Shore 2 Shore Travel Services
J and I are, like, the worst kind of clients a travel service can have.
Let me expound on this. I am what you call a "sale booker" when it comes to flights. Meaning, I only book flights when it's Piso sale at Cebu Pac. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. I can say that about 98% of my ticket purchases were done on Piso sale.
Aside from that, J and I are masters of commute. And we love it. Meaning, we commute everywhere when we travel! (This got us in trouble in Bangkok though.) For us, commuting is part of immersing yourself in the culture. So we walk and commute everywhere. So we hate any fixed tours.
We are also super cheap people. We don't mind staying in places that look like bathrooms, as long as they're safe. If you're wondering why we do this, it's because J and I travel differently from other people.
Everyday, J and I work. By everyday, I mean, EVERYDAY. We don't have rest days, weekends, etc. We work everyday. We work until 10PM. The good thing about our work is, we can work from wherever, so we get to bring our kids to school, bring them home, feed them, tutor them ourselves, do the grocery, etc. But we work everyday, anywhere we are in the world, from morning to night. So our travels are actually cumulated rest days! We would work everyday for 2 months, then take a trip or go out of town for a few days. Usually if abroad, we are gone for 6-14 days. Crazy right? We're not there to shop, we want to sit down, experience the culture by watching people work and walk around. We take the first few days to see alllll the necessary tourist attractions, then the rest of the time we wander around and get lost. I think those are the best parts of the trip, actually!
So in getting cheap rooms, we don't go through travel agencies. We have this belief that we get it much cheaper if we book everything ourselves (Shore 2 Shore would prove me wrong on this one, as you will read later on.)
Since these tickets and cheapo rooms are usually booked 6 months to a year in advance, I can choose to lessen the amount of bookings if our flight falls on a weekend. However, this is rarely the case. Usually, so many bookings are booked on that week, and we let go of our flights. Meaning, we don't use the tickets at all. This has happened around 5 times. It's a waste of money, I know, but it doesn't hurt so much because it's usually only P1,000/head or less for us, plus hotel reservations if any.
With our Coron trip, it was a quick one, only 4 days, plus all days fell on weekdays. I was pretty much prepared for all the events for the coming week, and my staff could handle all the rest. (It must be noted here though that I ended up booking an earlier flight home because I just wanted to go back to work, and it cost me P8,000! Gazzooooks!)
It took me a long time to decide on whether we would push through with this trip, but a few months back I saw a deal on Groupon for a Coron getaway package, P8,000 for 2 nights for 2. It included the transfers from the airport, 2 nights stay in a hotel, island hopping with guide, meals, dinners. Unlike my travels abroad, I had zero research for Coron. I'm usually OC, but I was never sure if we were going to Coron (we had already missed several flights to Palawan before). So I booked this package, just to be sure. Plus, it seemed like a really good deal!
So when did we decide we were going? Just 4 days before! Bad, right? When I actually emailed Shore 2 Shore, I wasn't sure if they'd reply since it was short notice. But they replied right away! They politely told us that they'll do their best since it's short notice, within the day they emailed me options and offered me other options for the next 2 nights of our trip (since my voucher was only good for 2 nights, and we planned on staying 4 nights.)
I just agreed to everything they suggested because 1) we were planning on roughing it out anyways, like we always do when the kids weren't with us. AKA kahit banyo pa yan, okay lang, and 2) I felt like they were just doing us a favor, since I know I was booking so late, and I was nahihiya already.
I will be blogging more of our happy trip in Coron eventually, but I just wanted to write ahead about Shore 2 Shore because they proved me wrong about travel agencies, namely;
1. Not all travel agencies are bad. Some travel agencies are PRETTY DARN AWESOME.
J and I had a bad experience where our travel agency sent us to the wrong port for our cruise, and we ended up running halfway through to HK to make it in time for our cruise. I was pregnant!! Oh, the stress! Same travel agency got my brother in trouble with his UK Visa!
But apparently, there are responsible travel agencies like Shore 2 Shore. We did not have to look for anything, everything was prepared when we got there, our trips were all ready. Everywhere we went, they were expecting us. Everything they booked for us was delicious, comfortable, safe. We got daily updates on where to go and what to expect. They really changed my perception of travel agencies, and I look forward to booking my next trip with them. If you are a foreigner and are looking for a reliable travel agency, trust me, book this one and you'll have an amazing time.
2. Sometimes, trying to do everything yourself is a waste of time. You CAN save more money by booking through an agency.
Like I said before, J and i are eternal commuters. HOWEVER, we have made several mistakes in our travels that have made our commutes more expensive than if we booked through a travel agency. For instance, if we booked in a slightly more expensive hotel in HK, they have free airport transfers, instead of taking the MTR Airport Shuttle or taxi which costs an arm and a leg.Aside from that, your arms and legs get gangrene from carrying all those bags!
When we stepped our of the Coron airport, we were literally in the middle of NOWHERE. We could have taken a shuttle, I think, with the other travelers. But there was comfort in knowing that when we came out, we wouldn't have to flag one down. City proper was about 20-30 minutes away from the Airport.
Aside from that, after the trip, I checked the listed rates of our hotels. We got them WAYYYY cheaper as a package. Same goes for the restaurants we ate in.
3. Some Travel Agencies know best.
I wondered why our dinners were scheduled outside our hotel, knowing that our hotel also offered meals. I would discover later that our travel agency wanted us to try the best of the restaurants in Coron. The food in the places we are were DELICIOUS. Okay. One time, we ate on a place I chose (the agency didn't pick it.) Needless to say, J was making faces at me the whole night (haha). But it said online that this place was super good!!! Apparently, not everything online is true (well, I knew that, but this blog was a reliable source.) In other words, Shore 2 Shore already narrowed it down to the best. And looking at the rates of places, our package was super good deal, because it would be P300-P600/head if we just walked in ourselves!
4. Some Travel Agencies, like Shore 2 Shore, know the safest and most practical tours.
J and I have gotten ourselves, well, into some funny situations abroad. See our Bangkok Scam post to see a sample. I guess it's part of travelling on your own, without groups? So we are super mega extra cautious, especially when we are in the Philippines. I mean, if you get in trouble in the middle of the mountains, it's harder right? And we know the culture here makes it easier to get in trouble, if you know what I mean.
Our whole trip was a) safe, b) surrounded by amazing, friendly people (though I think Coron in general is amazing and friendly, c) perfectly planned. The Island trips were organized, the boats were clean and safe, the places we went to were EXTREMELY clean and safe. How clean are the boats, you say? The wash the outside of the boats and wipe them down immediately after we disembark from the boats. The snorkeling and diving sites were safe, even for 3 year old kids. As in, we were snorkeling with 3 year old kids! I think part of this is due to Coron's amazing tourism (more on this later), but we were very happy that Shore 2 Shore booked the perfect tours for us.
5. Some Travel Agencies offer EXCELLENT customer service.
You know how some travel agencies don't really care how your trip went? They get your money, dispatch you, and you never hear from them again? Shore 2 Shore would ask us how our trip was going. A few weeks after, they asked me how the whole thing went. And I told them honestly, it went PERFECTLY.
I just want to note that this customer service extended to the hotels they booked. The last place we stayed in, Darayonan Lodge, was kind enough to LBC me back a charger I left behind. I find that amazing, because I have never had any place send me back stuff I left behind! This one was important to, since it was my S4 charger, and might be expensive if I bought a new one. Imagine that?
I never liked traveling locally because I felt it was more expensive than traveling abroad. This might sound ridiculous, but it's the way we travel to other countries that makes it cheaper for us. But after this experience, I will DEFINITELY start traveling more locally. I didn't realize we were missing out on such amazing, beautiful places. I don't even know how Bali or others can compare to Palawan! It's so beautiful! And we're definitely booking through Shore 2 Shore on our next local destination.
Shore 2 Shore Travel Services
Telephone numbers (63-2) 4758806-07
Mobile number (63-906) 9003019; (63-923) 2880661; (63-999) 6040017
Fax number (63-2) 5593079
Email address - shore2shore.mlaofc@gmail.com
http://www.shore2shore-travel-services.com/
Let me expound on this. I am what you call a "sale booker" when it comes to flights. Meaning, I only book flights when it's Piso sale at Cebu Pac. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. I can say that about 98% of my ticket purchases were done on Piso sale.
Aside from that, J and I are masters of commute. And we love it. Meaning, we commute everywhere when we travel! (This got us in trouble in Bangkok though.) For us, commuting is part of immersing yourself in the culture. So we walk and commute everywhere. So we hate any fixed tours.
We are also super cheap people. We don't mind staying in places that look like bathrooms, as long as they're safe. If you're wondering why we do this, it's because J and I travel differently from other people.
Everyday, J and I work. By everyday, I mean, EVERYDAY. We don't have rest days, weekends, etc. We work everyday. We work until 10PM. The good thing about our work is, we can work from wherever, so we get to bring our kids to school, bring them home, feed them, tutor them ourselves, do the grocery, etc. But we work everyday, anywhere we are in the world, from morning to night. So our travels are actually cumulated rest days! We would work everyday for 2 months, then take a trip or go out of town for a few days. Usually if abroad, we are gone for 6-14 days. Crazy right? We're not there to shop, we want to sit down, experience the culture by watching people work and walk around. We take the first few days to see alllll the necessary tourist attractions, then the rest of the time we wander around and get lost. I think those are the best parts of the trip, actually!
So in getting cheap rooms, we don't go through travel agencies. We have this belief that we get it much cheaper if we book everything ourselves (Shore 2 Shore would prove me wrong on this one, as you will read later on.)
Since these tickets and cheapo rooms are usually booked 6 months to a year in advance, I can choose to lessen the amount of bookings if our flight falls on a weekend. However, this is rarely the case. Usually, so many bookings are booked on that week, and we let go of our flights. Meaning, we don't use the tickets at all. This has happened around 5 times. It's a waste of money, I know, but it doesn't hurt so much because it's usually only P1,000/head or less for us, plus hotel reservations if any.
With our Coron trip, it was a quick one, only 4 days, plus all days fell on weekdays. I was pretty much prepared for all the events for the coming week, and my staff could handle all the rest. (It must be noted here though that I ended up booking an earlier flight home because I just wanted to go back to work, and it cost me P8,000! Gazzooooks!)
It took me a long time to decide on whether we would push through with this trip, but a few months back I saw a deal on Groupon for a Coron getaway package, P8,000 for 2 nights for 2. It included the transfers from the airport, 2 nights stay in a hotel, island hopping with guide, meals, dinners. Unlike my travels abroad, I had zero research for Coron. I'm usually OC, but I was never sure if we were going to Coron (we had already missed several flights to Palawan before). So I booked this package, just to be sure. Plus, it seemed like a really good deal!
So when did we decide we were going? Just 4 days before! Bad, right? When I actually emailed Shore 2 Shore, I wasn't sure if they'd reply since it was short notice. But they replied right away! They politely told us that they'll do their best since it's short notice, within the day they emailed me options and offered me other options for the next 2 nights of our trip (since my voucher was only good for 2 nights, and we planned on staying 4 nights.)
I just agreed to everything they suggested because 1) we were planning on roughing it out anyways, like we always do when the kids weren't with us. AKA kahit banyo pa yan, okay lang, and 2) I felt like they were just doing us a favor, since I know I was booking so late, and I was nahihiya already.
I will be blogging more of our happy trip in Coron eventually, but I just wanted to write ahead about Shore 2 Shore because they proved me wrong about travel agencies, namely;
1. Not all travel agencies are bad. Some travel agencies are PRETTY DARN AWESOME.
J and I had a bad experience where our travel agency sent us to the wrong port for our cruise, and we ended up running halfway through to HK to make it in time for our cruise. I was pregnant!! Oh, the stress! Same travel agency got my brother in trouble with his UK Visa!
But apparently, there are responsible travel agencies like Shore 2 Shore. We did not have to look for anything, everything was prepared when we got there, our trips were all ready. Everywhere we went, they were expecting us. Everything they booked for us was delicious, comfortable, safe. We got daily updates on where to go and what to expect. They really changed my perception of travel agencies, and I look forward to booking my next trip with them. If you are a foreigner and are looking for a reliable travel agency, trust me, book this one and you'll have an amazing time.
2. Sometimes, trying to do everything yourself is a waste of time. You CAN save more money by booking through an agency.
Like I said before, J and i are eternal commuters. HOWEVER, we have made several mistakes in our travels that have made our commutes more expensive than if we booked through a travel agency. For instance, if we booked in a slightly more expensive hotel in HK, they have free airport transfers, instead of taking the MTR Airport Shuttle or taxi which costs an arm and a leg.Aside from that, your arms and legs get gangrene from carrying all those bags!
When we stepped our of the Coron airport, we were literally in the middle of NOWHERE. We could have taken a shuttle, I think, with the other travelers. But there was comfort in knowing that when we came out, we wouldn't have to flag one down. City proper was about 20-30 minutes away from the Airport.
Aside from that, after the trip, I checked the listed rates of our hotels. We got them WAYYYY cheaper as a package. Same goes for the restaurants we ate in.
3. Some Travel Agencies know best.
I wondered why our dinners were scheduled outside our hotel, knowing that our hotel also offered meals. I would discover later that our travel agency wanted us to try the best of the restaurants in Coron. The food in the places we are were DELICIOUS. Okay. One time, we ate on a place I chose (the agency didn't pick it.) Needless to say, J was making faces at me the whole night (haha). But it said online that this place was super good!!! Apparently, not everything online is true (well, I knew that, but this blog was a reliable source.) In other words, Shore 2 Shore already narrowed it down to the best. And looking at the rates of places, our package was super good deal, because it would be P300-P600/head if we just walked in ourselves!
4. Some Travel Agencies, like Shore 2 Shore, know the safest and most practical tours.
J and I have gotten ourselves, well, into some funny situations abroad. See our Bangkok Scam post to see a sample. I guess it's part of travelling on your own, without groups? So we are super mega extra cautious, especially when we are in the Philippines. I mean, if you get in trouble in the middle of the mountains, it's harder right? And we know the culture here makes it easier to get in trouble, if you know what I mean.
Our whole trip was a) safe, b) surrounded by amazing, friendly people (though I think Coron in general is amazing and friendly, c) perfectly planned. The Island trips were organized, the boats were clean and safe, the places we went to were EXTREMELY clean and safe. How clean are the boats, you say? The wash the outside of the boats and wipe them down immediately after we disembark from the boats. The snorkeling and diving sites were safe, even for 3 year old kids. As in, we were snorkeling with 3 year old kids! I think part of this is due to Coron's amazing tourism (more on this later), but we were very happy that Shore 2 Shore booked the perfect tours for us.
5. Some Travel Agencies offer EXCELLENT customer service.
You know how some travel agencies don't really care how your trip went? They get your money, dispatch you, and you never hear from them again? Shore 2 Shore would ask us how our trip was going. A few weeks after, they asked me how the whole thing went. And I told them honestly, it went PERFECTLY.
I just want to note that this customer service extended to the hotels they booked. The last place we stayed in, Darayonan Lodge, was kind enough to LBC me back a charger I left behind. I find that amazing, because I have never had any place send me back stuff I left behind! This one was important to, since it was my S4 charger, and might be expensive if I bought a new one. Imagine that?
I never liked traveling locally because I felt it was more expensive than traveling abroad. This might sound ridiculous, but it's the way we travel to other countries that makes it cheaper for us. But after this experience, I will DEFINITELY start traveling more locally. I didn't realize we were missing out on such amazing, beautiful places. I don't even know how Bali or others can compare to Palawan! It's so beautiful! And we're definitely booking through Shore 2 Shore on our next local destination.
Shore 2 Shore Travel Services
Telephone numbers (63-2) 4758806-07
Mobile number (63-906) 9003019; (63-923) 2880661; (63-999) 6040017
Fax number (63-2) 5593079
Email address - shore2shore.mlaofc@gmail.com
http://www.shore2shore-travel-services.com/
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| Coron, you were stunning beyond words. I hope to back again soon! |
Your blog is a great help Maam my boyfriend and I are planning to have a vacation in Canoe Beach Resort and saw a good package deal at shore2shore travel agency and of course I wanna make sure if the agency is legitimate and so far I am reading good feed backs on the agency.. I will send them a message now for booking.. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't like travel agencies, but shore2shore was excellent, without a doubt! Hope you have a good trip!
DeleteI booked with shore 2 shore for a Davao tour this coming October. I had a very accommodating agent. I hope, I will get the same experience when we are already in Davao.
DeleteI'm sure you'll have an excellent trip, and they'll have a great itinerary lined up for you =D
Deletethis blog and the photos make me to go ahead and look further for a trip to South east asia soon. thank you and keep it up
ReplyDelete