Let's Go!

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:37:00 +0000

Welcome to my newly named blog, Let's Go! This blog will show you the places we've been and the places we want to go, it can be just outside our neighbourhood or as far as where our feet lead us. This blog can also show go a glimpse of our everyday lives as we go out from the four corners of our house. :)

From Asia and Beyond Has Moved

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:41:00 +0000

This blog has moved to www.fromasiaandbeyond.com .. hope to see you there!

Los Angeles, California

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:34:00 +0000

What comes in your mind when the place Los Angeles is being mentioned? For me the images of the famous Hollywood sign and the Hollywood Boulevard would immediately pop out from my mind.

Los Angeles or the City of Angels is also commonly referred as the Entertaiment Capital of the World. As I've read and browsed through the photos, it's indeed like a big city that never sleeps, full of restaurants, shopping malls, media and business centers. I wonder how it is like to be there?

For those who's businesses are from Los Angeles, I'm sure the competition must be tough with hundreds of other businesses striving to be on top not just in the big city but in the global market as well. Every marketing strategy would have already been tried and tested. To be on top companies and businesses must realize the importance of Los Angeles SEO . For indeed the marketplace is now the whole world and SEO has one of the powers to make the business grow.

Well, I'm no expert here, but even for this little blog of mine if only an expert search engine optimization is applied here. Its page rank, traffic and reach could skyrocket and more opportunities could be given to earn and expand. Well, another wishful thinking.

Mt. Kitanglad Bukidnon Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:49:00 +0000

Photo taken from pbase.com by Bobby Timonera

Mt. Kitanglad is known to be the fourth highest mountain in the Philippines and has an approximate height of 2899 meters. It is actually a dormant volcano and it's a famous destination for the Filipino mountain climbers.

I've been there once with my father, brother and family friends. I couldn't really remember much since I was only 11 years old at that time. Even though it took us hours to get to the middle of the mountain but it was a fun experience for me. Hiking up and seeing the beautiful birds and butterflies, hearing some streams and seeing nature at it's best.

We brought our camping tents, cooking utensils, food and other necessary things. If I'm not mistaken we stayed there for a night. My brother and friends even attempted to go up to the peak, so we climbed up but then when we were halfway, we realized that we were not really prepared to go on top since we didn't bring enough food and water. So, we went back to our 'base'.

That was indeed a great experience for an eleven year old girl, sleeping underneath all 'big' stars in a very cold night. When we woke up in the morning, the fog was so thick and I remember drinking the native coffee which was made from corn.

Mt. Kitanglad... I wonder if I could ever go back there again.

Travel Tip # 4

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:01:00 +0000

So you want to travel but you think you can't afford to do so? As long as you have a regular job, I'm very positive that you can afford to travel anywhere in your country or even in other countries worldwide.

You just need to set a goal , where you want to go and when you want to travel. And then, SAVE, SAVE and SAVE some money meant for your trip. Once you've done your research for the cheapest airfare, cheapest accommodation and etc. You'll surely discover that you won't need so much of money to be able to go on your desired trip.

Be patient and wait until you reach your goal savings and don't be tempted to spend it elsewhere. I assure you it's really worth the wait. Imagine, traveling to different places, seeing different people, hearing dialects or languages different from yours and tasting different kinds of food... oh, the joys of traveling.

When you want to save up for a trip, it's good if you could open an account especially meant for the trip. Better yet, sign up for a free checking account from WaMu which offers free checks, free online banking, free wire transfers and a lot more. And then when it's time for you to be on the go you can access your money with their Debit Mastercard and thousands of WaMu's free ATMs.

Have a great trip ahead!!

Travel Tip # 3

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:43:00 +0000

How to do research on your travel destination?

1) Search..search..search - There are thousands of different websites that contains a lot of valuable information on your travel destination. All you have to do is look for the sites which are updated and has the information that is most necessary to you.

2) Join travel Forums - This is the place where you're most likely to 'meet' people who have been to the place you want to go. They can give you the real feedback, their good and bad experiences with the place, people food and etc, which you won't be able to read in travel or other tourism sites.

3) Ask around - You might know some of your friend's friends who has been to the place. You can ask them and they might be able to recommend you other interesting places to see, cheap accommodation, valuable directions, cultural advices and etc.

4) Print and take notes- And of course, after getting all those valuable tips and information. Make sure to print or jot them down. You won't want to be going to Thailand and forget the name of the most delicious food you wanted to try isn't?

That's all for now!! and have great travel experience!!!!

Thai Dishes You Must Taste - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:19:00 +0000

continued...

4) Thai Stir fried crab curry or Poo Phad Pong Kali

I personally love crabs and there's no better way to cook them but with curry. It makes you want to savor every bit of the crab, even the shells.

5) Thai Fried Rice or Khaw Phat

If you're not into spicy stuff, the Thai Fried rice will work best for you. Thai fried rice has different variations from Fried rice chicken ( Khaw phat kai) , fried rice beef ( khaw phat Nua), fried rice seafood ( khaw phat thale') and veggies (phak) , every dish is a must try for everyone.

6) Thai Cashew Nut Chicken or (Kai phat phet ma muang)

This is another dish I can recommend for those who can not take spicy food. It's made of chicken with cashew nuts, mushrooms a lotof onions and sometimes with dried chillies.

..to be continue...

yes, I'm not finished with this Thai food sequel yet...there's just so much of delicious dishes ...

photos taken from www.templeofthai.com and www.thaifood.about.com

Traveling With Kids # 2

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:46:00 +0000

Making our kids comfortable during our holiday trip must indeed be the number 1 priority when we travel with them. So, we have to make sure they have all the necessary things to make them comfortable and thus make our trip a pleasant one. With kids trotting along with us, it's a bit more difficult to travel light. We bring their favorite books, toys, prams, carrier and etc. If only we could bring along their highchairs or car seats when were traveling by bus or train, then we would. :)

Make a checklist of all the necessary items to be brought like disposable diapers, milk, food, water and etc.

Check with the hotels where you'll be staying if they have baby cribs available. We ourselves get frustrated with this when the budget hotels we stay in don't have any. So, we ( 4 of us) end up sleeping on one bed with both kids kicking each other and wanting more space. If you have travel cots, then better yet, bring them along with you so as to make sure your baby and you get a good night sleep.

Check the weather condition of the place where you're going. Does it always rain there or is it mostly hot and sunny?

Take time to condition and prepare your kids for the trip. Brief them on the place where you're going, what activities you're going to do , how long you'll be staying there and etc.

b4uing1

Thai Dishes You Must Taste - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:28:00 +0000

Thailand is known to have delicious cuisine. Wherever you go , may it be in the posh restaurant downtown or even to the simplest hawker shop on the road, you'll be assured to savor the best of Thai food.

Here is a list of my personal favorites and highly recommended Thai dishes:

* Warning: Living in Thailand for 6 years had made my tongue accustomed to spicy food. So, some dishes here may be too spicy for you..but you could always give it a try or tell the 'cook' or waiter/waitress not to make it too spicy.

1) Tomyum Goong ('kung') or Tom Yum Thale

I'm sure you've heard of this dish that is known all over the world. It's a soup that has all the mixture of tastes, spicy, sour, sweet and a bit salty. It's made of prawns ('kung), and sometimes mixed seafood ( 'thale') , kaffir lime leaves and a whole other bunch of ingredients. It is said to have a lot of health benefits too as it has a lot of hers and spices. You can also order it with or without the coconut milk and 'prik' tomyum paste.

2) Thai Green Curry

If you're into curry stuff, I'm sure this will work well with you. It's made of green curry paste, coconut milk, Thai eggplants ( which are rounded) and other ingredients. This Curry is usually served with rice or ' Khanon Jin' or what we just simply call the Thai white spaghetti.

3) Yam Pla Dook Foo or Thai Catfish Salad

This is made of shredded Catfish, green mangoes, peanuts or cashew nuts, chilli and other ingredients. It's a blend of spicy , sour and salty taste. Spicy from the chillies, sour from the shredded green mangoes, salty from the fish sauce and shredded fish. This is truly delicious!

Photo taken from www.dessertcomesfirst.com

......... TO BE CONTINUED

LEt's Celebrate!

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:25:00 +0000

I've received a BIG surprise this morning when I found out that this blog got a PR2! Yipee!! I hope this PR rating would stay. And I would like to thank you guys who constantly visit and check out my updates.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

'Til my next Post.

Lost WOrld of Tambon

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:24:00 +0000

Finally, we're back from Ipoh. And here's my report :) from our trip and experience from Lost World of Tambun located in Ipoh, Perak , Malaysia.

Getting there: If only we came from the North-South Highway, getting there should have been easy..but we had to ' check-in' first at the apartment where we were staying so, we ended up coming from the city center. In other words, we got LOST..going to the Lost World of Tambun. It was a bit distant from the city center.

This is the entrance of the park. The whole place is well designed having that ethnic design similar to that of the Mayans.

I love these Cat Sculptures at the Entrance

These are some of the attractions of the Lost WOrld of Tambun.

1) Tambun Hot Springs- Water is taken from the natural spring and being diverted to the pool. This is ideal for a late afternoon dip.

2) Waterfall Beach Garden

This is like the main highlight of the whole place as it is the first thing that you will see from the entrance. They said it's the biggest wave pool in Malaysia but it still so small compared to the real beach.. obviously.. LOL!

3) Adventure River

This is one of the scenes you see when you go through the adventure river. You simply ride on your tube and follow the waterway with the waves 'guiding' you. This Gorilla makes some noises when one passes by.

3) Paddle Boating

This is a very small lake with few Swan Paddle boats. Not very interesting.. it seems like they just put this as an after thought and to add a little bit of attraction in the place.

5) Tiger Valley

During the guided tour through the train, they will take you to the Tiger valley with a Tiger feeding show. It was okay. But still not so interesting, the Tigers were just lazing around and not moving at all. SO there's really nothing much to see, that is if you've already seen tigers before in the zoo.

6) Explora Bay

This is the pool for kids. For me it's the main highlight of the place as my li'l ones really enjoyed it. The water is not deep and enough for a 3 -4 year old to go around without the parents getting worried. And there's also a lifeguard on duty.

Overall, the whole place was just okay. We enjoyed it because our li'l ones had fun. The explora Bay was really great. There were many attractions like the merry go around, the Tiger Valley that kids would really love. But if you're an a grown up looking for some adventure then you'll get a bit disappointed. They have a little of this and that but not enough to keep your jaws drop. But then, if you want to just relax , take a break and have fun with friends then, this place would do. For 25 RM , I think it should be alright.

Dream Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:09:00 +0000

Image taken from www.sacredsites.com

I have always dreamed of touring Europe and I wanted to set foot specifically on France, Italy and Greece. One thing that interests me about these places are their arts and architecture. I want to see the the Mona Lisa and hundreds of famous paintings at Louvre Museum, climb the Eiffel Tower, go inside the Church of Notra Dame and climb the bell tower, visit the Palace at Versailles , ride the gondola and cruise through canals of Venice, visit the Acropolis and Parthenon and all the beautiful buildings or ruins in these countries. Whew! That's not even a comprehensive list of the things to do in all these countries and the whole of Europe.

All I can do for now is read through other people's travel experience in all these countries and dream. Just now, I was able to browse through a site that offers European Cruises and they are going to all my dream countries above and some other beautiful parts of Europe too. I could just imagine my family going for 7 days holiday in a cruise ship and embarking on these beautiful countries just for a tour. Wow! It must be an amazing experience! It would also be nice to go on Bermuda Cruises or Canadian Cruises too .

Oh well, I have to stop dreaming for now and try to travel and see the whole of Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines first and then..beyond! May all my dreams come true :)

From Thailand With Love - Give away

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:23:00 +0000

From Thailand With Love - Give away

**This is a post dated entry, so please scroll down for newer entries**

Hello Everyone!! To celebrate the 'birth' of our new domain in our other blog, Day to Day Miracles, we are hosting a contest called " From Thailand with Love Giveaway" . We will be giving away a Thai Decorative Letter Holder to two winners. (Mailing charges will be on us, wherever you are.)

It's so easy to join! Click Here!

Future Destination : Ipoh, Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:03:00 +0000

Photo from wikipedia

I'm excited! 2 weeks from now, we're going to Ipoh. Not for a holiday really, but it's more on a 'business' related trip. But well, since we're already there, why not mix it with a bit of touring around and a bit of pleasure huh?

I've been to Ipoh once but we never got to see the place. I just saw a bit of the place but I loved it! I love to see the colonial buildings with the lush, dark green mountains as the background. Ipoh is actually one of the biggest cities in Malaysia..it's a city but with a provincial 'feel'. It's a beautiful place, with beautiful buildings and scenic views.

Just a note: Ipoh is the hometown of the famous international actress Michelle Yeoh and this is also the place where the movie "Anna and the King" was shot. ( This movie has been banned by Thailand and many of the Thais are greatly offended by this movie as it's about their King.)

Anyways, I've already done a bit of research of the places to go in Ipoh and the places of interests that caught my attention were the following:

1) Lost World of Tambun Park - This is actually a water park with giant slides, man made river ( the longest in Asia, it seems), wild tigers, hot springs and theme park rides. Interesting huh? I'm sure my kids would love this but if we're not so sure if time will permits us to go to this place. But you'll know for sure soon because I'll be blogging about it later.:)

2) Taman DR or Coronation Park - This famous park is just located within the city and as opposed to #1.. There are no entrance fees .. :) It has a huge fish pond with boats and canoes, it has a Japanese garden and football field. It seems like a great place to relax. I would like this place.

Photo from Wikipedia

3) Old Town - This is where the beautiful buildings will be seen and a lot of places to eat too. Ipoh is very famous for some Chinese food and Poppiah too! So, I have to get ready to gobble up Ipoh food! :)

...What about you, have you been to Ipoh in Malaysia? Maybe you can suggest some interesting places for us to go..

My Favorite Places #3- Genting Highlands, Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:37:00 +0000

Genting Highlands of Malaysia is known to be the " City of Entertainment". It has a big outdoor and indoor theme park, hotels, casinos , shopping centers, a wide variety of restaurants and a lot more.

This is one of my favorite places. Not actually a great place to rest since you'll be so busy trying out all the rides and going around to see the whole place. BUt, it's truly a great place to be entertained and the kids will surely love the place.

Since it's high on the mountain top, the weather is cool and nice.

One of the reason why I place this in one of my favorite places is because it's very affordable .. We've been here 3 times already and the last two, we were supposed to go somewhere else but because we were on a tight budget, we still ended up here. Imagine, they have a 2 nights/3days package for only 108 RM. That was last year's rate. The 108 RM included 2 nights stay in the hotel, buffet breakfast for two ( for two days) and 2 tickets for an international magic/acrobat show. Though the hotel ( First World Hotel) we stayed in was really cramped, It was really a great bargain since the show's ticket itself already cost 50RM each if you buy it without the package. I've just checked the rates now and it has gone a bit high but I would still say it's worth it. The show is just excellent and the breakfast is HUGE! We always ended up eating BRUNCH since the buffet is just overflowing. Well, that would be great savings right? No need to spend for lunch. :)

The highlights we had for this place would be their outdoor and indoor parks. The rides are just exciting and gives you that adrenalin rush. Below is the SUper Shot, that made me heart stopped a beat when we were going down at such a speed!! Whew!

We also enjoyed the going hotel hopping..since all the hotels are interconnected to each other. So you get to see all the hotels and shops in between. They also have a cable car , if you don't have transport going on top.

For all the faint hearted and don't want to have any adrenalin rush ( or you might end up in the hospital) for theme rides or cable car rides then I suggest you stay in the hotels down below where there are nice places to retreat and relax.

New Template

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:35:00 +0000

I've just changed my template because I wanted a 3 column template with a navigation bar. There was this template that i really love, it's called 'aspire'. It's beautiful and I think it would have fit well with my over all concept of the travel blog. BUt sadly, when I tried to download the html code. It didn't work. I tried and tried until I've decided to choose another one and that's why I settled with this.

THis will just be temporary and when I have time I'll have to search for the 'aspire' template with html codes that work.

Travel the Continents Tag

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:21:00 +0000

This tag is from Lalaine's WOrld and Day to Day Miracles.

Begin Copy

Rules :

1. Start Copy from "Begin Copy" until "End Copy".
2. Put your blog's name and url write in which continent you live, add the country you live in. Example : My Imaginary Travels (Netherlands)
3. Leave your url post in here and you'll be added in the Master List.
4. Please help spread this tag by tagging your friends as much as you can.
5. Don't play unfair! If you have more than 1 blog, you can participate all your blogs for this tag. BUT you will have to post this tag to all your blogs as well. So, please. Don't cheat!
6. Please come back again to copy the update of the master list, often. This process will help new participants to get the same gains as the first participants.
7. Don't forget to use the banner at your post, you can save as or you can just copy the code in here.

Master List :

A. Asia : 1. Moms... Check Nyo (Philippines) 2. Hailey's Beats and Bits (Philippines) 3. allinkorea (Korea) 4. kimchiland (Korea) 5. korean food (Korea) 6. idealpinkrose (Korea) 7. Manna from Heaven (Philippines) 8. and Life Goes On for... (Philippines) 9. Proud Mommy (Philippines) 10. Lalaine's World ( Thailand) 11. Day to Day Miracles 12. Budget Traveler 13. Trying to be Fit 14.Your next

B. Australia : 1. your turn

C. Afrika : 1. your turn

D. North Amerika : 1. your turn

E. South Amerika : 1. your turn

F. Europe : 1. My Imaginary Travels (Netherlands) 2. Juliana's Site (Netherlands) 3. Picturing of Life (Netherlands) 4. Portia (UK) 5. your turn

G.Antarctica : 1. your turn

~ End Copy ~

Now, I would like to tag Prily of Capturing the Moments, Charmed Blossoms, Raptured Dreams and Blessings In Life

Things To Do in Hatyai, Thailand

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:39:00 +0000

Image from bangkoksite.com

Where is Hatyai?? That must be the first question in your mind when you read the title of this post. For starters, Hatyai is located at the South of Thailand. It's one of the gateway to Malaysia and other provinces with the famous beaches.

Hatyai is the common 'holiday' destination of Malaysians since it's the nearest country to them (Singapore is nearer though but expensive) and has cheaper bargains. But this also the hub or the stopover of backpackers traveling from Malaysia before going to the beautiful Islands nearby.

So, here is my list of things to do and places to go in Hatyai, Thailand.

1) Go Shopping!!

Clothes, shoes, bags, fruits and other goods are cheap here. The best places to shop are : The Weekend Night Market ( Talat Paet Thai) which only opens from Thursday - Sunday from 6-10 pm, The NIght Market at the CIty center near Lee Gardens , they are open every night, Plaza ( Naa Ho ) where is open everyday from 8am-5pm. If you're really into shopping, you can shop till you drop. But you have to bargain to get the best price. Start from starting half of their original price. If you're an entrepreneur andwant to buy wholesale, their are wholesale shops around PLaza. You just have to walk around a lot of streets to see this. There are wholesale shops for accessories, shirts, bags, shoes and etc. And they are really cheap!!!

2) GO for a nice, relaxing massage

There are a lot of massage parlors near the city area. But the thing is they are quite pricey ( I guess still cheap for the Singaporeans and Malaysians). In the city center, a 1 hour foot or body massage costs 250 baht . But I recommend you go to Big C, since you can get that same price for a 2 hour body massage. Their masseurs are good and very polite.

3) Eat till you drop!

Oh, when it comes to dining options ...there are a LOT of restaurant to choose from. From pricey shops to the hawker shops..but believe me, everywhere you go, their food is yummy!! Here is a list of our favorite restaurants. Though there are still a number of restaurants we haven't tried yet. Sky Buffet at Lee Gardens for only 129-159 baht per person, it offers a wide variety of Thai food, salads, deserts. I just love the unlimited ice cream and coffee/tea. This restaurant is on the 33rd floor of Lee Gardens Hotel so you get to see the beautiful view of Hatyai city. Sugar Rock along Thamanonvitee Rd. , food and ambience is great and the price is very reasonable. This is our personal favorite restaurant since they have a playroom and we can eat while our daughter plays. Log Terrace, near Ket Pet Rd. I love the concept of this restuarant. It's along the river and they designed it in such a way, that it's like you're in a cave. There is a man made water falls inside and a real crocodile too. The food is good but a bit pricey. Rin Rua ( Moo Kata), this is another eat all you can restaurant for only 89 baht. They have a wide variety of meats, veggietables, soups and desserts. You get to grill and steam your own food. It's an outdoor restaurant with a big screen TV for football fans. Samila Restuarant, this is a new resturant along Rayjindee road. The restaurant design is beautiful specially at night. Ban Phuk Khaw , this is a restaurant on a hill. This restaurant will offer you a beautiful view of Hatyai. I can't write all the restaurants here..there are just LOT!! Of course, if you're bored of THai food and would want more familiar taste, don't worry there are Mcdonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Sizzlers, Fuji, MK restaurant.

4) Go to Songkhla Beach

Image from bangkoksite.com

This is the nearest beach in the city. (I'll write another post on Songkhla) It's only a 30 mins drive from Hatyai. You'll get a 'taste' of the famous white sand beach of Thailand. It's a great place to relax and eat sea food too. THough you have to be careful since the restaurants along the beach are known to over price tourist. We had a terrible experience. So, if you're in a budget and don't want to be a victim of 'tourist overprice' then I suggest you ask the prices first before ordering. Then beware that the bucket of ice cubes they 'give' you is worth 20 baht whether you finish it or not.

5) GO for a swim in Ton Nga Chaang Waterfalls

Image from www.davidjensen.org

This waterfalls has 7 levels. It's beautiful even if we were only able to go until the 2nd level. It's quite a hike but I'm sure it'll be worth it. By the way, if you're a foreigner, they charge 200 Baht as a fee to enter the park where the you'll see the waterfalls but if you're a Thai, you only get to pay 20 Baht. Hmmm...

I think these are only the top 5 things you can do in Hatyai. But even if there are only 5 it's already enough to keep you occupied.

My Favorite Places #2 - White Island

noreply@blogger.com (Budget Traveler) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:27:00 +0000

The White Island of Camiguin ranks the 2nd of my favorite places. The White Island or Medan Island as known to a few is a very small, isolated island. Its shape can be changed depending on the tide. It's just a white sand bar without trees, huts or anything. It's a plain island surrounded by the sea with the view of Mt Hibok-hibok and the mainland nearby. That's what makes the place simply beautiful.

If you go to during the off-peak season ( like we did), then most probably there'll just a handful of people on the island. Everything will be so quiet and still except the rushing of the waves and the beat of your heart amidst the turquoise sea and the greenness of the mainland you could see from afar. The experience is just awesome!

Travel Tip # 5