Travelling all 81 provinces in the Philippines can be very challenging. The country is made of 7,641 islands. This means that most of the places in the country is surrounded by water, and getting to these places will most likely be difficult given the remote locations of some of these interesting places to visit. In fact, just to travel to some island location in the country, one may need to do all three - travel by air, land, and sea.
For most travelers, one of the biggest concern is the budget. And what better way to save on the budget but to start with keeping the budget down on accommodations, transportation and food.
So here are some tips, based on my experience, that has really cut my budget to half when it comes to travelling.
Travel Tip #1 - Prepare your Travel Budget & Itinerary
Make sure to make time to prepare your travel itinerary. This means listing down places you want to go to, and how far these places are from where you're staying. Make sure you have your list of travel spots or recommended places to visits ready and prepared days ahead. Once you have this list, prepare your itinerary and allocate time and money based on your travel budget. I usually do this on MS Excel, and I use Google Map to help me estimate the time it takes to travel from one location to the next. If you know how to drive, it is always best to rent a car once you get to the location. Have the rental car ready once you arrive at the airport - I tell you, this will save you time and money.
Travel Tip #2 - Consider Joining a Travel Tour
What this means for most traveler is to travel in groups and not alone. Some love to do the do-it-yourself (DIY) travel plans, which means, the itinerary, transportation, even accommodations are all planned by you - the traveler. When you join a travel tour instead, the planning, accommodation, even the transportation is shouldered by the group's tour coordinator. And the amount of money you pay is so much more less than you would normally pay should you travel alone. Here are some of the tours in the Philippines that I have tried in the past. Check them out too - Trabesh, Tatak Smile.
Travel Tip #3 - Book your Accommodation on Airbnb
I wasn't sure about Airbnb at first, and mind you, I am one of those who would rather book a hotel than stay in someone else's house. But the risk taker in me wanted to give it a try. I was surprised to see some really great looking accommodations on the App at half the hotel's price. So I booked my very first Airbnb accommodation online, and the place I booked was super charming. The owner of the house were amazingly accommodating, and the best part - the place is pet friendly. We got to bring our furbaby with us when we went on vacation. Check out the photos -
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Now, a lot of these properties are way more economical than paying for your hotel accommodation, but be sure to check how far the location is to all the places you want to visit. Make sure to contact the owner first before reserving your date, make sure to check for public transportation, and typical taxi fares, especially if you're not driving to your destination.
Click HERE if you have not created your account on Airbnb yet. Oh, did I tell you that you can also host travelers? Find out more HERE.
This was our home in Cebu City. An Airbnb accommodation worth Php 999 a night.
Travel Tip #4 - Book your Flights Months Ahead
Once you have created your travel budget, you should have a pretty good idea of how much you can afford per day. I am sure you'll wonder how you can save on your flights. Remember to always book your flights months ahead, never a few days before your vacation. Also, there are a lot of airlines now that offer tickets at almost no cost. I am talking 2 cents of a dollar. Watch out for those 'Piso Fare' that Cebu Pacific offers.
Travel Tip #5 - Book your Vacation during Off-Season
Remember that peak times will be at the holidays and in the summer in many locations. Travel in the off-season can cost a fraction of what it does at peak season. In the Philippines, the off-season is usually during the monsoon season. No one wants to travel during this time because of the possibility of a stormy weather. Summer in the Philippines is in the month of March and April so expect crowds at the beach during this time of the year.
Now, the months of May and November can represent good value for money – you’ll miss the crowds, the weather is still pleasant and flights will be cheaper than during the high season.
Travel Tip #6 - Consider staying in Red Doorz
They have become an ubiquitous hotel chain in the Philippines. Wherever you go you'll find them everywhere.
Red and I were looking for a place to stay the night in Tagaytay, because I have been driving down south for hours with no sleep, and I didn't really want to pay much on accommodation. The curious me wanted to see if we can afford the hotel rate of Red Doorz, and the funny thing is the rate is even cheaper than AirBnb. The color red though reminds me of those sleazy hotels in Manila, and the design looks a bit tacky. But really, sometimes all you need is a place to rest that's clean, smells nice, and feels comfortable. So yep, we booked a room in Red Doorz, and stayed a night. It was comfortable. We slept really well, and felt refreshed to drive again in the morning. The best part to it is that booking a room is amazingly convenient, you can do it on your mobile phone.
Here is the link to Red Doorz if you don't have an account with them yet.
Travel Tip #7 - Loyalty Programs
Once there was a group of highly optimistic and ambitious friends who felt the need to give drivers better working conditions, and passengers the security, safety and convenience of getting to their travel destination. What started in the tiny rented storage space somewhere in Malaysia has turned into Grab, Southeast Asia’s largest mobile technology company that connects millions of consumers to millions of drivers, merchants, and businesses.
What serves as an app that can conveniently take me to where I want to go in Manila, now has food and package delivery service. You can also buy your load, book your hotel, and pay your bills using ones mobile phone. What's nice about the app is its travel rewards program where you can get discounts, passes, even buy your travel tickets using points earned. Talk about convenience of having everything on hand. Super amazing!
Now, what about getting all these nice products - accommodation, transportation, travel tickets, food, even souvenir, and still get some cash back. I found out that I can do that too. I realized that by using ShopBack, I can get some of my payments back, and withdraw it back to my bank account. They give you some of your money back simply for using the site whenever you make your purchase. And I really think that that is AMAZING!
That's it. Remember to not burn your savings when you travel. Be wise, don't waste your hard earn moolah. Learn the hacks around the many ways to cut back on costs.
If you have more tips for travelers, please leave a comment below.
@pinoy.viajero is a travel blogger who wants to explore all 81 provinces of the Philippines.
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://pinoyviajero.blog/philippine-travel-hack-how-to-get-to-more-places-without-paying-much/