Ocampo Deer Farm in Camarines Sur has been enjoyed by animal lovers of all ages since its establishment in 1996. A short, enjoyable drive from the Hibiscus Farm, this sprawling deer sanctuary located at the foothills of Mount Isarog is one of the biggest deer farms in Asia. At the moment, the farm is home to at least 200 deer.
We went to this deer farm after visiting Consocep Falls. The last time I was in a deer farm was when I was in Nara, Japan. Wild deer roam around the city’s national park. Here in Ocampo, Australian species of deer roam around the 5-hectare farm. It is fenced but tourists can get up close up close and personal with the deer inside.
I’ve always thought deer were adorable but they’re naturally skittish in the wild so it was such a unique experience to be up-close and feed them! Although, it was mating season when we got there. So, all we can do was feed them from the other side of the fence… It was still fun! You will have a blast here if you are an animal lover!
Inside Ocampo deer farm
How to get to Ocampo Deer Farm from Naga City
From Naga:
1. Go to Naga Bus Station (beside SM Naga City)
2. Take a bus bound to Goa, Sagnay, Tigaon, or San Jose
3. Ask the conductor to drop you at the intersection of Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Ocampo or state directly that you are headed to Ocampo’s deer farm
4. Get off at Ocampo town proper
From Ocampo town proper:
Take habal-habal or tricycle to Ocampo Deer Farm (Fare: Php35.00 per way)
From Albay:
The farm can be reached via car approximately 2.5 hours from Daraga, Albay, or 30 minutes from the town of Pili.
Charming but skittish deer of Ocampo Deer Farm in Camarines Sur
Entrance fee to Ocampo Deer Farm
Php0.00. This deer farm is owned by the local government. The entrance fee is free.
Have you been to a deer farm before? What do you think about the Ocampo deer farm? Would you like to visit this place? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Erica is a former PR pro turned entrepreneur. Her greatest joys are family, blogging, music, skin care and social justice. As a Muay Thai enthusiast, Erica prides herself on working with increased focus, humility and diligence. She believes in living a fit life doing everything with a flair of creativity and love! Stalk her social channels @thegirlwiththemujihat
We traveled to Siquijor two weeks ago for the WFF Philippines Muscle Clash Governor’s Cup. When I Googled “purchase ferry tickets to Siquijor”,Bookaway came up first. So I went to the ticketing platform and after a few clicks, I purchased roundtrip Ocean Jet ferry tickets for me and my husband from Cebu to Siquijor.
Because I had heard of Bookaway before the pandemic, it was easy for me to click on it without reading the reviews first. After I paid, I got an email letting me know that it was pending. I was a little worried because I knew the price of the tickets had already been taken out of my credit card, but where is the confirmation?
I tried to wait another hour and check my email again to see if there was another confirmation, but there wasn’t one. I thought something might be wrong at this point, so I thought about calling Bookaway to find out what was going on.
This time, when I searched Bookaway, this is what I found:
Top result when you search Bookaway
A comment on their Facebook account – there were several like this but none really talked about the Philippines or at least none I saw
After reading the reviews about Bookaway, my heart raced. I checked Tripadvisor as well, and it doesn’t get any better… So I kept my calm and messaged Bookaway’s Facebook page.
Here’s what was said:
The following day, I received confirmation. YEY! Bookaway is a legit transportation booking platform.
If Bookaway is legit, why do people talk about it being a scam online?
First of all, I can’t say anything about the experiences of people who didn’t book OceanJet or people who booked transportation or tours outside of the Philippines. But, from what I’ve seen, the transportation company doesn’t always honor the booking confirmation from Bookaway. For example, in 2021, a passenger said that the booking confirmation she showed at the port terminal for OceanJet wasn’t accepted. This is why Bookaway reminds passengers to get a confirmed ticket from OceanJet. I know it’s inconvenient that you have to have your booking confirmed at the OceanJet, especially since there’s always a long queue. BUT GOOD NEWS (I THINK FROM THIS YEAR) Bookaway App confirmation is being honored at the terminal. I didn’t have to go to the OceanJet Ferry ticket office, just showed them my phone. Thank God!
It was a very smooth check-inI just use the app to present our booking
Why Book with Bookaway ?
When you travel, there are a lot of good reasons to book your tickets online, either with Bookaway or another site:
It’s more convenient
You don’t need to print tickets and take the risk to lose them (been there before)
You have all the details about your itinerary accessible on your phone
No details are lost in translation (baggage, transfers, insurance…)
You can easily compare prices
I mean, if you’re looking for convenience, it makes sense to book everything online these days.
On the other side, it’s often cheaper to go directly with local operators to save a few bucks.
So why book your tickets with Bookaway :
Look at the options side by side. Is it cheaper or quicker to take the bus, train, or maybe a van with other people? Bookaway makes it easy to see how each route is served by different kinds of transportation.
Your tickets are all in the same place. You don’t have to print anything when you use Bookaway. All of the tickets are emailed to you and kept in your account. That’s a great way to save time and avoid losing things. It’s also good for the environment.
More than 8000 routes in over 60 countries. You can probably book all of your tickets in one place, even if you’re going on a long trip that crosses several countries.
Help is available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Bookaway support is available by email, phone, or messages on WhatsApp, Telegram, Line, and Facebook all day, every day.
Can you trust Bookaway? Indeed! Bookaway is dependable as well. They provide a safe environment for online ticket booking and give round-the-clock service. Yet unlike an operator, Bookaway is a booking platform. Hence, they are unable to 100% guarantee that local operators would offer the finest service. But if you require any assistance, you can always get in touch with Bookaway support.
Getting ready for your first international trip from the Philippines? Check out this easy-to-follow NAIA Airport Guide to ensure a smooth departure.
Are you excited to travel out of the country? Nervous to talk to the immigration officers in NAIA? Anxious you’d forget something important? Almost clueless of what to do when you arrive at the airport? I completely get you. I had the same mixed emotions the first time I traveled.
Truth be told, my very first flight departure experience was memorable for all the wrong reasons.
In a nutshell, I was detained at the immigration center; I almost missed my flight. Not that I didn’t do my homework of knowing the airport procedures for my departure, it’s just that I felt overwhelmed and yeah, things got out of hand…
You see there are so many things going on at the airport. With a stream of passengers everywhere, announcements and noises to keep your attention, it’s necessary you know what to do and where to go BY HEART.
In this post, let me share a guide on stress-free airport departure procedures in Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals.
My reference for this post would mainly be my personal experience—things I learned the hard way—and some NAIA airport guides.
Naturally, after securing travel documents and packing your stuff, you leave your house and head to the airport.
NAIA DEPARTURE STEP 1 – Initial Security Check
A. Head to the Airport entrance.
Get off the taxi/ bus/ PUV. Take your luggage with you. If a person in uniform offers you help, you can opt to let him BUT know that you have to pay PHP 50 afterwards. It is his job as a “porter” even if he doesn’t tell you beforehand. In some domestic airports, some people will offer help then ask for a tip. In such case you can give at least PHP20 depending on how far and how heavy your stuff is. DON’T FORGET to keep an eye on your belongings though.
PRO TIP: Ready your Passport and printed itinerary. Present it to the security personnel upon entrance.
B. At the entrance, expect tons of passengers in line (especially at TERMINAL 1) to enter the airport building.
Choose the entrance that corresponds to the airline company in your itinerary. Look at the signs above your head. Though you can practically enter at any entrance gate, it is civilized to pass through your designated point of entry.
Prepare your itinerary/ boarding pass and Passport. If you are traveling domestic, ready your itinerary/ boarding pass and Valid ID. Show them politely to the security and enter the building.
C. Upon entering, place all your belongings to the conveyor belt and let them pass through the x-ray machine.
PRO TIP: Use the trays for your small items (i.e mobile phones, belt, shoes, etc).
As this happens, step through the metal detector and have yourself inspected by the officer. It doesn’t really take long. After you are clear, promptly get your stuff and return the tray that you used to its proper place.
NAIA DEPARTURE STEP 2 – Obtain Check-in details from flight information screen
A. After the initial security check, head to the nearest flight information monitor.
It is the screen that shows flight information, designated check-in counters and other related info about a passenger’s flight.
B. Look up your flight number on the screen and see your check-in counter. The check-in counter opens usually 2 hours before an international flight and an hour before a domestic flight.
So you will see a table with Flight number – check-in counter – status.
Something like this:
Flight No.
Destination
Counter
Status
PR 5678
MNL – NRT
E4-E9
OPEN
5J 5570
MNL -BKK
T-V
—
*this is just sample table, based on how I remember it
So if your flight is PR 5678 bound for NRT from MNL, you can check-in at counters E4, E5, E6, E7, E8 or E9.
If your flight is 5570 check in counter is not yet open. You have to wait. If it opens, your check-in counter would be any counter from T to V. It’s not so difficult. I believe you’ll be able to figure it out easily.
NAIA DEPARTURE STEP 3 – Payment of Travel Tax and Terminal Fee
A. BEFORE PROCEEDING TO YOUR CHECK-IN COUNTER for check-in, I STRONGLY SUGGEST you pay the tax and terminal fee first.
The cashier is in the far left end of NAIA Terminal 3. For terminal 2 here it is.
In most cases the counters are jam-packed with passengers, you’d have to wait in line for a couple of minutes. At the counter, you’d be asked to show your passport, itinerary and travel tax receipt. That means if you check-in first before paying the tax, you’d have to go out of the check-in area again, go to the tax section, queue, pay, go back to the check-in area again, queue, present your receipt… do you get my point?
BASICALLY, it should be
TAX/ TERMINAL FEE PAYMENT >> CHECK-IN
and not the other way around. Some security personnel direct passengers to the check-in counters without asking them whether they’ve paid the tax and terminal fee already, as a result, the passenger/passengers would experience the inconvenience. So I am telling you, pay the travel tax and terminal fee first before you check-in – BUT DO THIS ONLY WHEN YOU ARE SURE THE TRAVEL TAX IS NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR AIRFARE/PAID ONLINE
(Just a story about my unwise decision to pay my tax before check in EVEN IF I didn’t know if my ticket included the travel tax: When I was at the terminal 1 last year, I mistakenly paid my tax first prior to check-in – the staff asked me if I had checked in already to which I answered with a nod – so when I checked in, apparently my ticket already included the tax – if I weren’t almost late to boarding I could have refunded the tax I paid right then and there BUT no… long story short, I needed to go to the TIEZA office near SM MOA for a travel tax refund)
Look at the sign, there should be step 1 or First Step. Line up. Wait for your turn. If it is your turn, show your passport and your boarding pass/ itinerary. Answer the question if asked such as “where are you travelling?” then pay PHP 1620. Wait for the receipt. Politely say thank you after the transaction.
NAIA DEPARTURE STEP 4 – Check-in your Baggage
A. Go to your designated counter and check-in.
Hand your itinerary/ printed boarding pass, TERMINAL FEE/TAX receipt and PASSPORT to the airport crew.
PRO TIP: If you check-in online you can queue on web check-in counter.
After checking in, you’ll be given your BOARDING PASS with your corresponding GATE NO. and BOARDING TIME. The airport staff will confirm the details on your boarding pass and make sure you understand the said details.
Do not forget your gate number.
And DO NOT LOSE your boarding pass.
NAIA DEPARTURE STEP 5 – Immigration
A. Get past the check-in counters and head to the immigration. Don’t be confused. As for directions, follow the person ahead of you or ask an airport officer.
At the immigration area, you’d be needing to fill out a DEPARTURE FORM.
Departure Card I filled out for my trip to Taiwan
PRO TIP: If there are many people, fill out the DEPARTURE FORM while in line especially if you are in a hurry. USE BLACK BALLPOINT PEN. WRITE LEGIBLY AND NEATLY.
B. Proceed to the Bureau of Immigration officer window. Hand your departure card and passport to the officer. No need to show your boarding pass/ return ticket unless asked.
Answer the immigration officer’s queries. DO NOT TAKE THIS PERSONALLY especially when the officer is sounding indifferent or hostile. It is just another airport SOP.
The usual question would be: Where will you go? Who will you travel with? What is your job? Where will you stay? When will you go back to the Philippines?
Bureau of Immigration officers will sound serious. They are not supposed to be friendly so again, do not take this personally. Make sure to be calm, honest and polite. They can deny you to board the plane (for legal reasons) so exercise your manners. Wait for them to stamp your Passport. If you are a DOST scholar who has not applied for clearance yet, this post is for you.
NAIA DEPARTURE STEP 6 – Final Security Check
A. After you get your Passport stamped, proceed to the final security check.
Again, place your stuff in the conveyor belt (your small belongings into a tray) and have them scanned. Step through the metal detector for self-inspection. After you are clear, get your stuff, put the tray back to its proper place. Politely say thank you to the officers if they help you out.
NAIA DEPARTURE STEP 7 – Boarding
A. Go to your assigned boarding gate and calmly wait at the lounge for your boarding time.
B. Board the plane.
You might need to queue again. But listen to the announcement about which seats to go in first. Normally passengers by the window go in first or rows 16-28 take the rear entrance. Pay attention to the announcements made at the airport. It may come in handy for sudden changes like if your boarding gate is changed or your flight is delayed, etc. Queue, SHOW YOUR BOARDING PASS to the airport crew and then get on the plane.
Did you find this post useful? Do you have other airport departure tips and techniques you want to add here or some airport hacks you want to share? Let us know in the comment section below! And yeah, if this is useful, please do share!
