* This coming July 4-8, 2018, we are creating a transformative 5D/4N experience in Negros Occidental for a small group of 8 intrepid travelers. Think MUNI Meetup on wheels! Visit places, meet people, learn new things, create meaningful connections.
#MUNIonThis: A large part of living a more mindful, sustainable life is choosing to spend on enriching experiences vs. stuff.
Undoubtedly, travel is a large part of that, especially for our generation where seat sale alerts and travel deals abound, where we have all these guide books or online resources, checklists of sights for Instagram-worthy stories, posts and selfies to show our friends how well-traveled we are and how enviable our lives can be.
How can we change this checklist travel mindset?
While we don’t see travelers necessarily cutting back on their flights, or airlines switching from fossil fuels just yet, we do see that there are opportunities to create a travel experience that positively impacts both the traveler and the locals (human, flora and fauna) alike.
“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson
OUR TRAVEL MUNIFESTO
We believe in the power of travel to help you recharge, and reimagine your world, simply by giving you the time and space to step away from your day-to-day, reconnect with nature, and reignite inspiration through those you meet in your journey – locals and fellow travelers alike.
We believe in travel that transforms the traveler into a more aware and mindful individual by showing him that a sustainable life is possible in the places we visit, and that valuable lessons may be taken home, to be applied beyond the duration of the trip.
We believe that responsible travel = mindful, sustainable living. And we believe that our impact as travelers in any destination begins before we ever set foot in that place, and long after.
As such, it is our goal to create a travel experience that can also:
Show you that living a more environmentally conscious life is possible and more meaningful
Give you tools and connect you with people who can support you on a continuing journey towards sustainability
[If you like what you’ve read so far and are interested to be part of this, you can apply to join the trip by filling out the MUNI Travels Application Form here on or before June 10, 2018. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis on May 15, May 25, and June 10 (if slots are still available). If you’d still like to know more, please keep reading.] 🙂
ABOUT MUNI TRAVELS NEGROS 2
Visit places owned and run by Filipinos that work to uphold sustainable practices, and hear their origin stories too.
The highlight of the trip will be Danjugan Island – a conservation area off Cauayan, 3 hours south of Bacolod city, where we will be spending 3 nights.
Danjugan Island is managed by the Philippine Reef & Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc., which works to preserve this piece of paradise – not for tourists – but for its original inhabitants and beneficiaries: the wildlife and the local residents who live off the bounty of the sea.
Here, you’ll get access to rich surroundings for snorkeling with a variety of fish in a variety of underwater ecosystems, from coral reefs to mangroves to sea grass!
Learn how to identify certain fish and coral species and be more comfortable in the water (if you aren’t a mermaid in your mind already).
Engage with us in discussions on plastic pollution, climate change, and brain jam with us on how we can all make a difference. Share your your fears, your hopes, and your witty one-liners!
We’re here to create a space with a balance of meaningful learning, quiet introspection, and joyful interaction. 🙂
This time, we’ll also be introducing some skindiving learning sessions in the itinerary with Reef Nomads – a company that reconnects people to the ocean through guided skin diving lessons and tours.
More than just a trip to enjoy the sea, we’ll also be learning more about the impacts of plastic pollution on the planet through a coastal cleanup and a visit to the Sipalay Eco-center, about an hour further south of Cauayan.
The first ever MUNI Meetup Bacolod on Zero Waste Living during the first MUNI Travels trip last March
After reveling in the beauty of the sea, and because every MUNI experience is all about connecting people, we will also arrange a MUNI Meetup on Sustainable Tourism, with the help of PRRCFI. This way, we can meet with other changemakers and like-minded advocates in Bacolod, and perhaps find even more reasons to come back!
And last but not the least, a trip to Negros Occidental would not be complete without also visiting some of the heritage homes in the area for a dose of culture in this rich, historical region, home to the haciendas of sugar farming families.
And so, on our final day, we head over to the quiet municipality on Manapla, to check out the Hacienda Crafts workshop – a internationally awarded social enterprise that uses traditional weaving and handicraft techniques, enjoy lunch at the Gaston mansion, and learn more about the Chapel of Cartwheels, one of our favorite places of worship (trust us, the story of this place is amazing, whether or not you’re a religious person).
Your trip curator and guide will be Jen Horn, founder of MUNI, who is passionate about growing a community that works to create a culture of mindfulness and empathy for a more sustainable world. She practices zero waste in the ways that she can, and has a special place in her heart for the water – whether it be diving, snorkeling or swimming. She believes in the healing potential of simply being near the sea, and the power that reconnecting with nature has to induce empathy for the planet.
If you like what you’ve read so far and are interested to be part of this, you can apply to join the trip by filling out the MUNI Travels Application Form here on or before June 10, 2018. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis on May 15, May 25, and June 10 (if slots are still available). To learn more, please keep reading!
Upon approval of application, we will send you more details on the trip, the fees and payment details. From the time you are contacted, you will be given five (5) days to send your initial confirmation and ten (10) days for your downpayment. Otherwise, your slot may be allocated to another waitlisted applicant. Deadline of submission of complete requirements to join the trip is on June 15, 2018.
This is not a luxury vacation. While we won’t go all out on the “roughing it”, seeking to provide travelers a level of comfort (with beds and proper bathrooms), it is our aim to show you that a simpler way of living can be a happy one. Group meals served will be simple, delicious and nourishing. Please note that mobile signal is limited in Danjugan, while insects, snakes and some dangerous marine animals may abound. It is their home we are visiting after all. We’ll be giving you guidelines to prepare for the trip, but your mindset and comfort level is only something you can work on. 🙂
This is not an immersion or voluntourism trip either. While a big part of what you pay goes back to these local communities, companies or organizations, you are not going on this trip to “save the poor people of the Philippine islands”. Instead, we’d like to give you this opportunity to learn more for yourself, and learn more about what they need, when you curiously ask questions and listen.
What this is, is an off-the-beaten path experience, balancing the traveler’s thirst to discover as much of the world as she can, with a luscious enough amount of languor to savor extended lunches and after-dinner conversations. Five days is longer than the most weekend-warrior trips, but a lot shorter than the weeks-long escapes that we prefer, so we’ll do our best. 🙂
The whole trip aims to be as fun, educational, and zero-waste (in all senses of the phrase) as possible. In line with this, we will be asking you to collect any trash you might produce throughout the trip, and bring it back home with you. 🙂
Package is inclusive of:
BCD Airport transfers (pick up on July 4; drop off on July 8)
5 DAYS & 4 NIGHTS accommodation (shared room)
3 nights at Danjugan Island (accommodations will be sustainably made, non-A/C mud huts with en suite bathrooms)
1 night at Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay (near Bacolod)
Land and sea transportation on all days
All meals included on all days (except if you wish to get anything else outside of pre-ordered group meals)
MUNI travel coordinator & guide
A MUNI Meetup in Bacolod
Danjugan island visit and activities including:
Boat tour, trekking & snorkeling guide, use of kayaks, snorkeling gear
Camp sessions / talks on fish identification, climate change, plastic pollution, and more led by Dave Albao, Executive Director of the Philippine Reef & Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc.
3 skindiving learning sessions led by Gela Petines, Managing Director of Reed Nomads
Group discussions on Zero Waste Living, Social Change & Influence, led by Jen Horn, founder of MUNI
Conservation fees and accident insurance for Danjugan Island
Social enterprise workshop visit with Joey & Ina Gaston, founder of Hacienda Crafts (a company that uses natural and upcycled materials, traditional basket-weaving techniques, with modern, world-class design)
2 tickets worth P500 each to join a MUNI Meetup in Manila, before and/or after your trip
A loot bag of sustainable MUNI-curated goodies
More goodness and surprises!
Throughout the trip, we’ll have the powwows and informal discussions to uncover more about how you want to create impact in the world, where you are right now, where you want to go, how you can help yourself, and what support you can get from others during and after the trip.
THIS TRIP IS LIMITED TO 8 SLOTS ONLY. A slot may be secured upon 50% non-refundable downpayment while slots last.
If you like what you’ve read so far and are interested to be part of this, you can apply to join the trip by filling out the MUNI Travels Application Form here on or before June 10, 2018. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis on May 15, May 25, and June 10 (if slots are still available).
Upon approval of application, we will send you more details on the trip, the fees and payment details. From the time you are contacted, you will be given five (5) days to send your initial confirmation and ten (10) days for your downpayment. Otherwise, your slot may be allocated to another waitlisted applicant. Deadline of submission of complete requirements to join the trip is on June 15, 2018.
Looking forward to traveling with you! 🙂
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