#Welcome to #Cambodia! Bring your wallet wit you

If you’re thinking about planning a trip to Cambodia soon, reconsider, unless you’re willing to put down US$3,000, a fortune for a backpacker in Southeast Asia. The country wants foreigners to make the deposit at a local bank upon entering to make sure any potential medical or quarantine costs can be met. And that’s just the start.

Even if you have the money, it’s still tricky to get in. Travelers need to have a medical insurance valued over US$50,000 and a health certificate deeming them free of the coronavirus, issued 72 hours before entering the country. Then, they start deducting from the deposit.

Local media say testing may need to be done before a traveler can enter which would be US$100 for a swab test, US$30 for overnight accommodation while results sent to the lab, $30 for food and extra expenses for transportation. This would be taken out of the deposit made at the bank.

Once the travellers has gone through all that rigmarole, then they must self isolate for 14 days at their hotel, reporting to medical officers each day. Another swab test would be done on the 13th day of isolation. In another scenario, where a passenger on the flight tests positive for the coronavirus, then everyone on the flight would need to go into quarantine, with costs involved taken out of the bank deposit. Worse case, those who get sick need to pay all costs involved.

Even death has costs. US$1,500 would used for cremation and funeral costs.

Have a great time in Cambodia!

SOURCE: TTR Weekly

Surviving lockdown in my Thai paradise

Opera singer and producer Niall Morris has found himself stranded in Bangkok with his husband Woody during the coronavirus pandemic

Back in 2010, along with my friend Terry from London, I visited Thailand purely by chance. We were on a winter holiday in Penang, Malaysia where Terry was less than impressed with the weather.

“Darling, it’s cloudy again,” he said one morning, in his disapproving Princess Margaret voice. “I can’t possibly go back to London without a tan to annoy my work colleagues.”

“It’s 35°C and sunny in Thailand,” I replied casually, looking at the weather forecast on TV.

Terry’s face lit up.

“I’m already packing, darling,” he gushed, in a flurry of hatboxes.

And with that spur of the moment decision, the future trajectory of my life was changed.

We took a one-hour flight from Penang to Bangkok and checked into a twin room on the 23rd floor of the Shangri-La hotel, with stunning views over the Chao Phraya river. That evening we went to Telephone Bar in the vibrant Silom district and got chatting with a group of friendly locals.

One of them, called Woody, had a dazzling smile and offered to take me on a motorbike tour of Bangkok by night. I ran the suggestion past Terry whose reply was “off you go darling!” And so, in a moment of Shirley Valentine spontaneity, I was whisked off on a scooter down a labyrinth of hot, steaming streets, where tall glass skyscrapers towered over makeshift wooden shacks and spicy chicken soup was being cooked at every corner. It was a thrill to the senses and from that first sultry, humid night in Bangkok, I was hooked.

When I got back to my hotel in the early hours of the morning, I was very surprised to find that Terry, along with all his hatboxes, had left. All that remained was a brief note on my bed: “Gone to Koh Samui. I want to be alone.”

Suddenly, I found myself 10,000km from home, all alone in a foreign country where I knew no one. I’m sure the sensible decision would have been to go back to Ireland and forget about the whole experience but, instead, I reached into my pocket and took out a little piece of paper with a neatly written telephone number and the words: “Call me! – Woody.”

Over the next few days, Woody and I visited some of Bangkok’s most famous tourist attractions. First, we went by motorbike taxi to the Grand Palace, the official ceremonial residence of the king. Built in 1782 by King Rama 1, it’s a huge complex on the west bank of the river and includes the renowned Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Some of it is open to the public, as long as you are well covered and have appropriate footwear (no flip-flops). Next, we took one of the frequent river boats down to Sathorn – a great way to see the towering skyline of the city – and disembarked at Saphan Taksin right next to the Shangri-La hotel. By early evening we were sitting in a side street outside a little restaurant that served the best fish in Bangkok for about €3.50 a main course.

Later that night, Woody brought me to App Arena Club to see his friend Coco, a sensational drag artiste, who lip-synched flawlessly to Whitney Houston – and looked very like her too. It was a whirlwind sightseeing tour which I would never have experienced if Terry hadn’t made his dramatic dash to Koh Samui.

A year later, Woody came to live with me in Ireland and we entered into a civil partnership in 2014. Ever since, we have made a trip each year to Thailand and we’ve built a little house in the rice fields near where he grew up, about 500km north of Bangkok.

In March, Woody and I arrived for our annual holiday in Thailand but now, like the rest of the world, we are caught in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Thai government has responded swiftly with draconian measures to contain the spread of the virus.

The beaches of the south are closed, patrolled day and night by drones; Phuket is in total lockdown (no one can enter or leave the island) and the bright lights of Bangkok’s world-famous nightlife have been turned off.

Throughout the country, there’s a strictly enforced curfew and anyone caught outside after 10pm could end up with a hefty fine or, worse still, a year in the Bangkok Hilton!

Controversially, there has been a total ban on the sale of alcohol since April 1. Thais are very sociable people and love nothing more than to gather at a friend’s house for a game of cards over a bottle of local whiskey but, in general, they are law-abiding and compliant and these strict measures have been highly effective.

To date, there are just 2,969 coronavirus cases in Thailand and while, sadly, there have been 54 deaths, in a country of nearly 70 million, these numbers are extremely low.

One of the other key tactics here has been to radically reduce international travel.

All foreigners have been banned from entering Thailand and Thai citizens returning from abroad must quarantine for 14 days at an appointed place.

Our return flights to Ireland on KLM have been cancelled, leaving us somewhat stranded here.

But at least we are not accidental tourists shipwrecked in an strange land. We are staying at Woody’s sister’s house in a private gated community in a leafy suburb of Bangkok. I start each morning with coffee in the garden, after which I teach English to our gorgeous nephew Hummer who is almost four years old and already nearly bilingual.

Woody’s sister and her husband both work in the property and construction business and, in a typically Thai gesture where family is paramount, they’ve told us we can stay as long as we want.

Since May 3, Thailand has started taking tentative steps towards getting its economy moving again. Outdoors markets are opening up, along with some cafes and restaurants and, for the first time in nearly two months, little Hummer has been released from the confines of his garden to play at the local park. Last week, we all visited the nearby King Rama IX Park and watching him whizzing around on his little green bicycle was pure joy.

In those early days, when I first visited Bangkok, I used to wonder what it would be like to live in Thailand – but I always lacked the courage to give it a try.

Now, with my classical music career on hold and a global pandemic forcing us all to rethink our lives, I have found myself here more by chance than by choice.

But what a blessing it is.

As restrictions are easing, our next plan is to all go up to our village house to help harvest the rice fields and mango and banana trees. These dazzling days in Thailand are a long way from Mozart and Puccini – but the joyous connection with family and nature is like waking up each morning to an unexpected paradise.

Source - Pattaya One News

TM28: Thai immigration scraps requirement for foreigners to report

There is some good news for foreigners in Thailand.

Thai immigration have all but scrapped the controversial TM28 change of address reporting requirement for foreigners.

According to the new requirement, while TM28 is still listed, a long list of exceptions have been added, which for all intents and purposes means that almost no one is now required to submit a TM28 form.

The list of exceptions, covered in sections 2.2 and 2.3 [here], includes just about every foreigner in Thailand, from diplomats and those performing official duties through to students, those working in Thailand, foreigners married to a Thai or who are a parent to a Thai child and those staying in Thailand for retirement.

According to the immigration website, the regulation regarding TM28 is dated February 14 but came into effect on January 28.

However, foreigners need to be aware that they are still required to inform immigration if they change address permanently. [This is covered in form TM27].

For example, if you rent a condo for say 6 months then you move to live in another condo, you need to inform immigration of your new address.

The previous requirement stated that foreigners who had stayed in another province for more than 24 hours were required to inform their local immigration office when they returned.

For example, if a foreigner who lives in Pattaya went and stayed at a friend’s place in Bangkok overnight, they would be required to inform immigration once they returned to Pattaya.

The reality was TM28, which is listed under section 37 of the Immigration Act and has been a requirement since 1979, was seldom enforced by Thai immigration and hardly ever completed by foreigners after returning from an overnight stay elsewhere in Thailand.

Many foreigners, including those who have lived in Thailand for a number of years, didn’t even know the requirement existed.

At least that was the case until last year when TM28 briefly started being more strictly enforced by some immigration offices.

This coincided with immigration also strictly enforcing TM30 – the requirement for hotels, guesthouses and property owners to report foreigners staying at their address.

(TM30 often gets confused with TM28, with TM30 sometimes used as a kind of catch-all term to describe both but they are actually two separate requirements – and TM30 is still required.).

The sudden enforcement of both TM28 and TM30 resulted in Thai immigration being on the receiving end of fierce criticism from the expat community and foreign business leaders in Thailand, who said TM28 was not just inconvenient but archaic, draconian and not fit for purpose today.

A group of expats in Thailand even launched an online petition calling for the TM28 and TM30 to be abolished.

And while the petition failed to reach its target for sign ups, it undoubtedly helped to bring the issue to the attention of senior immigration officials in Thailand.

The subject also received widespread negative coverage in both Thai and English language media in Thailand and was also covered by international news outlets including the BBC and Nikkei Asian Review.

The updated regulation regarding TM28 can be found on the Immigration website:

https://www.immigration.go.th

Source - Pattaya One News

5 Secret Destinations to Visit in #Myanmar (Burma) in 2020

A land with a troubled past, Myanmar has only recently begun to open up to international tourism — and for many travellers, it still passes well below the radar.

 Yet, with its great expanses of unexplored jungle, extensive shoreline, diverse culture, atmospheric incense-filled temples and countless minority groups inhabiting even the most far-flung corners, Myanmar is a sleeping giant. This is a place for those who want to leave the usual tourist trail far behind and tread where few others set foot. Don’t expect travel there to ever be easy, but for the most adventurous and determined explorers, here are 5 secret destinations to visit during your trip to Myanmar in 2020.

1. Keng Tung (Kyaingtong)

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Tucked away in the north-eastern corner of Shan State where Myanmar meets Thailand, Laos and China, Keng Tung, remote, inaccessible and, until recently, off-limits to tourists, is a place to visit before word spreads. The only practical way of reaching it from the rest of the country is to fly in— although it’s also possible to arrive by road from the Thai border crossing at Mae Sai. The town itself has several attractions of interest, including a large standing Buddha, a distinctive monastery and some hot springs, but the main thing to do here is to enjoy the ample opportunities for trekking out to the minority villages in the surrounding area. As one of the most important towns of the Shan people, it’s also a great place to sample Shan food, reputedly the best in all of Myanmar.

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Chin State, bordering India and Bangladesh in the west of Myanmar, is the epitome of ‘off the beaten track’. It is one of the country’s poorest, least developed and most sparsely populated areas and has very little in the way of infrastructure. However, for intrepid explorers who make their way there the potential rewards are great. This is an area with a patchwork of tribes speaking myriad languages and with lush forests and remote mountains to discover. Trekking into minority villages around the town of Mindat is possible, and the region’s best-known peak, Mount Victoria, offers sublime views of the surrounding countryside— sometimes even as far as India on a clear day. Nearby Kanpetlet, a laidback town with decent accommodation, is a good place to base yourself before tackling the mountain.

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In the north-west of Myanmar, bordering the tiny Indian state of Nagaland, lies the Naga Self-administered Zone, home to various tribes sharing broadly similar culture and traditions that make up the loosely-defined Naga people.

This is another of Myanmar’s poorest and most inaccessible areas, and the tribal groups there maintain their age-old customs through their lively festivals, their distinctive dress and their traditional way of life, remaining largely untouched by the outside world.

 Some of these tribes may have been active head-hunters as recently ago as 1969, but nowadays they are more welcoming and friendly, and a trip to their little-known homelands will be one of the most unforgettable experiences of any trip to Myanmar.

4. Dawei
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This port town on Myanmar’s south-western Andaman coast, in Tanintharyi Region, is for those who have grown tired of the overcrowded, overpriced beaches and resorts of neighbouring Thailand and who are searching for something fresh. The town of Dawei itself can be reached by land since the road is now open to international visitors — or if you want to save some time, you can fly in from Yangon. Once there, you will have access to a good range of accommodation, pristine stretches of sand, simple beach restaurants, a handful of pagodas to visit and a secret place of your own to chill, safe from tourist hordes across the border just a little further south.

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5. Mergui Archipelago

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If you’ve ever studied a map of Myanmar, you may have noticed the fractured coastline of the deep south and wondered what undiscovered island paradises lie hidden there. However, the breathtaking beauty of the unspoiled beaches and transparent, turquoise seas of the Mergui Archipelago is likely to be far beyond anything you ever imagined. Try picturing the most perfect Thai islands before the arrival of mass tourism — or any kind of tourism at all — and you might be somewhere close. These islands have only been open to foreign visitors since 1997, and this is a destination you need to see before it hits the mainstream.

Although it is gradually opening up, Myanmar is still largely terra incognita to most international travellers, and even the most popular destinations like Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake receive relatively few tourists. However, if you want the chance to discover some of Southeast Asia’s last truly secret destinations, this is a country that should be on your holiday list.

Source - MM Times

Seven language apps for pleasant, confusion-free travel experience

When traveling, sometimes the sky isn’t the limit, but the language barrier is. One second you’re excited about exploring a new country, and seconds later you're worrying about the language barrier it presents.

In the old days, many tourists walked around carrying a pocket dictionary. But these days people have it easier. With a little help from technology, traveling can be hassle-free. 

Here are seven apps that can save you from language confusion, as compiled by Insider:

1. Google Translate assists you with easy to use features

The app is mandatory. With over 500 million users, Google Translate is packed with useful features. For instance, you can type in text in one language and get an immediate translation in another. You can also speak into the microphone and have the app read it out in a different language. With the 59 languages available offline, Google Translate allows you to engage in real-time conversation with locals, even when you have no internet connection.

2. Duolingo equips you with knowledge of basic conversation

Duolingo offers short and fun daily conversation lessons to prepare you for a trip. If you need a bit of motivation, its mascot, a green owl, is there to cheer you on at all times. You can also test your skills and level up when ready. The app has 200 million users actively learning languages, including Esperanto, Hebrew, Portuguese, Greek, Welsh, Romanian and Swahili.

3. HelloTalk connects you to locals

Not only do people help you, but you get to help others as well. HelloTalk connects users with people who speak the language they need through free chat and audio calls. Offering more than 100 languages, HelloTalk also supports interactive experience through its translation and grammar correction tools.

4. TripLingo comes in handy in critical situations

If you need emergency information, currency conversion, tip calculation or briefings on local etiquette, TripLingo is the right app. Besides offering voice translators in 19 languages, the app offers live human translators on standby, available for an extra charge.

5. Tandem teams you up with a native speaker

Perhaps the quickest way to learn a new language, especially daily conversational ones, is by making friends. With more than 150 languages to choose from and a community of over 1 million people, Tandem pairs you with a language partner to help you learn even slang from the people who use it.

6. Waygo reads foreign alphabets for you

If you’re in for some local food but can’t read a single letter on the menu, Waygo can help you out. The app works by reading letters that you aim your camera at, translate and spell them out for you. The best thing is, it is available offline as well.

7. iTranlate converts speech to text with ease

Locals often can’t be bothered with typing the sentence they are trying to say into your translator app. iTranslate’s voice recognition technology ensures a smooth conversation between travelers and locals. It converts speech into words in over 100 languages and includes an extensive dictionary with verb conjugations. The app also recently introduced a visual dictionary, with the ability to suggest words corresponding to the object shown in photos

Source - TheJakartaPost

Lonely Planet names #Vietnam’s north-south rail journey among world’s best

Vietnam’s north-south railway is listed by the British travel guide, Lonely Planet, as one of 10 world’s ‘most amazing’ train journeys for 2019.

The Reunification Express, known as the Thong Nhat Railway, traverses more than 1,726 kilometers (1,072 miles) between Hanoi and Saigon, the country’s two biggest cities, in two days.

"There is no more atmospheric way to haul into Vietnam’s twin metropolises. And there’s no better way of exploring all the glories in between," Lonely Planet said.

The journey allows passengers to sit and enjoy romantic scenery and rural landscapes along coastal towns in the central region including the former imperial capital of Hue, the Da Nang City Port which was initially built in the French colonial time and the ancient town of Hoi An.

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The other train journeys Lonely Planet lists are the California Zephyr in the U.S., Baikal–Amur Mainline in Russia, China’s Beijing to Lhasa Express, and the TranzAlpine in New Zealand.

The north-south rail has been deteriorating after decades of use since being built by the French in the 1930s. Rail transport is rapidly losing popularity given the rise of cheap air travel.

Vietnam’s aviation industry has been growing at the third fastest pace in the Asia-Pacific, according to the International Air Transport Association.

The railways carried 9.4 million passengers last year, down 3.5 percent from 2017, according to government data.

Some companies have been trying to revive the romance of train travel, offering first-class trips with attached restaurant cars like the five-star services launched in 2017 from Saigon to the coastal resort town of Nha Trang and from Hanoi to the northern highlands town of Sa Pa.

Russian news agency Sputnik recently included the north-south rail among world’s 10 most beautiful.

Last year travel publisher Rough Guides named it as one of the most scenic in Asia, where one can watch buffalos grazing in rice paddies, fishermen casting their nets in the sea, deserted white beaches, and lush rainforests.

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Source - VN Express

#Vietnam - Visit to Son Doong Cave among top adventurous experiences

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 For British travellers, an expedition to Son Doong in Vietnam, the world’s largest cave, is among the greatest adventures they would like to undertake.

British TV channel Dave, a panel of travel experts and editors of U.K. tabloid Daily Mail polled 2,000 people aged 40 or under earlier this week for a survey of ‘greatest adventures around the world and across the U.K.’

Of them, 24 percent said they want to explore Son Doong Cave in the central province of Quang Binh, dubbed Vietnam’s ‘Kingdom of Caves,’ putting it fifth in the top 20 adventure list.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, topped the list (37 percent), followed by trekking along the Inca trail in Peru (35 percent), rafting in the Grand Canyon in the U.S. (31 percent) and descending into Thrihnukagigur volcano in the U.K. (29 percent).

The rest of the top 10 also included dog sledding to witness the aurora borealis in Norway, kayaking in Arctic fjords in Denmark, climbing to the Everest Base Camp in Nepal, cruising the Antarctic, and cage diving with sharks in South Africa.

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 Howard Limbert, a former head of the British Caving Association, and his wife Deb spent nearly 13 years surveying caves in Vietnam since the early 1990s. In 2009 they concluded their initial exploration and declared Son Doong the world's largest cave.

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Son Doong opened to tourists in 2013 and the five kilometer-long system, which is 150 meters high and 200 meters wide, contains at least 150 individual caves, a dense subterranean jungle and several underground rivers.

Due to limited space, registration for Son Doong tours must be made well in advance. According to Oxalis, now the only company licensed to take tourists to the cave, only 300 slots are available this year.

A four-day expedition costs $3,000, and there are buses running from Hanoi to Dong Hoi, the capital town of Quang Binh, and then to the park.

The Quang Binh government recently increased the number of tourists allowed to visit the cave in a year from 640 to 900.

The tour is growing in popularity, and with Son Doong getting prominent coverage from the National Geographic, CNN and Good Morning America, Phong Nha-Ke Bang has become the go-to destination in Vietnam for adventurous travelers

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Source - VN Express

#Thailand, the land of festivals

 

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 We’ll start with Songkran because that’s the start of the Thai new year. It’s held on April 13. Having already blown most of the budget on fireworks for the western new year on January 1 and the Chinese New Year festivities, this time they use water as a means of ‘purification’, saying goodbye to the country’s hot season and welcoming the monsoonal rains. It involves a lot of water. In the past it was a gentle festival held at temples washing Buddha images.

It’s meant to be like this…

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  Fireworks, colour, smoke, noise, costumes, absence of occupational health and safety. That could describe any of the many, many festivals held around Thailand each year. Different regions, different festivals. Some reflect an ancient culture and a rich history, other make absolutely no sense but we enjoy them anyway. We’ll go through some of the main ones and a few you’ll NEVER see anywhere else in the world.

But it’s actually like this!

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 Somehow it’s morphed into a huge water fight, in some places, running over many days up to week (in Chiang Mai and parts of Pattaya). Ladeling water gently onto Buddha statues has been replaced by all-out water fights, loud music, foam and a party that has no rules.

If you’re outside during Songkran, especially in the main tourist zones, you WILL get splashed, probably drenched. The more the authorities try and play down the fun in Songkran the more tourists arrive each year determined to party in an event that’s somewhere between a video-game and the last half of ‘Titanic’.

And that’s just ONE festival!

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 The Vegetarian Festival, principally held in Phuket with it’s Chinese heritage, is an assault on all your senses. Parades are held around the island by various community groups with participants wearing white and followed up by either one or many mah-song. These mah-song have been ‘possessed’ by a spirit and display tourettes-like ticks, grunts and choreography that suggests their claims may indeed be true. If it’s all an act, it’s a very convincing one because, apart from all the cavorting down the street, they also have their cheeks and other parts of their body pierced – not by an earring or something tame like that – we’re talking spears, swords, petrol pumps, guns. It’s insane! These days there’s an ambulance following behind and probably more mah-song succumb to blood loss than is ever reported.

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 Phi ta khon (or Ghost Festival) is held in the Dan Sai district of north-eastern Thailand (near the Lao border) each year and usually follows a parade of people dressed up in rags with ghost masks.

Phi Ta Khon is the name given to a group of celebrations held over three days in the province of Loei. The most striking is the first day, the Ghost Festival itself, when the town residents invite the protection of the river spirit Phra U-Pakut, and then parade wearing the ghosts masks made of husks and coconut leaves.

But they also carry with them large phallic axes which are meant to reflect… oh, Google it.

 In Esan and around the Laos border areas there are many rocket festivals each year around May to June. Probably the biggest is the Yasothon Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival. Imagine groups building their own rocket with the winner able to fire their rocket to the highest altitude. Like Songkran, the idea is to welcome in the forthcoming wet season (by piercing the sky to encourage rain).

The rockets used to be made out of bamboo but are more likely to be constructed out of PVC pipes these days and powered by ‘black powder’ which is regulated by certain rules (we doubt this claim!!). So there’s gun powder, loud music, alcohol and men in competition to fire home-made rockets high into the Esan sky – what could possible go wrong?! Some of the rockets reach heights of several kilometres and can travel a lot further down range.

Read more about the rocket festivals HERE.

 

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 Chinese New Year is big in China and it’s also huge in Thailand. Partly because there are many ethnic Thai-Chinese born in Thailand but also because there are so many Chinese visiting the Kingdom these days. The Chinese New Year festivities stretch from shopping centre sales to regional street parades to ceremonies for families and businesses.

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For a Buddhist country, Christmas is ironically enthusiastically celebrated. It involves presents, eating, celebrations, coloured lights and people spending money so it was always going to fly in Thailand. Thais remain completely bemused by Santa Claus, ‘baby Jesus’ and Christmas carols but, commercially, they’ve certainly embraced it now.

I have never seen better decorations or a celebration of Christmas than I have in Bangkok. My best Christmas moment was when I found a statue of Santa Claus nailed to a cross – a slight cultural faux pas where they’d confused Easter and Christmas and come up with a perfectly ‘Thai’ Christmas decoration.

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Source - The Thaiger

#Indonesia - Government to boost sustainable tourism in small villages

Tangkahan village near Mount Leuser in North Sumatra and Pemuteran village in Bali are two of many villages in Indonesia that offer unique ecotourism attractions. 

They can set an example for other villages across the country to develop sustainable tourism as envisaged by the government during a United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) meeting recently.

Tourists could enjoy ecotourism activities in Tangkahan such as jungle trekking and elephant riding, said Valerina Daniel, the head of the Tourism Ministry’s sustainable tourism acceleration team. 

“In this village, people who used to be illegal loggers are now part of developing the tourism village by offering packages to tourists, which helps to preserve the forests,” she said in Jakarta recently.

Tourists visiting Pemuteran, which is known as a fishing village where residents are active in marine conservation, can go diving and snorkeling while participating in activities like coral conservation and feeding turtles. 

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said after the UNWTO meeting that the ministry wanted to create 2,000 tourism villages by the end of this year, an increase from the 1,734 created last year.

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 The program, managed in conjunction with the Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Ministry, is part of the government’s commitment to accelerate sustainable tourism.  

 According to UNWTO guidelines released in 2005, sustainable tourism should take full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impact while addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, environment and host community.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Regulation No. 14/2016 stipulates that sustainable tourism should empower local communities, preserve culture and conserve the environment.

Valerina said the development of tourism villages would be focused around the 10 priority destinations, or 10 New Balis, adding that the development was a sustainable tourism model that suited Indonesia, which has 75,000 villages across the archipelago.

“There are many villages in Indonesia and a village is the smallest instrument where we can directly empower the community by developing its potential while preserving its culture and environment based on the sustainable tourism principle,” she said.

He added that the development of the homestays and villages could be funded by state-owned enterprises’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.

Another financing option would be using low-interest rate loans from banks with long-term maturity so that local players can thrive, Arief said. 

He added that the government would also establish more Sustainable Tourism Observatories (STOs) in seven locations, adding to the five existing STOs so far. The STOs monitor research and give recommendations to the local government on how to develop sustainable tourism.

The sustainable tourism program was a positive move for Indonesia, although it had yet to become the umbrella policy for general tourism development in the country, said Muhammad Baiquni, a tourism expert at Gadjah Mada University’s Center of Tourism Studies. 

“The sustainable tourism concept could be a good balancer for Indonesia’s tourism, which still tends to be quantity oriented instead of quality oriented,” added Baiquni. 

He, however, reminded the government to make sure that village tourism had a positive impact on society, culture and the environment, as well as putting local communities first so that sustainable tourism could be achieved. 

“Are the villagers benefitting and sovereign on their own land? Does tourism in the villages make their environment and socioeconomic situation better? All of these must be assessed.”

Baiquni suggested that the government should focus on creating tourism villages that were of high standards and sustainable, rather than setting a specific target for homestays and villages.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Travelling the world

Thai passport holders have visa-free access to 75 countries, ranking 68th globally in the 2019 Henley Passport Index. Japan ranks first, with visa-free access to as many as 190 countries, while Afghanistan and Iraq are at the bottom with visa-free access to just 30 nations.

Source - TheNation

#Thailand - Parks department to appeal court ruling on Similan Islands

RULING SAYS NUMBER OF TOURISTS NOT MUCH HIGHER THAN LIMIT SET BY DNP

AN APPEAL will be filed against a court order suspending the ceiling on the number of tourists to Mu Ko Similan National Park between January 1 and March 31. 

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has vowed to fight the ruling issued by an Administrative Court on Sunday.

“We will definitely appeal,” DNP director-general Thanya Netithammakun said. 

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DNP has planned to keep the number of tourists to the popular marine national park in Phang Nga province at no more than 3,850 a day so as to ensure the park’s beautiful islands are not damaged by overcrowding and their carrying capacity is not overwhelmed.

However, a core member of the Similan-Surin Islands Tour Operator Club lodged a complaint with the Phuket Administrative Court over the DNP move. 

The Administrative Court ruled in the plaintiff’s favour over the ceiling, on grounds that the number of tourists to Mu Ko similan National Park during the peak season – January and February – is around 5,000 a day. That number is not too high when compared to the 3,850-tourist ceiling that the DNP seeks to impose, the court ruled. 

In the court’s opinion, the DNP should be able to manage that many tourists – even if it is higher than usual – given that it can plan in advance. The court has also ruled that the DNP should involve the private and civil sectors and other relevant authorities in managing tourist services. 

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‘Travel plans made in advance’

The court told the DNP to take into account the fact that tour operators and tourists plan their trip to the national park well in advance because the preserve is not suitable for visits throughout the year.

Mu Ko Similan National Park, similar to many other marine parks, is closed to tourists for several months every year during the monsoon period. 

The court refused to suspend the hike in entrance fees for boats visiting Mu Ko Similan National Park, despite the plaintiff’s request. The new rates range between Bt500 and Bt3,000 per boat, depending on its size and will take effect from May 16 onward. 

According to the court, there was no sound reason to suspend the fee increase. 

The DNP’s Thanya said that given the beauty of the Mu Ko Similan National Park, it would attract tourists despite increased fees.

“The new rate was introduced for conservation purposes, not with the goal of raising the DNP’s income. We want to protect our natural resources and nature for posterity,” Thanya said.

Panus Tassaneeyanon, a former dean of the Thammasat University’s Faculty of Law, voiced support for the DNP move to appeal. 

“On some days, the number of tourists to Mu Ko Similan National Park reaches 7,000. That’s too many,” he said. 

If the attraction was overwhelmed, damage would be done to its unique nature, Panus said.

“Garbage and wastewater problems will grow. And these problems are difficult to solve.” 

Source - TheNation

#Indonesia - 'Sound of Humanity' seeks to put Lombok tourism back on track

A music festival is set to be held in Sangkareang Square in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), from Dec. 8 to 9 to help Lombok recover from the earthquakes that devastated the region earlier this year.

Organized jointly by the Mataram city administration as well as musicians and volunteers grouped under Bandini Production, the Mataram Jazz & World Music Festival 2018 also aims to entertain quake volunteers and help survivors move on from their traumatic experience.

"This event is also held to promote Lombok as a safe destination to visit," added the chairman of the organizing committee, Imam Sofian, at a press conference on Monday.

Some 100 local and national jazz musicians are scheduled to perform at the festival, which is themed "Sound of Humanity: Jazz Tribute for Humanity”.

“Initiated by artists, jazz musicians and volunteers, the event serves as a form of appreciation for the artists and volunteers who have done many things and helped the people of Lombok in the aftermath of the earthquakes,” said ...
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The artists, he said, had been volunteering by distributing aid, building temporary houses, providing trauma healing and other humanitarian activities for the earthquake survivors.

 “Even today they still continue helping the survivors. The reflection of their experience as volunteers motivates us to organize the event,” 

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 Among the musicians scheduled to participate in the festival include Jakarta-based artists Tohpati Ethnomission, Jason Ranti, Dua Drum, Cerita Fatmawati and Jazz Muda Indonesia feat. Agis Kania; as well as Astrid Sulaiman Quartet from Ubud, Sambava from Sumbawa, and Mataram-based musicians Ary Juliant, Sura Dipa, Jazz Double Quartet/Jadeq, Neo Decker, Pesawat Kertas, One & Flower, Don’t Tell Mom, and Pelita Harapan Jazz Project feat. JKR. 

 Slated to be held at Sangkarean city park, the event is part of the "Mataram MoveOn" campaign.

Mataram Deputy Mayor Mohan Roliskana said the earthquakes that hit the region from July 29 to Aug. 19 also affected Mataram, the provincial capital.

The earthquakes damaged houses, office buildings and other facilities. Even a month after the earthquakes hit, people in Mataram were still living in evacuation tents.

The "Mataram MoveOn" campaign aims to help survivors to return to their daily activities, as well as repair offices, schools and the region’s economy.

Source TheJakartaPost

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Here are the top 10 beaches

Iconic beach from popular K-drama named world’s best beach 2018

A beach in Greece that will be instantly recognizable to fans of K-drama tops a new list of the world’s best 100 beaches, as voted by journalists, editors and bloggers from around the world.

For its list of world’s best beaches, airfare agency FlightNetwork tapped 1,200 travel experts around the world on their picks for the most beautiful, postcard-perfect beach destinations around the world.

Taking the top spot is Navagio Beach, better known as Shipwreck Beach in Zakynthos, Greece.

The slice of paradise takes its rather ominous name from the rusty remains of the shipwrecked Freightliner MV Panagiotis, which sits anchored against towering golden cliffs in the hidden cove.

FlightNetwork says the beach has become increasingly popular in recent years, but fails to mention that the most probable reason for the spike in visitors can be traced to its starring role in the hit 2016 K-drama “Descendants of the Sun.”

The beach served as one of the backdrops for the main characters’ improbable romance in the fictional country of Urku.

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 The 16-episode drama broke viewership records in South Korea, with nearly 40 percent of the country watching its final episode in April 2016. The series was also wildly popular in other Asian countries and among K-drama fans around the world.

The rest of the list features beaches in the Philippines, Hawaii, Thailand, Turks and Caicos, Chile, Micronesia and the Bahamas, among others.

Here are the top 10 beaches:
1. Shipwreck Beach, Zakynthos, Greece
2. Whitehaven Beach, Australia
3. Hidden Beach, Philippines
4. Praia do Sancho, Brazil
5. Tulum, Mexico
6. Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos
7. Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Islands
8. Anse Source d’Argent, Seychelles
9. Maya Bay, Thailand
10. Varadero Beach, Cuba

 Hidden Beach is in El Nido, Palawan which is composed of islands and islets and is known for its massive limestone cliffs. It was in the 14th spot in last year’s list.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Airports most prone to viruses

In public places such as airports, viruses inevitably lurk in every corner. Countless people make contact in planes, waiting areas and bathrooms every day.

“Flying probably accelerated the spread of the H1N1 virus in 2009,” said Dr. Alison Galdy from the University of Minnesota Infection Prevention as quoted by Travel+Leisure.

Fox 9 reported several “virus hot zones” in airports that should be avoided, such as toilet handles, armrests on chairs, kiosk screens and handrails. However, the riskiest item is the plastic bins used during security screenings. 

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It is said that travelers dump everything from toothbrushes to children’s diaper bags into them on a regular basis. The trays are also rarely cleaned.

According to healthcare company the Mayo Clinic, the flu virus can survive on stainless steel, plastic and similar hard surfaces for more than 48 hours. This increases the chances of viral transmissions to humans through contact.

Travelers should also avoid touching their faces too often because it spreads germs quickly. Fox 9 reported that people touch their faces subconsciously as often as three to five times an hour.

 

Source - TheJakartaPost 

#Thailand - BMA to ask Prayut to intervene in Khaosan spat over stalls

BANGKOK METROPOLITAN ADMINISTRATION (BMA) may ask Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to intervene in their bid to restrict footpath stalls in one of the city’s most famous streets.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Sakoltee Phattiyakul said yesterday that he plans to discuss the matter with vendors and various other relevant authorities tomorrow or on Friday.

“We may also submit our conclusion to the prime minister because Khaosan is a famous attraction,” he said.

The ban took effect on August 1. 

Located in the capital’s Phra Nakhon district, Khaosan Road’s longstanding street-fair atmosphere is hugely popular among Thais and tourists.

The BMA, however, has resolved to strictly regulate street stalls there to ensure orderliness but vendors are still calling for the ban to be lifted. 

“We are working on three models to present to the BMA. One of the models is to let stalls run in the morning hours too and in return, we will make sure street stalls are tidier,” said Chonnapha Teansawang, a long-time vendor on Khaosan Road.

BMA’s recent restriction allows stalls to operate on the road next to footpath only between 6pm and midnight. 

Chonnapha said vendors operating stalls in the morning usually had tour groups as customers. 

“We are adversely affected. When the news came out, tour-group organisers cancelled their plan to come to Khaosan Road,” she |said. 

Chonnapha has sold cell phones and bags for more than two decades. 

“I think Khaosan stalls are attractive because of the diverse rang of products in the area,” she said. 

Chonnapha said her group was now holding discussions with vendors in a bid to get a solid proposal to be submitted to the BMA for consideration. It is estimated that Khaosan Road has about 300 vendors. 

According to the deputy governor, “As of now, about 230 vendors have come forward to register with the BMA.” 

xHe said he recognised that Khaosan vendors had plied their trade for a long time and contributed to Khaosan’s reputation as an interesting tourist place. “But what they do is illegal,” he said. 

Sourse - TheNation

 

 Ps. It go look like, the hate Tourists (Foreigners)

#Indonesia One fatality as earthquake hit Indonesia’s Mount Rinjani Sunday

The Mount Rinjani National Park management has revealed around 500 people, including 135 foreigners, are to be evacuated from the volcano area, which was hit by a landslide after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck West Nusa Tenggara on Sunday morning.

The 135 foreign tourists were trapped at Segara Anak Lake, a crater lake shaped like a crescent, in the area.

"There was one fatality," head of Region II of Mount Rinjani National Park Benediktus Rio Wibawanto said on Sunday night as reported by kompas.com, adding the victim, identified as Muhammad Ainul Taksin, 25, from Makassar, South Sulawesi, suffered head injuries.

(Read also: At least 14 killed in Lombok earthquake)

An evacuation team was sent out on Monday morning. The team comprises people from the Mount Rinjani National Park Agency, the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the National Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI), the nature lovers community of the University of Mataram (Mapala Unram), and medics.

Source - TheNation

#Belize is not just for backpackers any more

Tobacco Caye aerial in Belize barrier reef with a boat.

 For all of Belize’s cultural diversity—the country’s melting pot heritage is equal parts Mayan, Creole, Mestizo, Spanish, Lebanese, Chinese, British, Indian, and Mennonite—its tourism scene is surprisingly one-note.

Nearly three-quarters of its 1.4 million annual visitors arrive by cruise ship, docking for just enough time to see the Altun Ha Mayan ruins, ride some zip lines, or go tubing through its famed Crystal Cave. And while a small clutch of luxury hotels exists—led by the pioneering, culinary-focused Copal Tree Lodge and the Coppola family’s private island retreat, Turtle Inn—Belize has suffered from a backpacker reputation that undermines its true Caribbean charms.

That’s changing. “When I started coming here 15 years ago, it was Birkenstocks and REI bags on the TropicAir flights,” says Beth Clifford, founder of the three-month-old Mahogany Bay Resort & Beach Club, referring to the 14-seat Cessna flights that are ubiquitous in Belize. “I just got off a TropicAir plane today and counted no fewer than three Louis Vuitton bags,” she adds. “The profile has changed entirely.”

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Mahogany Bay is the first in a long string of luxury openings coming to Belize. It opened in December on the southeastern tip of Ambergris Caye, with a 70-acre beach club and exploration center for fly-fishing, spelunking, and scuba diving. Joining it soon are a farm-to-table project with solar-powered beachfront cottages, a Dream Hotels Group property adjacent to a jaguar preserve, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s wellness-focused eco-resort, Blackadore Caye.

All that growth shows no signs of stopping. By the time Four Seasons Caye Chapel opens in 2021 with 30 to 40 overwater bungalows on a private island, the country will be competing with the world’s hottest honeymoon destinations.

Four Seasons is leveraging an unheralded aspect of Belize’s topography: Off the country’s coast are 450 atolls that form a low-lying archipelago, similar to the Maldives or the South Pacific. 

This archipelago, however, is a five-hour flight from New York, a six-hour flight from Los Angeles, and an hour and a half from Miami. For Americans and South Americans, it’s a new destination next door. 

“It really does remind me of the Maldives,” says Michael Crawford, Four Seasons’ president of portfolio management and owner relations. “It’s pretty rare to find places like this, where you can create an entire destination unto itself on a private island, much less one that’s proximate to the U.S.—and with good infrastructure,” he tells Bloomberg.

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Exhibit explores a transforming #Myanmar (Burma)

However, sometimes a single photo can say more than the longest news piece or essay.

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This idea is now on display at the Catching the Light exhibit and book launch at Myanmar Deitta until May 14..
The exhibit showcases the work of German photographer Birgit Neiser, who has been visiting here since the early 1980s..
“On my first trip, we couldn’t see a lot of Myanmar, but I became fascinated by the culture and people,” she told Weekend, recounting her 1981 trip..
Like many Europeans, Neiser first came to Myanmar as a backpacker but then returned in 2010 to support an NGO in the Delta region. Since then, she has spent a couple of months here every year.

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Catching the Light focuses on the dramatic changes from the period 2010 to 2016.
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“Looking back, I feel that the country has changed more between 2010 and 2017 than between 1981 and 2010.”
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The black and white images deftly portray the political, economic and cultural transformations.
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“By documenting today’s Myanmar, my photos might serve as a point of reference in decades to come. My goal was to capture the status quo as something to come back to in the future,” she said.
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“The country will continue to change radically so I tried to record as many unique moments of this time as possible.”
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Neiser discussed with Weekend one of her more unforgettable moments on this journey – documenting an elephant camp in the forest near Putao.

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She said at the camp, the elephants worked hard to pull timber out of the forest and push it onto a truck from an elevated embankment.

“They are highly skilled and intuitive; when one log was close to rolling off the truck, they immediately tried to stop it from falling with two elephants working as a team to grab the log and heave it back onto the truck,” she said.

“The elephants seemed to enjoy the challenges they faced and I interpreted in their eyes the same proud look I saw on their mahouts at the end of the day.”

She also travelled using all sorts of local modes of transport including on the back of a timber truck in the Kachin mountains, on a motorbike through Northern Shan State and on board an old fishing vessel in the Andaman Sea.
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“If I have been able to capture the spirit of Myanmar, even scratch on its surface, I am happy.”
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“An achievement for me would be to make others understand – at least to some extent – the spirit of the country and to give back to Myanmar people not only the pictures that I took of them but also show remote corners of the country where many have not travelled.”
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During her current trip, Neiser will also do some photography in Mandalay.
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Neiser’s work has previously been displayed at the National Museum Yangon where her photographs of the country were juxtaposed with old photographs taken by Christine Scherman, another German documentary photographer who had travelled in Myanmar 100 years ago.
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“Everyone in Myanmar has become a photographer through mobile phones. Also there are many more professional photographers around than before,” she said.
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“This is wonderful, especially because the Myanmar photographers will hopefully introduce some new styles and fresh ideas to photography.”
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Myanmar Deitta is at 49 44th Street, Botahtaung Township.

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Source - MMTIMES