A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
After almost two years of community quarantine and working from home, most of us are really eager to go on a vacation. But with the additional requirements, risks, and extra costs of travel these days, thinking about going on a vacation feels like a lot more stressful than it used to be.
Everyone loves lounging in a hammock. It’s so much more satisfying taking an afternoon nap on the beach to the sound of the waves or waking up a view of the the mountains on a hammock than from inside a hotel room after a long road trip. Especially here in the Philippines where many beach destinations are just ideal for lazing around.
Continue reading “Review: 2-in-1 Travel Pillow + Hammock from Hammock Republic”
Given the rising cost of living, worsening traffic in the metro and state of our public transportation, riding a motorcycle is one of the most cost-efficient ways to get around. But many motorcycle models available can seem very intimidating to drive or are expensive and costly to maintain.
While there are a lot of big bikes out there from established brands ideal for recreation and touring, the reality is that average Pinoys just want a way to get from Point A to B easily during the week. In this case, a practical, budget-friendly and low-maintenance motorbike you can use in high-traffic areas in the city as well as provincial or rural roads is the best option.
Continue reading “Indian Brand TVS launches motorcycles in the Philippines”
For travelers, backpackers and province-based tourists, Manila is often just thought of as a stopover between flights on the way to another destination. The big city can be overwhelming with the heavy traffic and crowded streets. It’s often seen as gritty and chaotic, especially if you visit the areas of Quiapo and Divisoria.
I often take the tourist sights in Manila for granted because I live here. But if I were a first-time tourist in the Philippines or if I had to take around foreign tourists, balikbayans, expats or province-based friends, what would I do and where would I go?
For someone who loves to travel, I hate booking flights and hotels. I’m not one of those organized people who likes planning trips way in advance. I know some people who have excel templates of their daily itineraries with expected time of departure and arrivals and neat lists of all the activities they want to do complete with budget breakdowns. I just tend to wing it whenever I travel solo, which usually means spur of the moment flight bookings when some free time comes up.
The main reason I don’t like booking flights on airline’s websites is that it’s so time consuming and flights always seem so expensive. You have to scan several websites, compare the fares and then log all your details. Sometimes when doing this, you get logged off due to inactivity and have to start all over again only to see that the flight you were eyeing is no longer available. Or the final price seems to jump astronomically from the initial price once you finalize the payment. Continue reading “How to Book Cheap Flights with the Traveloka App”
We’ve all heard of the saying: “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” While that is true to some extent, it can also make you poorer by draining your savings if you’re not careful.
Frequent travelers use various techniques to save money when they travel. For flights, this can mean waiting patiently for seat sales and promo fares, saving up miles and points to be able to redeem free flights or maximizing sponsored trips and extending so that you don’t have to shell out cash for flights.
Continue reading “Get Cheaper Flights with Traveloka App’s Price Alerts”
One common misconception about travel is that it’s too expensive.
It can be if you’re the type of traveler who brings around a huge suitcase for an overnight stay, requires 5-star hotel accommodations wherever you go, and whose preferred mode of transport is an air-conditioned shuttle. Travel is something that is really worth investing in, but it need not break the bank. It’s not something that should leave you impoverished. As the popular saying goes, travel is only thing you buy that makes you richer.
It’s always a matter of priorities. You can choose to drink overpriced coffee or tea everyday or choose to save the money instead towards your travel fund. Here are a few tips and tricks used by backpackers and budget travelers to save costs while on the road.
Frequent travelers are always looking for ways to cut costs when they travel. And the two most expensive costs of travel are usually airfare and hotels. There are various ways you can travel on a budget such as availing of seat sales, staying in cheap hostels or couchsurfing. But sometimes, you’re faced with last-minute trips where you need to make airline and hotels bookings quick and fast.
Continue reading “Why Frequent Travelers Use Traveloka App to Book Flights”
Aside from airfare, one of the most expensive costs of travel is the accommodations. Hotel stays can easily eat up a big chunk of your travel budget, leaving you with less money to enjoy the adventures and food in the destination. I’m a big advocate of staying in hostels, homestays and hammocks as opposed to hotels. Thankfully, travelers these days have more options with sites like Airbnb, a worldwide community where people can choose to rent out their own homes or stay in unique accommodations around the world.
For those in the regular workforce, vacations can be tricky. Not everyone has the luxury of time to do long-term backpacking or visit exotic locales every month. But everyone needs a beach and adventure fix once in a while. Located just 3-4 hours away from Manila, Real in Quezon offers such a quick weekend getaway.
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