Tourist Visa to New Zealand: A Guide for Filipino Travelers

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Have your documents ready if you want to visit New Zealand.

“Why do I have a Philippine passport?” This is my friend’s usual rant before his trips abroad. I did not understand this until l had to apply for a tourist visa on my own and assist some folks in their visa applications. But instead of coming up with a list of rants, I thought it would be better to share my experience in applying for or assisting someone in submitting a visa application. Here’s my step-by-step guide on how to apply for a tourist visa to New Zealand as well as some tips.  (Note: Don’t read this if you’re planning to immigrate, work or stay in New Zealand for more than 6 months).

Mark Your Calendars: 2013 Holidays in the Philippines

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Boracay is one of the favorite travel destinations of Filipinos
during holidays.

It's never too early to make your travel plans. The Philippine government, through Proclamation No. 459 s. 2012, has released the schedule of regular holidays, special non-working days and special holidays (for schools only) for 2013. Therefore, if you'll be exploring the Philippine Islands, this means you should book your flights and accommodations early in case your visit falls on a holiday or a long weekend. If you're a Filipino traveler, this list would help you in planning your leaves and arranging trips or reunions with your family or friends.  Mark your calendars as I present the holidays by date: 

Geneva on a Budget: Seeing the City on the Cheap

This is the second guest post by fellow wanderlust Oma. She was able to travel to Geneva, Switzerland last July and stayed there for almost 3 weeks.  All photos were taken by her. 

Sit back and relax while watching Geneva's iconic
 Jet d 'Eau, a 140-meter water fountain.

When I learned I got accepted to a graduate study program in Geneva, Switzerland, I became more excited of the fact that I would be able to travel to Europe.  Perhaps that feeling of excitement and elation steered me away from doing a very fundamental research – determining the cost of living in Geneva. It was too late when I found out that in various global surveys, Geneva would almost always make it among the top 5 most expensive cities in the world.  So for those of you who are contemplating of travelling to this quaint, multi-cultural, French speaking city in Switzerland, let this serve as a warning.