• Asia,  Taiwan,  Travel

    Seven Day Vacation in Taiwan

    In 2017, my friends and I were playing with the idea of vacationing in Taiwan for the first quarter of 2018 to explore its countryside. We agreed that if cheap fares become available, then we’ll push through with it. In November 2017, two of us – Melvin and I – were able to book a flight with Cebu Pacific Air for PHP 4,500 (USD 86.95) each pax, no check-in bag included. Days before the flight, we added 15kg of check-in bag for PHP 690 (USD 13.33) each passenger per way. Another friend, Carol, decided to join part of the trip and booked her flight in January 2018.   Another thing…

  • Czech Republic,  Europe,  Hungary,  Transportation,  Travel

    Booking Budapest-Prague Sleeper Train Using Hungarian Railways Website

    Igal and I took the sleeper train from Budapest, Hungary to Prague, Czech Republic. If you’ve decided to travel the same way between these two cities/countries, below is a guide on booking a private compartment for 2 people using the Hungarian Railways Website. 1. Go to https://www.mavcsoport.hu/en 2. Fill-up the search fields with the following details: FROM: Budapest Keleti TO: Praha hl.n. DATE: <your trip date> 3. Unless you are entitled to a discount, retain FULL FARE in the drop down option then click the Search button 4. In the outward journey Select sleeping car Select own compartment Select 2 in number of passengers Input date of birth and gender…

  • Czech Republic,  Europe,  Travel,  Visa

    Applying for a Short-Term Schengen Visa at the Czech Republic Embassy in Manila

    Before picking the Czech Republic Embassy for your Schengen Visa application, you have to make sure first that you are applying at the correct embassy. You can submit you visa application at the Czech Republic Embassy only if your trip meets one of these three: Your destination is just one country which is the Czech Republic; You’re visiting multiple countries and the longest stay will be at the Czech Republic; You’re visiting multiple countries with equal length of stay and Czech Republic is your point of entry (ie., the first country you’ll visit)   The earliest you can apply for a Schengen visa is three months before the start of…

  • Asia,  Taiwan,  Travel

    Staying Connected While in Taiwan

    When on a trip, some people are able to stand not being connected when they’re outside their hotel while others can’t. For those who prefer to always be online, one way to stay connected while in Taiwan is by buying a prepaid sim card that comes with data. You can buy a sim card at the airport’s arrival hall or in stores around the city. When I arrived at Taoyuan International Airport, I didn’t have an immediate need for data so I purchased one in the city instead of the airport. I stayed in New Taipei City and opted to buy a Taiwan Mobile sim card days after my arrival.…

  • Asia,  Philippines,  Travel

    A Weekend in San Juan, La Union

    What will you do when you’re feeling some wanderlust but you only have the weekend to spare? Consider going to La Union! Here are some details about my weekend trip to San Juan with friends.   TRANSPORTATION Very important note when you’re taking public transportation: take a bus which uses TPLEX! We took a Vigan bound Partas bus departing from its Cubao station at four in the morning one Saturday of September 2016. Our travel time took 8 hours! There were a lot of stops since it didn’t go through TPLEX. We actually didn’t check the route and just took the earliest departing bus. The fare from Cubao terminal to…