Tips for a Budget-Friendly Travel

Whenever I travel solo, I always make budget my top priority. This is because I want to make travel a part of my normal lifestyle. I try to spend as much as what I would normally spend if I am in Manila, the difference being I have to factor in more expenses like accommodation, entrance fees, and activities. The tips below help me keep to my budget and support me in building a sustainable travel lifestyle.

1. Walk

Budget: Php 0

Aside from costing zero, walking also burns calories and strengthens the body. I love walking and I walk everywhere I can, be it the early morning, middle of the day, or late evening. This is how I normally familiarize myself with a new place, akin to calibrating a compass, and it also enables me to feel the general vibe of the place.

Depending on what is on the street level, walking can be boring but it can also lead you to stumble upon a hole-in-a-wall, a specialty store, or a fortunate event. Sometimes I even amuse myself at how far I've walked, ending up at a different district supposedly several kilometers away.

Walk to save on pesos, burn some calories, and inhale the city (literally).

2. Take Public Transportation

Budget: Php 8-40

If I don't have the time and/or energy to walk, I take public transportation including tricycles and motorcycles, jeepneys and multicabs, trains, etc.

Tricycles and motorcycles don't have fixed routes so I just ask the driver if he can take me to where I want to go and for how much. (Note: I have yet encountered a female driver. Tell me if you had.) Jeepneys and multicabs are trickier but I also normally ask the driver whether he is going where I am headed and to tell me when I should get off. Trains are trickiest because there is little information about navigating the stations and getting tickets and I have to know beforehand which station I need to get off at.

Taking public transport is also a good way to familiarize myself with a new place and I already normally know the routes to take and the stops to say by the second day.

Bonus Tip #1: In Luzon, say "para" to signal the driver to stop. In Visayas and Mindanao, say "lugar lang" instead.

Bonus Tip #2: For commuting around Manila and to some places around the Philippines, check ph-commute.com.

Compared to motorcycles and tricycles, jeepneys and multicabs are safe because they take fixed routes

3. Avoid Chartered Vehicles

Savings: Php 150-3,000

As much as possible, I avoid chartering my own transportation, including the habal-habal (motorcycle). Aside from taking up a large percentage of my daily budget, it forces me into a one-on-one with my driver. Although this presents a great opportunity to quiz him about anything and everything about the place and to gain local insight, it really is a game of luck of whether he will be friendly enough or too friendly.

To avoid such situations, I ask about alternative ways of getting from one place to another, even if it involves multiple transfers or lots of walking.

Habal-habal drivers idly wait for passengers. Most of the time, you can hail one by the side of the road.

4. Ask around for Alternatives

Budget: Varies

In line with the above, I have discovered that there is always another way of getting around, depending on how committed you are. Let me count the ways:

a. Walking -- Some travellers walk for hours on rugged terrain to get to a secluded waterfalls without chartering a habal-habal. I personally have walked 4kms with my full pack to avoid paying an overpriced Php100 tricycle fare. Along the way, I had the best taho ever.

b. Commuting with multiple transfers -- Chartered vehicles are perfect for conveniently going from one place to another. It is fast and direct but relatively expensive. Sometimes, public transportation is also possible but may take longer and more transfers.

c. Joining another group -- For boat tours especially, it is possible to come up and ask whether you can join their group and share in the rental fee. I once joined a group of students noisily taking pictures so that I didn't have to charter a boat of 15pax for myself.

5. Hitchhike

Budget: Php 0

To be used with extreme caution and in selected circumstances only, hitchhiking is not only free but also a thrill. I have hitchhiked on top of a garbage truck to avoid a steep climb, aboard a private boat to directly cross between islands, and on an MMDA Officer's motorbike to skip a traffic bottleneck. Again, use with extreme caution and in selected circumstances only.

Note: I haven't actually stood at the side of a road and held up my thumb. I don't recommend that.

Detours and Happy Delays

When I was planning my itinerary, I originally scheduled to arrive in Siargao on 9 April, Day 7 of the trip. But a lot has happened along the way that I have managed to arrive only on Day 16. There were pleasant and unpleasant people, comfortable and uncomfortable beds, disappointing and amazing views; but needless to say, there was no shortage of unanticipated events that kept me stretching my stays and delaying my arrivals. I took my time going from one place to another and that definitely made a big difference.

I travelled to 5 cities/municipalities as a detour before arriving at Siargao. It was an opportunity not only to discover another part of Mindanao, a place I know to possess wonders but outshone by threats, but also to broaden my comfort zone, in places I know little about and with dialects I can vaguely understand.

Most people also know very little about these places. My account may not present these places as attractive tour destinations, but maybe we don't have to be tourists all the time -- but just plainly visitors.

1. Butuan City

Stayed: 2 nights @ Julian's Inn

Dined: Julian's Garage, The Watershed

Visited: Balanghai Shrine Museum, Butuan National Museum, Rizal Plaza, St. Joseph Cathedral, Agusan River, Magallanes Shrine

I started off with Butuan City not because I knew it to be an exciting city but because someone said in the Internet that flights to Butuan City are cheaper than to Surigao City. I went around the tourist spots and I can say that the city appeals mostly to Philippine history and archaeology enthusiasts as the excavation site of the balangays, and to residents of surrounding cities/municipalities as a trade and commercial center.

I stayed at Julian's Inn, a popular lodging for travelling salesmen because of its budget decent accommodation and recreational drinking & karaoke outlets. I did laptop work in the morning and roamed the city in the afternoon. On one occasion, I hitched a ride with one of the salesmen who sold contraceptives across the CARAGA region and was heading my same direction. I would have wanted to stay longer at Julian's Inn just for the available internet connection, but thought the Enchanted River in Hinatuan to be more interesting.

Took a ferry ride along the Agusan River to the Historic Town of Magallanes (where the First Catholic Church in the country was supposedly erected)

2. Hinatuan

Stayed: 1 night @ Marky's Hostel

Dined: Villa Juanita

Visited: Enchanted River, Hinatuan Children's Park

Hinatuan was a miss and a hit -- I started off losing all delight for the place but ended up planning my return trip.

Marky's Hostel was a miss. Tired, hungry, and hot, I was greeted upfront with an inquiry on why I didn't bring my boyfriend along so that I didn't have to travel alone. I have always hated this question and although I have a good long explanation, I merely responded with what I think was a shy smile. Followed by a failed search for satisfying food and of interesting people, I resolved to sleep the rest of the day away.

Villa Juanita was a hit. Hoping to get just a decent meal, I found cable TV, an airy dining area, and a soul-sister. We made conversation about her reckless travel to Marawi City where kidnapping was a way of life, about her success goal of establishing a bed n' breakfast in Hinatuan, about her disconnect with friends whose issues currently revolve around family life, and about her efforts toward sustainable and mindful tourism for the Enchanted River. We talked for two hours before I needed to leave for Bislig City and I have been planning ever since how to meet up with her again.

I also went to Enchanted River and spent at most two hours there trying to dive. Water was not as clear as expected because of rain the night before and the place was packed as early as 6am. I suggest taking a boat tour for P150/hr per boat to get away from the crowd and to explore the river further.

Rainy morning at the Enchanted River which meant water wasn't as clear as expected but still clear nonetheless

3. Bislig City

Stayed: 2 nights @ Casa de Babano Pension House

Dined: Casa de Babano Restaurant, Tea Avenue

Visited: Tinuy-An Falls, Ocean View Park, International Doll Museum

Bislig City was the first of extended stays that I did for this trip, not because it was such a lovely place for a visit but because it was just comfortable enough.

Tinuy-An falls was amazing and photogenic but it serves as a common picnic destination for locals. The crowd, the very very rough road, and the cost of getting there may not be worthwhile except for a full-day bonding session. Ocean View Park is a restaurant atop a hill and overlooking the bay. I think it makes a good dinner place for locals especially with the very few restaurants in the city. The International Doll Museum houses an immense collection of dolls, representing most countries in the world and with varying levels of appeal. It was meant to impart a sense of "seeing the world" through the national costumes of the dolls but I think a thorough commentary should have come with the expensive display.

Oddly, the spot I enjoyed the most in Bislig City was Tea Avenue, a local tea shop with power outlets and good Wi-Fi. I was able to sit down with my laptop and coffee for hours. Even though two guys eventually approached and made conversation with the goal of obtaining my full name and contact information, I was able to get some work done and chat with friends. I walked out on them after they kept insisting I have family issues for choosing to travel alone and then continued working and chatting with friends back at the pension house.

The majestic Tinuy-An Falls, a bit crowded but still amazing

4. Tandag City

Stayed: 4 nights @ Nico's Garden Park

Dined: Nico's Garden Park

Visited: Green Falls, Villa Azarcon, Boulevard

Supposedly a one-night stop-over to Surigao City, I ended up staying in Tandag City for 3+1 nights. I didn't do much and I didn't see much but against my host family's notion, I did enjoy my time in the city.

Upon the recommendation of my Hinatuan soul-sister, I stayed at Nico's Garden Park, and that really made the difference. I was received very warmly by the family like a family friend, instead of a stranger. They shared with me aspirations for the entertainment park. They brought me along to business trips and fun trips. They introduced me to their friends. They let me sing karaoke without judgments. And to top it all off, I slept at a small cottage directly in front of the beach where the waves never stopped to serenade me.

I would be happy to just have a private room in front of the beach, and having people who don't know me accommodate me so graciously made it perfect.

A view of the sea and a chorus of waves from my little cottage by the beach

5. Surigao City

Stayed: 1 night @ Firma's Lodge, 1 night @ Miami City Suites, 2 nights @ Pope John XXIII Pastoral Center
Dined: One Hive Hotel & Suites, Mooon Cafe
Visited: None

Originally planning to head to Siargao immediately upon arrival at Surigao City, I decided to stay a few more days to dedicate some time on work and to avoid the weekend crowd in Siargao. The city doesn't immediately appear to be an interesting one but it actually serves as a jump-off point to a lot of adventure destinations.

I hopped from one accommodation to another in search of budget accommodation, comfortable rooms, and usable wifi. Firma's Lodge was the best budget place I found. The rooms were small with poor ventilation and no extra power outlets but the building was clean and new. Miami City Suites was the best deal I got at a promo rate of Php600 for AC, private toilet, and wifi. But the rate was still too much for my daily budget and it was too comfortable for my own good so I needed to move. The Pastoral Center was an unlikely accommodation option recommended by a tourism officer. I managed to get a double AC room for half the price primarily because I showed up really sweaty with my big backpack.

I didn't do much apart from work and I didn't see much apart from my accommodations, but in more than occasion, I found myself smiling to myself and hopping along, probably out of comfort and satisfaction.

*****
16 days after, I finally got myself to Siargao. The past 2 weeks was already an adventure I never imagined but the succeeding 2 weeks is just overwhelming. This is what travel means to me and I hope people can appreciate it.

That time I was abroad for a month (2/3)

Kuala Lumpur - Ipoh - Cameron Highlands - Kuala Lumpur

I figured I'd split this post into at least three parts not only to keep each post short but also to segment it according to each event. This part narrates my buddy travels around Malaysia with a friend from high school.

13 February - 13 March 2015

Day 7: Kuala Lumpur - Ipoh

It was the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations and people were on a travel exodus. We spent most of the morning catching up on sleep and chores in KL before navigating our way through scalpers for a ticket to Ipoh. It was past 2pm when we were finally ushered to a Penang-bound bus but it wasn't until 9pm when the bus dropped us off at Ipoh Amanjaya bus terminal. The trip that would normally take 3 hours stretched to 7 hours because of intense barely moving traffic at the Expressway.

Despite arriving really late at Ipoh, we still managed to find open establishments such as this Halal reggae "bar" that caters to Muslims looking for a night out and serves juice cocktails instead of alcoholic ones.

Day 8: Ipoh - Cameron Highlands

Ipoh is divided by the Kinta River into the Old Town, where the heritage sites are, and the New Town, where similarly old but not particularly significant buildings are. We have walked around the New Town the previous night/midnight so we ventured out to the Old Town the following morning. It was definitely the more interesting part of the city for a visitor. We had both popular and non-popular white coffee, stumbled upon quirky shops and displays, took pictures with well-maintained heritage buildings, gazed at iconic street art, and wandered through narrow pavements between both abandoned and restored houses.

The Old Uncle with White Coffee is one of the most iconic murals around Old Town, Ipoh. It depicts white coffee as part of the town's culture and heritage.

By mid-day, we were on our way to Cameron Highlands through lush rain forests, winding roads and fickle rains. The way up the mountain was smooth and fast but as soon as we passed the first town, tourist traffic again stalled us. We arrived around 7pm, after 4 hours on the road. Feeling a bit frustrated about the traffic and seeing all the street food, I suggested that we pool money and have a food trip. We had 5 sets of shared meals and spent a total of RM 20.30

For our first meal of the night, we ordered Lamb and Chicken satays from the first barbecue stall that I spotted. The guy already noticed us the first time we passed by because of my slight limp.

Day 9: Cameron Highlands - KL

Instead of joining a tour group and exploring faraway tea plantations and mossy forests, we walked out to the nearest jungle trail from Tanah Rata and did our own hike. Trail No. 10 is a well-marked jungle trail that tackles protruding tree roots and soft moss beds, peaks at a cell site, goes around Tanah Rata, and ends at adjacent Brinchang town. Arriving at Brinchang after 3 hours inside the jungle, we ate at the first hawker center we saw. Afterwards, we walked on and tortured ourselves at the weekend food market with all the local delicacies we cannot afford but was lucky enough to find one stall selling chocolate-dipped strawberries for RM 2.50 which was normally RM 4.00. Satisfied, we started walking back, considering to hitch a ride to skip the 4km walk, and fortunately caught the rare bus shuttle back to Tanah Rata. By 5:30 pm, after freshening up and taking advantage of free snacks at the hostel, we were on a bus going back to KL.

Jungle Trail No. 10 has visible trail markings every few hundred meters and on closed/dangerous trails to keep even inexperienced hikers safely on the path

Day 10: Putrajaya

After a few hours of restful sleep, we were on the move again and on the way to Putrajaya with my friend's officemates. It was a Sunday and they planned on culminating their long weekend with a visit to the pink mosque and an attempt to roller-blade. Putrajaya looked very ideal and new with its un-littered streets, parallel row houses, blooming flowers, and organized transportation. It was new indeed as most houses were still unoccuppied and there were relatively very few people around. We ended the day hunting for fastfood at the train station but still ended up at their favorite Malaysian restaurant, Venny's.

Roller blades, bikes, kick scooters, and giant bubble makers for rent around the skate park which is a great venue for quality time with family and friends

Day 11: KL

Instead of hopping on another train for a day tour to the nearby Batu caves, I decided to use the day to allow me to take a breather from my day-to-day city-hopping. I was actually falling sick and my left leg needed rest but I couldn't afford to stay in bed the whole day because I needed to prepare for my Penang departure the following day. I retraced our previous path back to Puduraya bus terminal to secure a bus ticket to Georgetown and then managed to find my way to Low Yat Plaza where I went back and forth several shops until I decided to just purchase a new smartphone to be able to insert a Malaysian sim card and have access to mobile internet. My Star Mobile phone unit was unheard of in Malaysia so they cannot "open line" it and Digi USB Internet dongles were out-of-stock everywhere. I met with my friend and her officemates afterwards and after an unsuccessful "lugaw" attempt, we again ended up at Venny's.

My chores-day OOTD: sneakers, pants, tank top, cardigan, knapsack, cap

Part 1: That time I was abroad for a month (1/3)
Part 3: That time I was abroad for a month (3/3)

Travelling Cheap

I got invited to give a talk about budget travelling in one of the local colleges in Roxas City, Capiz. It was the first time I spoke to an audience -- not counting reportings and presentations during college -- and I want to think it wasn't a disaster. I felt surprisingly calm and composed despite trying hard to look poised amidst the sweat trickling all over my face and body. And I think I said more than what I planned to and expected to.

The audience were 18-19 y/o Accountancy students. I don't know what their experience in travel is but I hope they were able to relate with me and pick up something from all my blabber.

Anyway, since I worked hard on my presentation, I'll share it here also.

Hi, I’m Lorraine Aplasca. I’m 24 years old and I’m someone who constantly finds herself in isolated beaches and little-known cities. Sometimes I call myself a traveler, a backpacker, a bakasyonista, a lakwatsera. But really, I just want to go on mini-adventures and experience what life has to offer.

Most of my friends think that I’m really lucky, and really rich, because I can do what I do. I’ve been to Siquijor.

I’ve taken a freediving course in Moalboal, Cebu.

 I’ve seen the Banaue Rice Terraces.

 And sometimes I even go abroad. But in reality, you don’t need a lot of money to be able to travel. All you need, really, is time, creativity, and a sense of adventure – and maybe sound enough budgeting skills.

Okay, a little background about me. First of all, I am not rich. I came from a middle class family who worked their way up to be able to send their children to good schools. I went to De La Salle Lipa in Batangas for high school and to Ateneo de Manila for college, where I took up a degree in BS Management. Like most people, I also ventured into the corporate world after graduation. I have worked with three different companies in three years with the last one being an international market research company. Each company provided different challenges but none seemed to hold my interest long enough. So I resigned and decided to pursue a life of travel.

However, since I don’t have an overflowing well of money at home, I still needed some way of earning and that’s when I started to work online as a freelance market researcher. By online, I can work anywhere with an internet connection. And by freelance, I am not permanently employed with any company. This gives me the freedom to go anywhere because I don’t have an office that I need to go to every day.

One major misconception that people have about travelling is that it is expensive. This is not true. But why is it that every time people go out for a trip, they end up with an empty wallet? Why? I can give you a number of reasons. But I think we can start with these two: dependence and lack of awareness

People tend to depend on whatever information is fed to them instead of looking for information on their own. They limit themselves to what is easily available and no longer puts in a bit more effort for validation. Although travel packages and travel suggestions are okay, people shouldn't depend on just one source but take an extra step to look around.

Comparing a packaged tour with a DIY tour in Coron in terms of inclusions and total cost. The packaged tour doesn't cover dinner meals and scuba diving while the DIY tour already covers everything.

Because people are dependent on just one source, they do not become aware of alternatives that might be more suitable and cheaper. For example, people always stay in hotel rooms without knowing that pension houses, dormitory rooms and hostels are also an option.

Also, without prior knowledge of the area, people won't know whether they are being over-charged or not. They won't have a comparison. And sometimes, opportunists take advantage of this.

People are also not aware of what their real needs are and tend to spend a big extra on upgrades or comforts that wouldn't actually make a difference. For example, hotel rooms always charge a premium because they have super soft beds and nice linens. However, a traveller doesn't really need this because he/she would be out most of the day anyway and could definitely have a good night's sleep regardless of what kind of bed they are offered. And also, it's just a short-term arrangement that should be tolerable enough.

Another are tour guides. Not all tours need tour guides because sometimes the path is straight-forward enough or sign posts are informative enough. I think tour guides are mostly meant for entertainment and companionship purposes instead of guidance.

If you remove all of the extra expenses above, travel really can be cheap!

The large chunk of a travel budget usually goes to accommodation and meals and this is what I usually minimize. I visit a place not for the accommodation or for the restaurants but for the tours so I sacrifice on the first two.