Budget Hotel NIDA Provides Affordable Option for TravelBook.ph Customers

Press Update:

TravelBook.ph, the leading hotel booking website in the Philippines, has officially partnered with NIDA rooms, one of the biggest budget hotel operation networks in South East Asia, as part of the company’s goal to provide quality and affordable rooms for every traveler.

Travelbook.ph is the first Online Travel Agent (OTA) that established a partnership with NIDA Rooms.

Visitors to TravelBook.ph or users of the mobile app can now browse for NIDA rooms at the country’s key destinations including Boracay, Cebu, Davao, and Manila. As the only hotel booking website that sells NIDA rooms in the Philippines, Travelbook.ph ensures that more travelers get quality rooms at very affordable rates with more than 200 properties available and ready for booking.

Originally established in Indonesia, NIDA rooms is a growing branded hotel room network that partners with budget hotels and manages low-occupancy vacant rooms to help these hotels sell accommodations in a much lower cost. These rooms then are branded as NIDA rooms, which come with clean and comfortable beds as well as amenity kits that include standard conveniences like towels and basic toiletries. To date, NIDA rooms is the first and only Virtual Hotel Operator (VHO) in the Philippines with over 50 partner hotels nationwide.

While travelers can reserve hotel accommodations directly with NIDA rooms, Travelbook.ph assures a better deal as your bookings come with exclusive reward points, where one point is equivalent to PHP 1.00. You can then use these reward points to lower the cost of your future bookings.

Find the best NIDA room near you by visiting the TravelBook.ph website or checking out the mobile app on Android or iOS.

AirAsia Big Seat Sale P599 starting April 2

Press Announcement::

 CLARK, PAMPANGA, 1 April 2013 – Book your trips for 2014 now and enjoy early bird savings through Philippines’ AirAsia’s big seat sale promo starting today (April 2). All-in promo fares from as low as P599 only for international and domestic destinations are available for booking via www.airasia.com  from 2 to 7 April 2013, and the travel period will be from 1 January to 30 April 2014.

 

“AirAsia continues to change the landscape of low-cost travel. With our big sale promo, planning a trip is easiest with our all-in fares and rates clearly laid out for our guests, so grab those promo seats now and enjoy huge savings,”  Freddy Herrera, AirAsia Inc. Commercial Head, said.

For payment convenience, AirAsia’s payment partner service provides guest the option to pay for promo seats booked online in cash through any 7-Eleven and Bayad Center outlets nationwide.

“AirAsia believes in providing convenient service to make traveling easier and more affordable for our guests. In the coming weeks, we are expanding our cash payment partner service to include Cebuana Lhuillier and other popular outlets and banks so that more and more people will have access to our promo fares and bargain deals,” Herrera added. 

The promotional seats are also available for booking via AirAsia’s mobile booking platforms through WAP enabled phones at mobile.airasia.com and AirAsia apps on iPhone and Android devices. Philippines’ AirAsia call center also accepts booking of regular fares via +632 742.27.47 from Monday to Sunday at 0800hrs to 2100hrs.

“There are exciting summer vacation activities and places close to home and around Asean cities waiting to be discovered.  With our big sale promo and AirAsia’s awesome network of 186 routes with 85 destinations throughout 18 countries, you get a head start on your barkada and family summer getaways,” Herrera said.

Never miss out on updates about our bargain deals by following AirAsia via Facebook (facebook/airasiaphilippines) and Twitter (twitter.com/airasiaph).

Philippines' AirAsia is a low cost carrier operating from Clark Philippines. It is a joint venture amongst Antonio O. Cojuangco, Michael L. Romero, Marianne Hontiveros, and AirAsia Investment Ltd. It started operations only in 2012 with two brand new Airbus A320s, operating routes from Clark to Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Kalibo, and Davao.

Airbnb Lands in the Philippines

Many people are not confident, to say the least, about transacting online . . .  and with good reason.  There are a lot of fraudulent activities going on in cyberspace, lots of money being lost, and at the worst, even lives.  Well, as much as crime is prevalent in the online world, there are a lot of money saving conveniences as well.  Costs go down because we remove the middleman’s cut, we go straight from manufacturer to customer, or at least remove some layers in between that translate to additional expense.  Well, now the travel industry also has its online version . . . Airbnb.  

There are multiple advantages to utilizing this online travel service: first as a traveler, you have a varied selection of  residences with rate options,  you can customize your vacation packages at the comforts of your home, you get to see lots of pictures and reviews about the place before you book, and you have a 24-hour option of changing venues if you are unhappy with your selection among others. Second as a property owner or even just a homeowner, you have a chance to earn extra income from an unused room by simply enlisting your property to the Airbnb directory. As a traveller, your choice of residence includes options you may not find in a hotel, such as a yacht, castle, or even and island all to yourself at a rate that may surprise you.

 So if you want to pursue or explore this travel or income-generating option, read on . . .   

Press Release:

MANILA, Philippines – December 20, 2012 - Airbnb, an online marketplace listing to discover and book unique accommodations, announced its expansion into Southeast Asia beginning in the Philippines at a press conference held at Mary Grace, Greenbelt. Airbnb will focus on engaging with its rapidly-growing community in Manila and throughout the country, as the company has seen over 400% growth year-over-year in the Philippines in 2012.

“Airbnb is about creating unique, memorable experiences, and we’re seeing a huge increase in demand in the Philippines and across Asia,” says co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Nathan Blecharczyk. “Manila is a growing travel destination, and people from the Philippines are traveling abroad at increasing rates, so we believe it will be a crucial market for us as we continue to grow.”

A few statistics on Airbnb’s growth in the Philippines:

• ·         Guests have come from 67 different countries around the world to travel in the Philippines on Airbnb.
• ·         The number of guest nights booked on Airbnb in the Philippines has increased 345% in 2012 alone.
• ·         The number of Airbnb guest nights booked by people from the Philippines traveling elsewhere has increased 263% in 2012, with the most popular destinations being Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Singapore, Manila, Rome, Seoul, Barcelona, Florence, and London.
• ·         Airbnb has over 975 listings in the Philippines, including 530 in Manila.

To support the rapid growth in the Philippines, Airbnb has tabbed Ole Ruch as manager of the Southeast Asia region. The team focused on the Philippines will work to better support hosts and guests in the market, assisting in managing listings, bookings, and educating users about the Airbnb process.

Airbnb is currently the world market leader in unique, short-term accommodations. In June the company celebrated 10 million nights booked, and on any given night, over 50,000 guests are staying at Airbnb accommodations around the world.

About Airbnb:
Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world – online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 30,000 cities and 192 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

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Backpacking To Bolinao

The Plan

It all started with an impulsive idea a few days before holy week.  I decided we were going on a backpacking adventure to Bolinao with the kids after an acquaintance mentioned she was from that province and that it wasn’t  difficult  nor costly to go there.   So we packed our bags, threw caution to the wind, and left two days after the idea entered my head. I figured how difficult could it be, since we traveled often to Baguio along the same route and which is even farther.  So I had it all planned out to travel at midnight, get some zzzzs in the bus and arrive there by early dawn and start the day in the beach.  Spend a few days, enjoying the water and sand, reading a book, writing a bit, take some nice shots, spend some quality bonding time with the kids. That was the plan in my mind.

The Reality

Now here is what actually happened. So we packed our bags, hailed a taxi to bring us to the 5-Star bus station an hour before the midnight trip so we don’t have to rush.  When we got there, the bus --- the final trip for the day---was already full and was about to leave.  The next trip was at 5am the next day.  So we took the trip sitting by the aisle in plastic chairs for the next 3 hours, trying to focus on the movie being shown instead of whining and grumbling.  There was a kind man who gave up his seat for the younger kids  with us.  At least that cheered me up a bit.  And three hours wasn’t too bad or long a wait.  When we got to Pangasinan, people started getting off.  So we were able to transfer to better seats at least an hour before reaching our destination.

When we reached Bolinao, the farthest of  part of Pangasinan,  at 4am we waited at the bus station for our contact to arrive. I discovered that the Victory bus station and 5-Star bus station were almost beside each other, so either bus service could be used for Bolinao, Pangasinan destination.  Two hours have passed and she wasn’t around yet so we decided to continue without her. It wasn’t mind-boggling to get around as there was a  huge map in the bus station that indicated resorts, their locations and contact numbers if you want to ask about rental rates. Thanks to the friendly canteen owner in the bus station who recommended we go to Cabrera Cottages  18 km away, we were able to decide where to go and how to get there. She helped us hire a tricycle for P200 to bring us to Patar. 

It was a refreshing morning as we took the trike trip. Upon seeing the beach, my mood got better. So we settled in a cottage fronting the beach for the next two days. The bamboo cottage offered minimal comforts with a mattress, a light bulb, and a fan which barely reached everyone.  That was tolerable. But what was a negative was the common bathroom area that was somewhat clean but you would prefer to rush out as soon as you are done. And the late night sing-alongs at full volumes  that went on  through the night.  I don’t know how we managed to sleep eventually.

The Good and the not so Good

The mornings made up for the warm nights as the breeze and the water were cool and refreshing to the skin.  The view was uplifting and the rhythmic waves were soothing to the mind and soul.  The soft sand and clear waters in the day made up for the not-too-comfortable nights.  I would walk and sit around the beach at night for an hour or so by myself,   saying a short prayer and appreciating the sight of the star-filled night sky along with the music of the waves before I went to sleep.

My kids easily made friends with the other vacationers. Our friendly cook named Nandy served us specially cooked dishes of rice and veggies for lunch and dinner and hot water for our cocoa and my coffee 3-in-1 packs for the morning.  It was a budget trip so I passed the market to get some supplies before we headed for the beach which was quite a distance from the town.  We came at the right time because  when we were about to leave, two days after, which was a Maundy Thursday, the crowd started coming in.  The empty space was filled with parked cars and the place was buzzing with people by the afternoon. Some people could not be accommodated anymore.

Happily Ever After

People were kind and considerate, unbelievably trusting compared to the attitudes in Manila, when it comes to cash.  I made the mistake of assuming that there would be easy access to ATMs  should I need more money.  Horrors, there was only one bank in town that had an ATM where I could get cash from after 5pm and it was not working.  The next one was an hour’s bus trip away at Alaminos, the more popular area because of  the Hundred Islands tourist site.  So my mind was racing: . . .what are my options now?  At first, I  intended to wait  for the only ATM in the area to go online for as long as it took.   When it was not yet working after over an hour, I made a deal with the bus conductor. I asked if he could advance me some cash until we reach Alaminos on our way home where I can get cash from an ATM to pay him back.  To cut the long story short, I was able to pay my dues to the trike driver, my cook, and the bus fare due to the kindness, trust and patience of the people of Bolinao.  So aside from the beautiful beach, it was the warm welcome of the people that made me decide to come back more often in the future.  Now I know how to prepare for the next visit.