Boracay 2016: 8 Reasons Why You Should Stay at Second Wind Bed, Bunk & Breakfast

I am a huge fan of hostels or cheap accommodations in general. Why? It's because there are a lot of decent places you could stay at that are actually super nice yet extremely budget friendly! When you're on vacation naman you usually spend most of your time outside the hotel, right? So, why waste money on pricey hotel rooms? Unless it's a staycation and your only plan is to stay inside, relax and watch TV, then go, indulge and gastos away. Haha. In our case, and in mostly all my cases, we just needed a home base. Someplace to sleep & bathe in. Second Wind gave us that and MORE! They were voted as one of the top hostels in Boracay. Here's why...

1. ROOMS

Boracay 2016: Flight, Accommodation, Transfers & 5-Day Pocket Money for P9000

No matter how many times I've been in one place, no trip is ever the same. EVER. I guess that's also one of the best things about traveling. There's just always something new to discover-- new places, new activities, new faces, new people. I just came home from a 5-day Boracay trip and it was AMAZING. I had been to Boracay countless times, but this was the first time I was with a large group (with family & friends from Barangay EDM 6th Avenue Cubao! Haha!), first time I stayed in a posh & budget hostel, and first time to meet so many strangers (now friends) and actually spent time with them! There were a few first-timers in the group (making it more exciting) and since all of us are budget conscious, we tried to make our trip as cheap as possible without sacrificing quality & fun! This is how we did it...

Asia Trip 2015: Budgeting & Planning

Hello guyssss!!! Finally, this is it! Starting my Asia trip posts now na! Pardon my excessive use of exclamation points, super excited lang. =D So, before I relive the best 20 days of my life and take you with me on this incredible journey through stories and photos, I'll share with you muna how this whole trip came to fruition. You too could go into this amazing adventure even if you have a limited budget! This is how I did it...

H&M polo (borrowed from Nico hehe), Factorie shorts, Veloci watch, Primadonna backpack, Roxy luggage bag, Keds sneakers

Boracay in November, Day 1: AirAsia

Finally on vacay mode!!! I can now work on backlogs and posts. Yeeey! Will work on my Boracay with the cuties (yan talaga Viber group name namin haha) post first. Here's what happened during our AirAsia flights. Story through photos... ;)

Our flight was at 9am so we were all at the airport na by 7am. So earlyyyy! For me. Haha. But being at the airport 2 hours before your flight is ideal for last minute adjustments. 

To avoid the queue at the check-in counter, AirAsia has put up 3 Self Check-In machines inside! Don't get intimidated by technology guysss. Hehe. It's actually super easy to use! 



You can key in the 6-digit booking reference number or scan the rectangular barcode on your itinerary. You will then get your boarding pass ahead of everyone! Cool huh? If you have baggages, just drop it at the AirAsia baggage counter. Do note however that guests with reduced mobility and those with special needs or group bookings of 10 or more guests under one booking number still need to use the counter. 

Watch this fun video for detailed instructions: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeAy2Rfc6yw

After waiting for 30 minutes, we were ready for boarding! Yipeee. 

We were discouraged to take photos at the tarmac but I was still able to take a few. Sneaky. Hehe. 

Hello from us!

It was drizzling when we arrived at the Mactan airport, but the whole ride was so smooth and fast! The whole trip was not bumpy at all. I was able to nap peacefully. Haha. We even got there 20 minutes earlier than our ETA. Nice!!!:)

Fast forward to our flight back to Manila...

Check-in at the Kalibo airport was also a breeze. I love how they have direct flights to Singapore & Incheon from there! Tara? Hehe.

Hello again! Boarding was also on time.

In-flight Menu

You can also buy AirAsia souvenirs or memorabilias!

Convenient & hassle free, AirAsia offers mobile check-in and booking! Yaaas.

Their friendly steward selling food and drinks during the flight:)

I love reading in-flight magazines!

where to next???:)

chicks sa tabi ko o! Haha. My very artsy seatmates who love taking cloud shots. Haha love you Alyssa & Tracy

I was just getting ready for my mandatory airplane nap when I suddenly heard the captain announce landing in a few minutes. Nashock ako. Haha. No time to nap! Their flights are that fast! Seriously. Which is a good thing because I still had a lot of things to do in Manila that day. Yey. 

Thank you girls for being helpful & nice!:)

And thank you Capt. Rafael Burgos Misa & the beautiful Flight Officer Andrea Halaguena for the amazing flight & for taking photos with us!

Thank you AirAsia for finding ways to make everyone fly. Please continue providing budget friendly flights for everyone so people like me could continue to see the wonders of the world. :) Thank you also for a wonderful experience. 'Til next time!:)

P.S. AirAsia has ongoing promo fare deals!!! Check it out! Click links below to book & for news & updates;)

http://www.airasia.com/ph/en/home.page

https://www.facebook.com/AirAsiaPhilippines

https://twitter.com/airasiaph

Boracay Day 1: Going There + Dorm Night

After 2 weeks, here it iiiis! I'm so excited to share my Boracay experience with you. I told you before how I'm always able to discover something new anywhere I go, no matter how many times I've been there. Boracay is no exception! So excited to share with you my new discoveries with the help of MNL Hostel's owner Maica, who was so wonderful and accommodating. She gave me lots of tips and suggestions on how to enjoy this beautiful island more... but still within budget! Here's my story through photos. Enjoy:)



Went to ABS-CBN and styled for ASAP pa a few hours before the flight plus a quick pre-prod meeting at the Revilla's house in Alabang. Wanted to wear something that's suitable for work, meeting and travel so I chose this statement shirt from Berry Tops and paired it with mom jeans, ballet flats and gold necklace! Simpleng lakas makayaman na d pinagisipan. Haha. Kelly dropped me off at Terminal 4. Thanks Kels!

Wanted to try this self check-in machine (whatever it's called) and it actually works! Wow. So efficient, saves time and hassle free. No lines when we got to the counter.

Took an afternoon flight to Kalibo via AirAsia. Was able to book a flight for just P900 (roundtrip) during one of their online sale events. The P900 doesn't include check-in baggage and mine's overweight (nangarap na kayang handcarry lang, as usual..FAIL) so I had to pay P300+ to have it checked in. 

Ate was helpful naman:) Check-in took 1-2 minutes only.

Flight was not delayed, thank God. Got there early so we waited for 30 minutes before we were finally called for boarding. Yey! It was my first time to fly via AirAsia and so far so good.

 we had to ride their shuttle service going to our plane

 Nope, not our plane! This is for international flights only. For domestic, they still use Zest Air planes.

It was a smooth 45-minute ride going to Kalibo. Touched down at exactly 7:00pm, 10 minutes ahead of schedule. Woot! We waited for our luggage before going to the Southwest Tours counter to confirm our booking. I booked 2 days before our flight through their online reservation portal. I chose their Roundtrip door-to-door service for P975 per person. That includes Kalibo to Caticlan port service, environmental fees and other fees, boat ride going to Boracay island, multicab or van ride from Boracay port to hotel AND back. I paid a hundred more coz there's additional boat fee if you arrive late at night. It's my 3rd time to use Southwest and they never fail me! They make the trip so much easier and lighter. ;)

I wasn't able to email back my deposit slip when I was in Manila (which was required to get your booking number or final voucher) but they still accommodated us. I just showed them the confirmation email and the deposit slip. After a few minutes of waiting, we were on board their bus en route to Caticlan!  

 Huge bus for just 4 people! 2 chinese tourists rode with us:)

After 1 hour, we arrived at the Caticlan Port! We were escorted and assisted by the Southwest people. :) Love it parang airport na pala the waiting area!

 waiting for our boat

Rode this banca and it was the last trip going to the island!

Boat ride just took 15 minutes. We were again escorted and assisted by Southwest people when we got to the island. There was a multicab waiting for us which dropped us off to our respective hotels. :) I couldn't contain my excitement when I finally saw the sign... hello, MNL Hostel!!!!

love the sign by the stairs! Take me to the beach, oh yes.

reception area

Information wall! All you need to know about Boracay plus brochures you can use for activities & tour. They also posted some tips and insider info on how to tour the island.

hostel guests chillin' at the lobby

lounge area at the 2nd floor

We chose to stay at the mixed 6-bed dorm room on our first night. I wanted to experience being a legit backpacker. Haha! 

Dorm hallway!

Our room! Chatted with our German roomie before heading out again:)

 room reminders

bed assignments

 

sweet note from Maica!

Enjoying my cozy bed/pod! I'm so weird haha.

haloooo

Decided to go oustide and explore the night life in Boracay! D'Mall is just a few minutes walk from the hostel. Super convenient!

Ate dinner at Andoks! Meal is just under P120. Budget!

And that ends my Day 1 post! Day 2 to be posted tomorrow. Excited to show you more photos! Have to sleep muna. Styling Kyla tomorrow for the Myx Awards. Wish me luck!:)

Follow MNL or book a room now na!:)

http://www.agoda.com/mnl-boutique-hostel/hotel/manila-ph.html

http://www.mnlhostels.com/

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