For 5 seconds, my life and the future that I have envisioned for myself flashed right before my eyes. I didn't know near-death experiences (which felt like it) could feel like that. And I didn't know I'd soon be tasting its violent reaction last night, on my way home.
What better way to say thank you to all of my readers than to host another giveaway, right? It's been months since I hosted my first ever giveaway. And since Budget Biyahera has been blessed with so many awesome surprises from then on, I would like to give back by surprising my readers with my own set of travel goodies! =)
So what's in Budget Biyahera's Goodie Bag? Let's see!
Budget Biyahera as a blog has been up for several years now. Although still young in age, I am very much grateful for all the little (yet super big deal) recognitions that I've been getting throughout the years, especially at present.
During the 2nd quarter of 2012, Meet Manila (the Philippines newest and most comprehensive travel portal wherein #ThoughtfulTourism is promoted) invited me to one of their 'Tertulia Night' events. From there, I was awarded as one of the Empowered Travelers after sharing my views on 'What it means to be an empowered traveler'. On top of that, I was also gifted with a new Lenovo Q350 phone --- a very handy device that could certainly help the wanderluster in me.
Along with the perks of being an Empowered Traveler, I was also given the chance to contribute for the POSTCARDS section on one of the Philippines travel magazines: TRAVEL.
I just wanted to share my love of collecting Starbucks City Mugs! ♥
Yes! These babies makes me smile each and every time I see them. I've actually been to each one of these destinations except for NYC, Florida, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (gift from family and friends) -- all of which are also listed on my must-see-places!
I'm actually missing a few more city mugs (mugs from Baguio, Batangas, Boracay, Naga, Pampanga, Tagaytay, Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Pattaya, Thailand). So whoever wants to surprise me on my birthday this November, those missing destination mugs will surely make me the happiest girl! :)
When it comes to annual summer vacations, I would usually be one of my family's go-to persons when it comes to:
*Doing research on prospective vacation spots
*Coordinating with the resort representatives
*Coordinating the schedules of each family members vacation leaves
*Making accommodation bookings
*Making a feasible itinerary
*Finalizing and managing of our budget
*Paying lodging and transportation costs
*Huddling the whole group when the next adventure awaits
Me at the Zestair check-in counter -- Double checking everyone's ticket!
These are my usual tasks when my BIG FAMILY goes out of town. It has never been an easy job but I've always found a sense of fulfillment when I get to lead this "big group". And since I've always considered myself to be a really organized and OC person, I've always managed to get things (and people) going on schedule. So if there was an epic trip that I would like to share, it would have to be our Boracay escapade(s).
It was my first time to fly to the Visayas area in 2010. I flew all the way to Cebu to pursue my dream job. But when things didn't go the way that I've hoped for, Rubel and I just distracted ourselves with a DIY tour around Cebu --- Plus a side trip to Bohol.
So what did we see in Metro Cebu that was worth seeing? Here's our top choices:
TRYING OUT THE FAMOUS SKY EXPERIENCE ADVENTURE
Sky Experience Adventure with mis amigas Yen and Ruth -- and Rubel! :P
Balay Da Blas in Laoag city is a gem. It was truly comforting to have found a place where we could rest our weary bodies. Sure, going around the different towns of Ilocos for 4 straight days (1 night in Vigan, 2 nights in Pagudpud) was a lot of fun. But finding a place where we could really stay for some R&R can also give a different high when traveling non-stop.
Budget Biyahera is about finding fun and distinct food and destinations, accommodations, products/gears and activities that people can enjoy on a ‘regular’ person’s budget and schedule.
