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

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

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.

I wonder why it’s no longer Natas Fair but changed to Natas Travel. Anyway, I will be visiting the Natas Travel Fair this Saturday.

The last time my wife and I visited the Natas Fair was in March 2007 when we booked a Hokkaido Fly Drive trip to Japan with Prime Travel and Tour.

This year, we will visit the Nata Travel to see if we can get buy a budget tour package to Yunnan, China or Bali, Indonesia. We are planning for a short holiday and to travel in April/May 2008.

Here’s the details of this year Natas Fair:

NATAS Travel Fair 2008
29 February – 02 March 2008
Singapore Expo, Halls 4B & 5

01 August – 03 August 2008
Singapore Expo, Halls 4 & 5

Attended the Prime Travel in-house seminar on the Hokkaido self-drive tour package. Seeing those beautiful scenery are enough to tempt me to want to go visit Hokkaido again.

The Hokkaido tour package for May 2008 looked very tempting – the highlights are moss pink and tulips.

However the prices are not so attractive – more than S$3000 per person excluding airport tax.

All the self-drive tour packages are more costly than last year at Natas Fair even after the special $200 discount for those who attended today’s seminar.

For more information on Prime Travel’s Hokkaido Self Drive Tour Packages and Pricing, visit http://www.primetravel.com.sg

Hokkaido Self-Drive – Summer 2007 Photo Gallery

Click the picture of sunflower below to view my collection of photos taken during my Hokkaido trip.