What is Valentine's Day to a Travel Aficionado?

My husband and I have never really celebrated Valentine's Day. There's really nothing romantic about sitting in a car while stuck in traffic in congested Manila. A romantic dinner at home is also out of the question. Buying takeout is more like it. Eating it while watching Game of Thrones or Big Bang Theory reruns is probably the best way to spend Valentine's Day.

So, as you may have guessed, I didn't receive flowers from my husband. However, he gave me the best Valentine gift ever. He gave up Seoul for Sydney. Prior to Valentine's Day, he and I were talking about going to Seoul, Korea. He was really excited about it. We were just waiting for Cebu Pacific's promo fares. They always have seat sales before Valentine's Day (and around the same time as the PTAA Travel Expo).

We checked Cebu Pacific's website the day before Valentine's Day but were disappointed because it seemed that all the promo fares had gone. The next day, after dinner, I checked again and found extremely cheap round trip tickets from Manila to Sydney. The problem was, the website was so slow, and it took me three tries to book the tickets.

Now how cheap is cheap, you ask? It's USD 394 for two (PHP 17,431.64) or USD 197 (PHP 8,715.82) per person.

We also booked a reasonably-priced basement twin room (upper floor rooms cost a bit more) at Springfield Lodge in Potts Point. Our room costs USD 533.26 or (PHP 23,652) for seven nights.

The seat sale is still on, and the last time I checked, there are still cheap tickets to Sydney and other destinations. :-) So, if you're on a hunt for cheap fares, check out cebupacific.com. Happy bargain-hunting!

Grand Palace in Bangkok

My husband and I flew to Bangkok to celebrate our first year anniversary in 2010. I can't believe that on April 12 this year, we will be celebrating our 5-year anniversary. Time does fly when you don't fight. Hehehe. My husband and I rarely argue, and it's been like this since the beginning. We enjoy each other's company and we share the same passion for travel. As I write this, my mind is actually somewhere else, planning our next trip; how we can save hundreds of dollars on airfare, accommodation and food. 

When I woke up this morning, I saw that Cebu Pacific is having their Piso Fare. Sydney, unfortunately, was not included in the promo, but when I checked the fare for November (around my birthday), it was so cheap. PHP 16,000+ for two (inclusive of taxes, baggage fees, and even food). That's only around USD 375! 

Of course, being the responsible, frugal traveler I am, I immediately went on to AirBnB to check the rates for November. I could actually book a nice room for two for less than PHP 2,000 (USD 45) a night. 

I must admit that traveling is my addiction, and I would gladly take a job that requires me to travel and write (as long as I can take my husband with me, for we are inseparable.) Anyway, if you plan on getting away (whether it be for a weekend or a couple of weeks) from June to December this year, why don't you try your luck on cebupacific.com. Promo period is from Jan. 27 to Jan. 28. 

How To Travel Cheap

Everyone wants to travel. Everyone wants to see the world. To ride an elephant in Thailand, or be one with nature in South Africa, or scour the countless shops and outlets in America. Some travel to eat, some travel to shop, some travel to relax, while others travel just to bombard their Facebook friends’ news feeds with pictures taken in exotic and off-the-beaten-path destinations.

While the concept of travel is very appealing, we oftentimes find it at the bottom of our to-do list. Sure, we daydream about seeing the Eiffel Tower at least once in our lifetime, or sipping wine at a vineyard in Napa Valley, or participating in the annual Running of the Bulls fiesta (Los Sanfermines) in beautiful Pamplona. But before we could do any of these, there are many, many other things that warrant our attention so much more than travel. We have an assortment of bills to pay, children to feed, clothe, and send to school. We have extended family to support and a coffee addiction to satisfy. We also have to consider the depth of our savings. If I went on this trip, would I come back broke? Well not if you plan ahead, and plan carefully.

Just a few minutes ago, as I was checking my Facebook news feed, I saw a post from Skyscanner Philippines announcing the cheapest roundtrip airfare from Manila to Paris for the month of February. It’s Php 31,245 or USD 689.46. I immediately went to their website and checked the rates, and found out it’s even cheaper if you fly via Saudia Airlines in July. You just have to check the calendar to see the lowest rates.

A couple of days ago, I booked a flight for my husband and me on cebupacific.com. I already mentioned this in a previous blog, but I think it’s worth mentioning it again here. I saw (again on my Facebook news feed) a post from Cebu Pacific announcing their Chinese New Year sale – All domestic destinations for Php8 (plus taxes and surcharges), and Php88 (plus taxes and surcharges) for international destinations.

I have always wanted to go to Japan but have steered clear of one of the most expensive countries in the world, thinking “Okay, if I actually get there, then what? Starve to death?”. Everyone who hasn’t been to Japan (like me) has this idea that Japan is not within reach of ordinary people; that you would have to pay Php500 for corn on the cob, and maybe more for diet soda. But when the opportunity to actually go there presented itself, I grabbed it, thinking I could just save some more later so I would have spending money, without touching my savings.

While on the website, it didn’t take me long to find the promo fare. I chose the dates May 19 to 23, and voila! The promo fare is still available on those dates. I immediately booked two tickets with one eye closed, already wondering what my husband would say once he woke up. I had been super “makulit” about going to Japan – (makulit means a lot of things but I guess in this case it means annoyingly persistent). Thank God my husband is a very patient man.

The total fare for the two of us (and this includes all the taxes and surcharges) is Php14,480.26. That’s only USD320. But securing the tickets was only the first step. I still had to find a cheap hotel for our four-day stay. So, I went onto booking.com, a very trusted website, and looked for a room in a decent hotel, near a metro stop, a supermarket, and restaurants. Shopping is not really a priority.

I immediately found hotels that fit our needs and budget. It was a bit tricky, though, since Japanese hotels have all sorts of rooms for two adults. There’s the small double, Western and Japanese styles, and the regular double, also Western and Japanese styles. I wanted to get a twin room (meaning with two beds, as opposed to the double room which has one big bed for two), with a private bathroom. (Always check if the hotel room has a private bathroom. I know for some people shared bathrooms are okay, and I am fine with that. But if you prefer your own private bathroom, then be sure to check the room description on the booking website.)

I clicked on a Hotel named Hotel Claiton Shin-Osaka and read the reviews. It is near a metro station, a train station, a supermarket, a convenience store, and restaurants. (I will definitely write a review of the hotel once I get back.) I checked the availability and thanked my heavenly stars that a few twin rooms had not been booked. The price definitely was within our budget. The total amount for our four-night stay is Y24,000 or Php10,627.82 or USD234.55. That would be hard to beat.