Struggles Attending the Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival and How to Avoid It
February 14, 2016
It was our first time attending the Philippine Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark Pampanga, and to be honest, we had an awful experience.
Let us share our misfortunes and how you can avoid it if you are still planning to attend the festival next year.
- Review the event program.
Before attending the event, make sure you’ve reviewed the program schedule. This is important, especially for first-timers. You can click HERE to lead you to a guide to anticipate the happening and when is the right time to travel.
- Do not commute.
I know that commuting is economical. When it is the last day of the Festival, you might find it hard to find a public vehicle to bring you back and forth. In our experience, it was Sunday, and Valentine's Day, so we’ve expected a lot of people coming in. But what we didn't look forward to is that Jeepneys going back to Dau terminal are hardly any and overloaded with passengers, so we ended up walking for 30 minutes to reach the Clark main gate. Almost all of the people even the kids and elderly in that event did the same thing. How sickening is that?
As we finally arrived in Dau terminal, buses going back to Manila were copious but the chance to ride was easier said than done. Since it a chance to find a needle in the hay, people struggle and desperately do anything to ride one.
Alternative?. I’d suggest that you bring your own car or take advantage of car rentals. There are also tour packages online that offers a good itinerary. If you were left no choice than commuting, PLEASE, do not bring your kids with you, pregnant women, people with disability and elderly.
- Arrived Earliest Time Possible.
Hot Air Balloon flying starts as early as 6 am, that is even impossible to attend when you're far from the event location and the traffic at NLEX is really unbearable. Some of my Facebook friends had an overnight stay outside the event proper.
We arrived at the event at 10 am and we are too late. We just got disappointed, realizing that going there is really a waste of time, effort, and money. We even struggled to view the subject. Aside from that, there are no other activities to try to spend the rest of the day.
So, we ended up waiting until 6:45 pm to at least witness the Hot Air Balloon night lighting (just not to waste the money and effort we’ve spent on this event).
Unfortunately, a brawny wind came across the Hot air balloons that made the last attraction a major epic fail.
- Bring Sunshields, Picnic Mats and Your most Comfortable Clothes and Shoes to Wear.
Expect Clark, Pampanga to be sunny and dusty. Therefore, you should put on some sunscreens, umbrellas or hats to protect you from the harsh sunlight. Wear your most comfy clothes, closed shoes is also advised to avoid heat and dust. We will also recommend wearing a face mask.
Since there's nothing to do in the event, you should also bring picnic mats that and foods to share with your loved ones.
- Think of other means to enjoy the event.
There are booths where you can purchase souvenirs, food, and other stuff. We also noticed people flying kites throughout the day. Some are contented bonding with their families and friends through picnics.
Although we are one of those who got disappointed with the outcome of the event, I guess we’ve learned that happiness comes from being contented and bringing out the best out of an awful moment.
So, if you’re planning to attend the Hot Air Balloon festival in Pampanga next year, you might consider these pieces of advice.
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