Solo Backpacking Trip to Cebu

Here I am venturing on my FIRST S-O-L-O trip to a place that I do not know anybody or have a knowledge on their dialect. So why did I choose Cebu? Simply because I haven't been there and they say FOOD in Cebu is worth visiting. Here are my reasons why I chose Cebu:

1. Traveler Friendly
2. Food is cheap but delicious "LAMI-AAA"
3. There are several beautiful Beaches you can visit from Northern to Southern Part of Cebu.
4. So many travel blogs about Cebu, you will never get lost.
5. I haven't been there!

Anyway, I am going to share with you guys my TOP FIVE THINGS TO CONSIDER when venturing on your FIRST S-O-L-O BACKPACKING.


1. HAVE A LEGIT BACKPACK/ LUGGAGE

A handy backpack is your top priority when traveling, it should carry all your stuff needed for your trip. Months before my trip, I got a backpack that was on sale. At first, I was hesitant because it is the most expensive bag I will ever had if I buy it BUT my partner said that it will be useful in all my travel. Anyway, I bought the Berghaus Bioflex Light 35 Rucsack.

2. RESEARCH! RESEARCH! RESEARCH!

There are soooooo many travel blogs about Cebu! Just ask Google about it or better ask a travel blogger like ME! ahem. haha! Looking at different blogs made me decide to visit Bantayan and Malapascua mainly because I love white sand beaches and enjoys long driving.

Always know the Do's and Don't s of a place your visiting. It pays to respect their culture! :) Credit to several blogs that I have read!!! Thank you so much, I could not do it without your guidance. Tagging Lakwatsero, Travel with Chichi and Traveling Panda.

Photo Credit: Google

I know Cebu is a friendly province but you must consider your safety especially if you are traveling alone. I am a practical or control freak traveler, I want everything in place when traveling. I don't want any hustle and bustle of looking for a place to stay, gaaah! It is such a waste of time.

Months before my trip I was all set! I booked everything in advance especially where I will stay and how to get to places. As in, I have my itinerary on my tablet, which is from my mom. I never road a taxi whenever I go to places, even coming from airport! There is an app in Google play about Jeepney routes in Cebu, it is so easy to follow!

Note: If you are travelling during peak season, better to book weeks or months before your trip. It can save you a lot of time, money and effort.


3. JOIN OTHER GROUPS ON ISLAND HOPPING/ TOUR

It is always cheaper by a dozen, be a "joiner" to other tours. How to do this? Simply talk to the locals (boatmen) and ask if they trips. Usually they will be the one to offer you. My trip to Virgin Island in Bantayan was cheaper because I shared it with a group!

4. ACT LIKE A LOCAL

This is really hard especially if you do not know their dialect but don't be a stranger on your own country! It was hard for me at first to connect with people but I manage to keep it simple and smile at people. Keep on interacting with them and as Cebuano says "Iba na kapag may kakilala ka diri" (It pays to know someone in this place). 

5. BALANCE EVERYTHING

Too much of anything will harm you, just keep it balanced. Be adventurous, try new things, new food, new activities that you rarely do in the Metro BUT always stay safe and alert.You should know yourself, especially your limitations and always secure your things.

Take a leap of faith but be careful during your leap. ;)



That's it. So where will be your first S-O-L-O backpack trip? Share it with me!


Ano, TARA GUMALA?

CIAO.
--
GABRIELA

Travel Guide to Battad

BATTAD BATTAD BATTAD!

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Stunning beauty of Battad

I have been to Battad when I graduated in grade school, it was a graduation gift from my mother. I remembered how dangerous it was to travel from Banaue to Battad, we almost fell off to a cliff and the trail from saddle point to Battad was not a piece of cake.

Now that I got a chance to revisit this wonderful place, I observed that lot of things were changed. The road from Banaue going to the saddle point is already paved but still prone to landslide, the trail going to Battad is already established AND they are planning to make a road that will send you straight to Battad! In no time, Battad will be accessible to private cars. Poor Battad, it will be exploited by tourist as it is exploited now. :(

ANYWAY, the place still awes me! There are things I love about this place, besides the feeling of being reconnected with your history, the scenery itself is picturesque! It will leave you breathless (literally) because of the walking from one place to another.

I will give you guys my travel guide to Battad.

HOW TO GET THERE??

Going to Battad is a piece of complicated cake. Hahaha.

1. Make your way to Banaue, a municipality under the province of Ifugao. There are 2 (two) prominent bus companies that have daily trips to Banaue. One is OHAYAMI and the other is FLORIDA (DANGWA). We chose the latter because the terminal is along EDSA, which is in Kamias and the buses are new. The fare costs 530 Php.

2.  From Banaue, you can ride a public jeep in the market or rent a van. If you are travelling with groups and time is of the essence, renting a van is more convenient, for 2,000Php you get a round trip fare to Battad plus a side trip to Banaue's best view points. The public jeep only has one trip during lean season that is 3:30 in the afternoon but during peak season they have a 8:30am trip.

The van/ jeep will drop you off at the Saddle point.

This is Kuya Randy, a tourist guide/ van driver. Here is his contact number (0919) 362 - 5752!

3. Then from saddle point, walk 15 - 30 minutes to your transient house in Battad.

First Glimpse of Battad Rice Terraces

See! It is so easy but it will require a lot of energy. The trek from saddle point will test your endurance, not suitable for those with heart problem and arthritis. Hehehe.

WHERE TO STAY??

You may opt to do a daytrip to maximize renting a van OR stay at a transient houses in Battad and  make the most of your stay plus experience their beautiful sunrise while sipping a hot coffee! :)

We stayed at Ramon's Homestay and rented his Native House which costs 1,000 per night during lean season. It was a bit expensive for a native house with very basic amenities like pillows, blanket and foam beds BUT the experience of staying at a native Ifugao house is one for keeps. Also, the food is not that great and they have a slooooow service, better request you food in advance! Ohh and expensive too. A meal costs 120 -200 per order! Hehe. Good thing we brought canned goods.

This is a view from a small window of our hut. (c) Anne Orquiza

WHAT TO DO OR SEE IN BATTAD?

1. Trek the Battad Rice Terraces. What a great experience to trek the Battad Rice Terraces BUT it is not advisable for those who has fear of heights! From a far, the terraces looks like stairs but up close the distance between each level of rice paddies is 10 - 15 ft!

2. Photo Shoot at the View Point.

3. Swim at Tappiya Falls. After a hot day of trekking the rice terraces, it is nice to take a dip at the cold waters of Tappiya Falls, just be careful because the current is really strong. Ohh, the way back to the town proper is really exhausting! It was a never ending stairssss!

4. Request for a Cultural Show. If you will stay at Ramon's Homestay, be sure to ask ahead of time for a cultural show, so that they could prepare one but this comes with a price. Not sure how much it costs, I forgot to ask because I was blown away by the next item.

5. Bonfire Story Telling with Kuya Ramon. This is a nice way of Kuya Ramon to reconnect with his guests. He sets up bonfire and each one will tell their names. He even told us some stories why the place is called Battad, why he isn't married yet, his vision for Battad etc. I do not want to share it with you guys because it is better to hear it from him.

6. Get a massage from a local.

Meet Irene, she is a local and niece of Ramon. According to her, she is the owner of the hut and it is used to be their home. Also, this hut is where Piolo Pascual stayed during his visit. OHA! Whole body massage only costs 300 Php!

(C) Anne Orquiza

7. Watch sunrise while sipping a hot coffee! This is what I love about Ramon's place, it has the best view of Batad Rice Terraces and what makes it perfect is their organic local coffee plus their ethnic canister!

8. Join/ Observe locals harvest rice.

This is how they dry their harvested rice grains.

Since they do not have machine to carry those grains, farmers are carrying it back to their house to dry.

Well, this is equality. Ladies are farmers too, no exception!

HOW TO GET OUT???

1. Wake up early, around 6 in the morning. So that you will have time for breakfast and other stuff. 

2. Start trekking back to the Saddle point before 8am. 

3. Be at the saddle point before 9am to catch a public jeep going to Banaue which costs 150 Php. 

4. TOP LOAD! :D

(c) Anne Orquiza

TRAVEL TIPS:

1. Always greet every local you see, it is a way of showing respect! Locals are very accommodating, they will chat with you even they cannot speak Tagalog. 

2. Bring your own food and water to save money, though their organic rice is the best! My digestion was really good during or trip, which rarely happens whenever I travel. 

3. Get a local guide to bring you to the view point and Tappiya, you are helping them in return. 

4. Stay at a native Ifugao Hut, the experience is really nice and it connects you with your ancestral domains. 

5. Sunrise in Battad is really wonderful, be sure to wake up early and have those cameras ready for photo shoot. 

6. Bring extra money, there are no ATMs in the area. Restaurants do not accept Credit Card or Dollars. 

7. Hiking / Trekking your way to the Rice Terraces and Tappiya Falls is really exhausting! It is not fit for people who has hypertension and/or arthritis. It is like a never ending stairwell! 

8. It will save you a lot of time and money when you travel with a group.

HERE IS OUR ITINERARY IN BATTAD (this is my giveaway!)

DAY 1

8:00 am - ETD for Battad

8:45 am - ETA Saddle Point | Start Trek

9:30 am - ETA Battad Town | Went to Ramon's Homestay settle things

11:00 am - Early lunch

1:00 pm - Start trek going to Viewpont

2:00 pm - Viewpoint photo Op

3:00 pm - Tappiya Falls

5:00 pm - Back to Ramon's | Freshen up

7:00 pm - Dinner | Socials

DAY 2

6:00 am - Wake up | Breakfast

7:30 am - Trek back to Saddle point

9:00 am - Top load at a public jeep going to Banaue

You may opt to go to Sagada, Benguet, Kalinga OR wait for the scheduled bus that will go back to Manila. We opted to proceed to Kalinga and visit Apo Whang - Od. 

Total Breakdown of my budget for this trip:
Manila to Banaue - 530
Breakfast at Banaue - 130
Van Banaue to Battad - 500 (2,000 /4)
Heritage Fee - 50
Ifugao Hut at Ramon's Homestay - 250 (1,000/4)
Lunch, Dinner and Breakfast - 440
Jeep Battad to Banaue - 150

TOTAL COST = 2,050 Php!

Verdict of Tara Gumala:

Battad is relatively expensive but mother nature with the help of our ancestors did an amazing job. It will not be a UNESCO World Heritage Site for no reason. I highly recommend that you visit Battad now, before it's too late. 

See this is a perfect weekend getaway with your barkada! Don't forget to thank and credit me for whatever you will gain from this. :)

Ano, TARA GUMALA?

CIAO. 

--

GABRIELA

Itinerary to El Nido

El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

The Prequel

Miniloc Island

This is the most famous tourist destination in the country. It gained popularity when foreigners started publicizing everything about it, especially when CNNGo featured it as one of the Best Beaches in the World. Well, for a simple Filipino like me, El Nido is really expensive. We all know that when a place becomes touristy, people will make a living out of it and expect everything will be overcharged. Anyway, I am not here to dismay you but yeah, El Nido is really expensive THOUGH I managed to minimize my expenditures there! I only spent 6,000++ ALL IN! It includes my Return Airplane Tickets with Baggage allowance, Food, Transpo from Puerto Princesa to El Nido (v.v), Tours and Accommodation! How is that even possible? Did I get it from Ensogo or MetroDeal or CashCashPinoy? Hell no!

Want to know my secret? Don't worry I will share it to you.

I have a group of friends from college, they are now my fellow social work buddies. Yea, we are all REGISTERED SOCIAL WORKER! I influenced them to have a budget travel with me. Being a Social Worker is very exhausting, physically, emotionally and mentally, since we are dealing with people. A short vacation is a must for us!

Last January, I saw a promo fare in Air Asia and immediately contacted them. We were a group of 10 and they did not hesitate at all, which why I love them. "WALANG ARTE" all of us were very eager to explore the place. Since, I was the one who initiated this, I had to organize everything. That was no biggie for me because organizing a Do - It - Yourself travel is very worth it.

Social Workers on the go! :)

I really believe in a Management Theory of "Cheaper by a Dozen". I had lots of discount, since we were a group of 10.

To cut the story short, after few days of researching the most feasible, tangible and cheapest ways of exploring El Nido, I came up with two options! I called them Plan A and Plan B.


Plan A.

Plan B.

 

My friends chose the Plan A, because it's cheaper and we were discouraged with the Underground River because of its availability.

If you were to choose? Which one will you prefer? Plan A or Plan B? Let me know your insights.

My next post is about how we managed to spend less in El Nido and my contact persons. So watch out for that.


Ano, Tara Gumala?


CIAO.
--
GABRIELA

Round up for the past half year.

HELLO JULY!

I don't know about you but I'm feeling 22!

See how time flies so fast. It has been 6 months since I started this blog. Ohh, I haven't welcomed my birth month. Anyway, it is the middle of the year. Few months from now, we will be welcoming the -Ber months and before we know it, it's already 2015!

For the past months I have been busy with my travels. I never imagined myself to be on the road every month and never thought I could do that but I dreamed of doing so. I have been to 8 destinations for the past 6 months! (Baler, Calaguas, Albay, Sorsogon, Biri, Apo Reef, Puerto Princesa and El Nido) haha. That is an Average of 1 trip per month! hahaha. So proud of myself. Though I always get broke but still I managed to visit new places.

 

January was a lame month for me, I started this blog because of boredom and curiosity. I was inspired with other bloggers like Chyng Reyes, Ambot-ah, Lakas Trip, Lawstude and many others. My Do-It-Yourself trip to Kuala Lumpur was my only fresh experience I had. My past travels were way back 2012! haha. I only have 3 viewers that time and it was my cousin, and 2 brothers.(I forced them to follow my blog. HAHA.)

February was the start of my travel. It was our company outing in Baler and I was the in-charge of the itinerary together with Ms. Claire. I was very eager to go to a new place and put it in my blog! Yey! I don't know but I love organizing travels even if it is time consuming and you keep on haggling with people. Ohh, it was my first time to surf!

Who would have thought that you can find a white sand in Baler??

March was a challenge for me. I thought that Baler was going to be my first trip and last trip for this year but thanks to my colleagues who have itchy feet (figuratively speaking), they wanted to go to Calaguas Island. Never heard of that before until I researched about it and didn't expect anything from it but it blew my mind away! It was a paradise for me. Fine white sand with blue reflection of the sea! ahhhh. Paradise.

April was very exciting for me. It was my first time to join a group (Plan B) that I never met before and joined them on a trip going to Biri Island, Samar. Haha. I don't have any idea where Biri Island was until I had my research. Also, Subic Beach in Sorsogon was our base camp. Ooh, I endured an excruciating 24-hour road trip going there! The road was endless!

Subic Beach, Sorsogon

Biri, Northern Samar

May was a very busy month. It was the start of our preparation for our annual event and all of us were not allowed to file a leave. Since I was a hard headed and a travel savvy, I joined another trip of Plan B, which was in Apo Reef. I have been wanting to go there since January of this year but my budget restricted me. Ooh, it was my first time to board a RORO and snorkel at world's second-largest contiguous coral reef.

Photo Credit : Sir Macoy Mejia

June was the start of rainy season in the Philippines but it did not stop me from travelling. I got the chance to visit the famous El Nido, Palawan. Of all my travels, I am very proud of this one because I was the one who organized this and we spent minimal amount on this expensive destination! HAHA. I will post an entry about our full expenses on this trip. So watch out for that. :)

So that was it, I am still hoping that I will get to travel this July if my health and budget permits me. I acquired Amoebiasis on my last trip and still on the recovery phase. :) O well, I will just spend more time with my family and post more entries on my blog. I am also planning to buy my own URL as a birthday present.

Ano, TARA GUMALA!

CIAO.

GABRIELA

MY BAKIT HINDI LIST

BAKIT HINDI LIST

(Bucket List)

You might be wondering why my entry is entitled with "Bakit hindi list" bakit nga naman hindi. Well, basically, this entry is about my to-do-list before I turn 30. Yea. BEFORE I turn 30! So bakit hindi ko gagawin ang mga bagay na ito. Di ba? There are no reasons not to do these things if given a chance. Anyway, these are just my dreams, I am aware that some might not happen but please help me make it. HAHA.

1. Start my on blog.
2. Finish my Masteral.
3. Get a life insurance. 
4. Be fit. Try Yoga. 
5. Discover the Beauty of my beloved Philippines. My Goal is to travel the 81 provinces of it! :)
6. Try Exotic food.
7. Backpack South East Asia Trip. (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia)
8. Go Scuba Diving. Try scuba diving again.
   
9. Bunjee Jump.
10. Cliff Diving. Try a legit Cliff Diving.
11. Para-Sailing
12. Surfing.
13. Wake boarding
14. Learn to drive
15. Explore Chinese Culture e.g. Hongkong, Macau, Taiwan, China.
16. Conquer the expensive Japan and Korea.
17. See the beauty of PARIS and anywhere in Europe!
18. Try being a New Yorker!
19. Enjoy a vacation on a cruise ship.
20.  Start a business.
21.  Get married and have a family. 

You can make your own bakit hindi list and share it with me,  we may have the same passion. Ano, TARA GUMALA?



Ciao.
--
GABRIELA