I was just reading an article on a company that is starting a new service that enables travelers to rent their clothes for their holiday. The idea is that it cuts down the need for having to carry around heavy luggage on your holiday. When I first read the article, it sounded more like an April fool’s day joke to me.

The founder of the new service is Catharine MacIntosh and the company is called Zero Baggage. Maybe the idea is more appealing to women, but I wonder how many women could really travel by no luggage?

I generally travel light anyway. Most of my luggage is made up of my laptop and various accessories like cameras and other equipment. Presumably I could get these items also at Zero Baggage, but I would waste time trying to clique up a new laptop how I like it. The new netbooks that are take advantage of are small and light anyway. I don’t like carrying too many clothes and one pair of shoes and some sandals is generally enough.

I know many people don’t like having to wait for their luggage at the baggage claim area at the airport, but even though it sometimes seems like an eternity, I am sure in reality it’s usually only about 5-10 minutes.

Read more…

The Korean Wave has brought worldwide attention to South Korean culture, through its movies, tv shows and music. Many TV shows are known throughout Asia, but did you know that the locations where these Koreanovelas and filmed can actually be visited by the agency of the fans? Here are 6 Korean TV show locations you can visit:

The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince: This drama about a commitment-phobic café owner and his barista was filmed in a real café that was converted for the purposes of the story. The building has two floors, but customers are restricted to the ground floor only. The cafe has a raw finish, with the painting by Han Yoo-Joo on display was well as other props from the set, while the walls are autographed by the stars, the staff and the fans. The coffee may be expensive, but the staff is courteous and the music being played comes from the show’s OST.

How to Get There: Take Subway Line 2 to Hongik University, and go out of Exit 4 a Turn right into Seven Springs corner and pass the intersection a At the 3-way intersection, turn left a Walk about 100 meters on the road above the playground and walk towards the road on the right side a Walk about 500 meters till you find the coffee shop on the right.

Samhanji Theme Park from Jumong: This period-piece is filmed on a large set constructed in Naju, which costs 20 million won to build.

Read more…

Even before Hong Kong Disneyland opened its doors to the public, there was one theme park that both locals and foreigners can visit for a full age of fun and adventure. I am referring to none other than Ocean Park Hong Kong. This particular theme park is considered as one of the world’s best theme parks that provide entertainment and promote education.

Ocean Park is located in Aberdeen towards the Southern part of the Hong Kong island and quite near to a number of discount hotels in Hong Kong. The park opens at 9:00 am and closes at 6:30pm. Those who would like to spend half a lifetime or a full day at Ocean Park can purchase General Admission tickets at the park’s main entrance and at the Tai Shue Wan entrance. Alternatively, tickets are too available at the Citybus Bus Route 629 Terminal which can be found near the Admiralty MTR station (exit B) and also via the Ocean Park Online Ticketing System.

This amusement park is so huge that it is hard to imagine how one can finish exploring the park grounds in less than one day.

Here is a list of the top ten things that all visitors of Ocean Park Hong Kong must do during the visit:

1.

Read more…

It is only recently that Japan is discovering the joys of All Hallow’s Eve. A traditionally American holiday with a background in respecting the wandering spirits of the earth, the Japanese decided to do away with the religious aspects altogether and adopt the pumpkins, candies, costumes, and merry-making associated with it. Though still only observed by a fraction of the population, Halloween is a growth industry, fueled by commercialism and a cultural need for another festival that has outfits going for it.

Perhaps the initial influence of Halloween in Japan came from Tokyo Disneyland, which led a daily Halloween Parade that started on September 12 of every year since the 80’s. Crowds hollered and took pictures with skeletons and Disney characters in costumes as they proceeded down the avenues of the Magic Kingdom.  A much more novel boost to Halloween’s popularity is the cosplay phenomenon, when the youth align up as their favorite anime, movie or video game figure whenever the chance presented itself, usually during pop culture conventions.

Read more…

Ayutthaya is such an amazing place that in every interesting attraction that we visit, we realize what a wise decision we have made which time we unquestionable to book the Ayutthaya tour. We strongly felt as if we have been touring Ayutthaya for weeks when we were there only for a day trip.

It was starting to get late. Time truly flies very fast when you are absorbed in what you are doing. We left Bangkok at 8:00 in the morning and did not notice that it was already past 5:00 pm. We almost did not make it to Wat Pra Si Sanphet as we reached the place at 4:30 (when it was scheduled to close in half an hour). Good thing we were good to squeeze in what we can in just thirty minutes. We enjoyed exploring the temple dregs and marveled at the proud looking chedis. We also did not miss the chance to go up the chedis and see how far our legs will allow us to go.

As it was already 5:00 pm, we knew that we should start heading back to Bangkok soon or else we might get caught in the terrible traffic jam. But our taxi driver, Phan, told us that there was one more stop left in our itinerary and that we should not feel the loss of it.

Read more…

Hakone is a mountainous area west of Tokyo at the foot of Mount Fuji, a place where hell is found and a beloved children’s classic is commemorated.

Owakudani is a crater left from Mount Hakone’s last eruption some 3,000 years ago, and now a place of sulphurous fumes, steaming vents and hot springs, hence its name, which translates to “Great Boiling Valley”. The most popular attraction here are the black eggs. These are chicken eggs submerged in boiling water of the crater until the shells turn black and the contents acquire a slightly sulfuric flavor. Eating just one of the eggs is said to postpone united’s departure by seven years. The locals recommend that you eat up to two-and-a-half eggs; finishing a whole third is not recommended. From Owakudani, you can board a gondola to cross to the other side of Mount Hakone to Togendai, which lies beside Lake Ashi. Pleasure boats are available for crossing Lake Ashi, some of which replicate colorful pirate ships. On clear days, the end of the lake has the best view of Mount Fuji.

Another fascinating attraction in Hakone is the Little Prince Museum.

Read more…

My partner and I truly enjoyed Wat Mahathat so much that we almost did not want to leave the spectacular town. But of course, we wanted to make the most of our visit to Ayutthaya so we forced ourselves to leave after taking almost a hundred photos of the Lord Buddha’s main and of the impressive chedis.

We asked our taxi driver, Phan, as to where we were heading next. He said that the next item in our itinerary was the Wat Phra Si Sanphet. Whew! What a mouthful! That authority was enough to arouse our curiosity and elevate our excitement a notch higher. We hurriedly left for the Wat Phra Si Sanphet as it was already 4:30 pm and the temple is only open to the viewing public until 5:00pm.

Traffic was not that bad the day we went on a tour or Ayutthaya so we were apt to make it on time. We paid Baht 30 each at the entrance gates and started with our tour of Wat Phra Si Sanphet.

The temple has a colorful history. The royal palace was said to be located within this area during the establishment of Ayutthaya when King Ramathibodi was still in power back in 1350 A.D. until the reign of King Sam Phraya in 1448 A.D.

Read more…