About Gem Muzones

Gem is the co-founder and author of Travels with a Hobo. When she's not hopping on a bus or a plane, climbing mountains, or soaking up the sun in one of the 7,641 islands of the Philippines, she lays in bed all day watching crime documentaries and TV shows and rewatching Game of Thrones. Winter is here. View all posts by Gem Muzones →

How We Traveled to El Nido, Palawan for 5 Days for Only Php 6,730.66 All-In [Expenses]

22 May, 2015 by Gem Muzones

el nido palawan DIY budget travel

Last week, we asked people if they think we can successfully pull off a 5-day El Nido trip for just Php 7,000 all-in per person (we’re 5 in the group). A lot of people couldn’t even begin to imagine how we’re going to do it but they wanted to see if we could really come back to Manila without empty wallets or maxed out credit cards. And so yesterday morning, when our plane landed precisely at 10:30 AM at NAIA Terminal 4, we concluded our 7k El Nido Challenge. The final computation?

Php 6,730.66 ($149.57)

Congrats team! *virtual high-five*

How to Experience and Meet K-Pop Stars in Korea

26 April, 2015 by Gem Muzones

I was only in high school when I first got into the K-Pop craze that was just starting to take over the world (this was about 10 years ago). Back then, there were just small groups of fangirls like me in the country who discussed about our fandoms in online forums, meet up to celebrate the birthdays of our idols (complete with cakes that had their faces on it #TrueStory) and go to Korean K-TVs to sing and dance along to K-Pop songs. My family thought that I was weird for listening to and memorizing songs that I didn’t even understand, but they got used to it eventually and even knew the name of my K-Pop crushes.

Read More

Korea Budget Hotel Checklist: How to Find The Best

22 March, 2015 by Gem Muzones

GIVEAWAY ALERT: Are you going to Korea this 2015? You’re in luck! We’re giving away a FREE STAY at a new hotel located in the heart of Seoul! Scroll to the bottom of this post to find out how you can join.

Having a small budget for South Korea travel doesn’t mean that you should stay in dingy, cramped hotels. You can find a home away from home and enjoy your stay in Korea IF you know how and what to look for in a budget hotel.

Hobo Love, Will Travel: Deej and Joni

14 February, 2015 by Gem Muzones

deej-joni

Love makes you do crazy things. It can make you jump out of a plane, propose on bended knee in Batanes, and shout to the world that you want to grow old and spend forever with each other. That’s exactly what our first featured Hobo Love, Will Travel couple (and two of our favorite people in the world) did – Deej and Joni.

Like Locals in Korea: Our Cozy Rooftop Apartment in Seoul

15 November, 2014 by Gem Muzones

seoul-apartment-kitchen

Don’t have a Korean visa yet? Check out our guide to applying for a Korean visa + tips on increasing your chances of getting approved.

As budget travelers, we have to sacrifice a number of our personal wants to successfully cover a trip’s expenses with the tight budget that we have to work with – no to first class flights, no to a hired chauffeur in a limousine, no to fine dining, and no to a spacious luxurious hotel suite with jacuzzi.

Beep and I have gotten used to staying at cramped budget hotels, because they’re cheap and they put a roof on our heads. In fact, for our first trip together, we pitched a tent instead of booking an actual room with a bathroom. Yeah it’s fun, but honestly, sometimes we need a break from such a pitiful state of temporary housing.

I Fell In Love with the Hobo at Malasimbo

22 June, 2014 by Gem Muzones

Whenever people ask how Beep and I met, my answer depends on how much time I can spend with the person who’s asking. The quick and boring answer will go something like “We used to work together“, but if you have a lot of time to spare, the story will begin with one word, “Malasimbo“.

7k El Nido Challenge: Mechanics and The Plan

12 January, 2014 by Gem Muzones

Is 7k enough for 5 days in El Nido? ()

If we told you that you can spend 5 days in paradise on Earth that is El Nido, Palawan for only Php 7,000 all-in, would you believe us? This coming week, Travels with a Hobo’s Gem and Beep (and friends) will take on the 7k El Nido Challenge. Game on!

Travel Korea: Tips for First-Timers in Seoul

11 January, 2014 by Gem Muzones

seoul travel tips

Don’t have a Korean visa yet? Check out our guide to applying for a Korean visa + tips on increasing your chances of getting approved.

When I was in high school and early college, I was so obsessed with K-Pop, Korean TV series and movies (and J-Pop, J-dramas and movies too!) that my mom once told me that I’d probably get married to a Korean. Fast forward to 2014, I’m not dating a Korean but I’m dating a guy who knows lyrics by heart and dances (can you imagine my embarrassment every time we go to karaokes with our friends?). Beep’s not Korean, he looks more like a Japanese samurai who likes K-Pop, so yeah, close enough to my mom’s prediction.

Korean DMZ Tour: Stepping Foot on North Korea

3 January, 2014 by Gem Muzones

korean DMZ tour

Few people in the world (including Kim Jong-Un’s BFF Dennis Rodman, tourists touring with accredited tour groups, and North Korean citizens themselves) can proudly say that “I have stepped foot on North Korea!” — I am one of those people.

Read More

How You Can Travel More Without Going Broke

2 January, 2014 by Gem Muzones

travel more without going broke

Don’t you ever wonder how some people can afford to travel constantly despite not being CEOs or millionaires? Traveling is considered as a luxury. A mere day on paradise, getting a relaxing massage by the beach or soaking up the sun to get a tan with a pink lemonade in hand can cost a fortune. That is why most people only go on vacations a few number of times each year (or in their entire lifetime). I was one of those people too, before I started traveling with Beep who is known for being a cheapskate traveler.

Is it really possible to go on a vacation every weekend or every chance you get without breaking the bank? And the answer to that is… a big resounding yes!

Travel Tips: 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going to Miri, Malaysia

9 December, 2013 by Gem Muzones

Miri City Fan, the beautiful park of Miri City

How many times has this happened to you: You go to a foreign country and during your stay there, you tell yourself “I wish I knew that (small items that you should have brought or vital factors in planning your trip)”? In the first edition of Travels with a Hobo’s “10 Things I Wish I Knew…”, Gem talks about her recent trip to Miri, Malaysia.

7 Tips and Tricks for Getting Cheaper Plane Tickets

7 November, 2013 by Gem Muzones

One of the things that stop people from traveling regularly is the expensive price tag of plane tickets, especially for hard to reach destinations. Thank God for budget airlines and their promo fares! [P.S. Don't get heartbroken when you book 'piso fare/free seats' promos and end up paying over a thousand pesos and NOT 0-2 pesos for a round trip ticket, it's just a marketing strategy, like how you think P99 pesos is cheap ].

previous 1 2 3 4 next