Manny Guest's House

Puerto Princesa, Palawan
by lakwatserong tatay

After arriving at Puerto Princesa Airport, we were greeted by Kuya Ronald our driver and tour guide for our whole stay at Palawan, he drove us to Manny's Guest House, where we will stay for a day. Actually i don't have any idea about our itinerary and accomodations, all of this was made of my co-tripper. He had all the contacts and information that we will used for whole stay at Palawan. But of course, as a traveler i always ask for necessary information that i could used to my blogsite for other travelers that are looking for a nice and comfortable nest but with much cheaper accomodation rates.

The Manny's Guest House

According to Kuya Manny this house is an ancestral house that he converted to a guest house for backpackers like us. That is looking for a quiest, cool, clean and homey ambiance.....as you can see on their website. Where you could feel that your just on your own home and together with beautiful view of Puerto Princesa Bay.

The Stairs going up to 2nd floor

This guest house is a 2 floor type which the upper part is converted to a guest house that is consisting of a living room w/ cable TV, 4 bedrooms (A/C Room, Family room, Deluxe A and Deluxe B...all of this is with fan), Kitchen Area. That the reason why you will think you're just on your own houses, for its amenities.

The Living Room Area

View of Puerto Princesa Bay

Other amenities and services offered are Arrange Package Tour, Transportation Hiring Assistance, Laundry Service, Massage by Appointment and last but not the least is a Free Wifi access.

Some of the Satisfied Customers of Kuya Manny

One of the Native Products of Puerto Princesa

Here's another one....

How to get to Manny's Guest House:

From Airport: take a tricycle, estimated cost is P50 - P60, estimated travel is 10 minutes ride.
From Bus Terminal: take a tricycle, estimated cost is P80 - P100, estimated trave is 25-30 minutes ride.

Click here for directions

Below are some of the pictures of rooms of Manny Guest House w/ it's room rates:

P650.00 - A/C Room
P600.00 - Family Room w/ fan
P500.00 - De Luxe A w/ fan
P400.00 - De Luxe B w/ fan

Our room w/ addt'l 1 foam for 3 persons..De Luxe A Rm.

Here's is the other room..Family Room

The Restroom...isn't this nice for a gust house like this?

Here is our evidence, we log in at Manny Guest House logbook....^_^ and of course in every accomodations like this there's always a house rules shown below.....^_^

Manny Guest's House logbook

House Rules

Of course, all of the trippers are cam whores, infact as we just laid off our backpacks and other things, photo opps started, of course we will not miss the opportunity of having a photo with Kuya Manny, the guy in the center sitting with letter M on his shirt....thanks Kuya Manny for a warm welcome.....^_^

Trippers Photo-opps

Our photo-opps with Kuya Manny

To sum it up, we were all satisfied on staying on Manny's Guest House, and i highly recommended this place for backpackers and travellers like us, because of it's comfortable, cool, quiet, clean and homey feeling, that all of us felt, and to add the hospitality of Kuya Manny and Ate Carms, is one truly remarkable including his family, thanks po..and of course also to our driver/tour guide...Kuya Ronald for being so helpful and cooperative...our trip to El Nido run smooth....definitely when ill get back in Puerto Princesa, we will get your accomodations....discount ko po next time ha....^_^

The Trippers @ Manny's Guest House

Manny's Guest House
#2 B. Mendoza St., Quito, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines
Tel. no.:      (048) 723-3615
Cell nos.:    0912-8721294 / 0917-6123947
Manila line: (02) 998-6603
Email add.:    emmanuellucena@yahoo.com
Website:       http://www.mannyguesthouse.com/ / http://www.travel-philippines.com/

This story is part of : Five Days of Trip at Palawan

Binuatan Creations

Pajara, Sta. Monica, Puerto Princesa City
by lakwatserong tatay

After our fiesta lunch feast at Bilao't Palayok, our City tour of Puerto Princesa started, our first stop is one of the most known and famous handicraft shop in Puerto Princesa. The Binuatan Creations is located in Pajara, Sta. Monica, Puerto Princesa. The word Binuatan is a native Cuyonin dialect means "creation".  A handicraft shop where export-quality table runners, place mats, and window blinds are weaved.

Binuatan Creations

One of the main part of Binuatan Creations products is came from Buri Palm that grows naturally throughout our country at low and medium altitudes from Northern Luzon to Southern Mindanao, Palawan and Sulu Archipelago. The buri leaf is considered the most important part of the palm. Where one of the main part of Wine Holder of Binuatan Creation is made of the leaf stalks of young and immature palms yield the so-called buntal fiber which is considered as a famous high grade fiber.

Chrislon photo-opps @ Binuatan Creations

As we're staying at Binuatan Creations, i had a chance to ask and watch Ate (picture is below....i really forgot to ask her name...hehehe) and actually im older with her. She said that it usually takes him at least 3 days to a week to finish weaving a 29-meter mat, depending on the details of the mat's design. The thinner the fiber, the longer it takes to be done.

The weaving room

The Binuatan creations make use of materials from indigenous grasses and plants, aside from buri palm, handwoven and design into colorful products of table runners, placemats, window blinds, wall decors, bags and other native products.

Thank to you ate...for giving me some information...^_^

At Binuatan creations, the guests will have a chance to experience first-hand, how the locals transform grasses and fibers into sophisticated handloom woven creations. They will be grateful to teach to you a few steps on how to insert a fiber, one by one process, actually for me, i get it hard, infact there was an instance that i almost damage one of the fiber that i've inserted thanks to ate because she was on my side...hehehe...^_^ (abono pa sana ko...). So i've decided just to take a souvenir picture before i will destroy the woven product.

Let me try this one.....

A showroom is also available within the Binuatan creation premises, where you could buy some of their products on a very reasonable prices. Below are some of the products that you could choose to buy and of course our photo session while inside the Binuatan Creation Showroom.

The Binuatan Creation Shop

Bags for Sale

Some of the Binuatan Creations products

Do you want Reef Magnet?....^_^

Photo shoot out of the group inside the Binuatan Creations Showroom....

Group Photo-opps inside the Store....

@ another cam..thanks to Eric....^_^

Our next stop is the place where some of the rich and famous persons of the Puerto Princesa found. Where some of the big houses is also placed at Sta. Monica Heights, Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

It's me @ Binuatan Creations....

For more details of Binuatan Creations and other handicraft shops in Palawan :

Ms. Eva T. Valledor, Manager
Pajara, Sta. Monica, Puerto Princesa City
Phone : 048.433.7630
Fax : 048.433.2492
E.mail : binuatancreations@palawanbusiness.com
Products : handloomwoven placemats, table runners, bags, blinds

Insal’s Handicraft
Ms. Estrella Insal, Manager
Punang, Sofronio Española, Palawan
Fax : 048.433.2492
Products: pandan-based bags, animal shape woven pandan

Kamantian Native Handicraft
Ms. Rosalinda Mercado, Manager
Junction 1, Puerto Princesa City
Phone : 048.434.9845
Fax : 048.433.2492
E.mail : kamantianhandicraft@palawanbusiness.com
Products : handicraft

This story is part of : Five Days of Trip at Palawan

Bilao't Palayok

My First Lunch @ Puerto Princesa
by lakwatserong tatay

After a bit rest and placing all of our stuffs at our accomodation in Puerto Princesa at Manny Guest's House. Around 11am we started our Puerto Princesa City Tour. But before that it was already lunch time, and Kuya Ronald suggested a place that is one of the common restaurant, serving really great food but in much cheaper prices. This Bilao't Palayok located along Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa town proper.

The Biggest Palayok i've ever seen...^_^

Bilao't Palayok serves classic Filipino dining experience as it has a country-style ambience complete with bamboo cottages. An art gallery design on one of bamboo cottages that is mostly ethnic in origin. Guests and tourists can sit inside the cottages for a more private setting and enjoy Palawan's cool fresh air.

Entrance of Bilao't Palayok

Bilao't Palayok serves and specialize in grilled Filipino dishes, mostly pork, seafood and chicken dishes that is being served in a bilao or palayok.

Bilao't Palayok Seafood & Native Restaurant

Below are some of the pictures that i've taken while waiting for our food to be served and while roaming around this restaurant. Upon roaming around, you will just feel that your really in a province due its interior designs, different areas are made of bamboo or wood and added gallery that also made of native crops is also present in this restaurant. To summarize it up, it's ambiance was really refreshing. Am i reviewing it's interior designing....i do hope im right.....hehehehe...^_^.

Native Bamboo Setting

Another part of this Restaurant that are made of Bamboo

A pond of fish

Bar area of Bilao't Palayok that are made of Bamboo again....

A Native Restroom.....

Native ceiling set

One of the Display's that i really like...

Here's another one too....

Here is one of the wall design made of shells that i really like....^_^

This is one of my favorite....can i have this as a souvenir....^_^



List of Food Choices

Ok, enough of reviewing it's interior design, let's go to our main course...hehehehe...eating session. For our lunch that time, since we were on a tight budget, we opted to get their "Boodle Dish", one of their house specials, which is good for 6-7 persons already, "Boodle" is consist of  pork sisig, laing, chicken adobo, steamed shrimp, grilled squid, baked tahong, grilled tuna, grilled tilapia, grilled liempo and steamed crab together with grilled egg, atchara, bagoong, salted eggs, tomatoes and green mangoes on the side and last but not the least and most important one is the rice, a choice of java rice, garlic rice and plain rice. We added two palayok of sinigang's consist of lapu-lapu and shrimp, sad to say, sinigang na baboy is not available when we dine in, coz' you all know im not used to eat seafood dishes....hehehehe..."Boodle Dish" is a must try if you happe to dine in this place. My personal favorites are of course the pork and chicken dishes.

The Trippers

The Boodle w/ Java Rice (P870)

The Boodle w/ Plain Rice (P870)

Sinigang na Hipon (P170)

Sinigang na Lapu-Lapu (P170)

Special thanks to our sponsor....Nikon.....joke only.....^_^....After our lunch, our city tour actually started our 1st stop is Binuatan Creations.....and again that's another stop to blog about in our City Tour of Puerto Princesa.

Thanks to our Official Sponsor....^_^

Bilao't Palayok
Seafood and Native Restaurant
Along Rizal Ave., Puerto Princesa, Palawan

It's me @ Bilao't Palayok, Palawan

This story is part of : Five Days of Trip at Palawan

My First Trip to Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Puerto Princesa Airport
Brgy. San Jose, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
by lakwatserong tatay

It is Sunday, February 13, the day that we've been waiting 12 trippers will go to a place that is called "Last Frontier" Destination, in our country. Palawan becomes unique with its megadiversity, bountiful resources, abundant wildlife and extraordinary natural beauty. We were divided into two groups because this trip was originally design as a trip of a partner celebrating birthday and valentines in Palawan, but due to some circumstances, we got bigger and reach up to 12 persons...hehehehehe...Im part of the first group that will depart at NAIA Terminal 3 via Airphil Express fleet flight 2P941 bound to Puerto Princesa. Our flight is supposed to be depart at 730am but what do you expect...hehehehe...for my 1st time flght via Airphil, once again like my previous experiences with other fleet "CP", it is late again....hehehehehe...^_^....

NAIA Terminal 3 @ Gate 118

This is the first time that i arrived at the airport late in a group flight....^_^...1 hour before the boarding time, because i really forgot to set my alarm clock...hehehehe...(nasobrahan sa pagiging excited), i go to bed really late because of preparing my things. I arrived at the airport around 6am, and my co tripper already check-in...actually i thought i could not get a better view of my first flight via Airphil, but i was really lucky, i got a window seat...hahahaha....

One of the Cebu Pacific Airbus Fleet

Upon waiting for a delayed flight, and upon curiosity together with my camera , i've taken some shots while waiting, like the 1st picture, maybe this little girl is really bored, got up early by his/her parents and then she could not do anything in the airport, she's actually running and walking around this 6 pieces chair...hehehehe...
Next one is the long file of passengers waiting for our flight.....hehehehe...^_^.

I just noticed this kid because she is really bored walking around this aisle of chairs....^_^

The awaiting passenger of Flight 2P 941 AirPhil Express

At last after waiting for more than 30 minutes, our plane ride is beyond site, in fact i've taken a shot while our plane is unloading baggages from the previous passengers of this plane.

At last our Fleet.....hehehehehe....

After almost 1 hour flying in the air i got a view of beautiful mountain ranges and some of the islands before approaching and landing at Puerto Princesa Airport. Below are some of my shots....^_^

Mountain ranges views before landing @ PP Airport

One of the Islands before landing @ PP Airport

At last, we reached the grounds of Puerto Princesa Airport. I was really shocked to see one of my "kababata" and who happens to be a previous barangay official of our barangay at Sta. Mesa, Manila. Kuya Allan is also in vacation, spending few days in Puerto Princesa in celebrating love month together with her wife, Ate Niña. I thought he get back to Canada after celebrating New Year last December at Sta. Mesa....hehehehe...It is really true that our country is really small, because in any place and time you could meet someone, either friend, relative or anyone....am i right?

Carlo's 1st photo opps inside a plane

Photo-opps w/ "Kuya Allan" & Ate Niña @ PP Airport

Puerto Princesa Airport

Serves as the gateway on one of the wonders of the world....The "Palawan Underground River" and other tourists spots of Palawan. Here's the latest travel information and guidelines about this airport.

This airport is only used by 3 airlines. The biggest airline is Cebu Pacific Air, Other airlines operating in this airport are Air Philippines and Zest Airways. Not only used domestically it also serves a flight departure for international flights by Cebu Pacific Air serving 12 countries, most of them are Asian countries. (you may visit the airlines' official websites for their latest flight schedules and information).

Puerto Princesa Airport, Palawan

A P40.00 terminal fee charge is required upon checkin departures in this airport. An x-ray machine used for security and checking of hand-carried and checked-in luggage is available. There are also small stalls that are selling some snacks and some items for pasalubong that is located within the waiting lounge and checked-in lounge. There are also eateries and restaurants outside the airport terminal for those who want more food choices. Where we eat our breakfast just along side, City Tourism Office of Puerto Princesa. Most of the tourist that dont have accomodations and contact on Palawan proceed on this place. To get some information regarding toursit destination, map of Puerto Princesa and other necessary things needed when staying at Puerto Princesa.

City Tourism Office, Puerto Princesa

A large poster of tourist map and city map is placed outside the City Tourism Office of Puerto Princesa.

Puerto Princesa Tourist Map

Puerto Pincesa City Map

Tricyles are parked inside the airport premises that can take you anywhere in the city proper or you may have a special transaction to tour beyond city proper. Vans for hire are available at the airport too or through accredited travel agencies and tour operators (like Manny Guest's House, Lakwatserong Tatay's accomodation in Puerto Princesa, Palawan).

Tricycles of Puerto Princesa..........

Upon curiosity, and aiming to go back in Palawan in a DIY Trip, i've ask our driver/tour guide Kuya Ronald regarding going to Palawan's Underground River and Honda Bay Tour. He told me that outside the airport (Rizal Ave.), multicabs and jeepneys goes to different routes, you will find the Central Transport Terminal in San Jose New Market (where you could ride a jeepneys to Sabang for DIY Trip to Palawan Underground River, FYI.....dont forgot to get the necessary permit before going to Sabang), Vans for hire going to El Nido, and Cheap Souvenir Items and Shirts, much cheaper than "Tiangge Tiangge Pasalubong and Souvenir Shops and other buses to other towns of Palawan.

To get to San Jose New Market, you could ride tricycle (fare is around P15/per head) or a multicab w/ signboard New Market (fare is P12/per head). The trip to Sabang - Puerto Princesa (v.v) is approximately 2 hours as per Kuya Ronald said and the fare is P125/per head. So I think, this enough information that i've shared to you hope to be helpful and of course to me too.....ill be back Palawan.....^_^

I thought this trike was owned by my ex-sup....Rowell...^_^

So let's get back, to my travel story......hehehehe...After waiting for almost an hour, the next batch of trippers arrived via Cebu Pacific flight. After huddling up and spotted Kuya Ronald waiving the banner of Liway's name, we proceed to Manny Guest's House (will post separate entry for our accomodation).

Some of the Trippers...boarded Cebu Pacific flight to PP

As Mac Arthur said when he departed Leyte, "I shall return", and now, as im doing this different entries of stories about my Palawan Adventures, i will borrow and used that said quote as "Lakwatserong Tatay, will shall return to this place"........^_^.

L.T. @ Puerto Princesa Airport, Palawan

This story is part of: Five Days of Trip at Palawan