A day in Cebu City

Exactly one year ago when I and my family go on our first travel. That was 3 months before our kid become 2 years old - a perfect timing to travel because aside from he already knows to walk, he is still free of charge on airfare.

When we learned that Airphil express(now PAL express) offered an air seat promo, we took this chance for my post birthday celebration.

Our original plan was to have a short vacation at Bohol  but since Cebu is just 2hours-boat ride from Cebu,  we decided to have at least a day to experience Cebu.

Travel date arrives...

For accommodation, we booked a family room in Sampaguita Suites -a small hotel located near the famous Magellan’s Cross. We chose this hotel because aside from being just a stone throw away from Magellan’s cross, several tourist spots are also walking distance from the hotel, the Basilica de Sto Nino, and the fort San Pedro - a small version of Intramuros. Another reason is, the hotel is also near the sea port going to Bohol -our next destination.

Inside the Lapu lapu shrine

Si Lapu Lapu sa Likod

Tourist Attraction/Tour Package,upon reading other travel blogs, I learned that in Cebu there is a taxi company offering a tour service, a more cheaper option to visit  tourist spots in Cebu compares with booking a normal tour package, which cost approx. 1800/pax for a group of 3. Our tour cost us 1200pesos for the 6hours-taxi service, excluding entrance fees. Mas sulit diba? hehe!. We visited, Lapulapu shrine, Taoist Temple, several Old houses, Colon Street, and the guitar factory.
By the way, with P1200, our transfer from Cebu airport to hotel is already included.

Taoist Temple

Morning of our second day, after buying some souvenirs and pasalubong, we packed our things.. checked out and headed to seaport for our onward arjourney to Bohol. Seaport is just 2minutes-taxi ride or you can opt to walk if you’re travelling without kid.

Now, we are planning again to head back to Cebu, this time to experience their Beaches and world class Beach Resorts.

Yes, I’m Resigned

For just a year of stay, I found a home which totally different with my previous company, I found true friends, I found a company which offered a what they called a true work-life balance.

Despite that, I came with the decision to leave and have to bid farewell with my officemates. And effective June 21, 2013, my arjourney with OT has officially ended.

To all my friends, officemates, bosses who exerted effort in giving me encouraging personal message(email, chat, text). Thank you so much! How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard...

Boracay 2013 : Boracay Regency

It is already rainy season but it didn’t stop us to experience Boracay.. Bakit naman hindi eh di hamak na mas mura na rate ngayon..lol.

April this year I availed Piso fare promo from Zestair. But actually its not really a piso fare because total cost for 3 of us became P3,000 pesos (including taxes and surcharge + terminal fee).

For accommodation, I first read some reviews in tripadvisor.com, and as expected those resort with good impression also have a soaring high daily room rate. Until one of my friend who recently spend his summer at Boracay recommend to us the Boracay Regency. I browsed to their website and I find it too expensive also..lol. But the good thing is, I found a promo on their website.. the inclusions?

2Nights accomodation @superior room
Roundtrip transfer via Caticlan/Kalibo
Daily Breakfast,Lunch, Dinner (all are buffet)
Welcome refreshment

and it only cost 6900/person. I think everyone will agree that this package is already steal, because if you check their normal rate, it cost P7,200 per room/night which only include daily breakfast.

After a short exchange of email with the resort’s reservation, we got booked a room based on the promo rate.

 We arrived at Kalibo International Airport, and from there we ride a bus of  Southwest. It took almost two hours going to Caticlan Jetty port.

My wife and son upon arrival at Kalibo Airport

Shuttle bus service by Southwest Tour

Upon alighting the bus, one of their personnel separate us from the rest of the bus passengers. We then privately transferred to Boracay Regency’s private port via van - a 5min travel, for another travel  going to Boracay island using their private speedboat, a group of personnel already waited for us for another van transfer going to the resort. Daming transfer.. kaya mas ok kung magcaticlan na lang.. next time. :)

The check-in process only took almost 5min, but since we arrived as early as 10am, our assigned room was just getting fix at that time and we have waited another 10min before we were escorted going to our room.

Superior room is just basic, with comfortable bed, aircondition, LCD Tv, mini ref, closet with safety vault, and a coffee and tea.

Comfort room was provided also with basic necessity - bath soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste and toothbrush, shower cap, shaving kit and hair dryer.

The resort's location is at boracay station 2, perfectly located at the center of the 4 kilometer stretch of white sand. Unlike other resort in station 2, boracay regency is more peaceful. There are no vendor in front of the resort. The place is so relaxing. It is also good that there are several option within the resort for dining - Mesa, Christina Restaurant, Sea breeze cafe-where we always dine ;), Wave bar, Hap Chan and of course the well known McDonalds..lol..

Our whole stay in Boracay is  just a cycle of eat, dine, swim from pool to beach and back to pool, nap/sleep, walking at the seashore and the never ending photoshoot.

Probably, next time we must try some activities..  -when my son will be able to join us with those activities.

Tigerairways and Seair BoardMeFirst

Just to compare the rates of different low cost airlines, I usually do the dummy booking. And Seair caught my attention because of the service which other airlines don't have ( I assumed..hehe).

Aside from baggage selection, sports equipment, and seat selector, Seair and Tigerairways are also offering the service  BoardMeFirst. 

But I'm wondering.. what if all passengers availed that service, who will be the priority in boarding the plane? the first passenger who availed that service?..lol.

Is that service really essential? hmmm.. for me its not.

Resorts World Manila Free Shuttle Service

 I was invited by my former officemate  to attend their wedding which rites will be held at Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus - a church within Resorts World Manila. Since I don't have car, I was thinking of just riding a taxi cab going to RWM from Mandaluyong. Until morning of that day, I passed by at California Garden Square to buy my favorite milk tea when I saw the tarpaulin and learned that RWM is offering a free shuttle service from CGS to RWM and vice versa. I checked the ETD and ETA.. and perfect! ETD coincide with the wedding rites sched.

I availed the 1:45PM ETD from mandaluyong. Upon riding the shuttle van, the driver ask for my RWM membership card then I told him I don't have a membership card yet. He told me that shuttle van is only for those who are RWM members (nakakahiya! super formal pa naman ang suot ko tapos mapapababa lang sa van. :-(.. ). At the end, he still allow me to ride the shuttle provided that I will be applying for a membership at the RWM..(yehey!.. successful pa rin.)

For other pickup and drop-off points within Metro Manila, please refer to this link
http://www.rwmanila.com/contact-details/getting-here

My AirAsia Experience

As a certified airline promo abanger I got the chance to avail a promo seat offered by Airasia.

  

June 2012,  I excitedly book for an openjaw flight of Clark– Hongkong and Macau-Clark for December which only cost P9,979.96 and that’s already for 3 adults and 1 3yr old kid.

October 2012, since our trip is already approaching we decided then to book for our accommodation. With Adamant Travel and tours we easily accommodation both for Hongkong and Macau.

Aside from booking a hotel, my wife and I already filed for vacation leave – a long negotiation with our boss, and luckily, VL application… approved.

October 22, we received a text message and an email from Airasia and that’s the start of our trouble.

Airasia informed us that they are implementing a flight changes (or re-alignment) and our flight schedule is affected with the flight re-alignment or whatsoever.

Though they are offering options to address the issue but I think with the option they provided, we are still the one who's at a disadvantage.

•     One-time free move of flight to another date before 01 December, 2012

       - if we are taking this option, we have to re-apply for vacation leave, and to change our hotel   bookings with fees, possibly!

•     Cancel guest’s flight and convert the fare into a 90-day Online Credit Shell –  

      - if we are taking this option – we have to cancel our hotel booking and let our deposit to be forfeited, and have to rebook a flight in any destination we choose but no guarantee to having the same rate as we availed. In short, more likely we have to shell out money again for the next booking.

•     Cancel guest’s flight and refund fare –

      - if we are taking this option, we have to cancel our booking and let go our deposit and of course disappointment because this trip supposedly my Christmas gift for my mom – her first flight outside the country if ever.

Imagine, with all options, dehado at argabyado talaga kami. Then I call their hotline and explain everything, including the consequence in our part of the flight changes they implemented. But unfortunately, the agent told me that she has nothing to do.

I explained the case to my wife, and we decided to pursue the trip or else my mom gets disappointed, to end the story short, we take the first option.

 So, what we did...

• re-apply vacation leave and set a trip before December 1
• Rebooked for our hotel accommodation and luckily there are still available rooms for the date we chose.
• Call airasia again and chose a flight, it was a bit pressure to select a flight because once you choose a flight it is still depending on availability. Hay! Dagdag pressure si agent. Finally, we got Nov 28 Clark-Hongkong flight and Nov 30 Macau-Clark.

November 16, we received again a text message from airasia informing that our flight schedule from Macau-Clark has minor adjustment. Flight will be earlier than the schedule.. The consequence?? We have to shorten our planned Macau trip in order to arrive at the airport earlier.

Hindi ba hassle kung sa inyo nangyari yung ganito? Kahit naman siguro promo fare lang yun, still they have to treat us as a valuable client. Tama ba?

And I remember when Jetstar implemented also a flight changes, they offered a 500JPY voucher to use on in flight food, drink, entertainment as a form of apologizing with the inconvenienced they caused.

But with Airasia, we got nothing out of the inconvenience and extra cost we had because of their implemented flight changes.