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by Erica Jahn

How Much Do You Need to Enjoy Maldives?

In Airports, Travel, Uncategorized
March 5, 2019
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While it is true that the Maldives is a popular destination for the “rich and famous”,  you don’t have to be one to be able to get there and enjoy it yourself.

In the Philippines, Maldives is a honeymoon destination for celebrities. My celebrity friend just spent her honeymoon at Cinnamon Dhonveli a week ago. But then again, you don’t need to be a celebrity to enjoy Maldivian food, Maldives’ private island resorts, Maldives’ pristine waters and its marine life!


Unrivalled seclusion and a price tag

People who can splurge at least Php 47000 (~USD 1000) per night will never go wrong with a respite to the Maldives as it offers utmost serenity with its unrivalled seclusion. The islands are made to pamper both the soul and the senses.

Paparazzi would probably be enchanted by all shades of the crystal clear waters before they could think of stalking Milla Jovovich AT Reethi Rah or anyone there. No wonder it is a go-to vacation place for celebrities.

But for normal people like me (who is willing to spend 21USD for a 3-day accommodation in Cambodia), is it possible to ENJOY Maldives without breaking the bank or overspending?

The answer is a big fat YES (with golden buzzer and confetti)!!!


How much pocket money do I need for a trip to the Maldives?

Coming from a developing country, I am quite sure Filipinos like me won’t mind preferring a 90-minute ferry ride for 2 USD to a 100 USD 20-minute inter-island private transfer. That is already a 98 dollar saving!

Basically, you can skip on the luxury (well you don’t need to rent the whole island for you and your hubby, do you?) and opt for the (more) practical and economical products/ services to stay on budget.

If you have a pre-booked hotel room with breakfast, you can enjoy the rest of the day for free or maybe rent snorkelling gear for about 5 USD from your hotel (in our case we got the gears for free). But yeah you need to eat of course – a good meal can be around 3 USD (cheaper than the snorkelling gear rental fee) and already tasty to satisfy you.

Booking plane tickets

Plane tickets can be really costly especially when you travel to a quite distant country.

From Manila to Male, it is approximately 8-9 hours. Personally, I would recommend to take a LCC like TigerAir from Singapore to Male or Kuala Lumpur to Male or even Manila to Male. You can save a lot by skipping on the flag carrier experience. Here are some screenshots of the plane tix cost. See what I’m talking about?

Finding the perfect accommodation

You can start snagging a good deal for your accommodation here:

Table of expenses

Additionally, you may refer to this table to budget your own trip to the Maldives. I listed down the cost of accommodation, food, fare, activities — the usual stuff we spend on when we travel — including the cheap or expensive counterpart (for comparison/reference).

I realized I mostly inputted the average cost but I promise to update this table every time. If you have pressing concerns you may leave a comment or message me directly so I can attend to you right away.

So here it is:













































                      

ESTIMATED COST FOR MALDIVES TRIP
(in Philippine Peso)

LOW

AVE

HIGH

PLANE TIX (RT)

Cebu Pacific (MANILA – MALE)

26000

36000

Tigerair (SG – MALE)

16000

18000

AirAsia (KL – MALE)

21000

Flag Carriers (MANILA – MALE)

47000

88000

106000

ACCOMMODATION (Room/Night)

Hulhamale (Near the Airport)

1200

3000

5000

Male (Capital City)

Maafushi (Local Island)

3500

5000

7000

Private Islands

12000

15000

80000

FOOD

Drink (Convenience Store)

80

Rice Meal with water (local diners)

130

Fruit Platter

150

Restaurant Meals

300

Wafers (Convenience Store)

30

Hotel Breakfast

200

TRANSPORTATION

Taxi fare (Male Ferry Terminal to Terminal to Maafushi/ Anywhere
in Male)

90

Public Ferry (Hulhamale – Male)

94

Public Ferry (Male to Maafushi)

94

Bus from Airport to Hulhamale

94

Taxi from Airport to Hulhamale

328

Speedboat from Maafushi to Airport

935

Speedboat from Maafushi to a Private Resort (RT)

2400

Public Ferry from Maafushi to Male

94

ACTIVITIES

Snorkeling for 2 hours (to snorkeling sites – incl of speedboat
transfer RT)

1869

Snorkeling (3 sites) + Visit to a Sandbank

1900

Day Pass to a Resort

2500

4700

13000

Dolphin Watching

1869

SOUVENIRS

T-shirt

762

Fridge Magnet

122

Sunglasses

800

Post Card

47

In our trip to Maldives, we experienced a spectrum of expenses. You can check this link to read on our day to day itinerary. 


Parting Words

Perhaps there’s some cheaper way to enjoy Maldives. If you’ve any idea on that, please feel free to share so we can reward our future travels with wiser budgeting! Or you can also share your travel hacks here and tell us how do you trim your trip costs? Do you spend a lot in your accommodation or do you tend to spend more on food or activities? 

Do let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you! Thanks for dropping by! Have a nice day y’all!

Author

Erica Jahn

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

View all posts | Website

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Scuba diving in Apo Reef Natural Park in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro

In Airports, Travel, Uncategorized
April 1, 2021
0

On the list of any scuba diver’s must-dive spots, Apo Reef, the second largest contiguous coral reef in the world and the largest one in the Philippines, ranks right up there. 

Here you will find lush terrestrial vegetation, soft creamy white sand, moody mangroves, a towering lighthouse that affords an awe-inspiring view of the reef complex, jagged rock formations, and diverse species of some of the most stunning bird and marine life. 

It was before the Halloween when I went here as part of the DOT MIMAROPA Familiarization Tour with media friends. We left the Sablayan port at 9am aboard two speed boats. The balmy weather was perfect for a beach getaway. 

The other speedboat carrying media and Sablayan Tourism friends 
Our group (L-R): me, Joyce from PNA, people from print (lol I forgot their institution), sir Teddy, Jaimie from DOT, Marian, Sir Rey

On the way, I remember seeing dolphins, which made the 2-hour-long boat ride from the port to Apo Island pass by quickly as we were all entertained. 

Aside from Apo Island, there are two other islands that comprise the 27,469-hectare “Apo Reef” also known as the Apo Reef Natural Park: the Binangaan Islet (or Apo Menor) and the Cayos del Bajo. 

During our visit, we just enjoyed an excursion across the Apo island and snorkeling around its reef. We stayed for the day. Here are some photos of me from our exploration (shots were mostly from sir Teddy Pelaez and sir Nestor Dionido’s camera) and more photos later:

Scuba Diving

Apo Reef is currently on the tentative list of UNESCO for inscription on the World Heritage List. Since September 1996, it’s been declared a protected natural park divided intro three zones: (1) Strictly Protected Zone – this includes the coral sanctuary and the entire Apo Island. Strictly no any form of destruction like dynamite fishing here; (2) Managed Reserve Zone – this comprises the bird sanctuaries and turtle nesting grounds. Controlled human activities are permitted here; and (3) Multiple-use Zone – this includes the recreation area, the anchorage area, and the fishing area. (Apo Reef)

Non-diving tourists can get around the multiple-use zone for photography, education and guided tours.

 Scuba divers can explore the breathtaking depths anywhere in the area.  

There are about 385 underwater species to look out for: white tip, black tip, hammerhead and gray reef sharks, damsel fishes, wrasses, butterfly fishes, groupers, gobies, angel fishes, blennies, bumphead parrot fishes, cardinal fishes, snappers and spine checks, trigger fishes, fusiliers, siganids, squirrel fishes, jacks and trevallies, Manta rays, Eagle rays, hawksbill turtles, huge schools of snappers and tuna, as well as well as holothurians, sea urchins, crinoids, sponges, sea squirts, brittle stars, worms, snails, nudibranches, octopus, clams, squid, giant clams, coconut crab and rare shells. 

For more adventurous, seasoned scuba divers, you may opt to join longer (and more expensive) diving trips to explore the Apo Reef as well as nearby diving spots such as Coron Bay and others in Anilao. Atlantis Azores, Philippines only Blue Water Rates Private Yacht, offers this exciting itinerary. 

The more economical way is to book through the Sablayan tourism office. 

But if you are planning to go scuba diving at the Apo Reef during this pandemic, you have to schedule your visit 5 days ahead. Also, make sure you are a local or a resident from Occidental Mindoro, otherwise, you won’t be accommodated. They currently do not accept tourists outside the province. Hopefully soon once the quarantine guidelines are modified and travel restrictions lifted. Coordinate your trip with the tourism office so they can arrange the boat ride because at the moment, the number of passengers and tourists allowed on the island is limited.

Contact number of the Sablayan Tourism Office: +63 998 546 5917 

You may call the front desk or look for Ms. Marie Martinez. 

I. SCUBA DIVING RATES (2020 rates)

Locals – Php2860 ; Foreigners – Php3530 (If you don’t have your scuba diving gear, you may rent, please contact the tourism offie about the rates) 

Dive master per person per dive – Php 320

II. BOAT RIDE

Because of the pandemic, the boat only accommodates 8pax, so here are the ROUNDTRIP boat ride rates for 8 people:

Day trip – Php 10, 000

Overnight – Php 13, 000

3D/2N trip – Php 16, 000

  • [message]
    • Important Notes: 
      • a. You have to bring your own food and water (and trash bins) for the span of your stay. There is no shop, especially potable water on the island.
        b. For overnight stays or longer, you can only stay in tents.
        c. Call time is 4AM 

III. ACCOMMODATION

Tent rental (good for up to 3pax) – 300 per night

IV. TOUR GUIDE

For all visiting the island, there needs to be a tour guide. So for the group of 8, again, you will be adding the Php1,000 tour guide fee per day.

V. OTHER RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

  • Snorkeling on the clear waters 

Rent a mask, fin, and snorkel tube and snorkel through the magical waters of Apo island. Rental fee for a day is Php 150. If you have your own gear, you may use them.

  • Visiting the Apo Reef Light

The historic lighthouse on Apo Island is impossible to miss with its 118-ft stature. It’s original iron skeletal structure, with a central cylinder, reinforced by a hexagonal frame and topped with the lantern room with two levels of gallery, was the tallest lighthouse tower ever erected in the Philippines. 

There are two ways to get here: (a) long walk through the tropical trees and bushes from the admin office and (b) short walk from the beach (which I wasn’t able to try)

  • Strolling through the mangrove boardwalk 

This man-made boardwalk offers a nice trail to enjoy a casual nature stroll to admire century-old mangroves and also to catch exotic birds and mammals. 

  • Watching for birds and rare green turtles

If you are an avid birdwatcher, bring your binoculars and you might chance upon a rare Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica). You can also watch out for other migratory birds. About forty seven species of birds visit this place every time. 

Among the reptiles and mammals spotted at the Apo Reef National Park, are the rare Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Spinner Dolphins (Stenella longirostris), Short-Finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus), whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) and Risso’s Dolphins (Grampus griseus). 

  • Bidding the sun goodbye followed by star gazing

Sunsets are great on this island as well as observing and admiring celestial bodies when it’s dark.

  • Journeying into the lagoon

The long walk through the mangrove boardwalk is equally mesmerizing as admiring the vividly emerald, quiet waters of Apo island’s shallow lagoon from the viewing platform. Here is also a great spot for birdwatching.

  • Wandering along the beach

There are two areas where I enjoyed wandering along the beach: the area where our boat was parked and also where the welcome board sign is at. The other one is on the side adjacent to the mangrove boardwalk.


Photo credits: Nestor Dionido, Teddy Pelaez

How to get to the Sablayan Tourism Office

From San Jose, Occidental Mindoro Airport

Take a van to Sablayan (approx 2 hrs) – Php 170 per person, get off at the grand terminal (tell the driver). Take a tricycle to the Sablayan Tourism Office which is 5-10 minutes away. Tricycle fare is Php 20 per person. 

Mode of Payment

Cash

Parting Words

Hope this information helps. If you have questions, let me know or you may inquire directly through the tourism office mobile number I shared above. Oh, if you are in for OCCIDENTAL MINDORO exploration, check out my other blogs too! Enjoy and travel responsibly and safely! 

World’s first LINE Friends Indoor Theme Park – LINE Village – A must visit when in Bangkok

In Uncategorized
September 9, 2018
0

After a year of introducing LINE Village Store at Siam Square One in Bangkok, the company opens its much-awaited extension, the LINE Village Bangkok. Dubbed as the world’s first LINE friends indoor interactive park, LINE Village Bangkok is a dreamland for photoholic instagrammers and is deemed to entertain all ages, especially the kid in us. 

LINE Village Bangkok, just like Madame Tussaud’s or Sea life in Bangkok, is an excellent choice when it’s raining outside. But that is not to say you should only visit this indoor theme park when the weather is unpleasant. You can enjoy it rain or shine, preferably with friends or loved ones and that companion who has a flair (or grit) for photographing!

I was able to visit the park with fellow travel bloggers and media friends from the Philippines on our third day in Thailand, all thanks to LINE Village Bangkok, Tourism Authority of Thailand in the Philippines, and KBS Travel & Intertrade Co. — our tour provider for our entire trip around Bangkok.

The day’s tour started with a pick-up from our hotel by our revered “artista” van (my blogger friend Me-an may have called it celebrity van in jest due to much leg room and chic interior). The chauffeur dropped us all off at Siam Square.

If you are coming from any point in Bangkok City, LINE Village is not difficult to find as you can conveniently commute to Siam Square via train, bus, or taxi.

I am not surprised the first LINE Village is built in Bangkok. Travellers from either side of the globe flock to this capital city all year round to shop or see places. I am happy too. It’s more accessible than other LINE Merchandise stores located in Taiwan, South Korea or Japan — countries that still require an entry visa for Filipino tourists.

Journey through LINE Village Bangkok

You can see from the map below the features of LINE Village. There are more than 24 zones all in all.

1. Ticket Office

If you didn’t book your ticket online, you may directly purchase at the ticketing office. Our tickets were provided to us for free, again, thanks to LINE Village Bangkok, KBS Thailand, and TAT Philippines.

2. Entrance Tunnel

From the ticket office, we walked through the entrance tunnel to the mystique library.

3. Mystique Library

At the library, the guide instructed us to find the secret key in order to enter the village. Before he finished his talk, a door slowly opened. One of our companions has already pushed “the key”.

4. Secret Step

We continued through the secret steps. This pathway almost reminds me of Detective Conan anime minus the cute framed photographs.

5. Intro Theatre

LINE characters (Cony, Sally, Choco, Moon, James, Boss, Edward, Jessica, and Leonard) greeted us here.

6. Dazzle Corridor

Appropriately named because of its dazzling mirrors and parallel lines of light, this corridor can be a stylish background for your OOTD shot.

7. Brown’s Room

Apparently, Brown is a bookworm.

8. The Garden

9. Cony’s House

Cony’s House has the most adorable kitchen with props that smelled real. The baked goods made me hungry! It also has monitors where we played some interactive recipe making games.

10. Moon’s Rooftop

11. Festival Square

This is the part of the village where we experienced a roller coaster ride with LINE friends – virtually! It felt real! While waiting for your turn, you can take videos from B612 cameras nearby. the video can be sent to your email.

12. Beat Brown

13. James’ Secret House

14. Dream Theatre


 You have to outsmart the LINE characters here.

15. Jungle Brown

As the name suggests, this is the jungle in the village. Artificial plants teem on the wall and up above the ceiling.

16. Sally’s Nest

17. Jungle Terrace

The greenery continues here.

18. Ice Cave

19. Boss’ Office

20. Choco’s Arcade

This is probably my favorite spot. Not really a girly-girl but most of the time the bias of pink overwhelms.

21. Choco’s House

22. The Infinity

This is like a run way for the fashionistas….

23. Storybook


 I wanted to take more photos here with “movie posters” as my background, but the space has low light.

24. The Finale

The exit from the village leads to the merchandise shop. You can buy souvenirs here from a wide range of merchandise selections.

Why visit LINE Village Bangkok

1. Why not?

You are already in Bangkok and LINE Village is just in the lifestyle center of the city, the Siam Square. It is very accessible especially if you already plan to visit SeaLife Adventure or Madame Tussaud’s. You only need at least an hour to enjoy LINE Village.


 2. It will make you feel good

It’s impossible to think of anything negative while you are inside LINE Village when all you can see are cute, polished stuff. You’d be smiling and occasionally laughing too which would definitely relieve any day’s stress.

3. It is a great way to spend time with family and friends

Parents and children or peers can effectively bond here. The village is designed to induce a memorable experience through lots of picture-worthy spots and interactive games.

4. It sells LINE Village merchandise Bangkok edition

Now, if you are a hardcore LINE fan, you definitely need to visit LINE Village Bangkok and grab that limited edition from the land of smiles!

View this post on Instagram

Cuteness overload inside LINE VILLAGE Bangkok . . . . Thank you so much @linevillagebangkok and @tatphilippines . . . . #amazingthailand #tatphilippines #bangkok #linevillage #linefriends #likesforlikes #followforfollow #followforfollowback #likeforlike #bangkoklinevillage #wheninbangkok #indoorthemepark #mustvisit #travelbloggers #travels #cony #thegirlwiththemujihat #longhair

A post shared by Erica Poyauan (@thegirlwiththemujihat) on

Visiting tips

Here’s a list of tips to make your visit to the LINE VILLAGE BANGKOK easier and more enjoyable.

  • [message]
    • ✓ Carry-Ons: You can leave your bags or other carry-ons at the baggage counter next to the ticketing office. You only need your camera and mobile phone for your journey to the village. 

      ✓ What to Wear: Dress comfortably. A visit to the park involves a lot of walking. Wear comfortable shoes and layers of clothing.

      ✓ Food and Drink: Bringing of food and drinks is not encouraged inside the theme park.

      ✓ Photography: PLEASE TAKE LOADS OF PHOTOS!

      ✓ Buy Tickets in Advance: Buy Tickets prior to your visit to avoid long queues at the ticketing office. You can also purchase combo tickets with Madame Tussaud’s and SeaLife for cheaper deals.

      ✓ Print Maps: Use the print map and guide as you get around the park.

How to get there

If you are coming from any point in Bangkok City, LINE Village is not difficult to find as you can conveniently commute to Siam Square via train, bus, or taxi.

Take the BTS Sky Train. Get off at BTS Siam Station Exit 4.

Book a ticket

Tickets are priced at THB990 (USD30) for adults and THB790 (USD25) for children (between 90 and 140cm tall) and seniors (above 65). Children below 90cm enjoy free entry. Proof of residency is required to present at the entrance for Thai residents ticket.

Click image to book a ticket online

Contact LINE Village Bangkok

Address

Siam Square One Building (SQ) 338 Rama 1 Road, 1st Floor, Pathumwan, Bangkok, 10330

Phone number

+66 95 503 6666

Operating hours

Mondays – Sundays 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Last Entry for Theme Park 09:30 PM

Follow their socials: Facebook Instagram Tripadvisor

Parting Words

Our digital adventure lasted exactly for an hour and forty-three minutes at LINE Village Bangkok. I believe the greater time in the village was spent snapping tons of photos that were purposely shared on our social media accounts. I am happy we have the images and videos captured on our cameras to help us remember the joyful moments with friends and the overwhelming charm of the village. The experience was totally fun. So if you ever visit Bangkok, treat yourself to some load of cuteness and plan some time to enjoy LINE Village.

What do you think of LINE VILLAGE BANGKOK? Do you want to visit this indoor theme park? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below! Don’t forget to follow my blog FB and IG accounts for more updates and inspiring photos!

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