Indonesia - Sumba preparing to host sandalwood horse parade, 'tenun ikat' festival

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Sumba in East Nusa Tenggara is set to host an international festival that will highlight sandalwood horses and tenun ikat (traditional woven fabrics).

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Slated to kick off in May, kompas.com has reported that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will attend the event, which will feature a parade of thousands of horses and a tenun ikat exhibition.

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 The parade will begin in Waingapu in East Sumba regency, then continue to Waibakul in Central Sumba regency, Waikabubak in West Sumba regency and end in Tambolaka in Southwest Sumba regency. Meanwhile, the exhibition will be held across all regencies and will involve both local administrations and residents.

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East Nusa Tenggara Creative Economy and Tourism Agency head Marius Ardu Kelamu said the event aimed to promote the island’s landscape and cultural beauty.

“The festival will help create the island’s brand and promote to the world that sandalwood horses originate from Sumba,” he said.

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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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Culture - ‘Thainess’ in the 21st century

Considering all the prevailing negative stereotypes about Thailand and Thai people, it is understandable why the Thai government would want to promote a greater understanding about Thainess. But Thainess is nothing new.

Classical Thai dancers, golden-spired temples, floating markets – such Utopian images of Thailand have been greatly exploited in tourism promo campaigns since the 1970s and 1980s, widely portrayed in “Visit Thailand” posters pinned up at tour offices and Thai restaurants around the world.

Those initial impressions we drew from such imagery may still have a place in many of our hearts; at first sight, we were immediately drawn in, awed and intrigued by such cultural color ...

While these iconic elements are indeed uniquely Thai and have been so for centuries, they don’t accurately reflect or portray the identity of modern Thailand and the majority of its people.

Much is the disappointment for many to learn that such images are far from the reality, that the Thai people of the present day, for better or worse, have long-evolved, and made numerous self-preserving identity-sacrifices over the decades and centuries in keeping up with reform and modernization.

Most Thai people today have never even been on an elephant, let alone sat on a wooden canal boat – certainly not for commuting.

Indeed, floating markets and elephant camps are little more than fading tourist attractions to meet the expectations of those still seeking to fulfil expectations of that glorious, idealistic image of century-old Siam.

Many luxury hotels will continue to market and exploit this expectation. And it is at/through such properties where you still may be able to see a classical Thai dance/music performance, or book a trip to the nearest floating market, or to the jungle for an elephant ride.

But beyond the hotel lobby’s tour desk, you’ll eventually have to emerge from that proverbial cave of allegory, coming to the realisation that the majority of the khlongs have long been abandoned or filled in with concrete.

Modern Thai people spend thousands of hours a year in traffic jams, if not on the back of a recklessly speeding motorbike, or squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder in overcrowded public transport ... But such “modernisation” challenges are not unique to Thailand, and ubiquitous across the developing world.

As for embracing “Thainess” in a modern context, we must look below the surface, where there lies a certain prevailing charm and lure; it is just as much about the outlook and hospital nature of the Thai people – that smile that says “I’m curious about you...” – that friendly, optimistic spirit which can be found in abundance across the kingdom. full of millions who will happily welcome complete strangers into their family homes, and feed them into a coma.

An empathetic and intuitive people who you can depend on to lend a hand if it is within their means, and they’ll likely not ask for anything in return.

Sure, there are plenty of exceptions to the Thai people's good-willed nature, but let us not forget that deceit and greed are universal wherever there is ignorance and economic disparity.

So let us try hard not to feed such negative pessimism, and instead embrace the longevity-enabling optimistic outlook for which Thainess is foremost and firmly rooted. Mai Pen Rai na, Yaa Kit Maak ไม่เป็นไรนะ อย่าคิดมาก – It’s alright na, don’t stress it!

Adapted with permission from original article on www.siamerican.com

.

Considering all the prevailing negative stereotypes about Thailand and Thai people, it is understandable why the Thai government would want to promote a greater understanding about Thainess. But Thainess is nothing new.
Classical Thai dancers, golden-spired temples, floating markets – such Utopian images of Thailand have been greatly exploited in tourism promo campaigns since the 1970s and 1980s, widely portrayed in “Visit Thailand” posters pinned up at tour offices and Thai restaurants around the world.
Those initial impressions we drew from such imagery may still have a place in many of our hearts; at first sight, we were immediately drawn in, awed and intrigued by such cultural colour ...
While these iconic elements are indeed uniquely Thai and have been so for centuries, they don’t accurately reflect or portray the identity of modern Thailand and the majority of its people.
Much is the disappointment for many to learn that such images are far from the reality, that the Thai people of the present day, for better or worse, have long-evolved, and made numerous self-preserving identity-sacrifices over the decades and centuries in keeping up with reform and modernisation.
Most Thai people today have never even been on an elephant, let alone sat on a wooden canal boat – certainly not for commuting.
Indeed, floating markets and elephant camps are little more than fading tourist attractions to meet the expectations of those still seeking to fulfil expectations of that glorious, idealistic image of century-old Siam.
Many luxury hotels will continue to market and exploit this expectation. And it is at/through such properties where you still may be able to see a classical Thai dance/music performance, or book a trip to the nearest floating market, or to the jungle for an elephant ride.
But beyond the hotel lobby’s tour desk, you’ll eventually have to emerge from that proverbial cave of allegory, coming to the realisation that the majority of the khlongs have long been abandoned or filled in with concrete.
Modern Thai people spend thousands of hours a year in traffic jams, if not on the back of a recklessly speeding motorbike, or squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder in overcrowded public transport ... But such “modernisation” challenges are not unique to Thailand, and ubiquitous across the developing world.
As for embracing “Thainess” in a modern context, we must look below the surface, where there lies a certain prevailing charm and lure; it is just as much about the outlook and hospital nature of the Thai people – that smile that says “I’m curious about you...” – that friendly, optimistic spirit which can be found in abundance across the kingdom. full of millions who will happily welcome complete strangers into their family homes, and feed them into a coma.
An empathetic and intuitive people who you can depend on to lend a hand if it is within their means, and they’ll likely not ask for anything in return.
Sure, there are plenty of exceptions to the Thai people's good-willed nature, but let us not forget that deceit and greed are universal wherever there is ignorance and economic disparity.
So let us try hard not to feed such negative pessimism, and instead embrace the longevity-enabling optimistic outlook for which Thainess is foremost and firmly rooted. Mai Pen Rai na, Yaa Kit Maak ไม่เป็นไรนะ อย่าคิดมาก – It’s alright na, don’t stress it!
Adapted with permission from original article on www.siamerican.com
- See more at: http://www.thephuketnews.com/culture-thainess-in-the-21st-century-53852.php#sthash.fzq3Gsto.dpuf

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GLOW Pratunam, #Bangkok

In the heart of Bangkok City, GLOW Pratunam Hotel offers rooms with free Wi-Fi. It features an outdoor swimming pool and a restaurant.

 Suvarnabhumi International airport is a 40 minute drive from GLOW Pratunam. Siam Paragon Shopping Center and MBK Shopping Mall can be reached with a 15 minute ride from the property.

 Each room provides an iPod docking station, a flat-screen TV and a sitting area. The rooms also feature a private bathroom with shower facilities.

Guests can utilize the fitness center at the hotel. There is a 24-hour front desk for guests' convenience.
Thai and International cuisines are served at the on-site restaurant.

Pathumwan is a great option for travelers interested in Clothes Shopping, Shopping and Food. This district is also highly rated for Nightlife, Temples and Shopping by guests from Thailand.

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We help you with your ‪#‎Bookings >
BOOK NOW SIMPLE CLICK ON THIS LINK ON OR THE BANNER
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https://asiabesthotels.wordpress.com/
https://europeanbesthotels.wordpress.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/members/Gerrit_Tienkamp

 

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