I turn 29 this month, and being in my Saturn Return, I have made a vow to myself to be selfish this year (the last of my 20s) and indulge in my biggest vice: travel. So I’ve been racking up air mileage since the year started, getting lost in new, unfamiliar places and revisiting cities that have become beloved to me over the years. People often wonder how I can constantly travel given my salary (which is not to be taken as an indication that a journalist earns crappy wages) and my insistence on paying a sizeable amount of rent money for a place in the middle of Makati. Easy. I live frugally and travel cheap.
I take advantage of budget fares, free mileage and the unending hospitality of friends living abroad. And I’m not ashamed of it. I’m a regular visitor to the Cebu Pacific website, whether looking up international flights or domestic fares. Just recently, the young airline company offered a one-week-long International Seat Sale. It ended on March 31 and offered one-way flights to international destinations for as low as P1,299 (cheaper than dinner for two in a Greenbelt 5 restaurant). I wasn’t able to take advantage of this promo but I’m far from fretting: the budget airline is very generous with promos and will probably toot another outrageous sale by the third quarter of the year. The key is to sign up for their Low Seat Fare alerts on www.cebupacificair.com for an instant one-up. Regardless, they still probably offer some of the cheapest flights to South East Asian cities even on non-sale dates. And I also like how the website accepts last-minute bookings (up to 24 hours before date of departure) which goes to show that they understand the hectic schedule of a traveling businessman or the whims of the intrepid traveler.
One thing I try to avoid while traveling is eating out, which usually burns pocket money the fastest. This is probably a lot easier for me than for most as I’m vegetarian and find no need to try out the latest Michelin-rated steakhouse. In my thriftiest moods, I would make a trip to the produce market and grocery stores and buy local fruits, cheese and crackers and live on that for the rest of the day, as if I’m having my own personal picnic. For some reason, it also makes me feel less of a tourist.
I’ve also come to realize that not every vacation should be packed with a set itinerary. Sometimes, it’s just as fulfilling to walk aimlessly around parks, promenades and tree-lined streets, taking in free art and getting a silent view of local life. (I’ve gotten a lot of dress-up ideas just by doing this.) Most people are afraid to get lost on vacation; I think it’s one of the best things that can happen to you. On a recent trip to Kyoto, I decided to rely on gut feel instead of the cumbersome fold-up map I had to carry around. I ended up discovering these little shop-filled alleys that held more charm than any of the city’s palaces or temples. Eventually the alleys led me to the main street and I was back on track again.
Luxury travel is wonderful — I am not one to say no to sinking into a downy, five-star mattress at the end of a walking day — but budget travel, however challenging, also holds its own charm (as long as the bathroom is clean and private). Plus, the money spent on airfare, food and accommodations can go to shopping and nobody can resist the promise of a great bargain. Or it can also be spent wisely on side trips — more hoohah for the moolah.
Here are three Asian destinations with possibilities for a cheaper, though no less satisfying, holiday. Two of them, Hong Kong and Shanghai, are popular weekend go-tos, while Osaka is just starting to become familiar. Each city offers a slice of Asian culture that’s so easy to get lost in.
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Cebu Pacific frequently flies to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Osaka. Log on to www.cebupacificair.com for more info on flight schedules and fares.
Shanghai: Sightseeing for free
No other place probably symbolizes Shanghai’s modern and historical appeal better than the Bund. The famous strip, which is located on Puxi, the older part of Shanghai, and runs along the Huangpu River is the site of dozens of historical buildings in various architectural styles — Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neo-Classical, Beaux-Arts, and Art Deco — most of which are now banks or hotels. The Bund is especially pretty at night, when all of the building lights — a medley of neon color illuminated on the river — are turned on.
Within what was once the old French quarters is Xin Tian Di, the hottest new entertainment district in Shanghai. The two-square-block development contains scores of historic brick buildings that have been transformed into bars, coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques, all of which barely suggest that, 82 years ago, this was the site where Mao Zedong held meetings to form what would eventually be the Communist Party. Grab yourself a cup of coffee, a pastry and a spot outside Paul’s coffee shop at the start of the block for major people watching.
For more cultural appreciation (read: people watching), get yourself to the nearest park early in the morning where you will see thousands of elderly Chinese engaged in morning workouts: tai chi, qi gong, ballroom dancing, aerobics. Suggested spots are the People’s Park in Renmin Gongyuan or Zhongshan Park (take the Zhongshan Park metro station).
Bargain hunting
The 1,033-meter-long Nanjing Road can either be taken as extremely exciting or an eyesore. The wide street, which accommodates thousand of pedestrians during the weekend, houses the city’s key retail shops such as Shanghai No.1 Department Store, Lao Feng Xiang Gold & Jewelry Shop and Shanghai No.1 Medicine Shop. Affordable Asian brands Giordano and Baleno also have sizeable boutiques here. On bright spring days, true to Chinese kitsch, you can be serenaded as you shop by opera singer wannabes as they vie in a competition staged in Nanjing’s huge public square or by saxophone musicians playing on the balcony of one of the hotels lining the strips.
For something more compact, though no less dizzying, check out Fenshine Fashion and Accessories on Nanjing Xi Lu. This plaza houses many small outlets and booths, àla Greenhills, selling clothing, accessories (watches, pearl bracelets/necklaces, leather belts), bags, shoes and even home linen. Bargain hard and you’ll end up happy. Just keep an open mind, however, that some of these products are “export overruns” or class A rip-offs.
Splurge on (if you must)
If you have some (okay maybe a lot) of RMB to spare, take in Shanghai’s nightlife. Some of Asia, even the world’s, prettiest bar interiors can be found in Shanghai, made even more charming as they are located on the top floors of historical buildings along the Bund.
The newly-renovated Glamour Bar, located on the sixth floor of Building 5 in The Bund’s Zhong Shan Dongyi Road, combines slick, luxuriously retro décor with creative drinks. Lounge 18, in the popular Bund 18, is the exact spot to see and be seen. Black interiors complement a clientele of beautiful people and an impressive DJ guest list from all over the world. The still-popular Bar Rouge, also in the posh Bund 18 building, has a Philippe Starck-inspired design mixed with chic Oriental features. The best thing about Bar Rouge is a balcony that gives an amazing view of Pudong on clear days.
Side trip
Just an hour and a half by bus from Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport is Suzhou, a charming city touted by some as the “Oriental Venice.” It encompasses Taihu Lake, one of the four largest fresh lakes in China, and offers boat trips that give a scenic and real view of the houses that line the lake and the inhabitants in it. Its mild climate and fertile landscape make it a viable destination year round.
Hong Kong Sightseeing for free
Also within Hong Kong’s skyscraper landscape are walking trails that can draw you into a couple of hours of serenity. The 2.5-km Bowen Road, which runs from the Magazine Gap Road near the rail of the Peak Tram to Stubbs Road, Tai Hang Road and Wong Nai Chung Gap Road is a flat paved road that invites jogging, dog walking and even soul-searching. Halfway along the path is Lovers’ Stone, a nine-meter-high granite monolith supposedly revered by those in search of romance.
Bargain hunting
Most of Hong Kong’s bargain shopping is located in Kowloon such as Mongkok and Nathan Road. Some cheap shopping, that doesn’t find as many tourists but still sells great merchandise, can be had at Prince Edward Market. Also known as Fa Yuen Market, as it is located on Fa Yuen Street, this series of little shops sells everything from trendy wear to children’s clothing to fake designer bags to real designer bags to sleepwear to ubiquitous Chinese knick-knacks.
On Hong Kong Island, Stanley Market is supposedly a must for every tourist visiting the city. The traditional open-air, Chinese-style market hawks cheap traditional Hong Kong items alongside garments and clothing for both adults and children.
Another popular shopping site is the Ladies Market in Tung Choi Street. Though it specializes in ladies clothing and accessories, hence the name, the Ladies Market basically sells anything and everything at any price.
Splurge on (if you must)
A visit to cosmopolitan Hong Kong is not complete without experiencing a Sunday brunch (ironically, it starts at a little before noon and ends at around 4 or 5 p.m.) in one of the city’s posh restaurants. One of the more popular spreads is that of Top Deck restaurant on the top floor of Hong Kong’s famous Jumbo Floating Restaurant. With a choice to take the champagne brunch (all you can drink bubbly until 5 p.m.), Top Deck’s sought-after Sunday brunch offers fresh seafood imported from around the world, as well as open grill and tandoori stations, sushi sets, a soup and salad station, a Peking duck station, hot dishes, freshly baked pizza, and a bevy of desserts. Don’t leave soon after you’ve had your fill. Enjoy Sunday and your champagne buzz spread out on the huge, cushy couches that are scattered all over Top Deck’s balcony. The view, which gives an amazing contrast of Hong Kong’s urban skyscrapers against its traditional boats, is especially inspiring.
Side trip
Lamma Island, called Hong Kong’s hippie locale because it doesn’t have any cars and designer stores (only bikes and quaint little houses), is a 30-minute ferry ride from the Hong Kong port. Locals mainly go here for its seafood restaurants and its variety of restaurants serving Thai, Japanese, Chinese and fusion fare. This captivating little town is also a good place to get some quirky souvenirs such as melted coke bottles and fish ornaments.
Osaka Sightseeing for free
Osaka’s business district, called Umeda, is also a great place to while away the afternoon just window shopping or staring at the impressive skyscrapers that fill up the disctrict. A huge ferris wheel even sits on top of one of the buildings.
For a taste of uber-cool Japan, go to Orange St. near Shinsaibashi, also in Minami. Here, building facades boast the minimalist design Japan is known for; interiors, however, are as high-tech as can be. Orange Street houses boutiques of both local and Western designers, the shops decked out in interiors as desirable as their wares.
Bargain hunting
Osaka is actually Japan’s shopping capital, considering that it started out as a port city catering to traders and merchants. Shotengai, a covered shopping alley that runs from Namba station to Shinsaibashi, has retail shops selling merchandise from the cheap to the very expensive. Its dizzying commercial draw is comparable to Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay.
For the electronics junkie, Den Den Town in Naniwa-Ku should be paradise. Over 150 shops offer everything that has made Japan the temple of the techie geek, from cameras to calculators to game consoles, often at discounted prices.
The underground shopping scene also started out in Osaka. Namba City, an underground mall in the Minami area has Japanese chain stores, inexpensive goods, and many excellent restaurants. Next to it is Nan Nan Town, another underground shopping complex with great bargain finds.
Splurge on (if you must)
Many people argue that Osaka has the best Japanese food in all of Japan. Again, this goes back to the city’s mercantile history, which reveals that merchants encouraged the city’s culinary development. In fact, a popular Japanese saying relates that Tokyo people ruin themselves by overspending on fine footwear, Kyoto people on fine clothing, and Osaka people on fine food. One example of the Osakan culinary tradition is Goemen restaurant in the Shinsaibashi area. The restaurant offers a fusion of Japanese and Italian cuisine, such as pasta topped by a sheet of nori.
Side trip
One hour away by train is the historical city of Kyoto, a city so picturesque and charming that it invites utmost regret if not visited. Once the Imperial Capital of Japan, Kyoto has more than enough castles, temples and shrines to exhaust the history buff. Its biggest charm, however, lies in its little alleys and streets, a maze that presents cultural eye candy of traditional Japanese houses, shops selling Japanese souvenirs and costumes and traditional ryokans or Japanese inns.