Bus Just For You

Consider bus rentals.  I've had several experiences with those and here are some:


When I was little, my family and I joined family vacations.  In the Philippines, family would not just mean the basic family but the whole clan.  In our case, the family would mean my maternal grandfather, his partner, his children and his grandchildren.  That's us.  We are a huge family.  my grandfather has 11 children and back then, 7 of the 11 were already married and had an average of 3 children per family.  Anyway, there are a lot of good memories during those trips most of which were in the buses.  My older cousins brought with them some muscial instruments, while we mostly brought food and some board games.  I believe the bus rental we used then were of the companies of the buses that plied the EDSA.  

When we were in the US and were planning to go to the Yosemite Park, we opted for a bus rental instead of bringing my relatives' cars.  We saved on gas because we only had to spend for 1 vehicle.  We saved on toll fees.  We saved on food costs as we had brought lots of food and stopped at some park to eat.   There was enough space for the small children to take naps and we didn't have to clean up after the trip.  What's more is that it was a lot of fun having everyone in one bus.  We sang, told stories, shared jokes.  It was convenient since there were at least 2 people who could drive the vehicle.  You know what, I even felt safer that we were in a bigger transportation.

While planning for my daughter's debut, I thought of bringing all of the guests to an out of town resort on a mountain.  That resort is near the university Ikee goes to. I thought her friends and the other invitees would all be able to provide for their own transportation. It dawned on me that most of Ikee's friends wouldn/t be able to go as many of them are not even 18 yet and couldn't drive according to Philippine laws.  I only have one car and my dad has one too but those wouldn't suffice to transport everyone.  Then I thought of a bus rental.  The city government where I live rents out buses at a discounted rate to its constituents.  It would've been perfect if we didn't have a change of plan.  


There are too many advantages at using buses and vehicle rentals.  You just have to choose the right one.  Consider the following when choosing what to rent:


1. comfort - will it be able to accommodate the number of people and the stuff you will bring.  I believe there should be an allowance of 1 or 2 person-seats.  This means that if there are 10 persons riding, the vehicle should be able to accommodate at least 12. 


2.  price - do your research. there are a number of car, van and  bus rental  companies that are published on the internet.  Also, do check out the ones in sulit.com.ph and the ones on the yellow pages of a telephone directory.  


3.  inclusions - some rentals have their own drivers, some need you to gas up after the trip, etc.
4,  permits and licenses - some buses or jeeps are used for public transport but they can also be hired for private use.  See to it that the vehicle has the necessary permit in order for you to avoid hassles during your trip.

These are but some of the things that you need to remember when renting a vehicle.  Next you take a trip with the family, try a bus rental.  You'll have memories to store when you do so.

Summer Break Specials for 2009 - Philippines

Various promotional sale are currently running in the country to accommodate the influx of both local and foreign tourists who are here to take advantage of the country's scenic spots, pristine beaches, and well hidden secrets. But not just for availment during the summer, now is also the time to take advantage of great discounts which may not be available through out the rest of the year. Take a look at these:

Airfare:

From Zestair
Php398 Pesos for Manila to Busuanga (your gateway to Coron and the Calamian Group of Islands) and for Manila to San Jose, Mindoro
Purchase period is until March 31, 2009. Travel period is from March 5 to Dec. 31, 2009.

PALExpress

One way promotional fares until 15 June 2009 (Inclusive of surcharges and VAT but exclusive of Aviation Security Fee (ASF) and airport terminal fee ) are the following :

PHP 788 MANILA to BUSUANGA/SAN JOSE/TUGUEGARAO
PHP1,088 MANILA to CALBAYOG/CATICLAN/CATARMAN/VIRAC
PHP788 CEBU to BACOLOD/BUTUAN/CAGAYAN DE ORO/TACLOBAN
PHP1,088 CEBU to CATICLAN/DIPOLOG/GENERAL SANTOS/KALIBO/ OZAMIZ/PUERTO PRINCESA/ZAMBOANGA
PHP1,088 DAVAO to ZAMBOANGA

Boatfare
Superferry
Birthday Discounts - Get as much discount as your age (You probably will get a high discount unless you claim to be 25).

That's it for now. Next, I'll put up a list of trip packages and other options. Till then.

How To Get To Tagaytay By Public Transport

You know it's not quite known how to get to Tagaytay by public Transportation. That's seems amusing to me because Tagaytay is a really popular place but it looks like the people who go there normally just go by their own car. There are actually 3 ways I know.

The first, is to hire a cab to and fro. This seems expensive but my brother-in-law charges by the hour only. I think it costs about 300 per hour. So, if you don't intend to stay there for like a full day, and spending about 3 thousand for it, this one will be a very good option for you. I think there's a minimum of 3 hours only.

The second is to go to the Starmall, Market Market, or Glorietta fx terminals. There are some vans or fx that go to Tagaytay. I believe it would cost around 250 per person.

The third is to go to the bus terminal near the Chowking restaurant at Pasay, EDS. It's just below the MRT station. According to my source, you ride the Crown Bus (it used to be called Crow, by the way) going to Nasugbu or Tagaytay.

Coming from Tagaytay is actually the challenge. The buses just stop to pick up passengers and there is really no bus terminal. You have to hail the ones that go to Manila or Baclaran or Cubao. I would tend to believe that it is best to take it from the junction/rotonda.

So there. I hope that helps.