Have you ever wondered what might happen if you lose all the money you brought with you when you travel? Travellers get caught off guard when unfortunate things like this happen. Sometimes, even the most OC and prepared traveller ends up losing stuff, worse their travel funds. Others would probably fail to bring their ATMs or choose to leave their credit cards behind because of the fees that are associated with using it abroad. And when the worse thing happens, they end up regretting not considering the chance to compare credit cards to use for travel emergencies before leaving for a trip. Which is why it is important to have a backup plan on where to get your source of funds before travelling.

How to Prevent Being Flat Broke When Travelling?

Sometimes, we just have this tendency to either lose our money or spend it all and end up going penniless. So here are a few things to consider on how to avoid going broke abroad.

1. Plan your trip ahead

Whether you are travelling on a budget or not, it’s best that you create a travel itinerary before going on a trip. Research the destination and the cost of living in the area. Set a budget (e.g. $50 a day) for your daily expenses and multiply that by the number of days you’ll be travelling so you’ll get a realistic figure on how much money you need to bring for your trip.

2. Stash your cash in secret places

Split your cash. Think of it as your emergency money. Place some in your wallet, backpack, hip pack or wherever secret place you can think of. That way, when worse things happen, you’d still have access to your emergency funds.

3. Avoid being robbed

Flashing all your money to show it off to the world will likely attract thieves. Before you know it, you’ll wind up too drunk and sleeping on a sidewalk while those crooks happily run away with your money. So be on your guard all the time.

Ed getting robbed by Den at the entrance of Angkor  Wat

4. Bring an ATM card or a debit card

Don’t bring a lot of cash with you. Just bring enough and once you run out of money, replenish it by using your ATM card or a debit card. Make the necessary arrangements with your bank for you to access your plastics across the globe. But be sure to safe keep them too. When your ATM runs out of money, you could always contact your folks and transfer more money into your bank account. Just make sure you leave the needed information on where and how to send you money. They can also wire you money through online money transfers.

5. Bring 1-2 credit cards

Although travellers might have concerns with fees related to using credit cards, you can find the best credit card online that offers the best rates. Just make sure you let the credit card company know where you’re headed as they have a tendency to block your card once used outside your country. They do this for your own security.

6. Find a part-time job

In case you really run out of money, you could always find a part time job to replenish your travel funds. My travel buddy worked as a host in a restaurant of a 5-star resort in Malaysia to continue his backpacking trip. There are online sites that provide information on where you can look for temporary jobs while travelling in Southeast Asia or the rest of the world. Doing this will add more to your ailing funds.

* * *

A traveller from Canada (let’s secretly call him Vinny ), whom I met through a friend, decided to travel to the Philippines a month ago to visit Cebu and Albay. It was his first time to travel out of his homeland and though he was excited about the trip, his lack of experience in travelling outside of his comfort zone presented unpleasant surprises along the way. After getting back to the city from our trip to Kawasan Falls in Badian, he had to withdraw cash from his ATM. But because of lack of sleep, the ATM slipped away from his hand while still inside the taxi. He only realized that he must have dropped it on the taxi floor after getting out of the cab and guess what? The taxi was nowhere to be found by the time he discovered the missing card. It was a good thing that he brought a credit card with him. Although the fees associated with getting cash from the card might be too much, bringing those extra plastics became a life-saver for him. Otherwise, his vacation would have been cut short.

So when you travel for a long period of time, bringing a debit card, ATM card or a credit card might just save you the trouble when you run low on cash. Consider those simple tips mentioned on top and it’s a guarantee you won’t have to worry about going broke when travelling.

Last month, my crazy diva travel buddy asked my help in creating a one-of-a-kind music video for a monthly blog carnival that our Pinoy Travel Blogger Group hosts. It so happened that this travel diva was ‘forced’ beyond his knowledge to host that carnival. With nothing better to do, he accepted the challenge. Soon enough his brain cells started sending electrifying wavelengths on his hairless backbones. If I didn’t know him better, I would have assumed that Emily Rose possessed his body after I received a random message from him in FB. Why do I say this? He suddenly sent me gibberish language which took time for my peanut-sized brain to decipher. Take a look!

I guess being assigned to host a blog carnival would send someone to the looney bin. Well not quite. This diva was just determined to give the best funniest, craziest, dumbest moments of all our travel peers, with him as the main star attraction.

So after planning on where to shoot the video, I willingly agreed to be dragged to the ends of the world different places in Cebu to create the music video.

I’d have to say that it was a fun experience. We filmed on 3 different locations – Camotes Island, Moalboal and Mactan Island. We would have wanted to include Osmena Peak but we ran out of time.

a Korean tourist with one of his failed cliff jumps…ouch!!!

One of the highlights of shooting this film was the funny cliff jumping sessions we did at the Buho Rock in Camotes Island where Koreans invaded the peaceful resort and made a fool of themselves before jumping off the cliff.

Then on our trip to Moalboal, one of our companions almost drowned because I asked him to try wearing fins while in the middle of the sea. The good thing was he didn’t panic. But the diva did!

click the doodle to magnify

See the ugly doodle on top? LOL. To my left, the diva was 150 meters away from me and to his left, 150 meters more was his almost drowning [graduating] friend (sorry jud kaayo Jim, di na mausab. hehehe). There was a fisherman 150 meters away from me on the other side. Jim was having a hard time swimming with the fins and he was struggling to keep afloat despite the not-so-huge waves. I call on to the diva to rescue Jim. But what did the diva do? He didn’t swim to help his friend. Instead he was screaming his lungs out saying “Fisherman! fisherman! Help us!” [no kidding. he really shouted those words! hahahaha]

Being in that situation was totally scary but in light of witnessing what just happened at that time, I couldn’t help but laugh while I swam harder with my barefoot feet just to help out Jim. The diva actually had a traumatizing experience while swimming in the waters of Kawasan Falls two years ago and I didn’t know that that incident left a negative imprint on his senses. I’m just happy that no humans nor animals were harmed in the production of this video…just almost. hehehe.

So what’s the point of this post? Nothing really. Just wanted to share the music video created by the awesomest travel diva, Lakbay Diva!

As for wanting to know how to create a spoof music video? Watch the video and I’m sure you’ll know what to do. Just be yourself.

Travelers as Diamonds from Lakbay Diva on Vimeo. This music video is featured on the article: http://www.lakbaydiva.com/featured/travel-bloggers-as-diamonds-in-the-sky for the Pinoy Travel Blogger’s April Blog Carnival with theme of The Funniest, Silliest, and Dumbest travel moments.

P.S. This video was filmed using Olympus TG-1 and edited by Lakbay using Sony Vegas Pro. Osmena Peak clips were filmed last 2010 using a Canon IXUS 95IS. Location filmed at Kontiki Beach Club, Mactan, Cebu; White Beach Moalboal; Buho Rock and Santiago Bay in Camotes Island; and Ceres bus ride going to Moalboal.

Aside from stunning beaches and great-tasting lechon, Cebu is also famous for making world-class export products. In fact, Cebu is one of the leading exporters of furniture, fashion accessories and other products like toys, gift and souvenir items, food and more. So if you ever travel to Cebu, you should not miss buying a pasalubong (home coming gift) to bring home to your family and friends.

If you are looking into buying a furniture, you can check out the works of the multi-awarded designer Kenneth Cobonpue or other local designers. But if you are looking for something cheap and inexpensive and want to know what pasalubong  to buy, you can choose to buy dried mangoes, danggit and other dried fish, rosquillos, salvaro, turrones de mani, galletas, pinasugbo and more. If you wanted to buy a keepsake from your trip in Cebu, then you can buy key chains and ref magnets. You can also buy fashion accessories, handicraft bags or even a guitar.

But I guess your dilemma lies in knowing where to buy cheap souvenirs in Cebu, right? Fret no more since it’s not that difficult to find a souvenir shop in Cebu that sells inexpensive gift items.

All you need to do is go to SM City Cebu. Once you are there, go to the back part of the mall and walk outside its parking area because you will be discovering the best place to buy pasalubongs during your stay in Cebu City.

beaded and silver bracelets

In case you don’t know the way or are lost, just ask the locals in the area where you will find the borloloyan shops or the Tabo sa Banay outlets at the back of SM City Cebu. Yeah. These souvenir shops in Cebu are selling souvenir items like hot pancakes due to its affordable rates. The different items sold at the borloloyan near SM are so cheap that you’d have trouble running out of funds the moment you decide to hoard all the beautiful souvenirs you can find.

assorted native and fashion necklaces

Borloloy is actually the Bisaya (Cebuano) term for fashion accessories. And with the city’s effort to create a common place where sellers can showcase their handicraft products together with their fashion accessories, this area at the back of SM became the perfect venue to house all of the local entrepreneur’s goods. As such, the Borloloyan materialized.

cousin Cyril buying souvenirs for his friends and colleagues

ref magnets with different designs, decorative wooden boats, guitar keychains

Surprisingly, the prices of the items sold here are very affordable and super cheap. Although you can also find similar items inside the Ayala or SM malls, they sell the same items with a minimum add-on of P10 each. And this is why shopping at the Borloloyan for your pasalubong is way better as you’ll  get to save a lot of money.

fish coin leather purse, handicraft bags, coconut shell handbags, shell bags

Whenever you want to look for cheap Cebu pasalubong when you visit the city, just tell your friends and ask directions on how to get to  the back side of SM. you can also hire a taxicab and tell the driver that you want to go to the Borloloyan at the back of SM City Cebu.

How to get there:

- Hail a taxi cab
- Ride a jeep with the following signage – 01K, 04L, 22D, 22G, 22E, 23 and 27 jeepneys

When I scheduled a trip to Mt. Pinatubo January of this year, I went on a mission to find the best trekking footwear. I read online that I need to have the proper footwear to hike Mt. Pinatubo’s terrain. And after discovering that the Columbia store here in SM City Cebu offered a buy-one-take-one promo for their selected items as a promo offering for the upcoming Sinulog Festival, I convinced my friend, Ed, to get the Columbia trekking shoes. Originally priced at P2,790, I only had to shell out half of the amount if we buy one. It was not hard convincing my friend since he was also looking for a functional trekking sandals. Owning a COLUMBIA for a footwear was really something since we know that it’s one of the best brands in the market that sells outdoor products. And getting a footwear at a discounted rate added more to our excitement and eagerness to buy a Columbia even if it was quite steep for our budget.

We both bought the Columbia Techsun 2 footwear. And it proved useful during my trek to Mt. Pinatubo. I’d have to say that it received a great deal of beating from me. I basically tortured the Columbia trekking sandals. I hiked, ran, climbed, sprinted and jogged with it. I carelessly submerged it on any river we passed by just to test its durability. At the end of the day, I was satisfied with its performance. It’s a great trekking footwear!

When I went on a 5-month backpacking trip in SEA, it was the only footwear I brought with me aside from my flip-flops. After Mt. Pinatubo, I wore it on my connecting trips from Cebu to Manila, Clark, Bangkok and Siem Reap since it would be bulky if I stashed it in my backpack. Then I never wore it again as I preferred the slippers above anything else. Honestly, the unusual large protruding bones on my 1st metatarsal phalangeal joint on both of my feet hurts after wearing the sandals for too long, which is also why I only preferred wearing it on special outdoor occasions.

One day, when I was cleaning my rented vacation house room in Siem Reap, I discovered that both of it’s soles opened. It looked like it was about to peel off. That sight broke my heart. I didn’t know what to think. I was disappointed because I thought that we’d have more adventures together, the sandals and I. I only used it at the Mt. Pinatubo trek and during my overland border crossing trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap and then I found out that that it easily fell apart. Depressing…

I thought of throwing it away to lighten my load. But my prudent ways told me to just drag it wherever my feet took me. I also thought of shipping it back home but the shipping fees stopped me.

I’m a cheapskate. I know the sandals could still be mended. I just didn’t know of a reputable place in Bangkok or Siem Reap where I could get it fixed. So, for 3 more months, I unwillingly dragged the useless footwear, holding on to it like crazy instead of throwing it away for good and just buy new ones instead. There were times where I almost gave up and thought of dumping it in the garbage or giving it to charity but my mind reasoned with me.

When I came home last July, I thought of bringing it back to Columbia to ask if the pair of sandals has any warranty coverage. In my opinion, it has to have one [warranty] since I hardly used it after the Mt. Pinatubo trek. The soles of the trekking footwear can also vouch for its mint condition.

The first time I visited the store, I didn’t bring the sandals with me. My intention was to inquire with them if there’s anything they can do to help me fix the footwear. At the same time I also wanted to inquire if they have a recommended shoe repair center in case they can’t do anything for me.

They recommended Mantaring, a famous store in Cebu that specializes in fixing shoes and bags. They also said that it might be impossible for them to shoulder the repair since it has been 6 months since I bought it. I told them I went out of the country and that I rarely used it after the Pinatubo trek. I also told them that the footwear was still in perfect shape, except for the flapping soles. Then they advised me to bring the sandals. They said they’ll see what they can do.

When I came back with the Columbia footwear, they said that they’ll send it to Mantaring. They asked for my number and told me they’ll contact me when it’s repaired. They mentioned that they will take care of the cost. Yey!

After two days, I got a call from them saying my trekking sandals was waiting for me. When I went to the store, I was reunited with my footwear. I saw that it was sewn carefully from the straps, soles glued back. It was good as new. On top, you won’t suspect anything but turning over the trekking sandals would reveal the mended footwear. The staff also told me that I had to be careful when using it since there’s a huge tendency for the soles to open again if I submerge it in water. bummer!

Anyway, what’s important is that it got fixed and I didn’t have to buy another one again. I would personally like to thank the staff of Columbia SM City Cebu for helping me with my concern. Kudos to you Rose and Kate for the help! Thank you so much guys! Nakahilak jud kog popcorn sa inyo effort

P.S. On my trip to Biri Island this month, I used the sandals for the 1st time after it’s major operation. As usual, the trekking footwear proved to be useful while treading the sea waters at the rock formations in Biri Island and while climbing some of those magnificent rocks. However, the soles cracked again. The only thing that’s keeping it from completely ripping apart were the sewn portion of the footwear and I didn’t mind. hehehe.

I don’t think there’s any sane human being out there who wants to get sick. Unless of course they want to escape a deadline at work or if they are dreading to go to work because they have realized that their work has become boring. I am positive that a step towards healthy living -  keeping healthy and knowing how to stay healthy is everyone’s top priority. Who doesn’t?

Why Should You Stay Healthy?

Let’s admit it. No matter how religious you are in following some tips for staying healthy, you will still eventually get that dreaded colds, body malaise or what have yous no matter what. Our body is not bullet proof.

So why should you stay healthy and follow some tips for staying fit when you know you’ll just get sick down the road?

Because you have to.

No one wants to put up with your mess once you get sick. Getting sick is expensive too. You need to associate sickness with money, money to pay for medicines or hospital bills. Therefore, it is important that you become responsible with your health. You need to avoid getting sick for the sake of your family and loved ones too. And if you are a traveller, for the sake of your travel companions and for travelling’s sake.

For those who are always on the go or for you who just found your own dose of medicine through travelling, it is important that you find ways to stay healthy.

How To Stay Healthy While Traveling

Despite the temptation from countless food trips when you travel, staying healthy while traveling is not a difficult thing to do. All you need is a bag of discipline and a handful of determination in order to achieve your goal.

When I backpacked in Thailand and Cambodia for 5 months, I had to find ways on how to keep healthy. I checked out for information on tips on how to stay fit. I was working while traveling back then and I had to make sure that I take care of my health to continue leading the lifestyle I chose, otherwise I wouldn’t survive living in different country.

mangoes or pork?

As much as I wanted to try out all the delectable street foods I saw in Bangkok, I had to remind myself that I was travelling on a budget. If I did, I’d probably accumulated enough calories to block my arteries. I also didn’t want to end up having a hard time keeping up with my weight when I try to hop on a running bus. Self discipline has taught me to choose pineapple over a hotdog once roaming around Pratunam in Bangkok.

In Siem Reap, I learned how to ride a bike in order to achieve my healthy living goal. Biking is one of those great tips for staying healthy while you are on the road. It helps work out all the muscles in your body making it a great work out to burning your calories and keeping healthy while travelling. I found time to make sure I get to exercise in my own way to keep fit and stay healthy.

Tips on Staying Fit As Shared By Famous Travel Bloggers

If you want to know what are some of the ways to stay fit and healthy, I asked a couple of my traveller friends and friends from the Pinoy Travel Bloggers group how they stay physically fit during their travels. I asked them to share their secret on staying fit and healthy. Check out their healthy travel tips, which you can apply in your day to day living in your quest to achieving that healthy lifestyle.

I walk a lot. Like from Khao San to Platinum in Bangkok; the whole of Singapore by foot; the whole of Kathmandu and from Nagarkot to Changu Narayan in Nepal; and the epic Palaui Trip in the Philippines. But I keep myself hydrated

- Angel of lakwatsero.com

pineapples! i love fruits- freshly-picked, juiced, shaked, dried, etc. i always see to it that i eat healthy and drink lotsa H20. its no secret, just eat healthy to be healthy.

- James of journeyingjames.com

Aside from the things that Angel mentioned, Aleah says “I also do yoga in my room” and she had written a post on “How to avoid getting sick while traveling“.

Whenever I travel, I used to always run to keep fit. When I injured my back in 2010, though, I had to stop running and had to find ways to keep in shape. I do yoga and other exercises I can do in my hostel room. I also prefer to walk rather than take the buses/trains, and the purpose of that is two-fold: to get to know the place better AND to keep fit.

- Aleah of solitarywanderer.com

First of all, you need to Keep Yourself Hydrated. Water is essential when traveling. I see to it that I always bring one bottle with me especially when I need to do some activities under the sun. Second, do not feel guilty on splurging on food. Don’t spend to much either. Third, get some rest when needed. Do not force yourself to cover all the possible destinations because you’d end up tired and disappointed. Fourth, walk. I think walking is a good way to exercise and it is also good for thinking as you pass along different paths. And lastly, a little dancing infront of the mirror will do

- Mica of senyorita.net

Getting sick on the road is a big no no. Pag food trips, as much as possible I try to avoid foods that I have history of allergies with pero since adventurous tayo eh nagdadala na lang ako ng first aid meds just in case may nakain na di ayos. Also I like to walk and swim din so ayun

(Getting sick on the road is a big no no. During foodtrips, as much as possible, I try to avoid foods that I have history of allergies with but since I have an adventurous nature, I just bring with me first aid meds just in case I eat something bad Also, I like to walk and swim and that’s it.)

- Oman of lawstude.net

walking, hiking and swimming if possible

- Alexandra of crazysexyfuntraveler.com

eat or drink lots of vitamin C. Vitamin C is the key to strong immune system along with adequate rest. =)

- Joanna Jane of thebackpackchronicles.com

Love beach and mountains. For me, this is also time for me to do those physical activities while traveling like:

• Swimming at the beach doing free style and floating (1 hour)
• Trekking the hills (2 hours)
• Walking along the whole beach shore taking photos (2 hours) – morning and afternoon
• Drink lot of water but rarely drink cola nor beer
• Bought fruits like mango and banana
• Ate more fish than meat during meals

- Jinkee of livelifefullest.com

i take several food supplements, avoid junk food and eat healthy snacks like grapes, celery and yogurt

- Atty. Mhe-anne of mycomingsandgoings.com

This is a kind of cheating from us because as Agnes and I go on a trip, we prefer to do climbs at nearby mountains situated in the area we’re traveling. That in itself is a kind of exercise that keeps us fit. It renders our heavy-eating good for our trip as calories give a big strength boost to a climber. But in the instance where mountains are not included in the IT, we walk. If the distance between point A and B is reasonable, we hike the path instead of riding motorized vehicles.

- Dane of trampingphilippines.com

I prefer to walk and eat less … one time I explored Singapore’s MacRitchie Reservoir park. 10 km of mountain/jungle/swamp trails. I even explored the whole Sentosa island by foot from boardwalk

- Welson of http://welscua.blogspot.com/

When I’m tired, I take a rest and just enjoy the view… I also keep myself hydrated… Since I go for budget travel, I don’t have unlimited access to food, but I choose where to eat. I see to it that it’s clean and safe.  I always bring snacks with me (bread, biscuits), so when I get hungry while on the road, I’ll have something to eat.

- Mervin of pinoyadventurista.com

“stretch, take the longer or harder route, sleep, eat right and stay hydrated”

- sums up what Chris Johns shared with the Sole Sisters, Lois and Chichi.

Gaye with her lovely daughter Luna during their halfway hike up to Machu Picchu’s Guard House.

I walk whenever, wherever I can…AND carry our one year old toddler while doing so, to tone my arms.

- Gaye of pinaytraveljunkie.com

I lose weight when I travel as I’m usually on a budget and I don’t eat as much. However, I realized I need to maintain a routine since I can’t go to the gym as often. These days, I do push-ups and a few body weight exercises when I can. I’m still starting out so I go to YouTube to see how to execute them properly. With these exercises, you just need an open space in order to do them and they require no other gym equipment at all.

- Edcel of soloflighted.com

“Walking, trekking, cycling, kayaking and swimming. Doing this complemented with an energy drink or enough water keeps me healthy during the trip. Fruits as merienda also  helps specially when you go to the provinces where fruits are fresh and cheap.”

- Dong Ho of escapeislands.com

There you have it. Those are just a few of the helpful tips on how to stay fit on the road that you can apply on your daily routine. Whether you are travelling or not, it is best to start changing your health habits and continue applying those tips on staying fit in order to prevent sickness and prolong your life.

Do you have eating healthy tips or healthy travel tips? How do you stay fit and healthy when you travel? I’d love to hear your tips on how to stay healthy while traveling too.