Check out today’s issue of Sunday Inquirer Magazine for the full article on budget travel tips. Some of the tips are a bit extreme for first-time travelers (ex. hitchhike on a truck full of goats), but am sure a lot of people will find the tips useful.
Here’s a shout out to all the cool backpackers and budget travelers of the Pinoy Travel Bloggers (PTB) who shared their tips. Check out their individual blogs below (in alphabetical order):
Backpack Traveler / RV Escatron
Budget Travel Tip: TRAVEL BY BIKE OR MOTORCYCLE
“There are some hostels in Cambodia which offer complimentary use of bicycle. At the very least, a minimal rental fee. I grabbed this chance. Whenever I can, I rent a motorcycle wherever I go. I tried this in Chiang Mai and in Siquijor. For an average of P500/day, that excludes fuel, I can explore places at my own pace.”
Budget Travel Tip: FOR LONGER STAYS, RENT A ROOM
“For longer stays, you can rent out an apartment or get monthly rates or huge discount on hostels. I only spent P1,500 for accommodations for a whole month in Bgy. Corong Corong in El Nido, Palawan by renting a room in a local’s house for P3000 and splitting it with a friend.”
Journeying James / James
Budget Travel Tip: HITCHHIKE
“On the last day of my Western Visayas backpacking trip last year, when I looked into my pocket, I didn’t have enough money to get back home. I decided to hitchhike from Roxas, Mindoro to Batangas City on a 10-wheeler truck full of cows and goats. I waited for 12 hours at the Roxas pier before someone allowed me to hitchhike.”
Miss Backpacker / Kaiz Belga
Budget Travel Tip: TRAVEL IN A GROUP
“Traveling with your friends is a lot more fun than doing a solo trip and would cost you less. If, according to your accounting, a 4D3N trip in Bacolod would cost P7,000, the most, try inviting your friends and you’d be surprised that your P7,000 can end up as P3,000 budget and P4,000 pocket money.”
Nomadic Experiences / Marky Ramone Go
Budget Travel Tip: COUCHSURF
“I was able to find a couchsurfer host in Bacolod during the Masskara festival and in Iloilo during the Dinagyang festival. It saved me money for accommodations, plus I garnered new friends like my host and a couple other couchsurfer guests on both occasions.”
Pinay Travel Junkie / Gay Mitra-Emami
Budget Travel Tip: PRETEND TO BE A LOCAL
“I saved about $10 for not paying a ‘foreigner ticket’ to get inside Indonesia Borobudur Temple. My Indonesian Couchsurfing host helped me buy the ticket and we pretended I was a local.”
The Pinay Solo Backpacker / Gael
Budget Travel Tip: TRAVEL AT NIGHT
“I go for night buses or night trains – it serves as my bed for the night. Usually if I arrive late at night in a foreign city, I just sleep at the airport. I opt for free shuttles or public vans/buses to the city center in the morning to find a hostel in the backpacker’s district. I get to save on cab fare plus I get a free room for one night.”
Thanks again everyone. I will be using your tips for future travel soon! 🙂
NOTE: Photos of PTB people taken from individual blogs and Facebook pages.