Photo by Diego Gennaro
Having a large wallet is not necessary for wandering; sometimes practical planning for everything that may and will happen is the way to travel in the Philippines on a budget
Whenever time grants us a blank space, we can’t deny that every one of us had daydreamed traveling around the country and even around the world. However, it was fading once reality hits that “you don’t have a lot of money.” Nevertheless, having a few pesos on the pocket is not a loss of hope. Traveling around our country is the first best way to prove it!
The Philippines is a country known as ‘The Pearl of the Orient Seas‘ for its natural beauty and rich environment that offers budget-friendly travel that trips you’ll surely love.
The breathtaking sceneries on top of the mountain after hiking, subtle white sand islands under the endless azure sky, crystal clear water with endless life forms to discover, the sunrise and sunsets in its beaches, caves with ravishing secrets, parks with uncountable activities to offer and the nightlife in the cities and the calming shades of trees in the provinces are only a few of the perks you can gain once you’ve traveled around the Philippines.
Are you still stuck on daydreaming? Release yourself and let your dream come true as we show you the 14 tips on how to travel in the Philippines and even in the world for less!
14 Tips on How to Travel in the Philippines and Even in the World for Less
Look out for travel promos or cheaper places to go
Some agencies offer travel promos during the peak seasons and some travel packs so that you can enjoy not just in one place but into many more without minding the cost. Try to look on their legitimate websites and who knows, you might find a good hook.
Aside from travel promos, try to search for cheaper places to go that perfectly fits your budget. The Tagaytay City in Cavite, Puerto Princesa in Palawan, and Bataan are only some of the ideal places to go. You can also try to discover some new spots near your place if you want to budget your money.
Make your itinerary rather than booking tours from companies
Booking tours from companies take much price and sometimes it could be a hassle in your time. Having your own choice of an itinerary is a big aid because aside from saving some money you can save, you can travel freely and have fun without minding the cost of time that you have for each place that you go.
A big no-no for travel rush
If you’re really into less expensive adventure, don’t risk into travel rush, plan everything well so you can freely travel the Philippines on a budget. Think of the places you wanted to visit, the probable area where you’ll spend the night, and the time that you have for travel. Book or arrived at times where travel rush won’t badly intervene your time.
Create your travel fund
Aside from the money you have, you can add some weight to it by possibly separating your savings for travel funds to your other savings.
Before going into a trip, make sure you have more than enough savings to avoid running out of money in the middle of your precious travel. Take note of your expenses in transportation, food, a place to stay in, emergency funds, and additional expenses for the tour of your choice.
Watch out for flight seat sales
If you’re looking for some seat sales, I recommend you to look for one on Air Asia or Cebu Pacific. These airlines can offer you fares for your traveling budget (if your budget lets you fly), they used to have seat sales regularly. And if you’re interested, you can sign up on their newsletter and book one to go.
Don’t miss it out!
Look for Travel buddies for trouble and pleasure moments
Traveling individually around might sometimes get you off when you’re in a boat or public transportation, seeing some people having bonded to their loved ones, also, it eats up your travel budget.
That’s why there are no better travel buddies than your friends and relatives. The longer the travel, the stronger the bond! Plus, you can depend on each other’s savings when travel gets tough on times of uncertainly.
Try Couchsurfing
Couchsurfing is a social network service that is available on the website and mobile app. You can use it t find a place to stay via sharing home with the locals of a place who are open for your accommodation for free. There are a lot of benefits you can have when you try Couchsurfing. Aside from meeting and befriending the locals, it lets you discover more about the places you’ve traveled that you can’t usually find on internet blogs and corrects you for the misinterpretations you had before in that place.
Aside from getting free accommodation, you’ve gained thought developments and lessons without fees!
Say pass for the taxis
Riding a taxi or uber sometimes give us nostalgic feeling, until the meter screams.
Sometimes it is more comfortable riding a taxi alone but if you’re into saving money while having fun, you should try going into public transportation. Buses as an alternative are the best one especially if the time duration to reach the destination is at least six hours, the overnight or last trips are the best because you can save a night accommodation on your travel.
You can also try Ferries if you’re having a trip on an island if you can’t afford a flight.
Befriend the other backpackers on the road
It is truly enjoyable when you have some companions and make new friends, but what makes it more beneficial is they can give you some advice about the places that you’re about to go or on some places that they’ve already gone through.
Always put some money in your pocket instead of a card
In the Philippines, you might find it a little bit hard to travel using your card. Credit cards or ATMs are often to see in large cities and popular major destinations. The majority of the stores in the provinces only accept cash as payment and finding an ATM or credit card machines will be a huge hassle to your time finding one instead of enjoying the minutes you have on your destination. I also recommend you to have a coin purse because you’ll probably need lots of coins.
Make your food or look for convenient store foods
Restaurant foods are undeniably delicious but trying the original local foods prepared by its cook is memorable, right? If you don’t have the time and knowledge to cook and your goal is to save money, local carinderia is the best choice! They offer freshly cooked home-made foods that are just enough to satisfy your hunger.
On the other hand, there are also local markets and fast food chains that offer you a cheaper price of food products and even fresh products that you can use if you want to cook for yourself.
Don’t party too much!
Travelling is about relaxing and enjoying, but it doesn’t scream parties. You might run out of the budget if you party too much while traveling.
Find some hotels to check-in
Aside from the Couchsurfing option, staying in hostels rather than hotels is just you being a practical traveler. You can find some of them near the tourist places in the provinces and there also available in the cities.
Try hitchhiking
When we say hitchhiking, people used to think that it is kind of cheap traveling that is very risky and dangerous for the hitchhiker and the driver. But in reality, most people who’ve done this before proved that it’ not bad at all, and presence of mind is a must. If you haven’t done this before and still unsure, you can try ridesharing wherein some people give out their route they’ll pass and try to find travel buddies for the road trip to share expenses. You can check the rideshareapps.com for more information.
That’s all folks, the 14 tips on how to wander around the Philippines with not-much-not-less pesos on your pocket. Remember, with proper planning of everything will make your travel fun more than that you can think.
So, grab your backpack or luggage, pack all the things you need and pull yourself to adventure that once in a life to exist. Have fun!