tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70048058853041407932011-11-27T15:39:49.726-08:00Asia Pacific Holiday IdeasThe purpose of this blog is to describe some of the best countries I have travelled to over the years and why I lust for travel experiences of a certain type. I will also outline my holiday philosophy. Planning holidays, what I like to do, etc.About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comBlogger141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-20274299771098107962009-01-05T18:50:00.000-08:002009-01-05T19:09:22.093-08:00Southern China - Travelling to Vietnam by trainI have been to Vietnam twice - on each occasion I stayed one month. The first time I travelled from the Philippines (since I was working there), and on the 2nd occasion I travelled from Sydney to HK, then travelled overland by train to Vietnam (Hanoi). The train route was HK-Guangzhou-Nanning-Vietnam border town-Hanoi. I took this route because I didn't like Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and the About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-53764714503493113722009-01-05T18:31:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:50:12.395-08:00Korea as a travel destinationI have been to South Korea twice; on one occasion I was en-route to Japan, and the other time I was just doing a weekend stopover to renew my visa so I could stay another 90-days in Japan. My basis judgement on holidaying in Korea is - Why? What for? There is very very little to recommend about the place. If Japan did not exist, then I could find a reason to go there, but the problem is, it does.About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-57473253301899242862008-11-01T13:44:00.000-07:002009-01-05T18:28:31.270-08:00Rafting & hiking in JapanA suggested rafting and hiking trip to Japan for me would involve the following:1. Flying to Narita return can be expensive, so I offer an alternative of flying to another city, even Pusan, South Korea and catching a ferry to Fukuoka. At any Japan major city you can activate your 1 week Japan Rail Pass. As a side option, consider an overnight stay in Fukuoka, Nagoya, Hiroshima at a Capsule Hotel.About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-71615121395804702322008-11-01T13:43:00.000-07:002009-01-05T18:31:51.664-08:00Sea kayaking in Halong Bay, VietnamVietnam is a gorgeous country. Outside the city its very clean and the government also goes to alot of trouble to ensure the tourist districts in Hanoi (Lake Kiem district) and Saigon are also kept clean. Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City) is the main gateway to Vietnam, which is unfortunate because I think Hanoi is the crown in the jewels. For this reason consider approaching Hanoi by:1. Transferring About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-7112422508812607632008-11-01T13:40:00.000-07:002009-01-05T18:31:08.123-08:00Why holiday in Asia?You will not normally here this question asked - but I have observed that people tend to display a preference for either holidaying in Asia, or sticking to western countries. Its true that they are very different experiences, and I would offer the following explanation for why people differentiate. I also observe that people tend to change preferences over time.
I think people look to Asia for:
About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-23772459246304786092008-11-01T13:39:00.000-07:002009-01-05T18:29:36.078-08:00Philippines tourism coming of ageCommentators have long commented on the potential for the Philippines tourism industry - identifying it as one of the 4 pillar industries apart from mining, agriculture, call centres & other outsourced business services. First tourism has had to overcome a number of problems:
1. Terrorism - For the last 35 years the Philippines has had a number of civil conflicts going on, whether its the Muslim About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-51284786271582650142008-11-01T13:36:00.000-07:002009-01-05T18:29:59.261-08:00Cheaper travel in AsiaHave you noticed that the cost of travel in the Asian region is getting cheaper. The ASEAN group of countries have committed to liberalising air travel by Dec-08. This might partly explain the plethora of new discount airlines in the region. This will no doubt create opportunities for tourist services. Some years ago I remember reading how alot of Asian resorts were struggling to make money. About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-8487383235844560202008-08-26T03:10:00.000-07:002008-08-26T03:11:12.901-07:00Holiday activitiesSome people are happy just to wind down by going for a holiday to relax. I personally can't relate to this. I can't just go to a resort and lie in the sun or sleep. That is not my idea of a holiday. I always want to be active. If I am at a resort, then I want to go canoeing. If I am in a deck chair by the pool I want to read a book.The activities I like to do when I go away are:1. Mountain About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-59654172134546683452008-08-26T03:09:00.000-07:002009-01-05T18:31:08.124-08:00Planned vs Unplanned holidays?We all face the question of whether we should plan a holiday or just see where the breeze takes you.Maybe we should also differentiate planning from preparing a holiday. I think every holiday requires preparation. But there is a difference between putting petrol in the car, and checking the oil, and from working out where you are going to be at 12 noon tomorrow, and deciding where you are going About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-24450300321850625812007-12-19T21:45:00.001-08:002009-01-05T18:31:33.825-08:00Travelling to MacauThe island of Macau is a tourist paradise for the insane. Its highlight is a multitude of casinos. You will need to get a visa unless you are a Chinese or HK citizen. Why would you bother?See www.macautourism.gov.mo.About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-2460323939153421402007-12-19T21:19:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:30:29.275-08:00Competition heating up in the Asia regional travel marketWe are seeing government monopoly airlines coming to terms with the potential of low cost airlines. What we must understand about low-cost airlines is that they offer:1. Access to regional destinations – you no longer have to go to a sprawling city2. They offer same price flights no matter which way you fly3. They always seem to have seats available, so you can book on the goThese favourable About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-23363348054210319792007-12-09T22:41:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:30:37.160-08:00Travel advice - wisdom is better than travel insuranceHaving just posted an article on reasons why travel insurance is a waste of your money, I would like to offer some advice on travel precautions. I have a lot of travel experience and a good understanding of scams, psychology, etc. Most of the countries I have been to are poor, and I have stayed in expensive company-paid hotels and cheap backpackers where have picked up the odd case of fungus. On About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-13866564705697896272007-12-09T22:31:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:29:03.011-08:00Why you dont need travel insuranceI was reading this Sydney Morning Herald article (see Source: The Sun-Herald www.smh.com.au/news/planning/home-safe-even-when-youre-away/2007/12/01/1196394684084.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 ) on travel insurance. Surprisingly to me it was favorable towards buying insurance. I can find few instances that would warrant travel insurance. I think its mainly used by business as a perk for the sakeAbout Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7004805885304140793.post-53589867455036823622007-11-07T19:55:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:31:08.125-08:00The Top 10 featured cities (places) in the worldNow more than ever we have unprecedented opportunity to travel and work in foreign countries, particularly if you are skilled in cooking, finance, computing, hospitality, teaching (English), nursing and the trades, as these tend to be the areas in which a global shortages or opportunities exist. Most of the cities I have been to are in Asia. I have not been to the EU or Africa, and just Colombia About Andrew Sheldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15469120006156639030noreply@blogger.com