Destination : Bantayan Island Cebu

Bantayan island is one of cebu's not so best kept secret. it is located off the northwest of cebu mainland. the island is still not that developed if you compare it to the sprawling island of boracay and bohol so it is definitely not overcrowded and over priced so this place is definitely for people looking for a great beach like boracay but hates the crowd and noise of the island and just want a total relaxation. aside from being a great beach destination the island is also consider as a lenten destination for catholics devotee during the holy week people gather in the town center of the island to witness one of the most solemn holy week procession in the country so reservation to the island during this period is a must. the town of bantayan is also known for its mouth watering dried fish and freshly catch seafoods like squids,lobsters and crabs. and also the island is rich in history and other natural wonders some of the oldest churches in the visaya is situated in the island. now i think thats just enough reason for you to visit the island great beaches great food and i forgot to mention bantayanons are simple hearted and friendly...

Getting There:

To get to bantayan you can take a 30 mins plane ride from cebu city mactan airport via SEA Air(temporary suspended) or you can go by land by taking a bus at north cebu bus terminal traveling by land may take 2 to 3 hours to hagnaya and then take a ferry boat from hagnaya to sta fe where most of the beautiful beach of bantayan is located.

Where To Stay:

Marlins Beach Resort
Prices: US$20-40
Address: Santa Fe

Kota Beach Resort
Prices: US$20-40
Address: Santa Fe
Contacts: (63)32- 4196135, (63)32-4389042

Budong Beach Resort
Prices: Less Than $20
Address: Santa Fe
Contacts: (63)32-4389040

St. Bernard Beach Resort
Prices: 40 to 80$
Address: Santa Fe

Sugar Beach Resort
Prices: Less Than $20
Address: Santa Fe

Photo Gallery Of Bantayan Island

Bantayan Island










Old Churches







Marlins Beach Resort

Cross-Country Bus Terminals in Metro Manila

Planning an out of town trip by land? and you dont wanna drive? then ride a bus. there are several bus company that travel in and out of metro manila from north to south all you need is a lot of time and a lot of patience as some of the journey will take you more than 10 hours. anyway here are some of the bus company that do a cross-country journey in the country.

Alladin Transit
Destination : Cagayan Valley
Terminal: Cayco Street, Sampaloc, Manila
Tel No: 63(2)781-9168

Autobus Transport System
Destination: Baguio, Laoag, Cagayan Valley, Dagupan, Ifugao, Kalinga and Isabela
Terminal: Dimasalng cor. Laong Laan Street, Sampaloc, Manila
Tel No: 63(2)735-8098

Baliwag Transit
Destination: Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Isabel, Cagayan, Tarlac, Pampanga
Terminal: New York EDSA Cubao, Quezon City
Tel No: 63(2)912-3343

BLTB
Destination: Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Bicol Region, Leyte and Samar
Terminal : EDSA Pasay City, Cubao, Quezon City
Tel No: 63(2)833-5508

Dagupan Bus Line
Destination : Pangasinan and Baguio
Terminal : Cubao, Quezon City
Tel No: 63(2)727-2330

Dangwa Tranco
Destination : Baguio City, Ifugao and Kalinga
Terminal : 1600 Dimasalang Street, Sampaloc, Manila
Tel No: 63(2)731-2879

Dominion Transit
Destination : Abra, La Union and Ilocos Sur (and all provinces on the way)
Terminal : New York Street, Cubao Q.C.
Tel No: 63(2)741-4146

Eaglestar Transit
Destination : Samar, Leyte
Terminal : Ali Mall 1, Cubao, Q.C.
Tel No: 63(2)913-1510

Fariñas Transit
Destination : Pampanga, Tarlac, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte (and all provinces on the way)
Terminal : Laong Laan cor de la Fuente Sts., Sampaloc, Manila
Tel No: 63(2)731-4507

Franco Federico Lines
Destination : Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte
Terminal : Sampaloc, Manila
Tel No: 63(2)731-4473

JAC Liner
Destination : Laguna, Quezon
Terminal : EDSA cor. Kamias St., Quezon City
Tel No: 63(2)682-5750

JAM Transit
Destination : Batangas, Laguna, Quezon
Terminal : Timog Ave. cor. EDSA, Quezon City
Tel No: 63(2)541-4409

Maria de Leon Transit
Destination : La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte (and all provinces on the way)
Terminal : Dapitan cor. Gelinos St, Sampaloc, Manila
Tel No: 63(2)731-4907

Partas Transit
Destination : La Union, Abra, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte (and all provinces on the way)
Terminal : 816 Aurora Boulevard cor. Arayat St., Cubao, Q.C.
Tel No: 63(2)725-7303

Philippine Rabbit
Destination : Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, Tarlac, La Union, Abra, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte (and all provinces on the way)
Terminal : Rizal Avenue, Manila
Tel No: 63(2)734-9838

Philtranco
Destination : Bicol region, Samar, Leyte, Davao, Iloilo, Kalibo; Shuttle bus to and from Diosdado Macapagl International Airport (Clark International Airport) in Angeles City, Pampanga
Terminal & Tel No: EDSA: 63(2)851-8077, 8079; & Cubao: 63(2)722-7567

RCJ Transit
Destination : La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte (and all provinces on the way)
Terminal : España St. cor. Gov. Forbes Ave., Sampaloc, Manila; Tel No: 63(2)731-4907;
For Schedule Information Only: Libis, Quezon City; Tel No.: 63(2)912-9378, 911-3978

Saulog Transit
Destination : Cavite, Bataan and Olongapo
Terminal : 1377 Quirino Ave., Paranaque
Tel No: 63(2)825-2926

Tritran Transit
Destination : Batangas, Quezon
Terminal : EDSA, Quezon City
Tel No: 925-1758

Victory Liner
Destination : Olongapo, Zambales, Tarlac, La Union, Baguio, Pangasinan, Isabela and Cagayan
Terminal : 561 EDSA Pasay City
Tel No: 63(2)833-0293

Viron Transit
Destination : Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union and Ilocos Sur
Terminal : 1209 Blumentritt cor. Dapitan Street, Sampaloc, Manila
Tel No: 63(2)741-6588.

Travel News : Philippines, ‘Ecotourism Destination of the Year’ awarded by FRANCE

MANILA, Philippines - The French can’t seem to get enough of the Philippines these days.

Fresh from being featured in two seasons of “Koh Lanta,” the French version of “Survivor,” the country recently clinched another honor: the coveted “Ecotourism Destination of the Year” title in the 2009 edition of Nature, one of France’s biggest travel fairs.

A jubilant Joseph Ace Durano, secretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism, broke the good news at the recently concluded Top Resa travel fair in Paris.

Colleagues from DOT and the Philippine Tourism Authority as well as representatives from the government and private sectors, which included some of the country’s biggest tour oper ators and resort establishments, joined him in the four-day fair.

The country’s participation culminated in a cocktail party hosted by DOT for France’s top travel executives. Dubbed as “Mabuhay Night,” the affair was hosted by Frenchman and “Koh Lanta” star Denis Brogniart and featured the Bayanihan Dancers, May Bayot and Acoustic Jive, champion bartender Ryan Burgos and “Koh Lanta” finalists.

Unlike Top Resa, which marked its 30th year, Nature appeals more to direct consumers as opposed to industry movers. The Philippines has been joining Top Resa for the past three years, and will debut next year in Nature. As the sole featured destination, all eyes will likely be on the Philippines.

“An adventure travel fair like Nature mirrors the French people’s preference for ecotourism,” said Durano. “It combines nature-based travel with a bit of physical activity and cultural immersion.”

Unprecedented

Durano attributed this latest development to a number of factors, foremost of which is the country’s selection as site of “Koh Lanta” for two years in a row. After shooting in El Nido, Palawan, in 2006, the show’s producers were back in late 2007, this time in Caramoan, Camarines Sur, with a new batch of competitors.

“This is unprecedented in ‘Koh Lanta’s’ history,” he said. “Since it debuted a few years ago, the show is watched by almost 8 million people every week.”

Images of the Philippines are likely to linger in French living rooms a year or two from now, as Durano finalizes details with producers of the French version of “Great Amazon.” The show, which reportedly has a bigger following than “Koh Lanta,” also wants to shoot an entire season in the Philippines.

“Based on exit surveys we did, foreign tourists spent close to $4.8 billion in the Philippines last year,” said Durano. “This figure doesn’t include plane fares and hotel accommodations, which they usually buy in their respective countries, and other miscellaneous expenses.”

After exceeding last year’s target of three million tourists by close to 100,000, the country, despite dire global developments, seems poised to meet its current target of 3.5 million tourists by the end of 2008.

Faced with a financial meltdown, the US market has begun to slow down. The same condition applies to Japan and other key European markets, except France and Russia.

“While global tourism continues to contract, the French market, as far as we’re concerned, grew by 29 percent in the first seven months of the year,” he said.

French arrivals to the country was in the red as recently as three years ago, making such a feat all the more impressive, Durano added.

Only the Russian market, which posted a 34-percent growth rate within the same period, did better. Both groups are known to visit a particular country for an average of two weeks.

“Europeans spend more as a whole because they stay longer,” said Durano. “Although the average amount they spend is lower than short-staying tourists, they end up spending more during their two- to three-week stay.”

Personalized service

But unlike Russians, who love to stay in big hotels that promote luxury travel, the French prefer small and quaint resorts where service is more personalized.

This explains why big players, with the exception of Sofitel Philippine Plaza, from such mature destinations as Manila, Cebu and Boracay were absent in Top Resa. In their place were relatively remote properties from Palawan, Camarines Sur and Bohol.

“We’re very careful not to position the Philippines in France as a place known primarily for big-city hotels,” said Durano. “The French have always been trend-setters when it comes to food, clothes and, as we found out, also travel.”

With a relatively minuscule promotions budget compared to that of Thailand, Malaysia and India, DOT has learned to become more selective and creative in its marketing thrust.

In lieu of major ad placements in CNN and BBC, for instance, Durano and his team led by Undersecretary Edu Jarque, Assistant Secretary Theresa Martinez and Team Europe head Verna Buensuceso have chosen smaller but more focused marketing venues to get the country’s message across.

DOT has tapped Frenchman Blaise Borezes, PR manager for the Asian market of Interface, a leading PR and advocacy firm in France, to promote the country as a tourism destination.

It was through Interface’s efforts that the country gained the attention of people behind “Koh Lanta.” The company is also responsible for identifying and inviting French travel journalists to go to the Philippines on familiarization tours.

After years of being relegated to the fringes through expensive tailor-made tour packages drawn up by a handful of French experts on Asia and such activities as diving and trekking, the Philippines is now slowly inching its way into the mainstream.

For one, said Borezes, a growing number of tour operators in France now include the Philippines in their window displays. They likewise offer the potential French traveler a choice between costly tailor-made tours and more readily available and affordable group-tour packages to the country.

Serious efforts

The country’s 83-sq m booth this year, although similar in look with previous efforts, was much bigger to accommodate all participants than when DOT first joined Top Resa. It only goes to show, said Borezes, that the country is serious in its efforts to promote tourism and has now joined the ranks of major players.

“Interest in the Philippines is bound to intensify after Jet Tour and Bacamces Tramsat, two of France’s best tour operators, recently launched the Philippines as one of its major destinations,” he said.

The French, he added, are always on the lookout for newer, more exciting destinations in Asia. Those who first stumbled on the Philippines were pleasantly surprised to find out the country, apart from its postcard-pretty beaches, has an interesting Latin heritage that’s totally unique in Asia.

“The French are always looking for culture in a country,” he said. “They love visiting old churches and going to markets to experience how life is in a particular place. If you travel so far, you need to find something different yet familiar. You don’t travel for 15 hours just to see a nice beach.”

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:48:00 10/05/2008

Travel News: Cebu Pacific flies Manila-Osaka

Cebu Pacific (CEB), the airline business unit of Gokongwei-owned conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc., will fly direct from Manila to Osaka, Japan three-times weekly starting on November 20, 2008.

Using its 179-seater A320 aircraft, the new service departs every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 1:30pm and arrives in Osaka at 6:25pm. The return trip takes off at 7:10pm and arrives in Manila at 10:05pm.

Osaka is CEB’s first destination in Japan and it’s fifteenth in Asia after Bangkok, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kaohsiung, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Pusan, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, and Taipei.

Lance Y. Gokongwei, CEB President and CEO, said, “Japan has a very active and vibrant travel market. This service will be strategically important to the country’s tourism agenda and should also help us attain our goal of flying seven million passengers this year.”

He added, “The Manila-Osaka service will likewise allow our overseas Filipino workers to come home more frequently because of our trademark low fares. This will also generate interest among the Japanese market for our competitive medical and wellness tourism packages in the Philippines. ”

CEB is offering a one-way introductory fare of P1,999 on the Manila-Osaka route, a price cut of 70% from the current fares offered by other airlines. The seat sale will run from September 16 to 30, 2008 and is good for travel from November 20 to December 18, 2008. Fare is non-refundable and exclusive of applicable surcharges and government taxes.

After the seat sale, the lowest year-round ‘Go’ fare is P3,999, still a price cut of 40% from the current fares offered by other airlines for this route.

CEB explained that passengers who avail of their ‘Go Lite’ fares can get P200 off of their fares. Bookings can be made via cebupacificair.com, CEB’s call centers, sales offices or travel agents.

Gokongwei emphasized, “With this long awaited announcement to fly to Japan, we hope that the public will take advantage of our seat sale and book their flights now.”

“CEB is the only low cost carrier in the world operating to the three major North Asian countries with services to China, Korea and now Japan.” Gokongwei concluded.

CEB is RP’s leading airline to the ASEAN region. The airline flew 5.5 million passengers in 2007 and has the youngest fleet of aircraft in the Philippines.

From Cebu Pacific News Archive

Travel News: 19th Philippine Travel Fair Triple X

The yearly 3 day travel fair in the country is happening again tomorrow at SM Megamall's Trade Hall. this is the day all the travel junkies out there have been waiting for. the theme for this year is xtreme i think they will focus on the adventure side of the Philippines so if your up for some cheap travel adventure then head on to SM Megamall Tomorrow Sept 12-14 2008.

Puerto Galery Trip Report

Hello readers soooory for not updating i was so busy these past few weeks have a lot of things to do. i was stress out and one of the best thing to ease your stress is to go out of town. so i invited my friends to go to puerto galera over the weekend for some r&r and the island never failed to pamper me. though prices are starting to skyrocket in the island starting from the port where you buy the banca tickets and terminal fee. my last trip to puerto galera was last January its just one day a very short trip so this time we decided to stay for 3 days and we are so lucky that the typhoon didn't spoil our trip. it was sunny in the island for the whole 2 days but the waves are so big so we wasn't able to swim that much. but we are able to do snorkeling and of course party at night. like what i have said in my previous post, party in galera is one of the best beach party here in the Philippines just dont forget to try the signature drink of the island the mindoro sling.

Getting To Puerto

Puerto Galera is 3 to 5 hours away from manila you can go by car or by bus there are several bus going to batangas port scattered all over the metro they are in taft avenue,buendia,cubao and alabang. fare is 180php and then the boat fare from batangas port to puerto galera is 280 php if you purchase a one way ticket but if you get the roundtrip ticket u will have a 60 php dicount so instead of 560 php it will be just 500 php and then u will have to pay the 50 php environmental fee. so its 910 php all in all for the fare.

Where To Stay

I highly recommend vm or white beach resort as we always stay there ever since though there are lots of resort to choose in the island i already feel at home at the whote beach resort friendly staff and very accomodating and the resort is loceted conveniently.

For Hotel Accomodation and Activities In The Island You Can contact A Good Friend Of Mine Mrs. Precy Hayag She Is Very Nice and Friendly and Doesnt Overpriced on Her Water Sports Activities Just Haggle.

Precy Hayag
Call or text : +639206044368 or +639273633242

Services Offered:
Snorkeling
Sightseeing
Island Hopping
Fishing
Hiking
Banana Boat
Jetski
Trip To Tamaraw Falls
and Parasailing


Photo Gallery Of Puerto Galera

Batangas Port Ticket booth




Inside The Port




On Our Way To White Beach














Sunset At White Beach


The Funny Entertainers At White Beach

She is Monica


My good friend jonah


Korean loves her she is beyonce


very sexy dianne


the bitchy joan


cutie nicky and funny michelle


Saturday morning at white beach








After snorkeling










VM and White Beach Resort









Sunday Morning Its Time To Go



Its started to rain




More islands along the way











For more about pueto galera you can check out my older post here