Anyway, if you’re not yet subscribed to their promo email alerts, read on their press release below. But really, why aren’t you?

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Love is in the Fare as we celebrate a high on-time performance with an international Seat Sale for as low as P999!

Come celebrate with us this Valentine’s season as we hit an all-time high of 91.6% on-time performance last January 2010 in approximately 1,700 weekly flights to our 32 domestic and 14 international destinations! We’re slashing fares off selected international routes for as low as P999 starting now until February 11, 2010 to celebrate this achievement.

Up for grabs are seats from Manila to Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur, for the ‘Go Lite’ seat sale fare of P999 and P1,999 only. These are valid for travel from April 1 to June 30, 2010.

Manila-Jakarta, Manila-Taipei and Clark-Macau flights can be yours for the ‘Go Lite ’ seat sale fare of P999. Flights from Manila to Saigon and Macau are also available at P1,499 for travel beginning May 1 to July 31, 2010.

We have more reasons to celebrate at www.cebupacificair.com! Hurry, book your seats now!

My pet province so far has been Surigao. And though certain parts of this province has received international attention, Siargao immediately comes to mind, the rest of the local tourist spots have been suffering in silence, relegated to playing second or third fiddle to their more marketed neighbor. Which is such a shame really considering that these places are really, really awesome and could give some of the more popular Philippines tourist spots a run for their money.

But back to photography. I started taking pictures of my travels using a 3.5 megapixel Kodak digital camera. I thought it was the bomb back then, though now this is certainly laughable considering that that camera can’t even be re-charged! I had to buy 2 triple A batteries overtime I think about using it. Still those were the fun days. You know, taking pictures just for the sake of the moment. The pictures were taken merely for documentation purposes, you know, just to show that you were really there and not just blowing smoke.

After a visit to Singapore, I decided to go a little more high-tech (though not as high-tech as I should have) and go for the more sophisticated Sony Cybershot DSC-H7. I didn’t really care for DSLRs back then, thinking that those digital monsters are way beyond my budget. Ironically the cost of the Sony Cybershot DSC-H7 would have purchased an entry-level DSLR had I given it a little thought. But no matter, the H7 was portable, packed a mean 18x zoom and makes a nice little Sony sound.

I got disenchanted with it when I started photographing action shots. I found that I’m always left behind, courtesy of slow shutter-speed and all that. I tried photographing wakeboarding maniacs once and my photographs were left showing mist and blue skies. It just couldn’t keep up!

It took me a whole year, well almost a year, to finally land a really nice prosumer camera, the Canon EOS 7D. A really, really sweet piece of equipment but built like a tank. Everything about it is perfect. From the sound that it makes to the strength needed to hold it up for a day. It is one beautiful monster.

Now I’m seeing a marked improvement in my pictures. But really, when your baseline is the floor, there’s really no way to go but up.

Hopefully, I will be able to seamlessly integrate posts related to photography here in this decidedly travel blog. I may just have to restrain myself from putting it up as a featured post. Well, unless there’s one really cool picture associated with it.

I planned on going to Surigao’s Sohoton Cove last December and swim with the jellyfish there but unfortunately mother nature thought it was a bad idea so she had rain visit my hometown every day forcing me to stay indoors and accumulate fat. I decided not to tempt fate and listened to the rhythm of the falling rain. hmmm.

It wasn’t really such a good holiday season for me. True I get to go home to Buenavista, Agusan Del Norte, stayed at my adopted city– Butuan City and played cashier in the SO’s store. Though truth be told, I was only pretending to do some cashiering– I was too busy with the internet to really notice the shoppers who came into the store. My holiday was short-lived though. I was able to spend Christmas with the family but I was painfully alone during the New Year which is some kind of a mortal sin if you’re Filipino. But what can I say, as a corporate slave (not for long though) I have to do the bidding of my corporate masters.

Another first for the year is my first overseas trip. I went to Macau to see the Venetian Hotel and did a little side-shopping in HongKong. The good thing about this trip is that instead of the usual all expense paid trip courtesy of yours truly, this time I am the recipient of one. Sweet yeah? The trip lasted for 4 gloriously painful (to the feet) days. In fact, it ain’t over yet. I’m actually at the Hong Kong International airport typing this quick update.

I love the wifi here. PCCW provides the free WIFI to passengers. Not sure if the government of Hong Kong compensates the Li family for this but I’m almost positive this service is on the Li Ka Sheng house.

I should have a more interesting account of this trip in the coming days. In the meantime, stay cool, stay mobile, and keep on travelling them Philippine Islands!

For domestic routes, the airline also added flights for the following routes: flights from Manila to Roxas, Iloilo, Kalibo, Ozamiz and Virac, and from Cebu to Iloilo, Surigao and Zamboanga. Those who wish to go to Manila or Cebu can also take Cebu-Clark flights for more available seats.

See full -> Cebu Pacific Air Promo <- press release.

So after work last Friday, we were pumped to give her a good time, drinking, a little crash course on Filipino humor and of course, Filipino hospitality. We were determined to make her drink until the sun comes up. As nightshift folks, our drinking started at around 1:00AM and by the time it was around 7AM, after a whole lot of talk and more beer, some drunken guy asked our visitor point blank if she’d rather spend her last Saturday in the Philippines shopping or sprawled in a tropical beach. She said beach. A show of hands ensued and it was agreed that four drunken colleagues will be heading out to Zambales to take her to Anawangin. Unfortunately, one of those who raised their hands was me. I didn’t really wanna go but seeing that most folks were raising their hands, I decided what the hell, might as well go crazy for once.

We didn’t pack for anything. We just followed the road and took turns driving. We reached Subic around 12 noon and bought our swimming outfit there. We then proceeded to drive to Pundaquit where the usual bancas are rented to go to Anawangin. We parked our car in Canoe Beach Resort and arrived at Anawangin Cove around 2PM.

Without even putting on a beach towel (I had none), I crashed on the sand and started snoring right away. My colleagues were happily swimming while I passed out under the shade. I woke up an hour later and saw them drinking some more. A lot of looks were thrown our way not because of my unbelievably good looks but because our colleague from distant shores was in a string bikini and she looked absolutely like those models you only see in glossy swimsuit magazines. I couldn’t really care less as to how she looked (rrright), I was too concerned about my hangover and where I could score some aspirins to cure it.

It seemed to me that Anawangin is no longer the secret spot that it used to be. There’s a store selling stuff there now. The creek and the pine trees are still there, but there are more tents pitched unlike the last time I visited it. I’m not really crazy about its beach, but for a quick getaway, it’s still pretty much acceptable.

After three hours in Anawangin we went back to Canoe Beach Resort to retrieve our stuff and go back to Manila. By some inspired move, we decided to stop by the new Marquee Mall near the Clark Exit in NLEX so our colleague was still able to do a little shopping.

We arrived in Manila around 12midnight. The other guys still wanted to go to Fiamma and Embassy but I was literally bombed so I begged off. Not that I enjoy going to those places anyway.

Going to Anawangin in a drunken stupor was really irresponsible and stupid though fun and enjoyable in a painful way. But I guess it’s alright to do these kinds of things every once in a while if only to confirm that we are still in charge of our individual lives.

Imagine my surprise when after getting into the cab, the yellow metered taxi driver said that the fare going to my place in Sta. Mesa would cost me P550. I asked the driver ‘Isn’t this supposed to be a metered taxi?’ I don’t know if he heard me or just pretended not to hear because he just went ahead and called his dispatcher using their on-taxi radio. He confirmed with his dispatcher that we will be paying P550. I was about to argue some more but the significant other told me to just let it be.

Now, the fare going to my place only costs about P140. Even if you double that or even triple it, I shouldn’t be paying anything more than P420. But really, that’s beside the point. If you’re gonna tell the world that you’re strictly a metered taxi and that although you cost a few pennies more than the usual taxi, then for Pete’s sake stick to the program. Be a frigging metered taxi and make sure your drivers don’t become mercenaries preying on tired passengers. We already have a lot of those! For all the good publicity that this yellow metered taxis is given, this really isn’t good for PAL heck, it’s not even good for the country’s tourism.

What’s really frustrating about this is that, it’s not just the taxi driver who’s doing the scamming, even the airport operator is in on it too. Which makes one wonder what kind of controls the owner of this PAL accredited taxi service is doing to monitor their operation, or do they even have one?

I see all those stickers on the windshield of those yellow metered taxis in PAL and I can’t help but think BS. Just another one of those despicable practices that ruin the Philippines travel experience. I really hope the management of this yellow metered taxi in PAL Centennial Airport looks into this. These guys are giving the Philippines a bad name.

By the way, if you’re gonna look into this, the yellow sticker on the windshield says 336 and the time we took that taxi was around 4:00 AM (Nov. 12, 2009) going to Sta. Mesa. And yes, I actually heard the driver talking to the guy in dispatch and them agreeing to the amount. The driver didn’t even give me a receipt.

Anyway, for those travelers looking to hire one of these yellow metered taxis, the prudent thing to do would be to insure with the dispatch that the driver will be using the taxi meter. I know you shouldn’t have to do this given that that’s what their supposed to do, but it seems you can not trust people these days to do what they’re supposed to do. So better make sure so you don’t get the kind of drama that I had.

I’m pretty sure that this is an isolated incident, but the fact that the taxi driver connived with the dispatcher, there is most assuredly a practice of this sort going on. I just hope their management looks into this ASAP.

Featured Photo from www.liveinthephilippines.com

The Cebu Pacific Air One Peso Promo is one of my favorite promos of Cebu Pacific but this is easily filled up. I’m not sure if it’s already available now but for sure by midnight tonight, all those seats will go on sale! Go crazy, buy your ticket now.

Take note however that flights will be from June 15, 2010 until September 30, 2010. Oh, and take note, this is still exclusive of government taxes and administration fees. Nevertheless, this is bound to be really, really cheap! Hurry!

Featured Photo courtesy of carabaopower

It's not just the beach!

With the currently unpredictable weather here in this country, I am thinking of going somewhere more sunny, somewhere beyond the 7,107 islands of the Philippines. You know, somewhere like Bondi Beach; that very popular beach in the land down under. I’d probably have to apply for an Austrailian visa, but that’s a very small thing to hurdle. Besides, it’s not like I’m gonna apply for a working visa. God knows how difficult getting one of those can be. I’ve heard a lot of heartbreaking stories about applying for those things.

In my case, a simple tourist visa will do just fine.

I’m sure that there are other beaches outside the country that are probably more sunnier or more exotic than Bondi Beach but something about this particular beach appeals to me. Maybe it’s just the things that I’ve read; like how many movies have been made in this beach, or maybe it’s just the simple fact that a few friends who are living in Sydney have offered to shoulder all my expenses when I’m there, saying that all I had to do was show up. That, I have to say, is a very tempting offer.

Cost of Going To Bondi Beach

However, I do have to pay for my transportation expenses though which means that I will have to shell out around US$1,000 (inclusive of taxes) for the round trip fare if I decide to fly via Philippine Airlines. Too bad that Cebu Pacific doesn’t have a flight to Sydney just yet. I’m sure it would be a lot more inexpensive. But I have I do have a lot of time still to come up with that money. I just have to lessen some of my expenses here and there.

Oh well, anyone can dream.

Featured Photo courtesy of Taro Taylor

Going To Sohoton Cove

And I thought I’m through with Surigao, turns out I still have a million reasons, nay, a million jellyfishes to return to. After my Siargao adventure, I told myself that it’s time to head north, to explore the other parts of Palawan, the so-called Final Frontier. Sohoton was supposed to be one of my destinations in Surigao, but I thought it’s just another cove, another body of water. You know, like been there, done that.

I didn’t know what possessed me, it maybe the fear of missing out on something that prompted me to search for pictures of Sohoton. And boy was I glad I did.

True, Sohoton is just another cove to the uninformed, but these massive number of jellyfishes (not sure if this is the correct plural term for jellyfish, but I’m sure you get what I mean) would surely beg to disagree.

From what I’ve read, Between the months of January – September, these non-sting jellyfishes would congregate in the Sohoton cove and one could actually swim with them. I could imagine that it must feel like swimming in a bowl of jelly. But since I haven’t done it, I have to experience it firsthand.

So to Sohoton I shall go. But since I’m going there during my Christmas break, I just hope that they somehow deviate from their pattern and stay in the area until the christmas season.

ooOoo

Photo from gadgetcrave.com

On a sidetone, I am really looking forward to Christmas. My treasurer, the significant other has declared that my christmas present under the christmas tree will contain no less than a DSLR. Oh joy! I’ll finally graduate from my trustee ol’ point-and-shoot cam to a more sophisticated one. I was supposed to buy a second hand Canon 450D DSLR but the SO wouldn’t have any of it. She wants me to have a camera that nobody has ever touched yet. Awww.

Now I’m really, really excited. Christmas can’t come fast enough. I wonder what Canon model she’ll get me? A Canon 7D perhaps? Too expensive I know, but you know what, far stranger things have happened.

Related Posts:

• Sohoton National Park | beyond visible impression – Sohoton National Park. just few of the images that i created during the visit of The Traveling Light Collective team to Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park. snbnp1. feel the thrill while following the monkey trail from Protected Area …

• Sohoton Cove and Bucas Grande in Caraga declared protected areas … – Sohoton Cove and Bucas Grande in Caraga declared protected areas.

See Cebu Pacific Air’s press release below;

P888 seat sale to all domestic destinations!

Have a blast with our ‘Go Lite’ seat sale for only P888 to any domestic destination starting now until October 12, 2009 for travel from November 1 to December 31, 2009.

Our seat sale covers the best and remaining holidays of the year, top that with flights to 32 domestic destinations from Manila, Clark, Cebu and Davao.

We also have 20 direct flights from Cebu to key destinations in Visayas and Mindanao, as well as Legazpi, Puerto Princesa, and Clark.

Book your P888 flight now via www.cebupacificair.com and pay through CEB ticketing offices, online with your credit card or Bancnet debit card, via ATM or over the counter in partner banks. This new option in our website is specifically for those who have no credit cards or prefer to pay in cash.