A Short DIY New York City Tour

A Short DIY New York City Tour

Nangaling kami sa upstate New York tru Greyhound Bus papuntang NYC…  and Hotel Carter pinili namin dahil mura na at malapit lang sa Time Square… dirtiest hotel daw sya pero dahil hindi kami pabebe… dun kami nag book… ok naman and mas malinis naman compare sa ibang na witness ko hehe

Manhattan, New York, NY, USA
Manhattan, New York, NY, USA

Day 1 :
02:00 PM – Baba ng Port of Authority Bus Terminal sa 8th Ave cor 42 street
03:00 PM – Check in sa Hotel Carter sa W44th Street (One of the Dirtiest Hotel in NYC)
04:00 PM – Lakad sa 42nd Street (Bryant Park then Grand Central)
06:00 PM – Balik ng konti, tapos akyat ng 5th Ave papuntang Rockefeller Center
06:30 PM – Daan ng St Patricks Cathedral
07:00 PM – Haba pila then overlooking sa Rockefeller Center
09:00 PM – Baba, lakad ulit pabalik ng Time Square along W50th Street
10:00 PM – Tambay ng Time Square at mag selpe, hanap narin ng halal cart for dinner
11:00 PM – wasak!, tulog!

Day 2:
06:00 AM – WAKE UP CALL
07:00 AM – Heavy Breakfast sa Time Square (McDo)
08:00 AM – Red Line 1 (going to South Ferry Loop), baba ng World Trade Center
09:00 AM – 911 Monument Museum, gala sa labas, less tao sa umaga
10:00 AM – 911 Monument – Pasok sa Museum
01:00 PM – exit 911 Monument and LUNCH sa labas (may burger king na malapit LOLz)
01:30 PM – Lakad pababa sa Battery Park (Zuccoti Park, Trinity Church, Charging Bull)
02:00 PM – Statue of Liberty
04:00 PM – Balik ng Battery Park then lakad paakyat papuntang Wall Street
04:30 PM – Tambay at lakad muna sa Wall Street
05:00 PM – Sakay ng Green line Train going to 33street then lakad papuntang Empire State Building
07:00 PM – Empire State Building mag pahinga at mag night selfie
08:00 PM – Baba ng Empire State Bldg, lakad pabalik ng Time Square
09:30 PM – Habulin makapasok Madame Tussauds New York
11:00 PM – Exit ng Madame Tussauds at mag dinner ng Halal Food Cart para may rice hehe
12:00 PM – wasak! tulog

Day 3:
06:00 AM – WAKE UP CALL
07:00 AM – Heavy Breakfast sa Time Square (McDo ulit)
08:00 AM – Ikot ikot sa Time Square ng Umaga
09:00 AM – Lakad at Sakay ng Blue Line to Museum of Natural History
10:00 AM – Museum of Natural History (Libre pero nood ka narin ng Dark Universe ni Neil deGrasse Tyson)
12:00 NN – LUNCH sa pantry ng musem
01:00 PM – Tuloy ang lakad sa loob ng Museum of Natural History
06:00 PM – Exit ng Museum at bumalik ng hotel para mag pahinga
09:00 PM – Mag lakad papuntang 24/7 na Apple Store Central Park at sa gilid ng Central Park
11:00 PM – Bili ng food (hala food ulit) pabalik ng Hotel para direcho pahinga at matulog

Day 4:
06:00 AM – WAKE UP CALL
07:00 AM – pack-up, breakfast, pahinga ng konti then checkout
08:00 AM – Balik ng Port of Authority Bus Terminal pauwi

Tips:
– I use hotels.com and read the tripadvisor.com reviews to get the most affordable room to stay.
– Hailing a cab : May indicator ang NY cabs kung vacant, parahin mo lang
– Use subway train to save time (traffic!) and money (less expensive)
– Use Google Map or MTA to check the Train Schedule
– WALK! and pili ka ng pinaka komportableng walking shoes mo
– re:911 Monument, book ahead and buy ticket online.

Banana Island, Coron, Palawan, Philippines

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Banana Island is a fish and coral sanctuary in the southern part of Coron, Palawan, Philippines.  Preserved and privately-owned by Gallego Family, they allow visitors to swim and see the clams, corals and lots of fishes just few meters from the shoreline of the island.

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To visit the Island from Metro Manila, I made a sample 2-nights travel itinerary for you to begin with:


MONDAY (Day 0)

  • 05:00am ~ 06:00am : Breakfast
  • 06:00am ~ 07:00am : travel to Manila Airport
  • 07:00am ~ 08:00am : Check-in
  • 08:00am ~ 09:00am : Boarding
  • 09:00am ~ 10:00am : Manila > Coron Airport (SkyjetAir 9am flight)
  • 10:00am ~ 11:00am : Coron Airport -> Coron Town
  • 11:00am ~ 01:00pm : Lunch and restock in Coron Town
  • 01:00pm ~ 02:00pm : Shopping in Pantalan
  • 02:00pm ~ 04:00pm : Coron Town to Banana Island Passenger Boat
  • 04:00pm ~ 05:00pm : HAYAHAY
  • 07:00pm ~ 08:00pm : Dinner

TUESDAY (Day 1)

  • HAYAHAY, snorkeling one to sawa, sunburn
  • Eat, Sleep, Repeat

WEDNESDAY (Day 2)

  • 06:00am ~ 07:00am : Breakfast
  • 07:00am ~ 08:00am : Pack-up
  • 08:00am ~ 09:00am : Catch-up Bulalacao -> Coron Town Passenger Boat
  • 09:00am ~ 10:00am : Van Transfer Coron Town to Coron Airport
  • 10:00am ~ 11:00am : Check-in
  • 11:00am ~ 12:00nn : Boarding
  • 12:00nn ~ 01:00pm : Coron to Manila Airport (CebuPac 12nn flight)
  • 01:00pm ~ 02:00pm : Home Sweet Home, Lunch
  • 02:00pm ~ 03:00pm : UPLOAD! UPLOAD!

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Things to bring:

  • Camera
  • Waterproof Travel Bags
  • Snorkeling Gears
  • Aqua Shoes
  • Coral Reef Friendly Sunblock
  • Battery Pack for your Gadgets, solar or crank usb chargers
  • Garbage Bag
  • Food and Water
  • Bread for fish feeding
  • Cooking Stove, Cook Set and Fuel (optional)
  • Eating Utensils (optional)
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Me (left) with Mr Gallego (right)

 

Things to Remember:

  • Beach camping on the island is no longer allowed
  • Day-tour entrance fee is PhP 200
  • Overnight fee is PhP 850 ~ PhP 1000 per night
  • Most of the cottages have lights and electric fans run through electric generator
  • Some
  • They can cook for you, but bring your own food to cook
  • No fishing, but you can ask them to fish for you
  • They have a small store that sell few items like softdrinks, beer, alcohol drinks, cigarets, and chips
  • Waterproof your bags, phones and gadgets
  • DO NOT use non-coral-friendly sunblock
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out. No garbage should stay on the island
  • The Coron-Bulalacao Passenger Boat operates Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays only.   Bulalacao-to-Coron-Town: leaves at 8am~9am, while Coron-town-to-Bulalacao between 2pm-4pm in Pantalan.
  • Contact their Facebook page for guidance : https://www.facebook.com/banana-island-coron-palawan-120622397968261/

 

How about you? How’s your Banana Island experience?