The Value of Tour Operators
Since the advent of online travel, observers have been making doomy predictions about the travel agent/tour operator sector, assuming that now consumers can make all their tour bookings online, they no longer need to go via agents such as ourselves.
There are several reasons why this hasn’t happened and probably won’t happen for a long time - one of them being that tour operators still get better rates from suppliers than direct customers ever could - but the chief reason was summed up neatly in an email we had from a recent customer.
Garuda Indonesia Operates New Boeing 737-800NG on Singapore - Bali Route
Indonesia’s national airline, Garuda Indonesia, has started operating its new 162-seater Boeing 737-800NG aircraft from Singapore to Bali which features the carrier’s new ‘Nature’s Wing’ livery, signature interior and upgraded on-board services.
Garuda Indonesia’s new Boeing 737-800NG also includes individual touch-screen LCD TVs throughout Executive and Economy Classes with Video on Demand (VOD) entertainment systems offering 25 feature films and 250 audio tracks.
Iconic Cyclo Disappearing From Phnom Penh's Streets
The cyclo has been a distinctive feature of Phnom Penh's streets for 70 years, stretching back to the days when Cambodia was a French colony. But this form of transport has begun to fade away.
New York has its yellow cab. London has its red bus. But Phnom Penh has its cyclo - a three-wheeled bicycle with the driver perched on high above the rear wheel, and the passengers in a bucket seat slung between the two front wheels.
This iconic vehicle has proved a comfortable - if slow - way of getting around Cambodia's capital for the best part of a century. But that is changing.
Avoiding Restaurant Rip-offs
A great and very useful feature on the excellent Travel Rants website about how to avoid being ripped off in tourist restaurants. Personally I would go even further and advise people to avoid tourist restaurants altogether, especially in Vietnam where tourist restaurant = same food you would get in a local restaurant, only with aircon, nicer chairs and and plenty of extra $$$ on the bill.
A Luxury Hideaway with Spectacular River and City Views
RiverWind is an idyllic rural hideaway located on the east bank of the Mekong River at Arexat Village, directly opposite the Royal Palace. Relax from the moment you alight from the boat into the lush tropical garden, scented with frangipani, jasmine and gardenia. Chill out by the private pool, where the only sound is the rustle of the river breeze in the palm trees. Unwind in a deckchair on the lawn and watch the river flow. Take in timeless sunsets over the urban skyline, or go on a sundown river cruise.
Bali Airport Fingerprinting to Boost Security, Lines
Bali Airport Fingerprinting to Boost Security, Lines
Denpasar. Longer lines of inbound tourists are expected at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport with mandatory fingerprint scanning now in full force.
“We chose Bali for this new system because it’s one of the major gateways into the country,” Rohadi Iman Santoso, head of the immigration office’s subdirectorate for information-systems implementation, said on Friday at the office of airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I in Badung district.
Angeles Tidbits
Ready, Set, Angeles...
Mabuhay and Greetings from Angeles City, Philippines. I’m a retired American living close to Angeles City in the Philippine Islands.Decided to write a bit about our area and life on the largest of the Philippines 7,107 islands. Most of what I write here comes from others with far more information than I can provide from just my own personal experiences. Weather traveling the world in search of the perfect vacation spot, or like me, finding a warm place in the sun to enjoy my retirement years; The Philippines is a place of beauty and a relaxed lifestyle that would be hard to find anywhere else. Following is an article about our area of Angeles City. Things to do, how to get here and the like. As time goes by I will try to write a note or two from time to time with thoughts about life here as well as personal experiences. If you have never been to the Philippines before or even if you have lived here for years, remember this is a third world country with wonderful but very poor people. Use caution and good common sense when traveling in the country at all times. And remember the old saying, “if it sounds too good to be true—it usually is.
Stairways to heaven
The journey to the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai is to explore boundless golden terraced rice fields, resembling a staircase to the sky, in Mu Cang Chai district which used to be an opium poppy hub. The yellow steps to the sky, and the hospitable ethnic people, who have flattened hills to grow rice and construct irrigation systems on the mountain tops, are unforgettable images.
Lazy Beach – Koh Rong Samloem
We wanted somewhere fairly relaxed at the start of our 3 month trip to unwind after the hectic few weeks we had in the UK prior to our departure. Of all the spots I had researched, Lazy Beach looked like it might be the ticket. A private section of beach, rented from the government and kept tidy by the local staff, wooden bungalows and just a couple of hours boat ride from Sihanoukville on the Cambodian coast.
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Mekong Island: Fresh Food and Fresh Views
There is nothing better than spending a lazy Sunday afternoon indulging in food and beer with friend; especially, when someone else is doing the cooking. Basking in the shade of a thatched hut while watching the sunlight dance on the Mekong River can prove to be the key ingredients for a perfect end to the week.