justwandering.org » Travel Budget

Travel Expenses: Japan

nina — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:49:59 +0000

Japan is expensive. They do not exaggerate when they say that. It really is. But that’s not to say it’s not a good place to travel in. Japan is incredibly tourist friendly despite the language barrier, and a lot of tourist attractions have free admission (well, mostly temples, shrines and palace grounds).

Now that more budget carriers are flying direct to Japan from Manila (including Jetstar), it’s cheaper than ever to go there. The biggest expenses in Japan are the transportation, accommodation and food. A ride in the subway costs a minimum of ¥200 (around Php 100), same with buses. But if you don’t mind walking, you can make most of Japan Rail’s network to get around for free if you’re holding a Japan Rail Pass. Accommodation costs can be driven down by staying in hostel dorms or even further down by Couchsurfing with a local host. As for the food, Japanese supermarkets and convenience stores offer bento boxes of real food, so you won’t have to live on instant ramen (unless you’re really strapped for cash). Onigiri (rice ball with filling or seasoning) starts at ¥68, bento at ¥350, depending on where you’re buying.

If you’re like me who have a weakness for shopping, you’ll go crazy in Japan. They have a lot of shops that offer the cutest things and brands that we don’t get in Manila. If you’re a toy collector, prepare to say goodbye to your money when you step inside Kiddyland, Mandarake or the Kotobukiya store. Toys and figures are for most part, cheaper in Japan. But for other things, it’s about the same or it’s more expensive.

The biggest savings I got for this trip was the Japan Rail Pass. Sure it cost me Php 23,000 for a 14-day pass, but considering that a one-way ride on the shinkansen starts around Php 3,000 and I rode 6 of them and a bunch of other trains, it really is worth the investment. Of course, that’s only applicable if you plan to move around a lot, like I did. If you plan on staying in just one city, best not to buy it. I’ll be posting about this in detail in a later post.

Japan 2012
March 26 – April 8, 2012
	In local currency	In PHP
Air transfers
Manila-KL (Cebu Pac)	PHP 5,299.00	PHP 7,499.00	1
KL-Manila (AirAsia)	MYR 388.00	PHP 5,602.19	2
KL-Osaka-KL (AirAsiaX)	MYR 205.00	PHP 2,964.50	3
Add-ons	MYR 223.00	PHP 3,219.82	4
Transportation
Airport transfers (Manila)	PHP 615.00	PHP 615.00
Japan Rail Pass (Ordinary, 14-days)	JPY 45,100.00	PHP 23,000.00	5
Subway	JPY 2,510.00	PHP 1,299.39	6
Buses	JPY 5,280.00	PHP 2,738.64	7
Ferry	JPY 1,220.00	PHP 634.40	8
Accommodation
Osaka
Hotel Chuo (Single room, 1 night)	JPY 2,500.00	PHP 1,306.82	9
Hotel Chuo (Twin room, 1 night)	JPY 4,000.00	PHP 1,304.00	10
Kyoto
Nagomi Ryokan Yuu (Quad, 2 nights)	JPY 32,000.00	PHP 4,137.93	11
Tokyo
Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro (Twin room, 3N)	JPY 27,000.00	PHP 7,282.85	12
Sapporo
Sapporo-eki Kita-guchi (Single room, 2N)	JPY 9,960.00	PHP 6,422.29	13
Takayama
J-Hoppers (Single room, 2 nights)	JPY 7,000.00	PHP 3,829.00	14
Food and beverages
Manila	PHP 150.00	PHP 150.00
Kuala Lumpur	MYR 28.50	PHP 401.33
Osaka	JPY 4,012.00	PHP 2,083.05	15
Kyoto	JPY 4,830.00	PHP 2,509.59	16
Tokyo	JPY 10,262.00	PHP 5,296.19	17
Sapporo	JPY 7,973.00	PHP 4,135.59	18
Takayama and Shirakawa-go	JPY 10,095.00	PHP 5,269.06	19
Activities
Shiroi Koibito Factory Walk	JPY 600.00	PHP 312.00	20
Nekobukuro	JPY 1,100.00	PHP 565.71	21
Kinkakuji	JPY 400.00	PHP 205.71
Fortune	JPY 100.00	PHP 51.43	22
Rotemburo	JPY 2,500.00	PHP 325.00	23
Miscellaneous
Visa processing fee	PHP 2,500.00	PHP 2,500.00	24
Travel insurance	PHP 1,063.00	PHP 1,063.00	25
Philippine travel tax	PHP 1,620.00	PHP 1,620.00
Philippine airport tax	PHP 550.00	PHP 550.00
Luggage Storage	MYR 28.00	PHP 394.86	26
Lockers	JPY 600.00	PHP 311.86	27
Souvenirs	JPY 9,192.00	PHP 4,777.36	28
Luggage Delivery	JPY 1,990.00	PHP 1,023.43	29
	Total	PHP 105,401.00

1 One-way with 15kg baggage allowance, regular seat, and change date fee
2 One-way with 25kg baggage allowance, regular seat and one meal.
3 So much for free.
4 Includes baggage allowance (15kg to Kansai, 25kg to Kuala Lumpur), meal, and seat selection.
5 Bought from Attic Tours. Saved me lots of money, considering my route and the trains I rode.
6 Had to buy tickets separately for subway and private railways
7 Only rode the bus in Kyoto and Tokyo. The bulk of this is the JPY 4,300 round trip bus ride to and from Shirakawa-go from Takayama.
8 Sumida River Cruise from Asakusa to Odaiba in Tokyo
9 Western room. Had to stay solo for one night upon arrival. Shared toilet and bath.
10 Shared a Japanese-style room with Jill. Shared toilet and bath.
11 Stayed in a ryokan (traditional house) and shared a room with 4 people. Shared toilet and bath.
12 Shared a room with Jill. Western style with ensuite toilet and bath.
13 Western room, includes breakfast. Paid extra for late check out and video on demand.
14 Japanese-style tatami room. Shared toilet and bath.
15 Meals includes okonomiyaki, yakisoba, takoyaki, ramen, and haul from the convenience store.
16 Mostly Japanese fast-food meals
17 Includes sushi breakfast, ramen, different kinds of bento, dinner set meal from a Japanese restaurant.
18 Includes yummy hot chocolate, cakes, fresh strawberries, train meals, and scallop butter ramen
19 Hida beef in different forms: beef bun, beef skewer, beef soba, beef sushi
20 View of the factory and access to galleries.
21 Kitties!
22 You drop a 100-yen coin in a machine and it spits out a fortune.
23 Outdoor bath, cost split into four ways
24 Visa application is free, but you need to go through an agency. We had our visas processed through Universal Holidays, Inc in Dusit Hotel
25 From Blue Cross
26 So I wouldn’t have to lug it around while wandering around the LCCT
27 Coin lockers to store my stuff while I walked around
28 Mostly chocolates, including different flavors of Kit Kat
29 My suitcase was already full in Tokyo, so I opted to send it to Kansai Airport and just backpacked to Sapporo and Takayama

Downloads
Japan 2012 (.xlsx) (86)
Japan 2012 (.pdf) (65)

Travel Expenses: Morocco

nina — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:10:38 +0000

For the first time since I started traveling in 2006, I did not go beyond my estimated budget. Also for the first time (not including Myanmar since, it’s not possible there), I did not use my credit card nor my ATM/debit cards. It is indeed one small step to financial freedom and a giant leap for Nina.

Then again, there were activities and cities that we incorporated into the budget that we weren’t able to do or visit while in Morocco. Still, Morocco, though not as cheap as Southeast Asia, is a relatively cheap destination. Another thing that made a huge impact in keeping the costs down is having a travel buddy to share the tab with.

Excluding the airfare and my personal shopping, our total is a surprisingly low figure, considering that we traveled for 19 days. The trip took us through 7 cities and 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites. We ate in the streets and in the restaurants, we stayed at hostels and riads. It’s a great mix of budget and mid-range options that kept us happy and quite content.

Enough with the words, on with the numbers!

Morocco 2011
October 21 – November 8

	In local currency	In PHP
Accommodation
Riad Hiba	MAD 600.00	PHP 3,209.64	1
2 nights, ensuite toilet, with breakfast

Pension Suika	MAD 178.00	PHP 946.49	2
2 nights, shared toilet

Pension Sekaya	MAD 300.00	PHP 1,609.09	3
2 nights, ensuite toilet, with breakfast

Auberge La Source	MAD 500.00	PHP 2,681.82	4
2 nights, ensuite toilet, half board

Hotel Amlal	MAD 390.00	PHP 2,064.03	5
2 nights, ensuite toilet, half board

Amour de Riad	MAD 431.00	PHP 2,295.27	6
4 nights, ensuite toilet, with breakfast

Green Oasis	US$ 32.00	PHP 1,369.60	7
1 night, shared toilet, with breakfast

Transportation
Trains	MAD 360.00	PHP 1,950.77	8
Buses	MAD 498.00	PHP 2,671.13	9
Grand taxis	MAD 65.00	PHP 356.08	10
Petit taxis	MAD 252.00	PHP 1,344.96	11

Food and Beverages
Meknes	MAD 122.50	PHP 655.30
Chefchaouen	MAD 246.00	PHP 1,311.11
Fes	MAD 288.00	PHP 1,536.35
Merzouga	MAD 160.00	PHP 858.18
Ouarzazate	MAD 71.00	PHP 377.01
Marrakech	MAD 540.50	PHP 2,881.81
Casablanca	MAD 46.00	PHP 224.70	12
Abu Dhabi	US$ 8.00	PHP 343.24	13

Activities
Volubilis admission fee	MAD 10.00	PHP 54.78
Sahara sunset camel tour	MAD 150.00	PHP 804.00
Ait Benhaddou tour	MAD 325.00	PHP 1,730.18	14
Ait Benhaddou admission	MAD 10.00	PHP 53.06
Jardin Majorelle	MAD 40.00	PHP 213.57	15
Souk Cuisine cooking class	MAD 500.00	PHP 2,662.72	16

Miscellaneous
NAIA terminal fee	PHP 750.00	PHP 750.00
Roaming charges	PHP 175.04	PHP 175.04
Local sim and prepaid credit	MAD 60.00	PHP 323.53
Postcards and magnet	MAD 42.00	PHP 224.67
Keychains and t-shirt	MAD 100.00	PHP 535.96
Postage	MAD 92.60	PHP 492.39	17
Toilet fees	MAD 15.50	PHP 83.80	18
Porter	MAD 20.00	PHP 106.35	19
	Total	PHP 36,896.63

1 After traveling for more than 24 hours, Riad Hiba was a great treat. Our room was HUGE! It was pricier than what we would have wanted, but it was worth the warm hospitality of our hosts and the amazing breakfast. It was a great start to our Moroccan adventure.
2 There was a huge downpour in Chefchaouen the day that we arrived and the room they reserved for us got flooded. They arranged for us to have a room at the hostel next door, Mauritania and transferred us to the following day. Most of the backpackers are staying there so it can be quite noisy at night specially in our room which is right next to the lounge. On the upside, we were right beside the wi-fi router and more importantly, they have a cat!
3 Truly an oasis in the midst of the Fes medina. The inside of the riad is pretty, but the room itself lacks character and had a tiny ensuite toilet and bath.
4 The location of the hotel is perfect: right across the dunes of Erg Chebbi. What made this place special though is its host, Hassan Ougnir.
5 It’s a great budget option located within walking distance to a lot of shops and restaurants. We opted to go half board here, and it seems it’s the right decision: their tagines are the best we’ve had in Morocco.
6 Very easy to find and just 8 minutes from the Djemma el Fna square and the souks. And no stairs! (at least for our room)
7 Booked this through AirBnB. It’s a room in a house in Casablanca’s ville nouvelle and it was gorgeous! Kinda regretted not booking more nights here.
8 Train rides include: Casablanca airport to Casa Voyageur (main train station), Casablanca to Meknes, Marrakech to Casablanca and L’Opera to Aeroport.
9 Fees include bus ticket and luggage fee. Buses taken: Meknes to Moulay Idriss, Meknes to Chefchaouen, Chefchaouen to Fes (CTM), Fes to Merzouga (Supratours), Merzouga to Ouarzazate (Supratours) and Ouarzazate to Marrakech (Supratours).
10 Grand taxi from Moulay Idriss to Volubilis and Volubilis to Meknes.
11 We took the petit taxi to get around, mainly when going out of the medina and into the ville nouvelle. Only a handful automatically turn on the meter when we get in.
12 We stayed in a house where we have a fully equipped kitchen to use. We opted to talk a walk down to the neighborhood supermarket and bought things to cook for dinner.
13 McDonald’s Quarter Pounder and fries. We do not regret it.
14 We chose to go hire a car with a guide instead of commuting, and it was well worth it. Our ride was a Toyota Land Cruiser and our driver/guide veered away from the main road and we went off road. We had a great view of the landscape, which not a lot of tourist get close to.
15 Pricey, but the garden is very well kept and very serene.
16 My sister’s request.
17 This is how I fully understood how far away we are from the Asia-Pacific region.
18 Unless otherwise stated, toilets in Morocco charge between MAD 1 – 2 per person, per use.
19 We mistook the tout for the porter that the riad sent.

Download:
Morocco 2011.xlsx (205)
Morocco 2011.pdf (217)

Travel Expenses: Boracay 2011

nina — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:30:58 +0000

Oh my, it’s been a while since I did one of these posts. Most of the travels I’ve done since Brunei and Myanmar last year were either sponsored or paid for by my siblings, so I had no material. The trips I *did* pay out of my own pocket, I opted not to blog.

Drama aside, this is one trip I’ve been looking forward to since early this year. I had a self-imposed travel ban and it was really great to get away from Manila, even just for a weekend. This was my first time to fly Zest Air. I was anticipating the worst, owing to some friend’s lousy experience with them, but apart from an hour delay due to changing planes and document double checking by the ground staff, the experience wasn’t too bad.

Boracay 2011
September 17 – 19, 2011

Air transfers
Zest Airways	PHP 4,720.00	1
Manila Domestic terminal fee	PHP 200.00
Kalibo International terminal fee	PHP 40.00

Land tranportation
To and from Manila airport	PHP 340.00	2
Van to Caticlan	PHP 375.00	3
Van to Kalibo	PHP 200.00	4
Trike to and from resort	PHP 50.00	5

Accommodation
La Carmela de Boracay	PHP 944.00	6

Miscellaneous
Meal expenses	PHP 2,038.50	7
Paraw sailing	PHP 200.00	8
Environmental fee	PHP 75.00
Tabon port terminal fee	PHP 25.00
Souvenir	PHP 120.00

Total	PHP 9,327.50

1 Ticket bought in July.
2 Thanks for the ride Anna!
3 Contacted a van driver (Dodoy Bolante, +639157931081, +639072125087) in Kalibo. Quoted us Php 3,000 for the 1.5 hour van ride to and from Caticlan. Since there were only 4 of us, we said we’d just take the Php 200 per person option, wherein we’d wait for other passengers. In the end, we got antsy and agreed to have the van to ourselves on the ride to Kalibo. The rate already includes the boat tickets to Boracay. The van is new, aircon is working beautifully and the seats are comfortable. Seats up to 12 passengers. This is a great option if you’re traveling as a group. Or quite picky about transportation.
4 There was this sign outside the terminal building advertising the van that goes directly to the airport. Like Dodoy’s offer, it already includes the banca fee to Caticlan. Unfortunately, the van isn’t as pretty, nor is its aircon working as good.
5 If you’re getting the tricycle to yourself or your group, the flat rate is Php 100 for the trike. But if you’re traveling solo and want to save, tell the driver you’ll share the trike with other passengers and the fee is only Php 20 per person.
6 Anna and Amanda bought vouchers from one of the local groupon sites for an overnight stay in this resort. It’s around Php 1,800 per night, including breakfast for 2.
7 I’ve yet to master the art of finding good food at reasonable prices. It’s either that or good food is really expensive in Boracay.
8 Amanda managed to haggle the price down to Php 600 (others were offering Php 700 to Php 1,000 per boat). The boat was the cutest among them all: plain white sails and apple green banca. Contact Ago at +639192105739.

Download
Boracay 2011.xls (197)
Boracay 2011.pdf (196)

Travel Expenses: Brunei and Myanmar

nina — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:51:58 +0000

Brunei surprised me. It wasn’t as expensive as I initially thought it would. Though my taxi from the airport was expensive, my expenses in Bandar Seri Begawan was kept at a minimum. You can live in Brunei for BND$20 a day: $10 for a night’s stay at Pusat Belia, $3 for breakfast, lunch and dinner and $4 for bus rides all around the city. None of the places we visited had any admission fees.

Myanmar can both be expensive and cheap. In restaurants catering to tourists (usually ones that appear in the guidebooks), you can expect to shell out an average of MMK 2,000 per meal. If you’re adventurous and eat in the streets though, you can get noodles as cheap as MMK 500. A liter of purified water usually go for MMK 300 per bottle. Taxi rides within Yangon can go for MMK 1,500, depending on the driver, the distance and your bargaining skills.

Brunei and Myanmar
November 16 – 27, 2010
	US$ 1 = MMK 830	BN$ 1 = PHP 33
	US$ 1 = PHP 43.50	MYR 1 = PHP 14

	In local currency	In Peso
Air transfers
Cebu Pacific
Manila – Bandar Seri Begawan	PHP 1,799.50	PHP 1,799.50
Inflight meal	PHP 250.00	PHP 250.00

Malaysia Airlines
BSB – Kuala Lumpur, KL – Yangon
KL – Manila
ASEAN Pass	US$ 299.00	PHP 13,006.50	1
Itinerary change fee	MYR 79.00	PHP 1,106.00	2

Air Asia
Yangon – Kuala Lumpur	US$ 122.95	PHP 5,348.33	3
Includes red seat, Nasi Lemak meal

Philippine Travel Tax	PHP 1,620.00	PHP 1,620.00
NAIA Airport Tax	PHP 750.00	PHP 750.00
Brunei Departure Tax	BN$ 12.00	PHP 396.00
Myanmar Departure Tax	US$ 10.00	PHP 435.00	4

Accommodation
Bandar Seri Begawan
Pusat Belia	BN$ 20.00	PHP 660.00	5
Female dorm, shared toilet and bath
2 nights

Kuala Lumpur
Concorde Inn	MYR 184.00	PHP 2,576.00	6
Standard room, breakfast included
1 night

Mandalay
Garden Hotel	US$ 9.00	PHP 391.50	7
Single room, ensuite toilet, TV, A/C
1 night

Bagan
New Heaven Guesthouse	MMK 18,000.00	PHP 943.37	8
Twin room, ensuite toilet, A/C
2 nights, US$9 per night

Yangon
Ocean Pearl Inn	US$ 10.00	PHP 435.00	9
Single room, ensuite toilet, TV, A/C
1 night

Meal expenses
Bandar Seri Begawan	BN$ 17.20	PHP 567.60	10
Kuala Lumpur	RM 25.00	PHP 350.00	11
Yangon	MMK 9,320.00	PHP 473.72	12
Mandalay	RM 6,700.00	PHP 351.03	13
Bagan	MMK 5,300.00	PHP 277.52	14

Transportation expenses
Manila
Taxi to and from airport	PHP 940.00	PHP 940.00	15

Bandar Seri Begawan
Taxi from airport	BN$ 25.00	PHP 775.00	16
Bus	BN$ 8.00	PHP 264.00	17

Yangon
Taxi from airport to bus station and city	US$ 15.00	PHP 652.50	18
Taxi	MMK 17,000.00	PHP 890.87	19
Bus to Mandalay	MMK 10,500.00	PHP 550.27	20
Taxi to airport	MMK 6,200.00	PHP 324.94	21

Mandalay
Taxi	MMK 20,000.00	PHP 1,048.35	22
Motorcycle to boat dock	MMK 2,000.00	PHP 104.84
Boat to Bagan	US$ 36.00	PHP 1,566.00	23

Bagan
Taxi	MMK 4,000.00	PHP 209.67	24
Horse Cart	US$ 37.00	PHP 1,609.50	25
Bus to Yangon	MMK 15,000.00	PHP 786.04	26

Miscellaneous
Mandalay Hill shoe locker	MMK 200.00	PHP 10.44	27
Bagan Archaeological Park fee	US$ 10.00	PHP 435.00	28
Shwedagon Paya admission fee	MMK 6,000.00	PHP 314.50	29
Brunei Souvenirs	BN$ 6.50	PHP 208.00	30
Myanmar Souvenirs	MMK 11,500.00	PHP 608.45	31
Internet	MMK 5,000.00	PHP 262.30	32

	Total	PHP 43,297.74

1 Decided to try out Malaysia Airlines’ ASEAN Pass. I put off buying the tickets until a month before the trip, so getting the pass was a better value since prices on low cost airlines have already shot up.
2 Here’s the thing about the ASEAN Pass: you can make changes to your itinerary, but it’d cost you US$25 each time.
3 Ended up buying an Air Asia ticket because the flight date I got on MH was too soon (Nov 25) and the next available flight is too far (Nov 30).
4 Payable only in US dollars in mint condition.
5 Cheapest place to stay in Bandar Seri Begawan. The rooms are clean, as are the toilets. The location is unbeatable.
6 Opted to stay near KLIA. I could have just slept at the airport, but I was glad I reserved a room ahead because I wasn’t feeling too good that night.
7 It was okay enough, but will definitely try out other options if I find myself in Mandalay again.
8 What I like about this place is the small veranda outside the room. Room and toilet is very basic, but has A/C and hot water.
9 I love them because they let me check in at 5am.
10 Food is surprisingly cheap in Brunei. You can get a nasi katok meal or a huge serving of char kuey teow for only BN$1.
11 Room service at Concorde Inn. Kissman wouldn’t let me pay for any meals we had when I stayed with them on the way back to Manila
12 A traditional Myanmar meal (one dish served with rice and side dishes) usually go for MMK 2,000 – MMK 3,000 in restaurants. Noodles brought at streetside stalls can go for as low as MMK 600 per bowl.
13 Had a MMK 3,000 fried rice meal on the boat to Bagan
14 Fried rice overload.
15 I hate the yellow airport taxis.
16 Taxis from the airport usually cost BN$ 30. For some reason, I was only charged BN$ 25.
17 The city buses in Brunei costs BN$ 1, regardless the distance. It even goes to the airport!
18 Both the airport and the bus station were a fair distance from downtown Yangon. The driver and I agreed on $7 for the trip to the bus station (with a detour to his friend’s place to exchange my dollars) and $8 for the trip to the city.
19 Taxi fares around Yangon averages at MMK 2,000, depending on your driver.
20 Airconditioned bus, comes with a free bottle of water and bread.
21 Surprisingly cheap, arranged through Ocean Pearl Inn.
22 Bargaining isn’t my priority at 6 in the morning and fresh from a 12-hour bus ride. That ride up Mandalay Hill was priceless.
23 The tourist boat. It has an air conditioned cabin where they show Hollywood movies with no audio, just English subtitles. Most of the passengers are on the 2nd deck, where they can tan and enjoy the fresh air.
24 Fixed rate, as stated in a tarpaulin at the boat dock.
25 MMK 8,000 for a half-day tour, US$25 for a sunrise tour (5am – 3pm)
26 Similar to the bus to Mandalay, bus is airconditioned and comes with free bottle of water and snacks.
27 There was a sign asking people not to carry their shoes, and my guide was quick to put our footwear in a locker.
28 With a booth set up at the boat dock, it was impossible to avoid them. The pass is valid for 5 days, but I was never asked to present my pass at any temple.
29 Admission fee is US$ 5, but for some reason they weren’t accepting dollars, only kyat at the rate of MMK 6,000 per person.
30 Magnet, postcard and postage
31 Magnet, postcard, postage and packets of Myanmar tea
32 Internet is slow (and firewalled), but cheap. Price range from MMK 200 to MMK 1,000 per hour.

Download:
Brunei and Myanmar.xls (20k)
Brunei and Myanmar.pdf (60k)

Travel Expenses: Indonesia

nina — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:56:05 +0000

This is probably the first international trip (not counting Australia) wherein I didn’t make a travel budget prior to leaving. After last year’s trips, I now have a pretty good idea of how much damage I can do to my wallet when I travel. Also, I got too busy and lazy to thoroughly research everything, much less create a spreadsheet. True enough, the amount was as I projected.

The cost of traveling in Indonesia is pretty much the same as other Southeast Asian countries — not as expensive as Singapore, though not as cheap as Vietnam. It’s not a dirt cheap trip — it wasn’t meant to be. It was a vacation, and I don’t want to scrimp. A lot of people have done the same trip far cheaper than I have, but they’re them and I’m me.

I also decided to give CouchSurfing another try so I CouchSurfed with Zuky in Jakarta. Actually, I had intended look for accommodation when I get to Jakarta, but I couldn’t stand the thought of arriving without any accommodation. I tried to find a good, cheap place in Jakarta but the ones that had decent reviews are either already fully booked or are too expensive. I turned to CouchSurfing when I ran out of options, and luckily, Zuky welcomes last minute requests. I requested to CouchSurf with her the night before I had to fly to Jakarta, since the host I initially contacted canceled at the last minute. I had two tickets out of Yogyakarta actually, and I was already considering taking the August 25th flight instead of the 24th in case I can’t find a place. Thankfully, Zuky replied quickly, so I made my way to Jakarta and had a very positive CouchSurfing experience.

Of the three cities in Indonesia, Bali is the most expensive (and has the most touts), but it’s also the most interesting. Admittedly, I am partial to beaches, but it wasn’t the beaches of Bali that endeared me to the place. It was the Balinese culture that’s making me want to go back and explore the island.

Indonesia and Singapore 2010
August 21 – September 5, 2010

Currency exchange rate varies. Rate used is the current rate for each day or rate used by my bank.

	In local currency	In Peso
Air transport
Manila to Singapore
Jetstar Asia	US$ 200.00	PHP 9,528.40	1

Singapore to Yogyakarta
Air Asia	SG$ 44.00	PHP 1,496.13	2
Includes Red seat (SG$11 fee)

Yogyakarta to Jakarta
Air Asia	IDR 21,000.00	PHP 106.19	3

Yogyakarta to Denpasar
Air Asia	IDR 21,000.00	PHP 106.19	3

Denpasar to Singapore
Air Asia	IDR 114,200.00	PHP 564.75	4
Includes Red seat and meal (IDR 99,200)

Manila airport tax	PHP 750.00	PHP 750.00
Philippine travel tax	PHP 1,620.00	PHP 1,620.00
Yogyakarta departure tax	IDR 25,000.00	PHP 125.97
Jakarta departure tax	IDR 40,000.00	PHP 201.56
Denpasar departure tax	IDR 150,000.00	PHP 749.54

Transport to and from airport – Manila	PHP 720.00	PHP 720.00
Transport to and from airport – Yogyakarta	IDR 120,000.00	PHP 603.63	5
Transport to and from airport – Jakarta	IDR 60,000.00	PHP 302.34	6
Transport to and from airport – Denpasar	IDR 310,00.00	PHP 1,533.68	7

Accommodation
1001 Malam – Yogyakarta
Double room with breakfast, 2 nights	US$ 77.88	PHP 3,446.58	8

Tune Hotel Legian – Bali
Double room, 2 nights	IDR 450,960.00	PHP 2,389.06	9

Puri Saraswati Bungalow
Single room with breakfast, 1 night	US$ 60.00	PHP 2,661.36	10

Transportation
Jakarta	IDR 100,500.00	PHP 506.06	11
Bali	IDR 125,000.00	PHP 399.74	12
Singapore	SG$ 20.00	PHP 665.04	13

Meal expenses
Yogyakarta	IDR 287,400.00	PHP 1,495.03	14
Jakarta	IDR 260,700.00	PHP 1,352.65	15
Bali	IDR 397,999.00	PHP 1,994.78	16
Singapore	SG$ 45.00	PHP 1,495.80	17

Miscellaneous
Borubudur tour	IDR 200,000.00	PHP 1,605.71	18
Ramayana ballet	IDR 310,00.00	PHP 1,555.61	19
Jakarta History Musem	IDR 2,000.00	PHP 10.07
Wayang Museum	IDR 2,000.00	PHP 10.07
Beach lounge chair and umbrella	IDR 30,000.00	PHP 150.68	20
Kecak Dance	IDR 75,000.00	PHP 374.77	21
Souvenirs	IDR 360,000.00	PHP 1,807.42	22
Internet	IDR 14,000.00	PHP 70.00
Toilet fee	IDR 1,000.00	PHP 5.00
Roaming	IDR 37,000.00	PHP 185.45	23

	Total:	PHP 40,589.26

1 I stalled and ended up booking my ticket late. I was aiming for Singapore Airlines, but I waited too late and by the time I was ready to buy, the fare has shot up. It was either Jetstar or PAL, but since my trip is more than 8 days, it was cheaper to go with Jetstar. Other airlines that fly to Singapore aren’t into consideration because the 20 kilo baggage allowance is important to me.
2 In my previous trips, I noticed that the Red seat section of the aircraft was always almost empty. Decided to try them out and modified my booking several days before I had to fly out.
3 Oh yes. Booked this and all the Air Asia flights in this trip back in November 2009 during Air Asia’s Zero Fare sale.
4 Modified booking again to include Red seat selection and Nasi Lemak meal
5 Taxis from the Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta have fixed prices depending on your destination. It cost IDR 50,000 from the airport to Sosrowijaya in downtown Jogja and IDR 70,000 for the car from 1001 Malam to the airport
6 This is shockingly low because I took the X-trans (minibus) from Soekarno Hatta Terminal 3 to BSD City
7 Taxis from the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar are also on a fixed rate. It was IDR 60,000 to Double Six in Legian/Seminyak. Since Ubud is 1 hour inland, I had to pay top money for a car to the airport. At least I had the car to myself and it’s blissfully airconditioned.
8 Ack! Expensive, I know! I booked this through Agoda, mainly because if I book through the site, I can pay via Paypal (thus reducing the damage done to my pocket money and credit cards). Agoda charges an additional 10% for their services.
9 Room with double bed, 24-hour aircon credit and one 24-hour internet access
10 Decided to splurge for my last day and I do not regret it! My room and the resort’s environs is definitely worth the $60
11 I took all manners of public transportation in Jakarta from taxis to angkot (their version of a jeepney or songtheaw) to ojek (motorcycle taxi) to the busway (bus that has its own lane) to the train (not the MRT-type train, mind you!)
12 Two taxi rides, one ojek ride and one 50-minute ride in a non-airconditioned bus to Ubud
13 My brother lent me his EZ-link card, so I topped it up with a SG$20 credit. My actual usage was approximately $30 for 8 days
14 Ate mostly at restaurants catering to tourists. Breakfast included in hotel and temple tours
15 Pretty expensive considering I was technically just in Jakarta for 2 days. A chunk came from my meal at Plaza Indonesia and my Starbucks fix at the airport. Zuky even treated me to dinner on my last day, and our extra food was my breakfast the following day.
16 I was running out of cash and I even had the gall to order a Php700+ dinner! I figured that since I wasn’t doing the tours and dining at Jimbaran Bay, I might as well splurge for the seafood at Legian. Meals in Bali were a mix of cheap beach brunch, fast food, restaurants, an Anthony Bourdain approved babi guling and a junkfood dinner.
17 My meals in Singapore actually avaraged at SG$6.00 not including drinks. This is very low for 8 days in Singapore since I ate most of my meals at home and was treated to a couple of meals by friends and family
18 I initially meant to hire a car with driver and guide, but it was too expensive, so I just opted to join a group tour. It was a great decision since there were only 2 of us. Admission fee for the Borubudur and Prambanan is $15 each, but the Simple Tours agency offers it at only $12 each. Transport that covers both temples and a couple of temple stops only cost IDR 80,000 and includes a light breakfast at Borubudur.
19 The Ramayana Ballet was highly recommended by Marvin and Babes, so signed up for it as well. Decided to splurge and got VIP tickets (IDR 250,000). Transport included (IDR 60,000)
20 This is optional; you can still lay your sarong or towel on the sand.
21 This is a traditional Balinese dance that tells the story of the Ramayana. I was lucky that there are several sites around Ubud where you can watch this dance.
22 Includes a wayang kulit, flower clip, vanilla pods and saffron.
24 Bought an Indonesian sim card since Globe Telecom’s roaming service sucks (won’t let me text but I can call).

Download
Indonesia 2010.xls (20k)
Indonesia 2010.pdf (76k)

Travel Expense: Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia

nina — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:35:41 +0000

It’s not the cheapest of trips (specially if you see the version where my personal shopping was included), but relative to how much I spent on previous trips, this is pretty good for a 2-week jaunt across three countries. The tickets I hoarded last year played a big part in keeping the budget low. For a total of Php 5,275.85, I was able to fly to Saigon from Manila, Saigon to Da Nang, Hanoi to Bangkok, Bangkok to Krabi, Krabi to Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Lumpur to Manila.

Vietnam was pretty cheap. Dining at the restaurants can set you back around Php 300, while dining in the streets or markets can go as low as Php 40. Accommodation is also relatively inexpensive. My rooms range from $15 to $18, all with air conditioning and a fan, with ensuite toilet & bath, cable TV, a closet and even a small fridge. While the xe om is the most popular way to getting around town, I prefer to hop on a cab. The taxis in Vietnam are well kept with good air conditioning. Meter starts at VND 9,000 for the small cars, VND 10,000 for the sedans and VND 12,000 for the vans (depends on the company). Be careful about the taxis though; there are rogue taxis that use a very fast meter! They use the same name as the big cab companies, only changing one letter and using almost identical hotline numbers.

Krabi, on the otherhand, is pretty expensive (as expected). However, in the midst of the Thai and Italian restaurants, there are small street stalls selling noodles and rice. I stayed in Ao Nang beach, and it’s small enough to walk around. You can take the tuktuk around town, but to go beyond, you’d either have to ride the government songtheow (with routes to Krabi and other places) or hire a taxi (taxis in Krabi are Toyota Fortuner. Sosyal!)

Bangkok and Kuala lumpur are only in the itinerary for transit and shopping.

Vietnam – Thailand – Malaysia
June 16 – July 1, 2010
	US$ 1 = PHP 46.45	THB 1 = PHP 1.43
	VND 1,000 = PHP 2.43	MYR 1 = PHP 14.56

	Cost	Actual Cost
	(in local currency)	(in Peso)
Air Transfers
Manila – Saigon
Cebu Pacific	PHP 36.00	PHP 36.00	1
Saigon – Da Nang
Vietnam Airways	VND 1,089,000.00	PHP 2,720.59
Hanoi – Bangkok
Air Asia	US$ 21.00	PHP 987.08	2
Bangkok – Krabi
Air Asia	THB 157.00	PHP 225.27	3
Krabi – Kuala Lumpur
Air Asia	THB 530.00	PHP 760.05	3
Kuala Lumpur – Manila
Cebu Pacific	PHP 546.86	PHP 546.86

Philippine Travel Tax	PHP 1,620.00	PHP 1,620.00
NAIA Airport Tax	PHP 750.00	PHP 750.00

Taxi to NAIA	PHP 200.00	PHP 200.00
Taxi from NAIA	PHP 350.00	PHP 350.00

Accommodation
Saigon
Bich Duyen
4 days, 3 nights, $17 per night	US$ 51.00	PHP 2,368.95

Hoi An
Vinh Huy
3 days, 2 nights, $15 per night	US$ 30.00	PHP 1,393.50

Hue
Halo
3 days, 2 nights, $10 per night	US$ 16.00	PHP 743.20

Hanoi
Hanoi Guesthouse
4 days, 3 nights, $18 per night	US$ 54.00	PHP 2,508.30

Bangkok
Old Charm Guesthouse
1 night, THB 990 per night	THB 990.00	PHP 1,415.70	4

Krabi
Buri Tara Resort
3 days, 2 nights, $30 per night	US$ 60.60	PHP 2,814.87	5

Land Transport
Giang Son airport taxi (2-way)	US$ 26.00	PHP 1,207.70
Hanoi airport taxi	US$ 15.00	PHP 696.75
Vietnam Open Bus	VND 380,000.00	PHP 923.40	7
Hoi An transport	VND 428,500.00	PHP 1,040.04	8
Hue transport	VND 157,000.00	PHP 381.51	9
Hanoi transport	VND 460,000.00	PHP 1,117.80	10
Bangkok airport taxi (2-way)	THB 500.00	PHP 715.00	11
Bangkok transport	THB 100.00	PHP 143.00	12
Krabi airport bus (2-way)	THB 300.00	PHP 429.00
Krabi transport	THB 40.00	PHP 57.20	13
KLIA Transit (2-way)	MYR 25.00	PHP 364.00	14
KL transport	MYR 3.20	PHP 46.59

Food Expenses
Saigon	VND 451,500.00	PHP 1,097.15
Hoi An	VND 409,000.00	PHP 993.87
Hue	VND 426,000.00	PHP 1,035.18
Hanoi	VND 833,500.00	PHP 2,025.41
Bangkok	THB 541.00	PHP 773.63
Krabi	THB 1,444.16	PHP 2,065.15
Kuala Lumpur	MYR 22.90	PHP 333.42

Miscellaneous
Travel insurance	PHP 1,173.00	PHP 1,173.00
Laundry	US$ 5.00	PHP 232.25
Internet	THB 500.00	PHP 715.00
Admission fees	VND 225,000.00	PHP 546.75	15
Hue tour	VND 150,000.00	PHP 364.50	16
Halong Bay Tour	US$ 35.00	PHP 1,627.50	17
Beach lounge	VND 30,000.00	PHP 72.90
Souvenirs – Vietnam	VND 280,000.00	PHP 680.40
Souvenirs – Thailand	THB 262.00	PHP 374.66
Souvenirs – Malaysia	MYR 39.90	PHP 580.94
Postage	VND 60,000.00	PHP 146.15
Locker storage	MYR 20.00	PHP 291.20

	Total:	PHP 41,691.42


1 Hell yeah.
2 Thanks you Air Asia Bangkok sale!
3 Thank you Air Asia zero fare sale!
4 Most charming place in Bangkok!
5 I figured I deserved a treat!
7 The bus that took me from Hoi An to Hue and from Hue to Hanoi
8 Includes taxi from the airport in Da Nang, taxi to and from Cua Dai beach
9 Too hot, too lazy.
10 Includes a very bloated meter price. Damn that taxi.
11 Just the regular metered taxi.
12 Loaded THB 100 unto my BTS card, but ended up only using the remaining balance. At least I have loaded BTS card for the next time I’m in BKK!
13 Took the tuk-tuk once going back to the resort.
14 KLIA Transit is the cheaper (and longer) counterpart of the KLIA Express that takes you from the LCCT to KL Sentral in 50 minutes
15 Reunification Palace and Revolutionary Museum in Saigon, Imperial Palace and other places in Hue
16 Tour is cheap because you have to pay for the entrance fees.Transport, guide and lunch is included, but bitin (unsatisfactory).
17 Includes admission fees, transport, kayak, guide, 2 bottles of water and pretty good lunch

Download:
Vietnam 2010.xls (24k)
Vietnam 2010.pdf (92k)

Travel Expense: Baguio

nina — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:13:05 +0000

I did the unthinkable and went out of town on a long weekend. I normally don’t plan anything on long holidays as the Philippine non-working holidays don’t apply to my work. However, it applies to my friend and I was going crazy being cooped in the house for more than 2 weeks, so I threw caution to the wind and planned a weekend trip to Baguio.

Hailed as the Summer Capital of the Philippines, Baguio City is a cool respite from the sweltering heat of Metro Manila. Perched at 1,500 meters above sea level in the Cordilleras, Baguio enjoys temperature that’s 8°C lower than Manila’s. It’s perfect for a weekend getaway, since it’s just 5 hours away if you drive really fast. The city is also pretty small, so you can see most of its attractions in one day. Many also go to Baguio for the ukay-ukay shopping (thrift store or second hand clothing) as well as for the fresh fruits and vegetables.

This trip pretty much confirmed that I am not suited to be a hardcore backpacker. I do try to keep things cheap, but I also love indulging myself. The bulk of my expenses went into food and souvenirs. If I held off in the shopping, went to more budget friendly eateries and rode the jeep instead of taxis, the total cost would probably be around Php 2,000.

Baguio April 2010
April 9 – 11, 2010

	Cost	Cost
		(per person)
Land Transfers
Victory Liner (A/C)	PHP 870.00	PHP 870.00	1

Taxi to Cubao station	PHP 110.00	PHP 110.00
Taxi from Muñoz	PHP 70.00	PHP 70.00

Accommodation
Baguio Transient House	PHP 1,100.00	PHP 550.00	2
Php 550 per room per night

Transportation
Taxi within Baguio City	PHP 730.00	PHP 365.00	3

Food Expenses
Meals, snacks, drinks	PHP 1,500.25	PHP 1,500.25	4

Miscellaneous
Internet	PHP 200.00	PHP 200.00	5
Toilet	PHP 2.00	PHP 2.00
Souvenirs	PHP 950.00	PHP 950.00	6
Map	PHP 60.00	PHP 60.00

	Total	PHP 4,677.25

1 Victory Liner has buses that leave for Baguio in the Cubao terminal every hour. We rode the 2am bus going up to Baguio and arrived around 8am.
2 There are plenty of transient houses in Baguio. Basically, transient houses are like self-service accommodation: no housekeeping, no towels, and you can cook in the communal kitchen (except you have to bring your own utensils and cooking equipment)
3 We took the taxi everywhere in Baguio. The fare never went above Php 70, except during our first day when we asked the driver to wait for us while we camwhored at The Manor before taking us to Session Road.
4 Ah, food. We do not scrimp on food.
5 I had to work on Friday night so I loaded up my friend’s Smart Bro.
6 Souvenirs include socks, scarf, magnet, local food products (ube, choco flakes, kalamay) and veggies

Download: Baguio.xls (10k)

Travel Budget: Calaguas Island

nina — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:44:14 +0000

I’ve been coming across blogs about Calaguas Island, but truth be told, as much as I am interested to go there, I couldn’t be bothered to plan going there because it seemed so hard. I prefer going to destinations where you just hop on a plane, ride a trike, taxi or van and you’re at the town already. As the saying go, nothing worth having comes easy. All that effort to go to the Calaguas is certainly worth it.

Calaguas’ pristine white beach

What finally got me to go there was when one of the bloggers I follow announced that Calaguas is one of her destinations this year. One comment and a seat sale later, I am booked for a flight to Naga. Naga is the closest airport served by most domestic airlines. The closest is Daet, which is served by Seair, though only seasonal. From Naga, you have to ride a van to Daet, then transfer to another van to Paracale. In Paracale, you have to find a willing boatman (and an available boat) to take you out to Calaguas, and buy supplies for your stay there, since there are no stores, no electricity and no water.

Save for the boat rental, the airfare and the van rides, this is a fairly inexpensive trip. It can be made cheaper if you take the bus instead of the plane, and just stay overnight. I think the bus schedule works well for a quick weekend getaway to a gorgeous deserted beach.

Calaguas Island March 2010
March 7 – 9, 2010
	Cost
	(per person)
Air Transfers
Cebu Pacific	PHP 1,139.52

Manila Domestic Terminal Fee	PHP 200.00
Naga Domestic Terminal Fee	PHP 20.00

Taxi to and from Manila Airport	PHP 650.00
Taxi to and from Naga Airport	PHP 362.50	1

Accommodations
Calaguas Island	PHP 50.00	2
Hotel Dolor, Daet	PHP 428.00	3

Transport
Van to Daet	PHP 145.00
Van to Paracale	PHP 50.00
Calaguas boat rental	PHP 625.00	4
Van to Daet (from Paracale)	PHP 50.00
Apuau boat rental	PHP 250.00	5
Van to Naga	PHP 145.00
Tricycle	PHP 63.00
Jeep	PHP 20.00

Food Expenses
Meals, snacks and drinks	PHP 912.00	6

Miscellaneous
Calaguas Island entrance fee	PHP 100.00	7
Internet	PHP 30.00	8
Total	PHP 5,240.02

1 Taxi to and from the airport is expensive! From the airport, they charged me Php300 (I was alone since my travel buddies flew in to Legazpi). Going to the airport, the driver asked for Php 250. To be fair, it’s quite far, about 14 kilometers.
2 Php200 for a cottage we did not use. We were able to use their gazebo, so it’s all good. Plus, we also used the caretaker’s toilet and bathroom.
3 The room is big, has aircon and cable TV. There are two single beds in the room, so we paid extra for two additional beds and breakfast. Total cost for the four of us is Php1,710.
4 The original price the boatman gave us was Php 3,000, but Leidy was able to haggle it down to Php 2,300. Nelson and his crew were all so nice and helpful that we gave them Php 2,500 instead.
5 Php 1,000 for a 30-minute ride one-way to an island we only stayed at for about 30 minutes.
6 Meals include lunch at a carinderia (canteen) in Paracale, take out dinner for our night in Calaguas, instant noodles and other junkfood for breakfast the following day, breakfast at Jollibee, baby back ribs dinner at Graceland in Daet, and the juiciest fried chicken at Biggs in Naga.
7 The caretaker originally priced it at Php 150, but again, Leidy was able to bring the price down to Php 100. Our boatman tells us that the locals of Paracale only pay Php 30, or sometimes even free.
8 Php 15 per hour!

Download:
Calaguas.xls (10kb)
Calaguas.pdf (48kb)

Travel Budget: El Nido

nina — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:05:55 +0000

I’m back in Manila and I’m sorely missing the beach in El Nido. I’ve prepared a series of blog posts about this trip, and I hope you guys find it useful for planning your own El Nido vacation. First up is of course, the travel budget.

The perception of many is that El Nido is a very expensive place to travel to. It actually is, considering that direct flights to El Nido from Manila can cost as much as Php 13,000 per person. The cheaper alternative is to go via Puerto Princessa, but you’d have to deal with rough roads and cramped spaces inside vans or buses (or if you’re hardcore, saddled on an off-road motorcycle). The best place to stay for budget travelers is El Nido Town. There are several resorts and lodges that offer cheap accommodation to fit every budget. The same go for restaurants and shops.

El Nido’s main attraction, of course, are the spectacular limestone formations and sparkling white sand beaches of the islands in the Bacuit Archipelago. To visit these islands, you can either hire your own boat or go with a group tour. The group tour aren’t so bad, and they’re usually limited to about 8 to 10 passengers. If you’re a fairly large group (5 and up), you can try sweet talking the tour operator to let your group have the entire boat to yourselves. Tour of the islands usually start at Php 500 per person and already includes lunch.

This is certainly not my cheapest domestic trip, but considering that it’s a 5 day, 4 nights trip in one of the most amazing places in the Philippines, it’s worth every peso.

El Nido 2010
February 24 – 28, 2010

	Actual
Air and Land Transfers
Seair	PHP 0.00	1

Manila Airport Terminal Fee	PHP 200.00
El Nido Airport Terminal Fee	PHP 112.00

Taxi to and from Manila Domestic	PHP 390.00
Tricycle to and from El Nido Airport	PHP 400.00	2

Accommodation
Marina Garden Beach Resort
Deluxe room, 2,250 per night	PHP 3,426.00	3
Php 320 per night for extra person

Food expenses
Meals, snacks and drinks	PHP 1,250.00	4

Miscellaneous
Island hopping tours	PHP 1,290.00	5
Environmental fee	PHP 200.00	6
Snorkel and mask rental	PHP 175.00
Souvenirs	PHP 110.00
Other things I will not enumerate	PHP 61.00

Total	PHP 7,614.00

1 Thank you, Seair! Flying with Seair to El Nido is the easiest way to go to the island. They offer two direct flights a week: Wednesday and Sunday. To maximize your stay in beautiful El Nido, take the Wednesday morning flight to the island, then take the Sunday afternoon flight back to Manila.
2 Unless you have a pick up from your resort, the only means of getting into town from the airport is via tricycle. It’s pricey, specially since the most that one trike can carry is 2 passengers plus their luggage. But it’s a rather comfortable ride, since you have the trike to yourself, instead of squeezed in with a bunch of strangers and their bulky backpacks and suitcases.
3 Admittedly not the cheapest accommodation in El Nido town, but the resort has the best stretch of beach for sunbathing and swimming. The room rate is good for 2, and you’ll have to pay additional fees for the extra bed and breakfast if there’s three or four of you sharing the room.
4 Includes 2 relatively expensive meals and several cups of dirty ice cream and Choco Mucho.
5 We were able to get a Tour A package for Php550 each (plus Php 50 each for tip to the guide and boatman) and a Tour C package for Php650 (additional Php 40 each for supposedly extra trip to Snake island but ended up in Ipil 2 beach instead)
6 What I like about El Nido is that the environmental fee for ALL island is just Php 200 per person and it’s good for up to 10 days. If you’re just staying in the town, there’s no fee.

Download:
El Nido.xls (10k)
El Nido.pdf (62k)

Travel Budget: Kota Kinabalu

nina — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:29:23 +0000

One of the reasons why I was having second thoughts about going to Sabah was money. I had some unexpected expenses last January and I have several trips lined up in the coming weeks, so I figured it’d be better to cut my losses at Php 1,289 (my airfare) instead of spending so much more on the trip. However, in the end I threw caution to the wind and went to have an awesome trip.

Kota Kinabalu is pretty cheap compared to other Malaysian cities. Sure, the taxi drivers are averse to using the meter, but KK is so small you can just walk anywhere (except to the Mount Kinabalu Park and other attractions because it’s FAR). I’ve had a couple of expensive meals over the weekend, and I was surprised that my end total is just Php 1,337. Shopping in Kota Kinabalu is not too exciting, except if there are sales I suppose. Some of the items sold in Peninsular Malaysia is also available in Sabah, but there are also a number of brands and products that are locally produced like teas and cigarettes.

There are a number of souvenir shops in the shopping centers, but if you’re looking to buy Sabah tea, it’s best to check the supermarket, as the prices are much cheaper. There’s also the handicraft market, or the former Pasar Filipino (Filipino market), where local souvenirs are sold (batik, wood carvings, anything and everything made with sea shells).

A final note on Sabah: if you’re bringing US dollars, make sure that they are series 2006 or more recent. Money changers do not accept dollars from earlier years, which is a real pain. There are plenty of ATMs that accept VISA and Mastercards, so you can make a cash advance if needed (some hostels, like the Lavender Lodge does not accept credit card payments).

Kota Kinabalu
February 13 – 16, 2010
	MYR 1 = PHP 14

	in local currency	in Philippine Peso
Air transfers
Air Asia	PHP 1,289.00	PHP 1,289.00	1
Philippine Travel Tax	PHP 1,620.00	PHP 1,620.00
Airport tax	PHP 600.00	PHP 600.00
Transport to and from DMIA	PHP 740.00	PHP 740.00	2
Transport to and from KKIA	MYR 55.00	PHP 770.00	3

Accommodation
Lavender Lodge
Twin room MYR 70/night	MYR 210.00	PHP 2,940.00	4

Transportation
Ferry	MYR 23.00	PHP 322.00	5

Food Expenses
Meals (Manila)	PHP 400.00	PHP 400.00
Meals (Kota Kinabalu)	MYR 95.50	PHP 1,337.00	6

Miscellaneous
Travel Insurance	PHP 368.00	PHP 368.00
Admission	MYR 16.00	PHP 224.00	7
Tour	MYR 185.00	PHP 2,590.00	8
Souvenirs	MYR 20.20	PHP 282.80	9
Shopping	MYR 52.70	PHP 737.80	10
	Total	PHP 14,220.60

1 Bought last August during an Air Asia seat sale. This includes fees for check in baggage, but no food.
2 Cab to Megamall, then Php 300 each way on Philtranco
3 MYR 30 taxi from the airport, MYR 25 from the lodge. Forgot to ask about the free airport transfers!
4 Originally reserved a twin room, since I was supposed to travel with Melo, but ended up going alone. The room is huge for hostel standards.
5 Ferry to the islands cost MYR 13 for one island, additional MYR 10 for 2.
6 Breakfast is included in the lodge, so this is mostly lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks.
7 Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park fee is MYR 10 for all islands, plus MYR 6 government tax
8 River cruising tour to see the proboscis monkey. Quite expensive, but well worth seeing the monkeys in the wild. Fee includes transport, guide, snacks and dinner buffet (drinks apart from coffee and tea not included)
9 Another sarong, a magnet and a couple of post cards
10 Couldn’t stop myself from buying the Slumdog Millionaire novel and this cute doo-something.

Travel Budget: Singapore and Malacca Birthday Trip

nina — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:29:47 +0000

I honestly wasn’t looking forward to tallying up my expenses for my last trip, yet at the same time, I was eager to see just how much damage I did. And if I really spent enough to buy the 50mm f1.4 lens I wanted. I didn’t, but a couple more thousands and I could’ve bought the 35mm f1.8. I’m just consoling myself that at least I’ve finished my Christmas shopping in one go and bought some things I really wanted for myself.

Also, I realized how relatively cheap Malacca is for a daytrip from Singapore. The drive from the island to the heritage town is more than double the time it takes to drive down from Kuala Lumpur to Malacca, but it’s a better alternative to Johor Bahru, where most Filipinos go for a visa run. For about Php 2,000, you can do this day trip from Singapore. That already include the bus (public bus from Singapore to Johor Bahru, domestic bus from Larkin Terminal to Malacca), admission fees, meals and transport within Malacca. Melaka is compact enough that you can just walk to see the main attractions. I’m definitely heading back there when I go to Singapore.

Oh, I’ve omitted my personal shopping expenses from this travel budget. It’s certainly not for public consumption.

Birthday Trip
November 24 – December 2
	S$1 = PHP33	MYR1 = PHP13.48
	In local currency	In Peso
Air Transfers
Philippine Airlines
Manila – Singapore – Manila	PHP 7,216.00	PHP 7,216.00	1

Terminal Fee (NAIA)	PHP 750.00	PHP 750.00
Taxi to and from Airport	PHP 720.00	PHP 720.00

Land Transfers
Singapore to Malacca	SGD 22.00	PHP 796.91	2
Malacca to Singapore	MYR 22.00	PHP 296.56	3

Accommodation
Twenty Guesthouse
2 nights, double room	MYR 200.00	PHP 2,696.00	4

Food Expense
Singapore	SGD 114.05	PHP 3,763.65	5
Malaysia	MYR 77.44	PHP 1,043.89	6

Transport Expense
Singapore	SGD 36.00	PHP 1,188.00	7
Malaysia	MYR 30.00	PHP 404.40	8

Miscellaneous
Travel Insurance	PHP 420.00	PHP 420.00
Roaming	PHP 856.75	PHP 856.75
Singapore Mobile Credit	SGD 15.00	PHP 495.00
Admission Fees	MYR 25.00	PHP 337.00	9
Miscellaneous	SGD 29.80	PHP 983.40	10

	Total	PHP 21,967.56

1 This was one of PAL’s promo, which in hindsight, is now their current Econolight. You get the (relatively) cheap fare, no-seat restrictions, full meals, but allowed only 15kl check-in baggage.
2 Citi Express bus from the Kovan Hub. Ticket was purchased online, and amount in peso is based on my credit card bill.
3 Same bus line, but I bought the ticket at Malacca Sentral. Good thing I did, because it’s more than 50% cheaper than the fare from Singapore.
4 The guesthouse is right in the middle of Jonker Street. Pretty pricey, specially considering that it doesn’t have ensuite toilet and bath, but since it’s my birthday I decided to splurge.
5 I didn’t eat out as much in Singapore, but the couple of times I was out, I decided to try out some restaurants. Pricey~~~~
6 This could definitely be cheaper, but I just had to do the touristy thing and try out those chicken rice restaurants.
7 This includes two taxi rides and a $10 top up on my brother’s EZ-link card. I definitely used more than SG$10 on that card. About $5.00 of the total amount I used on his EZ-link card was the ride on SBS bus 170 from Johor to Sengkang.
8 This was just two taxi rides: to and from Melaka Sentral.
9 Malacca river cruise, Tortura 2 exhibit, and photography pass for the exhibit. You’re allowed to take photos of the exhibit using your camera phone, but take out a DSLR and you have to pay a fee.
10 These are items which are neither food, transport or shopping/souvenir item. These are the things I used, like the travel adaptor I had to buy since I forgot to bring my adaptor.

Travel Budget: Bangkok and Penang

nina — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:51:52 +0000

You know I’m out of topics to blog about when I start posting my travel budget. This one is from my one-week trip to Thailand and Malaysia at the beginning of the month. The main purpose of the trip was for the tennis, but we ended up dollie shopping in Bangkok instead. I extended my trip to include a week in Penang, just because.

This trip is expensive, compared to my month-long trip back in June spanning five countries. However, it still came out cheaper than the budget I drew up when I was still planning for the trip. And this is the moment when I admit that I really cannot be a hardcore backpacker (that sounds sooo wrong). Haggling will never be my forte, and I will splurge whenever I can. And I will never stop buying doll clothes and books.

Shopping aside, the biggest expense in this trip was my 4-day stay at the Sunway Hotel in Georgetown. I needed to work during those four days, so I splurged on a hotel to ensure that I have a stable Internet connection. Ironically, the Internet at the guesthouse where I transfered to was much better. Hmp.

Bangkok & Penang
October 3 – 11, 2009
		MYR 1 = PHP 14
		THB 1 = PHP 1.4
Air Transfer
Philippine Airlines
Manila – Bangkok – Manila	US $ 148.00	PHP 7,290.47
October 3 – 5

Air Asia
Bangkok – Penang – Bangkok	THB 3,865.00	PHP 5,817.90
October 5 – 11

Terminal Fee (NAIA)	PHP 750.00	PHP 750.00
Airport Tax (NAIA)	PHP 1,620.00	PHP 1,620.00

Taxi to and from NAIA	PHP 590.00	PHP 590.00

Accommodation
Bangkok
HI-Sukhumvit	THB 800.00	PHP 1,120.00
1 night

Sunway Georgetown
4 nights, MYR 170	MYR 680.00	PHP 9,662.22

Hutton Lodge
2 nights, MYR 65	MYR 130.00	PHP 1,820.00

Food
Bangkok	THB 1,212.00	PHP 1,696.80	1
Penang	MYR 129.50	PHP 1,813.00	2

Transport
Bangkok	THB 610.50	PHP 854.70	3
Penang	MYR 42.00	PHP 588.00	4

Miscellaneous
Laundry	MYR 6.30	PHP 88.20
Admission fee	MYR 9.00	PHP 126.00	5
Books and other things (BKK)	THB 1,835.00	PHP 2,569.00	6
Books and other things (PEN)	MYR 159.35	PHP 2,230.90	6
Travel Insurance	PHP 600.00	PHP 600.00

	Total	PHP 39,237.19

1 Just three days in Bangkok and my food expense was this high?! I blame it on the crappy airport food.
2 I cannot count how many chicken rice and char kway teow involved, but there were plenty.
3 Airport express, BTS and taxi.
4 This was actually just one taxi ride, the one from the airport to Georgetown. I ended up walking all around Georgtown and Wei pretty much covered my weekend transport.
5 MYR 5 for the Khoo Kong Si Clanhouse, MYR 4 for the train up Penang Hill.
6 Shopping is the bane of all budget travelers. On the upside, my dolls have new clothes and I have new books. And plenty of Tiramisu and Pocky.

Travel Budget: Boracay

nina — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:29:02 +0000

I’ve been putting off posting this because it’s just too darned embarassing. For a trip that has a lot of free stuff, it has been one expensive weekend.

Then again, if you have a penchant for eating out at fancy restaurants, you’d have to pay the price in the end. That and a terrible addiction to the Internet. Bah.

So here you go, an idea of how much you’d spend in Boracay if you’re careless with your money

Boracay September 2009
September 5 – 8, 2009

Air transfers	in PhP
Seair	PHP 0.00	1
Terminal fee	PHP 220.00

Land transfers
Taxi to and from airport (MNL)	PHP 860.00	2
Trike to and from port (Boracay)	PHP 130.00

Accommodation
Taj Guesthouse	PHP 0.00	3

Food expenses
Meals, snacks, drinks	PHP 3,654.25	4

Miscellaneous
Internet	PHP 554.00	5
Skullcandy earbuds	PHP 995.00	6
Medicine	PHP 60.00
Envirosax	PHP 495.00	6
Total	PHP 6,968.25

1 Thank you, Seair!
2 The yellow taxis of doom have finally invaded the domestic airport.
3 Long story. Basically, Ms. Net of Tans Guesthouse was so happy with the review I wrote about them last January and brought a lot of business to them, so she insisted that we stay for free. Taj Guesthouse is owned and operated by her sibling.
4 Good food in Boracay is expensive. This includes a paella lunch, pasta with truffle oil, crispy pata and the best calamansi muffin from Real Coffee among other things.
5 Loser.
6 Retail therapy?

Travel Budget: Southeast Asia

nina — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:18:58 +0000

A year ago, Robert Alejandro and Jetro Rafael shared their experience of traveling through Southeast Asia on a shoestring budget: 9 countries (including China, Macau and Hong Kong), 3 months, for only Php 50,000. I was amazed at this figure they presented, because I was able to easy spend roughly the same amount in just one country for 14 days back in 2006. Right at that moment, I decided to give Southeast Asia another go, and really try to stick within my budget this time.

Though my trip was only through five countries for one month, I aimed for the same amount, knowing that I do have a habit of overspending. Well, as I finished adding up the travel expenses from my June backpacking trip through Southeast Asia, I realize that traveling on a shoestring is not for me. Well, I still travel on a budget, but I do believe in indulging once in a while.

So how much did I spend for one month in Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia 2009
May 30 – July 6

	Cost
	in Philippine Peso

Per city/country
Cambodia	PHP 10,664.16
Bangkok, Thailand	PHP 7,449.00
Luang Prabang, Laos	PHP 12,526.00
Vientiane, Laos	PHP 4,184.47
Bangkok, Thailand	PHP 8,573.18
Malaysia	PHP 13,300.31
Singapore	PHP 14,313.23

Other expenses
Airport transfers (Manila)	PHP 570.00
Travel tax (Manila)	PHP 1,620.00
Airport tax (Manila)	PHP 750.00
Travel insurance	PHP 3,790.00
Roaming charges	PHP 1,500.00

Total	PHP 79,240.35

Download:
SEA 2009.xls (89k) – Spreadsheet includes the detailed travel budget for each city/country

I am consoling the fact that compared to how much I spent in 2006 (including the shopping, which wasn’t included in the budget that I posted online), this was actually pretty decent. It’s not cheap; I’m sure many are able to do this same trip for half the cost, but hey, that’s them and this is me. And this time, my budget includes my shopping (well, not the doll shopping part 2 in Bangkok and the things I bought in Singapore). This is actually below my estimated sum, actually. So I guess I still did pretty well?

At the end of the day, it’s the trip that matters, not the costs (many would argue with this statement, I know). Do I regret spending this much? Hell no.

Travel Budget: Malaysia

nina — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:20:38 +0000

Unlike previous post-trip accounting posts, I’ve consolidated all legs of my Malaysian trip into one spreadsheet. Admittedly, I started getting lazy listing down every expense (which is going to be hell when I start working on the Singapore leg). For a six-day trip, it still came down to a pretty decent amount, specially since I splurged for a hotel in Penang, and took all my meals in the resort in the Perhentians.

Malaysia 2009
June 19 – 25, 2009
	Exchange Rate:	MYR 1 = PhP13.60

	In MYR	In PhP
Land Transfer
International Express Train
Bangkok to Butterworth	MYR 150.23	PHP 2,043.14	1
Mutiara Bus
Penang to Jerteh	MYR 45.60	PHP 620.16
Mahligai Bus
Kuala Besut to Kuala Lumpur	MYR 40.00	PHP 544.00

Accommodation
Tune Hotel Penang
Standard room, a/c, Wi-fi	MYR 176.44	PHP 2,487.21	2
Yaudinn Guest House
Single room, shared bathroom	MYR 20.00	PHP 272.00
Watercolours Paradise Resort
Single room, ensuite bathroom	MYR 60.00	PHP 816.00
Matahari Lodge
Single room, shared bathroom	MYR 37.00	PHP 503.20

Transportation
Taxi	MYR 90.00	PHP 1,224.00	3
LRT	MYR 12.00	PHP 163.20
Ferry to and from Perhentian Besar	MYR 70.00	PHP 952.00

Food
Meals, snacks and drinks	MYR 226.75	PHP 3,083.80	4

Miscellaneous
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion Tour	MYR 12.00	PHP 163.20	5
Fort Cornwallis	MYR 6.00	PHP 81.60
Perhentian Marine Park Fee	MYR 5.00	PHP 68.00
Parking fees	MYR 3.00	PHP 40.80
Toilet	MYR 0.50	PHP 6.80
Laundry	MYR 8.00	PHP 108.80
Printing	MYR 9.00	PHP 122.40

Total	MYR 971.52	PHP 13,300.31


1 The price for the tickets was actually THB 1,460, including the travel agent’s THB 250 fee. I just converted from the amount reflected in my credit card statement
2 Pretty expensive because I booked in the last minute. Still, this was a pretty good splurge. You’d have to pay extra for the air conditioning and wi-fi access.
3 I only took the taxi FOUR times the entire time I was in Malaysia
4 Food in Perhentian Besar and Kuala Besut is expensive! It’s pretty cheap anywhere else though.
5 It’s a really nice tour, and for MYR12, it’s a steal.