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My siblings from Europe will be here for a vacation soon and we’re all getting excited about it. This time, they’re visiting us here. Few years ago, we were the ones who went to Europe to spend the summer there. It was an unforgettable vacation, so much like a dream come true. The only problem was my skin adjusting to the weather.
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Days can now be counted within the month, and my siblings with their families will be home once again. Would we not have again happy, boisterous gatherings, what with all the children/grandchildren together! Schedules are already planned for particular activities, such as road trips to various tourist spots not yet visited.
We still have not decided on whether to use our own van or to rent one. Should we decide on the former, we need to prepare the van to be well-maintained for long trips as we have not registered with any roadside assistance club yet. Renting a van would ensure the easiest and most comfortable trip for us but this would cost more.
Anyway, another highlight of the vacation will be much-awaited Mt. Apo climb for the guys. Of course, there are birthdays and other important events to be celebrated too during this family gathering.
First things first before you get too excited about going on a hiking trip, mountain climbing or any nature-tripping activity. While most travel bugs prepare the basics when going on a trip, from personal toiletries to communication gadgets, it’s important to include a first aid kit among your trip essentials. When exploring the great outdoors, one needs to be protected and safe if a medical need arises. The forests and nature parks can be stunning places to explore and discover but it’s best to be prepared for its wild surprises.
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Aside from catching up on tasks, I’m also sneaking in few minutes doing research on the “City of Gentle People”, Dumaguete, the capital city of Negros Oriental located in the southeast of Negros. Our community has an upcoming prayer rally there and we are set to go there with Dad driving the van for about 5 hours travel time. God-willing, we plan to have a two day tour of the city after the event to maximize our trip going there. I’m still reading up on Dumaguete travel guides to have an idea of must-see tourist attractions, where to dine and things to do.
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Once a year, most people get out of their usual place to take a vacation. A trip away from work results in continued high spirits and enthusiasm, thus leading to more productivity. Employers, knowing the benefits a break can contribute to the well-being of an individual, make it easier for their employees to take this much-needed relief away from the usual environment, most of them offering paid company vacations.
Many nowadays, as it is fast and convenient, resort to online purchase of plane tickets and choose from tourist spots accessible online. Outer Banks vacation rentals would also be nice to consider, among the many choices one can get.
When we were in Europe, it was supposed to be summer, but the air was still so cold, most especially when the wind would blow, it would be soooo chilly! Yet we noticed that the attires of people walking around were varied. Some would don the summer look, what with an oh-so-short skirt complete with spaghetti straps, some with even a backless upper. Still, others wear jackets – could they be Nascar jackets? – and are more wrapped up it depends really on one’s body-make maybe.
Due to the ongoing economic slump, airlines, hotels and most businesses involved in the travel industry suffer from having fewer sales. This is because people are now spending their hard-earned bucks for basic necessities such as food, clothing, healthcare and other important expenses. For families living on a tight budget, travel and other leisure activities can wait. Other options for fun and recreation can be enjoyed without having to travel out of town or going few kilometers further.
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Christmas may be over but I am still wishing for some gifts! Why so? I will be going on another trip again and some new gadgets would surely be helpful to make my travel more enjoyable and memorable. Hmmm… first off, I want a Canon digital camera to capture some of those unforgettable moments and scenic views, a lightweight notebook preferably Acer Timeline 1801TZ for catching up with work while on the go, and a 160GB iPod for music-listening during boring trips! Whew… I might as well look out for some Black Friday online deals huh? Since Christmas is over, Santa might not be available to hear my wishes, so maybe my fairy godmother will wave her magic wand this time. 
Going out of town for a holiday can be fun but can also pose security risks for your home. It would really be unfortunate if some robbers would break into a house when the owners are away. Thus, to have peace of mind while on travel, it’s best to have your house installed with home security systems unless you have somebody who’ll stay and watch your house while you’re away frolicking in the beach.
For instance, when our family traveled to Europe for more than a month’s vacation, we had my uncle take care of our house. Aside from our house, he also helped us with paying the bills and other concerns. Now, taking care of some household concerns can’t be handled by a security system though, thus it should be considered when planning for a long vacation.
As we all know, Microsoft recently launched its search engine with a simple name “Bing” to compete with the search engine giant Google. Landing on Bing’s homepage (www.bing.com) is a totally different experience than that of Google. You would immediately notice the visually appealing background of Bing which features scenic views from places around the world.
For travelers, there’s Bing Travel (www.bing.com/travel) dubbed as a ‘decision engine’ for those planning their holidays or trips which immediately displays travel tools courtesy of Farecast, a company acquired by Microsoft. Users can input their travel details and flight information such as departure and destination, travel period, number of persons flying or flight class. There’s an option to compare search from other online travel sites such as Hotwire, Expedia and Priceline.
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Hiya all! We just got back from a mini-vacation in Cebu. We weren’t there for a tour but just to be there for my nephew’s college graduation celebration. Our gracious hosts treated us to dinner on Friday evening at the Terraces in Ayala Business Park. The place is definitely one of Cebu’s destinations for fine dining with a series of restaurants, bars and cafés lined up around a beautiful landscaped central park. Truly a romantic place for dining and strolling.
Our first choice was at Hukad but since many are celebrating graduation that evening, almost all the restaurants were jam-packed that time and Hukad was no exception. The clients waiting to be served was simply too long. We went on to Café Laguna but found it to be full of waiting clients as well. So we finally decided to have dinner at Bigby’s.
We still had to wait for about 15 minutes though. Anyway, the wait was worth it… all the dishes served were yummy and tastily cooked especially the baby back ribs.
And since the dinner was also a celebration of my nephew’s birthday, the Bigby’s crew sang an upbeat birthday song for him and put on a funny birthday hat on him as well. Even though they were not dressed up in sexy French maid costumes, they really had fun singing for my nephew in their loud enthusiastic voices. And to top it off, they gave him a complimentary birthday chocolate cupcake treat.
After stuffing ourselves with Bigby’s delicious food, we lounged a bit at the park and off we went to IT Park. No more parking spaces for us though, so we proceeded to Mr. A’s, a restobar at the top of the hills. It’s situated at Nivel Hills in Lahug, just few minutes away from Marco Polo Hotel. Here’s a view of Cebu city by night as seen from Mr. A’s.
Went home at almost midnight and ready to hit the sack. Oh yes, I am missing Cebu now.
We’ll be off to Cebu again! Our flight is already this evening via Cebu Pacific airlines. Our tickets were bought online and at an incredibly low price of Php316.32 for a one way Bacolod-Cebu flight with the no-baggage option.
Here are just some tips to avail of really low Cebu Pacific tickets:
1. Buy your tickets online
2. Buy your tickets at least 2 months before departure date
3. Travel light! you get Php200 off if you don’t have a check-in baggage
Note that you have to include the Php200 for terminal fee, so the total expense for flying Bacolod-Cebu would be about Php500.
When comparing bus rates from Bacolod to Cebu and air ticket prices via Cebu Pacific, the latter sometimes is more economical considering the travel time and the cost. The only important consideration is to buy the ticket months ahead. If you’re buying your air tickets for a flight that is just few days to go then the air tickets would definitely cost more compared to the bus rates. Hmmm… do I sound like somebody selling you discount shower faucets? 
My friends and I were a bit tired with preparing and packing up our things, we had to check out at noontime from a budget hotel room and transfer to a much better and spacious luxury accommodation. Anyway, upon arriving at our next hotel room, we were just so glad to see it well-kept with the beds looking oh-so-comfy!
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Who wouldn’t? After browsing over the CitySights NY site, I just go dreamy about traveling to New York City, known as “The City that Never Sleeps” and “The Big Apple”. Well, the CitySights New York Tours onboard their double-decker buses are just enough to make me wish I was riding in one. Sigh. If I were to choose which of their special tours I would take, it would be the Downtown Tour which includes the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. These two landmarks are just some of my dream tourist attractions in the NYC.
Getting onboard the double-decker bus is an advantage since the second level of the bus allows passengers to have a higher viewing level as it speeds along the city sights. Famous places of interest in NYC include Wall Street, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, the site of the World Trade Center and more.
One of my best friends will be touring the US soon, and she also wants to include New York City in their trip itinerary. Wow, I’m so happy for her to finally tour NYC with her family. So, when would my time come? Hmmm…who knows it might be sooner than what I’m hoping for!
It was during my first trip to Europe that my fondness for refrigerator magnets as souvenirs of places traveled started. I bought a Milan Cathedral magnet and coat-of-arms magnets from Austria and Germany. I also bought some as pasalubongs or travel gifts for my siblings. I think I’ve influenced them to have their own refrigerator magnet souvenir collection as well.
Currently, this is how the front of our refrigerator looks like:
You can see places where the family had been – Finland and Czech Republic this year and Thailand few years back - although some of the magnets are from my cutie sis’ hubby who has traveled extensively over Europe.
When searching for refrigerator magnets as souvenirs, make sure they’re durable. Usually those made of ceramics and metal are better than the wooden ones.
For a traveler arriving in the New York metropolitan area, he has to take a JFK Airport shuttle to wherever accommodation he is being booked. Or if he would land on the other two important airports - the La Guardia, and the Newark Liberty International Airport - catering to metropolitan area of New York and suburbs, he has still to be serviced by an airport shuttle to bring him to whichever hotel or residence he is going to stay.
An airport shuttle should be reasonably priced, on time, reliable, comfortable, and safe for travel. If there are separate luggage compartments, it is better for the convenience of the traveler. Customer assistance should be 24 hours, with online reservation service which should be also 24/7, and should be in every terminal of the three above-mentioned major NYC airports servicing the New York metropolitan area.
Varied sizes of the fleet of vehicles of a ground transportation company is also an important consideration, so it can serve groups with just 5 or about 50 or more people. It means it has flexibility as to the group size being serviced. This will avoid paying more than what is necessary. Their vans should be well-upholstered for comfort, with air conditioning/heating system, and provided with two-way radios.
These are just some of the points I can give, as considerations of what should be the best shuttle company to service your group, in case you are in New York! Happy traveling!
New York City, nicknamed as “The Big Apple”, is the most populous city of the United States, and no doubt one of the most teeming cities in the whole world. It could also be an influential and important center not only of commerce and finance, but also of culture and entertainment. No wonder it attracts tourists who travel for business and pleasure, and charter bus NYC tours are kept busy.
For traveling groups who are visiting New York City, they better find out what NYC Bus Charters can offer as this is a transportation company - not a broker, or a company that gives customers to third parties – which deals directly with the group. One consideration when choosing a charter bus company is its track record, how long they have been in the business, for if it has been giving service for over 20 years, then the customers must have been satisfied?
Other considerations are: that the company must be dependable and on time, safe and comfortable, with their services handled by professional staff. The vehicles must also be clean and well-maintained, and it’s important to compare the fares; it must have lower offers compared to others. And how about the drivers? See to it that they are well-experienced and courteous, aside from being on time.
Within city centers, most of the streets in Europe are paved with cobblestones, thus if you’re a tourist and would like to do a lot of sightseeing, better not wear those high heels! Here’s one of those cobbled streets in Kutna Hora, another tourist destination in Czech Republic and just few hours trip from Prague.
Now, you wouldn’t want your tiny stiletto heels to be stuck in between the stones, yeah? That’s why it really amazed me to see some lady tourists in their high heeled shoes while we were at the Strahov monastery in Prague. Yup…they were in a group tour and I saw them walking comfortably even in stilettos.
Hmmm…this brings to mind a lady friend, a civil engineer at that, who told me she feels comfortable with heels rather than flats. In fact, she wants her shoes to have at least few inches of heels even when she goes to the construction site. She said her feet feels tired if she’s wearing flats.
Me? I opt for flats or maybe an inch of heel would do, such as those Dansko low-heeled sandals. Maybe because I’m flat-footed…and just few minutes of walking in heels can make my feet cry for help.
How about you? Which type of shoe are you comfortable with?
What a disappointment it was at the Cebu Pacific counter when mom and I checked-in for our domestic flight from Manila to Bacolod. After seeing the 39 kilos total weight of our bags registered on the scale, I was confident we were within the baggage limit.
“Ma’am you have to pay an excess of 9 kilos.” The staff told me. “Huh!? But we’re within the limit. Isn’t it 20 kilos per passenger?” Seeing me so surprised and upset, she explained that the baggage limit is now down to 15 kilograms per passenger, so a total of 30 kilograms for us, thus the excess. She added that it’s a new rule for those who purchased the tickets starting September.
What made the situation more disappointing was the increase from Php50 to Php100 per kilogram of excess weight. The staff suggested that we take some things from our check-in baggage to lessen the amount to be paid which could have been about Php900 (about $19). Few dollars for paying the excess might not hurt those who have extra cash with them, but what about those who brought just enough with them for the trip?
Anyway, we managed to take 3 kilos off our luggage. I felt somewhat cheated since I prepared our bags carefully at home and even bought a weighing scale to ensure that they would be within the baggage limit.
The travel agent where we bought our tickets was clearly not informed of the new rule since the printed information sheet she gave me still stated the previous 20 kilos baggage limit. The staff hinted that it was the fault of the travel agent but I doubt that.
Cebu Pacific should consider their passengers’ welfare and provide updated rules for the travel agents. They only informed their passengers the good news that they moved to the new NAIA Terminal 3. If you visit their website, you can immediately read this: “Advisory: All Flights NOW at NAIA Terminal 3.” IMO, there should have been another conspicuous advisory about the decreased baggage limit but unfortunately this information was hidden somewhere within the interior pages of their site. And there should be some written note like this posted on the travel agents’ offices: “For all tickets bought starting September, all checked-in baggage will be limited to 15 kilograms only. Excess baggage will be charged at Php100 per kilogram.”
Finally I’m back in the tropics! So now I have to get oriented with a different time zone again. I should have been sleeping like a log on my first night of arrival but strangely though I woke up at about 3 A.M. and had trouble getting back to sleep again. Yup my body’s time clock is disrupted again. After few days, I’m still trying to adjust to a different daylight schedule. One advantage is being awake early even before 6 A.M., which means I don’t need some talking watches or alarm clocks to wake me up.
Whew! Another full and tiring day for me. After the morning Mass and lunch at the mall, off we went again to see some Prague sights. We hiked to the Vltava River, then walked over to the other side and crossed the bridge while enjoying the scenic view. After which we headed to the Petrin Hill where the Eiffel Tower version of Prague is located at the top.
Going up the hill we rode the train. When we were at the foot of the tower, I wanted to climb up to the top but seeing the long winding steps going up, I simply lost my enthusiasm…yeah, I was just so tired that time. Anyway, heading back we walked the long and winding road going down. It was sooo tiring, and I was feeling sleepy. If there was a pulse oximeter to test my pulse rate that time, it would have registered more than the normal rate. What an experience walking among the thick trees in the dark while having a top view of Prague on the side.
With less than a week left for me to make the most of my stay here in Prague, my cutie sis would think of places I have yet to visit. Yesterday, we went to the city center even when it was almost midnight. Yeah! So imagine what time we went home…and I still had to tinker with my laptop (check on my blogs!) as soon as we arrived. Naturally I slept late as a result and woke up so tired. I hope my face won’t be a candidate for some treatments for acne…well, not really, just need to rest enough to have lots of energy for more touring around.
Planning for a trip can take a lot of time especially if it’s a major one and you’re with a big group. What’s good though is when you plan ahead for a group trip, you get big discounts on early purchases for accommodation and plane fares. There are great travel deals when you travel with family as well.
For those who plan on having a holiday in New York City, there’s New York Bus Charter which offers assistance on planning your trip itinerary. Their travel consultants help you plan out and customize your touring needs. Their charter bus NYC services provide tours not just within New York City but within the New York Tri State area as well, including Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and more.
It’s good to discuss with their travel consultant about your trip details and whether you would like to include some shopping in your sightseeing tour, or if you intend to have multiple day outings, or go around multiple states. They can also provide customized trips for school kids, senior citizens, business employees while managing the tour accordingly. For those who are busy with work and have little time left for planning their next major vacation, it’s best to ask assistance from the travel experts.
Yesterday we went to another tourist attraction here in Prague, the Vyšehrad castle. It was a long walk to reach the Cathedral of Saint Paul and Saint Peter. We also climbed uphill to reach the massive walls of the castle fortress where we had a grand view of the city of Prague. On our way home, we even dropped by Tesco for some groceries.
I felt so exhausted and sleepy, my legs were so tired. Well, at least we had a nice afternoon at the castle particularly with the breathtaking view of the Prague cityscape, and another good thing was that we lost few pounds with that long walk! Yup, no need for prescription diet pills to slim down with all that walking we did yesterday.
We’re back from Kutna Hora, where its city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Going there took about more than an hour’s drive from Praha. It was a sunny afternoon for the four of us (cutie sis and hubby, baby C and I). Good thing, baby C was behaving nicely with me at the back, strapped in her car seat, while I fed her with chocolate wafers. We dropped by McDonald’s for burgers and fries for our lunch.
Our first stop was the Church of Bones (Cemetery Church of All Saints with an Ossuary), then we walked to the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin at Sedlec, drove to St. Barbara’s Cathedral and passed by the Stone Fountain and St. James Church.
Here are some photos:
Cemetery Church of All Saints with an Ossuary
Interior of the Cemetery Church of All Saints with an Ossuary
Cathedral of the Assumption
St. Barbara’s Cathedral
Dobry den! It means good day in Czech! Well, today’s a good day for touring to Kutna Hora. It’s still morning here in Prague and cutie sis’ hubby just arrived from a business trip, so we can go somewhere far, about an hour from here. It’s a place plenty of UNESCO world heritage sites. I’ll post some updates about our trip on my travel blog. Cau!
Mom and Dad are back home now after an almost two months vacation in Europe. I know they immensely enjoyed their tour and might be thinking of visiting again… the world is just too huge for us to travel over, yeah? But I know being away from home can also bring feelings of homesickness even if you’re enjoying a grand holiday somewhere. Well, I bet Dad is now back to his usual stuff at home, tinkering with his tools and carpentry projects or fixing some leaky bathroom or kitchen faucets. And I know Mom is back to her typical daily community and parish activities. Yup, life goes on…
Traveling in big groups, such as with the family or with your gang or close friends, is more fun than going alone on a trip. Well, this is just my opinion and how I feel about travel. My motto is: “The more the merrier!”
Though more travel companions means more fun, it is also much harder to go on a group trip than with just two or three of you on the road. First, it’s harder to organize and manage a big group for a trip. Another challenge is in accommodating the group for a place to stay and for transportation. Thus, when traveling in groups, more planning and budgeting is needed than when going on a trip with fewer persons. On the other hand, the advantage of group travel would be in getting group discounts on hotels and plane tickets and other rentals.
It is best to check out on special offers for the group months before the trip. As an example for van rentals, GO Airlink Shuttle offers round trip discounts when you book online in their site. Groups who need a JFK Airport shuttle can reserve for a van via their website or through phone. They operate within the New York City area, providing transfer services from three airports – JFK, Newark and LaGuardia – and to destinations such as hotels and residences between Battery Park and 125th Street.
When one travels to a new place, the first things that he/she would easily notice are the signages and the language that’s written on them. Yup, store signs, street signs… all sorts of signs whether they’re some blinking neon lights, steel sheets fixed on posts, digital signage or billboards.
For instance, upon arriving in Thailand, one would notice Thai characters (sometimes together with their equivalent English pronunciation) on the street signs or mall entrances. In Finland, I immediately noticed the overhead directions at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport which are in Finnish, Swedish and English.
It’s an indication that you’re now stepping on a foreign land. Now that puts a big smile on the face of travel bugs, yeah.
What’s up with me as a travel bug here in Finland? Well, so far I have gone to Yyteri Beach, Rauma, Helsinki and Turku. I doubt if I can still visit other places since I will be off to Prague soon. Most of the tourist spots I went to are historical buildings, churches, museums and parks. Here in Pori, the Kirjurinluoto Park is a haven for kids with its big playground and its wide expanse of trees and well-trimmed grass (just like one of those Orlando golf courses, huh). Anyway, next stop for me would be the Satakunta Museum here in Pori.
