Dear Reader,
No, I’m not a snob nor too busy to reply to you. I actually love to have a conversation, a talk. Yes, I really do. I actually read all your comments, smile at your “LIKES” and like your comments (on my FB page). I actually love to hear what you think about my posts, my reflections, my travel guides. After all, I set up this blog not just for me but for you as well. I want to help you see what’s out there.
BUT…
If you ask for an itinerary (a lot do), like a 3D/2N detailed IT or a cheapest package tour here or there (as if there is a cheap package tour?). I will not reply on that. Why? Because I’m an advocate of DIY trips, of dirt cheap travels, of random jaunts… Ohhh, about the itinerary- I’m a not a travel agency that’s why. But if I wrote something about what you are asking, I give links.
But please, don’t rely on me. Don’t even try to copy my experiences. That’s my own, its a journey, driven by my craziness and adventurous spirit (not to mention my desire to always travel on a cheap).
You see, I always try to provide every single detail that you will be needing. If the contact number is not there, then maybe the contact person doesn’t have a phone. If the accommodation is not there, then maybe (about 99%) I slept on my hammock 🙂 , which I normally do If I can’t find a room cheaper than Php200.
Also, there is this thing called Google- which I actually use, it will work for you too! If you are looking for a place, try to google- “journeyingjames ___________________ (add the destination you are searching). I also do that.
But wait there’s more! I guess you need to “ASK THE LOCAL.” Thats the way to be, you actually need to talk to the people there. They know better than me, they travel cheaper than me, they know where to find the cheapest bbq or the best spot. Trust me, I’m a local too!
For indie travelers like me, visit the tourism office, they are helpful except when its Saturday and Sunday. They even arrange things for you or contact a person to help you. That’s there job and they want it done.
So there…. please don’t be mad at me or stop reading my blog just because I didn’t reply to your question, okay?
Lastly, I am most thankful to you dear reader. If not for you, I’m not here. So there you go, please, pretty please… share the blog post once in a while.
Okay?
Thanks, really! Hope you enjoy your every destination!
Spend less, travel more. Carry less, travel far.
journeyingjames
____ ____ ____
Shot taken from Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House in Cebu City. The painting on the back is the oldest street in the Philippines- Colon street (named after Christopher Colombus).
Taken during Day 25 of my ISANG DAAN Journey while I was in Cebu.
#ISANGDAAN is a personal journey and challenge to backpack around the Philippines the cheapest way possible for 100 days. “Isang Daan” is a Filipino term that can mean either “one way” or “one hundred.”
If you want real time updates, you can check my facebook page: www.facebook.com/journeyingjames or follow me on twitter: @journeyingjames
If you want to follow my steps, I have an interactive map- ISANGDAAN Journey map.
Hahahaha… OUChhhhhh… But tama lang nman..
Dati, I only know 1 blog.. YOURS.
You’ve helped me so much in my Puerto Princessa trip.
That’s my first solo to travel solo mind you. From then on, I
have learned not to depend on 1 blog. Although up to now, I
still seek for your advice.. (kaya wag kangmagsawa sa kakukulit ko.hehe)
And yes, seeking/ visiting tourism office HELPS a LOT!!
You take care of your self James.. God Bless.. See you around..
i have to say this too. I had so muh fun in PPS. The sun, beaches, PPUR and definitely the gastronomic adventure. Even my father who wasn’t a food adventure commended me for my food choices. and I just told him about your blog ” 10 masabor foods in Palawan”. We had 5/10 (Kinabuch,Itoy’s,Neva’s,Balinsasayaw,Bona’s) though but indeed it was a great time..Now, my father is an avid reader of your blog to plan for our next trip:-)
thanks for sharing this! i posted this on my fanpage.
makes me want to share more stories and help more readers. say my regards to your dad elaine
Tama! Ako dati nagbabasa lang ng travel blog until natutunan ko ng gumawa ng sariling IT. Ang saya kaya! Kaya nga tinawag na D.I.Y. Travel. Mag-research po! 🙂
I understand you James. Trying to answer every question that the readers will throw you might jeopardize your Isandaang Journey. Yet, people are people.
Well, just keep up this informative agenda of yours….sa mga tao naman, please po paminsan-minsan tantanan naman natin si James. hehehehe……
ahahaha! tantanan talaga?
no worries grace, im cool!
Hi James,
You stole my heart! It’s funny, filipinos seldom change with our quirk habits and odd ways of handling things….
You don’t know me but I follow your blogs, just the way you describe your experiences and travels made me smile….wel, most of the time.
Keep it up and enjoy life, it’s too short to bug it down…
Greetings from Holland,
Josephine
hi josephine! thanks for following the blog! im enjoying life..
hope to see hollandia someday 🙂
ur very ryt ..!!!! straight.. i must say OUCH..!!! coz isa yata ako dun sa nag email sayo on how to make cheap tour to Bohol.. yah (as if they have one) but i did survive Bohol just by reading your’s and other’s blog.. and YES google helped me a lot..
really? did i reply? sorry kung hindi ha…
nice travels!
u replied naman kuya james, once or twice, kaya lang po nung malapit na ko umalis di ka na nagreply, pero sobrang okay lang po yun kasi mas natuto po alot po.. ako to stand on my own 😀 thank a lot po.. happy travel 🙂
di na ako nagreply para nga matuto ka..haha glad to know that.
Hi James!
Bin keeping myself posted with your blog updates, hehehehe..
Minsan nga, knikwento kita sa mga friends ko sa mountaineering even with my officemates and friends..
Tapos syempre, sasagot nila sino si James… Sagot ko lage, kamukha nya si Jay-R, hihihihi=)
Then, I’ll end up making kwento bout ur ISANG DAAN…then xempre giving your blog address…
Dame na ng sinabi ko, hahaha=)
BUT yeah, keep it up…Don’t stress yourself too much and really enjoy the moment…
Sana minsan makasama kita sa climb, tas iinterrogate kita ng bongga..Chos=)
Arisse
wow as in wow! thanks alot arisse, how can i thank you for that?
sure thing, just lemme know! havent climbed for a year now
no worries james…solve na ko sa blogs mo..basta i’l keep that in mind ha, siguro pag di ka na busy at ur done na sa isang daan..=D
sure, just let me know. wala rin pala akong tent.. haha
by the time po na tapos ka na sa isandaan, i have my new tent na..hehehe..
thank u po..lage ka ngrereply.=)
ang taray. hehehe
Tama sir!
Travelers need to trust the locals.
that’s the only way! 🙂
tama! kung gusto nyo, follow @journeyingjames on twitter, like his FB account then sabayan nyo na lang si Journeying James wherever he goes para makatipid din kayo. 😀 (parang stalker lang ang dating!)
thanks lauvee! that’s it… lauvee, nakatipid kaba nung sumama ka sa nagsasa? hahaha
oo naman! it’s the cheapest out-of-town trip so far for me. sayang nga lang di ko nasakyan si baby hammock mo at nang mapatunayan kung gano katibay. hahahaha
ahaha! kaya ka nun lauvee!
😀 hehe James…this is true {andkinda funny in a nice way 🙂 } – yep – those who ask for too much details are ****** well, maybe they do not have access to the net???…Safe trip always.
Relax lang James. Ang puso. :))
🙂 im cool! hi joy!
Ahahah ang kulet!!but its true make your own ITI its more fun and challenging if you make it on your own..thanks for all the info Mr. Betia!! good luck and have a safe trip dude!!:)
more fun in the philippines?! thanks vel!
very good post. your entry about the chao long in PP helped me though. it was heaven!
thanks! ahhhh, you reminded me of that soup
Nice reply about being “all things” to all people . . . I travel similarly on my own, hanging with the locals, avoiding the “tourist traps” whenever possible, and going with the flow which is often VERY SLOW. Not many peeps have my patience to endure what real travelling and touring is about – REAL ADVENTURE and plenty of FUN! even when everything comes crashing down and it looks like you are on the trip from Hell, haha.
Now I’m launching my own tour operation, so I have to sometimes change my thinking and ideas about how most people travel, which isn’t always last-minute, on-the-fly, no-reservations, and the walk-up way I usually go. However, it usually lowers my expenses while maintaining a good value. In fact, most people confuse Price vs. Value, where when you give the MOST VALUE, often Price is really a non-issue, and people feel satisfied and pleased with the overall experience. After all you can really never HAVE YOUR CAKE and EAT IT TOO, as there is no FREE LUNCH, and in the long run you have to sacrifice things like Comfort, Convenience, and Quality over for a lower Price.
Hats off to you, and enjoy the rest of your Journey James as we’ll continue to follow your DREAMS & GOALS – INGAT!
ALOHA & MABUHAY!
~ Mike E
I reckon some people are still hesitant to make their own ITs, either they’re afraid… Or don’t have much time… Or uhm, lazy. They just need some encouragement, and I think this post gives that 🙂
yep, LAZY is the word kompanyera and because people dont have much time to plan, so they go to planned/package tours
even you’re a snob, you’re still my favorite blogger! <3
wow! that’s soooo touching.. thanks joanne 🙂
as what i always post on my FB account… your blog is my stress reliever.. <3
love it! thanks joanne!
Snob? i dont think so…..kase wala pa naman akong comment na hindi ka nag reply hihihi but seriously we (your followers) really appreciate na despite of your hectic and tiring schedules (hehe parang celebrity lang noh…) you still have time to read and response to our comment. Actually bonus na un kase reading your blogs pa lang na iinspire na kame…. So keep it up…! and keep safe always =)
di sana ako magrereply sa comment na toh, kaya lang sabi mo wala ka pang comment na di ko nireplyan..
thanks rhona!
Nicely written dude…
Travelling is a self discovery for me…
Meeting people, new food tasting, explore the unexplored, a journey to find the real self within…
As for a snob, u are not even close to there…
Will keep reading and supporting ur blog…
~CheerS~
thanks man! of course, the food is stil there.
ohhh, you have to show me where to eat authentic beef rendang in the philippines.
bumping into your blog makes me more want to travel alone…at the moment I’m on the brink and konting push nalang, fingers crossed! 🙂
try to read my series of interviews with solo backpackers- https://journeyingjames.com/2011/11/go-girls-travel-tips-from-nina-and-paula/
No worries, i’m inspired by ur write-ups and that’s enough, hehehe..
Meeting u is in my bucket list and climbing w/ u is a bonus.Yan ha pumayag kana, hehehe..:)I’l keep that in mind..:)
I enjoy reading your shared adventures even though you don’t reply at times at least we know you read and LIKED our comments here.
Hello there! I’m a solo traveler myself and I love adventures. been reading Chyng Reyes blog and will start reading your’s thanks to my friend Carlene who told me about you. hopefully I will be able to join you in your future backpacking rendezvous! Keep it up!
sure thing, just lemme know if you wanna join.
please thank carlene for me, 🙂 salamat din sa pagbabasa!
carleen, wrong spelling rhe haha…james snob?charming nga eh..im enlighten reading your blogs. thanks sa tipid na biyahe sa surigao. now i’m back lets go and travel again rhea.
yeah! thanks carleen.
Taray mo teh! hehehe but I do understand.
Til now nainis pa rin ako sa sarili ko ‘bat di ako sumama sayo sa Cantilan waaah.
I hope they’ll be next time. 🙂
~keep safe!
haha! wla na, sayang sana sumama kana ng cantilan.
anyway, lapit lang naman yan sayo.
thanks, see yah again!
U cant please everyone ! ! travel safe my friend! god bless……
indeed! thanks jon. God bless u too
Hinanap ko talaga itong post na ‘to James!!!!
Dahil hindi ka talaga snob! Ikaw nah! Ikaw nah ang naglalate night durian coffee with 2 readers! Salamat you “made me tag along” which is better hearing than you kidnapping me to be the “chaperon”! Ahahahaha!
haha! bad ka talaga lai, lakas mong mag-asar.
until the next tagging along
so you mean James may rason pa ako magkipnap?! Wahahahahaha!
hahahahha and I love this explanation thingy you did James! I hope to see you again in the future.
Test ko lang ha if you’re going to reply to this comment. Hehe. On a more serious note, I agree that we all have to make our own experiences, and not copy others. Cheers!
hey reiza, the word-weaver, hello! cheers
Too bad bro. I can’t find any good rendang or even something close to that in the Philippines yet. But if u do come to Malaysia, i know places like that. Hehe
James thank you for your blogs, it really helps us (my husband and our son) to plan our travel, with our own itinerary… keep safe and enjoy your travels… God bless 🙂
pleasure is mine! i hope everything goes as plan. keep me posted of your journey
hi james! i love reading your blogs. take care
Hello James,
My fiance and I do love to travel a lot! and I think your not a snob but rather a good soul for providing facts in this site of yours. Honestly I envy you coz up to now i am too lazy to start my own travel blog. Your an inspiration that money is not a hindrance if you really wanted something. God bless you!:)
-tin
thanks tin for the good feedback. hope you guys explore the country more.
ingat!
Hi James, I always read your blog for my trips. And honestly, they helped a lot. Also, youre right when you said “ask the locals”. They’re the people who really know, especially in Mountain barangays.
Keep on journeying! 🙂
lol
I’m glad I run into this. I was supposed to ask for a simpler Itinerary for Puerto Princesa since I’ll be with my family and we don’t have much time to go to Honda Bay and anywhere else except the Underground River and around the city. *still laughing*
puerto princesa’s highlight is the underground river.
ever since i started travelling, i made it a point to do extensive research on my destination (must see places, things to do, where to eat, what to but, etc). sometimes i spend months doing this. and these travel blogs, like yours, and tourism websites are indeed great help.
yeah, right those people who would like to travel should do the same thing…that’s the reason why we have the internet.
check! glad you understand the message Judy, hehe 🙂
Thanks for all those info about PPC. I did my very 1st solo travel during my 31st birthday in November. And Im going back agan 🙂 this time El Nido with colleagues and common friends that I got to collect from impromptu invitations!
Keep blogging and rest assured your words will spread to all travel lovers!
All the best!
thanks marianne! glad it helped 🙂
Hello James! Try mo mag climbing sa Mt. Apo. 🙂 Been there and it was a really nice experience.I’m planning to travel solo..:) sa Cebu-Tagbilaran-Anda, Bohol..maganda daw mga beaches don. 🙂 I’m just curious, paano ka nakatipid..san ka natutulog? 🙂 A friend of mine nag backpacked from Thailand to other countries.whew..he stayed sa mga cheap motels..haha i think I’m gonna do that too..except that I’m a girl so I think I need to be more cautious sa kung san ako pupunta. Anyway, goodluck!
Hi James,
Chill lang okey? Ignore stupid questions and travel safely.