Category Archives: Travel

#itravel

Miss a flight in Beijing?

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This happened two weeks ago.

At about 1020hrs, I arrived in Beijing International Airport getting ready to leave for ChengDu – Flight NO. CA4102 1100hrs. Immediately I joined in the counter queue for check in. My turn arrived at 1030hrs but I was rejected by the counter officer because their check in system closed 30mins before the flight time. I tried to negotiate because it was only 4mins, but it did not work. So I was stranded in Beijing Airport not knowing what to do. I Was a bit panic and frustrated because the counter officer did not offer any alternative solutions as well.

So I went around asking and these were the steps taken if you happened to miss a flight in Beijing! “No sure if it applied to all airports in China”.

First, go to the ticket sale counter and ask for a change of time, I managed to change mine to 3pm. (RMB70). During the purchase ask where is the location for the registration for backup seats (后补票) – just in case if there are any empty seats in the next available flight you may be able to hop on.

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There was just one counter available for "backup tickets" - Shout if you must!

Do not be shocked by the crowd at the registration counter, act like a local shout out your flight details – For example. “前往成都的后补票有吗？我要登记I” “if there any available seats for the next flight to Chengdu, I want to register!” than make your way (push,pull,elbow) to the front of the counter and give the lady your passport details. she will ask you to buy a backup ticket first, tell her you already did and she will put you on a waiting list and give you a time. I was told to come back to her at 1230hrs and see if there is available seat for me on next flight at 1300. if there is, she will take your passport, register again and give you a ticket.

if there is not, she will make a announcement at 1230hrs “前往成都的后补票一点钟没了，请等一点三十分.” “No seats available for flight at 1300hrs, please come back at 1330hrs for the flight at 1400hrs.”

In any case that the flights are full and you do not get to any backup seat. You still got your standby tickets that you brought earlier.

Lesson learn: I should have dash straight to the checkin counter and say I am late, so they will check me in first. Do not queue. Give extra time allowance for domestic travel in China as well!

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wordpress.com still blocked in China!

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Just came back from a 2 weeks’ trip to China, the startup culture is certainly growing fast in China especially Beijing. I was not able to blog my experience over there because wordpress.com was still blocked. It was blocked in 2008 when I was there for NOC and it still is.

“Self-hosted wordpress blog did not face any blocking issues, when I was there”

Alternatively, there are still ways to blog through wordpress.com. One, you can get a VPN – this way you can access facebook and twitter as well but it will cost you, unless you are in China for a long period of time otherwise try looking for free VPN tunnel. Two, you can simply make use of wordpress.com – Post by Email service like I did for this post.

I would also like to share with you guys some internet services that I faced problems/blocked while I was there.

  • Gmail – It was laggy and I had to keep reloading.
  • Flickr – it’s doing fine
  • Youtube – chose “优酷“
  • Evernote – is good too even there is a clone for it (麦库记事)
  • Dropbox – is syncing well too BUT if someone sends you a download link it will be blocked. And Yes! there is a clone for it too. (酷盘）
  • Facebook & Twitter – as everybody knows, it is blocked. and there are always clones available (人人) & (微博）
  • Skype – is horrible!, it was great in the past…:(

So as people says, when in “China” do what the chinese do! I got myself a QQ account. The IM service from QQ is great, video chat is also much smoother than Skype (Singapore-China), transfer of files are very fast as well. And to keep track of the latest tech stuffs in town, I got myself a weibo. Following Tech2ipo & web20share as a start. :) Here is a site that will be useful if you want to see if that any particular site is block in China. (http://greatfirewallofchina.org/)

 

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KTM Resort in Batam | Flickr – Photo Sharing!

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via flickr.com

Batam KTM Resort – A nice and budget get away for 2D1N

Last Friday, I took leave and venture to Batam. I brought the package from Batam Spa Villa, 2D1N. Did not took up the city tour as I find it too much of a tourist trap.

Well I have to say at S$140, the package isn’t too bad after despite hearing poor reviews from friends especially for their food.

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View from my room. They stated ocean view :p but it’s not too bad to wake up with this kind of view greeting you. And I went on Friday so it was less crowded as well.

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Room was not too bad. Good enough for 2, but the bed sheet was a bit dirty thou. Comes with common facilities, aircon, water-heater, tv and most importantly wireless in the room.

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Spa venue was great facing the “ocean” and look across carefully you can see Singapore. It was a 90mins spa with foot bath, hot tub and massage.

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Hot tub near the sea view, sometimes you get to see boatman passes by too. You will start to wonder what they will be thinking when they are out working hard fishing while you sits comfortably in a hot tub…

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Food is alright, not as bad as my friends mention. In fact I personally find it quite tasty.

Basically when you buy the package, you do not need to bring much money or change too much indo coz you won’t spend too much. In the package, you get a complimentary lunch and the next day breakfast. Maybe s$30 would be good enough. I changed S$50 and I used only $25 for dinner and snacks.

Backpacking in Vietnam Day 2

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Morning in the street of Hanoi

On the way to Halong Bay – got the tour package from hotel at 34usd

half way stop for rest room after the 3 hours bus journey , the stop was also like a tourist trap where they expect us to pay premiun to buy stuff.. just like always

Arriving in Halong City Habour

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Vietnam – The First CHoice

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First dinner in Hanoi - the famous soup noodle and it cost only 8000d = S$0.80

The guy beside me – Hide from japan

Nice guy who brought me around when I first arrive :)

The Dome I am staying in, Cost only $4.00USD per day
when I was there, there are already 3 men inside : )
And The first breakfast – how nice it was for the dome to incude breakfast :)

Shoutout in vietnam – angry man 2

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and the tourist esp those rich ones like to look down on us chinese , the same goes to the vietnamese so of them looking for tourist dollar look down on us.
Cha pa resturant , cannot make it i think , i follow the guide book yet i have a bad experience , hopefully the dinner with other resturant is ok .

the only think here cheap us internet , but slow 5000dong for 1 hr.

Shoutout in vietnam – angry man

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I wanna to complain….

becaue I made 2 mistake in this tour, that is not to pick up anymore of the tour package …
it was waste of time and its a tourist trap. I took up another tour with the so call orignal sing cave. it is rubbish I took a 2 day 3 night tour cost me 77usd with no food and on the day of departure then tellme I would have to make my own way back to hanoi from the train station , thou the train station is near they should tell me first

another mistake was to book the open package bus tickets ,this allow you to travel down south to saigon with bus, and you can make a stop any point of time. however this is the cheapest way of travel.
but because of sometimes i am like restricted to the bus service. but this time round i learn from the mistake. No choice i may ned to buy train tickets to hoi an becuse the trip is quite long.

Another complain the trip to sapa was below my expectation, but i made 2 friends as of now. Today the tour guide try to short change me , bring me only to 1 village when the tour stated 2. the funny part ws that the tour was sippose to be a group tour by there was 4 spainish pple ( rich and old) could not afford to walk any longer and always complain about thio and that so they went back to hotel. left me and the guide turn out to be a private tour for me haha.

but sapa id something like genting the weather , and I serious think that there is no need to get tour , coz it is a small town nothing much to do . also waste of my time to come with the tour should have come myself.

if I amnot wrong , train tickets to sapa 50usd 2 ways and room around 10 usd transport up sapa 2 usd a day tour maybe 12usd with ,lunch that make up only 74usd and you have freedom to roam around.
but right now i also leave my tour group to roam around on my own. asted ome money.

anyway thing in sapa also quite ex spoilt market by the europeans coz thuer money big , a meal for us in sing cost 4-6 dollars thats like in singapore. no much difference also this ares has been crowed with tourist so no point coming unless you are riding up or want to expeience villages life. which are quite primative

coming up next will be arriving in hanoi in 31/07 5am will rot in hanoi and wait till 6.30pm for bus down to hue which will be 12 hours like going penang hahaha or longer.

Shoutout in vietnam

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I wanna to complain….

becaue I made 2 mistake in this tour, that is not to pick up anymore of the tour package …
it was waste of time and its a tourist trap. I took up another tour with the so call orignal sing cave. it is rubbish I took a 2 day 3 night tour cost me 77usd with no food and on the day of departure then tellme I would have to make my own way back to hanoi from the train station , thou the train station is near they should tell me first

another mistake was to book the open package bus tickets ,this allow you to travel down south to saigon with bus, and you can make a stop any point of time. however this is the cheapest way of travel.
but because of sometimes i am like restricted to the bus service. but this time round i learn from the mistake. No choice i may ned to buy train tickets to hoi an becuse the trip is quite long.

Another complain the trip to sapa was below my expectation, but i made 2 friends as of now. Today the tour guide try to short change me , bring me only to 1 village when the tour stated 2. the funny part ws that the tour was sippose to be a group tour by there was 4 spainish pple ( rich and old) could not afford to walk any longer and always complain about thio and that so they went back to hotel. left me and the guide turn out to be a private tour for me haha.

but sapa id something like genting the weather , and I serious think that there is no need to get tour , coz it is a small town nothing much to do . also waste of my time to come with the tour should have come myself.

if I amnot wrong , train tickets to sapa 50usd 2 ways and room around 10 usd transport up sapa 2 usd a day tour maybe 12usd with ,lunch that make up only 74usd and you have freedom to roam around.
but right now i also leave my tour group to roam around on my own. asted ome money.

anyway thing in sapa also quite ex spoilt market by the europeans coz thuer money big , a meal for us in sing cost 4-6 dollars thats like in singapore. no much difference also this ares has been crowed with tourist so no point coming unless you are riding up or want to expeience villages life. which are quite primative

coming up next will be arriving in hanoi in 31/07 5am will rot in hanoi and wait till 6.30pm for bus down to hue which will be 12 hours like going penang hahaha or longer.

Vietnam trip update

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Got the package tour from the hotel. it was a nice experience , although it was also a tourist trap. The jpurney goping was not that enjoying, I been push around like a bag moving me from bus to bus. But i do love the journey on the baot and met many people and make good friends on the boat.

Chat with different backpackers on the way , learn many things thing from them what trabsport to take and what not to do.

after the halong bay tour , i was back in hanoi, met up with Biana and friends , I would like to tahnk them for bringing around in the town and to visit the night sat market. But i never gotten anything.

I was busy looking for a tour to leave that night, lucky i did not leave otherwise i would end up misiing all the fun because the next day, Bianca bring me a tour on her bike, i was iven the chance to ride her bike on my own, it was a great experience, i believe I have become greater experience rider. I haven taken many nice photos which i will post up later and she also bring me to have a lot of nice food, this time roundthink have to run harder when I am back in singapore.