Ten Ways to Escape Work and Afford a Vacation

It's reality. It's not easy to escape work for a mini-vacation. However, it is necessary to be more productive and of course we always deserve it as a reward for hard-work. 

I want to share here ten tips if you're planning to escape your stressful office for a mini-vacation.

1. Let the trip be the inspiration.

This is the best tip I can provide. Always consider the trip as a reward to yourself. The trick is to set your mind to it and to be flexible with your travel plans to get the most value from your hard earned money. Plus, being spontaneous about your travel destination can be half the fun of the vacation.

2. Finish your paperwork, file your vacation leave and be prepared.

First things first. If you have a specific trip in mind and already booked a flight, then finish your pending paperwork at the office. Also, file your vacation leave in advance so that when something in the office came up, your boss will make necessary arrangements to distribute tasks to other teams - no hurt feelings. Some bosses don't like their employees having a mini vacation while the office has some unfinished projects, so schedule the trip on a non-hectic day and the key is to act fast.

3. Set your budget for your vacation and save for it in advance

You are more likely to take that office escape if you set aside your budget ahead of time. Alternatively, you can also set a clear target price range for your trip, including extra expenses for pasalubong (take-home gifts) and miscellaneous expenses. Once the budget is set, you’ll feel more comfortable in planning your trip quickly.

4. Know your barkada or office-mates' travel style, and stick to it.

Would you rather lie on the beach all day, bond with your barkada drinking vodka all day or see as many sights as you can? It's best to identify the type of vacation you and your travel companions want up front. Also if you are traveling with other group, it's best to know their travel style. Do they prepare food on their own, what are their bonding moment activities, are they in for camwhoring etc. It is important because if you're only a guest traveler on that group, you maybe surprise when you discover that they are on a diet and you didn't bring extra food on you own like what happened to us in our Majayjay trip.

5. Look for all-inclusive packages.

Bundled pricing makes your vacation planning easy. All-inclusive resort vacations are being offered with big discounts at certain time of the year.The key here is extra research and bartering skills. Famous destinations are fighting over business right now, and you never know who’s going to come out with the next great deal, promos and discounts.

 

6. Understand seasonal travel trends.

Masses of people attend the Flower Festival in Baguio in February. Travelers flock to Boracay during summer. These events drive prices up, so it’s cheaper if you plan your trip on off-peak season and you’ll have easier access to activities than at busier times of the year.

7. Avail airline promos

You can save a thousand pesos on airfare just by availing airline promos. You’ll find the best fares generally offered six months to one year ahead so you better be on the look-out for these deals. Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific offer big airfare deals which is mostly on book-and-buy scheme. Early booking is great because you will have plenty of time planning and saving for the trip.

8. Do the art of canvassing.

Be sure to look for and compare prices, amenities and extras when making your travel decision. You should ask ahead for any available upgrades or freebies or inclusions as they increase the value of your stay and experience. Plus, it can save you a lot of money.

9. Ask for the smaller details

The package deal might look amazing at first, but think about how much you’ll be spending on food, entertainment, and pasalubong shopping while you’re traveling. It's always good to ask smaller details  such as airport transfer and other transportation requirements, service fees, entrance fees and corkage. Also, always ask if you can cook in the resort, it can save you a lot of money.

10. Utilize online resources to score the best deals.

Let online travel tools do the hard work for you. It is easier to do your research on social media such as Multiply and Facebook for promotional discounts and contest giveaways to the latest in travel.This is also a great way to save.

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Bohol Tour » Three Island Adventures in Panglao You Should Not Miss

This will be the last in the series of posts about our Bohol Tour (whew! finally.) I should’ve posted it on consecutive dates but my evil foe Mr. Procrastination was always winning lately – blame it on the rain and cold weather. To keep the life flowing on this blog, I deliberately posted some “inserts” in between my bohol tour series. Also, I intentionally reserved our Panglao island hopping escapade to be on the last because for me, this is the most memorable and exciting part of our tour – maybe because I’m a water-and-sunset hopeless-romantic type (weeee).

Don’t miss these three activities if you want to visit Bohol: 


1. Dolphin Watching /Chasing) – Pamilacan Island

I didn’t expect that on this year, I would wake up on a paradise, lazily prepare to go on a boat trip, to chase dolphins.

Well, that is exactly what we did to escape SSDD (Same Shit Different Day) this year – we chase dolphins in Pamilacan Island, how about that for a change? It sure was a lot of fun plus seeing the diverse natural underwater creatures was a sure treat. 

 It's hard to take picture of the dolphins, so we just took some videos

I’ve seen dolphins before in a trained dolphin show in Subic but not those swimming freely in an open sea. These Panglao dolphins are not the common trained entertainers but I’m sure you will enjoy it because I saw other foreign and local tourists, also chasing dolphins who are seemed to be transported in a chorus of jolly cheers and high spirits. Likewise, we are so thrilled everytime we saw school of dolphins jumping off the water. Not too long, the area looks like a cheering contest, with a number of boats carrying other tourists who are also in for some visual and chasing thrills.

2. Finding Nemo - Snorkeling at the Balicasag Island 

It’s now time to calm ourselves after we got our dose of morning adrenaline rush from the thrilling dolphin chase. We docked at the sandy coral line beach of the picturesque Balicasag Island and immediately prepare to look for Nemo. The locals in the island offer fresh fishes and seafood for lunch so we order fresh octopus/squid and a kilo of fish first and have it cooked, while we do our snorkeling spree.

We boarded a smaller banca to bring us to the sanctuary where we will look for Nemo.

Compared to my snorkeling experience in Boracay, the fishes here are more colorful and friendly and showy. We brought with us a pack of loaf bread for the fishes (and for our merienda of course.) I suggest you bring your own loaf of bread for the fishes because the price is tripled if you will buy it on the island. They also provide snorkeling gear and aqua shoes.

Sea urchins offered by bankeros to be eaten raw with vinegar.    

After an hour and a half of fun in finding Nemo and feeding his colorful relatives, we decided to come back to the island for lunch. We had a really delicious fresh sinigang, and adobong pusit – Hakuna  Matata!

3. The Virgin People: Island hopping at the Virgin Island

Our sumptuous lunch re-energized us so it’s now time to sink an Island! We had another few minutes of motor – banca ride from Balicasag until we saw this amazing oasis amidst the open and pristine sea – it’s the Virgin Island!

 What makes this island notable is the long and looping shallow white sand shore that looks like a slightly submerged white semi-circle bridge.

our calendar-girl travel buddies

the beach boys

A few meters on both sides of the “sand bridge” are shallow sea-grass that gives the water a dramatic turquoise touch drifting into dark blue.

Of course, we immediately ready ourselves for our favorite shot – the JUMP SHOT!

On our way back to our resort, we had a quick nap at the banca, we are all exhausted but still, we got this light feeling. Somewhere on the deep recesses of our mind are the happy memories and the bond that this trip brought us.

Our hide-out at the Alona Beach

This is the view that will greet you every morning

calm reflections

when the clock stops ticking

The struggle of the clouds vs. the rising sun

peace on a bloody sunset

Yodz's Note:

We all have busy corporate lives, but this tour and other trips like this gives us the opportunity to pause the bundy clock. To touch base again. My best memories are forged on trips, so I do whatever is necessary to save some money to make an occasional out-of-town trip. Our next stop, maybe Palawan.

Here's the summary of our 2-day Bohol Tour:

» Tagbiliran City Tour
» Visit to Chocolate Hills
» The Blood Compact Site
» Bohol’s Famous Old Churches » Baclayon, Dauis and Loboc Church, Panglao Watchtower
» Minor Stopover » Tarsier Viewing, Man-made Forest, Hanging-bridge, Python and Ostrich Viewing
» Loboc River Buffet Luch Cruise, Hinagdanan Cave, Bohol Bee Farm

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Our tour was arranged by C. Rule Tours and Transpo Services, which offers the cheapest package tour in Bohol for only 3,000 Pesos per head (all-in). I advise you avail of a promo fare from PAL or Cebu Pacific first to save on airfare.

Inclusions:
    * Aircon transfer from airport/ pier to hotel/resort and vice versa.
    * Aircon van for day 1 and day 3 tours
    * Hotel/Resort accommodation (2nights)
    * All entrance fees and permits in all tours
    * Buffet lunch at Loboc River Cruise at day 1
    * Motorized banca for BalicasagIsland(one of the best 3 dive site in the world)
    *dolphin watching and snorkling/swimming.
    * Snorkel Gear / Mask & individual lifeguard/guide.
    * Driving tour guide

Contact Details:

e-mail: c.ruletours@yahoo.com

Mobile: Kuya Cirilo 0917 6310388 or 0922 8748768

More Info Here: http://sulit.com.ph/563742


INFORMATION ON WHERE YOU CAN STAY AT ALONA BEACH
(Our hide-out at the Alona Beach - Highly recommended!)

PLAYA BLANCA de ASTERIA Heritage House
alona beach, danao, panglao, bohol 6340
cel# 09203535708-aster (owner/ general manager)
cel# 09309355875-gene
tel# 502-8307 (evening phone)
tel# 502-4117 (day phone)
email: aster_blessing@yahoo.com

-all rooms are provided with cable TV, private toilet & bath with hot & cold shower.
-wi-fi ready
-beachfront (20-25 meters away from the beach)
-room rate only. no breakfast included
-extra person (mattress only) -Php 200 per head

for convenience, we can also arrange you for:
-massage
-bohol island tours
-boat trips (Island hopping/ Dolphin watching)
-diving packages
-motorbike rentals
-car for hire with driver or self-drive
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Bohol Tour » Three Additional Exciting Things To Do In Bohol

In my previous post about our Bohol tour, I shared some details of our minor activities and stopovers. These are the common activities included in a usual Bohol Tour Package offered by resorts and travel agents. On that post, I mentioned that you have the option not to include some of those activities if you have a very limited time, but still it is up to your group.

On this post I will share to you some of the most exciting part of our Bohol Tour aside from visiting the famous Chocolate Hills, historical sites and old churches.

Here are the other three activities and sites we really enjoyed:   

1. Loboc River Buffet Lunch Cruise

Your trip at this wonderful part of the Philippines is not complete if you haven’t tried the buffet lunch while cruising the Loboc River. This is a very nice afternoon river scenery and fresh air break after being under the sun the whole morning while visiting the Chocolate hills and other sites. If you want it extra romantic, you can schedule this cruise at dinnertime. Perfect and romantic place to propose marriage. Meaning, this activity is best enjoyed with a group, your family or with your “somebody.” Don’t try this alone. 

This is about an hour-and-a-half cruise to the river while having an eat-all-you-can lunch. However, the dishes they served are not that superb. The buffet includes common Filipino dishes such as barbecue, chopsuey, pancit, some fruits and clam soup. 

To make the cruise more memorable, they added three singing guys with their guitar to serenade the tourists onboard. The boat also made a quick stop on a large bamboo raft on the riverbank with singing and dancing locals, mostly children. We really enjoyed this part because we even join the children in singing and we also tried dancing the tricky tinikling dance.        

2. Camwhoring at the Hinagdanan Cave

This stopover is included in our day-2 Panglao Tour activity. After visiting some churches we headed to the Hinagdanan Cave which is a natural underworld cave with natural inviting water pool inside. We go down through short man-made stair to go underneath. Our enthusiastic and friendly local guide told us that we can swim and take a dip of the fresh clean natural water inside the cave but it’s just too eerie – you can’t help but think there might be some underwater monsters underneath.

Hinagdanan Cave is located in Dauis, Panglao Island, around 10-20 minutes drive from Tagbilaran City.

3. Pasalubong Shopping at the Bohol Bee Farm

Yes, Bohol is also known for its bees. So we make sure we drop by at the Bohol Bee Farm, a simple vegetable farm that has grown into a resort that advocates organic farming. It is located in a secluded baranggay in Panglao and is a jewel for organic food buffs and herb enthusiasts. I bought some choco-coated polvoron, ube sticks and a box of guyabano tea.

We got there a little late so we haven’t got the chance to see the beehives. Instead we just spend our remaining minutes enjoying a cone of The Buzzz homemade ice cream. They have awesome flavor such as the malunggay, durian, buko, ube, pandan, spicy ginger, honeyed or halo-halo flavor. Perfect to end the exhausting but memorable day.

Also part of our escapade and the most exciting is our amazing Panglao Island hopping, which includes the exciting dolphin watching and snorkeling at the Balicasag Island – details and pictures on next post.  

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How To Have A Bad Day

» Wake up late, in a panic

» Rush to get ready

» Dress hurriedly
 

» Don't eat breakfast

» Drink lots and lots of coffee

» Cancel gym schedule

» Spend the day without a plan

» Focus on your failures

» Never smile

» Be selfish and unfriendly

» Criticize, blame, and complain

» Think negative thoughts

» Dictate, direct, command

» Always think about salary increase

» Don't forget to nag

» Don't overlook mistakes

» Grumble

» No time for lunch

» Harbor resentment

» Keep rushing

» Don't communicate

» Keep it all to yourself

» Worry about tomorrow

» Be rigid and cranky

» Post negative/hate status on YM, Twitter or Facebook

» Retire with bad thoughts and a full stomach

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Inspirational Story » The Bamboo and the Fern, Reflections on Toxic Mondays

One day I decided to quit…I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality…. I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to reflect and have one last talk with Mother Nature.

“Mother Nature”, I said. “Can you give me one good reason not to quit?”

Her answer surprised me.

“Look around”, she said. “Do you see the fern and the bamboo?”

“Yes”, I replied.

“When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

“In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. The same in year four."

“Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth."

"Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant.

But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall."

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. The Creator would not give any of its creations a challenge it could not handle.

“Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? The Creator would not quit on the bamboo.. He will never quit on you."

“Don’t compare yourself to others,” she said. “The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.

“Your time will come”, she said to me. “You will rise high”

“How high should I rise?” I asked.

“How high will the bamboo rise?” she asked in return.

“As high as it can?” I questioned

“Yes.” she said, “Give yourself a purpose by rising as high as you can.”

I left the forest, realizing that the Creator will never give up on me. And He will never give up on you.

Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness; toxic Mondays and bad days give you experiences; BOTH ARE ESSENTIAL TO LIFE.

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The Guy Who Turns A Red Paperclip Into A House

Who could have thought that a single red paperclip could become the beginning of a great big adventure? During my bloghopping, I came across this blog by Kyle MacDonald called One Red Paperclip. Maybe you already know about him but I think his inspiring take-action-have-fun story is worth repeating.

This Canadian guy Kyle Macdonald was meant to be looking for a job. He was at that point in his life where he wanted his own house. But how could he get a house if he didn’t even have a job?

Thinking back his childhood he remembered the game he loved to play – Bigger and Better, which is a way of trading old stuff to get bigger and better new stuff. And then he saw it. One red paperclip, sitting on his desk, holding the pages of his CV together.

He then bartered his way from a single red paperclip to a house in a series of online trades over the course of a year.

His Trading Adventure

Kyle made his first trade, a red paper clip for a fish-shaped pen, on July 14, 2005. He reached his goal of trading up to a house with the fourteenth transaction, trading a movie role for a house. This is the list of all transactions MacDonald made:

On July 14, 2005, he went to Vancouver and traded the paperclip for a fish-shaped pen.

 

He then traded the pen the same day for a hand-sculpted doorknob from Seattle, Washington, which he nicknamed "Knob-T".

On July 25, 2005, he traveled to Amherst, Massachusetts, with a friend to trade the Knob-T for a Coleman camp stove (with fuel).

 

On September 24, 2005, he went to San Clemente, California, and traded the camp stove for a Honda generator.

On November 16, 2005, he made a second (and successful) attempt (after having the generator confiscated by the New York City Fire Department) in Maspeth, Queens, to trade the generator for an "instant party": an empty keg, an IOU for filling the keg with the beer of the holder's choice, and a neon Budweiser sign.

On December 8, 2005, he traded the "instant party" to Quebec comedian and radio personality Michel Barrette for a Ski-doo snowmobile.

Within a week of that, he traded the snowmobile for a two-person trip to Yahk, British Columbia, in February 2006.

 

On or about January 7, 2006, the second person on the trip to Yahk traded Kyle a cube van for the privilege.

 

On or about February 22, 2006, he traded the cube van for a recording contract with Metal Works in Toronto.

 

 On or about April 11, 2006, he traded the recording contract to Jody Gnant for a year's rent in Phoenix, Arizona.

On or about April 26, 2006, he traded the one year's rent in Phoenix, Arizona, for one afternoon with Alice Cooper.

 

On or about May 26, 2006, he traded the one afternoon with Alice Cooper for a KISS motorized snow globe.

 

On or about June 2, 2006, he traded the KISS motorized snow globe to Corbin Bernsen for a role in the film Donna on Demand.

On or about July 5, 2006, he traded the movie role for a two-story farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan

"I knew it was possible," he said on the BBC's Today programme. "You can do anything if you put your mind to it."

Source: One Red Paperclip Blog

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Bohol Tour » Minor Destinations and Stopovers

To continue the series of posts about our Bohol tour a few weeks ago, I want to share some minor activities and quick stopovers we had. These activities and destinations, such as the tarsier and python/ostrich viewing, quick stop to the man-made forest and the hanging bridges are part of the usual tour package. If you are planning a Bohol tour, I suggest you skip some of these activities and spend the extra time to other worth-seeing and more exciting adventures.

The sad life of the suicidal Tarsier

I thought we were going to a forest or some enclosed thick bushes to see the famous cuddly-looking tarsiers with soft, grayish-fur – or perhaps it’s like a quick hunt in an enclosed forest. But no - we just made a detour in a residential place beside the highway, which is more like a souvenir shop with tarsiers and some flying lemurs in a big stinky cage.

I don’t know but I think there’s something wrong with the display of the tarsiers with tourist interaction on that cages – there’s a touch of cruelty to animals there. Some noisy foreign tourist still have their camera flash on while taking pictures and others are touching it despite the person-in-charge’s “no-flash, no touch” warnings.

Three Interesting Tarsier Facts:

1. They commit suicide during captivity due to trauma from touching and loud noise. (Is that so? Then why are these tarsiers in cages are not yet dead? – maybe they are in group therapy or in some kind of a self-help-pro-life session. ha ha)
 2. They are nocturnal animals and should not be disturbed at day time (Ah, ok. That’s why they are just clinging on those branches and not moving – because they are supposed to be sleeping. I will understand if they hate humans that much. Maybe they are praying that those who are taking pictures with flashes will be re-incarnated as a tarsier in cages too.)
3. They can rotate its head nearly 360 degrees – (Yay! reminds me of the movie “The Exorcist”)

-Source: Philippine Tarsier Foundation Inc.

Eerie Man-Made Forest

Even if it is still noontime, the area has this late-dawn effect due to the towering mahogany trees growing straight up, obscuring the sky by its branches and thick leaves. 

Our initial plan was to do a short horror-comedy video clip on this eerie forest. Myself, in a hood as the killer-with-a-knife chasing the girls. But our camera ran out of battery charge (damn!) and we don’t’ have enough time. Sayang masaya sana yun. What we did is just a few not-so-perfect jump shots.

Hanging-out at the Hanging Bridge 

This hanging bamboo bridge is located across the upper part of the Loboc River. This bridge hangs approximately 20 meters above the Loboc River and slightly sways back and forth as you walk across. Other than the two bridges, there’s nothing there except for a souvenir shop.

Anyway, you can a have a refreshing drink of fresh buko for only 20 pesos there. It’s a good quick stopover to have refreshing break on a long road trip.  

The bored Python, crazy Ostriches and other animals

We have some pictures of the python and the animals in cages but I think they are not worth sharing because I’m sure you’ve already seen one - plus what’s so exciting about animals in cages. I’d rather watch Animal Planet or National Geographic.

However, you can still include this in the tour if you’re a fan of viewing lazy python, snakes, ostriches, owls and other animals in cages.

What I suggest is the zip-line or the butterfly farm instead. Zip-line adventure is definitely more fun than looking at these bored animals. 

Ok that’s all for our minor bohol tour stopovers. I should have included Bohol Bee Farm, Hinagdanan Cave and Bayoyoy the Dwarfman but I think these parts deserve a separate post.

More of Bohol on my next posts!
 
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