First Travel Abroad

[ataypool]

also check the validity or expiration dates of your passport; within 6 months of expiration most countries would not allow you to come in. Some countries would not allow emergency or temporary passports too.  http://www.traveller.com.au/this-is-why-you-should-always-check-your-passports-expiration-date-before-travel-gue32o

[yellowminion]

Wow nice thread! My first occ was Thailand but I was with my sister and her officemates saka their friend who's already staying in Thailand acted like our tour guide kaya parang di kami nahirapan. Parang Philippines din lang yung Bangkok and the cost of living was cheap also but they have really delicious food! Parang one meal naming 4 wala pang 700php pero pag dito ka kumain sa Manila ng ganun kasarap baka 3k inabot nun.

Anyway, planning to go to HK so maybe I'll read up on the do's and dont's doon.

Always bring extra cash kasi baka ma-short ka dahil marami kang biglaang purchases. Or is it just me na kunwari will just have a budgeted amount pero napapagastos pa din.

[Escapaira]

I learned a lot from this topic  I will be travelling again this coming April and i took down some notes of what I need to do, because last year travel was a fail. We didn't maximize our time in Hongkong cause we have no idea what to do and it was our first time. And Yes never leave your passport in hotel. That is our number one rule.

[Ma.Jewel_1987]

My first out of the country was last year lang, hehe kahiya ang tanda ko na. Anyway sa HK sya. I made sure na nareserach ko ng maayos ang pupuntahan ko at mga sasakyan. Also nilista ko din phone number and address ng Embassy just incase magkaproblema. It was pretty easy since marami ako friends dun.

[Gaysha]

^^Parang baliktad ata sa usual payo. Usually, people will advise to leave your passport at the hotel safe and just carry the photocopy of the important pages. Mas malaki naman ang chance na mawala pag dala dala mo sya while sightseeing.

[simang]

Ako I always bring my passport with me everywhere when I'm abroad. Yun lang kasi ng identification na accepted pag foreigner ka. Tapos pag shopping usually they ask for your passport din para tax free.

[Ma.Jewel_1987]

I'd rather bring my passport with me kasi sure akong maiingatan ko sya kesa iwanan ko sa hotel, baka mamya pasukin or ano mang mangyari. Pinakavalid identification mo din sya while abroad.

[Gaysha]

It's a case to case basis but generally, it's safer to not carry it around. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/should-carry-passport-times-110089.html

You can photocopy the important pages and show that instead. And leave the passport in the hotel Safe. It's what is the advice in almost all travel sites all over and even by seasoned travelers and governments. These are all backed by stats. Meaning, mas maraming incidents na nakawala ng passport habang dala dala mo, like thief, hindi lang pagiging burara. While, hotel safe is safer, not fool-proof, but may layers of security.

 

[swtgrl_bee]

Last month, first OOC namin sa HK as a family. Regarding passport sa 5 days namin dala dala ko siya sa first 3 days nasa loob ng plastic envelope kasama noong iba pa namin documents. Pero ayun nga noong 3rd day namin, nabasa yung ibang papers (good thing meal vouchers lang) sa loob ng envelope. Aparently, yung baon naming juice para sa anak ko since malamig ayun nag moist. Natakot talaga ako noon. 4th day pasyal namin. Iniwan ko na, 5th day dala dala ulit since pauwi na kami.

[gwyne21]

My first travel abroad was in Japan. I was there for more than a year (work-related). During that time I got to visit many wonderful places and got to experienced their language (I had to study and learn to speak Nihongo), culture, food, efficient transportation system, etc. We are planning on going back there for a vacation with my family in the future.

[cosmochick]

My first travel abroad for leisure was in Bangkok . Naloka ako sa shopping. Sarap ng food even streetfood, grabeee! Did the parasailing for the first time in Pattaya.

I enjoyed it more the second time. Di lang puros shopping na. We also went to Phuket and for me Phuket is more fun! I love Thailand.

[Escapaira]

^^Parang baliktad ata sa usual payo. Usually, people will advise to leave your passport at the hotel safe and just carry the photocopy of the important pages. Mas malaki naman ang chance na mawala pag dala dala mo sya while sightseeing.

Hi Sis, sa akin yan din worry ko kasi sobrang paranoid ko pati nga cellphone ko di ako mapakali, pero sa mga travel ko abroad mas convenient talaga para sa akin dala ko lagi ang passport. Tulad ng sa Singapore nasa mall kami and parang may tax refund dun kapag naka abot ka sa certain amount na nagastos and kailangan mo ipresent yung original passport, same din sa Japan and paminsan sa mga tourist attraction may mga discount sila para sa mga tourista dun nalang talaga namin nalalaman na may ganun buti nalang talaga dala namin yung passport. May small bag ako na para sa passport and hinihide ko siya under my shirt para di mawala. Di ko iniiwan sa hostel mahirap na iba kasi ang mga kasama ko.

Advice ko din pala is always get Travel Insurance kahit one week ka lang isang bansa. Di mo maeexpect kung may mangyayari sayong masama and lalo na kung may kasama kang mga senior or parents. Like what happened to us in Japan. My father was sent to ICU due to kidney failure and our total bill for 4 nights (ICU) was almost 900K Japanese Yen, none of our family members expect na may mangyayari sa father ko yun and i was so naive not to get one.  Sa Cebu pacific 400 lang ata ang travel insurance and i think its worth it kung health para naman sa safety and health mo.

[swtgrl_bee]

^Sis kapag ganyan ang scenario sagot ni Cebu Pacific yan? Lagi pa naman akong hindi kumukuha.

[Escapaira]

^ Yep sis. Inquire mo din sa credit card company mo kung may free travel insurance, ganoon kasi sa BDO ko pero maliit lang coverage mas maganda pa din yun sa online travel insurance or kung sa airline mismo. 

[barbillie]

Buenos Aires. For work. Sobrang culture shock ko. Sobrang dami kong hindi alam kasi first time ko nga magtravel. Buti may kasama akong officemate.

[Ma.Jewel_1987]

When I travel, I get Blue Cross Insurance only P500 ang laki ng coverage.

[airish_2]

Sayang kung nabasa ko lang nag thread na ito before. Nakapagdala sana ako detergent 😂 though may libre sa hotel walang tingi sa mga supermarket.

First out of the country ko is Singapore, work related kay hubby. Nauna siya sumunod kami ni baby.

1. Always bring pen and yung docu nasa iisang lagayan lang. Nilalagay. Ko din sa ziplock yung passport and always dala.

2. Basa ng blog para may idea na sa bansang pupuntahan. Tsaka mag screenshot sa phone ng map.

3. Try local foods, para mas authentic.

4. Search din ng mga discount deals sa mga amusement park or attraction katulad na lang sa klook.

[Gaysha]

About Bringing Passport everywhere, again, paki-google na lang, there is a whole lot of forums about this:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bring+passport+everywhere

Parang ang dating kasi sa akin, i am wrong in my post above and it is just me.

[airish_2]

Hindi naman siguro sis, ako kasi I share what I practice. Common kasi nakawan ng passport na galing sa powerful country. May nabasa ako before papunta sila Spain marunong magspanish si ate tapos nawala passport niya good thing nakita siguro nagulat na makitang Philippine Passport ang meron siya akala siguro galing din siya sa EU country something like that. Pero syempre ingat pa rin.

[hushush]

Sa mga 1st time travellers, always prepare for a culture shock. Kahit na nagresearch pa kayo nang todo, there's always that moment.. Like sa china alam ko marami talagang moment pero ang di ko makalimutan nung bumili ako ng SIBUYAS.. Then paghiwa ko, BAWANG pala! Parang nacombine na genes ng bawang ay sibuyas kaya ang shape at kulay purple sya kahit husband ko sabi nya nagoyo din sya nuon kaya di na sya bumibili ng ganun. Lahat dun malalaki. Kamatis, talong, sili... 😄

Sa mga hotels naman na walang bidet.. Inis na inis ako kasi syempre walang tabo! Pano ko huhugasan ang ano ko. Di naman ako sanay na panay tissue..lalo na kapag.. Iba pa rin yun hugas diba. Siguradong malinis. Kaya minsan nagbabaon ako ng disposable cup na malake para pede gamiting tabo. lalo pag ang bata ang nag-CR hindi pedeng walang bidet/tabo. Diba mga momshies?