The Prep Part
I received a notice of an upcoming conference from the Computing Society of the Philippines thru their Facebook page. I was thrilled to see the venue was in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. But I had to check my finances first. When I was sure I could afford the trip, I bought my airfare ticket and started checking out accommodations. I wasn't even sure if my colleagues were attending but it was still months away so I kept it mum for a while.
Takeaway #1:
Always book flights early. As soon as you have decided, buy as early as you can. And also do watch out for promos. Lucky for me, I registered to this new promo of my favorite airline where you can pay flights with the points accumulated whenever you book a flight. It was not enough to pay for the whole flight, but I got about P500-P1000 off the total price.
Takeaway #2:
Scout for accommodations through bookings.com or agoda.com. Usually, they give discounted rates and I got a solo aircon room with bathroom en suite for five nights for only P2300. Its not really cheaper if you reserve early, but Puerto Princesa is a tourist destination with lots of foreigners who, believe it or not, also like cheap accommodations especially backpackers.
One Week Away
I was studying for my comprehensive exams which was due around 3 weeks after my solo trip and I was covering as much as I can. I was really planning on studying at night during the trip and I even brought some review materials with me. Haha! That clearly didn't happen.
Takeaway #3:
Leave all contact numbers and addresses of your destination. Being my first solo trip, my mom was concerned about a lot of things. I had to assure her I can travel alone. I left her all contact numbers just in case of emergency.
Off to Palawan
Palawan is a beautiful island. That is a widely known fact. It wasn't my first time in Puerto Princesa and I already did had my tour of the city. But that was ten years ago. As far as I can remember, there wasn't much buildings then and I remember the biggest hotel there was Legend Hotel. I was there previously to attend another conference, the Flora Malesiana. And now, another conference is the reason I'm coming back.
Hopping off the plane, it was around lunch time. I headed for the tricycle waiting outside and told him the address of the inn. He asked if I had booked a tour and I said no. He recommended the firefly watching tour. I asked how much and he said a bit more than a thousand including eat-all you can buffet. Well, it was something I had not done during my first visit so we went to this agency where I paid the fare. They said they will pick me up at around 7pm that night.
My next agenda was food. I asked the tricycle driver to drop me off instead to the nearest resto or food place near where I was staying. He did and I was treated to my first Palawan meal. It was a bit pricey, but hunger sees no numbers. I was tempted to try out the alligator sisig but will have to save that for later.
Takeaway #4:
Tricycles in Puerto Princesa who queue or are waiting for passengers are more expensive than the tricycle you hail along the street. But those in queue are like the taxi version where you are the sole passenger. Their standard price is usually P50. But if you hail a tricycle on the direction where you are headed, you need to ask the driver first if he is headed there. Price is usually P10.00 anywhere within the city.
Takeaway #5:
If you are more of the cautious kind, do your research on the area of where you will be staying. Thanks to Google maps, I can conveniently check where the Inn is and see if there were any restaurants or malls nearby, meaning walking distance.
The Inn where I stayed was really colorful.. just like its name Color Mansion. They had letter of my name written on capiz shell and posted on their welcome board. The room was spacious and clean and their staff were really nice. Also, they have free coffee and a really cute shih tzu named Bruce.
I did nothing for the next few hours but lay on my bed, take a shower and watched tv. It was a different experience to be in a room in a different place with only myself. I was free to make decision about whether or not I should go out and explore or just hang in the room. Of course, normally, my sister or whoever is with me would be making plans on where to go and what to do and there would be noise all around.
The van that will take me to the Firefly watching area arrived just a little past 7pm. I was the first person they picked up so we headed out to the different Inns and Hotels to pick up the rest of the group. The rest turned out to be a couple from Cebu, and an Australian lady named Susan, who, even if years older, became an instant friend. The trip almost took an hour so we passed the time having small talk conversation together with the driver and Susan.
Reaching our destination, we opted to take the tour first before we ate as there was a buffet laid out for the guests already setup. I think it was around 8pm or 8 past and I guess we were all curious about the firefly watching. It didn't take long before it was our turn. I was to be in the same boat as Susan which was fine with me. With our life vest in place, we boarded our small bangka and just was mesmerized by the serenity of the Iwahig river. The tour guide/boatman gave us a history of the place, trivia about the fireflies as well pointed out some constellations using his "lightsaber-like" pointer. The star gazing was part of the package. Unfortunately, it was about near full moon and we didn't fully view the fireflies compared if it were a moonless night.
Upon reaching the docking area, we headed towards the buffet and was expecting seafood. There was very little at that time, possibly because it was already late. I did enjoy the crispy kangkong. I sat with Susan and had a good conversation. She was a mother of two daughters who were about my age. She was traveling alone across Asia. She just came from China and some places in the Vizayas and will be going to Boracay after Palawan. Her birthday was also coming up in a few days. I asked if we had the same birthdate and hers was three days later. It was funny when she said.. "Ahh.. Aries attract Aries. No wonder. We are the adventurous type." She also did give one tip about traveling solo when I mentioned about my new endeavor. She says use common sense.
Takeaway #6:
Make new friends. Its one of the perks of traveling alone. You have the option to talk to fellow travelers and just have "in the moment" conversations. There's no pressure of having deep conversation. Just a simple small talk allows you to gain new friends and even learn tips.
Takeaway #7: (wise words from Susan)
Use your common sense. When traveling alone, be at your hotel before dark. Don't be in places that looks dangerous. If drinking, make sure you have your companions from the same hotel with you. And do not let your guard down, especially if you're a woman.
The next day was mostly spent at the conference but in the afternoon, I decided to go to the Baywalk where they had numerous stalls selling fresh seafood.
Back at the Inn, I booked a tour for the city for the afternoon the next day since the conference will be done at noon. I was planning on doing it by hiring a pedicab but then I might cover more places with a package tour. The package tour costs around P600 going to the following places:
1) Baywalk
2) Plaza Cuartel
3) Immaculate Concepcion Church
4) Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (formerly Crocodile Center)
5) Mitra Farm
6) dropped by some Pasalubong (Souvenir) stores
7) Baker Hill
Pick up time was about 1:00 pm. This time, I was the last one to be picked up with the van almost full. There were two families, a couple and myself. Overall, everyone was cooperative especially with the time allotment per place. We weren't able to go to the butterfly garden. Which was one I was hoping we would visit as per recommendation of another attendee of the conference. Oh well, that's one place to go to once I come back.
Takeaway #8:
Book a package tour if there is limited time. Sometimes, paying a little more for convenience isn't so bad.
Last day was my flight just after lunch. So I had time to walk around the city and discover some really cool stuff.. well.. food mostly. :)
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| best halo-halo ever! |
Takeaway #9:
Walk if you can. You can always feel the vibe of the place when you immerse yourself with the crowd. Going to public places like the market or even in the streets gets you that "local" feel. Just do be careful with your valuables.
Takeaway #10:
Enjoy!
'Till my next blog on my other 3 solo travels. :)
