Indonesia - Sail Moyo Tambora ceremony on September 9

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is scheduled to attend the 2018 Sail Moyo Tambora ceremony in Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Sept. 9.

"Other than the President, diplomats from several countries will also attend the international event to witness the ongoing development across Indonesia, including Sumbawa," Agus Purwoto, secretary for the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister, said in the provincial capital Mataram on Tuesday.

Sail Moyo Tambora is expected to help promote Sumbawa’s potential for tourism, as well as serve as a coordination event between ministries and agencies with similar programs.

The event is part of Indonesia's participation in World Sail 2018 in September, during which the archipelago will serve as a cruise destination for yachts.

This year, Rally Sail Indonesia is highlighting the 2018 Sail Moyo Tambora as a national brand, after previously promoting Sail Sabang, Karimata and Bunaken.

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 Agus said the Sail Moyo Tambora brand is an opportunity for NTB to promote its tourist destinations in Sumbawa, as it will host various activities throughout the Sail period.

He added that preparations for the event were solid, including surveys to related ministries and agencies "to ensure the event can be focused in one location and the government can concentrate more on what to highlight.”

The event was first proposed by the NTB administration in 2015.

“It is time for Sumbawa to shine,” said Agus. "The late Princess Diana had vacationed in Moyo Island, as well as legendary singer Mick Jagger. Moyo is well-known in the global community."

Mount Tambora, which erupted in 1815 and triggered climate change in in half of the world, is said to also serve as the icon of Sumbawa.

Several activities have been planned for Sail Moyo Tambora, such as cultural dialogues, the Asia Pacific Geopark Network international seminar and an international paragliding event.

 

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Indonesia - Five things to see in Labuan Bajo besides the Komodo dragon

Aerial view of Padar Island in between Komodo and Rinca Islands near Labuan Bajo in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara. 

 The Komodo dragon is not the only interesting thing to see when you travel to Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

The picturesque town on the island of Flores offers the following attractions worth exploring, as compiled by kompas.com :

 Expect to marvel at paddy fields uniquely formed like a giant spiderweb in Cancar village. Travelers usually climb a hill named Puncak Weol to take in a fantastic view.

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Labuan Bajo also has a tourist destination for culture enthusiasts named Kampung, where visitors are welcomed with a traditional Manggarai caci dance.

Kampung Melo also offers a gorgeous view that is perfect for photos.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Crossing Siberia, from Moscow to Mongolia

In 1891, Nicholas II made a grand voyage across what was then the Russian Empire on what was called The Tsar’s Train. The potentate ventured from the imperial capital of Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok, on the frozen rim of Siberia, more than 9,000 kilometers away.

The same route, now known as the Trans-Siberia Railroad, exists today, with branch lines that allow journeys to destinations as far as China and Mongolia.

All aboard

Unlike Tsar Nicholas II, I would begin by voyage in Moscow, where I landed at Domodedovo Airport in October. First pro tip: Dress warmly: the temperature was about -3 degrees! Used to tropical weather, I was chilled, wearing only a thin jacket, winter hat and hand-knit gloves.

Two months before leaving for Russia, I had purchased my tickets, spending US$285 for an 87-hour passage from Moscow to Irkutsk on the Trans-Siberia Railway and $200 for the 22-hour journey from Irkutsk to Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capital. Purchase can also be made in Moscow, or via websites such as russianrail.com or expresstorussia.com, which will deliver tickets to your hotel.

Before departing, I stopped at a supermarket. Three days on a train traveling second class meant I had to lay in a supply of food and sundries, such as instant noodles, flip flops for the shower and five cans of beer. (Second pro tip: Russian Rail officers say that you can’t bring more than five cans on the train.

 

 

 I was at Moscow Yaroslavskaya Station, which forms a rail terminus shared with Kazansky and Leningradsky Stations, about three hours before departure, as suggested. Each car of my train had from six to nine (quite clean) passenger compartments, a toilet/shower room and an officer space. 

 In my second-class compartment, towels, blankets, mattresses and pillows were neatly stacked. There was ample space for four to sleep, two on upper berths, which folded away during the daytime, and two on lower berths. We left Moscow just before midnight, starting my Siberian adventure.

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Hong Kong named world's most-visited city once again

Although its top position was nearly usurped by Bangkok, Hong Kong remained on top, but it still has to face the growing number of tourists in the Thai capital and London, the United Kingdom. 

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When people think about Hong Kong, they probably think of high-class shopping and spectacular cityscapes that can be viewed from high-up gondolas. It's not surprising then that the city is the most-visited city on earth.

According to South China Morning Post, Euromonitor International’s latest Top 100 City Destinations Ranking has put Hong Kong at the top of the list for the eighth time in a row.

Although its position was nearly usurped by Bangkok, Hong Kong remained on top, but in the years to come, it still has to compete with the growing number of tourists in the Thai capital and London in the United Kingdom.  

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But even as Hong Kong’s relations with China worsen, which caused a slight decline in 2017, there is still tourist growth expected in the coming years for Hong Kong.

As reported by CNN, below are the top 10 most-visited cities (number in 2016/expected number in 2017):

1. Hong Kong: 26.55 million/25.7 million

2. Bangkok: 21.25 million/23.27 million

3. London: 19.19 million/19.8 million

4. Singapore: 16.6 million/17.6 million

5. Macau: 15.39 million/16.3 million

6. Dubai: 14.9 million/16.57 million

7. Paris: 14.39 million/14.26 million

8. New York City: 12.65 million/13.1 million

9. Shenzhen, China: 12.57 million/12.96 million

10. Kuala Lumpur: 12.29 million/12.8 million

Source - TheJakartaPost

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New Hotel Booking lists

We just start to create a Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket Hotel Bookings Lists

 

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  #NEW - #PATTAYA HOTEL & RESORT BOOKING LIST - http://wp.me/P7Lce0-3D
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 #NEW - #PHUKET HOTEL & RESORT BOOKING LIST - http://wp.me/P7Lce0-3A 

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The problem with traveling to Vietnam just because it’s cheap

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Tourists love the country because it’s cheap, but low costs come with risks.

Yet another travel list has named Vietnam among the must-visit places in the world because it’s cheap.

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This time, it’s Emily Zemler, a writer from Refinery29, who describes Vietnam as one of the best “super cheap” destinations in the world.

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“Asian destinations like Japan and Singapore can be pricy, but Vietnam is notably budget-friendly. The food, which is just as good from a street cart as it is from a sit-down restaurant, is cheap (usually less than 10 bucks a pop) and hotels are reasonable, with luxury properties averaging around $80 per night…

Don’t be afraid to sample the street food, which includes signature dishes like beef pho and bun cha, and make sure to spring for a countryside bicycle tour from Hoi An, which run $17 and up.”

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 To be fair, cost-based recommendations like these are what Vietnam, still an emerging travel destination, needs now.

It’s perfectly fine to love something when it doesn’t bankrupt you – it’s even better when that something is also good. “Cheap” is not a dirty word. We don’t need to avoid it and replace it with pretentious phrases like “budget-friendly” or “best value for your buck” when we promote a product or a travel destination.

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But “cheap” does come with a connotation: some sort of compromises must be made and accepted.

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For cheap travel, the biggest compromises are on quality and safety. In Vietnam, this can mean anything: drinking a beer that tastes like water, sleeping on a hostel bed with a dirty sheet, getting food poisoning after a meal at a delicious sidewalk joint, drinking toxic moonshine, or falling from a waterfall. And the list goes on.

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Many travelers will take these risks without blinking an eye. Ask any backpacker in Saigon and they will tell you how happy they are when they only need a few hundred bucks to travel in Vietnam. Diarrhea and those serious travel safety warnings don’t faze them one bit.

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Indonesia - 2017 Lake Toba tourism calendar released

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 The North Sumatra administration has just released its 2017 Lake Toba Tourism Calendar, comprising a schedule of cultural events in the Lake Toba area.

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Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said the calendar was important to attract travelers. “Schedule and location certainty is important [for travelers]. The days and months must not be altered because it is a reference for the travelers,” Arief stated, as quoted by kompas.com on Monday.

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(Read also: Hundreds flock to Lake Madirda to observe Melasti)

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Arief also stressed the shift of traveler behavior, particularly among young travelers. “Do not expect them to come [to the destination] if they couldn’t find a fixed schedule,” he said. The minister also mentioned that travelers may have booked their travel in advance. “Imagine how troubled they would be if the schedule changed.”

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The calendar of events was released to help promote Lake Toba, one of Indonesia’s 10 priority destinations of 2017. Among the activities included in the calendar of events are festivals, carnivals, music shows and sports events.

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North Sumatra Deputy Governor Nurhazijah Marpaung said all tourism stakeholders in the province were ready to make Lake Toba an international destination. She also explained that tourist activities in Lake Toba were expected to account for Rp 16 trillion (US$ 75 million) in regional gross domestic product, and create 300,000 new jobs in North Sumatra.

Below is the list of events scheduled on the calendar.

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Hong Kong has been a much-loved tourist destination

In search of good fortune

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Hong Kong has been a much-loved tourist destination for decades and this year it is celebrates the 20th anniversary of the handover to China by introducing a new list of fortune spots matched with Chinese Zodiac signs by Feng Shui experts.

The Peak is symbolic of the Rooster and will ease the sense of dominance by rising to Hong Kong Island’s highest vantage point and broadening horizons with the view of the Kowloon and Hong Kong Island skyline to help you overcome any challenges in the new year.

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 Those born in the Year of the Dog should head Northeast to alleviate the negative energy at the Lung Yeuk Tau Heritage Trail, Fanling. This scenic journey takes you to the history of the Tang Clan, one of the five largest clans in the New Territories, where a dragon could once be seen leaping in the mountains. The wisdom of Hong Kong’s ancestors is discovered in the stunning architecture that demonstrates how they unwound in these serene surroundings. 

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Those born in the Year of the Pig would do well to head to the Big Buddha and Wisdom Path and appreciate the zen of the large woodcut Heart Sutra scriptures. A trip will help you change the speed and maximise the energy of movement in the year to come.

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Find out more at DiscoverHongKong.com

 

Egyptian newspapers reports about the collapse of the tourism industry.

Egypt loses every month nearly 265 million euro of revenue due to the discontinuation of flights to the country by Russia and the United Kingdom. This has the Tourism Minister Hesham Zaazou, Wednesday in Cairo said.

 Tourists on the beach of Sharm el-Sheikh

 The country had again hoping that would restore the tourism sector. Zaazou's Ministry dreamed earlier this year of a huge increase in visitor numbers and revenues in 2015. It would all be nearly 50 percent more than last year. The size of the sector would be doubled in 2018.

 Tour operators until December 18 not to Egyptian

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Koh Samet unveils new mermaid statue embodying motherly love

A new and beautiful check-in spot has opened up for locals and tourists alike at the ever so popular Sai Kaew Beach, literally “the beach of glass sand” here on Samed Island. Perched atop the soft white grains is the new and improved mermaid statue, the more modern counterpart of the national classic Pra Apai Manee’s mermaid that has stood the test of time and inspired many readers, students of literature, and lovers alike as they looked out on the gentle waves. Many generations of Thai children grew up with the statue as the front cover of their literature textbooks and as inspiration for all the magical and wonderful creatures a child envisions.

The statue has always been and will always be about the beauty of love. In this current interpretation, creator Haritorn Akarapat, master sculptor whose works are greatly unique and nationally renowned takes inspiration from the love of “Nang Nguek” and “Sutsakorn”, characters from the classic and powerful literary creation of Sunthorn Phu, a national poet. Combined with the natural beauty of the island, the statue reflects the connections between Mother Nature and the creatures under her love and care, not unlike the generosity between mother and child. Nothing epitomizes “true love” like the unconditional love of a mother.

 And in turn, the Rayong province officials are showing some love to nature with the new landscaping project of the beach and the surrounding areas to provide the island with a beautiful front, welcoming tourists, both foreign and local, making it a breath-taking and blog-worthy spot, if there ever was one. With new signs for important shrines, hills, multipurpose open area, sturdy stairs, and a large parking space, the beach is more equipped than ever for those who are looking to take in nature’s stunning sights, looking on as “True Love” becomes a new symbol of love, life, and happiness with every visit, reminding us to love nature back and preserve its splendor for years to come. 

The landscaping project is undertaken by PTT Group, intending to participate in the development of Rayong, dubbed a second home for the company, in both social and economic aspects, in conjunction with Rayong Province, Laem Yah national park, Samed Islands, District Administration, Open Local Government Units, and communities on the island.  

And for those of you, who are worried about the original statue, fret not. The mermaid statue, along with the Pra Apai Manee statue have been repainted to revive their full glory and have been moved to the foot of the hill leading to the multipurpose open area where children can run and play and look on in wonder as most of us did when we first read the stories.

 It is definitely worth a trip to soak in all the joys nature has to offer and to witness an artistic masterpiece that blends in so beautifully with the scenery. When Instagramming this marvel, don’t forget to #Welovesamet so we can all look back on the commencement of Sai Kaew Beach’s new era together.

Source: Coconuts

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