Why travel solo when you can trip pool?

Why travel solo when you can trip pool?

PROJECT engineer Aloysius Liow went on a graduation trip to Taiwan five years ago with five women he did not know. The 30-year-old met them for the first time only two hours before their flight.

Mr Liow's roommate had pulled him in as a travel buddy for the eight-day trip. The five women were people his roommate knew from church. Through an idea similar to car pooling, trip pooling involves getting people who do not know one another to go on a holiday together.

The "trip poolers" are gathered from websites and forums, or through recommendations by friends.

The trips that these travellers take up are getting popular with working adults aged 21 to 35 in Singapore, according to Ms Eunice Tan, the creator of the Singapore Travel Buddies Group on Facebook, which has a total of 450 fans.

The 27-year-old engineer organises four such trips a year, up from just two five years ago. "Singaporeans love to travel but they don't want to take up standard tour packages," said Ms Tan.

And, if they are not holidaying with their families, many would prefer not to travel alone, she added. Their friends may not be able to join them for a trip because of the difficulty of matching the dates of their annual leave.

"Finding strangers to accompany you on your trip probably serves as a solution," she said. Travelling with strangers instead of going solo also helps save money, said fans of such arrangements.

Ms Tan, who has been on 20 such trips, said that the cost of land tour packages, accommodation and transport can be split among the travellers the larger the group, the less each individual pays.

-News courtesy of Omy-

Visa free for Malaysia

No visa is required for U.S.A. citizens visiting Malaysia for social, business or academic purposes (except for employment).

No visa is required for a stay of less than one month for nationals of all ASEAN countries except Myanmar. For a stay exceeding one month a visa will be required, except for nationals Brunei and Singapore.

Nationals of countries other than those stated above (with the exception of Israel) are allowed to enter Malaysia without a visa for a visit not exceeding one month.

For national of Israel, visas are required and permission must be granted from Ministry Of Home Affairs.

For national of Republic of Serbia and Republic of Montenegro, visas are required without permission granted from Ministry Of Home Affairs.

Visa for Malaysia (2)

Countries That Require Visa For a Stay Exceeding 3 Months

Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria (Vienna)
Bahrain
Belgium
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Brazil
Croatia
Cuba
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Finland
France
Germany
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kirgystan
Kuwait
Kyrgyz Republic Lebanon
Lienchestien
Luxembourg
Morocco
Netherland
Norway
Oman
Peru
Poland
Qatar
Romania
St Marino
Saudi Arabia
Slovakia
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Yemen

Countries That Require Visa For a Stay Exceeding 1 Month

Armenia
Azerbaijan
Barbados
Belarus
Benin
Bolivia
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Cape Verde
Chad
Chile
Costa Rica
Equador
El Savador
Estonia
Gabon
Georgia
Greece
Guatemala
Guinea Republic
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong SAR
Kazakhstan
Latvia
Lithuania
Macao SAR
Macedonia Madagascar
Maldova
Mauritania
Mexico
Monaco
Mongalia
Nicaragua
North Korea
North Yemen
Panama
Paraguay
Portugal
Russia
Sao Tome & Principe
Senegal
Slovenia
Sudan
Surinam
Tajikistan
Togo
Ukraine
Upper Volta
Uzbekistan
Vatican City
Venezuela
Zaire
Zimbabwe

Countries That Require Visa For a Stay Exceeding 14 Days

Iran (90 days)
Iraq (30 days)
Libya
Macao (Travel Permit/Portugal CI)
Palestine (30 days)
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Yemen
Syria (30 days)

Visa for Malaysia (1)

Countries That Require Visa

Afghanistan (Visa With Reference)
Angola
Bhutan
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Central African Republic
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo Democratic Republic
Congo Republic
Cote D'Ivoire
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea Ethiopia
Guinea-Bissau
Hong Kong (C/I or D/I)
India
Liberia
Mali
Myanmar (normal passport)
Nepal
Niger
Rwanda
Serbia & Montenegro
Taiwan
United Nations (Laissez Passer)
Western Sahara

Commonwealth Countries That Require Visa

Bangladesh
Cameroon
Ghana
Mozambique
Nigeria
Pakistan
Sri Lanka

Entry requirements for Malaysia

To enter Malaysia, a visitor should fulfill the following conditions:

i. Passport or Travel Document

Every person entering Malaysia must possess a valid national Passport or internationally recognized Travel Document valid for travelling to Malaysia.

Any person not in possession of a Passport or Travel Document which is recognized by the Malaysian Government must obtain a Document in lieu of Passport.

Application for the Document in lieu of Passport can be made at any Malaysian Representative Office abroad.

Holders of Travel Documents such as Certificate of Identity, Laisser Passer, Titre de Voyage, Permanent Residence Certificate must ensure that their return ability to the country of origin is assured.

The documents shall be valid, for more than six (6) months from the date of entry.

ii. Fulfill visa requirement

A visa is an endorsement in a passport or other recognized travel document of foreigner indicating that the holder has applied for permission to enter Malaysia and that permission has been granted.

Foreign nationals who require a Visa to enter Malaysia must apply and obtain a Visa in advance at any Malaysian Representative Office abroad before entering the country.

Visa which has been granted is not absolute guarantee that the holder will be allowed to enter Malaysia. The final decision lies with the Immigration Officer at the entry point.

iii. Valid return travel ticket and sufficient funds

A visitor is also required to proof his financial ability to stay in Malaysia and a confirm ticket to a third country.

iv. Not a prohibited person

Any person classified under Section 8 of Immigration Act 1959/63 will not be allowed to enter Malaysia even though he/she is in possession of a valid Passport or Travel Document, Visa, travel ticket and sufficient funds.

v. Complete in the arrival/departure card

A visitor is required to complete the Arrival/Departure Card (Imm.26) upon arrival at the gazette entry points. This card is obtainable at any entry point, Malaysian Representative office abroad or travel agencies.

A visitor must present his/her passport together with the duly completed arrival / departure card to the Immigration officer on duty and he/she must ensure that the passport or travel document is endorsed with the appropriate pass before leaving the immigration counter.

-Info courtesy of Malaysian Immigration Dept-

Full electronic toll payment at Lima Kedai

Beginning 10.00 am on 15 July, only electronic toll payment through PLUSMiles card, Touch ‘n Go card or SmartTAG will be accepted at Lima Kedai Toll Plaza on the Secondlink.

Currently, all toll transactions at the Tanjung Kupang Toll Plaza on the Secondlink and the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Toll Plaza at the Johor Bahru Causeway are conducted electronically.

According to the PLUS Expressways Managing Director, Noorizah Hj Abd Hamid, “This initiative is aimed at ensuring smooth travel and reduce congestion and thus, supporting the Government’s call to preserve the environment as well.”

“As such, all cash transactions at Lima Kedai toll plaza will no longer be available. Electronic toll payments will ensure faster transactions at the toll plazas resulting in more convenience to highway users especially during festive seasons and long holidays.”

PLUS urges those who ply the Secondlink to get their PLUSMiles or Touch’n Go cards from any of the PLUS Customer Service Centres or petrol stations such as Petronas, Shell, Esso, Caltex and BHP in Johor Bahru.

-News courtesy of Plus-

Tiger Airways passengers lost items in luggage

10 Tiger Airways passengers lost items in luggage

In the past six months, some ten passengers who flew on a particular Tiger Airways flight have filed claims for missing items from their luggage.

They said they discovered this when they arrived at their destination.

Passenger Steven Liang said: "The security lock on my suitcase was missing. I opened my suitcase and saw that it was very messy inside. My brand new iPhone was missing. I bought it in Hong Kong."

Mr Liang said this happened when he flew to Shenzhen, China on Flight TR2952 on May 26.

He said he had asked the airport staff in Shenzhen for help. He was shown a chart containing information on luggage arrivals from international flights.

From the information on the chart, he realised that there had been 10 cases of missing items on this particular flight since December. The highest amount lost was 10,400 renminbi, which is more than S$2,000.

The budget carrier states on its website that it tries to respond to letters within 21 working days.

It lists its hotline and fax numbers as well as mailing address on its website, but does not provide an email address for feedback or complaints.

However, MediaCorp understands that several of the victims who had contacted Tiger Airways still have not heard from the airline.

Tiger Airways told MediaCorp it had received the complaints, but said it was not responsible for the loss of items.

-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-

Tiger launches low-cost priority boarding service

Tiger launches low-cost priority boarding service

Budget carrier Tiger Airways has launched a low-cost priority boarding service called boardmefirst.

Tiger Airways Singapore managing director Rosalynn Tay said this new service will complement other services like allowing passengers to pay in proportion to the weight of check-in luggage and selecting their seats.

These ancillary services have been contributing to Tiger's revenue streams.

Boardmefirst is now available on its international flights and costs S$6 per passenger per flight sector when booked online.

Ms Tay said it is offered so passengers do not have to chalk up expensive miles.

-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-

World Cup fever at Changi Airport

World Cup fever at Changi Airport

World Cup fever has hit Changi Airport. All three terminals at the airport have seen passengers glued to the screens to catch the football action before boarding their flights.

Footballs fans can catch the matches at specially designed "mini stadiums" which have 10 TV screens each.

On average, each match attracts some 400 fans, but a few of the games have exceeded the 1,000 mark.

Since the opening match on 11 June, close to 30,000 passengers from all over the world have caught the World Cup action at Changi's transit areas and another 70,000 have watched the delayed telecasts of these matches.

The service is a winner with the international travellers as it allows them to support their teams while on the go, just like a group of German fans who caught the Germany-Argentina quarter-final match on Saturday night.

"We have been starving for information during the flight from Bali and...here...we saw the perfect game," said a German fan.

"It's a fantastic service that the airport provides," said another.

"I did not think that I will be able to to see this game. So I was very happy that I could have a chance to watch it," said a traveller from Scotland.

The FIFA Official Store at Changi has also benefited from the World Cup fever, with sales surging by 50 percent since the start of the competition.

Changi is confident that by the end of the competition, more than 100,000 passengers would have watched football at the airport.

During the 2006 World Cup, passengers were also able to catch the action at Changi Airport.

-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-