Let’s Visit Asia

If you check the website of the Thailand-based budget airline One-Two-Go, this is the message that will greet you:
Dear Valued Passengers
We would like to inform you that during 22 July 2008 – 15 September 2008 we are operating a reduced schedule.
We apologize for any inconvenience to your travel plan and thank you for your kind understanding.
One-Two-Go Airlines.
The reports that are circulating, however, say something different. According to Bangkok Post, the 56-day grounding is due to “mounting cost pressures spurred by ballooning oil prices, fierce competition from rival airlines, falling domestic passenger demand and the poor business outlook”. Bloomberg confirms that …read more

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Looks like Asia is not just home to some of the most spectacular wonders of nature, it’s also where you can find some of the top “weird activities” around the world.

Photo Credit: KnOizKi via Flickr
Grab a dinner at the The Modern Toilet Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan. or at the Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand. Both guaranteed to give you a unique dining experience!
And if you think wine belongs to the dining table alone, check out the Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Wine Spa in Hakone, Japan, where you get to sink into a red wine pool in the shadow of …read more

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One thing I don’t like with flying budget airlines is that you have to pay for your meals. But because budget airlines usually fly short routes, it’s tolerable. Afterall, the savings you get from the airfare more than covers the cost of the meal. However, if you find yourself really hungry onboard, most budget airlines won’t have much to offer anyway to fill your grumbling stomach. Perhaps the most filling you can get is a sandwich, which can a little bit unsatisfying for the duration of say, a 3-hour flight.
Well, not with Air Asia, which just announced that they are …read more

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Thai Airways has announced that, effective June 25, 2008, it will be increasing its fuel surcharge on international and domestic flights, due to the increase in jet fuel costs. The adjustment on international flights will depend on the route and will range from US$60 (for short flights from Bangkok to Vietnam and Laos, for example) to US$281 (for long-haul flights from Bangkok to New York or Los Angeles).
For domestic flights, they will collect a fuel surcharge rate of THB 850, except the Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son route where THB 600 will be collected.
In addition, the airline will suspend its …read more

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The next time I spend a holiday in the vicinity of these resorts in Thailand, I’d definitely would like to try the X2 Resorts, just to satisfy my curiosity. No, not to check out the resort facilities and amenities, but purely because I’m intrigued by the name: X2 (read as “cross to”).
There’s an X2 in Kui Buri, a 3 hour drive south of Bangkok and half an hour south of Hua Hin. Another is set to open in Koh Samui this month, and yet another in Koh Kood next year.
X2 Kui Buri is currently offering 2 nights free if you …read more

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It’s interesting to read Leonardo DiCaprio being a spokesman for green living, releasing a documentary called “The 11th Hour“. DiCaprio, the star of the film The Beach, if not for which the remote Krabi Island and its neighboring islands in Thailand would largely be undiscovered, left unspoiled, pristine. Nowadays, tourists come in droves, more flights are landing at Krabi Airport, hotels and bungalows are being continuously built to accommodate them.
I wonder how he feels about that.

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Looking for accommodations in Bangkok? Have a look at the 9 leisure packages being offered at Metropolitan Bangkok:
Como Shambhala Reviver Package: for couples or friends looking for wellbeing and respite from the urban hubbub
Excess at the Met: for the ultimate extravagance
Global Explorer: ideal for travelers on stop-over on their way to explore Indochina’s gems, including Thailand’s beaches, Cambodia and Vietnam
Ready for Business: offers the sleek and efficient tools business travelers require
Seduce Me at the Met: modern interpretation of the classic romance package
Bangkok in Style: the best of Bangkok concentrated into a perfectly tuned three-night stay
Good Morning Bangkok: a simple, …read more

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Lisa Marie of the Flyaway Weblog is having a great time in Thailand — Phuket, Bangkok, Khao Lak, and who knows where else next.
If you’ve been to Thailand, or are planning on visiting the Siam City, you’ll enjoy Lisa Marie’s series of entries. Check it out!

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Only 24 cities have officially signed up for the Earth Hour 2008, held on March 29 — Bangkok and Manila the two Asian cities among them. What is Earth Hour?
Earth Hour is the highlight of a major campaign to encourage businesses, communities and individuals to take the simple steps needed to cut their emissions on an ongoing basis. It is about simple changes that will collectively make a difference – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.
So for 60 full minutes last Saturday, these …read more

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In the last several months, tourists have been flocking to these cities. Alas, there’s more to Asia that lures the tourist than just the stunning tropical beaches. So yes, if you can make it, go and explore before they truly become Asia’s lost gems.
Read Bangkok Chief of Bureau Denis D. Gray’s observations and lamentations on how tourists have taken over these places.
A fusillade of flashing, jostling cameras and videocams is triggered the moment Buddhist monks pad barefoot out of their monasteries in a serene, timeless ritual. A forward surge breaks into the line of golden-yellow robes, and nearly tramples kneeling …read more

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