A travel & adventure blog by Kara Santos
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.
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.
Continue reading “Travel Tips: How much should you tip in different countries?”There’s no denying that everything is so darn expensive these days. In case you hadn’t noticed, the basic costs of goods and services is on the rise. For travelers, this means higher prices for different aspects of a trip, including airfare, accommodations, transportation, and meals.
Just look at the surge prices of Grab just going to and from the airport, the increase in ticket prices to sites, and the cost of public transportation. This October, JR Passes got a fare hike of 77%, which is a huge blow to travelers who want to cover as much ground during trips to Japan.
Continue reading “15 budget tips for the revenge travel era”
Traveling abroad for the first time can be an exciting and enriching experience. It opens up new horizons and introduces you to different cultures and ways of thinking, ultimately helping you broaden your perspectives. However, it’s common for first-time travelers to make a few mistakes. At best, these mistakes can be embarrassing. At worst, they could be violations of local laws.
Making a few goofs is part of the fun when you travel. Luckily we’re here to make sure that you avoid some of the most avoidable gaffes. Here are several common newbie traveling mistakes that you should avoid.
Continue reading “Common mistakes first-time overseas travelers make”After almost two years of community quarantine and working from home, most of us are really eager to go on a vacation. But with the additional requirements, risks, and extra costs of travel these days, thinking about going on a vacation feels like a lot more stressful than it used to be.
Most people prefer to travel and go on adventures during the summer months when it’s sunny. However, you may find yourself having to travel during the monsoon months. While travelers need to take extra care as the rain may bring landslides and floods to many areas, the rainy season shouldn’t stop you from having fun. Here are a few travel tips to make the most of the rainy season in the Philippines.
Technology has really changed the way people travel. Traveling these days no longer means going off the grid. In fact, for many tech-savvy travelers, staying connected while traveling abroad is essential. How else can we book those last-minute flights and hotels, navigate around unfamiliar streets, find out the best places to eat, and keep our Instagram and Facebook social media accounts updated, right?
If you’re a frequent traveler, here are 10 handy applications that you might want to install on your smartphone or tablet with before traveling locally and abroad.
My blog just turned five months old today! To celebrate, I’ve compiled a few travel tips I’ve learned from years of playing video games, which apply to real-life travel.
Continue reading “10 Travel Lessons I’ve learned from Video Games”
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.” Continue reading “7 Budget Travel Tips & Tricks”
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