Let’s Visit Asia

Image used with permission from JetCombo
I received an email reporting that JetCombo, an online airline booking services specializing in chartered flights, has just released its list of the top 10 international summer destinations, based on itineraries booked through the website for leisure airline travel. Here’s where most are off to this summer:
1. France
2. United Kingdom
3. Germany
4. Italy
5. Israel
6. China
7. South Korea
8. Greece
9. Poland
10. United States
China make sense, what with the hordes headed for the Olympic games. But South Korea? I would never have guessed. One more interesting tidbit: Guess which destination is at position #11? The Philippines!
I would have …read more

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When I wrote about China’s tightened visa procedures in light of the upcoming Olympics, I already said that they should watch out that it doesn’t backfire. Looks like my fears were not unfounded.
By now, Beijing hotels should already be fully booked in anticipation of the summer visitors. In reality, however, business is slow.
“We are not full at the moment, and we have rooms to fill,” said Anthony Ha, general manager of the newly opened Marriott Courtyard Beijing Northeast. “There’s not much time left, and we have a way to go.”
Ha declined to reveal the hotel’s occupancy rate. But he expressed …read more

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I love audio guides. Not only does it give more in-depth real-time information while taking a tour, it also allows you to go at your own pace, unlike when joining a group tour with a real flesh-and-blood tour guide.
Not the type to go for audio tours? Well, don’t say no til you’ve checked out the Louis Vuitton Soundwalk, an mp3 audio guide to Beijing, Hong Kong or Shanghai. And yes, like its bags, these are a touch more elite compared to other run of the mill audio guides.

For Beijing, your guide will be Gong Li (Memoirs of a Geisha’s Hatsumomo); …read more

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It turned out that my mother-in-law and her sister, who wanted to spend a week in Beijing, weren’t able to secure the necessary tourist visa to enter China as the country tightens security in reference to the Olympics. What a bummer! Oh well, they’re heading to Ho Chi Minh City instead.
That’s one great thing being based here in Singapore– it’s easy to hop off to the neighboring Asian cities, being one the main airline hubs in Asia. Assuming you get the visa, that is.

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If you’ll be traveling in China and aren’t conversant in Mandarin, you might want to solicit the help of ChinaONEcall, an interpreting service that provides a 24/7 telephone link to professional English & Mandarin speaking staff who can communicate on your behalf.
China ONE call provides a 24/7 telephone link to professional English & Mandarin speaking staff who can communicate on your behalf. Using chinaONEcall will enhance your stay in China, whether on business or for pleasure. No longer will there be an obstacle in your way, no more puzzled expressions and bewilderment; no more uncomfortable smiles at the impatient taxi …read more

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My mother in law and her sister will be flying over from Europe next month and are planning to spend a week here in Singapore with us and another week in Shanghai. But given the recent earthquake and the tightened visa policies in view of the coming Olympic Games, I’m not sure they’re going to push through with their plans. And if they don’t go this time, their China exploration might have to be shelved for a longer while.
China officials are insisting that China “will continue to be open to the world” and “welcome foreigners to come to China to …read more

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Here’s a video news report of the relief operations following the massive earthquake that hit China last Monday:

As of writing, the death toll is now reported to have reached 15,000. Troops are still attempting to find survivors amidst the rubble and devastation.

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Two weeks ago, a giant wave hit a coastal town in Korea and left 7 dead, 14 injured.
Last week, Myanmar was hit by a cyclone, claiming more than 22,000 lives and affecting up to 2.5 million people, according to the UN. That these people are some of the most impoverished in the world and that the military government refuses foreign aid make the situation all the more desperate.
And then, just a few days ago, an 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook China, the tremors reaching as far as Thailand and Vietnam. The death toll is now at 15,000, and still increasing as …read more

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There are a number of promotional videos made for the Beijing Olympics. Here’s one of my favorites, featuring the song One World, One Dream:

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The Olympic torch has arrived in China and will do its three-month long relay across major cities in China. In Sanya, Hainan, Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan and other celebrities added glitz and glamour to the parade. It seems that despite its protest-ridden run in Europe due to the Tibet crisis, the parade has been well-received in China.
Before the crisis over Tibet and the bitterness over protests abroad, China’s 1.3 billion people seemed unusually united in joy at the idea of seeing the Olympics in Beijing. The shouting and cheering Sunday suggested that, for many people at least, that …read more

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