A while ago, I had discussed Travel & Leisure’s selection of Bangkok as the World’s best city for the traveler. Looks like Bangkok just got another big push today when MSN Travel featured a slideshow of Travel & Leisure’s World’s best awards: Top Ten Cities. In particular, I thought that the Bangkok Destination Guide to be a very informative feature.

While it’s great to see Thailand receive some well deserved positive publicity, I would encourage tourists to refrain from traveling there in the immediate future until there is some resolution to the political unrest that Thailand is currently experiencing. I don’t really get involved in politics, but at the same time I am hoping that Samak, the current Prime Minister, comes to his senses and resigns for the good of Thailand.

Sitting in the middle of my yahoo e-mail box was another RED ALERT, a special promotion by Air Asia of 1,000,000 free seats. I’m sure if you have come to this blog, you’re probably very familiar with this dastardly Red Alert promo and you’re frantically looking for one of these free seats

First of all, the seats are not really free – even if you’re lucky to hunt down one of these seats, you still have to pay for insurance, miscellaneous taxes and fuel surcharges. If you’re not so lucky, then there is a good chance that you’ll end up buying one of Air Asia’s normal discount ticket seats, and that is exactly what Air Asia is hoping for.

Furthermore, if you really think that Air Asia is giving away 1,000,000 free seats, then you must believe in the tooth fairy as well. If you haven’t discovered by now, there is no truth in advertising. As far as the actual number of seats involved in this Red Alert Sale, I guarantee you that it is a lot less than the million that is advertised - more like 10,000 IMHO.

Ask yourself, why is Air Asia engaged in this sleazy marketing campaign. Very elementary – it generates a lot of publicity about their company and it entices millions of people to go to their website looking for “a free seat”, which is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. In marketing parlance, Air Asia is creating a lot of BUZZ. The current Red Alert promo, which lasts for only 5 days (August 26-31) no doubt will create a real feeding (buying) frenzy!

If you want a good laugh, take a look at Air Asia’s Tips to get your free seats
Best time to log on is between 3:00AM – 7:00AM
• Tell your friends to rotate on shifts to log on to airasia.com
• Avoid weekends and public holidays and try for midweek and mid-day flights.
• If you can’t find any free seats on your desired traveling dates, we still have low fares for you to choose from. So hurry, BOOK NOW!
• Also do try other new destinations if your desired destination is not available

On a recent trip to Northern Thailand, I had the opportunity to visit Fern Paradise, the #1 rated hotel in Chiang Mai by the readers of TripAdvisor. Walking around the property, I felt like I was in the middle of a rainforest as I was surrounded by a sea of green - many species of ferns (as well other plants and trees) grew profusely, and the air (unlike most of Chiang Mai) was so fresh and pure. Dr. Niwat, the owner of this small family run resort, explained to me that the many fern plants cleaned the air, filtering out the pollutants and producing a healthy supply of oxygen. An architect by trade and a fern enthusiast, Dr. Niwat gives every visitor a proper briefing and tour of Fern Paradise. According to the good Doctor, he would like to do his part in saving the world from environmental degradation and pollution through the planting of ferns, plants and trees.

Surveying the property, I didn’t get a chance to visit the rustic looking rooms, but from what I understand they include such modern amenities as cable TV and a DVD player. As a lover of plants and all things green, I was truly impressed by the concept of Fern Paradise. Located only 20 minutes or so from the heart of the Chiang Mai’s tourist zone, Fern Paradise is definitely a breath of fresh air and a return to nature. Rates are from $88 – 148USD per night including daily breakfast.

Something about watching the elite Jamaica sprinters slaying the competition at the Olympic Games gets me feeling nostalgic of my running days in Jamaica circa the 1980’s and 1990’s. During my annual 2-week stint in this beautiful tropical isle, I routinely ran 4-15 miles a day in the stifling tropical heat. No, I wasn’t a sprinter by any stretch of the imagination, but I always enjoyed running full bore during the last 100 meters of my workouts. Jamaicans are a very lively bunch, and there were always a few who would make passing comments to me about my running form (or lack of), and ‘the working gals’ always made a point to proposition me while I ran away from them - “Boonjie, boonjie” they would call out, to which I retorted “Ok, sweetie, Soon come.”

To be honest with you, I always felt more comfortable in the mountains or in the rural countryside of Western Jamaica, far away from the tourist traps of the north coast - Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril. There was far too much hustle and bustle in ‘MoBay’ and ‘Ochy’, with the emphasis on hustle. Montego Bay was sort of honky tonk and unkempt (dirty) but a fun place nevertheless and Ocho Rios was a little bit too manicured and fabricated for my taste.

On the other hand, Negril was very laid back and the 4 1/2 mile stretch of powdery white sand beach was absolutely heavenly - it had a very wild, untamed but relaxing ambiance. Of course, there was more to Negril than the beach and its pervasive “anything goes” vibe - there was lots of live reggae music at venues such as Kaiser and De Bus and some of Jamaica’s finest singers and bands routinely passed through the area - Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Yellowman, Freddy McGregor, Ini Kamoze, Mighty Diamonds, Judy Mowatt to name a few – especially after the end of Reggae Sunsplash in Montego Bay. Then again, the hedonism shtick was a little bit too superficial and the Rastaman Vibration was mostly a put on - not the genuine article.

Negril was the alternative lifestyle resort during its heyday. Due to Negril’s increased popularity during the last 12 years or so (many new all inclusive resorts have sprouted up), it has become more mainstream. Personally, I prefer the South Coast to Negril – it is considerably less developed, there are far less tourists and it is more genuine and real. In my opinion, Negril is kind of a mirage.

To me the real beauty of Jamaica is in the hinterland - the people are very open, genuine and friendly, and the countryside scenes are enormously beautiful. Keep in mind, that I have not been to Jamaica since Spring 1995 – now that’s a long time ago and I’m sure lots of things have changed.

More on the South Coast in my next post.
In the meantime - Big Up, Lightning Bolt, you faster nuh raas. Yam power!

Have been watching the 2008 in Beijing this past weekend, and I admit to be being blown away by the otherworldly performances of the sprinters from Jamaica. First, Usain “Lightning” Bolt blew away the competition in the 100 meters men’s final in a world record’s time of 9.69 to win the gold medal, then my Jamaican gals - Shelly-Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart - swept the 100 meters lady’s final.

In many circles, I am considered an honorary Jamaican having traveled there over 35 times in the 1980s and 1990’s. My position in Jamaican History and folklore was cemented in 1982 when as a publicity stunt, I ran from Montego Bay to the Negril Beach - a stretch of some 55 miles - over a period of three days. The buzz from this fete resulted in Jamaica’s first marathon roadrace in 1983. I later returned to Jamaica to participate in a 10,000-meter race in Ocho Rios sponsored by Red Stripe Beer. Sad to say - although I gave it my best, I finished in the middle of the pack.

I’m sure that these gold medal winning performances in the Olympic games by Bolt et all will be a positive boon to the tourism industry of Jamaica, a small Caribbean Island located only 80 minutes by air from Miami and one of the most beautiful destinations that I have been to in the world. From my experience, Jamaicans have to be some friendliest and liveliest people on this planet. Heretofore, Bob Marley and Reggae Music have put Jamaica on the map; now these elite Jamaican sprinters will propel Jamaica to the forefront again. Big up Jamaica, you rule! I for one shall return to the yard, soon!

Check out some of the fantastic tours to the Caribbean, Costa Rica and Thailand offered by Calypso Island Tours.

Traveling throughout Barbados, you’ll see many of the small, simple houses which date back to the colonial period of the 18th and 19th century. Known as Chattel Houses, they were the living quarters of the African slaves who worked on the large plantations. These houses did not have a permanent foundation and could be easily dismantled and moved to another site. Some of the Chattel houses have been retrofitted (and enlarged) and have been converted to boutiques or small restaurants. On my last trip to Barbados, I came across several chattel houses that were being rented as small seaside cottages to tourists including the colorful Seaview in Bathsheba on Barbados’s scenic Atlantic Coast. See picture right corner

San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, is a city of about 400,000 inhabitants. While it may lack the flashiness and glamor of other Latin American capital cities, San Jose exudes an aura of genuineness and warmth. In this humble city, you will not find an abundance of fancy shopping centers, ornate architecture or showy monuments and statutes. At its basic core, San Jose is a workingman’s town, a little rough around the edges but comfortable like a snug coat.

To really get a feel for Costa Rica’s capital city, I suggest that you go sometime around noon to the city’s Central Park located at the end of Paseo Colon, one block East of 2nd avenue - you’ll see a cross section of businessman on their lunch break, tourists enjoying the pleasant spring like weather, performing musicians and mimes as well as artists and craftsman selling their wares. Unlike other Latin American cities, you’ll encounter very little begging. Surrounding the plaza are a number of outdoor cafes, where you can sit down and enjoy a strong cup of coffee or espresso while you take in the Pura Vida vibes of Costa Rica.

If you want to see fancy boutiques, trendy restaurants and bars, I suggest that you spend some time in San José’s upscale suburb of Escazu. This is the stomping ground of the ‘Gente Plastico’ and highbrow expatriates.

For a little diversion, you might want to check out Traveler IQ challenge, a very fun and quirky game on Trip Advisor’s website that tests your knowledge of world geography. Presented with a small world map, the game requires you to click with your computer mouse on the location of famous world cities and capitals. Having to navigate through twelve levels of difficulty from easy to very difficult, your cumulative score is based on both accuracy and speed of identification. I have played this game a number of times, and “the Great Ling Yai” got as far as Level 11 before he crapped out.

Playing this game on a laptop computer can be very frustrating, because the scroll mouse often has a mind of its own. While trying to click on the location of San Francisco, my mouse inadvertently clicks on somewhere out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Damn mouse! This is a great game to play when you’re flying on a plane somewhere overseas. Before I play again, I think I’m going to study an World Atlas so I can improve my geography knowledge. Hey….Where is exact location of Bishek, Kyrgyzstan anyhow? Must be somewhere near Pakistan, Afghanistan or one of those – xxxxxx stan countries, right? How about Alice Springs, Australia, anybody know?

One of the best travel planning sites/travel forums is Trip Advisor.
When I am researching a trip to such faraway places like Malaysia, Thailand or Peru etc, I always go to this site to check out some of the insightful hotel reviews submitted by fellow travelers. Not only do they have hotel reviews, they also have an excellent traveler’s forum for most destinations and a variety of fun travel games that you can play.

If you’re up to it, you can even chart your own travel history on a Map (see below). Looking at My Travel Map, you can see that I have traveled extensively to Mexico, Costa Rica, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. That’s why I refer to myself as a bonafide tropical traveler!

***Click on Map to enlarge***

• View my profile
• Create your own travel map or travel blog
• Visit TripAdvisor.com

………………………Wow. I am prophetic or what?

When I published my post yesterday on No more free water on airlines, I predicted in jest that the newest measure to be adopted by the airlines would be to charge for blankets and pillows on flights. Sure enough, later in the day, I saw a news blurb online about Jet Blue, a popular discount carrier in the USA, deciding to charge their passengers $7.00USD for a blanket and pillow kit on all flights longer than two hours. In return, passengers will also receive a $5.00 coupon to be applied towards for a purchase at a home accessories store. Slick marketing, huh? What’s next?