Asia Vacations - Travel, Tourism - Info & Review

January We started the year with @ventureforthphoto doing a takeover for us at the annual Bishwa Itjema religious festival, "which draws millions of attendees to the northern Dhaka suburb of Tongi, many of them arriving and departing on heavily loaded trains, which are truly an astounding sight". A good six months before the US and Cuba restored diplomatic relations, @signorilefabio decided to see Havana before it all changed. "Havana appears suspended in the 1950s – you see all these iconic vintage American cars cruising along the Malecon." February The Jaisalmer Desert Festival takes place in Rajasthan every February. @drusillita posted shots from the event, which celebrates the culture and heritage of the region in camel races, music, art and dance. Venice carnival was also in full flow in February – quite literally this year as there was widespread flooding. Local Instagrammer @neumarc posted photos of the costumes and masks. March By March, we were

Updated Dec. 29, 2015 9:18 p.m. ET Ten Southeast Asian nations start an ambitious, U.S.-backed experiment on Thursday: integrating their economies in a bid to bring more global sway and prosperity to the region's 622 million citizens. Their common market—more than a decade in progress—aims to forge a prominent regional bloc to rival China and Japan out of a hodgepodge of economies ranging from rich-and-open Singapore to emerging Myanmar. Over time, the countries, all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, plan to boost economic ties by further lowering tariffs and allowing a freer flow of labor, services and capital across a region stretching 3,900 miles between the Pacific and Indian oceans. The bloc—which also includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam—is a fast-expanding home to a rising middle class, but also to widespread poverty

December 29, 2015 -- Orlando, Florida - December 29, 2015 - (INTUITION by Perspective Group) -RSI Vacations, a travel benefits program provider, has confirmed its silver sponsorship for the Sixth AnnualGlobal Networking Expo(GNEX 2016). This four-day event is taking place February 2nd-5th, 2016, at the luxurious Ritz Carlton in New Orleans, LA. RSI Vacationsis a business to business provider of private-branded leisure lifestyle and travel benefits programs. The company offers a variety of incentives and tools to reduce costs, help generate new sales, and retain existing customers. Partners of RSI Vacations have access to RSI's suite of powerful custom sales and marketing tools suchas:white labeled branded client services, a worldwide travel network, online retail discount incentives, supporting sales and marketing collateral and much more. "RSI is proud to support GNEX 2016, where the timeshare industry's greatest minds assemble, share and network,"

Reddit Email Print Reprint As a result of several high-profile attacks around the world, terrorism has become a concern among countless international travelers in a way that it has not been in years past. Add to that the uncertainty associated with climate change and the growing frequency of natural disasters, and you have yet another source of hesitation among globe trotters when it comes to travel in 2016. And while industry experts insist that bookings remain steady, or perhaps busier than usual in a show of solidarity with affected countries, there is no denying a shift in patterns among large swaths of the traveling population, one that's more than likely tied to the past year's events. "You can tell that the terrorist attacks in Paris, the economic collapse in Greece, all of those events have put a bit of a wet blanket on Europe," says Krista Canfield, getaway expert for Gogobot.com, a travel app that racked up 10 million user

Elsewhere called. It misses you. In fact, it wants you to hit the road soon. Here are 16 destinations (alphabetically arranged) that look especially pleasing in 2016. Botswana  It's a smallish country, about the size of France, with not quite 2 million people. But Botswana, in southern Africa, has the Okavango Delta and the vast Central Kalahari Game Reserve. In fact, 38% of the country's territory is set aside for national parks, reserves and wildlife management areas. And as of 2016, it also has 50 years of independence. Before 1966 it was a British protectorate known as Bechuanaland. Now, as a democracy with a reputation as the least corrupt country in Africa, Botswana is an increasingly popular destination for safari-seekers. In the delta, you can canoe past hippos. In Moremi Game Reserve, you see lions on the prowl. In Chobe National Park — well, you'll find about 50,000 elephants for

With airfare rising more than 10% in the past five years and hotel rooms going for exorbitant prices, conventional tourism has become more challenging to do affordably. But what if you could travel and not spend a dime? What if you could even get paid? Many would jump at the opportunity to experience new cultures, traverse through beautiful landscapes, and satisfy their insatiable wanderlust.  We've compiled 12 ways for just about anyone to get their golden ticket to spending weeks, or years, in exotic lands while earning some cash.  1. Become A Tour Guide Leading tours through some of the world's most iconic and historic places sounds like a dream come true. It can offer tons of variety, depending on how you approach it. Do you become a tour guide in one dream place — say, Paris! — and lead hordes of American tourists through the Louvre, the Bastille, and the Eiffel Tower? Or do you lead groups on longer trips that go through a series of destinations?  Either on

The topic or member you're looking for is no longer available on Fodors.com. We reserve the right to remove content that doesn't meet our guidelines. Be sure to review our Forums guidelines before you post. GET TRAVEL ADVICE & TIPS Going somewhere and have questions? Ask our Fodorite community for suggestions. GET TRAVEL INSPIRATION Get the latest travel trends, receive insider tips, and learn new hot spots from our local writers. PLAN YOUR NEXT TRIP Our travel experts have recommendations for every aspect of your trip. Where do you want to go? SELECT A CRUISE SHIP Find out which cruise is right from you with our in-depth review of major cruise lines. Source: India travel guide

The multi-million dollar estate called Hale Reena in Kailua boasts 7,000 square feet and first became the Obama's holiday rental when their first choice, The Plantation Estate, wasn't available in 2011 and again in 2012 The Asian inspired Hale Reena offers many amenities including a spa, pool, steam room, and an outdoor lanai with cushy lounge chairs and is believed to cost $3,500 per night to rent Obama, who is allowed federally funded transportation and security, must pay out of pocket for his accommodation which adds up to around $56,000 for his entire two week stay Obama's eighth consecutive Christmas vacation to Hawaii begins just as a new report published on Thursday showed the total cost of Obama's vacations since taking office in January 2009 has now hit $70.5million Obama's usual rental, The Plantation Estate, costs anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 per night   By Alexandra Klausner For Dailymail.com Published: 16:14 EST, 23 Decem

Elbit Systems has won a contract from an undisclosed country in Asia Pacific to supply a comprehensive airborne solution for use in intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions. The contract, valued at approximately US$50 million, will be performed over a three-year period by Elbit Systems' ISTAR Division, which will be the prime contractor for this program. The full scale solution will further develop the customer's existing intelligence and surveillance capabilities, by upgrading Elbit Systems' already-deployed, long-range electro-optical (EO) cameras and sensors, and supplementing them with ELTA Systems' advanced SAR/GMTI Reconnaissance systems.  In addition, the solution will provide the ability to perform advanced functions such as mission planning, battlefield management, terrain analysis and simulation modeling, both before and during intelligence-gathering operations. "We are proud of this contract award tha

Intrepid Travel has released its Asia brochure for 2016 with a new trip to Borneo, a short break to Myanmar's Ngwesaung Beach and a 7-day trip to experience the undiscovered treasure of Bhutan.  Paro, Bhutan Daniel Pawlyn, head of business development at Intrepid, said: "Asia is Intrepid's heartland and continues to be its top selling destination. These new active trips to Borneo and Indochina are perfect for clients looking for a fun and challenging way to explore a destination. "Bhutan is about to be discovered. It's a great time for our more adventurous travellers to explore a fascinating country before everyone else." The nine-day Borneo – Hike Bike and Kayak trip will take clients to Borneo's Sabah region, a natural paradise of steamy rainforests, towering mountains and beautiful be aches. This active includes cycling through small villages, trekking up Mount Kinabalu, and kayaking in Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. Source: Intrepid Travel rele

Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa has partnered with one of the world's most popular cycle tour companies, Pinarello Travel, to offer exclusive cycling tours around the Australian Snowy Mountains. The Italian travel agency, which offers cycling tours from the French Pyrenees to the Italian Dolomites has recognised the Snowy Mountain region as one of Australia's best places for road and mountain bike riding. Pinarello Travel Tour Director Yvette Fuser said that after much research and assistance from the Jindabyne Cycling Club, they have decided to make Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa their Australian base. ""The area has everything cyclist needs – great quality roads, minimal traffic, breathtaking scenery, stable weather, excellent services and welcoming locals. This is the beginning of an exciting and amazing partnership which will open up this area and its importance to Australian cycling fans," said Ms Fuser. The first tour will take place from

President Barack Obama arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a family vacation on Dec. 19, 2015, in Honolulu. Evan Vucci / AP Obama and his wife spent nearly three hours late Friday hearing from the loved ones of the nine men and five women killed Dec. 2 when a married couple opened fire on the husband's co-workers at a workplace holiday party in San Bernardino. The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism. Related: Obama Meets With Families of San Bernardino Attack Victims Obama said the meetings in a high school library were "so moving" because the families were so representative of the country. "You had people from every background, every faith. Some described loved ones who had come to this country as immigrants, others who had lived in the area all their lives, all of them extraordinarily proud of the work they were doing to keep people healthy and safe" as employees of the San Bernardino County health department, he sai

JAL Group reports its traffic forecast for the 2016 New Year vacation period. Today, JAL Group (JAL) forecasted a total of 268,464 passengers traveling on its international flights during the Japanese New Year vacation period from December 25, 2015 to January 3, 2016 based on current reservation figures. The total number of people traveling to and from Japan is expected to increase 2.7% compared to the same period last year, and the number of available seats is 2.3% up than previous year. On the international routes, especially Southeast Asia, Oceania, Hawaii and Guam routes are showing favorable demand. Growth of inbound traffic contributes the improvement of overall international booking factor to 86.0%, increased by 0.3 percentage points compared to the same period last year. On the domestic routes, passenger bookings now is improving by 2.0% to 916,016 than last year, while the domestic seat capacity 3.3% down on the same period last year. The overall booking factor for dom

BeMyGuest, a booking platform for tours an activities throughout Asia, has launched a business-to-business platform for travel agents: Agents Marketplace. All inventory is offered at net rates, and agents add their mark-up. BeMyGuest said it has more than 10,000 activities and tours in its inventory. There is no charge for agents to use the marketplace, but agents must register to get an account. Polina Schitova, director of brand and communications for BeMyGuest, said the marketplace has around 3,000 users at the moment, and that BeMyGuest is seeing a rise in European and U.S. agents joining. Source: Asian tour/activities wholesaler launches agent platform

Americans' View of Race Relations at Two-Decade Low — WSJ/NBC News Poll Where the GOP Candidates Stand on Syria's Assad Ben Carson Vents a Bit About Political Process and GOP Voters Obama Delivers Not-So-Subtle Condemnation of Trump Capitol Hill Sledding a Big Winner in Spending Deal Source: Congress Proceeds With Travel Restrictions on Foreigners

The Thailand Travel Mart Plus (TTM+), which normally takes place every year in Nonthaburi, just north of Bangkok, is to move to the charming city of Chiang Mai in 2016.  To be held between 8-10 June 2016 at the Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre (CMECC), the event will bear the theme of "Smile with Us". Organised annually by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the TTM+ is Thailand's largest annual B2B tourism and travel trade event.  "The time is right for TTM+ to be moved to another location. Chiang Mai is perfectly suited because it is the closest Thai city to our neighbours in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) with a new convention centre and superb hotel facilities to accommodate all the guests," said Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor. "The emergence of Myanmar as a major tourism destination, plus the improving transportation connectivity in the GMS will further enhance the appeal of the entire area, giving buyer

Malaysia flies under the radar, especially for Western travelers. Some people might have been surprised to see that it beat out Thailand, Singapore and China for the title of Leading Travel Destination in the Asia Pacific at the 2015 World Travel Awards. Malaysia jostles with neighboring Thailand for third position on the list of most visited Asia Pacific destinations (China and Hong Kong occupy the top 2 spots). 2014 brought around 27 million international arrivals to the country.Malaysia has a lot going for it as a travel destination, though perhaps the image of its capital, Kuala Lumpur, as a modernized, Westernized city can't compete with exotic Thailand or Vietnam. A very practical destination Malaysia's capital deserves a bit more attention than it gets from travelers from the West. On a practical level, it is arguably one of the world's cheapest modern cities. There are budget guesthouses and hostels, of course. However, Malaysia also has some of the lowest

Chico State alumna Julie Kern and Jessica Vitorelo have turned their travels into a magazine, "Wanderlove." Photo courtesy of Jessica Vitorelo. December 13, 2015Filed under Features Traveling the world in your early 20s old may seem out of reach for most college students. How exactly does a broke, busy and stressed college student plan a backpacking trip through Southeast Asia? Or a scuba diving adventure off the coast of a small Indonesian island? Well, Chico State alumna Jessica Vitorelo and her longtime friend and business partner, Julie Kern, have figured it out. Jessica Vitorelo and Julie Kern ride motor bikes during their travels in Italy. Photo courtesy of Jessica Vitorelo. After graduating from the recreation, hospitality and parks management department from Chico State in 2012, Vitorelo moved to the Bay Area and began working in the food and beverage industry. It did not take long for her to realize that was not for her. After a ye

MANILA, Philippines - Profits of Asia Pacific carriers are seen to expand by double-digit levels next year on the back of a sustained air travel strength in the region, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said. From an estimated $5.8 billion this year, Asia Pacific profitability, including those from the Philippines, could rise by 14 percent to $6.6 billion in 2016, according to IATA's latest airline industry outlook. "The region's carriers will benefit more fully from the impact of lower fuel prices in 2016 as hedges unwind," said Tony Tyler, IATA director-general and chief executive officer. The growth forecast is the third fastest for next year, following carriers in the Middle East (21.43 percent) and Europe (23.19 percent). North American airlines could see profit inch up 1.04 percent, while their African and Latin American counterparts could post losses and smaller profits, respectively. While cargo revenues' weakness are expected