Finally, ILOCOS!!!

ILOCOS

February 20-22, 2015

Few months back, I came across this Facebook page of  Extreme Outdoor Club -a travel and tour group that offers Ilocos Getaway for only Php3,000. It was my first time joining a group of strangers and I knew it would be fun!

INCLUSIONS:

• Private Van (Nissan Urvan 14 seater or Toyata Hi ace Commuter) - we were 17 including the driver and the guide. no biggie. I expected that. Though I was really hoping it would only be 3pax per row since Ilocos is really far.
• Vigan, Laoag, Pagudpud Tour - yes, your 3,000 pesos is soo sulit! 
• 2 nights room 4/6pax sharing accommodation in a beach resort - the room is actually good for two persons only. It has one bed and one extra mattress. I asked the guide, Kuya Mike if we can transfer to another room. He called Edzhel Herrera - the owner or maybe the founder of EOC. He agreed. We settled our things, freshened up, charged our gadgets, et al. and then suddenly, the air-conditioner stopped functioning. We transferred to another room which is actually bigger and good for 4-6persons. Lucky? Kind of. I guessed. Morning after, Kuya Mike was asking us to pay additional Php500 each because we requested a separated room. Of course, we firmly disagreed. They should have informed us about that fee before allowing us to get a new room.
• Entrance in Kabigan Falls, Kapurpuruwan Rock Formation, Entrance in Blue Lagoon
• Bagtag ID - no. we didn't receive any bagtag ids

My viewpoint:

EOC was on time! We left Manila at exactly 10 in the evening of Thursday.

Hope they would post a tarpaulin outside the van so we would know na yun na pala yung inaantay namin. 

Group tour is a lot cheaper than travelling alone.

Be open minded but know your rights.

Pack Light.

Always be on time.

Patience!

***To our driver, Mang Pedro -kahit inakala mong mga tilapia kaming mga sakay mo sa sobrang bilis mong mag-maneho, thank you pa din. Salamat for allowing us na makisabay hanggang Sucat though ang usapan is until Balintawak lang. hehe! To Pham Manayan and the family from Mindoro that became our instant friends, Thank you sa masayang kwentuhan, tsismisan, takutan at food trip. Haha! And to that woman (in her 40s maybe)- who blurted out "Hay nko! Nababadtrip nko ha!" after I said "Jan ho ata kami." calm down, momma. You could not choose your preferred sit inside the van. The organizers already prepared the sitting arrangement. Not our fault, madame. So please, wag ako. Charaught!

All in all, I will still recommend EOC. They offer tours in a reasonable price. There may be some issues on the road but it's amenable.

xx

Test Shots

GoPro HERO4 Silver Edition

I am officially in love with this!!!

#CambViet2014

It all started when CebPac offered promo fares for international and domestic trips last January, 2014. Our original plan was to visit Vietnam alone but few months after, we realized it'll be a good idea to check out Cambodia as well.

Here's the breakdown of our air fare:

Payment Details

Other Fees: PHP 0.00 

Other Taxes: PHP 0.00 

Base Fare: PHP 4.00

Fuel Surcharge: PHP 4,436.72 

Passenger Service Charge-VN: PHP 1,774.68 

Web Admin Fee: PHP 480.00 

INSRT: PHP 650.00 

Seat Selection Fee: PHP 520.00 

BAG15: PHP 1,600.00 

Total Amount: PHP 9,465.40 (or PHP 4,732.70 each)

...I know it's quite expensive despite the promo. Why? Because it includes seat selections and travelsure program of CebPac. Here's a tip!

TIP #1: Do not pre-select your sits. It will just cost you more hundreds. But buy your baggage allowance online since it's cheaper.

Our flight was at 10:50 in the evening and Alex was already at the airport few minutes after 6. I arrived past 9 in the evening because I forgot my passport and had to go back to Calamba. Sorry na. Ha ha!

At the airport, we had to pay PHP 1,620 for travel tax and PHP 550 for Terminal Fee. And we were like, SRSLY?! Ganun kamahal ang pag-alis? We also had our late dinner at Tapa King. 112 pesos for 4pcs siomai, steamed rice, and water. hashtag: tipidmode

We arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport around 12:30 AM - Vietnam Time (1:30 AM if you're in the Philippines). We took our time inside the airport by getting our luggage and looking for a Money Changer. We exchanged our $100 to Vietnam Dong and we're instant millionaires! It's my first time to hold 2,138,100 Dong. Again, that's two million! Ha ha

Tan Son Nhat International Airport

TIP #2: As much as possible, look for a Mai Linh Taxi when you need to use a cab. Do not ride a Vinasun Taxi because they are known for providing bad service.

It was pretty hard to spot a Mai Linh Taxi. And most of the time, they already have a passenger inside. So we didn't have a choice that time we arrived in the airport but to take Vinasun Taxi. We took a taxi going to Gotcha - a restobar that serves kebab, burgers, fries, beers, etc. The Vinasun Taxi driver asked for 180,000 VND eventhough his meter said 153,000 VND only. Since we didn't have the energy to argue, we just handed him our payment. Gotcha is located one block away from the bus stop going to Cambodia and we stayed there for hours and got 2 rounds of free drinks from tipsy / friendly travelers from America and Australia.

TIP #3: If you intend to go right away to Cambodia, you would save a lot of money if you'll just stay in an establishment which is open for 24hrs instead of staying in a hotel for just a couple of hours. 

Before daylight, we decided to just stay at the park in front of the Mekong Express to wait for our bus which would depart at 7:00 AM. Btw, I paid our Ho Chi Minh - Siem Reap (vv) bus tickets online so kindly check their website. It cost $26 each ($52 - two way / pax).

We left Vietnam at exactly 7 in the morning and arrived in Cambodia at 10 in the evening. Yes, it was 15 hours of seating and listening to i don't know if it's Vietnam or Cambodia's music. It was exhausting!

Vietnam-Cambodia Border

When we were still planning this trip, we agreed to keep it bold and cheap at the same time. We looked for several accommodations online and settled to Angkorwall HoHo right in the center of Siem Reap. This dormitory for travelers is perfectly located at Sivatha Street which is next to Night Market. We paid approx $30 for 2 nights. That's like 337 pesos per day / pax which is not bad. Really! 

TIP #4: Be adventurous! Try dorms on your next trip. It ain't bad at all. You'll meet several backpackers from around the world. It's fun!

On our second day, we planned to do it the tourist way. The Angkor Watt Tour! Since we're on a tight budget, we didn't get any tour packages online. It's reallllyy expensive! Most of the tours I checked online were asking for $60-$90 / tour. Kalurks! On our first night at Siem Reap, we met NoPro (means No Problem) - a tuktuk driver and asked him if he can be our guide the next day. He agreed to be our driver / tour guide for $15 or approx 660 pesos (PHP330/each).

One day pass at the Angkor World Heritage is $20.

Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. Stretching over some 400 km2, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the famous Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. - UNESCO

One Day Pass

NoPro - tuktuk driver / tour guide

We finished our tour past 3 in the afternoon and NoPro advised us to experience buffet dinner and watch the Traditional Khmer Dancing Shows at Koulen Restaurant. The food is alright, you got to taste the authentic Khmer cuisine that typically consists of rice, herbs, & vegetables. This buffet and live perfomance will cost you $12.

Our last night at Cambodia was spent at the Pub Street...

Our 3rd day was all about sitting again for another 15 hours and listening to nonstop Khmer music because we were going back to Vietnam. Again, we rode the Mekong Express Bus for PHP 1,144 (Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh).

We stayed at New Saigon Hotel for $50 (1 room for 2 nights) or approx 550 per night / pax. The next morning, we just explored the city on our own with the help of a map. 

MAIN EXPENSES:

AIRFARE

Manila - Ho Chi Minh (vv) + baggage                       -          PHP 4,733

AIRPORT

Travel Tax                                                                -          PHP 1,620

Terminal Fee                                                            -          PHP    550
CAMBODIA
Bus ticket from Ho Chi Minh to Siem Reap               -          PHP 1,144
Cambodia Immigration                                             -          PHP     105

Angkorwall Hoho                                                      -          PHP     674

NoPro (driver / tour guide)                                       -          PHP     330
Angkor World Heritage One Day Pass                     -          PHP     880

Koulen Restauraant buffet dinner + show                -          PHP     528
VIETNAM
Bus ticket from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh               -          PHP 1,144
New Saigon Hotel                                                     -          PHP 1,100

      T   O   T    A   L                                                   =         PHP 12,808 ($291) for 5d/4n #CambViet2014

xx