Port Barton - Island Hopping - 15 - Exotic Island Boats
JANUARY 2016: INTRODUCTION: I was staying in Port Barton for 6 nights. One of the main things to do is Island Hopping. I had already done Island Hopping in Honda Bay whilst in Puerto Princesa. The Honda Bay trip cost PHP1200 PLUS PHP150 for Mask & Snorkel PLUS PHP150 for Watershoes PLUS PHP150 for Fins. A total of PHP1650 with less than 5 hours on the water. It was time to try out another one in Port Barton and compare. BOOKING THE TRIP: There are people advertising trips everywhere in Port Barton. There are, usually, 4 trips to choose from: A, […]

Port Barton – Philippines – Island Hopping ...

JANUARY 2016: OVERVIEW: My costs start in Puerto Princesa (PP) City Centre and include: Transport to the PP Bus Station and a Minivan to Sabang 4 nights in a BELOW GRANDPAcking Standard hotel Food & Drink Mobile Data / Communications Visa cost apportionment Trips & Tours A party night CROSS REFERENCES: For more detail, read about Sabang – Philippines – Information. 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 […]

Sabang – Philippines – GRANDPAcking Costs

  JANUARY 2015:   Click here to read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: Sabang is one of the ‘must go to’ places from Puerto Princesa; it is here that you get to the UNESCO listed Underground River. The 8Km long Underground River is the longest navigable Underground River in the world (over 4Kms is navigable). Many people come to Sabang on day trips from Puerto Princesa at, typical, costs of PHP1200 to PHP1500 (including the return minivan ride). I decided to stay for 4 nights in Sabang to see what else this place has to offer. Please Note: The tap water in the […]

Sabang – Philippines – Information

JANUARY 2016: INTRODUCTION: I was staying in Sabang for 4 nights. The main reason that I was in Sabang was to go to the Underground River. I had read online that you had to get a Permit for the Underground River in Puerto Princesa at the ‘Coliseum’ or book a package tour (which comes with a Permit included). However, one blog said that you could get one in Sabang as long as you were staying in a Sabang hotel. I took a chance and made my own way from Puerto Princesa to Sabang by Lexxus bus without a Permit. I walked […]

Sabang – Philippines – Underground River Trip

  JANUARY 2016:   Click here to read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I had high hopes for Puerto Princesa (PP), but I was left a bit disappointed. I had done one of the two ‘recommended’ tours whilst in PP: The Honda Bay Snorkelling Trip. There was one more to do (the Underground River in Sabang) before I headed for Port Barton (and onwards). In Puerto Princesa, I was offered a return day trip to the Underground River (all inclusive of fees, etc) for PHP1200… but, I decided to make my own way to Sabang and discover it myself. I planned to stay there 4 […]

Puerto Princesa – Philippines – To Sabang

JANUARY 2016: OVERVIEW: My costs start in-transit at Manila Airport and include: 8 nights in a BELOW GRANDPAcking Standard hotel Food & Drink Mobile Data / Communications Visa cost apportionment Trips & Tours Some personal shopping CROSS REFERENCES: For more detail, read about Puerto Princesa – Philippines – Information. 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 was 2 nights in a BELOW ‘GRANDPAcking […]

Puerto Princesa – Philippines – GRANDPAcking Costs

JANUARY 2016: INTRODUCTION: I was staying in Puerto Princesa for a week and one of the top 2 things that are recommended online is a trip to Honda Bay. I had already gone up The Coast By Scooter, and I was planning to make my own way to Sabang for the Underground River Trip. I planned to stay 3 or 4 nights in Sabang and to organise my river trip once I got there. Today, it was time to try out Snorkelling in Honda Bay… BOOKING THE TRIP: I was staying at the Casitas De Az Pension in Puerto Princesa. I […]

Puerto Princesa – Philippines – Honda Bay ...

  JANUARY 2015:   Click here to read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: Palawan has almost no history of earthquakes (outside the main tectonic plates), not much history of typhoons (except in the very northern part and offshore islands), and no volcanoes. It is recognized internationally as one of the most desirable islands in the world – as it is ecologically protected by the national government and has a plethora of white sand beaches. Puerto Princesa City has a population of about 250,000 and is the provincial capital. This city is usually the starting point to explore the north of the island (e.g. El Nido). Near […]

Puerto Princesa – Philippines – Information

JANUARY 2016: INTRODUCTION: I was staying in Puerto Princesa and one of the top 2 things that are recommended online is a trip to Honda Bay; so I decided to jump on my scooter and go and have a look up the east coast. I was hoping to find something similar to what I found when I went from Padang Bai to Amed By Scooter back in Indonesia… beautiful scenery with picturesque sandy bays and little fishing villages… I planned to do a 150km round trip. I set off at 10:00am and stopped at the start of the North Road just after […]

Puerto Princesa – Coast By Scooter – ...

JANUARY 2016: Click here to read our Philippines Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I did my ‘normal thing’ and used AGODA.COM to book my first 2 nights in Puerto Princesa in advance on the internet. I chose the Pension Del Flora which had excellent reviews (8.7/10) at a cost of US$18.21 / night excluding breakfast. Their breakfast was an extra PHP55. The room was listed as a 24sqm Deluxe Fan Room. It was ‘discounted’ down from US83… yeah right! Dream on! It looks like many of the Hotels over-value the price of their hotel rooms on purpose so that they can offer these ‘heavy discounts’! […]

Puerto Princesa – Philippines – By Scooter

  JANUARY 2016:   Click here to read our Vietnam Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I spent 8 nights in the Old Quarter, Hanoi and it was, now, time to leave Vietnam and move on to the Philippines. I needed to get to Terminal 2, Hanoi Airport (Noi Bai) for my regional Cebu Pacific flight to The Philippines. The ‘typical’ taxi fare from the Old Quarter to the Airport is about VND350k. It is a 35km journey (and the typical taxi rate is VND10k per km). But, try and negotiate a fixed price in advance so that there are no ‘surprises’ when you get to the airport. Some […]

Hanoi – Vietnam – To Puerto Princesa ...

JANUARY 2016: OVERVIEW: My costs start where I was dropped off in the Hanoi Old Quarter and include: 8 nights in a GRANDPAcking Standard hotel Food & Drink Mobile Data / Communications Visa cost apportionment Partying Transport to Hanoi Airport CROSS REFERENCES: For more detail, read about Hanoi – Vietnam – Information. 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 was a ‘GRANDPAcking Standard’ Double with aircon […]

Hanoi – Vietnam – GRANDPAcking Costs