Aventuras De Viaje's Blog, page 22

Living in Baybay, Leyte, Philippines

This post is about my experience of living in Baybay.

It has been written after about one week of living in Baybay and will get updated as needed during my time here. I plan to spend about four months in total living in Baybay.

Baybay is a small city on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. It is about an hour van ride south of Ormoc. Ormoc is about a three hour ferry ride from Cebu City.

Right Picture: The loft in my apartment. Sometimes I use it to exercise.

Featured Picture: Overlooking the bay.

Living in Baybay

The last time I have stopped traveling for more than two weeks was probably xmas just gone when I went home for about six weeks. That was only six months ago but the non-stop travel has taken it’s toll, particularly on the financial front. I have also missed just living independently in one place. Going to the market, cooking, etc.

Originally I had planned to check out a few different locations on Leyte but I got to Baybay and within a few days had pretty much gotten fully set-up. Maybe it was a bit hasty but I am happy to spend at least a few months living in Baybay and get a bunch of work done.

Getting Set Up

A girl I met online, whom quickly became my best friend in Baybay, helped me alot to set up. We looked a a couple of places but in the end I decided on a two bedroom one bathroom place which was advertised on the building across the road from the GV Hotel. It was a little more expensive than the others we had looked at but way better so definitely worth it. It even has a loft and a yard where we put up a hammock. It costs 4000php a month plus bills which I do not imagine will be very much.

Unfortunately the place was unfurnished but I managed to get everything I needed within a couple of days of living in Baybay. Since I am a minimalist and am only here for a few months I went with very basic furnishing with only the essentials.

The most expensive thing I bought was probably the bedding. I got the cheapest mattress I could (no bed frame) which was actually pretty comfortable and came as two-for-one. I used the second one as a make-shift punching bag. Together with a pillow, sheet and blanket it cost approximately 2000php.

Other major items I got was a portable gas stove which runs on refillable gas canisters (approx 1000php with three gas canisters +20php to refill a gas canister), a plastic table to eat/work at (565php) and a fan (approx 600php).

Instead of buying a fridge (which would have been about 10,000) I just got a polystyrene box for a couple of hundred pesos and I put a kilo of ice in it every other day (2php/kilo). I also got a big water drum which only costs 20php to refill.

All other little things (kichen, bathroom, etc) would definately not have been more than 2000php all-together.

Unfortunately I was unable to get an internet hard-line because apparently you have to be on the main road to get it, so I will have to make do with using my phone as a hotspot. I did try out a pocket wifi but it was terrible compared to my phone. I think it is because my phone is with Smart and is LTE capable whereas the pocket wifi was with Globe. In hind-site living in Baybay (or the Philippines in general) is actually one of the worst places for me to get lots of work done because the internet is terrible here.

My kitchen/study area.

Making it Financially Worthwhile

This is a very rough calculation / comparison.

Living for Two Months

Two months rent = 8000php

Estimated bills for two months (including internet and quoted high) = 3000php.

Furnishing the house = 6000php (rounded up)

Visa Cost for two months = 10, 000php (the visa costs change depending on your length of stay etc. On average I think 5000php a month is more than enough, which will also include travel expenses)

Total 27,000 for two months.

Compared to Traveling

500php/night for 60 nights is 30,000.

There is no need to calculate any more. 500php/night is on the low side for accommodation. Often I pay up to 700php. Food is not calculated because cooking is definitely cheaper than eating out. The other major expense is the actauly act of travel, which is actually quite alot. In reality the break-even point is probably about six weeks.

As long as I stay living in Baybay for at least two months I come out on top financially. I actually plan to stay for at least three months, probably more like six. This should give me enough time to build up SurvivalFitnessPlan.com and finish off some other projects.

My backyard with hammock and “trash fire”.

Need somewhere to sleep while visiting Baybay in Leyte? Find your perfect accommodation no matter what your budget.

The House

Well it’s not a house. They call it an apartment but it isn’t that either. I would say it is a duplex, although there are four of them.

It has two bedrooms which is good. I sleep in one and use the other as a training room. It also has a loft which I could (and do) use for training too.

The running water is temperamental. I keep two big buckets constantly filled in-case it cuts out, which is semi-regularly. Also, the electricity cuts out sometimes, but this seems to affect the whole city.

There is a small yard outside where we lie in the hammock, light the fire (they just burn all the trash which I don’t totally agree with but there doesn’t seem to be any other option. I suppose I could have walked our trash into town every day), wash clothes, watch the animals (there are some wild chickens, a cat and a couple of dogs that come and go every now and then), and just generally chill.

I hope to (eventually) grow some vegetables in the yard. Currently there is already lemon-grass and moringa.

There are lots of roosters around (which I expected) so I get a good wake-up call every morning. There’s not too many mosquitoes which I was pleasantly surprised about. My neighbors are a mother and her small child. Her husband works away (a seaman or something). The seem nice.

The area is safe and (relatively) quiet. Just enough out of the city without being too far to walk.

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Baybay City

I may have jumped the gun a little when decided to live in Baybay. I originally intended to check out a few other cities first but having the help to set up meant it all kind of just happened. As it turns out living in Baybay was a good choice. It has everything I need whilst being a small city. Not too busy, easy to walk around and relatively easy to get too.

There is a public swimming pool where I can do laps. I checked it out but haven’t actually used it yet.

There is a small massage place but I haven’t checked that out yet either. I hope it does Thai Massage otherwise I might have to go to Ormoc every other week to get one.

The biggest shopping complex is Prince which is kind of like a small walmart in that you can buy food, clothes, housewares and other things. For fresh food there is the market near the bay. It has tofu which is great but no mushrooms. Also, I couldn’t find any coconut oil which is strange in the Philippines but apparently my friend knows how to make it and they have heaps of coconuts at her grandmothers place in the mountains.

VSU is a short jeepney ride away. I haven’t been there yet either but it is known as the “resort university” so I’m keen to go there soon. I think there is a big lap pool and a book shop there also.

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll get settled into living in Baybay and then I will actually check out these things and will update this post.

No doubt that while I’m living in Baybay every now and again I will want to do see some other places and there are a few key spots in the general vicinity I want to check out. I’ll write posts about them as I go to them also.

Getting to Baybay, Leyte

The closest airport is Tacloban. From Tacloban it is a two and a bit hour long bus ride to Baybay and it costs 150php. I’m not sure how to get from Tacloban Airport to the bus station because I never did it but the shuttle from Baybay to Tacloban stops at the airport on the way. Whilst in Tacloban i did see Jeepneys with the destination as airport whcih means there must be ones going in the opposite direction. The city isn’t really that far from the airport. I reckon a tricycle wouldn’t be more than 50php, probably much less.

Cebu City is another entry point. You can catch a ferry direct from Cebu to Baybay but there is only one a day. I never did this but from talking to locals it seems to be approximately 250php and taking five or so hours (it is not a fast ferry).

More frequent ferries go from Cebu to Ormoc. This ride takes about three hours and costs about 600php. From Ormoc the minivan ride only takes an hour (not including waiting time) and costs less than 100php.

Have you / Do you live in Baybay, Leyte? Leave us your tips about living in Baybay (or anything else you want to say) in the comments

GV Hotel Tacloban Review, Leyte, Philippines

This post is a GV Hotel Tacloban review.

GV Hotel Tacloban is the cheapest accommodation I could find online in Tacloban. Tacloban is the capital of Leyte which is an island province in the Philippines.

This GV Hotel Tacloban review includes personal opinions and useful information including directions, pictures, costs, etc.

Right Picture: The lobby was always pretty crowded with people waiting for thier rooms and/or using the internet.

Featured Picture: View of GV Hotel Tacloban from the street.

For the quick version of this GV Hotel Tacloban review you can scroll to the bottom of this post and look in the reviews. Mine is the first one

GV Hotel Baybay Review, Leyte, Philippines

This post is a GV Hotel Baybay review.

GV Hotel Baybay is yet another of the GV Hotel Chains which I had the pleasure of staying in. Baybay is a small city located in Leyte about 1 hour drive south of Ormoc, or two hours from Tacloban.

This GV Hotel Baybay review includes personal opinions and useful information including directions, pictures, costs, etc.

Right Picture: Inside my room at the GV Hotel in Baybay.

Featured Picture: Taken from the street.

For the quick version of this GV Hotel Baybay review you can scroll to the bottom of this post and look in the reviews. Mine is the first one

GV Hotel Ormoc City Review, Leyte, Philippines

This post is a GV Hotel Ormoc City review.

GV Hotel Ormoc City is cheap accommodation in Ormoc City which is a port city in Leyte, Philippines.

This GV Hotel Ormoc City review includes personal opinions and useful information including directions, pictures, costs, etc.

Right Picture: The Ormoc Public market is fairly large for a small city.

Featured Picture: GV Hotel Ormoc from the street.

For the quick version of this GV Hotel Ormoc City review you can scroll to the bottom of this post and look in the reviews. Mine is the first one

Villa Juana Review, Bohol, Philippines

This post is a Villa Juana review.

Villa Juana Review – Beachfront – Survive Travel

Villa Juana is studio apartment style accommodation on Panglao Island (Bohol) not far from Alona Beach, in the Philippines.

This Villa Juana review includes personal opinions and useful information including directions, pictures, costs, etc.

Right Picture: View from the balcony.

Featured Picture: Looking back to our accommodation from the seaside.

For the quick version of this Villa Juana review you can scroll to the bottom of this post and look in the reviews. Mine is the first one

White Beach Review, Bohol, Philippines

This post is a White Beach review.

White Beach is a white sand beach much quieter than its neighbouring Alona Beach. It is found on Panglao Island, Bohol, in the Philippines.

This White Beach review includes personal opinions and useful information including directions, pictures, costs, etc.

Right Picture: People on the beach.

Featured Picture: To the left of White Beach there was no people.

For the quick version of this White Beach review you can scroll to the bottom of this post and look in the reviews. Mine is the first one

Mag-Aso Falls Review, Bohol, Philippines

This post is a Mag-Aso Falls review.

Mag-Aso Falls is a waterfall found near the town of Antequera which is on Bohol Island in the Philippines.

This Mag-Aso Falls review includes personal opinions and useful information including directions, pictures, costs, etc.

Right Picture: The walk in.

Featured Picture: Mag-Aso Falls from above.

For the quick version of this Mag-Aso Falls review you can scroll to the bottom of this post and look in the reviews. Mine is the first one

Loboc Man-Made Forest Review, Bohol, Philippines

This post is a Loboc Man-Made Forest review.

Loboc Man-Made Forest is exactly what the name suggests – A man-made forest in Loboc. Loboc is in the south-west interior of Bohol, which is an island in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines.

This Loboc Man-Made Forest review includes personal opinions and useful information including directions, pictures, costs, etc.

Right Picture: Benches in the Bilar Eco Park.

Featured Picture: The road passing through the Loboc Man-Made Forest

For the quick version of this Loboc Man-Made Forest review you can scroll to the bottom of this post and look in the reviews. Mine is the first one

Bamboo Hanging Bridge Review, Bohol, Philippines

Bamboo Hanging Bridge Review, Bohol, Philippines

bamboo-hanging-bridge-review-bohol

This post is a Bamboo Hanging Bridge review.

The Bamboo Hanging Bridge is a bridge made from bamboo. It is located about 6km north of Loboc, on the road to Sevilla, which is in Bohol, Philippines.

This Bamboo Hanging Bridge review includes personal opinions and useful information including directions, pictures, costs, etc.

Right Picture: View from the middle of the bridge.

Featured Picture: The original Bamboo Hanging Bridge and the second one which (I’m guessing) they built so peep’s could come back.

For the quick version of this Bamboo Hanging Bridge review you can scroll to the bottom of this post and look in the reviews. Mine is the first one

Skypark Pensionne Review, Cebu City, Philippines

This post is a Skypark Pensionne review.

Skypark Pensionne is budget to mid-range accommodation a couple of km away from the center of Cebu City in the Philippines.

This Skypark Pensionne review includes personal opinions and useful information including directions, pictures, costs, etc.

Right Picture: The bathroom was fine but the shower was not hot and the pressure wasn’t very good.

Featured Picture: The front of Skypark Pensionne.

For the quick version of this Skypark Pensionne review you can scroll to the bottom of this post and look in the reviews. Mine is the first one