10 Ways to have a wallet-friendly vacation

Summer is here! It's time to travel, see the world and learn so much about this Earth and yourself! So many places to go, so little money though! Let's be real, we're not Paris Hilton and do not have an international hotel chain our dear Grandpops owns and stay at anytime we want. Here's how you can travel and still be kind to your wallet.

1. RESEARCH

It is always important to do your research properly. Do not book the first airline you come across or the first hotel you like. Compare prices across all online platforms and even with the airline/hotel directly because sometimes hotels offer a lower rate as compared to an Online Travel Agent (OTA) and are also flexible with your reservation (i.e. You need to cancel or postpone your trip due to unforeseen circumstances).

Read reviews on Tripadvisor and get feedback from friends who have visited the destination/hotel. The website may look lovely and really posh for the price you're paying, but in actual fact it's all Photoshoped.

2. CREATE A SPECIFIC BUDGET PLAN

I created this budget plan for my own personal use about two years ago when I wanted to keep track of my travel expenses. Being a poor student, every single cent counts. Give yourself a cushion of 10% to fall back on in times of emergency.

3. PLAN EARLY

Planning, NOT booking, in advance is always good. Give it room to be flexible and change. If you intend to embark on a big/expensive trip, plan from 4 months to a year in advance. This gives you enough time to find the right deal, the right destination and also to save for the trip.

4. SAVING

Once you've budgeted the rough estimate of your trip, start saving! I never liked the idea of dipping into your savings account (meant for education/rent/retirement), and created a new bank account solely for my travels.

Once I've settled on an amount, I will take a look at the time frame I have to save and divide it equally by the number of months I have to save.

For example, I will be travelling to New Zealand in October for a 10 day trip. My budget is $2,500 and I started planning (or rather, thinking about it) in January. Thus, I need to save $250 each month for my trip.

Next, ask yourself if the monthly amount is comfortable for you? If it's not, are you able to lower the budget (doing lesser activities or having a shorter trip) or are you able to move the trip to the following months to give you more time to save.

5. BOOKING AT THE RIGHT TIME

There is always a right time for everything. According to travel gurus:

• Book between 6 to 8 weeks in advance to get the best deal on international travel
• Book between 9-12 months in advance if you plan to visit a tourist hotspot during a “peak” holiday period (prime example: New York during Christmas/New Year’s Day)
• Book on a Tuesday or Wednesday at 1am due to airlines reloading their booking systems with the latest low-cost fares

Also be flexible with your travel dates. Try not to travel on the weekends because that’s when tickets can really jump in price.The difference a day or two make can equate to hundreds of dollars.

6. PACKING

Packing light allows you to hand carry your luggages and save money on buying check-in luggage. Budget airlines tend to charge check-in baggage separately. Toiletries tend to be the heaviest in the luggage and I will usually just buy it once I've landed at my destination at the nearest convenience store.

Wear your heaviest clothes to the plane like jackets, shoes and hats that would just weigh down your backpack.Checking in your luggages also increases the chance of your luggage getting delayed or missing too!

7. TRAVEL DURING OFF SEASONS

I always like to travel during off seasons if I can. There's lesser tourists and everything is just cheaper! Of course, there's a reason for it being off seasons. Is the weather rainy? Is it cold? All those factors actually play a big part, and if you're ok with that, you're set to go!

We visited Pulau Redang in March this year. Pulau Redang is usually closed (yes, the entire island) from October to February due to the Monsoon Season and will generally open from March onward. Peak Season is between May - July. When Redang opens once again in March, the island's experiencing the tail end of the rainy Monsoon Season and prices for accommodations are generally low. About 20-30% cheaper, and the accommodation prices usually includes full board meals! We were thankful that it didn't rain at all during our weekend there.

8. STAYING WITH FRIENDS/FAMILY (or you can couch surf)

Why not? It's free!

Always ask for permission before hand and it is always better if you are able to find someone that you're once close to, but have drifted apart. Use this opportunity to catch up and you will even have a local guide in that destination.

Of course you may not have a relative in every country you visit. You can try couch surfing or even hostels. You are able to meet plenty of people from all walks of life, gain new friends and experiences and even share an itinerary together!

9. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Need I say more? Trains and buses are always cheaper than renting a car. You get to immerse in the local sights, sounds and culture and get to travel the way they do! Unless you're in Jeju and renting a car is already very cheap and there are hardly any buses around.

10.SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS

I know in Singapore, we have this Personal Data Protection Act in which consumers love, but I don't. I love signing up for newsletters and receiving junk mail. Of course, I have a separate email account set up specifically for this. Numerous times I've saved 10-20% off accommodation because the newsletters comes with discount codes. In May, our air tickets to Hong Kong was half price because it was 1 for 1! I wouldn't have known if I didn't register for the newsletter!

At the heart of everything.

Dorsett Mongkok Hotel, Hong Kong Review!

Address: 88 Tai Kok Tsui Rd, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 3987 2288
Website: http://www.mongkok.dorsetthotels.com
Email: info.mongkok@dorsetthotels.com

Dates of Stay: 16 - 18 May
Category: Superior Room - 1 King Bed
Description: Measuring 210 square feet, this city-view guestroom offers 1 queen bed or 2 single beds with 300-thread-count linens. The room has high ceilings and a large window. The 26-inch flat-screen TV comes with cable/satellite channels. Wireless and wired Internet access is available (surcharge). Other conveniences include a coffee/tea maker, minibar, complimentary bottled water, and an in-room safe. Slippers are provided, too. The mosaic-tiled bathroom is outfitted with a refreshing rainfall showerhead. All rooms are nonsmoking.
Cost: HK$1,973.40 for 2 nights.

I know this is WAAAAAY over due, but because I have been so lazy busy, and I've had several trip since Hong Kong, and I'm finally down to writing this! >.<

We visited in May, in the sweltering heat of Hong Kong's Summer (heard from my friends who are working there that it just got hotter and even more humid). We stayed at Dorsett Mongkong which is centrally located (in my opinion). I've stayed there in the past when it was named Cosmo Hotel Mongkong during a school trip in University.

Although the hotel may not be located right next to the MTR station, nor near any major shopping malls, it was the best I could find along that particular MTR line and within my budget. Besides, the hotel provided shuttles buses to and from major places of interest like Ladies Market and Mongkok MTR Station.

I wanted to stay on the Tung Chung Line because we were arriving from Macau and will be transferring at Hong Kong Station, and subsequently, headed towards Disneyland where we stayed at Auberge Discovery Bay Hotel.

Before checking in, I emailed the hotel to request for a nice view and a high floor if possible. They complied and the view from the room is fantastic! We stayed on the 18th floor and despite the room being rather small, there's a full length window allowing natural light to enter the room. There's also a ledge in front of the window to allow you to place your luggage, or in our case, just sit there and enjoy the view.

Washroom

As I've mentioned before, the room is really really small, and fitting in a luxurious bathroom is definitely not as option. I remember watching a drama on television when I was younger, and Lydia Sum, a famous paunchy Hong Kong actress, saying that the houses/rooms in Hong Kong were so small, she has to remove her clothes before going into the toilet to shower. That phrase was stuck in my head when I entered the washroom. I'm not complaining though, I know all washrooms in the city are about this size. At least the washroom was cosy and clean and I had enough space to place all my toiletries in and have a shower.

The fridge/minibar is located just outside the washroom, and I must stay that all the empty spaces around the room. is actually allocated a necessary item or furniture.

Bedroom

 There's a comfy double bed located right smack in the middle of the room. I also love how the natural light is able to enter and fill up the room. You also have the option of bringing the blinds down should the sun be too bright or if you want some privacy. Personally, our room was almost to the top most level of the building and there's no other tall buildings around us to invade our privacy, we just left the blinds up and bask in the warmth. It would be a waste not to.

Yes, you guessed it, that's the measly wardrobe. Not like we're hanging up anything though. Besides, there were pull out drawers with enough space to put all your stuff.

The writing desk is just located next to the window, allowing natural light to enter the room and giving you enough light to do your work. I believe this hotel, after all is a business hotel.

Placed on the writing desk is this Handy device which is very similar to an iTouch. It is a handhelf device which you can bring out and it comes with internet connection! Thus, you don't need to pay for WiFi in the room because you can use the Handy as a Wireless Hotspot and just connect your mobile phone to it.

It is also loaded with information of all the attractions around Hong Kong, it has Google Maps and thus we never got lost, and we're even able to make FREE calls to Singapore. This was probably the best thing that came with the room.

Overall

The staff were friendly and helped us whenever possible, and like I mentioned before, we were located on a really high level. At times, there were so much human traffic going up and down the lifts, it just took forever for us to get in the lift, or for the lift to come to our floor.

Otherwise, the location is good, the room is clean though small, and the bed is comfy. There are a plethora of Cha Chan Tings and convenience stores located around the hotel, so you'll never be hungry in the middle of the night. I had so much to eat I even got a bad stomach ache on the 2nd night, G just went down to 7-11 to buy stomach ache pills for me.

40 Tourist Scams to Avoid This Summer

We all love to travel, and it sucks when you've been cheated, robbed or scammed. You are unable to enjoy your holiday, you're stressed out, and all you think about is the lost wallet. So here are some scams that are infamous around tourist attractions all around the world. 

This post was originally taken from Imgur. Thought I should share it with the world!

Short getaway with the girlfriends...

Turi Beach Resort, Batam Review

After working behind the desk for too long, we all deserve a little break and it feels wonderful to be standing on the other side of the check-in desk. My girlfriends (from work) and I jumped at the opportunity when Groupon had a deal to go to Batam for just SG$99! It included round trip ferry and also a night's stay at Turi Beach Batam.

Turi Beach Batam

Address: Jl. Hang Lekiu, Nongsa  Batam - 29465, Indonesia
Tel: +62-778 761 080
Website: http://www.turibeach.com/
Email: reservations@turibeach.com

Dates of stay: 2-3 July 2014
Category: Premier Twin Bedded Room + 1 Extra Bed
Upgraded to: Deluxe Room in Riani Wing
Size: 42 sqm
Price: S$99 on Groupon Deal
Includes: Two way ferry, three adult breakfasts, & one extra bed (triple sharing)
Excludes: Ferry taxes

RECEPTION/LOBBY

reception

We were picked up by the complimentary hotel shuttle service and ferried very quickly over to the hotel! At first we couldn't find the hotel representative (very common for Batam hotels and resorts to send someone to hold the hotel's signboard) and I told my girlfriends to go to the shop to buy a few snacks while I searched for the guy. Found him after a while of searching.

my countrymen checking in

We arrived at the lobby, and it's this big, spacious area of... Space? There's a large spacious desk right in the middle of the lobby, forming an island of safety for the front desk staff, and that's about it. There were no lounge chairs or coffee tables that could surround the front desk or even scattered around the lobby. 

lobby area

Also, since nobody really greeted us, or offered us assistance with our bags, or even made eye contact, we just stood there feeling lost, and after a while we just let all the impatient Singaporeans check in first and just spammed a whole lot of selfies while waiting. After all, we're on holiday and were in no rush to really check in (or even move). We also happen to be in hospitality and understand how out comrades behind the desk feels. 

We were offered this lovely ginger tea as a welcome drink. Boy, was it spicy!

sea view from the lobby

G stayed at Turi before and he really liked the new wing better as compared to the old wing, so I tried my luck and asked the reception for a room in the new wing. Besides, the fine print on Groupon stated that we're entitled to a complimentary upgrade if we stayed over the weekdays. The kind lady informed us that there will be no elevators, and a whole lot of climbing. We didn't mind. We're all fat and need to work out a little. Haha. But, I really did appreciate the fact that she informed us, prior to us actually finding out. 

ROOM

patio/balcony in front of the room

The rooms in the new wing are all stand alone and seperate from the main hotel block. It seems like all the rooms are built on stilts and staggered down the hill. We would have a lovely view if not for the large tree right at our doorstep. 

Sliding glass door & netted door

So the main door is actually a sliding door from the patio, followed by a screen door to keep insects out (which is quite useless because mosquitoes flew in anyway). I must say they really cleaned the glass door really well, because I tried walking through it when I wanted to go out to the patio. Thank goodness the door did not shatter. My knee hurt though.

Klutz is my middle name. 

Two twin beds with a sofa bed

The room is really simple with basic necessities. Just twin beds, simple TV, hot water flask, coffee and tea, etc. The room is also equipped with both aircon and a ceiling fan! I like that they provide us options, and not just forcing us to choose between cold aircon and stifling heat. 

Bathroom!

The bathroom is almost as large as the bedroom . With all that space, I was a little disappointed that there's no bathtub. The bathroom seems very modern and is actually done up pretty well, even though the design is really simple. There's also the option of having a rain shower or just the traditional shower head.

Simple design

POOL 

Pool at Tirta (Old) Wing

There are two pools at Turi with one nearer to each wing. We mainly stayed at the pool over at the older wing because it was better maintained and also had an amazing view of the sea. There's also a beautiful lawn where we kept taking photos and doing yoga poses.

On the 2nd day, we went to the pool over at the new wing, unfortunately we were unable to spot any service staff, and while I was cold and drenched, I had to walk over to the other pool to get towels. 

Pool nearer to Riani (New) Wing

Like all gluttons, we ordered lots of food and drinks (though menu is not extensive, food quality nothing fantastic) to the pool side. Our half eaten pizza (which we were kind of saving) was attacked by birds and we had to discard it. I was a little disheartened because I really wanted to eat it. Spoken like a true piggy. 

While the pizza was attacked by birds, we were attacked by mosquitoes! 

MOZZIES!

Beautiful sunset at Island Bar

I must add that there is a pest problem with Mosquitoes!! There were mozzies flying in the room (even after killing two), there were mozzies in the toilet, at the pool and a whole swarm by Island Bar on the pier. I think I was bitten at least a dozen times the whole 15 mins we were checking out the pier and the bar. 

Pier/jetty leading out from Island Bar

At first we were commenting on how beautiful the sunset was and what a lovely place to chill and have a drink after dinner, quickly turned to us taking as many photos as we could in the fastest possible time, and getting the hell out of there. 

What a waste. 

OVERALL 

Even though I had fun, it would be because of the company I had. Turi beach seems pretty dated, even after renovation works and the new wing. The service staff were all warm and friendly, but the hardware is seriously lacking. The pools should be maintained better, the food quality should improve and not serve me soggy fish & chips. 

Personally, I feel that once a week at least, Turi should start fogging their property to rid it of mozzies. Without all the scratching and applying of ointment, I would have enjoyed myself more.

I'm not sure if I would go back though, with all the upcoming new properties around Batam boasting better shoreline and view, newer rooms and better food. 

Breakfast with a view!

Auberge Discovery Bay Hotel, Hong Kong Review

Beautiful view from the room

Beautiful seaview, amazing sunsets, mountains as your backdrop. NO HIGH SKYSCRAPERS. You'd never imagine those phrases are of this hidden gem tucked away from the hassle and bustle of city life in Hong Kong.

Address: Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong 88 Siena Avenue, Discovery Bay Lantau Island, Hong Kong
Tel: +(852) 2295 8288
Website: http://www.aubergediscoverybay.com/
Email: enquiry@aubergediscoverybay.com  

Dates of stay: 18th - 19th May 2014
Category: Ocean Front Room
Description: All Ocean Front Rooms feature a sunken bath and floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the quiet calm and enjoy the all-encompassing sea view.
Size:  355 square feet (33 square meters)
Price: S$257.82
Includes: Two-hour complimentary wireless internet access per stay, walk-in rain shower, pillow menu.

Everyone knows how busy and hectic Hong Kong can be. Never sleeping with late night steamboats, char chan ting, shopping; metropolitan city that is bursting with life and colour at every minute. 

We found this treasure whilst on a search for Disneyland Hotels. Yes, I visited Disneyland and saw all my favourite princesses. But when I was at Auberge Discovery Bay, I became the princess instead. 

We booked with an Online Travel Agent (because I had a voucher I wanted to use and spend on somewhere fancy). They had choices like mountain view, sea view, a suite with panorama sea view. So, we opted for just the regular room with a seaview. 

BEDROOM

The room is 3-4 times the size of the hotel room on mainland Hong Kong. It would have been the size of a really expensive suite back on Hong Kong. Not to mention the view. 

Bed & separate sitting area

The king bed is so large, G and I could sleep like a starfish and we'd both still have space. The interior design of blue and green suited the calm sea and greenery that surrounds Discovery Bay. 

Large King Bed

I also loved the fact that there's a reading light located above and on each side of the bed. I tend to write my travel musings while in bed and I didn't want to disturb G while he sleeps. 

Sitting area

The room also has a seperate sitting area for you to lounge and watch TV. But seriously, who would actually watch TV with that killer view! 

BATHROOM 

If you've read my other posts, you know I'm a fanatic for beautiful hotel bathrooms. It's just my thing. I'd love the bathroom more than the bedroom itself. 

His & Her sinks

Because we've booked a seaview room, the bathroom actually comes with a sunken bath instead of a bathtub. When I found out before the trip, I was desperately trying to find pictures of sunken baths, because I had no idea what that was. Google gave me pictures of round tubs, jacuzzis, ancient Roman baths (hahaha, what the hell?). But nothing popped up like how Auberge's sunken bath is. 

Sunken Bath!!!!!!

It's basically the area where you shower, the square. But sunken. Literally a sunken.. Bath? You have to walk 2-3 steps down into the bath. It's much more spacious than a bathtub, fills up like a tub, but no sloshing of water onto the floor (like how a normal tub does) when you a splash around like a little girl... AND THE VIEW. 

It was quite hilarious to see G amazed with the design (typical engineer) and contraptions of how the bath fills and drains. 

Oh, the tiles in the bath are anti-slip, but still smooth enough so you don't get scratched. I love the attention to detail here. 

IN-ROOM DINING

We ordered breakfast to the room because we were just lazy and didn't want to leave the room. Come on, have you seen the view? 

Best view for breakfast!

We ordered only one set of American breakfast, asked for two sets of cutleries and 2 glasses of water. It came with three sets. Okay.. 

The night before, we ordered fries & some snacks, and when the server came, we asked for mayo which he left to get. I was just telling G that if he was an attentive server, he'd come back with my mayo, and another set of cutleries. Nope, he came back with just mayo. 

View from the bathroom

I must be very spoilt and expect servers to 'read my mind'. But that's what luxury is all about. Anticipation of guest's needs. 

Not to worry though, it didn't ruin the stay, but other than the view, the service didn't blow me away. 

POOL

The pool is located outdoors, and remember about the mountainous backdrop I was telling you about? Yes. Too beautiful. 

Deck chairs by the pool

Although we requested for a late check out when I was emailing the reservation team and they said they could check and see if they could accord me a late check out till 3pm. But when I reconfirmed with the front desk agent, they only gave me until 1pm. I'm not complaining though, I totally understand if the hotel is full (I'm a hotelier too) but it was a Monday, so I have my reservations about that. 

Too bad we went at night

So after we checked out, we headed to the pool to just chill and kill some time as our flight was only at 6pm. You could even borrow those noodle float thingy and just splash around like a kid. I was a very happy kid. 

Swimming with such a beautiful view!

After your swim, there's even a changing and shower room, decked with lockers for you to keep your valuables! Though there's only two shower cubicles, it was still quite early in the afternoon, and not to mention a weekday, so I didn't have anyone fighting to use the shower facilites with me. 

I could even blow dry my hair in peace and not worry my mess is eating into other people's space. 

LOCATION

If you take a look at the map of Hong Kong, you'd see that Discovery Bay is located on Lantau Island away from the mainland. Not too far from where Disneyland is located. This being said, Auberge is located where no private cars or taxis are allowed access. Only discovery bay public buses or hotel's transport are allowed. I guess they're trying to keep the exclusivity. 

Maps of Hong Kong

So, you can imagine how secluded it is. If you're thinking of going back into the city, think twice. Just getting to Sunny Bay MTR will be such a hassle, let alone the long journey back to town. 

Bus stops to take public bus into Discovery Bay

The hotel provides shuttle buses to and from Sunny Bay MTR, Disneyland and several major stops on Hong Kong Island (though timing is very limited), I guess in a way to be more accessible. On the last night after we had our fill of Disneyland, we were rushing to catch the shuttle bus, but we were not sure if it left early and we missed it, or it never showed up. 

Sunny Bay MTR Station

We took the public bus instead. Though it's a public bus, the bus fare was about twice the amount than normal. I guess you don't have a choice because that's the only way to get in and out of Discovery Bay. 

There's a small cluster of shops, restaurants and a supermarket just next to Auberge if you don't feel like having hotel food. We managed to buy drinks, snacks and even bubble bath there. I can't quite remember what the supermarket is called, but the logo, colour scheme and how the supermarket is layed out, is very similar to Cold Storage in Singapore. 

Cluster of shops beside Auberge

After our swim on the last day, we went to this pizzeria next to the hotel. We were famished and decided to order a whole pizza and a plate of pasta. Biggest regret ever. The portion is humongous! After finishing the pasta, the pizza arrived and we just stared at each other. G and I wouldn't been able to have finished the pizza in that sitting, but we tried. After 1 slice each, we packed the pizza to go and brought it to the airport to have it as dinner. 

LARGE PIZZA!!

OVERALL

Despite the location being somewhat inaccessible, it is a good thing being away from the hustle and bustle of city life. You don't feel like you're even in Hong Kong! The air is fresh and crisp, the sea is spotless and endless, the mountains are beautiful and green. 

There's even a beautiful chapel on the property for couples getting married. 

If you're looking at to stay near Disneyland or near the airport and want somewhere  luxurious, you have to stay at Auberge hotel.