U.S. Customs Rules You Should Know

Taking a trip abroad soon? Well, it's a good idea to know about U.S. customs requirements to avoid any hassles when coming back home. Here's a segment that outlines some of the key things you need to remember.

Balitang America Travels: Traveling with Children

Traveling abroad with kids in tow can be a daunting task. But with research and good planning, you can still have a great trip and minimize stressful situations...especially when it comes to health issues.

In one of my recent "Travels" segments on Balitang America, I interviewed Louis Rodrigo - operations manager of Mango Tours in San Francisco - about his experience in bringing his 8-month-old child to the Philippines. Long story short, the baby ended up spending a week in the hospital because Louis said he and his wife weren't prepared to deal with the potential health risks. What's the moral of the story: do your research and plan ahead.

Parents should consult with a pediatrician when planning to travel outside the country with young children. The doctor can give parents an idea about what things they should bring with them on a trip abroad. You may even be referred to a travel medicine specialist if your child will need certain vaccinations.

It's also a good idea to take a look at family travel resources on the web - from what to put in your first aid travel kit to general safety tips. The Centers for Disease Control has a section devoted to traveling with kids. Other great resources packed with family travel tips include sites like Travel With Your Kids and Independent Traveler. Aside from health and security issues, there might be other things you need to do in order to bring your child abroad.

You may need to have a child travel consent form. It's a document needed when only one parent will be traveling with the child abroad. The form needs to be signed by both parents and notarized, because the government wants to make sure the child is not at risk for abduction; this is a big concern especially when divorce or custody issues are involved. Without the consent form, you won't be allowed to board the airplane.

The more prepared you are...the better off you'll be, so do your homework when it comes to taking a trip with the tots.

Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Balitang America Travels: Family Adventures

Planning a trip to an exotic locale like Turkey or Tanzania may seem intimidating when you are traveling with children. Not only are safety and comfort a huge concern, but parents also worry that their kids won’t like the local food or be bored with the cultural tourist sights. If your children are not having a fun time, then you probably won’t enjoy the trip either.

Luckily, there are tour companies that specialize in family vacations, so you can still fulfill your travel dreams and have fun taking the kids with you. In my April 20th "Travels" segment on Balitang America, I highlighted Thomson Family Adventures, voted by National Geographic Adventure magazine as the #1 family adventure tour operator for the last two years.

Thomson Family Adventures has been arranging tours for parents and their children since 1998. At the Bay Area Travel Show, I talked to General Manager Jim Kackley about what the company’s tours are like.

On a Thomson Family Adventures tour, all of the logistics are planned out for you, a staff member will travel with you to make sure everything goes smoothly, and local guides will be on hand to give an authentic, inside look at the destination. In addition to covering the “must see” attractions like the Great Wall of China and Peru’s Machu Picchu, the tours include activities designed for kids of all ages. For example, you can go white-water rafting in Panama, try river kayaking in Portugal, zipline through a rainforest in Costa Rica and, of course, go on safari in Eastern Africa.

Special effort is put into providing a unique experience for children, starting before you even leave for the trip. “We line them up with a pen-pal in the country and that allows them to have a cultural immersion experience,” explained Mr. Kackley. “They meet the pen-pal when they go down there and it adds a new dimension.”

Thomson’s staff are also prepared if your child is a finicky eater. “That’s one of the hardest things for parents when they travel overseas,” said Mr. Kackley. “My kid is not going to eat anything and we know that. We find out that information ahead of time and we pass it on and say make sure you have some chicken or make sure you have this.”

Right now, the company’s most popular tours are to China, Turkey, Tanzania, Costa Rica and the Galapagos. So if you are looking for a new and exciting experience for your family, check out the experts at Thomson Family Adventures to see if they have a tour that’s right for you.

Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Balitang America Travels: Philippine Tourism Stimulus Package Extended

Americans are spending less money on travel this year, which means providers are cutting prices to compete for your business. If you've managed to save some money for a vacation, now may be the right time to find a good deal to the Philippines. In my "Travels" segment on April 13th on Balitang America, I highlighted the Philippine Tourism Stimulus Package again -- just in case you missed it the first time back on March 9th.

Originally scheduled to end on May 23rd, the deal has been extended to June 10th. Still priced starting at $999, the Stimulus Package includes round-trip airfare to Manila on Philippine Airlines (from San Francisco, Los Angeles or Las Vegas), two nights in Manila at a luxury hotel (breakfasts included), and a one-way transfer between the airport and your hotel. If you book your stay at the Dusit Thani Manila, Discovery Suites or Diamond Hotel then you now get an extra third night for free.

Check out the Philippines official tourism website to find the contact information for the consolidators and travel agents that can help you book this package. If you purchase your ticket from Mango Tours, you are also issued a free raffle ticket for a drawing to be held on July 4th. The winner of will receives a free round-trip ticket from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Manila courtesy of Mango Tours.

Remember, the rainy season starts in June, so be sure to weigh the pros and cons of traveling to the Philippines at this time of year. But if you are itching to get away this summer, contact your travel agent to see what discounts are being offered on tour packages, airfare and hotel accommodations. You may be pleasantly surprised at how many deals you have to choose from.

Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Balitang America Travels: High, Low and Shoulder Travel Seasons

When is the best time of the year to take a trip? Is it when the weather is warm and sunny, but the fares and rates are high and the sights are crowded with other tourists? Or is better to travel when the prices are low and hotels have lots of room, but you have to deal with bitter cold or heavy rain showers?

The answer for most people is somewhere in between, and if you are a budget traveler with flexible vacation dates, you can still find some bargains without suffering through extreme weather conditions. Sure, you might have cooler weather and the occasional light rain, but the savings will probably be worth it.

In my "Travels" segment that aired March 30th on Balitang America, Juan Francisco of Mango Tours confirmed that there are often good deals during the "shoulder" seasons between high and low peak travel. (You can check out actual video segment here.)

A good example is around Easter time when flights from the States to the Philippines are slightly cheaper, because demand peaks during winter when the weather is milder and families gather for Christmas. During spring, the weather isn't too bad because the monsoon season usually doesn't start until June.

Of course, the peak and off-peak periods are different in every country. You can visit Ricksteves.com to find out when the shoulder season hits Europe.

Away.com and smartertravel.com also have great resources about ideal travel times in different parts of the world.

Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Balitang America Travels: Managing Your Money Wisely

Ah, money…it’s fun to spend while on vacation or shopping. But when it comes to managing your Benjamins or creating a budget, it feels like all work and no play. Money management, while on vacation, isn’t rocket science and no one says you have to cut corners on everything.

By budgeting how much you want to spend on your trip, you minimize overspending and lessen the risks associated with carrying money when traveling. In my "Travels" segment that aired on Balitang America on May 4th, I mentioned some tips on how to go about planning ahead and managing your trip money wisely:

BEFORE YOU LEAVE:

• Call your bank and credit card company: if you use your cards abroad and you don’t inform them, their fraud detection software or monitoring systems might mistake transactions for fraudulent activity and block them.


• Pack a money belt or other travel wallet you can wear close to your body to prevent anything from getting stolen.


• If you’re traveling to a destination for the first time, find out if your cards will work in that specific area by asking the bank or card company. Always have cash as back up. It might even be helpful for you to exchange a small amount of money into the local currency even before you hop on a plane, so that you can get from the airport to your hotel, lodge or place where ATMs are found.

DURING THE TRIP:

• Estimate how much you will be spending for the duration of your trip. Besides authorized banks, money can be exchanged at many major airports and even some hotels.


• Some places like the Philippines and other Asian countries have “money changers.” Often rates are high, but some of these places have reportedly scammed people…so exercise caution.


• Don’t exchange all of your trip money in one go. You risk either losing money or getting it stolen – this way it’s not a total loss if something like this happens. If you do exchange it all at once, carry only what you need during the day and store the rest in the hotel safe or a secure storage device.


• If you plan to get money from ATMs, then withdraw more versus less. For example, in the Philippines, try to take out $100-$200 instead of $20-$40, because each time you withdraw there are currency conversion fees that can add up. Again, take only what you need and securely store the rest.


• On top of the conversion rate, Bankrate.com says credit cards have foreign transaction fees. So, use it for big expenses like hotel or costly purchases, but not on smaller things…unless you don’t mind being charged extra fees each time. Check out Bankrate's site which has an updated list of the foreign conversion fees most major credit card companies charge.

Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Balitang America Travels: Europe on a Shoestring

Playing catch-up on my televised "Travels" segments...In my March 23rd segment on Balitang America, I talked about how to save money on a European vacation. I shared some expert advice from travel guru Rick Steves whom I interviewed at the Bay Area Travel Show.

Even if you are on a shoestring budget, Rick said you can still take a trip to Europe for $120/day per person, or even down to $60/day if you are willing to stay in youth hostels and eat cheaply. That budget excludes transportation expenses, but includes money for lodging, food and sightseeing. "The major expense is eating and sleeping," he said. "People who know how to find good alternatives to hotels and restaurants, they’ll save a lot of money."

My husband and I used Rick Steves' guidebooks to plan our trip when we visited France and Italy in 2007. Here are some general tips for cutting costs on your European vacation:

• LODGING: Stay at a bed and breakfast or rent an apartment with a group of friends... or stay in a simple hotel with few amenities, especially if you plan to spend most of your time sightseeing away from the hotel.


• FOOD: Avoid high-priced restaurants near tourist traps and look for good, cheap, hole-in-the wall places where the locals eat... always look to see if the service charge is included in your check and research the appropriate tip percentage for the city you are in.. buy snacks and water at the local market... and pack a few picnic lunches to save money and time.


• SIGHTSEEING: Plan out which museums and attractions you want to visit, and see if there is a pass that covers more than one of them and is less expensive than buying a separate ticket for each one... buy tickets in advance, so you don't have to waste time in long lines at the ticket counter once you get to the attraction.

Rick said the best thing you can do to save money is to "travel smart" -- research and plan ahead before your trip, so you can be prepared with all of the information you need and be your own tour guide there. It may seem daunting to plan so much ahead of time, but chances are you will enjoy your trip more, and most importantly, save time and money too!

Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Video: Party in Manila with Mango Tours

This Travels segment on Spring Break originally aired on March 2nd. It highlighted a specific package offered by Mango Tours, the segment sponsor and travel agency specializing in trips to the Philippines. Their spring break trip kicks off on April 15th.



Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Balitang America Travels: Philippine Entry/Visa Requirements

If you're planning to take a trip to the Philippines, you will want to make sure you've got the entry and visa requirements covered. You will need a visa depending on how long you stay in the country, and the rules differ for U.S. citizens and residents. I discussed this and other requirements in my March 16th "Travels" segment on Balitang America.

It's simple for U.S. citizens who need just their passports to enter the Philippines. That's if they will be staying for 21 days. Anything beyond that requires a visa. However, if you are a U.S. citizen traveling with parents who are former Philippine citizens, then you can be in the country visa-free for up to a year as part of the balikbayan program; this same rule applies for U.S. citizen spouses traveling with their husband or wife who is a former Philippine citizen.

For U.S. legal permanent residents who are Philippine citizens, the requirements include a green card for re-entry into the the States and a Philippine passport. By 2010, these passport holders will need to have the new machine-readable passports, also known as MRPs.

To Apply for an MRP:

* Appear in person at the closest Philippine consulate, the embassy in Washington, D.C. or at qualified processing centers like Mango Tours

* Provide 2 passport photos with royal blue as the background

* Fill out an application form

* Pay the $50 fee

Processing can take up to 6 weeks, so plan ahead. U.S. citizens who are non-balikbayans and will be staying beyond 21 days need to get a visa which allows them to stay in the country for up to 59 days.

To Apply for a Visa for U.S. Citizens (who are non-balikbayans):

* Appear at the closest Philippine consulate or the embassy in Washington, D.C.

* Provide 2 standard passport photos

* Fill out a visa application

* Show U.S. passport and a copy of trip itinerary

* Pay the $50 visa fee

For more information, visit the Philippine Embassy’s website at www.philippineembassy-usa.org or call your local Philippine Consulate.

Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Balitang America Travels: Philippine Travel Stimulus Package

It may take time for Obama's stimulus package to kick in, but the tourism industry isn't one to wait. In fact tour operators, travel agencies and other providers have been quick to come up with their own travel "stimulus packages." I mentioned one such deal in my March 9th "Travels" segment.

Priced at $999, the Philippine Stimulus Package gets you roundtrip airfare from San Francisco, Los Angeles or Las Vegas to Manila via Philippine Airlines, one-way transport from the airport to the hotel or vice versa and daily breakfast. Included is a two-night, three-day stay at one of the participating five-star hotels, namely the Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Crowne Plaza Galleria, Diamond Hotel or the Dusit Thani Manila Hotel. The fuel surcharge and U.S. taxes are already included in the price.

There's also a choice of excursion add-ons for three nights or four days starting at $370 to places like Boracay. Other destinations that can be added to the basic stimulus package include Bohol, Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu or Palawan. Even with these extras, the Philippine Department of Tourism says this package is 30-40 percent lower than anything they've ever offered.

Travels is a weekly TV segment written and produced by Christi Morales. It airs every Monday during Balitang America's (News in America) 5:30pm PST newcast on ABS-CBN Global's The Filipino Channel (TFC). Balitang America can also be seen on KTSF Channel 26 at 6:45pm PST in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Memorable People in Rwanda (Part 2)

Pictured above are more awesome people whom we met in Rwanda and will always remember. Starting from the top left, clockwise, is our guide Oliver whom we trekked with through the Virunga Mountains in search of mountain gorillas. The next is a woman named Winnie, who taught me how to make two Rwandese dishes, followed by our Amahoro Tours guide Abi and his sidekick Omar. In the last photo, is an American named Julie, a passionate conservationist. Each of them left lasting impressions on me and my view of life.

Oliver was such a knowledgeable guide. His eyes lit up whenever he talked about the mountain gorillas. Since my trip to Rwanda in 2006, we managed to exchange emails here and there. I fondly remember one of our last emails in which he shared his excitement about the birth of some baby gorillas; it's a time to rejoice when a baby gorilla is born, because they are the future - little by little their species is inching away from the clutches of extinction. There are about only 700 mountain gorillas left in the entire world.



Oliver was featured in an Animal Planet documentary as part of a group of rangers and guides, who took Sigourney Weaver to see the gorillas she came to know during the filming of Gorillas in the Mist. The feature also revisited the work of late naturalist Dian Fossey and how she paved the way for stronger conservation efforts.

Winnie worked for our tour operator Greg Bakunzi. Giggly and friendly, she would laugh at how I mispronounced the names of the Rwandese dishes we prepared in Greg's native outdoor kitchen. It was in meeting Winnie that I realized how hard some African women have to work. She told me many women work in the fields all day and then come home to cook, clean and tend to their children. There are those who've risen to political positions and hold careers; still many toil in the fields, tilling the soil and harvesting the crops. I have so much admiration for hardworking African women like Winnie.

Julie, the American conservationist, was a smiley person with kind eyes and a jovial spirit full of hope. She'd been in Rwanda for some time teaching artisans and locals to become self-sufficient: helping Rwandans utilize their artistic talents to make a living and all the while instilling in them the importance of wildlife conservation. Her dedication serves as an example of what can be achieved when people open their hearts and share their knowledge with others.



Our guide Abi was a soft-spoken Rwandan who liked listening to our stories about life in America. One day he told us his story: he was the only one in his family to survive the 1994 genocide. At first, I was surprised and humbled by his willingness to share such painful memories and misfortune. But in the end, I came to understand that this was his way, as it is for many Rwandans, to continue the healing. Not to ignore what happened but to tell the story of their horrific past to others, so such a tragedy will never happen again.

And last but definitely not the least, there was our driver Omar. He couldn't speak or understand much English. However, he spoke perfect French - a language I manage to butcher when I try to speak it. Every morning I'd greet him with "bonjour" and "como ca va?" (how are you in English). During our excursions, I'd turn to him and say "como ca va" every once and a while. We would laugh at our inability to communicate anything else other than that. But what we lacked in words, we made up for this in smiles.

Memorable People in Rwanda (Part 1)

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be revisiting past international travels like I did in the entry entitled "A Picture Paints a Thousand Words." As I mentioned in that post, the trip to Rwanda was only 3 1/2 days and 4 nights, but the memories I collected there will live on forever. The places we visited and friendly people made the whole trip unforgettable.

My husband, Darren, and I met wonderful people like Greg Bakunzi, the owner of the eco-tourism company Amahoro Tours. The moment we met Greg, at the Gregoire Kayibanda Airport in Kigali, there was an instant connection. During the two-hour drive to the Mountain Gorillas Nest lodge in Kinigi, we chatted it up with Greg about everything from food and religion to politics and our personal lives. When we told Greg how excited we were to sample the local cuisine, he eventually invited us to dine with him in his home and gave me the honor of helping cook the Rwandese meal.

It was great getting to know Greg who felt comfortable enough to share intimate details of his life with us. Greg didn't grow up in Rwanda, but in a refugee camp in Uganda where his parents fled during the 1959 revolution. He moved to his native Rwanda with nothing - no money, no possessions - after the 1994 genocide, brimming with hope to start anew. Eventually, he built up his eco-tourism company which has been very successful.

Through Amahoro we visited villages and interacted with the locals. We also had an opportunity to visit an orphanage where we spent a good amount of time playing with the children. Greg and his guides gave us an understanding and appreciation of Rwanda's culture, heritage, history and people - an experience that went above and beyond what I expected. And, one that I will always cherish.

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

The title sounds cliche, but the experience I had in this picture was far from being that. It was taken in Kinigi, Rwanda, during my three-week trip to East Africa in July of 2006. I had always wanted to write about the wonderful, eye-opening experiences I had there. It's been more than two years, but it feels just like yesterday that I was dancing with the Batwa in Rwanda. Most people have only heard of the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups, especially after relations between the two exploded into the horrific 1994 genocide.

More than a decade later, Rwandans are still trying to heal from this tragedy. Despite all they've been through, some Rwandans have chosen to feel the pain of their past treating it like an open wound. Not because they're masochists, but because many believe it's the only way to make sure something like this will never happen again. Our tour operator Greg Bakunzi told us he believes it's important for Rwandans to talk about what happened and to tell visitors the truth, not only because it's cathartic, but it's also a way of facing mistakes of the past head on without denial.

My visit to Rwanda may have only lasted 3 1/2 days, but I felt so connected with the people I met there. Most of all, as the picture of me dancing with the Batwa may not fully convey, I felt alive and filled with hope. If Rwandans can survive such a painful past, my heart is hopeful that the rest of the world can one day be at peace. But what do I know...I'm an eternal optimist =).