One of the most popular attractions in Penang is the Botanic Gardens. I went there on a lazy Sunday afternoon in mid December. As it was the start of the Christmas Holidays, there were many tourists - mostly from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore - visiting the gardens on that day. The biggest draw of the gardens are the long tailed macaques, medium sized monkeys who freely roam the park. They are neither wild nor domesticated, as they have adapted to the frequent presence of human beings.

The macaques usually hang out near the park entrance as they welcome the many camera-toting visitors, overtly soliciting for handouts. Unfortunately many people make the mistake of trying to feed the monkeys. This is a big mistake in my opinion, as the long tailed macaque can become awfully nasty when they’re surrounded by too many human beings. Furthermore the monkeys seemed to be bothered by the flash of cameras. While I was there, I saw several gals run for cover when an alpha male made a charge at them, baring his fangs and making threatening postures. Talking about trying to bite the hand that feeds you.

One of the larger males even had the audacity to make charge at me before I scared him off by making whooping noises and shaking my fist at him. Grrhhhh

Shortly after midnight, I will be embarking on My Annual Odyssey to Southeast Asia. My itinerary, November 18 - December 30, includes three countries – Thailand (29 nights), Singapore (3 nights) and Malaysia (10 nights). During my grueling 42 nights on the road, I will have a whopping 15 changes of hotels. Now if you do the math, the average stay at each locale is slightly less than 3 nights.

I’m sure you have heard of the famous traveler’s adage - “If it’s Monday, it must be Paris; if it’s Tuesday, it must be Rome.” Well, I will be doing the Southeast Asian version – For me, it is “ If it’s Monday, it must be NAN (Northern Thailand); if it’s Tuesday, it must be Taiping (Northwestern Malaysia).

The maximum time that I’m staying at any one place is 5 consecutive nights - in both Bangkok and Koh Lipe. I know I will get very travel weary during this marathon trip (Been there, done that), but I’m hoping that I’ll be able to recharge my battery (so to speak) towards the tail end of my trip when I land in Koh Lipe, an offbeat island resort in Southern Thailand.

Everybody asks me “Are you excited about the trip?” My reply is not really! As a veteran traveler, while I’m really looking forward to getting “out of dodge “, I can’t say that I get really excited. I just try to concentrate on the day to day things - the trip takes care of itself!

Most people don’t understand that this is not an extended pleasure vacation but more properly a working vacation - and I do work! In addition to furthering my destination knowledge and checking out new places, I gather lots of material for my travel blog as well as take many photographs for future travel slideshows/videos.

Sorry to belabor the point - This is work, my friends. I’m not saying, I don’t have fun! I DO!!! But at the same time, I have specific professional objectives that I am trying to fulfill.

One thing for sure, it sure beats the hell of being stuck in the USA this time of year!

Having been in the travel business for many years, I have a pretty good
acumen for trip planning as well as understanding the psyche of the traveler. The best advice I can give to a prospective traveler would be - Make sure you plan your vacation as far in advance as possible. This tip is especially true if you are planning to travel during the Christmas Holidays or during the peak travel months to a popular vacation destination.

If you’re planning an extended vacation to Europe, Asia (or any other destination) for more than 2 weeks, you can probably “wing it” for most of your trip. Just make sure you’ve covered the basics – R/T airfare from your destination, accommodations for the first 2 nights and the last night of your trip – the rest can be impromptu.

If you’re planning a 1-2 week stay, I suggest that the itinerary be planned well in advance and hotels booked for the duration of the trip – there is simply not enough time to improvise or travel spontaneously. Unlike most Europeans, Americans cannot have an extended vacation - they are usually limited to 7-14 days.

Let’s face, it everybody (and their mother) would like to travel out over the Christmas Holidays, Dec. 20-27 or Dec 26–Jan 2/3 (the first Sunday after New Years) - these are real prime time dates, and there is extremely limited availability for affordable airline seats or hotel rooms. It is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

Many people have come to me a month or so before departure, expecting me to make arrangements for those dates only to be severely disappointed when I tell them there is nothing available, or airline seats are only available at outrageously high fares. They shake their head in bewilderment. My suggestion is - Book for the Christmas Holidays no later than early July or 6 months in advance.

For travel during the peak summer months of July / August as well as January/February to the Caribbean, Mexico or to other popular resort destinations, you should book at least 2 months in advance in order to avoid major disappointment

How about me? I took take care of all my arrangements for my upcoming trip to Southeast Asia, November 18-December 30 over 2 months ago!

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I’ve been on many tours and sightseeing excursions (in addition to conducting my own tours) during my many years as a traveler, so I have a pretty good feeling of how a tour should be properly conducted.

The most common sightseeing excursion is the ½ day city highlights tour.
Many tourists who arrive in a new locale will typically go on an orientation
or highlights tour in order to get a feeling for the place. The tour may include historical points of interests, museums, monuments and parks as well as sampling the local color. Let’s not forget time for shopping.

As a general rule of thumb, the time allotted for such a tour should be approximately 4-6 hours, with the maximum distance from the point of origin no more than 30-40 minutes away. The tour should focus on no more than 3 major venues or attractions – sometimes the tour operators try to cram too many venues and attractions into the ½ day tour.

Take San Francisco as an example, a city I am most familiar with - A well rounded ½ day tour of the City might include Fisherman’s Wharf, China Town and North Beach (all in the same general vicinity) as well as Golden Gate Park (including the Japanese Tea Gardens and the De Young Museum) and perhaps a ride across the bridge to Sausalito, a popular tourist town hugging the San Francisco Bay with marvelous views of the CITY. This would be a good 6 1/2 hours including time for lunch in Sausalito. Of course, additional time will be chewed up in dropping off passengers at their respective hotels.

An all day tour will typically last 8-10 hours. Usually, they will depart shortly after breakfast. – let’s say at 8:00AM– 9:00AM and return by 6:00 -7:00PM in the evening. The maximum distance from the point of origin should be no more than 2 hours away with 1-1½ hours as the optimal distance. Again, the maximum number venues should be limited to 3 major attractions (allowing 1 hour for lunch).

If the distance to the furthest venue is more than 2 hours away from the originating point, the tour operator should consider a one - two night overnight at the primary or furthest venue. Travelers don’t want to spend the whole day on the bus!

Here are some specific examples of all day touring:

SAN FRANCISCO - To Monterey and Carmel via Santa Cruz (a popular beach town) or to Calistoga and the wine country, the drive will take a good for two hours

In COSTA RICA, highly compact country, there are many attraction and points of interest within a 90-minute radius of San Jose including the Caribbean Lowlands, Irazu Volcano/ Orosi Valley and La Paz Butterfly Gardens/Poas Volcano

THAILAND – Originating from Bangkok, a trip to Siam Cultural Park in Ratchaburi Province, the estimated travel time is 1 1/2 hours. To historic Ayutthaya and Lopburi, the approximate travel time to Lopburi would be 1 hour.

P.S. My apologies to my valued subscribers for my absence over the last month

Air Asia, a regional carrier that specializes in budget air travel within Southeast Asia, has an unusual way of dealing with air ticket refunds. About a week ago, I booked a RSVNS on Air Asia and purchased a one-way ticket online from Hat Yai, Thailand to Bangkok for travel on December 27, 2009. The cost of the ticket was 2115 Baht ($62USD).

Within thirty minutes after buying the ticket, I discovered that I had already purchased the same ticket on July 25. The cost of the original ticket was 1185 Baht ($35USD). After my blunder, I immediately sought to contact Air Asia to request a refund in full on the duplicate ticket.

Based on my experiences with airlines based in the USA, I thought that the refund would be straightforward as I caught the mistake right away and I wasn’t really taking anything out of Air Asia’s pocket. Maybe that was a little presumptuous on my part. If I had read reviews from disgruntled Air Asia passengers, I would have discovered that Air Asia’s refund/cancellation policy is not very consumer friendly. In short, it is downright awful - in essence Air Asia has a “No Refund Policy”.

Because Air Asia doesn’t have a Call center in the USA, I was resigned to the fact that I had to call their ticket office in either Malaysia or Thailand. After getting through to Air Asia in Malaysia, I appraised the agent about my unfortunate blunder. The agent told me that Air Asia could refund my first ticket (the lower priced one) and I could keep the 2nd higher priced ticket.

I told the agent that was unacceptable as the higher priced 2nd ticket should be the one that is refunded. Upon hearing this, the agent immediately reversed direction and told me, Air Asia could give me a refund on the 2nd ticket less a 850 Baht penalty. Even though I wasn’t totally thrilled with the cancellation penalty, I told the agent if that was the best she could do, I could live with it.

The agent further explained to me that the refund would not be issued to my credit card, but it (the refund) would be available as a travel credit which must be used towards a purchase of air travel on Air Asia by November 26, 2009. Putting aside my disenchantment with Air Asia’s refund policy, I accepted the terms and thanked the agent for assisting me.

I waited for 24 hours to pass – because I didn’t see the travel credit in my record, I decided to call Air Asia again. This time around I reached the Air Asia ticket office in Thailand. Explaining my situation to the Air Asia agent, she advised me that I would be issued a travel credit for the full amount of the 2nd ticket (no cancellation penalty) and that I must use this travel credit by November 26.

I confirmed with the agent, that the issuance of travel credits was Air Asia’s official policy on air ticket refunds and thanked her allowing me to get a “refund in full” on my duplicate ticket. Fortunately, I was able to use most of my air travel credit towards a purchase of air ticket for a friend of mine in Thailand. LOL, I still have 500 baht left over.

Bottom Line – Air Asia has a “No Refund Policy”. Once they have your monies, they are going to keep it!

I really used to like Kamala Beach, a popular resort area on Thailand’s Phuket Island. Despite the many cafes and shops along the boardwalk, as well as many lounge chair and massage concessions on the beach, it used to be a fairly mellow and quiet scene. Believe it or not, I liked Kamala Beach even better after the Tsunami of December 2004 cleansed the area of the boardwalk and its horde of concessions. The Post Tsunami Kamala Beach was devoid of lounge chairs and there was only a smattering of tourists. I was there to survey the scene in August 2005 – the beach was wonderful and oh so quiet!

The last time I visited Kamala Beach was in December 2007 – things had changed considerably, not only was the boardwalk and all its concessions were back (and then some), a very disturbing development impacted the Kamala Beach area – Jet Skis had invaded the scene.

Trying to relax in the late afternoon from my lounge chair near Kamala Dreams Hotel was almost impossible due to the incessant noise of these awful machines whizzing by. Not only were they noisy, but the jet skis also dumped an inordinate amount of gas and oil right into sea, contributing to the growing problem of water pollution in Kamala Beach. The environment impact of jet skis are well known.

I bet you most of the foreign tourists on Kamala Beach were also put off by the recent introduction of these motorized contraptions. To me, you go to the beach to relax, read a book and have a quiet conversation – with the constant noise pollution of these jet skis, that’s damn near impossible. I guess that is what they call progress!

To get away from the noise (and the polluted waters), you have go another 2 miles up the coast to the relatively unspoiled beach scene at Laem Singh

Believe it or not, my search for the the most eco-friendly beach destination in THAILAND has uncovered a place I haven’t been to yet, and that is Koh Libong! I am sure most travelers have never heard of this relatively obscure island as well.

Koh Libong is the largest island in southern Thailand’s Trang Province. The island is home to a rather substantial colony of Dugongs, a large marine mammal that is closely related to the manatees. These creatures feed on the sea-grass beds that flourish off Koh Libong’s southeast coast. A colony of green turtles are also residents of the island.

From what I have read, there is more of a commitment to an environmentally friendly and sustainable tourism industry in Trang Province than anywhere else in Thailand. The governor of Trang Province has gone on record stating that he wants to avoid the haphazard and reckless tourism development that has ruined other island destinations in Thailand i.e. Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phi Phi etc.

In order to protect the natural beauty of the region, the Swedish Government has funded a master plan for sustainable development in Trang Province. In particular, on Koh Libong, Swedish environmentalists and Thai academicians from Bangkok have joined forces in an effort to make the island an ecotourism model for the region.

Three small Muslim fishing villages are scattered around the island – the native people in these communities seem to be enlightened about the need for conservation and environmentally friendly practices. The interior is home to rubber plantations and is heavily forested. There are only a handful of small resorts, all located on the west coast of the island. While many small beaches surround the island, there is only one “classical tropical beach” – a 1 KM stretch of golden sand fronted by clear, aquamarine waters.

Since I have never been to Koh Libong, I will have to wait to till I visit this island (and Trang Province), before I can assess the staying power of this sustainable tourism movement. If history teaches us anything, tourism development is usually guided by greed (and the pursuit of the almighty dollar) and has destroyed many an idyllic paradise.

Only time will determine the fate of Koh Libong and other island destinations in Trang Province. I have plans to do some reconnaissance there in 2010!

For your information, over the Christmas Holidays, I plan to visit Ko Lipe, considered by many to be overall, the most beautiful island in Thailand. From what I have read, Koh Lipe is another Island Paradise that’s on the threshold of getting trashed!

In the last several days, I have done some extensive research in an effort to identify the most the eco-friendly beach destination in Thailand. To be honest with you, it is a lot easier for me to rattle off a list of beach destinations/island resorts which are not very eco-friendly. See below..

Pattaya - Truly an Abomination!

Located about 90 minutes east of Bangkok is Pattaya, Thailand’s internationally renowned sex tourist mecca–beach town. Located on the mainland, Pattaya leads the pack of those beach destinations where development, human greed and the excesses of tourism have had a severe negative ecological impact. No other beach destination in Thailand comes close to the ugliness and urban blight which is Pattaya. Believe it or not, before the Vietnam War, Pattaya was a sleepy fishy village with lush green vegetation and sparkling white sand beaches. Not anymore!

Phuket and Koh Samui - Paradise no more!

Below Pattaya on my list (quite a step down) are Thailand’s two most popular island resorts – Phuket and Koh Samui. Both places have international airports to receive tourists all over the world; while the airport in Koh Samui is like an island boutique, Phuket’s airport is a modern gleaming affair. Both islands are abundant in natural beauty with a mountainous interior and gleaming white sand beaches, however both Samui and Phuket have suffered from the excesses of development and tourism leaving behind a severely degraded environment.

Phi Phi Island - Paradise Ruined!

Located in Southern Thailand’s Krabi Province, Phi Phi Islands – an area known for its raw physical beauty - is just another example of Paradise getting trashed by excessive development and too many tourists. Admittedly, I have never been there.

Koh Chang - Going the way of Phuket and Samui

Of all the island resorts, Koh Chang is the place I know best, having been there four times. My last visit was in November 2006. An extremely lush and mountainous island, Koh Chang is rapidly changing (and not for the good) as there are still plans to make it the next Phuket. Climbing the slopes of the jungle clad mountain slopes are many new bungalow operations and along the west coast, the land is being cleared to accommodate a variety of upscale (and opulent) albeit expensive beach resorts. If an international airport ever happens here, it will be the coup-de-grace.

In Koh Chang, proper sewage treatment facilities are lacking, and in some places near the beach you can smell the raw sewage as it trickles into the sea. If you don’t believe me, go to Magic Resort – small budget bungalow operation on Klong Phrao Beach – and take a whiff of the raw sewage on the southern perimeter of the property. Sort of reminds of the smell on the far side of Aloha Beach Resort, a first class hotel located on Lamai Beach in Koh Samui. In Thailand, only a handful of hotels in the resort areas have their own sewage treatment plant.

Koh Lanta and Koh Jam/Koh Pu - Not ruined yet, best of the lot

Ko Lanta and the relatively obscure island of Ko Pu/Ko Jum, both located in Krabi Province seem to be holding up all right from an ecological perspective. Based on my visit there in 2005, the tourism growth had not completely swallowed Koh Lanta, and Koh Jum/Koh Pu - the Island with the split personality - seems to be comparatively pristine.

Coming up, my nomination for the most eco-friendly beach destination in Thailand. Stay tuned!

According to a recent study by the New Economics Foundation, an organization based in England, COSTA RICA was accorded the distinction of being the happiest place in the world.

The organization ranked 143 nations using the Happy Planet Index, an index which considered three major factors – the general happiness of the people, the average life expectancy and the ecological footprint (or the impact on the earth’s natural resources) of each country.

“Costa Ricans have the highest life satisfaction in the world and have the second-highest average life expectancy of the new world (second to Canada)” and a relatively low ecological footprint, the report concluded.

Latin American countries dominated the top ten with eight entries (Dominican Republic and Guatemala finishing #2 and 4 respectively), JAMAICA - a favorite Caribbean vacation destination and the birthplace of reggae - finished in the 3rd slot and Vietnam was ranked as #5.

Of the major industrialized powers, Germany was ranked #51, England #74 and USA #116. Thailand, one of my favorite countries finished #41 in this study

The most disturbing results of this study was the rather toxic ecological footprint (the demand on this earth’s natural resources) by the relatively advanced Westernized nations of the world - USA finished with the 2nd worst score in this category (a whopping 9.4), finishing behind only tiny Luxemburg which had a score of 10.2. All I can say is that Americans are probably the most spoiled (and most wasteful) people of this planet. On a per capita basis, Americans have the most extravagant lifestyle of any peoples in this world. Isn’t it about time that we become more efficient with our energy usage and utilization of the earth’s natural resources? Or will we continue our role as an energy/resource hogs!

COSTA RICA, what can I say. Although this small county has its fair share of problems – including an alarming rate of petty thefts and break-ins - it is truly the HAPPIEST PLACE on this planet taken everything into consideration. No wonder, many people from Westernized countries resettle there every year forsaking their more affluent lifestyles. PURA VIDA!

If you’d like to know more, you can download the full Happy Planet Index report

Have you spent the last three weeks watching I’m a Celebrity, Get me out of here, the wildly popular (and absurd) reality show which took place in the rainforests of Costa Rica? I admit that curiosity got the better of me and even I watched a handful of episodes (I recorded the whole series) finding it to be quite hilarious and entertaining at times.

At the beginning of the show, most of the celebrities were complete strangers to each other – as time went on, they developed into a somewhat cohesive clan/tribe forming friendships and relationships. Lou Diamond Philips and John Salley showed their alpha male qualities by asserting themselves as the leaders.

The young celebrity couple of Heidi and Spencer proved themselves to be total primadonnas, wearing out their welcome only 2-3 days into the show before they dropped out altogether. I guess someone had to step up and play the role as the villain initially to draw in the viewers. The different competitions and games that the producers put them through were kind of fun (and ridiculous) and the show had its moments of drama especially with the feistiness of former model, Janice Dickerson. I was really impressed with the production values - the visuals of the wildlife, in particular the close-up shots of various insects, frogs, lizards and monkeys were outstanding.

After watching this show, many people are probably thinking how wonderful it would be to experience the rainforests of Costa Rica (or anywhere for that matter). While the rainforests are teeming with exotic colorful birds and wildlife, most of the creatures remain hidden or camouflaged in the dense green vegetation and towering rainforest canopy.

Walking along nature trails, you’ll probably be pestered by a variety of bugs – namely flies, mosquitoes and the occasional wasp and if you look carefully on the ground, you’ll most likely encounter several giant centipedes as well as colonies of leafcutter ants crossing the trail. Just be careful where you sit, as the ants can be very nasty! Snakes, you may ask? I have never stumbled across a snake in the rainforest, but there is always a first time, just be sure to watch your step and don’t stray off the marked trail.

As someone who has spent some time in the rainforests of Costa Rica and the Amazon basin, I know how difficult it is go birding unless you’re with a trained naturalist. Many tourists who have stayed at a nature lodge in the rainforest have remarked that the only birds they saw during their entire trip were at the propped up birdfeeders set up by the management.

Can you imagine, even though the series ended last night, I haven’t watched the final show. I am wondering who the winner is!