APO Reef Adventure

APO Reef is the Philippines largest reef system and second largest next to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. It is a 34 square meter coral reef system located at Occidental Mindoro.

Light House

view from the light house stairs

view on top of the light house

It's our first time to try joining public group tours via S&B Adventure so I didn't really know what to expect. We paid a downpayment of PHP1300 (of PHP4300 in total) for the tour. Here is the list of inclusions and exclusions.

This is the sample itinerary for the trip. One way travel time is around 10-12hours excluding waiting time between change of transport medium.

Upon arrival, you need to choose the perfect spot to put up your tent. There are black ants everywhere so choose the spot with less of them. There's barely any wind at night even by the beach front so it gets very hot and hard to sleep at night in the tent. You might want to bring a fan or something.

The comfort room is decent and clean although there's no fresh water in the island so you'll be using salt water for washing and bathing. Yes, you'll still feel sticky even after shampoo and soap. :(

Despite the travel time, bathing and sleeping arrangements, I found it all worth it for what lies beneath the surface. The island is covered in rich coral reefs full of colorful sea creatures. It was my first adventure after learning how to swim via swim central ( check out my blog here ) so I really really enjoyed it. I didn't have to wear any life vests because I was confident I could already thread and float in water and I was able to chase a turtle (almost he's a fast swimmer) and swim freely in deep waters. (^_^)

Anyway, the tour's highlight is snorkeling ( guided and free ). In guided snorkeling you can hold on to a rope while the boat moves slowly around the island while you snorkel. In free snorkeling, you stop at an area and snorkel freely around. We were able to see really big fishes and colorful ones. There were even small sharks which caused me to panic and board the boat XD. There were also turtles which are quite elusive. (I'll post the video here once I'm finished editing)

There were small sharks present during our snorkeling session but the guides told us to relax and not to worry (photo credits to S&B Adventure)

While I'm at it, I want to raise awareness through this blog about coral bleaching. It's a serious problem which causes corals to lose it's color and eventually die. The main factor which causes this phenomenon is the rising sea temperatures but we also contribute to it. Oxybenzone a chemical contained in the sun blocks we use contribute to it. So let's all be reponsible beings and use reef safe sun blocks free of harmful chemicals not just for us but for the environment.

heaps of dead corals at the rock formation site

On the group tour, in general everything went pretty smoothly. Everyone was accounted for during transfers, meals were served on time and the tours were as described. You get what you pay for and you get to enjoy the trip without hassle.

Hoomans who joined the group tour

(photo credits to S&B Adventure)

The only thing I didn't like was when some people decided for themselves that the 10PM lights out rule was too early for them. We had 6AM call time for breakfast and by that time we should have already finished packing our tents and be ready to go by 7AM. But some people (within our group who was well aware of the 10PM lights out) kept the whole group awake until f/*$^n 2AM!!! It's okay to have socials and all but really? some people just wants to relax and fall asleep so it would have been nice if other people respected that. I half expected the organizers to handle the situation to no avail. Moving on..

Aside from the reef, the island itself is a beauty to behold..

she sells sea shells by the Sea Shore

pristine white sand

sunrise

sunrise

our group chillin' on top of the light house

scenic route to the lagoon

top view of the lagoon

lagoon

sunset at the rock formation

this kind of reminds me of Cambodia's Angkor Wat

I'm a sunset kind of girl and the sunset here is nothing less than amazing!!! I couldn't get my eyes off it <3 <3 <3

Japan Visa Application

Applying for a visa is probably one of the scariest part of travelling to another country because it's a hit or miss. If you miss you'll forever ask the question why because they won't be giving you any reasons for denial. On the other hand being approved can be the greatest feeling of all.

When should you apply for a visa?

You should apply 2 months before your scheduled date of departure so that you'll have time to prepare and process in case the Embassy requires additional documents.

Where should you apply for a visa?

You should apply for a visa only at accredited agencies. There are currently 7 accredited agencies listed in the Japan Embassy website which you can find below.

http://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/visiting/new%20visa/list%20of%20accredited%20agencies.htm

How much does it cost to apply for a visa?

A tourist visa itself is free but agencies collect processing fees depending on the type of visa. A tourist visa with no guarantor only costs PHP950 at Reli Tours. You can find other details in the link below.

http://www.relitours.ph/en-visa.html

How to apply for a visa?

Basically you just have to complete the requirements, submit it to an accredited agency and pay the fees. Then the agency will submit your document to the Embassy for approval and contact you when your visa is ready..or not.

How long does visa processing take?

Processing takes 7-10days or longer. In our case, we applied for a visa on Friday and got to pick it up on Wednesday so it only took 3 working days. Though in the visa, the date of issue was Monday so processing is very fast. Although it may take longer if the Embassy requires you to submit additional documents. So don't take your chances and delay applying for a visa until it's too late.

In this picture you can find the requirements for a Tourist Visa

1. Passport - must have at least 2 blank pages. Fill up the emergency contact details at the back. To be sure, passport should be valid at least 6 months.

2.  Application Form - print in A4 size paper. Write neatly without erasures.

3. Picture - 4.5cmx4.5cm with white background. Just tell the studio it's for a Japan visa application and you're good. Paste this in the application form. It costs PHP100.

4.  Birth Certificate - from NSO, must be valid within the year. You can get it online at ecensus.com.ph or nsohelpline.com. I used NSOhelpline because they have online payment. It costs PHP350.

5.   Daily Schedule in Japan - download the template from Japan Embassy website or from your agency and print in A4 sized paper.

6.   Bank Certificate - valid within 3 months. Average daily balance is not required. Just the total amount certified will do. We will be staying in Japan for 11 days, so I got certification for 150k and my friend certified for 200k just to give you an idea. This is printed in short bond paper so you need to photo copy it into an A4 paper but still bring the original. Bank Cert costs PHP100. 

7.   Copy of Income Tax Return - you can request a copy from your company or from BIR. I have 2 companies within the year so I submitted an ITR from both. 

Sample Application Form

Note that all documents should be in A4. If not, photocopy it into an A4 sized paper but bring the original. All documents submitted will not be returned except for the passport.

It's not required but I also submited a copy of my Certificate of Employment because I was worried about submitting 2 ITRs. We also submitted a copy of our plane ticket.
I would have also submitted my booking confirmations from Airbnb if I didn't forget to print it.

Even if you submitted all the documents, it does not guarantee visa approval. (sad I know)

The agency does not advise to buy tickets before applying for a visa because you can get denied. Visa application is advised 2 months before your departure. We all know buying tickets too close to the date of departure almost always guarantee high prices.  Same goes for accommodation especially on peak seasons. So we already have a plane ticket and accommodation when we applied for a visa.

Thank God our visa was approved! Visa validity is within 3 months from approval and we were allowed to stay for a maximum of 15 days. :)