Nicole Cord-Cruz
School
De La Salle University
Expertise
Budget Travel, Asian Destinations, Digital Nomad Life
- Nicole once drove 20 hours to Batad, a remote village in the Philippines, to visit the world-renowned Banaue Rice Terraces.
- Before she even thought about writing for a living, she ran an Angie's List-esque lifestyle blog on Tumblr, where she documented her trips and recommended travel hacks, shows and movies, lifestyle tips, and other interesting finds to an audience of over 5,000.
- In her early 20s, Nicole worked in a wide array of cities, including London, Tokyo, Singapore, and Manila.
Experience
Nicole joined Static Media in 2021 and has written for Nicki Swift, Explore, and Islands. Through her experience with multiple brands, she found that her best writing comes out when she's doling out tips on how to score the cheapest flights or find the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants in cities all over the globe. Nicole discovered that she had a knack for writing when the poem she wrote for the school magazine in third grade turned out to be a haiku. Since then, she has resolved to become a professional wordsmith, stringing words together to tell a compelling story. Her career started in social media, where she had her fun crafting witty tweets and Instagram posts, and then shifted to tech, where she worked as a project manager and produced more briefs than she knew what to do with. But she later realized that storytelling is where her true passion lies and decided to shift to full-time writing. Over the years, she worked on various projects that enabled her to write nearly every type of content, from greeting cards to blogs to listicles to advertorials.
Education
Nicole holds a bachelor's degree in organizational communication from De La Salle University, where she was part of the dean's list for several trimesters. For her thesis and internship, she helped create social media and direct mail campaigns for Make-A-Wish Foundation to help more kids get their wishes granted.
Explore’s content is created by qualified and experienced writers and editors, bolstered by outside field experts. Our mission is to provide readers with well-rounded and accurate information by way of entertaining and engaging articles that deliver a diversity of content, including everything from detailed guides for exotic locales to easily accessible information on domestic travel.
Our editors consistently review and update articles to ensure they're providing current, relevant, and useful information. Complete information on our editorial process available here.
Stories By Nicole Cord-Cruz
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We love a good packing hack, so why not turn to the travel expert? Find out what Rick Steves has to say about packing. Here's a hint: Bring less!
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Uber is convenient, especially when you're traveling in a new city. But you'll want to be extra safe. We've put together a list of safety tips to help you.
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Travelers sign up for TSA PreCheck to avoid many of the hassles of airport security requirements, and these tips can help you make renewing it just as easy.
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Hotels in the U.S. typically require guests to be of a certain minimum age to check in. Here's what you need to know as you travel through the country.
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A cruise might not be the cheaper alternative to flying anymore. Rates have been rising rapidly, with no end in sight, and we have the scoop on why.
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If you're running late to the airport, you likely start to worry about the gate door closing. That said, here's how much time you have before you're locked out.
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Finding cockroaches in your hotel room is everybody's worst nightmare but fortunately there are ways to identify the problem early and tackle it efficiently.
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Getting on "Shark Tank" can transform a business. The founders of ZUP boards were hoping to do just that. Find out if they got a deal and where they are today.
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Overtourism is impacted popular destinations, and while tourism taxes are designed to help, the fees will make this European city the costliest just to visit.
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Between flight confirmations, hotel bookings, and car rentals, planning a trip generates a lot of emails. This app helps keep everything organized.
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Bathroom trips are a necessity during lengthy sojourns on the road but you don't have to settle for gross gas stations. This hack offers a premium experience.
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Travel expert Rick Steves knows how expensive vacationing in Europe can be, but luckily he's got some great tips for how to save big when booking your flights.
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Tipping is an integral part of America's service industry, and has since extended to catching an Uber. But what do you need to consider when tipping the driver?
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"Yellowstone" is the most popular show on cable and broadcast TV right now, and if you want to feel like you're part of it this cabin is an absolute must-visit.
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Surf's up! This bodysurfing company went on "Shark Tank" to help people become one with the ocean. Did they get a deal? Where are they now? Find out here.
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Most people want to take their vacations during the weekend, but if you travel on another day instead, you could end up saving a significant amount.
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Cooking while camping can be tricky, but thanks to TikTok, there are tons of great hacks out there to make your experience easier and even mess-free.
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Feeling anxious about your safety on a cruise ship is understandable -- you may even worry about the ship tipping over. Here's why it likely won't.
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Chris and Geanie Rodgers presented their Rapid Rope Dispenser on "Shark Tank" Season 11, Episode 12. Here's what happened to the business after the show.
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Planning for a good hair day when you're away is complicated but fortunately there's an easy way to ensure you can bring all your must-have hair tools with you.
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For many, sticking to a budget means choosing economy over first-class airline tickets. Luckily, booking with certain airlines can help people save.
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Traveling with kids has it's joys and it's headaches, but you can make sure your kids actually enjoy your next family vacation with Rick Steve's planning tips.
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Flying to Europe seems prohibitively expensive but by simply choosing not to go direct you could save a significant amount of money and see more in the process.
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Packing cubes have quickly become the go-to for savvy travelers but if you don't have any to hand, or would rather not spend on them, there's a simple solution.
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If you're considering going to the beach or pool in France, make sure you pay attention to the laws. One in particular dictates the type of swimsuit you wear.
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Some people always go without travel insurance. However, it may be worth considering when there's a chance a hurricane can cancel the trip.
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There are lots of ways to travel on the cheap, and one of the easiest is to hop in your car and go. But to stay on budget, avoid stopping at these spots.