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<title>Travelfish Travelnews forum</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/</link>
<description>Digest of the Travelnews travel forum</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title>Hong Kong - Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus!!</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/10015_Hong-Kong---Rickshaw-Sightseeing-Bus--/0</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:16:31 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Specially decorated in a rickshaw livery, the "NWFB Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus" offers you a convenient hop-on, hop-off service. Like riding on a rickshaw in the old days, you can explore Hong Kong with a 540-degree panoramic view, this time in an air-conditioned double decker, and enjoy a spectacular sight of all the attractions along the way.

Your Touring Choice:
- One Day HK$50 Hop On Hop Off - to experience the fun of riding on Open-top Sightseeing bus
- Two routes cover 16 declared monuments and 10 Grade-1 historic buildings
- Passengers can enjoy the scene along the routes and take our bus service to travel between the hotspots
- Commentary video available on-board

Routes:
H1 (Heritage Tour) - A tour around the main ... ]]></description>
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<title>Thai Airways Exec Chairman Resigns Over Excess Baggage Scandal</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/9127_Thai-Airways-Exec-Chairman-resigns-over-excess-baggage-scandal/0</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:44:31 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Really, who needs 398kg of luggage!?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8443666.stm ]]></description>
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<title>Ko Phi Phi Shooting</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/8981_Ko-Phi-Phi-shooting/0</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 01:38:28 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Horrible news:
Apparently three young, thai teenagers were shot, at a beach bar on Ko Phi Phi, Christmas day. One, killed instantly. Apparently, violence reaches even the most beautiful, remote corners of the earth.
I can't imagine how this must be affecting the small island. My deepest condolences go out to their friends, family and everyone affected by this horrible tragedy. ]]></description>
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<title>Koh Chang</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/8385_Koh-Chang/0</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:28:56 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Read in the Bangkok Post today that the locals on Koh Chang are threatening to close the island to visitors this Friday.Some kind of dispute with the navy over some land. ]]></description>
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<title>Air Asia Flight Changes</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/8347_Air-asia-flight-changes/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:13:17 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Recently I had huge problems with Air Asia but actually got the outcome I wanted.  I booked flights for my father in law with a couple of hours in transit before the connecting flight (both flights with air asia).  Air Asia changed the flights so that he was going to miss his connecting flight.  Now I know the fine print says Air Asia is a point to point airline and has no responsibility for connecting flights but I pleaded to their professionalism and after a week of calls backwards and forwards (actually all calls originated from me!) they agreed to change the flights for no charge.  Then a month later, my (similar) flight times were changed and I rang them.  Straight away they changed my flights without charge.  Maybe their policy ... ]]></description>
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<title>Iraq Promotes Itself As Tourist Destination !!!</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/8316_Iraq-promotes-itself-as-tourist-destination----/0</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:02:30 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ for any one who feels there are too many tourist in s.e asia how about a holiday to iraq 

A UK tour operator offering packages to the country, starting from £1,600 per person for a nine-day tour. Ten group trips are planned next year.

http://www.worldtravelguide.net/news/3550/news/Iraq-promotes-itself-as-tourist-destination.html ]]></description>
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<title>Cambodia To End Bangkok Airways Domestic Flights</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/7778_Cambodia-to-end-Bangkok-Airways-domestic-flights/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:45:52 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ AFP reports that Cambodia's civil aviation authority will not renew an agreement for Thai-owned Bangkok Airways to operate domestic services in the kingdom when it expires next month. Bangkok Airways has been flying daily between  Phnom Penh  and the tourist hub  Siem Reap  since last year after its subsidiary, Siem Reap Airways, was grounded for safety concerns. It appears that the decision was made in order to give a boost to the country's new national airline, Cambodia  Angkor  Air, which was launched in July. 

As we've said before, we hope the new carrier is better than its website! ]]></description>
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<title>Happy Air Poised To Launch In Thailand's South</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/7690_Happy-Air-poised-to-launch-in-Thailand-s-south/0</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:25:30 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The BP reports that  Phuket  and  Hat Yai  are set to be served by new airline Happy Air. The Phuket-Hat Yai service will launch Oct 26, with a travel time of 40 minutes -- a drastic cut on the current seven-hour bus trip otherwise required. Happy Air is positioning itself as a premium-service airline targetting tourists and business travellers. The airline also plans to fly to the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi. The Phuket-based airline would operate two twin turboprop SAAB 340A aircraft, with 34 seats, leased from a Swedish company. Happy Air will offer daily flights between Phuket and Hat Yai and three times a week between Phuket and Langkawi. The Phuket-Langkawi flights will also begin in late October.

Sounds like a handy ... ]]></description>
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<title>AirAsia Goes Inter From Phuket</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/7689_AirAsia-goes-inter-from-Phuket/0</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:21:06 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The BP reports that Thai AirAsia is opening a second base in  Phuket  for international services. As part of an aggressive growth strategy the carrier has 
firmed up plans to link the southern resort island with four major regional cities from November. Thai AirAsia will introduce daily flights from Phuket to Jakarta and to Hong Kong from about mid-November. Daily services to  Ho Chi Minh City  and Medan will start a month later. The airline will station two A320 jetliners, each capable of carrying 180 passengers, at Phuket International Airport and will set up a crew centre and an aircraft maintenance support base there. Plans are under way for the airline to set up a third Thai hub in  Chiang Mai  next year.

AirAsia is really ... ]]></description>
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<title>Phuket To Get Hydrofoil Services</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/7558_Phuket-to-get-hydrofoil-services/0</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:59:10 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The  Phuket Observer is reporting that Phuket is soon to start running hydrofoil services from Phuket to Ko Phi Phi,  Ko Lanta  and the Similans. 

Forecast trip time to Phi Phi is 40 minutes and another 20 minutes to reach Ko Lanta. Prices though are not cheap -- comparable to a speedboat service -- say 1,700B to Phi Phi.

No word on when the service would actually commence. ]]></description>
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<title>4 Months In SEA</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/7384_4-months-in-SEA/0</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:15:14 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Hi all,

my wife and I are planning a 4 month trip round SEA between november and February 2009/10 and have a few questions we'd love some pointers on from people who have 'been there' and 'seen it'.

we plan on following a similar route as found on this site, N. through Thailand, down the Mekong through Laos to Cambodia ten up the Vietnamese coast, flying back to Bangkok before heading South taking in some islands and departing from Kuala Lumpur. (Although had thought of visiting  Ko Chang  area first for a week or two)

Basically, is this a realistic timescale to travel this region extensively and be in no rush to get to the next stop?

What is a realistic weekly budget in this region (have read the lonely planet guide but am ... ]]></description>
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<title>Typhoon Morakot</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/7359_Typhoon-Morakot/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:27:53 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Some spectacular images here

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/photo_galleries/article6789940.ece?slideshowPopup=true&amp;articleId=6789940&amp;sectionName=WorldAsia ]]></description>
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<title>Postponement Of Public Whipping For Muslim Woman Who Drank Alcohol</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/7355_Postponement-of-public-whipping-for-Muslim-woman-who-drank-alcohol/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:04:41 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/world/asia/25malaysia.html

I've seen lots of Muslim MEN drink alcohol in both Malaysia and Indonesia ...how come they don't get whipped? ]]></description>
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<title>Trash On Thailand's Islands</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/7201_Trash-on-Thailand-s-islands/0</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:14:07 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The BangkokPost has a story discussing the problems with waste on Thai islands. While the story focusses on Ro Racha off Phuket's south coast, this is a problem across Thailand. Here are two telling quotes:

"Hotel operators [some of which enjoy occupancy rates of 90% year-round] and local authorities have been discussing the possibility of building a local garbage incinerator but the talks have made no headway."

"Rawai municipality chief Arun Solot said occupants of land on Koh Racha, including many hotels and resorts, did not have land ownership papers. That added to the difficulty of enforcing the waste disposal law."

How about this? Shut the lot of them down and allow them to reopen once a viable waste disposal system has ... ]]></description>
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<title>Air Travel In Vietnam, Cambodia, And Laos</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/7095_Air-Travel-in-Vietnam--Cambodia--and-Laos/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:44:08 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ I will be heading to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in October and was looking to make flight arrangements as follows:

Hanoi-Hue-Hanoi (roundtrip)
Hanoi-Luang Prabang (one-way)
Luang Praband-Siem Reap (one-way)
Siem Reap-Hanoi (one-way)

Any suggestions as to how best to make these arrangements? ]]></description>
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<title>AirAsia X Gets Abu Dhabi As A Hub</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/7084_AirAsia-X-gets-Abu-Dhabi-as-a-hub/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:04:18 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Channel News Asia is reporting that AirAsia's long-haul arm, AirAsia X, will have a new Middle East hub in Abu Dhabi.

CNA says that having a hub means that the carrier will be able to base its planes outside Kuala Lumpur, and it will not be limited to servicing destinations within an eight-hour radius from the Malaysian capital.

This will allow its network to extend to North Africa and Europe, as it can use the Middle East port as a stopover. 

This has pretty interesting implications for discount travel to and from Asia. While we've done plenty of AirAsia flights, we're yet to trial AirAsia X -- has anyone else? ]]></description>
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<title>Avis Car Rental Opening In Vietnam</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/6870_Avis-Car-Rental-Opening-in-Vietnam/0</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:30:39 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Vietnam, 01 July 2009 – Avis, the leading global car rental company, recently announced its entrance into Vietnam as the first leading global car rental brand by 1 July 2009.

Avis Vietnam will offer business and leisure customers the full spectrum of car rental, car leasing and chauffeur drive services. Besides the latest range of compact, mid to large size, sports and luxury vehicles from popular brands such as Mercedes Benz, GM Daewoo, Ford, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Audi and many others, a professionally trained and experienced English speaking local driver – Avis ambassador will also be included as part of the car hire. Avis Vietnam cars are equipped with amenities such as mobile phone, international newspapers and magazines, chilled ... ]]></description>
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<title>Air Show Set For Don Mueang</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/6772_Air-show-set-for-Don-Mueang/0</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:00:46 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The Post in Thailand reports  Thailand will stage its first air show to demonstrate the potential to host a fully-fledged international aviation event in the future. The show, scheduled from July 24-26, is also meant to support the government's plan to find new roles for Don Mueang Airport which has been left largely unused since the opening of Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2006. The free show, open to the public, consists of:
- Static displays of 70 aircraft, mostly corporate jets, light aircraft, helicopters.
- A flying show of 15 light aircraft including the vintage propeller plane Miss Siam.
- A seminar on topics including the future of aviation; becoming professional pilots and cabin attendants; Thailand's open-sky ... ]]></description>
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<title>Vietnam Tourism Drops 22%</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/6733_Vietnam-tourism-drops-22-/0</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:01:27 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has reported that international visitors to Vietnam for the first five months of 2009 dropped 18.8%.

That stat includes business travel - but when that is taken out Vn has seen a 22% drop in tourist numbers. This is no doubt in part due to the ongoing uncertainties in Thailand, which continues to act as a gateway for many travellers to Vietnam.

You can read the full release here. ]]></description>
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<title>Firefly Joins Changi</title>
<link>http://www.travelfish.org/board/post/travelnews/6732_Firefly-joins-Changi/0</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:52:57 +0000</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ The Straits Times reports that Malaysian airline Firefly has just commenced flights from Sinagpore's Changi airport.

"From this month, it will also begin flights to Ipoh, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan and Malacca. Two new routes to Kota Bharu and Alor Setar will be added in Oct.

The airline is currently offering a promotional one-way fare of S$31 (all-in) to any destination in Malaysia."

All up more good deals for budget travellers! ]]></description>
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