Bohol: A Budget Travel Guide for Juans

We've seen travel and tour packages to Bohol priced from PHP5,000 to PHP7,000 per person. Some may think these are well-priced but these packages do not include meals, shopping expenses, and surcharges. The total cost would easily come up by another thousand or so. So why would you want to book these packages when you can create your own 3D2N itinerary for under PHP4,100 all in? 

Panglao Island in Bohol

Here's our guide to doing it.

Flights
Airfare can be one of the biggest expenses when traveling. But you can always take advantage of airline promotions and schedule your trip months or even a year in advance to drastically reduce transportation costs.  

For our trip to Bohol, we booked our tickets back in November 2017 during Air Asia's Red Hot Sale. At that time, round trip fare from Manila to Tagbilaran were offered at 16 BIG points plus taxes and fees. Luckily, we were able to book promo seats and managed to score a pretty good deal for 6 persons. We each paid 16 BIG points and PHP415.24 for round trip flight tickets to Tagbilaran. 

Tip: To book cheap flights, be always on the lookout for unbeatable flight deals. When you find one, be ready to make an immediate purchase as these deals sell out really fast. Lastly, be flexible. In a lot of cases, adjustments of a day or two in your travel dates can make a big difference in the price or availability.  

Airfare: 16 BIG Points + PHP415.24 total per person 

Seoul: A Budget Travel Guide for Juans

Seoul is on almost everyone's preferred travel destinations. However, budget travel in South Korea's capital is not common. Rightly so because the city consistently makes it into the list of the ten most expensive places in the world. As such, Seoul may seem like a pricey destination to get lost into for a lot of Juans. 

The beautiful and grand Gyeongbokgung Palace

But whether you want to experience its rich history, indulge in its fascinating food culture, see its futuristic structures, or visit the beautiful filming locations of popular K-dramas, there is a way to see Seoul on a budget of less than PHP25,000. Here's our guide to doing it. 

Note: Exchange rate used is PHP1 for every KRW20.83.

Flights
Airfare is nearly always one of the biggest expenses when traveling. So for us, it's really important to get the cheapest flights we possibly can. By taking advantage of lower airfares, we were able to drastically reduce many of our trips' total costs. 

For our trip to Seoul, we booked our tickets back in January during Jeju Air's Super Sale Event. At that time, one way fare from Manila to Incheon were offered from as low as PHP800 before taxes. Although we were not able to book the lowest fares, we still managed to score a pretty good deal on our flights. We each paid PHP6,262.65 for discounted round trip flight tickets to Incheon. 

Passport and Jeju Air boarding passes

Tip: To book cheap flights, you must first be able to recognize a good fare. Do some research to establish the going rate for flights to your destination. When you find seat sales, be ready to make an immediate purchase as these low fares sell out really fast. Lastly, be flexible. In a lot of cases, adjustments of a day or two in your travel dates can make a big difference in the price.  

Airfare: PHP6,262.65 total per person 
Travel Tax: PHP1,620.00 total per person

Kuala Lumpur: A Budget Travel Guide for Juans

We've seen travel and tour packages to Kuala Lumpur priced from PHP12,000 to PHP15,000 per person. Some may think these are well-priced but these packages do not include meals, travel taxes, mandatory tips, and surcharges. The total cost would easily come up by at least PHP3,000. So why would you want to book these packages when you can create your own itinerary for under PHP9,900 all in? Here's our guide to doing it. 

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building as seen from
the historical Merdeka Square in KL

Note: Exchange rate used is PHP13.30 for every MYR1.

Flights
Kuala Lumpur is accessible by direct flights from many Asian cities. From Manila, there are eight daily flights to Kuala Lumpur. These flights are operated by Air Asia, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and Malaysia Airlines. As such, there are more flight options to get the lowest possible fare. 

Aside from checking directly with the airlines, we also use the app Traveloka as a go-to site for flight deals. The site is useful when you want to search, compare, and book flights and hotels that fit your budget and schedule. With help from the site, we got our round trip Manila to Kuala Lumpur flight for PHP4,985.50 per person. To get similarly low fares, check out by visiting its website or downloading the app in your smart phone.

Airfare: PHP4,985.50 per person 
Travel Tax: PHP1,620 per person

Accommodation
With more than 60,000 hotel rooms in the city, visitors to KL will have a wide range of accommodation options that fit any type of budget.

We stayed at the beautiful The Hulo Hotel + Gallery. The hotel is Malaysia's first boutique hotel that features the works of the country's foremost creative talents - from custom toys, sculptures, and paintings to furniture. The hotel also boasts a strategic location. It is within walking distance to KL's shopping and entertainment district, Bukit Bintang. It is approximately 450 meters to Berjaya Times Square or Imbi Station and 630 meters to Sung Wei Plaza. 

The lobby turned gallery of Hulo Hotel + Gallery

We were roommates with Brody & Friends 

When booking, we always compare rates from the hotel websites to booking sites like Agoda or Hotels.com. This way we are able check for the best deals. We booked a Standard Room for only PHP646.30 per room per night via Agoda as it offered the lowest price with additional discounts through BPI credit cards.

You can further reduce accommodation costs to less than PHP500 per night if you are on a tighter budget and are willing to stay in shared dormitories.

Accommodation Cost: PHP1,292.60 per room or PHP646.30 total per person 

Siem Reap: A Budget Travel Guide for Juans

Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap sits high on the list of many travelers dream destinations. And why shouldn't it be? Consumed by the jungles of Cambodia and hidden for centuries, the city of Angkor is filled with limitless beauty, mystery, and wonder. 

Whether you want to snap amazing pictures of the iconic Angkor Wat, get lost in the ruins of the massive Preah Khan, or channel the spirit of Lara Croft or Indiana Jones in the famed Ta Phrom, there is a way to see Angkor and visit Siem Reap on a budget of less than PHP8,700. Here's our guide to doing it. 

Note: Exchange rate used is PHP52.10 for every USD1.

The iconic Angkor Wat at sunrise

The atmospheric Ta Phrom popularized by Tomb Raider

A two-story pavilion in the massive Preah Khan

Flights
Cost of flights vary depending on your itinerary and where you're flying from. When booked at least three months in advance, the usual cost of round trip flights from Manila to Siem Reap via Cebu Pacific is around PHP8,500 per person. Meanwhile, the cost of round trip flights for the same period from Kuala Lumpur to Siem Reap via Air Asia is usually around PHP5,500. 

Of course, there's always the option to look out for seat sales to book the lowest possible fare. Since we found a great deal on airfares to Siem Reap and Kuala Lumpur in Air Asia's Red Hot Sale, we decided to make a dual country trip out of it. We got our round trip Kuala Lumpur to Siem Reap flight for 0 BIG points and PHP2,261.15 in taxes and fees per person.  

Airfare: PHP2,261.15 total per person 
Travel Tax: None