Sorsogon’s Kasanggayahan (Prosperity) Festival 2011

The Kasanggayahan Festival in Sorsogon is an annual celebration  in commemoration of the founding of the province. Various cultural, historical, religious, and social activities are held over the course of the whole month of October to mark the festivities.

            

According to Sorsogon’s tourism website, Kasanggayahan is an old Bikolano word whose meaning can be derived from this verse:

“When the fields are green
and the grains are golden;
when the machines work well
and all business prosper;
when the birds in the sky chirp freely
and men on earth are peacefully happy;
in Bikol, it is KASANGGAYAHAN,
meaning, a life of prosperity.”

Last October 17, 2011 we had a feast laid out before our eyes- the Historico Cultural Parade of the Kasanggayahan Festival. In the streets of Sorsogon City, under the scorching heat of the sun, various representatives from each town marched after their colorful floats that showcase the town’s trademark offering. The groups also had the name of their town festivals highlighted in their floats. It certainly was a celebration of bounty with each town/municipality having much to offer. The Pili Festival of Sorsogon City, Butanding Festival of Donsol, Padaraw Festival of Bulan, Lakatan Festival of Barcelona, Matunog Festival of Matnog, and the Hin-ay Festival of Irosin were among the featured town festivals. The day ended with a parachute show by the Philippine Army.

Kadayawan 2011: A Food Safari

Foreword: Two months after my Davao trip and I still haven’t written about the dining experience I had during the Kadayawan festival. Having joined the bloggers for the PTB meet-up in Apo View Hotel organized by the great Olan Emboscado, I was fortunate to be part of the three-day gastronomic journey starting with Lachi’s desserts, moving on with the sumptuous lunch at Grab-a-Crab in Abreeza Mall, hearty snacks care of Mam Beb’s Bakeshop, the quintessential Durian-Coke combo, and the 99-peso lunch buffet at Tita D’z.

Firedancers weaving hearts of fire at the Apo View Hotel

          Rubbing elbows with flaming rings. Gahd I wish I knew how to dance with poi.

August 19- After getting a hint of burnt hair (we did a short dancing stint with the uber talented firedancers), we then went to Lachi’s, a restaurant known for its mouth-watering desserts. I was particularly drawn to the Durian-laced cakes (Sans Rival and cheesecake) as I still haven’t tried fresh durian at that time. I figured it would be good to start with these cakes to gradually introduce Durian to my palate.

I instantly became a fan of their desserts! I wrote about the cakes already when their main dishes were as equally tempting.

Where to Stay in Puerto Princesa: Dallas Inn

Cozy little fan rooms for PhP300 a night (twin sharing or dorm basis) with free wifi and unlimited coffee? It’s not often that you chance upon finds like these in a tourism giant like Puerto Princesa. In Dallas Inn, however, they have all these and more- they have Ate Oring.

Free drinking water (hot and cold), coffee and milk tea

The most gracious and approachable host that she is, Ate Oring will help you fix your day’s schedule and hook you up with only the best tour providers. She would even share her stories with you in the mornings over a cup of hot milk tea or coffee. She’ll ask you how you found her place and in the case of a friend recommending it, she’ll recall with all clarity the name of that friend who’s stayed at Dallas Inn weeks or even months before you.

spotless clean bathroom

The place is actually a private residence converted into an inn by Ate Oring and her family. The rooms are clean and it is encouraged that guests leave their footwear outside their rooms in the shoe rack provided.

Clean sheets, towels, free soap - bare necessities

perfect mornings here at Dallas inn comprise of two things- coffee and a good conversation

There is a common living room where a table is set up holding the mugs, hot water, and sachets of instant NaiCha (milk tea) and coffee. Just near the gate, a mini lounge is provided with a native woven hammock and some chairs and a table, perfect for lazy afternoons after tiring countryside tours.

lazy lounge

I highly recommend the place for those wanting to stay for a night or two in Puerto Princesa on a budget without compromising comfort. Well I should say that more than being budget-friendly, clean, and cozy, the place owes a chunk of its character to Ate Oring and the many backpackers from around the globe that make Dallas Inn their home in Puerto Princesa City.

huge map on the wall where backpackers could pop in pins to represent where in the world they're from

Dallas Inn & Cafe

Cel No.: +639199678558
Complete Address: #11 Carandang St. Mangahan
Puerto Princesa City Palawan, Philippines
contact person: Oring Gonzales
email: dallasinnpalawan@yahoo.com

Breakdown of Expenses for 5D4N Palawan Escapade

As promised, here’s the detailed breakdown of expenses for my El Nido and Puerto Princesa trip last 11-15 October, 2011.

5D4N El Nido and Puerto Princesa Itinerary

This was the itinerary we had in mind when we planned our 5days 4nights Palawan escapade for 11-15 October 2011. We were able to follow it except for the afternoon’s activity on the third day which is the Puerto Princesa City Tour. It was raining cats and dogs that day and we were able to reach PPC at around 1:30pm in the afternoon. Most tours take off by 1pm and it was impossible for us to join one since we didn’t really book in advance. We spent roughly 7K each (twin sharing basis for the accommodation) for the entire trip (inclusive of terminal fees) and I’ll be sharing to you the detailed expense breakdown in my next post. The airfare was pretty cheap too! 353-peso roundtrip tickets were purchased 5months prior to the trip. Thanks to Airphil’s 100-peso seat sale.

For now, here’s the itinerary.

Day 1

12:20 – 1:30pm – Manila to Puerto Princesa
1:30 pm – go to Fort Wally booking office near airport, catch van to El Nido

Fort wally Shuttle Tel. 0917-2762875,
0920-9815702
Fare: P700
9:00 pm – Arrival in El Nido town, check in at Makulay Lodge and Villas ( P700.00/night.)

Day 2

09:00AM – Island Hopping (tour A+B)
1:00PM – Lunch Buffet at Shimezu Island
04:00PM – End of island tour
05:00PM – Back to Makulay Lodge and Villas (see contact details in my previous post)

Day 3

07:00AM – leave El Nido bound for Puerto Princesa
12:00PM – ETA Puerto Princesa
12:30 PM- Check in at Dallas Inn, P600 a room (good for 2),

Dallas Inn Palawan
Cel No.:             +639199678558
E-mail Add: [dallasinnpalawan (at) yahoo . com]
Complete Address: #11 Carandang St. Mangahan,
Puerto Princesa City Palawan, Philippines

1:00pm- LUNCH
1:30pm – 5pm  – city tour P600.00/pax
7:00 pm – 9pm – Dinner/food trip at Rizal Avenue

Day 4

4:30 – 6:00am – Waking up/prep time
6:30-8:30am – breakfast
9:00am – start of underground river tour P1,300.00/pax
5:00 pm – back to Dallas inn
7:00 -8pm – dinner at Kalui’s

Day 5

7:00-11:00 FREE TIME (Buy Pasalubong)
11:00am – checkout from Dallas Inn
11:30 – Lunch
1:00pm – airport check-in
2:00pm – Flight to Manila
3:10 – ETA, NAIA 3

 

Exploring El Nido’s Islands on a Rainy Day

A quaint little fishing village in the Northernmost tip of Palawan, El Nido town has catapulted to tourism royalty with its 45 islands and islets, 50 white sand beaches, postcard-perfect lagoons, and very diverse terrestrial and marine ecosystem (El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area is the Philippines’ largest marine sanctuary). Everyone who’s been to El Nido would agree with me when I say this place is a slice of heaven on earth.

We woke up early for our first morning in El Nido. I didn’t want to miss out on the day’s activities so I started right with a cup of piping hot coffee. And oh yeah, I brought my handy sachets and just asked for a cup of hot water. The staff at Makulay Lodge didn’t mind. They were very accommodating in fact. The day before, they actually placed our reservation under a different date and there were no more rooms available on the date of our arrival. Knowing that we had no time to book with another inn, they gave us a spare room (which they don’t really offer to guests) for just PhP700. I really didn’t mind the condition of the room so long as I get a good night’s sleep. And I did (out of exhaustion).

After a quick breakfast of coffee and chips, we secured our gadgets in our dry bag (another great travel investment!)

Our boatman for the day approached us and told us that the tour will still proceed as planned despite the weather. We shared the boat with a couple, Pearl and Paul, with whom we later shared FB usernames. Oooh I love making new friends during my travels!

Prelude: The Road to El Nido

El Nido is such a gem of rare beauty. The limestone karst formations of breathtaking proportions, the green lush vegetation covering the cliffs, the white sand beaches on the various islands, the variety of colorful fishes surrounding the corals, the enticing clear blue-green waters, and the clean fresh air that only means paradise- everything makes you want to stay in El Nido forever.

Touchdown at Puerto Princesa Airport

FACT

It was around 2 pm when our plane landed at the Puerto Princesa National Airport. Big problem though: we had a reservation for the 1:30pm last trip to El Nido from Fort Wally. We still would be able to catch the trip had our flight been a little bit early or on time as planned. But lady luck was on our side and a couple, who recently bought a van for Fort Wally as “franchisees” (I really don’t know the works), were going home to Taytay, Palawan on that day. So off we went with only four people on board the Grandia (including the driver). Taytay is the last major municipality before El Nido and can be reached from Puerto Princesa in 4 hours. From Taytay, the 2-hour travel to El Nido is a grueling roller coaster ride on very rough roads with little lighting.