Life on the Spot! Life and Leisure in Doha, Qatar

Star Fish Island, Palawan

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 09:10:15 +0300

We arrived at Starfish Island at about 3 P.M. after visiting Snake Island. It is called Starfish Island because there are a lot of starfishes in its shallow waters (we later found out that the high tide and the low tide make a big difference on the island – see photos below).

Again, there were available huts to stay on. You are also warned about stepping on Stone Fishes and thus it’s safer to wear water shoes when swimming. We actually didn’t swim as we saw that the sand of the beach wasn’t that good for swimming. And we were already tired so we just took photos of us roaming the island. Of course, we also got photos of ourselves with the starfishes. We left after just 30 minutes so we could rest early as we were to go to the Underground River tomorrow and knowing that we’d be back in Honda Bay a day after tomorrow.

Snake Island, Palawan

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:34:45 +0300

You do forget the time when you’re having fun so I don’t exactly know if it took us 5 or 15 minutes before we got to Snake Island from Pandan Island. The island is called Snake Island not because of the island having snakes but because of the shape of the long sand bar when the tide is low. As posted on the Honda Bay Island Fees, You don’t have to pay anything when you go to Snake Island. There are about 8-10 huts with a table and benches which you can use on a “first come, first stay” basis. You also have a small store where you can buy warm soda and other stuff. Prices on island stores are usually bloated so unless you didn’t come prepared, you have to shell out on these.

As with Pandan Island, fishes are also used to being fed bread here and so we did. However, one has to be careful about this island as there is a very, very steep drop off just after 4 1/2 feet from the shore. You should wear a life vest if you don’t know how to swim. If you do know how to swim and brave enough to go to the deep end (where you don’t see the bottom no matter how clear the water is), you might end up seeing a big school of Jacks; which we saw. What we saw were probably more than a thousand Jacks forming a moving wall and creates a scene that you only get to see on National Geo. You can actually swim with them and follow them around. I wasn’t bringing any bread with me so I didn’t get to feed them and thinking of it now, I probably wouldn’t dare to have that number of fishes trying to nip at the bread on the tip of my fingers. Still, just swimming with them is unforgettable!

Snorkeling on deep waters was also scary as every time I see the blackness of the deep and not knowing the direction I’m swimming (away or towards the shore), add to that the fear of not knowing everything under the ocean, I start to panic. Either I suddenly imagine a shark, a whale or an unknown sea creature coming out of the blackness to feed on me or get scared of the undersea currents that might take me to the depths of the ocean.

Anyway, going back to Snake Island itself, we didn’t get to explore the long island as we were really there for the fishes. There were some good coral formations on the shallower area but again, the drop off was scary. There were a lot of white fishes on the areas near the shore which were really aggressive to protect their turf. My sister Tin was actually nipped by one and Mavis too! I would advise you to stay away from those fishes!
We left after an hour and a half to visit Starfish Island.

Pandan Island, Palawan

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:26:29 +0300

Our first stop in our Island hopping adventure in Honda Bay Palawan was Pandan Island. It probably took 20 minutes or more from the Wharf to Pandan Island itself but it didn’t matter as with the sun shining brightly and the skies clear, we were all giddy to set foot at Pandan Island. Although it was sunny, it wasn’t that hot and the wind was cool. The island is called Pandan Island because of the Pandan grass that grows in the island. The place was almost surreal as the clouds were all puffy and water so clear and peaceful. The place was idyllic.

After settling down, getting a tent (Php150) and getting our things off the boat, the kids went to the beach to gather some shells and dip in the cool waters. We joined after taking some photos and videos. After a while, the boatman asked if we had bread with us and showed us where the fishes usually come to feed. We were ready with 2 loaves of bread as we knew that fishes in Honda Bay are used to being fed bread. It was both scary yet exciting as groups of fishes would come to you and nip at the bread on your hands. You’d be amazed at how many different fishes would come even on parts where the water was just on my waist. You usually see the black fishes and the silver ones but at times you’d get blue fishes and red fishes dart to the bread. Xiane, who was snorkeling while feeding the fishes, couldn’t help but surface every time a fish took a bite off her bread to announce what color they were.

By 11 a.m., we were called to rest by my mom as the food was already ready. A lady on the island actually offered us some freshly caught fishes when we landed but told her that we were already bringing some sea food. However, you can also ask her to cook the food that you bought in the market if it needed frying or steaming. You can buy cooked rice from her. I’m not sure of the fees as it was my Mom and Dad who paid her. The boatmen grilled the food for us. The food was excellent! We brought our dips and sauces and brought with us rice we ordered from Kawayanan Resort. We had a feast! It was our first time to eat lobster and we’re not that impressed. The lobsters were probably over steamed so they were dry. Still, our tummies were full once we finished.

After some rest, we went snorkeling some more and went to the deeper part of the sea. The water was calm so it was perfect for snorkeling. Also, the sea floor gradually deepens. We saw a lot more fishes, live corals, starfishes, sunstars, sea urchins and giant clams.

By 1 P.M., we decided to leave for Snake Island. We actually went to Pandan Island again on our 2nd trip to Honda Bay. I’ll have more stories of Pandan Island in the coming days as there’s just so much to tell. I'll probably even post some wallpapers for you to download if you want to.

Going to Honda Bay

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:25:11 +0300

June 30, 2008 (Monday) - We woke up early at 5:30 a.m. on Monday (June 30) as we were to be fetched by the van at 6:30 in the morning. I already talked to the driver yesterday so that he’ll take us to the City Market before going to the wharf. This way, we could buy stuff we would take to Honda Bay. The drop off and pick up service (the van would be waiting for us at the Wharf when we return from Honda Bay) would cost you Php1500. Again, I decided that renting a van and renting a boat would be cheaper for us than getting the Honda Bay tour offered to tourists. Island Hopping would cost you Php1100 per person so by renting a van and the boat, plus paying for island fees and food, we got to save some money.

By 6:45 a.m., we were already in the wet market trying to decide what sea food to buy to take with us to our Honda Bay adventure. We were told that you can have somebody cook the food for you in Pandan Island for a fee or if it’s just grilling, the boatmen can even grill for you as there are grillers available in Pandan Island. You have to provide the charcoal though. My sisters went their own way to buy some tomatoes, eggplants, salted eggs, and other stuff. Mavis and I decided to buy some lobsters (Php650/kilo), blue fin tuna, shrimps, and crabs. A man asked us if we wanted to have the sea food boxed so they’ll remain fresh on our travel and we paid about Php90 for it.We bought a small ice box and bought some ice just across the market. After buying breakfast at Jollibee, we were off to the Wharf!

It took us probably 20 minutes from the City Center to get to the Wharf. You’ll see a big sign board that says “Welcome to Hunda Bay” once you turn right to the Wharf. You have to register at the Honda Bay Tourist Information and Assistance Center to get you a boat to the Islands and you can even rent snorkeling gear (snorkel and mask) with them for Php100/set. The Aqua shoes would cost the same. I’d rather bring my own snorkel and mask as we’ve tried their gear on our second time to go to the Islands and water comes in the masks no matter how I fix it. We were bringing our own water shoes so there was no need to rent them.

Since were 9, we rented a big boat for Php2500. That’s for island hopping to 3 islands but you have to pay extra for the island fees. If you want to save, you can ask other tourists to share with you the expenses. For a smaller boat, I think they charge you Php1500. The boatmen and his assistant would provide you with a swim vest which you need to wear every time you’re on the boat. They would also help you know where to find and feed fishes. Or if you're going to Pambato Reef, one of the boatmen would help you go to where the corals are.

After registering and paying the boat fees, we slathered ourselves with more sun block and off we went!

Honda Bay Island Hopping Fees

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:21:46 +0300

If you’re going island hopping in Honda Bay, you have to pay a fee for swimming on the islands’ beaches as they are owned by certain people or corporations. I’m not sure why Palawan had to sell these islands or how this happened. As of now, the only island you can go for free is Snake Island. Anyway, here is the list of fees to the islands on Honda Bay.

HONDA BAY ISLAND FEES

SNAKE ISLAND	FREE
PANDAN ISLAND	25Php/person
COWRIE	25Php/person
STARFISH ISLAND	50Php/person
LULI ISLAND	50Php/person
PAMBATO CORAL REEF	50Php/person
DOS PALMAS	500Php/person (30 minutes)

Baker's Hill

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:58:21 +0300

JUNE 29 - Our last stop on our self-guided City Tour in Palawan is Baker’s Hill. This property on a hill is owned by a retired US navy and is known for its breads and lifesize character figures in its garden. Baker’s Hill as a tourist attraction is a perfect place for picture-taking especially for those who have children. They have a number of hilarious figures that people can pose with. After several photos with the figures, we decided that it was time for a break and so we went down to their canteen which serves food and breads. You can order Squid Balls, sandwiches, barbeques and most of all, "Halo Halo".

Halo-Halo which literally means “mix-mix” is a popular refreshment among Filipinos which basically consists sweet beans, jackfruit preserve, sago or colored tapioca pearls, minatamis na saging (sweetened bananas), ice, milk and sometimes leche flan (crème caramel) or ice cream on top. It's probably called "Halo Halo" for the mixed ingredients or for the actual act of stirring and mixing the ingredients together once it's served. There are several versions of the halo-halo but I have to say that the one they have on Baker’s Hill was really good. They also have several sungka trays which you can use while passing time or waiting for your food to be served. It is the Philippine version of Backgammon. I actually got addicted to playing it that I want to bring a "Sungka" back to Qatar. I even found a Sungka in Pandan Island and played it there too!

Going to Baker's Hill is probably the best way to wrap up the Palawan City Tour.

The Crocodile Farm in Palawan

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:31:25 +0300

Still on our first day, we were able to go to the Crocodile Farm after visiting the Buttefly Garden. Since it was a Sunday, the Crocodile Farm only opens from 2-4 p.m.I think Mavis had to pay Php50 for adults and Php20 for children.

The crocodiles are considered an endangered wildlife in the Philippines thus the Crocodile Farm was institutionalized. The entrance to the Crocodile Exhibit was interesting because in the hall were the bones and skin of a 19-ft long crocodile which was captured only because it “accidentally” ate a human. It is the remains of the largest that was ever captured in Palawan. It was kept alive but died some moths after captivity. A tour guide is available and would show you around the Farm and some intersting facts about the crocodiles.

We were taken to the crocodile nursery where young crocodiles are kept in large basins. As little as they were, a glimpse at them can already elicit fear as they already have sharp teeth and can leap but not high enough to get out of the basins. This is were they grow the crocodiles and would eventually be placed back to their natural habitat after some months. You would also be taken to pens where the adult crocodiles live. Some of the bigger ones are solitary while the smaller ones share pens. There is a metal bridge suspended on top of the pens. Although sturdy, somehow it crossed my mind whether the bridge was strong enough to hold us. Thank God it did!

The best part of our visit to the Crocodile Farm was being able to hold a real and live crocodile, just a small one of course. If you're brave enough , you just have to pay extra 30 pesos for the photo opportunity. Another group who were there weren't that brave and decided not to hold the baby croc. The croc itself was not that big and its snout was bound by a rubber band. Even so, it was scary to hold the crocodile after all an ordinary rubber band can easily snap. Luckily it didn’t when we held the croc. Xiane, a brave little girl that she is, also held the crocodile in her hands without hesitation. I had to support her hands though because it was a little heavy for her.

It's nice that Palawan is conserving its wildlife, including the crocodiles. And the Crocodile Farm is a great place to infrom and teach people that even "scary" crocs deserve to have their place in Palawan.

The Butterfly Garden in Palawan

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:25:17 +0300

Butterfly Garden in Palawan is a small sanctuary for butterflies. We went there on our first day after our lunch at Kawayanan Resort. We hired a van for Php 1500 for 3 hours instead of taking a packaged City Tour which would charge Php 600 per person.

Before you enter the garden, visitors are asked to watch a 5 minute video about the butterflies and the guidelines to follow while in the premises. Visitors are not allowed to touch the butterflies at any time. Inside the garden you’ll find lots of wonderful flowers of different colors, most of them I’ve only seen in this garden. Too bad though, when we visited it was drizzling, preventing us from seeing a lot of butterflies which I assume would be flying all over if it wasn't drizzling. We saw just a few but still the place was such a nice place to shoot photos. We also had the opportunity to see a butterfly come out of its cocoon. It was a sight to behold.

The entrance fees for Filipinos with valid IDs is 25 pesos/head and 15 pesos for children and 50 pesos/head for foreigners.

Staying at Kawayanan Resort

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:22:56 +0300

Our stay in Palawan had been more pleasant and enjoyable because of Kawayanan Resort. Kawayan Resort is located at the heart of San Pedro, Puerto Princesa. As soon as we got out of the domestic airport, a van was already waiting for us. Reaching the resort only took 10 minutes. Once you enter the resort you’ll be welcomed by lots of plants and trees. We went straight to the dining hall/restaurant which is like an open pavilion made of “sawali” or nipa which makes it quite cool and breezy. All the dining tables and chairs are made of bamboo. The restaurant is spacious enough and can accommodate 30-40 people. We were greeted with complimentary Iced Tea and were shown our cottages. After a while, we ordered lunch. The food was good but a bit on the expensive side. The restaurant also served as our hang out at night and where we spent each night playing pusoy dos (poker) while the children watched Cartoon Network on cable TV.

We rented 2 cottages which accommodated all nine of us, 7 adults and 2 children. Our cottages were named Champaca and Waling-Waling (names of flowers) respectively. Each cottage has 2 good-sized bedrooms, a living room with a 14-inch cable tv and a refrigerator, a bathroom with hot shower and a small balcony. Its walls and ceilings are all nipa while the floor is tiled. The beds can accommodate 2 adults and a small kid. In our case, we had to ask Xiane to sleep in the other room with her Mamita after the three of us spending the first night in one bed. Tian and I hardly moved that night as the bed wasn’t spacious enough for us three. It also has a small cabinet where one could keep clothes during their stay and a dresser. All-in-all the cottages were fine, nothing fancy, yet comfortable and neat enough.

During our stay, we were also able to take a plunge in the pool which was clean. But what we liked most about Kawayanan Resort is their friendly and very accommodating staff. They were so flexible and always willing to grant our requests whenever they can. If you need to go to town, just ask them to call a Tricycle for you and it would be there in 5 minutes. You can also ask them to reserve a spot for you at Ka Lui if you’re planning to dine out. They also have a WiFi connection so you can bring your laptop with you and surf. As we were not bringing Mavis’ laptop, they even let us check our emails using their laptop. The staff, despite being few in number, always have a smile on their faces and serve their guests with enthusiasm. Arnold, who worked both in the restaurant and ran errands in the resort, deserves special mention. The same goes with the very nice receptionists. As always in our out-of-town trips, accommodation was never really meant to be grand or fancy. For us as long we have a clean and comfortable place where we can stay, we’ll be fine. But having stayed in Kawayanan has been a very pleasant experience, making our visit to Palawan extra special. For those planning to go to Palawan, Kawayanan Resort is highly recommended.

Kawayanan Resort

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:56:33 +0300

Kawayanan Resort

Room Rates with Breakfast
Single/Double Bed   (2 pax)                            Php1690/night
Family Cottage with 2 bedrooms (4 pax)         Php3300/night
Extra Guest                                                     Php600/guest

Day Tour Packages
City Tour                           Php600/person
Island Hopping                  Php1100/person
Underground River Tour    Php1500/person
Dolphin Watching              Php900/person

Inclusions:
Roundtrip airport transfer, Air-conditioned Van, Entrance Fees, Permits, Boat Transfers, Picnic Lunch and Tour Guide.

Kawayanan Resort
L.A. Abaa Rd., San Pedro, Puerto Princesa City
http://www.palawan-resort.net/
email: kawayananresort@yahoo.com
(048) 434 7078
(048) 434 7088
0918 693 6960

Park 'N Fly

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:50:34 +0300

Park and Fly (Park ‘N Fly) is a new service in Manila for those flying off somewhere and wanting to park their car near the airport. Park and Fly would also provide you Free Shuttle Service to take you to your airport and pick you up from the airport when you come back. With “Park N’ Fly”, all you have to do is go to their office building, register your car, leave the keys and they whisk you away to the airport (either domestic or international) in their van or car.

Per our experience, Park ‘N Fly service was flawless. Since it’s a 24-hour service, we were able to “check-in” our carat 5:36 in the morning and transaction was done in less than 10 minutes. They had a lot of vans and cars so no worries about not getting to the airport on time. They’re 5 minutes away from the Domestic Airport and probably 10 minutes away from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. When we came backfrom Palawan, all I had to do was call them from the airport upon claiming our entire luggage and within 3-5 minutes, a Park ‘N Fly van was already in front of the Domestic Airport to pick us up.

As per the cost, Park ‘N Fly charges you Php313 per day plus 13 pesos for any succeeding hour. They charge you VAT (Value Added Tax) though. Still, if you’re coming from the province and have a car, the cost of parking your car with them and coming back for it is way cheaper than getting a driver and filling your car with gas for both trips. Actually, it’4 trips if you consider the driver taking back your car to the province. Or even if you rent a van for drop off and pick up, it usually costs at least Php3500. In our case, I only paid Php1214 for 4 days of having the car parked with them.

Park ‘N Fly
Caltex Compound (PDSC/Park 'N Fly Bldg.),
NAIA cor. Domestic Road 1300 Pasay City
Telephone:
+63 2 8521946
+63 9189910000

Trip Report: We're Going to Palawan

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:46:35 +0300

We woke up at 3:30 A.M. as we planned to leave the house at 4:30 as we have to travel to Manila to catch our plane to Palawan. The trip from Angeles City to Manila would roughly be an hour and another 30 minutes going to the airport. We’ve been discussing for a week if we’d rent a driver to drop and pick us up from the airport or use a service called “Park and Fly”. I decided on the later as it seems the most economical way and easier too (details of “Park and Fly” here). By 4:36 A.M., the 9 of us (7 adults and 2 kids) were on our way to Manila.

We got to Manila at about 5:30 as my highest speed was only 90 km/ph. Better safe than sorry. We proceeded to Park and Fly and were done in 10 minutes. Very efficient service if you may ask. At the Domestic Airport, we got to immigration quickly and had to pay Php200 (Qr20) for Terminal Fees. After waiting for 2 hours or so, we finally boarded the plane.

Cebu Pacific usually have morning and afternoon trips to Palawan and I chose to take the morning flight so we could still tour the city upon arriving. The flight from Manila to Palawan would take an hour and forty-five minutes. The flight was good. The plane was clean and new and there was ample leg room space. The crew even conducted an in-flight bring-me game in which I won a Cebu Pacific Notebook. For those who are familiar with the “Bring Me” game, I would like to say that you don’t have to get off your seat and rush to the cabin crew to give him your item. You just have to raise the item being asked for and whoever raises their item first, wins.

We landed safely at about 10:45 in the morning. The Arrival area of the Palawan Domestic Airport was quite small and had one conveyor belt. Since we were probably the first to check-in from Manila, we were the last ones to get our bags. Thankfully, Jay, the driver in Kawayanan Resort, was already there to meet us and took us to Kawayanan Resort where we would be staying for the next 4 nights.

We’re Back from Palawan!

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:46:35 +0300

We arrived safely back to Manila yesterday from our 4 night, 5 day trip to Puerto Princesa, Palawan. It was wonderful, to say the least. The weather was very cooperative and the sun did let us enjoy our adventures to the different tourist destinations within Puerto Princesa. There were places where we went that made you feel that you were in a National Geographic documentary; from the view going to the Underground River and the Underground River trip itself to literally swimming with a thousand fishes and admiring the sea life that Palawan has to offer. Of course, food was essential and treated ourselves with the freshest sea food we could find; lobsters, Blue Marlins, tuna, Shrimps, Parrot fish, flat fish and more.

We’ve also had our share of mini “casualties”. Those very territorial fishes near the shore would bite you once you get near them resulting in my sister’s bite mark on the leg from the said fish. Xiane would also suffer being stung on the ear by a jellyfish while my other sister got stung on her leg. With the sudden onset of low tide, I found myself trapped in a bed of dead corals and rocks and scratched my right leg trying to avoid hitting any of the corals. Still, it was fun!

I’m still processing the photos we took and would post them here as well show you the complete set on our Gallery once I do finish with them. As it is, my family is already harassing me to give them a copy of the photos. And I’ll probably be blogging about our trip in detail once I get time. Need to get some zzzzzzsss….

Increase on Shop&Ship Rates for Qatar

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:28:03 +0300

Thank you for using our SHOP&SHIP service. Our aim is to continuously enhance your shopping experience with us.

Aramex has found it necessary to increase the SHOP&SHIP rates to offset the increase in fuel price and operating costs. Effective July 1st 2008, our new rates will be as follows:

First ½ Kg 39 QR
Each additional ½ Kg 31 QR

We appreciate your understanding as this situation is completely outside the scope of our direct control since fuel represents a significant variable cost in the provision of transportation services.

Ark of Avilon

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:45:05 +0300

We went to the Ark of Avilon on the 23rd of June, after checking out of Lancaster Suites at about 10:30 a.m. . We didn't really know where it was so we asked the receptionist where it is located and found out that is was just beside Tendiesitas and Fun Ranch in Pasig.

Ark of Avilon is basically a small zoo. We found that place to be great as it was clean and the animals were well taken care of. It really wasn't that big and the animals weren't that many but the place was quite enjoyable especially that there were just 3 more families at the Ark of Avilon. Children can feed the goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and tortoises. You'll also be able to meet Colleen the Orangutan and touch the donkey and the snake. Interesting animals include the Owls, the Beaver (which we thought was an Otter till we realized later on), the albino Macaque (Philippine Monkey), and the Leopard. Entrance to Ark of Avilon costs Php200 (about 20QR). They'll stamp your wrist so you can go out and go back anytime of the day. I do recommend the place as kids would surely enjoy being close to the animals and be able to feed them.

Ark of Avilon