Tutubi was elated to receive email notification about the latest SuperFerry ticket sale where he intended to buy cheap tickets online for his stay-in helper (he gives annual paid vacation and free tickets as part of his helper's benefits besides annual salary increase and SSS).

The Super ferry promo email announces:

"Selling dates (buying period) : Jul 26 to 30, 2010
Sailing dates (travel period) : Aug 09 to Sep 30, 2010

Available online only! Book and Buy through www.SuperFerry.com.ph,
first come first serve basis.

FARES

Manila - Visayas / Visayas - Manila
(Bacolod, Iloilo, Cebu & Dumaguete)
Super/Mega : P588
Tourist : P688
Cabin : P788
State Room : P1,776

Manila - Mindanao / Mindanao - Manila
(Butuan, Cagayan, Cotabato, Davao, Gensan, Iligan, Ozamis, Surigao & Zamboanga)
Super/Mega : P888
Tourist : P988
Cabin : P1,088
State Room : P2,376

Get the lowest fares, purchase your tickets online!
https://www.superferry.com.ph/eticket/search.asp"

What's stupid about this email? Tutubi tried to book online for a round-trip Manila-Cebu ticket for Tutubi, Jr.'s babysitter who hails from Malabuyoc, Cebu but he can't book the ticket online for September travel for September is not yet present on the drop down menu trip selection.

Tutubi sent an email to SuperFerry's eticket email address:

"you advertise sale period from august 9 to sept 30 travel and yet i can't book tickets for september"

the reply that he got from Super Ferry customer service:

"Dear Valued Customer,


Regarding your concern, you can make transaction for September departure from our authorized outlet nationwide. With this, you may avail our Open Dated Promo. Selling period is until July 30, 2010 for September 1-30, 2010 sailing schedule.

Thank you and should you have other concerns, please feel free to email us at eTicket@SuperFerry.com.ph or you may call us at (+63 2) 528-7209 from Monday to Friday, 0900H-1930H Philippine Time GMT +8hrs. We would be most glad to assist you.


At your service,

???? ?. ?????
eTicket Facilitator


===========================================================
Visit our website at www.SuperFerry.com.ph
Journey to the Beautiful Islands, People and Culture of the Philippines!
TRIPID 'TO!
=========================================================== "

What's wrong? the promo stated it's available online and yet you can't book a trip and instead SuperFerry customer care directs you to one of their authorized outlets.

So much for online booking! :(

Labels: Promo Fares

For people looking for Weesam Express Trip schedules and ferry fares, herewith is updated information. Tutubi's posting this due to erratic and always unavailable Weesam Express official website.

Weesam Express Daily Schedule of Departures

Cebu to Tagbilaran Trip Schedules: 9am, 2pm and 6:30pm

Tagbilaran to Cebu: 7am, 11:20am and 4:30pm

* Cebu to Tagbilaran ferry fare: PhP500 one way with discounts for round-trip tickets price if return trip is within 15 days from departure.

Cebu to Ormoc: 530am (Saturday and Monday only), Daily: 1045am and 4:30pm

Ormoc to Cebu: 8am, 1:30pm and 7pm (Friday and Sunday only)

Iloilo to Bacolod / Bacolod to Iloilo
6:30am, 8:15am, 10:15am, 12:15pm, 2pm, 3:30pm, 5:10pm

Weesam Express Contact Numbers / Hotline:

Cebu City: 032.412.9562; 0922.866.0347; 0917.710.4967
Tagbilaran City: 038.501.8223; 0917.301.5749; 0922.866.0336
Ormoc City: 053.561.0080; 0922.866.0343; 0917.301.8551
Iloilo City: 0922.866.0342

Ticket sale from 8:30am to 12nn and 1pm to 5pm at various ticketing office. For ticket purchases, reservations, promos and other inquiries, please call Weesam Express telephone numbers above.

Weesam Express
Office Address: Pier 4 North Reclamation Area, Cebu City

Source: Weesam Express ad on Cebu Daily News

Labels: Ferries, Public Transportation

A sister establishment of Rose and Grace restaurant with some sort of a funny name, Grace Sister of Rose Restaurant Seafoods and Bulalo along Maharlika Highway in Sto. Tomas Batangas, near the traffic-prone Turbina, Calamba (but not for long when the SLEX - Startoll interconnection is opened) is the venue where the meat-starved, carnivorous peers of Tutubi had a sumptuous lunch right after checking out of the detoxification diet of The Farm at San Benito in Lipa City Batangas.

not much to see here but pictures of a deprived bunch of people who swooped down on hot steaming bulalo, crispy tawilis, pinais na dulong and other regular menu fare of the popular restaurant.

Grace Sister of Rose signage on the highway

the counter of the bulalo restaurant looks like a typical Filipino turo-turo eatery but with airconditioning

In the company of meat-deprived peers, Tutubi wasn't able to take pictures of the food to avoid being left out, only a few snapshots of the aftermath of the attack of the patay gutom!


what's left of the bulalo just a few minutes after it was served. a bowl of bulalo costs P350 at the airconditioned carinderia
the patay gutom gang strikes again

This is what happens when you're a meat-lover but taken "by force" to a vegetarian restaurant for 3 days!

Related Post:

Spa The Farm at San Benito

Labels: Batangas Restaurants

A multi-awarded spa and restaurant in Asia and claimed by some as the best vegetarian restaurant in the Philippines, the detoxifying menu at the Farm at San Benito in Lipa City, Batangas has not your usual vegetarian menu that doesn't try to imitate meat and dairy food using alternative ingredients. Instead, they use natural ingredients and locally grown, organic produce in their vegetarian menu offerings.

Tutubi's initial breakfast at the Farm at San Benito consisted of kapeng barako ng Batangas with no creamer but using coconut milk and muscovado sugar to sweeten.

For a sample menu of The Farm, not much words will be offered here but a few pictures will do the talking...

fresh tropical fruit platter: watermelon, pineapple, mango, melon and papaya
fruit salad on a buco shell

breakfast cereals with coconut milk (there's no milk at The Farm, not even dairy products)

vegetarian menu at the farm, food imitation is not common there. the coconut bacon is an exception

a "best seller" taco sandwich to Tutubi's peers, mostly carnivores, who generally disliked food there

vegetarian mushroom burger, bread and salad

arroz caldo for breakfast, one of two times Tutubi was able to eat rice in three days stay there. again, no meat nor eggs but great tasting for such a common pinoy fare

vegetable salad with a not so common salad dressing

salad with pomelo and cashew nuts

dessert that looks like ice cream but alas, there's no milk, just coconut milk

So how would Tutubi review The Farm at San Benito's food? It's no secret that Tutubi's no food critic and he's not into a detoxification diet either but the vegetarian cuisine at the famous place earned his mixed review. He liked some food them like the arroz caldo and taco salad, but he's really not into rice-less days. Worse were his officemates who are mostly carnivores, even tried to sneak out of the spa resort just to be able to sample the famous Batangas lomi that Tutubi partook earlier in anticipation of the veggie diet.

On their way to back to Manila, Tutubi's group had coffee at Cafe de Lipa then dined at Rose and Grace restaurant in Sto. Tomas for the usual bulalo, crispy pata and other sinful food that looked like they've never eaten meat for a year!

The vegetarian food at The Farm at San Benito may be a toast of food critics but it's not for general public, only for those looking for a complete detox and detached lifestyle with no meat, no smoking and no alcohol for a few days.

Labels: Batangas, Batangas Restaurants, Calabarzon, Southern Tagalog

A popular and multi-awarded hideaway of the rich and famous nestled on the slopes of Mt. Malarayat in Lipa City, Batangas, with it's relaxing spa offering massage and detoxification regimes centered on vegetarian cuisine of it's flagship restaurant, The Farm at San Benito is one of those places you normally don't expect to be featured on this blog specializing on budget travel, as it's really way out of Tutubi's penny-pinching ways and most budget travelers out there.

However, Tutubi was able to visit this serene hideout due to another company sponsored teambuilding activity involving his company's management committee for 3D/2N (in tour operator parlance but actually just about 2.5D/2N in reality) with barely little time to fully enjoy the various amenities the garden place has to offer due to the hectic teambuilding schedule facilitated by The Mentor Group.

Tutubi and officemates left Makati at 4pm, arrived in Lipa around 7pm due to heavy Friday traffic buildup in Turbina, took a quick food trip of the famous Batangas Lomi at LBN Lomi House, one of several lomihan along the national highway in Malvar town (beside Bee Gees Lomi House, in front of LBN Bar and Grill), partook of a hearty dinner at Hapag Filipino Restaurant in Lipa City before checking in at the groups final destination at The Farm at San Benito.

Facilities of The Farm include a clubhouse, restaurant, spa, two infinity pools, a man-made waterfalls, a man-made lagoon with a gazebo in the middle (featured on their official website and brochure with a model sporting a yoga pose), several walking trails, cottages for overnight accommodation and an organic farm raising vegetables and herbs e.g. lettuce, tarragon, parsely, sage, rosemary and thyme (ok, excuse the last four examples).

Some Pictures of The Farm at San Benito taken during meager breaks in between activities:


The large man-made lagoon of The Farm with the calm water providing a reflection of the blue sky

a yogi doing his "hobby" or posing for a picture?

a swimming pool near the restaurant. Tutubi wasn't able to swim here due to lack of time

the organic farm where they grow vegetables, herbs and spices used in their healthy food preparations

due to their being a true vegetarian restaurant, this is for display only, not for human consumption at the spa resort

the entrance of the spa where you get your whole body pampering by trained masseuse

one of the two infinity pools. this one's beside the spa where you can relax, enjoy your tea after an hour of relaxation massage therapy

the bath tub of the spa is an atrium i.e. open to the sky

Overnight accommodations include cottages like Anahaw Villa that has four single beds

inside Anahaw Villa are four beds with a "mezzanine" floor

The company teambuilding activity went well, except for one geriatric woman who single-handedly spoiled the last activity supposed to deepen relationships or build bridges but instead burned the bridge with some of her peers by writing unverified rumors and accusations. Left such a bitter aftertaste in the mouth and ruined the original intention of the costly event budgeted with half a million pesos.

Overall, the Farm at San Benito is highly recommended for people who wish to be disconnected from the world and flush out toxins (detox) by partaking healthy vegetarian food cooked at the restaurant with mostly organic ingredients.

Coming...the vegetarian menu of The Farm at San Benito is not for all people! :P

Other information on The Farm at San Benito:

Note that this is not for budget travelers as overnight room rates will cost you an arm and a leg. Day tour rates is pegged at around P4k (as you can see there's really no such thing as cheap The Farm at San Benito package tour). For updated information, room rate inquiries, events, retreats, and company activities, you may visit The Farm at San Benito official website or call their published contact numbers.

How to get to The Farm at San Benito:

commuting there is not recommended as it's really beyond reach of normal public transportation. Your best best is to get vans-for-hire or car rental companies if you don't have your own (and if you can afford to stay there, you can definitely afford to have your own vehicle)

Labels: Batangas, Calabarzon, Southern Tagalog, Spas

Tutubi has been passing in and out mostly in NAIA Terminal 3 due to it's terminal use by Cebu Pacific but taking a taxi pick up service at home either by MGE or EMP at dawn (in contrast with most of his peers who regularly use the expensive service of Park N Fly)

This time, he flew out of NAIA Terminal 2 (Centennial Terminal) when he was booked to fly out by Philippine Airlines (PAL) and also he didn't call a taxi at 4am but instead drove his car and parked at Car Park 2 of NAIA Terminal 2.

Here's Tutubi's take (review) of NAIA Parking based on his own experience:


He parked at Car Park 2 of NAIA Terminal 2 since it's the first one after passing through the security gate, but it's a wrong choice, he later learned. It's farther that Car Park 1, has a staircase that is difficult for those with heavy baggage in tow, unlike Tutubi with his usual backpack and camera bag that require no check-in luggage that allows him to save precious time on deplaning since there's no checked-in baggage to wait to unload on the airport baggage carousel. You also can't take the trolleys/push carts to Car Park 2 to load in your car so you either have to carry them down the stairs or get you car and go back to arrival area (if you have a companion to wait for you, same scenario if you're alone going to the departure area)

On his arrival, Tutubi got his car still intact parked under a tree inside the car park for 2.5D/2N, paid the parking fee of P100.00 (yeah, parking rate's just P50.00/night much cheaper than Park N Fly rates)

Regular Pay Parking Fee: P35.00 (daily flat rate for cars and jeeps)
Overnight Parking NAIA Terminal 2: PhP50.00/night

Tutubi's Tips:

For NAIA Terminal 2, try Car Park 1 so as not to commit the same mistake as Tutubi. (For Manila Domestic Airport, the carpark is across the terminal so you either use the pedestrian overpass or risk life and limb to cross Domestic Road; for NAIA Terminal 3, there's only one carpark so you just choose the closer parking slot to the security guard post.)

If you're driving alone, you won't be able to drop your baggage at the departure area before parking. There's an escalator at the arrival area but it's always not in service so you need to haul your baggage up to the departure area. Such inconvenience!

On entering the parking lot, inform the guard at the parking entrance of your intention to park overnight. You will be handed a log book for you to write down your name contact numbers, vehicle make, plate number and destination.

Take your parking stub with you, don't leave it inside your vehicle, for security's sake.

Practice common safety and security common sense: hide all gadgets visible through the window (for Tutubi it's his Garmin GPS and iPod connected to his car's head unit (car stereo that he opted to take with him on his trip)

The car park's are all open parking style, lift your windshield wipers on hot sunny days to avoid deformation of the rubber wipers. If you park under a tree for more shade, you risk bird droppings, you may use car covers for extra protection.

If you're going there just to pick up someone, you may avail of free parking at nearby fast food restaurants or even gasoline stations then drive there only when contacted.

Finally, is it safe to park there overnight? Of course, Tutubi observed it himself for quite some time before he tried it. Lots of roaming security guards on duty and just think that it's an airport where security is really a premium.

Other useful information:

Overnight Parking NAIA Terminal 1: PhP 50.00/night
Overnight Parking NAIA Terminal 3: PhP 50.00/night
Overnight Parking Manila Domestic Airport: PhP 50.00/night
Terminal Fee: PhP 200.00 for domestic departures; PhP750.00 for international travel
Also: long term parking manila airport


As you can see, all the airport terminals of Ninoy Aquino International Airports have the same parking fees due to a common management-- the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

Related Posts and Tags:

Manila Airport Guide
How to get to NAIA Terminal 3Hotels near Manila Airport
Airport Terminal Fees
Driving Directions to NAIA terminal 2, How to Commute to NAIA Terminal 2, How to get to NAIA Terminal 2, long term parking rates

Coming Up:
Clark Airport (Diosdado Macapagal Internation Airport, DMIA)
Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Davao International Airport
Iloilo International Airport

Labels: Airports, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Paranaque City