All In Fares from Air Asia JAPAN PROMO

All In Fares at KLM

All In Fares at Singapore Airlines

Booking Hotel Online

There is a lot of websites available for you to book hotel online but we must make sure that the site is reliable and secure as some personal or credit card information are required to make the payment. The information passed should be secured and encrypted or you will be in trouble later knowing the information has been compromised. Check the validity of the certificate and look for the lock sign. If everything is okay just proceed with your booking.

There are several websites that you can refer to, these websites may not offer the cheapest rate but good to compare the rates offered by other websites.

location of the hotel is very important as it will affect the way you move around the city. There is no point of looking for the cheapest hotel but the hotel is located outside the city, in the end maybe you will end up spending more on transportation. Look for a hotel which is near public transport and general store.

gtahotels.com
You can check the hotel rate and location from the map provided, the easiest way to book right?

airasiago.com
You also can check this website and take the advantage of the package offered by Airasia. The air ticket and accommodation package price might be cheaper compared if you buy them separately.
agoda.com
They have the best price guarantee policy. If you have confirmed reservation with agoda and somehow found out that other website can offer you a better price, make a screen shot and they will try to match or beat the price (terms and conditions applied)

hotels.com
Also one of reliable reference

KLM Treasure Travel

Enjoy Treasure Travel this summer! When you book online on www.klm.com.my or call our reservation center at 03-7712 4555 from 15th June 2010 to 30th September 2010 you might be rewarded to a 3-day/2-night Travel Hunt Experience from Kuala Lumpur to Indonesia. The treasure trail is tentatively scheduled to take place in the end of October or early November 2010.

SIA Tokyo (Haneda) Promo

Dear Valued Customer,

From 31 October 2010, Singapore Airlines will launch twice-daily flights between Singapore and Tokyo Haneda airport, complementing the current twice-daily Tokyo Narita service. Due to overwhelming response, we are pleased to further extend an exceptional fare deal to Tokyo, only available on singaporeair.com from now till 13 August 2010.

Source

Google Maps Saver

Ever experience that you are lost in town and people giving so many directions to your destinations??? I just found a tool that you might be interested.. Google Maps Saver.. You cannot find local map at the airport.. Not everybody have a GPS with them.. some people might have a phone with a GPS function.. but due to bad reception.. still no clue.. make it worst the local cannot speak english.. Lonely Planet might help.. but might attract the attention which I dont like..

Believe me.. I've lost once in Paris.. after getting out from the train station.. keep walking for one hour looking for the hotel.. asking people for the location.. at the end found the hotel .. just 5 minutes walk to the station.. we walk to the opposite direction!!!..


Thank God I found this utility to download the Google Maps and save it in JPEG format for offline viewing.. FYI Google Maps needs internet connection to function.. but with this utility.. no worry.. you can bring the digital format and view it later using your phone.. works best if you are using a phone with big display.. you can define the zoom level.. the file size is also reasonable..

Click here for info

**picture courtesy of blogsdna.com

Apple Muslim Holiday..

Since this entry is purely for Malaysian.. I think I will talk in malay.. if you need to ask something.. please do so..

Everytime MATTA Fair @ pwtc saya tak penah miss.. at lease a few hours le.. kat situ memang ada beratus2 travel agents.. pricing yg diorang offer kadang2 memang tempting.. but then from my past experiences.. jangan terlampau berkira dengan duit sangat.. yang paling murah tak tentu bagi service yg baik.. tapi yang mahal pun tak tentu bagi service terbaik.. but then normally you get what you pay.. dont expect bayar ciput tapi nak service lima bintang.. segalanya berbalik dengan keadaan poket kita.. kalau ada duit extra.. why not bayar extra untuk service..

but then this time saya nak promote Apple Muslim Holiday.. salah satu division @ Apple Vacations and Conventions Sdn Bhd. this company mmg ada satu division khas utk cater for muslim tourists. saya bukan promote sebab ada commission ke apa.. tapi sebagai happy customer..

tak dapat dinafikan yg harga yg ditawarkan memang agak mahal.. bukan mahal sikit.. boleh beza 3-4 digit jugak le dengan travel agent yg lain.. tapi perbezaan harga ada sebabnya.. package yg diorang offer normally akan menginap di hotel bertaraf 4* atau 5*.. dan lagi satu selagi boleh dia akan menggunakan Malaysia Airlines (MH). sendiri boleh calculate kenapa ada beza harga.. normally akan ada satu orang staff drpd apple yg akan join the trip as the tour leader utk make sure everything is OK.. so kalau anything wrong during the trip.. boleh hentam tour leader..

Tour leader will represent the company dan tour guide akan guide the tour group semasa trip.. 2 orang yg berbeza.. tour guide normally local people le.. Makanan so far memang tak penah ada masalah.. saya penah pegi Japan & Korea with Apple.. dia akan provide halal food @ Halal restaurant whenever possible.. kalau tidak.. vegetarian le.. cuba try dengan company lain.. diorang akan cuba jual halal package.. but then bila kita tanya betul2.. last rupanya dia bagi pork free..

One thing saya respect pasal tour dengan Apple dia akan observe waktu sembahyang.. masa trip ke jepun.. kitorang ada berenti tepi highway.. cam area R&R le.. semayang kat pavement je.. jangan expect ada surau plak..

Whenever possible saya akan try pegi dengan Apple tapi provided dengan harga yg reasonable..

Halal Restaurants

If you are a Muslim, definitely this website a must visit. Zabihah compiles a list of halal restaurant throughout the world. Maybe the place you are going is not listed, but you can update the list for the benefit of others. The list of restaurant together with the address PLUS the Google Map location and some review (if any) by other traveler.

Booking Paris Tour Online

At first I wonder how to book my tour online, after further clarification it seems that they are just tour reseller. We will buy the tour package from them but their business partner will conduct the tour.

Book my Paris tour through paris.conciergerie.com, I think their service is good compared to the time given. I booked a week before my arrival and when I arrived at the hotel.. walla.. the voucher already there waiting for me. As some tour e.g. Disneyland trip includes the entrance ticket and rail transportation, they need to send you the physical ticket and you have the option of picking the vouchers at predetermined place or just ask them to mail it to your hotel with additional fee.

KLM Flight Offer

Nice price tag as the price quoted inclusive of taxes and curcharges

Booking Eiffel Tower Ticket Online

It is highly recommended that you book your ticket to Eiffel Tower online before you arrive, otherwise you will regret when you see the queue.. a very LONG queue..

Don't forget to book the first available session as the later the time the longer queue.. this is not the queue to buy the ticket.. but the queue to the elevator going to the top of the tower.. otherwise you will be wasting your time queuing..

Payment is via credit card and don't forget to print the ticket.. looks something like this..

Rates from March 2010 to March 2011 is as follows

Buying Travel Insurance Online

There is one way to buy travel insurance online without leaving your computer.

Standard Chartered do sells the TravelRight Plus Insurance from MSIG online and payment can be made online via credit card.

Click here

Air Asia July In Flight Food Promo

Travel Promo From Qatar Airways

Terms and Conditions

• Offers valid on qatarairways.com/my
• Valid on Qatar Airways flights only
• The fares include taxes, fees and surcharges, which are subject to change due to currency fluctuations
• Seats are limited and are subject to availability
• Sales validity: On/ before 31st July 2010
• Travel validity: On/ before 31st October 2010
• Other conditions apply, please review at the time of booking

Google Maps

One of the important tool in your travel quest.. please refer to google maps for confirmation as some of the maps provided is outdated or not according to scale.

Google Maps

London Hotel Map

Use this website to locate the london hotel, complete with minimum price and availability

HotelMap

Golden Dragon Water Puppet Show

Went to this water puppet show with excitement, but a bit disappointed as the show is conducted in Vietnamese language, but I bet that 60-70% of the spectators are foreigners. After 10 minutes it will become boring as i cannot understand the story, but i guess it is about their folklore. be prepared if you sit at the first 3-4 lanes as during the show the dragon puppet will spit water to the audiences especially those brought their expensive cameras.

Ho Chi Minh City Map

Click to enlarge the map

PARIS

So far if u ever think to go backpacking to France i think it should be no problem in term of transportation, all u need to know is the nearest station to your destination.

There are lots of metro and RER line in Paris, click the above image and you will be redirected to the Metro and RER map website.
to save your money you can plan your journey up front by studying target destination as in Paris you can buy the ticket in piece or bulk. one piece of METRO or RER ticket for journey inside Paris zone 1 will cost you 1.60 euro but if you buy in bulk of 10 pieces (it is called carnet) it will only cost you 11.60 euro. the ticket(s) can be be bought from the vending machine located at the entrance of the METRO or RER station. but be prepared with coins as some machine do not accept notes for ticket transaction. most of the tourist attraction is located inside zone 1 and the ticket is valid for 90 minutes from the first time usage. there are certain rules for the ticket

• valid for 90 minutes from first time usage
• can be use for transfer from Metro to Metro, RER to RER, Metro to RER, RER to Metro, Tramway
  
• can be use for Monmarte Funicular
  
• but it is not possible for transfer from Metro or RER to BUS or vice versa (just train to train or bus to bus)

For your info, there is RER linking the CDG airport to Paris and it will cost you about EUR8.50. If you are carrying lots of bags i recommend you to take the bus, if not the RER is a lot more cheaper.

Buying Foreign Currency Notes

For those planning to go to foreign country it is advisable to check on the currency exchange, preferable to know how much to keep as pocket money. Keep it at minimal level as bringing lots of cash will bring bring more problem than benefit. Minimal is very subjective and you need to know and assess your needs, better still if you can ask your friend who had been to that place.

You can check this website as a benchmark, WAWASAN SENTOSA a local money changer located at LG floor near KFC, Mid Valley. Their website is updated daily, except on weekend. This is just for a benchmark as the rate offered is better than average money changer and you can check the rate online.

As not all foreign currency are sold at the money changer, it is recommended for you to buy US Dollars or Euro currency which are widely accepted by other money changer oversea. For example if you want to go to Egypt and it is difficult to find a money changer that is selling Egyptian Pound in Kuala Lumpur, the best bet is to buy either USD or EUR currency and to buy the egyptian pound in Egypt.

Buying Travel Insurance without going to agent

AXA Travel Insurance

Applicable for Malaysian ONLY

1. go to AXA website
2. download the proposal form
3. fill in the form
4. pay via MBB (514105206919) or CIMB
5. email or fax (03-20317282) the proposal & proof of payment to AXA
6. wait for their respond
7. normally they will contact you and will email a copy of the certificate
8. the actual certificate and policy will follow in few days
   

Hurghada map

• Hurghada map that I manage to get, click to enlarge.
  

Asian Corner @ City Stars Mall

• Asian Corner at City Stars Mall Foodcourt
• Reasonably priced
• Good choice if you missed your Asian food.