Top 10 Cheap Ways to Travel
I was looking at my travel pictures and I was surprised by what I just realized. Aside from how much weight I gained the past year, I realized I have traveled a lot and I didn’t spend much. Since July last year, I have visited Palawan, Iloilo, Guimaras, Cebu, Pangasinan, Ilocos, Tagaytay, Batangas, Tarlac, Cebu again, and Sagada. In fact, the soles of my feet had been itching the past four weekends that I traveled to Lucban, Quezon (Pahiyas Festival); Mahayhay, Laguna; Anawangin Cove in Zambales; Subic Bay; and Bohol. Add to that, I flew to and spent three days in Singapore last October. I spent 33 days traveling in 16 different tourist destinations in a year.
Believe it or not, all I spent for traveling the entire year was less than PhP15,000 (US$ 330) all in all. Recap: 33 days, 16 destinations, for only 15 thousand pesos. How did I do that?
Yoshke at Anawangin Cove in Zambales, Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Magellan’s Cross in Cebu, and the beautiful Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte
I am shocked by the number of awesome places I have visited and the amount of cash I have shelled out. I’m not saying I’m an authority on budget traveling (far from it) but allow me to share with you how I pulled it off. So here, Yoshke’s top 10 tips on traveling cheap aka the Poor Man’s Guide to Traveling.
10. Travel in a group. Big group.
The more the merrier. And cheaper, too. When I traveled to Anawangin, I was with 11 of my college friends. And we were 20+ in Coron, Palawan.
Yoshke and officemates at Mt. Tapyas in Coron, Palawan and Kiltepan Viewpoint in Sagada, Mountain Province
Traveling in big groups has its disadvantages, of course. (Imagine the chaos, the time spent waiting for the group to be complete, the constant asking where a certain person is, the taking of group pictures every part of the tour, and the frequency of stopping over because someone needs to pee.) But hey, look at the bright side. Being in a big group means more people dividing the expenses (transportation, accommodation, food). More people chipping in means there’s more that you can do and less cash to spend.
9. Find a good budget travel agency.
You have no idea how many there are. They’re just around the corner waiting for your call. If you’re not aware of any, head to this awesome website www.philippinesbudgettravel.com and choose the destination and the agency you want. Their rates and contact details are displayed there.
You can spend three days and two nights in Coron, Palawan for less than PhP3500; or in Caramoan, CamSur for around PhP3000; or in Sagada for as low as PhP3700.
Why so cheap, you ask? It’s simple really. Most of these travel agencies work on a “big group” mechanism. This means that even if you’re traveling alone or with only a few friends, you’ll be traveling as part of a bigger group. This way, you can still travel with a low-budget because the entire group will divide the total cost of the trip. Most of these packages already include transportation, food and lodging so you don’t have to worry about anything.
Also, these are budget travel agencies. Don’t expect five star hotels and limousines.
8. Avail of flight promos and discounts.
You have no idea how much you will be saving if you grab the chance. Remember that more often than not, the bulk of the expenses goes to airfare. It’s usually the biggest roadblock when traveling and these promos remove just that so you might want to take advantage.
For example, last week I booked a flight to Cagayan de Oro and Tacloban City for P100 (US$ 2). Yes, one hundred freakin’ pesos only. How? Twice a year, Cebu Pacific comes up with “Piso Fare” promos. Yep, you only pay one peso per flight. (Of course, add taxes and all that other shit, it’ll fall around P50-P100.) NOT BAD AT ALL!
Piso Fare promo isn’t the only one. There are almost ALWAYS flight promos out there, you just need to be updated all the time. Follow your favorite airlines on Twitter and like them on Facebook. When the time comes, be quick in booking flights as they sell out as fast as your favorite rock band.
Yoshke’s Weekend in Bohol in 4 Minutes
Hi guys, just sharing how my weekend went told in images in less than 4 minutes to the tune of Christina Aguilera’s MONDAY MORNING from the deluxe edition of her fourth studio album Bionic. (Haha. Sorry for plugging.)
I’ll be narrating what happened on my Bohol trip in detail soon. I just need to find time as I’ve been awfully busy. And oh by the way, I did not drop any of my four trips the past month. So now I’m tired, broke, and my skin is freakin’ flakin’. Sunog na sunog. LOL.
Misadventures at Anawangin Cove, Zambales
I’d love to blog about our overnight stay in Anawangin two weekends ago. But the meat of that experience really was the “leaving the cove” part, boating back to the port! Murphy seemed to have hopped onto the boat with us. Murphy’s Law was just at work that day.
On the way back to Pundaquit from the Anawangin Cove, our boat’s engine just stopped. “That’s nasty,” I thought. But since I was with three of my bubbly friends, we were probably the coolest, most relaxed people ever to get stranded in the middle of the sea. We were laughing, making fun of the fact that sun is turning us into charcoals, and dismissing the probability of the boat toppling.
It wasn’t really scary. First, we had a life vest on. Second, it’s not like we were in the Pacific; the nearest land was still just yards away. Lastly, boats come passing by every minute. We were good. We love misadventures. The only thing we were worried about was our gadgets — cameras, iPods, cellphones.
Our boatmen were still trying to fix the engine and they really weren’t interested in giving up so we told them, maybe it’s time to have our boat get towed. We’d been floating for 15 minutes and the waves got stronger. Not to mention it was 12 freakin’ noon.
So we started waving at other passenger votes. But the passengers just waived back at us. LOL.
Pahiyas Festival 2010: Of Veggies, Colors and Cute Boys
Cute boys?!?!
Oh yeah, you read it right. The entire time we were joining the festivities, my friend Andre and I were “birdwatching,” spotting one cute guy after another. Lucban locals are wildly attractive. But of course, I can only look. I’m married so I left all the touching with Andre. Haha.
Anyway, after so much thinking, I finally decided to go on a trip with my officemates to Lucban, Quezon for the annual Pahiyas Festival. And it was a good decision. Despite the awful traffic, we still managed to have the most awesome time together.
The first thing I said to myself upon setting foot on the town was “OMG, I belong.” This festival was so visually stereotypically gay. You know, the rainbow colors, the decorations. I feel like if I die and I get reincarnated into a Philippine Festival, I’m sooo gonna be Pahiyas. I mean, come on, just look at this blog’s color palette. Makulay ang buhay dahil sa mga nakasabit na gulay.
Speaking of gulay, the second thing I said to myself was, “Gosh, what’s gonna happen to these veggies after the festival?” Seriously, I felt hurt for the vegetables, they were like cute boyfriends, you just display them, take pictures of them, parade them and then once the merriment subsides, what now? Please don’t tell me these veggies were headed to the dumpsite. Poor veggies. They sacrificed their lives. Haha, I’m being melodramatic here.
Four Trips and a Problem
Last year, I was complaining, insisting that summer was a lie. Primarily because I didn’t feel it. I wasn’t able to go anywhere other than my apartment and office. The only thing that made summer last year “summer” was the sun’s intense heat. But I kind of sat it out.
This year, ah, this year is different. Although summer has not started for me yet, it’s going to be really, really fun. I haven’t gone on a trip since Sagada last December but I have a busy couple of months ahead of me now. And I’m so excited, I just can’t hide it, I’m blogging about it.
- TRIP NO. 1
Third weekend of May (15-16) – I’ll be in Quezon for the Pahiyas Festival! Yay! It will be my first time to witness it so I was thrilled when I received an invitation from my officemates! - TRIP NO. 2
Fourth weekend of May (22-23) – I’ll be at Anawangin Cove in Zambales with my college friends. This is going to be the first time that we will be seeing Mimay again. (She’s a friend who is now based in California.) - TRIP NO. 3
Fifth weekend of May (28-30) – Outing with our clients. Destination: Subic. This is going to be the first time I’ll be traveling with them. - TRIP NO. 4
First weekend of June (5-7) – Company outing in Bohol! Yipee. Loveth, loveth, loveth. I’ve always wanted to visit Bohol. It’s number 2 on the top Philippine destinations I am dying to visit!
So there goes my schedule. Hmmm. I have a problem, though. When organizers asked me if I would go with them, I said “yes” right away. Without even realizing that they are one weekend after another. I can’t possibly go on all of them. It’s gonna be s00o tiring. Plus, it’s going to be really, really costly for me. So here’s the problem. I have to drop one.
Which trip should I drop?
Top 10 Unforgettable Places I Visited in 2009
Year 2009 has been the best year of my life so far. It was so good to almost every aspect of my life — family, friends, love. The only thing that let me down was my health. I often found myself unable to enjoy the day with several gastro-intestinal disorders and, well, as usual, asthma and tonsilitis.
Another thing that almost spoiled the previous year for me was my failure to make it through the Foreign Service Oral Exams. I was devastated, I have to admit, because I planned my future around it. And when I learned I didn’t make it, I just needed to find an alternative route — reexamine myself and search for other things that I wanted and was good at and pursue one, or even more.
True enough, the situation opened several windows. Together with my friends, I set up a small marketing group. I also took my blogging a little more seriously and launched several blogs other than this.
But one thing that made 2009 so special was my many travel adventures. I’d always considered myself a well-traveled person having been to Benguet, Leyte, Palawan, Aurora, General Santos City, and many more. But 2009 proved to me that there was still so much to explore in this country. And this post is about the many memorable places that I visited in 2009. Here they go.
10. Tagaytay City
Well, Tagaytay has always been a favorite city. I love its climate, its landscape, and its proximity to Manila and to my house in Batangas. (Tagaytay is only 30-minute drive away from my mum’s house.) I’m a regular. But what made my visit to Tagaytay special this year had nothing to do with the destination nor does it involve the journey. It’s not where I went or how I got there. It’s whom I went with. And darn, Tagaytay just became the most romantic city on the planet.
Matabungkay has always had a special place in my heart. In August last year, I stepped on its sands again for the first time in three years and although I was glad to see its shore again, I was disappointed to find piles of garbage littered on it. I hope that when I go back, perhaps this year, I could see some improvement. Matabungkay is slowly losing what made it famous in the first place year after year.
Going Loco in Ilocos Norte
Do you know what they call sitaw in Ilocos? It’s utong. How about patola? They call it kabatiti. And tortang talong? It’s called puki-puki. Oh yeah, I’m serious here.
But their local names for vegetables aren’t the only things fascinating about Ilocos. And my recent trip to the region was a testament to how these twin provinces could blow anyone away. And I’m not just talking about the Bangui Wind Mills. Here are some pics I took with my point-and-shoot cam.
PAOAY CHURCH
The Paoay Church is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my enter life. I’ve seen so many pictures of this magnificent landmark but I thought those pictures were lying. You know how sometimes pictures make places seem prettier than they actually are? I thought the Paoay Church was only picture perfect but boy was I so wrong. When I was standing there, looking at this wonder, I really thought no photo has given justice to it. I haven’t seen a picture that captures just how amazing this church is. It’s just so breathtaking.
The construction of this Gothic-Baroque-Oriental church started in 1694 by the Agustinian friars. A few meters away from the church stands a bell tower that is said to had been used by Katipuneros as an observation post during the Philippine-Spanish revolution.
During the 1865 and 1885 earthquakes, portions of this church were damaged. In 2000, an excavation inside the church revealed a prehistoric human skeleton and some fragmented ceramics, which are now on display at the National Museum. Currently, Paoay Church is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.
BANGUI WIND MILLS
You know what they say, every place has its element. (Yes, they say that.) They say Siquijor’s and Camiguin’s element is fire. Sagada is earth. And I strongly believe that Ilocos has to be air. The wind has such a strong presence in the region. If you don’t believe me, I’ll slap you with the Bangui windmills.
10 Things I Noticed in Singapore That Caught Me Offguard
I promised myself I wouldn’t go out of the country unless with a diplomatic passport. Not even the World Cup could make me break that vow.
But a FREE trip to Singapore was just too good to refuse. Heck, the keyword there isn’t even Singapore. Even if it was just a free trip to Binondo, I’d still take it. Free is all I need to forget everything else in the world.
So when Nuffnang sent me an email telling me I was a part of the Philippine delegation to the Asia Pacific Blog Awards in Singapore and that they would shoulder the fare, the accommodation and the tour, I was like “Screw the diplomatic dream, I’m going to Singapore!”
And so I went. Together with a bunch of bloggers from the Philippines, Malaysia, and Australia, we joined Singaporean bloggers to celebrate the best in Asia Pacific blogosphere. The next day, they took us on a tour around the city. It was one of the best experiences of my life. And it will surely be not forgotten. Thanks Nuffnang!
I’m sure you’re expecting me to narrate bit by bit what happened in Uniquely Singapore. I won’t be doing that. Not this time.
You might also be hoping I’d bombard this post with hundreds of pictures. Sorry to disappoint, I won’t be doing that, either. At least, not hundreds. Haha.
What I’m writing about in this blog post are the little things I noticed over the three days I spent in Singapore. Here they are:
10. Soap Bars
The first thing I did upon entering my Link Hotel room (along Tiong Bahru Road) was to check the bathroom. And the first thing I noticed was there was no soap bars. I’m not used to liquid body wash so I stormed out of the room to look for some. I first tried Cheers, a convenience store reminiscent of Mini-Stop near the hotel, but they didn’t have any. I walked an entire block to 7-11, where I finally found soap bars. There was only one brand of solid bath soap there and they were on a budget pack.
Later on, I found out that solid soap bars are an endangered species in Singapore. I was told people prefer liquid body wash over bath soap. Interesting.
9. Maya
There was a kind of bird that I see all over Singapore. I don’t know what it’s called but it’s black. It’s cute.
But while having lunch at a hawker center, Ramon Bautista (yes, THE Ramon Bautista. He’s a friend and a former college teacher), noticed something amusing on the floor. It’s a cute little brown bird — a tree sparrow, known in the Philippines as maya. I knew the Philippines and Singapore have so much in common since they both are ASEAN countries and are in the tropics. I expected I’d still see the flora and fauna we have here in Singapore. But seeing a maya was still something that blew me away. I know, I know, the tree sparrow is common in Asia and Europe but still, it felt good seeing a bird I see every day in my country.
It was the only maya I saw in Singapore in the three days I spent there.
8. Paper Table Napkins
Common food establishments don’t serve disposable paper table napkins. I learned about it when I asked for it and they told me it was for sale. At first, I was pissed but then I realized there was a good reason for it.
Why would I need disposable table napkins when I have a hankie handy? Why would I waste paper? I guess that’s the reason for it — they discourage people from using paper napkins for waste management. I appreciated that.
Farmville Gets Real | Globe Bangon Pinoy Joins Gawad Kalinga for Bayan-Anihan!
Alright, I admit. There was a period of my life that I was so addicted to Farmville on Facebook. Sometimes, I’d even go an extra mile just to level up. My housemates would invite me to dinner and I’d respond with “Wait lang. Mag-a-ani lang ako.” It was fun. Harvesting my virtual crops was a fulfilling experience. I felt like my efforts paid off and I deserve all my Farmville cash.
But the moment it started to affect my life (I’d get up early in the morning just to harvest lest my super berries should wither), I made the painful decision of quitting. Sayang, I was on Level 28!
Farmville never entered my head again except for a few occasions when a friend would find an ugly duckling or a brown cow and I was being prompted to adopt them. As much as I’d like to collect chocolate milk, I just had much more important things to do, like, let’s say my job and my blogs.
The next time Farmville got alive in me was when Globe invited me and a couple of other blogger friends to join them on Bayan-Anihan! Globe works with Gawad Kalinga to push a food sufficiency program that aims to put food on Filipino’s tables. The end-result that they wanted was obvious in their cheer: “Goodbye Gutom!”
It was an opportunity I did not let pass. “This is it,” I thought. “Farmville in real life!”
We gathered at Globe Telecom Plaza at 4:30am. We were given a shirt, a towel, and a buri hat, which all proved useful. We arrived in Concepcion, Tarlac at around 9am and we were overwhelmed by the warm welcome the community gave us. Old women in their traditional Filipinana attire and children showing their smiles.
Indulge in the Uniquely Singapore experience
When I was in Kindergarten, I once heard my teacher mention the word “Singapore.” At first, I didn’t know what it was. I thought it was a name for an animal or a fruit. But my innate curiosity pushed me to ask one of my neighbors what it was. What I got from her was not just an answer, explaining me that it was a beautiful place overseas, south of the Philippines. What I got was a dream — his dream, which later on became mine.
The truth is, I learned what Singapore was way before I learned the other parts of my own country. Since then, I’d always heard the word “Singapore” — from my parents, teachers, and family friends. And when they uttered the word Singapore, it was often accompanied by the words “beautiful,” “progressive,” “unique.”
Not just that, people had always used this tiny yet marvelous city as a benchmark for our country. When we came across a pile of garbage in our province, my mum would say, “Singapore is probably the cleanest country in the world.” Whenever my cousins and I would see people jaywalking and breaking traffic rules left and right in Manila, they’d say “They wouldn’t allow that in Singapore.” Even now that I’m all grown up, I still often hear Singapore as this country’s standard for almost everything — trade, business, waste management, urban planning.
I’ve never been out of the country but who could blame me if the first foreign city I’d like to set foot on is the first foreign land I had heard about when I was a kid — Singapore.
Take a look at my friend’s pictures taken when she was in Singapore:
Boy did that made me feel my ultimate sin was envy! Haha. My other friends and I have planned going to Singapore countless times but none of them pushed through for reasons ranging from financial to schedule. But now that I have this chance of finally seeing the unique city I’ve always dreamed of experiencing, make no mistake, I won’t let it pass without a good fight.
On May 31, 1985, tragedy struck when 41 tornadoes hit Canada and the US, leaving 76 people dead. At the same time, a doomed couple in the Philippines were having the best orgasms of their lives. Nine months (280 days) later, a healthy baby boy was brought into this world by normal delivery. That was exactly a week before Microsoft had its initial public offering.
Today, Yoshke Dimen resides independently in Mandaluyong City. He got a degree in Film from an overrated university in Diliman but is now pursuing a career in Social Media.
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