Crossing Borders : Traveling from Vietnam to Cambodia

Inspired  by  travel shows like The Loney Planet, House Hunters Asia, Samantha Brown, and other shows from the Travel Channel, I decided to do this trip as my birthday gift for myself. I supposed to travel solo but my husband did not allow me so I drag my sister with me for this trip.

Let me share with you my day-to-day journal entry as written on my Volo travel journal. Oh, by the way, I am loving this travel app because you can write your entry even offline. I am glad that I downloaded this app before this travel.

Day 1 : Braving Manila Traffic

It is a long weekend here in the Philippines, and as expected, traffic is really something that you need to consider before your flight. I left at 4pm in Shaw Blvd and arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 by 6pm. Our flight is at 10:45 pm but I want to check-in as early as 7pm so we will have ample time to relax and have  our dinner .

I'm a bit worried if my sister will make it on time. She left Quezon City at 5:30 pm and seeing passengers running around outside the terminal makes me feel nervous. Everyone seems be late in their flights! After braving Manila traffic by riding the MRT and bus, she finally made it before 7 pm.

We had our dinner at Lauro's Cafe at Terminal 3. It  offers Filipino dishes and Pinoy delicacies for pasalubongs like dried mangoes, piaya, peanut kisses, peanut brittle, and a lot more. It is a good thing that T3 already upgraded facilities and the newly opened Food Hall showcases different specialty restaurants. I ordered crispy pork chop for 120 pesos. Nothing to rave about but it taste just ok.

Day 2 : Miss Saigon

Arrived safely here in HCMC at 12:00 am which is 20 minutes earlier on our ETA. No arrival card given to us to fill out. 

We are millionaires in HCMC. We exchange a hundred US dollar for our pocket money amounting to 2.2 Million VDN for our pocket money.

Since I do not want to stress myself haggling for a cab to bring us to the hotel at this hour, I already included  the airport pick-up in the hotel package. An old white car is our airport transfer service for tonight. While riding the car , the music from the Broadway musical keeps on playing in my mind....."The heat is on ... Miss Saigon..."

We will be staying here at Little Saigon Botique Hotel for 2 nights. I still have no time to check the place since it is already 1:30am. The room is small but clean. Great staff and affordable too. You just have to walk 20 meters on  a small road or "eskinita"  from the main road.

7:00 am   Good Morning Saigon!
We woke up at 6am and had our free breakfast. The selection consists of a variety of local fruits, juices, bread, noodles, dim sum, bacon, ham and egg station.

8:00 am Cu-Chi Complex Tour 

Our tour guide, Kim, arrived and fetch us for the Cu-Chi tour. We are 7 tourists in the van consisting of Americans, Europeans , and Germans. 

Before heading to the tunnel, our guide dropped us at a handicraft shop. For their lacquer art, they are using duck egg shells and mother of pearls in most of their works. All of the artists, by the way , are handicaps.

We reached the Cu Chi tunnel on time and our guide who speaks good English  explained to us the role of the tunnel during the war.

I was able to squeeze down easily to one of the "high/low cover" entering the tunnel but I had a hard time going out. I am glad that our guide was strong enough to pull me out.

My sister and I also tried to fire an M16 gun so we can have a feel what it is like to be a guerilla during the war. The price of the bullet is 400,000 VDN for 10 bullets is pricey, but my sister and I shared the 10 bullets.

The tour is actually very informative and made me realized that there is really a tie that binds Vietnam and the Philippines. (A separate post about our Cu-Chi Experience on the blog soon).

The tour only takes 4 hours and we arrived at our hotel around 1pm. We had late lunch at Achaya Cafe Restaurant near Ben Thanh Market. It was raining hard so we had our Vietnamese coffee before heading to the bus company to buy tickets to Cambodia.

We ended our day with a sumptuous and filling dinner at Ben Thanh Market and had grilled shrimp, seafood rice and pork spring rolls.

 Day 3 : The heat is on Miss Saigon
I love today's itinerary. We've been to 5 districts (Districts 1,3,5,6 & 10) riding a  motor bike. This is what I came for here in Saigon. Some of the places we visited on this tour are the Central Post Office, The Notre Dame Cathedral, The Reunification Palace, Tan Dinh Market,  The Thich Quang Duc memorial, Ho Thi Ky Flower Market,  Cholon (China Town), The Binh Tan Market, and Thien Hau Pagoda.

With our new friend from Taiwan, Xian.

For lunch, we had a platter of Vietnamese  rolls at Wrap and Roll located at Saigon Center.

7:00 pm : Halloween in Saigon
We are about to leave Saigon in a while and  waiting for our bus to Cambodia is boring. With no plan for tonight, we headed to the Central Market Park to attend a Halloween Party. Saigon is taking their Halloween celebrations seriously. Kids and adult alike were all dressed up for the trick and treat.

11:30 pm
Exactly 11:30 pm when a staff from the bus company arrived. A lot of foreigners are joining us tonight. It is going to be a loonnnnggg travel. I can't wait to see what is this sleepers bus is all about. 

1:00 am 
Finally, we are ready to leave. The sleepers bus looks good outside but inside its old and have a not so good smell. It is also tight and most Americans and Europeans find it uncomfortable.

Day 4: Crossing Borders 
We left Saigon around 1 am and arrived at Moc Bai border around 3:30 am. The border opens at 6 am and so we just continue with our sleep. It was not that comfortable but we were able to save for a night of hotel accommodation. "Lonely Planet ba ang peg kamo? eto na un!"

I woke up around 5:30 am and waited. This is the moment that I have been waiting for and this is what it feels like. The bus company offers visa processing service and assist the group in the immigration. No Visa fee for Filipinos but it costs 35$ for other tourists.

With no comfort room in our bus, we need to wait for the border to open so we can have our toilet time.

At 6 am, this is what happens at the Moc Bai border. I would like to describe this moment as a scene from the Flu. I don't know if I am excited that we were the first bus to enter the border today or I am excited to use the CR.

We reached Phom Penh at exactly 12nn. The bus company said that we will be transferred to a mini-van going to Siem Reap. We left at exactly 12:30 and there was 9 of us. The van is quite comfortable enough for the 5-hour travel.

Arrived at Siem Reap at 5 pm. A group of tuk-tuk drivers were waiting for us. I saw my name written on a piece of paper and it says Jennifer G.  The tuk-tuk pick-up was already arranged by the bus company and  I am glad that they arranged it for us already because I don't know how to get to the hotel from the bus station. Our driver, Sunday, safely brought us to the hotel and we arranged him to be our driver for the Angkor tour the next day. He will pick-up us up at 4:30am for us to see  the Sunrise at Angkor Wat. Tuk-tuk packages for a whole day tour costs about 20 to 30 $.

6:00 pm
I love our hotel, Apsara Centrepoint Hotel. The room is soooo clean and smells really good. I wish we could stay a  little longer. Few steps away from the hotel is Pub Street and a lot spa/massage shops. Can't wait for my 1 hour massage for 4$.

7:00 pm
We attended again another  Halloween Party. Pub Street is just a block away from Apsara Hotel, so just imagine how crazy the people are here today. I've been seeing a lot of zombies.

Day 5: Angkor Tour

We checked out at 4:30 am because we will be back to Manila tonight at 10pm. The hotel arranged for us our "baon" for today which consists of assorted breads, jam, butter, butter, and "dalandan". We left the hotel around 4:45 am and head to the ticket station. The ticket station is jump-packed at this time but we were able to get our tickets in less than 5 minutes. The ticket cost 20$ and make sure to keep your ticket because they are checking it every time you will enter a temple.

Make sure to dress modestly, no shorts please!








From Sunrise to Sunset in Cambodia
Our first stop is Angkor Wat. A lot of visitors were already set-up their cameras and we do not know where is the best spot to see that sunrise. We also had our coffee there and then leave after an hour for the next temple.

Next, we visited is the Angkor Thom City and we started at Bayon temple which is the highlight temple in the center of Angkor Thom. Then we walk to the next temples nearby Baphoun, Royale Enclosure, Elephant and Liper King Terrace.

Outside the Angkor Thom City si Ta Prohm temple and is famous for its gigantic root of trees over the temple. This is where the movie "Tom Raider" was shot.

All the temples are picture perfect, but we don't have enough battery life on our phones  to take more photos. I wish my husband was with me today  because I still do not have a photo yet for my FB cover page. huhu!

Waiting for the sunset
Our next stop is Phnom Bakheng. We do not have enough energy left to climb the hill so we rode on a motor for 2$ each hehe! It was quite early so we just stayed there and I was able to take a nap while sitting. I am not sure if I enjoyed watching the sunset there. I still cannot forget the sunset in Batanes in the Philippines last February. After sunset, we climb down the hill and asked Sunday to bring us to the airport.

There are a lot of restoration going on the complex and it was just so sad that all these remnants from the past are slowly getting destroyed over time.

It was a tiring trip but an educational  experience for me. I learned a lot from the culture  of our Asian neighbors. There were a lot of similarities in the culture, food, people, shopping, pop culture, traffic and even politics. I also learned about new things from them.

This trip is not for everyone if your goal is to relax. My objective for this trip 'tho is to learn more about the Asian culture by getting to know the locals. I was able to talk and spent time with them even just for a few days. Therefore I can say, objectives attained.

Anak ng Pating Naman : No to 'Gotta catch 'em all

Did you know that the Philippines is among the Top 5 countries in the world with high shark diversity? Mostly found in the following places, 1) Donsol, Sorsogon (Whale shark feeding aggregation); 2) Manta Bowl, Ticao Pass (Manta Ray Cleaning station); 3) Cagayan de Oro (Highest concentration of megamouth shark strandings) and 4) Malapascua Island, Cebu (Thresher Shark cleaning station), the Philippines is also the only place in the world where you can dive with the thresher sharks. 

The presence of these sharks has turned some of our islands into a major dive tourist attraction helping local residents. They are considered valuable in terms  for both ecological and economic value.

In 2010, I already swam with the Butandings during one of my travel. I've seen how these sea monsters were able to charm tourists and  the economic value it brings to the  tourism industry.

JLo while waiting for Butandings

THE VALUE OF SHARK IN THE PHILIPPINE TOURISM INDUSTRY 

With over 150 species of shark listed in the Checklist of Philippines Chondrichthyes, divers and wildlife enthusiast are paying good money to view sharks in their natural habitats. Travel packages has been offered to take tourist to view, dive or snorkel with sharks.

Apart from Monad Shoal in Malapascua, divers have also encountered threshers sharks around :

• Apo Reef, Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro
• Burias Pass
• Tubbataha Reef
• Moalboal, Cebu
• Apo Island, Dauin, Negros Occiendental

This form of ecotourism is rooting in having communities appreciate that the local shark species are more valuable alive than dead. Instead of opting for one-time economic benefit of harvesting sharks for their body parts used as food, beauty products and other commercial use. Many tourist are still interested to see live sharks and diving with these giants is something that they look  forward to.

Shark-based toursim provides ecomonic benefits in areas that can support sustainable tourism ventures.

 

Unfortunately, these marine animal is nearing extinction,  as thresher sharks could still be fished, hunted, and traded legally elsewhere. Anak ng pating naman oh!

Photo Credit : Save Philippine Seas FB page

There is a proposal by the following countries Bahamas, Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, the Comoros, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Maldives, Mauritania, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Ukraine* . and the European Union to the CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA  (CITES) which the Philippines will be voting for or against in Johannesburg, South Africa in their 17th meeting on September 24 – October 5, 2016. 

The proposal concerns the inclusion in Appendix II of Alopias superciliosus (bigeye thresher shark) in accordance with Article II paragraph 2(a) of the Convention and satisfying Criterion A in Annex 2a of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP16); and the inclusion of all other species of thresher sharks, genus Alopias spp. in accordance with Article II paragraph 2(b) of the Convention and satisfying Criterion A in Annex 2b of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP 14).

There is a petition led by the Philippines that could ensure the protection of thresher sharks because we are the only country in the world that values these sharks. If this proposal passes, all trade in thresher sharks would be required to be sustainable and would ensure their survival in the next generations to come.

As a Filipino, WHAT CAN WE DO TO SUPPORT THIS ADVOCACY?

1. Go to the website to sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/philippines-vote-yes-for-threshers

2. Pledge your support to our Thunderclap campaign!

3. Visit Malapascua Island to see the thresher shark and support the community.

4. Share this post to social media using #PHsayYES and #WORLDsayYES

LET US ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF YOU THINK THIS IS WORTH A FEW CLICKS TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, PLEASE DO LET OTHER KNOW ABOUT IT TOO!
SIGN THE PETITION HERE !

  #PHsayYES #WORLDsayYES 

2016 Government Choral Competition

To those who were following my blog (kung meron man! :-), I am sure that you are aware that I am a part of the Pag-IBIG Fund Chorale. Aside from working with my day job, the wooden souvenir business "Wooden"  and the travel agency  "RedMark Travel and Tours" that we recently launched this year, I've been singing with this choir for more than 18 years now. 

From Soprano 1, Soprano2 , down to A1 and now a power Alto 2, (naks! oh sya ang lahat dinaanan ko na), harmonizing with your friends I guess is my best stress buster so far.

Last September 13, we recently joined the CSC Government Choral Competition held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and we bagged the following awards : Best in Regional Entry - NCR, 2nd Runner-Up and Best Conductor Award.

We did not make it as the Grand Champion but in our hearts we did our best and we are champions in our own rights.  Our very own version of Joey Ayala's "Karaniwang Tao" is one for the books. Our soulful rendition almost made me in tears and had chills running down my spine. Kudos to our quartet, Darwin, Leebeth, Roderick and Betchay.

Maraming Salamat po sa lahat ng sumuporta!

The Pag-IBIG Fund Chorale singing Kaya Mong Maging Isang Dakila
Photo Credit : Philippine Civil Service Facebook Page

___________________

Source : Philippine Civil Service PRESS RELEASE

Grand choir - The eight participating government choirs sang “Mabuhay Ka, Pilipino” as this year’s grand choir piece conducted by Mr. Arwin Tan of the Philippine Choral Directors Association. After which, they also gave a rendition of the "Awit ng Serbisyo Sibil"

Photo Credit : Philippine Civil Service Commission Facebook Page

For the second time, Mindanaoan choir Tagum City Chamber Chorale emerged as the grand champion of the nationwide choral competition for government agencies.

The Tagum City Chamber Chorale won over seven other government choirs from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao which competed in the 6th Government Choral Competition on September 13, 2016 held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in celebration of the 116th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary (PCSA).

This year’s anniversary theme, “Sigaw ng Lingkod Bayani: Malasakit para sa Taumbayan, Kapwa Kawani, at Kalikasan”, inspired the selection of the competition piece “Karaniwang Tao” by Joey Ayala at Ang Bagong Lumad which calls on the public to take care of every human being by taking care of the environment.

“Sinama namin ang kalikasan sa tema dahil naniniwala ang Komisyon na ang pagmamalasakit dito ay isang pangkalahatang responsibilidad—pangkalahatan, dahil walang pinipiling edad, kasarian, relihiyon, at lahi ang mga sakuna o kalamidad na dulot ng pagbabago ng klima o climate change (We considered the environment in our anniversary theme because the Commission believes that taking care of the environment is a collective duty—collective, because the disastrous impact brought by climate change knows no age, gender, religion, and race),” CSC Chairperson Alicia dela Rosa-Bala said.

Each choir sang the contest piece “Karaniwang Tao” with original choral arrangements each, along with two other music pieces.

The participating choirs are: (Luzon) Dasmariñas City Teachers Chorale, Pangasinan Provincial Chorale, (Visayas) Guimaras Capitol Chorale, (Mindanao) Bayugan City Educators Chorale, Tagum City Chamber Chorale, The Davao City Teachers Chorale, (NCR) Bangko Sentral Singers, and Pag-IBIG Fund Chorale.

Best Regional Entry winners are Pangasinan Provincial Choral, Guimaras Capitol Chorale, Tagum City Chamber Chorale, and Pag-IBIG Fund Chorale.

Following its victory in last year’s Government Choral Competition, the Tagum City Chamber Choral won again as this year’s Grand Champion (P200,000), followed by the Bayugan City Educators Chorale (1st Runner-up - P150,000), Pag-IBIG Fund Chorale (2nd Runner-up – P100,000), and the Pangasinan Provincial Chorale (3rd Runner-Up – P75,000).

Other special awards were given to Mr. Anthony Villanueva of the Pag-IBIG Fund Chorale for Best Conductor, and to Mr. John August Pamintuan of Tagum City Chamber Chorale for Best Arrangement of Competition Song.

Cultural Center of the Philippines President Raul Sunico congratulated the choirs and showed appreciation for the public servants’ increasing level of appreciation in culture and the arts.

“I am glad that people in the government are starting to recognize the important role of culture and the arts in spurring national development,” he said.

All participating choirs sang “Mabuhay Ka, Pilipino” as this year’s grand choir piece conducted by Mr. Arwin Tan of the Philippine Choral Directors Association.

Mr. Joey Ayala sat as member of the board of judges together with Mr. Jonathan Velasco, Ms. Ma. Theresa Vizconde Roldan, Mr. Ralph Hoffman, and Mr. Tristan Ignacio.

Pilipinas Got Talent first season winner Jovit Baldivino and the Silly Peoples Improv Theater rendered intermission numbers, while broadcaster Kara David and comedian/actor Garry Lim served as the Masters of Ceremony.

The competition was organized by the CSC Regional Office No. 4 in coordination with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Spelunking in Sumaging Cave

As we are getting closer and closer to the mouth of the cave, I started to feel scared. The sight of dark abyss and the trail of uneven steps that lead underground is enough for you to weaken your spirit and back-out. The trail down the deep, dark and cold cave may be scary, but it is worth to give it a try.

Perhaps one of the reasons that compelled me as first-timer in caving despite the lack of experience is my thirst for seeing an unfamiliar environment and to experience its magnificent limestone formations. And the only way to satisfy me is to take the adventurous rugged trail down the BIG cave.

The guides started to prepare the lamps that will light us during the exploration. While preparing, the head guide gave us an orientation and the to-dos and not-to-dos. Yes, I can still remember ABC and DEF. ABC stands for Always Be Careful and DEF stands for Don’t Ever Fall. hmmm! Sounds "hugot" to me!

Our group is composed of 12 individuals with the age range from the mid-20s to early 60s. The guide told us to fall in line with the weakest link first.

The Sumaging Cave Adventure Team is brought to you by RedMark Travel and Tours

As we are about to enter the cave, the guide explained to us that there are 3 stages of caving.

Ang pagbaba!
To the bat cave! The path going down the cave was slippery. Holding the slime-covered rocks which you need to hold onto to attain balance is better than holding your boyfriend's hand. Ok, I admit! I pretended that the slime on my hands was just moss, but it was actually bat  poop and pee. Eeeeew!!! Now I know the use of the gloves  for sale at the souvenir shop near the registration area. I should have bought a pair.

The watery part
At this stage, the guide would ask the group to remove footwear. Walking barefoot allows you to have more balance and allows you to move freely without slipping. You can rinse your dirty hands and feet in the cold water.

"Ang Pulikat!" bow. Make sure makapag stretching ng unti para iwas pulikat

The buwis-buhay part
The buwis -buhay stage is where  your YOLO spirit will be put to test.  We slide, crawl and rappel to move from one place to another. In this stage also where the guides will show off their superman abilities. Guides will be  your human ladder to make the difficult phase less frightening. 

Expect to hear this kind of conversation during this stage:

      Guide : Ma’m kanang paa sa balikat ko, kaliwang paa sa binti ko.
     JLo     :  Hindi ko abot. Hindi abot ng paa ko yang shoulder mo.
     Guide  : Unti nalang mam 1 inch nalang.
    JLo     : maikli nga
    Guide   : slide pa ng unti

The more challenging it gets, the more you are excited to see the rock formations such as the King’s Curtain, Crocodile or Sharks head, the King and Queen and other marvelous limestone formations.

The King's Curtain

Going back  is also another challenge. It involves more rock climbing and rappelling that requires more flexibility. Despite of all the "buwis-buhay" stunts that we did for this tour, it is all worth it in the end. 

This experience made me realize that,  "It is truly not the destination, but the journey that matters."

Cheers!

Sagad sa Sagada!

This “Sagad sa Sagada” Eco-Adventure tour is so surreal that it felt like I was dreaming.  Samahan nyo ako sa aking munting kwento. Tara byahe tayo!

We started the tour at the viewpoint of Banawe Rice Terraces (as seen on the old 1,000 peso bill). It was not my first time in Banawe. I was only 19 years old when given the opportunity to teach computer education in Nueva Viscaya and Ifugao. After 2 decades, I came back reminiscing that stage in my life when I was just starting to build a name for myself. Looking back, I can say that my 19 year-old-self did well.

After checking in at the George Guesthouse, we prepared ourselves for the next activity, which is spelunking.

Conquering Sumaging Cave is indeed a challenge and surviving it without an injury is something I can be proud of. The sight of dark abyss and the trail of uneven steps that lead underground is enough for you to weaken your spirit and back-out. But what motivated me was my thirst for seeing an unfamiliar environment and to experience its magnificent limestone formations. And the only way to satisfy me is to take the adventurous trail down the deep, dark and cold cave.

Spelunking may not be for the faint-hearted but it is truly rewarding.

Shark's Head

<Read details of our Sumaging Cave Exploration here>

Day 2 of the tour involves a lot of trekking and hiking.  I thought it was easy, but I had a hard time because of the weather. I was about to give up during the 2km trek along Fidelisan Rice Terraces going to Bomod-ok Falls. It was cold and windy and the rain keeps on pouring which makes it even harder to walk. I slipped in the mud several times and I felt l was running out of breath. I was really cold and quivering inside.

But my YOLO spirit is telling me not to give up. Sabi nga ng guide “Ginusto nyo yan.”

Trekking 

Lo and  behold! When we reached the Bomod-ok Falls, we were all like children excited to play with a new toy. All the exhausting knee-jerking long walk was replaced by fresh and energized feeling after seeing the falls.

Bomod-ok Falls

This adventure is not for everyone. Bring your YOLO spirit and unleash that Conqueror in you.

The following day, our wake up call was at 4am to prepare ourselves for the sunset viewing at Kiltepan. Waking up before 4am was also a challenge after all the strenuous activities the last 2 days. We don't want to miss that sun slowly rising up above the sea of cloud. 

Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating and it was a fail. "Singing in the rain lang ang peg."

ACCOMMODATIONS

There are a lot of guesthouse and inns that you can book prior to your visit. I suggest to still book in advance or book a package through your favorite travel agency. Sometimes D-I-Y-ing will make you feel disappointed because there were times that the Sagada Tourism Office will not allow you to proceed with the activities for there were instances of shortage of tour guides.

FOOD

You can google search “where to dine in Sagada?” and you can read articles on the list of the Top 10 restaurants there. Unfortunately, during peak season, these top restaurants are not ready for tourist. It will take you a minimum of 1 to 1.5 hours to wait for your food. Please manage your expectations.

To manage your time, I recommend to order in advance. By doing so, you don’t need to wait in line and stress yourself waiting for your orders.

Are you ready to conquer Sagada? Check out the itinerary below and book your tour through RedMark Travel and Tours.

ITINERARY

Day 0

9:00 pm        -     Assembly / Estimated Time of Departure from Manila

Day 1

6:00 am        -      Estimated time of Arrival in Banaue

-     Breakfast

-     Banaue View Point (as seen in the old 1,000 peso bill)

7:30 am        -      Estimated time of departure to Sagada

10:30 am      -      Estimated time of arrival in Sagada

-     Check in

-      Freshen up

12:00 nn       -      Lunch

2:00 pm        -      Lumiang Burial Cave

-     Sumaging Cave (includes : rock climbing, rappelling and swimming)

Day 2

6:00 am        -      Call time

-      Breakfast

7:00 am        -     Bomod-ok Falls

7:30 am        -     Drop off

                     -     Start of Trek

      View of Fidelisan Rice Terraces

      Fidelisan Mines View
      Bomod-ok Falls

9:00 am        -     Estimated time of arrival at the falls

      Swimming

10:00 am      -     Trek back to drop of

12:00 nn       -      Estimated time of arrival at the hotel

-      Lunch

2:30 pm         -     Town Tour

                             (Saint Mary the Virgin Church, Echo Valley, Hanging Coffins)

5:00 pm        -       Sunset viewing at Lake Danum

6:30 pm        -       Back to Hotel

Day 03

4:00 am        -       wake up call

4:30 am        -       Sunrise viewign atKiltepan View Point

6:30 am        -        Back to the hotel

         Breakfast

         Souvenir hunt

11:00 am      - Lunch along Halsema Road

12:30 pm      - Drop at the Philippine Highest Point

2:30 pm        - Estimated Time of Arrival in La Trinidad Strawberry Farm

3:30 pm        - Estimated Time of Departure from Baguio

10:00 pm      - Estimated time of arrival in Manila

Biggest luxury travel deals up for grabs at Asia Premium Travel Mart

Biggest luxury travel deals up for grabs at Asia Premium Travel Mart

The Asia Premium Travel Mart (APTM), an exhibit of luxury travel suppliers, will be holding the year’s biggest discounts on airline tickets, hotels and resort accommodations, and tour packages on June 23 from 10AM to 9PM at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

The APTM will bring together travel and tour business operators as well as hotel and airline companies for a one-day sale at the end of a three-day exhibit that will begin on June 21. “The first two days of the exhibit is open for business-to-business transactions only. We have invited travel operators abroad to meet with their local counterparts here. The third day, however, will be open to the public. There will be no entrance fees for those coming to find great deals,” said Fe Abling – Yu, president of the APTM.

Abling – Yu further cited Sofitel’s known packages for lunch / dinner buffet deals on Spiral and Philippine Airlines’ discounts on both domestic and international tickets.  Other participating travel companies include Turkish Airlines, The Peninsula Manila, Makati Diamond Residences, Hotel Nobu, City of Dreams, Manila Diamond Hotel, Henann Group, Shangri-la Hotel, Crimson Hotel, Bellevue Hotel, Lind Hotel, Boracay Tropics, and Hotel Celeste, among others.

The APTM is a project of S8 Exhibition Inc. in coordination with the Tourism Promotions Board of the Department of Tourism.

APTM Spokesperson Edwin L. Villanueva presents a background
of the group and the state of luxury market in the country. 

APTM President Fe Abling – Yu explains reveals the public can expect discounts from
exhibitors like the Philippine Airlines, Sofitel Luxury Hotels, The Peninsula and
 Makati Diamond Residences, among others.

Last year’s APTM Exhibit at the SMX in Pasay City