Travel Jams

It was early in October when I declared that  " Christmas came early for me this year. "    It started one early morning with a s...

Accommodation is perhaps one of the biggest costs travelers consider when planning a trip. Whether it's for a luxurious rest-and-relaxation staycation, a quick weekend getaway, or a mid- to long-term vacation, I'm pretty sure people would want to have the best value they can find.  

Center Suites, Cebu City | June 2012

Everyone has a different preference when it comes to accommodation types.  Some want luxury.  Others just want cheap hotels. Some can even sleep anywhere as long as there's a roof and a wi-fi connection!  However, no matter what your accommodation tastes may be, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to pay pay an arm and a leg for it.  

Dee/Timmy's Side, Boracay | October 2010

Here are some ways to find free or inexpensive lodging:

1.  Ask your network.  What better way to find recommendations than through people you personally (or virtually) know and trust.  Solicit advice from everyone in your network -- family, friends, colleagues, etc.  In this day and age, that is made a whole lot easier through social networking sites. Try asking on Facebook or Twitter, and you'll be surprised on the number of people who actually take the time to respond.

Moritz Hotel, Iloilo City | October 2010

2.  Try couch-surfing.  One of the best ways to get free accommodation is by staying with someone who lives where you’re going, sleeping in whatever spare space is available -- bed, couch, or maybe perhaps just floor. If you don't have friends in your planned destination, try checking out CouchSurfing.org. It's a "volunteer-based worldwide network connecting travelers with members of local communities, who offer free accommodation and/or advice."

Couch surfing in Cebu with friends | May 2011

3. Search Online.  In case 1 and 2 above unfortunately comes up with zero results, Google might be your savior.  There are tons of travel bloggers who document their itinerary  in complete details -- including of course where they stayed, what it looked like, and how much it costs.  They make our lives a whole lot easier.  There are also websites that specialize on finding great deals on accommodations.  Consider other options other than hotels.  Look for hostels, dorm-type accommodations, or possible homestays.  

Homestay, Palawan | December 2008

4.  Just Embrace the Adventure.  If you're feeling more adventurous, just go without booked accommodation. Ask the locals -- tourism officers, taxi and tricycle drivers, etc.  After all, who knows the place better than people who live there, right? Just keep an eye open for swindlers and scammers.  To be safe, make sure you have an idea on the usual rates. 

Ferionni, Baguio City | May 2010

So the next time you prepare for a getaway, consider these options to help you reduce your expenses and free up your travel budget for more fun activities and food trips.

What about you? How do you find cheap accommodations?

Accommodation is perhaps one of the biggest costs travelers consider when planning a trip. Whether it's for a luxurious rest-and-rel...

Thanks Ms Mae for showing us around

Activity Center

Centrio Garden

 

And of course, the cinemas! Centrio has 4 cinemas -- three 200-seater and one 300-seater. They have the cutest carpet!

So if you want to see Centrio for yourself, roughly 70% of the shops will open on Friday, November 9, 2012 at 11:00 AM.

ASAP of ABS-CBN will be there at 5:00 PM, featuring ASAP Sessionistas Richard Poon, Sitti, Princess Velasco, with ASAP Supahdancer Gab Valenciano, ASAP Boyfriendz's Khalil Ramos, and many more.

Other shows to look forward to:
November 10, 6PM:  Anne Curtis
November 11, 6PM:  El Gamma Penumbra (of Pilipinas Got Talent)

And I'm pretty sure there's gonna be more...

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Thanks heaps to Vic M of CDO Bloggers and Irene A of Bukidnon Bloggers for extending the invitation to Iligan Bloggers Society, Inc.  Big thanks to the entire team of Centrio, Cagayan de Oro for welcoming the Northern Mindanao Bloggers. 

An Ayala-owned mall will  open its doors to the public come Friday,  November 9, 2012.   Centrio, located in the heart of Cagayan de Oro Ci...

September has always been special for my hometown, Iligan City.  As soon as August arrives, Iliganons start to buzz about plans for the...

Chino's Deli's Smoked and Spicy Sausage

Chef Rod's Baby Back Ribs @ Php 80.00 (without rice)

Flamoo's Pagana Burger @ Php 95.00

Flamoo's Double Cheeseburger @ Php 70.00

El Canto's Chicken Barbecue meal @ Php 69.00

Zoey Cafe's Potato Twister

Aruma's Cafe Mocha

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PAGANA A Taste of Iligan is an event organized by IHARRA 

for Diyandi Festival, a month-long celebration of the 

Iligan City Fiesta 2012

Click here for updates about the Diyandi Events 

Discover and Experience Iligan!

Like Iligan!

Viva Señor San Miguel!

I slept with a very happy tummy last night!   We checked out  PAGANA, A Taste of Iligan and had an enjoyable sumptuous dinner. P...

On a recent trip to Dipolog City, we marveled at the glorious sunrise and sunset. Here's how to get to Baybay Galas (for sunrise) and Boulevard (for sunset).

Baybay Galas

Restreto Inn (Minaog) to City Proper: 

• via tricycle: Ask the driver to drop you off at the terminal at the back of the market. (fare is Php 10*/person) 

City Proper to Galas: 

• via tricycle: Ask the driver to drop you off at the port or pier of Galas. You'll find fishermen and the freshest seafood there. (fare is Php 10/person) 

Boulevard 

• Accessible by tricycle. Minimum fare: Php 7/person (within city proper). Fare from Restreto Inn to the Boulevard: Php 10/person.

*Fares noted above as of June 2012.

NOTE

This post is part of a series on the entire Dipolog-Dapitan trip.   Check out the rest of the series.

• How to Get to Dipolog City (from Iligan City)
• Hudyaka ZaNorte Experience
• Hudyaka ZaNorte Street Dancing Competition
• Sunrise and Sunset of Dipolog City

On a recent trip to Dipolog City , we marveled at the glorious sunrise and sunset. Here's how to get to Baybay Galas (for sunrise)...

These shots were taken in Baybay Galas, Dipolog City. I'm so happy that I was in the company of bloggers with common travel fetish -- capturing the moments of sunrise and sunset. Yes, it requires a little bit of sacrifice by having to wake up earlier than usual, but it is soooo worth it.  It didn't matter that we slept pretty late the night before and that we had to wake up at 4am and travel 20 minutes in a cramped tricycle because sunrise never fails to paint a smile on our faces and leave a spoonful of inspiration and a dose of hope in our hearts. :)




Ending the Day with a Breathtaking Sunset
As a famous quote goes, "The sunrise is God's greeting... Sunset, His signature."  True.  Here are a couple of photos taken at the boulevard.

There's just something about sunsets that makes me want to pause and just stare into the sun in admiration; to look back and be grateful for all the blessings; and to look forward excitedly to whatever lies ahead. ^_^

Whether it is the gorgeous hues of orange and red or the smooth transition from dark to light or light to dark, there's just something enchanting about sunrises and sunsets. Perhaps the beauty of the skies at this glorious hour is somehow like the beauty of our lives -- sometimes gloomy, sometimes clear, sometimes somewhere in between; most of the time unpredictable, but all the time wonderful. After all, A Sunset is the Promise of a New Day -- A Sunrise is a Promise Fulfilled.

;)

There are two brief moments in the 24 hours of each day that give us a sneak peek of the bigger story of our lives. It's the time of da...

When I read that Firmoo launched a program offering free eyewear to first-time buyers, I immediately signed up to get my FREE pair.

So here's what I love about the product:

1.  It gives me a clear vision.  Naturally, for a person with impaired vision like me, this is of utmost importance.  Firmoo sent in the eyeglasses with accurate prescription.   

2.  It fits perfectly.  The frame doesn't fall off or slide down, and it isn't too tight either.

3.  It has a cutting-edge modern style. Just because it is a prescription sunglasses does not mean it has to be boring.  I chose a wraparound glasses with an ultra cool design. I also like that the tint isn't too dark -- just enough to protect my eyes. 

4.  The package comes with a repair and maintenance kit.  The package I received also had a plastic case, a cleaning cloth, a soft storage bag and a glass repair kit with extra screws and a screwdriver. Taking care of the glasses is as important as taking care of the eyes, right? I'm glad the sunglasses from Firmoo comes with these accessories.  If there's one thing I would like to change in the contents though, that would be the cleaning cloth.  I prefer microfiber cloth and this cloth in the image below (sorry, I don't know the type of this cloth).

Note: Cleaning cloth used as background NOT from Firmoo.

5.  It's easy to order on their website, and the customer service is superb. No wonder Firmoo is the world's most popular online eyeglasses store. They have a large variety of high-quality and fashionable eyewear at the most affordable prices -- too large in fact that it actually took me two days to finally decide on a frame because there were several pairs that I liked. Customer service was also prompt, and they respond to emailed queries and concerns on a timely manner.

If you want to give it a try, just go to http://www.firmoo.com/free-glasses.html and get your FREE eyewear! 

Disclosure: I received this product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

What’s one thing you can't leave home without? Me? My prescription eyeglasses! I can't leave home without it. I can no long...

One of my favorite highlights in every festival is the street dancing competition.  Last June 9, Hudyaka 2012, the provincial tourism event of Zamboanga del Norte (fondly called by the locals as ZaNorte), culminates with a street dance parade featuring local festivals of its municipalities and cities.

By 2:00 PM, we stood with the crowd under the scorching heat of the sun to witness contingents fill the streets with a burst of wonderful colors and music.   

We hadn't had a decent lunch and the heat is borderline unbearable. But seeing the smiles of the performers made us forget all that.

And the festival queens were beautiful!  

Photo Credit: Hudyaka ZaNorte fan page

More photos HERE.

Winners:

1st Prize:   Municipality of La Libertad (P300,000)

2nd Prize:  Dapitan City (P200,000)

3rd Prize:   Municipality of Liloy (P100,000)

Festival Queen, Best Musicality, and Best in Costume:  Dapitan City, winning them an additional P20,000.

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the Provincial Government of Zamboanga del Norte
Hon. Rolando E. Yebes, Governor of Zamboanga del Norte
Atty. Patrick Ivan Ang, the Provincial Tourism Officer
Atty. Flynt Concha, the Chairman of Hudyaka Zanorte 2012;

Mr. Ralph Lorenzo Tan of Mediatrix Homes Inc;

Dr. Gerald T. Concha PhD and Atty. Dianne Concha of Rural Bank of Rizal Inc;

Mrs. Jovy Lim Concha of Big Joe's Restaurant; and

Dr. Emmanuel Quicio of Dipolog Design Center.

This project was initiated by Seven One Hundred.

NOTE
This post is part of a series on the entire Dipolog-Dapitan trip.   Check out the rest of the series.

• How to Get to Dipolog City (from Iligan City)
• Hudyaka ZaNorte Experience
• Hudyaka ZaNorte Street Dancing Competition
• Sunrise and Sunset of Dipolog City

One of my favorite highlights in every festival is the street dancing competition.  Last June 9, Hudyaka 2012 , the provincial tourism event...

I was thrilled when I received an email invitation from Chino | Juanderful Pinoy to witness Hudyaka  ZaNorte  2012 with other travel blogge...

We were invited to witness Hudyaka ZaNorte in Dipolog! Wooohooo!!!  


So how do we (Lai, Xy-Za and I) get there? Let me count the ways. ^__^

Plan A: 

• Bus Ride (Iligan-Mukas: 1.5hrs)

• Barge (Mukas-Ozamis: 20-30 min)

• Bus Ride (Ozamis-Dipolog: 4-5hrs)

That's like up to 7 loooooong hours on the road from Iligan City. [Um. No. Could there be any other way?]  


Plan B: 

• Leave Iligan by June 6th. 
• Sleepover at Oroquieta City.  
• Be at Dipolog before lunch on the 7th.

[Sounds okay. But there would be too much work to cram for Monday and Tuesday. No.]


Plan C: 

• Leave Iligan by 4:30am on the 7th.  
• Quick stopover at Oroquieta City.  
• Be at Dipolog around lunchtime.

[Um. Not quite. 4:30am is too early. We'd be walking zombies by the time we arrive. No.]

Plan D:  Lai found this forum. OceanJet had an Iligan-Oroquieta route of its fast crafts.  Hmmm. 

• So depart Iligan at 6:00 am. 
• Arrive at Oroquieta City by 7:30am.

Enough time to wander around before heading for Dipolog shortly before lunch. 
[Perfect!]





So off to the Ocean Jet office we went. And surprise, surprise!

Photo from PurpleSlipperz

First trip is at noon! There's no fast craft leaving at 6:00 AM! Change of plans...



Plan E: 

• Leave Iligan at by 12 noon.  
• Take the 2-hour bus ride from Oroquieta City to Dipolog.  

[Oh-kay. We can definitely work with that. At least there's time to finish up our workload.]


By 11:00 AM, we're practically bursting with excitement.  But on the way to the pier, I received a horrible text message from Lai:  

Cancelled!

Oopsie! Change of plans again. For the umpteenth time.

Plan F:  
Bus --> barge --> bus.  

Well, Plan F is oddly familiar.  Looks exactly like Plan A. Funny how it turned out we didn't actually need Plans B to E.

So... 12:00 NN.  Leaving Iligan finally... by bus! :)


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.
.
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Fast forward 7 hrs later.  This is what welcomed us: 

Restreto Inn and Cafe

If this is gonna be our home for the next few days, then I'm pretty sure the Hudyaka experience in Dipolog ZaNorte will be nothing short of awesome!  ;)



NOTE
This post is part of a series on the entire Dipolog-Dapitan trip.   Check out the rest of the series.

• How to Get to Dipolog City (from Iligan City)
• Hudyaka ZaNorte Experience
• Hudyaka ZaNorte Street Dancing Competition
• Sunrise and Sunset of Dipolog City

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Well, here's how we (finally) got to Dipolog City from Iligan City:

   – Iligan City to Mukas

o   Rural Non-Aircon Bus

o   Travel Time:  ~2 hours

o   Fare:  P75

   – Mukas to Ozamis City

o   Barge

o   Travel Time: ~30 min

o   Fare: P25

• – Ozamis City to Dipolog City

o   Rural Aircon Bus

o   Travel Time:  ~4.5 hours with quick stopovers in Jimenez, Oroquieta, Plaridel, Calamba, Sapang Dalaga, Rizal, and Dapitan

o   Fare:  P235

*All fares as of June 7, 2012

** We transferred buses while in the barge. J

We were invited to witness Hudyaka ZaNorte  in Dipolog! Wooohooo!!!   So how do we ( Lai ,  Xy-Za  and I)  get there? Let me count the w...