Mt. Pinatubo Trek

Travel Blog by Jen
March 27, 2011

Mt. Pinatubo is an active volcano located in Zambales, north of Luzon.  Its last major eruption was in June 1991, severely damaging the surrounding areas with lava flows, lahar and volcanic ash; displacing a lot of Aetas that resided in the area.  Today, 10 years after its eruption, Mt. Pinatubo is continuously drawing many local and foreign tourists to its peak.  My friend and I belong to this group of people seeking a different of kind of adventure for the weekend!

Our day started with meeting the tour group in McDonald's EDSA corner Quezon Avenue at 3:00 am, March 26.  An ungodly hour, for sure, but it was set so because the travel from Manila to Zambales takes 3 hours.



our itinerary


We arrived in the base camp at Sta. Juliana at around 7:00 am.  The base camp is also where Mt. Pinatubo Spa Town is -- a place developed by the Pinatubo Development Corporation, that offers massage services that use hot volcanic sand.

Be literally buried here under hot volcanic sand.

Our guide registered for us while we waited for his signal to board the 4x4 vehicles.  Outside the base camp are several of these, just waiting for its passengers to board.  Some of the 4x4 vehicles have open tops while some are closed.  As there is a queue followed, passengers cannot choose their own vehicle.  Thankfully, we ended up with the closed one which provided sun protection.  Protection from dust and sand:  Zero!  Be ready to get dusty and dirty! 


4x4s raring to go!



The bumpy and very fast 4x4 ride to the jump-off point took about hour past vast terrain of sand and stone.  You have to admire the driving skills of these drivers for bringing us to our destination in one piece (albeit internal organs all jumbled up :)  It was actually an adventure in itself! 






rocky terrain

Do you see the 4x4 vehicles climbing up that steep road?


Aetas that inhabit the area



And so the much-awaited trek started as soon as we reached the jump off point.  There are 2 ways to get to the crater lake: (1) via the Skyway, which entails a 1 hour trek one-way, and (2) via the Old Way, which takes 2-3 hours of trekking, one-way.  Bloggers say that there are more photo opportunities in the Old Way but we figured 3 hours of trekking  is a tad too much our legs and feet could handle.  So we chose the Skyway... but not exactly an easy way!

Our supposedly 1 hour trek took 1 hour and half  because our pace was slow.  I would say that it was a fairly easy trek but there were a few cardiac climbs there that literally took our breath away!  The views though are just awesome.  We walked in between wide and deep canyons.  There were cold streams with red rocks with hints of yellow sulphur.  I've never seen so many rocks in my life!


trekking in the canyon


red rocks and yellow sulphur




Finally, we reached the crater lake and it was awesome.  I expected the lake water to be turquoise but it was brown instead.  The guide said that the water becomes turquoise during the cooler months.  Well, not withstanding that, I would still say that the views all around are amazing!

we've arrived!











Signboards say that swimming is not allowed in the crater lake as the depth is undetermined and no lifeguards are stationed here.  Local guides allowed visitors to swim but only near the shore.  If you don't like to swim, you can take a boat to cross to the other side of the lake.  On this side of the crater, the sand was hot and the water was warm.  It is said that you can cook a raw egg here if buried in the sand :)




hot rocks and sand from the other side of crater lake



We took our pre-ordered packed lunch in the caldera and relaxed for a bit before it was time to start trekking again.  We had to be back at the base camp by 4:00 pm, which means we had to leave the place by 1:00 pm.  The trek back seemed shorter but the last ascent back to where the 4x4s were parked were gruelling! 







We didn't have enough time for a massage when we arrived at the base camp.  We only had a couple of minutes to take a shower and it was convenient that they provided towels and a bar of soap :) 

I have always wanted to see Mt. Pinatubo and I'm glad that  I had the chance to do that this weekend.  It's a unique experience and totally satisfying.   Well worth the sore muscles the day after! :)





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The best time to see Mt. Pinatubo is during the dry season from October to May.  There are organized group tours every weekend where a group of at least 10 people are pooled together.  Here are the basic costs of a Mt. Pinatubo Trek (2011 rates):

Basic Package:   P2,490.00 /person (Filipinos)
                             P3,250.00 /person (non-Filipinos)

Includes the following: 
- round trip air con van transfer from Manila-Mt. Pinatubo base camp-Manila
- 4x4 wheel drive to Mt. Pinatubo using the Old Way
- services of a local guide

Optional Items:
- 4x4 wheel drive using the Skyway: P500.00 per vehicle (max of 4 persons per 4x4)
- Boat ride across the crater lake:  P350.00 per person
- Massage:  P500.00 per person (depending on the spa service)
- Use of shower facilities:  P100.00 per person
- Pre-packed lunch:  P250.00 per person
  (Daing na bangus, chicken adobo with itlog na maalat and tomato, tortang  
   talong, a banana and a bottle of water. Must be ordered 48 hours in advance)



Rates as of March 2011 (subject to change)


*Photos are Skycab's own.

Skycab goes to Kota Kinabalu

Travel Blog By Jen
March 01, 2011

Skycab Travel goes to KK!  Kota Kinabalu is just an hour and a half plane ride from Manila, making it a perfect destination for a mini-break.  KK, short for Kota Kinabalu, is the capital state of Sabah.  This city, relatively small in size, offers opportunities for laid-back vacations (sun, sand and sea!), adventure holidays (diving, trekking, white water rafting!) and urban delights (shopping, night life!). 

Some of us chose to do the White Water Rafting in Kiulu River.  Described as a beginner's river with waves at Grades II-III, this was just perfect for us newbies. From KK city center, the 1.5 hour land trip to Kiulu took us past countryside and zig-zagging roads.   

Upon arrival at the base, there was a short briefing about protocol and safety procedure.  First thing to note:  Make sure your pants are tight.  No one wants to see you without your underpants when you get pulled out of the water. (Very important note, indeed!).


All ready to go!

Traversing the river took about 2 hours of paddling and short breaks to rest our arms or take a cool dip.  It was scary at first, this being our first time to do rafting.  But as we successfully hurdled the bumps (and there were quite a lot), we just relaxed and had fun!  I think our chief rafter intentionally made our raft bump into rocks to make the ride more exciting :) 








If you want a more challenging course, head out to Padas River with Grade III-IV waves.  We will have to try that out next time!


Another attraction is Kinabalu Park, 3 hours from the city centre.  This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This rain forest showcases a variety of flora and fauna.  There is also a series of canopy walks up 30-meters in the treetops.



On one of the canopy walks in Kinabalu Park

For an additional fee, you can see Poring Hot Springs -- a natural hot spring whose hot sulphuric minerals are deemed to have healing properties. 

Kipungit Falls by Poring Hot Springs

This park is also home to the Rafflesia.  Rafflesia is the world's largest, the heaviest, the rarest and the one of the most stinkiest flowers in the world. It grows to 1 metre wide and weighs about 10 kg. When we were there, there was only one flower in bloom.



Rafflesia Flower


Our hotel of choice was in 1Borneo, which is about 20 minutes from KK city center.  It was a good thing that the adjacent mall (1Borneo Hypermall) offered complimentary scheduled shuttle transfers from 1Borneo to the city.  Otherwise, be prepared to shell out MYR20-25 per cab, one-way. 

In KK city center, there are a lot of malls, restaurants and sidewalk stores that sell dried seafood, clothing, pearls, and souvenir items.  Aside from a few landmarks, there is nothing much to see here.  I would suggest taking a boat trip from Jesselton Point to Manukan Island or Sapi Island to sunbathe, snorkel and lounge by the beach (one that I would plan to do next time).  And one other thing to do in KK:  shop!



The Marlin Statue near the market


The Atkinson Clock Tower - in memory of the 1st District Officer of Jessleton,
Francis George Atkinson.  This originally served as a beacon for shipping.



The Waterfront Boardwalk


Drive by the State Mosque






* Photos are Skycab's own.

Skycab goes to Poro Point


Travel Blog By Jen
March 31, 2011

This is a long overdue post of our summer outing last year.  Skycab went to Thunderbird Resort in Poro Point, San Fernando, La Union.  La Union is approximately 7-hour drive from Manila.  I know that this is far but what drew us here is its Santorini-inspired architecture:  stark white walls and royal blue domes, with the sea view in the background.  It is set on a cliff with a spectacular view of the ocean.  Of course, we had to go and see for ourselves!


All rooms overlook the ocean.


The resort's Blue Dome at night

Probably the lobby's most prominent design is its dome ceiling, with its interesting fresco.  It opens up then to the cocktail lounge on the left and the amazing view of the ocean.


the ceiling




The Santorini Lounge



The rooms and beddings were nice.  Ours had 2 queen beds, a mini-bar, microwave, LCD TV, iPod docks and a jacuzzi.  Each room also had a private balcony.



nice, well-appointed rooms



For recreation, there is a 9-hole golf course, a half-basketball court, and a swimming pool.  There are a lot of open spaces and pathways perfect for a leisurely walk or a run.  The resort also owns a casino nearby but wearing of shorts and slippers are not allowed (funny that it is like that, this being a beach resort).


the large pool and the boardwalk


Golfing with a view


The resort has a short beach strip with off-white sand.  The beach is rocky but still swimmable.  There is a view deck above the shoreline with a little garden and some chaise lounges.  It would have been perfect if they had a bar there from which you can order drinks.  It was very hot that day and it would have been great if I had a mango shake in hand :)









We took our meals in Olives, the only on-site restaurant which served Mediterranean-Italian cuisine.  We liked their pizza and pasta.  In the mornings, their buffet breakfast is served here as well.


Humus





We enjoyed our mini-break as there were sun, sea and sand for 3 whole days :)  If you just want to relax and unwind, this destination may be right for you.




P.S. If we had time, I would have liked to do a trip to Baguio, which was just 1.5 hours away from La Union.  But time wasn't in our hands so maybe that Baguio mini-break would have to wait a little while longer. 



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