Let’s Visit Asia

Normally there are only three types of tickets you can get in the Hong Kong Disneyland : the regular day ticket, the peak day ticket, and the special day ticket. See my previous entry to see which ticket is applicable for which days of the year.
This summer, however, Hong Kong Disneyland is offering a “Summer Pass“: an entry ticket that allows you unlimited visits to the theme park from July 1 – September 28, 2006.
How much?
Adults: HK $450
Children (aged 3 to 11): HK $320
Seniors (65 or above): HK $270
You can buy the tickets on the entrance counters, or you can …read more

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Sri Lanka is definitely one of the most visited places in Asia. Whether you’re after white sand beaches, or mountain trekking, or cultural city tours, Sri Lanka always has something to offer. And that’s why it’s no surprise if tourists are flocking.
Great. But where there’s tourism, the oldest trade in human history always seems to loom. And in Sri Lanka, thousands are being lured into prostitution, majority of which are young boys. It’s reaching alarming levels, so much so that the UNICEF has launched a two year campaign against child sex tourism.
The campaign will target tourists, children and adolescents, hoteliers, …read more

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In a previous entry, I mentioned that in Asia, people do not hand out their business cards as casually as some Western counterparts do. Here’s an entry from the RoadGladiator, a blog for business travellers that offers tips for receiving and handing out calling cards in some Asian countries:

In China, hold it with both hands when offering it.
In India, you need to use your right hand to give and receive business cards.
In Japan, you need to receive it with both hands and pretend to examine it, upon receipts.
In Korea, you need to put the card away as soon as you …read more

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June and July must be the toughest time for shopaholics in Asia. The Great Singapore Sale is still ongoing, until July 23, and yet, here comes another shopping event you bargain-hunters won’t want to miss: the Hongkong Shopping Festival, which starts tomorrow, til the end of August.
Fashion, jewelry, electronics, and other traditional Chinese accessoires… take your pick from the wide array of hot deals! And just like last year, they’re having a lucky draw.
So, where’s it gonna be, shoppers? Singapore or Hongkong?

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Siesta. Sure, the habit may have originated from Southern Europe, but since a lot of Asian countries have been colonized by Europeans, it’s a habit you’ll also often see in Asia, particularly in the Philippines and Vietnam (colonized by the Spain and France, respectively), when the temperatures are prohibitive during noon time to doing anything else. Discounting of course, the commercial metropoles.
However, it seems that this habit of taking naps, if not full-blown siestas, are also being encouraged in countries like Japan. Yes, Japan, the home to some of the most hardworking, workaholic, sleep-derived people.
But the rise of the mini-siesta …read more

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Promising to deliver premier culinary experience on Koh Samui Island, Dining on the Rocks is the place to be for a unique fine dining experience. The restaurant, part of the Sila Evanson Hideaway and Spa juts out to the sea to give you a 270 degree view of the Samrong Bay.
A cosy private bay to the right, the waves crashing into the rocks below and a close-up view of neighbouring island Koh Pha-Ngan to the left. If ever there was a million-dollar view, this is it.
Lovely. And the Samui Dining Guide page promises a cuisine to match, described as “New …read more

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There’s a newly opened hotel in Shanghai: the Crowne Plaza Hotel Fudan Shanghai.
The hotel is deal to business travellers given of its location and business-related amenities, but becasue the hotel lies about 10 km from the city center, it is also ideal for travellers who simply would like to retire in the evenings away from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai. Situated just across the Fudan University, I can imagine the hotel welcoming a lot of academics and other visitors of the university.

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When I first read this, I thought it was preposterous. On second reading, well, yes, if the basis of courtesy is holding doors open for someone else and or saying “Thank you”, well, yes, maybe.
But are Asians really rude? Thai’s (yes, even those in Bangkok) are some of the most polite people I’ve ever met, for example, but in the list, Bangkok ranks low at number 25, landing a place among the least courteous.
I think the gauge used were simply inappropriate. Courtesy is a cultural issue, and it’d be biased to use one set of standards to measure politeness …read more

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In the beginning, when I see airfare sales, I immediately itch to book a flight and travel. Over the course of writing this blog, however, I discovered that nearly at any point in the calendar year, there’s some sort of promo going on anyway. Some better than the others, but still, unless it’s a free seat giveaway, my eyes no longer bulge at the news of airfare sales.
Nevertheless, for all you out there on the look-out for cheap flights, here’s some good news from Singapore-based budget airline:
If you book now til June 25, you can get 40% off your airfares …read more

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I stumbled across this piece of Q&A from the International Herald Tribune. The question goes:
We’re planning to visit Hong Kong for a week in June, though I know it’s going to be terribly hot. Can you recommend things to do and see?
See the article here for some very good ideas. And yes, you can use the tips as a guide for pretty much the whole year, actually. First-timers in Southeast Asia often say there are only two seasons in the region: Hot and Hotter.
And if you want further online resources, the last part of the answer goes:
Two of the …read more

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