Do-It-Yourself Honda Bay Tour, Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Most tourists go straight to El Nido from the Puerto Princesa Airport but there’s so much to see in this city that you shouldn’t miss. I had my recent reunion with high school friends here and the city is a perfect quick getaway with your barkada.

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GETTING THERE and GETTING AROUND

There are many local airlines flying to Puerto Princesa International Airport from Manila, Cebu and Davao daily. We flew with Cebu Pacific Air for only P750 roundtrip which we got during a seat sale. There are different ways to get around Puerto Princesa, these include tricycles, multicabs, jeepney and vans. For short distances, we usually just took the tricycle which is P10 each person. For longer distances, you can negotiate a rate with the driver.

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DIY MYANMAR (Burma): A First-Timer’s Guide To The Golden Land

From all the countries in our itinerary on  our South East Asia backpacking trip, Myanmar is the country that we were looking forward to visit the most. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, opened its doors to tourism a few years ago. Since then, it’s been on top of the list for travelers visiting South East Asia. Myanmar, with its years of isolation and mystery, people are brimming with curiosity as to how the country is doing in the present. We did some research online and via other travelers before coming to Myanmar.  We got bits of information; however, we still did not know exactly what to expect from this country. Myanmar was our last stop in our South East Asia itinerary and we indeed saved the best for last. So here is our guide to visiting “The Golden Land” or  “The Land of Pagodas” – Myanmar. This is the first part of our travel guide series for Myanmar.

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Old City of Bagan | Photo by: Mica Veloso

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Mandalay: Our Introduction to Myanmar

Mandalay is the old capital of Myanmar and is located in the central part of the country. It is the second largest city in Myanmar. Also, this was our first stop in our Myanmar trip.

Where To Stay
Places To Eat
Places to See

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed in Royal Guest House on 25th street for 30USD a night for three people.  No need to rent a tuktuk if you are taking the AirAsia airport shuttle. The drop-off point is just a few minutes from the hostel. This was the best hostel we had throughout our stay in Myanmar. Our room was equipped with an A/C, fridge and private bath with hot and cold shower. Breakfast is included but don’t expect to be wowed as the standard free breakfast in Myanmar consists of an egg, sweet toast, juice/coffee and fruit. Believe me, you would rather have that than the one we had in Kalaw (blog post soon). Wifi is free in the lobby but as usual don’t expect anything high speed because the internet connection everywhere in Myanmar is super slow.

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Royal Guest House

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The Lowdown on Taking the Slow Boat from Laos to Thailand

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The Slowboat

We loved relaxing and chilling in Laos so much but it was time for us to move on to the next country, so Thailand it is! From our research and through the people that we have met during our travels, we have heard nothing but good things about the slow boat journey along the Mekong River crossing the border to Thailand and vice versa. “A must! Not to be missed! Fantastic!” were some of the comments described in the reviews. The idea of slowly cruising along the Mekong with beautiful views did attract us, so we decided to give it a go since we had enough days in our Laos visa. It used to be a 3-day trip with overnight stays in Pak Beng and Huay Xai (border town); however, since the Lao/Thai “Friendship Bridge” opened in January, it eliminated the overnight stay in Huay Xhai and the journey is cut to two days. Our travel agent informed us that the Thai border is open until 8pm. The first day would be the 8-9 hour boat ride to Pak Beng, Laos. There, you will have to spend the night as it is not safe to travel along the river in the dark. The second day will be another boat journey which is 10 hours  to the border town, Huay Xai.  So here is the lowdown on our overland trip from Luang Prabang, Laos to Chiang Rai, Thailand.

July 15 (Day 1)

7:20 AM – We were picked up by the van service to take us to the pier which is about 10km from the city center.

Luang Prabang Pier

Luang Prabang Pier

Ticket to Pak Beng

Ticket to Pak Beng

8:00 AM – We arrived at the pier and went to the desk to check-in. We presented our receipt from the travel agency the night before and wrote our names on the manifest. We then proceeded to board the boat.  Our big bags were stored under the boat so we made sure we had our essentials in our carry-ons. There were more locals on the boat than tourists on our trip. The boat has a 100-person capacity and it was not nearly full. We had enough space for everyone and the car seats on the boat were pretty comfortable. The boat is also equipped with a toilet (not a squat, thank god!) but it was so shocking and strangely gross that there were 3 cat fish on the bathroom floor during the beginning of the trip. And they were alive! For what the hell reason? We do not know!

Pier

Pier

Our boat

Our boat

The front part of the boat

The front part of the boat

Kuya storing the cargo

Kuya storing the cargo

I guess I won't be ordering catfish for lunch...

I guess I won’t be ordering catfish for lunch…

 

8:45 AM – We left Luang Prabang to start our “8-9 hour” journey to Pak Beng. The boat made stops once in a while to let off and pick up passengers.  We saw beautiful views along the way and I have to admit, it was pretty relaxing…until…the boat made a stop. At first we thought that it was dropping off some passengers; but the boat had stopped on the side of this mini desert island with nothing in it but sand and cows. This was the beginning of our “real slowboat experience.” The driver went to the back of the boat where the engine was located and then some people gathered and they were all speaking in Thai. We got the point when he tried restarting the engine a couple of times and failed. Damn! We were in the middle of nowhere with no town and other boats in sight! There was nothing we could do but sit there and wait it out. After around 3 hours of waiting, another boat arrived and we transferred and were able to continue our journey.

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Cruising along the Mekong River

View on the Mekong River

View on the Mekong River

We passed Pak Ou Cave too.

We passed Pak Ou Cave too.

Before shit hit the fan

Before shit hit the fan

7:40 PM – The boat docked. We had enough of being on the boat for the day and we wanted to get off. We were so looking forward to dinner, showering and sleeping in an actual bed.  We were happy! But then again, another lovely surprise by the boat driver who barely spoke English. He said in a loud voice, “Sleep here. We leave 4am.” What the fafjdfaf!!! What?!! Did he really say that?? We thought we were hallucinating and misheard him from being on the boat for too long. But NOPE! He wasn’t kidding! It was too dark and dangerous to travel down the Mekong and since we had a delay due to the engine mishap, we didn’t make it to Pak Beng on time. Tired, hungry and our bodies begging for a shower, there was nothing we could do but accept our fate. (This was after vehemently cursing in Tagalog and smoking two cigarettes consecutively.)

First order of business was to curb our hunger. We did not have any more food left, so everybody had to make do with the overpriced cup noodles and drinks that were being sold onboard. After dinner, we needed to set up our sleeping quarters, good thing there were only around 20 people left on the boat and it was spacious enough for everyone. We had make shift beds composed of  creatively pushed together car seats. We bathed ourselves with insect repellent as it was peak hours for the mozzies! Now that everybody was comfortable, we just chit chatted to let the time pass until the gas generator ran out and it was pitch black which left us with no choice but to sleep.

Sunset on the boat

Sunset on the boat

Our dinner

Our dinner

Setting up our beds for the night

Setting up our beds for the night

July 16 (Day 2)

4:00 AM – We heard the engine roar and we were on our way to Pak Beng. Still groggy, we continued to snooze on and off all the way to our stop over.

Trying to find a comfy spot

Trying to find a comfy spot

6:00 AM – We arrived in Pak Beng. Hurray! We got off the boat and had breakfast at one of the restaurants near the pier. Pak Beng is a really quiet town and people usually just spend the night there for the stop over. We scarfed down our breakfast and we were so ecstatic to be off the boat. Finally!!! The boat to Huay Xai wasn’t scheduled to leave until 8:30 AM so we begged the restaurant staff for a shower and just gave them tip. We went down to the pier afterwards to purchase our ticket to Huay Xai. It cost us another 110,000 kip per person.

8:45 AM – All boarded, showered and fed, we started our journey to Huay Xai. The views were wonderful and entertaining. However, it gets old after a few hours so make sure you are able to entertain yourself. I finished two books in this journey and it wasn’t enough! I still had a lot of idle time.

Finally, on our way to Huay Xai!

Finally, on our way to Huay Xai!

My second book on the boat

My second book on the boat

6:45 PM – Our boat docked in Huay Xai port. YES!!!! YES!!! YES!!!

We had enough time to get to the border. After we got off the boat, we hired a tuk-tuk to take us to the border which was a 20-minute ride. We split the tuk-tuk with two other girls and were able to negotiate a price of 25,000 kip per person.

7:05 PM – We arrived at the Laos immigration office and we had to pay an exit fee of 10,000 kip. After getting stamped, we had to take a short bus ride to the Thai immigration office which cost us 25 baht. You can walk it; however, we opted for the bus ride since we were carrying our packs.

7:20 PM – We arrived at the Thai immigration office and had our passport stamped for our 15-day visa. In Thailand, at last!

7:45 PM – We shared a tuk-tuk with other travellers to the center of the border town, Chiang Kong. It was a 20-minute ride which cost us 50 baht each.

A pretty wat in Chiang Kong

A pretty wat in Chiang Kong

8:05 PM – We arrived at the city center in Chiang Kong. We had to stay the night before making our way to Chiang Rai since there were no more buses going there until the next morning. We stayed at Rim Nam Guest House which cost 350baht for a private fan room for 3 people.

Our room at Rim Nam House

Our room at Rim Nam House

July 17 – After breakfast, we headed to the bus terminal to catch the bus going to Chiang Rai. We just walked to the bus terminal from our guesthouse. The local bus terminal with the old red buses is located in front of the fresh market. The bus leaves every hour from 5:00 AM to 3:00 PM and costs 65 baht. There is no air conditioning in the bus but our trip was comfortable enough as the bus was just half filled and the weather was not too hot. After 3 hours, we arrived in Chiang Rai.

Chiang Rai Bus Terminal

Chiang Kong Terminal

Our bus to Chiang Rai

Our bus to Chiang Rai

 

Tips:

  • DIY it! No need to book earlier with a travel agency if going during low season. We opted to book our slow boat ticket to Pak Beng the night before as we were afraid we would run out of seats. We heard horror stories of people running out of seats and had to sit beside the engine part of the boat which is very hot, noisy and just plain hell if you are doing a 8-9 hour journey. Booking through an agency, we paid 150,000 kip per person with hotel pick up. If you DIY, it will only cost you 110,000 kip. However, you will have to negotiate a price with a tuk-tuk driver to get you to the pier. The normal rate is 20,000 kip per person but can go lower if you are a big group.
  • Make sure you bring food and drinks enough to last you for the first boat trip. Although it wouldn’t hurt if you bring more considering what happened to us.
  • Bring entertainment. As mentioned, I finished two books and was eventually bored staring at the view for hours.

 

Cost Breakdown:

Item

Local Cost

Pesos

Dollars

Boat ticket to Pak Beng with hotel pick up 150,000 kip 807 18.64
Boat ticket from Huay Xai to Pak Beng 150,000 kip 807 18.64
Tuk-tuk from Huay Xai pier to border 25,000 kip 134.53 3.1
Laos immigration exit fee 10,000 kip 53.81 1.24
Bus ride to Thailand immigration office 25 baht 34 0.79
Tuk-tuk from Thai border to Chiang Kong city center 50 baht 68 1.57
Chiang Kong guesthouse 350/3 = 117 baht per person 159 3.67
Bus from Chiang Kong to Chiang Rai 65 baht 88.38 2.04

Total

2,151.72PHP

49.69USD

 – Tanya

Saigon Kick Off!

*We’ve been so busy jumping from one place to another as we had to be in Hanoi by June 19! Apologies for slacking hehe.* 

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – After years of planning to backpack South East Asia, we are actually doing it! June 7 was the much awaited date and off we went for our trip. We almost missed our flight (as usual) after mad dashing through the airport. Our friend, Mica, is joining us for our trip throughout South East Asia. Lucky us because we have a resident doctor in the house!

We finally landed on Tan Son Nhat International Airport around 12 midnight.  Be careful when choosing a cab going to your destination as we got ripped off by paying 300,000 VND (roughly Php 620) going to the backpackers’ district, Pham Ngu Lao. The usual cost for a metered taxi to the area is 150,000-180,000 VND (roughly Php300-400). It’s wise to choose either Mai Linh or Vina Sun cabs for these are the trusted ones. Make sure to check if the meter is on or agree on a fixed rate before boarding the cab. Fixed taxi rate is around 200,000 VND (roughly Php 400).

Tan Son Nhat International Airport. I even won a Cebu Pacific wallet during the in flight game. Teehee!

We stayed in Pham Ngu Lao, District 1 which is the backpackers area in Saigon. There are tons of cheap hostels here to choose from and we stayed in Thuy Tien hotel for $8 (roughly Php 350) a night, private room good for 4 pax. The hotel is conveniently located near Pham Ngu Lao center and the market.  Price is a bit high though for the low season as you can get a room for $5 (roughly Php 220) a night but we arrived late and just wanted to settle in. We transferred to a cheaper hotel the next day for $5 per person, private room with AC.

Thuy Thien
Thuy Tien Hotel at Pham Ngu Lao

Drinks in Pham Ngu Lao are really cheap. A bottle of the local beer, Saigon Red, is just 12,000 VND (roughly Php 24) on a side street bar where tons of mini chairs and tables are lined up and gets packed at night.

Saigon Bia Hoi

Street drinking in Saigon

Saigon welcomed me with open arms as my sling bag got stolen by a speeding motorbike during our first night, so be wary! Always stay alert and it’s better to put your money in your pocket and not to bring any valuables with you when going out at night. So instead of ruining our first night and heading back to the hotel, we decided to check out T&R Tavern which luckily was packed that night and we got to meet new friends and night/morning capped at Boston Bar.

T&R

T&R Tavern

Next day was spent curing our hangovers in Dam Sen water park with Eric and Benoit. Entrance is 110,000VND (roughly Php220) and it is around 20 minutes away from Pham Ngu Lao. It was a Sunday family day and the waterpark was packed with families and full of locals with just a handful of foreigners in sight. It was a fun day trying all sorts of water slides and activities.

Water Park HCM

Dam Sen Waterpark

If you want to go around and check out the attractions around the city, make sure to do it early in the morning or in the afternoon as most of the places close early such as the Reunification Palace and Pagodas. Nothing much to see in China Town so I suggest you skip it.

china town

Saigon’s Chinatown

Saigon is teeming with really good food with cheap prices. Street food is everywhere and it is better to eat here than the restaurants in my opinion. We only ate once in a restaurant during our stay in Saigon and the food was just so so. A typical full meal starts at 25,000 VND (roughly Php50) and Bahn Mis start from 10,000 VND (roughly Php20). Don’t miss the Pho, Vietnamese coffee and Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancakes). There is so much good food here that I’m already  starting to gain weight!

saigon food

Such good food in Saigon and so cheap!

And of course in Vietnam there are no rules when it comes to street crossing and driving. If Manila drivers are reckless, it is way crazier here with the motorbike drivers just zooming past you. They wouldn’t care if you’re crossing the street so you better run! Haha!

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Crazy motorbike riders

We only got to spend 2 full days in total in Saigon and there is so much to see in this city. I’ll definitely come back one day to have another Saigon kick!

Countdown to Freedom!

30 days until our South East Asian experience as of posting! Crunch time to gather for funds and trip planning! Our dream has finally been planted and there’s no stopping now. So when did this all start? Well, we’ve been doing little trips locally and abroad for years now but it only lasted for days and weeks. We were inspired by travellers and friends whom we’ve met along the way who’s been doing it for months, for some, even years and how it was so life changing for them. There are risks along the way in terms of leaving our careers and not enough funds to go on with it. But somehow we just booked our tickets early this year armed with the gusto to really do it this time. First stop on our backpacking trip would be Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, a vibrant modern city with the mix of the old charm. We can’t wait for the enthralling adventures and endless craziness along the way! So follow Kat and Tanya’s experience as we write our stories on the road. We’re on a shoestring budget and we’ll be posting tips for your future travels and we’ll be adding tabs for specific countries along the way. So as for you readers, just go and explore because in the end it doesn’t really matter how long and where you travel, it’s the people and moments you experience along the way. As Mark Twain had once written, “Explore, Dream and Discover”. 🙂

– Kat and Tanya