The Best Family Trips Aren’t Always the Most Expensive

Sometimes the Best Trips Are the Simple Ones

I’ve always loved traveling with my family. But as the years passed, I’ve realized something that took me a while to understand:

The trips that cost the most aren’t necessarily the ones we remember the most.

Some of our favorite family memories didn’t involve plane tickets, fancy hotels, or elaborate itineraries. Sometimes it was simply getting in the car and driving somewhere for the day.

Sometimes it was swimming at a nearby resort. Sometimes it was staying in a little cabin where we could cook our own food. And sometimes, it was just finding a new place to explore together.

Looking back at our old travel posts, I realize just how many of these simple trips have stayed with me.

And now that Ykaie is entering her college era at UP Diliman and Twinkle is growing up way too quickly, I appreciate these little adventures even more.

Because eventually, getting everyone together won’t be as easy as saying, “Tara, let’s go somewhere.”

We Don’t Need a Big Vacation Every Time

There was a time when I thought a proper family vacation meant going somewhere far away.

Maybe flying to another city. Booking a beautiful hotel. Planning several activities. Making the most out of every single day.

And while I still love a good vacation, motherhood has taught me that sometimes we simply need to get out of the house.

That’s where our staycations and day trips came in. They’re easier to plan, easier on the budget, and honestly, sometimes even more relaxing.

We don’t have to spend a week away to feel like we’ve had a break.

Sometimes one day is enough to reset everyone.

Some of Our Favorite Memories Happened in a Swimming Pool

If there’s one thing my family has always agreed on, it’s that swimming automatically makes a day better.

We’ve had quite a few family swimming adventures over the years.

One of the more recent ones was The Royal Branch Private Pool, where we celebrated Twinkle’s birthday. After celebrating her birthday at Vista Al Sol for three years, we decided to try somewhere new. Ykaie actually helped find the place through her online research, which was another little reminder that my girls are growing up and becoming more involved in planning our family adventures.

It wasn’t some extravagant international vacation.

It was a day tour. We swam, ate, sang karaoke, played games, took photos, and celebrated Twinkle. And honestly? It was perfect.

We Don’t Always Need to Stay Overnight

Another family favorite was our trip to 88 Hot Springs Resort in Laguna.

We went for a day tour to celebrate Mama Lucy’s birthday and also have a little family get-together before someone in the family left for Dubai. We couldn’t stay overnight because, at that time, we had three beagles and six cats waiting for us at home. Yes, our pet situation has always been a little… busy. 😂

So we made a day of it.

We arrived, swam in the warm pools, had lunch, celebrated Mama Lucy’s birthday, and eventually packed up to go home because the kids had school the next day.

It wasn’t a long vacation. But it was enough. Sometimes that’s all you need.

A Cabin, Some Baon, and a Bonfire

One of my favorite family getaways was My Cabin by Selah in Bustos, Bulacan.

We booked the cabin because, after being stuck at home for so long during the pandemic, I really wanted to take the kids somewhere where they could swim and enjoy a change of scenery. I also wanted somewhere private and pet-friendly because, of course, we couldn’t just leave our pets behind.

We brought our own food — boneless bangus, steak, and BBQ liempo — and DaddyDoodleDoo even picked up some batchoy along the way.

There was a little kitchen, a grill, a bonfire, s’mores, and even bikes we could borrow.

The kids had fun.

We had time to relax.

And at night, there was something so nice about sitting around the bonfire together.

It reminded me that a memorable family trip doesn’t require a five-star itinerary.

Sometimes all you need is good food, a comfortable place to sleep, and people you love sitting around a fire.

The Kids Don’t Need Expensive Attractions

When the girls were younger, we also took them to Dinosaurs Island in Clark, Pampanga.

I remember how excited they were because it was one of the first times they were able to go out again after such a long period of staying home.

For Twinkle, it was also her first time trying the kids’ zipline.

She was nervous at first, but she ended up having fun. We walked around, looked at the life-size dinosaurs, visited Insectlandia, and basically let the kids enjoy being kids again.

What I remember most isn’t how much we spent.

It’s the excitement on their faces.

It’s Twinkle trying something new.

It’s watching Ykaie and Twinkle explore together.

Those are the things that stay.

Sometimes a Farm Is All You Need

One of my favorite examples of a simple family day was our visit to Yoki’s Farm in Cavite.

At that time, we really just needed a break.

It was during the pandemic, and everyone was feeling the weight of being stuck at home. I wanted somewhere open-air and not too crowded where we could take the kids for a change of scenery.

So we drove to Mendez, Cavite.

We ate breakfast in the car, had Jollibee for lunch because restaurants weren’t an option for the kids at that time, and spent the day seeing animals and exploring the farm.

I even remember seeing an old photo of Ykaie there and realizing how much she had grown.

At the time, I was simply taking pictures.

Now those pictures feel like little pieces of time.

The Older They Get, the More I Appreciate These Trips

This is probably the biggest reason I wanted to write this post.

Because now that Ykaie is preparing for college, I look at our old travel photos differently.

I see little Ykaie. Little Twinkle.

The girls running around pools. The silly faces.

The family photos where everyone was younger.

And I realize that those trips weren’t really about where we went.

They were about having everyone together.

There will come a time when Ykaie will have her own schedule.

Twinkle will have her own plans.

There will be college requirements, work, friends, and eventually lives that don’t revolve around Mommy and Daddy anymore.

So yes, I’ll still happily book a staycation when we can.

I’ll still say yes to a spontaneous road trip.

I’ll still ask, “Tara, saan tayo?”

Because I know these years are precious.

You Don’t Have to Spend a Lot to Make a Memory

I think that’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned from all these years of family travel.

You don’t need to spend a huge amount of money to give your children a wonderful childhood.

A family day at a nearby resort can become a treasured memory.

A road trip can become an adventure.

A cabin with homemade food can become a story you tell years later.

A farm visit can become the photo you look at when you realize how much your kids have grown.

The destination matters. But the people you’re with matter more.

As moms, we sometimes put pressure on ourselves to give our children everything. The best vacations. The nicest hotels. The biggest birthday celebrations. The newest experiences.

But our children aren’t keeping a spreadsheet of how much each trip cost.

They remember how they felt. They remember laughing with us.

They remember swimming. They remember eating together.

They remember being allowed to stay up a little later. They remember Mommy and Daddy being there.

And maybe that’s why some of our simplest trips have become some of my favorite memories.

The best family trips aren’t always the most expensive. Sometimes they’re the ones that fit into a weekend. Sometimes they’re just a day trip.

Sometimes they’re a private pool, a little cabin, a farm, or a place where the kids can simply run around and have fun.

Looking back at our family’s travel memories — from Yoki’s Farm to Dinosaurs Island, from My Cabin by Selah to 88 Hot Springs, and more recently, The Royal Branch — I realize that we weren’t collecting destinations.

We were collecting moments. And now that my girls are getting older, those moments feel even more precious.

So if you’ve been putting off a family trip because you think you need a big budget, maybe you don’t.

Start small.

Drive somewhere you’ve never been.

Book a simple staycation.

Find a nearby pool.

Have a picnic.

Explore a place in your own city.

Because years from now, you may find yourself looking at an old photo and thinking the same thing I do:

“Ang bilis nilang lumaki.”

And you’ll be grateful you said yes to the little adventures while you could.