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‘Travel’ Category

  1. Everything we wanted to know about Malaysia from Tourism Minister, Dr. Ng Yen Yen

    October 19, 2011 by ajay

    Tourism Malaysia logo

    The tourism success of Malaysia is something we can all learn from. According to the latest data from the UN World Tourism Organization, it is the second most visited country in Asia after China. Boasting of 24.6 million arrivals last year, it ranks No. 9 globally among countries with the most number of tourists, next only to the UK, Turkey & Germany.

    Hard to believe, but this is only because “in Malaysia, we treat tourism as a serious business.” These words were uttered by no less than Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, who met with the press at the Makati Shang-ri La to orient and give developments in her country’s tourism industry.

    Dr. Ng Yen Yen

    Meeting Dr. Ng Yen Yen in person, one can easily say that she fits the role of Malaysia’s chief tourism figure to a T. She appeared very elegant, articulate and knowledgeable. I was surprised to find that Malaysia’s tourism ministers are elected, not appointed, since they follow the British system of government.The fact that they’re answerable to the people and the taxpayers makes public officials like Dr. Yen Yen very driven and results-oriented.

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    Category Travel | Tags: ,, | 2 Comments

  2. Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival until August 31, 2011

    July 3, 2011 by ajay

    Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival

    Shopaholics unite! In case you haven’t noticed, this quarter is the season of great shopping discounts among some of our neighboring countries… Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia!

    The latter, particularly, will be holding the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival. It will run for 11 weeks ending August 31, 2011. Participating are outlets and stores all over the country, including big shopping complexes in Kuala Lumpur like Fahrenheit 88, Low Yat Plaza, Pavilion KL, Lot 10, Starhill Gallery, Sungei Wang Plaza, and Berjaya Times Square – all located in Bukit Bintang. Suria KLCC, One Utama, Mid Valley Megamall, The Curve, The Gardens and Sunway Pyramid provide exquisite shopping experiences as well. Visitors can get Tourist Privilege cards upon presenting their passport at the concierge or information counter of selected malls.

    Please see some of my related posts about Malaysia:

    Kuala Lumpur Street Scenes
    My first trip to KL in 2006 was a cheap one, in the style of Lonely Planet!
    Food tripping in KL…. no regrets!
    Our day trip to Sunway Lagoon Pyramid

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    Category Shopping Etc., Travel | Tags: ,,,,,, | 2 Comments

  3. Kids fly for free with Qatar Airways while Malaysia Airlines bans babies

    July 1, 2011 by ajay

    Qatar Airways

    I’ve never ridden the award-winning Qatar Airways but I thought this is a great promotion and it would be a sin not to share with my readers: an adult booking a flight to the Middle East by August 27, 2011 pays zero fare up to two kids. Only travel taxes and surcharges shall apply.

    The promo, meant to encourage family holidays, is good to use in the following destinations: Abu Dhabi, Aleppo, Amman, Bahrain, Beirut, Damascus, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Muscat and Riyadh – all in the Middle East.

    Here’s the complete fine print: (via Qatar Airways website)

    Ticket holders must fly between August 1 2011 to August 31 2011.
    – Book one adult ticket and pay taxes and surcharges for up to two kids (children or infants)

    - Book two adults tickets and pay taxes and surcharges for up to four kids (children or infants)

    - Child fare will have a base of zero. Only taxes and surcharges to be paid

    - A nominal fare may be applied in some countries, which may range between $10 and $40

    - Valid for Economy Class travel only

    - Tickets are not valid for purchase from the following countries: Australia, Bahrain, Greece, Iran, Japan, Jordon, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey & the UAE

    - Seats are limited so I guess this is first come, first served

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    Category Travel | Tags: ,,,, | No Comments

  4. Henann Resort at Alona Beach, Bohol

    June 4, 2011 by ajay

    It’s a shame that I’ve travelled out of the country these past few months MORE than visiting the islands. Beach bumming is one thing I truly miss, and I don’t want to be in Phuket or Bali for that because the Philippines has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches!

    My envy meter has escalated because my media friend Jingjing sent me these photos of her recent vacation in Henann Resort, the latest luxury resort to open in the booming island of Bohol.

    Henann Resort - Bohol (Bird's Eye View)

    Henann is formerly the Alona Palm Beach Resort which has now been acquired by the Boracay Regency Group of Resorts. It is situated on a slightly elevated area along the powdery white stretch of Alona Beach.The resort has the widest beach front along Alona Beach and also features a 450- square meter fresh water swimming pool with bar.

    Henann Resort Bohol

    The villas are separated by 70-meter wide coconut palm groves from the white beach.Each villa is equipped with a split-type air conditioner and ceiling fan, terrace with sun beds, LCD TV with cable, telephone with IDD and NDD, WIFI access, personal safety box, and mini bar.

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    Category Travel | Tags: ,,,,, | No Comments

  5. Australian tourist visa application & requirements

    May 30, 2011 by ajay

    I almost gave up on travelling to Australia. That’s because I got all my documents ready less than a week before my scheduled date of travel. In its website, the Australian Embassy in Manila says processing time for tourist visas is five to seven working days (emphasis on working). I thought to myself ” how can I possibly do this?” But my sponsor encouraged me to just try. And so I did! :D

    Let me say I had a very good experience dealing with the Australian Embassy (as opposed to the US Embassy Manila where horror stories abound). I did not meet anybody from the Australian embassy per se, but I liked how the whole process went and somebody even replied to an email inquiry I sent. This way, I felt that I was getting my money’s worth and they were judging my application based on its merits

    At 4700 pesos visa processing fee (issued through manager’s check)plus 600 pesos for the courier , applying for an Australian tourist visa isn’t cheap. You will also not know whether they approved you for a visa or not until the courier delivers your passport after an average of five working days processing.

    Documents needed for one’s Australian visa application are accepted at the VIA Centre in Pasay Road, Makati City. Look for this building… it is just walking distance from landmarks like Makati Cinema Square, Greenbelt 1 and Milky Way Restaurant.

    One Corporate Plaza

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    Category Travel | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,, | 29 Comments

  6. Emirates (EK) flight, Singapore to Brisbane… and back!

    May 30, 2011 by ajay

    Emirates

    This is a rather belated post on my experience flying Emirates (EK) from Singapore to Brisbane (and vice versa) early this month. Am writing about this because I have never flown this airline before. And being the anxious traveller, I’ve never really travelled long-haul since going to Germany in 2002. It goes without saying that am not the type who sleeps throughout, so long flights are like purgatory to me :D

    It didn’t help any that this Emirates flight was turbulent for 80% of the time that it took us to travel to Brisbane (or more than seven hours of flying) The pilot even had to apologize during his voice-over. It was quite scary that I had no choice but to get over my fear of flying or just faint. LOL. Good thing I had faith in Emirates because of its excellent safety record (no crash ever). It got me to thinking that when conditions in the sky do not favor it, it doesn’t matter what airline you’re riding or how big it is. Of course, it’s more shaky in a smaller plane but being in a Boeing 777-300ER for this flight didn’t help either.

    Emirates meal

    The flight crew distributed menu cards before serving. Emirates is quite generous in its meal portions and our companion Adrian said he really enjoyed the dessert. I have no opinion since I hardly touched my food. I do remember asking for several glasses of red wine just so I can sleep the turbulence away!! :D

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    Category Travel | Tags: ,,,, | 3 Comments

  7. One day and one night in Kyoto

    April 27, 2011 by ajay

    Kiyomizu-dera

    One aspect of my recent travel to Japan which is dear to my heart: our overnight trip to Kyoto which was out there on my list of dream places to visit. Good thing it was barely one hour by fast train from Osaka and that the whole Kansai region was spared from the devastating earthquake that rocked Tokyo and the north (note: we flew to Japan two days after the big quake ~ sigh!)

    It was almost dusk and mercilessly cold when we arrived in Kyoto. I said silently to myself: “You can never dress enough in this kind of weather….brrr!” I was freezing and it didn’t help that we had to find last-minute accommodations. A kind sushi-maker led us to Gion Hotel in the heart of the entertainment district. It was nice enough since it had a Starbucks on the ground floor, a shrine nearby and lots of specialty shops that Kyoto is known for. Great effort has been made in preserving their facade and structures, in keeping with the city’s image as an ancient, heritage town.

    One thing that appealed to me: the city’s heady mix of the old and the new.

    Kyoto, Japan

    The old part of town, like Gion, is lined with traditional shop houses. Here, a lady grills sweet glutinous rice on a stick. We went to her because a number of people were lined up to taste her specialty.

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    Category Travel | Tags: ,,,,, | 2 Comments

  8. Please vote for Good Cheetahs on Intrepid Travel contest

    April 19, 2011 by ajay

    The Good Cheetahs

    Macchu Picchu in Peru is so far away and we can only think about it in our dreams. But a group of 11 masteral students from the University of the Philippines are working hard at pursuing their dream to go to Peru by joining Intrepid Travel’s Ultimate Inca Encounter competition and they need our help!

    Please kindly go to this link and vote for them. We have until April 24 to do so. The Good Cheetahs, who hail from Davao City, are currently placed third in the contest for most number of votes and are the only Asians in the list.

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    Category Travel | Tags: ,,, | No Comments

  9. Counterfeit plane parts, fake pilot licenses and other ills plaguing RP aviation industry (last of two parts)

    March 28, 2011 by ajay

    Cebu Pacific ATR 72-500

    “Now every Juan can fly!” so says a familiar ad by Cebu Pacific, now the leading carrier in terms of passenger volume.

    But the question is: how safely are we flying?

    It came as quite a shock to me to read the well-researched, comprehensive report by PSA (Pacific Strategies & Assessments), an international business risk consultancy group on the Philippine civil aviation industry. PSA feeds information to its high-profile clients which include multinational corporations. So yes, they must know what they’re saying.:D

    The salient points of what they say are the ills plaguing the aviation industry:

    Insufficient aircraft care and maintenance. Honestly, I never thought there’s a Bangkal or Banawe style of maintenance in the airline industry. But according to the report, “approximately 10% of civil aviation parts in use are counterfeit.”

    “Currently in the Philippines, there are no government enforced requirements for tracking aircraft parts from their manufacturing source to the airline that purchases them, which allows unscrupulous air carriers to acquire and employ counterfeit parts. The more dated the fleet, particularly over 15 years, the more likely the counterfeit, unapproved, and perhaps faulty parts are being used because certified aircraft vendors no longer produce replacements,” the report said.

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    Category Travel | Tags: | 4 Comments

  10. Safety risk assessment of Philippine airlines: PAL’s the most reliable carrier (part 1)

    March 25, 2011 by ajay

    With most Filipinos now preferring to fly instead of ride ships, trains or buses, how safe are airlines in the Philippines?

    P1040584

    A confidential report obtained by annalyn.net from PSA, an international business risk consultancy group, states that Philippine Airlines (PAL) remains the country’s most reliable carrier. It is so far the only one to pass stringent audits by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the IATA Operational Safety Audit for the past three years. PAL planes are serviced by the Lufthansa Technik Philippines which is a subsidiary of a global leader in aircraft and engine maintenance.

    PAL’s record of 1.71 million flights since 1970 and its last fatal accident in 1994 puts it above Garuda Indonesia and slightly below Thai Airways in terms of safety in the Asia-Pacific region.

    The fleet of Cebu Pacific or 5J is being maintained by SIA Engineering Co. Ltd. from Singapore, the same company which services Cathay Pacific, Delta, Air Canada and FedEx. The only thorn in Cebu Pacific’s record is the fatal crash of all 104 passengers onboard 5J Flight 387 bound for Cagayan de Oro in 1998. This was attributed to pilot error.

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    Category Travel | Tags: ,,,,,, | 2 Comments

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