Honda Bay Tour (DIY)

Going to Honda Bay 

Before heading straight to Honda Bay, we went to Chowking (along Rizal Ave.) to get some to-go breakfast/snacks. Some blogs advised of getting additional food to share with your boatmen so we bought us some extra. We then asked some bystanders directions of commuting to Honda Bay, and to our surprise, it is actually as easy as hailing a multicab bound to Sta. Lourdes (wharf) and in about 30-40mins, you’re already there!

Upon arriving, we went straight to one of those assistance desks. They briefed us on the rates of the boat rental and the islands’ entrance fees. The normal rate for a boat which can accommodate 6 persons is P1,300.00. At that time, we have this choice between touring the bay just by ourselves meaning we would pay for the entire cost of the boat rental, or follow some DIY bloggers’ advice of finding another small group whom we can share the boat (and the expense) with. The apprehension of joining a group na may sariling schedule got to us that’s why in the end, gumastos na lang kami ng P1,300 para hawak namin yung oras. We were also asked to pay for the environmental fee. May mga assistance personnel din doon na pwede ka na sa kanila magbayad ng entrance fees to some islands (don’t worry, may receipts naman at yun na lang ipapakita mo pagdating sa island) – Pambato Reef and Cowrie Island (you can also pay here if you want to avail their buffet lunch). Next, we rented mask & snorkel and dive booties (feet protection), bought mineral water and chips, and off we go!

 

Luli Island:

Luli Island is a strip of sandbar (not really an island per se) which is actually submerged underwater when it’s high tide thus the shortened name for “lulubog-lilitaw”. There’s a couple of floating bamboo shack structure you can swim to not far from the shore: one of which is where you can snorkel near it and feed schools of fishes with pieces of bread, the other one has an elevated wooden plank used for diving.

Pambato Reef:

Said to be discovered by local fishermen, this reef has floating bamboo structures docked near it where they welcome and brief tourist visitors. This is where you can see live corals, giant clams (taclobo), and different species of fish. I don’t know if you can snorkel on your own here but I remembered all tourists that time were guided by their boatman as they wade through the deep water. There’s a floating life buoy where we held on as our boatman, Dags, pulled it along. We were quite amazed by the experience that we asked Dags for a repeat which he kindly obliged.

Starfish Island:

This is just a small island with mangrove trees on one side. Starfishes? There’s actually not a lot of them. So para hindi masayang yung entrance fee na binayaran namin, nag-pictorial na lang kami ng bongga courtesy of Dags the boatman as our creative photographer. Hehe.

Pandan Island:

You can do a lot of things in this island. But first things first, gutom na kame e. Pagdating namin, we asked one island staff kung saan kame pwede makabili ng food since hindi kami nakapagbaon ng lunch. We were directed at the Pandan Restobar. A meal costs P150-P180 so medyo namamahalan kami kung good for 1 lang yung serving. Tinanong namin yung guy kung meron pang ibang mabibilihan ng food, sabi niya duon lang daw. Naka-order na kami ng nalaman namin na may fresh seafood just a few meters away na binebenta sabay paluto na din. Imagine yung buwisit ko dun sa guy! E di sana umorder na lang kami ng 1 meal sa Restobar (kailangan umorder para free na yung dining table or else you have to rent it) tsaka madaming extra rice then nagpaluto na lang ako ng shrimp and alimango, I would have been a happy camper then. Haays!

Suggestion: According to other blogs, pwede kayo bumili ng food/ulam (+uling) sa palengke sa bayan tapos ipa-ihaw nyo na lang sa mga bangkero na kasama nyo pagdating sa island (isama nyo na lang sila sa food since makakatipid naman kayo or bigyan nyo na lang ng tip after your tour). Yung cooked rice bumili na lang kayo sa bayan.

After lunch and konting pahinga, we were back swimming. We were surprised na madaming fish na malapit sa shore! When we waded deeper, nakita namin na madaming seagrass sa area kaya madami ding fish. We very much enjoyed snorkeling here kasi mababaw lang yung area. Aside from swimming, the island also offers body massage, henna tattoo and an area where you can play beach volleyball.

Cowrie Island:

Eto na yung huling island na pinuntahan namin. Di na kami nag-swimming kasi pagod na kami. Dito na kami nag-banlaw. Maayos naman yung shower area and cr nila. Afterwards, nag-“picture-picture” na lang kami before deciding it’s time to go home.

Going back to City Proper:

It’s already 4:30pm when we got back at the wharf. Naghintay lang kami sandali bago dumating yung multicab going back city proper. May mga trike din na nag-aalok ng transpo diretso na sa tinutuluyan namin but we decided to ride the multicab since magdi-dinner pa naman kami.

Computation of Expenses

I will give the amount both of us have incurred for the tour then just divide it later on by 2 so you could compare it to the ones offered by travel agents and also give you some pros and cons between doing DIY and getting a guided tour. Also, since we hired the boat only for ourselves, we disregarded the practical approach of doing DIY, thus, I will show another DIY computation which would lean on allotting more savings for yourselves.

As of October 2012, Agency Price for Honda Bay Tour is P1,300/person inclusive of private van transpo, boat rides and lunch. Rental of snorkeling gear and dive booties are not included. If we include said gears, I think you would have to add P200, making the total expense P1,500/person.

Our DIY experience:                                                                          For a more practical DIY experience:

Trike to Chowking                                 -  P      16.00                           Trike to Rizal Ave./Junction                  -  P      16.00

Multicab to Sta. Lourdes Wharf           -  P      50.00                           Multicab to Sta. Lourdes Wharf           -  P      50.00

Boat Rental                                            -  P  1,300.00                          Boat Rental (Shared)                             -  P    650.00

Environmental Fee                                 -  P      80.00                           Environmental Fee                                 -  P      80.00

Snorkeling Gear Rental                          -  P    200.00                           Snorkeling Gear Rental                          -  P    200.00

Dive Booties Rental                                  -  P    200.00                           Dive Booties Rental                                  -  P    200.00

Entrance Fees:                                                                                       Entrance Fees:*

Luli Island                                              -  P    100.00                           Luli Island                                              -  P    100.00

Pambato Reef                                         -  P    100.00                           Pambato Reef                                         -  P    100.00

Starfish Island                                        -  P    100.00                           Pandan Island                                        -  P    200.00

Pandan Island                                        -  P    200.00                           Cowrie Island                                         -  P    150.00

Cowrie Island                                         -  P    150.00                           Lunch                                                      -  P    360.00

Lunch                                                      -  P    390.00                           Multicab to Rizal Ave.                           -  P      50.00

Multicab to Rizal Ave.                           -  P      50.00                           Trike back to pension house                  -  P      20.00

Trike back to pension house                  -  P      20.00                           TOTAL                                                  -  P 2,176.00 / 2

TOTAL                                                  -  P 2,956.00 / 2                                                                                  = P 1,088.00/person

= P 1,478.00/person             * I didn’t include Starfish Island since wala ka naman

                                                masyado makikita doon. You could forego going there.

	DIY	Travel Agent
PROs	-If you rented the boat all for yourselves then you control your own time – you can spend as much time swimming, snorkeling, taking pictures or just strolling along the beaches of different islands as your free time permits you. -The adventure of commuting (I consider this an adventure because you get a slice of different experiences from the places you go to and from people you talked to). -Total expense is much less!	-You don’t have to worry about your ride. -A morning tour following a strict itinerary would ensure that you’re back at the town proper in the early afternoon, giving you time to do something else like shopping perhaps?
CONs	-You need to get up early to make sure there’s still a boat to ride. -Worrying how to get your lunch.	-If you are unlucky enough to be accompanied by obnoxiously loud co-tourists/passengers. -Unless you persuade your co-tourists/passengers to stay longer in a certain island so you could explore longer, then you have no choice but to follow what’s in the group’s itinerary.

Tips and Suggestions

Sa mga DIYers, ang unang concern ninyo is that you should go to the wharf early para maka-secure ng boat, or even para makahanap ng ka-share kung namamahalan kayo sa rental price. Your second concern is your food. Now you have several choices here: buy take-out meals from fastfood joints, buy food at Pandan Island, make reservations for a buffet lunch in Cowrie Island, or buy your raw ulam at the market then ipa-ihaw sa boatman pagdating ninyo to one of the islands. With those two things out of the way, everything else would be your own storied adventure.

Now, for those who are accompanied by children or elderlies, it would be convenient for you to call your travel agents for the tour. I don’t think your company would appreciate those vehicle transfers. Finally, if you have money to spend, there’s no reason why you would do a DIY (unless it’s for adventurism purposes), good for you if you can afford the luxury. =)