Backpacking Asia: How to Travel Frugally

One of the things that you probably promised to do this year is to start saving. However, one of the goals you probably set for 2017 is to travel more and see the world. Both are good, but aren’t they conflicting? Not really, if you know a thing about frugal traveling. This doesn’t mean you’ll sleep and shower at airports or eat crap throughout your trip. This basically means you get the best value for your money and not spend much for nonessentials.

There is renewed appreciation for Asia among budget travelers and backpackers. The continent is rich in tradition, natural wonders, and is significantly cheaper than the rest of the world. You’d be surprised of how much an Asian tour would cost compared to a trip to Europe or the Americas.

If you’re planning to visit Asia this year, be smart and be wise. Know how you can save money when traveling to Asia, while spending nothing but time and gaining new experiences.

Plan early and plan ahead

Photo courtesyof DariuszSankowski via Pixabay

The key to frugal travel in Asia, or any part of the world, is planning ahead. You can’t expect to score airfare and great accommodation deals if you only plan weeks before the trip. Have a travel plan on paper so you can manage expenses. You have to decide on what you want to do before you can map out an itinerary. Are you going to an amusement park that charges entrance fees or temples and landmarks that you can visit for free?

You should know that Asia is fast developing. Big cities in Korea and Japan may cost you a fortune, but countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, India or Nepal are perfect for budget travel. There are a lot to do for very little money—visit volcanoes and famous landmarks, swim in beaches, and trek mountains. So before you book a flight, decide where you want to go and which experiences you want to try.

Fancy a fulfilling break? try Thailand

You’re due a holiday. You have worked extremely hard over the past couple of months, or years, and now you need to get away from your daily routine. You need to ensure your energy is not completely sapped away, and you would like to return to work - after your holiday - full of enthusiasm, energy and you want to be ready to go give it your all once again.

However, you do not want to go somewhere where everyone goes. Somewhere which is a popular tourist destination. You want this break to be fulfilling, and you would like to earn something out of it. Whether that be gratitude, a life affirming experience or, simply, a bit of personal development which you can look back on and be proud. So, you do a bit of research and come up with a few options: travel somewhere you have always wanted to go, help people and communities while you’re there, enjoy yourself while you’re at it.

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The Top 5 Places to go to in Malaysia

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Known for its rainforests, beaches and blend of cultural influences, Malaysia is fast becoming a sought after tourist destination. The country’s two giant land masses to offer so much to see and do that you could quite easily spend weeks adventuring them. Here are some of the top locations that you don’t want to leave off your list.

Penang

Eager to try some of the best Malay cuisine on offer? Penang Island is the place to satisfy your taste buds, offering a wide array of restaurants. The historic George Town is a must-see, sporting architecture that is a melting pot of British colonialism, Chinese influences and Indian culture. Its influences come from being located on one of the world’s most popular shipping routes. Anyone into their marine history can learn a lot about it at one of the area’s many museums.

8 Things To Do In Singapore After Sundown

Image from Pixabay

Singapore has a lot of night adventures. You will not miss something interesting to occupy you during Singapore nights. It will depend on your own preferences. You can go out and watch nocturnal animals or get busy in various Singapore night clubs. There are also night shopping centers where you can dash and buy products which you may have forgotten to buy during the day.

Take a look at our list below and pick your adventures.

1. Gardens by the Bay

They consist of the largest reclaimed pieces of land in Singapore. There are many free zones where you can go and enjoy seeing different areas of the gardens free of charge. It is located adjacent to Marina Bay Sands. This makes the area among the best areas where you can go and enjoy nightlife in Singapore.

Bringing Thai Cuisine Back Home With You

One of the things that people miss the most when they come back home after a long vacation is the food. Trying out the dishes of a new country is one of the most underappreciated elements of any vacation. But the people who really want to take in the culture of a new place will dig right in.

There are many countries out there than offer amazing and unique food and drink. Many of the best ones are imported as delicacies and restaurant niches. Mexican, Chinese, Italian - we’re all familiar with them because we can try them out without flying to another country. But it’s always much better when you go to the country itself and try the food right there in its homeland. And there are few places in which this is truer than in Thailand.

Wikipedia 

A vacation in Thailand is seen as one of the most exotic and luxurious getaways you can embark on. And though we have a lot of Thai cuisine outlets in this country, it’s simply not as widespread as many others. But it’s easily one of the finest foreign menu exports we have.

When you’re back from a Thailand vacation, you may not feel much like celebrating. But why not take what you learned about food and drink in Thailand and share it with your friends? You should consider throwing a dinner party. Let them see the culture that you soaked in while you were on your amazing vacation.

The environment

Thai cuisine, like many great Asian cuisines, lends itself to a very particular and striking aesthetic. If you want to go all-out on a Thailand dinner party, you should consider decorating with a color scheme in mind. The best mix to go for is red, gold, black.

Pixabay

If you want to take it to the next level, you should consider bringing in a low table. You’ll remember that the furniture in Thailand was also minimal. Tables are often close to the floor and the seating comprised simply of cushions.

The main courses

Thai cuisine is so varied that it can be hard to decide on what main course to serve. You could, of course, do some brainstorming and come up with a selection from which your guests could select before they arrive.

Wikipedia

But you should think back to all the great dishes you enjoyed in Thailand. What dishes did you enjoy the most? Which ones made you wish your friends had been there to try it out? Try cooking up a mix of all those dishes. You could make a buffet to make sure your friends get to try a bit of everything! And don’t forget to consider the popular condiments for Asean cuisines.

Dessert

People don’t often talk about the amazing desserts that Thai cuisine has to offer. Hopefully, you tried a bunch of amazing ones on your vacation. But a few people miss out because they stuff themselves too full of the main courses to order dessert!

Pixabay

Fruit and sticky rice are popular ingredients of many Thai desserts. There is also Pok Pok (ice cream sandwhich) to consider, though that’s also a popular dessert here at home!

Seeing Asia in a glance at Lego Let's go Asia exhibit

Most probably most of us got hooked with Lego blocks when we were young or perhaps until now?  I admit that sometimes I do play Lego blocks with my kids.  I still enjoy assembling those pieces of blocks and find joy and satisfaction that I was able to build a complicated piece just by looking at the sample on the Lego box. 

When me and my hubby went out on a date last Sunday for his birthday treat for me, we happen to pass by a Lego display exhibit at The Block, SM City North EDSA.  I would have not have the interest to get close to the display because we have not brought the kids with us, but when I had a glimpse of what was being exhibited in the barricaded area, my enthusiasm ignited and more so my wanderlust striked me.

What we saw are replicas of iconic landmarks and structures from different countries in Asia.  I was impressed by those structures at how they were intricately formed from pieces of Lego blocks.  I just couldn’t imagine how much time and effort they spent in order to finish one replica.

Here are the eight iconic landmarks in Asia on display:

Himeji Castle of Japan, regarded as the finest surviving Japanese architecture 

Taj Mahal of India, regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world due to its unsurpassed architectural beauty

Rizal Monument of the Philippines

Wat Mahathat of Thailand.  Regarded as one of the ten royal temples of the highest class in Bangkok.

Merlion of Singapore.  A landmark which personifies Singapore.

Taipei 101, skyscraper of Taiwan which is one of the tallest building in the world.

I couldn’t help myself being amazed and at the same time entertained, just by looking at each structure.  I was happy to be brought back again to some of those places that I was able to see in real life, likewise, I also enjoy looking at and admiring the others, and somehow imagining that someday I will also be able to visit those iconic landmarks that I haven’t seen yet such as Taj Mahal, Taipei 101, Great Wall of China, Himeji Castle of Japan and Wat Mahathat of Thailand.

You can watch these Lego structures on exhibit free, tagged as “Let’s Go Asia” until June 7 at The Block, SM City North EDSA, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. mall hours.

A morning walk at the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong

Avenue of Stars

    While most of the shopping centers open in Hong Kong at around 11:00 a.m., a morning walk along Tsim Sha Tsui is good to spend time exploring the waterfront of Victoria Harbor view where you could breathe a fresh cool air and take time to relax if the weather is good.  An impressive sight of Hong Kong’s business skyline can be seen fronting the Harbor and occasional passerby are strolling along the nice tiled pavement.  One of the tourist attractions in Tsim Sha Tsui is the Avenue of Stars where the statues and hand prints of known and award winning Hong Kong celebrities and film directors have their stars with names on this spot.

My First Trip To Thailand: Exploring A Different Culture

Thai kids in colorful local dress

     With its beautiful scenery, rich culture, colorful markets and interesting people, Thailand is a great place to visit. Each year there are millions of travelers who excitedly visit the country and discover its incredible sights. Once you experience the spirit of Thailand, you wouldn't want to leave. This is exactly how I felt about this place. I had always wanted to visit the country, see its golden beaches, experience wildlife, see Big Buddha in Phuket and all the rest of the tourist attractions this lovely place offer. But once I went there, I realized all

Tourist Attractions of Shimla

     Situated amidst the serenity of nature’s wealth, Shimla is one of the most famous hill resorts in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. This beautiful station is perched atop to the height of about 2421 m above the sea level. Moreover, the bumpy landscape of Shimla is encompassed by lofty pine and deodar trees. This destination’s verdant valley form a picturesque landscape embracing the royalty of the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas. Shimla was once a summer resort for British, therefore, besides being a nature’s delight, it is dotted with charming Victorian architectural relics. Read on to this article and know about the famous tourist attractions of this place which you must visit while travelling to Shimla.

Myanmar is now visa free travel for Filipinos

image from Flickr

     This is great news to all my fellow Filipinos because President Benigno Aquino III and Myanmar President Thein Sein just signed up a memorandum of agreement about visa free entry to Philippines and vice versa.  Filipinos are allowed to enter and stay in Myanmar up to a maximum of 14 days without having the hassle to apply for a visa. When I heard this news I immediately got an interest to include Myanmar in my future travel plans outside the Philippines, as I am eyeing those countries that are easy for a traveller to visit as long as there is a valid passport to present to the country’s immigration.

Our two days stay in Cititel Express Hotel Kuala Lumpur

     Cititel Express was our home for two days when we traveled in Kuala Lumpur, it is located in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.  We booked two rooms which include breakfast, one triple sharing and the other one deluxe queen.  When we travel, most often we include breakfast so we don't have to worry where to eat early in the morning when we wake up so that after eating, we can clean ourselves and we can go out early and have more time to visit many places to explore. The hallway to the rooms are quite big and clean, as well as the inside room.  

Highlights of our road trip in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

     In my previous post I left you hanging with my preview of KL Hop-on Hop-off bus, and this post is the continuation of where the bus brought us and I will show you the highlights of our tour within the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

My first tour in Kuala Lumpur and Hop-On Hop-Off bus ride

Magnificent view of Petronas Towers at night

     I could still recall out trip in Kuala Lumpur back in 2009 it was the last day of October then, I remembered there was a coming strong typhoon which will hit Metro Manila and its nearby towns.  On our way to Ninoy Aquino International Aiport terminal 3 we heard from the news on radio that airlines were cancelling their flights for that night, we were worried that our flight might be included.  But fate is with us, Cebu Pacific did not cancelled flight to Kuala Lumpur and leave at exactly 8:55 p.m.

From Oxford Hotel Singapore to where our feet brought us

     During our stay in Singapore we booked in Oxford Hotel  to sleep in for two nights, it is a budget hotel located in Queen Street, Bugis .  They have the basic necessities for their guests to sleep in for a night.  We were three in the room with my two siblings and there were only two single beds but we arranged an extra bed which they put in the middle which made the room crowded for the three of us. 

Viva! Vivo City

Sky Garden at Vivo City 

     Vivo City is the biggest mall in Singapore which is located in Harbourfront Walk, and this is where the train station going to Sentosa Island is located.  I also had the chance to have a last minute shopping when we came from Sentosa because the following morning was our scheduled flight back to Manila, so while the mall was still open we had the chance to window shop and also bought some for ourselves.

Sights and Sounds of Sentosa

This is where the fun begins

     Right after sightseeing Singapore city via the Duck Tour we took a cab from Suntec City mall and headed to Vivo City where we have to catch the special train specifically going to Sentosa Island.  It is the biggest theme park in Singapore which offers a lot of activity to enjoy and in fact you can spend your whole day in Sentosa Island to be able to see and experience all.

Exploring Suntec City's Koi Garden And Fountain of Wealth

Koi Garden in Suntec City Mall, Singapore

          We arrived Suntec City mall too early so most of the store inside were closed, but the entrance is already open for office workers having their offices in that building, that's why we were able to get inside.  Our purpose in going to Suntec City is not to shop for electronic gadgets which is Suntec City mall is known for having the latest and selling the cheapest electronic gadget in Singapore.  The reason we were in that mall was to catch the first voyage of the Duck tour at 10:00 a.m. 

Sightseeing Singapore in an hour via Duck Tour

Singapore Duck Tour ride

          One of the most memorable and exciting experience when I traveled Singapore in 2009 was the Duck Tour ride.  We only had one day to tour around Singapore so our limited time to travel around making it easier to have a glimpse on most of the tourist attractions that Singapore has to offer.

Ride on as I tour you to Hongkong amusement park destination-Ocean Park

     We spend our second day in Ocean Park which is the first theme park in Hong Kong opened way back 1977 prior to their renowned other theme park Disneyland which opened  in the 80’s.   The park has two areas – ‘The Waterfront’ which is located at the lower part of the mountain and ‘The Summit’ which is on top of the mountain.

The wonderful world of Disney in Hongkong

Disneyland is the magical place on earth, which is loved by adults and kids

 This is the first time that all of us including my family and kids traveled outside of the country, we chose Hong Kong as our first out-of-the-country because it's the nearest country from the Philippines and considering we have kids with us, 12 years old and 2 year old, and our first destination is the world best theme park - Disney Land!