6 Essentials for the Perfect Road Trip

26 August, 2016 by Gem Muzones

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.

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. Sure, we have to spend days and nights on the road but as they say, the journey is what matters, not the destination.

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.

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. But that could spell disaster. Long 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:

Escape to Nature: Eco Saddle’s Floating Cottage in Lake Caliraya

5 June, 2016 by Gem Muzones

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.

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.

So last weekend, we drove to Eco Saddle in Caliraya Lake and spent the night in their motorized floating cottage. It was like having an island all to ourselves again, but this time we had a fully-furnished house that can cruise around the lake. Who needs a yacht when you have a real Hobo house?

Pradera Wake Park: Your New Weekend Playground in Pampanga

3 April, 2016 by Gem Muzones

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.

Siquijor: Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Travel to This Mystic Island

24 November, 2015 by Gem Muzones

“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. The truth? It was just swarms of fireflies that flitted around the island’s Molave trees seen from a distance.

#PhilippinesFirst Friday: This 7-minute Video Will Make You Want to Go Backpacking in the Philippines Now!

30 October, 2015 by Gem Muzones

Last week, we launched the first part of our #PhilippinesFirst Weekly Blog Series, where we round up articles/content published in the recent week to prove just how beautiful the Philippines is. The series is our own little way of helping our fellow Filipinos realize how lucky we are to live in this country, feel proud of our roots, and bring inspiration to travel the Philippines first before the rest of the world.

What inspired us to travel more of the Philippines this week despite the disgraceful laglag-bala extortion racket in NAIA headlining the news recently?

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