Yellow Bird Tours

29/09/2015

Do you need travel insurance? While the article starts off by reading like it's only relevant for US readers, the bottom half of the article has great resources mentioned for international travelers in general:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/04/travel/finding-a-health-insurance-plan-that-travels-with-you.html

24/09/2015

This may not seem like a super unique or groundbreaking tip but many still forget to do it.

Bring a snack bar or a small loaf of bread on your travels, especially if you're on the road. Nowadays, when people think of travel, they think of long flights. They tend to forget that most travel also occur in tour buses or via long drives.

So, on your next car or bus trip, bring a loaf of bread or pre-slice a baguette. During long drives, it can keep you or your tour party sustained and happy. You can even up the ante by pairing it with a jar of your favorite spread or pesto or, if you can, bring a few kinds of spreads to suit different tastes. Make sure it's not something as messy as butter though.

Something like this eggplant pesto, featured on this pic, spread on slices of baguette.

Finally, bring a plastic bag to compile and neatly dispose garbage in. Some moist antibacterial wipes would also be handy to clean hands before and after. They can also help pick up stray crumbs too.

Having a loaf of bread saves you money and the need to stop at a restaurant. You can just stop at a scenic side of the road and enjoy the fresh air and your impromptu picnic.

Enjoy!

Photo Credit:
Kristian Cruz
www.kristian-cruz.vsco.co

22/09/2015

While travel is about smiles, swimsuits and selfies, we need to be aware of its health aspect too. Here's an interesting read about traveling with an illness:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/adventure-travel-with-a-serious-illness-1442841817?ref=/news-travel-vacation

Travel with a serious illness: end-stage renal failure

15/08/2015

With a majority of the world owning a smart phone, here's a great article on using apps to translate foreign signs, especially menus, on your next travels:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/travel/foreign-language-translation-smart-phone-iphone-apps.html?_r=2

Gone are the days when tourists wander around clutching guidebooks with an index of handy phrases. Today there are more convenient ways to facilitate communication.

15/08/2015

The great thing about the Philippines is its abundance of beaches. Being a nation that is physically a collection of islands, this means that a beach is always nearby or just a few minutes or hours away. On that note, hope you're taking advantage of the sand and surf. (Photo by Kristian Cruz)

29/07/2015

Hostels are cheaper alternatives to hotels, if you don't mind sharing the room with strangers. Some hostels are going upscale though and a few are even offering private rooms further blurring the lines between hostels vs hotels.

Here's an interesting article about this boom in more upscale hostels:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/travel/boutique-hostels-are-giving-travelers-new-options.html?action=click&contentCollection=travel®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0&referrer=

The new world of upscale hostels, bridging the gap between backpacker basic and four-star chic, are in prime spots, offering affordable rooms with amenities.

29/07/2015

Some visual inspiration for the summer season. Hope you are enjoying it. (Photo by Kristian Cruz)

11/07/2015

Yes, summer means beaches and swimsuits, hours-long road trips and bonfire guitar sessions but there's a less sexy side to being outdoors too... bugs. Here's a cute article on the latest gadgets Man has invented in the Eternal Battle vs the Bugs:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/man-vs-bugs-whos-winning-1436558599

Electrified swatters? Salt-shooting guns? In mankind’s age-old battle against bugs, we’ve come up with some pretty madcap measures.

05/07/2015

A visual reminder to inspire you to find fun next week. Photo by Kristian Cruz

26/06/2015

There's another B in town. Boracay is not the only B worth visiting in the Philippines. Bohol starts with a B also and is equally worth a trip. We stumbled on a blog post that briefly (that starts with a B also, ha ha) describes why:

http://www.justonewayticket.com/2013/05/31/falling-in-love-wonderland-bohol-panglao-philippines/

21/06/2015

You don't have to be in the travel industry to know that summer is the peak season for tourists. Here's something our team came across. Really useful tips on how to better pack your suitcase. Check out what else a shower cap can do:

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a28267/genius-hacks-for-packing-your-suitcase/

Wrinkle no blouse, tangle no jewelry, leave no beauty product behind, and still have room to spare.

20/06/2015

Some visual inspiration for the weekend. Hot or cold, coffee or tea, here's wishing everyone a relaxing weekend. (Photo by: Kristian Cruz)

19/06/2015

It's an old article but it shared something extremely useful. Apparently, you can use a travel coffee mug to store and protect your fragile eyeglasses. That's such a great idea. Am I the only one who didn't know about it? Check the article for other tips.

http://m.budgettravel.com/slideshow/8-items-you-never-packbut-should,7820/

18/06/2015

Philippines voted No. 2 food destination in the world. Guess who beat us to number 1?

http://cnnphilippines.com/lifestyle/2015/06/16/Philippines-must-visit-country-for-foodies-CNN-poll.html

18/06/2015

June is summer season. Here's some visual inspiration to get you in the mood. (Photo copyright: Kristian Cruz)

18/06/2015

Here's a great article from the NYTimes on picking a cellphone plan when traveling overseas:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/travel/how-to-pick-a-cellphone-plan-for-traveling-abroad.html?referrer=

Pay attention to the payment plans for SIM cards, take your chances with Wi-Fi or rely on data. These are just a few of the choices you’ll need to make.

17/12/2014

A new year is coming up, so it's about time to have a change of cover photo ;)

17/12/2014

It's been a busy year for Yellow Bird Tours as we have increased our business and have somehow managed to cope and still give our clients a 100% and more.

We suddenly find ourselves wondering what happened to this year that passed like a blur amidst all the busy-ness.

As 2014 is ending, we, like the rest of humanity, are starting to wonder what 2015 will look like. One thing we know for sure, without the need to pay for a psychic, that 2015's Color of the Year is 'Marsala.' The name is not as cute as this year's Radiant Orchid but nonetheless, the color is equally as fascinating.

Check the link to see what 'Marsala' looks like:
http://www.pantone.com/pages/index.aspx?pg=21163

Introducing Marsala Pantone Color of the Year 2015, a naturally robust and earthy wine red color from pantone.

17/12/2014

Hi there. Hope everyone is doing well.

We apologize for not being active on Facebook. It was mostly because we've been away to manage and be absolutely committed in helping our clients directly during their tours. Doing so, we've been traveling most of the time, in numerous tour locations.

Rest assured, you can always reach us at: [email protected]. We respond fast that way. Do also check the other contact details on our Facebook 'About' page to reach us.

Some businesses focus too much on their online reputations. While that is good and valid, we had to make sure first that we were doing a good job, holding the hands of our clients, in the real offline world.

We'll continue to make sure first all of our real-world relationships are taken care of with our tested processes and routines. After that, we will gradually increase our content here on this page.

18/02/2012

We'd like to hear your voice personally or read your thoughts directly. Any questions/concerns, feel free to contact us through the following means: Phone - (63-2) 501-6810 (new number). Email - [email protected].

15/11/2011

Yellow Bird has flown to a new nest. Check out our new address: Unit 8/F, Avida Towers. San Lazaro, Manila, Philippines. Tel : 632-501 6810

30/06/2011

Inflatable Shark Among 300 New Species Discovered in Philippines

I think the Dept of Tourism should tap the market of scientist travelers. Most of the international press we get is about incredible findings from our natural resources.

Read 'Inflatable Shark Among 300 New Species Discovered in Philippines' on Yahoo! News. A treasure trove of hundreds of new species may have been discovered in the Philippines, including a bizarre sea star that feeds exclusively on sunken driftwood and a deep-sea, shrimp-eating shark that swells up

10/05/2011

Yellow Bird Tours

As the world becomes noisier and more complex, it becomes more important to be clear about what you stand for and what you believe in. To help deliver that message, here's our new website. In it, you will read about how Yellow Bird Tours handles travel like the art of origami. Feel free to share this link with your friends or those who need help with their travels.

Do you know someone who wants to visit the Phiippines? Yellow Bird Tours is a boutique travel / tour agency that can help you. Get to know us better by visiting our page.

08/05/2011

5 of Asia's most overlooked cities | CNNGo.com

Sagada, Philippines was mentioned as one of CNN's 5 most overlooked cities. Enjoy this cool tourism article :)

Sometimes the best times are had away from the tourist trails. Here are 5 lesser-visited Asian cities that provide just as much culture and fun as their more famous alternatives.

02/05/2011

Popsie's Workshop

Part of Philippine tourism is to explore the arts and crafts of local artists. Here is one example of Filipino ingenuity: playful metal sculpture by Anton Cruz.

While other people see junk. I see possibilities. E: [email protected]

02/03/2011

The best feature films of 2010 - Roger Ebert's Journal

A long flight is also an opportunity to catch up on awesome films that you've missed. Here's a list that can be a starting point for you, from well-respected critic, Roger Ebert :) Make sure you bring a spare battery for your laptop or portable DVD player :)

David Fincher's "The Social Network"is emerging as the consensus choice as best film of 2010. Most of the critics' groups have sanctified it, and after its initial impact it has only grown it stature. I think it is an early observer of a trend in our society, where we have learned new ways of thinki

02/03/2011

Best Sellers - The New York Times

Here's the latest New York Times' best sellers list. A long flight can finally be that much-needed opportunity to catch up on some reading. On the list is Water for Elephants, which is also a movie screening soon starring hunky vampire, Robert Pattinson :)

Browse best seller lists, book reviews & news for authors, fiction & non-fiction, literature, biographies, memoirs, children's books, science fiction & self-help."

02/03/2011

Home [Monocle]

As the world becomes global... finally, here's a magazine that's truly global in scope, including countries that normally don't get featured much by other publications. It's such a great read, stories are kept short to make things easier to digest and to increase coverage. And, it featured the Philippines on more than one occasion :)

Monocle is a global briefing covering international affairs, business, culture and design.

02/03/2011

How Not to Get Sick From a Flight

As part of Yellow Bird Tours' service, here's a cool article about staying healthy during and after the flight. Not mentioned in the article: make sure you take Vitamin C or supplements that boost your immune system, a week before your flight :) Consult your doctor about staying healthy for the long flight.

There are a growing number of new products designed to protect travelers from in-flight germs, but you don’t need to spend extra money to stay healthy.

01/03/2011

Boracay, Russians' favourite resort - Yahoo! Singapore News

Congratulations to Boracay and the Philippines as a whole :)

Iloilo City (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Da, da (Yes, yes), Boracay.