Archives for "Travel Agency"
Sunshine City
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of St Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, Florida. All opinions are 100% mine.
I just came back from a trip to Bali, Indonesia where lots of people go to surf, suntan and relax.
What i miss most about the place is the feel of warm sunshine against my skin. It’s a great change from unpredictable weather back at home where it could be so humid at one minute but on the next it pours. Kind of a mood killer isn’t it?
You know what; maybe I should take a vacation in St. Augustine , Ponte Vedra and the Beaches in Florida. I’ve never been there before but it sounds like a great plan. Florida is after all known as the “Sunshine State” with warm pleasant climate and great beaches.
Though when someone mention the word “Florida”, the sun, palm trees and beaches automatically pops into my mind, i’m pleasantly surprised to find out that St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the Beaches is a gateway to a romantic and historic vacation. They have charming historic buildings like churches and antique stores and even horse-drawn carriages.
What fascinate me most is the ghost tours! I’m a fan of everything supernatural so the tour is a definitely must-go!
I’ve looked through the many types of accommodations available and this is my favorite.
The St. Francis Inn.
I’m a sucker for B&B because i find it really quaint and charming. They are more cozy compared to hotels. It’s very romantic for couples too. Imagine strolling along the street looking at old buildings then returning to the small B&B surround by lush trees. It’s like Valentines all over again.
I’ve already figure out a rough itinerary for the trip.
First, i’ll do the historic buildings. The Oldest House and the Oldest Wooden School House Historic Museum and Gardens really appeal to me. I like to experience the actual culture and architectural as it was in the olden days.
Oldest Wooden School House
Oldest House
Then i’ll head on to Cathedral Basilica to see the classic cathedral architecture. Then to Castillo de San Marcos where we could stroll along the shoreline and take in the history of the fort.
Cathedral Basilica>
The Black Raven, the Pirate Ship cruise sound great too. Here we could learn bout pirate attacks on St Augustine while enjoying the performance on board. It’ll be really fun to sing along sea shantys, there are pirates hates and face paintings too! Aye, aye captain! Awesome!
Black Raven
After taking a ghost tour we’ll head on to the beach to enjoy the sun. Bliss.
You too can plan your romantic getaway. Just visit http://www.romanceliveshere.com/ to find out more.
Low Fares
We all love a bargain don’t we? Yes, we do, especially when it comes to traveling. Being a travel bug, i always and proudly thought of myself more of a budget traveler, spending only when it’s absolutely necessary. With that, saving up hopefully for the next destination much sooner than later. Plus it’s only common sense. Would opt for a more expensive airline tickets or a more affordable one given that the comfort level of the cheaper one is actually tolerable? I’ll pick the cheaper ones. No doubts about it.
That is the reason that i check out Low Fares with much interest and anticipation. They offer cheap airline tickets, affordable hotel stays and bargain vacation packages. That’s like heaven for me!
The website is very user friendly so finding out about flights availability and fares is actually a breeze. As i am planning a family trip to China, i thought why don’t i give it a try. All i needed to do is enter the city and airport of departure and also arrival, select the sites that i want to compare and voila! I have the best flight rates i could get my hands on.
Sure beats going through the many websites for comparison to get cheap flights.
Australian Travel Insurance
How many of you have booked and paid for a flight for a holiday overseas or even within your own shores but had to cancel in the last minute? I bet there are quite a number of you that had been in such situation. This means the money that you have been saving up for the vacation is at lost. It’s terrible… unless, you bought travel insurance.
I’m going for a trip this July which is still a long way to go but i’m glad i bought travel insurance because who knows what will happen within a few months. I might be sick or the flight might be postponed. It’s good to know that i will get a refund if anything happens.
Speaking about travel insurance i know of a website that offers information on Australian Travel Insurance. It is a one-stop hub for everything you might want to know about Travel Insurance. There are many travel insurance policy that is quite expensive and redundant. So it is wise to check out the best policy that suits your traveling style before buying one. The Travel Insurance Guide on the website is very informative with information on how to purchase a travel insurance, how to get the best deal and how to avoid a high insurance premium.
For those on a tight budget, there is the Discount Travel Insurance. So do go to the website for more information about the coverage and schemes. Who says only the rich could afford travel insurance right?
Thailand Ticket Booking and Payment
When planning for a train ride in Thailand, Traveller2000 does indeed comes in handy. The travel agency not only is reliable, they are efficient as well. Besides some minor hiccups (entirely my own fault), booking a train ticket through this particular agent had been a breeze.
It took us 4 days for the whole process, from inquiring, making payment and also confirmation but that’s only because i emailed to the office during the New Year which so happens to be a public holidays. Duh, i’m such a klutz! Also, there was some delay because we couldn’t figure out how to verify our visa card for payment. Else, it would have taken just 1 single day. Yes. 1. One. Uno day. Because they are really that efficient. My received reply from them almost instantly!
So, here are the booking and payment tips/guidelines to save you the hassle.
Step 1: Check the Thailand Railway Schedule
- Schedule -
There are separate schedules for trains to different parts of Thailand. If you are Traveling from Bangkok to Chiang Mai then click on the Northern Line schedule. Depending on your preference of departure and arrival time, do take note of the train no. of your choice. (You will need the train no. for step 2).
Step 2: Inquire Tickets
Go back to the schedule page as in Step 1 and scroll down till you see a search engine. Search for the train tickets information according to destination. You will be taken to another page with the train no. , departure time, train class and price. Click on inquiry/booking icon next to the train of your choice.
- Inquiry -
Fill in the form and submit or alternatively, if the form does not work, just email all the details to trainbooking@traveller2000.com.
Now all you have to do is to wait for their reply which will be in no time.
Step 3: Make Payment via Credit Card
Traveller2000 offers 2 payment method, both via credit card.
a) The first is by Fax Authorization Form whereby they will email to you a form and you would have to print it out fill in the blanks including your credit card information and fax it to their office.
b) Second method is by KBANK Payment Gateway which i find pleasantly convenient and which i recommend. And since it is verified Visa and MasterCard, it means that i could sleep soundly at night knowing that the transaction is perfectly safe and secured.
For the KBank method, Traveller2000 will provide you a unique ID and password to login. Fill in the blanks and after verification, submit. You will be directed to the gateway to complete your credit card info. At the end of the transaction, an email report of the transaction will be sent to you. It’s that simple.
But wait! There is something important that you need to know. Before you use the KBank Gateway, you should know that the service is only applicable for 
and 
.
To get you card verified by visa, go to Visa website. (if you are residing in Asia, go to Visa Asia website). For Malaysia, there are 3 banks that offers such services:
- Public Bank
- Alliance Bank
- HSBC
Do call the finance company to check on the procedure.
Ps:// If you are using HSBC, login to their online banking website and chose the SecurePay panel. You can get it done in a few minutes.
From Bangkok to Chiang Mai
According to my countdown clock, i am 71 days apart from my much awaited Bangkok trip. Actually i’m much more looking forward to the visit to Chiang Mai than Bangkok since i’m not much of a shopping person. But never mind that, this means there are still 11 days till i can book a train ticket from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
Taking the train between cities in Thailand is a popular affair although it’s easier to fly and Air Asia flights are pretty cheap nowadays. The popularity of the train rides between the cities in Thailand puts credit on the comfortable overnight sleeper, people looking forward to making social traveling friends on the train and mostly many prefer to see the country from the ground. I heard that the view of canyons and mountains near Chiang Mai at sunrise is worth the Baht spent. Sure, we will have to expect late trains and the crowded train station but it sure beats taking the bus to experience the culture and surroundings right?
The Thai trains have 3 classes, mainly the 1st, 2nd and the 3rd class. 1st class includes modern air-conditioned sleepers with lockable compartments, washbasins and shower (soap and towel included) among other facilities. However, 1st class is more suitable for those seeking privacy and time to themselves and the 1200+ Baht – 1400+ Baht for seats in first class isn’t really worth it.
- 2nd class sleeper -
Most prefer to bunk at the 2nd class sleepers since it’s already sufficient and totally safe. Ranging from 500+ Baht – 600+ Baht (non air-conditioned) and 700+ Baht – 800+ Baht (air-conditioned) per berth, 2nd class seats would be pulled together to form sleeping bunks at night with proper mattresses and clean bedding. It’s also a relieve to know that there would be curtains hooked up to give privacy to passengers at night. I can’t imagine sleeping in the open with people in my face!
As for the 3rd class trains, it is more of a train for shorter trips with no sleeping berths. It’s a no-no for overnight trips but if you are traveling from Bangkok to nearby destinations like Kanchanaburi or Ayutthaya, it’s absolutely adequate.
- Bangkok <> Chiang Mai train fare -
Mr. Bf and i are opting for the 2nd class sleeper. We are planning to board the train at the Hualampong railway station instead of Don Muang station since we are staying with my family at Take a Nap Hostel which is near the Silom area. However, travelers could only book the ticket from travel agents which is open to reservation 60 days (2 months) before departure. So we’ll have to wait. But it is much safer than making reservation via email from the station itself which is open for booking 30 days before departure. (There are cases where customers did not receive any replies).
We selected Traveller2000 which comes highly recommended for reliability.
But of course will be some handling fee are charged as follows (the train station charges similar fees as well):
1 Person = Baht 300 per person/trip (one way or round trip)
2 Persons up = Baht 200 per person/trip (one way or round trip)
You can arrange with Traveller2000 or other travel agent to courier the tickets to your home address or arrange for it to be sent to the hotel upon arrival. Whatever it is, think and plan carefully before making payment because there will not be a full refund (there are partial refund with terms and conditions) once payment is made.
Hopefully i will have a positive experience aboard the train so i could blog about it next time 
For more information on Thai trains (fares, timetables):-
http://www.seat61.com/
http://www.traveller2000.com/
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