How much does a $7 filght to Singapore really cost?

Parker booked us $7 fares to Singapore BUT after a million charges, the tickets cost $60 each.

Also, the day before we left the Philippines, we realized we were flying out of Clark Airport which is 2 hours out of Manila.

-$7 fare
-$53 in charges
-$3 taxi ride
-$12 bus ride (2hours)

-Woke up at 5am.
-30 minutes in taxi.
-2 hours on the bus.
-5 hours of waiting at the airport.
-Arrived in Singapore at 5pm.

A total of $130 and 12 hours of travel time.

Was it worth it?

For us yes, we are on an open schedule. It was inconvenient but we are not in a hurry. If you are on a time frame, we would suggest looking into super discount fares more closely.

Great Eats in Singapore

Singapore is small island country, it is best known for it's capital city which bares the same name. It is one of the wealthest cities in SE Asia and the world. The city blends Malay, Chinese, Arab, Indian and English cultures and religions. It is a modern city in every way with a unique ethnic tapestry.

A few things we quickly noticed about the city:
Singapore is know as one of the cleanest cities in the world and it is spotless. I found a few pieces of trash laying around but I looked hard. It is also referred to as a "fine" city because you get fined $500 for eating on the bus, littering, jaywalking, etc.

The city's public transport system, MRT and buses, is one of the best in the world. It is fast and efficient. We zipped around town for 4 days. Our two favorite parts of town were Little India and Chinatown. The food, shopping and people watching were great in both places.



Singapore is very close to the equator. It is HUMID and stays anywhere between 79-89F. Nice and sticky all year around. Right now is also the rainy season which just means extra humid.



The shopping is endless. I could shop 12 hours a day for 7 days and would still have plenty to see. It's a good thing that I can't fit anything else in my backpack. We could easily go broke here and would have to go home.

We decided to stay in Little India, a vibrant area of Singapore. We were starving after our 12 hours of travel time. So as soon as we could, we started our 4 day eating fest. Hands down, Singapore has the best food we have ever had. From food stalls with $3 dishes to the nicer restaurants. The chili crab dish that my mom has been talking about my whole life did not disappoint. Everything we ate was excellent.

3 Months In the Philippines and Our 300th Day Off

Today is our last day in the Philippines and our 300th day off. Unbelievable.

The Philippines has always been the inspiration for my desire to see the world. Knowing I had family on the other side of the world expanded my imagination. It was also the catalyst for our super vacation knowing we wanted to stay longer than a two week vacation.

For three months we lived in a little duplex my mom owns. It felt great to unpack for a while. In our time here we learned a new language, learned how to play the guitar, planned our trip through the end of the year and we happily packed on a few pounds for Nepal.

Most importantly, Parker and I got to spend time with my family. My mom was here with us for two months, which was so awesome. I can not express how special this time has been for me. My family and I picked up where we left off and they absolutely loved Parker. It's a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins. We spent most of my time at my Aunt Eugene and Uncle Modesto's house (pictured). They spoiled us rotten. It was hard to leave but I'm grateful to have the time we had and we look forward to another visit. All of our saving, planning and hard work was worth every day we had with family.

We are packed, rested and excited about the next leg of our journey.

On the September 7th, we are going to Singapore to eat for four days. We will then head to Thailand to soak up the sun before we head to Nepal at the end of October. We will be hiking for two months and will end 2010 somewhere in the Himalayas.

Thank you Mom and family for the beautiful memories.