Corregidor Tour by Sun Cruises
We went on the Corregidor Tour by Sun Cruises on April 27. I bought the vouchers on Pakyaw months ahead, knowing that Papang and Mom were visiting...
This blog is a narrative about the tour - the process, what to expect, tips, etc.
Reservation. It's very easy to schedule the tour with Sun Cruises. I just called the number on their website and booked for 4 people, also mentioning the Pakyaw voucher. They just asked me to email the vouchers as proof of payment. The original date that I booked for was April 26, but when I sent them the email, I mistakenly quoted April 27. It was a good thing I reconfirmed because they actually moved my booking to the 27th. I didn't change it back anymore because they told me there are no more seats in the aircon section of the ferry...
Getting there and timing. Check-in time is 7AM at CCP Terminal 1. It's right next to Harbour Square and stone's throw away from CCP. We left the house around 6:45AM. We were there a little after 7AM. You will enter the terminal building and the Sun Cruises office is to the right. After showing them the vouchers, we got our tickets and were advised to board the van (free) going to the docking area.
Boarding time was 7:30AM but they started letting people in even before that. Seats are preassigned. If you want to pick seats, you can try to put in a request upon reservation. We got seats on the lower deck. After safety demonstrations and prayer before voyage (on video), we were off. I think we left around 8:10AM, which was 10minutes behind schedule but still a passing mark in my book.
After the tour, the van will take you back to the CCP Terminal.
The ferryboat. The ferry has 2 decks. It's better to sit in the lower deck if you easily get dizzy. But it was pretty calm both ways on the day of our tour. They seats could use upgrades because they were old and bumpy and there isn't enough legroom to be comfortable.
We were informed that it's ok to go up to the viewing deck on the second level so we did. There's a little shop on the second level, additional seating and the non-aircon viewing deck. It was too bright outside, we just stayed for a short bit to take pictures, and before more people crowded the area. There wasn't much of a view but you can really see how fast the ferry is going.
About the shop, don't buy there unless absolutely necessary. They jack up the prices because you don't have a choice...
During the ride, they show videos of old Dept. of Tourism campaigns, and documentaries about Corregidor.
Tram. The trams would be waiting at the dock. Best seats would be at the sides, row behind the driver so you can see what's up ahead and hear the guide's commentaries better. The sides are great for taking pictures as you still get a good view while on the move and you're first off if you're stopping. Take note that the trams will go on different routes to avoid congestion at the stop sites. If you're a big group and you want to travel together, make sure you're in the same tram.
And if you get thirsty, they sell cold drinks on the tram. I don't know the prices though because we brought our own drinks and snacks.
Tour guide. And if you can choose, pick the tram with Pol Curato(?)as the guide. He's "74 and a half" years old but definitely knows and remembers all the facts - dates, names, younameit! You can say that's his job, but still impressive no? And he's very funny, too! He definitely made this tour more enjoyable.
What to bring: We were there at the height of summer. If I had a choice, I would choose a cooler month but since we had to go while Papang and Mommy were here, we prepared for the heat (and it was very hot!) by bringing shades, bottled water, umbrellas, towels, sunblock. Lunch is served around 12 noon so bring snacks to tide you over.
Schedule. This is a very packed tour. You practically get on the tram, have a few minutes to look around the stop sites, then move on. Definitely not enough to look around and take it all in. All our pictures were taken in a hurry. It's a good thing I did not bring my tripod anymore because there is just no time to set it up. The tour around the island will be completed before lunch. Then you get 45 minutes for lunch, which is served at the Corregidor Inn.
There's just one more stop after lunch, the cemetery for our case, where guests can also purchase tickets to the lights and sounds show (optional).
The Malinta Experience. This is the lights and sounds show staged inside the Malinta Tunnel which was written and directed by national artist Lamberto V. Avellana. It tells the story of wartime Corregidor -- while Quezon was president, the Japanese takeover, and liberation. There are dioramas and video screens set on the side tunnels and you walk up to where the highlighted setup is. It's really good if you can be up front to get a good view.
Although taking videos was supposedly not allowed, nobody was really policing the tourists so a few people still got away with it. And the flash photography should be banned, too! They were very distracting and made the the experience less enjoyable for us. I was disappointed that we were not able to appreciate the show fully because of these annoyances...
Overall... It was a great way to spend the day and get a refreshed perspective of wartime Philippines. It's a very remote experience for the younger generation but seeing the place with the bullet-ridden tanks, etc somehow made me gave be a glimpse of what it was like during the war, and then appreciate the freedom we enjoy today...
The Corregidor Tour, everyone should do it at least once. =)
More Corregidor photos...
This blog is a narrative about the tour - the process, what to expect, tips, etc.
Reservation. It's very easy to schedule the tour with Sun Cruises. I just called the number on their website and booked for 4 people, also mentioning the Pakyaw voucher. They just asked me to email the vouchers as proof of payment. The original date that I booked for was April 26, but when I sent them the email, I mistakenly quoted April 27. It was a good thing I reconfirmed because they actually moved my booking to the 27th. I didn't change it back anymore because they told me there are no more seats in the aircon section of the ferry...
Getting there and timing. Check-in time is 7AM at CCP Terminal 1. It's right next to Harbour Square and stone's throw away from CCP. We left the house around 6:45AM. We were there a little after 7AM. You will enter the terminal building and the Sun Cruises office is to the right. After showing them the vouchers, we got our tickets and were advised to board the van (free) going to the docking area.
Boarding time was 7:30AM but they started letting people in even before that. Seats are preassigned. If you want to pick seats, you can try to put in a request upon reservation. We got seats on the lower deck. After safety demonstrations and prayer before voyage (on video), we were off. I think we left around 8:10AM, which was 10minutes behind schedule but still a passing mark in my book.
After the tour, the van will take you back to the CCP Terminal.
The ferryboat. The ferry has 2 decks. It's better to sit in the lower deck if you easily get dizzy. But it was pretty calm both ways on the day of our tour. They seats could use upgrades because they were old and bumpy and there isn't enough legroom to be comfortable.
We were informed that it's ok to go up to the viewing deck on the second level so we did. There's a little shop on the second level, additional seating and the non-aircon viewing deck. It was too bright outside, we just stayed for a short bit to take pictures, and before more people crowded the area. There wasn't much of a view but you can really see how fast the ferry is going.
About the shop, don't buy there unless absolutely necessary. They jack up the prices because you don't have a choice...
During the ride, they show videos of old Dept. of Tourism campaigns, and documentaries about Corregidor.
Tram. The trams would be waiting at the dock. Best seats would be at the sides, row behind the driver so you can see what's up ahead and hear the guide's commentaries better. The sides are great for taking pictures as you still get a good view while on the move and you're first off if you're stopping. Take note that the trams will go on different routes to avoid congestion at the stop sites. If you're a big group and you want to travel together, make sure you're in the same tram.
And if you get thirsty, they sell cold drinks on the tram. I don't know the prices though because we brought our own drinks and snacks.
Tour guide. And if you can choose, pick the tram with Pol Curato(?)as the guide. He's "74 and a half" years old but definitely knows and remembers all the facts - dates, names, younameit! You can say that's his job, but still impressive no? And he's very funny, too! He definitely made this tour more enjoyable.
What to bring: We were there at the height of summer. If I had a choice, I would choose a cooler month but since we had to go while Papang and Mommy were here, we prepared for the heat (and it was very hot!) by bringing shades, bottled water, umbrellas, towels, sunblock. Lunch is served around 12 noon so bring snacks to tide you over.
Schedule. This is a very packed tour. You practically get on the tram, have a few minutes to look around the stop sites, then move on. Definitely not enough to look around and take it all in. All our pictures were taken in a hurry. It's a good thing I did not bring my tripod anymore because there is just no time to set it up. The tour around the island will be completed before lunch. Then you get 45 minutes for lunch, which is served at the Corregidor Inn.
There's just one more stop after lunch, the cemetery for our case, where guests can also purchase tickets to the lights and sounds show (optional).
The Malinta Experience. This is the lights and sounds show staged inside the Malinta Tunnel which was written and directed by national artist Lamberto V. Avellana. It tells the story of wartime Corregidor -- while Quezon was president, the Japanese takeover, and liberation. There are dioramas and video screens set on the side tunnels and you walk up to where the highlighted setup is. It's really good if you can be up front to get a good view.
Although taking videos was supposedly not allowed, nobody was really policing the tourists so a few people still got away with it. And the flash photography should be banned, too! They were very distracting and made the the experience less enjoyable for us. I was disappointed that we were not able to appreciate the show fully because of these annoyances...
Overall... It was a great way to spend the day and get a refreshed perspective of wartime Philippines. It's a very remote experience for the younger generation but seeing the place with the bullet-ridden tanks, etc somehow made me gave be a glimpse of what it was like during the war, and then appreciate the freedom we enjoy today...
The Corregidor Tour, everyone should do it at least once. =)
More Corregidor photos...
no pictures of the batteries? :-)
ReplyDeleteThey will be in the next post... =)
ReplyDelete