Resolutions for the wired & weary
On the last day of the year, I am up with the dawn and thinking about the next 365 days. And I couldn't resist making these resolutions. 1. I will not buy another gadget. I’d rather be a bloodhound than a gadget hound.2. I will not sleep with my Blackberry, iPad and Kindle. The other day, I wo [...]
Sexy Sixties are here
No, not for me, but for my dear friend Sandra, who just turned 60.Sandra is a free-flower so there was no point in really organizing a structured birthday party. Although initially we were going to go to Yogyakarta to visit the Borobudur temples, Mount Merapi decided to blow his top off and cast a [...]
Smart Hotel Online takes on the big boys
11-Infotech System Co. Ltd, a Thai company based in Bangkok, has launched a new booking engine for hotels that will take on the big boys offering the same service but at a much lower price. WIT meets up with its CEO Business Development, Chartchai Pothong (pictured left), to find out more.Despite f [...]
Survey tips big hunger for travel in new year
One in four consumers across Asia Pacific are looking to get their passports stamped to leave for a vacation in the coming six months, according to the findings from a recent MasterCard survey.The survey, conducted from 13 September to 11 November, covered 10,502 consumers from 24 markets across Asi [...]
The moment I transformed from monster to dreamer
It was on the buggy to my suite at Indigo Pearl, Phuket when I realised I was still on WIT mode. The first question I asked of the staff who was driving us was, do you have free Internet in the room?She said no but there’s free Internet in the lobby whereupon my fellow travellers and I (they too [...]
Meet the man who changed Singapore’s nightlife
I’ve been meeting a lot of entrepreneurs of late and one of them is Dennis Foo, who was recently given the award for Lifetime Achievement for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism by the Singapore Tourism Board.His journalist friend Ken Jalleh Jr said in the personal tribute he read out on awards ni [...]
Modern days, ancient ways – romance in Mexico’s Yucatan
At first glance this may lead you to think this is about falling in love in Mexico. It’s not. It’s about the romance of travel returning – the ability for people to engage the human appetite for exploration, discovery and reflection. Okay, yes – beach time and cocktails too.My recent holiday [...]
One night in Bangkok and look what happened
The first thing I usually do when I arrive in Bangkok is to either order in-room massage or room service, if my arrival is at that awkward time between too late for a proper dinner and “too early for bed but I think I will have a quiet night before a big day tomorrow”.This trip was no exception. [...]
Open Travel Alliance on challenges facing open standards and solutions for long tail
The Open Travel Alliance (OTA), the champion of open standards in the industry, stands ready to support Asia as the region’s online travel industry continues to mature.Executive director Valyn Perini (left) said, “We believe standard XML structures are critical to the growth of any segment or re [...]
Opening a hotel these days – you got to do it differently
In opening a hotel these days, it is important to get the timing of the pre-publicity right and in today’s last-minute world, Matthias Roeke believes you’ve got to strike it just right – too early and you lose interest; too late and well, it’s too late.The trick is to talk about it and have [...]
