Manillenials

Filipino Millennials' plight and adventures

9 Practical Tips to Get Discounts and Freebies in Seoul

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discount freebies in seoul

Traveling to Seoul, South Korea doesn’t come cheap, but it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune.

Despite being a first world country, there are numerous ways to achieve budget traveling when going around the metro. The Seoul government makes it easy because they seem to be insistent to make things more efficient and cheaper not just for the locals but for the tourists as well.

You will spend a lot in Seoul, but there are tricks you can do to make sure that you don’t go over-budget. Besides, some of the fun things you can do in the land of BB Cream is free or you can get for a discount. Below are nine easy ways to make sure that you get to save as much as possible: [Read more…]

6 Tips to Enjoy Your Travels During the Rainy Season

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Travelling on Rainy Days

First question to pop in your head upon seeing the title: who ever travels on a rainy day? Though it seems preposterous to schedule a trip on a rainy weekend, this isn’t what we think about when we book seat sale flights. Sometimes, we completely forget we’re choosing flights that fall between June and September because tickets are enticingly cheap. Also, there have been times when we schedule weekend trips only to arrive at a beach made unappealing by rain showers, but we still try to enjoy every bit of it if we can.

So rainy days are part of a traveler’s trips. Although you’d probably cancel a weekend when forecasts tell you it’ll be cozy at home, you’d still find yourself sightseeing in the rain somehow. But a trip doesn’t have to be as gloomy as a sunrise being obscured by clouds and unforgiving rain, not if you take note of the following. [Read more…]

8 Lessons from the Road

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travel, traveling feet

People love to travel. It’s one of our favorite activities. When we feel sad, we like to travel to be happy. If we are stressed, we like to travel to pamper ourselves. If we are tired of working too much in the office, it is what we do to stay away from the hustle of the Metro. If we achieve something great, it’s one of our ways to reward ourselves. We all love going different places of our country and even overseas. There are lots of reasons why we love traveling. And there are also lots of reasons why we should travel.

Traveling can teach us so many life lessons. Here are some things that traveling can teach us: [Read more…]

Exploring Ifugao: 5 Things to Do in Batad

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Batad, Banaue, Ifugao I was so persistent on asking my friends to visit Batad, and through my convincing power, they said yes. We were five in the group when we set our feet in Batad one cold morning of January. This trip is one of the best travels I’ve had so far. If you’re still thinking where to go before the summer ends, why not visit this heaven on earth in the North? The best time to visit Batad is from April to July. By this time, it’s summer in the country and you may want to experience the North’s nice cold weather while it’s excruciatingly hot in Manila. Below are the things you can  experience when you decided to follow my suggestion: [Read more…]

Getting the Best of Budget Travel

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travel plane wing

When I was just starting to travel, my mom had trouble tolerating my imminent lifestyle. She would argue, like most parents with their vagabond daughters, that my activity is “carelessly spending money and having a good time.” It occurred to me that she, and perhaps many others, associate travel with holiday, hotels, and lying on the sand with a glass of punch. Hence, the teasing, ‘wow yaman,’ by friends.

While these things are part of my travels, they don’t define my itineraries that include much more, or less, or something else entirely. My travel goals vary, but one thing is consistent – traveling on a budget. In other words, having the preference for fan dorms, carinderia, and local transport most of the time – definitely undeserving of the wow, yaman comment.

So what’s with budget travel? Some people have wild ideas of getting incredibly cheap 3D2N, all-in tour at a destination. Unless they achieve value for money, it’s not cheap. To me, traveling on a budget isn’t setting a fixed amount of money for a destination, but the other way around: setting goals for a destination and a reasonable budget for the trip.

I determine my travel goals by researching – the first lesson I learned from my seasoned traveler friends on my newbie days. I set priorities based on what the destination has to offer. If the place is known for its pristine islands, I try to find out if a DIY tour is possible or I get the cheapest tour available. If the place offers authentic local delicacy or cuisines I don’t experience in the Metro, I allot budget for such meals.

I also consider my interests: nature, culture, food, and spontaneity. Though I choose cheap alternatives most of the time, I also spend to satisfy my interests. For example, I’d prefer a Filipino-themed hut surrounded by trees where I’d be most happy waking up to the sound of birds over an inn, cheaper by only a little. Also, I like being spontaneous so I allot a little time and money for unplanned activities and meandering.

Knowing my travel goals and doing research help me determine when I could be frugal and which part of the trip I’d likely wear out my feet to deserve a little splurging on a nice room or a hearty dinner.

My kind of budget travel may not work for everyone, but it alters the idea of “carelessly spending money and having a good time” attached to traveling because when one travels on a budget, one seeks many things but comfort.

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