Travel Trends for 2013

We have barely been through the family reunions and seemingly unending parties that culminated on December 24 (December 25, for some families) and the feeling of satiety is still too much with us.  Bracing for the New Year celebrations, we lethargically get back to work for this three-workday week to accomplish what needs to be finalized and closed before the year ends.

A number of families -- like my younger son Allen Arvin's -- will greet 2013 in another country. They will do Singapore Zoo and Universal, then off to Legoland in Malaysia, before coming home on January 6. We did that before in 2009 - 2010 when we watched the fireworks in Marina Bay from our 28th floor balcony in a hotel right on the bay district.  Marina Bay Sands was looming nearby, while the Singapore Eye looked near enough to be reached out. Of course, only the adults --  and 4 year-old Meg -- were enjoying the spectacle.  The babies were sound asleep at midnight.

Our Opinion Editor Quennie Bronce and her family spent a pre-Christmas vacation in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) via Cebu Pacific.  That was a reunion with her brother Nognog who is well-placed there for some years now. Budget airlines have made it quite affordable to go to other Southeast Asian destinations where no visas are needed.

A beautiful place to be in winter would be Japan -- where Carmel & Gino Salvador spent their Christmas --  with its deep snow and Mt. Fuji so near to be appreciated. However, a visa is needed to go there and Japan is a rather expensive destination in terms of hotel accommodation and food.  Comfort and style are at par with the world's best destinations, though.  And my son Allen attests to Japan Disneyland as uniquely engaging for young and old.

Been getting updates from some international airlines for their regular short-term offers of very good deals to the U.S. and Europe.  However, the window is too short for me to be able to write about these in particular.  Suffice it to say that there are cheap fares that are offered with a three-day allowance to purchase, but covering a travel period of as long as six months after.  Best to finalize dates of your travel next year, then alert your travel agent, with your airline preference, so she/he will inform you to purchase your ticket as soon as a good offer arises.

I have always traveled during early spring to the western hemisphere.  Most ideal for me as I love the cool weather but not the bite of snowy weather. Feb-March is also considered low season in the travel industry.  Good deals abound in this window.  And traffic is just how I like it -- not too many people traveling.

Best advantage for 2013 is to get to Greece and Spain, as these countries are battling the economic downtrends in Europe, so they can be quite affordable as destinations.  There will definitely be shopping "finds" while there, as well as good accommodation packages. For the sea lovers out there, diving into the Aegean is an altogether different experience...plus the exotic appeal of Greek cuisine that has become familiar with the rising number of Mediterranean restos in the city.

In all of southern Europe, Spain can be most familiar to us Filipinos. Place names alone bring up hometown recollections -- Toledo, Valencia, Compostela, etc.  Cuisine is reminiscent of Christmas or fiestas past:  arroz a la Valenciana, cochinillo (lechon de leche, to us), morcon (meat roll), pastel de lengua, tocino del cielo (a richer version of the leche flan), etc. Even the language is navigable as most terms in Cebuano are Spanish: cuchara y tinidor, balconaje, garaje, etiqueta y de vuelta, plato, cuchillo, mano a mano, tener (to have), etc. Maybe for the now generation, these terms are no longer in use, but in my generation -- when Spanish was required in college -- these terms were in everyday use.

Cruising is now the trend in Southeast Asia so take advantage of short cruises to get your sea legs in place.  Then you can be better prepared to take the 15-20 days Mediterranean cruise or the Alaska Inner Passage cruise or the Volga cruise.  Cruises usually start in either Hong Kong or Singapore, for three to four days -- a week if you go to Japan. Shopping is always a joy as you will be passing Thailand or Vietnam or Kuala Lumpur.

But before everything else, plan way ahead as this will give you opportunities for a good deal. Planning way ahead will also make your schedule in synch with your travel plans.  Bring only the barest necessities as you can purchase onboard or when you shop during ports of call.

Travel safely and wisely!