Vacation Rentals Service in Singapore and Malaysia by TripAdvisor

Travel website TripAdvisor has launched its Vacation Rentals service in Malaysia and Singapore. The Vacation Rental service allows Malaysian and Singaporean travelers to search and compare more than 400,000 properties around the world. Available properties are wide-ranging and can accommodate single travelers up to large groups in apartments, villas, chalets, houseboats, castles, tree houses and more.

“As vacation rentals continue to grow in popularity, we continue to expand TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals around the world. We’re thrilled to give travellers in Malaysia and Singapore access to a vast and growing global collection of holiday homes through our site. Travellers can now find pictures, reviews, descriptions and booking information on our 400,000+ properties, while home owners can list their property for free and benefit from TripAdvisor’s unsurpassed audience of 260 million users per month,” said Dermot Halpin, president, TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals.

How to book Vacation Rental through TripAdvisor?

Booking a vacation rental property is simple. Through the ‘Vacation Rentals’ tab on TripAdvisor, travelers can find pictures and detail on hundreds of thousands of properties. Users can filter properties by date of stay, destination, size, amenities/options such as ‘private pool’ or ‘pet-friendly’, and more. When a suitable property is found, travellers can quickly and easily arrange payment and/or contact the owner with more questions.

Travel website TripAdvisor has launched its Vacation Rentals service in Malaysia and Singapore.

According to a recent survey, travelers give high praise to vacation rentals with the vast majority of respondents touting their holiday rental experience as “very good” or “quite good”.

Travelers also cited extra amenities (such as private pools, kitchens, barbecues and/or extra bedrooms), followed by privacy and value, as the key benefits to choosing a holiday rental.

Stefanie Sun Taipei concerts sold 20000 in 46 minutes

Although Taiwan based Singaporean singer-songwriter Stefanie Sun (孫燕姿) gave a break to singing for 2 years, the chemistry between her and her fans (who calls her 13姐 ("13th sister")) is still in full power: According to udn.com, Stefanie Sun's next year tour sold 20,000 tickets 46 minutes. The two sold out concerts will be in Taipei Arena next year on February 14 and 15th.

Stefanie Sun's concert tickets were open to sale online at 13:00 and the fans rushed to overload the system and grasp the tickets in just 46 minutes. And there is bad news for the fans who could not buy a concert ticket: Organizers are not planning to add additional concerts to satisfy the demand.

These two concerts here comeback concerts. She has given a break to focus on family life for 2 years and she has announced 2 days ago that she is starting back on Valentine's Day of 2014.

Sng Ee Tze, better known as Stefanie Sun, and known to fans as 13姐 ("13th sister"), is a Taiwan based Singaporean singer-songwriter. She has sold over 30 million copies of her albums during the span of her career thus far. She does the majority of her recording and conducts most of her publicity events in Taiwan, which comprises her largest audience. She also visits China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, U.S.A. and Singapore frequently for promotional rounds.

Stefanie Sun (孫燕姿)

is Ashley Madison Singapore site blocked in Singapore?

Update : The Straits Times also says that MDA banned extra-marital dating website Ashley Madison but I can still access it from Singapore.

Ashley Madison, an extra-maritial affairs going with a motto of "life is short, have an affair", has created some buzz in Singapore after it has announced its planned to open up Singapore version of the website. But according to Tech In Asia, Singapore Government has effectively blocked access to the Ashley Madison Singapore site, which means people on local Internet Service Providers will not be able to access it.

It has effectively blocked access to the Ashley Madison Singapore site, which means people on local Internet Service Providers will not be able to access it. Our bloggers outside of Singapore are able to access the ashleymadison.sg domain name with no issues. A ping test done inside Singapore confirms that all data is being lost somewhere between the site’s servers and Singaporean web users.

Attempts to access the dating portal inside Singapore will lead to this message:

The website you are trying to access is restricted by the Media Development Authority (MDA). For more information on MDA regulations, please click here

Only Singapore residents who have installed a VPN will be able to bypass the ban. Unless authorities permit Singaporean ISPs to unblock the site.
Source : Extra-marital dating site Ashley Madison blocked in Singapore

According to Tech In Asia, users in Singapore would see the following screen:

I have tried the domain (it will be a risky item in my browser history :)) but instead of seeing the screen above, I could see the http://www.ashleymadison.sg/ entry page. I live in Singapore and I do not have any VPN or bla bla. But I am on StarHub not Singnet.

By the way, if you enter Ashley Madison global page (https://www.ashleymadison.com/) from Singapore, you are redirected to http://www.ashleymadison.sg. I read in the news that Ashley Madison is planning to open up its site this month in Singapore.

Below is the entry page for Ashley Madison Singapore web site. According to the site, Ashley Madison Singapore wil be coming to town in November 2013 (this month).

Super Typhoon Haiyan hits Philippines leaves 10000 death in Tacloban City alone

Update: Super Typhoon Haiyan left a big destruction in Philippines and unfortunately it seems that the typhoon will be the biggest natural disaster in the region since 2004 tusinami. The Philippine typhoon left up to 10,000 dead in Tacloban city alone:

As many as 10,000 people are believed dead in one Philippine city alone after one of the worst storms ever recorded unleashed ferocious winds and giant waves that washed away homes and schools. Corpses hung from tree branches and were scattered along sidewalks and among flattened buildings, while looters raided grocery stores and gas stations in search of food, fuel and water.

Officials projected the death toll could climb even higher when emergency crews reach areas cut off by flooding and landslides. Even in the disaster-prone Philippines, which regularly contends with earthquakes, volcanoes and tropical cyclones, Typhoon Haiyan appears to be the deadliest natural disaster on record.
Source : Philippine typhoon leaves up to 10,000 dead in Tacloban city

Tacloban (Lungsod ng Tacloban) is the capital of the Philippine province of Leyte Island. It is approximately 360 miles (580 km) southeast of Manila. It was the first city in Region VIII to become a "Highly Urbanized City" and is the largest city in terms of population in Eastern Visayas.

Philippines’ central islands are hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan (a.k.a Typhoon Yolanda) on Friday with winds blowing up to 275 kilometres per hour. Super Typhoon Haiyan is one of the most intense typhoons ever recorded has forced tens of thousands to evacuate and Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and other carriers to announce the suspension of hundreds of flights, mostly domestic but also some international.

The areas hit most by Typhoon Haiyan are still trying to recover from a powerful 7.1-magnitude quake wh'ch hit last month. For example the central island of Bohol, the epicenter of the earthquake that killed 222 people, will be hit hard by the typhoon. At least 5,000 survivors there are still living in tents while waiting for new homes.

Back in 2012, world's strongest storm in that year, Typhoon Bopha, hit Philippines hard and left 2,000 people death or missing on Mindanao island in December.

According to The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Caraga sTyphoon Yolanda claimed its first casualty in Surigao del Sur:

PIA Region 13 tweeted, "The initially reported one casualty was identified in the person of Jimmy Bueno, a resident of Purok 3, Barangay Poblacion, Lingig in Surigao del Sur. He was killed by electrocution caused by grounded water, according to OCD Regl Dir. & RDRRMC Chair Liza Mazo."

The PIA in Cebu also tweeted, "One fatality reportedly in Medellin, Cebu. Victim allegedly hit by tree as fierce winds now hitting Northern Cebu."
Source : Typhoon Yolanda kills 2; power outages reported in parts of Visayas

You can see the current position of the typhoon haiyan from the map below.

KMS QlikView Service Packs in Singapore

This blog post is moved to Business Intelligence Singapore blog:

KMS QlikView Service Packs in Singapore

Virtual 10 years old girl Sweetie hunts 1000 plus pedofiles

Parents beware. At any given moment there are 750,000 child predators roaming the net. This is according to a report published by Dutch rights group Terre des Hommes, which has been on the news for hunting down 1000+ child predators with a 10 years old virtual girl from Philippines named Sweetie. The groups "Catch The Predator" effort using digital technology was a shocking experience:

Researchers from the Netherlands-based activists group Terre des Hommes logged in to public chat rooms under the alias of Sweetie, an apparently real girl who they identified clearly by country of origin, gender and age. 

The results were shocking, according to the group’s project director Has Guyt. They found that the forums were flooded with people willing to pay to see a young child perform sex acts live online. 

Using basic online search techniques, Mr Guyt’s team at a small, remote office outside Amsterdam was able to compile a dossier of 1,000 named internet users, complete with written and video evidence, engaged in the illegal activity.
Source : Activists use CGI 10-year-old Filipino girl 'Sweetie' to snare thousands of paedophiles

Online sex with minors is a big but usually overlooked problem where adults from around the world pay money to minors to watch them performing sexual acts (called webcam child sex tourism by the group). Most of the victims are girls from Philippines. And predators? Fathers, architects, artists from around 65 countries including Singapore. 5 people among this 1000 identified predators were from Singapore indeed. And which countries are topping this shame list:

1 - United States with 254 predators
2 - Britain with 110 predators
3 - India with 103 predators.

The group has a petition in their web site now: Stop webcam child sex tourism. Below is the disgusting video of the story of Sweetie.

Cruises from Kota Kinabalu on SuperStar Aquarius

After months of anticipation, SuperStar Aquarius celebrated arriving at her new homeport Kota Kinabalu, the city capital of Sabah, Malaysia for her seasonal deployment from 6 November, 2013 to 30 March, 2014.

An official ceremony featuring local cultural performances was staged by the Sabah Tourism Board at the terminal. Government officials, port authority representatives and locals welcomed the ship carrying over 1,100 international passengers from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, China, the Philippines and Southeast Asia on an 8D7N relocation cruise to Kota Kinabalu and showered our passengers with local souvenirs.

Mr. William Ng, Chief Operating Officer, Star Cruises, said, "Today is a milestone moment for Star Cruises as we become the first international cruise line to homeport a ship in Kota Kinabalu."

"Sabah has been a top tourist destination for decades. With lush primary rainforests, sub-aquatic splendour, magnificent mountain, fantastic local cuisines and colourful cultures, Sabah is an incredible place for adventurers, a paradise for divers, and a playground for families." 

"As an industry leader, Star Cruises has never stopped introducing new routes and creating new itineraries in the region. This deployment denotes our commitment to make Kota Kinabalu an international cruise hub. We are confident our deployment will attract not only domestic but also regional and international passengers to Sabah." 

SuperStar Aquarius

At the ceremony, he also thanked all parties in Kota Kinabalu for supporting this homeport deployment. The welcome ceremony was graced by Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Sabah and other representatives from the government, ministries and authorities. 

After watching stunning performances put on by Star Cruises, memento exchanges were held at Stardust Lounge. The special guests were invited for a sumptuous lunch featuring Star Cruises' celebrated international and Asian cuisines at Spices Restaurant, followed by a tour around the 13-deck luxury liner. 

SuperStar Aquarius offers a 4D3N cruise from Kota Kinabalu to Muara and Bintulu every Sunday with a number of exclusive shore excursions for guests to explore. From Wednesday to Saturday, passengers can immerse in another dimension of cruise fun and entertainment on SuperStar Aquarius' 1-night high seas experience. 

With Star Cruises' unmatched freestyle cruising, passengers will be encapsulated by the world-class dining and high-caliber entertainment options. At the 409-square-meter upscale duty-free shopping gallery, retailers such as China Duty Free, upmarket wristwatch and jewellery boutique Canopus, leather goods specialist Milan Station, gift and souvenir outlet Ports O' Call offer products from around the world for passengers to spoil themselves. The wide selection of onboard recreational activities which include over 30 body and health treatments at the spa will also multiply the fun. Star Cruises' unique Asian style hospitality will make every cruise holiday a memorable one.

AirAsia plans flights to Krabi from Singapore and Chiang Mai

Southern Thailand is an immensely popular tourist destination, and there is an increasing demand for good transport links to support the growing number of tourists every year. As a result, Air Asia’s recent decision to provide two new routes to Krabi Airport is very welcome news, and it is also an exciting development in Krabi’s tourism industry.

Air Asia began operations in 1996, and the company can claim to be Asia’s leading airline. Its policy of providing excellent value for money has been recognised in the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax, which has named Air Asia as the ‘World’s Best Low Cost Airline’ for the past five consecutive years. The airline’s route network currently spans twenty different countries, and it continues to improve its services through innovation, good management, and a passion for proving low-cost aviation to its customers.

The new flights between Krabi and Singapore will commence on 25th November 2013, and the flights between Krabi and Chiang Mai will start the following month on 15th December. Air Asia’s CEO, Tassapon Bijleveld, said "Krabi is a popular destination for both Thai and foreign tourists… we believe that connecting Krabi to a variety of other destinations will provide travellers with more travel options." The airline’s management is so committed to meeting customer demand for flights to Southern Thailand that it has also decided to increase the number of flights between Bangkok and Krabi, which will increase to eight daily with effect from 25 November.

Air Asia’s decision is also exciting news for Krabi Airport, which is fast becoming a tremendous asset to Southern Thailand. Earlier this year, the Civil Aviation Department decided to extend the operating times at Krabi Airport to 24 hours, in the hope that this would ease congestion at Phuket Airport. It is anticipated that this move will result in a doubling of passenger volume at Krabi, which handled approximately 800,000 passengers during the high season last year.

Krabi Riviera is delighted to promote Air Asia’s new strategy due to its own active participation in the success of Krabi’s tourism industry. The company manages a notable portfolio of holiday villas in the Ao Nang area, and only those properties meeting the highest standards in style and comfort are included in their portfolio. For instance, all the villas have an excellent specification, with designer kitchens, luxurious bathrooms and private swimming pools.

With Air Asia’s support and collaboration, it seems the tourism industry in Krabi is on target to be a great success during the forthcoming high season and beyond.

Japan’s Nabana no Sato Illumination Festival Agoda Hotel Deals

Online booking site Agoda.com is offering chilled-out deals for one of Asia’s prettiest festivals – the magical illumination event at the Nabana no Sato flower park, which sees millions of lights of all colors wrapping around and over everything in sight.

Japan’s many winter festivals are known for their illuminated displays, and the Nabana no Sato, located about 350 km southwest of Tokyo in Kuwana City, is one of Japan’s best-known and most-visited. Between April and October every year, the location is a renowned flower park, with lush displays of hydrangeas, cosmos, irises, and tulips, but between November and March, the illumination takes over, with more than 8 million LED lights being used to carpet the flower beds that are the main attraction during the months that the light show is not held.

Visitors can stroll the pathways within the park, checking out the different exhibits and set-ups. The famous flower tunnel provides a 200m-long walkway where visitors are completely enveloped by over 1 million lights representing Japan’s famous cherry blossoms. For a better view of the park, one can climb aboard Island Fuji, a platform that rises 45 meters into the air for a 360° view of the surrounding area – a sight not to be missed. And finally, to celebrate the recent addition of Mt. Fuji as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a giant illuminated model of the famous peak has been set up that changes to represent the different seasons and times of day – an amazing transformation that happens right before your eyes.

But the winter illumination isn’t the only sight to see. As it is located only a short distance from Nagoya, Japan’s third-largest city and a major hub for international trade, it is easy to arrange a trip to see some of the city’s most well-known attractions. There are plenty of museums to check out, from the Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts to the Japan Spinning Top Museum, as well as other important sites such as the famous Nagoya Castle, and the Cultural Path, a walking route that takes visitors past some of the city’s most important historical sites.

A visit to the Nabana no Sato festival is a great way to spend a chilly winter evening in Japan. The hotels below in Mie are closest to the event, while the hotels in Nagoya are only a 30-minute bus ride away. Buses from Nagoya leave from the Meitetsu Bus Center every 30 minutes from 8am – 6pm. Dress warmly and get ready to take some great photos!

Hotel Fine Garden Kuwana, Mie 2.5*
Stay for a minimum of 3 nights and enjoy 5% off your stay. Expires 31 March, 2014.

Hotel Route Inn Yokkaichi, Mie 3*
Agoda.com best price guarantee, from USD $53.

Yokkaichi Miyako Hotel, Mie, 3*
Agoda.com best price guarantee, from USD $88.

Best Western Hotel Nagoya 4*
Book at least 21 days in advance and enjoy 20% off your stay. Expires 31 March, 2014.

Hotel Resol Nagoya 3.5*
Check in on a Sunday and enjoy 20% off your stay. Expires 31 December, 2014.

Hotel Trusty Nagoya Sakae 4*
Stay for a minimum of 2 nights and enjoy 15% off your stay. Expires 31 March, 2014.

Hotel Trusty Nagoya 4*
Stay for a minimum of 2 nights and enjoy 15% off your stay. Expires 31 March, 2014.

Hotel Wing International Nagoya, 3*
Stay for a minimum of 3 nights and enjoy 15% off your stay. Expires 31 July, 2014.

Daiichi Fuji Hotel 4*
Stay for a minimum of 2 nights and enjoy 10% off your stay. Expires 28 February, 2014.

Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel, 5*
Agoda.com best price guarantee, from USD $189.

Virgin Australia Agoda partners for hotels and points promotions to Velocity Frequent Flyer members

Asia's leading online hotel booking site Agoda and Virgin Australia has announced a partnership which wil give Virgin Australia customers instant access to Agoda.com’s global inventory of hotels, including over 5 million customer reviews. Members of Virgin Australia’s award-winning loyalty program, Velocity Frequent Flyer, will also earn Velocity Points on Agoda.com accommodation in over 37,000 cities worldwide.

In addition, and to celebrate the partnership, all Velocity members will earn double Velocity Points when they enter their Velocity membership number while booking their hotel between 28-31 October, 2013 through the Velocity Rewards Points website for stays between 1 November – 12 December, 2013.

Commenting on the deal, Agoda.com’s Vice President of Marketing Timothy Hughes said: “We are extremely pleased to be able to add Virgin Australia to our list of airline partners. Customers of the airline will now have access to one of the fastest-growing online hotel platforms in the world, making planning and budgeting for trips even easier.”

Agoda.com’s rapidly expanding list of partnerships now includes 30 airlines around the world.

To book your accommodation and for full details concerning the double reward points offer, you can visit www.agoda.com/en-au/virginaustralia.