For the past year, I have been travelling quite a bit and this year I’ll probably do the same. So, I will visit this year’s Natas Fair 2012 to find out the latest favorite destinations and check on the prices of package tours to a couple of places. I want to visit Mongolia and Korea. I reckon package group tours will be the better option than free-and-easy package because the language barrier.

Pre Natas Fair 2012

In order to find out as much information as possible on these 2 countries before I visit Natas Fair 2012 at Singapore Expo, I also googled for pre natas fair promotion on these destinations. To my disappointment, there wasn’t any useful information. I was hoping that bigger tour agencies in Singapore, such as Chan Brothers, CTC Travel or SA Tours will advertise or publicise when and where they’ll hold their Pre-Natas Fair promotions. No info on that either. Not giving up, I asked my friends via Facebook and was told that many, if not all the Pre Natas promotions are held at Suntec City over the weekends.

I need your help…

Please leave a comment below if you know of any upcoming Pre Natas Fair at Suntec City.

5 Tips to NATAS Fair Deals

What I did find useful was an article in the Top 5 Tips to Great Natas Fair Deals. Here’s the 5 tips:

• Do Not Go Too Early
• Bring All Your Credit Cards
• Freedom On Wheels
• Travel Insurance Deals
• Airfare Promotion

I agree to the advice on arriving an hour after the official opening hour. Two years ago, I was arrived at Singapore Expo just before 10am and have to queue for 20 minutes to get in. When I was leaving after an hour or so, there was no queue.

NATAS Fair 2012
24-26 February 2012
Singapore Expo
Hall 3B, 5 and 6
**Natas Fair opening hours from 10am to 9.30pm

If you are thinking of visiting the Natas Fair 2011 to check out the latest tour packages for your 2011 holiday plan, here the travel fair details:

NATAS Travel 2011
Friday, 25 February 2011 to Sunday, 27 February 2011
Singapore Expo Hall 4 & Hall 5
Opening hours: 10am – 9.30pm
Entrance fee: $4

This year tour package promotion highlights:

• South America
• Eastern Europe
• Tohoku, Japan

Well, these are “expensive” tour packages that range from $3,000 to $10,000.

If you are looking for the more traditional holiday destinations, check out my earlier post of Natas Fair. You will see how the Singaporeans’ holiday preference has evolved over the years.

This morning I opened my mailbox and saw an email from Jetstar Singapore with the subject line:

“Jetstar wishes you a Merry Merry Christmas!“

In my heart I was thinking…

How cheap are the air tickets and what are the destinations on offer!

Jetstar Singapore Cheap Fares starting from SGD28

Jetstar’s festive season sale starts from SGD28 for air tickets from Singapore to Jakarta, Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to Penang for selected travel periods in 2011.

If you would like to travel a bit further than Penang and Jakarta but still do not want to spend too much on airfares then check out the following 13 destinations including Bali, Siem Reap(Angkor Wat) and Macau:

Now, is time to visit Jetstar Singapore to book cheap air tickets for next year’s holiday trips, click www.jetstar.com/sg/en/cheap-flights/sales.aspx

The Natas Fair 2010 is just around the corner and I guess this year event will be bigger despite more competitions from smaller travel fairs such as the Travel Feista by Mediacorp and promotion events by large travel agencies.

Natas Fair 2010

Opening hours: 10am – 10pm
Friday to Sunday
27 – 29 August 2010
Singapore Expo Halls 3B, 4 & 5
Entrance fee: S$4

Unfortunately, I don’t think I will visit the Natas Fair this year. I think it’s not worth the time and effort to book a discount travel package at the Natas travel fair. In fact I find it quite stressful to make any travel decision at such a crowded event. And I will do my holiday travel shopping online.

Avoid the Crowd, Book Online

Frankly, online travel booking is convenient, easy and secure. When I know where exactly I want to travel for my holiday:

• I can book my cheap air ticket online.
• I can book my hotel accommodation online.
• I can do all my research and travel planning online from the comfort on my home. So why queue to pay $4 and get myself crushed in the crowd.

Lately, I heard too many stories about last minute cancellations of confirmed departure date travel booking and lost confidence in travel agencies, big and small.

Leaving for Kunming (Yunnan, China) in about 30 hours and just completed planning my Kunming-Lijiang-Dali-Kunming by rail (昆明铁路). This is a very short 5-day trip over the New Year holidays.

Luckily for me, the Kunming-Lijiang express rail link will start operation on New Year Day 2010.

5-Day Kunming-Lijiang-Dali-Kunming Trip by Rail

Day 1: Arrive Kunming

Day 2: Kunming-Lijiang by Train
K9606/7 Kunming 2200 – Lijiang 0655 (next day)
Fare(CNY): ¥130 (upper berth), ¥137 (middle berth), ¥141 (lower berth); ¥200 (upper berth soft), ¥207 (lower berth soft)

Day 4: Lijing-Dali by Train
L9020/17 Lijiang 0810 – Dali 1025
Fare(CNY): ¥48 (hard seat)

Day 5: Dali-Kunming by Train
K9616/3 Dali 2058 – Kunming 0520 (next day)
Fare(CNY): ¥74 (upper berth), ¥78 (middle berth), ¥80 (lower berth)

It’s amazing that I could find all this information on the internet at the official Kunming Rail website – http://www.kmrail.com

My last holiday travel to Japan was more than 2 years ago on a Hokkaido Self Drive Tour and I regretted not planning a side trip to Tokyo.

I have not visited Tokyo for more than 10 years.

In the 1990s, I used to travel to Japan frequently when I was working with Sokkia Singapore, a Japanese land surveying equipment manufacturer. However, these business trips usually took place between early Spring to late Summer. So, I have never experienced Japan during the Autumn season. With the cheap flight to Tokyo offered by Malaysia Airlines, I decided to make a trip this November to see the Tokyo autumn leaves.

Tokyo Trip Plan

Here’s my “Must-see, Must-buy, Must-eat” Tokyo trip itinerary.

Autumn Leaves

• Koishikawa Kōrakuen Garden [小石川後楽園]
• Rikugien Garden [六義園]

I want to spend at least half a day visiting each of these gardens and at least one full day relaxing with Autumn leaves.

Shopping

• Shibuya – Clothing and Fashion
• Shinjuku – Cameras and Electronics
• Akihabara – Cameras and Electronic
• Asakusa – Souvernirs

After a full-day recharging the body and mind, it’ll be time for a day or 2 to shop-till-you-drop adventure!

Food

• Tsukiji Fish Market
• Ramen at roadside stall – Yatai Ramen

It won’t be a holiday without indulging in my favorite Japanese food… sashimi and ramen.

If you have any recommendation for me, please leave your comment below.

ありがとうございます

Once upon a time, I went fishing with Willie in the sea around Pulau Aur off Mersing. I think I went fishing with him 3 or more times and my group enjoyed every fishing trips despite having the horrendous experience of engine broke down with no land in sight. That was more than 10 years ago.

We used to charter a boat from Mersing and stayed on Pulau Dayang. Then Willie would take us to fishing spot where we would hook up bait fish to attract bigger fishing. We spent the entire day on the boat fishing with Willie.

This June, I intend to go deep sea fishing again. And I am looking for fishing kaki.

But I lost Willie’s contact. I searched for Willie using Google, no luck. Then my brother found his web page, web.singnet.com.sg/~fishww.

I called him earlier today and he remembered my name!

It was nice to be remembered. I mean he brought so many people to go fishing and he actually remembered us. He recalled vividly that trip when one member of our group forgot her passport when we were already at the Causeway.

Maybe that’s the reason why I still look for him when I wanted to go fishing in Malaysia.

Natas Fair is here again! The most important Singapore travel fair will start from Friday, 27 Feb to Sunday, 1 March 2009. Traditionally, more people visit the Natas Travel Fair in March then the one in August.

For People Looking for Travel Deals

The Natas Fair offers some of the best travel deals and cheap travel packages. You can get 40% or more discount at the travel fair than when you walk in to book your tour package, hotel or air ticket directly at the travel agencies.

I like to go to Natas Fair to look for the best value travel packages for my travel plan. Usually, I will have a number travel destinations. This year I wish to visit Yunnan, China and Tokyo, Japan. Also the relative cheap AUD makes it attractive to self-drive in Australia.

However, I don’t rule out travelling further if the price is right.

Cheap Europe Tour

Europe tour is always expensive. The cheap way to travel Europe is to backpack. Still, the EURO is relatively expensive against SGD.

The alternative is to visit UK instead. You can take a budget airline to UK and the exchange rate has fallen to about lower SGD2.20. Also, Singaporeans have little language problem in UK – we speak some form of English, don’t we?

Taking a Holiday nearer Home

Another option is to travel within the region: Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines and destinations within 5 hours flight.

I heard that there are several 5-star resorts and hotels opening in the region this year. (What a bad timing?!)

• Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa, Philippines
  Opening 2 March 2009
• Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives
  Opening Late Spring 2009
• Sheraton Huadu Resort
  Opening October 2009

Leave a comment below if you know of new resorts opening in the region.

I am hoping that due to the global economic crisis, there will be heavily discounted room rates at these new resorts.

This year’s NATAS Fair 2012 less than a month away. As in previous Natas travel fairs, I expect this one to be crowded. So I will be going to the Natas Fair at the Singapore Expo on Friday.

NATAS Fair 2012

24-26 February 2012
Singapore Expo
Hall 3B, 5 and 6
Opening hours: 10am – 9.30pm

Looking for NATAS Fair Promotion

My intention of visiting Natas Fair is to look for hotel package promotion for my trip to Sabah later this year. I have already book cheap air tickets with Malaysia Airlines. Now I have to find out how to spend my 2 weeks in Sabah!

In last year Natas Fair, I remembered visiting several booths offering tours to Sabah and Sarawak, and spoke with a friendly agent based in Kota Kinabalu. Hopefully, I can find some of these tour operators in next week travel fair.

Bhutan: The Next Popular Travel Destination?

Not many people know about Bhutan, until recently if not for Tony Leung and Carina Lau wedding held at Uma Paro Hotel & Resort.

Bhutan is one of my dream holiday destinations. If you have seen documentaries(by National Geographic and Discovery Channel) on this Dragon Kingdom high up in the Himalaya mountains then you will be like me, captivated by the beauty of its mountain, forest, people and culture.

I wonder if there would be any Bhutan travel package on offer at the Natas Fair next week at the Singapore Expo Hall 4 and 5.

Go check out this new Zest.SG Forum featuring discussion on beauty, wellness and lifestyle. The first one definitely not for me, I will head for the LifeStyle forum – particularly on food and travel.

Zest.SG – Beauty, Wellness & LifeStyle Forum

This Singapore forum on beauty, well and lifestyle is still brand new and you may want to be 1 of the first 100 pioneer members.

My Favorites: Food & Travel

Beside my favorite topic on travel, I am interested in the Singapore food section too. So do join me there.