A post on budget traveling that should get you to book that plane ticket – NOW!

1. Travel light…so you don’t have to pay the baggage allowance fee! As much as possible, don’t check-in anything. Save that 500 bucks on a food trip where it’s worth it! It’s more convenient to bring a backpack or a small trolley when you travel anyway. Plus, you won’t waste time waiting for your bag to show up at the baggage carousel. Only bring the essentials. Some people tend to bring huge and heavy towels when really, a small one will do. Some hostels even have towels for rent; some even provide it for free…if you’re lucky.

2. Sleep at dorm-type accommodations. I’m pretty sure you’ve read this in every backpacking website, but you’ve never actually tried it because ADMIT IT, you’re scared. I’m not gonna lie, there really are pretty badly-maintained guesthouses. To make sure you book the right hostel, check out the reviews on the internet (ie, hostelworld.com).

BONUS TRICK! If you’re gutsy enough, you can book a cheap budget airline that’ll reach your destination at a late hour so you can spend the night at the airport. However, you need to be 100% mentally and physically prepared for that!

3. Learn the secret of seat sales. They can be tricky. Observe. Anticipate. Grab!

4. Research, research, research. There are so many activities you can do for free. For those that require a little cash, spend yours wisely. Plan your itinerary only with activities you want to do. Skip the museums if you’re not fond of going in them; don’t pay for a view on the 60th floor of a building if you’re afraid of heights (at the same time though, it’s nice to try something scary and challenging when you’re backpacking). Bottom line: prioritize.

5. Read travel guides in advance. Read about the place’s history so you don’t have to hire tourist guides who will probably ask for money in exchange of their services. You can get so many ideas from travel books too, although I’ve never actually bought one myself. I usually just spend days reading them at Fully Booked before I fly because—it’s free! (Refer to photo above :p) And what’s even better is that so many websites nowadays are dedicated to traveling that it has become easier to get information on eany city you want to visit.

6. Resist the urge to take taxis. Opt for cheaper modes of transportation when going to farther places—sleeper trains, overnight buses, etc. I know people easily get stressed out over getting lost, and will settle for a taxi, hoping it’ll take them to the place they want to go to. Taxis don’t come cheap, regardless of where you are in the world, and that’s why you should…

7. Invest on a map. This is one of the most important things in budget traveling, especially for you backpacker-wannabes who are bad with directions. Make sure you know how to read one though. If not, insert “Invest Time on Learning How to Read a Map” before this part. It really helps.

8. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. Walking saves a lot of money, I tell you. Don’t wear four-inch heels if you plan sightseeing on foot—common sense, right? I’m not saying you can’t be fashionable while backpacking but if you can’t stand not wearing short skirts and stilettos on a trip then this article isn’t for you.

9. Get friendly with the locals and fellow backpackers. If you get friendly with them and if, with luck, they become amicable as well, you may just get yourself free meals/passes/etc! IT WORKS EVERY SINGLE TIME. Make friends, especially when you’re traveling solo. Some fees are much cheaper when you share it with someone. It’s actually quite easy to spot lonely travelwhores like me.

10. Don’t forget to bring your guts. Without it, you can’t use anything enumerated in this post.

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The Lonely Travelwhore,

Yam

YAM OTARRA

Roomie of the Month: September 2012

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Unaccompanied and equipped with only a map, a backpack, and a luggage full of guts, travel junkie Meriam Otarra takes us globetrotting to places we only dream of going to. This twenty-two year old wanderlust has been around Asia and the Pacific including Cambodia, China, Korea, Taiwan, and New Zealand. She even took a year off from art school to go to Japan and literally turn Japanese! Even with so many passport stamps under her belt, Yam isn’t planning on retiring backpacking just yet. She just left her job at the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines to go to Vienna, Austria and pursue a United Nations internship (and possibly her calling) in no less than Europe.

“I think I’m more of myself when I’m in a different environment. When you get outside there are no restrictions. I can be whoever I want to be, I can do whatever I want,” says Yam in a Young Star article by Kara Ortiga published last October 14, 2011. She has a flair for travel photography (Oh, the dreamy photos she captures!) and an affinity for heart-racing thrills (ie. bungee jumping and sky diving). On not so extra ordinary days, she enjoys watching Rugby (Team All Blacks Haka) and is into erotica films and books including Anais Nin and Akiyuki Nosaka, with The Flight of the Concords playing in the background. Among her favorite reads is The Lord of the Rings. She also loves to go to the ukay (flee market) — staying fashionably budget-friendly at home and abroad.

Hear The Lonely Travelwhore’s stories and share the secrets of the trade this September in The Girls’ Room.

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Do you have any questions for Yam about traveling? Tumblr Ask us or tweet us!

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Photos by @cynchmolina

With our Roomie for the month of September, Yam Otarra,

and friends Rai and Chinky.

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Felicity + Banapple Lunch Date with the girls of The Girls’ Room

thelonelytravelwhore:

A lot of anons have been asking me about seat sales. Here are some of the things to remember (most of these only apply to Cebu Pacific):

1. They never last for too long. Cebu Pacific does a maximum of 3 (sometimes up to 5) seat sale dates (as far as I have observed). So now you know when to regularly check their websites.

2. Always check their websites after 12 midnight because that’s when they update it for the seat sales. Usually the weekend tickets get sold out after 5 minutes, it’s not even funny. You have to be fast.

3. Holidays mean happy days for cheap airfare hunters. Also check their websites on special dates (like 08-08-08). I won’t be surprised if they hold a seat sale on 12-21-2012. Lol. Next big seat sale might be on May 1. There’s a tip right there!

4. The cheapest airfares are for off-peak seasons (June-August). They hold lots of seat sales before those dates. Zero fares are usually held 7-9 months before the travel period. Sometimes they hold it around February, for November travel dates. Piso fares are usually for a one-way trip, so the trip back is still expensive. If you want to cheap airfares for peak seasons (like Christmas, sembreak or summer) always check three-four months before for seat sales.

5. Memorize the future holidays so that you know which travel dates to book. Unused tickets break my heart.

6. Government tax will still be added to the price declared on the seat sale announcement. It’s deception at its finest. Not to mention travel tax and terminal fee..you do the math.

7. Follow their twitter accounts.

8. No expectations, no disappointments. OKAY?

9. STOP COMPLAINING TO THEM IF YOU’RE NOT ABLE TO GET TICKETS DURING SEAT SALES. Airline companies are not charity. Seats are limited, bitches.