Category: Travel

Manila to Baguio bus with CR: Joy Bus (Genesis Bus Deluxe)

We ran out of seats at Victory Liner Deluxe Bus that’s bound for Baguio on our preferred time because we tried to reserve seats only a week before our trip, and our trip was during a long weekend. Oops! My companion’s sister suggested Joy Bus (Genesis Bus Deluxe) instead, which also provides deluxe bus with a CR (comfort room) in the bus, allowing travel with no need for stopover. The lock of the CR door was broken during our Manila to Baguio trip, as well as the one going back to Manila. It’s very inconvenient, but I would reserve a seat at Joy Bus again as long as I’m seated beside the CR so that my companion could watch the door for me while I’m in the CR. :p

Manila to Baguio via Joy Bus

Joy Bus at Avenida had the schedule we wanted and so we reserved our bus seats via iWantSeats.com.ph. We paid for the reservation via bank deposit. There’s a reservation fee, around P30 per seat, but I think it’s worth it because I was able to reserve a seat online. No need to visit a Genesis/Joy Bus terminal.

October 29 at 12:30AM was our Manila to Baguio trip schedule with Joy Bus. Our bus left Avenida terminal at 12:37 AM. The conductor distributed bottled water and blankets. No snack was distributed because according to him, they ran out.

The seats were comfortable and reclinable. They also had seatbelts. I couldn’t sleep in the bus though, because of the rocking of the moving vehicle. I guess it’s a personal issue for me. 😆 I tried to recline my seat all the way, then lifted the foot rest, and tried to sleep. I kept sliding down my seat whenever the bus would stop from a high-speed movement. ^_^ I think that if the seatbelt on my seat wasn’t broken, I wouldn’t have slid down so often.

The lock of the CR was not working. The CR was clean though. It’s like the CR you’d find at airplanes.

Baguio to Manila via Joy Bus

Time to go home! We reserved seats for our Baguio to Manila trip with Joy Bus when we reserved the Baguio-bound seats. The lock of the bus’ CR was still broken. I think we had the same bus that took us to Baguio. But this time, fortunately, our seat was right beside the CR so we could easily warn other people when someone’s occupying the CR. It would be a very uncomfortable moment to open the CR door to find a person with pants down, wouldn’t it? 😆

We also found out that the “WC” text on the CR door is the indicator whether the CR is occupied or not. If it’s yellow, there’s no one in the CR, and if it’s red, it is occupied.

Our Baguio to Manila trip was supposed to be “Baguio to Avenida terminal” but while boarding, we were informed that we will first pass Cubao to let other passengers to go down at that station/terminal. Then the bus would pass Quiapo on its way to Avenida, according to the conductor.

We left 2 minutes early, at 3:58PM.

Also, this time, the conductor gave us snack (Hansel mocha) with the bottled water. Yay! No more blankets this time though. I guess they only give us blankets if the trip is during hours when all passengers are expected to be asleep, like around midnight.

The conductor was maasikaso. I saw him fixing all the curtain gaps so that the bright sunlight don’t hurt the eyes of the passengers. 🙂

We arrived at Avenida terminal around 9:20 PM. Not bad, I think.

November 3, 2016
Rama Beach Resort – photos & review (Botolan, Zambales)

This was an old draft that took long to get published. 😆

The Travel

My bottom hurt from the long bus ride.

At Monumento, we took a bus bound for Iba, Zambales. The travel was over 5 hours, if I remember correctly. We had stopped over places several times, for not a short period of time. 🙁

Also if I remember correctly (Hehe, my bad for not posting this sooner), the fare was about 300 pesos per person.

The Restaurant

On our first evening we were told we can go to the restaurant for dinner until 9:30PM, so being tired from the 4-hour bus ride from Manila, we took a nap until 8PM only to find that the restaurant had already closed! We talked to a staff at the reception area, and they said that the restaurant closed because they THOUGHT we were already asleep. I think it’s not good to close the restaurant earlier than the stated closing time because of the “assumption” that all guests were already asleep. The good thing was that they still accommodated us — they fetched the chef from home back into the resort’s restaurant just to cook for us, so thanks!

We LOVED the Buko Pandan Shake. It was so creamy and has a distinct coconut taste. We tried mango and ube shake too and they were good too, but buko pandan is still their best, in our opinion. Their shakes are all smooth and unlike regular shakes, don’t have small crushed bits of ice that kind of get in the way when I sip from the glass. The Italian pizza was also nice.

The Beach

We came to Rama Beach Resort on a weekday – Thursday. We had the beach almost to ourselves and it was really clean. I didn’t like many “plants” floating because they kind of got in the way, but I put up with it. It’s part of nature anyway.

There were too many waves to just relax in the beach water. But we got used to it and had fun, going against the waves. 😆 The waves kept pushing us back to the shore, and it was as if nature didn’t want us to go farther into the sea. 🙁

The sand surface beneath the water was uneven, probably caused by the waves. But it didn’t feel unsafe.

The shore only became rocky on our 3rd or 4th day. Only a bit painful to step on.

Lucky us we did not see or brush against any jelly fish. There were also only a few crabs on the beach. They can be a pain (literally) sometimes when scurrying around in great number. 😆

The Room

The Deluxe room we had was for four people. If you are only two people, you have a big room for four. But if you come as a group of four, you use the same room but have to pay for the two extra people you’re with. So I guess this Deluxe room is more sulit if you’re only two persons.

It’s clean and spacious. It has a nice view of the backyard where one could see part of the beach. And cute dogs walking around. :3

There were two cute little monkeys too. It was fun watching them.

Hmm.. if I remember correctly, there were a few mosquitoes flying around the room. But I don’t remember being bitten a lot.

And oh, I like leaving the window in the bathroom for ventilation since there was no exhaust fan. Bathrooms need ventilation. It was situated in a high place, but I noticed someone passing by that window! 🙁 Good thing I was not naked during a bath back then. But that was a privacy issue in the room. 🙁 See one of the pics below for how the bathroom window looks. It’s covered with green mini curtain.

The Pool

The pool felt more cozy than the regular rectangular swimming pool with blue/white sides and bottom. This one had

Do I recommend Rama Beach Resort?

Yep! If you’re like me who likes peace and quiet, you might enjoy it more on a weekday. I guess this applies to any beach resort. Hehe.

Rama Beach Resort rates/prices are also good.

And oh, what a lovely view:

On Saturday and Sunday, more people began to arrive. We no longer had the pool (it was a bit small but it’s clean and a cozy one) to ourselves but that’s okay. We were worried that we might not get a good night’s sleep because of noisy guests at night, but thank goodness, they weren’t noisy at night. 🙂 There’s a note in the room doors in small text saying that loud music is not allowed after 10PM and that noises should be minimized at night. Thank you, Rama Beach Resort management!

And please do choose Deluxe room over Economy if you can. I think economy rooms don’t have aircon and are placed in a less quiet area. Check with Rama beach resort to confirm. 🙂

June 26, 2016
Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel – rates & review

This was an old draft that took long to get published. 😆

Our stay at Rockpoint Hotel wasn’t bad. It wasn’t one of the best hotels we stayed at, but it had most of what we needed.

This resort is in Laguna.

Holiday Rates (2015) at Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

These were the rates when we went there last year during holidays:

Here’s what the entrance looks like:

Nice view here:

And the reception area was oh-so-cozy.

Deluxe Room at Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

We booked a Deluxe Room for 1 night, and depending on availability, you can choose between twin beds or a queen bed.

The bathroom had a big hot tub that could fit two or three people. It can take about an hour to fill it with water though. The shower is in the tub area also, so when you just want to shower, you need to step into the bath tub which is inconvenient to me especially when I’m very tired and the floor is slippery. There were to sachets of shampoo with conditioner, two small bars of soap, and two toothbrush and toothpaste set. The tube of toothpaste was tiny and difficult to open. XD

The pillows of their beds were soft and fluffy. We found extra pillows in the cabinet under the TV but they didnt have pillowcase.

Other photos of what’s included in the room:

The light bulbs in the bedroom and bathroom were yellow, except for the one at the table which had a white light. I personally prefer white lights because I don’t feel so well in rooms that are not bright enough. That table with white light had a huge mirror too, perfect for women who do hair makeup.

Rockpoint Hotel doesn’t have hair dryer and that is another inconvenience. Not a major inconvenience because there was electric fan in the room.

They charge corkage fee for cooked foods bought anywhere aside from their Lava Restaurant. They charged 10% for the pizza we ordered. Pizza Hut’s charge was 499 and we paid the hotel 50 pesos. It’s not that big, I guess.

Pools at Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

Based on what I read on Rockpoint Hotel’s site, I expected 2 pools. First pool is in front of the Deluxe rooms with warm water temperature, whose schedule is 9AM-9PM, and a second pool in front of Lava Restaurant which was said to have HOT water like you’re in a hot spring, but nope! Its pool water had the same warmth as that of the first pool.

That pool in front of Lava Restaurant opens at 7AM according to a poster, which doesn’t state up to what time we could use it.

When we checked in around 2pm, there was no one but us using the pool in front of the Deluxe rooms. Everyone else was in the other pool, until about 3pm. And at night around 10pm, we enjoyed swimming in the second pool near Lava Restaurant because not a single guest was swimming there until we came there. We can say that “nasolo at nasulit namin yung pools”, but I think we were just lucky!

Peace and quiet at Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

I like how Rockpoint Hotel actually cares about preventing noises from disturbing guests in their rooms. They have this sign that says we shouldn’t make noises so that guests can rest well in their rooms. The first pool, located in front of the Deluxe rooms, closes at 9pm, probably because Rockpoint hotel doesn’t want noise from the pool from disturbing guests at bed time. The second pool, which is in front of the restaurant anf has a nearby kiddie pool, seems to be usable even until midnight since there’s no guest room near it.

And yes, we had a quiet rest at night. But not for the rest of the day because there were many kids outside our room making noise, laughing and shouting.

Kalipayan Nature Spa at Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

We wanted body massage for relaxation but the spa was closed. Maybe it’s by appointment only?

Food in Lava Restaurant at Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

So here’s a gallery of some of the foods that we ordered that the Lava Restaurant:

We had free breakfast included. It wasn’t satisfying. Among the available items foe free breakfast, I chose malunggay 4 small pan de sal with cheese and eggs. It’s good enough but also something that anyone can quickly prepare at home. The coffee they serve is not even brewed coffee — only instant 3-in-1 coffee. My companion chose longganisa with rice and egg. It was okay. Since we felt unsatisfied, we ordered chicken tenders with fries. The fries served was a very scant amount compared to the picture in the menu, and the thin strips of chicken didn’t look so appetizing. The taste of the chicken breading was not bad though, but reminds me of an instant store-bought chicken breading we buy from grocery stores. The fries tasted like usual packed fries we buy from the grocery too. The dip for chicken and fries was very sour. Maybe there was too much vinegar? Meh, I guess I’ll never eat at Lava Restaurant again unless it’s free food included in our room booking.

Conclusion of Rockpoint Hotspring Resort Hotel

So, to conclude this Rockpoint Hotel review… We stayed there on December 26 and 27, and the other guests seemed to be families with many kids. It got so noisy at times, but I was glad they were quiet at night. The pool near Lava Restaurant was not hot enough as described, and I hope Rockpoint can adjust the temperature to make it consistent with what’s written in their website. The Deluxe room was clean and cozy, but it would become a perfect if they provide hair dryer, and a shower separate from the hot tub.

June 25, 2016
To avoid lines at LRT-1 Northbound: buy up to 5 coupons per transaction

I usually post in English, but this will be a mix of English and Tagalog. I’m writing this to let people know of a way to somehow shorten the lines for ticket booths at LRT-1 Northbound. It seems that not every passenger knows about the “Modified Coupon System”. Pa’no ba naman, hindi kapansin-pansin yung posters nila tungkol sa bagong system. Wala man lang ibang form of announcement.

LRT-1 Beep Card Update:

Pwede nang gamitin ang Beep cards at any LRT-1 station, Northbound man o Southbound! I’ll try to keep updating the post about my LRT-1 Beep card experience when there’s anything new to add. 🙂

If you take a Northbound LRT-1 train every night like I do, then you’ve experienced the very long lines just to buy a coupon (ticket). The coupons are being used because the Beep card system has not yet been implemented for Northbound trips of LRT-1.

Paano nga ba mababawasan ang pila sa LRT-1 Northbound?

Pwede na tayong bumili ng hanggang 5 coupons per transaction, thanks to this temporary “Modified Coupon System” for Northbound LRT-1 trips.

Meaning, the next few times you have to take an LRT-1 train Northbound, you proceed straight to the platform area, past the long line of people who are just about to buy their coupon. UNLESS may pila sa platform area dahil sa “Passenger Limit per Platform” scheme nila.

Kung may pila man dahil sa limiting of passengers, I think it’s okay. At least we skip the long lines for the ticket booths.

LRT-1 20-Peso paper ticket (coupon).

Honestly, when I read about this new system, medyo nainis ako. Ang impression kasi sa akin, mapapatagal pa ma-implement ang Beep card system sa Northbound side ng LRT-1.

My game plan for my nightly Northbound LRT-1 trips

Note: Five times per week, I take a Northbound train.

Every Monday morning, I’ll go to the Northbound side of my LRT-1 station just to buy 5 coupons. Less hassle ito, kasi maikli lang usually (and relatively) ang pila sa ticket booths pag umaga. 🙂

Tapos ayun, having 5 coupons every Monday, I’ll have enough coupons hanggang Friday na, para sa gabi-gabi kong pagsakay sa LRT papuntang North.

Mas okay kesa gabi-gabing pipila sa ticket booth diba?

Alternative on Mondays: Minsan may kahabaan din ang pila sa Northbound pag umaga, so pwedeng every Monday night pipila tayo para bumili ng 5 coupons. :3

Pa-kwento lang ha…

This week I noticed a new poster at an LRT-1 station pero hindi ko gaano mabasa kasi sa super babang part ng dingding ba naman dinikit, natatakpan ng legs ng mga passengers na nakapila sa ticket booths. So hinanap ko sa Twitter ni @attycabs and @officialLRT1. Found it! Heto siya:

Modified Coupon System for LRT-1 Northbound. To view in full size, right-click above image (or press and hold if you’re on mobile / tablet) then click on “open link in new tab”

Then I asked LRT-1 staffs, just to confirm, if I could go straight to the platform area for as long as I have extra coupons. I was in doubt because there was one night when I think I heard a guard telling a lady that she still needed to fall in line even when she already had a coupon. That was before I saw posters of the “Modified Coupon System” at LRT-1 Northbound stations though.

So tonight, I took a little detour. Dumaan muna ako sa mall na kadikit ng LRT-1 station na sinasakyan ko. Yung top floor kasi, may exit na diretso na sa entrance to the platform. Tinanong ko muna yung guards, “Pwede na po dumiretso sa loob? May ticket na po.” And they said, pwede na.

It was a less stressful evening. Di na ko naging parte ng mahabang pila papuntang ticket gates. Swerte din dahil walang pila sa platform area sa station ko. Try niyo na rin! 😀

September 17, 2015
How to buy and reload Beep cards in LRT stations
You’re on this page probably because you want to know how you can avail Beep cards at LRT stations. Or maybe for the first time, your Beep card is about to run out of load. Maybe you don’t take LRT trains but just a little curious. 🙂

The Beep card ticketing system was first tried at LRT-2, and just a few days ago, it was also launched at LRT-1 but limited to Southbound trips at the moment. You can read about my LRT-1 Beep card system experience.

The Beep card’s ticket vending machine does not give change, so you may only insert the exact amount you want to load into your card. Maybe the tellers at the LRT ticket booths can give you a change.

Here’s how you can buy and re-load a Beep card:

How to buy Beep card from Ticket Vending Machines
1. Choose “Stored Value Card” option on the ticket vending machine screen
2. Insert bills or coins into the machine’s slot.
3. Take your Beep card when the ticket vending machine dispenses it.
How to re-load your Beep card
1. Place your Beep card on the “Stored Value Card” reader of the ticket vending machine. Leave it there while you reload your Beep card.
2. Choose the “Add Value” option on the machine’s screen.
3. Insert exact amount of money into the machine. The ticket vending machines DO NOT give change. The amount you insert will be the amount loaded into your Beep card.
4. Wait for the message “Transaction Successful” to show in the screen. Do not remove your Beep card yet!
5. The screen will show you the updated amount of load in your Stored Value Beep card
August 19, 2015
LRT Beep card: my experience with the new ticketing system

Tap-and-go na ang ticketing system LRT-1, Southbound man o Northbound! This is thanks to the LRT Beep cards. Hopefully, the next upgrade in our train system would be for the improvement of train availability.

As I write this in late September, I can’t say that I feel any improvement in my daily and nightly commute via LRT-1 during rush hour after the implementation of the LRT Beep card system. Maybe it’s just me, but have the lines for turnstiles when exiting train station gotten worse since we started using LRT Beep cards? I really hope that this is just because people are still adjusting in this new system.

(more…)

August 17, 2015
GrabTaxi: I could never successfully book a taxi 🙁

I always wanted to try the GrabTaxi app. Booking from them is expensive, but security is an important thing that they can give passengers so that’s okay. But my attempts have never been successful. I think it’s a combination of bad signalling from GrabTaxi and bad internet connection in my house.

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September 24, 2014