Vietnam – Cambodia 2013 – Part 2

By 9:30AM we arrived at Moc Bai border belonging to Tay Ninh province of Vietnam. The bus conductor will collect all the passports and you will be asked to depart the bus and be screened or frisked by the vietnamese authorities then back to the bus and about 5 minutes drive to the international border gate of Bavet belonging to Svay Rieng province of Cambodia, you have to vacate the bus again but this time with all your luggage and be screened by Cambodian immigration, you wait on the line and wait for your bus conductor to call your name, the conductor will be the one to bring your passport to the immigration officers and have it stamped.

**Be wary of your things, with so much tourists in there the place gets to be so packed**
**No fee for entry visa**

The process actually took about an hour. I wish they could do something to make it not burdensome for the tourists. There were times that Passports of the people way at the back have been processed first than us who have been there like forever. I felt that they need to organise more their system on providing visa. I have no discontentment on the place because it is incredibly neat and I felt like the facilities are so modern its just their system that bothers me truly. Oh well!

Vietnam – Cambodia 2013 – Part 1

 “To travel is to live.”
― Hans Christian Andersen

Traveling has always been a great experience especially with friends. There would be non-stop and I mean friendly bashing and endless banters! So when I found out that the group will be traveling again, I cannot help but to get excited!

48hrs before the flight me and a couple of friends, who I will be traveling with, met up for a cup of coffee and finally talk about the last minute things to do before this epic trip. And that 48hrs has left me sleepless.

*Fast forward on the date of departure*

It was like forever at the check-in counter. I can hear other passengers behind us complaining and giving a big sigh. The group before us was having difficulty on their baggage allowance. They must have to pay an excess baggage that they had to unpacked their luggage right at the check-in counter and maximize the allowed check-in baggage.

When It was finally our groups’ turn I’m proud to say that it didn’t take long for us to get our boarding pass, I didn’t see people behind us raising their eyebrows or even rolling their eyes on our group because it’s taking so long or whatever. lol.

How Do I Prepare My Things When Traveling?

Over a year ago, I woke up from a call of a friend at dawn. As I said hello, the person on the other line told me that I have a confirmed flight to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam on July 2013. I got confused and extremely fazed as I don’t recall any reservations I made for Vietnam.

“What do you mean?” I asked. My friend said there was a seat sale in a particular airline and the roundtrip only costs a little less than Php1000. Roundtrip! So she already booked the people who she thinks would love to see Vietnam… and that includes me! lol.

Fast forward to June 2013. In almost a year a number of people we knew have asked if they can join us, but of course! The more the merrier!

Boracay 2013 - Happy Birthday, Jaydee!

A friend wanted to celebrate a birthday in a beach. So she had to fly us out of Manila to the island of white sand beach called - Boracay. Situated on the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, you will see hailed by many travel blogs/publications/agencies a paradise.

How to get there: 

By Air: 

Boracay, being part of the province of Aklan, has two airports. One in Kalibo (province capital) and Caticlan airport in Malay. The following domestic airlines fly to Kalibo and Caticlan: Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Zest Airway and Seair.

Tip: Some domestic airlines offer seats sale every now and then. You just have to be quick in booking a seat because the place is so in demand, seats may not be available sooner than you thought.

By Sea: 

Several ferries operates from Batangas to Caticlan port. From Manila you have to travel 2hrs to get to Batangas port and from there, travel time to Caticlan port is about 9 to 12hrs. So far the best ferry to take is 2GO (www.2go.com.ph)

Hotels, resorts or even transient houses have filled the shores of Boracay. For reference, you may want to visit http://www.myboracayguide.com/beaches-resorts-rooms-accommodations-boracay-hotels.html

The crew!