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Purple Fountain Courtyard Inn - Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

One day last November 2012, my mom was seriously facing her laptop and I thought that she's doing something serious. Out of curiosity, I went near her and looked at her laptop and to my surprise, the look on her face was all because she was having a hard time looking for a place to stay at Puerto Princesa.

She ended up choosing Purple Fountain Courtyard Inn because of the great reviews the Netizens and the Travel Lovers have for it in websites and blogs such as Trip Advisor (www.tripadvisor.com).

ARRIVAL AT THE AIRPORT

 

 

After arriving at the airport, we immediately headed to claim our baggage. Then, we went outside and saw a bunch of people each holding a placard with the names of the guests written on it. We immediately looked for our names until we saw a lady holding one with my mother's name on it. We went to her and she welcomed us very warmly. Right after that, she called the driver and guided us on the way to their vehicle.

NOTE: For everyone's information, most of the Travel Agencies/Hotels/Inns offer airport transfer to their guests. Usually, it is included to the package they offer. But, you can always rent a tricycle if you didn't avail of any airport transfer service. 

PURPLE FOUNTAIN COURTYARD INN

Purple Fountain Courtyard Inn's Geolocation

It only took 5 minutes for us to travel from the airport to Purple Fountain Courtyard Inn. Initially, when I used google map to look for PFCI's geolocation, I thought that it will take 10-15 minutes before we can reach the place.

I was really surprised that it's very near the airport, you can actually walk your way to it.

The place looks small from the outside and it seems like it's just a single bungalow, but, what you are seeing is actually where the owners' stay whenever they visit their inn. Also, a part of this is the inn's lobby, which is just a few steps away from the gate. We were warmly welcomed by their receptionists as we entered the lobby and checked in. By this alone, I already felt the warm hospitality of the Palaweños.

The pretty and nice receptionists of PFCI

 

Breakfast is served to all the guests for free. However, availing of Lunch and Dinner is optional. They really have a variety of dishes to choose from and you can always avail of additional meals in a very reasonable price.

  

We really enjoyed breakfast since the food is very delicious and comes in a great quantity unlike that of the breakfast served in other inns and hotels.  

  

Waiting Area

The lobby has a two 3-seater woven wood (rattan) sofa, a magazine rack, a piece of center table and a refrigerator at the side to make the guests comfortable while waiting. Furthermore, what makes this place recommendable to the frequent travelers and photo lovers is the fact that WiFi is available throughout the whole place. Thus, you can share every precious moment during your stay at the city that you wanna let other people know.

A candy-colored bungalow

After checking in, two of the receptionists accompanied us to our rooms. On our way, I saw a beautiful pink bungalow with purple lines on its wall and with colorful windows with purple accents. I also took some shots of the picturesque views at the place including their icon, the Purple Fountain.

By the way, safety is not a concern in this place since there is always a body guard on duty. 

A nice view of the walkway

The Purple Fountain

A magnificent view of the colorful rooms and units

We checked in at two Standard rooms with porch. The first room is for our parents and the other is where my brother, aunt and I stayed. Aside from the pastel-colored walls with accents of purple, what makes the whole inn very attractive is the furnitures and paintings. Each room gives a touch of Philippine culture with every traditional Filipino woodcraft displayed around the inn.

THE ROOM

A double-sized bed

The room comes with two beds (double and single beds), a shower room, a TV, a wardrobe and a personal vault guests can use. The interior looks so pleasing to the eyes because of its contrasting colors. The purple accents are perfectly blended with different colors without overpowering each other. Moreover, the deep brown furnitures make the look more cozy and classy at the same time. The paintings are carefully chosen as each one 

  

A bedside table and a mirror

When it comes to the toilet and shower room, cleanliness is always my top consideration. I can't last long in a filthy toilet room. Anyway, we are very fortunate because Purple Fountain Courtyard Inn's toilet and shower room is very clean and fragrant. Furthermore, they have a hot and cold shower which suits everyone's preference. Thus, you'll really have no problem with using these facilities.

Paintings hanged on the wall

A single-sized bed in the corner

CONCLUSION

I'll give Purple Fountain Courtyard Inn a 9 out of 10 because you'll get the most out of your money. This inn really gives much value to your money by giving each guest a commendable service and a comfortable stay without having to pay much. Moreover, aside from the fact that the food is delectable, the inn is also generous when it comes to the food they serve. They always make sure that the guests will have more than enough of the food they want.

Puerto Princesa Escapade - DAY 1

PRE-DEPARTURE

With Ninoy Aquino

Last April 10, our family went to Puerto Princesa City in Palawan for a 3D 2N vacation. Initially, when my mom booked for a flight on Philippine Airlines' official website last November, we were scheduled to depart from Manila at 1pm on April 10 however, a few days before our scheduled flight, we were informed that we'll be leaving at 3pm instead. For most of them, it seemed more of a negative news, but I took it positively because somehow it'll give us more time to prepare our things going to the Philippines' City in the Forest.

True enough, I benefited much from the new schedule since I only packed my things on the same day of our flight. Indeed, that 2-hour delay in flight served as a useful allowance! Hahahaha!'

Solo picture of my brother with Ninoy Aquino

We left the house at 9am and headed to the Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City. To think that NAIA Terminal 3 only caters to domestic flights, it is fair to say that it can keep up with the airports in our neighboring countries in comparison to the bad reviews presented by the local and international media. However, slight improvements are really needed in the areas of safety and aesthetics.

Anyway, it was not my first time to board a plane since I was sent to Japan as a Student Ambassador for the Kizuna (Bond) Project last March 18-27, so I did not have any problem following the procedures of boarding a plane.

 ON BOARD PHILIPPINE AIRLINES FLIGHT PR 943

Philippine Airlines

I was really amused by my mother when we were inside the airplane. She was fearful of boarding a plane because she thought that it is really dangerous. So the whole time we were inside the plane, all she did was to sleep while holding my father's hand (Sobrang sweet, diba?!)

My mom didn't look like she's afraid

Meanwhile, I just repetitively looked around trying to compare the interior of our country's flagship carrier (Philippine Airlines) with that of Japan Airlines. As expected, I ended up hoping that someday, PAL will be comparable with that of the world's front-runners in Airline Industry.


WELCOME TO PUERTO PRINCESA!

  

 

From Left to Right: My father and mother, yours truly, and my Aunt

I was really in euphoria when I first set my foot on this wonderful city! I realized that there is something special in visiting places in our country - maybe because aside from enjoying the picturesque view of mountains and beaches, we're trying to seek our roots, our identity as a Filipino; And that's what makes it more special!

A photo with a PFCI personnel

After arriving at the airport, we immediately headed to claim our baggage. Then, we went outside and saw a bunch of people each holding a placard with names written on it. We immediately looked for our names until we saw a lady holding one with my mother's name written on it. We went to her and she welcomed us very warmly. Right after that, she called the driver and guided us on the way to their vehicle.

NOTE: For everyone's information, most of the Travel Agencies/Hotels/Inns offer airport transfer to their guests. Usually, it is included to the package they offer. But, you can always rent a tricycle if you didn't avail of any airport transfer service.

Purple Fountain Courtyard Inn is just 5-minutes away from the Puerto Princesa Airport and that's a huge advantage because it lessens the chances of getting late on you flight! hahahaha!

I'll be making a different article about the inn. In the meantime, I'll tease you with these photos:

Purple Fountain Courtyard Inn's facade

You can sit comfortable at the lobby while waiting

At the lobby.

The inn is known for their candy colors

The accents of purple blended with pastel colors looked so wonderful!

Vanity struck me again. :)

The Purple Fountain!

FIRST ACTIVITY: SOUVENIR BUYING/SHOPPING

Having left the inn at 3:30pm, the most practical thing we can do that time is to buy souvenirs and delicacies since we won't be having enough time to do so in the following days. We then headed to what the locals call 'Tianggehan' and looked for Cora's Palawan Pearls and Souvenir Shop.

At the shop, we bought some shirts, accessories (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, etc), and some of the city's delicacies. Sets of pearl accessories are sold from P200-1000 depending on the class. Earrings are sold P35 each or 3 for P100. Seriously, there are really a lot of stuffs you can buy at this store. Anyway, since I did not like much of their T-shirt designs, I went out and looked for other t-shirts in the neighboring stores. Fortunately, I found the designs I really want. Furthermore, I bought some keychains to give to my friends as 'pasalubong.'

Generally, the items sold at the 'Tianggehan' are really cheap. You can buy shirts from P85-P300 depending on the shirt color and design. White shirts are typically cheaper than the colored ones and shirts with customized design usually have twice/thrice the price of the ordinary shirts.

Nihon No Aji

“Nihon no aji”

(A Taste of Japan)

Growing up in the era where Anime and Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty have been prevalent in TV, magazines and comics, one would really wish to know more of these characters’ beginnings. In my teenage year, I fell in love and got to listen to the songs of Japan’s most prized singer, Utada Hikaru. In other words, I somehow hoped that someday I’ll be able to dig deeper to the culture of the Japanese people and be able to understand them as a nation.

 

Last February, I received a mail from the National Youth Commission stating that I was chosen as one of the delegates to the Kizuna (Bond) Project to be held in Japan on March 18-27. After reading the letter, I felt so fulfilled because after several months of waiting, I was finally sure that I’ll be able to go to Japan to fulfil one of my childhood dreams and most importantly, to be able to help their government with their endeavour to spread the absolute truth about Japan’s current situation.

Come 18^th of March, I never thought that I will be able to set my feet on what I once considered a dreamland – Japan. My trip going to the Land of the Rising Sun felt surreal until now.  It was a journey full of first-times – riding on an airplane, walking on a pile of snow, watching snow fall from the sky and riding on a shinkansen(bullet train). But what really caught my attention is to witness the full-blooming of the cherry blossoms. From then on, I already knew why sakura captivated millions of people’s hearts – because aside from its unparalleled beauty, the collective view of these flowers is a sight to behold.

With my homestay family. :)

Photo session with friends.

            Aside from the things mentioned above, one of the greatest and most compelling attributes of Japan is its people. The warm hospitality and kindness towards other people are some of the characteristics I personally liked about the Japanese people. In fact, in my ten days of stay in Japan, I never felt that I was a foreigner but they made me feel that I am welcome to their wonderful country. I am sure that these traits are also greatly appreciated by the numerous people from all around the world who visit the country every year. Furthermore, these characteristics are also two of the many reasons why people keep coming back to Japan.

Some of my Kizuna Delegates with our own little snowman.

It was agreat Japanese culture experience indeed!

LEARNINGS

            In spite of the advanced technology and architectural design, the country still suffered a lot after the Great East Japan Earthquake which further brought two more tragedies – the spread of high levels of radiation in some parts of Fukushima and the tsunami that swept a huge part of the prefecture and took away thousands of lives.But what makes it more despairing is the spread ofFuhyoHigai(harmful rumors) which is detrimental to Japan’s tourism specifically that of the whole Fukushima prefecture and the surrounding areas as well.

             The paramount abatement in Japan’s tourism has greatly affected the country’s economy and this has been accounted for the fact that a lot of wrong and inaccurate information are being passed on from one person to another regarding the safety in Fukushima after the tragedies have taken place. Furthermore, sensationalism in local and international media even portrayed the situation in an extremely negative way which persuaded many tourists to refrain from visiting Japan.

            As a student ambassador, I realized the need to share my first-hand experiences in Japan to help in negating, if not all, most of the false information about the matter. It is of utmost importance for people to know that high level of radiation is contained only in a specific area near the coastal region of Fukushima. In fact, areas outside the 100km radius in Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant are considered to be safe from the ill effects of radiation. Also, specialized instruments are placed in key spots within the prefecture to monitor if the amount of radiation in those areas is within safe levels.

            When we visited a strawberry farm in Minamiaizu in the Aizu region of Fukushima, I learned that in the said region, agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables undergo a series of food safety and quality tests to determine if those products are safe for consumption. During that day, the tests suggest that those products, aside from having high quality, contain minimal amount of radioactive particles. Thus, we were allowed to pick up as many strawberries as we can but under one condition: we must be able to eat those before leaving. In all fairness, the strawberries were so sweet and some really grow big. Having picked up and eaten many of it, I ended up having a light meal during lunch.

            My story is one of the many stories about Japan that the world needs to know right now. This story is just a small part of the truth about the current situation in Fukushima that everyone deserves to know. Each one of us has the responsibility to share with each other only the absolute truth about what really happened in Japan during the Great East Japan Earthquake. And as a concerned individual, I respond to this call by sharing everything that I know regarding the matter. Furthermore, I am hopeful that one day, Japan will be able to fully recover about this great disaster and prove to the world that they are indeed worthy to be called the Land of the Rising Sun.

Lecturer

Lecturer

Cherry Blossoms; not yet in full bloom

At Daikura Inn Resort, Minamiaizu, Japan

Wearing a Traditional Japanese Sleepwear

I ended up making this woodcraft. :)

Cherry Blossoms in full bloom

Do you know what this watercraft is?

Sky Tree Tower in the background

Lookin' pretty happy!

Lecturer