Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Luggage Damaged during flight - how to claim.

different airlines has different policy - check their website

IMPORTANT - damaged luggage need to be confirmed by airport staff upon your arrival.
if you need to buy a new luggage bag, DO NOT throw old damaged luggage (you need it for the airlines and make sure you have a receipt for new luggage) - do not buy a new luggage unless instructions from your airlines 

below is Jetstar Policy for reference:

In the unlikely event that your Checked or Cabin Baggage is lost or damaged, you can seek assistance from a staff member at a Jetstar Baggage Counter at your arrival airport or the Jetstar Service Desk if there is no Baggage Counter available. In the case of damaged baggage, you will need to present the item to a staff member to assess the damage.
Otherwise, you need to make a claim in writing within the time limits imposed by legislation and international conventions governing airline liability. These are the time-frames:
Domestic flights:
  • 3 days for damaged baggage.
  • 21 days for delayed or lost baggage.
International flights:
  • 7 days for damaged baggage.
  • 21 days for delayed or lost baggage.
Once again, if the claim involves damaged baggage, a Jetstar representative may need to view the item before the claim can be approved. Baggage Claims or Queries should be submitted in writing via our Baggage Enquiry form located here.
For more information please contact Baggage Services.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Life is short & unpredictable.
Don't WAIT, to wait it could be too late


We seem to think that we’ll live forever.

We spend time and money as though we’ll always be here.

We buy shiny things as though they matter and are worth the debt and stress of attachment.

We put off the so-called “trip of a lifetime” for another year, because we all assume we have another year.

We don’t tell the ones we love how much we love them often enough because we assume there’s always tomorrow. And we fear. 
Oh, do we fear.

We stick it out in miserable jobs and situations because we’re afraid of the risk of stepping out. We don’t reach high enough or far enough because we’re worried we’ll fail, forgetting – or never realizing – that it’s better to fail spectacularly while reaching for the stars than it is to succeed at something we never really wanted in the first place.


We worry about the trivial to the neglect of the most precious thing we have: moments we’ll never see again.

We talk of killing time, passing time, and getting through the week, forgetting we’re wishing away the moments that comprise our lives.

We say time is money when in fact the time we have is ALL we have. Money can be borrowed, time can’t. We fear taking risks, unaware that the biggest risk we run in playing it safe is in fact living as long as we hope and never doing the things we dreamed of. And then it’s too late.

We watched our favourite TV shows, we fought a losing battle with our weight, we picked up the guitar once in a while and never quite finished the french language courses we wanted to do. We managed to get a large flatscreen and new cars once in a while, but the list of things we’d have done if we could really, truly could have done anything, kept growing. And we never did them.

Shanghai Snack Street

Shanghai Snack Street
Shanghai is thronged with delicious food and snacks from all over China. Various kinds of local snacks have distinctive flavor. Food and dishes from other regions of the country are also authentic and popular. Do you have a good appetite? We will lead you to a number of snack streets clustered with restaurants and eateries. They will be sure to satisfy your one-stop tasting.

Famous Wu Jiang Snack Street is closed by the government.

Shanghai Old Town God Temple Snack Street
老城隍廟小吃街

"Located in Huangpu District, the Old Town God Temple Snack Street is about ten minutes' walk away from the South Bund Area. It is an ideal dining place during your compact sightseeing schedule.







 Old Town God Temple Snack Street 老城隍庙小吃街 (lǎo chéng huáng miào xiǎo chī jiē)
Located in Huangpu District, it is about ten minutes' walk away from the South Bund Area. It is an ideal dining place during your compact sightseeing schedule.

The Old Town God Temple area deserves the name of 'Shanghai Snack Kingdom'. It is a time-honored and the largest snack street featuring the most famous restaurants and eateries in Shanghai. In accordance with the architectural style of the nearby ancient Yuyuan Garden, restaurants here are all constructed following a style of Ming and Qing Dynasties.

In addition, a snack plaza of thousands of square meters is included. You can almost find all the local snacks here, including Nanxiang Steamed Stuffed Buns, Crab-Yellow Pastries, Fried Stuffed Buns, Chop Rice Cakes, Vegetable Stuffed Buns, and Cream Spiced Beans. Various snacks of other areas in China are also available.






 Recommended Restaurants:
Shanghai Classical Hotel 上海老饭店 (shàng hǎi lǎo fàn diàn)
Location: No.242, Fuyou Road, Huangpu District
Specialties: Authentic Benbang cuisines.
Lu Bo Lang绿波廊 (lǜ bō láng)
Location: No. 131, Yuyuan Road, Huangpu District
Specialties: Haipai cuisines and snacks.
Shanghai De Xing Guan 上海德兴馆 (shàng hǎi dé xīng guǎn)
Location: No.18, Bailing Road, Huangpu District
Specialties: Shanghai Benbang cuisines; various kinds of nutritious and restorative soup.
Chunfeng Songyue Vegetarian Restaurant 春风松月楼 (chūn fēng sōng yuè lóu)
Location: No.23, Bailing Road, Huangpu District
Specialties: Vegetable Stuffed Bun and various vegetarian dishes.
Nanxiang Mantou 南翔馒头店 (nán xiáng mán tou diàn)
Location: No. 85, Yuyuan Road, Huangpu District
Specialties: Nanxiang Steamed Stuffed Bun.

 
South Yunnan Road
云南南路 (yún nán nán lù)
South Yunnan Road is an old food street located at the intersection of Yan'an Road and Xizang Road in Huangpu District. It is about ten minutes' walk from the People's Square and adjacent to Dashijie Amusement Park, so it is also called Dashijie Food Street.
Restaurants here are mainly Chinese ones, focusing on Shanghai cuisines and Sichuan cuisines. Some have Shandong or Jiangsu cuisines. Western restaurants and food can hardly be seen here, so South Yunnan Road is a good place for Chinese food lovers.
 Recommended Restaurants:
Xiao Shaoxing 小绍兴 (xiǎo shào xīng)
Location: No.118, South Yunnan Road, Huangpu District
Specialties: Boiled Chicken; other local dishes.
Xiao Jinling Duck Restaurant 小金陵盐水鸭店 (xiǎo jīn líng yán shuǐ yā diàn)
Location: No.28, South Yunnan Road, Huangpu District
Specialties: Boiled Salted Duck; Jiangsu cuisines and snacks.
Xian De Lai 鲜得来 (xiān dé lái)
Location: No. 69, South Yunnan Road, Huangpu District
Specialties: Chop Rice Cake.
Flavor Lounge 香满楼 (xiāng mǎn lóu)
Location: No. 1, South Yunnan Road, Huangpu District
Specialties: Traditional Ningbo cuisines; local snacks.
 Xianxia Road 仙霞路 (xiān xiá lù)
Xianxia Road food street is in Changning District, the west periphery area of the city zone. It extends to Zunyi Road to the east and boasts plenty of restaurants of different styles from hot pot restaurants to western cafes. You can easily find dishes of Shanghai, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia in this road.
Delicately furnished teahouses, cafes, and bars are another feature of Xianxia Road. The pleasant environment of these dining places attracts many youths and the prices are acceptable.
 Recommended Restaurants:
Yonghe King 永和大王 (yǒng hé dà wáng)
Location: No. 619, Xianxia Road, Changning District
Specialties: Soybean milk; Taiwan cuisines and snacks.
Pasta Fresca Da Salvatore Italian Restaurant
Location: Hongqiao Shanghai City Food Street, No. 100, Zunyi Road, Changning District
Specialties: Italian chef and authentic Italian dishes.
Lisboa Restaurant 上海葡京茶餐厅 (shàng hǎi pú jīng chá cān tīng)
Location: 1F1-1 and 2F2-1, Tower B, Hongqiao Shanghai City, No. 100, Zunyi Road, Changning District
Specialties: Macao and Portuguese dishes.
Sweet Factory
Location: Unit 138, Hongqiao Shanghai City Food Street, No. 100, Zunyi Road, Changning District
Specialties: Cream Puff, Red Bean Pudding, and other sweeties.
 Huanghe Road 黄河路 (huáng hé lù)
Huanghe Road Food Street is located near the People's Square in Huangpu District. It is packed with a large number of restaurants with distinctive dishes and reasonable prices. Local dishes and seafood are leading delicacies here.
 Recommended Restaurants:
Tai Sheng Yuan 苔圣园酒家 (tái shèng yuán jiǔ jiā)
Location: No.50, Huanghe Road, Huangpu District
Specialties: Delicate fittings; Shanghai, Sichuan and Guangdong cuisines.
Lai Tian Hua 来天华 (lái tiān huá)
Location: No.159, Huanghe Road, Huangpu District
Specialties: Traditional Benbang cuisines; Guangdong cuisines.
Gong De Lin (Godly) Vegetable Diet Food Shop 功德林 (gōng dé lín)
Location: No.21, Huanghe Road, Huangpu District
Specialties: Vegetarian dishes and snacks.
 Zhupu Road 乍浦路 (zhà pǔ lù)
It is located in Hongkou District, to the north of the Suzhou River and near the bustling North Sichuan Road Commercial Street. There are a number of restaurants along the 1000-meter Zhapu road, mainly featuring local dishes and cuisines of southern provinces in China such as Sichuan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Guangdong.
 Recommended Restaurant:
Dingxiang 丁香饭店 (dīng xiāng fàn diàn)
Location: No.78, Zhapu Road, Hongkou District
Specialties: Benbang cuisine.
In addition, Huqingping Road in Minhang District is a good place to have seafood. Xin Tian Di in Huangpu District, Heshan Road and Grand Gateway in Xuhui District are also popular among gourmands.

Shanghai Shopping

Shanghai is hailed as the "Shopping Paradise" and "Oriental Paris". So if you come to the city, shopping should not be missed any more than its other charming attractions. Providing the very best of shopping has become an indispensable part of the city's tourism industry.


Shopping areas in the city are clearly divided into "Four Streets and Four Cities". Nanjing Road (including East Nanjing Road and West Nanjing Road), one of the four streets, enjoys the reputation of No.1 Commercial Street in China. Developed from the beginning of the 20th century, Nanjing Road has clusters of a wide variety of shops from those that are centuries old, to special ones and modern malls.

In these modern times, Nanjing Road is not out done by its numerous competitors but becomes more and more prosperous. Huaihai Road, no less famous than Nanjing Road, is celebrated for its elegance. It features top-end designer brands from all over the world. North Sichuan Road offers good inexpensive merchandise and is always the first choice of ordinary people. Food and tourism are well provided for on Middle Tibet Road, one of the Four Streets.

Parkson Shopping Center on the Huaihai Road is worth visiting. Here you will find reasonable prices and many special offers in the form of discounts and other promotions. Even the brand-name clothing is reasonably priced here.

Maison Mode, located at No.1312, Huaihai Road, claims to be the aristocrat on this street. You will find the leading designer brands such as Gucci, Ferragamo, Hugo Boss, Bally, Kenzo, etc. here. It is no exaggeration to say that the reputation of Huaihai Road is enhanced by the presence of Maison Mode.

Yuyuan Tourist Mart, Xujiahui Shopping City, New Shanghai Shopping City and Jiali Sleepless City are the bustling "Four Cities". Yuyuan Tourist Mart  is the venue for specialist Chinese goods ranging from small articles, local crafts and the like to antiques, jade wares and gold and silver jewelry. The newly-established shopping and entertainment plaza, Xujiahui consists of large stores where you can obtain both costly and middle-range priced goods in abundance.

New Shanghai Shopping City is on the grand scale and offers the best facilities and amenities. Located in the middle of Pudong Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, it is surrounded by a variety of retail outlets. Like a bright pearl on the landscape, Jiali Sleepless City facing Shanghai Railway Station, and on the Subway line 1, is a bustling commercial area.



 

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Shanghai BIG BUS TOUR- hop on/off bus double decker about rmb300
good for overview of shanghai
Includes
- Unlimited use of 48-hour ticket during operational hours
- Free one hour cruise along the Huangpu River
- Audio commentary in 8 languages (complimentary set of earphones are provided)
- Entry to Jin Mao Tower (88th floor, observation deck)




Enjoy magnificent views from the open-top double decker buses as you see Shanghai's 1,000-year-story come to life!

The tour charts the city's history, taking in beautiful tree-lined streets, magnificent colonial style buildings and soaring skyscrapers.

This tour has been carefully designed to take you to all the famous landmarks in Shanghai; from the Jade Buddha temple to the Oriental Pearl Television Tower, from People's Square to the Bund, Shanghai's world famous waterfront.

The open-top buses run regularly and you are able to hop on and off at a variety of interesting places. Your 48-hour ticket provides access to all tour routes. Together, these tour routes enable you to experience the cultural heritage and stunning architecture that makes Shanghai such a fascinating city!

Please sit back, relax and let us deliver you the perfect introduction to Shanghai.

Tour Highlights
- The Bund
- Jade Buddha Temple
- Shanghai World Financial Centre
- Xintiandi
- Yu Garden
- Nanpu Bridge
- Oriental Pearl Television Tower
- Shanghai Museum
- Jing'an Temple
- Jinmao Tower
- Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street

RED ROUTE City Tour
Departs from People's Square every 30 minutes from 09:00 until 17:00

The City Tour is an excellent introduction to the city and takes in a number of Shanghai's most popular attractions.

The City Tour has been carefully designed to give you insight into Shanghai's heritage and culture. It provides the opportunity to discover the beautifully restored traditional houses of Xin Tin Di; now a thriving restaurant district, and gems such as the Yu Garden; a haven of peace and tranquility.

You'll discover Shanghai's distinctive blend of traditional and contemporary buildings. Traveling along The Bund, you'll have striking views of both the grand colonial style buildings along the waterfront and the towering modern skyline on the opposite side of the Huangpu river.

The tour also reveals the city's green spaces in People's Square and provides the opportunity to hop-off for shopping on Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street.

BLUE ROUTE Pudong Tour
Departs from the The Bund every 45 minutes from 09:45 until 17:00

The tour travels through the streets of Pudong where you will discover the magnificent skyscrapers in the heart of new Shanghai. The tour charts Pudong's rapid development and takes you to Shanghai's most famous building, the iconic Oriental Pearl Television Tower.

The tour will take you through the center of the Shanghai financial district, passing Jin Mao Tower and the city's tallest building, the Shanghai World Financial Centre. If you have a head for heights, you will be thrilled by the magnificent panorama visible from the Nanpu Bridge.

Use the hop-on, hop-off facility to take a break at one of the bars or restaurants in the Cool Docks area or hop-off at the Jin Mao Tower. You can enjoy breathtaking, panoramic views of the city from the world's highest observation platform located on the 88th floor.

GREEN ROUTE Temple Tour
Departs from People's Square every hour between 09:15 and 17:15

The tour takes in the Jing'an and Jade Buddha Temples, two of Shanghai's traditional Buddhist places of worship. Hop-off for a taste of the inner calm of an age-old Chinese temple.

The tour takes in the Shanghai museum, widely regarded as one of China's finest. Housed in an impressive modern building, the fascinating exhibitions lead the visitor on a journey through China's history.

Alternatively, enjoy the most prestigious designer shopping in the city along the Huai Hai and Nanjing Roads.

Includes
- Unlimited use of 48-hour ticket during operational hours
- Free one hour cruise along the Huangpu River
- Audio commentary in 8 languages (complimentary set of earphones are provided)
- Entry to Jin Mao Tower (88th floor, observation deck)

Excludes
- Meals and drinks
- Personal expenses
- Tips and gratuities
- Optional activity costs

Bangkok Biggest supermarket - BIG C

Bangkok BIGGEST supermarket - BIG C
strongly recommended - household, toiletry and more


Big C Supercenter is the largest hypermart in Thailand. Definitely the place to go for all your groceries shopping. You can find almost everything here at a discounted price. It’s something like Giant and Walmart.
The most convenient outlet in the city is Rajdamri outlet, located directly opposite Central World.

I like to make a trip here on the first day, just to get some snacks and drinks to put in the hotel room. Forgotten to bring your toiletries?  you can get it here cheaply.
If you love Thai Instant Noodles, they have a large variety of choices here. Do you also know that the popular Thai Iced Milk Tea (Cha Yen) is available in 3-in-1 sachets? Yes, they have it here as well!

this branch is the BIGGEST opposite Central World Shopping Mall under the bridge
Big C Rajdamri
97/11 Rajdamri Rd.
Lumpini, Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330
Tel: 0-2250-4888

Opening Hours
Daily: 0900 – 2400


Bangkok Dinner Cruise

Bangkok - Dinner Cruise along Chao Phraya River
It is truly a magnificent sight and the unforgettable memories lasts a life time.

I’ve done this River Side dinner cruise. It’s really great. If you’re so sophisticated and above doing anything that might resemble being a tourist, well maybe not. But if you’re up for really great food and the best views of the city, at prices even the most modest traveler can afford, it’s well worth it.

The Chao Phraya River, though not an impressive sight during the day, becomes this magical waterway lined with some of the most incredible ancient structures that are lit up with lights, thus providing a breathtaking view that differs from what you can see from land during daylight.

The journey begins from River Side Hotel at 8pm and heads to Rama 9 Bridge. Throughout the journey, expect beautiful sights from Krung Thon Bridge, the magnificent Rama 8 Bridge, Phra Sumen Fort, Pinklao Bridge, Grand Palace, Wat Arun Rajwararam pagoda, Sathorn Bridge and Rama 9 Bridge.

The cruise then makes a round about and arrives back to hotel at 10:30pm.

There are approximately 8 dinner cruises targeting at tourists and their price starts from 1700 Baht. Want to join the rest of the tourists on a dinner cruise, go ahead and take the famous Dinner Cruise by Chao Phraya Cruises, which comes with International Buffet.

I recommend the River Side Hotel Dinner Cruise which is frequented by the Thai. 
Price: 120 Baht Admission Fee + Ala Carte Dinner.

The two-decked cruise, lower deck being air conditioned with live thai band and upper deck having an alfresco setting. Food offered here is ala carte style serving Thai, Chinese and European dishes

 
Getting There:
Do note that you have to make a reservation beforehand with your choice of upper or lower deck.

Arrive early at around 7pm as the cruise will depart at 8pm. The cons of this cruise is that the hotel is not located at a central location and make taxi drivers are unsure of the location. Hence, leave your hotel early or call them to arrange for a pickup.

Price: 120 Baht Admission Fee + Ala Carte Dinner


If you are near an express boat pier, taking the orange flag express boat to the Krung Thon Bridge pier, pier #16, will get you within a short walk of Riverside Bangkok. Heading back downtown will require a taxi. The express boats will have stopped service.
 
River Side Hotel Dinner Cruise
195 Ratwiti Road
Bangkok, Thailand
+66 (0) 2883 1588



Opening Hours
Ala Carte Daily: 2000 – 2230
International Buffet Daily: 1930 – 2130


Saturday, April 20, 2013

Bangkok Amphawa

Bangkok Amphawa Floating Market and Railway Market - one hour away from Bangkok

Amphawa is not that far from Bangkok and many Bangkokians visit there during weekends. They may spend a day there. If you are just looking at floating market, when you see one, you see all.


AMPHAWA - Little known to foreigners visiting Thailand, the riverside town of Amphawa, just an hour outside of Bangkok, has long been a secret among city-dwelling Thais looking to get away from it all. Home to a quaint floating market quite unlike those advertised in glossy tourist brochures, its canals and river showcase a striking collection of wooden shop houses set against a backdrop of lush green vegetation. It holds a UNESCO World Heritage Award for its main canal.

Amphawa is synonymous with Amphawa Floating Market and the shop-houses flanking Khlong Amphawa as well as lining the narrow sois (lanes) surrounding it. Contrary to other floating markets in the area, Amphawa Floating Market convenes in the afternoon, from 15:00 onwards (Fri-Sun only). But it’s a good idea to arrive in the morning to avoid the crowds and to stroll around the shop-houses and other parts of the market.

Nearby, the museum of Thai desserts (Fri-Sun 13:00-19:00) is a good place to get to know all the strange-looking sweets you will see at the floating market. If the idea of a temple tour sounds good, then join a long-tail boat tour (two hrs, depart at the floating market). Be sure to ask for a visit to Wat Bang Kung, where a mysterious-looking chapel covered by giant Bhodi tree trunks and roots, is not to be missed.

Amphawa Shopping -
Flanking the two sides of Khlong Amphawa, wooden shop-houses feature all kinds of souvenirs and collectibles imaginable, whether books, wooden toys, postcards, fisherman’s pants, T-shirts, hats, handmade jewelry, sweets and much more. In a way, it’s like shopping at a retro outdoor market in Bangkok or Pai Walking Street (in Mae Hong Son), where you can still find quality handmade items. Over the concrete bridge, the narrow soi (lane) leads to more shop-houses selling mostly snacks and Thai desserts.

Amphawa Hotel -
Wooden guesthouses and home-stay accommodation have long been a major part of the Amphawa experience, and the new crop of hotels and resorts try their best to maintain this heritage. Most are set along the Mae Klong riverbanks, overlooking unobtrusive views of Amphawa’s rustic scenery.


Getting There:
join a tour or take a public van, which leaves regularly from the Victory Monument in Bangkok, to Mae Klong Market, then ask around for a public bus that heads for Amphawa Floating Market.
Mini vans leave from Victory Monument every half an hour and cost 200 baht ($6.77) for a one-way journey.

Amphawa Floating market is only open on weekends: on Friday from 3 pm to 10 pm, on Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 10.00 pm.


First you have to discover Wongwian Yai Railway Station (วงเวียนใหญ่) in Thonburi
From this station a one-hour-trip on the train leads to Mahachai (มหาชัย), today called Samut Sakhon (สมุทรสาคร). also know as railway market, from here take a ferry to the floatng market

Trains to Samut Sakhon run every 60 minutes or so from 05.30 until 20.10 hrs. Last train back leaves Samut Sakhon at 19.00. Phone number for Wong Wian Yai Station is 02-465-2017. Most trains have fan only, though occasionally you find one or two air-con carriages: I prefer the open-air ones. Return trains to Bangkok tend to be quite crowded, especially in the late afternoon. The trip to Samut Sakhon takes about 55 minutes.


One reason for visiting Samut Sakhon is its proximity to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. This is the most famous floating market in Thailand, but it is quite far from Bangkok and the market starts around 6.00 a.m. (the best time to see it). One way to visit the market is to overnight in Samut Songkhram and then catch a bus or boat (from in front of Wat Phet Samut Worawiharn) to the market early morning. There is also a small hotel, the Noknoi, in Damnoen Saduak itself, not far from Thanarat Bridge.