Please note that TWO (2) Single Entry Visas are NO longer accepted by the Consulate. If you require TWO (2) entries it is advised that you obtain the appropriate multiple entry visa to cover both entries.
If the cruise company is organising a blanket visa, and you need to apply for an additional Visa to cover a second entry you are required to notify Vina World Travel in writing at the time of making the application.
My journalist friend Giovana wanted to cover a story about cricket fights in Beijing, which is very popular among the locals, for fun, with small bets of money.
Giovana searched online and found ‘GuanYuan Flower Birds Fish and Insects Market’ which may have information she wanted and hopefully to view a real fight there. I then searched on Chinese search engine Baidu.com.cn, and found ‘Hong Yan Market’ which a blogger says it was the place for cricket fight championship in 2007 and has everything you need for crickets.
So we took a taxi there, but found out, there wasn’t much going on. Cricket fights will not start till about 15th September, which according to the people in the market, are shown every day. Currently, the crickets are too young, most trainers will buy now and train them for a month before registering them for the fights. We had an interesting chat with two elderly cricket fight fans in the market, and I learnt that China has about 300 years of history in engaging in cricket fights, said to be fun, exciting and a great hobby which is good for your health. Usually they only play for about 50Yuan (less than US$10), the government however is cracking down on all types of gambling.
For the cricket championship, it’s estimated to have 3000 registrants, and the prize could be 100k Yuan (approx US$15,000), we have no idea however how accurate the information is.
In order to film how the crickets fight, we paid them 50Yuan to put on a fight between two crickets for us. They said it’s not the right season, the crickets are too young, and they didn’t seem very aggressive and strong. It happens in less than a second, once the two stuck their teeth into each other the one which quits looses. Usually owners simply let the looser go back to nature, because they believe, it will lose the fighting spirit and usually never makes a good fighter.
We also learnt from people in this market that, Shi Li Qiao Market which is in the vicinity has more crickets stuff for sale. When we got to Shi Li Qiao, we knew we had found the right place! The market was much better organised, with more variety of fish, birds and dogs, in fact just about any pet you can think of, and naturally more crickets with an amazing range of products for the cricket fanatics! There’s also this decent cricket shop, supplies all your cricket needs like a home, water/food trays, mating room, balance for measuring the weight before going on a fight, and a picture of an champion in 2002, which won 9 matches and retired afterwards and treated as a hero, and later buried in a proper coffin. They even have a dedicated website.
They said cricket is the most treasured insect among the famous four because of it’s beautiful sound, with the most varieties of tools and accessories.
Crickets are mostly reproduced in Shan Dong Province, a region in which each household breeds crickets.
Shanghai never stops amazing me!
I stayed a weekend before going to Beijing for Olympics. Zappati was really live on Friday night both the indoor dance floor and outdoor beer garden, we stayed until 1.30am and moved onto LAN - another fancy new restaurant/bar near the Bond (on the corner of Guangdong Rd and Sichuan Rd), features beautiful decor with a traditional and modern style mix, unfortunately, being new, there’s not much of a crowd as yet.
Saturday buffet lunch at the Shangri-la hotel Pudong was the best I ever had! If you think Cafe mix in Shangri-la Sydney was great, this is 5 times better! The variety is unbelievable, different cuisine has its own designated area, and the desert bar alone expands 3 tables! It’s expensive for local Chinese (approximately USD$40.00), but if you can afford it, it’s truly worth it! I heard from my friend, that the Westin Hotel also has excellent buffet, probably even better! I can’t imagine how you could possibly taste more than what is already there!
After the mouth watering lunch, we hit the pool party at the Purple Mountain Hotel. There were approximately two hundred people there, beautiful local and international girls, great music and a really fun party! I wouldn’t mind going back every Saturday:-)
Its always fun to visit Shanghai, an ever changing city, with new places to go and new things to do every time I go, every year, and this is the second time I’m here this year, and I’m pretty sure by Oct when I return for China Grand Prix, I’ll discover something new!
The entire experience was spectacular.
The moment we arrived in Male, the Conrad Resort & Spa, Rangali Island experience took over.
We were transferred to the Hul Hul Hotel and were provided a deluxe room which was a pleasant surprise after a long haul trip. As we arrived in Male around 10pm, we transferred straight to the Hotel.
We didn’t experience any of the facilities as we caught the sea plan at about 7am the following morning. Conrad Maldives Rangali has a transfer lounge at the sea plane terminal and we were looked after from the outset. We were on the island resort by 8am to have breakfast and were in the room by 10am. We were given an island host Fazeel who helped us arrange activities for the week while checking on us each day. He was very personable and helpful.
The over water bungalow was fantastic although we viewed a deluxe beach villa which was very spacious and offered a different experience. The bungalow was cleaned each day while we were at breakfast so our room contact time was not interrupted by any staff which was fantastic.
Food was good but they have many restaurants trying to cater for too many different cuisines (ie. Indian / Italian / Asian / etc.). They should just offer local seafood cuisine and make sure they get it right!
Everything was pricey and in USD so we had a bit of a win on the exchange rate but the local staff were educated in the basic information but if you asked questions outside the norm or ventured from the script, they couldn’t provide the answers. They were also trained in the art of ‘upselling’ and were always pushing the more expensive item and / or offering experiences which you were not necessarily interested in.
Given the money one pays to go to such an island resort, I just thought they could have been a bit more relaxed about things. We still spent approx. USD $1,750 while on the island resort for our evening meals and excursions.
These little irks aside;
all to be an experience which does not get replicated anywhere else.
My wife and I have been to a number of places and would travel back to the Maldives but will experience other places first. The tropical trip was second only to the Greek Islands which was a different experience as it was more a village atmosphere v’s island resort atmosphere.
We ended up staying at the Pan Pacific in Singapore which was fantastic although shopping in Singapore has become over rated.
All in all, thanks for your assistance in organising our trip. It was memorable and well worth it.
I’ve just returned from my holiday to Malaysia with a quick stop-over in Phuket. It was quite a good combination with Phuket just being a hours flight from Kuala Lumpur.
The weather wasn’t too great in Phuket when I arrived but I tried to make the most of my time there and do as many things as I could. Nothing was going to stop me.
I went to visit the local temples, visited the shooting range which was very adventurous for a person like me and of course squeezed in some shopping and spa treatments.
Phuket has beautiful scenery and beaches and the markets were great. There is so much culture for you to see, observing the local people and how they live can be quite inspirational.
The place to be is Patong Beach, for many tourists you either like it or you don’t .. simple as that, personally I thought it was a great experience. There are so many bars and restaurants to choose from for the half the price or even less of what you can get back home. I dined at this lovely beach side restaurant that offered fresh seafood along Patong Beach. I would recommend their traditional dish … fresh green papaya salad topped with freshly grilled prawns ummm … with a fresh coconut juice and then you can work on the cocktails!
While in Phuket I would recommend everyone go see the lady-boy show “Simon Cabaret”. This is something not to be missed. The stage props to the acts were just fantastic … and they really do look like ladies … the transformation is just amazing. It was quite a fun night.
All the big chain hotels are centrally located along Patong Beach. Such as the Hilton, Holiday Inn, Dusit Laguna Resort and many more.
I personally got the opportunity to stay at the Evason Phuket Six Senses Spa. Its located about 40mins away from Phuket International Airport. The service is unbelievable! I felt like royalty with all the extra attention that I got to be honest with you. I got picked up in a flashy BMW private car transfer and they took me directly to the resort. I stayed in a Duplex Suite and had my own private plunge pool which also came with a 24hr private butler service to assist you with anything during your stay.
The Six Senses spa was such a good experience. You start to feel relaxed as soon as you step in the consultation room … I fell asleep after such a good session.
Luckily on one of the days the sun was out so I headed over to Bon Island. This is a private island/beach area that is used by guests staying at the Evason Phuket, it is a pleasurable and scenic 10min boat ride with a bar and private salas for you to use. On Bon Island there is also a honeymoon suite were honeymooners can hire for the night and have private use of the island. You will also received your own private butler and chef for the night who will cook up a very special dinner for you.
After spending a couple of nights at the Evason Phuket I headed over to spend a night at Amanpuri. Also about 40mins away from the Phuket International Airport but just heading in the opposite direction.
Amanpuri was very different to Evason Phuket. It is on a coconut plantation so it is quite a relaxed environment when you arrive. The room was beautiful and spacious, as you walk in there is a complimentary bowl of fruits on the side table with nice soft traditional Thai music playing in the background.
The views from the pavillions were breathtaking. The private villas are really great for families who want to get away and consists of 2 bedrooms with your own private chef and lap pool.
I walked down to the beach and the stairs were a bit much for me … I think I counted about 35 stairs 
however well worth the walk, the private beach was beautiful. The current was a little strong so we couldn’t use the beach that day, what a shame as the water was so crystal clear.
It was time to pack up my bags and head home. I had such a fantastic time in Phuket and got to experience things I never would have back home and take with me many special memories.
Chiva Som - nestled on Thailand’s Royal Beach Resort, Hua Hin, is commonly referred to as the ‘Haven of Life’. At only a 3 hour drive south of Bangkok, this luxurious resort feels a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. Hua Hin Beach should not be thought of as the pristine beach of white sand and blue water that is typically associated with Thailand as this will only lead in disappointment - but the clear water and short shoreline is what encapsulates and contrasts this resort with the 7 acre property featuring lush tropical gardens and stylish accommodation and guest areas.
Focusing on the mind, body and spirit, Chiva Som is not particularly for the guest who wants to relax around the pool. This said, the outside pool (overlooking the beach) is lovely, although not extremely large - but with a daily activities list that is filled with ample things to do to occupy all guests, why would you want to.
From water-aerobics (in a separate activities pool), beach walks, cooking classes, tai chi, yoga, a well equipped gym and personal well-being courses - there truly is something for everyone. And for the guest who wants a little more pampering than physical activity, the spa is the best I have ever seen and offers so many treatments that you wouldn’t be able to do them all in the standard 7 night stay. Chiva Som also offers packages tailored to each individual, for which you are cared for and assisted by your own highly trained Wellness Consultant. And you will always be in the hands of a skilled and qualifies team of Body Therapists, Specialist Consultants, Doctors, Nurses, Naturopaths, Physiotherapists, Counselors, and Fitness Trainers dedicated to support you in achieving lasting results.
The restaurant offers a fantastic restaurant designed to be healthy yet enjoyable with an ever-changing menu. At breakfast, a separate tea menu will be handed to you with a list of tea’s and what it will do to assist in any symptoms ranging from tiredness to tummy upsets. Chiva Som prides them-selves on focusing on everything that will have you leaving the resort refreshed and revitalised.
You won’t find a mini-bar in your room (alcohol is not favoured except for an occasional wine at dinner), but Chiva-Som rooms offer luxury and comfort with fittings and features providing a perfect balance between Thai architectural beauty and Western standards. From marble bathrooms to Thai sculptures and individual DVD players in each room, your creature comforts are taken care of.
The stay will leave guests understanding the philosophy of Chiva Som - “Good health equates to vitality, wellness, peace, harmony, and balance”.
The luxury hotel and casino, the Crown Macau, has won the “Best Casino Interior Design Award†in the 1st “International Gaming Awards 2008†recently held in London, UK.
The award recognizes outstanding design in the casino sector. The winner was judged on originality, innovative style, quality of materials and customer friendly environment.
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Our view of the Tauck organisation is that it is truly “First Class”. Of course there is always a degree of luck with the group of fellow travellers on your bus but in our case we enjoyed a very compatible mix of characters and nationalities. The tour kept moving but allowed rest periods and longer overnight stays in all the right spots. Our Tour Director was personable and well trained. We will always consider Tauck’s options when making future holiday plans.The Emirates flights coupled with the chauffer car service was good value for money but not on all legs of the journey. The company advertises flat bed seating but this is not available on all fit out’s. Brisbane, Singapore, Dubai was a disappointment. We paid for First Class but the standard would generally pass for moderate Business Class. In flight service was fine but honesty in pre-flight information can be improved.
The service we enjoyed from “First Class” was indeed First Class and we shall not hesitate in offering you our future business. Thank you Tina.
Tina and Nico Rosberg at China Grand Prix After Party
Another great event we hosted in Shanghai! Approx 50 guests joined us for the best Shanghai experience!
Its always been an exciting time visiting Shanghai. This fastest growing city never stop to amaze me. Food, shopping, nightlife, and unlimited business opportunites are the top reasons people love Shanghai, and of course, the Grand Prix After Party is definitely a must, celebrating with the formula 1 drivers with the Shanghai elite - the indisputable social event of the year!
What more can I say about Kuala Lumpur than SHOPPING SHOPPING SHOPPING!!
This city is a girls dream …. beautiful shops from designer stores to small boutiquey stores. Departments stores with prices that can accommodate for everyone’s budget. There are night markets that are filled with fantastic bargains or even if you wanted to just stroll through the lanes for a taste of peoples lives trying to make a living. The amount of enthusiasm that the sales people have trying to all make a sale.
This city is not only about shops but also great siteseeing. The most spectacular view in Kuala Lumpur would be the Twin Towers. The Twins Towers would come close to being Paris’s Eiffel Tower but only that it is in Asia.
Kuala Lumpur would be a great stop-over for some just to break up your trip and fill in your luggage with great bargains. Literally bargains can be cheaper than chips.
For people who love to eat … there is a lot of flavour in Malaysian foods. Push your taste buds to the limit … add some spice to your life.
