Showing posts with label Travel Asia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel Asia. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Train to Chiang Mai from Bangkok


Northern Thailand city of Chiang Mai is the 5th biggest city in Thailand. The city is remarkable greener and calmer than Bangkok and is one of the important culture and art center in Thailand. The city was once very difficult to access so this isolation created a very unique and interesting culture which can be seen in the city even today.

You can take a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (700 km distance) or take a bus but the most popular ways to travel between Bangkok and Chiang Mai is by train. You can buy your train tickets in Hua Lamphong train station ( beware of scammers who will try to direct you to some bogus ticket offices).

Getting from Chiang Mai train station to city center takes less than 10 minutes ride. There are at least 6 trains from Bangkok to Chiang Mai from 08:30 AM till 10:00 PM in the night. The journey takes 1w to 15 hours and a first class sleeper on the train costs 1,700 Thai Baht. The train is a very popular way to travel between Chiang Mai and Bangkok so if you are planning to take the train, book in advance.

There are 1st class sleepers, air-conditioned 2nd class sleepers, non-air conditioned 2nd class sleepers, 2nd class seats and 3rd class seats options on Chiang Mai - Bangkok trains. 1st class sleepers have 2 berths and your ticket will buy one bed so you will travel with strangers. You can have sole occupancy of a 2-berth sleeper for an extra 500 baht (£10 or $16). The most popular class is air-conditioned 2nd class sleeper.

The best would be getting a night train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in a first class sleeper and spend the night on the road. This will save you hotel money and effectively it will be less tiring and time consuming than taking flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Even if you want to see the Thailand country side, night train like this is still a very good option. The last one third of the train ride will be in the daylight and you will have a chance to watch the sunrise from the Chiang Mai train in the morning. The scenery in this section is in the mountains and is particularly good.

Train to Chiang Mai from Bangkok
Chiang Mai train offers a fantastic view of Northern Thailand's hills.
We recommend you to take 9/10 trains because the night travel will be very convenient and the new Chinese-built high-quality sleepers on trains at these hours are excellent. These new trains feature seat- mounted screens for watching TV and movies during your journey and aircraft -type toilets, not the old kind that drop straight onto the tracks. If you cannot find a ticket on this ultra popular trains, 13/14 is the second-best sleeper train using the next most modern cars. This train still passes the best scenery near Chiang Mai in daylight.

First class sleeping compartment in new Thailand trains. These trains serve the Bangkok - Chiang Mai services at 9 & 10. Photo - Bangkok Post

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

10 Reasons to Travel to Vietnam


Everyone who loves to explore should put Vietnam in the first place in their travel program. Vietnam is really an authentic country, with impressive landscapes, colorful and dynamic cities, warm and gentle people, and a good blend of old and new.

1. Vietnam is relatively unspoiled by tourism

After hundreds of years of struggle, under the invasion of foreign states and lived in poverty, Vietnam, today opened its doors to foreigners, tourists and investors, welcoming them with a glamorous face and hospitality.

Vietnam is a new country in terms of tourism. Unlike Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, you will see smaller number of tourists walking around the streets. Vietnam is not as spoiled as the countries with more tourists. Local people are genuinely interested in tourists. They want to chat to you with their little English.

2. Vietnam is safe

Vietnam is a pretty safe country to visit even for women traveling alone. Actually, I can say from my own perspective that I have not felt unsafe anywhere in South Asia. Usually the countries with majority Buddhist population are safe.

Most of the Vietnamese were farmers and most of them were born in the villages. The communist government seems to have done its utmost to make the premise a safe place. Considering the recent history of the country, there is a warm attitude to many tourists, especially Americans. They will wrap up the pain of the past, look into the future.

3. Vietnam is relatively cheap to travel

Vietnam, offering super luxurious travel comfort, offers the possibility to travel with a very low budget. It is possible to eat for 1 Dollar at a stall on the street, and even if you go to super luxurious restaurants, the prices are still reasonable.

It is possible to travel in Vietnam, a favorite country for backpack travelers, with a daily budget of $ 15. Almost everywhere in the country there are convenient hotels, guest houses and hostels. For example, the 4-star Sunway Hotel Hanoi in Hanoi costs $ 49 per night for 2 people.

4. Ha Long Bay

Imagine over 2,000 limestone cliffs rising from the emerald waters of Tonkin Gulf to the sky! This is Halong Bay, Vietnam's most popular tourist destination in the world. According to the, Vietnam remains in a difficult situation with the Chinese, and the gods send a dragon for help. This dragon spouts jade and jewels from its mouth and forms the limestone rocks that we see today, and through these obstacles the Chinese can not enter.

Cruise ship experience among these interesting limestone cliffs is a unique experience. Halong Bay is beautiful and charming and this place is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is located 4 hours from Hanoi, the beautiful capital city in the north of the country.

Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay
5. Unique Vietnam Culture

Vietnam has one of the oldest cultural heritage in South East Asia. History of Vietnam goes back to the Bronze Age, and the area was more than 1,000 years in Chinese domination. Therefore, the influence of Chinese culture on the culture of the country is great.

Following the independence from China, Vietnam was under the influence of the Khmer empire for a while. In the French colonial period, European culture interacted. In Vietnam, where the Latin alphabet is used, the values ​​of old, atelier, social and family values, handicrafts and labor are of great importance. Also in this exotic culture of Far East, where we are a stranger, dragons and turtles have an important place. In addition, the bamboo plant and lotus flower are considered sacred.

6. Vietnamese people are warm and friendly

Like many neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, Vietnamese people are friendly, gentle and friendly. When you look at your eyes, a smile appears in their faces, they are very elegant and sweet. I have not encountered anyone who is trying to attract people and to sell something in shopping places and markets. The same is true when you walk around the historic district of Hanoi's tradesmen. Everyone is busy engaging in performing arts and taking care of incoming customers.

When visiting historical sites and temples, everyone respects and respects the rules without loud noise. You can easily start chatting with whatever you want in almost everywhere. The farmers living around the Mekong Delta are very impressive with their productivity and hard work. It's also amazing to play crafts and instruments.



7. Mekong

The Mekong River is a river that is the lifeblood of Southeast Asia with a length of about 4350 km. The adventure of a dive starts from Tibet in the eastern Himalayan Mountains at an altitude of 5,224 meters and flows into the South China Sea beyond 6 Southeast Asian countries like Yunnan (China), Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The Mekong Delta, which the Mekong River meets with the sea on Vietnam soil, makes this geographical region of more than 7 million people unique. With white sandy beaches, tropical forests, small villages and towns scattered among the waterfalls, this is a very interesting and rich geography.

8.Vietnamese Coffee

If you're a coffee lover like me, I'm sure you'll love Vietnam's coffee culture. Vietnam is the second largest coffee producer in the world, though not very well known. So it has an important place in the culture of the country. Although I usually drink milk and sugar, I prefer the simple one (ca phe den).

It is possible to have delicious coffee and sit in a tree shade or park even on street benches. Try the ice-cold cup. Take care of the addresses Café Mai (79 Le Van Huu, Hanoi) or Highland Coffee (26 Le Loi, Ho Chi Minh City).

9. Extraordinary caves

I like caves, and in every country I go, I like to visit immediately when I hear that you are a cave. Vietnam is one of the largest and most impressive caves in the world. Think of a geography, you are discovering the world's greatest cave more recently. This is Vietnam. Sơn Đong Cave was discovered in 2009 yet.

After Phong Nha Cave, 44.5 km long, which is the other famous cave of the country, Sơn Đong Cave was located in the world press. The width of some rooms of Sơn Đòng Cave is 5 km. Imagine how many airplanes you can imagine! Those who go to Ha Long Bay know the beauty of Surprise Cave cave.

10. Vietnamese cuisine and tropical fruits

Whether you like to eat fruit or not, Everybody gets to know the tropical fruits that make a different sensation other than a taste that is known before. This is my testimony. Mangosten, dragon fruit, rambutan are my favorites.

Today it is possible to see Vietnamese restaurants in many cities of the world. The development of the culinary culture and the diversity of delicacies. Seafood, chicken and meat have an important place in the Vietnamese cuisine where fresh vegetables are often used. If you love Hele seafood, South East Asia is already in heaven itself! Although we are very conservative in taste, coming to taste without local tastes makes the trip incomplete. At least enjoy a Pho soup.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Bangkok Night Life : Red Light Districts


Bangkok has developed a very nice night life scene completely apart from plain old sex tourism in the past decade. Still it is not secret that many men travel here mainly this type of tourism in mind. In Bangkok, sex industry catering to foreigners are concentrated in 3 areas: Soi Cowboy, Patpong and Nana Plaza. Patpong is probably the most famous one of these because this is the place where all naughty night experience has started. Probably the best and "family friendly", if you can say that, of these is Soi Cowboy. Nana Plaza is definitely a place to avoid if you are just going to there to see not do.

Here is a short Bangkok nightlife guide for the naughty side of Bangkok. Before heading to these red light districts, read our tips and warnings section at the end of this article!

Soi Cowboy
This place is named after an Afro-american dude who has opened a bar here and always walked around with a cowboy hat. Soi Cowboy is much calmer than Patpong and Nana Plaza and have a carnival mood (there were elephants on the road in the past). The street and 20 something go-go bars here are mostly packed with Japanese and Caucasian tourists and expats in Bangkok. These bars offer a platform in middle on which girls dance with bikini and occasionally fully naked. Entrance is free to these bars and it is quite acceptable to just watch. All dancers and most waiters here are sex workers and if you are into it, you can just take them out with a bar fine.

Most popular customers for sex workers here are Japanese and old uncles. I thing this is because they are much nicer and generous than almost always drunk young Caucasians. Most popular of all go-go bars in Soi Cowboy is Baccara at the end of the street. This is place is so popular that you cannot go in without buying your first drink and you are always fed with alcohol in the bar. Thanks to Japanese demand, it is quite expensive inside (both drinks and girls).

Deja Vu A Go-Go, Kiss A Go-Go ve Midnite Go go are some other popular bars here. You can simply access Soi Cowboy on foot from Skytrain Asok Station.

If you would also like to stay around this location, you can take a look at Bangkok Soi Cowboy Hotels or hotels near Bangkok Asok Skytrain Station pages.

Bangkok Night Life : Red Light Districts
Bangkok Night Life : Red Light Districts
Nana Plaza
This 3 storey plaze on Sukhumvit Soi 4 can be accessed from Skytrain Nana Station on foot. Nana Entertainment Plaza is much more commercial sex oriented than Soi Cowboy and Patpong.

The entrance floor is full of bars but the main attraction is at Level 1. Although there are bars here full of only lady boys, most go-go bars cater to man looking for women. Probably the most popular of all bars here are G-Spot, Cassanova, Temptations and Rainbow 4. Rainbow 4 has a Japanese theme (Thai women with Japanese makeup and hair do) and looks like invaded by Japanese tourists till the end of the world.

For hotels and accomodation around this area, take a look at hotels near Bangkok Nana BTS Skytrain Station page.

Patpong

Red Light District aspect of Bangkok Night Life has started here. You can access Patpong  from Sala Daeng Station on BTS Skytrain Silom Line or Silom Station on MRT Blue Line on foot. Patpong has 2 parellel streets : Patpong 1 and Patpong 2.

Patpong is famous with its go-go bars and ping pong shows. Best known of the 3 red light districts.

Bangkok red light district tips:
  • Never enter a bar or any establishment which is not on the street level. This is the most important rule to stay safe and away from scams.
  • Never let one of those men on the street to direct you to any establishment. Read from internet first and decide where you will visit and just visit those bars.
  • One of the most dangerous mix in the world for a man is alcohol and woman and both are constantly pushed in Bangkok's Red Light Districts. Many men who even goes there to just sightseeing end up in commercial sex because of alcohol worse usually unprotected.
  • And the last but not the least: Stay away from commercial sex in Thailand. People from around the world come here for sex and many do it without condom. Just imagine what kind of nasty STD strains are roaming through those shiny neon lights and attractive bodies. I do not want to be a party breaker here but better read HIV and STD blogs before then after.
  • If you will not listen to our previous advise, at least bring your condom with you, correctly use them (learn how to use them correctly before heading to there) and do not drink at all.
  • Also if you will "do" it anyway, never ever do it with a street walker. Although the rules are not very tight, many girls and boys in the bars still go to some STD checkup once in 1 or 3 months. And if one gets HIV, he/she is usually kicked out of a bar. Where do you think they end up? On the streets.
  • And do not shop in Patpong Night Market. It is quite expensive there.

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Where to stay in Hua Hin?


Hua Hin is one of Thailand’s most popular seaside resorts among overseas visitors as well as Thais. Located on the sunrise (west) side of the Gulf of Thailand, Hua Hin lies some 200 km. or a three-hour drive southwest of Bangkok and is renowned as Thailand’s most traditional beach resort. It was here, King Rama VII built a summer palace, thus creating a vogue among high society for Hua Hin as a favourite retreat from Bangkok’s summer heat. Today the Royal Family continues to reside at Hua Hin for part of the year. Hua Hin is noted for its traditional fishing port with many seafood restaurants, and a splendid sandy beach which starts from a rocky headland next to the port and curves gently for some 3 km. to its southern point where Buddhist temples surmount hilltops. Hua Hin is a well-established beach destination, with full facilities. But in contrast to Pattaya, the long-established resort on the opposite shore of the Gulf, Hua Hin provides a quiet, relaxed retreat amid surroundings which preserve a typical Thai ambience. Hua Hin is thus well suited for families or those who wish simply to escape the city bustle.

The answer to where to stay in Hua Hin question is easy: near Hua Hin Beach. This 3 km beach with its fine white sand extends from one side of Hua Hin to another. There are many resort hotels and many water sports opportunities here and beach is the main reason people come all the way to Hua Hin.

Cape Nidhra, Hua Hin (5-Star, 800 meters from the beach), Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa (4-Star, only 200 meters from the beach), Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin (5-Star, only 300 meters from the beach), Baan Laksasubha (4-Star, only 300 meters from the beach) and Citin Loft Hua Hin (3-Star 700 meters from the beach) are some of the best hotels in Hua Hin to stay.

For resorts and  hotels around Hua Hin Beach, room prices and details like customer reviews, you can go to Hua Hin Beach Hotels page.

Hua Hin Beach, Thailand. Hua Hin is a popular beach resort destination from Bangkok.
One of the good things about Hua Hin is that it has some nightlife but does not have the seedy and naughty night life of Pattaya and Phuket. With its long, sandy beach, restaurants, shops, quite interesting attractions and azure waters, it offers everything you can expect from a tropical, seaside holiday.

Khao Takiab
Hua Hin is popular and relatively crowded. If you want to be a little outside Hua Hin's tourist traps but still want to be a short ride away from it, Khao Takiab is a place to look at. This fishing village (Khao Takiab means "Chopstick Hill") offers a nice beach, clean waters, plenty of beachside dining and accomodation.

For resorts and  hotels around Khao Takiab, room prices and details like customer reviews, you can go to Hua Hin Khao Takiab Hotels page.

Pran Buri
30 km to the south of Hua Hin, Pran Buri offers sun, sand, pristine beaches, the clear waters of the Gulf of Thailand and a charming local village. You can find luxury resorts as well as budget accommodation here and hotels are quite apart so there is a sense of privacy and quiteness.

For resorts and  hotels around Pran Buri, room prices and details like customer reviews, you can go to Hua Hin Pran Buri Hotels page.

Cha-Am
Cha-Am is technically not in Hua Hin. It is a neighbouring district and a famous beach resort town in Thailand. Its long and peaceful coastline has many hotels and resorts with direct access to beach and  unlike many Thailand beaches, the beaches of Cha-Am are less crowded with people and activities.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Thailand: World’s greatest motorcycle touring destination?


Welcome to: http://www.bigbiketours.net

Let us allow it to be formal, lets? Thailand is among the world’s best motorbike journey locations. Numerous many years and a number of other thousand kilometers of fervent study have proved this to me, and every time I got down to strategy a brand new journey, or evaluation an current 1, I’m struck from the depth of encounters that a motorbike journey in Thailand affords.

Motorcyclists select a riding destination to get a couple of main factors:

1 - High quality of road surface and originality of the route

2 - High quality of all-natural surroundings for your motorcyclist to appreciate

3 - Solutions for your motorcyclist, like resorts, eating places, motorbike upkeep, and naturally, availability of fantastic bikes!

4 - Non-Motorcycling actions to mix using the journey like nearby festivals, actions and enjoyment, and so on.

Through the years, certainly one of my missions continues to be to advertise Thailand as being a world-class motorcycling location as well as in performing so Smiling Albino has discovered to mix these four factors having a degree of creativeness and enjoyable that's 2nd to none. In the event you really are a severe journey traveler or motorcycle fanatic, motorbike journey in Thailand ought to be in the leading of one's lifetime highlight reel.

Big Bike Tours Thailand

1 - Quality of street surface area and uniqueness from the route
You are able to generate on easy, thoroughly clean highways in only about any nation, but motorcyclists understand that the true magic is discovered around the back again streets, the farm streets and nationwide parks routes that tease the throttle and ignite the enjoyable. Thailand is just excellent within this regard. With sixty five million individuals along with a land mass approximately that of France, Thailand has a rare community of rural streets, nationwide parks, and concealed corners with blacktop tarmac which are a motorcyclist’s aspiration. Whilst obviously you will find obstructions (chickens, drinking water buffalo, canines, individuals, parades) the roadways in Thailand are motorcycle-friendly.

I have usually been delighted through the years that a few of the from the way in which routes on provincial maps frequently show to possess superb motorcycling circumstances and therefore are rarely traveled, without big truck and industrial visitors from the primary highways. The provinces of Chiang Rai, Loei, Phayao, Phrae, Nan, Ubon Ratchathai, Khon Kaen, Si Saket and Mae Hong Son offer 1000's of kilometers of aspiration routes, numerous seemingly mild many years far from visitors and industrial automobiles. Actually, just 15kms northeast of Bangkok, with the Lad Krabang shortcuts in the direction of Prachinburi are a few outstanding, curvy streets amongst rice fields, coconut trees and smiling locals. You do not have to go much in the metropolis to know why  Thailand is really a fantastic motorcycling location. Ironically, political pork-barreling through the years has accounted for a few excellent streets within the impossible of locations. Who understood that far-flung corners of Si Saket, Ubon Ratchathani and Sakorn Nakorn experienced a huge selection of kilometers of undiscovered blacktop streets? I as soon as discovered a shortcut from Nong Khai in the direction of Nakorn Phanom in Thailand’s northeast and it felt like I used to be the very first individual at any time to journey on this ideal extend of black asphalt. More than an hour or so of bliss, seemingly nobody in sight. Thailand delights using these nice discoveries.

Thailand: World’s greatest motorcycle touring destination?


2 - Quality of surroundings for your motorcyclist to appreciate
When it comes to stunning all-natural surroundings, Thailand is blessed by mountains, rivers, forests and jungle. A mainly agricultural country outdoors from the money indicates that secondary streets, like those linking Chachoeng Sao to Prachinburi, or Khon Kaen to Udon Thani are flanked having a eco-friendly backdrop, smiling farmers, canals, and luxurious banana plantations on all sides.

Additional afield, in much less populated corners like Nan province, or northern Phayao and Chiang Rai, you are able to journey for an hour or so without passing a village whilst becoming charmed by two,000-meter higher mountains, dense forest, along with a stunning variety of twisty highland streets.

Motorcycling is so great which i have a tendency to ignore anything. Waterfalls, glimmering temples, nationwide parks and raging rivers abound within the much north, northeast and higher central locations of Thailand. Contact them espresso stops, or photograph opp’s, they are an excellent purpose to drag more than and marvel at exactly where you're and turn out to be a brief celeb for curious locals. Khao Yai Nationwide Park, for example, is Thailand’s oldest and 2nd biggest park. Set up in 1962, the sleek street via Khao Yai Nationwide Park is really a favorite among motorcyclists having a backdrop of evergreen forests and grasslands, also as almost 70 species of mammals.

Thematically, you are able to style a motorcycle expedition according to a few of these nearby phenomena. Smiling Albino as soon as developed a visit known as ‘The Angkor Road’, which loosely traces the traditional thoroughfare of historic stone ruins from Central Thailand alongside southern Isaan’s border with Cambodia all of the method to the Emerald Triangle in Ubon throughout the Mekong River from Laos.

Alongside the way in which we go to 900-year previous Khmer ruins that rival numerous of these noticed at Angkor, like Prasat Pimai, Phnom Rung, Prasat Muang Tam, and a few beautiful concealed gems like Sikhoraphum, Prasat Phnom Wan, Prasat Phum Pon, amongst other people. It's accurate that a few of the most opulent Khmer ruins arewithin Thailand’s borders.  This route also passes via a few of the much more surreal landmarks of south Isaan, like the famous bottle temple in Si Saket, built from 1000's of discarded beer, whiskey and soda bottles.

As befitting a motorcycle journey, this route also tends to make a significant try at musical publicity - particularly the north japanese Thai phenomenon of maw lam, an nearly hypnotic people rock-a-billy rhythmic occasion really worth the journey by itself. This sort of songs is 
usually performed in wood “roadhouse”-type institutions all through the north and northeast. For a few purpose, this energetic nighttime nation vibe in Thailand goes hand-in-throttle with rural motorcycle discovery.

An additional route, for all those needing much more factors that just the using, could be to adhere to the mighty Mekong River from certainly one of its northern factors, like Loei or Nong Khai province, eastward and after that south past Nakorn Phanom,

Mukhdahan, Ubon Ratchathani and after that bid the river farewell because it crosses Thailand for your final time and disappears into to Laos-Cambodia border. This can be a stunning 500-kilometer extend of street that requires the rider via a few of Thailand’s most charming riverside cities, some nonetheless in their authentic wood store-front condition, like Chiang Khan in Loei, or Khong Jiam in Ubon.

After traveling to almost forty countries, I'm able to attest that Thailand’s leading rides contend using the best streets anyplace on the planet.  Probably the most magnificent routes in Thailand would be the higher streets about Phu Chee Fah, Chiang Rai, Bo Klua, Nan, Phu Luang, Loei also as Doi Mae Salong and Doi Angkhang within the much north. These road-runner, cartoon-like streets merely delight the motorcyclist (or van assistance riders!) with completely beautiful mountain vistas and luxurious character. This is actually the Thailand we purchase in postcards, which will be the Thailand we market to our buddies, which will be the Thailand we want to protect. Cruise via it on two-wheels and it rekindles a adore affair having a location born to make sure you. You will find less finer stretches of street around the earth compared to the 80-kilomter aspiration route over the clouds from Tune Kwae, Nan, to Chiang.

Kham, Phayao, or even the mountain leading extend from Wang Saphung, Loei towards Lom Sak, Petchabun. Much in the recognized vacationer trails, obviously, these streets had been developed by motorcyclists!  You will find fortunately much more curves, twists and dips than would seem essential. It's pure using bliss and that i problem anybody to find finer streets anyplace.




3 - Solutions for your motorcyclist, like resorts, restaurants, motorbike upkeep, and naturally, availability of fantastic bikes!

Over all, this really is where Thailand truly sets by itself aside as being a supreme motorcycling destination. Whether or not a 90-kilometer trip, or perhaps a 300-kilometer large working day on large bikes, Thailand is full of concealed gems and boutique resorts to attach the dots from the journey. On current journeys we have stayed inside a personal royal villa around the banking institutions from the Mekong River, to luxurious golf resorts like Kirimaya Vacation resort in Khao Yai, to charming rural qualities like Bo Klua See Resort in Nan, or even the fantastic Phu Pha Nam  in Loei. These qualities can be found alongside a few of the nicest streets in Thailand, and arriving on two wheels delivers something uniquely enchanting towards the remain. Do a couple of working day rides and remain a bit longer. This is actually the Thailand I hope by no means modifications.

There are fantastic solutions for your customer and also the resident alike on the Thailand Motorcycle journey. We companion with personal motorbike golf equipment like our great buddies at Siam Wheels, also as trustworthy resources to rent out bikes on brief phrase journeys like Joes Bikes in Chiang Mai, Large Cycle in Udon,  ST Motorcycle in Chiang Rai, Bangkok Bikes and a number of other in between.

A great supply for common understanding on riding in Thailand and also the area may be discovered at GT Rider, and you will find excellent maps of each corner of Thailand, like the Roadways Team of rural maps, and naturally the groovy people at Groovy Map, and also the well-detailed PN Maps.
We've invested a while compiling a summary of trustworthy mechanics in places as much absent as Surin, Nong Bualampu, Phayao, Buriram, and Nong Khai, and it would shock you that you could get some Ducati services in Ubon Ratchathani, or tune up a Harley-Davidson in Udon Thani. This can be a motorcycling country, albeit generally on a lot smaller sized bikes (usually 100cc scooters), but nonetheless the solutions are available in the event you appear within the correct locations. We have transported motorcycles on trains, boats and vehicles so as to begin and finish the journey just in the correct location, Just in the correct second. Much better however, deliver a mechanic and bicycle assistance group alongside along with you and trip in fashion.

What bike to trip?  Certainly one of my favourites of late will be the Kawasaki 650cc ER-6n. This really is an excellent bicycle for motorbike touring in Thailand. Nimble, responsive, and fantastic in a number of weather and street circumstances, the ER-6n is good for just about any street trip within the kingdom.

Having said that, various routes need various bikes, and also the lengthy, winding streets of Isaan really are a delight on big bikes like Harley-Davidson’s. Smiling Albino groups up with Siam Wheels to supply the sole totally personalized, high-end motorcycle touring to supply all kinds of bikes starting from Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Triumph, Kawasaki, BMW, Hayabusa, Yamaha and much more. There's something thematic about cruising via Thailand’s “wild east” in Isaan on the chopper. Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda would concur, and also the nighttime songs vibe will entice you back again repeatedly.

4 - Non-Motorcycle Activities
Strategy a motorbike journey having a little bit of whimsical journey in your mind. Lately we took a bunch of eight riders in Nan Province white-water rafting as component from the journey, and also the yr prior to on the personal elephant polo session in Surin, or wine tasting in Loei at certainly one of Thailand’s rising vineyards, and naturally an excellent spherical of golfing right here and there. With a few preparing, you are able to achieve all these issues in a solitary journey (nicely, perhaps not the elephant polo).

On some routes like heading back again from reduce Isaan or south in the direction of Pattaya, the mountains satisfy the ocean by way of a sequence of back again streets, and also you can leap from bikes to some golfing program, and after that to some personal catamaran to get a sunset cruise and BBQ all inside a solitary afternoon. Logistics require some finesse, however the expenses could be a portion of attempting exactly the same trio of encounters in California, Australia, or Europe. The encounter is priceless.

High-quality motorcycle touring can and will be mixed with cultural conversation, along with an accurate appreciation to get an area and its individuals.  From Khmer ruins towards the distinctive meals and songs all through Isaan, to Thailand’s indigenous mountain peoples within the north, towards the numerous cultural kinds of the Lanna, Thai-Laos, and Thai-Shan areas of Thailand’s border areas. There's a mosaic of cultural discovery beneath the street map. Strap on the helmet and go discover it!

Every yr we host 3-4 motorbike journeys starting from 5-10 riders, and we carry on establishing the regular for unique, high-value motorbike adventuring. Greater than just fantastic streets, funky eating places, or perhaps a enjoyable songs pub, we attempt to weave all of it with each other right into a sequence of encounters that propel the motorbike adventurer into an encounter of the life time. Thailand was produced for motorcycling.  Get available on two wheels and uncover it!

Book you Motorcycle Tour in Thailand now: http://www.bigbiketours.net

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Top 10 Things to Do in Singapore





My friend Dilek recently visited Singapore before flying to Thailand for a Bangkok and Phuket trip. I requested her to compile a to-do-list in Singapore and here is what she has written:

Singapore attracts many visitors, travelers and tourists into the region combining the skyscrapers and subways of a modern, affluent city with a tropical climate, with tasty food, and good shopping malls. The culture of Singapore is composed of mainly Chinese, Indian, British, and Malay cultures. There are many things you can do in Singapore. During your first visit, you can start with these top 10 things to do in Singapore.

1. Going to Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. It is located along Marina Bay waterfront with 3 cascading hotel towers, 2,560 rooms, Sands SkyPark, floating crystal pavilions, lotus-inspired ArtScience Museum, shops, restaurants, theaters and nightclubs. Sands SkyPark offers 360-degree views of Singapore’s skyline. You may buy tickets for Sands SkyPark Observation Deck online http://www.marinabaysands.com/Sands-SkyPark/Tickets/ Observation Desk is open 7 days a week (Mon-Thurs:09:30 am-10:00pm/ Fri-Sun: 09:30 am-11:00pm).
Marina Bay Sands Singapore.

Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Sands SkyPark is on the deck hovering at the top of 3 hotel towers

2. Riding The Singapore Flyer

Standing at 165 meters above the city, The Singapore Flyer is a giant Ferris wheel in Singapore that was constructed between 2005 and 2008. It is located near the shore of Singapore’s Marina Bay. The Flyer’s height is of a 42-storey building  and it is taller than famous London Eye. If you ride on  the world’s tallest observation wheel, you will have chance to catch the magnificent view of Singapore’s iconic and historical landmarks as well as views from the Marina Bay to the Singapore River, Raffles Place, Merlion Park, Empress Place and the Padang.

3. Going to Night Safari

The Night Safari is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Singapore. Actually it is the world’s first nocturnal zoo.(Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by activity during the night and sleeping during the day.) The 40-hectare park houses 1,040 animals representing 120 species, of which 29% are threatened species. The length of visit recommended is 2-3 hours. You may explore the park either walking on foot or riding on the tram. You can purchase your night safari tickets online http://www.nightsafari.com.sg/ Indeed by buying online tickets, you can save around 5%. Just visit Night Safari Park, catch the animals of the Night Safari before they go to sleep.
View from Night Safari Photo by Dileka

4. Visiting Singapore Botanic Gardens

The 150-year old Singapore Botanic Gardens attracts many visitors as well as the local residents. This Gardens has an array of botanical and horticultural attractions with a rich history and a wonderful plant collection of worldwide significance. The Singapore Botanic Gardens is the only botanic garden in the world that opens from 5 am to 12 midnight every single day of the year. Admission to the Gardens is free except for the National Orchid Garden. There are different sections at the garden. These are National Orchid Garden, Rainforest, Evolution Garden, Ginger Garden, Healing Garden, Botany Center and Tanglin Gate and Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden. You can find more than 10,000 types of plants, many heritage trees, and three lakes, namely Symphony Lake, Eco-Lake and Swan Lake. Since there are many sections, you may spend 2-3 or more hours at Singapore Botanic Gardens.

5. Visiting Jurong Bird Park

Another tourist attraction in Singapore is Jurong Bird Park managed by Wildlife Reserves Singapore. Like its motto, it is Where Colour Lives. Jurong Bird Park has an area of 202,000 square meters and it is currently the world’s largest bird park in terms of number of birds, and second largest both in number of bird species and land area. There are 5,000 birds of 380 species in Jurong Bird Park. The park is separated for different exhibitions. These are Waterfall Aviary, Dinosaur Descendants, Birds of Prey, Southeast Asian Birds Aviary, Jungle Jewels, Lory Loft, Hornbills & Toucans, Royal Ramble, Scarlet Ibis, Spoonbills, Penguin Coast,  World of Darkness, Pelican Cove and Parrot Paradise. Don’t be surprised, if you encounter magnificent birds in front of you while you are walking.



6. Going to Sentosa Island

You should visit Sentosa Island definitely. Sentosa is a popular island resort in Singapore and it is visited by some five million people every year. Sentosa offers a variety of attractions, museums and other facilities to provide a variety of experiences, recreation and entertainment to visitors.

7. Being at the Southern Most Point of Continental Asia

While you are in Sentosa Island, do not forget to visit The Southern Most Point of Asia. It stands at the edge of continental Asia right on Palawan Beach at Sentosa Island. It is accessible via a suspension bridge. Actually the bridge has very nice view. After you reach at the Southern Most Point of Continental Asia, you can spend some time for viewing the island.

8. Spending time at the Orchard Road

Visiting and going around Orchard Road is another suggestion. Spanning almost 2.2 kilometer-long, Orchard Road is the retail and entertainment hub of Singapore. Orchard Road is a one-way boulevard including distinctive and iconic shopping malls, restaurants and hotels. It attracts many tourists.

9. Visiting Little India

As its name promises Little India is the center for the large Indian community in Singapore. It is shopping destination for many travelers visiting Singapore. Since in Little India, Singapore, you may have chance to see many spice stores, restaurants, backpacker hostels, art galleries, sari shops and Bollywood record shops. It is known for many festivals and it is one of the most colorful and attractive places to visit in Singapore.

10. Going to Chinatown

Singapore’s Chinatown is an ethnic neighborhood featuring distinctly Chinese cultural elements and a historically concentrated ethnic Chinese population. I’m sure you will enjoy your experience in Chinatown since it is full of many little shops selling everything from plastic Buddhas to the products you name it.  Furthermore, you can purchase souvenirs from Chinatown because it is where the cheapest souvenirs are. Chinatown Heritage Centre is located in Pagoda Street and all buildings are so colorful which provides you with some great photographing opportunities.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

British tourist paid 216 Dolars for two sea bass dishes


This week, a letter from a British tourist (George Vickers) made its way to headlines in Singapore. George Vickers and his wife apparently went to Boat Quay for seafood and felt "ripped-off" after paying $216 for 2 sea bass. “We went to Boat Quay for a meal one evening and both of us chose sea bass without asking the price, so we were surprised when we got the bill and found that each fish had cost us $108” he said. “In most countries, the equivalent of $216 for two fish would be considered a rip-off.”

The issue here may seem like the restaurant : they did not warn the customers about the price. But due to the culture in Singapore, the real issue here is that the tourists did not ask for the price. Based on my experience in Singapore, I can say that it is not `appropriate` for a waiter to hint about the prices of expensive dishes. This is thought be considered as an insult, like saying `you may not be able to afford` it. This goes to news one or two times every year : a tourist orders a dish and faces with a super high bill and then argues with the restaurant because he was not informed.

So in Singapore in expensive establishments like the restaurants in Clarke Quay and Boat Quay, try to understand the prices of the expensive looking dishes before ordering them cheerfully. For example some dishes like Alaska crabs can cost more than 500 SGD per crab depending on its weight. No one will warn you because of the reason I have explained. For example a Filipino family on a trip in Singapore faced a bill of $1,186.20 where just the crab alone cost them $707. Their meal on April 26 at Forum Seafood Village Restaurant at Boat Quay also included prawns, a fish and a plate of vegetables.



By the way, the local media went to Boat Quay and tried to understand why a single sea bass costs 100+ SGD there. The reason is simple, rents! A restaurant in Boat Quay pays around 30,000 SGD per month(!) and it is a must to overcharge with these rents.

But do not forget, the real reason behind an exaggerated bill may really be overcharging. For example in a famous case in 2009, a food stall in (overrated) Newton Food Centre charged  a group of American diners a hefty S$239 for eight tiger prawns. The stall's license was suspended after the news went straight into local newspapers and TV.

  

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Where to stay in Maldives?


This post is moved to Oravar : where to stay in Maldives?

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Where to stay in Boracay?


This post is moved to Oravar : Where to stay in Boracay?

Monday, July 28, 2014

Singapore tourist scams


Scams in Singapore are negligible compared to its South East Asian neighbors but this does not mean that Singapore is a scam free destination for tourists. There are some scams to be aware of and better to avoid to not lose money in an already expensive place.

Singapore Electronics Shop scams in Sim Lim Square and Lucky Plaza
There are various scam tactics employed by shops in Singapore but Sim Lim Square and Lucky Plaza seem to be the place where most scams are executed against tourists. Since an average tourist assumes that Singapore must be scam free, many easily fall in these scams.

"Many shops, particularly those on lower levels selling games, cameras and mobiles, in Sim Lim Square resort to scam tactics to reap higher profits. Unwary shoppers might fall into the traps of unscrupulous sellers." Source : Sim Lim Square

There are many scams the shops in Sim Lim Square and Lucky Plaza employs. One very popular one is to sell an expensive smartphone with "too-good-to-be-true" price and after buyer pays and before he gets the product, he is forced to pay for extras which will make the total price ridiculously higher than the most expensive price of the electronics good you can find. See these articles for common types of scams :  Scams at Sim Lim Square: How to shop smart and Singapore Shop Scam Tactics at Sim Lim and Lucky Plaza.

My advise : Do only buy products from their authorized vendors. i.e. Apple Shops. I would not also buy electronics from Lucky Plaza or Sim Lim Square. Funan Digital Life Mall in City Hall is a better alternative. Or you try Changi Airport, Challenger outlets (there is a large  Challenger Superstore in Funan), Harvey Norman or Courts kind of chain stores. If you really want to shop in Sim Lim Square and Lucky Plaza, shop in the highest floors where more honest business are located.

Taxi Overcharges
Unsuspected tourist may be overcharged by taxi drivers by taking a very long route to their destination. It is wise to have a local smartphone card with 1 GB internet in Singapore Changi Airport and use Google maps and simply Google to locate the destination and a reasonable route.

If you are overcharged, write down the taxi licence plate and report it to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) at 1800-2255582.

Overcharging Restaurants / Hawker Centers
First, I should say that you may be overcharged not because the owner is a scam artist but because of a cultural misunderstanding. Some food like tiger prawns and crab are expensive. When you order one of these, no one will warn you about its price because doing so may be rude (the waiter may think that he/she may be implying that "you cannot afford it").

Airport Chrysler Taxi Cabs
I am not sure this also can be called scam but this is a definite trick in Changi Airport to part you with your money. In the arrival hall taxi stand, there are old men, called "uncle", who direct you to the waiting taxi. Since I am "Ang Mo" they almost always do this to me and probably doing it to almost every visitor : They direct locals to normal cabs and when a tourist comes next, they direct them to a Cryslar Taxi which is waiting there. These limousine taxis are expensive. They cost almost twice on the same route and if you are going to west end of Singapore, the difference really hurts (can be plus 40 SGD!).

If you are not intentionally looking for a limousine taxi, reject the old man's offer by saying "I do not want Cryslar" or "limo". He will immediately direct you to the normal taxi, which was probably the real "next" taxi for you.

I do not know these uncles are getting money from Chryslar taxis but whenever I fly into Singapore (and I travel quite a lot), I am almost always directed to a Cryslar waiting there.

Singapore Chrysler Taxi Cabs
A Chrysler Taxi in Singapore. These cabs are limousine taxis and they are expensive.
 Stand-up fortune teller man a.k.a You are a very lucky man/woman sir/madam scam ...
I could not find a good name for this but this one must be finding a lot of victims because I see the same line and the same type of scam artists regularly since 2006. Indeed yesterday, when I was visiting a friend in Swissotel The Stamford, I have been targeted by two scam artists in the 20 meter radius of this central Singapore hotel.

An Indian or Sikh dude approaches you with almost always the same line : "You are a very lucky man / You are a very lucky woman ...". And without asking permission, he starts to "read you" with probably one of the few lines he picks based on your gender, age and looks. This "casual" fortune telling takes around 5 minutes and then it is followed by a persuading request to donate money to a charity in Nepal / India / somewhere ... He will have a photo book to show you and this donation will be anything above 20 SGD.

Simply avoid them. I believe there are dozens of these guys roaming Singapore for new victims every day.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Thailand travel deals from Singapore


Thailand, the tourism capital of South East Asia, offers almost everything you would want from a holiday. And it offers all types of holidays. You can go for fantastic beaches, waters and jungles as well as fascinating mountains, night life and culture. The country is littered with historic sites and where ever you go you will find very good food.

Thanks to its proximity, Thailand is a popular tourist destination from Singapore. Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Pattaya are the most popular destinations but it also offers many more lesser known places to visit. Thanks to the start of budget airline age in Asia in 2004, last decade made Thailand cheap and convenient to access destination from Singapore.

A more recent development for travelers to Thailand is the group buying sites. Thailand is one of the most popular travel deal destination in these web sites and you can find many deals to the destinations in the country ranging from hotel stay deals to full package holiday deals including flights and land transportation. Although coupon deals were mostly budget a few years ago, you can now find a lot of mid to luxury level travel deals from Singapore to many destinations, resorts and hotels in Thailand.

Even if you already arranged your Thailand hotel and flights, it still worth to check these Thailand travel deals below (click the image to continue).. There are also many activity deals among them which can save money for you in your trip.

Thailand travel deals from Singapore
Thailand travel deals from Singapore

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Website that Simplifies Vacation Planning


Want to find the best travel deals available without having to spend hours visiting or calling multiple travel agents? Etravel Connect (www.etravelconnect.com) provides the solution for you.

Launched in January this year, Etravel Connect provides information on more than 1,000 travel packages from over 15 travel agencies in Singapore. The one-stop online portal allows holidaymakers to compare travel packages side-by-side and the firm also assists corporate personnel to locate the best travel packages for company and event trips.

“Etravel Connect makes travel planning easier,” said founder and director Cecilia Lohanata. “It allows travelers to search and compare travel packages – tour packages, free and easy, and land tours – across multiple travel agencies in Singapore.”


Specializing in travel opportunities to places around the globe, Etravel Connect allows vacationers to search for any travel destination by name, departure date, duration, or by a specific price range. The site maintains a comprehensive list of destinations from which to choose, before narrowing selection to a specific locale.

Complete information is provided for each travel package. Listings feature data on accommodations, transportation, guides and languages, along with any restrictions or special conditions. Individuals can read reviews from other travelers and obtain a complete itinerary. Those eager to take a break from a hectic professional life, find a family vacation venue, or travel on a budget will find options at Etravel Connect.

Travelers can choose from a myriad of tour packages to countries on virtually any continent. Individuals can journey to view the ancient wonders of Egypt, bask in the sun of Maldives, or sample the delights of Taiwan. Those seeking unique entertainments and amusements can choose from multiple destinations on the East and West Coast of the U.S.

For individuals and families who prefer a more leisurely pace, Etravel Connect offers free and easy packages featuring flights and accommodations. Itineraries are less structured and in many instances, visitors have carte blanche to set their own schedule for site seeing, attending amusements and enjoying leisure time activities.

“Tour packages are popular in Asia,” said Cecilia, “and travelers have had to visit multiple travel agencies to obtain brochures, compare prices and check availability. Our website eliminates this time-consuming and inefficient process.” Etravel Connect allows travelers to submit enquiries to multiple travel agents with a click of a button and the respective travel agents will respond within 2-3 business days. For those wanting a faster response, Etravel Connect provides “live chat” function for some travel agents.

The development and launch of Etravel Connect grew from Cecilia’s frustration with planning her family’s yearly vacation. It was a labor intensive process that involved hours of research on multiple websites. She and her programmer husband, William collaborated to create ETravel Connect to make planning a getaway easy and stress free.

The launch of Etravel Connect provides individuals, families and companies with a single website that collect, collate and compare prices for travel packages. The site features luxury land and tour packages, along with free and easy options for budget conscious travelers.

Etravel Connect continues to grow by listening to its users and giving them what they want – a travel website that is fast, flexible and finds the best travel package with no added fees and no fuss.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Singapore Public Holidays 2015


Singapore Public Holidays 2015 calendar is out and there are many good news in it. There are six 3-days long weekends in 2015 (Good Friday, Labour Day, Vesak Day, Hari Raya Puasa, National Day and Christmas Day) and there is one 4-days long weekend (Chinese New Year 2015). Besides, by taking only 3-days of annual leave, you can create 3 4-days long weekends (New Year 2015, Hari Raya Haji and Deepavali).

Singapore public holidays are not only important for the residents in Singapore but also for visitors to Singapore and South East Asia. During these holidays, Singaporeans mass-travel in the region, especially to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia (Bali particularly) and air tickets, hotels and almost everything are quite expensive or sold out during these holidays. If you are planning to visit South East Asia around these public holidays, book your tickets and South East Asia hotel room in advance.

Here is the Singapore Public Holidays 2015 list:
New Year's Day - 1 January 2015 (Thursday) - With one day leave on Friday January 2nd 2015, you can enjoy a 4-days long weekend holiday.

Chinese New Year 2015 - 19 and 20th February 2015 (Thursday and Friday) - Lunar New Year holiday in 2015 in Singapore will create a 4 days long weekend holiday.

Good Friday - 3 April 2015 (Friday) - As usual, Good Friday will be a 3 days long weekend holiday.

Labour Day - 1 May 2015 (Friday) - Labour Day is another 3 days long weekend in 2015.

Vesak Day - 1 June 2015 (Monday) - 3 days long weekend

Hari Raya Puasa - 17 July 2015 (Friday) - 3 days long weekend

National Day - 9 August 2015 (Sunday) - National Day will be on Sunday in 2015 so the next Monday will be public holiday. This will create another 3 days long weekend. National Day 2015 will be special because it will be Singapore’s 50th National Day.

Hari Raya Haji - 24 September 2015 (Thursday) - With one day leave, you can make this another 4 days long weekend.

Deepevali - 10 November 2015 (Tuesday) - Tentatively, Deepevali will fall on 10 November 2015. As with previous years, Deepevali date may change when Hindu almanac is available. With one day leave, you can make this another 4 days long weekend.

Christmas Day - 25 December 2015 (Friday) - Last public holiday of 2015 is also a 3 days long weekend.

You can see the Singapore Public Holiday Calendar below. Orange represents public holidays, red represents the weekends and the green represents the required leaves to convert the holiday into a 4 days long weekend.

Compare hotel prices and find the best deal - www.hotelscombined.com

Finding the right hotel just got a whole lot easier - www.hotelscombined.com

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Flights to Nagoya from Kuala Lumpur by AirAsia X


Now there is one more and cheaper alternative to fly to Nagoya from Kuala Lumpur. Long-haul budget airline AirAsia X has started direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Nagoya (Japan) four times a week using Airbus A330-300 aircraft on the route. Kuala Lumpur – Nagoya route makes Nagoya AirAsia X’s third destination in Japan after Tokyo and Osaka.

AirAsia X's inaugural flight to Nagoya from KL carrying 341 passengers, a 90% passenger load arrived at Chubu Centrair International Airport on March 17th 2014.

Nagoya, the third-largest incorporated city and the fourth most populous urban area in Japan, is 50 minutes away from Osaka and 1 hour 40 minutes from Tokyo by train. Nagoya is one of the nation's major economic centers and the Detroit of Japan since many of Japanese automotive companies are based in Nagoya. Nagoya – Kuala Lumpur flights will connect this major Japanese hub to South East Asia and promote tourism in Malaysia. Nagoya being a scenic and historical destination is also a nice tourist destination in Japan.

To celebrate the launch of Nagoya – KL route, AirAsia X is now offering launch fares from MYR 299 (JPY 11,000) in Economy Class and MYR 999 (JPY 29,900) in Premium Class to Nagoya from Kuala Lumpur. Fly Thru launch fares are also available from selected destinations in Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, India and Vietnam to Nagoya. Bookings are available online from 18 to 30 March 2014 for travel between 19 March and 30 September 2014.

"With AirAsia X's renowned low fares, guests from Japan may now travel from our ports in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya when exploring their travel and holiday plans to the Southeast Asia region and beyond via the Kuala Lumpur hub.

"This is very much in line with the government's tourism agenda, and the airline's commitment to boost the Malaysian tourism industry as well as increase tourism traffic across our group network. Similarly, with the addition of Nagoya, guests will have more travel options to explore Japan, and we believe Nagoya being a scenic and historical destination will be a popular tourist destination," said AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani.

AirAsia X Airbus A330-300 at Melbourne Airport
An AirAsia X Airbus A330-300 seen here taxiing at Melbourne Airport. With Nagoya, AirAsia X is now flying to
3 destinations in Japan : Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo.
AirAsia X is a long-haul, budget airline based in Malaysia and flies to destinations within Asia and Oceania. AirAsia X is the medium and long-haul operation of the brand AirAsia, Asia's largest low-cost carrier.

Here is the flight for AirAsia X flights between Kuala Lumpur and Nagoya.

Flights From
Departure/ Arrival
Flight No.
Frequency
Kuala Lumpur to Nagoya
00:45/08:20
08:45/16:20
D7 546
D7 542
3,6
1,5
Nagoya to Kuala Lumpur
09:35/15:45
17:35/23:45
D7 547
D7 543
3,6
1,5
1- Monday, 3- Wednesday, 5- Friday, 6-Saturday

Friday, February 21, 2014

Hong Kong Airlines flights to Ho Chi Minh City launched


Hong Kong Airlines (香港航空公司) will fly to Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam from Hong Kong 3 times weekly according to a statement from the company. Hong Kong-based airline will start flights to Ho Chi Minh City on 17 March 2014 and operate Airbus A320 aircraft on the route on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Hong Kong Airlines already flies to Hanoi 7 times a week, the capital city of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City in the south is the largest city in Vietnam and country's finance, business, culture and trade hub.

"Hong Kong Airlines is delighted to announce the route of Ho Chi Minh City which offers our guests another new gateway to connect between Hong Kong and Vietnam. The new service marks an important milestone of our development in the Vietnamese market, where we operated our first flight to Hanoi in 2010." said Mr. Li Dian Chun, Hong Kong Airlines' Director of Commercial.

Hong Kong Airlines Flights to Ho Chi Minh City from Hong Kong
Flight HX534 departure : 12:20 and arrival at 13:55.

Flights to Hong Kong from Ho Chi Minh City
The return flight, HX535 departure at15:00 and arrival at 18:30.

Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A320 parked at Taichung Airport, Taiwan
A Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A320 seen here Taichung Airport, Taiwan.

Bangkok Airways flights to Chiang Rai from Bangkok


Thai regional airline Bangkok Airways will fly to Chiang Rai from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) starting from 28 March 2014. The non-stop flights will be operated on 162-seater Airbus A320 aircraft.

Chiang Rai is the northernmost large city in Thailand. The historic city was founded by King Mangrai in 1262 and became the capital of the Mangrai dynasty. The city is located 860 km north of Bangkok, about 200 kilometres northeast of Chiang Mai City, 62 kilometres south of Mae Sai and the Burmese border; 60 kilometres southwest of the town of Chiang Saen on the Mekong River across from Laos; and 90 kilometres north of Phayao town. The Golden Triangle, the tripoint of the Thailand, Laos and Myanmar borders, is 55 km northeast of the city.

"We see Chiang Rai as another potential, yet competitive market in Thailand. The city has emerged as a popular northern Thailand alternative tourist base to larger Chiang Mai. Chiang Rai is a strategic gateway to neighboring countries such as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Lao People's Democratic Republic as well as the southernmost part of China" said Bangkok Airways' President Mr. Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth.

Flights to Chiang Rai from Bangkok (Flight PG231)

Departure : 07:35 and Arrival : 08:55.
Departure :18:05 and  Arrival : 19:25.

Flights to Bangkok from Chiang Rai (Flight PG232)

Departure : 09:45 and Arrive Bangkok : 11:05
Departure: 20:10 and arrive Bangkok :21:30.

Siem Reap Air Airbus A320
Siem Reap Air Airbus A320

Where to stay in Hua Hin?


This post is moved here : where to stay in Hua Hin.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Where to stay in Hong Kong?


Hong Kong is a popular tourist destination where East truly blends with West. With its impressive skyline, fantastic Cantonese cuisine, world class night life and shopping experience, Hong Kong offers something to every taste and budget. Hong Kong draws people from all around to travel, live and work in the city and fully deserves its nickname : Asia’s World City.

Hong Kong has been under British rule for 150 years until 1997. Although it is now a part of China, its political system, economy and social life resembles more West then China.

Although people think an ultra crowded city where futuristic skyscraper littered skyline meets neon sign filled narrow streets when they hear about Hong Kong, most of Hong Kong is rural. The area takes its name from Hong Kong Island which is not the largest part of Hong Kong but is the main interest area for visitors. Central Hong Kong is on the North West part of Hong Kong Island but majority lives on mainland in the northern area.

So, Where to stay in Hong Kong? For most tourists, Hong Kong means the north of Hong Kong Island and the south of Kowloon. Hong Kong Island is the cleanest part of Hong Kong and is also the most expensive. Impressive finance and business center of Hong Kong is here. Most high class shopping, night life and neighborhoods are also here.

Kowloon is one of the most population dense area on the planet. As you travel from south to north (towards New Territories), the city gets dirtier and worn-out. Still, it offers infinite food, shopping and culture shock opportunities as you travel inland.

When choosing accommodation in Hong Kong you need to know several things : Hong Kong is very safe (almost as safe as Singapore and Tokyo). It also has an excellent public transportation network which allows you to arrive any important place in the city easily. And Hong Kong hotels are very expensive. So based on your budget, you can get away from central Hong Kong to save money without sacrificing so much safety and convenience. Choose hotels near major subway stations or bus routes.

Hong Kong map and major districts of Hong Kong. For many visitors, Hong Kong means the north of Hong Kong Island, and the south of Kowloon. You can find almost all Hong Kong tourist attractions in this central places. Map of Hong Kong is from Wikitravel Hong Kong Travel Guide.
Central Hong Kong

Central area is the north west of Hong Kong Island and is the place which comes to mind when you think Hong Kong. This is the main tourist attraction full of skyscrapers and shopping centers. Lan Kwai Fong (蘭桂坊) near Central MRT Station is one of the most popular night life center in Hong Kong. Soho (荷南美食區) is an area between Hollywood Road and Bonham Road-Caine Road and is a very famous entertainment district full of bars, night clubs, shops and art galleries. From here if you go to IFC Shopping Mall, you will see the escalators going uphill. Before Victoria Peak, you will find The Mid-Levels (半山區) and a little below it Sheung Wan (上環) with its colonial era buildings and shops.

Victoria Peak (太平山) is the most upper class area in Hong Kong. The view overlooking central and Victoria Harbour (see below) makes it a must visit place for every tourist to Hong Kong.

Central Hong Kong is the best place to stay in Hong Kong if you can afford it. If you plan to stay here, it saves a lot to check online room prices and find the best deals. For hotels in this area you can check Hong Kong Central Hotels pages.

Hong Kong Skyline from Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Skyline viewed from Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island. The place full of skyscrapers is Central Hong Kong.
Central Hong Kong is the best place to stay in Hong Kong if you can afford it. If you plan to stay here, it saves a lot to check online room prices and find the best deals. For hotels in this area you can check Hong Kong Central Hotels pages.

Wan Chai

The eastern region of Central area is Admirality. Towards east of Admirality lies Wan Chai, one of the most colorful areas in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre are here. The area to the west of Lockhart Road is one of the largest bar strips of Hong Kong. Once the area was exclusively Hong Kong’s Red Light District but now offers much extended range of entertainment. But you can still see “working women” from Thailand and Philippines in the area.

The tallest building in Hong Kong, Central Plaza, is also in Wan Chai. There are many shops and restaurants in the area for all budgets and tastes. It is a popular place to stay with its proximity to central Hong Kong. For hotels here visit Hong Kong Wan Chai Hotels pages.

Causeway Bay

Further east, you will find one of the most popular shopping areas in Hong Kong, Causeway Bay. Popular department stores of Seibu and Sogo are here with gigantic Times Square Shopping Mall. The largest green area in Hong Kong, Victoria Park is also here. If you have time and can wake up early, visit the park in very early morning to watch masses doing Tai Chi.

Causeway Bay is quite a popular area to stay in Hong Kong. For hotels and serviced apartments here, visit Hong Kong Causeway Bay Hotels pages.

Tsim Sha Tsui

To the north of Hong Kong Island, you can find Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost tip of Kowloon District. This area around Star Ferry Pier is one of the most popular tourist areas in Hong Kong and offers a fantastic view of skyscraper filled Central Hong Kong. Taking a photo here is a must. This area is the best place to watch Christmas light show on skyscrapers. The rooftop bars and restaurants here also offers fantastic Hong Kong view. Walk a little inside and you will find Nathan Road full of electronic, jewellery, clothing and tailor shops.

Tsim Sha Tsui is another central area to stay in Hong Kong. Visit our Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui Hotels page for details.

View of Hong Kong Island from Tsim Sha Tsui
View of Hong Kong from Tsim Sha Tsui

Jordan & Mong Kok

If you are more adventurous from a typical tourist, head deep into Kowloon to see how actual Hong Kong residents live. Jordan is a microcosm of working class Hong Kong and offers countless shops, restaurants, hotels and residential buildings with authentic Far East city life. Jordon is also a place where you can find nice and cheap Hong Kong hotels. Fro here, it is still very easy to access Tsim Sha Tsui and Hong Kong Island. This makes Jordon one of the best places to stay in Hong Kong for budget conscious travellers.

Mong Kok has 130,000 people per square kilometer and is a tourist attraction in itself for those eager to experience the most populous area on the planet. Outside tourist regions, Mong Kok offers traditional shops and restaurants. The neon Chinese sign forests of the streets here are must visit.

For hotels in Jordan and Mong Kok, visit Hong Kong Jordon hotels and Mong Kok hotels pages.

Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Mong Kok, Hong Kong

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Tips to save money during Singapore holiday


Tip #1 - Book your hotel online
Hotels in Singapore are very expensive. Thus it is the first place to save money during a Singapore holiday. By choosing the right hotel, you can really save a lot of money in Singapore.

Room prices at the reception and on the hotel web site are usually more expensive than what you can find online. A better alternative is to look at online hotel reservation sites like Agoda.com but the best is a hotel meta-search engine like hotelscombined.com. These online hotel search engines aggregates price and guest review data from many online reservation sites as well as some hotel web sites and puts them in a simple list from where you can choose the best hotel rates in Singapore (or anywhere indeed).

Tip #2 - Stay in a hotel near MRT Station or major bus lines
Singapore is quite small and its public transportation system allows you to access everywhere quite fast. Singapore's rail system, known as MRT (Mass Rapid Transportation) extensively covers almost everywhere in Singapore.

Instead of staying in a central hotel and paying a fortune to a tiny room, you can simply stay a little outside the Singapore city center in a hotel near MRT Station. As long as you are near an MRT Station you can go significantly out of the central region and save more money.

Tip #3 - Consider staying in a Singapore hostel
Singapore offers many nice hostels offering accomodation from plain-old dorm beds to pod-style or private room twin beds. Some of these hostels are quite luxurious. You can find nice hostels near Chinatown MRT Station.

Tip #4 - Read Wikitravel Singapore Guide
Online open-source travel guide wikitravel has an excellent Singapore Travel Guide which covers almost every topic a tourist will need to know and using it alone will save you tons of money.

Wikitravel Singapore Travel guide is also published as a pocket guide an can be purchased from Amazon: Wikitravel Singapore: The Free, Complete, Up-To-Date And Reliable Guide To Singapore.

Tip #5 - Beware of Singapore scams
There are many tourist complaints about scams in Lucky Plaza of Orchard Road, Sim Lim Square and People Park Complex in Chinatown. A popular scam is to sell you a very cheap smartphone and then force you to buy a very expensive warranty or subscription. If you stay clear away from too good to be true prices you can protect yourself from many scams.

If you are ripped off by a shop do not lick your wound and go away. Call Singapore Tourism Board's free hotline at 1800 736-2000. The Small Claims Tribunal at 1 Havelock Sq also has a special expedited process for tourists that can solve simple cases within 24 hours.

Tip #6 - Buy travel insurance
A visit to hospital in Singapore will be very costly and do not step into the country without a proper travel insurance. Although health system is quite good in the country, an extended stay in a hospital may cost you tens of thousands of dollars if you do not buy that 20+ USD something travel insurance.

Tip #7 - Buy a local SIM Card
Instead of paying a fortune to roaming you can buy simple prepaid SIM cards which are sold in 7-Eleven convenience stores, phone shops and currency exchange counters. All you need is a passport or Singapore ID to sign up.

Since almost everyone in the country has cellphones and prepaid SIM cards are available, number of public phones in the country is declining (but you can still find them in all MRT Stations and in the airport). Having a phone will local card may save a lot of time and money for you. Especially the cards with data plans will allow you use maps, Singapore specific apps (such as bus timings or call-a-taxi apps).

Tip #8 - Eat and Shop in hearthlands
Orchard Road may be the most famous shopping area in Singapore, it is the most expensive and food here is just average. For better service, taste and prices consider visiting malls and hawker centers outside tourist area. These places are less inclined to use hit-and-run sales tactics and more dependent on frequent customers (in a shop in town you’re just another faceless sales target).

Tip #9 - Save money on electronics
Singapore is still a good place to buy electronics if you know what you are doing. If you are planning to buy electronics in Singapore read this article: 5 Money Saving Ways to Buy Electronics in Singapore.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Tips to save money in Bangkok holiday


Tip #1 - Book your hotel online
Bangkok offers relatively cheap hotels but still the rack rates at the desk are usually much higher than the online rates. But do not just directly go and book from hotel's web site. The rates on hotel web sites are also usually higher than the rates you can find online.

Many people book from an online reservation site like booking.com or hotel.com. From time to time one is cheaper than the others and sometimes hotel's web site offer the best. So do you need to spend hours to find the best hotel rate? Of course not. Just use a hotel meta-search engine like hotelscombined.com. Hotelscombined aggregates all the rates and hotel reviews from almost all major online reservation sites and let's you to see the best rate in a single list. Use it to save money.

Tip #2 - Stay in a hotel near BTS Skytrain or MRT Line
Bangkok's traffic is quite bad and you will do a big favour to yourself if you stay in a hotel near sky train or MRT in Bangkok. This will allow you to travel 70% to 100% of the route between hotel and the Bangkok attractions by train which is cheap and fast compared to road transport. If you combine train with River boat and walk then you can go to most attractions without a taxi and tuk-tuk. This will also reduce your exposure to tuk-tuk and taxi scams in Bangkok

Tip #3 - Beware of Thailand Tourist Scams
We have said "scams", let's talk about them a little. Tourist scams can cost you a lot. Thailand, particularly Bangkok, is full of con artists and scammers praying on unsuspected visitors. Know then before you step into Bangkok. Here is a good introductory article in Bangkok and Thailand Tourist scams.

Tip #4 - Read Wikitravel Bangkok Pages
Web based free travel guide Wikitravel is a must read before heading to your holiday destination. Their Bangkok Guide pages are full of useful information from where to eat to where to sleep and from what to do to how to stay safe in Bangkok. This free guide saved me a lot of money in my trips and I strongly suggest it to you.

This info also can be bought as a pocket guide from Amazon : Wikitravel Bangkok: The free, complete, up-to-date and reliable guide to Bangkok.

Tip #5 - Use Airport City Link or Shuttle
Two of the most expensive taxi rides in Bangkok will be the one from and to the airport. But you can avoid these rides by using new Airport Rail Link from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. If you have listened to us and booked a hotel near Skytrain, you can reach your hotel without a taxi. If you arrive Bangkok during rush hour you will also save a lot of money. And if you need to go to the airport during the rush hour, you can prevent missing a flight because of traffic.

There were once Private Airport Express buses but they have stopped operating in 2011. You can still take a free shuttle bus from outside the second floor, gate 5 to the Public Transportation Center a few kilometres away and then take a public bus from there. Read Wikitravel Bangkok Get In section for details.

Bangkok in the night
Bangkok in the night
Tip #6 - Bargain and bargain
Most shops will start bargain from 100% or 200% above the usual price so start bargain from 50% of the asking price and try to settle somewhere between 50% and 60%.

Tip #7 - Visit Bangkok in Low Season
The most pleasant time to visit is the cool season that lasts from November till February. This is also the high season for Bangkok. Try to visit outside this time and you can get things like hotel rooms for much cheaper. Also avoid regional holiday times such as Hari Raya during when people travel to Bangkok a lot.

Tip #8 - Buy Thai Telephone Card from Airport
This is quite important. Most Thais have mobile phones so it is difficult to find public phones in Bangkok. Roaming may be quite expensive so buy a local SIM card for 100 baht at Suvarnabhumi Airport. This simple action can save you a lot of money (i.e. if your taxi driver does not know the way to hotel you can call the reception and let the receptionist talk to the driver).

Tip #9 - Bangkok City Pass
Bangkok city pass, which comes with unlimited use of sky train, may save you money if you will visit a lot of attractions.

Tip #10 - Check the Travel DEALs
If you are heading to Bangkok from a nearby country like Singapore check coupon sites for Bangkok travel deals. They do not have only Bangkok tour packages but they also list discounts to Bangkok attractions.

Tip #11 - Buy travel insurance
Thailand may be a relatively cheap place when it comes to almost everything but a major hospitalization or evacuation from a remote location may cost you tens of thousands of Dollars. Never travel out of your country without a proper travel insurance covering activities you are planning to do (i.e. skuba diving).