My Travel

Tour Guide

My Travel

Tour Guide

My Travel

Tour Guide

My Travel

Tour Guide

My Travel

Tour Guide

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Siargao named one of the world's greatest surf spots

Both a death ride and a slice of paradise, Siargao's Cloud Nine break is making waves in the global surfing community.

A top destination for thrill-seeking surfers, Cloud Nine was ranked ninth among the world's 50 greatest surf spots, as compiled by CNN. Number one on CNN's list was Pipeline in Oahu, Hawaii.

A vacationist prepares to wade in the crystal clear waters of Dako Islet, Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte. Siargao has emerged as a favored destination of local and foreign surfers. Alvin Guanzon
Apart from Siargao, other surf spots in the top 10 were Lance's Right, Sipora, Mentawais Islands, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia; Puerto Escondido, Southern Oaxaca, Mexico; Hossegor, France; Maverick's, California; P-Pass, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia; Uluwatu and Kuta, Bali, Indonesia; Teahupo'o, Tahiti, French Polynesia; Supertubes, Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa.

Siargao's 2013 ranking is one spot lower than last year, when Cloud Nine was eighth on CNN's list.

Located in Surigao del Norte in the Philippines, the famous surf spot is not for the faint-hearted. "This dramatic and powerful reef break, which crashes onto shallow razor-sharp coral, offers right and left death rides," Jade Bremner wrote on CNN.

Despite the danger, surfers can't help but be drawn to Siargao, where Bremner says "fearless surfers will experience a slice of paradise or hallucinations as waves wrap over them like a liquid cocoon."

Still, surfers must beware before going for a taste of ocean heaven. "Skin and sometimes bone are often ripped to shreds by the ocean bed," warned Bremner.

In Siargao, kids begin surfing as young as five or six. Visitors who come to the island fall in love with the place. Some never leave, like Australian surfer Kyrone Rathbone, who features Siargao surfers in his videos.

"We call it a paradise talaga. Most people who go there don't want to go back anymore where they came from," Janice Talosig of the Tatus Siargao Surfers Association said on Kape at Balita on July 3.


Michael Eijansantos, a surfer and travel blogger, said that three days is not enough time to experience Siargao, which offers other recreational activities, such as diving and island hopping. "Kailangan tagalan mo pa, siguro mga ten days, two weeks," said Eijansantos, who went to Siargao last year, and will be returning in September.

But it's the waves that are irresistible to visitors. "World-class waves po talaga ang Siargao. The waves are barrelling... locals would always say that when you're inside, it's like heaven," Talosig said.

Mags Martin of the Manila Surfers Association welcomed the recognition from CNN, saying it helps the group get more members. "It becomes a north star for them to achieve, in terms of elevating your surfing ability to the next level," Martin said on Kape at Balita.

Although the waves are much bigger in other famous surf spots, such as Hawaii, Talosig said that Siargao's waves are smooth. "When you surf, it's fast but at the same time, it's smooth. So hindi siya magulo," she said.

No matter what time of the year, surfers can catch waves in the Philippines. "There are swells that come in at different parts of the year. Mayroong tayong tinatawag na north swell, and then the south swell. The Philippines is very blessed because year-round kahit saan ka pumunta meron kang makikitang alon," she said.

Siargao was also named one of the destinations to watch in 2013 by international travel magazine Conde Nast.


According to Talosig, more and more tourists and surfers are making their way to Siargao, and the locals are doing their part to help preserve the island's beauty. "Ang kagandahan, the locals are very strict when it comes to their island. Especially yung mga beach cleaning, pagdating sa pagtatapon ng basura, they're very clean with that," Talosig said.

For those planning to visit Siargao, the best time is from September to November. "Kapag hanging habagat, yun ang best time to go to Siargao. 'Yun ang big waves," Talosig said. The annual Siargao Cup competition will also be held in September. — Carmela G. LapeƱa/BM, GMA News

Article Courtesy: gmanetwork

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The Philippine Tourist Visa

A visa is an endorsement made on a passport or travel document by the Philippine Consulate denoting that the traveler’s visa application has been properly examined and that the holder is permitted to proceed to the Philippines. However, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration (www.immigration.gov.ph) has the final decision on the entry of a foreign traveler into the Philippines. 


The visa thus issued is not a guarantee that the holder will be admitted into the country. The admission of foreign nationals is a function of the Philippine Bureau of Immigration at the port of entry.



Australian passport holders are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa if they intend to stay for Twenty-One (21) days or less for pleasure or business purposes, provided they have a return or onward travel to another country and their passports are valid at least six months beyond the intended stay in the Philippines.



Holders of passports issued by other countries are advised to contact the Philippine Consulate General or to visit the PhilippineDepartment of Foreign Affairs website (www.dfa.gov.ph) for information if their passport avails of the 21-day visa-free entry privilege.



For a stay of more than 21 days, a traveler must apply for an appropriate visa at the Philippine Consulate General.  A visa generally allows a stay of until 59 days in the Philippines. Visitors wishing to stay beyond 59 days may apply for an Extension of Stay at any office of the Bureau of Immigration in the Philippines before the authorized stay runs out. Fees for extension of stay will apply. Refer to the Bureau of immigration website for information about extending your stay in the Philippines.

Children below 15 years of age traveling to the Philippines unaccompanied by a parent must secure an Affidavit of Support and Consent from the Consulate. Upon arrival at the airport in the Philippines, the accompanying adult will submit this Affidavit to the immigration authorities and obtain a Waiver of Exclusion Ground (WEG). Fees will apply.
The following are the visas processed by this Consulate;




The following visas and extended stay permits require the approval of the Bureau of Immigration and are usually issued in the Philippines:




21-Day Visa-Free Stay
Nationals from countries listed below who are traveling to the Philippines for business and tourism are allowed to enter the Philippines without visas for a stay not exceeding twenty-one days (21) days, provided they hold valid tickets for their return journey to port of origin or next port of destination and their passports valid for a period of at least six (6) months beyond the contemplated period of stay. However, Immigration Officers at ports of entry may exercise their discretion to admit holders of passports valid for at least sixty (60) days beyond the intended period of stay.
The reckoning of the 21 days begins on the day after arrival in the Philippines. This visa-free stay allows for regular tourism and business meetings.
Nationals who are subjects of deportation or blacklist orders of the DFA and the Bureau of Immigration shall not be admitted to the Philippines.
Nationals from the following countries are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a stay of twenty-one (21) days or less:
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Bahrain
Barbados
Belgium
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil (see note below)
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Costa Rica
Cote d’Ivoire
Cyprus
Czech Republic

Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel (see note below)
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea (Republic of Korea)
Kuwait
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Monaco
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Norway
Oman
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Seychelles
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Spain
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Tanzania (United Republic of Tanzania)
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United States of America
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Vatican
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zambia
Zimbabwe

The following are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a stay not exceeding fifty-nine (59) days:
  • Holders of Brazil passports
  • Holders of Israel passports

The following are allowed to enter the Philippines without a visa for a stay not exceeding seven (7) days:
  • Holders of Hong Kong Special Administrative (SAR) passports
  • Holders of British National Overseas (BNO) passports
  • Holders of Portuguese Passports issued in Macao
Holders of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) passports
Article Courtesy: Philippine Embassy

Vietnam Tourist visa

Entry visas to Vietnam can be applied BY POST or IN PERSON (by the applicant or anyone on his/her behalf) at the Embassy.
Applying by post:
      First, download the application form from the Website.
     Second, submit or send by registered/express (platinum) post to the Embassy  (Address: 6 Timbarra Crescent, O'Malley, ACT 2606) the following documents:
    1. Original and valid PASSPORT which must have at least one-month validity after the expiry of the visa and one blank page left. Please keep note of your passport details in case you might need them while your passport is with the Embassy;
   2. One completed APPLICATION FORM with one passport-size photo affixed on the Form. Please fill in the form eligibly and accurately to avoid misinterpretation and to facilitate the visa processing. You will be responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide in the Application Form; You should clarify the date of arrival and departure because the visa will be valid from the date of arrival you put on the Application Form.
  3. If you require your passport(s) to be returned by post, please send in a return self-addressed prepaidENVELOPE (Express post - platinum or Registered mail is recommended)
   4. VISA FEE must be paid in cash, money order or bank cheque, payable to "the Embassy of Viet Nam". We acceptAustralian dollars only. Visa fees are various and depend on the length of stay and visa types, please contact the Embassy for further information from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm.
Contact phone numbers:  02.6286 8465 or 02.6286 5660 (Direct Line) Or 02.6286 6059; 02.6290 1556; 02.6290 1894; 02.6286 6267 (EXT: 101/ 102)
   5. When you get the visa back, please remember to check all the details on the visa (passport number, date of entry, date of exit, single or multiple entry) before you travel.
Applying in person:
     Alternatively, if you wish, you can come to the Embassy at number 6 Timbarra Crescent, O’Malley, ACT 2606 to apply for visa(s) where you will get assistance on site by our staffs. Our office is open from 9.00AM to 5.00PM from Monday to Thursday, 9.00 to 4.30 PM on Friday, except Australian public holidays.
Visa processing:
  • Upon receipt of the application, it takes THREE working days by normal service for your passport(s) with the visa to be ready for collection at the Embassy or for return by post in the return envelope you provided.  EXPRESS SERVICE is available and incurs extra cost. If you need Express Service, please contact the Embassy for further information from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm. Contact phone numbers:  02.6286 8465 or 02.6286 5660 (Direct Line) OR 02.6286 6059; 02.62901556; 02.6290 1894; 02.6286 6267 (EXT: 101/ 102)
  • Delivery time by the post office is not included in the processing time above and dependent on the Post.
  • Once you have received your passport(s) with visa(s), please check carefully all the details. Should there be any discrepancies or errors, such as the dates of arrival/departure, the types of visas, please notify the Embassy immediately. If the errors are the consequences of the inaccuracy of the information you provided in the Application Form, the Embassy will not be responsible for them, and any additional costs that incur from remedy of the errors will be born solely by you. After the visa(s) have been stamped on your passport(s), if you want to change the dates of arrival/ the types of visas, you need to pay the extra fee. Please note that all payments arenon-refundable, even if you want to cancel the visa(s) which have already been issued.
  • Visa application for children should follow the same procedures  if the children hold their own passports. Children are under 14 years of age are not required to sign the Application Form. Their parents can sign on their behalf.
      For further query, please have your question(s) ready, brief and focused before contacting the Embassy. The Visa Section telephone line is open from 9.30 AM to 5 PM  Monday to Friday except Australian holidays.
Article Courtesy: Vietnam Embassy