How I planned a holiday overseas with less than RM300....

Living in a big city with cost of living escalating, causes our stress levels to also rise... therefore it is of utmost importance for me to indulge myself and to go on a vacation somewhere... 

I need that break every now and then, from all the stresses in life that come from juggling work, family, relationships etc...I am sure everyone else needs a change of environment from time to time... but the one thing that is stopping people from going on a nice vacation, a nice holiday to somewhere they want to go...is money... right??

Well... what would you say if  I tell you that I have just booked a trip out of Malaysia on a flight for less than RM200 and can you believe me when I am telling you I got a hotel stay for 2 nights in a very clean and lovely place with nice ambience for less than RM100???

Unbelievable right?? But I did it... read on to find out how...

Well, I did it with a little help, ok, maybe not a little, a whole load of help from Traveloka.com.. Traveloka is a new, upcoming online travel booking platform in Malaysia.. and it is one of the leading flight and hotel booking platform in Southeast Asia, serving more than 18,000 routes and thousands of hotels in Asia Pacific.

I was introduced to Traveloka from a good friend and I was thrilled and really wanted to know more... and well, like I mentioned, I really needed a break every now and then to maintain my sanity, so I decided to try to see if I can get a good deal for a little vacation....

The Traveloka App is typically known to be simple, easy on the eyes, and user-friendly. And do you know, Traveloka happens to be the largest and leading flight/hotel booking platform in Indonesia. There are no hidden fees and what you see is what you pay, or..... maybe not.. sometimes.. you might get a surprise and pay less .... continue reading and see what I mean.....

I decided to join Traveloka as a member as well, anyone who knows me well knows I suffer from the affliction called wanderlust.... hahahah... and I NEED to travel a couple of times or more a year.....so Traveloka might just be my best friend in helping me plan my trips..

I completed the registration via Facebook and allowed Traveloka.com to receive my public profile and email address from Facebook.... It is all that easy, safe and convenient...

I did not want to be sitting in a plane too long so I decided to head over to Bangkok, because I love Thai food, Bangkok is an amazing place to shop and there is just so much to see and do and I have not yet covered even all the temples there....

You will be amazed that you can actually find so many different airlines offering great deals over Traveloka 

Ok... I found flights to Bangkok for RM190.89 via AirAsia.. It seem pretty reasonable in comparison of other flights.... so I am choosing that...

Early morning flight out of KL.... and let's see... the flight back to KL seems a bit more expensive.. but it's the cheapest there is... so I guess we have to make do... at least it is still reasonable and affordable...

OK...the booking has been made... and for a flight to Bangkok, I have to pay RM449.96 inclusive of all taxes and surcharges... That is not too bad....

So I am completing the booking.... filling in all my information etc....

And Traveloka.com needs me to confirm my email address.... I click on "Yes, my email is correct"

And another online form page to complete..........

And heyyyyy!!!!! I just pressed payment when Traveloka gave me a surprise and told me my fare of RM449.96 has been reduced to just RM170.33!!!!!! Oh my gawwwddd.... I am practically jumping up and down from the savings I surprisingly got!!!

Ok...ok... now to quickly fill up all payment details and nail the flight for just RM170.33 !!! Payment is pretty easy to do as well with the choice of your Credit Card/ Debit Card or Maybank2U.....

For great deals on flights, head over to:  http://www.traveloka.com/en

Now... that my flight is booked, I definitely need a hotel to put up in, since I am not about to be sleeping on the road side right.. hahah

To search for hotels, all you need to do is just type the name of the city or destination you are headed to.... The results will then show you all the hotels in that particular area. 

You may use the filter to cut down the results based on the rating, prices and popularity - which is very helpful in your search for the hotel of your choice. In my case, since I travel on a shoe string budget, I filtered it to below RM200 per night price range....

And yaaayyy... you get a whole list of hostels or hotel you can browse through....

Being a shoe string traveler, I love staying in hostels and believe me, a lot of Bangkok's Hostels are really gorgeous, clean and cosy to live in... 

And well, these are a few of the hostels I browsed through and looked at... don't you think they are just simply gorgeous...

Traveloka allows you to see pictures of the hostel/ hotel so you can make your decision...

They also have a link for you to check out more about the hotel facility or the description of the hotel you are interested in... and from there you can glean information of the room or bunk bed or so you are interested in...

Room type

1 bunk bed 301-sq-foot (28-sq-meter) room with city views

Entertainment - Free WiFi, 402-inch LED TV with digital channels

Food & Drink - Refrigerator, minibar, and microwave

Bathroom - Shared bathroom and free toiletries

Practical - Ceiling fan

Comfort - Air conditioning and daily housekeeping

Need to Know - Shared accommodations , Non-Smoking

I got the above information all on Traveloka's website... and I have a very clear picture of what to expect, and where my hostel/hotel is located and what I can do nearby...

So since I am happy with what I know and I have decided to stay there, I go ahead make my booking....

This is how it looks like... and look!! I am only paying RM90.23 for a two nights stay and my stay will come with a simple breakfast!!!

Go search and find your hotel stay now http://www.traveloka.com/en/hotel

So with my flight to Bangkok being just RM170.33 and my hostel/hotel stay being just RM90.23 , I am only spending RM260.56 for a trip to Bangkok!!!!  And with another RM239.00 I am sure I have enough to buy a couple of nice things and eat there frugally.... 

And hehehe... it is not that expensive going on vacation, not when we can plan properly with the help of Traveloka.com

Anyway, if you would like to check back on your bookings, you can do so by logging in to the website.. and once you do just look on the left side of the bar and click on My Booking and your flight details will come out... and your hotel Bookings too....

Another 2 ways on how you can access your e-ticket or hotel voucher is by downloading the e-ticket or hotel voucher after completing your transaction by clicking on 'Download'. This will enable you to either print or save a softcopy of the e-ticket/hotel voucher. On the other hand, the e-ticket or hotel voucher (including receipt) will also be emailed to you as an attachment..

It is all very easy and convenient on how to book your flights and hotel stay with Traveloka, so do head over the these links

Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.traveloka.android

App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id898244857?mt=8

and download the app now... or just visit www.traveloka.com

I have downloaded the App from the Google Play Store..

This is how it will look like....

And look... I got it now on my mobile phone....

A welcome note and how to sign in.... and so you have to sign in either using your mobile phone or your email address...I signed in using my mobile phone number....

The App gives you a calendar to see when you want to travel... and the calendar even comes with special events and public holidays!!!

Then you can filter your flights too, over the Traveloka App on when you prefer to fly, whether it is in the early morning, noon or evening.... and which is your preferred airlines.... 

Hmmm.. playing around on this App is so much fun... I just found out that flight tickets to Hyderabad in India via AirAsia will cost me only RM338.78!!! I have heard a lot of interesting things about Hyderabad, and how good the Nasi Briyani and all is there... from a couple of people and this seems like a pretty amazing deal... Maybe I should do another online booking soon with Traveloka.com...