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Palawan 12-day Itinerary, Budget, and Expenses – DIY Backpacking

chymera00 — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:50:57 +0000

Starting in Iloilo City, I went to Cuyo Island and several destinations in the northern half of Palawan Island including Puerto Princesa City, Honda Bay, Sabang (St. Paul Underground River), Port Barton, San Vicente, Taytay, and El Nido. This is the itinerary I did during my 12-day “do it yourself” (DIY) backpacking trip to Palawan including a summary of my budget and expenses:

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My Relaxing Summer Break in Boracay

chymera00 — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:41:05 +0000

While backpacking may be my traveling style of choice, I also get the urge to take a break once in a while so I can relax and clear my mind especially after a long backpacking trip. Despite the thousands of tourists flocking to Boracay every summer, there’s still a lot of space for relaxation. It’s only a matter of looking for the right spots.

Puka Beach, Boracay Island

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Survivor Palawan – A Solo Backpacker’s Travelogue

chymera00 — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:29:24 +0000

Taoist founder Lao Tzu was immortalized by saying “every journey starts with a single step”. Well, that ancient Chinese proverb didn’t exactly apply to me during my recent trip to Palawan. I was out of the house with my overstuffed backpack and enthusiastic vigor on my way to ride the ferry to Puerto Princesa City, Palawan from Iloilo City. When I got to the ferry terminal, the guard told me that the boat was already fully booked and I had to wait a few more days to catch the next one. Total Bummer! So I had no choice but to go back home and postpone my trip.

After four days of recuperating, I was out of the house again with a renewed fervor and the same unopened backpack, except this time, I have already secured the reservation for the ferry. I was really looking forward to visiting Palawan for a few months already. No other place comes to mind to do my first solo backpacking trip than in Palawan, which is definitely on my top places to travel in the Philippines.

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July Travel Plans to Davao, South Cotabato, and Sarangani – My First Time in Mindanao

chymera00 — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Courtesy of Cebu Pacific’s Zero Fare last year, I’ve had the chance to book dirt cheap round trip Iloilo-Davao flights for July 2010 (next month). It’s going to be my first time to step foot in Mindanao, so I’m really excited about that! Initially, the trip was intended for South Cotabato and Sarangani only but Davao is just so irresistible, I decided allot some time to tour the city as well. Some of the places I’m eyeing to visit are: Lake Sebu, Koronadal City (Marbel), and General Santos in South Cotabato; Glan, Sarangani known for Gumasa Beach – the Boracay of Mindanao; and the multifarious attractions of Davao City and possibly Samal Island.

First Time in Mindanao: Davao City, Samal, South Corabato (General Santos, Koronadal, Lake Sebu), Sarangani (Glan)

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A Solo Traveler’s Photo Story of Backpacking in Palawan

chymera00 — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:51:17 +0000

While on an island hopping tour of El Nido (Palawan), I chanced upon this lonely kayak lying idly on a small beach cove. The setting was perfect! The high noon heat was glaring mercilessly upon the bay with low lying trees sheltering the shore. The shallow waters were painted with a refreshing aquamarine and in the distance with lurky deep blue colors. The verdant foliage was lit up like emeralds bordered by jagged rocks and tall limestone cliffs accentuated by sinister shadows. Images of “Survivor”, “Lost”, and “The Beach” suddenly filled my mind and from than moment on I was relieved of satisfying what I was longing to experience for my visit to Palawan. During my sojourn, I got to see a lot of Northern Palawan … it was definitely worth more than my initial expectations. Here’s my photo story of my 13-day backpacking trip:

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Survived Palawan, the Philippines’ Last Frontier

chymera00 — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 10:11:37 +0000

I just got home from an amazing trip to Palawan and my first attempt at solo backpacking. I had such a great time exploring the island and took with me a lot of memorable experiences, misadventures, new friends, healthy exercise from walking around so much, loads of great photos, and a not so flattering tan from all the sun exposure.

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My First Solo Backpacking Trip and First Time to Palawan

chymera00 — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0000

I was so inspired by solo backpackers I encountered during my to Banaue last April. Even though I’ve been travel blogging for a while, I haven’t actually done a whole backpacking trip by myself since all of my previous travels had involved being with friends or family members but I’ve always anticipated eventually doing a lot of solo travels because of my lifestyle. I mean, there are so many places in the Philippines that I have not visited yet and promised myself to visit within the next few years and I don’t expect to always have a travel buddy around for every trip at the date that I want. Being in close encounters with a couple of solo backpackers in Banaue and had given me a better sense of the solo backpacking lifestyle and made me very curious about how it feels like and the possibility of doing it myself. So after a month of planning, I’ve set myself to do a solo trip to Palawan.

Palawan Solo Backpacking: Cuyo – El Nido – San Vicente – Port Barton – Sabang – Puerto Princesa

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My Welcome Geeting in Thailand; Arrival at Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok) International Airport

chymera00 — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:00:00 +0000

While on the flight from Manila to Bangkok, I was able to get myself to sleep past my pre-trip anxiety, which has always bugged me in each big trip I’ve had. It’s like an anticipatory anxiety mixed with the thrill of adventure and fear of the unknown … more pronounced if I’m traveling solo. The only way I get rid of it is actually setting foot in my destination and shifting my mental thought process into the mode where my sleepless nights of itinerary planning is slowly being realized. When I woke up, the plane was already turning in circles, which means that it’s already preparing for landing.

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Manila to Bangkok Cebu Pacific Flight

chymera00 — Mon, 31 May 2010 06:32:38 +0000

Siem Reap City in Cambodia was the primary destination for my trip. Since there are no direct flights to Cambodia from the Philippines, I had to choose another nearby country/city to fly into with direct transportation links to Siem Reap. There are quite a number of ways to go at it but I ended up buying a plane ticket from Manila to Bangkok, Thailand and then traveling overland (by bus) to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Cebu Pacific International Check-in Counters in NAIA Terminal 3

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Thailand and Cambodia Itinerary – Thailand Leg (Part 2 of 2)

chymera00 — Sat, 22 May 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Now for the Thailand Leg (Part 2) of my Thailand and Cambodia Itinerary. If you haven’t checked out the first part yet, I suggest visiting the Cambodia Leg first.

Watching the sunset with the view of Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) at “The Deck” of Arun Residences

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