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Explore the wonders of Langkawi

By
TTR WEEKLY
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LANGKAWI, 6 January 2022: Home to three geoforest parks and some of the oldest rock formations in Southeast Asia – from Machincang Cambrian Geoforest Park, Kilim Karst Geoforest Park and Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest Park – Langkawi is a dream destination for those who love to lose themselves in nature.

Whether you are looking forward to enjoying a stroll in the sunshine at Pantai Cenang (Cenang Beach), escaping to Telaga Tujuh Waterfall or appreciating the beautiful sightseeing of mangrove nature, there is plenty to get excited about!

Dangli Island is one of the best snorkelling spots in Langkawi.

Did you know Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea and is the first recognized UNESCO Global Geopark in Southeast Asia since 2007? The island’s karst landscape was shaped by the erosion and formation of rocks since 550 million years ago.

Meanwhile, the island’s high biodiversity consists of limestone forests, sandstone forests, granite forests and mangroves. Machincang Cambrian Geoforest Park, which has the oldest rock formation in Southeast Asia, is the only geoforest made from sandstone in the world!

The formation of Machincang peak geosite, for example, is derived from the uplifting of the ocean floors, forming sandstone deposition followed by prolonged weathering and erosion processes by rainwater.

Thanks to the SkyCab by Panorama Langkawi, 360 degrees of Langkawi’s breathtaking viewpoint at the peak of the Machinchang Range is now accessible via this world’s steepest cable car.

There are myriads of places to explore in Langkawi, but here are some recommended destinations and activities for a perfect getaway on the island.

Pulau Tuba (Tuba Island)

A herd of buffaloes roaming freely on the paddy field at Pulau Tuba.

Leave the skyscrapers and crowded cities behind and head out to this lesser-known inhabited island, located about 5 kilometres off the south coast of Langkawi’s main island.

The best way to explore this idyllic fishing village is by renting a bike or a van, and it is accessible by boat from Pekan Rabu Jetty. For a leisurely and laid-back experience, you can enjoy paddy field scenery with buffaloes roaming the roads or discover colourful village houses at Desa Keda Teluk Berembang.

Alternatively, you may opt for hiking at Bukit Licin, exploring Gua Wang Buluh and Gua Kelawar, trekking Bukit Kecik for its geological wonders or enjoying prawn noodles at Tanjung Pandan.

The formation of striped stones found in Bukit Kecik was due to high-pressure phenomena about thousand years ago.

Dayang Bunting Island Jet Ski Safari

Cruising around Dayang Bunting Island by jet ski.

For a fantastic experience, try Dayang Bunting Island Jet Ski Safari conducted by Mega Watersports based in Pantai Cenang. Embark on four hours adventure zipping on the Andaman Sea, complete with a professional guide and enjoy several stops at eight islands, including Dayang Bunting, Beras Basah, Singa Besar, Rebak Besar as well as The Fjords of Langkawi.

Feel the rush of adrenaline as you accelerate and increase the speed once you turn on the jet ski ignition switch. A good rule of thumb to avoid capsizing is to keep the load balanced and centred. Believe me, you will not fall off even though you are a beginner!

The longest free span and curved bridge in the world in Langkawi.

The Langkawi Cable Car

Hopping on Langkawi’s cable car will bring you an elevated experience at 708 metres above sea level. Located on the west coast of the island, this SkyCab journey by Panorama Langkawi covers a total distance of 2.2 kilometres linking the Base Station at the foot of Machinchang Range to the top station at the summit.

Besides that, visitors can go on a spine-chilling walk on the 125-metre Sky Bridge, the longest free span and curved bridge in the world.

Other activities in Panorama Langkawi include visiting SkyRex, Oriental Village, 6D Cinemotion and 3D Art Langkawi.

Dining at Kerisik Restaurant, Laman Padi.

Kuah Town Tour & Laman Padi

Spend a day in Kuah Town, a former fishing village in Langkawi, now becoming a favourite tourist destination for shopping under the duty-free island. Some of the must-buy items among the local tourists include chocolates, kitchenware, and perfumes. There are also other tourist attractions such as iconic Dataran Lang, National Art Gallery Langkawi and Maha Tower.

Experience dining in a little wooden hut overlooking paddy fields at Kerisik Restaurant, Laman Padi, near Pantai Cenang, with several choices of Malay traditional cuisines, including Nasi Set Tuba, Nasi Set Padang Lalang, Nasi Set Sunda and Nasi Set Kedawang. The view is certainly stunning at night. Another nearby attraction is Underwater World Langkawi.

Kubang Badak BioGeoTrail

This island’s newest eco-tourism destination has bagged the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Awards 2021 under Heritage Category. Kubang Badak BioGeoTrail consists of 12 sites to explore by boat, starting at Kubang Badak Jetty.

Located on the northwest coast of the island, Kubang Badak BioGeo Trail is generously endowed with high geological diversity, pristine mangrove forests and a history of an early settlement of the Thai community with the discovery of 100-year-old igloo-like charcoal kiln remnants used for fuel production dating back to the 18th century.

In short, visitors can admire three different types of rock formations with sandstone Machincang Range in the west, granite rocks of Bukit Sawar in the south, and landscape of karst hills of steep slopes as well as rough peaks of limestone in the east.

Gua Pinang is a remnant of an ancient sea cave formed by waves when the sea level was about 15 metres higher than the current level, about 6,000 years ago.

For more information visit: www.naturallylangkawi.my

(Your Stories: Langkawi Development Authority)

Siam Sindhorn flies IHG flag

By
TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 6 January 2022: IHG Hotels and Resorts will open the first Vignette Collection hotel in Asia this March following a management agreement with Sindhorn Midtown Bangkok.

The latest management agreement follows the opening of Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok in 2020 that launched IHG’s global boutique brand in Southeast Asia. It is the second IHG lifestyle branding involving a Siam Sindhorn property. Both hotels are situated in Sindhorn Village, a development project that spans 42 rai located on a real estate plot between Bangkok’s  Langsuan Road and Soi Tonson. The 393-room Sindhorn Midtown opened in March 2020.

IHG vice president development, SEAK, Serena Lim commented: “We welcome Sindhorn Midtown as our first Vignette Collection hotel in Asia…We developed a strong working relationship with the team at Siam Sindhorn, working closely together on Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, which became the talk of the town when it launched in the middle of the pandemic.

IHG will open its second Vignette Collection hotel in Pattaya, and in the long run, Thailand could muster as many as 100 Vignette Collection hotels globally over the next 10 years.

Thailand continues to be a strong growth market for IHG, with 29 hotels across eight brands in the country and another 34 properties in the pipeline. 

Vignette Collection recently became the sixth addition to IHG’s brand portfolio in the past four years, taking it to 17 in total across nearly 6,000 hotels in more than 100 countries. IHG Hotels & Resorts’ first collection brand is part of the Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio of brands, along with Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and Hotel Indigo.

HK Express plans SIN flight

By
TTR WEEKLY
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HONG KONG, 6 January 2022: Despite the suspension of Singapore’s travel lanes, HK Express will start a new direct service between Hong Kong and Singapore, 1 February 2022.

The airline’s CEO Mandy Ng confirmed HK Express remains committed to supporting Hong Kong’s role as one of the world’s leading international aviation hubs. The airline continuously strives to enhance connectivity across the region while making travel more accessible for the Hong Kong community.

Travellers who are planning to visit Singapore must comply with local entry requirements, which may include pre-and post-travel testing, quarantine and declaration forms.

As part of its ongoing commitment to protect the health of customers, HK Express has implemented several layers of precautions, including HEPA filters onboard, enhanced cabin sanitisation measures and adjusted meal services.

HK Express customers are recommended to use online check-in and e-boarding services to facilitate a smooth and safe journey. Face coverings must be worn in the airport, onboard and during disembarkation while maintaining social distancing.

Hong Kong (HKG)<> Singapore (SIN) (local time)

Flight

Route

Depart

Arrive

Frequency

UO780

Hong Kong (HKG) > Singapore (SIN)

1235

1625

Tuesday

UO781

Singapore (SIN) > Hong Kong (HKG)

1800

2205

Tuesday

AirAsia Philippines plots 2022 recovery

By
TTR WEEKLY
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MANILA, 6 January 2022: AirAsia Philippines expanded its domestic market share to19% in 2021, climbing 3.5 notches up from its 15.5% share in 2019.

The low-cost airline has also peaked at 95% load factor over the course of the recent holiday period while ending December at 88% – both record-high figures over the past 1.5 years.

In December, AirAsia Philippines ranked third most popular airline in terms of flight bookings among AirAsia territories, following Malaysia and Thailand.

The past year came with its own set of challenges – from new Covid-19 variants to stricter travel restrictions. However, the airline showed resilience throughout the year through strategic mitigation strategies that included new revenue streams, budget management and diversification of offerings. The airline mounted 619 charter repatriation flights and reunited 50,000 people with their families and loved ones. This has helped defray upkeep costs to ensure the viability of the company.

AirAsia also observed that domestic travel is gaining stronger momentum during the last quarter of 2021, primarily because of the low positive infection rate and daily case count. In the first half of the year, the majority of airline bookings were done within three days, mainly for essential travel. But recently, the airline has witnessed a significant increase in bookings for travel 1 to 3 months in advance  –  a telltale sign of growth in leisure travel and more substantial consumer confidence. AirAsia Philippines also recorded a 15 to 20%  increase in bookings for near-term travel within 30 to 60 days over recent times.

AirAsia has also resumed its flight operations to Hong Kong,  Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, servicing Overseas Filipino Workers and business travellers in these countries.

A Look at 2022

There is strong pent-up demand for travel, and Filipinos are ready to get back in the air. And compared to the previous two years, all stakeholders – airlines, government units and customers – are now much more conscious of the critical strategies and measures needed to properly approach travelling amid the pandemic. The country is now better equipped to face new variants and potential surges.

AirAsia is also closely monitoring the impact of the Covid-19 Omicron variant and has adopted three specific priorities.

They focus on:
Cash availability and management to support recovery strategies; Sustainable cost management and rationalisation to operate commercial flights and staff-related costs, marketing and other operating costs; Expansion of the domestic network from 14 destinations (2021) to 18 (2022) and to grow regional routes by exploring opportunities in the Middle East, United States and Australia.

Is there a second life for Maya Bay?

By
Don Ross
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CHIANG RAI, 6 January 2022: Parking 375 tourists on a 250-metre long and 15-metre wide strip of sand might seem to be overdoing it, but that is the visitor cap for those who want to return to admire Phi Phi Island’s  Maya Bay in southern Thailand.

Following a three year hibernation from mass tourism, Maya Bay reopened on 1 January, albeit restricting the daily footfall to 4,125 with visits limited to no more than 375 visitors per one-hour session. At the height of its popularity in 2018, 5,000 tourists visited the famous bay daily on a fleet of more than 200 boats that dropped anchor in the tiny bay. The daily disruption destroyed coral and the nursery habitat of the black-tip reef sharks.  

Maya Bay shot to fame in 2000 when it served as the filming location for the Leonardo DiCaprio movie ‘The Beach’. By the time the five-month tourist season of 2018 dawned, the national park, where the bay resides,  generated earnings of THB362 million extracted from 1.2 million tourists (around 70% of them foreigners.)

The new cap is not much less than the footfall that ultimately forced Thailand’s Department of National Parks to close the bay in 2019. It is also noteworthy that 80 tour operators arrived on the island in late December to go over the new rules and regulations to plan the return of their commercial endeavours. Thankfully the impact of Covid-19 will curtail the immediate footfall at Maya Bay, but once mass tourism rumbles back to life will the Department of National Parks be able to keep the success story alive that has seen an amazing restoration of the coral and marine life in the bay?

There are some positive indicators in the set of new rules. Still, it will require a radical reset of the mentality that drives tour operators who view natural attractions as their personal property to generate profits without a thought for restoration.

New rules to protect Maya Bay

Boats will drop all visitors off at the deeper bay of Loh Samah, where visitors will disembark and walk to Maya Bay. Boats are prohibited from anchoring in the bay.

Admission is limited to 375 people per one-hour session. Visits must be pre-booked. The number of sessions per day depends on park management, but opening hours are from 0700 to 1800 (11 hourly sessions – maximum daily footfall 4,125).

Swimming is prohibited, and that includes snorkelling and “playing in the shallow bay to eliminate negative impacts on the local reefs and marine creatures.

Maya Bay has undergone a fantastic restoration of its coral reef and sea life that involved the propagation of 15,000 organic corals, but marine scientist Thon Thamrongnawasat who exposed the dreadful impact tourism inflicted on the bay that led to the three-year closure, warns it will take another 10 years to restore the bay entirely.

Will Thailand’s tourism industry toe the line and support the ongoing restoration work, or will it once again be guilty of circumventing rules to destroy the pristine world of Maya Bay? The jury is still out on that one.

Baguio mulls more Covid restrictions

By
TTR WEEKLY
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BAGUIO CITY, Philippines, 5 January 2022: The city’s government has temporarily suspended the issue of quick response travel permits (QTP) for tourists or leisure travellers.

The city is also preparing new guidelines for non-essential travels, according to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, which include managing the daily intake of tourists currently set at 5,000. Leisure travellers from Metro Manila who have already been issued QTPs for travel up to and including 8 January but must undergo an antigen test at their own expense.

City officials said the new guidelines would not constitute a lockdown or reduce tourist visits. They described the QTP as a mechanism to ensure the daily arrival ceiling of 5,000 individuals will not be exceeded.

Information obtained from the city government showed that officials might have to cancel the QTPs for arriving tourists in January and February as cases of Covid-19 in the city continue to increase.

(Source: PNA)

Emirates launches New Year fare deals

By
TTR WEEKLY
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BANGKOK, 5 January 2021: Emirates launched a new campaign this week offering special fares to popular destinations including Dubai, New York, London, Manchester, Paris, Zurich, Madrid and Milan.

Fares start from THB18,999 in economy class and THB45,099 in business class.

Destination Economy Class Fares From (THB) Business Class Fares From (THB)
Dubai 18,999 45,099
New York 26,999 78,999
London 21,999 76,999
Manchester 26,999 72,999
Paris 19,999 67,999
Zurich 17,999 68,999
Madrid 20,999 62,999
Milan 20,999 66,999

Customers participating in this unmissable offer will also have guaranteed access to flexible ticket options and Covid-19 medical travel insurance for added peace of mind.

Emirates passengers can take advantage of the promotion by booking their flight on Emirates.com/th or via participating travel agents up until 23 January 2022, for travel until 30 November 2022.

In addition to these new special fares, customers travelling to Dubai or considering a stopover at the holiday hotspot can enjoy even more value-add offers from Emirates:

Free Emirates Expo Day Pass: Emirates customers visiting and travelling through Dubai anytime during the Expo 2020 mega event will be eligible to receive a free Emirates Expo Day Pass for every flight ticket booked with the airline. For more information on this promotion, please visit the dedicated offer page.

My Emirates Pass – Expo Edition: Customers travelling to or via Dubai anytime until 31 March 2022 get to explore the city for less with My Emirates Pass Expo 2020 Dubai, through which they enjoy exclusive discounts and benefits at over 500 retail, dining, and recreational attractions by simply showing their Emirates boarding pass.

Earn a Mile a Minute in Dubai: Emirates customers can earn one Skywards Mile for every one minute spent in Dubai until 31 March 2022.

Existing and new Emirates Skywards members who sign up for the programme before 31 March 2022 are eligible for the Mile A Minute and will earn up to 5,000 Miles. The offer is applicable on all Emirates flight tickets purchased from 1 August 2021 to 31 March 2022 for travel during Expo 2020 Dubai. Emirates marketed, flydubai operated flights with an Emirates (EK) flight number are also included in the offer.

For more information on entry requirements for international visitors and residents returning to Dubai visit: https://www.emirates.com/english/help/covid-19/dubai-travel-requirements/

(Your Stories: Emirates)

Malaysia pavilion spotlights Langkawi

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

LANGKAWI, 5 January 2022: Situated in the glittering waters of the Andaman Sea is a mystical archipelago comprising 99 islets known as Langkawi. At the northwesternmost coast of Malaysia, it is a living gallery of emerald paddy fields, ancient and mysterious rainforests, majestic mountain ranges and rock formations, exotic flora & fauna and sparklingly clear, sapphire blue waters.

All intricately embroidered by powder-fine sandy beaches and soothingly swaying coconut palms. Delve deeper, and Langkawi will reveal even more of its rich treasures that lay in store. Discover a wealth of customs, cultures and a veritable spring of rich flavours. But the most valuable facet of Langkawi is its people and the richness of their welcoming hospitality that begins with a priceless smile.

It is no surprise that Langkawi is considered one of Asia’s top most sought after destinations amongst tourists, nature-enthusiasts and modern-day explorers around the world. But words truly fail to capture the magic of these islands and the experiences that lay in wait, which is why the Malaysia Pavilion delivered some of it to delight visitors on Naturally Langkawi Day, 28  December 2021.

Dances & Costumes

Highly skilled dancers enchanted pavilion visitors with their graceful moves to demonstrate traditions of both Malaysian and uniquely ‘Langkawian’ culture as  These dances are not just intricate choreography, but in pageantry as well. The intricate accessories and vibrant textiles that make up their costumes reflect fine Malaysian artistry and craftsmanship as well. You can even see how these intricate textiles are woven too.

The Expo 2020 Dubai is playing host to 192 countries this year and for the first time ever, is creating a truly global atmosphere. Participating nations are hosting exclusive pavilions, allowing visitors a chance to experience what each nation has to offer. This is the perfect way to explore what is in store for you in Langkawi. Besides fun, flavour and sand, you will also discover that Langkawi has more to offer in terms of business opportunities, innovations and showcasing impactful and sustainable solutions for you and to the world.

For more information visit: www.naturallylangkawi.my

(Your Stories: Langkawi Development Authority)

Cambodia sticks with its ATF plans

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

CHIANG RAI, 5 January 2022: Cambodia presses ahead with hosting the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2022 16 to 22 January in the coastal town of Sihanoukville despite a rampant spread of Covid-19 Omicron variant infections worldwide.

It’s a gamble but one that may backfire on the country’s tourism leaders and the organisers of the ASEAN Tourism Forum as the highly contagious variant runs amok, and the standing scientific advice calls for large events to be cancelled.

But in its latest response to questions on whether the show would yet again be postponed, the event organisers confirmed to TTR Weekly that “ATF 2022 was going ahead as planned during 16 – 22 January 2022.”

Cambodia, originally selected to host the 40th edition of the ASEAN Tourism Forum in January 2021, postponed the event by a year, hoping the Covid-19 pandemic would run out of steam after two years of disruptive lockdowns and travel restrictions and the global rollout of a vaccination programme.

MP Singapore that manages the show on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism Cambodia, confirmed safety protocols are in place for ATF2022 that require attendees to be fully vaccinated (proof of completion of a full course of vaccination (two jabs) two weeks before arrival).

They will need to demonstrate proof of COVID-19 status to enter our event ( PCR Test taken within 48 hours of joining the event)

All delegates must also wear a face mask when in the event spaces at all times. Under current entry rules, delegates will not need to quarantine on arrival in Cambodia as long as they have proof of vaccination.

But will the rules be enough to make the ATF safe for visiting delegates? Show organisers worldwide are postponing or cancelling events scheduled for the first quarter of 2022 in response to the more infectious Omicron variant.

WHO’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus identified the inherent risks in a 20 December statement when he told the media:

“All of us are sick of this pandemic. All of us want to spend time with friends and family. All of us want to get back to normal.

“The fastest way to do that is for all of us – leaders and individuals – to make the difficult decisions that must be made to protect ourselves and others.

“In some cases, that will mean cancelling or delaying events… “But an event cancelled is better than a life cancelled.”

Messe Berlin announced in December its decision to cancel its March 2022 ITB Berlin for the second consecutive year due to the emerging risks posed by the Omicron variant. It is very likely that Omicron cases will spike in January at about the same time travel buyers and sellers are preparing to attend the ATF. The show organisers are gambling, but they cannot hide the facts – most international buyers, many of them loyal supporters of ASEAN’s inbound tourism business, are reluctant to attend.

Commercially, it would make sense to move the show a few more months or even a year based on an anticipated low turnout of international travel buyers. Event manager MP Singapore confirmed just 50 international buyers are registered to attend compared with 161 who attended the event in Brunei in 2019. Around 100 international sellers from the 10 ASEAN countries are booked, mainly national tourist offices and organisations morally bound to support the event. The seller count is down from around 300 when Brunei hosted the ATF in 2020. Traditionally Brunei attracts a lower turnout of international buyers when compared with other ASEAN destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Those mainstream tourist destinations in ASEAN would typically attract around 1,000 delegates with 450 to 500 sellers and close to 400 international buyers.

Cambodia will shore up the attendance with local travel suppliers and even travel buyers, but there is no hiding the fact that travel buyers from China and Hong Kong will be absent and as long a European nations are under stricter Covid-19 restrictions to slow the surge in Omincron variant infections there will be little appetite to travel to a trade show in Southeast Asia.

The most significant number of buyers traditionally come from  China at around 11%. They are largely absent this year. Strong buyer attendance comes from the  Philippines 7%, Singapore 6%, India and 6% Malaysia 4%. Europe is also a major source of travel buyers at around 30%. However, the lack of direct flights to Cambodia, the need to quarantine on their return home and the higher risks that Omicron presents for airline travellers will likely discourage trade show attendance throughout the first quarter of 2022.

Even though Cambodia waives quarantine requirements for vaccinated travellers, visitors attending the ATF will still need to show a negative Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test certificate issued by competent health authorities, issued no more than 72 hours upon arrival in Cambodia.

Hosting the ATF while uncertainties remain about the strengths or weaknesses of the Omicron variant is definitely a gamble that could go wrong. The timing is out. A wiser choice would have postponed the show to March, particularly as there is now a clear gap in the calendar left by the absence of ITB Berlin in 2022.

Dream Cruises are back in Taiwan

By
TTR WEEKLY
-

TAIPEI, 5 January 2021: Dream Cruises has officially ended its seven-month cruising pause in Taiwan by resuming its Explorer Dream’s Super Seacation itinerary out of Keelung, featuring a two-night cruise to Hualian.

As the first cruise ship to resume cruises in Taiwan, Explorer Dream was also the first to resume cruising in Asia. From July 2020 to May 2021, over 90,000 guests have already been on board and experienced Super Seacation cruises with Explorer Dream. However, due to the local Covid-19 outbreak in May 2021, Taiwan suspended domestic cruises for seven months.

Prior to the official restart of Explorer Dream’s sailings in Taiwan, Dream Cruises has enhanced the ship’s preventive measures and health protocols in compliance with all regulations stipulated by the Taiwan authorities.

Newly implemented regulations include requiring all cruising guests (some age restrictions apply) to be fully vaccinated with a government-approved Covid-19 vaccine at least 14 days before their cruise departure date. All guests must also present a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test result at the cruise terminal of the departure date with test specimen collected within one or two days before the departure day.

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