Seven thrilling adventures around Jakarta, Indonesia

From the people to its culture, Cambodia and Indonesia share lots of similarities that make tourists from both countries feel at home in each others’ land.

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Phnom Penh and the DKI provincial government, on November 13-18, invited Cambodian journalists and vloggers to embark on a tour that explores the massive capital of Jakarta, Indonesia, and discover the rich culture that it has to offer.

Here are the capital’s seven adventure spots that are worth adding to your bucket list:

Pulau Ayer Resort

Only a 30-minute boat ride from Marina Bay Ancol ferry port, Pulau Ayer Resort and Cottages offers a relaxing weekend getaway on one of the capital’s renowned Thousand Islands.

Aside from its diverse collection of flora, the tropical paradise, also known as the “Pearl of the Thousand Island,” boasts the island’s significant history before it was officially opened for tourism in the 1950s.

In one of its sea view bungalows, a picture of Indonesia’s first president Sukarno, when he invited former Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito and former UN secretary-general U Thant to stay at Pulau Ayer during the times of liberation of West Papua, still hangs on the wall.

This explains why most of the island’s architecture is inspired by Papuan culture.

Besides food and accommodation, the island offers a variety of leisure activities and water sports such as sailing and boat cycling.

A big playground is also available for family tourists, as well as a children’s pool to allow the kids to swim at their hearts’ content.

A package for a standard two persons starts at 968,000 rupiah ($67 or 279 riel) to 1,815,000 rupiah, excluding the individual boat transportation at 170,000 rupiah.

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Sea World Ancol and Dunia Fantasi

Returning to Marina Bay Ancol, tourists can experience the joys of spending time with sea creatures at the Sea World Ancol and thrill at riding Dunia Fantasi’s roller coaster and interactive rides.

As an edutainment aquarium, Sea World Ancol showcases a variety of sea creatures from giant jellyfish, to whales and sharks. With just a ticket worth 135,000 rupiah to 180,000 rupiah, visitors can enjoy the sight of 138 species of fish, invertebrates, and reptiles in the contemporary aquarium.

The aquarium also offers a piranha feeding show, which is a sure-fire way to bring in the crowd.
To encourage sustainable tourism, the aquarium also asks visitors to leave their plastic bottles outside before entering.

After an hour or two of touring the aquarium, visitors can explore one of the oldest amusement parks in the capital, Dunia Fantasi (also known as Dufan).

The amusement park has both indoor and outdoor rides offering the thrilling Halilintar, Tornado, and Kora-Kora rides.

Tickets at Dufan are sold at 145,000-195,000 rupiah.

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Myanmar (Burma) rebrands itself to woo more tourists

DESPITE the current decline in tourists coming from Europe and the Americas due to international media coverage of conflicts in Rakhine state, Myanmar remains confident it can attract foreign visitors in the months to come, according to officials and industry leaders.

The nation will promote its natural attractions and traditions to raise tourists’ interest, May Myat Mon Win, chairwoman of Myanmar Tourism Marketing (MTM), said in an exclusive interview with The Nation. 

“We have a lot of unexplored attractions across the country. This does not mean that we are not yet ready [for a tourism boom]. With authenticity and commitment, everything is possible,” she said.

According to her, it is now time to take another step in the “Myanmar, be enchanted” rebranding campaign launched in late 2018. From this year onwards, Myanmar will mainly focus on tourism marketing by participating in international travel shows, maintaining its current attractions and creating new destinations.

As part of MTM’s efforts to promote Myanmar’s tourism, it will have a booth at the ITB Berlin, the world’s largest tourism trade fair to be held in Germany next month. 

The presence at such an international event would pave a way for promoting Myanmar’s tourism on the international stage, said the executive.“We are now trying to improve our image. In the meanwhile, we are also targeting new markets. 

So, we need to raise visitors’ awareness about Myanmar. 

In this respect, promotion matters,” she said.Myanmar has adopted a “Look East” policy to attract visitors from Asia and develop its tourism sector. Yet, May Myat Mon Win insists Myanmar remains optimistic about increasing tourism visitors from the West.

“Definitely we look to the East but will also maintain the West on our radar. We are willing to grow simultaneously but need to be realistic in some cases,” she said.

Last year, Myanmar received far fewer Western visitors than in 2017. The number of European tourists dropped by 25 per cent, those from the Middle East were down 26 per cent, and Australians also declined by 19 per cent. American tourists were down 13 per cent, according to the statistics. 

Yet, Myanmar enjoyed 37 per cent growth in Chinese tourists’ arrivals and 9 per cent growth from Thailand, as well as a rise in Indian visits last year compared to 2017.“This year, we hope to receive more tourists from both Asia and the West. 

At this point, the most important thing is to ensure more people know about Myanmar and we are striving for that,” she said.She stressed the importance of key destinations – Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, and Inle Lake, which she described as the “big four”. 

Additionally, the organisation focuses on helping build awareness of new destinations such as Hpaan, Loikaw, Chin State, Myeik Archipelago and Mogok, to name a few.“Another move is to expand direct air links to our attractions. 

We are also trying for that, and hope to see more direct flights to major destinations in the months to come,” she said.In late January, China’s Hainan Airlines launched a direct flight between Yangon and Chongqing in China, which is now running four times weekly. 

Earlier last month, Sichuan Airlines launched direct flights from Chongqing to Mandalay. 

Cambodia and Myanmar last week discussed the possibility of establishing a direct flight between the ancient cities of Bagan and Siem Reap.

May Myat Mon Win repeatedly stressed the need for a national tourism marketing strategy that aligns with international standards.“It should be properly designed for practical approaches to raise the bar. It needs to be realistic and practical,” she said.

Thet Lwin Toh, chairman of Union of Myanmar Travel Association (UMTA), echoed her view. He also stressed the importance of ensuring sustainability in key destinations.

“We need to strike a balance between demand and capacity. 

This means we need to ensure all our destinations are not squeezed by over-capacity in the market,” he said.

He suggested investing in infrastructure and capacity building to unlock Myanmar’s tourism potential.

“We need to ensure our readiness before we open the doors. We should have effective strategies to lure luxury tourists in place, and this is another important area we are focused on,” he said.

He lauded the government’s reforms, including approval of visa-free travel for Japanese and Korean tourists, and issuing visa-on-arrival for Chinese visitors. 

UMTA has urged the tourism ministry to also allow visa-free travels for visitors from some European countries.

“The ministry is now taking it into serious consideration. Later this year, they may allow some Western countries to visit Myanmar without the need to apply for a visa,” he said.

He warned of “zero-dollar tours” by Chinese tour companies.  In order to ensure sustainability of locals engaged in Myanmar’s tourism industry, the government needs to set proper mechanisms to ensure that locals benefit from every single tour.

He considers a surge in Chinese tourists as a plus for tourism development in Myanmar. And he foresees a substantial increase in Korean tourists in the coming months.

Aung Aye Han, deputy director-general at the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, agrees. “Following the visa waiver, Japan and Korea are among the most promising countries driving our tourism revenue. 

We are now reviewing our next steps. You are sure to see another visa waiver for more countries in Asia and the West in the first half of 2019,” he said.

The official said decentralisation of tourism permits to state and regional governments would drive more investments in the industry. 

He also highlighted the importance of traditional festivals and Inle Lake in attracting tourists.

“We aim to tap some traditional festivals to attract foreign visitors, particularly in the low season,” he said. “Another important move is the conservation of the Inle Lake eco-system. We take the lake’s sustainability seriously, and participate in conservation work in cooperation with environmental experts and international organisations.”

Source The Nation 

#Vietnam - Five holiday destinations within reach from Saigon Places

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 Suoi Mo Park, Dong Nai

About 100 km from downtown HCMC, this park is located in Tra Co Commune, Tan Phu District, Dong Nai Province. A good choice for a day trip, it has a natural lake created by the convergence of streams flowing from surrounding hills that cascade over a rocky area. 

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 You can swim, camp, enjoy a BBQ party and so on at Suoi Mo Park. Admission costs VND120,000 ($5) for adults and VND70,000 ($3) for children under 1.3 meters. Visitors are not allowed to bring in their own food, but the park has restaurants with affordable prices.

For this National Day (September 2) holiday, the park is serving a lunch buffet of 60 dishes for VND199,000 ($8.5) per adults and VND109,000 per children ($4.7). The buffet will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on September 1 and 2. 

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#Vietnam - Kon Tum province urged to develop tourism

NATIONAL Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has urged the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum – which borders Cambodia and Laos – to restructure its economy to tap tourism potential.

At a working session with provincial authorities on Monday, Ngan also asked the province to increase information technology use in developing agriculture and to form specialised production zones to develop key agricultural products.

Stressing that the Central Highlands was one among key strategic regions of the country, she instructed the province to continue implementing plans to ensure national defence and security and social order.

The NA leader applauded recent achievements by the province, including a Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) growth of 9.28 per cent last year, surpassing the yearly target.

Apart from rubber and coffee production zones, the province has developed other specialised areas for the cultivation of many kinds of fruits and herbal medicines, which have helped attract investors.

Kon Tum province has devised resolutions defining its three key economic zones which attracted 39 investment projects last year with total registered capital in excess of 508 billion dong ($22 million). However, she noted the province still had difficulties, including human resources quality failing to meet development demand and low competitiveness.

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Chairwoman Ngan agreed with the province’s proposal to prioritise funds for poor localities along border areas to help them enhance ties with localities of other countries, particularly of Laos and Cambodia.

The top lawmaker stressed it was the state’s policy to encourage cooperation in economic development in border areas and support disadvantaged provinces in carrying out socio-economic development tasks, contributing to improving the living conditions of residents in border areas.

She also agreed with the need to implement key projects to prevent landslides and flood for ethnic minority people living along Kon Tum province’s Dak Bla River.

Kon Tum province is a mountainous border province with a total population of 520,000 from 30 ethnic groups. Ethnic minority people make up more than 53 per cent of the population. VIET NAM NEWS/ANN

Source - PhnomPenhPost

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#Vietnam’s Kingdom of Caves launches river tour

A boat cruises along the Son River to the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province

 Quang Binh taps yet another tourism strength with a river tour through its natural landscapes and traditional villages.

The tour, starting February 20, is organized by Oxalis, the only company licensed to offer adventure tours to the world famous Son Doong Cave.

The one-day tour is boat ride that explores hidden gems along the Son River and enables visitors to visit  traditional craft villages that produce rice paper and the non la (conical hat), a Vietnamese cultural symbol.

Tourists will also have a chance to ride bicycles past small villages to the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a world heritage site and a major tourist attraction in the central province.

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  Each tour is limited to around 15 passengers, said Nguyen Chau A, general director of Oxalis.

Son Doong, part of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam, has hogged the international spotlight since it opened to tourists in 2013, four years after members of the British Cave Research Association finished their exploration and declared it the world’s largest.

Local resident Ho Khanh first discovered the cave in 1991, and rediscovered it almost 20 years later, opening it up for exploration.

Last year, Quang Binh welcomed a record-breaking 3.9 million tourist arrivals, up 18 percent from the previous year.

The province has over the past years proposed several developments, including a cable car system to boost tourism in the area, but these have met with strong opposition from environmentalists and the public.

Watch a video on the beautiful Tu Lan Cave in Quang Binh, known now as the Kingdom of Caves.

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Source - VN Express

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#Cambodia - Mondulkiri’s highest and smallest waterfalls, metres apart

Leng Khin is Mondulkiri’s highest waterfall, measuring 25m in the dry season and 28m in the rainy season.

 

Most people travelling to Mondulkiri province head to its most famous waterfalls Bou Sra, Kbal Preah, Romanear I & II and Monorom. But what most visitors generally don’t experience, however, are the province’s shortest and highest waterfalls. 

Leng Ong and Leng Khin waterfalls are officially the province’s shortest and tallest waterfalls respectively, and in an ironic twist of fate the two record breakers are located less than 300m apart in O’Reang district’s Pou Yam village, 26km from Mondulkiri town.

Leng Ong Waterfall measures less than one metre in the dry season and 1m in the rainy season. While Leng Khin Waterfall, the province’s highest, measures 25m in the dry season and 28m in the rainy season. 

Both waterfalls are covered by dense trees in a cool and calm environment, and at each waterfall’s base there is a big water reservoir in which tourists can swim.

 At only 1m in the rainy season, Leng Ong is the province’s shortest waterfall.

 

Mondulkiri Tourism Department head Ngin Sovimean explained that a lack of infrastructure and knowledge of the uniquely contrasting sites in such close proximity has led to them being one of the province’s undiscovered gems. 

“The district authority has recently worked with the community to build trail road to the waterfalls, so we hope they will now attract more tourists.

“Both the local community and the local authority are developing the sites to ease access for tourists so they can travel faster and with more safety. Tourists can visit both Leng Ong and Leng Khin waterfalls freely without paying any fee,” he said.

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#Indonesia among Chinese tourists’ favorite destinations for Chinese New Year

Around 7 million Chinese tourists will travel abroad during the Chinese New Year holiday, according to a report from online travel agency Ctrip. The report revealed that people from 100 Chinese cities have booked trips to nearly 500 destinations in more than 90 countries and regions.  

As reported by Antara, among the most popular destinations such as Thailand and Mauritius, Indonesia was chosen by tourists wishing to escape the winter cold and enjoy tropical weather.

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 Indonesia received 2.7 million Chinese tourists in 2018, while this year, the Tourism Ministry has set a target to attract 3.5 million. The country remains an attractive destination for Chinese tourists, who in 2017 made up the largest group of foreign tourists (1.97 million) to visit Indonesia. During their visit, most Chinese tourists enjoy going to beaches, visiting museums and seeing cultural events.

 

Source - TheJakartaPost 

 

 

Flight delays? There’s an app for that

Travel booking website Traveloka introduces its latest feature, Flight Status, which enables users to track flight status in real-time. This feature aims to make it easier for users to track flights in various conditions and can be used both by people who want to take a flight or by family and close relatives who want to pick up their colleagues at the airport.

When arranging a trip by plane in this era of frequent delays, passengers need some kind of information on what cannot be predicted. The same goes for colleagues, friends or family who want to be picked up at the airport, who often find themselves waiting for hours because they didn’t know the flight had been delayed.

“We want to provide flight status information in a way that’s convenient and easy to access, both to help passengers and those meeting them. By having this new feature, users can easily have the information only by their fingertips and users can also share their flight status information with their closest family and relatives when needed,” says Tee Chayakul, Country Manager at Traveloka Thailand.

To access Flight Status feature, open the Traveloka app (3.6.0 version), select Flight Status at the homepage and fill in flight details by choosing Route or by Flight Code. Then click “See Status” and the real-time of your flight status will appear on the screen. Users can also check their flight status in their e-ticket on My Booking section.

 “The availability of the Flight Status feature for the first time by Traveloka, is expected to answer users’ anxiety, both passengers and relatives, making for better planning,” Tee adds.

Source - TheNation

#Myanmar, (Burma) registers more tourist arrivals

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Tourists coming to Myanmar during the first months of this year have increased by 22 percent over the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

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 “We got more than 600,000 international visitors at the end of February, the number of which was greater than the same period in 2016,” U Myint Htwe, director from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism told The Myanmar Times.

However, the overall tourist arrivals last year were only 2.9 million, a decline of 38pc in comparison to the 4.68 million visitors in 2015, according to a new system of collecting data by the ministry, which did not include day trippers with border passes.

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“The previous system counted visitors coming through international border checkpoints. But this year’s figures were systematically categorized into tourists, business travelers, day trippers,” according to U Ohn Maung, Union Minister for Hotels and Tourism, who made this comment at the recently held ASEAN Tourism Forum in Singapore.  

“However, the overall tourism outlooks are very good, despite the 38pc decline due to a different way of counting foreign visitors,” Ma Hnin Hlwar Kyaw Win, sales manager from Myanmar Tourism Services Company told The Myanmar Times. She said that few visitors to Myanmar are coming from Russia and Japan but tourists from other countries have increased.

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Source - mmtimes

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#Indonesia - Gunung Padang to have tourist train next year

More and more tourists are visiting Gunung Padang megalithic site in Cianjur regency, West Java.

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 A train service to Gunung Padang megalithic site in Cianjur regency, West Java, is set to be provided by the local administration following the increasing number of tourists visiting the destination.

"We will increase the number of tourists to Gunung Padang by providing [a tourist] train that stops by at Lampegan station. From there, visitors can hop on vehicles that will take them to the site," said Cianjur Deputy Regent Herman Suherman on Sunday as quoted by tempo.co, adding that the service would be an affordable one and was slated for launch next year. 

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Tourists are currently using the Siliwangi train service that travels from Cianjur to Sukabumi to visit Gunung Padang. To reach the destination from Lampegan station, they reportedly have to pay for an ojek (motorcycle taxi) that could cost up to Rp 100,000 (US$7.5), since public transportation is not yet available. 

Some supporting facilities are presently being developed by the government at the location, including a rest area in Lampegan and an alternative road to Gunung Padang. 

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Source - TheJakartaPost

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Myanmar - Mrauk-U still struggling to woo tourists

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Mrauk-U, a town surrounded by hills in northern Rakhine State, is known as the ‘Stone City’. It was given the name because its 14th-century pagodas are made of stone.

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Mrauk-U is home to 1552 ancient stone pagodas – historic structures that are still standing strong today, owing to the wisdom of the old Rakhine kings who ordered them to be built from stone that can withstand the weather on top of the hills.

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“These pagodas are over 800 years old, but younger than those in Bagan in the Mandalay Region that were built in the 11th century,” local hotelier U Hla Myint from the Mrauk-U Princess Hotel said.

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Although Mrauk-U’s pagodas are similar to Bagan’s pagodas in being located close to residential areas, giving the location huge tourism potential, Mrauk-U has not attained international stardom like Bagan.

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Mrauk-U’s tourist arrival numbers are still much lower. While Bagan recorded 280,000 tourists in 2016, Mrauk-U only managed to hit 4000 the whole of last year.

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Hoteliers said the reason for the poor numbers was the instability affecting Rakhine, even in areas far from Mrauk-U, since 2012.

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Since the crisis that brought political instability, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism imposed an order prohibiting hotels from accepting guests without official permission.

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Foreign ministries abroad also notified their citizens of the danger in Rakhine and discouraged them from visiting the state.

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Tourism in Mrauk-U has not been able to recover since then, even though the town is more developed, better connected, and even has an airport in the pipeline.

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Rakhine Hoteliers Association member Daw Ohnmar Khin said travellers needed to be informed that Mrauk-U was safe.

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 She said there should be more familiarisation trips organised with the collaboration of hotels and tour companies.
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“For Mrauk-U’s tourism growth, we need political stability. But we also need to get the right information out to let people know that Mrauk-U is a safe place to visit.
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“Not everyone knows about us so we need better promotion. We need to help travel agents bring visitors here,” she said.
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Mrauk-U has several prominent heritage sites such as the palace, Shit-thaung (80,000 Buddha images) Pagoda, Htukkanthein Pagoda, Koe-thaung (90,000 Buddha images) Pagoda and Laungbanpyauk Pagoda.
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In the Chin ethnic villages in Mrauk-U, visitors can meet women who have kept the tradition of having tattoos on their faces. For beautiful sceneries, tourists can visit the Laymro River that has water so clear the stones on the river bed can be seen.
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In 1996, local authorities first applied to UNESCO to get Mrauk-U’s archaeological zone recognised as a world heritage site, but were unsuccessful.
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The Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library of Mrauk-U is now trying again, with a team of experts conducting surveying work such as 3D mapping of the ancient architectural and cultural site, to draft a new application.
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There had been some conservation challenges when work was carried out to restore some of the ancient pagodas in Mrauk-U.
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One example was the the loss of the Shit-thaung Pagoda’s heritage value when conservation was not properly done.
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There were also concerns by nearby locals that they would be forced to move if the sites became UNESCO world heritage sites, Mrauk-U guide association chair U Kyaw Hla Maung said.
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“The people are worried about possible relocation. The authorities should talk to them and hear their views and suggestions before proceeding.
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“Do it like what State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi suggested for Bagan. Then they can also educate the people and help them understand why the UNESCO listing is a good thing,” he said.
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U Hla Myint said tourism would bring prosperity to the locals, who could sell crafts and find jobs in tourism-related businesses.
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Source - The Myanmar Times
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Tour de Lombok Mandalika to welcome international cyclists

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The 2017 Tour de Lombok Mandalika is set to run from April 13-16.

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Located in West Nusa Tenggara, the race will begin and end in Central Lombok.

Divided into four stages, the route will pass through Lombok's premier cultural and tourist attractions.

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The province’s head of tourism, Lalu M. Faozal, said the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) had granted a license for the Tour de Lombok Mandalika.

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During a press conference on Thursday at Dharmawangsa Hotel in South Jakarta, Lalu said the event would involve three national teams and 17 international teams.

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Throughout the event, the cyclists will stay in Mataram, Central Lombok.

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The organizers have teamed up with the local police to ensure the safety of the event.

Meanwhile, West Nusa Tenggara Deputy Governor Moh. Amin offered his appreciation for the event.

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“Every event helps to support the hospitality industry in West Nusa Tenggara. [The 2017 Tour de Lombok Mandalika] will help to promote tourist destinations in the province ,” he said. 

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Source - TheJakartaPost

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Japan Travel Fair

Japan Travel Fair to promote destinations outside Tokyo, Osaka

Wakayama is one of the destinations slated to be promoted in the upcoming Japan Travel Fair in Jakarta. 

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 The Japan Travel Fair is set to return for the seventh time to the Kota Kasablanka Mall in South Jakarta on March 3 to 5.
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Six destinations are set to be highlighted at the event, namely the Kyushu (Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Oita and Saga), Okinawa, Setouchi (Ehime, Hiroshima, Kagawa and Okayama), Tohoku (Akita, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata), Wakayama and Hokkaido areas.
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“Tokyo and Osaka have already become the most popular destinations among Indonesian travelers. This year, we want them to visit other places in Japan,” Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) for Jakarta executive director Hideki Tomioka said in a press conference in South Jakarta on Thursday. He added that the selected destinations were equipped with adequate infrastructure and the local administrations and travel agents were keen to tap into the Indonesian market and were set to participate in the fair to promote their attractions.
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The Tohoku region, for instance, an area still recovering from the 2011 earthquake that had damaged nuclear plant reactors in Fukushima, is said to attend the event to promote places it deemed safe for tourists. Meanwhile, Okinawa is described as a "popular resort destination among local and overseas travelers" that is still foreign to Indonesian tourists, with attractions like picturesque beaches and diving spots.
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isitors of the event can also expect to enjoy discounts from participating airlines, travel agents and partnering banks, with the lowest price for return tickets reportedly Rp 3.9 million (US$292).

The travel fair is part of Japan's effort to attract 40 million foreign visitors from all around the world by the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Last year, up to 271,000 Indonesians reportedly visited the country, representing a 32.1 percent growth from 2015.
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Exploring Angkor Wat gets pricier despite increased numbers of tourists

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Future visitors to Cambodia may be unhappy to hear that if they want to visit the iconic Angkor Wat, they’re going to have to pay nearly double the previous admission fee.
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At the beginning of February the cost of a one-day pass to the temple went up from US$20 to $37.
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Officials justify the increase by saying that this was the first price hike in nearly 25 years for many of the sites and was long overdue.
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Angkor Wat is not the only Cambodian tourist destination to increase its prices.
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(Read also: Cambodia says visitors to Angkor temples must dress properly)
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According to the English newspaper, The Phnom Penh Post, three-day passes to the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap went from $40 to $62 and week-long passes are now $72, up from $60.
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The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh was the first tourist spot to announce price increases, with fees going from $6.25 to $10. Tickets to the National Museum and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum also rose from $3 to $5.
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“The move comes amid reports of increased tourist visits last year, but lower total revenues,” according to AFP. (sul/kes)
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Indonesia still largest contributor of tourists to Singapore

Every year, Singapore will present various kind of leisure activities, which include sports, entertainment, culinary events and art activities.
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About 2.89 million Indonesians visited Singapore throughout 2016, the biggest contribution of tourists to the city state, about 17.7 percent of the country’s 16.4 million total foreign tourist arrivals, according to a statement released by Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
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The number of tourists from Indonesia grew by 6 percent, which was categorized as a sharp jump from the 10 percent decline in 2015, the statement says.
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STB area director to Indonesia Raymond Lim said on Tuesday in a media gathering in Jakarta that his office would continue trying to attract more Indonesians to visit Singapore.
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“We really hope that we can maintain what we had last year,” he said, adding that about 30 percent of Indonesians who visited Singapore went there for business.
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However, to boost the numbers of tourists from the eastern part of Indonesia, the board will hold roadshows in Palembang in South Sumatra and in Medan in North Sumatra in March and April, he said, adding that it would continue the roadshows in Bali in August and in Sulawesi in September.
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Lim said the board aimed for 16.4 to 16.7 million foreign tourists to visit Singapore in 2017 and expected revenues of between US$25 and $25.8 billion. (yon/bbn)

Source TheJakartaPost
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Klong Prao Resort, Koh Chang

Klong Prao Resort is located along the white sandy beach on Koh Chang Island. It features 2 restaurants, an outdoor pool and rooms with balconies. Free WiFi and parking are provided.

 The spacious rooms at Resort Klong Prao come with modern décor and hardwood flooring. Rooms feature views of the sea or garden, and are equipped with satellite TV. A minibar and tea/coffee maker are also provided.

To relax, guests can laze in the sauna or arrange for diving trips. The hotel provides car rental and airport shuttle services. Dry cleaning services are available upon request.

 Thai specialities and Western dishes are served at Rim Had and Fueng Fa Restaurant.

 Klong Prao Resort is a 20-minute drive from Ao Tammachart Pier and a 1-hour drive from Chantaburi Town.

Klong Prao Beach is a great choice for travellers interested in Tranquility, Seafood and Beach. 

*****

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