My P5,000 Boracay Trip

Okay, I will cut my Backpacking South East Asia trip series first to give way to this Boracay entry. For the benefits of those who have Boracay trips soon, here's my recent trip. Hope this helps.

Just after 5 days since I got back from my SEA trip, I have another trip in line. Since Im very tired (and broke), I made this trip very cheap, enjoyable, and relaxing. Here goes my PhP5,00 Boracay trip.


Going There
To start with, this is a product of Piso Fare last year. Our round trip ticket to Boracay (Caticlan) is just P97. I got Dred and Kat their tickets as my birthday gifts to them. Ang sosyal ko magregalo- round trip Boracay tickets! hihi

Thank you Piso Fare!

P97 for each round trip ticket
P194.40 for 2pax


it's Boracay not Bora..


Going There Expenses


Day 1
We stayed at Sunshine Place - a beachfront accommodation in Station 1. We rented a room with 3 beds, cabled TV, aircon, hot and cold shower, and a private veranda which cost us P1,300 per night only. Not a problem if we were given a room which is not directly facing the beach.. Choosy pa ba kami sa ganung room rate? 0_o

our room at Sunshine Place

view from our veranda - a few steps away from the beach


I searched for the cheapest activity rates online before the trip. Surprisingly, the locals around the shore offer better rates. We settled for the less price of course. First in the must try activities for first timers is Island Hopping. Rate is P1,000 for a private boat.

lesgow island hopping

Kat and Dred - Boracay virgins no more!

They enjoyed snorkeling. Not much good shots because it's cloudy that day.


Next is Parasailing! Woohoo, 1st time ko din! Rate is just P1,200! Everything is very cheap when it's lean season.

Just when were wondering how does Parasailing work, we were already launched up in the air. Wee!


a quick launch

again, pag may Medicard - walang dapat ikatakot Ü

The boatmen took our photos here. In fairness, ang ganda ng framing nito..

parasailing in Boracay


Very fun! A must experience specially if you're in Boracay. You''ll have a good view of paradise.

For lunch, we ate in a nearby carinderia. 3 BBQ + rice = P42. We went back to our room after to take a bath and to rest. Of course, my friends cant miss the spectacular sunset in Boracay so we went out of our room in time. We strolled through the very long shore and took some pictures.

Paraw sailing as the sun sets

honestly I don't have a pair of Havaianas
and Im pretty sure Im not missing anything even if I dont own one


Moving on..
It rained around 7pm. We had dinner at YellowCab. A 14" Garlic and Shrimp pizza costs P600. I super like it!

a greasy pizza for dinner - aylavet!

We were making this trip cheap but a cup Starbucks coffee wont hurt. P155 for a grande size - everyone knows this for sure.

chismisan over coffee in a rainy Boracay night

Strolled through D'Mall and make patol sa gimik ni Lady Gaga wannabe. P20 for me and Kat.

Ra ra-ah-ah-ah. Roma roma-ma GaGa. Oh la-la.

A recap of Day 1 expenses

Day 1 expenses: P2,835


Day 2
Boracay greeted us with sunshine. Yey, no more gloomy weather. And as expected, the beach became lovely and calm. And again, I was impressed. Calaguas may be the best beach I've been to, but I still appreciate the beauty of Boracay.

Tara na, beach bumming + swimming + pictorial in the beach! ♥

wow Boracay!

whoever says this place is not beautiful anymore must think again

admit it, Boracay still rocks!


After camwhoring - it's time for my much awaited activity - Reef Walking / Helmet Diving! Rate is just P350 per head. This already includes your photos and vidoes in a CD. Very very good deal.

suitable weather for water activities

paraw sailing at it's finest


Reef Walking time. We were first briefed on what will happen 15 feet below sea level. At least eto may orientation. Yung Parasailing kasi gulatan. We were thought on how to breathe properly, how to use the hand signals, and how to handle the pressure as we go down deeper. We listened carefully, ayaw namin pumutok ang eardrums namin sa sobrang pressure.

I was the first to try it. The helmet pala is heavy. Gawa yata sa semento. Kala ko kasi plastic lang at lightweight. But it will just weigh 2kilos pag nasa tubig na. Going deeper, I felt the pressure that the instructor was saying. Eto na yung part na tinuro nyang breathe properly. What I did is the usual routine whenever I ride the airplane. Tanggal ang pressure agad. Im ready to walk!


Among my many travels this year, I will include this as 1 of the highlights. Walking through the seabed and having an encounter with the live corals and different creatures with vibrant colors is very very amazing for me. And I am willing to pay 3x the rate- my money's worth it.

all of us agreed this is the best part of our Boracay trip

super ok! super fun!

This is a must try.
And if I have a reason why I should go back to Boracay is to simply experience Reef Walking again.

sharing a (funny) video: at 15 feet and below


down under King Triton's Kingdom


No doubt, we went back to the shore very very very satisfied.

going back to the shore


We bought our lunch: cup noodles + spicy tuna + rice for P42.
Since Kat is dying to taste the famous milkshake of Jonah's, so be it. P90 for a tall glass of Banana Mango milkshake for me. Verdict: it's good but honestly, there's nothing spectacular.

3 Jonah's milkshakes but wifi is still not free


For pasalubong, I bought 2 toddler sando for P150 for Draco and Hailey - my pamangkins. I also purchased another ref magnet for P30. I noticed these are new sets of the island souvenirs. Mas maganda kesa sa usual ref magnets that's been all around the country.

2 toddler sando + ref magnet

new style of ref magnets at Boracay

We just enjoyed the remaining afternoon relaxing in the shore and do people watching.


thank you Lord for another safe and fun travel


For dinner, eve of Dred's birthday, we had seafood + meat buffet in a resto along the shore. Seafood + Meat buffet is P300 per head.

Lobsters and Crabs not included in the buffet

grilled pork and chicken, ensaladang talong, clams, oysters,
buttered shrimp, squid, longganisa, etc!

Recap of Day 2 expenses

Day 2 Expenses is P1,012


Day 3 + Going Home
Our flight on the 3rd day is at 9:50am so we just slept well until we checked out. This was indeed a cheap yet very nice Boracay trip. My 3rd visit in this island exceeded my expectations.

Going Home + Misc Expenses is P340

Total on a 3Days-2Nights Boracay trip with airfare and 3 water activities is
P4,643!

Having a memorable Boracay trip doesn't need to be expensive at all! ^_^


Note from the blogger: You have no idea how tired I am. Tama na muna ang lakwatsa. Napaka-itim ko na! hihi

Black is beautiful..
Love your own syempre!

Backpacking South East Asia by the Hand Signs

Showcasing a prelude of my very recent backpacking South East Asia trip within 4 countries in 10 days and with only 10 pictures...
Watch out for my hand signs. Ü


Day 1
Petronas Tower, KL Tower, Suria KLCC, Jalan Alor
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


Day 2
Ripley's Museum, Coffee Terrace buffet, Genting Highlands Theme Park
Malaysia


Day 3
Putrajaya and Cyberjaya
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Day 4
Cu Chi Tunnel, Notre Dame Cathedral, Water Puppet Show, etc.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam


Day 5
pampalubag loob na dinner buffet after a 15hour-bus ride to Siem Reap
photo taken with Apsara Dancers
Siem Reap, Cambodia


Day 6
Angkor Wat Complex
Cambodia

Day 7
haggardness picture after a 13hour-bus ride to Bangkok
Bangkok, Thailand


Day 8
Grand Palace Complex, Reclining Buddha, Temple of the Dawn
Bangkok, Thailand


Day 9
shopping day in Chatuchak, Khao San, and Patpong
Bangkok, Thailand


Day 10
Muang Boran, Siam Ocean World, Baiyoke Sky Tower
Thailand


Flew to Kuala Lumpur and spent 2 nights in Malaysia. Flew to Ho Chi Minh City and spent 2 nights in Vietnam. Cross the border overland for 15 hours to reach Siem Reap and spent 2 nights in Cambodia. Travel 13 hours by land to Bangkok and spent 4 nights in Thailand. 11th day, back in your arms Manila. ♥

Grand total expenses in 4 countries in 10 days (including airfares): P28,000

Mejo mahal pa yan kasi I traveled alone in Vietnam and Cambodia kaya wala ako ka-share ng expenses. All accommodations are private, meaning hindi dorm style - not sharing rooms and toilets with other backpackers.

Special mention sa mga senior solo backapckers Nina and Gael for guiding me out all the way. Spoon feeding na yung helpful tips. To Lee Chua who has offered me both hands in Kuala Lumpur, I really appreaciated your hospitality. Hope to see you here and Troy once you visit Manila. Kay Shyn na mega bilin pa kahit last minute na of the things to do and avoid in Vietnam. Kay Sol, my stranger travel buddy na sa Bangkok ko na nameet. Dahil sayo, nakapagsalita ako ng Tagalog after 4 days.


May karapatan na din ba ko maging backpacker kahit I traveled in a trolley? *winks*

Wow Philippines: More Than Just Manila Tour

Last weekend, I chanced upon Wow Manila's Hop On Hop Off kiosk at the south wing of Mall of Asia. The staff gave me a map. Upon looking at it, this seems perfect for first time foreigners. A colorful van will pick up and drop off guests around the tourist spots around Manila. Rate is P700 per day.

I got bothered upon looking at the tourist spots. With these destinations, can you honestly say Wow? My answer is NO.
Yes I know the fact that most foreigners land in Manila airport that's why this area is the most visited. But these buildings and infrastructures alone wont make the country very appealing, at least for me.

Don't get me wrong here, I love the Philippines. And with 7,107 islands to explore, what could be a better destination? So why not promote Philippines as a whole?

So here are my suggestions:
For a 1-day trip in Manila, visit Intramuros, Fort Santiago and Luneta. Catch the sunset at Manila Bay.

sunset at Manila Bay

For a day trip outside but near Metro Manila, I strongly suggest Mt.Pinatubo Crater Lake. This place is so majestic. It's unbelievable.

Hail the most beautiful - Mt. Pinatubo Crater Lake

For 3 days and up, go to Sagada in Mountain Province. The culture is very rich. The activities are one of a kind and superb. The view is spectacular.

Rice Terraces in Sagada

Or if you want to go beach bumming, then Calaguas in Camarines Norte is the place to be. Simply the best beach I've been to.

Calaguas - simply the best beach

These places will surely make everyone (not just the foreigners) say Wow Philippines indeed!

At sa Luzon palang yan ha, I haven't mention Boracay in Visayas and Camiguin in Mindanao region yet.

True enough, touring Manila alone wont make a Philippine visit spectacular. If you need any help with your itinerary, don't hesitate to email me. Ü

*Just last month, I seriously started researching for my South East Asian trip. And some of the countries are not quite impressive, I think. Then I realized I have to go beyond their city centers too see more of the real beauty of that place.. That's why when I crossed upon that Wow Manila map, I got bothered. I cant deny that if I'm a tourist and all I can see are the spots around Manila, I surely wont be interested in visiting the Philippines. So let's help the foreigners see the Philippines as a whole. Surely no foreigner will leave our country without saying Wow Philippines!
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