 691 hectares of protected area. As such the marine sanctuary area was closed off to the public for rehabilitation since 2012 if I remember correctly. No worries because you can still visit the turtle zone where you can swim and get up-close with the turtles.

Meet my friend Green here. He loves swimming and munching on some seaweeds.

How to get to Apo Island?
1. From Dumaguete, ride a Ceres bus with a 'Bayawan' sign-board and tell the conductor to drop you off at Malatapay Market. Fare is 50PHP and travel time is around 1 hour.
2. After getting off the bus, you can walk to the port.
3. Take a 15 minute boat ride to Apo Island. We did not make any reservations. We just went to the port and asked for a private boat. Fare depends on the boat you're renting. Refer to published rates below.

We arrived at the port around 9am. On a normal day you can already see Apo Island from the port, but it was pouring and you can hardly see anything. Some tourist even backed-out and preferred to go back the next day. It was our last day so we waited until it was safer to set sail. Luckily, the weather got better and we arrived safely.

10 seater boat 4000PHP 

This picture was taken when we arrived back at Dauin port. See the weather difference?

Can't remember how much entrance fee we paid for snorkeling I think it was 100-150PHP per person. A tour guide is required, 1 for every 4 persons and it costs 300PHP. The tour guide will help you locate the turtles and take pictures for you, they also ensure your safety and the safety of the marine animals you encounter. STRICTLY NO TOUCHING THE TURTLES!!!

We rented snorkels, booties and life jacket for 100PHP per gear. It's not required but highly recommended as there are sea urchins in the area. You can also bring your own gear if you want. We also rented a table where we can leave our things 300PHP per table. You can also have lunch here for 150PHP. They have chicken adobo, fried or grilled fish.

We were so blessed to arrive at the island safe and the sun was already up.

Most islands only have doggos but there were a lot of kitties in Apo Island too. I wonder if they know how to swim?

Mr. Turtle: Yo guys! This' my friend Ly!

Me: Hi! (wave..wave..)

There are turtles roaming around at knee deep waters so watch your feet!

These turtles aren't exactly shy. They know they're gorgeous so they let you take lots of awesome pictures. And they know it's their turf so if they come close (REMEMBER: NO TOUCHING!!!) you have to adjust for them. 

These pictures are unedited and shot using gopro hero 4. Right out of the box. That's how beautiful this place is. ^_^

Time to say goodbye to Mr. Turtle. Till next Time!!!

Swimming with the turtles is such an amazing experience. I'm really thankful the weather cooperated and we got to see them. It would have been such a great loss if we missed them. But please remember that it is their sanctuary. So please respect them and the rules set by your guide. ^_^

Manjuyod Sand Bar and Dolphin Watching

There are tour packages for Manjuyod Sand Bar and Bais Dolphin Watching which ranges from 3000PHP to 4000PHP per person, but if you want to save some bucks, then read on and just D.I.Y.

To get to Manjuyod sandbar, go to Ceres bus terminal in Dumaguete and hop on a bus with the 'Manjuyod' sign board. Tell the conductor to drop you off at Bais bus stop. Fare is PHP55 and travel time is around 1 hour and 30 minutes. We arrived at Bais around 7am.

We arranged for a private boat before hand because we wanted to go home early and head for Siquijor in the afternoon. A private boat which can seat a maximum of 10 persons is PHP3500 for a whole day rental. But ate Rebecca gave us a discount and only gave it for PHP2500 since there are only 2 of us renting.

Bais Private Boat Rental
Contact: Rebecca
Phone: 09059614678

On the bus however, we met Mr. Lee and Nemo, his girlfriend who's also bound for Manjuyod sandbar and somehow my boyfriend and Mr. Lee became instant 'buddies' and Mr. Lee wanted to join our party of 2. So when the conductor asked if they already have a tour booking, he said 'Together' pointing at us.  Oh? Oh well.. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It was a good thing ate Rebecca still agreed to let us pay the same price for 4 persons. We met with ate Rebecca at Bais Bus Stop. We then took a tricycle to Cannibol Wharf PHP100 for the whole tricycle.

You can see the sand bar from the port. It was just 10minutes away. You have to go really early or late in the afternoon to see the sand bar when the tides are low. we reached the sand bar around 8:00am and the water was already rising. There were a lot of mini star fish and crabs and other sea creatures here. There was nothing special, just another sand bar. Plus points for being 10minutes away from shore. We only spent 30minutes here and moved on to our next destination, Bais Dolphin watching.

We arrived around 9:00am, I have been to dolphin watching tours before but we weren't very lucky so I wasn't expecting much. But to my surprise there were hoards or should I say a school of them just wandering around.

We were just circling the area for an hour and they were just popping out of the water in groups. It was such an amazing experience seeing them jumping out of the water and even doing some flips. There were a lot of boats searching for dolphins and I felt bad at one point because I feel like we're chasing/hunting them. And I imagine what if the boat propellers somehow injure the dolphins below or something.

We went back at 10am then stopped at the sand bar again because Mr. Lee wanted to swim and headed back to shore around 11am. So the entire trip can be done in half a day though you can stay longer if you want and maybe check out the mangrove forest and bird sanctuary nearby too.

with Ate Rebecca, Mr. Lee and Nemo

Trip Cost for a group of 4:
55x2 = 110: roundtrip bus Dumaguete to Bais
25x2 = 50: roundtrio tricycle to Cannibol Wharf
625: private boat to Manjuyod Sand Bar and Bais Dolphin Watching
Total: PHP785 per person

How to rent a car in Jeju

We had a lot of worries with transportation in Jeju. Unlike in Seoul, there are no intricate train systems in Jeju. Travel options are limited to buses, taxis, and rental cars.

The cheapest option of course would be to take public transportation like buses or tourist buses but tourist attractions are scattered accross the island and we barely saw buses in some places so it was a good thing that we opted to rent a car. For reference, from Jeju Aiport to Sammu Park (bus stop near Trevi Hotel) the fare is 1200KRW one way. You can use t-money to pay in buses or pay in cash (exact fare only).

Rental process is quite simple, you just have to sign up at the website and fill in the reservation form. We rented a car from Lotte Rent-a-Car site since it was the cheapest we found with good reviews. Our second option was AJ Rent-a-Car.

Rental Requirements:
1. Valid Driver's License - the designated driver should have a valid driver's license (issued from the driver's own country)
2. International Driving Permit - the designated driver should have an IDP  (issued from the driver's own country) prior to the trip. In the Philippines, you can apply for this online at the AAP website and get it in about a week or two for PHP3500. We applied for this 3 weeks before our trip after our visa got approved.
3. Car reservation form - the designated driver should be the one to register at the car rental website and make a reservation. We did this online and opted to pay once we arrived in Jeju. You just have to specify the type of car and the begin and end date and time of rental.

The process was very straightforward yet we had a lot of worries. For one, there was a clause in the rental requirements that the IDP should have been issued at least one year prior to the rental date. We emailed the car rental and asked about this specifically because our IDP was issued just weeks before the rental.

Another one was that there were horror stories about some car rental services asking for additional payment when you return the car for a scratch that has already been there before rental. So we made sure to get a car insurance and checked the car for scratches. We also asked about this with the car rental service and they told us as long as we have the insurance we don't have to worry about scratches.

We got a A/T diesel Chevy Olando for our party of 7 including the driver. It has just enough room for passengers but not for our lugagge so we had to make 2 trips from the airport to our hotel so we can fit all the luggage.

Driving in Jeju is almost the same in the Philippines but with a lot less traffic. They also have left hand drive cars and the GPS navigation system was on point it even reminds you what is the speed limit for certain places and if you're going over the speed limit. So it is very important to get an English GPS. Google maps and waze are no good in Jeju.

We were also worried about getting driving tickets because there were times we go above the speed limit and the GPS keeps telling us to slow down. Also there was a time we beat the red light (totally unintentional). We were all shocked when the breaks didn't make it on time.

We received the car with a full tank and returned it with a full tank as well. A full tank was enough for our 4 days trip. We were able to go to the following destinations with a full tank:
Samyang Black Beach +82-64-728-3991
Seongsan Ilbuchong (Sunrise) Peak +82-64-710-7923
Manjanggul Cave +82-64-710-7903
Innisfree Jeju House +82-64-794-5351
Jeusangjeolli Cliff +82-64-738-1393
Hallasan Park Yeongsil Trail +82-64-713-9950
Cheonjiyeon Waterfall +82-64-760-6304
Woljeongri Beach +82-64-728-3393

We noted the phone numbers just in case we get a Korean GPS where you have to input the phone numbers instead of the location name in korean to get from one place to another. There was also plenty of parking spaces in tourist places. Parking fees range from 600KRW to 3000KRW.

We returned the car hours earlier from our specified time of return so we even got a refund.

Sample Car Rental Costs:
258,900KRW - 4days car rental 7 seater
  66,000KRW - Diesel (depends)
     8,200KRW - Parking Fees (depends)
--------------------
333,100KRW - Total Cost which is around PHP16,665

17,000PHP for 4 days hassle free travel in your own time. So each of us only paid around PHP2500 for our transporation in Jeju. In the Philippines, you can only rent for 1 day with that amount.

Before I forget, you also need to consider the parking space is available in your hotel if you're going to rent a car. We almost forgot about this and changed hotel the last minute. And so that's it hassle free car rental in Jeju.

Girfriends in Palaui!

Long overdue post (my hair is still long and curly here XD) but this place is worth the effort. Palaui Island is located in the northern most part of the Philippines (literally).

To give you an idea just how north Palaui is, take a look at the map below:

To reach Palaui, you have to:

1. Take a 9 hour bus ride or a 1 hour plane ride to Tuguegarao.

2. Take a 3 hour van to Sta Ana Cagayan

3. Ride a tricycle to San Vicente Port

4. Ride a 20 minute boat (included in the package) to Palaui Island

Sample Itinerary

Day 1: We arrived at Palaui Island after lunch so we just settled in and decided to take the tour the next day. We were asleep by 8PM which was way too early for someone who normally sleeps at 3AM.
Day 2: We originally planned to just tour 2 destinations per day for 2 days but we finished all 4 destinations in a day. And no we weren't in a rush or anything.
Day 3: We decided to go back to Tuguegarao a day before our flight back to Manila. We visited Callao Cave and tried their famous Pancit Batil Patong.
Day 4: Our Flight Back to Manila

Sample computation of how much we spent for this trip

Here's a list of tour packages and fees for Palaui

The first thing I noticed was that the tours are pretty costly. The rate per destination is around PHP500-1500. We opted to get the Special Trip Package which costs PHP3500. It already includes 4 destinations, Punta Verde, Cape Engaño, Anguib Beach and Crocodile Island.
But the Special Trip rate is only for day tour. Since we'll be staying at Punta Verde (this is where the homestays are located) for 3 nights, we had to add PHP300 per night (overnight fee). So that's already PHP3500 + PHP900 = PHP4400. Aside from this, you'll also have to pay entrance fees and tour guides at the falls, Cape Engano and at Anguib Beach. You'll also have to pay PHP20 Eco Fee and PHP50 Environmental Fee per person. It feels like every move you make here has an equivalent additional payment. But then again this is probably their only livelihood aside from fishing.

Here's a map of the tourist spots in Palaui

We met Tita Jo when we were arranging our Package Tour at San Vicente Port. She also stayed at the same homestay so we had a lot of girl talk. She gave us a lot of travel tips and she was the one who suggested for us to go back to Tuguegarao earlier to visit Callao Cave and try Pancit Batil Patong. She even gave us advice on where we can stay and where to eat Pancit.

We stayed at a homestay located at Punta Verde.

We rented the whole room with a private bathroom which costs PHP1200 per night. A bed in a shared room costs PHP250 per night.

This is Ate Elsa. In almost every blog I've read, and people I know who have been to Palaui knows Ate Elsa. You can contact her to arrange your homestay, transport, and food. She doesn't reply much and doesn't smile much hehe. She was even featured at Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho. That's why I'm giving you Kuya Fernando's number instead ;p Apparently there are other home stays aside from Ate Elsa's. Kuya Fernando reserved our seats at the van from Airport to San Vicente Port. Normally you'll have to take a tricycle from the Airport to the van terminal and from the van terminal to San Vicente Port but the van already picked us up at the airport and dropped us off at San Vicente port. He can also arrange your stay, tour and food for you.

Kuya Fernando: +63 935 996 6744

Sunrise at Punta Verde

Punta Verde is the first island you'll go to because this is where you'll stay (homestays). The beach is rocky so not ideal for swimming. They say there's a good snorkeling spot here but there's an additional fee.

On the way to the falls

hanging bridge

Pak! Ganern!

mini falls. there's not much water so you can't swim here

mini bag made out of shells PHP50

Our Tour Guide on the way to the falls

Our Tour Guide on the way to Cape Engaño

view on the way to the light house

Los Hermanos Island at the back

Cape Engano Light House

lots of photo ops at the light house

This is probably my favorite place in Palaui

the view was really nice from here and it's a good place to relax until a bunch of noisy tourist arrived.

Anguib Beach

We were the only souls in the island for a while. We had the beach to ourselves.

Cottage at Anguib Beach

Crocodile Island. An island shaped like a crocodile (period)

nothing to do but take pictures. The shore is rocky so you can't swim here as well.

there's no electricity in the island so there's nothing much to do but eat. But then there's only a limited choice of food so we were craving for something cold and tada!

on the way to the falls there's this little store which sells halo halo and pancit canton ^_^

Instead of leche flan they put yema in their halo halo and it's delicious!

Pancit Canton

Beware! They have huge lizards here!

Sample meal (breakfast) for 3 persons PHP150 per person

Food tastes okay if not bland. One time I asked if they have patis (fish sauce) and they said they don't have any so they just gave me suka (vinegar) XD

there's no electricity in the island so they just charge a car battery using solar panels to power light bulbs at night. There's barely any phone/data signal here. Globe has better coverage. I use Smart and had to go to the shore to get coverage.

Students on the way to school. I can only imagine what these kids go through just to be able to study.

Room Rates at Balai Bed and Breakfast where we stayed for a night at Tuguegarao

Welcome to Callao Cave!

We just haggled with a tricycle driver to take us. PHP600 roundtrip for 3 persons

Chapel inside Callao Cave

And of course the famous Pancit Batil Patong. MUST TRY!!!

So I feel like my thoughts are all over the place when I blogged this. I had to remember the details because it's been a while but I  tried as much as possible to write the things I remember.

If I knew any better what would I have changed? Well a lot.

1. Stay at Sta. Ana Cagayan where there's electricity.

2. Just take the special trip for a day tour at Palaui.

3. Maybe visit a beach at Sta Ana Cagayan Area.

4. Visit Callao Cave at Tuguegarao.

5. Try Pancit Bati Patong at Tuguegarao.

Luckily, we were able to do no. 4 and 5 thanks to Tita Jo. It was a good decision to visit Palaui on a weekday because there were barely any tourists. I'll probably update this once I remember more ;p