Friday, September 12, 2014

Travelogue: Stamps! More stamps!

Tropang K, my travel buddies <3
(Batu Caves, Malaysia)

Isn’t it nice when you open your passport and you see a lot of stamps from other countries? I started exploring the beauty of Asia last year, and I’m proud to say that I funded all of my travels. Goodbye savings, hello happiness!


So, I listed a few tips for you to score more stamps while saving a few bucks in the process. I’ll use my Hong Kong-Macau (2013) and Kuala Lumpur-Singapore-Indonesia (2014) experience as examples. Yey!


1. Plan your target countries. Make sure your chosen country has other countries or cities nearby which can be accessed easily via train, bus or ferry.

Macau from Hong Kong is accessible by ferry. With just an hour's trip, you can already get your passport stamped. And of course, you get to explore its beauty.


That's the Turbo Jet, the ferry en route Macau. 

The Venetian

2. Now that you have your target countries, try booking your plane tickets. Which is cheaper if you’re from the Philippines?


Singapore is just a five-hour bus ride from Kuala Lumpur. Hence, if you still have a few time to spare, you can book a PH-KL flight instead of a PH-SG flight. The former is cheaper in terms of plane tickets. Aside from that, you're hitting two birds with one stone because you'll be able to see both countries - not to mention, the stamps! By the way, I'm not promoting or anything but so far, my friends and I always get the cheapest flights from Air Asia.


Air Asia's website. You can also download their app in your Android or iOS, for an on-the-go bookings. 

3. Make Google your best friend! Research about the place you’re visiting. Where are you planning to go? Where are you going to stay during your travel? Then, come up with an itinerary which includes the projected expenses. This will help you budget your money wisely.


I therefore propose.. LOL!

Tip: There are hostels which offer cheaper tickets to city attractions - cheaper than those tickets sold online.  For instance, our hostel in HK had less expensive tickets to Disneyland and Ngong Ping 360. The same goes with our hostel in SG, where we got discounted tickets to Universal Studios. 



Finally, Universal Studios Singapore in Sentosa <3


4. More research! Learn about the easiest transportation around the city. Places in countries like Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are more accessible via MTR (HK), MRT (SG), or Monorail (KL). You can buy the train cards, which are reloadable by the way, at their airports. (Octopus card for HK; EZ-Link Card for SG)


It's not as complicated as it looks. In fact, it's the easiest and most convenient
 mode of transportation - Hong Kong's MTR. 

Singapore's re-loadable MRT card.

5. Have the rest of your money changed only when you get to your destination. You'll get higher exchange rates if you have your money changed at the country itself. 


When my friends and I went to Singapore, we only had one thousand (in pesos) each to exchange for Singaporean Dollar. That amount was used to cover our lunch at the airport. The rest of our money, we had it converted upon arrival at Singapore. 



Mustafa Mall is Singapore's 24-hour mall, hence, a 24-hour money changer too. Haha! 

Showing off our Indonesian Rupiahs. Almost millionaires here. LOL!

6. Look for the most convenient mode of transportation to the nearby countries. Convenience encompasses both comfort and budget. 


If you're riding the train to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur, it will take you seven hours to reach your destination. If you take the bus, the travel time is five hours. However, if you take the flight from KL to SG, you will already land after an hour and the fare difference is only around a few hundreds (in pesos). Sometimes you have to spend a bit more to maximize your time in that particular country. Don't worry, it will all be worth it.



Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Isn't it nice?

Connecting flight to SG from KL. Woot!


Because this double decker bus is so me. Haha! At Larkin Sentral in Johor Bahru.

7. Always know your travel details. Where are you staying? How many days are you planning to stay? Who are you with? Those simple things are important to have your passport stamped immediately. So far, the most strict immigration I've encountered is the one we have in our country. LOL!


Another important (and friendly) reminder: Always bring your passport with you.

8. Day trips to countries are possible! This is especially applicable to small countries. We did this when we went to Macau and Batam, Indonesia. Both are accessible via ferries from Hong Kong and Singapore, respectively. 

In Macau we were lucky enough to meet a Filipino tour guide who accompanied us throughout our day trip. He was also very kind to take our photos, hence, he's our "official photographer." Haha! While in Batam, we met a kind Indonesian guy who drove us around for the whole day. Just negotiate with them properly and they might give you a discounted price for their services.



Our Indonesian tour guide for a day (S$ 100)

There you go! Just remember, don't be afraid to leave your comfort zone. Explore and be amazed by what the other country's culture, beauty, food, etc. can offer you. Collect (travel) memories and make them your most valued treasure. See you somewhere around the globe then? 

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