Manila - Banuae 3days/2night tour

Hi,

My wife and I are planning to travel from Manila to Banaue in October. We are planning for a 3days/2night stay. My ideal itin. Would like to be:

Before Day 1. Take the 9 hour Bus from Manila to Banaue.

Day 1.

Arrive Banaue around 7AM. Check in hotel and rest until lunch time. Grab lunch. Sightseeing Banaue such as Rice Terrace Viewpoints, perhaps an afternoon hike.

Return to the hotel in the evening for dinner.

Day 2.

Wake up early morning and travel to Sagada via Bontoc. Visit Ancient burial caves, hanging coffins, Bontoc Musuem, and other suggested attractions from you.

Either return to Banaue from Bontoc or spend the night in Bontoc. I am still trying to figure out the commute back to Banaue because it seems like there%26#39;s limited transportation going back. So I was thinking if we should just stay in Bontoc.

Day 3. Leave Banaue or Bontoc for Manila.

Question:

1. Is this a workable itin.?

2. Do you know any guided tour in Banaue that could be hired for 2 days and take me to my requested attractions? If you do, how much?

Any comments and suggestions is appreciated.

Manila - Banuae 3days/2night tour

This is exactly the itinerary I was trying to do in a couple of weeks. How did it go? Any luck!? Any info you can provide would be SO much appreciated!

Manila - Banuae 3days/2night tour

Johan,

We did went to Banaue and Sagada but with some modification. My wife%26#39;s dad who actually drove us from Manila to Banaue then to Sagada. We didn%26#39;t take the 8 hour bus ride just a 8 hour SUV.

We arrived at Banaue in the late afternoon so we didn%26#39;t do much except just relax at our hotel. I had a horrible headache due to the change of elevation. We did went out at night just to see the town. We dropped by Sanafe hostal as the owner is a friend of my father in law. If you are still looking for a place to stay I strongly recommend you this place. It has a deck that overlooks the whole town. A great place to enjoy a cup of coffee while appreciating the Philippine country side. The owner was warm and welcoming to her guests.

The next day, we started off early. Because we were pressing for time, we didn%26#39;t go to Batad to check out the grandest rice terrace. We just went to the town center again. It happened that it was market day so we looked around and brought some souvenirs. However, on our way to Bontoc we were able to see other rice terraces, waterfalls, and other beautiful scenery.

We arrived to Sagada in the afternoon. We signed up for a tour to visit the burial caves, hanging coffins, spelunking. I am all into creepy and mysterious attractions so all these made my day, probably the most unforgettable part of my Philippine trip.

We stayed in Sagada for a night. The following day we attempted to walk to Echo Valley by ourselves but it turned out the trek was more complex than we expected. We headed back to the hotel to check out before taking another 8 hours on the road back to Manila via Baguio.

I am sorry this is a long reply. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Another forum that you should check out is virtualtourist.com. for some reason, a lot of Filipinos use this site and they provide very helpful information

I%26#39;m writing this whilst staying with family in Las Pinas. I wouldn%26#39;t advise going to Banaue in October. The rice terraces are going slightly down hill due to the locals seeking work in Manila and are best viewed when the rice is lush and green, mid-march to may. October may berainly and cloudy. We last visited in Feb 2006 and were slightly disappointed. We hired a car and it was quicker to go back from La Union where we were staying back towards Manila and then San Jose. It%26#39;s only five hours by car if you go via the east of Luzon from Manila, it%26#39;s surprisingly easy to drive in the Philippines,honestly, better than being a passenger!!!

We%26#39;ve some photos on

rhona-and-simon.com/rhona-and-simon-photos-2…

I%26#39;m updating the site at the moment though so you may experience some difficulty. This years Philippines trip can be viewed at

rhona-and-simon.com/rhona-and-simon-photos-2…

I just finished that page today.

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Lewis Grand Hotel

Hi guys, we have booked into the Lewis Grand Hotel for 4 nights. The website looks great but anyone know how close it is to the nightlife etc. Thanks for the help.

Lewis Grand Hotel

The place is really deluxe and close to the nightlife. Just take a trike. Five minutes.

Lewis Grand Hotel

Thanks for that piece of info. Really looking forward to going there.

I%26#39;ve been passing this hotel every now and then and it looks great from the outside, Haven%26#39;t gotten inside yet so I can;t really tell. But it really looks like a good hotel compared to the rest I see around town, It%26#39;s very near the night life yet far enough from the noise of the bars. There%26#39;s a huge shopping mall nearby called SM City Clark where you can get your toiletries, exchange your currency or eat in one of the restaurants or fast food outlets within the mall. There%26#39;s even a Starbucks Cafe there.

Thanks Pepperchip. Must admit it looks good on the website. I%26#39;m glad it%26#39;s not too far away from everything. I%26#39;ll post a review once I%26#39;ve been.

I haven%26#39;t stayed at Lewis Grand but I was there last week to inspect the rooms and facilities. The place is brand new with minor construction details still being completed (they were installing floor tiles in some of the hallways that I passed through).

I was shown 3 or 4 types of rooms ranging from US$69.00 to US$ 110.00. All the rooms I saw were quite spacious and had quality furniture, flat screen TVs, linens, bathroom fixtures, etc. They are still on their dry run, but the place shows a lot of promise.

The hotel is on the slightly quieter part of Fields Ave. but nightlife is just a short walk down the street. I believe they also have complimentary car service for guests who wish to go to the mall or Clark Freeport.

Thanks Vanilla Bean. I didn%26#39;t realise it was just opened. I%26#39;m staying in a poolside Jacuzzi room. Didn%26#39;t by chance manage to get a look at that room type did you?

Anyway thanks for the info.

I didn%26#39;t get a chance to see the poolside jacuzzi rooms because they were both occupied during my visit. Yes, the place opened just last year, but I was told by the staff that despite still being on their dry run, they are always fully booked.

Thanks for the reply Vanilla Bean. All in all sounds like a good place to stay. Yippee!! Can%26#39;t come quick enough. Thanks.

Palawan advice

Hello!

I am coming to the Philippines this April, can%26#39;t wait. My husband %26amp; I are flying to Hong Kong from the UK. We%26#39;re spending a few nights there %26amp; will fly to Manila and catch up with some friends.

I%26#39;m almost decided on spending the remainder of our trip in Palawan. After some hectic days in big cities we%26#39;re going to need some relaxation.

So I%26#39;ve bought a guide book %26amp; have been doing some research on the internet. What I%26#39;m after is some advice on my prespective itinerary. The idea is to fly to Busuanga %26amp; make our way to Puerto Princess %26amp; then fly back from PP to Manila.

So far....

Fly from Manila to Busuanga- how many nights does this place warrant?

Busuanga to El Nido any idea on how easy is it to travel? Are there frequent boats?

El Nido to Port Barton

Port Barton to Puerto Princess (to include a stop at the underwater river)

I will have 9-10 days, is this too much to do?

Also we are looking for accommodation recommendations. Nothing too fancy, but some where decent up to $80 a night.

Thanks all.

Palawan advice

We%26#39;ll have a more definitive reply when we come back in mid-March. From my research [as we%26#39;re also doing the same itinerary] Busuanga (Coron) to PP by air (will depend on the airline schedule - once a week?) Puerto Princesa to/from El Nido by Van (approx 6 hrs) Seafront Liner boat from El Nido to Port Barton to Sabang (every tuesday and Friday) and from Sabang to Port Barton to El Nido Every Monday and Thursday. You%26#39;ll have to work your itinerary based on the transportation available. Since we%26#39;ve developed our tinerary based on what%26#39;s on the internet, it seems that we can only fly out of Coron to Puerto on a Tuesday which means staying a week in Coron. Boats fr Coron to El Nido Tues Wed, Fri,Sat. 8 hrs.As we were doing our research, we came across coron_islandstravel@yahoo.com that offers Coron-El Nido-Puerto budget tour for 8 days which we thought was what we would have done if we didn%26#39;t have 18 days to play with.

Hope this helps.

Peace of minds within Bambus Nature Park Resort (Sabang)

Hi,Friends,

Will you be short of sunshine/ water activities/ sound of sea waves/ fine sands....in Palawan? Absolutely Not !

How about accommodation within a forest jungle in the evenings/ bird songs/ witnessing hundreds of white birds flying from all directions in group or alone to a particular tree located on a fish pond within the resort at about 6 pm daily?

How about getting away from the crowd after whole day underground river/ trails/ mangrove trip/ snorkeling/ diving...and be part of the Nature for a moment of quietness to listen to bird songs with glass of house wine at hands facing one%26#39;s partner who is smiling/ listening light music ?

To search for such Balance of our lives while in busy Palawan. Consider Bambua Nature Park Resort that being 800 meters from Sabang beach. We extended our stay from original one nite to two then 3 nights before leaving Andre and other hospitable staff.

Must frankly admit that its location is relatively inconvenient and not easy to find. Call the owner to pick up in particular if you arrive after sunset.

You decide how to Balance your holiday life.

Of all accommodations i stayed in Palawan, this is the only one i write a review.

GaryPaula

Peace of minds within Bambus Nature Park Resort (Sabang)

We%26#39;re booked a couple of nights at Bambua Resort and from the prompt informative response to our enquiries, trivial tho it may be, you have confirmed to us that we%26#39;ve made a good decision. We%26#39;ll try to extend the stay to 3 nights.

Thanks.

Peace of minds within Bambus Nature Park Resort (Sabang)

Friend,

Travellers of diversified background will have different taste. U being experinced traveller (i hope and i believe) will share the peace within the resort. Owner German Andre spent 21 years in Sabang. My wife likes the music (a bit indian feel)chosen by him. Even with music, still quiet without disturbance to bird songs. Wish u enjoy.

GaryPaula

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Palawan Itinerary

Finally, we%26#39;re going to Palawan for a whole month, if possible. We%26#39;ve been to Davao, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo and Boracay (four times) and now, to PP, El Nido, maybe Coron.

Just find it not easy to make an itinerary with so many beautiful beaches to choose from.

So, could some one please describe the %26#39;must visit%26#39; areas in Palawan in a nutshell.

Palawan Itinerary

hi. i think that palawan is very beautiful. you can fly to PP and do the caves and the croc farm. the beaches there are quite nice too. if you want the better beaches and crystal clear water, i would recommend coron! this place is amazing! you can go el nido if money is not a problem but if you would like to go a bit more rustic you can take cebpac or palexpress to busuanga and check out all the nice hotels there. then i suggest you find a banka or outrigger boat and haggle with them for renting it for the whole day to really see all the beautiful islands and saltwater lakes. they can even go to the market for you in the morning and doo the grilling on the boat. that is what we did the last time and saved so much money.

Palawan Itinerary

While in Puerto Princesa, visit the underground river in Sabang. Sabang is about 2hrs away from the city. From Sabang Beach, you have to take a boat ride for about 15 minutes and a less than 5min walk to the cave.

El Nido to me is the highlight of my 4 trips to the Philippines. It is such a beautiful area, the township is small but clean, the people friendly, and heaps to do with boat tours,snorkelling and diving, plus some great climbs of the mountains overlooking the township.

Chris

Hello, I have been to Palawan twice. My first time was with my boyfriend last August %26#39;07 and we decided to go back again last year on November %26#39;08. I would like to recommend the place where we stayed in Puerto Princesa, in Niko%26#39;s Cabanas. Kindly check their website at www.nikoscabanas.com for the complete infos about the must visit areas in Puerto Princesa. Their rates are reasonable and the people are very nice too.

We%26#39;ve just come back from Palawan -we had a couple of weeks there, it was really fantastic.

Puerto is fine for a couple of days, Sabang and the underground river is also ok, although I found the underground river a bit of a let down - tourists can only go inside about a kilometer or so.

El Nido and the bacuit archipelago is something else. We went island hopping and snorkelling for several days to the most beautiful beaches with stunning limestone cliffs. I also went diving with Palawan divers, who were great.

We hired a motorbike and found the most beautiful huge beach i%26#39;ve ever seen about 6kn north of elnido town which was empty.

I%26#39;ve heard that Port Barton is nice but the road was bad when we were there and we couldn%26#39;t be bothered with the hassle.

We had our honeymoon in Busuanga in 2006 and that is also a fantatic place. There are not as many beaches, but the water is clear, snorkelling and diving is brilliant (wreck dives) and there are also amazing lagoons, hot springs, thermoclines etc etc.

There%26#39;s more to do at night in elnido, but remember there are no ATMs!!

Enjoy the trip!!

Matt

For now, our itinerary is: fly to Coron (4 nites) from Manila, catch the next Seair flight to Puerto (to avoid the 8 hrs boat trip to El Nido)take van from Puerto to El Nido (don%26#39;t want to miss El Nido)stay 4 nites, take boat to Port Barton (3 nites) boat to Sabang (2 nites)for underground river and mangrove tour then to Puerto for city tour, Honda Bay and Dos Palmas excursion.

The next question is: which malaria prophylaxis to take: Lariam or Malarone?

I think you should review your plans, I wouln%26#39;d bother with Seaair. The boat trip from Coron is long, but the van from Puerto to el nido is not a good trip. It%26#39;s at least 5 and a half hours and cramped and unpleasant. The road is also very bad. If you take a bus it%26#39;s 9 hours plus! (and you might have to sit on the roof!).

Only take Larium if you%26#39;re not worried about the risk of mental illness!

Thanks Matt,

1. Malarone is said to have less serious side effects. Prescription would be for 27 pills for 18 days (2 before and 1 week after).Other than the fact that they are quite expensive, we don%26#39;t want to take it because of the side effects. But if one gets bitten by an anopheline mosquito (and it takes only one teeny bite) how fast can one get to a malaria treatment center. And how long would it be to recover from Malaria? It would also mean trip interruption, etc.

2. ';The best protection against Malaria is still to sleep only under mosquito nets, use mosquito repellant on all exposed skin, use long sleeve shirts and long pants at nighttime (white colors preferably), have lighted mosquito coils in the room at night.

The reason we always skipped Palawan in our Philippine travels is the Malaria question. Maybe I made the mistake of planning for 18 days. I could have made it shorter.

I%26#39;ve found Palawan no worse than anywhere else in Phils for mozzies, my advice is to acquire some DEET (neat if possible) before you go and cover yourselves in it, and sleep with a fan blowing on you, and/or get a room with good mozzy screens. Avon%26#39;s skin so soft also works quite well, and is non toxic!

Don%26#39;t let the mozzies alter your plans! You%26#39;ve made a good choice to go there for that length of time, I wish we could have spent that long there - you%26#39;ll enjoy it, have fun!

Friends,

Malaria/sandflies- Jan is winter. No big deal to us. Repellent ok. Of course, more protection less worry the better, agree;

UR- i saw more than 10 caves in mainland China far better than UR (sorry to UR lovers). However, Monkey trail-UR-jungle trail then mangrove in one go is worthwhile and time/cost effective; When i was in sabang days ago, boat to UR stopped service due to the big waves. Abovementioned trails/UR trip was amazing to me;

Sorry, didnot snorkel (even myself equipped) due to rough sea in Jan. muddy water. Hope u luckier.

Not much sunshine(27 degrees noon) in mid-Jan. Sorry again.

GaryPaula

Boracay weather: end of October

Hi, can anyone help? I am planning my first trip to Boracay in October 2009, roughly 25th onwards. I am worried about the weather as I keep hearing different things. I really want to prepare myself for what the weather may be like so that I%26#39;m not disappointed!

If anyone knows boracay your comments will be very much appreciated!

Thankyou

Boracay weather: end of October

Impossible to predict the weather in October 2009 for you to plan holidays. As a general prediction we can say: it could be sunny, it could be sunny and cloudy, it could rain at night or at day time for a short while, it could be also that a passing taifun brings us three days windy, cloudy and sometimes rainy weather. Maybe you could ask PAGASA @ http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/

Boracay weather: end of October

rachsw,

..its very hard to predict exact weather months in advance

..I come at what is sometimes referrred to as the start of the rainy season yet the weather has mostly been good for me

...I am sure you will not be disappointed with Boracay...enthralled but never disappointed

Rob

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