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MAY 2016: OVERVIEW: My costs start in Panglao, Bohol Island and include: Transport from Panglao to my Cebu City hotel 2 nights in a GRANDPAcking Standard Aircon Room in Cebu City Transport from Cebu City to my Bantayan Island hotel 8 nights in a ‘below’ GRANDPAcking Standard Fan Room on the Beach 7 days Scooter hire plus petrol Food & Drink Mobile Data / Communications Visa cost apportionment CROSS REFERENCES: For more detail, read about Panglao to Cebu City, Cebu City to Bantayan Island, Bantayan Information, and Where To Stay On Bantayan. Click here to read about Retirement Locations in this country. Click here for detailed Travel Information and more Travel Budgets in this country. Read About – GRANDPAcking Costs […]

Bantayan – Philippines – GRANDPAcking Costs

  MAY 2016:   Click here to read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I had made my way from Cebu City to Bantayan Island and stayed in the KOTA BEACH RESORT on Bantayan for 8 nights. I was pleasantly surprised by Bantayan. I liked the place. Bantayan has made it into my Retirement REVIEWS. It was time to say goodbye to my friends and to move on to Malapascua Island. HOTEL TO FERRY: I was up at 5:00am, showered & packed, and on the street by 6:15am. There was 1 Trike waiting outside the front of my hotel. The Trike ride to the Ferry Terminal should […]

Bantayan – Philippines – To Malapascua

  MAY 2016:   Why not read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: Bantayan Island is located in the Visayan Sea, Philippines. It is situated to the west of the northern end of Cebu Island and across the Tañon Strait. Bantayan Island is a well known tourist destination in the Philippines and it is increasing in popularity. White Beach is the most popular tourist spot on the island. Unlike Port Barton, El Nido, Coron, Boracay and Panglao … Bantayan remains uncrowded and still retains some of its ‘character’. It is not (yet) over-run by Western tourists – who are still out-numbered my Filipino tourists. For GRANDPAckers, Bantayan is expensive (yet still affordable). Read on … […]

Bantayan – Philippines – Information

MAY 2016: Click here to read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: As with many other destinations in The Philippines, the cost of pre-booking nice accommodation online was too high for a GRANDPAcking Budget. Bantayan Island prices were comparable with El Nido, Boracay and Panglao prices. High. Very high. Accommodation in The Philippines is, generally, a problem for GRANDPAckers … the accommodation is poor value for money. Everywhere. Anything less than PHP900 per night is likely to be backpacker rather than GRANDPAcker Standard. PHP2400 / day is my total GRANDPAcking Daily Budget! As a rule, I try and keep accommodation costs to no more than 50% of my Budget; this […]

Bantayan – Philippines – Where To Stay

  MAY 2016:   Click here to read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I had made my way from Panglao to Cebu City and stayed in the USDA DORMITORY HOTEL Cebu City for 2 nights so that I could have a look at the ‘Queen City’ of The Philippines – before continuing on to Bantayan Island. Once again, I was disappointed. It is just another ‘unkempt’ Philippines city with a noticeable increase in beggars and many poor people sleeping rough on the streets (even during the day). You had the feeling that you needed to be a bit more ‘careful’ in Cebu City. HOTEL […]

Cebu – Philippines – to Bantayan Island

  MAY 2016:   Click here to read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I had spent 8 nights on Panglao Island: 2 nights in the SPIRIT OF NORWAY and 6 nights in the AQUATICA BEACH RESORT. Panglao is the start of my loop back north through the eastern islands of The Philippines. Once again, I was disappointed with Panglao. It is just another El Nido and over-priced – but with a slightly better beachfront and slightly less tourists. It was time to move on to the northern Cebu island of Bantayan; but, first, I had to pass through Cebu City. HOTEL TO FERRY TERMINAL: My journey from Siquijor […]

Panglao – Philippines – to Cebu City

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MAY 2016: OVERVIEW: My costs start in Siquijor Island and include: Transport from Siquijor Island to my hotel on Panglao Island 2 nights in a GRANDPAcking Standard Aircon Room in the middle of nowhere 6 nights in a ‘below’ GRANDPAcking Standard Fan Room on Alona Beach 1 day Scooter hire plus petrol Food & Drink Mobile Data / Communications Visa cost apportionment CROSS REFERENCES: For more detail, read about Siquijor to Panglao, Panglao Information, and Where To Stay On Panglao. Click here to read about Retirement Locations in this country. Click here for detailed Travel Information and more Travel Budgets in this country. Read About – GRANDPAcking Costs if you don’t know how to interpret […]

Panglao – Philippines – GRANDPAcking Costs

  MAY 2016:   Why not read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: Panglao is connected by 2 bridges to the south of Bohol. The island has an area of 80.5 square kilometres (31.1 sq mi). Panglao Island is one of the main tourist destinations on the Philippines. Alona Beach is the most popular tourist spot on the island; it is noted for its white sand and clear water. Like Boracay, Panglao has become crowded due to opening of more and more restaurants and bars. There are also a lot of attractions for tourists such as SCUBA diving, island hopping, dolphin watching, snorkeling, kitesurfing and fishing. For GRANDPAckers, Panglao is […]

Panglao – Philippines – Information

MAY 2016: Click here to read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: As with many other destinations in The Philippines, the cost of pre-booking nice accommodation online was too high for a GRANDPAcking Budget. Panglao prices were comparable with El Nido and Boracay prices. High. Very high. PHP2400 / day is my total GRANDPAcking Daily Budget! As a rule, I try and keep accommodation costs to no more than 50% of my Daily Budget; this is what a GRANDPAcking couple can afford (and still have enough money left to exist on). In The Philippines, my target price is, therefore, BELOW PHP1200 / night. WHAT’S ON THE INTERNET […]

Panglao – Philippines – Where To Stay

  MAY 2016:   Click here to read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I had spent 3 nights in the Palm Tree Guesthouse on Siquijor Island. I had been slowly making my way south from the famous Boracay Island to Siquijor Island before turning north through Bohol to Cebu. I was still trying to find a GRANDPAcking Retirement Location in The Philippines … I had not found one yet (and, I have been in The Philippines for nearly 4 months). My trip had taken me via Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Roxas (Panay), Iloilo (Panay), Bacolod (Negros) and Dumaguete (Negros); I was unimpressed by all of these cities … I have come to […]

Siquijor – Philippines – To Panglao

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APRIL 2016: OVERVIEW: My costs start in Dumaguete, Negros and include: Transport from Dumaguete to Siquijor Island 3 night in a ‘just made it’ GRANDPAcking Standard Fan Chalet 50m from the Beach 1 day Scooter hire plus petrol Food & Drink Mobile Data / Communications Visa cost apportionment CROSS REFERENCES: For more detail, read about Dumaguete To Siquijor and Where To Stay On Siquijor. Click here to read about Retirement Locations in this country. Click here for detailed Travel Information and more Travel Budgets in this country. Read About – GRANDPAcking Costs if you don’t know how to interpret my figures. SPREADSHEET SUMMARY: MY ACTUAL 1 PERSON GRANDPAcking COSTS: Cost Of Existence (COE): Accommodation: My accommodation […]

Siquijor – Philippines – GRANDPAcking Costs

APRIL 2016: Click here to read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: As with Sabang, Port Barton, El Nido, Coron, Tablas, Carabao, and Boracay the costs of pre-booking accommodation online where too high for my GRANDPAcking Budget. Siquijor prices were higher than I was expecting – for an island that is supposed to be ‘off the beaten track’ … There were several budget options to choose from but most looked very basic. I decided to book something online in advance (for 3 nights), so that I could look around the island and choose a nice beachfront location. My plan was to stay for a further […]

Siquijor – Philippines – Where To Stay