Barefoot Sagada Package Inclusions

Below are the details you need to know if you want to join one of Barefoot Travel's future Sagada trips. I got these details from the primer they sent me a week before my scheduled tour of Sagada. You will receive one too should you decide to join them. You can also read my introductory post about Barefoot Travels and my Sagada excursion with them. Just go to this link here: Sagada with Barefoot Travels: An Introduction. Barefoot Travels has an upcoming Sagada trip this February 7-9 so be sure to register! 

If you wish to contact them for further details and clarifications, feel free to email Barefoot Travels at barefoottravels@yahoo.com or contact us at +63917-3589716 or +63923-5610062 Go Travel. Be Practical. Have Fun. Go Barefoot. Work Shoes: OFF LIMITS!

The Annual Sagada Bonfire Fest, now on its 5th year and held every last week of December, is organized by the Sagada Genuine Guides Association or Saggas. It is a night of merry-making, food tripping, music jamming and cultural bonding. Experience this one of a kind bonfire feast as Barefoot Travels brings you to the heart of the Mountain Province this December. 

PACKAGES:

 SAGADA EXTREME: Php5,500 per person (Php5,250 for early birds) 

STANDARD PACKAGE: Php4,450 per person 

Magkukuob Cave and Cliff Jumping

After our short trip to the luminescent Hagukan Cave, we went to a smaller and darker one called Magkukuob Cave. Our boat docked near a cliff wall to show us that later after we go spelunking inside the cave, we'd be jumping off that cliff too like what the boy we saw was doing.

Hagukan Cave in Sohoton Cove, Siargao

Get awed by the luminescence of the Hagukan Cave.

After we swam with the millions of stingless jellyfish at the Jellyfish Lagoon, we explored the first of two magnificent caves that Sohoton Cove has to offer, the Hagukan Cave. It came from the root word "Haguk" which means "snore". This is because the cave emits a snoring sound as the waves splash and enter the opening of this dark yet luminescent cavern, hence, the word hagukan.

Bolinao in Pangasinan - Reminiscing Old Times

It's been a long while since the first time we visited Bolinao, Pangasinan last June 11-12, 2006. I only remembered it when our *foreman, Kuya Angie, saw all our beach photos hanging around the house, and he started talking about his hometown, Bolinao. I said, "Hey Kuya, we've been there!" How great would it be if we try to visit the place again this year, after 4 long years. I bet the place is still the same.

*we are currently having my bathroom retiled and the front yard renovated by constructing fences, trellis and gate.

It turns out, Kuya Angie's ancestral home is right over there, fronting the white sandy beaches of Bolinao. And whenever we want to visit the place again, he said to just let him know. Wow! My mind started ticking. It was the month of June when we last went there. We were surprised by the sunny weather that weekend but the water was not that calm. Maybe, if we go this month, we'd see the more serene, calm, and beautiful facade of its turquoise blue waters. I'm getting excited! I want to go this weekend (March 20-21, 2010). But Kuya Angie insisted it would be better to go during their fiesta on March 27-28. We're just waiting for word from his aunt, but more or less, it's a date! ^_^

I actually bought new Speedo & Finis snorkeling gear complete with mask, snorkel, life vest and fins. For some reason, I am itching to snorkel. Originally, I was thinking of taking scuba diving lessons, but because of my fear underwater (my ear hurt and my heart rate was abnormal the last time we went fun diving in Anilao in 2006), plus Peter is not so excited about it (he's already an excellent skin diver to begin with and he gets claustrophobic and bored when surrounded by an immense body of water and when he's underwater for a long time), we decided to forego the activity and just use the money to renovate the house. The whole thing turned out more practical and at least the money didn't go to waste.

So anyway, going back to Bolinao, here are some of our unpublished photos from our last trip there. Peter and I went with Brownman Revival's vocalist, Dino Concepcion, my GF Joan, and our friend Paw. Looking at these photos makes me all the more excited to visit Bolinao once again!

Setting foot at Bolinao's white sandy beach a few hours after midnight...

While the others were sleeping, I was waitin g for the sun to rise...

Puerto Princesa, Palawan Underground River Tour

 

Arriving at the entry point of the Underground River 

On our second day, we bought the package tour of Casa Linda for our trip to the Underground River. It cost us P1,300 each. We would’ve gotten the one offered by our trustworthy tricycle driver, Mang Lito, if it didn’t involve being on the road for two hours. I thought, if something bad would’ve happened to us, at least Casa Linda would’ve been accountable for it. So we went on with our journey.

The left side of Sabang Beach was where we boarded our boat.

By 7:30 am, we were already on the road. The annoying thing about joining a package tour is that you get to be with other people, mostly of foreign descent, who have their own various styles and personalities. What ticked me off about it was these two Koreans is that they move so slowwho happened to move so slow. They seemed ignorant about the concept of respecting other people’s time. We waited for them outside Asturias Hotel for more than 30 minutes when we could’ve been using that time heading to our destination already! Apparently, when I talked to the Filipino couple we were with, who also came from Asturias Hotel, they explained that their hotel front desk  officer was not able to coordinate well with the tour agency. The two Koreans thought they were going to Honda Bay, so they went back to their room and changed attire making us all wait for them in the process. How inconsiderate, right? Grrrr!!! It was infuriating!

Mactan, Bantayan, Alegre in Cebu

This is the vacation that we’ve mostly been waiting for. Not only because I’d be turning 28 at that time and that we’d be staying at 5-star hotels, but because Pa will be with us. The day we all arrived in Cebu, we headed to Shangri-la Mactan for afternoon coffee and snacks. Tito Pedro, Tita Annie (Pa’s brother and sister-in-law), Nipsy and Renault (Peter’s cousin and cousin-in-law) were with us. We stayed there the whole evening, dining at their seafood buffet by the beach. It was so gorgeous, classy and marvelous! We had such a great time! Of course, being the practical person that I am, I couldn’t help but notice that when the bill came, it amounted to something like P15,000.00 inclusive of P1,000.00 tip from Pa! And we didn’t even check-in. WOW! NALULA AKO! Hahaha!

 Shangrila Mactan 

View from the restaurant…

 

Me as I was about to order; Pa, Tito Pedro, Tita Anne, Nipsy, Renault and I

 
Look at all the assorted cakes from the buffet table! Forget about dieting for now…Hehehe! 

Happy together…

The next day, we headed to Bantayan Island and stayed at St. Bernard Beach Resort. It’s one of those cozy, more affordable resorts along the beaches of Bantayn Island. It is located only 15 min. walk or 5 min. by tricikad (bicycle with sidecar) from the pier. (*Reservation can be made by E-Mail: bernard@bantayan.dk or by phone +63-9179636162.)

Bantayan Island

Enjoying the amihan season along St. Bernard Beach…