Our Group's Travel Rules 101-3. The Tour Schedule Is Not Cast In Stone!

Or, How To Make Sure We're Still Talking To Each Other At the End of the Trip - 3

Before travelling to a certain place, we usually have a list of places we have heard, read or been told about, that are "absolute must-see's" or "must-try's", food that we "must try" and things we "must buy".  Well and good, except that after two days of looking at old churches, and in sweltering heat at that, one's head and feet seem reluctant to leave the airconditioned comforts of the van, even if the driver says the church in front of you was built five centuries ago using 20,000 eggwhites and as many rocks. 

So, guess what...being 50 and above allows you to break the rules. Honest. In our book, it is perfectly okay to say, "Pass", or "I've already seen that on Rated K/National Geographic/Kris TV anyway". There is no contest to see who went to the most tourist spots, quiz to check who memorized all the architectural details of all the stone houses in the country. Hello, you're on vacation..you SHOULD do as you please! 

So when your guide/guidebook/van driver says you absolutely have to visit this tenth church, just this last one, and all you want to do is lie back and read a magazine, go tell that to the rest of your group and watch everyone heave a sigh of relief and say, "Good! Me too!"  

Which is what happened one hot afternoon in Panglao, Bohol...

It was our third day. We were all churched-out...  

...done visiting the tarsiers..

Hot, hot day. Thirsty.  Waiting for sunset in Panglao Island. Waiting for happy hour. 

Too hot for a beach-side massage, even.

 What to do?

Uhmmm.....errr....

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our Group's Travel Rules 101-2. We agree on a budget, and respect it.

Or, How To Make Sure We're Still Talking To Each Other At the End of the Trip - 2


We agree on a budget, and respect it.

(Photo from www.tourism.gov.ph)

As soon as flights are booked by either Nancy or Tony, Millet researches on hotels, van rentals and sights. The Web is full of information about destinations, and most hotels and restaurants have Facebook pages. The most helpful websites are those that include contact details of the places. Most hotels can make referrals to van rentals.

8 people inside one tricycle, Camiguin, March 1985

When we have a fairly good idea about the range of choices for lodging, we draw up a rough itinerary and a budget. We decide on an intial working budget (say, P5K/person), and give the amount to either Nancy or Tony. This is the group's general fund for the trip, and from this amount will come the payments for lodging, all meals, tips, airport terminal fees,bottled water, van rentals,etc. -  sometimes even massages, as long as everyone wants one!  This is way more convenient than splitting the bill each time we eat, and having everyone dig through their pockets for the exact amount. 

Not included in the general fund are items that are of interest/use to some members only - rentals for sports equipment or specific rides (e.g., ziplines), liquor, "pasalubong" (take-home goodies), souvenirs and personal items.

Eating durian by the roadside, Kapatagan, Davao del Sur, 2006

Nancy/Tony periodically updates us on the state of the group's finances, so we know when to go slow on the lobster (if we don't want to end up washing dishes at the restaurant!) or when to top up and hunt for the nearest ATM. In all these trips, we've had to top up only two or three times, so that means we've done pretty good planning and fund management, right?

Costa Marina Beach Resort, Samal Island, 2006

Tips for a happy travel budget for your group:

1. Agree on a basic amount based on your rough itinerary/plan.

2. Keep in mind that travel is cheaper the more people there are in a group.  For example, a typical van rental goes for P3K/day. If you're a group of 8 like us, that comes up to only P375/person. 

3.  Agree among yourselves which items you want to scrimp on and which ones to splurge on. For our group, we require only the basic necessities for lodging (aircon rooms, hot/cold showers, clean bathrooms, clean bedrooms, and good and safe location. Food and tours - that's our priority - that's what we're there for, after all. 

4.  Van, walk, van, walk.  We used to get a kick out of finding our way around using public transport, but these days, unless the places have excellent public transport systems like Singapore and HK, our achy backs and knees prefer vans for going around. We all love walking around, but when the next ancient church or beach is three towns away, there's nothing like a big van to take everyone along their merry way. Splurge on the rental, and save your energy and muscle power for walking around and shopping.

Tagbilaran City, Bohol, 2012



"I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list." - Susan Sontag

Our Group's Travel Rules 101-1-We buy budget flights/promo tickets

Or, How To Make Sure We're Still Talking To One Another At The End Of the Trip - 1


We buy budget flights/promo tickets only 

Nancy and Tony have designated themselves as the promo-watchers and ticket purchasers, and they have it down to an exact science. They can predict 90% of the time the dates when Cebu Pacific offers its "Piso Sale" (P1.00 seats), know whether PAL's promo is better than CEB's, and know how and where to pay for the tickets. We pay in cash whenever possible, and we understand, albeit grudgingly, the statute of limitations of promo tickets - non-refundable, non-transferable, etc., etc. 

Since promo flights are usually booked months ahead of the flight date, if something comes up by flight date and some of us are unable to make the trip we do not fret, but only a little; after all, foregoing a P1,200. roundtrip ticket to Manila is much less painful than giving up a P7,000 ticket, right?

Some tips for booking online:

a) The airline websites may be  swamped by too many people trying to book flights during seat sales, so you just need to keep trying. Sometimes you may need to refresh your browser. The best time to book flights used to be between midnight and 2am, but I guess everyone got wind of that so everyone's logged on at that time. ;- (  I used to panic whenever I heard my cellphone go off after midnight, anticipating news of an emergency, but these days, the text message at 3 am is usually, "BFFs, we're booked to_____ on ____".

b)  If you're booking for a group, have a list of everyone's complete names, birthdates and addresses in front of you. Some websites save your details so it's easier to fill in the forms the next time you book online.  Check and double-check your entries.

c)  Some airline websites are tricky in the sense that you may be unaware that you're paying for add-ons like seat selection, meals, flight insurance, etc. Make sure you un-check those boxes and those seats. It takes more effort, but that difference could cost you as much as P1,000. each if ignored.  Make sure you review the details of your total fare, especially the "Add-Ons". 

d)  And because they're promo flights, we bring along our own sandwiches, chips, blankets, pillows, and even water. and we don't mind the 2 am flight schedules. Of course we still expect courtesy, comfort and basic amenities, but that is another story for another day. 

"You don't have to be rich to travel well." - Eugene Fodor

Batanes Diary 3. Going Around Batanes

There are very few motor vehicles in Batanes. Around Basco, there are a few rental vans for tourists. Bikes and motorcycles are available for rent. 

Of course there are a few tricycles which seat two slim people in the front seat, and another one behind the driver. however, because gas is expensive in batanes, the tricycles in basco do not go around town looking for passengers; instead, if you need a ride, you send a text message to the tricycle terminal and tell them where you wish to be picked up, and in a few minutes, the trike is there. How convenient is that! Besides, everyone in town knows the contact numbers of the trike terminal.

instead of an airconditioned van, we opted to tour batan island in this big jeep. 

this proved to be a wise choice as we had an all-around view of the sights as we went along since it was open on all sides. 

and you can even take pictures from a moving jeep...

of course, there's nothing like a sturdy pair of legs for strolling

and for climbing up and down the mountains....

Make sure you bring a sturdy pair of walking shoes for all that walking. Flip-flops sometimes just won't do the trick.

But wait...you mean we're walking all the way up and down there? hmmm...

"Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world." - Gustave Flaubert

Batanes Diary 4. What We Saw In Batanes

 Stones

More stones

Boulders

...more boulders

Sun 

Water

...more water

Hills

...and more hills

Grass

...more grass 

Yup, that's all that we saw all over Batanes! So why is everyone jumping for joy?

"Not all those who wander are lost." - J.R.R. Tolkien

Batanes Diary 2. Finding Our Way to the Hotel

We had made reservations at the DDD Habitat Inn. This was our third choice since our two previous choices were fully booked. We could not find tricycles at the airport (no, there are no taxis in Batanes), so we asked around and were told that the hotel is a short walk from the airport. 

The walk was pleasant as the roads were clean, and almost empty - there are very few vehicles in Basco. 

Trolley bags made the walk fun and easy.

 We were excited to see our first stone house.

Slices of turmeric drying in the sun by the side of the highway - the Ivatans (natives of Batanes) use turmeric to color their rice

Orchid blooms looking out onto the street, as if to welcome us

After a leisurely walk of about 10-15 minutes, we're finally here!

Our home in Batanes

Check-in done - six of us in one room (2 big double beds and one bunk bed), and two in another room, with a bathroom in between.  It all came down to the grand sum of P350/person/day! I mean, where can one find  decent lodging that cheap?  With free wi-fi internet to boot! 

There was another bathroom beyond the kitchen, a few steps away. Airconditioned rooms, no hot showers, but the hotel provides those portable water heaters that you dunk in a pail of water. Lots of fresh water; a dining room with thermos jugs of hot water, sachets of instant coffee, and a plastic cabinet full of plates, mugs, forks and spoons.

Guests are allowed to use the small kitchen to cook their own food, although simple meals may be ordered. We ordered our first meal in Batanes - instant coffee, steamed rice, fried eggs and fried flying fish (dibang).  The fish was tasty although a little bony; it fortified us for all the thrills that were forthcoming, though. 

"Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen." - Benjamin Disraeli

DDD Habitat Lodging House
Lopes St., Barangay Kayvaluganan, 3900, Basco, Batanes
(02)3304937; +639065177580; +639993463590
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Batanes-DDD-Habitat-Lodging-House/114385648578886

Batanes Diary 1. How To Get There

Batanes is the northernmost province of the Philippines and is considered remote, unspoiled and raw. We wanted to find out for ourselves if this was still true.

If you're in the Philippines, getting to Batanes is easy via Manila. Pal Express (of the Philippine Airlines group) has flights to and from NAIA 3 daily at 6am (!) using the Bombardier Q400. It's a 76-seater turboprop that flies quietly and smoothly. 

Photo from Pal Express website

Regular fare is P7,000. one-way, but we waited and waited for promo flights, and got ours at P7,000. roundtrip. Half-price!  Life is good!

Basco is the destination to look for - it's the capital town of Batanes, and is located in Batan, the biggest island in this cluster of islands. 

After a smooth 1 1/2 hour flight (we all were asleep through most of the flight), we were excited to see this.

What surprises awaited us, Batanes? We're a long way from Davao City!

The closer to the airport we got, the  more structures we saw...

The beautiful Mt. Iraya behind Mats welcomed us. Although Mt. Iraya last erupted in 1454, it is still considered an active volcano.

All eight travelers accounted for, and happy to be at the stone house-inspired airport terminal before 8am. The early arrival meant we had the whole day to start our Batanes exploration! We were ready, Batanes!

"Travel...the best way to be lost...and found...all at the same time." - Brenna Smith