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Budget Travel

September 5, 2019 by Jeremy

Bacolod for the Budget Traveler: 4 Thrifty Ways to Enjoy the City of Smiles

Tourists heading for Bacolod with the expectation that it is a sleepy and underdeveloped city will find themselves in for a surprise; the capital of Negros Occidental is lively and thriving, highly urbanized and densely populated. It was named Best Place to Live in the Philippines by MoneySense magazine in 2008, and Top Philippine Model City by The Manila Times in 2017. 

The accolades alone make it a place worthy of a visit, though “highly urbanized” doesn’t mean that you’ll have to shell out a significant amount of money to enjoy yourself. Thrifty travelers will find Bacolod a budget-friendly holiday destination. Below are our tips for a worthwhile trip to the City of Smiles without breaking the bank: 

Stay in a Pension House

Instead of spending a good chunk of change on a hotel room, look towards pension houses instead. Many of them are centrally located at the heart of the city, and rooms typically won’t cost an arm and a leg. These affordable options are a great way to save on costs and keep within your budget; and though the on-site facilities and amenities are more basic than what you’d typically find in a full-fledged hotel, you still will be coming back to clean and comfortable rooms after a day of sightseeing. Ong Bun Pension House is one of our recommendations for no-frills accommodations that don’t skimp on quality service, though there are many other options in Bacolod City.

Dine at Manokan Country

Bacolod is famous throughout the country for 3 things: the vibrant Masskara Festival, held annually every October; the local sweet delicacy known as piaya, an unleavened piece of flatbread filled with muscovado sugar; and chicken inasal. You would do yourself a disservice if you didn’t have this local grilled favorite where it originated from, meaning that a visit to Manokan Country is a must for any trip to Bacolod. 

Manokan Country is the local government’s way of consolidating dozens of inasal stalls previously operating out on the sidewalks into a single complex, for public safety and to legitimize businesses. Each stall has a unique take on the dish, and there is heated debate on which stall makes the best inasal, but it’s safe to say that no matter which one you head into, you’ll be well fed. Begin the meal with a plateful of grilled oysters, a popular appetizer in Manokan Country, and then dig into your chicken—most stalls allow you to choose which part of the bird you’d like to dine on. 

For the complete experience, try isaw or atay, skewers of chicken intestine and liver basted with special seasonings and grilled over charcoal. Best of all, the food is cheap—plates typically cost less than a hundred pesos, exclusive of rice and drinks. 

Visit Mambukal Springs Resort

These hot sulfur springs are now under government management, making them one of the cheapest attractions in Bacolod, with a pay-per-use system of the facilities after a 50-peso entrance fee. Picnic huts are either 300 or 600 pesos depending on the size. Use of the swimming and warm sulfur dipping pools is 50 pesos. Zipline and canopy walk are both priced at 50 pesos. The resort was built by a Japanese man in 1927, which means that there is an ofuro or Japanese bathtub on the premises, as well as a bathhouse built in the neo-classical style that is over 90 years old. 

Use of both facilities start at a hundred pesos. Families and large groups can opt to stay on-site at one of the many accommodation options—there are family cottages and villas available for rent, as well as a tourist lodge. LGU cottages are by far the most cost-effective option, with available airconditioned rooms for couples, 4 persons, and 6 persons that start at 900 pesos. It is believed that a warm soak can relieve muscle tension and promote clear-headedness; the sulfur in the water is also known to have healing benefits for irritated and infected skin, such as in the case of eczema and rashes. 

See The Ruins

What was once an impressive mansion built in the Italianate style of architecture is now a tourist destination that draws hundreds of visitors every year. Built in the early 1900s by a wealthy sugar baron named Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson in memory of his late first wife, only the façade remains standing today after Filipino guerrillas burned the structure down in order to prevent its use by the invading Japanese in the Second World War. 

Now privately owned by the Don’s great grandchildren, the grounds and gardens have since been restored and are fastidiously maintained, making it an excellent location for photos and video shoots. For an entrance fee of 100 pesos, you are free to explore the area, though you may also hire a tour guide to tell you more about the mansion’s history. 

Some of the most iconic dishes and sights one can find in Bacolod don’t come with a steep price. Here, you’ll find a lot of things to do, see, and taste without compromising your budget or the quality of your holiday.

Posted in Budget Travel, The Philippines ·
July 31, 2019 by Jeremy

Things You May Not Have Considered to Research Before Traveling

Anyone who has been on vacation before knows the main elements that go into planning. You need a destination, hotel, transportation (plane, train, or bus tickets or car rental), and of course, some idea of what you’ll do once you arrive. While all of these elements are necessary for a great escape, there are some things travelers should research ahead of time. Forgetting to do so could ruin your entire vacation.

Travel Bans

With the increase of war in foreign countries and health outbreaks, travel bans are being placed on certain destinations. What this means is that individuals from the US are prohibited from traveling to a particular location. If you book an international trip without checking into that first, you could end up wasting a lot of money and being turned away before your trip even gets started.

Travel Warnings

Just as serious as travel bans are travel warnings. If there are reports of wars, natural disasters, health outbreaks, increased crime, or other health and safety risks in a particular region, the federal government will provide a warning to travelers. While a warning doesn’t mean you cannot go on your trip, it does mean that there is an increased risk of something going wrong.

Airport Security Rules

Before you start packing your bags for your trip be sure that you’re not bringing something along that could have you stuck at airport security. Due to increased terrorist attacks, the federal government has strengthened its regulations on what travelers can and cannot bring onboard. While something may seem harmless to you, if found, it could get you in some trouble.

Local Laws

Beyond the airport security regulations you also want to consider where you’re traveling to and any laws they may have there. For instance, if you enjoy smoking a cigar, vaping, or sipping on your favorite bottle of champagne, you may want to first look to see if where you’re traveling to has bans on drinking on the premises or vaping regulations. It would seriously be a pain if you spend all that money and can’t even indulge.

Weather

On a lighter note, you’d be surprised to learn how many people plan a vacation without checking the weather. Imagine thinking you’re going to be on a tropical island basking in the sun only to learn once you arrive that you’re right in the middle of hurricane season? Today’s weather reports are very accurate giving you updates in real-time and really close predictions for future plans.

Passports

If you’re traveling internationally, you’ll need a passport to get through airport security. If you don’t have one, it is imperative to apply for one well in advance. It can take weeks to retrieve a passport and that’s if there aren’t any hiccups along the way. The same is true if your passport is lost or out of date. Have this corrected before departing.

Health Insurance, Credit Cards, and Cell Coverage

Last on the list of things to research before you travel are your health insurance, credit card, and cell phone coverage. You don’t want to get out of town to find out that you don’t have health coverage, your credit cards don’t work, or your phone plan sucks. Do your homework beforehand making sure that you have identified a doctor and hospital in your health insurance provider network where you’re traveling to. You should also contact your credit card company to let them know you’re traveling and make sure your cards will work. Lastly, check with your mobile provider to ensure you have solid coverage. If not, make backup plans for communicating.

The very idea of getting away is so exciting it can cause you to forget some details. Be that as it may, if you haven’t done research on the things discussed above, your trip could be a disaster. Don’t end up unable to travel, stuck at an airport, stuck in due to bad weather, or without proper health or cell phone coverage. Taking these steps ahead of time will ensure that you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your vacation.

Posted in Budget Travel ·
January 1, 2019 by Jeremy

Essential NYC Restaurants for a Group Food Crawl

The city of New York is known as one of the fine cuisine capitals of the world. Some of the best chefs are situated here and people fly from all around the world to come to specific restaurants in the city. It doesn’t matter what type of food, New York City has a great restaurants serving that style of food. They also have great cafeterias, diners and even street food that is also world class. The food joints are spread out through the entire city and in each of the borough’s so if you want to visit any of these amazing places to eat on a group crawl, getting to all of them can be a challenge.

 Hire group transportation

The best way to get you a group around the city any time of day or night on your food crawl, is on a private bus. Renting an NYC tour bus or minibus is simple and can get your group focused on your activities rather than the road. Leave the driving to a professional and let him deal with traffic, traffic tickets, and parking. Now that this part is settled oh, back to the amazing food in New York City.

Here are a few of the most treasured restaurants in New York City that you should consider frequenting on a group food crawl.

Red Rooster

One of Harlem’s most famous eateries because of its Chicken & Waffle plate which features a cornbread waffle sitting beside the most perfectly prepared chicken you have ever had. The honey chili sauce completes the meal.

Mario’s

This NYC tradition is turning 100 years old and is still going strong. Pizza, Linguine with red clam sauce and Veal Marsala have been on their menu the entire time and continue to please. Enjoy their lush interior with great paintings and statues and the complimentary anisette.

Frankie & Johnnie’s Steakhouse

From a speakeasy in 1926 tis NYC icon has become a classic steakhouse serving the juiciest steaks in the city. Frank Sinatra called it his favorite meat joint in the city and you will too.

To set up your tour and get to these and other amazing New York City restaurants, here is a plan for you to follow.

Use an online mapping program

Because of his size and complexity, New York City can be a difficult place to navigate. For this reason you need to map out where you plan to go, the distance between places, and how long it will  likely take for you to get from one place to another. You can use software like Google Maps and Waze to give you a turn by turn map of you best route around the city. You should also play an alternative routes because New York has constant traffic jams and car accidents that can bring traffic to a standstill.

Plan some rest breaks

Traveling in a group means that you have to plan out some stops to make sure the people are comfortable. The mapping programs have locations where there are restrooms, and other places where you can stop and stretch your legs. Take advantage of these places because they might be hours at a time when your group is in the bus.

Make some cool stops

One of the great things about being in New York City is that there are many amazing and cool things that you can see almost on every street. When you make your door what is some stops where your group can going to visit some of these amazing locations. There are museums, art galleries and other attractions that anyone will fall in love with. Stop frequently and it will add to the fun of your food crawl.

Plan out Your Accommodations Early

Is your plan to stay in New York City overnight or over several nights? If you notice in advance you really need to book your hotels before you get to the city. New York City is famous for his hotels and also for those hotels being completely. Don’t have your group sleep in the bus, instead book your hotel rooms before you get to the city.

Help fight boredom

One way to you keep your group occupied when they’re on the bus is to bring along some games for them to play. You can also bring cards, and perhaps tablet computers for them to do some online gaming will check their email.

Posted in Budget Travel, Destination, USA · Tagged Bus, Rental ·
December 16, 2018 by Jeremy

Why Family Vacations are So Special

Every summer, a good number of families across the country plan out and go on a family vacation. It is a rite of summer and families are happy to indulge because of the wonderful times they have and the opportunities to spend interrupted time with each. A few of the reasons why families love going on vacation together are as follows:

You Get to Go to Fun Places

One of the best things about a family vacation is that families love to go to fun and exciting places on vacation. One of the most popular destinations for families are theme parks. Each year millions of families travel around the country to go to the most popular theme parks and of course the favorites are the Walt Disney theme parks based in Anaheim. California and Orlando. Florida. Disneyland and Disney World contain some of the most iconic and entertaining rides, and attractions anywhere. Families travel thousands of miles to go to these spectacular parks and fight against the crowds of other excited families.

Still many other families choose to not go to the Disney parks because there are so many people and the queues in the park are so long. Many in this group do not realize that you can avoid queues by pre-buying your Disney tickets online. You can select any type of ticket for either of the parks and for each member of your family. In addition to saving you lots of time in queues waiting to purchase tickets, you can also get a good discount when you buy Disney tickets online.

You Get to Spend Time with Everyone

The Western lifestyle today is that each member of the family must always be occupied. Parents work more hours and when you add in the commutes, they rarely have time during the week to do anything other than work. On the weekends there is catching up on cleaning around the house, doing yard work and trying to spend some time with friends and family.

Young people in addition to going to school five days a week typically have extracurricular activities including sports, playing a musical instrument, and social clubs. With whatever time is left over they’re doing homework or trying to spend time with friends. What this means is that the family actually spends little time together.

A family vacation gives the family the chance to spend long periods of uninterrupted time together in a fun atmosphere.  Family vacations always entail lots of family activities and usually long travel time where the family gets to interact with each other. It is a great time to bond and catch up on all of the missed conversations.

You Make Memories That Last a Lifetime

For most of us, some of our fondest memories are from our family vacations. These summer excursions are the perfect time to bring everyone together around fun and exciting traveling. Family vacations often involve theme parks, museums, cultural events, family reunions, and other events that are great picture taking opportunities. You see family and friends that you haven’t seen in a while and won’t see for a long while again, so great memories are created and captured.

Family vacations are some of the best times for every member of the family. If you have the chance to take your family to a theme park or someplace else that is fun during the summer, do not pass up the chance.

Posted in Budget Travel, Destination, USA · Tagged Discounts, Disney, Tickets ·
December 16, 2018 by Jeremy

How to Bring Romance Back into Your Relationship

No matter how romantic a person you are, over time your romantic relationship can lose some of its steam. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your relationship is in trouble or that you love each other any less, only that the spontaneity and excitement that was a near-daily part of your relationship has been replaced with repetition and responsibilities.

Perhaps job requirements have increased and maybe there are kids around who certainly don’t increase your desire for romance, or maybe you just failed to notice until you see a couple who are romantic with each other and then it hits you that this part of your relationship has gone dormant. Whatever the situation is that created the realization, you need to take it seriously and you need to do some things now. Here are two things that you can do put a spark back in your relationship.

Book a Romantic Weekend Getaway

Because of our busy schedules, most of us have a really difficult time getting away on a long vacation. These types of excursions take lots of planning, a good deal of money, and coordination with your spouse and the rest of your family on where you actually going to go. So suggesting that you take a long romantic vacation will probably only add more stress to your situation.

Instead, how about you book a romantic weekend break with your significant other. The UK offers great romantic weekend packages that will fit within your budget and deliver a weekend worth of love to the two of you. Each of the getaway destinations are beautiful and many are in older classic homes and estates located in the country, near beautiful forests and rivers, and even along the shore. The weekends are inclusive of everything you need to turn on the romance.

In addition to a romantic setting you can also order in advance champagne, chocolates, and any other specific food you want delivered to your room. You can also have breakfast in bed, in the garden, or by the pool. You can even choose to never leave your room the entire weekend and decide together how to rekindle your low burning flame together. A UK romantic weekend getaway is the perfect choice to bring some romance back to your relationship.

Send a Surprise Naughty Gift

If you’ve never sent or a naughty gift to someone you are romantically involved with, then you don’t have any idea of the potential response. There’s something about a person buying and sending sexy underwear, toys, or even handcuffs that can really get a person’s juices flowing. Perhaps it’s the thought that your significant other went through all the trouble to locate and then purchase the garment or toy, or perhaps it just brings back memories of a more exciting past. Whatever the reason, the result is that sparks will usually begin to fly again. To spice things up even more, send the gift to your significant other anonymously and don’t let them know that it was you until the two of you are alone at night.

Remember that the most important part about creating sparks in your the mental part so whether it’s a weekend getaway or a sexy surprise naughty gift don’t downplay the mental aspects of your efforts  Build up anticipation and drama and make things as mysterious as possible. This adds to the excitement and romance.

If you choose either or both of these ideas on a regular basis, you are sure to be back to the same romantic level but you are at when you first met.

Posted in Budget Travel, Destination, Inspiration, London · Tagged Holiday, Weekend Getaway ·
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JeremyWelcome to Top Spot Travel.com! Your source for all things travel from budget holidays to 5-star resorting, you can find it all here, and hopefully crack a smile while you're at it. Enjoy!
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