Life on the Spot! Life and Leisure in Doha, Qatar

June 30, 2008 (Monday) - We woke up early at 5:30 a.m. on Monday (June 30) as we were to be fetched by the van at 6:30 in the morning. I already talked to the driver yesterday so that he’ll take us to the City Market before going to the wharf. This way, we could buy stuff we would take to Honda Bay. The drop off and pick up service (the van would be waiting for us at the Wharf when we return from Honda Bay) would cost you Php1500. Again, I decided that renting a van and renting a boat would be cheaper for us than getting the Honda Bay tour offered to tourists. Island Hopping would cost you Php1100 per person so by renting a van and the boat, plus paying for island fees and food, we got to save some money.

By 6:45 a.m., we were already in the wet market trying to decide what sea food to buy to take with us to our Honda Bay adventure. We were told that you can have somebody cook the food for you in Pandan Island for a fee or if it’s just grilling, the boatmen can even grill for you as there are grillers available in Pandan Island. You have to provide the charcoal though. My sisters went their own way to buy some tomatoes, eggplants, salted eggs, and other stuff. Mavis and I decided to buy some lobsters (Php650/kilo), blue fin tuna, shrimps, and crabs. A man asked us if we wanted to have the sea food boxed so they’ll remain fresh on our travel and we paid about Php90 for it.We bought a small ice box and bought some ice just across the market. After buying breakfast at Jollibee, we were off to the Wharf!

It took us probably 20 minutes from the City Center to get to the Wharf. You’ll see a big sign board that says “Welcome to Hunda Bay” once you turn right to the Wharf. You have to register at the Honda Bay Tourist Information and Assistance Center to get you a boat to the Islands and you can even rent snorkeling gear (snorkel and mask) with them for Php100/set. The Aqua shoes would cost the same. I’d rather bring my own snorkel and mask as we’ve tried their gear on our second time to go to the Islands and water comes in the masks no matter how I fix it. We were bringing our own water shoes so there was no need to rent them.

Since were 9, we rented a big boat for Php2500. That’s for island hopping to 3 islands but you have to pay extra for the island fees. If you want to save, you can ask other tourists to share with you the expenses. For a smaller boat, I think they charge you Php1500. The boatmen and his assistant would provide you with a swim vest which you need to wear every time you’re on the boat. They would also help you know where to find and feed fishes. Or if you're going to Pambato Reef, one of the boatmen would help you go to where the corals are.

After registering and paying the boat fees, we slathered ourselves with more sun block and off we went!