Advance Booking
Booking the bus from Manila to Banaue, Ifugao was one of the challenges in our trip for Batad-Hungduan-Banaue since we were booking on a long weekend. Very challenging that it went to a point that we almost backed out of the whole trip. Thankfully, with a lot of adjustments and persistence we were able to proceed with the trip.
We found out that Ohayami Trans had an e-mail booking last June 6, 2015. So we decided to try the e-mail booking and when they replied we will be able to transfer the amount immediately to their bank account. Unfortunately, they replied with this.
Since the option to do e-mail booking is no longer available, we decided right away that we would visit their station the next day and book directly with Ohayami Trans in Sampaloc, Manila for the night of June 11, 2015. This is what was written in their ticketing office when we arrived.
NOOOO!!! But not yet. I really want us to go. I asked the lady on the other side of the counter if we could book going to Lagawe, then we will just ride a jeep from Lagawe to Banaue. I’ve done it before, I could do it again. And she answered “Sorry, fully booked na rin po kami papuntang Lagawe.” (Sorry, we are also fully booked going to Lagawe.) This is what we get from being tardy with advance booking of a bus that is scheduled to leave on a long weekend. (June 12 is Independence Day here in the Philippines.)
NOOOO!!! I travelled from Palawan to Manila just to do this trip again and I could not go because the buses are fully booked. I called my brother and told him of the unfortunate situation. We also presented alternative places that we can go to, but none of them were appealing to the traveler in us. We were too focused in going to Banaue and visiting the Rice Terraces that alternatives were no longer a choice.
I asked my brother that night at home if he was open to the idea if we move our trip from June 11-15 to June 12-16. He thought about it, eventually he agreed that we could travel on those dates, he just needs to adjust his office schedule. And we had to rebook some flights going back.
Yes, it was expensive to rebook the flights. But this is a planned trip that involves us blocking our busy schedule and paying for flights. We have invested time and effort for this trip. It would definitely be more expensive if we did not push thru. Rebooking of flights and adjusting our schedule is way more cheaper than for us to go back to our respective places and plan the whole trip again.
