SMALL-TOWN GIRLS, MIDNIGHT TRAINS

— travel inspiration for small budgets and big dreams —

travel inspiration for small budgets and big dreams

The Paris river bus

Paris is beautiful from a boat. Well, it would be beautiful from anywhere, I suppose, but a boat is a good way to see the sights along the Seine river in relative comfort. There are various boat companies running sightseeing tours. A 1-hour cruise on Vedettes de Paris — the boat pictured passing under the gorgeous Pont […]

The Road to Chateau d’If

_ While waiting for a boat to take us from the Chateau d’If to the rest of the Frioul islands, my sister and I fell into conversation with a Taiwanese lady named Sophie, who was in the south of France to select wines for her F&B company. When she learned we were from the Philippines, […]

7 days in Paris for PHP 50,000

Over a year ago, I wrote How Much Does A European Trip Cost, where I advised people to budget PHP 10,000/day of their trip. That estimate was largely based on a 10-day trip my sister and I took a few years ago and included everything from: Airfare (Cebu-Manila-KL-Paris-KL-Manila-Cebu) Hotels (all double/twin en suites in central […]

Thrifty eating: How to save on food while traveling

“Where to eat” is one of the last things I research for a trip, if at all. I usually eat wherever I happen to be at mealtime as that just makes sense to me time-wise. Plus, it seems to me an exercise in heartbreak to hunt down the area’s most raved-about restaurants only to realize […]

Where to Stay in Bali: The Royal Eighteen Resort and Spa (Kuta)

* There were several things I looked for when I was searching for accommodations in Kuta: Proximity to the beach – Kuta is famous (or infamous) for its waves and its parties, and though I’m neither a surfer nor a party girl, I thought it would be worth checking out. Proximity to the St. Francis […]

Where to Stay in Bali: Narendra Guest House (Ubud)

It was past 10 in the evening when we arrived at Narendra Guest House. Our side trip to Uluwatu had taken longer — much longer — than I’d expected and we hadn’t been able to give notice that we would be checking in late, so I was feeling more than a bit guilty. Our host […]