Global-Trekker.net

Yoga Health Retreats to Hold 11 Retreats in Bali in 2012.

One of Australia’s most successful yoga teachers will soon be sharing her secrets in a series of retreats across Bali, Indonesia. Sue Hawkins has been operating from Australia’s Byron Bay for over 10 years, giving burnt-out businesspeople a much-needed recharge with her special rejuvenating yoga practices. In 2012, Hawkins will be taking her methods to [...]

TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards: Who Made the Cut?

Tripadvisor’s users have spoken: in their recent Travelers’ Choice Awards (tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice), a number of Southeast Asia destinations and hotels got recognized by Tripadvisor’s 60 million readers as the best of the best. The winners’ lists have expanded to include top-25 lists for 30 countries and regions, as well as an international competition for the best [...]

Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay: Worth the Effort.

Image of junk in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam courtesy of Getty Images.

Consider the obstacles of getting to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam: you need to book a package tour among the tour agencies in Hanoi – assuming you’ve chosen from a day tour or one of those luxurious sleepaboard cruises in Ha [...]

Balinese Festival of Galungan Begins Today, February 1.

To celebrate the festival of Galungan, Balinese Hindus make their way to temples and pray to commemorate the victory of good over evil and worldly distractions. Galungan recurs over a 210-day calendar, so the next Galungan holiday rolls around near the end of the year, from August 29 to September 7.
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Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta Joins Car-Free Sunday With “I Love Weekend” Bike Event.

I’ve blogged before about Jakarta, Indonesia’s Car-Free Sunday scheme, which is a great way to catch the local atmosphere in Indonesia’s capital city. The Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta (compare rates|buy direct) not only looms over one of the focal points of the route (the Bundaran HI roundabout), it also joined in the fun last January 29 [...]

Bali Beach Barbecue on Nusa Dua: Courtyard by Marriott Bali Launches Beach Club.

The Courtyard by Marriott (compare rates|buy direct) is one of the newest resorts lining the Nusa Dua upmarket enclave in Bali, and this early on they’re raising the bar with a newly-opened Beach Club, a relaxed seafront bistro and lounge close to the property.
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Krakatoa’s Wrath, Indonesia: Climbing Anak Krakatau Safely.

Image © Getty Images.
You can’t say you’ve explored West Java unless you’ve gone climbing Anak Krakatau. The climb is rather challenging, though – the ground is unstable and crumbly, having been recently laid down by Krakatau’s eruptions. The trail going up the mountain is exposed to the elements, meaning that you’ll be at risk of [...]

Island Hopping Off Davao City, Philippines on Islands Banca Cruises’ Cushy New Boats.

Image © Islands Banca Cruises, used with permission. Photographer: Arthur Yap.
In the Philippines, fishermen and ferry boatmen ply their trade on the outrigger boats called banca. As boats go, banca tend to be jury-rigged and not very safe for the average traveler, but it’s the most common charter choice for visitors to the Philippine [...]

Valentine’s Day on a Private Island and Other YTL Hotels Treats for Two.

The BOH Tea Plantation at Cameron Highlands – Image courtesy of YTL Hotels, used with permission.
With Valentines’ Day coming up, it’ll get harder in the next few weeks to find a couples’ getaway of your very own. If Southeast Asia’s romantic places seem a bit too crowded for your tastes, then you ought to [...]

Island Hopping Off Davao City, Phililppines on Islands Banca Cruises’ Cushy New Boats.

Image © Islands Banca Cruises, used with permission. Photographer: Arthur Yap.
In the Philippines, fishermen and ferry boatmen ply their trade on the outrigger boats called banca. As boats go, banca tend to be jury-rigged and not very safe for the average traveler, but it’s the most common charter choice for visitors to the Philippine [...]

For Chinese New Year, Stay in Oriental Grandeur at the Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

Image courtesy of Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore / Zuji.com.sg.
With the Lunar New Year holidays in Singapore coming up, the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore (compare rates|buy direct) offers a special package for guests who want to enjoy the festivities while ensconced in luxurious comfort.
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Chinese New Year is Here! A Calendar of Events in Penang and Singapore.

Photo by Eugene Tang / Singaporesights.com
The Chinese New Year celebrations in Penang (Malaysia) and in Singapore are heating up, with the eve of of the Year of the Dragon coming on January 22 (January 23 is the official first day of the Chinese New Year). Plan your trip calendars around the following important days:
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Legoland Malaysia to Open Late 2012, Your Guide’s Inner Child Goes Squeeeee.

Mr Siegfried Boerst and Mr Philip Skitch with Ollie the Dragon. Image courtesy of Legoland Malaysia, used with permission.
With the unveiling of a 10,000-brick Lego dragon called “Ollie”, Siegfried Boerst of Legoland Malaysia and Philip Skitch, GM of the Thistle Johor Bahru Hotel (compare rates) brought the new Lego-themed park – already scheduled to [...]

Humanizing Asian Travel: A Conversation with Travel Wire Asia’s James Craven.

Image courtesy of Getty Images.
Southeast Asia travel is personal. That’s what we try to live up to in this outfit; we’re neither aligned with the corporate voices (staid, sales-centric) nor with the amateur travel bloggers (personal, passionate, but somewhat less coherent). Guides like yours truly are somewhere in between: creating a personal perspective with [...]

Southeast Asia Travel Readers’ Choice Awards 2012 – Nominations Have Begun!

Image © About.com.
It’s time once more for the About.com Readers’ Choice Awards, and Southeast Asia is jumping in for the first time. We’re calling for nominations – recognize your favorite hotels and attractions by adding them to our list!
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La Barca Singapore’s Chinese New Year Feast with a Tuscan Twist.

La Barca Ristorante and Wine Bar in Singapore (www.labarca-sg.com) embraces Chinese New Year, albeit with a unique continental twist. The restaurant’s Italian Prosperity Salad is La Barca’s take on yu sheng, with raw tuna, marinated sea bass, artichokes, zucchini, and crispy potato strips, and served with a lemon cream and balsamic onion sauce.
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Royal Plaza on Scotts and the Hilton Singapore: 2 Tasty Takes on the YuSheng Chinese New Year Feast.

Images courtesy of the Royal Plaza on Scotts (left) and the Hilton Singapore (right).
Chinese New Year in Singapore just isn’t complete if you don’t celebrate it with a Yu Sheng between family or friends. Two Orchard Road, Singapore hotels – the Royal Plaza on Scotts  (compare prices|buy direct) and the Hilton Singapore (compare [...]

Southeast Asia Unesco World Heritage Sites – Is Unesco Recognition a Double-Edged Sword?

This week, the New York Times lays out exactly what is right – and what is wrong – about Unesco World Heritage Site recognition. Lay aside the quibbles about the 2003 recognition of “intangible” heritage to be protected, and stick to the recognition of unique cultural sites like the Angkor temples and the Melaka’s shophouses. [...]

“Letters from Vietnam” Author Jacqueline Lundquist Hosts Exclusive Tour to Vietnam.

When Jacqueline Lundquist’s father died mere months after returning from his tour of duty in Vietnam, he left behind a gap in her memory that was only filled much later by his many letters, sent as he served in the trenches in Southeast Asia.
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YTL Hotels’ Straits to Luxury Experience: Escape on a Yacht to a Romantic Island Getaway.

Image courtesy of Princess Yachts International plc.
Next time you want to “get away from it all”, how about really getting away from it all? How about sailing on a private yacht to a private island in the middle of a strait in Southeast Asia, then beyond?
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A Massive Year-of-the-Dragon Chinese New Year Bash at the Marina Bay Sands.

Image © TravMedia/Marina Bay Sands.
If you’re building your trip around events at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore (compare rates|buy direct), expect your calendar to get pretty busy over the next few weeks. From the opening of an adjacent MRT station (Bayfront) on January 14 to a series of Chinese New Year events in [...]

Friendly Planet Travel Cracks the Myanmar Mystery, Launches Mystical Myanmar Tour.

The main stupa at Shwedagon, Yangon, Myanmar. Image © Getty Images.
Myanmar has not gotten a lot of good press lately, but things are changing. With international sanctions slowly easing and the country getting some much-needed attention from travel professionals, travel operators like Friendly Planet Travel are making inroads into the country, allowing travelers to [...]

Mandarin Oriental Jakarta, Indonesia: A Lion, A Dragon, and Nine Delicious Courses.

The Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta (compare rates) is always on the money when it comes to their festive treats (see their Christmas promotion from a few weeks back), and their Chinese New Year festivities are no different. For the Year of the Dragon, the Mandarin offers special dining packages, performances and affordable stays for guests visiting [...]

Dragons and Crabs Lead Park Hyatt Saigon, Vietnam’s Tet Holiday Festivities.

Starting the Chinese Year of the Dragon in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam? Drop by the Park Hyatt Saigon (compare rates|buy direct): they’re kicking off their annual Tet celebrations with a dragon dance and a variety of food specials in their Vietnamese restaurant Square One.
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The Black Nazarene Procession, Manila, Philippines – A Show of Faith 8 Million Strong.

On Monday, one of Manila’s biggest processions will take place: the Black Nazarene procession, a massive parade that trundles through the city streets once a year on January 9. The centerpiece of the parade is a life-size sculpture of Jesus Christ, decked up in glittery finery and put on a heavy caravan that is pulled [...]