During the first April weekend I finally got to travel somewhere in our country. My god, working all the time will make you a stranger in your own country you know. Better find time and save money and travel locally before you even go out of the country.
People say the Philippine Beaches are the best when compared to other countries. I haven't been outside of the country so I can't say for sure but I've heard that from Filipinos who've traveled abroad and within the country.
So anyway let me give you some tips on traveling locally the way Filipinos travel on a budget in our beloved land plus some other travel tips.
First, here's a video for you to watch to give you a background on a foreigner traveling in the Philippines. They share some tips on traveling more cheaply or easily in the Visayas region so if you want to know some of their tips then watch this.
(Video credit: Nomadic In The Philippines via YouTube)
I have only traveled outside of Luzon twice I think. Both times going to Boracay. Hahaha. Good thing I've already gone there so I won't miss it now that they are temporarily closing it for environmental reasons. More on that later on.
♦ How does the average Pinoy Travel Inexpensively? ♦
When traveling and having a quick 2 days 1 night holiday getaway, usually we don't spend most of our time indoors right? So why will we spend thousands of Philippine Pesos on an airconditioned room with WiFi and all that when we will be nature tripping and enjoying the great outdoors most of the time?
If you prefer to spend money on affordable and basic accommodation then follow my tips for some inexpensive, responsible but fun local traveling.
(Photo credit: ArtGirl via Bitlanders)
1. Decide where to go and who to go with first and foremost
The Philippines used to have 7,107 islands during low tide tide so make sure you decide where you're going before looking for a trip or travel group to join. According to Wikipedia it's actually already 7, 641 islands based on a CNN Philippines report! Whew, that's a lot of choices!
Aside from choosing the location, choose who to go with. If you're not keen on being a solo traveler and prefer the company of friends, you can post on your social media accounts and inform your friends that you want to travel so people will know you are looking to travel at that moment.
Invite your workmates and entice them to go out and travel. Your schedule may or may not not be the same as your friends' or work colleagues' schedules so either compromise or find someone who can go travel with you on the same dates you are available. In case you are in a relationship, married or have your own family then having companions won't be an issue as you will have to match your schedules with them and have fun traveling with them too.
2. Join Facebook Filipino travel groups and find the best group deals.
Now that you've decided where to go and who to go with, you can do this next step.
Most Filipinos these days are on Facebook. People sell stuff in Facebook groups and join certain ones based on each of our interests. There's the anime groups, the funnies, political and financial groups and of course there's some groups for the travelers too.
Whether you are a solo traveler, a couple or just friends planning to travel, a family or a team of workmates, you can find all your travel deals in Facebook travel groups. Most people find all their travel needs in this way. Others go through search engines and YouTube but I eventually ended up booking a trip through a travel group on Facebook. Why? Probably because a lot of people post their experiences in the travel groups and post the tips and tricks they did to save money while traveling.
You can opt to go the free accommodation route but where's the fun in super solo traveling huh? No tour guides, no cooked food, no fun companions, no equipment, no vehicles, no nothing so why will you go the free accommodation route? Why spend nothing on accommodation or thousands of pesos on it when you can spend enough and save money on a budget plus have all those I mentioned above included?
If you're the picky and high maintenance type, do not go the budget traveler route. Puhleeze.
Joining a group tour means you have to be amiable and deal well with other people. Even if you are not too friendly you can still join a group, after all you will pay for the traveling and services included but you will have to be as sociable as possible.
It also means you will be a big group when you travel so the cost of being on this tour will be lower as compared to if you go solo or use your own car etc etc. The travel cost of a tour group is divided among the joiners (solo, couple or small group) so of course the more people there are the better and more fun and affordable it can be.
(Photo credit: Efsocietyph via Facebook)
We were 27 in the group tour to Five Fingers & Laki Beach in Mariveles, Bataan so we all went there in two vans. I didn't think we'd reach that big a number but it was fun so nevermind. You can join in with the rest of the people or you can just do your own thing with your companion/s sometimes if you're not island hopping and such.
Important: Do not be a joybidder or someone who says they will join then cancel at the very last minute. Be respectful of your possible future travel companions and the tour organizer.
Unless it is an emergency, do not cancel at the last minute, make sure to check everything before making a payment and registering to join the trip because it will adversely affect the entire trip and the people who will join. If it can't be helped at least be honest and cancel a day before. Some groups might put you on a blacklist and post it all over Facebook travel groups if you are a joy reserver/bidder so always check their reservation/cancellation policy before joining and booking that travel trip.
3. Always ask for the itinerary and the important things to bring with you.
It's you and/or your companion/s who will decide where you want to go so you must know which places you will go to enjoy the trip. If you are not familiar with the place, ask and canvas travel groups and their itineraries. Compare the price and places you will go to. Find out the available travel dates and projected time frame and such to plan ahead, you can even ask how many people have already joined or will be joining if you want to.
(Photo credit: Vamos Lamyerda via Facebook)
The lesser the places indicated in the itinerary the lesser the price too. Sometimes, in place of the itinerary, food will be included. If the food is not included in the payment then the itinerary might be more than the other. It really depends so find the best one that works for you and your companion/s. Choose which ones you will prioritize: is it the experience or is it the budget? Also consider if they have photo/video services along with the travel package etc. Don't forget to inquire if you will be riding in vans or what mode of transportation will be included. Check all the details before making a payment.
Since the tour guides or operators know more about the trip than you, ask them what are the important things to bring if it is not indicated in their travel itinerary posts. If you don't have a tent, you can ask if they provide rentals. If you need to bring liters of water, ask them as well.
(Photo credit: Efsocietyph via Facebook)
Anticipate your travel needs, bring your necessities like medicine and swimming/trekking gears if you have any and also ask the tour organizer or travel agent/contact person lots of questions before booking with them. They should be able to inform you the required things to bring so you will have an easier time in the trip.
Be patient in waiting for their reply, sometimes these travel groups have lots of people inquiring at the same time especially during summer. Other times they may just be offline so wait a while and check and contact different travel groups so you find the best ones.
Sometimes they will also add you to the group chat for better group communication so it really depends on the group you find on how they do things. You can inquire through online means or if they have a phone number posted you can call or text them for faster replies.
4. Pay thru bank deposits or face to face during the tour meet up
Finally you're on to the last step to book that trip. All you have to do is make a payment and you're all set to travel.
Most groups accept 50% bank deposit and registration before you can be part of the tour. Upon meet up at the pick up place you will then give the balance payment and wait for the group to be complete before the travel starts.
Of course you have to pay in Philippine Peso and not in any other currency. Haha.
Euro bills (Photo credit via Pixabay)
Other travel groups don't require any downpayment, just fill up the registration form online then show up at the meeting place on the travel day and make the payment upfront. Some require full payment so choose which groups you'd like to join based on your budget.
Ask which banks they accept payments then choose which one to deposit to that's near you. If you don't like to fall in line in banks to make a payment, check if you can do online bank transfers. If you can't do that then ask your contact if they accept remittances thru Western Union, Palawan Express, GCash, SmartMoney etc. If they only accept bank deposits then you should comply, after all, you want to enjoy and travel to that wonderful destination right?
If you're looking for payment receipts or credit card payments though, you need to go through registered travel agencies and not freelance travel groups on Facebook. You can ask your contact first if they provide receipts or accept credit cards or not. Most people don't ask that but if you prefer having receipts or using credit cards when joining travel groups then you might have to find official or government registered travel agencies instead that are a bit pricier. Travel agencies don't usually allow group tour joiners so it's best to go through that route if you're a big group of 10 to 20 or more..
(Photo credit via Pixabay)
The Philippines is a cash based country so expect to use cash almost everywhere more often than credit cards. Be sure to have enough cash with you or bring your debit/credit cards just in case you need more money. You can find available atms just before or right after you get to your destination. Unless you're going to Boracay or any other highly commercialzed beach then withdraw before you get to your destination othersise you will need to travel out and get to the nearest one somewhere out there.
Avoid getting scammed by travel groups by checking on the testimonials on their official Facebook pages or accounts and also if they have previously catered to celebrities or not.
Some freelance travel groups have already guided local celebrities and so you will see the pictures and videos posted on their pages. If you see those things on top of the positive testimonials then you probably found a good travel group and organizer to join.
Some groups also get featured on national TV and they will post video clips on their pages as well. Thoroughly checking on the travel details and the travel organizers will help you and your companions to decide which groups to join based on your budgets, trust rating and the itineraries they offer.
Make sure to make the payment only after you've checked on everything I mentioned and the rest of the things that are important to you.
5. When you finally get to your destination, enjoy and explore everywhere and everything!
(Photo credit: ArtGirl via Bitlanders)
Make the most of your hard earned money by going everywhere you can during the tour. There will be free time during the itinerary they set, sometimes not everything will be followed based on the time schedule so be flexible and just enjoy the natural world!
Take lots of pictures, go up that hill or under the sea, if they have cove to cove or island hopping just go and join it all. If you don't feel like joining or going to one island or cove then just swim in the ocean. It's your choice what you want to do but since the group has an itinerary it's best to join and have fun along the way.
Look at this baby sea urchin I found at the rocky shores of Laque (Laki) Beach, Bataan!
(Photo credit: ArtGirl via Bitlanders)
Wherever you are going, see if you can find sea urchins like I did, jellyfishes, sea shells, weird rocky formations, monkeys or whatever. Make your time and money worth it by appreciating the beauty of the nature you rarely see. If you are a regular traveler then find something new or unique about the place. Find out how the locals are or if the environment is well taken cared of.
Find out what the travel destinations have to offer and swim away the stress even if you can only swim in very shallow waters. Haha.
6. Before you leave the wonderful natural world, make sure to clean as you go.
(Photo credit via Pixabay)
Our world already has a big plastic problem so do not add to it by littering everywhere. Pick up your trash and throw it in the trash can. Be respectful of the nature you love to take pictures of. Learn to keep your trash if there is no garbage can anywhere.
Find a trash can in the city or take it home if worst comes to worst because you have the responsibility to keep the wonderful environment as clean as when you came there. If it is not that clean then help clean it up too! If you can't do that then at least share the responsibility with your friend to keep your trash to a minimum.
Do not litter in natural places because I'm sure you don't want to swim in dirty, smelly waters right? Do you want to take a picture with plastic waste in the background? Do you want to see dead sea turtles because of the plastic they ate? Be mindful of your surroundings and your trash.
Let us not abuse Filipino hospitality and natural resources, we must be responsible for our own trash and not expect other people to clean up after us. Maintaining the beauty and cleanliness of the world is everyone's responsibility.
Did you know that Boracay, one of the world's best beaches and travel destination, have recently closed down due to pollution issues? Now you have to wait for at least four months maybe before you can go there. That's the extent of the pollution in that wonderful natural beach!
In February this year, President Rodrigo Duterte called it a cesspool and closed the once pristine beach down for six months in order for the people to develop a better way to handle trash and garbage disposal. Having uncaring tourists added to the waste problem so please be responsible travelers anywhere you go.
(Photo credit via Pixabay)
Seeing wild animals eat our wastes is not a laughing matter at all. Not everything we eat are good and healthy for wild animals. Our wastes can be lethal to them. Let us all do our best in being mindful and environment friendly travelers so we can continue to see amazing and happy wild animals while enjoying clean and beautiful beaches, mountains, lakes etc.
Here's a video of one of those cleanup drives in Saud beach, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. The water in that lovely place is realy clear and there are a lot of small fishes near the shore that you can catch with your bare hands and cook under the sun! Hey! I love Pagudpud!
(Video credit: FinnSnow via YouTube)
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That's it for me. Take care and have fun traveling too!
Have more tips to travel on a budget like a local? Share below!
For more of my travel, event and related blogs, click below:
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- The World's Oldest Bamboo Organ is in The Philippines! >>> (5 star blog!)
- Emigrating to Colombia, is it For You?
- A Day Well Spent at Incendiary: 8th Philippine International Literary Festival
- A Summer Day at Camayan Beach Resort
- A Quick Look at the Philippine Army Golf Course
- Top 3 Reasons to Live or Invest in the only Westin Residential Property in South East Asia
- Giorgio Tsoukalos was at the 1st Ever History Con in the Philippines!
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Written for Bitlanders by ArtGirl. All rights reserved
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