Asia Vacations - Travel, Tourism - Info & Review

A woman takes a selfie of herself at Timang Beach in Yogyakarta. Izlan Somai/Shutterstock INDONESIA has been announced as the largest market for Instagram in the Asia Pacific, with 45 million of its netizens using the photo sharing app according to the company's internal data. While accounting for around 3.5 percent of the world's population, Southeast Asia's largest nation accounts for a six percent of Instagram's 700 million users globally. Instagram usage in the nation of 250 million has increased by more than 100 percent since 2016. Indonesians use the platform's Story feature twice as much as the average user. "For the people of Indonesia, sharing an important moment is part of the culture, so it is no wonder Indonesia has become one of the largest Instagram Story content producers," said Facebook Indonesia's country director Sri Widowati last week, as quoted by the Jakarta Post. SEE ALSO: In pictures – Indonesian village get

For decades, Singapore and Hong Kong have reigned supreme: as key transit points connecting travelers in Asia to and from the rest of the world. But now, a $1 trillion global airport spree is threatening the status quo. About half that money is due to be spent on upgrading or building new airports in Asia, the Sydney-based CAPA Centre for Aviation estimates. In Beijing, a new $12.9 billion airport due to open in 2019 will turn China's capital into one of the world's biggest aviation hubs. Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport is set for 117 billion baht ($3.5 billion) of upgrades through 2021 including a third runway. South Korea's Incheon International Airport is spending 5 trillion won ($4.5 billion) on a second terminal as it aims to become "the world's leading mega-hub airport." As part of efforts to keep up, Singapore's Changi Airport this month unveiled a S$1.3 billion ($950 million) fourth terminal. Hong Kong, meanwhile, plans to fill in part of

KUALA LUMPUR  AirAsia's phenomenal growth is far from over. The superstar of cheap air travel in Asia is already the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' largest budget airline by fleet size after having leveraged its hub-and-spoke model to connect numerous cities. Now, as the region's middle class grows, the airline is eyeing new routes and markets, including China. "We saw ASEAN before ASEAN saw us," says Tony Fernandes, the airline group's chief executive. AirAsia's modest start with just two aircraft in 2002 happened to coincide with the region's economic integration under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. AirAsia immediately saw the huge potential: an area with a population of over 600 million, with growing economies but poor connectivity. "Our timing was great," Fernandes noted, reckoning that the airline would not have taken off 20 years earlier. "Luck played a big part, but we took advantage of it." Marketing hi

Expedia is deepening its focus on Southeast Asia after it invested $350 million in Traveloka, an online travel portal based out of Indonesia. A source close to the deal confirmed that the investment values Traveloka at more than $1 billion. That means the startup has joined the likes of Grab, Sea (formerly Garena), Go-Jek and Lazada in the region's unicorn club. Expedia said it has picked up a "minority" stake in the company. Alongside its investment, it disclosed that Traveloka has also raised an additional $150 million over the past year from other investors, including East Ventures, Hillhouse Capital Group, JD.com and Sequoia Capital. Traveloka was founded in Indonesia in 2012, and today it services Southeast Asia's six primary markets — Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines. The startup previously raised seed funding rounds from East Ventures and Rocket Internet's Global Founders Capital, but its most recent public round w

MANILA, Philippines - A Japanese historian who helped save Cambodia's renowned Angkor Wat temple complex was among the winners of this year's Magsaysay Awards, widely regarded as Asia's version of the Nobel prize, organisers said Thursday. Yoshiaki Ishizawa (79) was honoured for decades of work in helping preserve the historic landmark after the 12th-century temple complex barely survived years of war and civil strife, the award foundation said. Aside from rallying international support to preserve the structures, the Japanese scholar was also cited for raising awareness among Cambodians of Angkor Wat's importance to their heritage. "The protection and restoration of the sites of Cambodia should be carried out by the Cambodians, for the Cambodians," the award foundation quoted him as saying. The Philippine Educational Theatre Association was also honoured for 50 years of work in developing a national theatre, staging "protest" plays during th

Airbnb Inc. is looking to deliver experiences in Japan that they can't get anywhere else, by offering customers the opportunity to stay in temples, train stations and other unusual settings. The San Francisco-based home-sharing startup will work on the initiative with Blue Lab Co., a financial-technology venture backed by Mizuho Financial Group Inc., the companies said in a statement Tuesday. Japan is Airbnb's fastest-growing market, now with more than 53,000 listings. More than 24 million tourists visited Japan in 2016, topping the record for a fourth straight year, according to the National Tourism Organization. After years of regulatory hurdles, Japan's government passed a law earlier this year setting out rules for home-sharing. That's spurring an effort to expand the number and variety of lodgings available to visitors. "This is a great way to bring together different businesses with different ideas to provide better services for customers to enjoy and

Three of Thailand's fun-filled water parks have been listed as among the Top 10 in Asia by a renowned travel website TripAdvisor in their 2017 travellers' choice awards. The Ramayana Water Park in Pattaya took the 3rd spot in the Top 10 Water Parks in Asia with The Black Mountain Water Park in Hua Hin taking 6th spot. Also in Pattaya, The Cartoon Network Amazone is making a splash and was named the 7th most popular water park in Asia. "Thailand offers various fun-filled activities for families, youth and children equally; becoming an ideal destination for a getaway with your kids. Most of the Indians have grown up watching Cartoon Network and know the Ramayana story; visiting these theme parks will definitely elicit your childhood memories," said director of Tourism Authority of Thailand in Mumbai, Soraya Homchuen. According to TripAdvisor, the award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings

In general, millennials are found to be far more well-traveled than baby boomers. Source: Shutterstock THE growth of low-cost airlines, affordable accommodation and online tourism-related bookings has contributed to a wealth of choice for millennials, who make up a large slice of the pie in the global travel market. According to a study from online travel agent eDreams, millennials are also traveling at a younger age. Those aged 18-29 embark on their first international holiday by the average age of nine, having experienced an average of four international holidays by the age of 12. In general, millennials are found to be far more well-traveled than baby boomers. Head of UK and group external affairs at eDreams Robert McNamara said: "People are traveling internationally more and they're starting to do so at a younger age as travel has become more and more accessible." He said online booking had evidently encouraged more travel among millennials

I receive compensation for many links on this blog. You don't have to use these links, but I am grateful to you if you do. American Express, Citibank, Chase, and other banks are advertising partners of this site. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by my advertising partners. I do not write about all credit cards that are available -- instead focusing on miles, points, and cash back (and currencies that can be converted into the same). For a decade it was unheard of to see roundtrip fares to Southeast Asia for under $600. I don't even bother sharing fares to Europe unless they're under $500… preferably under $400. When I first started seeing deep discount international fares popping up last year, I worried they were mistake fares that might not be honored by the airline. But they're not. Major airlines are facing: Economic challenges and greater uncertainty. There's Brexit and terrorism, and

Advertisement Published: July 22nd 2017 Edit Blog Post Geo: 13.7187, 100.517 Back on the trusty tuk tuk for the "shuttle" to the airport at 7:30 am. Because it is an international flight we have to be there 2 hours ahead. The airport is very nice and modern however going through immigration was interesting. Several others also noticed the event. A very gruff supervisor was shuffling people into the various lines. He sent 2 Chinese travellers into the line ahead of us. They were laughing and rubbing their fingers together and when they stepped up to the immigration window the money changed hands quickly. Obviously the supervisor was directing them to this particular agent who would take the money and then the supervisor would get his share. Others commented on how blatant it was. The 40 minute flight was uneventful and we had a "vegetarian" breakfast. The Bangkok airport is a very interesting design from the outside. Immigration was smooth and our

Vietnam has become the 10th most popular destination among Chinese tourists, according to new statistics. Figures from CLSA, a Hong Kong brokerage and investment firm formally known as Credit Lyonnais Securities Asia, showed Vietnam has overtaken France to enter the top 10, which is led by Hong Kong, Thailand and South Korea. The survey polled more than 400 Chinese travelers across 25 cities with an average age of 35 and a monthly income of 20,000 yuan ($2,900). Safety remains the prime concern for mainland travelers, followed by cost and sightseeing opportunities. A series of terror attacks last year in Europe had deterred Chinese travelers, it said, as cited by the South China Morning Post. Last May, a MarketWatch report, citing data from American Express, also showed that summer bookings to Europe's top destinations, notably France and Turkey, had been hurt by the attacks. China has always been Vietnam's main source of tourists, and their numbers increased by 5

A taxi sits on the street in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Source: Phuong D. Nguyen/Shutterstock ACROSS Asia, taxis remain a vital mode of transport for millions of locals and tourists alike. Even with rideshare app companies fighting legal battles with governments across the region, old school taxis don't seem to be disappearing anytime soon. As it turns out, many Asian cities are among the cheapest to get a cab in the world. A few, however, are painfully expensive. The newly released 2017 Taxi Price Index by Carspring, a UK-based online car sales website, ranked 80 of the most visited cities globally by how much it costs to get around by taxi. The index ranks cities according to the standard price of a 3km-ride. It also compares the typical cost of a taxi from the airport to city center, initial hire fee, waiting cost-per-hour, as well as noting whether Uber is on offer and the typical model of cab in each city "to give you an idea of what you're l

huibing Wednesday, July 19, 2017 Experience a true island getaway you'll never forget at any one of these private plots of land surrounded by the sea. 1/10 Amanpulo, Philippines You are a queen, much like Beyonce and Angelina Jolie, so treat yourself right with a vacation that they will totally approve of (and have already done so). By renting out the Amanpulo Resort in the Philippines, you will be treated like royalty. Start out with a private plane that charters you to the island, and transport yourself around with a private golf cart, which gives you perfect access to the range of amazing activities around.Price range: $$$$$ (from SGD18,000/3 nights)Website: Amanpulo Photo: Amanpulo 2/10 Nikoi Island, Indonesia Nikoi Island seems to be perpetually booked, and for good reasons too. This private island has garnered the attention of travellers worldwide, whether they are seeking a quiet getaway or a fun and private adventure. The whole island

SINGAPORE - Tourist destinations worldwide are seeing a boom in Chinese tourists, and Singapore is no exception. Data from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) shows that visitors from China spent an estimated $3.52 billion in Singapore in 2016, a whopping 39 per cent – nearly $1 billion – increase from 2015. This was the second year in a row that China has emerged as Singapore's top-spending market, beating out Indonesia which has traditionally been the top spender. There were 2.86 million Chinese visitors, up 36 per cent from 2015. Going by the results of a survey of more than 3,000 Chinese travellers by online travel booking site Hotels.com released on Tuesday (July 18), the tide of Chinese tourists will not be ebbing soon. Get The Straits Timesnewsletters in your inbox It found that Singapore is the top city in Asia Pacific that Chinese travellers want to visit in the next 12 months. This was followed by Sydney, while third place was shared by Tokyo, Hong Ko

SINGAPORE, 17 July 2017 – CNBC, the world's leading business and financial news network, today announced the return of its flagship travel luxury programme 'First Class'. The new series premieres Friday, 21 July and will see CNBC's Emily Tan journey through world-class cities to show viewers how billionaires experience travel. The returning series, sponsored by Hainan Tourism Development Commission, explores the most exclusive and luxurious travel, shopping and dining options as well as to meet the players who are shaking up the local scene and their ultimate indulgences. The return of First Class gives CNBC's viewers a more robust weekend offering in addition to the network's regular weekday programming. Three episodes are planned for the new series with each 30-minute episode focusing on a single travel destination. Viewers will have the opportunity to join Emily and imbibe various luxury and lifestyle activities from the featured destinations of Hainan,

Southeast Asia is arguably home to the best diving on Earth. Flourishing coral reefs, jagged rock formations and sheer underwater walls that drop off into open water attract tropical fish and pelagics of all kinds. A liveaboard trip is hands-down the best way to experience this diving mecca. The Coral Triangle encompassing Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines is known to have the richest marine biodiversity on the planet, with over 2000 fish and more than 500 species of coral. Further to the west, the Mergui Archipelago and the Similan Islands offer exhilarating diving with rare marine creatures of their own. Wherever you go in Southeast Asia, you can be assured of an unforgettable dive vacation. FREE BONUS! Click here to download the AJ Quick Starter Guide to Scuba Diving PELAGICS OF ALL KINDS: Plankton-rich waters and abundant food draw manta rays and several species of sharks. Tubbataha Reef also has whales and dolphins. HEALTHY CORAL REEFS: The

ASTANA – Americans Michael and Debbie Campbell have found the key to a harmonious post-retirement existence. Living a nomadic lifestyle has allowed the couple to travel to more than 200 cities and 67 countries since 2013, including spending the last four months in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Cape Town. Photo credit seniornomads.com "If you dream of casting off your worldly possessions and traveling to your heart's content, we hope our story will inspire you no matter your age," they blogged as they headed off to explore the world. The couple received so many emails from people around the world they launched www.seniornomads.com to share their adventures, travel plans and Airbnb experiences. The Campbell's tale is a widely-covered international story. The Condé Nast magazine "Traveler" named them "the adventurous duo" and the poster couple for the Silicon Valley-based company, according to Business Insider U.K. One of t