Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon - Southern Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh), commonly known as Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn) or by the abbreviations HCMC or HCM, is the largest city in Vietnam and the former capital of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam).

By bus from the airport
The recently introduced No. 152 air-conditioned airport bus is the cheapest way to the city from the airport. For 3,000 dong per person plus a fee for bags which varies randomly, it will drop you off on the west side of the Pham Ngu Lao area, or at the bus terminal on the south side of the Ben Thanh Market roundabout. Upon exiting the airport, turn right and you will see the bus waiting there. If not, walk down to the domestic terminal - about a 5 minute walk. In front of the domestic terminal across a small road, you will see the bus waiting there. There is no signage indicating where the bus stop is. If you ask any of the taxi wardens (in uniforms) they will point out the spot to stand and wait. Note: Ignore taxi drivers that may tell you there are no more airport buses. However, the bus is only available until 6pm. The fee for bags range from an additional 3,000 dong for a smaller bag to 14,000 for two large bags. Try to have exact change or you will be given coins in return which is legitimate currency but many places will not accept.

Getting around By bus
Bright green public buses serve 150 routes throughout the city. You can find maps of the bus system across the street from Ben Thanh Market - just go into the waiting room to the desk in the middle. Cheap, safe and not too crowded either but only if you can find the right line. If you cannot find your way, ask the locals nicely, they will try their best to help. A piece of paper and marker pen may help to ease the conversation. Cheaper 2,000-4,000 dong and safer than many of the alternatives, the biggest problem is that when you get off the bus, you become a pedestrian. Bus takes you to the famous places in Ho Chi Minh City with the price from 15,000 dong to 75,000 dong, including the tour guide and the information in English.

or On foot
Traffic is made up of a staggering number of motorbikes and, since import duty was reduced upon Vietnam's joining of the WTO, an increasing number of private cars. However crossing the road in Saigon can be a nightmare. The first time may be a little scary, after that you will get used to it quite quickly. A quicker way of getting across is to simply follow the lead of a local crossing the street.

However the true trick to crossing the road is to stay aware, and walk slowly and confidently. The motorbike riders are actually exceptionally good and will simply move to avoid you - just don't make any sudden lurches forwards, backwards, or stop for that matter! Just look for a gap or seam in the traffic, and begin a slow but steady movement. If you hear a beep coming your way it's likely a motorbike rider is about to enter your personal space. Be a alert and prepared to stop putting your foot forward until he passes.

Adherence to traffic signals in Saigon is vastly improving, and while they're not always followed, riders/drivers tend to use "best judgment". Just remember though that vehicles can always turn right at any time (regardless of lights). Motorbikes often drive in the wrong direction (albeit quite safely and slowly) in unexpected places also. Crossing roads is therefore a challenge for Westerners used to traffic laws and traffic lights.

The streets, sidewalks, and outdoor markets are covered by motorbikes, and not yet geared towards pedestrian traffic (although sidewalk clearing campaigns are now underway- many areas of the center are easy to negotiate as long as you keep your wits about you for speeding motorbikes). However walking along the edge of the road is easy enough. Any motorbikes behind you will generally beep at you to let you know they're there.

Shopping
For shopping, its Ben Thanh Market and Night Market, which is just outside of Ben Thanh Market (starts in the evening 6pm). Saigon Square will be good place for visit. It is a twin of Ben Thanh but with air-con. Haggling your way through this place is the rule of thumb. Local middle-class Vietnamese shop here on the weekends too. Consider planning your shopping here during the day and go to Ben Thanh for the night market. The Day Ben Thanh can be planned as a sight seeing instead of a shopping spree. It is a stones throw from Ben Thanh Market.

Co-op Mart Supermarkets, frequented by throngs of the Saigon middle-class and backpackers alike, can be found everywhere around HCMC. In District 1 they can be found at the corner of Nam Ky Khoi Nghia and Nguyen Dinh Chieu, about 1km from the center OR in Cong Quynh, walking distance away from the end of Backpacker street Pham Ngu Lao. Prices are reasonably lower, though the selection leans more toward Vietnamese culinary requirements.

Electronics Just a warning for others, whilst some of the country's cheapest electronics can be found on and around Huynh Thuc Khang, be aware most shops are selling counterfeit items. Things such as dodgy iPods are easy to spot when compared to the genuine thing, but items such as camera batteries are much more difficult. If you are thinking about buying some extra memory for your digital camera, be warned that most of the memory will be fake. Fake Sandisk II Ultra cards are ubiquitous and extremely difficult to tell apart from real ones. These cards are apparently of low quality and one has to ask if it is worth risking your holiday snaps. Fake batteries have the potential to explode, too, so be careful. That said, you can pick up some bargains if you know what you're looking for. Just exercise caution; if it is too good to be true it probably is.

Accomodation
The main backpacker hangout is Pham Ngu Lao in District 1, just a short walk (10-15 minutes) from Ben Thanh Market. The lanes and alleys in the area between Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien are jammed with 5-10 room mini-hotels offering prices around US$12 per room (fan room with hot shower and cable TV). There is no difference in price between single or double occupancy so if you are traveling alone you might want to try finding a dorm bed for around $7 (but there are not many of them around.) Keep heading southwest away from the backpacker hustle closer Ng Thai Hoc, you'll likely find that as the alleys get smaller the rooms get quieter and owners more friendly. The area swarms with touts and other nuisances.

If you can find one of the ladies dressed in a blue uniform, stating something about tourist rooms - half the battle is won. These ladies will find you a room in the Pham Ngu Lao / De Tham area in a matter of minutes, eliminating much of the standard "do you have a room" hassle.

Scams
Be aware that scam artists, reminiscent of Nigerian email scams, are operating in the streets of Ho Chi Minh. A person will strike up a friendly conversation claiming they've either seen you at the airport or some other tourist place where they work. Usually they'll be with other family members who will join the conversation very naturally and once they find out where you're from they'll mention that another family member is moving to a city in your country. You'll be invited over for food at their house to help console a worried grandmother or to give advise to their family member. Once you arrive at the house however the family member is not there, or the grandmother has suddenly fallen ill and had to go to the hospital. You'll be presented with various business opportunities, legal or not, or ask for financial support for the suddenly sick grandmother.

Visit
Dalat - popular temperate mountain side 'European' escape. From Ho Chi Minh City, the bus ride is about 120.000 VND/ticket, ~7hrs(9 hours if there is bad traffic leaving Saigon)/trip (~5-6 hrs at night).

Vung Tau - city with good beaches, about 2 hours away by bus, or less by boat along the Saigon River. The boat ride costs VND180,000.

Batam

Batam is a small yet charming Indonesian island, strategically located close to the Malacca Strait and Singapore. Only 45 minutes by ferry from Singapore’s Harbor-front, Batam acts as a gateway to 3,000 islands in the Riau Archipelago of Sumatra. The island is one of the most frequented tourist destinations, welcoming over one million visitors each year and is second only to Bali in popularity.

Originally, Batam was a forgotten island with coastal villages and unspoiled nature. The recent declaration of a free-trade zone has transformed it into one of the liveliest places in the Riau Archipelago. Batam city was originally intended to become one of the largest ports in Southeast Asia. Today, it is a hub for several Singaporean companies who have established factories on the island specializing in electronics and ship repairs, as well as large oil service sectors.

With several luxurious hotel and resorts, fine golf courses, and places of interest, many Singaporeans wishing to get away from the hustle and bustle come and visit this small island on weekends. Being a special economic zone in Indonesia, many people come to Batam to shop for tax-free products such as cigarettes, alcoholic drinks, perfumes, chocolate, and handicrafts from all over the Indonesian archipelago.

Attractions

Being one of the most popular travel destinations in Indonesia, Batam Island features spectacular beaches. Many sports clubs and resorts lining the Nongsa coast and Waterfront City offer exciting sea sports and outdoor activities for everyone.

Not to be missed are the Barelang Bridges, six sophisticated full swing bridges that connect the three islands (Batam-Rempang-Galang) together. There are also several religious sites and small museums in the city centre. If you have some extra time, hop on a speedboat and visit Batam’s sibling islands for a change of pace and air.

Temple of Da Bo Gong (大伯公廟) is located between Nagoya Hill and BCS. You can see a lot of sculptures of gods and goddesses.

Wihara Budhi Bhakti - Located at Jl Pembangunan Windsor.

Baitussyakur Mosque - Located at Jl Imam Bonjol, near to Hotel Harmoni.

Ocarina is the newly developed theme park. They have a beach, mini themepark, and a new water park. You can also see Shio sculptures along the way. It is about 15 minutes from Batam Centre harbour. .

Shopping

Nagoya, also known as Lubuk Baja, is the main town of Batam, Indonesia. Taxi to Sekupang costs Rp 12.000 per person if you are sharing, Rp 40.000 if chartered. Going to Harbourbay ferry terminal is about Rp 15.000 (8 mins)

Nagoya Hill is the biggest mall in Batam located centrally in Nagoya and is home to the Matahari department store. You can catch a movie at the Studio 21 cineplex here for Rp 25.000. It is full of specialty shops, ranging from clothes and shoes, sports goods & apparel, traditional Indonesian handicrafts, furniture and Batik, electronic items and household white-goods, plus there are a few furniture shops on the 3rd floor. There is a large supermarket on the 1st floor selling just about everything, and it is reasonably priced.

Batam City Square (BCS) is one of the more crowded malls in Batam. You can catch a movie there for Rp.20.000,-. The mall also has karaoke, lounge, Timezone arcade, bowling and slot machines. BCS is a large shopping center in Nagoya. It has several boutique specialty shops, selling brand name clothes for men & women, handbags and fashion accessories, brand name shoes of all kinds, for men & women, as well as plenty of jewelry stores, offering watches, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, etc. There are also furniture shops that sell household furniture, such as dinning room settings, sofas, lounge suites and bedroom suites. Individual furniture pieces can also be purchased. Restaurants and snack food outlets are available in the shopping center.

Diamond City Mall, or more commonly known as DC Mall, is in Nagoya. It is a medium sized mall with quite a few shops. Clothes, fashion accessories, shoes and jewelry shops are available, as well as a shop selling traditional Indonesian clothing (Batik). There is a computer shop selling both new and second hand computers. A beauty shop and art shop (with resident artist) are also in the mall. The mall also has a supermarket.

Center Point Mall is in the middle of Nagoya, and is a 3 storey shopping mall. Boutique specialty shops are available, selling branded clothes for men & women. There are shops offering handbags and fashion accessories, and plenty of shoe shops, as well as jewelry stores, offering watches, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, etc.

Robinson Mall located in Jodoh, Nagoya, it has several boutique shops offering clothes for men & women, handbags and fashion accessories, shoe shops, as well as jewelry stores.

Top 100 has two shopping centers, one in Jodoh and the other in Penuin. Top 100 in Jodoh sells electronic goods as well as having clothing, shoes, fashion accessory and jewelry shops. Top 100 in Penuin has more boutique specialty shops, but does not sell electronics. They both have supermarkets.

Batam has a Polo shop, selling a large range of Polo clothing, such as shirts, shorts, sporting apparel. The shop is located in central Nagoya, just behind the Pizza Hut restaurant. To locate it just ask the taxi driver to go to Pizza Hut Nagoya and to the Polo shop next door. Polo clothing is also available at Batam Center Ferry Terminal, Mega Mall, Nagoya Hill shopping center, the lobby in the Harmoni Hotel and at Batam View Beach Resort, but the Polo Shop is the best location for genuine Polo clothing.

All Nagoya Shopping Centers are approximately the following distance from these locations:
30 mins from Hang Nadim Airport
10 mins from Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal, Batu Ampar
20 mins from Batam Center Ferry Terminal, Batam Center
30 mins from Sekupang Ferry Terminal, Sekupang
35 mins from Waterfront City Ferry Terminal, Waterfront City
40 mins from Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, Nongsa

Batam Center Area

Batam Center is on the north side of Batam, and is easily accessed from other parts of Batam or from Singapore, as ferries from the Harborfront Center Ferry Terminal travel direct to the Batam Center Ferry Terminal , so it’s a convenient place to do your Batam shopping Batam Center’s largest shopping mall is connected to the ferry terminal by a walk bridge that crosses the road, so it is ideal for “day trippers” that have come to Batam just for the day to do some shopping The other nearby shopping centers can be easily reached by Batam taxis, which are available at the ferry terminal and on the roads around Batam Center. There is also numerous “mini vans” or angkot as they are locally called, that offer a cheap alternative to taxis

All Batam Center Shopping Centers are approximately the following distance from these locations:
20 mins from Hang Nadim Airport
20 mins from Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal, Batu Ampar
5 mins from Batam Center Ferry Terminal, Batam Center
30 mins from Sekupang Ferry Terminal, Sekupang
35 mins from Waterfront City Ferry Terminal, Waterfront City
30 mins from Nongsapura Ferry Terminal, Nongsa

Mega Mall

Mega Mall is a large shopping mall opposite the Batam Center Ferry Terminal, so you can walk across the connecting foot bridge and start your shopping experience!

The mall covers 5 floors so it is packed with specialty shops, fashion and clothes shops, electronic goods and furniture stores. Branded names can be bought from most of the stores at good prices, and discounted sales are held regularly throughout the year, especially during the Ramadan month and Christmas & Chinese New Year periods.

The ground floor is home to Hypermart, which is a large supermarket and sells lots of items, and has a good bakery that makes fresh bread, pastry and cakes daily

Plenty of restaurants and snack food outlets are scattered throughout the mall, offering Indonesian, Asian and Western foods and are open whenever the mall is open

Located in the 2nd floor is XXI Cineplex Movie Theatre, which has 6 screening rooms and shows the latest movies

Next to the mall there is a multi-storey car park with elevator access to all the floors within the mall, as well as a large outdoor car park. There are security posts at each of the malls entrances and taxi stands are located near all the main doors. This is another good place to do your Batam shopping.

Panbil Mall is approx 15 mins from Batam Center, over near Muka Kuning Industrial Estate. The Mall has a department store and supermarket, clothing shops and electronic goods, as well as restaurants.The Panbil Food Court is on the second floor and serves local & Asian dishes. There is also a 24 hour medical center located within the Panbil commercial area, next to the Mall.

Nearby Island

Rempang Island - rural island dotted with coastal villages on stilts
Galang Island - location of former Vietnamese refugee camp

Map

Tokyo, Japan

Free Stuff:
Free observation in Tokyo:
1. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building ObservatoriesPhoto (c) Shizuko MishimaThere are observatories in both buildings: the North Tower and the South Tower. You may be able to see Mt. Fuji if it's a fine day. Souvenir shops sell various items.2. St. Luke's Garden Observatory - Seiroka GardenThe free observatory is located in the 47th floor of the Seiroka Tower. Enjoy the view of Sumida River.3. Harumi Passenger Boat Terminal ObservatoryAddress: 5-7-1 Harumi Chuo-ku, TokyoAccess: Tokyo Toei Bus to Harumi-futou StopOpen: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays/ 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. (- 8 p.m. from April to Oct.) on weekends and holidays4. Shinjuku NS Building ObservatoryThe free observatory is located in the 30th floor. Enjoy the view of Shibuya area.5. Haneda Airport - Big BirdFree observatories are located in first terminal and the second terminal buildings.6. Bunkyo Civic Center ObservatoryThe free observatory is located in the 25th floor. There are also restaurants and cafes.7. Caretta Shiodome - Dentsu BuildingThe free observatories are located in the 46th and 47th floors of the Dentsu Building. Enjoy the view of the Sumida River and the Hamarikyu Garden.8. Carrot Tower ObservatoryThe free observatory is located in the 26th floor of Carrot Tower, Setagaya-ku. Enjoy the view of the Bay Bridge.9. Ebisu Garden Place The free observatories are located in the 38th and 39th floors of the Ebisu Garden Place Tower. You can enjoy the view of the Tokyo Tower.10. Tokyo Marunouchi Building - Maru-biruThe lobby located in the 35th floor of the building is a good place to see the city view. There are luxury restaurants located in the 35th and 36th floors.

Free Guides: www.tokyofreeguide.com

Free Events (ART): http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/list/event_free
Shopping:

Japan for free : http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtg/pdf/pg-813.pdf

15 things to do for free in Tokyo by hostel world : http://www.hostelworld.com/travel-features/163/15-things-to-do-for-free-in-tokyo

Free Bus Routes in Tokyo :http://www.thetokyotraveler.com/2008/06/free-bus-routes-in-tokyo/

Itinerary Suggestions(1day for free) : http://tcvb.or.jp/en/arearoute/themeroute/free.html

http://www.h3.dion.ne.jp/~etc.e/index.html

Free Walking Tours : http://5.pro.tok2.com/~tcgc/english/

Free Guide on art museums and galleries : http://www.h3.dion.ne.jp/~etc.e/index.html

100 Yen Stores:

100 yen shops (Japanese: hyaku en shop) sell a wide range of products for 105 yen per item (100 yen plus 5 percent consumption tax). This corresponds to roughly one US dollar per item, making the shops a great source for travelers and residents on a budget.

There are thousands of 100 yen shops across Japan, ranging in size from multi-storey "department stores" to small corners in shopping malls. Market leader Daiso operates over two thousand stores nationwide and pursues an aggressive expansion policy.

One of the largest 100 yen shops in central Tokyo is Daiso Harajuku in Takeshita Dori, just a few steps from Harajuku Station, while Japan's largest 100 yen shop, Daiso Giga Machida, spans 5 floors in front of Machida Station (30 minutes, 360 yen from Shinjuku by Odakyu Railways).
Large stores in other cities include: Daiso Sapporo Chuo (South 2 West 2, Odori Station), Daiso Nagoya Sakae Skyle (Sakae Station), Daiso Osaka Nihonbashi (Nihonbashi Station), Daiso Kobe Promena (Promena Kobe, Kobe Station) and Daiso Fukuoka Kotsu Center (Fukuoka Kotsu Center, Hakata Station).

By purchasing products in huge quantities and at big discounts from countries with low production and labor costs, 100 yen shops are able to offer an amazing range of products at a price that is often below the product's actual value.


Tokyo: Flea (Free) Markets : http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g298184-c103776/Tokyo:Japan:Flea.Free.Markets.html
Accomodation:
Some Capsule Hotel don't allow female!
http://www.sakura-hotel-ikebukuro.com/
www.odakyu-travel.co.jp/english

Cheap accomodation:

Tokyo Japan Cheap Hotels-
Hotel Century Southern Tower-An outstanding lobby with Contemporary design and striking views of the city. Located between Yoyogi station and Shinjuku station, walking distance from the excellent department stores Tokyu Hands and Takashimaya.

Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku Hotel Tokyo- Location is perfect - right between Yoyogi station and Shinjuku station, walking distance from all Shinjuku Attractions, Nightlife and excellent department stores. The lobby and rooms are beautifully renovated, so don't be fooled by the bland exterior.

I know some of you are looking for the Shinjuku Washington Hotel, because of the cheap rates and central location. But I want to be careful about this, because I've heard some mixed opinions lately from a few friends who stayed there. So you'll have to decide for yourself if this is really a good deal.

The B Akasaka Hotel Tokyo- located in Akasaka, a very central location bordering Ginza’s northwest side. Convenient 10 min walk from Roppongi, Tokyo Tower and the Imperial Palace.
Prince Hotel Shinjuku Tokyo- in the heart of Shinjuku.

Tokyo Green Palace Hotel- Situated in Akakasa, a quiet neighborhood between Shinjuku and Roppongi.

Shibuya Tokyu Inn Tokyo- Right smack in the middle of the Coolest area in Tokyo-Shibuya, with it's huge neon signs and futuristic ambiance.

Rose Garden Shinjuku Hotel Tokyo- conveniently located in the heart of Shinjuku, with easy access through Shinjuku station to any part of Tokyo.

Hotel Listel Shinjuku Tokyo- Lively and bustling Shinjuku offers excellent transportation options, easy access to Department stores, electrical appliance megastores and huge book stores.
Hotel Villa Fontaine Shinjuku Tokyo
City Hotel Nuts Tokyo
The B Roppongi Hotel Tokyo
Sunroute Takadanobaba Hotel Tokyo- Conveniently located in Ikebukuro, not far from Shinjuku. Attractions nearby the hotel include Meiji Jingu Shrine, Yoyogi park famous for cosplay, and Omotesando fashion Avenue.

Transport:

Tokyo Great Cycling Tour (TGCT) is one day cycling tour visiting major sightseeing spots in Tokyo. Even if you have been there before, you will experience something different when riding a bike.Our tour is more for general tourists, not for serious cyclists. If you can ride a bike, why don't you try TGCT to discover another side of Tokyo? We trust that your days in Tokyo will prove to be both enjoyable and valuable!

Interactive Tokyo Map : http://www.tokyomap.com/

Guide service : http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/tourists/guideservice/guideservice/index.html#3

Subway of Tokyo

Discount Coupons to be printed:

http://www.sunnypages.jp/

Mt Fuji : http://www.mtfuji-welcomecard.jp/english/card/index.html

Grutt Pass : http://www.museum.or.jp/grutto/english.html

Links:

Itinerary Suggestions(3day) : http://tcvb.or.jp/en/arearoute/modelroute/3day.html

http://www.japanican.com/
http://www.japan-guide.com/
http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/index.html
http://www.kangetsu.com/

Airphil Express and Berjaya Air flying to Singapore; you can “fly” to Tioman soon!

Philippines’ Airphil Express and Malaysia’s Berjaya Air are the sixth and seventh new airlines at Changi airport this year.

Singapore is Airphil’s first international destination. Starting 27 October 2010, Airphil will operate 14 weekly flights between Singapore and Manila from Changi’s Terminal 2. From 1 December 2010, it will mount 14 weekly flights between Singapore and Cebu. Airphil will join five other carriers currently flying to the Philippines.

From 1 November 2010, Berjaya will operate scheduled flights at the Budget Terminal1. The services will start with ten flights a week to Tioman in Malaysia, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. From March 2011 after the monsoon season, the Malaysian carrier will increase frequencies to 28 weekly flights, 14 each to the resort islands of Tioman and Redang. Both islands are new links for Changi.

The details of the new flights are as follows:

Subway Maps around the world.......

Thanks fairy for her contribution!

Myanmar Airways to launch daily flights between Bangkok and Singapore

Myanmar Airways International (MAI) will launch daily flights between Bangkok and Singapore from the end of this month, sources with the airline said on Saturday.

Myanmar’s original and only national airline was called Union of Burma Airways and began operations in the 1950s when the country was still known as Burma. In the early 1970s it was renamed Burma Airways Corporation and continued services under this name until 1988, when Burma was officially renamed Myanmar and the airline was renamed Myanma Airways.

Myanmar Airways International (MAI) took off in August 1993, created by a joint venture between Myanma Airways and Singapore interests with the support of Royal Brunei Airlines.

With a new Singapore management team (many ex-Singapore Airlines staff), new Boeing aircraft with all expatriate cockpit crew, better-trained flight attendants and new UK Civil Aviation Authority operating standards, this was the beginning of a successful new era for our national airline. Meanwhile, Myanma Airways (UB) continued operations as a purely domestic carrier for the local population.

MAI became the international airline of Myanmar with regular flights between Yangon (the commercial capital of Myanmar) Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kunming, Dacca and Jakarta. MAI continued to develop regionally.

MAI’s potential continued to attract investors and in February 2007, a new joint venture was formed in which Myanma Airways retained 51% and Region Air (HK) Ltd., took 49% stake.

Hainan Airlines: from Singapore to Hefei and Dalian

As the 6th Chinese airline in Singapore, Hainan Airlines will operate four weekly flights on a B737-800 aircraft connecting Singapore to Hefei and onwards to Dalian.

Hefei will be a new city link by Hainan Airlines for Changi Airport and brings to four the number of new city links to China established this year, following Jinan, Shantou and Qingdao.

Hefei is the capital of Anhui province. The political, economic and cultural centre of Anhui province, the city of Hefei is located in mid-east China, some 400 km west of Shanghai.
Native Chinese workers and students in students may find it good as now there are more choices flying home with Hainan Airline.
Hainan Airlines

Take Part in the Taxi Ride of A Lifetime in Western Australia

Western Australia is looking for a passenger to embark on an extraordinary taxi ride on a record-breaking journey of a lifetime in Western Australia!

They’re looking for you to spend 4 to 8 days on one of the legs of this truly epic journey WORTH up to S$20,000/RM45,000! For playing your part, you will achieve fame, fun, and maybe – a fan club without paying a cent!

You and your companion will be personally driven by Western Australia’s most talented taxi driver around Western Australia, travelling through some extraordinary places, taking in some of the most extraordinary sights and experiences on earth!
You’ll be able to tell a good story, share a joke, and not be shy about playing up for the camera as you could end up on TV.
If you think you have what it takes to be part of this historic journey, nominate yourself for this extraordinary taxi ride NOW!
Register at bethepassenger.com (http://www.bethepassenger.com/register.php) Closing date is Friday, 5th of March 2010, so hurry!

Beware this money trap in JB: 'No entry' signs covered with posters

There was no way he could have known this Johor street was inaccessible when all the signs were covered by stickers and posters. Yet no matter how he pleaded, STOMPer Short sighted was still fined. This is unfair especially to visitors who are unfamiliar with Malaysian roads, says the sender, who also adds that the signboards were hardly visible to motorists. STOMPer Short sighted says in an email:"These pictures were taken at the town of Skudai in Johor. As it was lunch time I decided to stop for my lunch and take a rest in a coffee shop. "I drove into a car park near the row of shops and suddenly a cop approached me to tell me that I had violated the traffic rule as there is a No Entry signboard. "He then issued me a fine of RM20.00. "I looked again and found that the signboards were covered by commercial posters. The 'NO ENTRY' signboard was hardly visible and so was the BERHENTI (STOP) sign."I pleaded with the cop but he was deaf to all my pleas. "According to a recent press report, Singapore drivers owe the Malaysian government RM 128 million because 430 000 unpaid summons have not been settled yet."

Vietnamese hawker demand $25 for popiah

One have been threatened by two men after refusing to pay $5 a spring roll at this store in Hanoi. According to locals there, the going rate for such fare is only 30 cents a piece.The STOMPer relates:"To all travellers planning a trip to Hanoi: Please remember not to patronize this stall just opposite the water puppet performance theatre. "We bought five spring rolls (popiah) and some local salad from the female shop owner and her 10-year-old girl. We got to know from locals that spring rolls only cost S$0.30 each, but the little girl wanted us to pay $5 for each one. These spring rolls are made of just vegetables."When we refused to pay, two guys walked towards us and tried to threaten us. Policemen were walking to and fro along the street but they ignored the dispute. "We later got to know from residents and our tour guide that the police will not help tourists because shop owners will give those policemen bribes in 'ang baos'. "That is absurd!"