Anybody ever used Butterfly Travel for tours and travel services in the Philippines ?
Anybody been to the rice terraces- is it worth it ?

Also planning on going to Cocobana Resort on Malapascua Island just off of Cebu. Anyone have any info on this ?

Thanks.

I have never heard of Butterfly travel and tours. I have been to the rice terraces, It was nice when we went around March. There is only 1 old hotel called the Banaue Hotel.

Malapascua is highly recommended for divers. I heard that there is a lot of sea grass near the shore. Not recommended for beach enthusiasts. Try Bantayan island also off cebu.

Check this out:
http://www.tourism.gov.ph/index.asp

I hope this helps somehow.

Thanks Borgo.
Are you involved in the travel industry in the Philippines ?
Is there a way you can check if Butterfly Travel is a legitimate reliable company ?
They are in Angeles and have a web site
http://www.butterflytravel.ph/index.html

We are planning on flying with Cebu Pacific. Any comments on them?

Thanks.

We used Cebu Pacific several times this summer. Once for a RT from BKK to MNL then a domestic RT flight from MNL to Bacolod City. Their prices are hard to beat vs the national carrier, PAL. Suggest you sign up for their email updates to get the latest of their flight sales. We were able to get the P1 sale +++ taxes of course for the domestic leg but unfortunately when we tried to purchast tix via internet for the BKK to MNL, we had a lot of trouble even getting into the website then again as we were paying for it. Tried calling their offices but they could not give us the website rate over the phone.

Planes are new, leather seats, FAs are young & very helpful. They have on board games- my kids won prizes on both trips. Food available for sale. We usually bring our own food on board. Initially concerned about free seating but learned that they do seat assignments as well. Best to book early when you see the sales going & they come quite frequently.

I was up in the Rice Terraces about 25 years ago. That was back in college so we were happy with being hosted by the locals. I am sure there are more accomodation offerings these days. The terraces are BEAUTIFUL & although the post cards are gorgeous, it was a once a lifetime privilege to see it myself as well as come down to the village where the people live. Try the other travel boards for more info.

ENJOY !!!

Hi Christo, No i don't work for the travel industry. I can ask my travel agents about Butterfly travel and tours and if they have heard of them. Angeles is in Central Luzon about 2.5 hours from manila.

Cebu Pacific is good. I just booked a trip online on their website for 2 of my employees to Puerto Princesa and encountered no problems.

I did use the Swagman Hotel (Swagman Travel) for a tour or two over the years! They were competitive with some of the other travel agencies (mostly because they were close to my real hotels.) Hotel wise, you can do better than the Swagman hotel, at cheaper prices too!

You won't find the cheap tours from travel agencies in the Philippines that you have in Thailand - compare prices between agencies see if there is much difference!

I usually stay in the Ermita area of Manila. I like this area, close to the Robinson Mall, walking distance to the MRT, etc. Familiar territory, lots of bars and reasonable (for Philippines) hotel prices!

You can sign up for tours after you get to Manila. The travel agencies should be able to sign you up today for a tour tomorrow or the next day! If you are worried about getting ripped off then doing it in person may be best. Some hotels also arrange tours for you.

Thank you.
Any further info on Butterfly Travel would be appreciated. I prefer to arrange things in advance and there web site looks good with straightforward pricing up front.

I booked a couple of flights already with Cebu but am having trouble with the last one I tried. Seems to be a credit card problem.

Angeles seems a bit seedy but it is just a stopover and I am not keen to spend time in Manila

Hi Christo,

I asked my travel agents and I have not found anyone who has heard of Butterfly travel.

Yes some parts of Angeles is quite seedy. Good Luck on your planned trip.

Thanks Borgo;

I hope it is a legitimate company - we shall see !! Maybe somebody else will know before I go.

What do you think it should cost for a 5 day Rice Terrace tour ? Which travel agents do you like ? I prefer to book from home as I will not have much time on arrival.

Thanks again.

Offhand I personally dont have a travel agent that does local tours. I usually book my local trips directly with the airline and hotel. You can guarantee your booking with your credit card over the phone. If you don't feel safe giving your credit card info over the phone, perhaps you could make arrangements to wire them the money.

What I could recommend is, book your hotel by calling them directly and Then plan your tours in Banaue when you get to your hotel. Five days in Banaue is a long time. Consider going to Sagada as well, Caving was fun there and the hanging coffins is quite interesting. We went to Sagada from Banaue, around 5-6 hours away by car. What hotel are you looking at in Banaue? The only one I know is the Banaue Hotel and Youth Hostel. I have stayed there, the staff is warm and accomodating, accomodations are so-so, quite old though. It wasn't too bad since I was expecting worse, but the rooms are not luxurious. Here is their contact information:

BANAUE HOTEL AND YOUTH HOSTEL
Banaue, Luzon Island 3601 Philippines
Phone: ++63-74-810-3655

Not to miss in Banaue:

The rice terraces at Batad

Christo,

Check this out:
http://www.philtourism.gov.ph/bhyh_desc.html

I have recently returned from my winter getaway which included some time in the Philippines. I will post a trip report soon but I wanted to say a few brief words first. We did use Butterfly Travel http://www.butterflytravel.ph/
and I can certainly recommend them. The owner Benny Verhoeven drove us on a 5 day tour through the rice terraces which was outstanding. I will return to the Philippines and will use his services again. It is a challenging country to travel in, but worth it, and having a good local travel company (honest, safe,reliable) to arrange things, collect you at the airport etc. is really worth it imho.

We also spent time on Malapascua Island off Cebu which was fascinating but on balance probably not the right choice for a beach holiday as the swimming is not that good and services are limited.
Bon Voyage !