Michi Photostory

Fishing is a low-stress physical activity that keeps your body moving for hours at a time. Therefore, if you are looking for ways to unwind after a hectic schedule, you should consider fishing. With fishing, not only do you get the opportunity to cook a meal that could give seafood restaurants a run for their money, but you also get the chance to spend time in the outdoors. If you want to increase your chances of catching delicious fish, we would advise you to visit the 4 places mentioned below. Visit the site, villagefishmongernyc.com, for detailed information on fishing. 



1. Florida Keys, Florida 

If you want to enjoy a heavenly fishing experience, you must pay a visit to Florida Keys. Many visitors even charter a boat and head to the deep seas of the Atlantic Ocean, caught in the warm Gulf Stream, to catch some of the most exotic fishes in the world; some of these fishes include swordfish, sailfish, and white marlin etc. However, if you aren't feeling too adventurous and would rather fish from the coast, you will still be able to catch fishes such as permit, snook, bonefish, redfish, and tarpon etc. You shouldn't be too disheartened if you fail to get any bite; there isn't a dearth of great sea restaurants in the region.

2. Kona, Hawaii 

Professional anglers and recreational anglers alike love fishing in the waters of Kona in Hawaii. If you love deep-sea fishing, you will love this place as the depth is just a few kilometers outside of the harbor. How deep is the area? Well, it bottoms out at 6,000 feet below. So, what fishes can you expect to catch here? You can catch tuna, ono, and even sharks! And, of course, the views are quite breathtaking as well. 

3. Bighorn River, Montana

If you consider yourself a fly fishing enthusiast, you must pay a visit to the Bighorn River in Montana. Although most parts of the river are inaccessible as they pass through private property, the fishing spots that are accessible are worth braving the crowds for. The river is filled with brown trout; however, if you are lucky, you may even be able to catch prized rainbows. 

4. Kobuk River, Alaska 

Are you tired of catching the same fishes again and again? If you are, you should perhaps head north for rarer catches; you should consider paying a visit to the Kobuk River in Alaska. The river is over 200 miles long and is a hotbed for fishes such as lake trout, chum salmon, arctic grayling and northern pike etc. However, if you truly want to boast about your fishing adventures in Alaska to your friends, you must attempt to catch the river´s true prize, the sheefish.

Read: Our Fishing Adventure in Norway

Iceland is one of my dream destination so I have a lot of places that I wanted to visit. Prior to our trip, I researched and read a lot for our itinerary but I was not able to use it. We did not book any tour for our Iceland Trip because my aunt (cousin of my mom) said that they will tour us so I just go with the flow. 




Reykjanes Peninsula Tour will give you a glimpse of UNESCO Global Geopark where you can see hot springs, lava fields, craters, cliffs, black sand and geothermal activities. If you will book a tour, you will visit the following places, the places may vary depending on the tour operators that you will choose. 

1. ON Geothermal Energy Exhibition 
2. Strandakirkja - a small church in the area. 
3. Geothermal area of Krysuvik 
4. Gunnuhver - active hot spring 
5. Brimketill - where you can see the huge waves from the Atlantic Ocean. 
6. Grindavik - small fishing village 
7. Reykjanesviti Lighthouse 
8. Bridge Between Continents 
9. Blue Lagoon 

In Reykjanes Peninsula alone, there are so many interesting places to visit but we were only visited few places. During our first day, after we ate in my aunt’s house, we went back to the airport to pick-up my uncle (he works at the airport) and then he drove us around Keflavik and Reykjanes. One thing I noticed, walang kapuno-puno o halaman sa area. Just like in Norway, walang traffic and ang daming open space. 

Check my video here so you can have a Glimpse of Reykjanes Peninsula. 

Strandakirkja Church 

During our road trip, we were able to see the small church in Iceland in Strandakirkja. I just don’t have a picture since we did not stop there. But do you know the reason why there is a small church in that coast? 

Once upon a time, there was a farmer who was in danger, he was about to crash into the rocks but he prayed to God and promised that if he would survive, he will build a church in that shore. An angel appeared and rescued him to the shore. As he promised, he built a church. There was a church in that area since 12th century, the one that we saw was a new version. 

Gardskagi Lighthouse 



At Gardskagi, you will find two lighthouses. There is one small lighthouse and one big lighthouse. The small lighthouse was built in 1897 so it is the older lighthouse. It is low so it is not affected if there is a fog but since it was near the coastline, sometimes it is not visible if there is a seastorm. It now serves as bird observatory so you can see a lot of birds in the area too. 




In 1944, they build another lighthouse which is just a few meters away from the small lighthouse. This is the highest lighthouse in Iceland. 



Rostin Restaurant is a famous restaurant in the area, which is open from 11:30 to 20:30.



There are a lot of fishing boats here because Reykjanes is known for the fishing industry. 

On the road, we noticed a lot of rock stones and we even saw this one. My son told me “Mommy, this is not Iceland, this is Rockland”. hehehe! Maybe, he was expecting that this country is full of ice but we found rocks. 




I don’t know the name of this place, but you can see the view of the city here and even volcano from afar. According to my aunt, they go here if there is snow, pwede magski. 






Lava Fields 



Reykjanes is known for lava fields so this is the reason why you don’t see a lot of trees or plants here. Mahirap mabuhay sa bato ang mga halaman di ba? Though I’ve seen few trees, bilang lang sa daliri. Most of the time, you will see moss around the area.

Blue Lagoon 



Blue Lagoon is the popular tourist spot in Iceland, it is one of the 25 wonders of the world. It is near the airport so if you want you can go here straight from the airport, just make sure that you already book your appointment. We went here during on our second day in Iceland.

Read: Blue Lagoon in Iceland 

Bridge Between Two Continents 



There is nothing spectacular when you see the “Bridge Between Two Continents” because all you can see is a bridge. But knowing that this bridge connects two continents, North America and Europe, you will feel impressed. This bridge connects two land masses or two continents. Wow! I will share our experience in a separate post. 

Read: Bridge Between Two Continents
Icelandair Experience
The Golden Circle Tour in Iceland
The Great Geysir in Iceland
Gullfoss in Iceland
Blue Lagoon in Iceland
Thingvellir National Park

First day of December and the countdown begins today. I just finished our Scripture Countdown two days ago, you can check my post here. Yesterday, our Christmas tree is up and I’m starting to feel the holiday already. Actually, my husband and son wanted to put it up after All Saints Day pero ang aga pa, hanggang sa naging busy na so kahapon lang namin ginawa. 

Read: DIY Christmas Painting 

It is our tradition to put up the Christmas tree together. This tree has been with us since 2010 and we’ve been using same ornaments since 2012. We just add new decor each year and it is nice to see those additional decors because it brings back memories. We’ve made those ornaments so we’re happy to see them every year. 

My son was only five years old when we painted these angel ornaments. Natatawa na lang siya pag nakikita niya yan. Kawawa ang face ng angels. Hehehe! 




My son made this paper Christmas ornament which is part of our Advent Calendar activity. 



These are our handmade gingerbread ornaments that I sewed last year. My son helped me by stuffing the gingerbread. 



And lastly our Polymer Clay Ornaments with our fingerprints. 



If I have more time, I planning to make new ornaments for our tree. We bought new Christmas lights pala this year, maganda pala yung white light.



I let my son put all the ornaments, I just rearrange the decors after, kasi yung ibang space wala nakalagay. hehehe!

I can hardly believe that November is about to end and we’re down to the last month of the year 2017. Two days from now we will start our countdown again. My son always looks forward to advent calendar activity, we started this tradition three years ago. You can check our Advent calendar activities that we did in the past. 

DIY Advent Calendar 2014
Christmas Countdown 2015
Make your Own Advent Calendar 2016 

Doing advent activities is fun but there are days that I find it stressful especially if we have no time do it and my son wanted to finish the task for that day. Planning is very important, I learned my lesson so now I make sure that weekdays tasks will be super easy. No more baking or craft activities. Hehehe! 

This year, I decided that we will just have a Scripture Countdown. I got the idea from this blog. My son is not a book lover but I always persuade or force him to read every night. So whether he likes it or not, he will read. But I noticed that if he really likes a book, he can finish it in a few days. 

Starting December 1, we are going to read Bible verses every night. 


If you remember my post before, I follow the gift-giving philosophy, Something they want, Something they need, Something to wear and Something to Read. I already bought his gifts this year, ang aga ko natapos noh?  




I bought the 365 Daily Devotional Book a few months ago and I’m planning to add Bible pa. He had two Children’s Bible but more on stories kasi so I want to give him a real Bible that he can also use next school year. I heard they need to bring Bible for their Christian Living subject.



What are your Christmas traditions?

P.S.  If you want to do scripture countdown, download the file here or here. 

I’ve been following Love Cynthia Instagram since 2015, at that time she was doing custom illustration and selling washi tapes and planner stuff. I’m so amazed at her talent and skills and nakakatuwa din yung IG niya, clean, colorful, and very curated. She is a Filipina who lives in Paris.

Now she is selling clear stamps, digital stamps, and planner stuff. I’ve been meaning to buy her stamps but I don’t know where I am going to use it, since I stopped using planner na. Before I used BDJ planner, Starbucks planner, Suki Day Book, and even a small planner yung parang Papemelroti lang. But two years ago, I stopped buying a planner and started printing my planner.

** Be organized and get your 2018 Life Planner here **

2017 came. Since I love listing my “Things to Do” and “Things to Buy” and I love planning our itinerary when we travel, I planned to start a bullet journal or travel planner. I wanted to order stamps but I’m very impatient when it comes to delivery so when I booked our plane ticket to Norway, I got excited because finally, I can order Love Cynthia Stamps. Madali na lang ang shipping from Paris to Norway.

Unfortunately, on our way to Norway, Cynthia is traveling to Manila naman. Waah! So the Love Cynthia store was closed because she was on vacation. Long story short, my dream of receiving a pink envelope was gone in the wind. Huhuhu!

Anyway, last October, I decided to order Love Cynthia Stamps, for Philippines residents you can order Love Cynthia stuff through Happy Fely PH Facebook (Add friend). The only disadvantage is, medyo matagal ang hintayan and lahat pre-order so you need to wait for the announcement.

October 17 - ordered and paid via Paypal
November 25 - received my order via Xend


Yey, after several weeks of waiting. I now have Happy Girls stamps and planner stencils. There are 2018 calendar and card freebies pa. I chose Wanderlust Stamps and Happy Chores Stamps because that is the story of my life. All around sa bahay and gagala pag may Day Off. Hehehe!


Finally, I can start my bullet journal and travel planner next year. My only dilemma is, I can’t find Acrylic Block Stamp here in the Philippines. Ang dami ko ng bookstore na napuntahan, sa online naman, sold out. Let me know kung san pwede bumili. TIA!

Update: I already bought my acrylic block stamp at Craft PH. 

Read: Rubber Stamps
Custom Rubber Stamps


Every year, my son always sends Christmas card to my mom, I was looking for cards in the bookstore so I can mail it already kaso namamahalan ako. So I just bought Holiday Digital Stamps at Love Cynthia Store, I can make a lot of cards using the digital file so mas tipid in the long run.

Update: August 2020

Since January 2020, we are buying and using face masks because of Taal Volcano Ashfall and COVID pandemic. And because of the high demand for the face mask, the price of this item is increasing.

When Community Quarantine was implemented last March, we were able to save on buying face masks because my son and I do not go out. My husband does all the errands like going to the wet market, grocery, and bank.

Fast forward to June, I saw these cute feminine face masks of Love Cynthia. I am aware that these masks don’t filter viruses or bacteria but I love the cute design of the Wear Happy Face Mask so I immediately reserve and order. I wanted to order a lot of designs but I have to control myself so I only bought 5 designs. The face masks ran out so fast so I have to wait for the next stock.

1. Life gets better after coffee
2. Sparkle all the way
3. Don’t let the seeds stop you from enjoying your watermelon
4. It’s a beary beautiful day
5. Be happy

June 14 - order and reserve
June 21 - paid for my reserved order
June 23 - received my order

Since I am confined inside our home, 2 pa lang nagagamit ko dito because the only reason I go out is when I need to visit my dentist.

I love making DIY stuff because this is a good way to reuse, recycle or repurpose some stuff at home. I can save money because DIY is cheaper than buying Christmas decor. All I need is a little creativity, use available materials at home, and buy only the things that we need for the project.

I have shared a lot of DIY and Craft on this blog but if you have just stumbled on this post or a new reader, you can check my DIY post below.

How to Make Polymer Clay Christmas Ornaments
Handmade Gingerbread Ornaments
DIY Advent Calendar in a Box
DIY Salt Dough Ornaments
DIY Paper Christmas Ornaments
DIY Santa Card
DIY Paper Christmas Wreath
DIY Advent Calendar
DIY Christmas Envelopes
Christmas Angels
DIY Homemade Gifts
DIY Christmas Wreath 

I have a blank canvas at home, I’ve been keeping it in our house for so long. I even had this before we experienced our first painting class at Sip & Gogh. Ganun na katagal, hehehe! So I decided to use it and paint something that I can use this Christmas.

Read: Painting at Sip & Gogh


My son saw the canvass and paint and he asked me, “What are you going paint, mommy?” and he told me that he also wanted to paint. So I asked my husband to buy a small blank canvas and additional paint. My son and I painted last sembreak. I was teasing my son that he just copied my painting. Hehehe! We bought a painted candy cane.


I have one remaining blank canvas and I painted a snowman yesterday. And now, my DIY Christmas paintings are hanging at our door. I put my son’s painting on our wall since I have no plan to remove it even after the holiday. We haven’t put up our tree yet but little by little, I’m starting to decorate our house.


How about you? Pasko na ba sa bahay niyo?

Update: June 6, 2019

Since March 5, 2019, I've been snapping receipts and answering surveys but until now, I only have P13.11 in my account so I decided to delete the Snapcart app because I'm not happy with the app anymore. I feel that it will take me forever to earn points that I can withdraw.

Once you become a mom, you will find ways to save or earn additional cash that you can add to your monthly budget. There are so many savings tips that you can read online and different ways to earn extra money and now I’m sharing with you how to earn cash from your receipts. 



I’m pretty sure that some of you already knew about this app but for those who have no idea about Snapcart, read this post. I learned about Snapcart when I received an invite last year but knowing me, I declined and did not attend the event because it is too far. Snapcart is a mobile application that gives cashback for taking pictures or scanning your receipts. 

I got excited but unfortunately, it is only available for Android users. Then a few months ago, I’ve read Nilyn's post about it so I immediately downloaded the app. Finally, it is not only exclusive to Android users.  

How to Earn Cash from Your Receipts

1. Go to app store and search for “Snapcart” 
2. Download the app 
3. Register through email or Facebook account 
4. Check your email and verify. 
5. Start snapping! 

Note: You need to be connected in order to use the app. 

Snapcart accepts receipts from 

1. Grocery 
2. Cosmetics 
3. Drug/Pharmacy (with clear product description) 

I hope they can add more like a bookstore.

I’m the type of person who always keeps receipts because I always list our expenses (cash or credit card) just in case I need to return or exchange the item. So if you don’t care about receipts, this time learn to like it. Don’t forget to ask for receipts and keep it even for a few days because you can earn from it. 

But don’t ask someone’s receipts or wag mamulot ng mga resibo sa tabi-tabi because there are rules for receipts or baka masuspend pa yung account niyo. So just be honest. 

Receipts requirements to be accepted by Snapcart: 

1. Only receipts from products bought by you or someone you live within the same household, in a common shopper behavior. 
2. Only receipts bought for your household consumption 
3. Receipts must be clear and contain detailed information: 
- Store information (name and address) 
- List of purchase (item name in details, amount, cost, total cost) 
- Date and time of purchase 
4. Receipts must not be crumpled, torn, obsolete, upside down or covered 
5. Receipts must not be a duplicate 
6. Receipts must not be longer than 3 (three) days after purchase date 
7. Receipts that are generated by automated cash registers, and are not hand-written or manually typed. 

Bonus points 

Aside from snapping receipts, you can also earn by watching videos, answering surveys, taking photos. Use the coins that you earn in playing Snap Tastic game, where you can win coins or cashback. 

The cashback that you can earn from your receipt is from P0.50 to P30. 
Receipt from P1 to P2001+

Update: Starting May 2018, they reduced the Cashback from P0.25 to P15
Receipt from P0.01 to P2001+

I started last July but 3 of my receipts were rejected. Waah! Hindi pa kasi ko marunong magpicture. Ang haba ng receipt ng S&R and pinagkakasya ko sa isang picture, but now I know that I can just click the (+) sign. 

I only go to the grocery once or twice a month so I know that I cannot earn that much from my receipts. I hope they can increase the cashback tier, sana may additional points pa if P3k, 4k, or 5K above ang receipt. 

Levels 

Every time you snap a receipt, you can also increase your level from Regular to Platinum Level. I did not know this before so nadowngrade ko. So now, kahit sa suking tindahan pwede ko na mabili need ko, napapaconvenience store or grocery na ko para sa resibo. If you want to increase your level, make sure you snap at least one receipt per week so the multiplier will increase. 

Regular 1.0x 
Bronze 1.1x 
Silver 1.2x 
Gold 1.5x 
Platinum 2.0x 

Patience is a virtue, right now I already reach the silver level.

How to Withdraw Your Points or Cash in Snapcart

Once you reach the minimum amount, you can choose mobile load or bank transfer. For bank transfer the minimum amount is P220, P20 is the fee if you choose the bank transfer. For phone credit, you can choose from the following and additional P5 for the fee. 

Phone Credit P500 
Phone Credit P300 
Phone Credit P50 

From July 20 to October 30, I earned P220+ and I encashed the P220 through BPI bank transfer. It will take 7 working days but in my case, it took them weeks to deposit the P200. So I made follow-up last Nov. 11. One thing I noticed, they don’t reply immediately so I will just resend my message. I did not get any answer when I asked about the status of my cashout but yesterday, November 23, when I opened the app, I saw the notification. “Bank Transfer cash out ID#XXXXX is completed” 

October 30 - I encashed the P220 
November 23 - Received notification “Bank Transfer cash out is completed” 

I checked my bank transactions and I saw that the P200 was credited to my bank account last November 17 but they only informed me last November 23. Now, they finally replied to my message that my cashout was already completed. Parang kinopya na lang sa notification yung reply. Hehehe! So next time, I will check my bank na lang than wait for their notifications that it was completed. 

My not so good experience...

1. Sometimes it takes them days before approving the receipt so if ever rejected yung receipt, hindi ko na maresend kasi blurred na yung receipt ko or past three days na. Take care of your receipts.

2. There was a time that they rejected my receipt because it is not a GROCERY store. So I reported the receipt and I told them that LANDMARK SUPERMARKET is a grocery store. Iba naman ang receipt pag LANDMARK DEPARTMENT store. Nakakaloka! 

3. There was a time that I lost all my COIN REWARDS. I was shocked when I checked my coins and it was ZERO. I log-out and log-in and still it is zero. I just messaged and followed up and finally, after 8 days, my 3633 coins were returned.  Lesson learned, use the coin rewards immediately para sure. 

4. I thought they will deposit the money after 7 working days but it did not happen and I have to make follow-up pa. 

5. There was a time that I answered a survey and the points was not reflected in my account so I have to follow-up. Good thing it was added to my account immediately. 

6. I encountered an error when I'm uploading my receipt and when it was submitted, the receipt was not complete. I snapped 3x but they only received one part of the receipt so they rejected my receipt because it was incomplete. I can no longer resubmit my receipt because it is already past the due date. So I have two receipts na nasayang.

7. It took them forever to answer and resolve my ticket, minsan nakakasawa na magexplain, magfollow-up so sayang talaga ang mga bonus points, cashback and even level up points na hindi nagrereflect, 

8. I make sure to snap receipt every week so I can increase my level and I know that I'm already close to platinum level then out of the blue, I saw that I'm back to 33 weeks away to Platinum level, e few more weeks na nga lang ako. 

9. I was downgraded because they failed to approve my receipt on that week. 

10. They rejected my receipt stating that "receipt is older than 3 days" when in fact, I snapped my receipt on the day that I purchased it. It is not my fault that they check my receipt after one week. Even I reported the receipt, hindi pa rin nila nareresolve issues. So sayang ang points ko sa receipt. 

Well, this app may not be perfect but at least I know that it is legit. I was able to earn P200 by just snapping receipts. May pera sa resibo, so if you want to earn some money, download this app. Barya man yan, pera pa rin. 

Update: April 2018

I just cash out my points again and this time, it took them just a few days to deposit my money.

April 16 - Cash out points P535.54 via Bank Transfer
April 19 - Received "Cash out completed" notification so I check my bank account and the money was credited.

Update: September 2018

Because they reduced the Cashback Rewards, it took me a long time to hit P500+ points. I just hit cash out button and withdraw my P526.88 points and I was surprised when I checked my account online, they already deposited my cash rewards. Wow, that was fast.

September 24 - Cash out points P526.88 via Bank Transfer
September 24 - Received the money in my bank account even without the app notification yet.

Update: February 28, 2019

I received an email stating that they will no longer give cashback per receipt. Instead of cashback, they will give coins that I need to use in Snaptastic in order to win cashback. I don't like the idea so I immediately withdraw the remaining balance of P363 (less P20 fee). Kung kelan naman na x2 na reward level ko, saka pa nila babaguhin. Hayz. Let see after March 5, pag hindi ko natuwa, I will delete the app na lang.

Effectively starting March 5th 2019 at 00:00, all new receipt rewards will be changed from Cashback to Coins. The receipts snapped starting March 5th 2019 at 00:00 will earn Coins, and you will earn Cashback by spending Coins via Snaptastic.

February 28 - Cash out points P363 via Bank Transfer
February 28 - P343 was credited in my bank account even without the app notification.

It was raining in Norway but rain or shine, off we went to the airport. We had mixed feelings on our way to the airport because this was also our last day at my mom’s place. I don’t know when are we going back again. But at the same time, my son and I were excited because we were going to Iceland. To be honest, I did not know that this dream would become a reality, how I wish my husband was with us too. 

Our flight is 14:55 but we left as early as 7AM in Ørland to catch the first Ferry trip. We took a taxi to the seaport, rode the Ferry for one hour, and walked to the bus station. We rode a bus to the airport, it is more or less 40 minutes travel time. We went straight to Radisson Blu Hotel to leave our luggage and we walked back to Trondheim Airport to check in. 

Read: Glimpse of Trondheim Airport 

We were so early in the airport so we ate twice, one in Pizza Hut and a late lunch at Simply Good Eats and Treats. Naubusan na rin kami ng free wifi sa kakahintay. Good thing the flight was not delayed. 


Trondheim to Reykjavik



Finally, Iceland here we come. My son was happy because he had an entertainment kit. This is free for kids and you can bring it home. We did not know that we could take it home, sayang iniwan namin yung headset, but of course on our way back, inuwi na namin yung kit. Hehehe! 


The fare is not cheap so I was expecting that there would be complimentary food but we were wrong, we only have complimentary drinks. Thank God, we ate already and the kids have free food. This is the kid’s meal, apple juice, croissant, and raisins.



The flight is more or less two hours but you won’t get bored because there is in-flight entertainment. 


After two hours, we arrived at our destination. We went straight to the baggage carousel and I was worried at first because we did not pass the immigration. So I was searching the internet, feeling ko baka di kami makalabas pauwi. I told my mom na baka siya lang ang di dadaan kasi iba passport niya pero ganun pala talaga, walang stamp upon arrival since Schengen Visa na nga, pag exit na lang ulit namin ng Europe (Schengen) ang stamp. Now I knew. 

Read: How to Apply for Schengen Visa via VFS Global Norway 

I was surprised when I saw the crowd at the airport, ang dami pala tourists sa Iceland. It is really a tourist destination. 

Reykjavik to Trondheim with one stopover in Bergen

After 3 days, I wish we could extend our trip but we have to go back home. Our flight was as early as 8AM, I was thankful that my aunt’s house was just a few minutes away from the airport so we didn't need to wake up early.  


We use the self-service check-in kiosks for check-in but we still fell in line for our check-in luggage. Just choose your airline, scan your passport, and follow all the steps. Then wait for your boarding pass and luggage tag. It is a challenge to put the luggage tag, nasanay na kasi tayo sa Pinas na may taga assist, but in Europe uso ang self-service check-in. We also did this during our flight from Oslo to Trondheim. 

Read: Trip to Norway

Keflavik International Airport is not that big so you won’t get lost. When we went to the boarding gate, there are only limited chairs so ending, nakatayo kami kakahintay. So it is better to go there onboarding time na. 


Here’s the kid's complimentary meal on our way back to Trondheim, juice, banana, raisins, and yogurt. 


Our flight has one stopover at Bergen, Norway. We did not go out of the plane anymore. We just waited inside the plane, hindi ko man lang nasilip ang Bergen. Hehehe!


Upon arrival, we went straight to Radisson Blu Hotel to pick up our luggage and rest. We need to rest because the following day, we’re going back to the Philippines, mahabang-habang biyahe. End of Vacation. 

Read: Reykjanes Peninsula Tour 
Blue Lagoon in Iceland
The Golden Circle Tour in Iceland
The Great Geysir in Iceland
Gullfoss in Iceland
Bridge Between Two Continents in Iceland
Thingvellir National Park

Traveling via plane can be exciting because it means you are going to far places. It is a chance to see new places, taste new food, and experience new things. But before reaching your destination, you need to go be at the airport 3 or 4 hours before the flight, whether domestic or international flight.

After checking-in, the waiting game begins. It takes a lot of patience to wait at the boarding gate especially if you have kids in tow. The free wifi is limited and sometimes has a weak signal because there are a lot of people who are connected. You’ll get hungry and thirsty and you have no choice but to buy an expensive meal at the airport. Seats are not that comfortable and if you are unlucky, you have no seats. 

So it is really nice to stay at airport lounges. Airport lounges offer complimentary food and drinks and that will save you from buying expensive meals. Seats are comfortable compared to boarding gate seats. There are TV, newspaper, and magazines to entertain you. Some have a massage chair, a shower area, and wine and champagne. 

But the best benefits of staying in the airport lounge is, in case of delayed or canceled flights, you don’t need to stress yourself to rebook it, the staff will do it for you. We experienced that when our Cebu to Manila was delayed. The staff just collected our boarding passes and when she came back, she distributed our new boarding passes. 

A lot of people think that airport lounges are only for rich people, that’s what I thought too. But here are the 5 ways to experience airport lounges even you are not rich.

1. Buy Business Class or First Class Ticket 

Buying Business Class or First Class Ticket is not cheap so this is not for ordinary people like me. But if you love collecting miles, you can experience a business class ticket or first class ticket too.

Whenever we travel, we only buy an economy class ticket so we have no access to airport lounges. But thanks to my expiring miles, we were able to experience our first airport lounge at Mabuhay Lounge at Cebu International Airport. My husband booked the regular ticket only but the staff advised him that my miles are already expired so why not book a Business Class ticket para mamaximize pa yung points kasi yung matitira, mawawala na rin. So my husband booked a Business Class ticket for us using miles. So yes, we were able to stay at the airport lounge for the very first time. 

2. Apply for Credit Card that Offers Airport Lounge Access 

If you are a frequent traveler, apply for credit card that allows you to access airport lounges. So even you only have an economy class ticket, you can stay in the lounge. We did this because my husband always travels because of work so we applied for a new credit card. The downside of this is, the annual fee is expensive. But if you are lucky, you can waive the annual fee. 

Our second experience of airport lounge was last summer, we took Thai Airways airline so the terminal is NAIA 1. We had an economy class ticket, but thanks to our credit card, we were able to get a FREE access to Miascor Lounge. You can bring a companion too. (+1). 

3. Attain an Elite Status 

Whether you are a frequent traveler, a business traveler or not, do not forget to sign up for airline loyalty card. Signing-up is easy, just visit their website, enter your information and that’s it! No payment required, yes, it is totally FREE. 

Don’t forget to use your membership card every time you book your flight and check-in so your miles will be credited to your account. You can also earn miles even you don’t fly like transferring your credit card points to miles, earn miles from their hotel partners, or shopping. 

Once you reach the Elite level, you can now access airport lounges. Just check the list of their airport lounges around the world for future references. You can check here the different airport lounges that I have reviewed. 

4. Be a Guest or Plus One 

If you don’t have a business class ticket, platinum credit card or elite status level, then be a guest. Some airlines allow a companion depending on your ticket, credit card, and membership status. My son was able to access airport lounges because he is our plus one using our credit card and plus one of my husband using Mabuhay Miles Card. My husband was able to experience some airport lounges because he is plus one of his boss. 

5. Buy an annual membership, priority pass or day pass for airline lounge access.

If you don’t like staying at the boarding gate and if you have an extra budget. You can buy an annual membership or priority pass that allows you to access airport lounges. If you have long a layover, canceled flight or unexpected delay and you want to rest, then avail a day pass. The rate is not cheap, but sometimes you need to pay for comfort. 

If you want to sleep, check for accommodation inside the airport or near the airport. My husband did that when he has a long layover in Bangkok Thailand.

Read: Sleeping at the Airport

Care to share other ways to experience airport lounges. 

Read: Why Travel for Work is Not Fun