100 ISLANDS & BOLINAO - TIPS AND TOTAL EXPENSES

Breakdown of Expenses:

	COST
Bus from 5th Avenue to Cubao Victory Liner	21.00
Victory Liner Cubao to Alaminos Terminal	393.00
Trike from terminal to City Hotel	10/pax (regular fare)
City Hotel (3 hours Short time 4:30AM – 7:30AM)	500/4 = 125.00
Trike from City Hotel to Lucap Wharf	20/pax
Tourist fee to 100 islands	20/pax
Boat Fee for Island Hopping (Medium – good for 5 to 8pax)	1500/4 = 375.00
Packed Lunch of fish, shrimp, salted egg, 4 rice & 2L water (w/ plastic cups, spoon & fork provided)	395/4 = 98.75
Snorkling equipment rental (mask, snorkel, aqua shoes, life vest)	250 per set
Tip for the Boatmen	100/4 = 25.00
Souvenirs bought at the wharf	250.00
Halo Halo merienda at the wharf	25 to 30.00
Trike to city hotel to shower	20.00
Trike to town proper for dinner	10.00
Dinner at Mang Inasal (town proper)	118.00
Trike to City Hotel	10.00
City Hotel (overnight Jan. 31 – Feb1)	1600/4= 400.00
Trike to CSI (bus terminal for mini buses to Bolinao)	10.00
Bolinao Express Mini Bus to Bolinao town proper	50.00
Trike tour c/o Kuya Julius (includes hatid/sundo sa bus terminal)	1200/4 = 300
Overnight stay at Rock View Resort	2000/4 = 500.00
Entrance & Swimming at Enchanted Cave	120.00 (P 90 if not gonna swim)
Lunch/Merienda at Bolinao Falls	280/4 = 70.00
Cottage rental at Bolinao Falls	100/4 = 25.00
Shirt Souvenir at Patar Beach	120.00
Paluto (Inihaw na Bangus, Pritong Liempo & Porkchop, Rice, 1.5L Coke) at Rock View Resort	540/4 = 135.00
Breakfast (Bread & Coffee from nearby tindahan)	15.00
Tip to Kuya Julius	200/4 = 50.00
Pasalubong Delicacies (Tupig, Bingayen(?))	300.00
Five Star Bus from Bolinao to Balintawak	459.00
Packed Lunch & Bottled Water from nearby Carinderia	69.00
Merienda (Chicharon & Mani)	35.00
Jeep transfers from Camachile to Home	24.00
TOTAL EXPENSE:	4,457.75

TIPS:

1.       If your trip encompasses a long weekend, better have reservations beforehand for your bus trip. Yun delays kasi ng biyahe, baka yun pa kasi ikasira ng bakasyon niyo.

2.       During 100 islands (island hopping), buy your food & bottled water at the wharf kung wala kayong baon. Walang mabibilhan sa islands, if meron man, sobrang mahal.

3.       If planning on snorkling, rent a set sa may wharf or bring your own. Mahal kasi sa may wharf, P250 per set (aqua shoes, snorkel, mask, life vest).

4.       if you’re planning an Alaminos-Bolinao trip. Make alaminos as your 1^st day then Bolinao 2^nd and 3^rd day. Arrive in Alaminos early to do island hopping. After nun, you can clean yourself up sa may wharf, meron sila CR (tabo type) dun P10/pax lang yata yun bayad if maliligo. Then ride a mini-bus to bolinao (P50/pax) at CSI terminal. Wala rin naman kasi magagawa sa Alaminos if dun pa kayo mag stay for 1 night. At least if you arrive at night sa bolinao, early morning puwede na kayo mag start ng tour niyo and mahaba haba ang stay niyo sa falls and patar beach. Kulang kasi ang Half day sa bolinao tour, mabibitin lang kayo.

5.       Sa bolinao in Brgy. Patar, walang mabibilhan ng pagkain (walang restaurants). Most shops ay nasa town proper lang. So if hindi kayo sa town proper mag-stay, daan muna kayo ng palengke para bumili ng pagkain (raw fish, meat, rice, veg, water, etc). Then iluto niyo na lang sa resort na pag-stay-an niyo or ask them to cook it for your at a certain price. In our case kasi, since we weren’t able to buy anything, si resort na mismo ang namalengke and nagluto ng food namin. So mas mahal siya ng konti. Also, bring styrophore na rin to store yung food, bili na lang kayo ng ice para di kaagad masira yun raw meat/fish.

6.       Bring sarongs. Puwede niyo magamit as towel, and cover up from the sun.

7.       Pack light. You’ll mostly wear shorts and sleeveless shirts naman so it won’t take up much space in your bag.

8.       Bring some snacks like hopia, bread, and easy to open canned goods. In my case, I brought some Vienna sausage and bread. Tipid na since di na kami gumastos for our breakfast.

9.       Buy your pasalubongs (tupic, delicacies) sa market ng alaminos. P10 lang per pack sa may market while dun sa naglalako sa mga bus umaabot ng P20 per pack. Doble na ang presyo.

10.   Bring extra money. Original budget namin is just 4K per pax pero based sa expense ko umabot ako ng almost 4,500 because of the pasalubongs.

11.   Trike around the town proper sa alaminos is only 10/pax. Yun iba nagtataga ng presyo so better know the standard fare within the area.