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lvehowtopractical · 11 years ago

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HOW TO...HIKE DRAGON'S BACKBONE

There’s very little info on take a day, one-night, or multinight trip to DB so here’s a breakdown of my one nighter.

TO DB: Getting there is a breeze - express minibuses leave from the Guilin Train Station at 9am, 12noon, and 3pm. The ride costs 50Y and takes 2.5 hours to reach Dazhai. The minibus stops at the DB ticket office and a representative boards the bus to sell the 100Y entrance ticket.

If you only are interested in a day trip there’s plenty of Guilin based operators and your hostel/hotel can assist with the arrangement. The price my hostel offered was 300Y - which included transportation in a six person van and the entrance ticket. The trip left at 9am spent 3-4 hours at Dazhai then returned to Guilin by early evening.

HIKING OPTIONS: There are two distinct rice terrace areas (Dazhai - east and Ping’An - west) separated by a six k hike or a 45 minute ride - its a windy road up and down to both terrace parking lots thus the drive is a slow 20K or so. If you’re doing a day hike you will not be able to do both areas. My hostel offered a through hike between the two areas but in order to complete this in the time allotted you’d only be able to do the through hike and not to the Dazhai viewing areas.

The “complete” hike - all viewing areas in both terraces and between the terraces passing through Zhongliu Village takes about 7-8 hours. If you catch the 9am bus it’s possible to make it to Ping’An in a single day, if you catch the 12noon bus it would really be pushing it to make it to Ping’An and you’ll probably need (and want) to spend the night in Zhongliu. The rice terraces are on the eastern/sun facing side of the mountain so once the sun goes behind the mountain it gets dark fast - in early June it was dark by 7.

You are probably better off starting in Dazhai and walking west to Ping’An. This seemed more downhill - there’s still uphill stretches but one part was downhill for at least 30 minutes and would have been brutal if you were walking uphill from Ping’An.

Dazhai to Zhongliu took just under seven hours including stops at Dazhai Terrace viewing areas 1 and 2. Viewing area 3 is a bit a ways off and if you wanted to see that without taking the cable car you’d want to catch the 9am shuttle. I caught the 12noon shuttle which not only allowed me to sleep in but also meant I wasn’t hiking the trail with other day trip tourists.

In Dazhai the impressive viewing areas are off the main trail and involve 30 - 45 minutes to the viewing area and back tracking. In Ping’An the viewing areas are along the trail.

WHERE TO SLEEP: Dazhai and Ping’An have a high concentration of accommodation and restaurants although the area to stay in Dazhai is Tiantou, a village further up the terrace. Both are kind of commercial but Ping’An is much more commercial because it’s closer to Guilin and receives a higher volume of day trippers.

If you’re spending only one night and doing the through hike then stay in Zhongliu. This is the stay with a local, in a local’s house (kind-of), eating dinner with a local experience you are looking for. When you arrive in Zhongliu ask around and someone will have a room for you. The place I stayed at certainly wasn’t a hotel but the house did have multiple rooms available for hikers. For 100Y I had a room and a meal (more food than I could eat) and also a beer. I was also able to take a hot water shower and watch Chinese soap operas with the family - it was still rustic but more modern amenities than I expected.

THROUGH HIKE NOTES: The trail between Dazhai and Ping’An is not the stone capped, sure footed trail that’s found in the two main terrace areas. It’s a noticable change immediately once you leave the terrace areas - there stops being sign posts and when the path splits in multiple directions you need to use your best judgment or wait until a local walks along.

The trail doesn’t have the grand terrace views but I thought was much more rewarding - instead of walking around and over the rice terraces you walk through the terraces on the same path as the locals. There are plenty of terraces to see between the two areas, although not as impressive from above, but half the hike is also through a forest with no views other than the trees.

In the morning there’s a mist and in addition to wet, slippery rocks, your legs and shoes will also be drenched by the end of the hike. From Zhongliu its about a one and a half hour hike to the start of Ping’An terrace and fortunately Ping’An’s viewing areas aren’t off the main trail the way they are in Dazhai. Also the morning was very hazy and the views in Ping’An were pretty bad - I had to wait for an hour for the fog to clear to see the terraces below.

BACK TO GUILIN: This is a crapshot. There are a few people waiting at the Ping’An gate offering “assistance” but at much higher rates then the arrival cost. There is suppose to be an express minibus - but I think it leaves from the ticket office at 9am, 12:30pm, and 3:30pm - so you’d need to take a taxi or private vehicle to the ticket office...I think. My experience was I said I was waiting for an express minibus and I paid 50Y to the terraces and intended to pay the same amount back - eventually the “assistance” at the gate agreed to the 50Y rate and a guy who was a day trip driver drove me back down to the DB entrance / ticket office area. A Chinese tour bus pulled up and I hopped on. This definitely wasn’t “legit” but it did cost 50Y and I was heading back to the Guilin train station.

Worse case scenario buses leave from Ping’An every two hours, starting at 9 (?), but go to Longsheng then to Guilin - which is a three hours plus trip. You could hop off the bus midway to Longsheng and catch a bus already on the way to Guilin - this would save about 30 minutes if timed correctly or you could be waiting at the bus station waiting for the bus you just hopped off of to return on its way to Guilin - Longsheng is north of DB so the bus heads up there before turning around and heading south to Guilin.

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lvehowtopractical · 11 years ago

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HOW TO...GET A CHINESE VISA IN HONG KONG

There's a couple of ways but here's what I did.

Went to Forever Bright Visa Agency. Completed the application. No itinerary, hotel accommodations, ongoing travel, etc. was necessary. Returned three days later. Picked up visa. The price was 1,350HKD; one day processing was 1,650HKD.

Here's a link to Forever Bright: http://www.fbt-chinavisa.com.hk/

Here's a useful blog on all things Chinese visa: http://www.saporedicina.com/english/get-a-chinese-visa-in-hong-kong/

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lvehowtopractical · 11 years ago

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HOW TO...ALL-NIGHT KUNMING LAYOVER

This captures my experience on May 25, 2014.

If you are flying to/from Kathmandu invariably China Eastern will likely be the low cost option airline - but you’ll also likely have horrendous, twelve plus hour, layovers in Kunming.

Kunming has 72 hour visa free transit. I did not find this on the internet but upon checkin at Kathmandu it becomes appearant that you will need to pass through customs - your bag will not be checked to your final destination; you’ll need to pick it up in Kunming then re-check it with China Eastern.

This is a new process and remnants of the former process are still in place. There’s still an orange pathway pointing to “Int’l/HK/Macua Transfers” and a blue pathway pointing to “Domestic Arrivals” - everyone regardless of destination was directed to “Domestic Arrivals”.

Clearing customs was relatively easy - since you will not have your ongoing ticket since you need to recheck your bags in Kunming, it’s ESSENTIAL that you have an electronic copy of your ongoing itinerary. Show this to immigration and they will hand your pasport to another official who will stamp it with a temporary visa valid until your departure. The baggage carousel is directly past immigration.

After collecting your bags you will exit to the Arrivals waiting area. If it’s late at night there will not be too many people at the airport but eventually you encounter a hotel proprietor offering a room for the night. The original quote was 180 YEN (~$30) but subsequently lowered to 140 YEN. I saw a large group of other travelers loading up for a hotel and their rate was 120 YEN so I went along with them. The rate should be inclusive of all taxes, etc. and include delivery back to the airport. The hotels should include wifi and a place to shower although expect a very basic room. The next day, wake up and head back to the airport, check in your bags, pass through immigration, and continue to your final destination.

It’s possible to spend the night at Kunming Airport but the hotel is a convenient, quick, and cheap alternative. Kunming Airport is a modern airport that surpasses any in the US in terms of style but it lacks some substance in the Departures Hall. You will not be able to recheck your bags and pass through security to wait in the more comfortable ticketed customer area. Their are a few 24 hour cafes in the Departures Hall but outside of these restaurants seating can be at a premium. To access any wifi systems in the airport you will need a Chinese cell number to which a password can be texted - if your’e in transit, you likely won’t have a Chinese cell number and thus be unable to access wifi. The one exception seemed to be Esquires Coffee near Gate 74 which had password access. There’s a Starbucks on the first floor. In May the airport was quite warm.

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lvehowtopractical · 11 years ago

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HOW...EVEREST BASE CAMP

May 11, 2014 - May 23, 2014 - Everest Base Camp Trekking

For safety and efficiency reasons I did this tour through an agency but it’s relatively easy to trek alone and hire guides/porters, book lodges, and rent gear along the way. I’ve highlighted and italicized what I would have done had I trekked solo vs. group.

Background: Pre-booked, group trekking trip to Everest Base Camp through Intrepid Travel. There were fifteen people in our group in addition to one lead guide and four assistants. Seven porters, arranged by the guides, carried our bags between lodges. The trek took six days up to Everest Base Camp and four days back down to Lukla.

Kathmandu / Pre-Departure Activities: The day prior to the trip I picked up a 20L daypack, Nalgene water bottles, Diamox (for altitude sickness prevention), and Aquatabs (water purification). We had a long (three hours) and expensive (2300R / ~$23) team dinner. It was a traditional, six course Nepalese meal but was similar to Indian cuisine - curry and rice based. I had thermals, fleece, down sleeping back, and boots - the other items I needed, a down jacket and trekking poles, I picked up in Namche Bazar.

I also purchased cough drops and other cold remedy supplies in Kathmandu and refilled in Namche. At some point on the trip - whether someone in your group gets sick or from the dry air - you will likely develop a cough.

I had sunscreen and lip balm from an earlier trip.

To Lukla: 6 am hotel departure to Kathmandu Domestic Airport. The flights leave early in the morning and make as many back and forth trips between Kathmandu and Lukla that are needed and possible before the afternoon clouds settle in. The flight lasts about 45 minutes. The landing (and taking) in Lukla is quite memorable - be sure to sit near the front of the plane so that you can look through the cockpit. The runway is at a 15 degree angle which helps the plane slow down before reaching a mountain wall.

Everest Base Camp Trail:

DAY 1 - Phakding - Group breakfast at Khumbu Resort in Lukla followed by a three hour, mostly downhill hike to Phakding. We arrived in Lukla around 9am. We flew Tara Air from Kathmandu on a 20 seat prop plane. It was a bit cloudy on the flight so there weren’t too many views of the Himalayas on the left side of the plane. It was strange to look out the window and see green and trees next to you instead of blue sky and clouds. The Lukla airport is built into the mountain and I peered through the cockpit window as we approached the runway - easily the most exhilarating landing ever.

Lukla’s a little smaller than Namche Bazar. There are quite a few coffee shops and bars to kill time before your departing flight. You can rent gear and hire guides/porters in Lukla.

If you are travelling alone, either pack very light and carry your own gear, or hire a guide and/or porter in Lukla. It’s also possible to hire a guide and/or porter in Namche Bazar. The porter’s daily rate is about $15 but may be slightly higher if you have a heavy bag. Be sure to agree to the route in Lukla - if you’re a strong hiker it’s possible to make the trip back down a day earlier and complete the roundtrip in nine days instead of ten. Most guides will spend the ninth day in Phakding but Phakding is an easy two hour hike to Lukla on the way back, thus it’s not necessary to spend an extra day here.

The trail on the first day was mostly a stone pathway that connected several small Sherpa Villages. We arrived in Phakding in time for an early afternoon lunch. After lunch the group went for a short, one-hour hike up to a school but I went and hung out in Reggae Bar.

You could hike farther than Phakding on Day One - especially if you arrive early in the morning but you may encounter some acclimation issues if you hike all the way to Namche Bazar. There are several villages beyond Phakding that have lodges.

DAY 2 - Namche Bazar - Seven hour hike from Phakding to Namche Bazar - elevation gain of about 800 meters - 2600 meters to 3400 meters. The first part of this hike was relatively easy but after lunch we climbed about 300 meters and crossed a suspension bridge traversing a river 200 meters below. There was a very strong wind - I grabbed ahold of my hat when I crossed the bridge.

Shortly after the town of Monjo we passed through the Sagarmantha National Park entrance. The park fee was $10 and a passport size photo was attached to a park pass listing the entry and departure dates.

Namche (and most other mountain towns) faces west to capture the afternoon sun. There were tons of lodges in Namche but relatively few restaurants and three bars.

Namche is a good place to rent a down jacket and other items - around 200R per item, per day. I was able to rent a new “North Face” down jacket for 1600R and bought two trekking poles for 1200R.

Namche is the last place were its “safe” to eat meat - I had a yak steak dinner.

DAY 3 - Namche Bazar - “Rest” Day and Acclimization hike around Namche Bazar. We took a short walk to a “museum” which did not have much to see but there was an Everest view from outside. We then went for a three hour hike and spent about 30 minutes at around 3800 meters (the next night’s accomodation). We passed by the second highest “airport” in the world - a grass/dirt runway.

I had a chicken burrito lunch at Trekker’s Paradise, mailed a letter home, and watched a Swiss Documentary about the Sherpa’s role in Everest summits at a cafe. I had a huge spaghetti dinner.

At this elevation I started taking a half tablet of Diamox at breakfast and another half tablet at dinner. Some people in our group were taking a full tablet.

Rather than climbing to a peak outside Namche, a separate acclimation hike goes to some of the surrounding villages - notably Khumjing. This would be a longer but more interesting hike.

DAY 4 - Phortse - Up and Down hike to Phortse. After leaving Namche we hiked to about 4000M, had lunch, then dropped about 600 meters to cross a river before heading back up the other side of the valley to spend the night at Phorse, located at 3800M. There were a few Everest views throughout the day.

I had a grilled cheese and potato soup lunch and a veg pizza dinner.

Phortse was a beautiful town. Very little activity but the first example of stone walled gardens which create a picturesque mountain town. I saw some locals engaged in some sort of athletic activity and walked in their direction - surprised to find them playing volleyball (and actually playing it quite well). One of the village kids was playfully throwing rocks at me before dinner.

Phortse is off the “main trail” to Everest Base Camp. Most people head to either Tengboche or Pangboche.

DAY 5 - Dingboche - long day; gradual hike up to Dingboche at 4400M. First half of the day was extremely long, we didn’t stop for lunch until about 2 in Orsho. After lunch it was a short walk to Dingboche, although still about a 300 meter climb. It was extremely windy after lunch and this was the first time I started to think how bad it would be if it started raining - fortunately we continued to have good weather for the remainder of the trip. The tree line ends around 4000M and above this altitude the landscape changes from forest to a more rocky, moonlike scenery. Despite the higher altitude I felt great at the end of the day.

I wished we had stopped for lunch in Pangboche - more options and at more appropriate lunch hour.

DAY 6 - Dingboche - “Rest” Day and Acclimization hike around Dingboche. Typically the Acclimization days were the toughest, but shortest hike. We’d climb 500M in two hours; on a trekking day we’d climb this height over five to six hours. We took about two hours to go up a steep hill but tremendous views of mountains from the top. We spent an hour at the top - it was very windy but there were large rocks to sit behind and be protected. I walked around “town” for a little while in the afternoon.

At this altitude all my toiletries started to freeze up - you had to press hard to get the toothpaste out of the bottle. I ordered two cups of hot water to shave and wash my face instead of taking a hot shower.

Even though we were climbing at high altitudes I would never really be out of breath until I got into my sleeping bag at night - for some reason the act of scrunching my body and wiggling into the bag left me breathless and I’d have to breath pretty hard through my mouth before breathing out of my nose again and trying to fall asleep.

Residents of Dingboche leave the town during monsoon season for safety and religious reasons.

DAY 7 - Lobuche - No pain hike from 4400M to 4900M at Lobuche. Large increase in elevation but only a short part of the trail after a tea break was a steep incline. The first half of the day we walked along a valley ridge - incredibly flat, uphill climp. You could actually have time to think about the hike rather than worrying about tripping over a rock. After lunch we hiked through Thokla Pass which is a mountain cemetary for several climbers that perished on Mt. Everest.

Lobuche moonscape - large rocks that seemed to have been pushed up from out of the ground by the tectonic plates below.

The town of Lobuche exists only for trekkers passing through to Everest Base Camp. There were two or three lodges but nothing else.

We had lunch at the Lobuche lodge then went for a short but steep hike up to a ridge to catch a view of the Khumbu glacier. Decent views but the glacier has significantly receeded. From this height we could see the Khumbu icefall where Everest Base Camp is located.

DAY 8 - Everest Base Camp, night at Gorak Shep - early (6am) and long (9 hours) day of hiking to EBC. It was cold at 6 when we left, but by 6:30 the sun was out and I warmed up very quickly. We arrived in Gorak Shep by 9 and had breakfast. We ordered packed sandwich lunches then continue the remaining two hours to Everest Base Camp.

From Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp it was only a two hour hike but the final 30 minutes seemed to drag on forever. It seemed like EBC was going to be around ever turn but the trail just kept going. EBC is in a bit of a “bowl” and surrounded 180 degrees by a Himalayan Mountain wall. It’s a great sight but Everest is blocked as such it’s a bit anticlimatic - you’ve hike to a point on a map vs. a peak with views. We spent about an hour at EBC, had lunch, took group photos, and then started the walk back.

I started to develop a bit of a cold so ordered a small pot of hot lemon and soup as soon as we returned to Gorak Shep. Suprisingly there was wifi at Gorak Shep. I actually saw someone trying to call the US from EBC.

Day 9 - Kala Pathar, Orsho - 4am, pre-sunrise summitt of Kala Pathar (5500M) then hiked back down to Orsho. It was cold at 4am but given the steep climb up Kala Pathar I warmed up really quickly. The 300M hike up Kala Pathar took less than two hours and I arrived just before sunrise - it’s essential to arrive before sunrise because once the sun comes over Everest it’s absolutely blinding. It helped that the morning we climbed was near a full moon so the moonlight lit up Mt. Everest quite well. The top of Kala Pathar was quite crowded and after taking a few photos I began the 45 minute walk back down and was back in Gorak Shep by 7 for breakfast.

If it’s a sunny and clear afternoon on Day 8 and you have the energy to climb Kala Pathar it will be better photography opportunities because the sun will be shining on Everest vs. coming up from behind. This would be a pretty gruelling day but you could sleep in the next day and have less hiking time as well.

After breakfast we blitzed back down the mountain. We stopped for lunch right after dropping down from Thokla Pass. After lunch we walked through a valley which provided the best views and contrasts of land and mountain in the Himalayas. It was a bid windy in the valley but fortunately the wind seemed to be mostly at our backs.

We spent the night in Orsho but much more accomodations are available 45 minutes farther down in Pangboche.

Day 10 - Namche Bazar - brutal hike back to Namche Bazar. I’m not sure if it was from feeling the effects of the long climb yesterday or an unexpected steep climb just before lunch or something else but I though this was the toughest hike of the day.

We had a short walk to Tengboche and spent about 30 minutes at the impressive monastery in the town “center”. The monastery is actually less than 20 years old, having been rebuilt several times, but it still had a great “feel” to it.

After lunch the sky was a bit overcast and I felt a few raindrops. Fortunately made it to Namche without it raining. Huge relief to reach Namche. Although we still had two days to go, the hike essentially felt as though it was over.

I met someone in Lukla who hiked from Gorak Shep to Namche Bazar in one day including the Kala Pathar summit - so it’s possible but after an easy hike back down to Orsho, this day’s hike was brutal.

Day 11 - Phakding - too easy of a hike back down to Phakding. Short, quick, painless hike to Phakding. We left Namche Bazar around 10:30 and were in Phakding around 3. I grabbed a beer at the Liquid Bar patio then play a few games of pool with Jangbhu Sherpa, one of our guides, at Reggae Bar. I had a coffee at the lodge and called it an early night.

Day 12 - Lukla - another too easy of a hike to Lukla. 200M elevation gain but the hike back took less than two hours. For lunch I left the group and had an Everest Burger and later a coffee at “Starbucks” Lukla. There’s not much to do in Lukla other than cross your fingers and hope there’s no clouds tomorrow and all flights are good to go back to Kathmandu.

I went out with the group for a drink. On the walk back to the hotel I stopped to grab water. While paying Jangbhu Sherpa popped out from the back - he and two other sherpa guides were drinking in the back and I joined them for a final round before we all headed back to the hotel.

Hike straight back to Lukla from Namche Bazar - I assume the tour is looking out for the safety of its clients but these last two days were ridiculously easy hikes - particularly after spending the previous five days above 4000M.

Day 13 - Kathmandu - 6am flight back to Kathmandu. Everybody in the group was on the edge of their seat looking through the cockpit window as we raced down the runway - if there wasn’t enough lift we’d go straight off the mountain.

I sat on the right hand side of the plane - again it was a little too cloudy for great Himalayan views but awesome views of Kathmandu, particularly Bouddha Stupa on arrival.

We took a charter bus back to the hotel.

Group steak dinner at K Too.

Lodge Accomodations and “Conveniences of Home”: The rooms were basic and the mattresses were decent enough to fall asleep. However, the rooms decreased in size at higher elevations - this meant there was less oxygen in the room which could make it difficult to breath while sleeping. At the higher elevations I was waking up quiet frequently because I couldn’t breath enough oxygen through my nose while sleeping.

$3-$8 is the rate for lodges (with no attached bathroom) but it’s implied that you will also order all meals from the lodge’s kitchen. If you opt to eat somewhere else an additional surcharge will be applied to your daily room rate. In some cases the surcharge was as high as $15. After leaving Namche, there’s not really options to eat anywhere but the lodge so this is less of an issue the farther you hike.

All but on of the lodges (Orsho) had Western toilets. You needed to bring your own toilet paper but if you ran out all the lodges had toilet paper available for sale.

The lodges have a common area to eat. At the higher elevations the tables are ringed around a central stove that heats the room. Depending upon the “fuel” used to heat the stove a down jacket may need to be worn at night to stay warm before going to bed. The yak patties burn for a long period of time but don’t put off much heat.

Most of the lodges had wifi available (Lobuche and beyond did not) and could charge batteries - both of which had chargeable fees. Unlimited wifi ~500R, full to one-hour charge - 200R - 300R.

Hot shower’s were available if not attached to your room. Average cost was 350R and shower style varied from electric or gas heat to dumping boiling water into a resevoir.

Internet cafes in Namche/Lukla charged 10R / minute; in Dingboche the rate was 20R/minute.

Lodge Menus: The menus are quite extensive but very similar. There’s rice, noodles, spaghetti, “macaroni”, Nepal staples of Dal Baht and momos, grilled sandwiches, potatoes, spring rolls, soup, and pizza. All dishes tasted great after a long day of hiking. Breakfast offerings included eggs, porridge, toast, hashbrowns, and pancakes.

There’s a phrase “the food prices rise with the elevation”. Since all food items are brought in by porters, the higher the porters go, the higher the prices. Prices were higher than Kathmandu but it wasn’t until reaching Gorak Shep, the final night’s lodge, that prices seemed a bit exohorbirnat. An individual pizza ranged from 400-600R but spiked to 800R at Gorak Shep. Water prices increase from 80R-100R in Lukla to 350R at Gorak Shep.

Altitude Sickness: You can take diamox and drink five liters of water each day but it seems like getting altitude sickness is luck of the draw. Physical fitness and hike preparation are key but there’s no way to predict how your body will react to the lack of oxygen at high altitudes. Those who sufferred from altitude sickness had horrible headaches.

In addition to altitude sickness some people will sufffer from lack of appetite, insomnia, and diarrhea. After reaching 4000M I stopped relying on the Aquatabs and purchased bottled water.

#ebc #everestbasecamp #everest #lukla #nepal #himalayas

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lvehowtopractical · 11 years ago

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HOW TO...SWIM WITH WHALE SHARKS [DONSOL, PHILIPPINES]

For similar posts see www.jimhamill.com.

There’s numerous places one can swim with whale sharks: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/77788

I visited Donsol in April 2014 so this How To… is written about this location.

Donsol Shark Viewing period runs November through May, historically peaking between February and April. It’s definitely the cheapest option available and the low cost of Philippines accommodation and food further makes this a good budget destination.

Donsol may not have the same volume of whale sharks as other locations - throughout the entire season maybe 200 unique sharks pass through Donsol Bay and at any given time there may not be more than 10 in the bay. That said it’s a very authentic experience without using helicopters or feeding techniques to find the sharks. You hop on a boat, hopefully a spotter finds one, jump in, and have an amazing experience.

You should also check when Holy Week, the week before Easter, occurs, as there will be an influx of visitors not to mention higher travel and accommodation costs.

GET IN:

International Arrival

The easiest way is to catch an onward flight from Manila to Legazpi. From Legazpi Airport avoid the taxi rank offering rides of 1,500 PHP (which can be negotiated down to 1,000 PHP) and hop in a tri-cycle to the Legazpi transport terminal (40-50 PHP). Board a UV Express mini-van for the one hour ride to Donsol (75 PHP). In Donsol town take another tri-cycle to your hotel (40-50 PHP).

Domestic Arrival

From Manila night buses complete the eight hour ride on a daily basis - a higher frequency of buses go to Legazpi.

From Cebu, if you don’t want to fly you can take an overnight ferry to Masbate - posted departures online show 3-4 departures per week. Masbate to Pilar (10 minutes south of Donsol) ferries every few hours.

INTERACTION EXPERIENCE:

Out of the Water

The dive center is in the center of the resort area and within walking distance or short tri-cycle ride of most hotels.

Boats with a six person maximum go out in three “waves” - 7:30am, 11:00am, and 2:00pm, although in practice the boats tend to go out as soon as six people are ready. As a solo traveler I was assigned with other people travelling in groups of two or three.

Boats do not always leave in the afternoon. Most people head out in the morning and two people I met tried to go in the afternoon but noone else was interested. The boat costs 3,500 PHP in total, so if six people go you’d pay 575 PHP. In one instance, five of us were ready to go at 9:30 and rather wait for a sixth we all paid 700 PHP.

For your first interaction you will need to pay a 300 PHP registration fee valid for five days and watch a ten minute safety and introductory video. Each subsequent visit you sign a similar waiver.

Snorkel, mask, and fins are available for rent at the interaction center for 300 PHP and its a good idea to check they work given the high volume of previous usage. The rentals are good for the day but you’ll probably only head out once.

On the Water

There is a limit of 30 boats on the water at a single time - 30 x 6 = 180 people which is a ton of swimmers even if there are a lot of sightings. On the days I went boats on the water varied from 5 - 10.

If a whale shark is spotted in the first few minutes all of the boats that have just left in the “wave” will congregate around this shark and give all their participants 2-3 passes at swimming with the whale shark. The boat will stop in front of where the shark is expected to go, everyone jumps into the water, and you wait for the shark to arrive; once it makes it’s appearance swim with it as long as you can.

When there are 10 boats around a single shark it gets a little hectic. The official Dive Rules state that there is a one boat to one shark limit but I think to accommodate everyone who’s come a long distance for this experience they break this rule. One day a whale shark interaction was with 10-15 people at a time around a single shark and this was still enjoyable; another day it was 20-30 people, with a smaller shark too, and this was much less enjoyable.

Shark sizes range from 5 meters to 10 meters. My experience was that the smaller sharks stayed closer to the surface (thus longer encounter experience) then the larger sharks.

You are suppose to stay 3 meters away from the head and side and 4 meters away from the tail - but underwater visibility is poor and in most cases your about 2 meters or less away. With all the people around its possible to accidentally bump the whale shark but any intentional grabbing and your boat will head back to shore.

I did three interactions, one per day, in total - all leaving between 7:30 and 10:00:

First - One whale shark - 6/7 meters, we spent an hour swimming with the shark hopping on and off the boat 7-8 times. After an hour we headed back to the center because it was unlikely we’d see another shark and after pestering this one for an hour it was best to leave it along.

Second - no sightings. Three hours is a long time to be on a boat.

Third - five sightings, three interactions - first whale shark was 4-5 meters and 30 other people around it at the same time.; second and third whale sharks were 9-10 meters but after the initial pass the sharks dove deeper and unable to swim beside them. We saw two others (could have been the same or the ones that dove deeper) but they were no longer near the surface by the time our boat was in a position to jump.

OTHER ACTIVITIES:

Fireflies - highly rated on TripAdvisor and large clusters are supposedly more impressive than the one’s you may see in your backyard. Long walk or tri-cycle from the whale shark center.

Island and Legazpi Area Day Trips - if you have immediate success and see a bunch of whale sharks on your first day there are other islands to snorkel and sites around Legazpi

Scuba - Manta Bowl; PADI courses are available but I believe there is a minimum (4) of participants required

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS:

Vitton, Woodland, and Elysia resorts are all a short 100-500 meter walk from the whale shark center. All have pools, bar areas, and beach access. The beaches are clean but incredibly narrow.

Woodland has three person dorms available for 500 PHP per night.

FOOD:

Each resort has a restaurant and the fare isn’t too bad. Specialities of Donsol include Bicol Express, a pork belly, coconut, chile, and shrimp paste meal, and kinunot a similar ray or shark based meal.

Barracuda is the only upscale restaurant available. Higher prices, smaller portions but worth the splurge if you here more than one night. Its located between Vitton and Woodland resorts.

#donsol #whalesharks #whale sharks #philippines #legazpi #woodlandresort #bicolexpress

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lvehowtopractical · 11 years ago

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HOW TO...ANGKOR WAT

This website gives an example of the do it yourself tours available: http://www.tuktothewats.com/

Whether you use this guy or not, the prices should be relatively consistent. I did the small circuit tour starting at 10 and was back at the hotel by 4. The rates only include transportation to and around the sites; if you want a guide you can hire one at the sites. The rates are also per tuk tuk and most will accommodate up to 4 people. However, the sites are huge, so if you partner with a random person you’ll need to move at one-another’s pace.

A one day pass costs $20, three days $40, and seven days $60. It’s possible to view the sunset the day prior and not have that visit count against your one day ticket. You could purchase a single ticket, view the sunset first night, and then take a tour the following day. Sunset or Sunrise tuk tuks cost $7 per trip; bike rental $1-$2.

You could bike the Angkor circuit. There’s a well paved road from Siem Reap and around Angkor. But...typically there’s two gates to the temple complexes and you’ll walk west to east thus you’ll do some backtracking to get back to your bike. Since the tuk tuk is a private rental you can have the driver stop wherever you’d like so you have the same level of freedom with a tuk tuk as you would a bike.

Angkor National Museum - On the way to Angkor Wat. $12 admission / $3 audio tour. A well laid out museum that provides an overview of the Angkor complexes and carved motifs. A one to two hour walk through the museum highlights the religious components of the statues throughout Angkor and explains the faces at Angkor Thom. There’s also a history overview of the Khmer civilization.

Angkor Wat - The temple faces west so most photographers head there early in the morning to get the photo with the colored sky in the background. Since the temple faces west, the afternoon sun provides the best photos of the temple itself. The famous photo you see is one of the rare instances in which the photo looks better than seeing it with your own eyes. The site is still impressive. There’s lots of crowds and you need to be patient walking around the inside of the site.

Angkor Thom - I liked this site the best. The highlight is Bayon which was 4 faces carved into the sides of 54 towers. For some reason, the huge crowds at Angkor Wat dissipate significantly on the way to Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom includes a few smaller complexes and a wall known as Elephant Terrace.

Ta Prohm - Tomb Raider Temple - trees have grown around the temple and as the roots expand it knocks down the temples leaving a pretty interesting path to walk around.

There is food available at the temples but it’s not in a formal restaurant setting so I wouldn’t get too adventurous. Water and drinks are available too but it can be difficult to find snacks - potato chips, chocolate bars, etc.

Siem Reap humidity is on another level from Phnom Penh and you’re exposed to sunlight most of the time you're walking around the temples.

One day at the Angkor temples may be enough. Each temple - Angkor Wat, Anchor Thom, and Ta Prohm is very distinct so there’s not too much fatigue compared to Bagan. Siem Reap has a few other sites for half and full day trips. I tried heading up to Koh Ker but only a few agencies offer the trip and if noone else is going it will cost a solo traveller $100+ vs. $40 if 3-4 other people go.

#angkorwat #angkor wat #siemreap #siem reap #bayon #angkornationalmuseum

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lvehowtopractical · 11 years ago

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HOW TO...TAKE A SLOW BOAT TO LUANG PRABANG

In Chiang Mai you will start to see agency offers for a three day, two night trip to LP for about 1,600-1,700 baht - this offer should include pickup from hotel, transportation to Chiang Khong with a stopover at The White Temple in Chiang Rai, a night’s stay in Chiang Khong, transportation to the Thai/Laos border, transportation from the Lao border to the Houay Xai port, and the two-day slow boat from Houay Xai to LP ticket and a few meals along the way. You’ll be on your own for the 20 baht (25 on weekend) Thai to Laos bus bridge crossing, $35 ($36 on weekend) visa on arrival, and a nights stay in Pakbeng.

DO IT YOURSELF:

The tour agency package is not a bad deal; if you do this yourself you’ll need a tuk tuk to the bus station (80 baht), bus ticket to Chiang Rai (145 baht) (which if not purchased a day before could be a three hour wait), bus ticket to Chiang Khong (65 baht), tuk tuk to/from Thai/Lao border to Houay Xia (80/100 baht), and the ferry ticket (1,000 baht) - this doesn’t include a one night’s stay in Houay Xia (which should be 300-400 baht) or any meals nor a stop to see The White Temple.

If you have the time Chiang Rai is worth a stop. The White Temple and their Saturday Night Market (not to be confused with the daily Night Bazaar) are a respite from the temple and market fatigue you may be suffering. From Chiang Rai you can see The White Temple in the morning (300 baht tuk tuk or 30 baht bus) and catch a bus to the Laos border in the afternoon. The buses to Laos leave every 30 minutes and takes about two hours. Tell the fare collector your plans because there’s a point you’ll hop off the bus before reaching Chiang Khong. At this point you’ll need to take a tuk tuk for 80 baht (or walk the 5k to the border).

Doing this yourself also allows you to spend a night in Houay Xai too - there’s nothing spectacular here but if you arrive around 3pm thats enough time to see the city and start to gain an appreciation for Laos.

Boat ticket prices are clearly marked at 220,000 kip for the two day journey, you’ll pay 240,000 kip (1,000 baht) at an agency in Houay Xai but that includes the tuk tuk transportation from hotel to the pier. It’s about a 2K walk from the hotel area to the pier.

SLOW BOAT EXPERIENCE:

Boat Departures:

It seems as though only one boat leaves per day thus doing this yourself with the expectation you can catch an earlier boat that will leave less than 100% full before the tour group crowds arrive may seem good in theory but not an actuality in practice. There’s one boat and it will be jammed. More boats may leave per day during the Dec-Jan high period but the sign at the boat pier only listed an 11:00am departure.

The first leg departure is 11 but it’s closer to 11:30 (this was low season) and you’ll arrive in Pakbeng by 5. The second leg departure is 9 but it’s closer to 9:30 and you’ll arrive in Luang Prabang at 4:45. The times are subjective to water current and how many stops there are for locals to board and depart.

Seating:

Day One and Day Two boats were different so seating recommendations vary - if there’s a large gap between the seats sitting up front where the seats face one another is preferable. If the seats up front are too close together and you won’t be able to stretch your legs without hitting the person opposite consider an aisle seat further back.

Meals:

The boat offers drinks, chips, and instant noodles. Hoauy Xai and Pakbeng minimarts and hotels sell made to order sandwiches and you can stock up on chips and drinks before departure. Both Hoauy Xai and Pakbeng have decent dinner options given how small the towns are. There’s not much to Pakbeng but it’s at a bend in the Mekong and offers an excellent view of the Mekong.

Pakbeng Hotels:

No need to panic about where you will stay the night in Pakbeng between the two legs of the trip. Someone may try to sell you a room before you leave Hoauy Xai - the people who went with this option on my trip had no complaints, but the person and rooms offered may vary.

There will be several hotel operators waiting for you when you disembark in Pakbeng. They’re not too aggressive and will offer a ride to their hotel. The hotels are along a single road so if you don’t like the place they take you simply walk to the place next door.

The Pakbeng hotel situation seemed to be a case of receiving what you paid for vs. overpaying for poor quality. For the solo traveler there’s limited single beds available but you should get a discount on the double - the place I stayed at was offering 150 baht per person, 300 baht per double, I was able to get it for 200 baht.

Luang Prabang Departure:

The ferry no longer drops passengers at Luang Prabang but 10K north of town. You’ll walk over a shaky plank then up a steep river bank to a ticket office where you purchase a 20,000 kip shared tuk tuk ride which will drop you off at your hotel in Luang Prabang. I’ve asked in LP about why this change but noone seems to have an answer.

Regardless the reason this is this situation now so there should be no confusion when you reach the departure point and it’s not LP proper. People on our boat knew this and decided to stage a mini protest and not exit the boat. After 10 minutes I’d had enough, walked to the back of the boat, grabbed my bags, and shoved my way to be the first off the boat. I won’t share my details views here but if you are going to protest, sit in the back, so those of us that accept the situation can exit rather than sit there in confusion. Also consider not traveling to a socialist, military council controlled country in the future.

#mekong #mekongriver #slowboat #luang prabang

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