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!

Bestowed Upon Bali

Mention Bali and first thing that comes to mind are beautiful beaches and romantic getaways. We at Smart Travellers believe it's a perfect destination for honeymoon too!

If you google Bali, pictures of beaches pop up.

But of course there's more Bali has to offer you ;)

There are an array of travel package deals that you can get these days online and offline. Online examples are like Blue Forest Travels (currently having honeymoon packages), Bali Leisure and iVacationz.

There are so many activities to do in Bali ranging from surfing, shopping to fine dining.

Shop in Kuta area where Matahari department store offers attractive deals with quality wear. There are also small street shops that offers a variety of merchandise ranging from travelling bags to jeweleries.
Seminyak area has some really stylish boutiques that are definitely worth a look.

Meanwhile throughout Ubud, inexpensive small paintings are available that make an excellent decorative acents back at home. Some other crafts in town include weaving in Gianyar, stone carving in Batubulan, basket making in Bona, jewelery in Celuk and so on.


You can have private tour that introduces you to the fascinating cultures and handicrafts, exploring the tranquil countryside of Bali and traditional temples such as Besakih Temple (the biggest temple) and of course not forgetting what the capital city itself has to offer!

Picture courtesy of felixuan.blogspot.com

Sight seeing in Bali includes Uluwatu sunset, hiking in Penelokan Kintamania and exploring Goa Gajah (called elephant cave).

Goa Gajah & Uluwatu sunset

For those of you who are adventurous enough you can go bungee jumping, paragliding, white water rafting and submarine dive!

Don't forget to experience the night life in Bali too! The amazing night life here with fun people and great music will make your trip unforgettable.

Wherever you are and whatever you choose to do in Bali, there's always the embrace and warmth of the locals that they want to share with you. Feel the magic in Bali!


Cheers!

Jakarta!

Jakarta is located on the northwest coast of Java and was formerly known as Batavia. It was made capital of Indonesia after World War II when the country became independent.

Jakarta has its own special culture Betawi that derived from the word Batavia. the everyday speech of Jakartans is liberally laced with expressions. Some of them can be distinguished for example, f becomes p and z becomes j. So if next time you want to say no, say 'nggak'. ;)

Now there are a lot that Jakarta has to offer to tourists. Sight seeing for one. Jakarta Old Town and National Musuem will be the perfect way to start. Check out Jakarta's oldest place of worship too in Black Portuguese Church. It will be interesting and knowlegable to get to know Jakarta this way.

National Museum

Black Portuguese Church

If you are a shopping babe, no worries. Say hello to Grand Indonesia!

Grand Indonesia provides and array of shops inclusive of many exclusive international and Indonesian brands and offers you an unforgettable shopping, eating and entertainment experience.

Jakarta is accessible via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Tanjung Priok Harbour.

Jakarta is the place to be as an introduction point to Indonesia! The capital can tell you so much on the country. So enjoy and have fun!

Cheers!

June: INDONESIA

Yeap!

As fully stated by the post title, this month we at Smart Travellers will be featuring INDONESIA as the country  of the month! *cheers*

For the whole month we will be giving out information on what's hot and new and what's not and don't in Indonesia. There will loads of interesting details so stay tuned with us!

Three cheers for Indonesia peeps!

Stay Healthy When You Travel

Tomorrow is the departure day and you can feel a flu bug coming in.

Now now, you wouldn't want to go on a holiday sick.

Here are a few tips on how to stay healthy or at least..well...prevent it *winks*

1. Do your research to learn about the medical institutions in the country that you're visiting. Get to know how the bills are settled there to avoid all the hassle (just in case *touch wood* that something happened to you).

2. Bring along an ample supply of medicines of your own instead of buying them abroad. Cue: Bring your own medical kit. This includes band-aids, antibiotics, aspirin, pills for diarrhea and upset stomach and some vitamins. Because many drugs sold in developing countries contain impure or toxic ingredients.Only buy medical product after consulting competent medical professionals.

3. To avoid illness when you are already abroad, do not drink from contaminated water or eat raw, uncooked food. Avoid tap water in any forms and drinks that contain ice cubes because you never know what type of water is used to make the ice cubes. A small amount of infected water can make you ill. Look for well-known restaurants or eating outlets in travel guidebooks. Drink from bottled and treated water, boiled water and hot beverages .

4. Avoid raw vegetables, fruits and seafood as they may be washed with tap water. Eat only freshly prepared food from reliable cooks. Have safe food ie thoroughly cooked food, fruits with thick covering (banana, orange) that you peel yourself.

5. Keep health items such as sanitizers, antibiotic ointments and wet wipes around you. Use them when you are going to the toilet or after a toilet use. You can also use them to wipe doorknobs, toilet seat or any surface that contain germs.


That's about it. Travel safely and healthily folks!


Cheers!

How To Pack Smart

The last thing you will need on the day of your trip will be having overweight luggage at the airport and paying for that extra money for the excess weight. Wouldn't it be better to spend that money in something more worthy in your trip??

Picture source: surfermag.com

1. Buy the right bag.
Getting the right bag will ensure you of a comfortable trip. You should consider a cross-over between a backpack and a wheeled bag. This allows you to carry it or wheel it as you wish. It also has to be practical with big and small, interior and exterior compartments.

2. Pack multi-purpose clothes
Pack the minimun amount of clothes and underwear, favouring multi-purpose clothes. Mix and match them so that you will get various styles for different occasion.

3. Use your shoes smartly
Always take an extra pair of light shoes with you. In case of an accident you already have broken in shoes and you don't have to buy new ones. Plus you can use the space inside your shoes by filling them with socks or underwear.

4. Buy small
Before leaving on a trip, make a practical test in order to determine how much medications you need and how much soap, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, shaving cream and so forth you consume during one day. Multiply that quantity with the number of days you will be on vacation and you will realize that you don't  need to take the entire bottle with you. Small, travel size containers are also available from almost all supermarkets nowadays.

5. Documents and money
Don't forget to pack your passport, driving license, travel insurance and all the needed travel documents. It would not be such a bad idea to carry also copies of these documents in case the original copies get misplaced. Carry as little cash as possible and announce your bank that you will be using your credit card away from home, otherwise you have the surprise of having your card blocked for 'security reasons'.

6. Mobile solutions
Rather than carrying maps and guides, a large camera and extra batteries, consider buying a smarter phone with several functions: GPS, higher resolution camera, internet connections etc. This will give you full-time access to maps and travel guides posted on the Internet. Nevertheless, don't forget to pack the phone chager and an adapter.

7. Leave some space
All the above, should have already freed up some space in your luggage. If not, try and redo your luggage, filtering all the unnecessary things. Roll your clothes instead of folding them to save up more space. Eventually you will have more room for souvenirs and gifts.

Have a smart trip!
Cheers!

Article source: ezinearticles.com

This Blog Is Up and Good To Go!

That's right!

WELCOME TO SMART TRAVELLERS.BLOGSPOT!

Smart Travellers (ST) is dedicated to provide travelling information be it of amazing destinations, tips and tricks, promotions (so that you can fly on that cheap price) and a whole load more of everything else!
Take time off from your work and hit that vacation spot nao!
Watch out this space for all the fun in travelling. It's definitely travelling made easy with Smart Travellers!

Have a lovely day peeps!

Cheers! ;D