It's not yet too late to give tips and a survival guide for the 15th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, and because It is my first time to be there and encountered some not so good and also okay situations. I like to share something that I learned in traveling and also going to the venue and tips from people around me.
(read more below)
If you are planning to attend this event, make sure that you are well prepared and ready to shell out lots of money, you need a lot of money for paying the transportation, food, and entrance fee. You need to bring some extra clothes and water, carrying a big back pack will be a good advantage carrying your camera, clothes, food, water and laptop. You can add more clothes if you want, if ever you want to stay overnight.
The clothes
Wear thin clothes, especially cotton shirts or if you have long sleeves shirt it will be great, this is a good garment to protect your arms and skin from the heat of the sun, but that will only useful if you will stay under the sun from 9am onwards, the sun is very harmful already at around 10am, so be ready and put some sun tan lotion. Wear pants and not shorts. That's what I learned yesterday, because the venue of the hot air balloon has lots of high dried grass, and if you are wearing shorts, these dried grass can cut your legs and experience lots of cuts and sometimes it is itchy. I just saw my legs lots of cuts and scratches after taking a bath that night. Wearing pants and jogging pants are good, it will protect your legs from those dried grass, you can run and also walk smoothly. Wear rubber shoes and don't wear sandals, because the ground is dusty and sometimes in the morning, the dry grass are wet, you dont want your feet be dirty when you reach the main venue.
The Venue
There's no available wash room in the venue, because it's a converted entertainment venue for the event, you'll see two airplane hangar been converted into an exhibit and bazaar area. They have portalets on the other side near the entrance gate, there are no wash rooms that you may want to wash your hands or face. We do bring extra bottles to clean our hands and feet (if you wear sandals), or we use wet wipes just to moisten up our face under the heat of the sun. There are shaded areas in the viewing venue of the hot air balloon, you can set up your self and camera gadgets there and you can seat over the grass and watch the balloons fly before the perimeter fence. There are food stalls and booths for souvenirs, you can buy and eat food at the food stand area.
The overnight stay
There are a lot of hotels in Clark Freeport Zone, but they are a little bit too pricey, if you can afford to pay P8k for 12 hours stay. And if not, there are motels in the area, just ask the jeep or trike driver for the best motel, they charge P900 per over night, complete with bed, tv, aircon, bathroom, electric plugs and sometimes with free WiFi.
The Mall
We always go to Marquee Mall, after the morning fly in of the balloons we take the free shuttle ride going to Marquee Mall, they also offer free ride going back to Clark Freeport Zone at the entrance of the hot air balloon event. If you are in Marquee Mall ,just go to the bus terminal area, just ask the guard on where to locate the Victory Liner terminal stop infront of Marquee Mall, and if you went there, and see no shuttle in the area, just ask the jeepney barker or guard about the free shuttle ride, you might just missed the ride, but the free shuttle ride operation is from 5am up to 7:30pm. We go there back and forth, we watch movies and eat there during the whole day while waiting for the 6pm fly in of the hot air balloons.
The Transpo
If you are going to the venue by public transpo, from Manila to Pampanga, there are simple instruction to remember. Just ride the bus with route to Angeles or Dagupan, just ask the conductor to drop you off to Dau Terminal, all buses from Manila to Angeles or Dagupan, always drop off their passengers at Dau Terminal. For the bus ride you can ride a Philippine Rabbit or Victory Liner in their terminal at Kamias or Pasay City.
Going to the venue of the hot air balloon fiesta, which is at Clark Freeport Zone. Just ask around where to ride the correct route going there, when I was there I asked the guard from Jollibee and then he told me to go straight of the highway and ride a jeepney infront of Caltex gas station, but the easiest way is to ride the tricycle going to the main gate of Clark Freeport Zone, the trike ride cost at P20 per head.
And after arriving to the main gate, the trike driver will take you to the jeepney terminal and ask the jeepney driver that you will ride and let them drop you off at the hot air balloon fiesta venue. Just look to your righ and you will see the venue from a far, jeepney stop will be a few feet away from the gate, just remind the driver always, because the next stop is on the other side which the distance is like 4 foot ball fields.
The Program
Before you leave your home, make sure you printed a copy of the program schedule of the event, and also take note that the fly in of the balloons will start at around 5:30am and 5:30pm only. It will be a loss already if you missed the morning fly in, because that is the most highlight event for the hot air balloons, but if you failed to watch the morning fly in, then watch the night fly in, Saturday and Sunday sched will be the best attraction, because they will lighten the balloons and it will glow in the dark and they will fire up some fireworks display for everyone.
(got this photo from the Rox exhibit, from last year's event, photo by Andy Samaniega)
Inside the open field
If you own a media pass or all access ID pass of the event, you have this access to enter the open field and be close to the balloons, you can take photos there and also talk to the balloons operator if you want to interview them, but I like to say to you that you should be very careful when you are in the open field, because the ground there is covered with dry grass and the ground is not plain straight and other areas have holes, so be careful walking in there, and if you wear pants or jeans, it will protect your legs from dry grass cuts to your legs. Also be always on the look out on the sky, because there are para-gliders flying and roaming around with the hot air balloons, you'll expect a massive sky traffic, be careful in your position and if ever a para-glider is coming in near you , you should be always alert and ready to cover your self, we can't say how will accident can happen. And if you will take photos of the hot air balloons, just stay away from the flame, because the heat can hurt you and also might damage your camera, always stay low and approach the balloon slowly.
Well, I hope this tip is helpful, good luck on your trip and stay safe!
