Travel info please re: Easter period

[jeff99]

Hi!

Just trying to finalise our trip to Philippines - we were going in February, but have had to settle for March/April (due to a few unexpected things!) Hope someone can help with a few questions.

We hope to arrive in Cebu on the 16th March and go straight to S. Leyte for 2 weeks which will take us to the 30th March. We then go back to Cebu and on to Alona Beach or Balicasag for 6 or 7 days which will take us to the 5th or 6th of April. We then need to get back to Cebu for our flight home. Will there be any problems travelling at this time? Obviously being over the Easter period we are a bit worried about not getting back to Cebu and missing our flight! ( 6th is Good Friday) If we come back to Cebu on the 5th - the Thursday, will there be any rooms or are we being a bit hopeful?

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks v much

Jeff & Susi

 

[shugar]

the best tip i can offer you is to book your rooms in all your stops NOW

that way, whatever happens you don't end up sleeping (literally) in the streets... travel during holy tuesday, holy wednesday and some of maundy thursday can be a cast iron beeyatch at best due to the number of people going to the provinces to be with loved ones or to escape the city

actual operation of transports like ferries MIGHT be interupted on good friday - it's best to check directly with the operators

things return to some sense of normalcy on black saturday then the madness reverses itself on easter sunday when the world begins to return to the cities to begin work again on monday

hope this helps

Jag

 

[jeff99]

Hi Jag

Thought there may be problems! Have had a quick rethink and have decided that the best thing to do would be to put it all back a week - travel to Leyte on the 28th - ish, stay until the 11th and then go to Balicasag/Alona for a week. this would mean that we are in Sogod over the entire Easter period. ( Have emailed them for room availability - fingers crossed!)

Hope this all works out!

Thanks for the info

Jeff & Susi

 

[shugar]

that's great - absolutely no need for you to hassle yourself by joining the mobs on the road

it's early, you can still be lucky :biggrin:

Jag

 

[pyrodiver]

Good advise Jag!

Jeff another tip, in the provinces, I grew up in Samar, that's island right beside Leyte... No one travels on Good Friday. Very very conservative.... Ask the resort if they will still take a boat out on that day or if you want to... Usually, nothing happens on Good Friday...

 

[jeff99]

Yahaaay we're in!

Flying on 28th March, arrive 29th at 1.15 pm. Might have to overnight in Cebu as I'm not sure we can get to Leyte same day. We then spend 2 weeks in Sogod Bay and then a week in Alona Beach or Balicasag. Travelling from Leyte would be on the 12th - after the Easter period.

Good point about Good Friday Pyrodiver - if it's customary to do nothing, then that's what we'll do as we have no wish to offend anyone.

Just waiting for the confirmation from the resort, but hopefully will be OK. Don't suppose anyone knows what the luggage allowance is on Qatar Airways do they? They say 20kg's on their website, but the agent says 30 kg - had a very vague email back from their customer services and still not sure - they say that it's 20kg, but on certain routes they allow more to be competetive with other carriers. ( Would have thought that telling them where we were going would have made it easier for them but didn't seem to..........)

Thanks very much for the info

Jeff&Susi

 

[shugar]

thanks doy. and good thing you told jeff about good friday practices in that region

@jeff: good friday is generally a shutdown day for the whole country (except muslim mindanao i'd think)... so you can definitely use this day to have a lot of great quiet surface time with Susi... you'll still get full service at the resort

or you can ask to go to the nearest town or city center - i'm assuming the good friday lenten crucifixion traditions would be a delight to behold

Jag

 

[jeff99]

"or you can ask to go to the nearest town or city center - i'm assuming the good friday lenten crucifixion traditions would be a delight to behold"

Er, probably give that one a miss Jag and just do a bit of off-gassing instead!

Have got the tickets and booked with Sogod Bay, but have not decided on our Balicasag/Alona Beach week. Have emailed Balicasag but they have not replied. We were also thinking of renting a room for a week and maybe trying one or two operators there for diving. Any recommendations?

Jeff ( & Susi)

 

[shugar]

"or you can ask to go to the nearest town or city center - i'm assuming the good friday lenten crucifixion traditions would be a delight to behold"

Er, probably give that one a miss Jag and just do a bit of off-gassing instead!

Have got the tickets and booked with Sogod Bay, but have not decided on our Balicasag/Alona Beach week. Have emailed Balicasag but they have not replied. We were also thinking of renting a room for a week and maybe trying one or two operators there for diving. Any recommendations?

Jeff ( & Susi)

ok... but lenten season festivities can be quite the sight in the provinces (much more so than in manila)

regarding bohol - ask Caloy - he's the resident expert... oh, and pakman... they have great trip reports posted here somewhere (in the PPD section) w/c include great recos on resorts, sights and operators

Jag

 

[bizcad]

According to this reference.

http://catholicism.about.com/od/easter/f/tyeasterfaq.htm

Easter is April 15, 2006. What am I missing?

Nick Stein