There’s a lot of land to cover, especially if you plan to go to every single one like Filipinas Luisa Yu and Kach Umandap, who made the news recently for doing so despite their age and the limits of a Philippine passport.
Where to start?
For novice travelers, the best answer is to check out all Visa-free destinations available to Philippine passport holders, of which there are currently over 30 such as Morrocco and Brazil.
Every seasoned traveler will tell you to take advantage of off-season dates and book tickets early to save money. Outside of winter destinations, January and February are generally agreed upon to be the best months for traveling, with cheaper fares on flights and accommodations.
And when you get your tickets, accommodation, and immigration requirements, you can zero in on the more fun parts of traveling — planning your itinerary — with our short guide here.
Making a Killer Itinerary
A basic rule of thumb you can adopt when traveling is to consider leisure and how you can tailor your trips around three things: food, shopping, and entertainment. Depending on how you prioritize each of these, you can narrow down your destination of choice and build an itinerary out of it. We at Rolling Stone Philippines believe that a meaningful journey is hinged on experiences that delight us in different ways.
For Food, Look No Further than Asia
For first-time travelers, a fool-proof way to get acquainted with traveling for your tastebuds is to survey our neighboring nations in Asia.
Japan, for its diverse and distinctive culinary offerings, continues to be a top destination for Pinoys who love fresh seafood, a plethora of fried food, and desserts like mochi and kakigōri that bear striking similarities to our own kakanin and halo-halo.
Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia also offer familiar flavors linked to our taste sensibilities: curries, various fried proteins paired with rice, and a fresh assortment of produce, among others.
Europe, a Retail Haven
European cities like Paris, Milan, and London have long been considered centers of fashion and home to storied designer houses and emerging design talents. If you time your trips during sale seasons (between July and September for summer sales and December to February for winter sales) you might just snag high-end labels at a discount.
Whichever country or continent you find yourself in, adhering by these three traveling considerations — food, entertainment, and shopping — will make your trip feel more like a fun experience than a stiff schedule that does nothing but tick off each tourist attraction.
Looking for Best Deals
There are travel fairs, like the one currently happening called The Great BDO Travel Sale. Throughout January, you can get deals on flights, cruises, accommodations, travel insurance, and prepackaged experiences just by using your BDO Credit and Debit Cards during the entire duration of The Great BDO Travel Sale.
Take advantage of exclusive fares as well as cruise packages to local and international destinations through partner airlines like Philippines Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, EVA Air, China Airlines, Asiana Airlines, AirAsia and more. Plus, select travel partners also offer Fly Now, Pay Later at 0% percent interest on a 3-month term and pay three months later when you use your BDO Credit Card. For more details on travel deals, visit The Great BDO Travel Sale in SM City Cebu on January 24 to 26 or go to www.bdo.com.ph/travel until January 31.
The most epic trips always start with a plan, and the best way to kickstart your travel planning is keeping an eye out for these regular BDO Travel Sales. Score great deals on your tickets and even book pre-packaged experiences to make building your trip itineraries a breeze.
