Back to Manila

With the weather being unstable, I booked a flight back from Coron to Manila with a day to spare in case flights were cancelled. It is always risky to try to fly home on an international flight if the local airline can't get you back. For the return, I booked the low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air.

Spent the morning at the resort preparing to leave for the airport and was transferred to the airport via van. Upon arrival, the security is fairly thorough as passengers are required to have all luggage searched prior to checking in. The bin of confiscated items was full of corals and shells that were the size of bowling balls. It is amazing what people will take from the waters around here.

For a low cost carrier, it is good to arrive a bit early as the check in process is fairly elaborate as the staff weighed both passenger and luggage. After getting checked in, there is a terminal fee that must be paid and another luggage search of carryon items before allowed into the gate area. I would suggest that one be prepared with snacks or drinks because there is one tiny little coffee shop inside. I bought a bag of M&Ms and didn't realize it was past its expiration date until after I ate the bag.

I will add that Cebu Pacific Air does try to make the flight fun like Southwest Airlines and did some minor trivia games on the flight.

After arriving into Ninoy Aquino International Aiport, I opted to try my hand at airport taxi. As soon as I left the arrival area, I saw the airport transit desk and the staff called to me to book a taxi through them. Since they looked official, I opted to go with their rates. I later found out from the hotel the rates they charge was three times more than what a normal taxi would have charged. On the bright side, I think there was a taxi queue at the airport which seemed to stretch the entire block so maybe it was worth paying the extra $10 USD to bypass.

Intercontinental Manila Junior Suite

Jeepney's Grill Bakery makes their version of the Cronut

View of the pool at the Intercontinental

Checked into the Intercontinental Hotel. I wasn't sure what to expect when I initially booked hotels for the week and thought that the Intercontinental would be a nice way to end the trip. One of the priciest hotels in Manila, it certainly is a nice hotel even if dated. I don't stay often within this hotel group but the front desk gave me a junior suite and thanked me for my loyalty. The location is also central to the trendy and expensive looking area of Manila. Bordered by a very large mall, had dinner at Max's  Chicken. It appears to be a local chain even though the founder lived in the US. It was ok but would have eaten at KFC or Jollibee instead. I also stopped off at Sonja's Cupcakes but I would not recommend getting cupcakes.