Asian News on Travel and Hotels

With 2011 upon us, I thought I would re-visit some of my travel highlights from the past year.

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The highlight of my first quarter was a trip to Boracay Island in the Philippines.  It was a second time for me but the first for my family.  We were pampered by the courteous staff of the Boracay Regency Beach Resort & Convention Center during our 5-day stay.  Aside from their exceptional service, quite a number of visitors choose to book their stay at this hotel mainly because of their comfortable rooms, lovely spa and their gorgeous buffet spread.

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Posted in Asia, Attractions |

Hong Kong will transform into one huge party on December 31, 2010. If you want to celebrate in style on New Year’s Eve, read on.

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Victoria Harbour Fireworks

The Hong Kong government will treat residents and visitors to a spectacular night display of pyrotechnics at Victoria Harbour at midnight. Crowds will form on the Kowloon side of the harbour at Tsim Sha Tsui, near the Avenue of the Stars. There are already viewing platforms constructed for the nightly Sympony of the Stars that will be used for viewing the fireworks. On the island side, spectators will congregate at Wan Chai around Golden Bauhina Square, as well as around the Central piers. Those who find a place on Victoria Peak can watch the sky erupt in color from their lofty viewpoint. Finally, a very good place to watch the fireworks is aboard a cruise ship passing along the harbour, as wine and tidbits are served to passengers. Besides the fireworks, the International Finance Centre will display a huge countdown clock so that everyone in attendance can ring in the New Year in unison.

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Posted in Events, Hong Kong |

Thailand will accept any excuse to party, and even the Western New Year of 2011 is good enough for clubs, malls and hotels to break out into festival mode, enticing both local and foreign celebrants to cheer on the incoming year with music, food and merriment. If you find yourself in Thailand on the eve of December 31 this year, you can party at one of these events.

Photo courtesy of  victoriapeckham. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Events, Thailand |

The list of spectacular attractions that Singapore has to offer is truly endless.  Whenever I find myself in this fascinating country, I make it a point to do the rounds and cover most of these impressive landmarks with the little time that I have.  One of these notable stops is the world-famous Esplanade.

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Known for its characteristic mirror shells, the unique architectural design of the Esplanade has been likened to the Durian fruit numerous times. This is why a lot of people fondly refer to them as the Durians of Singapore.

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Posted in Attractions, Singapore |

From Sentosa Island to Marina Bay, Singapore is primed to ring in 2011 with a bang. Whether you’re up for some overnight beach raves or a tamer brand of fun, the island state has all the action you’ll need to welcome the new year in style.

Photo courtesy of Robboguy. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Events, Singapore |

Putrajaya is located about 25 km south of Kuala Lumpur (KL) and only 20 km from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at Sepang.  In 1999, a new seat of government was chosen to avoid congestion in frenetic KL. The development of a new capital city was an idea hatched by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad years before. As a result, the planned city was built over a vast 5,000 hectare swamp.

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In 2001, Putrajaya was made a Federal Territory of Malaysia, the third in the country with KL and Labuan.

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Posted in Attractions, Malaysia |

If you like reading, then you’ll love BookFest@Singapore, the island’s biggest annual book fair. Reading material from all over will gather in one massive ten day-long event which are bookended by the weekends, just in time to give you something to read during the coming holidays.

Photo courtesy of Eustaquio Santimano.

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Posted in Events, Singapore |

When it comes to sparkling blue waters and beaches perfect for an afternoon of surfing in Indonesia, Bali naturally comes to mind.  But the truth of the matter is that the Indonesian archipelago has so much more to offer holiday travellers.  The Gili Islands, for one, deserve strong consideration.

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The Gili Islands or what are collectively called the Gilis, are a popular tourist destination off the northwest coast of Lombok.  The name “Gili Islands” is somewhat redundant given that gili actually means “small island”.

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Posted in Attractions, Indonesia |