That Place Called Sagada: Reminders and tips on how you can best enjoy your Sagada Trip

I’m sure most of you have watched the film “That Thing Called Tadhana” where 2 characters by the name of Mace and Anthony traveled to Sagada to find healing for her brokenness. One of the film’s most popular scenes was when Mace poured her heart out at Mt. Kiltepan by shouting and crying at the top of her lungs. Since the film became a hit, there have been a lot of Filipinos wanting to go to Sagada and do just the same or at least say that they have been to Sagada. Unfortunately, not everyone will experience the same scene especially when you’re side by side with 200 other people at Mt. Kiltepan also wanting to do what Mace did.

The current reality of Sagada as a destination for lonely hearts and soul searching wanderers is now far from being ideal. Traffic along the roads and inside the caves, long queues in restaurants, water problem in hostels are just a few realities during holidays, long weekends, and summer weekends in Sagada. With the great number of tourists going to Sagada, chances are, you will encounter your ex-lover and the new boy or girl during your trip.

Here are some facts, reminders, and tips on how you can best enjoy your first or maybe nth time Sagada trip.

1. Choose a date for your trip that doesn’t fall on a holiday or a long weekend. Sagada is best experienced with less tourists and more locals. That way, you will not be challenged reserving for a hostel and getting a place to eat. The best vacations are those spent with yourself, a few friends, or family and not with 1,000 other tourists. It may be difficult to choose a date  without including the weekend but if you really want to have that perfect vacation, you have to MAKE TIME and PLAN for it.

2. Research on Sagada’s culture and history before doing the trip. Getting to know a little about places and its people will prepare you how to act, dress, and speak in a place different from yours. There are certain rules that must be followed to avoid offensive encounters with locals. Wearing scanty clothes are offensive to locals especially the elders so dress appropriately. Caves and mountains are sacred burial places so treat it with utmost respect by not shouting or singing out loud inside. Know and be aware of Sagada’s indigenous practices and beliefs and use this to better understand the people and their culture. Learning a new culture will make you a better person.

3. Take the bus! Imagine 1,000 other tourists thinking of bringing their private vehicles or joining a van full of tourists through travel agencies in a place where there are no wide roads and parking areas. These private vehicles and vans owned by travel agencies are Sagada’s biggest problems nowadays. Sagada is just a small town that cannot accommodate so many vehicles. Sagada has been known as a walking town. Visitors used to walk and enjoy the landscapes and the different local scenes along the way. Nowadays, tourists bring their vans just to go to a restaurant that’s only 100 meters from the center of town. Walking to the caves or even to the lake is a meditation and an experience of Sagada. The walks may be long but the scenes are breathtaking with its cool pine scented breeze. Make sure you don’t miss this part of the trip. If you are disabled or with a group of senior citizens who cannot do long walks, you can hire jeepneys at the center to bring you around. If you are alone, it will be a good opportunity to join other travelers and share the ride. It will be nice to meet new friends. Hiring local jeepneys bring in money to drivers and their families. Bringing vans or joining travel packages with vans simply don’t. So in that case, where does your money go? Definitely not to the locals.

4. Ask a local guide and take the roads less traveled. Sagada is known as the mecca of cave spelunking in Luzon. Tourists visit this place to try out being adventurous and ticking items from their bucket list. The most popular site is the Sumaging Cave also known as the big cave. According to the local government of Sagada, there are 300 tourists at a time going inside the cave during peak season. So if there are 5 batches of tourists going in, that would be a total of 1,500 tourists per day and a total of 4,500 tourists during a long weekend of 3 days. Sagada offers so many places to see and explore. You can be adventurous by hiking through 3 villages and crossing through breathtaking rice paddies. If you’re lucky, you can even try out rice planting with the locals. Ask a local guide and they can give you more than a hundred ways how to enjoy Sagada. Their stories are much more interesting and accurate than those of scripted non-local guides.

5. Be a “visitor” and not a “tourist.” Being a visitor in Sagada means respecting what the locals can only offer and not demanding your own personal needs. Remember that you are a visitor and not a local resident. Ask and never demand. Sagada is a small town 5th class municipality and cannot handle the needs of people from Manila or other big cities. When you demand to have water for bathing, it also means taking some water from the villages for their daily use. Their restaurants are small kitchens and can only handle a few meals. When they say, they don’t have food anymore, it means the stock they bought during the market day have already run out. They don’t serve food frozen from weeks or months ago. To get better service, order your food at least 3 or 4 hours before your meal. That way, they have more time to prepare your food and serve it as soon as you arrive in the restaurant. Having a “visitor” mindset will allow you to learn to adjust your ways and be considerate of others and sparing yourself from being frustrated from undelivered wants and needs.

So if you’re already planning your trip to Sagada this Holy Week or other long weekend holidays, THINK AGAIN. You might just be wasting 12 hours of road trip only to experience another EDSA in the mountains. Think also of how the community feels when more than a thousand tourists are disrupting their peaceful daily lives. Put yourself in their shoes. It’s not all about the money that tourists bring in to their community but mostly it’s about having a peaceful sleep, clean water to drink, food for the family, safety of their environment, and clear roads to walk on. If this is what you’re bringing in as a visitor of Sagada, then you are most welcome to visit. If not, THINK AGAIN and ask yourself why?

Make your trips and your vacations as meaningful and memorable as it should be, both for you and the community. It’s about time you take a different kind of journey to that place called SAGADA.

This post is by Tracey Santiago, Secretary of ICOMOS Philippines, who is spearheading coordination efforts for stronger measures to ensure sustainable and responsible tourism in Sagada, Mountain Province.

We support sustainable cultural tourism projects in the Agusan Marsh and Ifugao Rice Terraces.

Tamchoe Monastery in Paro, Bhutan

Between Paro and Thimphu in Bhutan is the Tamchoe Monastery. Also know as the Tachog Lhakhang, the monastery built on top of a small hill beside the Paro River dates back to the 15th century.

The temple, together with its iron-chain hanging bridge that crosses the Paro River, was established by Thangtong Gyalpo, a Buddhist architect and yogi, who was also known as Chakzampa or the Iron Chain Maker. Born in Tibet in 1385, he built iron-chain bridges in Tibet and Bhutan to help Buddhist pilgrims visit holy places.

Tachog or Tachogang means temple of the hill of the excellent horse. While here, Thangtong Gyalpo had a vision of the spiritual horse Balaha, the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara who turned into a flying horse to rescue merchants who were shipwrecked and fell into the hands of ogresses at the island of Lanka. His vision made him decide to build the temple there.

This is among the first temples visitors to Bhutan see upon their arrival since its on the way to Thimphu from Paro Airport.

We didn't get to walk up to the temple itself. But we crossed the iron-chain hanging bridge for the experience. For more Bhutan photos, follow @ivanhenares on Instagram. To visit Bhutan, you need to book a tour with a travel agent. If interested, e-mail me at tours@ivanhenares.com.

Huawei Mate7 has a battery life that keeps travelers moving

One major consideration for frequent travelers when choosing a phone is battery life. It's frustrating running out of battery while on a long bus or train ride between cities. You miss out documenting really interesting things you may see along the way, en route to your destination. Plus looking for a power supply when you arrive is an equally frustrating exercise. We all end up bringing bulky and heavy power banks to keep us going.

But there are smart phones that have batteries that last. I previously had a Huawei Ascend Mate 6 and can swear by its impressive battery life. Can't believe they now have the Huawei Mate7 with a 4100 mAh lithium polymer battery in a sleek 7.9 mm body! The battery definitely matches the impressive processing power of the phone. But still, it lasts longer than other smartphones because of its high-density Li-Polymer battery.

And check out the great photos I took with the Huawei Mate7 in Coron, Palawan!

Transitions® Signature™ adaptive lenses for people on the go

I've had to wear glasses since I was a teen. Unfortunately (or should it be fortunately), my grade is too low for laser surgery. So it looks like I'll be stuck with glasses. I've tried contact lenses but these are just too much of a hassle for me.

Having glasses makes it difficult for me to wear shades since I have to bring both pairs all the time when I travel. And that also requires me to change from one to the other when I move from indoors to outside and vice versa. The downside of that is, I tend to lose the shades! Because I move a lot, I've lost a good number of shades when my regular glasses are on.

Once I lost my shades that were in my backpack during a trip to South America. It must have fallen out while it was in the storage compartment of the bus above my seat. I realized when I was looking for them that they were gone. Another time, I was taking public transport here in the Philippines. I had the shades in my hand since I was wearing glasses. And the next thing I knew, I lost them. Feeling bad for spending on shades only to lose them, I decided to stop buying.

But we need shades especially when the sun hurts our eyes. During my recent trip to the Middle East, the sun was just too much! And it was just irritating moving around without shades.

When indoors, the Transitions® Signature™ adaptive lenses are clear 

When I got back, I decided to try out Transitions® Signature™ adaptive lenses. These lenses change shade or tint depending where you are. If you are indoors, they are clear like regular glasses. But when you are outside and the sun is bright, the lenses darken and serve as shades. Fantastic technology! I really don't know why I didn't get them earlier.

You can get from Transitions® Signature™ adaptive lenses all major optical stores. I’m happy that I got these new glasses since the Transitions® Signature™ adaptive lenses are fantastic.

When outdoors, the Transitions® Signature™ adaptive lenses darken depending on the level of sunlight

I had a grand time using my new set of Transitions® Signature™ adaptive lenses during a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam the week after. It was perfect for the indoor conference I attended and was very helpful when we visited the temples. No need for me to buy shades now!

How to avoid hidden charges when booking online on Cebu Pacific, AirAsia and Philippine Airlines

Have you tried booking online? Are you one of those surprised that the cost of the ticket increases every time you click the "continue" or "next" buttons? That's because of the many unnecessary or hidden add-ons that some airline companies automatically select for you when you book your tickets online. So here's a guide on how to opt out of the automatically-selected add-ons when booking on Cebu Pacific, AirAsia and Philippine Airlines.

100 days to Ivan About Town's 10th anniversary! #IAT10

In 100 days, Ivan About Town will turn ten! Sometimes, I can't believe I was able to last this long given that the blog is something I work on during my spare time. The past few months have been extra busy, with quite a number of new responsibilities on top of the old ones, which meant a scarcity of posts as you all may have noticed. But we're still here and celebrating this milestone!

In 2005, I was among those who took advantage of the entry of low cost carriers in the Philippines. Seat sales and piso fares were unheard of before these airlines entered the Philippine market. I booked a "free seat" plane ticket to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia and what happened next is history. It was during this trip to Kota Kinabalu and Brunei in April 2005 that I wrote his my blog entries.

Direct flights from the Philippines to many popular destinations today were non-existent at that time. And getting around took a little more effort via transit cities. It was my first backpack trip. And I thought, instead of having to repeat my stories to my friends when I got back, I'd just update them through a blog. The blog title, something I simply came up with off the top of my head, in the few minutes I had on the rented computer at Trekkers Lodge on April 19, 2005, was inspired by the thought that I could be a "man about town" for travel. And so Ivan About Town became the silly title of my new blog. Read more on the blog.

Two more milestones I'm celebrating this year are the 30th anniversaries of my first international trip on April 15, 1985 and my first travel journal which I completed in October 1985 at the age of six. Time flies indeed!

Top 30 cities in Southeast Asia you should see in your lifetime

Southeast Asia is a culturally-diverse region with many fantastic destinations. From architecture to cultural landscapes, sumptuous cuisine, natural heritage and so much more, Southeast Asia has so much to offer. Here are 30 cities in Southeast Asia that you should see in your lifetime. There are definitely more to experience. But let's start with this list of thirty very interesting cities which I arranged by country. How many have you visited?

What to see in Culion, Palawan heritage town

Culion, Palawan is a destination waiting to be discovered. It's not as popular an attraction to those who visit Coron. Most stays in Coron are only a few days, so one would rather spend time and resources exploring Coron Island, Malcapuya Island further south, or attractions near Coron town. But there's something about Culion that makes it an interesting find.

Looking back at 2014 with 70 travel photos

2014 was another fantastic year! Although I've been unable to explore as much as before due to many commitments at home, I was still lucky to see and experience quite a number of destinations this year. Here are seventy travel photos I took last year.

Five Filipino core values: Mapagpasalamat, Matatag, Masigasig, Mapagmalasakit and Magalang

Happy New Year to everyone! Filipinos always see the entry of another year as a time for change. We all have our own resolutions and promises to improve ourselves. But definitely, we all want to change for the better.

Alaska’s Krem-Top coffee creamer recently launched the Change for the Better campaign to remind Filipinos that we always need to improve ourselves to make us better persons and a better country. To me, resolutions are not only for the New Year. It's a good excuse for everyone to make New Year's resolutions. But if you are really determined, you don't need New Year to change for the better. We have to do it the whole year.

During the launch, Dr. Mina Ramirez, President of Asian Social Institute, shared with us five core values that Filipinos have which we can utilize to make us change for the better. These are Mapagpasalamat, Matatag, Masigasig, Mapagmalasakit and Magalang.

It's quite difficult to translate these terms into English since the Filipino meaning often loses it's essence when translated. But let's try to describe each value.

Mapagpasalamat means Filipinos always know how to show gratitude. That's why we have utang na loob as a Filipino trait. We always know how to return a favor. Matatag is evident in the world renowned resiliency of the Filipino spirit. We know how to survive any challenge that we face. We know how to stand up every time we fall.

We have so many hardworking Filipinos here and abroad. Which is why Masigasig is obviously a core value of Filipinos. At the same time, Filipinos know how to show compassion. We are always there to help others. Filipinos are definitely Mapagmalasakit.

Finally, a true Filipino know how to show respect and courtesy. The use of po, opo, and pagmamano are Filipino ways of showing respect to elders. We are no doubt, Magalang.

Do you agree with these core values?

Santa Cruz Island, Zamboanga City's pink sand beach!

Yes that's right, pink sand! The prospect of visiting Zamboanga City's pink sand beach – Great Santa Cruz Island – was more than enough reason to hope that the rains that had been pouring down on the city would stop even for a brief moment. Zamboanga Hermosa, the city's fiesta, and rain come hand in hand. But they say when the image of the Nuestra Señora del Pilar is brought out for her procession, the skies clear up. I was hoping the skies would clear up for our trip too!

Capul Church, Watchtowers of La Union, Gota de Leche and Lopez Ancestral House declared by National Museum

I'm updating the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property (PRECUP) with four declarations from the National Museum this year. I was told there may be additional declarations for 2014. But in the meantime, eight properties have been added to the list.

Newly-declared National Cultural Treasures (Category I) include the Saint Ignatius de Loyola Parish Church in Capul, Northern Samar and the Watchtowers of La Union: Bacnotan, Balaoan, Luna, San Fernando and San Juan.

Two Important Cultural Properties (Category II) were also declared namely the Gota de Leche of Manila, and the Lopez Ancestral House in Balayan, Batangas.

Ranch tourism in Masbate: Be a ranchero for a day! Holy cow!

The first time I visited Masbate some years back, I wanted to visit its famed ranches. We've all heard of the Rodeo Masbateño and how the province is home to many cattle ranches. I was told however that most of them were closed to the public. So I was pleasantly surprised during a recent visit that the ranches are slowly opening up to visitors. In fact, I visited one!

Masbate is now promoting ranch tourism as owners welcome visitors to their ranches. And they're definitely proud of their cattle! We visited the Sese Brahmans Ranch in Mandaon, which is a sprawling property set amidst rolling hills.

What's to see in Melbourne, Australia and its neighborhoods?

Flying into Melbourne, I didn't know what to expect. I had no idea that Melbourne has been consistently named the world’s most liveable city, for the fourth year in a row this year. Also this year, it was named the world’s friendliest city.

View of Hobart and the Government House from the Tasman Bridge

One of the images of Hobart that stuck in my mind was that of the city at the foot of Mount Wellington as we crossed the Tasman Bridge coming in from the Hobart International Airport. So I planned to walk over to the bridge during my last day, even though I had just an hour or two to spare.

Port Arthur Historic Site in Tasmania, Australia

Port Arthur Historic Site in Tasmania is one of the Australian Convict Sites, a World Heritage property. This former convict settlement is Tasmania's top tourist attraction.

The Australian Convict Sites are eleven convict colonies that represent the thousands of penal settlements established in Australia between 1787 to 1868. This eighty year period saw the transportation of over 166,000 men, women and children, condemned by the British justice system to Australia. Five of the sites are in Tasmania, namely Brickendon and Woolmers Estates, Darlington Probation Station, Cascades Female Factory, Coal Mines Historic Site, and the Port Arthur Historic Site which I got to visit.

Visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in North Korea!

Believe it or not, despite many visits to South Korea, I've never been to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). I thus found it exciting that my first visit to the DMZ would be on the North Korean side!

We left Pyongyang quite early for the roughly two-hour trip south to the border in what used to be the village of Panmunjom. Today, it's where the Joint Security Area (JSA) is located. The JSA is the place where you can technically cross the border without getting into trouble. And that's where all tours will take you.

Exploring Pyongyang, North Korea

To those who are surprised that I got to visit North Korea, the DPRK is not as isolated as one may think. There are regular tours that leave from Beijing, China allowing you various options to get there. I took a 24-hour train ride (that was delayed for about two hours) from Beijing to Pyongyang. We arrived at the Pyongyang Train Station early in the evening and went straight to our hotel. So the real exploring started the next day.

North Korea: Train ride from Beijing to Pyongyang via Dandong

Few people realize that North Korea or the DPRK, as they prefer to be called, is not as isolated as we perceive it to be. There are regular tours that leave from Beijing which almost anyone can join. It was an exciting prospect that I've been wanting to do for several years now. This year was it!

Register now for Heritage Conservation Summit 2014: Revitalizing Old Downtowns

The Heritage Conservation Society, City Government of Iloilo City, and Iloilo City Cultural Heritage Conservation Council (ICCHCC) bring you the Heritage Conservation Summit 2014: Revitalizing Old Downtowns from October 24-26, 2014 in Iloilo City.

The Summit, which is being organized for the third time, has adopted the theme “Revitalizing Old Downtowns.” It is aimed at bringing together a wide spectrum of participants representing national government, local government units, local historical and heritage societies, academe, heritage conservation practitioners and allied professionals, architects, planners & real estate developers, the tourism industry, and the media. Its primary objective is to discuss and exchange knowledge on revitalizing old downtown areas and best practices in heritage conservation in historic old quarters and districts in the Philippines, its recent developments and the challenges and opportunities faced in the conservation of heritage. The presentations will include successful experiences of local government units and community conservation groups in revitalizing their historic downtown areas.

October 24, 2014
9am – Heritage Tour of Iloilo Province (Optional/Booking Required)
1-5pm – Adaptive Reuse Workshop for Iloilo Heritage Building Owners (Tentative)
6pm – Welcome Dinner (By Invitation)

October 25, 2014
Heritage Conservation Summit 2014
8:30am – Registration
9:00am – Welcome Remarks - Gemma Cruz-Araneta, Chairperson, Heritage Conservation Society
9:10am – Opening Address - Ivan Anthony S. Henares, President, Heritage Conservation Society
9:20am – Keynote Address - Hon. Jed Patrick E. Mabilog, City Mayor, Iloilo City
9:30am – FAQs on RA No. 10066 - Atty. Karen Lucille M. Isberto, Head, NCCA National Committee on Monuments and Sites
10:00am – Coffee Break
10:15am – Case Study: Escolta, Manila (Revitalization of Historic Business District) – Mr. Arturo Dy, President, Escolta Commercial Association Inc. (ECAI)
10:45am – Case Study: Calle Real, Iloilo City (Revitalization of Historic Business District) - Dr. Kristin G. Treñas, President, Iloilo City Cultural Heritage Conservation Council (ICCHCC)
11:15am – Case Study: Cebu City (Revitalization of Historic Downtown) – Dr. Jocelyn B. Gerra, Executive Director, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI)
11:45am – Open Forum
12:00pm – Lunch Break
1:00pm – Case Study: Taal, Batangas (Revitalization of Historic Town) - Mr. Ernesto Villavicencio, President, Taal Active Alliance Legion
1:30pm – Case Study: Angeles City, Pampanga (Removal of Street Wires in Historic Center) – Dr. Richard Daenos, City Tourism Officer, Angeles City & Ms. Joy Cruz, Angeles City Heritage District Working Committee
2:00pm – Creating Style Guides for Heritage Districts - Dr. Fernando Zialcita, Cultural Heritage Studies Program, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ateneo de Manila University
2:30pm – Open Forum
2:45pm – Coffee Break
3:00pm – Round Table Discussion on Revitalizing Old Downtowns
Moderator – Archt. Manolo LC. Noche, HCS Trustee
Panel – Dr. Felipe de Leon, Jr., Chairperson, National Commission for Culture & the Arts
Dr. Maria Sereno I. Diokno, Chairperson, National Historical Commission (NHCP)
Mr. Jeremy R. Barns, Director, National Museum
Hon. Jed Patrick E. Mabilog, City Mayor, Iloilo City
Mr. Ivan Anthony Henares, HCS President
Archt. Paulo Alcazaren, HCS Trustee
Mr. Angel P. Bautista, Acting Assistant Director, National Museum
Archt. Wilkie B. Delumen, Chief, Historic Preservation Division, NHCP
Dr. Kristin G. Treñas, President, ICCHCC
Dr. Jocelyn B. Guerra, Executive Director, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.
Archt. Joy Martinez-Onozawa
4:15pm – Mapping Iloilo: Geotagging and Promoting Pride of Place in the Digital Age - Mr. Bernardo Arellano III
4:30pm – 360 Immersive Imaging in Heritage Documentation – Mr. Fung Yu
4:45pm – Closing Message

October 26, 2014
9am – Heritage Tour of Iloilo City (Optional/Booking Required)

On-site registration is Php 2,000 inclusive of conference kits and meals.

Pre-register by Wednesday, September 26, 2014, to avail of discounted rates:
Php 1,700 for professionals and government
Php 1,500 for HCS members in good standing, masteral students with ID, or group discount (minimum of 8)
Php 500 for undergraduate students with ID

Please issue check payments to "Heritage Conservation Society." Cash or check payments could be deposited to BPI C/A No. 8105-8153-61. Remember to e-mail your deposit slip to info@heritage.org.ph and keep the original deposit slip which you have to submit on the day of the summit.

Again, take advantage of discounted rates by paying on or before September 26, 2014. See you in Iloilo City!

Here is the updated program: https://www.dropbox.com/s/dwfkek2f9rut06p/Heritage%20Conservation%20Summit%202014%20Invitation.pdf?dl=0

Australia: Applying for an Australian visa in the Philippines

Applying for an Australian visa in the Philippines will require some lead time, at least four weeks. Here are tips to help you apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600), that will allow you to visit or remain in Australia for tourism or other recreational activities (holiday, sightseeing, social or recreational reasons or to visit relatives or friends).

1. Call the Australia Visa Service Desk at telephone no. +63 (2) 790 4900 and request for the latest Checklist for Tourist Visa. Note that the checklist and application form change quite often. And it's important for you to get the latest versions.

2. The good thing about applying for an Australian visa is that you do not need to submit your passport. Photocopy the information page and any stamps from previous travel. Do not include original documents as well. Should original documents be required, you may be requested to provide them at a later date.

3. Remember that visa processing takes at least one month for most cases. Mine was processed in two weeks. Here is more information on the Visitors visa.

4. Make sure you submit copies of all the documents stated in the checklist. The decision on your visa application may be decided based on the information and documentation included with your application at time of submission. Submitting incomplete documents may cause delay or denial of visa. The checklist (as of this writing) asks for the following requirements:
     A. Application Form 1419 or the Application for a Visitor visa – Tourist stream completed in English which you can download here. You can type your answers in the .pdf form.
     B. Visa application charge of AUD130 in Philippine pesos via a manager's cheque payable to: Australian Embassy. The exact fee will depend on prevailing exchange rates and you will need to confirm this when you call. Even if I called, I was unfortunate that the fee increased by Php100 while my application was in transit. So it delayed my application by a week. As a result, I was required to submit an additional manager's check for Php100 for the papers to move.
     C. Copy of your passport – This includes the photo page of your passport and any pages with amendments, endorsements, visas and entry / exit stamps
     D. One (1) passport sized photo attached to the front of the application form
     E. Evidence of your financial status and capacity to support yourself during your intended stay in Australia, such as: (a) copies of your bank deposit books showing your history of savings or salary; (b) copies of bank statements or payslips over a period of time; (c) credit card statements and limits; (d) letter of support from Australian contact with the above evidence of financial capability; or (e) evidence of current employment or documents supporting business ownership.
     F. Evidence of intended purpose of travel (this can include airline, hotel and tour bookings, etc.)
     G. Invitation letter from Australian contact (if applicable). If supported by Australian contact, evidence of relationship to Australian contact i.e. birth certificate, marriage certificate etc. and a copy of the photo page of their passport.
     H. For applicants below the age of 18, copy of the child’s birth certificate, showing names of the child and both parents.
     I. For children traveling without one or both parents or legal guardians, provide: (1) copy of each non-traveling parent’s ID; and (2) signed written authorization (or form 1229) by non-traveling parent(s) stating their agreement to permit their child to travel, the approximate date and duration of travel, whether a single visit or multiple trips are permitted and their contact information.

5. Once you've completed the checklist, you can call the Australia Visa Service Desk at telephone no. +63 (2) 790 4900 to set an appointment or have your documents picked up by courier for a fee. I chose to have my documents picked up by courier and was required to include a manager's check for Php1220 payable to VFS Services Philippines Private, Inc.

6. From the time of submission or pick-up, you just have to wait for the Visa Grant Notice to arrive. The reason they no longer ask for your passport is because they do not place visa labels on them. Instead, the Visa Grant Notice is printed on bond paper informing you that you've been granted a visa. If you need a visa label on your passport, you can get one for an additional fee of AUD150.

7. When you arrive at Australian Immigration, you simply need to present your passport (but make sure you bring the Visa Grant Notice just in case). Here's a tip, upon exiting Australia, they no longer stamp your passport. But you can request for an exit stamp as a souvenir, which is what I did.

VFS Services Philippines Private, Inc.
Mezzanine Floor Ecoplaza Building
2305 Chino Roces Ave. Ext. Makati City 1231
Phone No. +63 (2) 790 4900
E-mail: info.auph@vfshelpline.com

Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park in Tarrana, Tasmania

We all grew up watching Bugs Bunny and Taz. Those grunts, growls and rasps provided hilarious cartoon scenes for young kids like us. The thought of seeing a real Tasmanian devil had always interested me. And the opportunity finally came when I decided to fly to Tasmania. I would not leave Tasmania without seeing a real Tasmanian devil!

I was driving to the Port Arthur Historic Site from Hobart. And on the way was the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park in Tarrana.

Entrance fee to the park is $33. I made it just in time for the 10 a.m. feeding of the Tasmanian devils. They have other scheduled feedings. And it's best to check these time before heading over so you get to see them in action.

In one pen, they threw in wallaby meat which two Tasmanian devils feasted on. They made serious grunts and hisses as they devoured their meal. No wonder Taz made those sounds! They have a really nasty bite. And the spinning while the two Tasmanian devils were biting on the meat must have influenced the creators of Taz.

After they were done feeding, we moved to the kangaroo and wallaby pen for the 10:30 a.m. hand feeding. I was surprised that the kangaroos at the park were really friendly. They must be used to visitors since they allow you to come close and pet them. The wallabies were a different story. They were quite shy.

We fed them pellets and grass. The kangaroos immediately went over to use and ate the pellets from our hands. It took a little bit more time before the wallabies finally approached us. But they did!

The feeding times for the Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, wallabies and quolls happen several times a day. So if you miss the morning feeding times, you can catch the ones in the afternoon.

Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park
5990 Arthur Hwy, Taranna TAS 7180
Phone No. +61 1 800 641 641

Part 1: Hobart Waterfront & the Mures Fish Centre in Hobart, Tasmania

Part 2: Driving from Hobart to Lake St Claire in Tasmania

Part 4: Port Arthur Historic Site in Tasmania, Australia

Part 5: View of Hobart from the Tasman Bridge