not your average Juan

My Japan Journal: The visa application

Japan is always in everyone’s travel bucket list, including me. So when a seat sale opportunity came, my friends and I immediately grabbed the chance to book a flight and tick off Japan from the ultimate travel bucket list.

Applying for Japan visa

Japan is one of the countries where Filipinos need to secure a tourist visa before coming in. The Japan embassy details all the visa requirements in their site to make the visa application process easier for applicants. Japan visa application also needs to be submitted to an accredited agency with a corresponding fee. The travel agency will be the one submitting the visa applications to the Japan embassy. A list of accredited agencies can also be found in the Japan embassy site.

My friends and I opted to submit ours at Discovery Tour travel agency in Makati. Among all the accredited travel agencies in Metro Manila, they charge the cheapest fee per application for 800 Php only. Before we submitted our visa applications, we had to ensure that all the requirements are complete so it can be accepted already by the travel agent. Below are the requirements we had to submit to apply for a Japan tourist visa. Specifically for tourist visa applications of students and friends/relatives requiring a visa sponsor, ensure that you have all the necessary financial documents and proof of relationship between the applicant and the visa sponsor ready and complete. I had to return back to the agency to compile and submit pictures to ensure that my friends and I really know each other. Three days after submission, we got our approved Japan tourist visas from Discovery tour agency.

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We are then more than ready to conquer Japan!

Japan tourist visa requirements

JAPAN TOURIST VISA WITHOUT ANY GUARANTOR/SPONSOR:

Philippine Passport.If your photo has broken lamination, it will NOT be accepted. Make sure as well that your passport is valid for 6 months prior to your intended travel date, it has your signature, and has at least two (2) blank pages.
A duly accomplished Japan Visa Application Form.Print the Japan Visa Application Form in A4 size. Download the application form from the JP embassy website . You can either fill it out and print after or print then fill out by hand, as long as there are no erasures and all fields are answered (put N/A if not applicable).
4.5cm x 4.5 cm or 2″x2″ Photo (white background). This must be pasted on the Japan Visa Application Form. \
NSO Birth Certificate. This must be an NSO Original that has been issued within one (1) year. It must be acquired from the NSO main office or from Serbilis Outlet Centers nationwide. I got mine from NSO Pasay near World Trade Center in just 1 hour.
NSO Marriage Certificate. Applicable only if married.
Daily Schedule in Japan. Download the form from the JP embassy website. This will just be a high-level daily itinerary/trip plan while you are in Japan – places to go and where to stay.
Bank Certificate. This must be an original copy from your bank which must be issued within the past 3 months.
Proof of Income.
For employed: Submit your latest ITR (Form 2316/2306) in original and photocopy format in A4 paper. Submit also a certificate of employment from your company. For those with remote and online jobs, I have read that you just submit a letter to the embassy why you do not have an ITR and explain where you are getting your trip funds. For self-employed / business persons: Submit your business permit/registration from DTI or SEC. If you file your ITR individually, you can also submit this. If without ITR, you just also need to submit a letter to the embassy explaining your case. For unemployed persons: You need to submit a guarantor/sponsor form to the embassy stating that this person/company will be funding your expenses while you are in Japan.

JAPAN TOURIST VISA WITH NON-JAPANESE GUARANTOR/SPONSOR LIVING OUTSIDE JAPAN:

This kind of application is applicable to those who cannot provide their own financial documents to the embassy like ITR or bank certificate. This applies to students, minors, unemployed persons, and other applicants who are freelancers or are self-employed without strong financial statements. The requirements are similar for applicants without visa sponsor WITH ADDITIONAL documents required below:

Guarantee Letter. You can download the template from the JP embassy website. This must be issued within the past 3 months also.
Copy of Guarantor/Sponsor’s Passport. Provide a photocopy of the first page only.
Certificate of Enrollment. Applicable for students.

Big thanks to this blog post also which helped me in compiling all our Japan visa requirements!

Sagada Holy Week

Without any prior plans, I sent a text message to my friends and pitched in this question, “Holy Week in Sagada?” It was 10pm on Holy Tuesday, March 22. With friends as crazy as I am, they replied 15 minutes later, “Game!”

Sagada is one of my must-go-to places. It has been since I came to know the addicting affair of traveling. Little did I know that it will only take a spur-of-the-moment decision to make this happen.

Still shaking off the office smell from my clothes, I hurriedly went back home and packed for a 5-day trip up north. My friends and I met at Victory Liner Pasay at around 4am. With no advance-purchased tickets on hand, we bravely went in the terminal and hoped against hope that we can be chance passengers on an early morning pre-long holiday bus trip. With luck on our side, we boarded the 5am trip out of Manila going to Baguio.

I just slept the entire time that we traveled. We arrived in Baguio at around 1pm. The bus ride cost was 455Php each. It was approximately 8 hours. Whew!

To avoid the same fate going back to Manila, we decided to pre-book our bus ride on Saturday night, 10pm. We wanted it to be more comfortable and opted to purchase the Deluxe tickets at 750Php each. Yes, it was double the price for the sake of seat comfort, free wifi, CR onboard, charging outlets on every seat and free midnight snacks.

With Baguio-Manila advance tickets in our pockets, we were then ready to conquer Sagada. Little did I know that it was a 6-hour battle from Baguio. Haha!

From Victory Liner terminal, we then went straight to Dangwa bus terminal. Luck was again on our side because the last bus going to the mountainous frontier was just leaving. It was 2pm. Hurriedly, we jumped out of the taxi and stopped the bus in the middle of the narrow street of Dangwa terminal. We went up the bus and took the seats waiting for us in the middle of the bus.

Since it was my first time, the bus travel sceneries were all new to me. The steep and winding roads, the deathly blind curves, the lush greens and trees, the mountainous cliffs, the cold breeze slapping my face – all were breathtaking.

It was 8pm already when we arrived in Tadhana. With no hotel or inn reservations, we walked down the town center’s street and knocked on every inn that we passed by based on two criteria – it looked it could squeeze another 3 travel misfits and it was cheap. Haha!

As the moons were aligning for us that day and night, we got a 3-pax room in Sagada Residential Lodge. It was 300Php each every night.

Food

With foodie friends, this is always the first order of business after we arrive in our trip destination. “Where’s the best food places to try out?”, almost everyone asks.

Although quite remote from the big cities, Sagada does not run out of options. In our 3-day stay, we were able to try as many food places as far as our wallets can afford and our mouths can devour.

Salt & Pepper

Our first dinner was here. Considering it was peak season, the place was not that busy. I ordered Pan Fried Chicken in mushroom sauce. I got disappointed when the food arrived because the chicken was not cooked well. The skin was still raw. I barely finished my plate. That cost me 290Php.

Sagada Brew

This has a modern cafe look on the outside. This was our breakfast place on our 2nd day. I ordered corned beef with rice and salad on the side. I also tried their hot chocolate. The corned beef was tender. Salad was OK. The hot choco was thick enough said one of my friends. Breakfast meal was 210Php while hot chocolate was 90Php.

Rock Farm Inn & Cafe

Ecstatic to try the walking scenery of Sagada, my friends and I decided to head to Rock Inn thinking it was just near. Haha. Near as we would like to think, it took us 30 minutes to do the walkathon. 5 kms. from town center, we arrived in the secluded farm. Since it was late in the afternoon already, there were no diners anymore. Our late lunch consisted of beef bulalo, chopsuey and mango shake. It was shared between us and cost us 260Php each.

Masferre Inn & Cafe

This food place is just several steps away from the town’s tourist center. They serve ready-made food at very affordable prices. The interior of the place seem new and the owners seem to do a good job in keeping the cafe very clean. They have generous servings of their food. Dinner for 3 only cost us 340Php for all.

Sagada Lemon Pie House

This is where the famous Sagada lemon pie can be bought. 1 slice of lemon pie costs 30Php. Compared to Boracay calamansi muffins, I like this one better. The citrus taste does not overpower the entite pie. I can still taste its sweetness. They also serve food meals at 150Php per meal. The interiors of the pie house are also very cozy with tables that allow you to sit and squat on the floor while eating.

Sagada Happy House

This unassuming food place is just across Sagada lemon pie house. At first glance, it seems just like an ordinary house. But the stairs beside it leads you to the busy dining tables of the “happy house”. They serve meals with prices fit for the budget-centric pockets. We ordered pancit canton when we went there and it was enough to feed the hungry mouths of 3 for 230Php only.

Gaia Cafe

I think this is the only vegetarian restaurant in Sagada. Just several meters away from the Sumaguing cave lies Gaia. Situated further away from the town center, Gaia boasts of its very serene and peaceful sanctuary. We went there for dinner but I could imagine waking up the sun while sitting inside the cafe with my favorite cup of coffee clasped on my both hands. This cafe also inspired souls to look for their destiny in the popular Filipino movie “That Thing Called Tadhana”. My friends and I ordered their bestsellers Vegetarian adobo, Tomato w/ Roasted Red Pepper and Gaia Sandwich. I personally liked the Vegetarian adobo and thought I can very well go vegan all the way if that’s how my food will taste like. It cost us 480Php for those 3 dishes including a cup of hot chocolate.

Good Taste Restaurant

This is where we ate after our Sagada to Baguio bus trip. This one is not in Sagada but in Baguio. I decided to place this here because this is one of the affordable places in Baguio to eat. Not only do they serve good food but also in generous proportions. They have multiple branches in Baguio so you can never miss this place. Just be sure to be patient in waiting to be seated because of the many customers they serve at any time of the day.

Pamana Restaurant

This restaurant is also in Baguio and right smack in the city center. It’s beside Casa Vallejo just below SM Baguio. If my memory serves me right, this used to be Barrio Fiesta Restaurant of the Ongpauco family. They got the place renovated and put up 3 restaurants replacing the Barrio Fiesta. The 3 new restaurants are Pamana, Hawaiian BBQ and Tsokolateria.

Prayer for an Anxious Heart

Lord, I am trembling and afraid.
Teach me to calm my heart and know that You are there, never to abandon me.
Instill in me that Your love chooses no one and You never forsake anyone.
Enshroud me with Your Holy Light and engulf me with Your unconditional love.
Forgive me with my trespasses and heal me with Your grace.
You alone are my God who loves me despite my imperfections and sins and who will never leave me behind.
Amen.

Because Resolutions Do Not Really Work

It’s 2014!

It’s another year to look forward to and another 12 months to add experiences in one’s lifetime.

This year, I do not have resolutions but only personal goals that I want to start working on or achieve within the year.

First of is working on my long-overdue spiritual relationship with the Lord. This was part of my 2013 list last year but somehow, I was not able to really fully fulfill it. I was not able to go to church every Sunday last year and I was not able to communicate with the Lord frequently. But in spite of this, He blessed me abundantly last year and continues to do so every time. This year, my spiritual goal is to rekindle my relationship with Him and offer everything that I plan to do in my life to Him. His grace does not cease to overflow and his love does not cease to exist. The only way I can repay His influence in my life is to give Him glory and praise for the year of 2014 and for the next years to come.

For my career, my new role effective Feb 2014 is something to look forward to. Moving to this new role this year is something that I need to focus on in my career this year. It’s the challenge that I need to overcome this year at work – the challenge to learn my new role, the challenge to work with new people and the challenge to work with my new manager. With 2014’s new promise, I will use this year to learn as much as I can and also to network with as many people in my new organization. It may not be easy work, but at least this will get me busy at work in 2014.

Money and investment wise, my goal is to become more financially wise this year. My goal is to get a life insurance and mutual fund plan this year – which by the way is long overdue already. This is something that I was planning to get a long time ago. But because I decided to allot my money for the SM condo that I got, this took a backseat. This year, I am planning to finally get one. I am not getting any younger and this is one of the few things that will help me to sleep well at night, knowing that in the event that something happens to me, my loved ones are not left helpless at all.
Another financial goal this year is to invest in the stock market. Like the life insurance, this is also long overdue. This year, I plan to finally dabble in the Philippine stock market scene. I have already identified the online stock broker that I will be getting the services. What’s left to do is to submit my account application and then I am all set to be a stock marketer in 2014.
Another investment plan this year is to get another lot in Davao City. Last year, I acquired a 200-sq m. lot in Samal. Last year also, I started my 10-year amortization period for my SM Light 1-BR condo unit. This year, my plan is to get another lot investment in Davao City. This time, it’ll be for future residential purposes when I decide to settle down. The plan is to use Pag-ibig financing for this for a specific period of time. This is because Pag-ibig or the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) has lower housing interest rates compared to the commercial banks which have at least 6% per annum rate.
Lastly, to be able to acquire and pay for all these investments, my goal this year is to be financially strict and thrift in my personal expenses. No more endless usage of credit card to buy things that are not needed at all. My goal for 2014 is to be financially mature and cutting down my credit card expenses and increasing the percentage of my monthly savings is the only way to go. And yes, that includes minimizing travel plans this year for the sake of financial freedom.

For my personal development, one of my goals is to read more. Like what they say, an empty mind is the playground of the devil. So to shun away the evil deeds, it’s best to keep the mind occupied with useful knowledge. Last year, I only read a few books. This year, my goal is to read at least 1 book a month or at least 10 books this year. I need to make time for my personal development and this is one of the things that I seriously need to allot some time.
I also need to write more. This is something that I always say to myself every year, but fail eventually. This year, I still aim to write more. Even if I really do not write very well, my goal is to chronicle my thoughts this year more often. This might eventually keep me sane from all the stress that will come this year.
Another is to network more. I am not really the most sociable person – and my close friends know this. I prefer to be alone most of the time, that’s why my close friends call me autistic sometimes. Haha. This year, I will try again to break this social barrier and try to mingle more. Who knows, I might meet people who will help me become a millionaire or billionaire. Haha.
Another is to learn more new things. Last year, I started to learn the art of baking and cooking. Thanks to my chef/baker-inclined friends, I now know the difference between a stand mixer and a hand mixer, among others. Haha. This year, my goal is to learn more of these things. Since I will be moving in to my new condo early this year, I will have more reason to get my hands sticky with some batter mixtures and recreate some sumptuous recipes taken from the internet. Haha.
Another goal is to learn new hobbies or sports this year. Last year, I have been constantly doing my weekly swims and this was one of the things that kept me ‘fit’ the entire year. This year, I plan to continue this and learn more about other swimming techniques by enrolling in a swimming course. I am also aiming for a beach-worthy body this year. Haha. So to help me achieve this daunting task, I’ll have to do more machine exercises and barbel lifts in the gym. Wishing myself luck on this. Haha.
Last but not the least is staying healthy by eating right and doing right. All other things seem negligible when one’s health is deteriorating. As they say, health is wealth. Thus, keeping one’s self healthy should be one of the goals that one should not forget every year.

Twelve months seem a little long but the truth is it’s not. This 2014, it’s only right that we plan our goals for the next 365 days and how we can achieve them. The goals we make are only as good as the actual results that we achieve. Thus, it is one thing to write them. It is another thing to actually do them. So for this year, it’s time to really act on my goals and reap the rewards and benefits at the end of 2014. Today is day 1 of 365. I still have 364 days to go. So 2014, I am definitely out to get you this year! 🙂

A Farewell To A Year That Was

As a new year dawns, it’s only but timely to look back and revisit the year that was.

2013 was a good year. A lot of things happened and a lot of opportunities came.

Work-wise, it was this year when I got promoted at work last April. I have been waiting for this promotion for a long time and finally, it came. After 4 years of working in the company, it really feels good to feel appreciated and valued by progressing your level. The promotion gave me renewed boost to work hard more and and work smarter than before.

Apart from this recognition, I am finally moving on to a new role effective Feb of 2014. After being in my current work role doing in-house Application Management and Solutions Operations Management for Expat Systems for 5 years, I am now finally closing this chapter and opening a new work chapter in P&G. It’s the feeling of excitement for the new role and the new people who I’ll get to work with and the new learnings, anxiety for the new challenges, and sadness for leaving my current colleagues who I have worked with for the past 5 years and happiness for making another beginning in the company in a new role. I just started my transition last November and will finally own the role full-time in Feb 2014. This is definitely something to look forward and work hard in 2014.

Travel-wise, I got to do 5 major travels this year – both international and domestic trips.

Last March 14-18, I went to Boracay with my friends Bryan, Sig and Simi for 5 days. We stayed in Patio Pacific during our entire trip and it was total R&R for all of us.

For the month of June, my family and I went to Hongkong for 6 days. This was the first time that my siblings Ellen and Michael were to set foot in Hongkong. This was the second time for my father and 3rd or 4th time for my mother. This was MY third time to travel to this Asian shopping mecca. We went to HK Disneyland and HK Ocean Park and tried all their heart-pumping rides. Well, except for my mom and dad who just settled to be the official ‘photographers’ of the theme park visits. We also went to the Nanlian Gardens and tourist-famous Avenue of the Stars. And not to forget, we went shopping in the shopper-friendly Tung Chung outlet stores. It’s really fun to travel with your family and it’s even more heartwarming seeing your parents and siblings go ecstatic and excited seeing new places and experiencing a different culture in a foreign country. I am looking forward to have more of these family trips in the future.

July is my birth month and in a spur-of-the-moment decision, I booked another trip to Boracay last July 20-22. I was accompanied by Simi and her boyfriend Cris. We still stayed in Patio Pacific since they gave us a promo rate and also upgraded our room to a suite. Talk about the perks of a returning customer. 🙂 This was a silent celebration of another year full of blessings, close friends and a family who loves me.

It was Baguio for the month of August. Together with Bryan and Sig, we went to Baguio last August 9-11. Since it was off-peak season, we just decided to look for an accommodation once we arrive in Baguio. Luckily, we were able to get a decent and affordable 3-person room in Hotel45 which is just across SM Baguio and near the tourist street of Session Road. This trip was more of a food adventure since we tried to eat in as many places as our stomachs can digest. We ate in Canto Ketchup Food Community which serves mouth-watering ribs at an affordable price. We also tried the Chinese restaurant Rose Bowl Restaurant and dined in Hill Station inside Casa Vallejo which is famous for their Spanish cuisine and a relaxing dining atmosphere. Since this was a rest and relaxation sojourn, we also tried the massages offered by North Haven Spa which is just beside Casa Vallejo.

As if we were not contented with our Baguio escapade last August, we decided to come back last October 31-November 3. Travelling with me were Simi and Bryan. We thought that it was good to spend Halloween in Baguio, when in fact our original plan was to pig out AGAIN. Haha. Since this was another gastronomic adventure, we tried a different batch of restaurants. We dined in Good Taste which is really a must for budget travelers because of their huge servings at an affordable price. We also went back to eat in Canto Ketchup Food Community to try out their ribs. It was Simi’s first time to eat there, so we obliged. As if we were not as excited as her to eat their ribs. Haha. We spent an afternoon in Camp John Hay accompanying Bryan with his cup of Machiatto in one hand and his gargantuan law book in the other. Talk about multi-tasking. While Bryan was heavy with his legal what-nots, Simi and I strolled in the park and got to visit Le Monet which is a joint business venture of Manny Pacquiao and Chavit Singson. Too bad, they were fully booked. We would have loved to stay there even for just one night to try their indoor heated swimming pool. Haha. We also went to PNKY Cafe and got to try their crepes and tsokolate drink. Undeniably, this trip really made us FULL – full of memories and stomachs full. Haha.

One important thing that I am also thankful for 2013 is maintaining my personal relationships with the people close to me – my family, my few close friends and my colleagues. I may not have formed a lot of new friendships this year but I am definitely happy that I still have good relationships with the existing people that I treasure and value in my life. As they say, life is not measured by how many zeroes you have in your bank accounts and how many luxurious things you keep with you. It is measured by the number of lives of people that you have touched and even came across in your lifetime. I may not have added much to my list this year, but I am definitely keeping all of the existing ones that I have. These people make me see a better future, make me laugh, make me think, make me realize that life is indeed beautiful if spent with the people you really love and who loves you back, no matter what.

Indeed, 2013 is a good year for me. It added new good memories to my existence and it definitely gave me blessings that I am more than thankful for.

As I look forward to another year in 2014, I can only wish for another good, if not better, year for me. As I close 2013 tonight, all I can do is to beam a happy smile as I get to experience another year closing and another year beginning. I’ll hug my family and call and message my few close friends. Lastly, I will look up above and will whisper a silent hush to the heavens saying, “Thank you for 2013 and hoping for the best in 2014.”.

The Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back

They say that our lives are measured by the number of lives we touch. I definitely agree with this.

Additionally, our lives are also shaped by the number of hardships, challenges and heartaches that we experience. Although piercing and excruciating to bear, these teach us to become stronger and even braver and more mature. Unfortunately, these things happen unexpectedly and will catch you off guard.

They say that for every action is an equal and opposite reaction. The things that we do in life always have consequences – consequences that can either make or break us. Sometimes, these things are results of our carelessness or stupidity.

But whatever the reasons of our actions, we should always be responsible to accept the equivalent reaction. Although sometimes hard and painful, this is what karma is serving us.

The best thing to do is ACCEPT the consequences, LEARN from the mistake/s done, SAY sorry if you have hurt persons along the way and BECOME a better person after what happened.

Only time will tell when wounds would heal and when hearts will mend.

Discovering Kalibo – Bakhawan Eco-Park

Around 30 minutes away from Kalibo proper is the Bakhawan Eco-Park.

From the name itself, it boasts of more than 100 hectares of the lush greens of mangrove trees which stretches out to a 1.1km mangrove eco-trail park.

It was started by the partnership of the local government of Kalibo and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in 1980’s. This was later on hailed as one of the exemplary forests managed in the whole of Asia and the Pacific by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

If you want to breathe fresh air and see the lush greens of mangrove trees, this is place to go in Kalibo.

This place is so peaceful and quiet. At the far end of the mangrove path is a deck overlooking the sea – very serene. You can just sit there and look at the waves splash on each other and spend a quiet time with yourself or with someone special.

To get inside, a 20-PHP entrance fee is collected for the maintenance of the mangrove park.

This is one place in Kalibo that you should not miss, especially if you are an environment-lover or just want to feel the fresh breeze of air and experience serenity even for several minutes.

How to Get Here

From city proper, ride a trike going to the Bwakawan park. Regular fare is 8-PHP per person. Trikes going back to the city proper are waiting outside the mangrove park.

Discovering Kalibo
Where We Stayed in Kalibo
Where We Ate in Kalibo

Discovering Kalibo – Sampaguita Gardens

The Ati-Atihan Festival is one of the most colorful festivals in the Philippines. This is celebrated every January in honor of Sto. Nino in the town of Kalibo.

But aside from this most-sought after celebration, Kalibo is also home to other tourist spots in the city. Since our Kalibo adventure was never planned, we decided to have a do-it-your-own tour of Kalibo in one day.

Sampaguita Gardens

Our first stop was the home of Precious Moments dolls – the Sampaguita Gardens.

Coming from Kalibo proper, we rode a jeepney going to New Washington – the place where Sampaguita Gardens is located. Jeepney fare to Sampaguita Gardens is 15 PHP per person.

After around 30 minutes of jeepney ride, we arrived in the Sampaguita Gardens Resort.

An entrance fee of 50 PHP is collected per person. It is consumable though and can be used to purchase food or Precious Moments souvenirs inside the resort. It can also be used to pay for the entrance fee in the owner’s mansion and Christmas cottage.

Precious Moments dolls lined up to welcome you

As soon as we entered, we were greeted by giant-sized Precious moments dolls. The resort seems well-maintained and it’s clean.

We first went to the big mansion of the Precious Moments doll creator – Sam Butcher. It has a separate entrance fee of 10 PHP. Inside, you can see the ornate antique collection of the owner. The interior of the house is Thai-inspired with Thai figurines and jars and ornaments.

Way going to Sam Butcher's mansion — Way going to Sam Butcher’s mansion

Upstairs was the mansion’s master’s bedroom which has a huge zen-like bed in the middle of the room and facing a balcony that’s facing the sea. I can just imagine how beautiful it is to wake up in this bed with the sun and the sea greeting you every morning.

Downstairs were the library, living room and the dining room.

In the library was a huge antique opium bed which reminds you of being in a Chinese royal house.

The dining table in the dining room had authentic silverwares with authentic gold markings. It was a picture of grandeur and opulence.

The living room had a grand piano in the middle of the room with several picture frames of the owner and his family. According to the caretaker, Mr. Butcher is very fond of children and he adopted one Filipina girl to be her daughter back in the 80’s. Now, the girl is already in the US. Mr. Butcher is also based in the US but he comes back to his mansion every now and then, according to the caretaker.

Another place to visit while in Sampaguita Gardens is the Christmas Cottage. Here, we saw all the Precious Moments dolls that they make and also sell. On the second and third floors were Christmas displays and a museum featuring different designs and sizes of Precious moments dolls. Going to the second and third floors though has an entrance fee of 10 PHP per person.

We also went to the resort’s chapel. The paintings on the wall were very beautiful. It was painted by the owner himself. There is no crucifix at the center of the chapel. I guess that is meant to not discriminate any religion of anyone going in there.

There is also a pool in the resort and they also offer accommodation stay for guests who would want to enjoy the Sampaguita experience longer.

If you are traveling with kids, I am sure that they would enjoy this resort.

Sampaguita Gardens Resort
Location: New Washington, Aklan
Contact Numbers: +63-36-2643422
Website: http://sampaguitagardensresort.weebly.com/
Email: mariamae_sjb@yahoo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sampaguitagardens.resort

Our next stop after Sampaguita Gardens was the Bakhawan Eco-Park.

Discovering Kalibo – Accommodations

Cheap accommodations in Kalibo are easy to find. Most of the hotels and inns are within Kalibo proper, which is around 5-10 minutes away from the airport via tricycle.

Prior to our trip, I already booked the Ati-Atihan Festival Hostel for a one-night stay for 3 persons. Thanks to TripAdvisor, my ever-trusted and dependable travel site for hotel reviews. The triple room is 1,500 PHP/ night. This comes with free breakfast already for 3. Booking the reservation was also easy as I did it via email only. I deposited 500 PHP to the hotel’s BPI bank account days before our trip to secure our booking reservation. The remaining amount was payable once we check-in, as stated by the hotel’s staff.

Ati-Atihan Festival Hostel’s location is very strategic since it is close to some of the best places to eat in Kalibo. It is also near the public market, so transportation is never an issue as there are a lot of tricycles in the area.

The room that we got had three single beds. It was a simple room but one thing that I immediately noticed was its cleanliness. It was almost spotless. It was an inverted L-shaped room with the sala and the comfort and bath rooms at the far right corner.

They provided free bottles of water and Wi-Fi was also accessible in our room and it’s free.

For breakfast, they have a list of breakfast selections to choose from. They have chorizo, tocino, Kalibo sausage, hotdog with egg, rice and hot chocolate drink/coffee.

Staying in Kalibo was never in our original plan. We initially decided to just sleepover for a night and head on to Boracay the next morning. But since we were already there and the place looks friendly, we opted to stay here for another night to have a one-day DIY tour of the city and taste the food of Kalibo.

Overall, we did not regret staying in Ati-Atihan. It’s simple but we really got the value for our money. If ever we come back, we might be staying here again. 🙂

Ati-Atihan Festival Hostel
Location: 19 Matyrs Street, Kalibo 5600, Philippines
Contact Numbers: +63-36-5007620 / +63-926-6214798
Website: http://atiatihanfestival.ph/
Email: reservations@atiatihanfestival.ph
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atiatihanfestivalhostel
My TripAdvisor Review

Discovering Kalibo

When talking about Boracay, more often than not, it is always Caticlan that comes into one’s mind. That’s where most Boracay-bound weekenders and tourists get off from their flights. Who wouldn’t want it? It’s just 15-20 minutes away from the pristine white sand beach of Boracay. But probably unknown to some (especially foreign tourists), there is another gateway to reach Boracay via plane. And that is Kalibo!

Kalibo is approximately an hour away from the hustle and bustle of Manila. A gateway to the Panay group of islands, Kalibo is an unassuming gem of the Visayas region. It is because of this and the desire to know more about this place that convinced me and my friends to stop at this place and see what it has to offer, before moving forward to experience the Boracay sea and sand.

Flown in by Zest Air, we arrived in Kalibo International Airport at around 7:00 PM. If not for the flight delay, we should have been in Kalibo earlier than that. As we stepped out of the plane and walked from the tarmac to the flight arrival area, we were disappointed with what we saw. The arrival area was very small (similar to Busuanga’s airport when I flew in there last 2009) and only had one conveyor belt, which has a circumference similar to that of a kiddie pool, for all inbound flights. It took us around 30 minutes, including the waiting time for the aircraft personnel to unload passenger baggage until it gets fed to the conveyor belt one by one, before we were able to retrieve our checked-in bags.

One thing that was a plus, though, was the presence of a tourism booth in the arrival area. At 7:00 PM, there was still someone manning the booth and as new tourists to the place, we took advantage of this opportunity to ask about some popular places to eat, shop and visit in Kalibo. True enough, we got substantial information from the tourism officer and he was very helpful including getting cheap transportation from the airport to Kalibo proper.

Being the budget travelers that we were and as suggested by the tourism officer, we decided not to take the tricycle that were parked directly outside of the airport as they charge 100 PHP for a one-way chartered trip to the city. Instead, we walked going to the main highway to get tricycles that will charge us per head, which is 15 PHP. Easily spotted as tourists with big backpacks over our backs, one tricycle driver offered us a 50 PHP one-way trip for the three of us already. Since we thought it’s a good deal and it’s already getting darker, we took it.

And just like that, we were off to start our two-day Kalibo adventure!