Budgeting for Malasimbo Festival

We only stayed overnight and went to Mt. Malasimbo for the festival in the evening so we only bought the one-night pass. But aside from the ticket itself, going to Malasimbo means having to pay for travel and accommodation at Puerto Galera. Here’s a list of things you need to consider when budgeting for Malasimbo in case you want to go next year. (I’m telling you now – you should.)

BUDGETING FOR MALASIMBO

Tickets

Here’s a tip: buy early. Malasimbo tickets usually have early bird rates so you’d save a lot if you decide on going early on. Here’s another tip: check for discounts coming from credit card companies. We got ours at a 10% discount because we used BDO to purchase the tickets from Ticketworld online.

NIGHT PASS	FROM	FROM	AT THE
6PM – 6AM	JAN 16-FEB 15	FEB 16-FEB 28	DOOR
1 NIGHT PASS	PhP 2,000	PhP 2,250	Php 2,500
2 NIGHT PASS	PhP 3,000	Php 3,250	Php 3,500
3 NIGHT PASS	PhP 4,000	Php 4,250	Php 4,500

Other passes:

DAY PASS 10AM – 4PM	FIXED RATE
1 DAY PASS	Php 500
MALASIMBOAT 1:30PM-3:30PM/4PM-6PM	FIXED RATE
1 PARTY PASS	Php 500

Travel

We took the bus going to (via Jam Liner coming from the Cubao terminal) and from (via Ceres coming from the pier) Batangas. This costs P175 per way. The round trip boat ride (in our case, Father and Sons) going to White Beach, Puerto Galera costs only P580 including environmental and terminal fees. Getting a one-way ticket would cost more.

If you’re staying at White Beach like us, the fare from White Beach going to Mt. Malasimbo is P200. This is via official Malasimbo Festival jeepneys – this is the only way you can reach the place (I think). I know this is costly, but I heard that in the past years the jeepneys going up the mountain really hiked up their prices during the festival so this should be good enough! And safe too.

Accommodation

We stayed at V.M. Beach Resort at White Beach. The standard room costs P2,500, which was divided among us five who went there together. We joined the two queen-sized beds and we fit well enough. It’s nothing fancy – really just a place to sleep in which is also very near the beach. For an “okay” place, I’d say there are others that are a lot cheaper if you do a bit more research.

You might want to consider staying at Encenada Beach Resort next time though. I found out post-festival that dearest Joss Stone stayed in this secluded resort when she was there! Damn, I’m filled with envy right now.

Food and Drinks

At White Beach, you can budget P150 per meal for food and drinks – it should be enough for your ihaw cravings. As with usual getaways, don’t forget to do groceries to buy chips and stuff. Food is usually allowed in the resorts anyway. At Malasimbo, food and drinks are a bit more costly. To give you an example, I bought a hungarian sausage in pita bread and that costs P150 already. Beer costs P100, and the usual cocktails at P150-P250. Yes, quite expensive. And for some reason, you need to exchange your cash with coupons if you want to buy anything. If you’re on a tight budget, load up before heading to the venue.

Other things to consider

First things first – Malasimbo is a mountain. We made the terrible mistake of going there in beach clothes. When we went down the jeep, it was freezing. We’re not the only ones who were surprised. So yes, bring a jacket, and if the weather says it might rain, possibly a raincoat. Otherwise, you can purchase a Malasimbo sweater there for P600. And if you don’t want to spend on buying a mat (P50 at the venue), then you might as well bring your own. You’ll need it to sit on the grounds.

EXPERIENCING MALASIMBO

Having stayed for only one night, we survived with a measly budget of P5,000-P6,000 per person, all in. And that money allowed us to…

Lounge at the beach during the day.

Watch these amazing Filipino musicians play so well they make me miss playing music:

Yolanda Moon

Similar Objects

Quest

And of course, Joss Stone.

How worth it was it? Well, I’ve told myself I’ll be there every year from now on. Especially because I’m hearing rumors going around that Erykah Badu might play next year. Well, let’s see.

 

Malasimbo Arts and Music Festival 2013 was held in Mt. Malasimbo, March 1-3, 2013. More details here: http://malasimbofestival.com/