Christmas is here again

Christmas is a time of love, joy, and forgiveness. People from all over the world celebrate this joyous celebration on the 25th of December every year. Santa clause, Mistletoes, Thanksgiving Turkey, Snowman, and christmas trees are some of its special features. Kids would be waiting for their presents whereas adults prepare special christmas dishes for their warm christmas gathering where they get together with their loved ones.

If you are planning to go abroad on this Christmas, try to visit some of these wonderful countries in Asia.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is an awesome place to visit, with lots of tourist attractions that noone should miss. Although it isnt a traditional christmas destination, the country has managed to put on spectacular shows every year. Here are some exciting events that you can experience during your trip in Hong Kong:

1. Disney’s Sparkling Christmas (19th November – 2nd January)

- Enjoy your Christmas here in Disneyland where you can see attractive christmas decorations along the main street which will be transformed into a fairytale Gingerbread Village with candies, gingerbread and many more. You will also experience the Christmas parade along the road, with the apperance of The Disney Dancers and entertainers, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and,some other Disney characters too.

2. Christmas with the Hong Kong Philharmonic (24th and 25th December)

- If you are a music lover, join in the Hong Kong Philharmonic for an experience never to be missed! The classical music by Bach and Handel will take you back to 1685! Dont forget to catch Soprano Lucy Crowe there.

3. Christmas Carollers - TBC

- Christmas spirit is in the air accompanied with the voice of young carollers who are amongst primary school children. They will be performing in a number of events so dont forget to catch them this December! One of their main highlights is their free finale at Centenary Council Garden in Tsim Sha Tsui on this coming 23rd of December 2011.

Philippines

Christmas Day is celebrated widely in the Philippines. Most of the Christians in the Philippines are Catholic. The celebration is important because it is a day in remembering the birth of Christ. It is celebrated on the 25th of December in the Gregorian calendar. Try to visit the Philippines and experience some of these exciting events:

1. The Christmas Light Festival
 - Held in Pototan, it is a colourful event with Christmas lights at night. This festival makes you experience a total blackout as there will be no flourescent lights switched on, except for the moonlight from the sky. You can see Christmas lights blinking in the dark. Where to go? Head to the 6-hectare town plaza! There will be a dancing fountain and food festival as well, so be sure not to miss this them!

2. World Bazaar Festival 2011
 - Held from the 2nd-18th of December 2011, this festival is organised by Worldbex Services International, in World Trade CentreMetro Manila.

                Have a Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!
                      Spread the joy with lots of love and hugs



Snack Food in Thailand

No, it's not potato chips.
Neither it is bean soup or sago or whatsoever.

It's the oh-so-famous fried insects!!

Jeng jeng jeng!

Picture courtesy of www.bangkok.com

Insects in Thailand are eaten as snack food, often with beer. Not raw but cooked and fried.

Just call it a 'cultural divide' but strange as it may sounds, fried insects which originated from the northeast of the country is now found everywhere in Thailand!

Some of it are not gross at all but rather yummy! :D
Depending on what type of insects you choose, some of it produces a crispy and crunchy taste while others the more fatty and juicy types well, juicy and succulent LOL

Picture courtesy of www.bangkok.com

In Thailand all these are considered delicious and extremely good for the body.

There are various types and if you're into this stuff you might be thrilled to try roaches, beetles, ants, their eggs and even cooked scorpions!

Commonly found insects are those of bamboo worms, larvae, crickets, grasshoppers, ants (which has a sour hint), spiders, cockroaches and water bugs while the rare species are scorpions.

The best way to eat them is put white pepper and soy sauce on them that actually enhances the flavor of the insects. Eating insects may sound disgusting to you but some has claimed that these unique delicacies are full of calcium and protein.
Eat with the greens and they will make a perfectly balanced meal.

Picture courtesy of www.thetravelword.com

You can click here to know more of these special food.

Enjoy eating!

Cheers!

5 Useful Tips when travelling in Bangkok

1. Use your bargaining skills..but politely! Bargaining is very common amongst shops in Bangkok. However,  smile and walk away politely if the price is disagreeable; most likely you will be called back for a negotiation!=)

2. Pack water as Bangkok's sticky, stiffling heat is very tiring for shoppers like you. A bottle of water will be a boon to your well being.

3. Beware of scammers! Savour contact with the locals but please, beware the shysters.

4. Plan ahead. Bangkok, unlike Paris and Italy, is not a walkable city. Work out what you want to see, where they are then work out a logical route on your map.

5. Carry a photocopy passport. Whether it is an impromptu demand from a local policeman or request from security at on of the city's swanky nightspots, carrying an ID is a must in Thailand. Instead of dragging your passport around with you and worry constantly of it going missing, take a photocopy.

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is the most significantly cultural province in Thailand. Even its name emits a certain spiritual aura..Ohm~ It's most certainly a must-go place if you ever set foot in Thailand.

Chiang Mai is a dynamic and modern city which has successfully combine its rich history and traditions with its increasingly modern side. Chiang Mai has always many feathers to its bow with its cultural riches, relative peacefulness, fantastic food and handicraft and not forgetting its many natural treasures.


Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples!
Wat Chiang Man, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep and so much more. If I are to list out all of them here it's endless! o.O

Wat Chiang Man

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

Take a look at their marvelous architectures and construction. Dwell in their history and how they come about. Who knows you may learn a thing or two from there ;)

Get closer to nature in Chiang Mai by visiting Elephant Nature Park. It is a unique elephant rescue project set in Northern Thailand. It aims to provide a sanctuary and rescue for elephants

Get cultural by joining in the festivals that Chiang Mai hosts!
There is Loi Kratong which is held in November. Each time, thousands of people release floating banana-leaf containers onto the water and hot-air balloons. Songkran is held mid-April to celebrate traditional Thai new year.

Chiang Mai Flower Festival is 3-day festival held during first weekend in February each year, the time when Chiang Mai's temperate and tropical flowers are in bloom.

I can promise you it will be a colorful and exciting affair!

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to Chiang Mai now for a burst of culture and experience!!

Cheers!

Bangkok!

Now to start off Thailand month, what's a better way to do it other than introducing Bangkok, Thailand's capital city in a glance??

Picture courtesy of cityimage.net

Bangkok has always been famous for its city business and it is the largest urban area and primary city of Thailand. Known in Thailand as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon it means 'City of Angels'.

It is the political, social and economic center of Thailand.

Some of the attractions that you must not miss in Bangkok are the floating markets!
With the most famous being Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, about 100 kilometres southwest of Bangkok.

Picture courtesy of blog.allthedumbthings.com

The colorful clad merchants paddle along the congested canals laden with fresh fruits and vegetables to sell to shoppers on the banks. The mornings will be bustling with activities and totally chaotic. It's noisy, colorful, touristy but great fun nonetheless :D

Chatuchak Weekend Market is a must to visit if you're looking for worthy stuff. Dubbed the world's largest weekend market, prepare your stamina to walk a lengthy distance as it covers 35 acres with almost 15 000 booths!! *gasps*
Maybe more! *gasps louder!*

Picture courtesy of guidetothailand.com

The range of product are crazily extensive! Pets, books, music, clothes and the list goes on...

Prices? Definitely negotiable ;)

Now if you are feeling royal, head on to the Grand Palace. The royals do not live there now. The place is only used for ceremonial occasions therefore the grounds and the four palace buildings are open to the public on most days.

Picture courtesy of thaicruises.com

Here's what you can see:
Wat Phra Kaew - a temple containing the Emerald Buddha
Chakri Mahaprasad Hall - Italian Renaissance influenced building
Amarindra Hall - the former royal court

among others.

For a while, you can catch a glimpse the lives of the royals.


Bangkok has gained its reputation as an independent, dynamic and influential city. There's so much to see and do and experience! An eye-opener!

Cheers!!

The Deals Just Keep Coming! :D

There's so many of them that we cant wait to share with all you travellers out there!

Here's another one from Groupego: A luxurious stay at Aonang Phu Petra Resort Krabi~~!

It's Krabi people...the ever oh-so-serene Kraaaabbiiii~~~!

For 2 pax inclusive of breakfast! Whoa!

Quick! Only RM 199!

Click here for more!


Cheers!

3 Night Cruise

Yep, It's a 3-night cruise onboard Superstar Libra!

Penang-Phuket-Krabi-Penang!

All these deals are growing like mushrooms now!

Need I say more??

Click here to buy!


Enjoy and relax!

Cheers!

Chiang Mai Deal!

Interested in holidaying in Chiang Mai, Thailand??

Just a relaxing vacation for two?

Well, wait no more because Jackcow is featuring a 4 days 3 nights stay in Chiang Mai, free and easy.

How much you ask?
It's only RM348 for 2 pax!

Inclusive of hotel accommodation and 2-way airport shuttle! It's defitnitely a wow deal!

Hurry! 2 days left to buy! Grab one for your own now!
:D

Cheers!

July : Thailand!

Sawadikap!

It's Thailand that we're featuring in this month of July!

Anything that you would love to know about Thailand be it holiday packages, places or food, feel free to drop us a comment or a word in our chat box. We will try our very best to update you all there is about Thailand.


Hope to see you guys more on Smart Travellers's blog!

Now before we check out, we'll leave you with a picture that was became quite hyped after it was circulated in the Internet.

Familiar? X)

Kapunkap!

Cheesie

Today we will introduce another blogger. Pretty and well known to the blogger community: Cheesie!

We're guessing she likes cheese because her blog is very 'cheeeeesy' X)
 Go to her blog. 

Cheesie is actually more of a fashion blogger. Why are we featuring her today is because she went for a trip to Hong Kong and Japan too. Sponsored by Park Hotel Group too.

Yep. You guessed it right. She went with Xiaxue!

You'll be entertained with loads of pictures in Cheesie's blog! Very colorful and attractive pictures :D If you have read Xiaxue's Hong Kong post then you may find her post's a lil similar with Cheesie.

But no worries, still very entertaining indeed =)

Park Hotel Group is giving away 50 sets of holiday packages for two! To find out more how you can win, go to the Unlimited Discovery now!

Xiaxue

Speak of Xiaxue, we're guessing most of you bloggers will know who she is.

Xiaxue is a famous blogger from Singapore and her blog is concentrated mostly on her personal life and the travels that she participated.

Why are we talking about her today? 

Because she has just came back from her trip to Hong Kong and Japan!
Best yet, her trip is sponsored by Park Hotel Group! WOW!

Park Group Hotel is giving away holiday packages to lucky 50 to destinations of either Singapore, China, Hong Kong or Japan to celebrate their 50th anniversary!

Read about her awesome and exciting trip and find out more about Park Hotel Group's contest at her blog!

Alternatively you can click here to go to the contest straight ;)

Cheers!!

Up to 52%!

Now this is perfect for a short weekend getaway for friends or with your loved ones.

Go chill out at Singapore after a long week of work!

A discounted package for a 1-night stay at a hotel of your choice (choose from 3). There are also other Purchase with Purchase options that comes together when you buy this package!

Very attractive indeed! :D

Hurry! Only left 11 hours to purchase!

Click here to find out more!

RM99 to Jakarta

That is like up to 61% off Jakarta return ticket on Garuda Airlines.

Meals are included plus complimentary drinks onboard.

By getting this deal, you can buy now and travel later!

Yay!

Hurry! Click here to find out more!


Cheers!

Snap & Win! Contest

Yes, it has been launched and ongoing NOW!!

NOW!!!

Im gonna explain to you people who are interested but puzzled, on how to join this contest.

Actually there are two categories for this contest:


SNAP & WIN
For this category, all you have to do is like our 'Be A Smart Traveller' and 'LocalSIMKad' page.

Then go back to 'Be A Smart Traveller' page and click on the 'Snap & Win! Contest' tab which is located at the left hand side of the page.

Fill in the form at the landing page that will require you to upload your best travelling page of you, family or friends!

When we receive your submission, we will notify you and tag you in your photo.

Once you have been notified, update your status to :

"Snap & Win RM650! [tag 'Be A Smart Traveller' and tag 'LocalSIMKad'. Vote me at [paste your photo link here] to stand a chance to win RM200! "

TELL your friends to vote for you because picture with the highest votes wins! :DD



Now your friends who vote for you stand a chance to win something too!

COMMENT & WIN

For those of you who votes for your friend's photo, you can win something out of it too! How great is that?!

Comment on the photo by typing the following:

"Comment & Win [tag 'Be A Smart Traveller' - tag 'LocalSIMKad' "

For example,
Comment & Win [tag 'Be A Smart Traveller' - tag 'LocalSIMKad' The Big Ben is so majestic that it makes me cry T^T

If the photo  that you commented on wins, then you will be among the candidates to be in the run in winning the RM200!!!

Cool or what!

JOIN NOW!! 

As a contestant OR commenter! 

We look forward to your participation!!

To start, go to Be A Smart Traveller and LocalSIMKad fan page now! 

Good Luck!

It's Here!

Yes yes YES!

The thing that I have been talking about is finally here.

Introducing Snap & Win! Contest!!
First contest that we are launching here at Smart Travellers!

WHEEEE!!!!
 Prized up to RM2000 to be won people!!!

Now how to enter?

Just scroll down or click on the picture to know more!

Please forgive me for the small small pictures.

However no fret 'cuz you can find this contest on the left panel of this blog.

 <<<<

Seeit? Seeit?

All you have to do for this contest is just email us your best travelling picture of you, family or friends and ask your friends to 'like' your picture when it goes online in our Facebook fan page 'Be A Smart Traveller'. The winner goes to the picture with the highest likes.

Best of all, if your picture wins, your friends or fans who commented on your photo will stand a chance to win cash prizes of RM200 too in the Comment & Win! category.

Hurry now! Contest ends 22nd of July 2011!!

Put up your picture and may the best photo wins!

*keeps fingers crossed*

GOOD LUCK!

Coming...It's Coming~~

Like we said earlier....

It will be out later today!

Stay with us peeps!!

Cheers!

Holiday Packages!

Found this on the Internet and thought lets share with all of you ;D


Other than that, holidays to Indonesia from HolidayAsia!
Anywhere in Indonesia =D

Book a trip now!

It's Here!

*drumrolls*

It's coming this Monday!

Stay tuned for more!!

COMING SOON!

Twisted Sate

And that my friends is Smart Travellers' own translation for sate lilit *stupid laugh*

Indonesia is believed to be the home of satay where we can find an array of satay types there! There's sate sapi, sate udang, sate lilit and so forth.

And today it's sate lilit Bali!
Of course, from what its name suggests, it's a Balinese delicacy.

Picture courtesy of rasamalaysia.com

It is minced seafood rolled onto sugarcane sticks then grilled on hot coals until it's golden brown.

Picture courtesy of riobali.com

Some say it is the best satay you will ever encounter. Some improve the flavors by substituting the skewers with lemongrass and grill them over coconut husks instead of charcoals.

Try it for yourself and you will know the specialty of sate lilit

Recipe?
Links are here and here.


Cheers!

Holiday In Indonesia!

And fly there via Firefly!

 Go holiday in Bandung and Surabaya from as low as RM559!
WOW! Awesome deals arent they!?

Quick! Make your bookings now!

To find out more, click on the Firefly link above.

Cheers!

Basking in Bakso

Today we will introduce to you: bakso!

In Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia it is not a strange food anymore as there's pretty much Indonesian influence at both states.

Bakso is actually hearty meatball soup in (usually) beef broth laden with noodles or mihun (vermicelli noodles), topped with a generous amount of bean sprouts, Chinese green cabbage, salted vegetable, egg, beancurd and has a peppery garlic taste.

Picture courtesy of boneksunu.blogspot.com

Ah~ talking about bakso has made me hungry again *tummy growls*

Bakso can be found pretty much everywhere in Indonesia, making it one of the most popular street food around.
Although commonly made from beef and tapioca flour, the meat can be substituted with others such as chicken and shrimp.

The most famous baksos are bakso malang and bakso solo (names come from the places they originated). Then there's bakso bakar (roasted bakso)

Bakso solo mostly contain boiled or steamed meatballs soaked in beef broth while bakso malang has much more contents that includes tofu, siomay and wanton.

Picture courtesy of areamagz.com - Bakso solo

Picture courtesy of wikipedia.org - Bakso malang

Bakso bakar on the other hand is meatballs on skewers and then grilled to perfection on heated charcoals, eaten with gravy and sauce.

Picture courtesy of cilialimantara.blogspot.com

Now now enough talk and try to make you own bakso! You can find the recipes here and here.

Happy eating!


Cheers!

Indonesia Delicacies: Pempek

Talk about food in Indo it actually depends on the states in the country. Different states have their own unique delicacy.

As 'appetizers', we will talk about pempek from Palembang, South Sumatra. It can be found in almost every street of town.

Pempek or mpek-mpek / empek-empek as the locals call it, is made of fish and tapioca.

It is served with cuko, a dark rich sauce made from brown sugar, chili pepper, garlic, vinegar and salt to boiling water. It can also be eaten with yellow noodles.

Simply, it is fish paste with sweet and sour sauce.

Pempek comes in a lot of varieties. The most famous is called Pempek Kapal Selam.
The main dinstinction that Pempek Kapal Selam has is it has a chicken egg wrapped within the dough and then deep-fried.


Stories have it that pempek was created by an old Chinese man who resided at the banks of Musi river in Palembang since 16th century.
During that time, fish was caught in abundance and the only way to preserve the fish was either fried or grilled it. The Apek (chinese slang for old man) tried to find another alternative to cook the fish and eventually he mixed tapioca flour into the fish meat and deep-fried it. Later on he peddled around the village to sell this new snack and the villagers dubbed the old man "Pek..Apek" and hence the name pempek.


Of course it is not necessary to fly all the way to Palembang to eat pempek (though we recommend you do so for the originality of it haha)
Here and here are some pempek recipes that you can try at home.

Enjoy and have a nice day!

Cheers!

It's Bandung!

No, it's not the 'air bandung' drink that is well known in Malaysia and Singapore.
We are referring to the city of Bandung in Indonesia!

Despite the name Bandung has no connection or whatsoever to the drink 'air bandung' and it can't even be found there. Seriously.

Bandung, nicknamed 'Kota Kembang' isn't very famous outside of Indoensia. Despite people saying there  are not many things to do in Bandung, it is a place where sightseeing and shopping are combined together.

Visibly from anywhere in Bandung, Tangkuban Perahu one of the few largest volcano craters there. It's cold and can easily hike up there.

Kawah Putih is another crater located at different location. The sulfur lake is surrounded by grey rocks and it is advisable to not touch the water because of its high sulfur content.

If you are a tea person then Situ Patenggang is the place for you. It is surrounded by tea plantations and you can opt to go boating *grins*

Now comes to other part of Bandung: shopping!

There are few favourite shopping paradise for shoppers like you out there.
Rumah Mode is one of the most beautiful and by far the most favourite one. It is where you can get the latest trend in fashion and clothes.

Picture courtesy of bandungguide.info

Jalan Riau and Dago are well known for its factory outlets.
No, these outlets are not like warehouses. In fact they are designed in an uptown manner for you to shop in comfort. Jalan Cihampelas on the other hand is famous for jeans and leather goods and the fashion here is more suitable for teenagers and kids.

Apart from all the fashionista 'jalans',Jalan Braga is the main party area. Come here if you plan to party till the wee hours of the morning!

 
Agoda and booking.com are some of the websites available for cheap hotels lookout in Bandung. For holiday packages you can check out cuti.com.my.

Though less well known, Bandung provides a combo of relaxation and city-style holiday where you can shop, eat and sight see all in one place. Widen your horizon and book your place go to Bandung!


Cheers!