Limited edition beep cards with Philippine designs: Where to buy

If you use public transportation in Metro Manila, you probably already own a beep card. These stored value cards can be used to pay fare in Metro Manila’s 3 elevated railways – the LRT, LRT-2, MRT-3, point-to-point (P2P) buses, modern PUVs and Cebu ferries.

Going cashless saves you the hassle of lining up every time to get a ticket and saves you a bit on fare compared to using single-journey tickets. These cards can also be used to pay for transactions in some convenience stores and LRT-1 stalls.

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How to get to and around Intramuros, Manila

Intramuros is one of the top tourist destinations in Manila for good reason. The Old Walled City is the premiere destination for any first-time tourists in transit to Manila and the go-to destination for entertaining balikbayans who might be home for the holidays. There have been a lot of improvements to the area in recent months like the Pasig River Esplanade, new museums like Centro de Turismo Intramuros and new cafes in Intramuros, which might interest the general public.

With the traffic and limited parking in the area, driving a private vehicle and finding a place to park here can feel like a chore. If you plan to revisit Intramuros but are unsure of how to get there and around, here’s a guide to help you out.

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Money-saving tips and top payment options for Europe

Last summer, my husband Art and I went on an amazing month-long trip to 10 European countries, including bucket-list destinations Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic and Amsterdam. Aside from all the pre-trip jitters and planning that had to be made, one of the things I was concerned about was how to handle our finances for the trip. 

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ITALY | Free things to do in Venice

Venice needs no introduction. The world-famous floating city in Italy has been featured in so many Hollywood films, TV shows, books, video games and modern media, that everyone knows what it looks like. Theme parks and malls around the world build artificial canals just to replicate the look and feel of Venice.

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Data roaming, pocket WiFi or local SIM: Connectivity options for international trips

Staying connected online when traveling overseas is now a necessity. With all the travel apps people use for booking hotels and activities, filling up online forms and health declaration cards, scanning QR codes, getting access to e-tickets, and essential communication with travel companions, it’s essential for travelers to stay connected as soon as they land.

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Klook Travel Fest 2024: What to expect

Looking for deals and discounts for your next trip to Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and more?

You might want to sked a mall visit this weekend for the Klook Travel Fest 2024. Activity booking platform Klook is launching great deals for Klook users at the Klook Travel Fest 2024 happening this September 14 (11:00 AM to 7:30 PM) to 15 (10:00 AM to 7:30 PM) at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall.

You can save up to PHP 8,000.00 on your purchases, avail of Buy 1 Get 1 deals, win hourly hotel stay giveaways, and meet special guests and favorite travel icons at the two-day event. 

Here are some of the highlights to look forward to at the event.

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7 simple tips to prepare for long-haul flights


Long-haul flights are known to be boring and exhausting, and while pilots who have taken pilot training in the Philippines, USA, UK, or elsewhere are prepared to handle the long journey, most ordinary people aren’t. Preparing for a long flight involves more than just packing your bags. To ensure a stress-free journey like this requires careful planning, choosing the right travel essentials, as well as factoring in your health and comfort.

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Biking Destinations in and around Manila

Compared to many other cities around the world, Metro Manila is not a bike-friendly destination. The city itself, with the urban sprawl, horrible traffic, and lack of safe and secure bicycle lanes, makes it pretty scary to explore on two wheels. Sure, you can find many areas for urban biking in the city but chances are, these spots are difficult to get to or you’ll be exposed to the polluted city most of the time.

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Kilometer Zero markers and landmarks in the Philippines

We’ve all got to start from Zero. 

Sometimes, a visit to one landmark can spur you to get out of the house and give you a reason to travel somewhere. If you follow this blog, you know that I like to collect random things or visit specific reference points during road trips. One new travel quest I want to do in the future is to loop some of the many islands in the Philippines by motorcycle (the larger ones) or by bike (the smaller ones). And the best place to start in each island would be the Kilometer Zero markers on the road.

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Travel Tips: How much should you tip in different countries?

To tip or not to tip? That is the question.

This is a common dilemma when dining out in restaurants, riding taxis, getting a massage, and availing of tours in other countries. During a recent trip to Vietnam, we were unsure of how much to give when splitting the bill. The number of zeros added to the confusion, and we were splitting the bill five ways, so it was a bit difficult to calculate every time we’d go somewhere. We kept converting back and forth to our local currency to make sure we weren’t giving too little or too much. 

To help fellow travelers out, I’ve compiled some tipping customs in different countries often visited by Filipino travelers including those I’ve personally traveled to or plan to visit for easy reference.

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