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Thai AirAsia names Langkawi its 10th International destination
Thai AirAsia has selected Langkawi as its 10th international destination and
will start flying to the beautiful island on January 6, 2007.
Thai AirAsia will serve the Bangkok-Langkawi route every Tuesday, Thursday
and Saturday. Flights from Bangkok will depart at 2.15pm (Bangkok time),
while flights from Langkawi will depart at 5.30pm (local time).
 Tassapon
Bijleveld, chief executive officer of Thai AirAsia announces the opening of
the Bangkok-Langkawi route at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, December
19.
Tassapon Bijleveld, chief executive officer of Thai AirAsia, announced the
opening of the Bangkok-Langkawi route to the media in Kuala Lumpur last
week.
“We look forward to expanding our reach to Langkawi because of the growing
tourism appeal towards the island, especially for tourists visiting Bangkok.
As a tourism hub, Bangkok brings in millions of tourists every month. These
tourists are always interested in visiting neighbouring destinations, and
Langkawi is among their favourite destinations,” Bijleveld said.
“We will start flying to Langkawi this January with three flights a week,
but this route has the potential to have daily flights six months after its
opening,” he added.
Thai AirAsia offered 1,000 seats at zero-baht airfare (exclusive of taxes
and other fees) to announce the opening of the route. It continues to offer
low fares to guests wishing to fly between the two cities.
Langkawi will be Thai AirAsia’s fourth destination in Malaysia, besides
Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kota Kinabalu.
The airline’s other international destinations are Singapore, Hanoi, Phnom
Penh, Yangon, Xiamen and Macau. It also flies within Thailand to the cities
of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Krabi, Narathiwat, Phuket, Surat Thani,
Ubon Ratchani and Udon Thani.
To-date, six million passengers have flown with Thai AirAsia. The airline is
celebrating its third anniversary on February 3, 2007.
Seaplane shuttle service launched
Destination Air Shuttle will launch regular seaplane shuttle services
between Phuket and the Andaman coastal islands in January.
Claiming to be Thailand’s only seaplane shuttle service, the company will
initially serve Krabi and its islands of Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta, offering
12 flights daily and leaving every two hours from Phuket International
Airport. Further landing locations are planned for Similan Archipelago
National Park, Koh Racha and Khao Lak.
The company said its seaplane shuttle service would depart from Phuket
International Airport and land directly in the waterfront of most major
hotel resorts. It said its service would significantly reduce the travel
time from the usual half-day overland trip from Phuket to less than 13
minutes to Koh Phi Phi, 20 minutes to Krabi and 30 minutes to Koh Lanta.
Destination Air Shuttle CEO, Captain Nithit Kesangam, said: “This is an
outstanding service to hotels and tour operators in the Phuket area. This is
a fantastic shot in the arm for hotels and tourists going to Koh Phi Phi,
Krabi and Koh Lanta.” (TTG)
Looking for a bit
of adventure next year?
Maybe Lonely Planet has the answer
“A Year of Adventures: A Guide to What, Where and When to Do It”
Every week of the year, somewhere around the world, there is an adventure
experience to be had.
Lonely Planet’s new title, A Year of Adventures: A Guide to Where, What and
When to Do It, is a full-color journey through adventure activities all over
the world, and the best times to undertake them.
 A Year of Adventures will have travelers day-dreaming of everything from
watching whales to climbing Everest, with a tantalizing adventure activity
profiled for every week of the year. Divided into 52 weeks, each section
profiles the very best adventure vacations to immerse yourself in at that
time - whether it’s trekking Iceland’s interior at one of the only times of
the year it’s accessible (August), encountering Costa Rica’s 850 animal
species during the country’s driest month (February), or seeing the rapids
of Victoria Falls at their best (November). Each entry includes an inspiring
description of the activity and captivating photographs, as well as
essential information such as ‘why now?’ and the fitness or expertise level
required.
The book also demonstrates that adventure vacations don’t have to involve
putting your life in your hands - A Year of Adventures profiles everything
from the North Pole Marathon (requiring superior fitness!) to watching wild
turtles in Vanuatu (no strenuous activity involved). Whether high or low
impact, the common link between each experience is that they evoke the
spirit of adventure: achievement, discovery, wonder, and taking yourself out
of the everyday.
Featuring fun-filled family activities like ballooning, fishing and horse
riding; perennially popular activities like cycling, diving, mountaineering,
sailing, and trekking to cutting-edge experiences like bungee jumping,
heli-skiing, zip lining and even space travel, this book is an ideal
companion for anyone with an adventurous spirit.
The author of A Year of Adventures, Andrew Bain, is a renowned travel writer
and former sports journalist. Bain has written about travel and adventure
for Australian Geographic, Global, The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and South
China Morning Post. In 2003 he was awarded the Australian Geographic story
of the year. Andrew has trekked, cycled or kayaked his way around five
continents, and is the author of the book Headwinds, the story of his
20,000km cycle journey around Australia, as well as Lonely Planet’s Walking
in Australia.
Feeling adventurous? 87% of travelers say ‘a sense of adventure’ is an
important or very important motivator for their travels. Source: Lonely
Planet’s 2005 Travelers’ Pulse Survey which polled 20,000 travelers
worldwide.
To compliment the book, Lonely Planet has also launched a Year of Adventures
website where an RSS feed provides ongoing information regarding activities
in any selected destination: www.yearofadventures.com
Travelers assistance center opens at airport for New Year’s holiday
With expectations that large numbers of foreign tourists and local travelers
will be traveling by air during the New Year holiday, the management of
Suvarnabhumi Airport are to offer special traveler’s assistance this
weekend, according to Somchai Sawasdeepon, general manager of the airport.
The travelers’ center will be based on the seventh floor of the passenger
terminal building and services will include advice on facilities available
at the airport, flight timetables, prevention of luggage delays and
providing sufficient transportation facilities.
Whilst acknowledging that problems such as insufficient toilets, delayed
luggage delivery, and safety concerns still exist, Mr. Somchai said the
Airports of Thailand (AoT) and he himself personally would accept full
responsibility for customer care and services.
He said the AoT is trying to resolve the problems, and that he believed they
could be eliminated within six months. (TNA)
Jumeirah to manage exclusive
private island resort in Phuket
Source - Jumeirah Group
Jumeirah Group, the Dubai based luxury international hospitality group and
member of Dubai Holding, has been appointed by TGR Group - Asia to manage
the five star private island resort currently under development in Ao Po
Bay, Phuket.
Scheduled for completion in late 2008, the Jumeirah Groups’s Phuket Private
Island Resort will feature 65 lavishly appointed deluxe pool villas each
with private infinity pool and Jacuzzi, 12 three-bedroom luxury residential
villas, four restaurants and bars as well as extensive leisure, spa and
fitness facilities including a large free form swimming pool and a 400-metre
private, white sandy beach. In addition, the resort will offer a marina, a
private yacht club, a tennis court, several boutiques, a business centre and
a library with dedicated reading room.
Jumeirah Phuket Private Island Resort will be situated on the shores of Koh
Raet, an untouched tropical island located just 500-metres offshore from Ao
Po Bay, north east of Phuket Island, providing easy access for guests to the
main tourist areas of Phuket. The resort can be reached by a four minute
private motor yacht ride or island ferry from the access point on the
mainland which is located just fifteen minutes from Phuket International
Airport.
Set on 56,000 square metres of private land, Jumeirah Phuket Private Island
Resort will be an exclusive, luxurious island resort offering spectacular
views of the limestone karsts of Phang Nga Bay to the north, views of the
beaches of Ao Po Bay to the west and kilometers of white sandy beaches with
views of both Naka Yai and Naka Noi.
Partner and Managing Director for TGR Group - Asia, Mr Dilokpol Sundaravej,
commented: “It is with great pleasure that we appoint Jumeirah Group and we
feel this partnership will provide our clients with a unique and exclusive
luxury experience unparalleled by any other in the region.”
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