Organized before traveling to enjoy Asian Views and scenery

Organized before traveling to enjoy Asian Views and scenery

Booking a last minute holiday can be very exciting. One minute you are sitting at work with nothing but your regular timetable of events to look forward to, and the next you've discovered a bargain last minute break and booked the time to jet off on holiday to somewhere warm and sunny.

It's guaranteed to put the shine on any day but once the initial excitement has worn off you've also got to think about the practicalities of the situation. Where are those suitcases? What do you need to take with you? Is everything that you'll need washed and ironed? And you know you put your passport in a safe place, but can you remember where?

It's easy to get into a panic when you know you've only got a day or two to make sure everything is ready to go, but the easiest way to get around this is to make a list of all the things you need to remember. That way you'll be able to cross them off as you go along, enabling you to concentrate on the things you still have to do.

The first step is to work out how many days you will be away for, as this will allow you to ensure you have the right amount of essential items with you, such as underwear and toiletries to last the whole trip. Of course you can also buy toiletries wherever you go, but you should make sure you at least take enough for the first couple of days.


Next, do some research if necessary to see what the weather will be like wherever you are going. Depending on the type of holiday you've booked, you could be packing for tropical temperatures or sub-zero temperatures, so make sure you go prepared!

Think about the type of holiday you are taking as well, as this will influence what you need to take. If you are going on a beach holiday you will want to take plenty of beachwear and perhaps some snorkelling gear as well, whereas a city break would no doubt need comfy shoes to walk around in as you're more likely to be doing a lot of sightseeing.

Don't forget arrangements you'll need to make at home as well, such as enlisting the help of a friend, relative or neighbour to look after your cat while you are away, or simply check on your house every now and again to make sure everything is okay and perhaps remove mail away from the door, if it is visible. We quite often get so caught up in what we need to organise for taking away with us that we forget essential tasks such as these.


Finally consider taking out travel insurance to cover you during your trip. This is essential if you want to have peace of mind during your last minute holiday that any potential holiday hazards are guarded against.

Travel Tips for Asian Views

Travel Tips for Asian Views

No matter how many times you've traveled before, each trip is a new experience and you're likely to have many questions and you have to well prepare for this trip. Here are some travel tips for you.

Before leaving, you should allow plenty of time to read up about your destinations before leaving so you can enjoy yourself straight away on arrival. Check out travel deals that are available on the Internet.

If you choose air transport we have numerous air flights to choose from. The airlines are now providing various services to the passengers. We also have cheaper flights to meet the needs of the mass. The passengers can book their tickets online or else with Calgary travel agent with best travel services and pricing.

Packing lightly for your travels can save you money. Many airlines are now charging fees for overweight bags, oversized bags, and for checking more than the allowed number of bags per passenger. Ensure there are no sharp objects like scissors in your carry-on bag. Pack them in your checked luggage instead.

Make sure your passport has at least six months validity and carry additional copies of your passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.

Remember that local people have different ways of thinking and concepts of time, this just makes them different not wrong - cultivate the habit of asking questions (rather than the Western habit of knowing the answers).

In the event of emergencies, e.g. death, medical incident, accidental injury or illness likely to require hospitalization, repatriation or any major alteration to travel plans, call the 24-hour 'emergency assistance' helpline immediately. They will advise on and/or make the necessary arrangements for the best course of action.

Asian Scenes in China Asian Travel

Asian Scenes in China Asian Travel

Nowadays, more and more foreigners come to China, and many of them are the first time to travel in China. Here are some suggestions for them to prepare the trip.

For many business travelers to Shanghai, I would suggest to take a weekend to visit Beijing. Shanghai is the largest commercial city in China, but it is not a typical city that represents China. If you want to claim you've really been to China, you should plan a short trip to Beijing, and visit the Forbidden City, visit the Great Wall, and visit some Royal Gardens.

Even you don't go to these famous places,it is also a good idea to experience the wide streets and the narrow Hutong.

If you know some simple Chinese words, it will make you look better and friendlier to local people, which make your trip more enjoyable.

If foreigners wish to directly use the phone numbers assigned by their domestic telecommunication operators, they should initialize international roaming service with their local provider before their entry to China. Foreigners shall initialize international roaming services of their mobile phone numbers with their domestic mobile telecommunication operators. Additionally, your domestic mobile telecommunication operator shall sign the agreement on international roaming services with China Mobile. Your international roaming service charges will be collected according to the applicable charging rates as specified by your domestic mobile telecommunication operator. If foreigners enter China with their domestic mobile phones, they can buy SIM phone cards and pre-paid phone cards in Shanghai or Beijing to enjoy all the businesses and services provided by China Mobile. If your domestic operator and China Mobile haven't signed the roaming agreement, the international roaming service will be unavailable through your domestic phone number.

This photo was taken on Oct 7th, 2005. I neglected it at my first round selection last year. Today when I reviewed my archive photos, I feel it is better than most my uploaded night images, it is well balanced and in nice reflection. I did not bring my tripod at that day, so I had to put my camera on the fence near the river.

There are many differences between cities in China and the western cities. You may find the traffic rule different (at least the way people follow the rules), the language is different, and many aspects of everyday life are different. Don't worry. Just relax. It is not necessary to always figure out which way is right and which way is wrong. Just relax, and enjoy the difference. It is just because of the difference that you travel, isn't it?

Asian Scene - riding Luxury India Trains for Asian travel

Asian Scene - riding Luxury India Trains for Asian travel

India, the land of myriad hues and colours, never fails to surprise you. The seventh largest nation in the world--bounded by the great Himalayas in the north and caressed by the foaming Indian Ocean in the south--India is a haven for the tourists.

Its rich flora and fauna; thousands of year old cultures and traditions; delicious cuisines; awe-inspiring forts and havelis of a bygone era; majestic monuments and historical palaces whose each crevice whispers in your ears the tales of valor and chivalry of the erstwhile warriors and rulers; friendly and smiling people; and pristine and beautiful sea beaches--inspire the tourists to visit this beautiful country time and again.

Many travellers come to India to cleanse themselves and find the true meaning of their life through spiritual and religious tours. Many others come here to have first-hand experience of the throbbing and pulsating India, while many others come here just to have some fun and enjoyment in peaceful, sylvan surroundings. The purpose may be different but the destination remains the same: India. Certainly, which other country in the world can offer so many surprises and attractions?

India could be explored through various means, by making use of the many major travel routes that interconnect majority of the tourist hotspots of the country. Several attractive tour packages suiting all budgets, and cooperative tour operators and travel agencies ensure that travellers to the country visit the many destinations of their choice without facing any problem.

Luxury India Trains, as the name suggests, come with luxuries befitting the rajas and the maharajas of the bygone era, and give the tourists the opportunity of a lifetime to explore the wonder that is India in the best possible way.

Such trains are different from the others in the sense that they cater to only the most discerning--mainly those who are rich and famous. What really sets such trains apart from the others is that they greatly pamper the visitors making them feel like Maharajas while they explore the various tourist hotspots of the country scattered in the various states.

Presently, India offer five luxury trains, namely, Palace On Wheels, Deccan Odyssey, Heritage On Wheels, Fairy Queen and Deccan Chariot. These trains that come with all the major facilities and luxuries that the wealthiest of travellers can think of take the visitors on royal tours to some of the famous tourist hotspots of the country.

Palace On Wheels

Palace On Wheels is the best luxury train on offer. Perhaps, the best luxury train in the world, the Palace On Wheels, is only for those quality conscious travellers who aren't ready to compromise on luxury and comfort. The train that operates from September to April takes the tourists on a wonderful journey through the various attractive destinations that they remember all their life.

Covering the three states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan the train gives the tourists the chance to have an insight into the cultural, architectural, natural and traditional facets of many regions. The memorable train journey starts from Delhi and takes the travellers to Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur and Agra before bringing them back to the national capital.

Delhi, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittorgarh and Udaipur are some of the major Indian cities much renowned for their many imposing monuments, forts and other landmarks that show Indian architecture at its best. Jodhpur--bedsides being renowned for its monuments--is also world famous for its Bird Sanctuary. And, Agra is popular for one of the Seven Wonders of the World--the one and only Taj Mahal.

The train has 14 AC saloons with each saloon having four cabins complete with all modern facilities. The two kitchen cars of the Palace On Wheels--Maharaja and Maharani--serve mouth-watering cuisine ranging from Rajasthani to Chinese to Continental. Laundry, barber and parlour facilities on offer onboard superbly compliment the other services on offer. The Khidmatgars (servants) ensure that the visitors are served in the true Hindustani style, in the best possible way.

Deccan Odyssey

Yet another luxury train, the Deccan Odyssey, takes the visitors through the various tourist places of the Indian states of Maharashtra and Goa. The sleek blue luxury train with 21 state-of-the-art coaches complete with all modern facilities can give even the more famous luxury train, Palace On Wheels, a run for its money when it comes to unmatched style, luxury and comfort.

The Deccan Odyssey, which can accommodate 104 passengers, has a well-stocked library, gymnasium, beauty parlour, an ayurvedic body massage centre, and a bar among a host of other facilities. The well-maintained bar car attached to the train offers a variety of international and national brands of finest liquor to the passengers.

On a seven-day sojourn, the train takes the tourists to several forts, beaches, palaces, besides the financial capital of India, Mumbai. The exciting train journey commences from Mumbai and covers Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Goa, Pune, Aurangabad, Ajanta and Nasik before chugging its way back to Mumbai.

Heritage On Wheels

The huge popularity of Palace On Wheels inspired the Indian government to introduce yet another luxury train to cover the desert state of Rajasthan. The new train, Heritage On Wheels--a joint venture of Indian Rail and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation--covers the Bikaner and Shekhawati region of Rajasthan and has become a huge hit.

The train having 14 deluxe coaches comes equipped with all modern facilities that are the hallmarks of such luxury trains. The two pantry cars of the Heritage On Wheels-Maharaja and Maharani-serve delicious cuisine to the passengers who relish them while the train snakes its way towards its many destinations.

Many passengers after enjoying the sumptuous cuisine settle in the bar-cum-lounge of the luxury train that offers many famous Indian and international brands of liquor. Heritage On Wheels begins its journey from Jaipur and takes the passengers to Bikaner, Haat, Gajner, Taal Chhapar, Ramgarh and Nawalgarh before coming back to the state capital.

Fairy Queen

This is yet another luxury train that makes visiting tourist hotspots in India a pleasurable experience for the rich and quality conscious tourists. Operational from October to March, the Fairy Queen commences its journey on the second and the fourth Saturdays of the month. This heritage train has a 50-seater AC coach. It begins its journey from Delhi and goes to Alwar and Sariksa Wildlife Sanctuary on a two day-one night journey before returning back to the national capital.

The main attraction of Fairy Queen is that it's run by the oldest locomotive in regular operation in India. The passengers enjoy the sight of the locomotive sitting behind a large glass window in the train.
The pantry car attached to the train serves mouth-watering cuisine to the passengers.

Fairy Queen is mainly for the lovers of wildlife as it takes them to Sairksa Wildlife Sanctuary and gives them the opportunity to enjoy jeep safari in the wilds of the sanctuary and have a rendezvous with the big cat, the tiger. There's something for the culturally inclined passengers also. Cultural programmes are organised at the grand Sariksa Palace.

The Golden Chariot

The Karnataka Tourism Development Corporation run Golden Chariot is the latest in the fleet of luxury train services in India, and covers the various destinations within Karnataka.

Taking its name from the stone chariot of the Hampi ruins, the Golden Chariot starts its journey from the state capital Bangalore, proceeding to Srirangapatnam, Mysore, Kabini Sanctuary, and Shravanabelagola. From here, it leaves for Belur which is associated with 11th century Hoysala architecture, Halebidu, Hampi, Badami, Aihole, Pattadakal and Shravanabelagola, before culminating in Goa.

The itinerary enables a viewing of palaces, wildlife and beaches. The Golden Chariot promises a golden experience with privacy, comfort and a host of lively attractions all through the seven-night-and-eight-day journey.

The train's interiors have been inspired by the opulence of Mysore and Hoysala architecture, and each of the cabins is equipped with wi-fi, LCD TV, writing desk and a wardrobe. A lounge bar and two restaurants (Nal and Ruchi), a business centre and wellness facilities (a spa and a gym) are also onboard.

Acquiring Visa and Sponsorship for Dubai living and travel

Acquiring Visa and Sponsorship for Dubai living and travel

Visas and Sponsorship for Dubai

This was already a minefield, at least for the processing, but now Dubai Immigration and Naturalisation, has devised a list of multiple categories to encompass all types of travellers. The reason behind it is that the 'visit visa', which was given on entry for certain countries or bought with the ticket from others e.g. The Phillipines, was being abused. People were entering on a visit visa and after the 30 days, going on what is commonly known as a visa run. This is the exercise of exiting the country to come back in on a new 30 day visit visa... and so it goes on.

This would then fly in the face of employment bans which is a very emotive subject. The law still states that if anybody leaves their place of employment within the first year, they are liable for an immediate 6 month labour ban. This is purely to do with employment and is separate from an Immigration ban, which is 1 year in length and normally issued for misdemeanours of a serious nature like theft or other punishable offences.

To exploit the 6 month labour ban, many workers would continue working on a 'ban', and just exit the country twice, until the ban was over, and then they could go onto the sponsorship of their new employer.

At this point, it's safe to say that most managerial roles do not initiate a ban if the employee leaves, and there are many great corporations who do not ban staff of any level. This is refreshing, as there are some companies who abuse the rule and threaten to ban people if the resign or ask for a promotion/pay raise.

The contract states the role and most commonly for lower paid staff, the duration of the contract. If the employee breaks that contract at anytime, the are liable for a ban.

The NOC (No Objection Certificate)

The NOC is what is required to 'safely' transfer from one job to another. If you choose to leave a company within the term of your contract, and the employer is happy to let you go, they still have to produce an NOC. This is actually a brief letter stating the employees name and passport number, the company's details, or employers details (if working for an individual) and clearly wording their agreement to let the employee transfer without a ban to the next emmployer. The employee is then said to have obtained a 'release'. This letter is shown during the visa process, and as long as an NOC is obtained, there is no ban applicable.

The Visa Process

The visa process can be painful, therefore the job is done by a company 'PRO' or public relations officer (but not in the sense of an advertising or marketing role). If it is an individual applying for a visa for a housekeeper, driver etc, there are 'company formation' companies who will do this for a fee. The very brave can go to immigration themselves, but this can be a very long and arduous process as you are passed from one desk to another; to get a signature, pay a deposit, get a translation typed or wait for a stamp. I recommend wholeheartedly using a start-up company, who use their regular contacts at immigration, while you have a coffee!

It is also necessary for the individual who's having a visa processed, to have to exit the country to go from visit visa status to working visa status. Previously this could be waived (for some nationalities) if you paid a fee. In the past, it was not necessary to fly back to your country of origin, but the now more stringent laws are reintroducing this. At the time of writing this, it is still not clear if all nationalities have to fly to their home country i.e. British, EU and American citizens. Either way, for the visa to be processed, it is necesssary to exit Dubai as a forrmality, to then return under your new status. This is known as a 'visa run'. You fly out (most commonly) to Qatar (around 45 minutes duration), enter the terminal building, do not pass through immigration but go through transit, enter the departure lounge, and come straight back on the same plane which brought you out. It was also possible to drive to Hatta (another Emirate within the UAE) and have your passport stamped there - although the point behind that is that you should be driving to the Omani border, but that didn't always seem to be enforced.

Medical

It is a pre-requisite to have a medical and pass it, before your visa is finally processed. This entails a blood test and chest X-Ray. If you are found to be HIV+ or have Hepatitis C, you will be immediately refused and deported. This is under discussion, but as yet (September 2008) the rule remains. It is also imperative to have valid medical insurance to enter the country, even on a tourist visa.

Up-to-date Visa Guidelines are stated below:

GCC NATIONALS

Visa requirements for entering Dubai vary greatly between different nationalities and it is always advised to check regulations before traveling. Currently, every nationality entering the UAE needs a visa except citizens of GCC countries (Gulf Cooperation Council: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) expatriate residents of the GCC (certain nationalities and professions) and British citizens with the right of abode in the UK. The following citizens of Europe also receive visas on arrival citizens of : Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Vatican.

In addition, nationals from Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea in Asia, as well as those from the United States of America and Canada also now receive Visas on arrival.

GCC nationals can stay more or less as long they like. British citizens can stay for a month and then apply for a visa for a further two months. European, American, South African and Australian citizens may obtain a visit visa from the UAE embassy in their respective countries before departure. Please note that Israelis and travelers whose Passports bear Israeli stamps will be denied a visa.

OTHER NATIONALS

For all other nationalities, a visa must be applied for before the visitor enters the country either through their respective embassy, a local UAE sponsor or a local hotel.

TOURIST VISA

This visa is issued through tourist companies and it is valid for 30 days. It You cannot renew it or extend it. If the Visa holder of the tourist visa stays more than the 30 days, that person has to pay a fine per day plus some charges are for an out pass.

VISIT VISA

Visa is issued through Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department. It is stamped for 30 days validity but it is valid for 60 days and can be extended for 30 more days by paying some amount. The extension needs to be done before the 60th day. If the visitor stay more than 60 days or more than 90 days (after the extension) they will have to pay a fine per day plus some charges for an out pass.

Certain passport holders can enter the UAE without obtaining a visit visa prior to arrival and stay up to 30 days.