One Saturday night, Beep and I found ourselves on a ferry ride to Dumaguete from Cebu. Trust me, reflections on the water at 10:00pm are not ingredients for a good sleep. But I was far from drowsy. I was as awake as my cup of instant coffee can get me. Beep had to choose that particularly time to take a short nap, so it’s just me and the monster-ish little waves, wondering for the nth time why I am not in a plane heading somewhere else instead. But the hobo scored free George and Peter Lines tickets, and who can ever say no to him when he’s being his usual supercalifragilisticexpialidocious self? A little after 2 am we docked at Dumaguete wharf. I was famished and sleepy (caffeine effects now starting to wear off) so we headed to the nearest inn and flaked out, but not before I extracted a promise from Beep to feed me with the best meals come morning. And that he did. With barely enough money for a week’s respite, the Hobo succeeded in finding me affordable meals that cost less than P200.

I swear, he is getting good at this. In the remotest chance that your boyfriend is as frugal as mine, I’d like to share these cheapsake places that do not sacrifice their quality for affordability:laptop backpacks in harare I love being on the road, I love long drives, and I love getting to know a destination by the roads that lead you there.backpack metrotown While Beep and I like jetting off to new places, we’re both still big fans of taking the longer route – going on road trips. backpack tekapoSure, we have to spend days and nights on the road but as they say, the journey is what matters, not the destination.backpack sluice plans

There’s just something magical about road trips. For getaways to beaches or mountain retreats, some rent jeepneys or minivans, but there’s nothing quite like a drive in your own family car for the comfort it offers on long journeys through Philippine roads.backpack stores at metrotown It sounds exciting to just spontaneously slide into your car, cram yourselves in the back seat, rev the engine, and zoom away to who-knows-where without any preparation. nike acg backpack steel cityBut that could spell disaster. wunderlich backpackLong drives can be very tiring and challenging not just for the drivers but the passengers too. Fortunately, it’s easy to book a stay in cheap hotels in the Philippines so you can relax when you’ve arrived at your destination.

Before you can take the load off though, you have to reach the end of a long drive that can either be a terrible or wonderful experience. Here are 6 essentials to keep in mind to avoid mishaps and instead have the perfect road trip: What’s your idea of a perfect escape? If you ask me and Beep, it’s getting away from the noise of the city, just the two of us, alone and one with nature. It doesn’t even have to be in a high-end resort or beach – the more isolated we are, better. Like when we pitched a tent in one of the islands in El Nido, Palawan where we cooked our dinner by fire under the moonlight;  the soft waves, the rustling of the trees, and the sounds of the animals living in the island lulled us to sleep. Spending time outdoors, and one with nature, has a lot of health benefits too! While there are islands that are a couple of hours away from the bustling city of Manila, it’s seldom that you’ll have the place to yourself since you’ll have to share the island with other campers or travelers.

That’s why Beep and I are always on the lookout for private getaways that we can easily drive to. We’ve tried renting houses but none of them can compare to that night in our own island, until we found out that there’s a floating cottage  somewhere in Laguna thanks to an invitation from the owner of Eco Saddle. As the pair behind Travels with a Hobo, you’d think that Beep and I are always traveling during weekends. The truth is, we’re both home buddies and often spend the weekend sleeping in and watching Netflix. We love traveling but we love our beds more! So when we do go out on weekends, it has to be something worth losing a good day of sleep and binge watching for. “Don’t look straight into their eyes” “If someone insists on giving you a gift, politely decline it” These are just some of the warnings that people told me when they found out that I was going to Siquijor for a week-long Central Visayas trip with the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines.

While there were other destinations in the Philippines to choose from for TPB’s first-ever domestic Product Familiarization Tour which I was invited to take part in, I immediately chose the Siquijor-Dumaguete-Bohol tour just because I’ve always dreamed of going to Siquijor. Shrouded in magic and dark tales, the mere mention of the word Siquijor sends chills down the spine of many Filipinos. Believed to be inhabited by mystical and dark creatures like aswang, ghosts, witches, and sorcerers; this reputation might have gotten people to repulse the third smallest island in the Philippines , but it’s for the same reason that tourists (myself included) are attracted to the island once called Isla de Fuego (Island of Fire). It was dubbed so because of the eerie glow of the island according to the Spanish conquistadors who discovered it in 1565. It was just swarms of fireflies that flitted around the island’s Molave trees seen from a distance.Traveling with a backpack sounds adventurous and romantic at the same time.

Backpack is the only thing you have and can rely on and, therefore, you must think very carefully what you will need. We prepared a list of top 5 countries to backpack this year. Iceland does not not accidentally occupy the first place in our list as it is considered a natural resort with glacier-covered volcanoes, jagged fjords, and multi colored landscapes of moss and stone. We recommend to start your trip from the capital of Iceland – Reykjavik. It is not considered to be a megapolis since there are only 330 000 inhabitants there and it may seem that they all know each other. As a typical capital it has numerous restaurants, bars and nightclubs to offer for chilling out in any season, however, tourists are more welcome to enjoy stunning views of the mount Esja from the lighthouse on Grotta Island. East of the capital, the 155-mile Golden Circle route leads to Thingvellir National Park. Here you can try diving in the largest country’s lake Silfra and enjoy the underwater world hundreds feet in front of you.

The water is crystal clear, so you can see even tiny fishes hiding behind the water! Another popular tourists’ attractions is Haukadalur Valley – the valley of geysers. There is much to see there like the biggest active geyser called Geysir or Strokkur which gratifies visitors more often than its older brother. The Gullfoss (Golden Waterfall) is the final point of the Circle. The raging Hvítá (White River) seems to disappear into a 105-foot deep crevice here. And one more place you must visit when traveling in Iceland is Langjökull, the ice cave. It is a man-made tunnel which leads nearly a third of a mile to a cavern carved out of blue-glass ice. 2. Australia and New Zealand Kangaroos are not the most exciting when thinking of Australia. The country can also boast with perfect Sydney’s cityscape as well as wild reaches of Tasmania. In addition, New Zealand’s stunning landscapes across the water will become one more reason for tourists to visit the island and make their trip more enjoyable.

New South Wales has become the most attracting state of the country since it offers much to see. For example, the new Milroy Observatory where people are welcome to look at the stars through 40-inch telescope, the largest one, by the way. If you want to prolong your stay under Australian sparkling sky you can rent a six-bedroom homestead nearby. One more option to observe the beauty of the night sky is Outback Astronomy, the company in Broken Hill which offers binocular-assisted astronomy  tours of the heaven. Tasmanian Island is definitely worth attention with its rock-strewn coastlines and national parks packed with lakes and wild rivers. It offers a 29-mile Three Capes Track which starts in Port Arthur. Those who are willing to overcome the distance must be prepared for a 4-day trip with sea cliffs and steep paths and overnights on wooden cabins. If you plan to reach New Zealand then Rimutaka Cycle Trail will seem a good choice for you. The route passes through forested hills to the Wairarapa Valley before circling back along the Pacific coastline.

It is not too difficult, so even the newcomers will be able to try. Vietnam is considered a country of contrast. Sparkling skyscrapers of Saigon rise over the poor villages with destroyed after the war buildings and infrastructure. Nevertheless, the country remains on the top of budget-traveling destinations in Asia with its affordable prices and friendly people. The main reason for you to come to Vietnam is its geological diversity that ranges from steamy river deltas to rugged highlands. You can explore the world’s largest cave systems at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park or the most popular with travelers labyrinth of limestone islets in Ha Long Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin. We would also suggest climbing to the French fortress of Pu Lo, built in 1890 and enjoy the view. Hurry up because the roads are being upgraded and the first high-rise hotel is under construction, so it will become impossible soon to see the virgin beauty of the surrounding nature. The mountain town of Durango,, is a perfect place to start exploring the geological diversity of Colorado.

It is a young city with thousand of students, however, its main peculiarity is endless hiking, mountain biking, paddling, and skiing options in every direction. Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has been chugging into the hills from downtown since the late 19th century. The trip lasts for about 6 hours and ends at the height of 9.318 feet – the city of Silverstone is one of the highest in the USA. The trains go from May to October. If you are eager for more alpine scenery, you should drive north around the San Juan Skyway. While travelling you will face numerous waterfalls, ghost towns, trout streams, and public hot springs. Finally, the main Skyway’s attraсtion is Mesa Verde National Park which is considered one of the largest world’s archeological sites. It attracts visitors with huge caves and overhangs that show the ancient life on the high desert mesas. After destruction of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the Philippines have become not an attractive destination for backpackers.