Last March 7, 2020, I was supposed to have a very awesome and enchanting experience where giant hot air balloons would fill the skies. Apparently, that did not happen because of all the mishaps during that day. I booked three tickets to the festival through a small travel agency, and I think that's the major mistake I did.
First, there was a confusion with the pickup point. People were supposed to be in McDonald's Q. Ave Southbound but apparently, there were people in the Northbound, which caused delays.
Second, the place was just overcrowded! More tickets were sold compared to the seating capacity. The staff weren't able to control the crowd. Third, which is the most disappointing of all, there were only less than 10 hot air balloons, which was a lot less than the previous years. You cannot even go near the grounds because of the new location which was a horse race track. So yah, those photos at the top... I just edited the balloons on it. LOL
Fourth, which I think is also important, is that the travel agency (Travel World PH) is unorganized. The first mishap would not happen if the organizer had explained to everyone which is the correct pick-up point. They were also not able to allot a proper schedule for lunch in the itinerary, which caused all of us to ride a tricycle to the nearest Jollibee because we were all hungry!
The really hot weather didn't even help. We were just taking a bath in sweat the whole day! Thankfully, I was wearing a knit cardigan so I did not get sunburns. People were crowded in a certain area where there were trees so they could get a shade.
The second destination, the Torres Farm Resort, which was supposed to be an "Tour Around the World" tourist spot, was also a total disappointment.The attractions were poorly constructed, and heck, the restaurant's food were not delicious, they say. There are only a few attractions to see, so the allotted time for the destination in the itinerary was too long for it.
So many mishaps that could have lost the fun of the experience. But thankfully, I was with awesome people, my cousin Meryll and my boyfriend, who made it memorable. We were just being silly all the time, laughing at stupid things, and teasing each other.
Without great company, the day would have been a total failure. And we learned a lot of lessons. It's really better to arrange your own trip instead of joining a tour package. You have less control of things. The package was affordable so I guess that explains it? Anyway, watch this video to listen to a lot of rants lol