Let’s Visit Asia

Starting May 1, Jetstar Asia will be suspending flights to Kolkata, India. Flights to the other Indian destination, Bangalore, will continue to operate.
If you have previously purchased a ticket to Kolkata for flights later than May 1, contact JetStar Asia for a full refund or a change in itinerary. If you want, you can change your ticket to fly to Bangalore, instead.
Technorati Tags: airlines, budget airlines, jetstar, jetstar asia, asian airlines, kolkata, india

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One of my favorite chain hotels in Asia is the Peninsula, especially that in Manila and Bangkok. The facilities and location are excellent and exudes a culture of their own. As soon as I enter the lobby, I get the feeling it’s not just a place to sleep and spend a night in. It’s a lifestyle. And now, as the chain launches the Peninsula Wellness program across their hotels, I have yet another reason to choose the Pen over other hotels.
In combination with the new spas set to be launched within the next several months across the hotels in Hongkong, …read more

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How can you get your photo on a billboard in Shanghai for just about $6?
You jaywalk.
Technorati Tags: jaywalking, shanghai, china, culture

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When the tsunami hit Asian coastal villages back in 2004, the scenes we saw on international television were just horrible. To date, I can still recall images of sea water rushing and destroying properties along its path followed by coverages of wailing people looking for relatives, children in shock and cadavers lined up waiting for identification. It was an awful tragedy not easy to forget.
The next year, health and security issues compounded the already sad image of Asia as a holiday destination.
Now, more than a year later, tourists start to flock to Asia again.
About 43 percent of …read more

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One of the most popular treatments for jet-lag is the use of melatonin tablets, despite conflicting research. A group of Swiss scientists said they do relieve jetlag; some Canadian researchers say they don’t. Still, it is widely held that melatonin has an impact on biological clocks and sleep-wake cycle regulation.
And since the ability of the body to produce melatonin is dependent on the presence of light, it makes sense to hypothesize that to fight jetlag, you’ll have to play with your exposure to light and trick your body to produce the right melatonin concentrations at the right time. How do …read more

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When I fly long stretches, no matter what time the flight starts, I try to stay awake until after they serve the first meal before really settling in. When all the commotion and all the bustle of food trolleys are over, that’s the only time I can put my feet up, relax, and wait out the long flight.
Well, figuratively, of course. In reality, it’s a lot of fidgeting and futile attempts to find a comfortable position. I think of all those Business and First Class passengers and grunt.
And then finally, after hours(!) of restlessness, I nod off.
To be awakened …read more

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Charis Atlas Heelan wrote an article that appeared at Frommer’s listing down a few holiday packages for Indochina. Where’s Indochina, you say?
Some use it to refer to Vietnam, but actually, it’s a loose term that refers to the peninsula
which also includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and some parts of Malaysia and Thailand.
here are some of the travel packages mentioned:

Wonders of Angkor
Origin: LA or SF
Cost: $1,640 (LA) or $1,820 (SF)
Booking: Asian Affair Holidays, Tel: 800-742-3133
Vibrant Saigon
Origin: LA, SF, NY
Cost: $1,246 (LA or SF), $1,386 (NY)
Booking: Asian Affair Holidays, Tel: 800-742-3133
Vietnam Highlights
Origin: Hanoi
Cost: $545
Booking: Focus Travel, Tel +84-4835-7585
Indochina Discovery
Origin: Hanoi
Cost: $1,195 including …read more

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Looking for an MICE venue? How about heading to Asia? The Best of Asia Travel Marketing (BOATM), has launched a new website featuring 15 destinations across Asia:
Borneo
Cambodia
China
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Japan
Korea
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar/Burma
Singapore
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam
Clink the links to the destinations above to have an idea of what awaits you there. If you want to have an idea on the programs/itineraries and rates, see their sample packages (pdf files available for download on the website).
Technorati Tags: MICE, meetings, events, conference, conventions, asia, incentive, incentive packages

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I’ve aways, always advocated booking early to get the best possible travel deals. Whether hotels, travel packages, or airfares, you get more value for your money with just a little bit of advanced planning.
If you think you will be in Asia during the latter half of this year until the first quarter of 2007, it might be worth taking a look at Air Asia’s Year End Promo.

For example, domestic fares within Malaysia start at just 0.99RM (that’s about $0.27!), and international fares go from about $5 to $20 , depending on the destination. Note that these fares …read more

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Based on insider information, the Australian government issued a travel alert for Indonesia, particularly to Bali, saying it received information that terrorist attacks may occur against Western interests as early as today.
We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Indonesia, including Bali, at this time due to the very high threat of terrorist attack. We continue to receive a stream of reporting indicating that terrorists are in the advanced stages of planning attacks against Western interests in Indonesia against a range of targets, including places frequented by foreigners. These reports include information about potentially heightened risk of …read more

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