Welcome to the Travel page

 

International teachers tend to do a lot of traveling - both for business and pleasure. There are vacations, conferences, weddings and deaths. These are the times when you get out and around. Information about hotels, airlines and airports becomes vitally important at these times because traveling really get tiring and knowing the good airlines, airports and hotels helps a lot in making a trip at least bearable if not enjoyable. Here are some of the major ones that I've traveled on and through or stayed in over the past 21 years, as well as some that you might use depending on where you call home. All entries are arranged in alphabetical order.

One of the more interesting developments of the past year has been the introduction of low cost airlines to Asia. For those of us living here, this can mean substantial savings in travel costs over a year's period for our normal traveling needs. It also offers the opportunity for extra leisure travel since airfares are cheaper. At the bottom of the regular list of airlines, I have added a new section for these budget airlines.

 

Airlines

 Air Canada, is a Star Alliance member and has a reasonably complete web site. I've never used this airline, nor do I know anyone who has, but I've met a lot of Canadians overseas.

 Air Pacific, is Fiji's international airline. It has a fairly restricted territory, but you can take it to Los Angeles and Honolulu if you are American, Vancouver if you're Canadian, Tokyo if you're Japanese, and Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney if you're Australian. It is a member of American Airline's and Qantas' frequent flyer programs. Air Pacific has been in operation since 1947. Their web site is quite good. Air Pacific flies to 14 cities in 10 countries.

 British Airways, is one of the premier airlines in the world. I've only flown on it once, but it was a great trip.

 Cathay Pacific Airways, is lovely. It almost makes someone like me who hates to fly want to fly (get that?). Cathay has an excellent web site that is easy to navigate and has all the information that you need. They have a super section on their airport facilities around the world.

 China Airlines, is much better than its reputation. I've flown business class to the States on China and have been very pleased. The service was excellent, the price was right, and I was upgraded to First Class when business was full on my way back to Indonesia last year. China Airlines flies out of Denpasar which I didn't know. It makes for an easy trip back to the US from Indonesia if you happen to be here. China has the Dynasty Flyer program for the frequent traveler.

 Eva Airways Corp., is a Taiwan based carrier which has the Evergreen class which gives you a business class sized seat with economy class food. Who cares about the food when you're flying economy class? While I haven't flown Eva, a lot of my friends have, and they have given Eva the OK. Eva flies out of Bali which is nice if you are going to the US.

 Emirates Airline, has a very useful site. I flew Emirates several times during the war in Afghanistan, and it was a very enjoyable experience. Emirates is based in Dubai and has won over 250 awards since 1985. Emirates flies to more than 70 destinations in 50 countries. If you get a chance fly Emirates.

 Garuda Indonesia, is the national carrier of Indonesia. Garuda flies around the world and can be a very comfortable airline to fly with. Years ago I routinely used Garuda to fly back to the States as their business class seats were the same price as an economy seat on Singapore Airlines. Garuda now has a frequent flyer program which they didn't back in those days. Don't forget that Indonesia no longer offers free 60 day visas. You have to buy a 30 day visa on arrival. The Garuda web site is very user friendly.

 Japan Airlines, has a fairly limited web site in Japanese and English. I flew on this airline 17 years ago and had a pleasant flight from what I remember.

 Merpati Airlines, is another of Indonesia's national airlines. It serves many of the smaller destinations that Garuda won't service. Merpati has an interesting web site with national history and descriptions of the various cultures and tourists attractions available at their destinations.

 Malaysia Airlines, is an excellent airline. One of my favorite flying memories is on Malaysia. I was flying business and both business and first class were empty. The pilot invited my friend and me to sit in the cockpit with him and the copilot. We had complementary champagne as well. Later that night I went out to dinner with the pilot and his father. An amazing experience. The web site here leaves a lot to be desired.

 Pakistan International Airlines, is the national carrier in Pakistan. I've only flown on PIA domestically and it was nothing to brag about. But, then again, it really was no worse than flying on a US airline within the US which is just about the worst thing that I can think of. PIA has a nice web site with some good information.

 Qantas, has a web site with a lot of information but a look that I find a bit much. It's been about nine years since I've last flown on Qantas - I did several LA-Cairns trips back in those days, and I found the service to be quite good. From what I hear on a number of forums, however, things seem to have turned for the worse. Fortunately for me, Thai is always available on the routes that I take.

 Singapore Airlines, is consistently ranked among the top airlines of the world. They have an easy to navigate web site where you can arrange your flights, check on their frequent flyer program, Kris Flyer, and see how a specific aircraft is configured. Still, excellence comes at a price, and Singapore is one of the pricier airlines to fly. Expensive or not, I love flying Singapore.

 Thai Airways International, is my favorite airline. I used it for the four years that I lived in Pakistan. The service is excellent, the flights are almost always on time (I've had one late flight in 4 years of flying with Thai), the food is ok in Economy and very good in Business. Thai has Royal Orchid Plus as a frequent flyer program. You can check your mileage on their web site.

Budget Airlines

 AirAsia, is based in Malaysia and has a fairly extensive list of destinations. They service five cities in Indonesia: Bandung, Surabaya, Jakarta, Medan, and Bali. From Bali, you can fly into Kuala Lumpur. AirAsia also serves several destinations in Thailand, as well as Singapore and Macau. AirAsia offers this explanation on how they are able to offer low cost travel:

"All fares are quoted one way to allow guests the flexibility to choose where and when they would like to fly. AirAsia does not stipulate any restrictions to qualify for the cheapest fares; thus our tagline "Now Everyone Can Fly".

Our fares are based on supply and demand and prices usually increase as seats are sold on every flight. So, the earlier you book, the cheaper the fare will generally be. Our booking system continually reviews bookings for all future flights and tries to predict how popular each flight is likely to be. Due to market forces, sometimes you may still get a low fare at the last minute!"

Additionally, these flights are ticketless and the seating is based on a first-come- first-served basis. If you are flying AirAsia out of any destination outside of Malaysia, you need to pay for your flight with a credit card. The web site is the preferred way of booking and paying for a seat. Snacks are available on the flight for a cost. A flight from Bali to Kuala Lumpur is Rp. 322,999 which is outstanding.

 Lion Air, is based in Jakarta and flies to a number of destinations within Indonesia, as well as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City. Lion Air has a wide range of fares depending on the length of validity for your ticket. They have some great bargains from Singapore to Bali these days.

 Tiger Airways, is the budget arm of Singapore Airlines.

 Jetstar, flies out of Singapore to Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Jakarta. You can fly to Bali for only $88 Singapore dollars. They seem to have some deals, but I don't know anyone that has flown with this airline.

Airports

 Bangkok International Suvarnabhumi Airport, is the new international airport in Bangkok. The old airport, Don Muang, is being used for domestic flights. I was in the new airport in April 2007, and I have to say that I wasn't terribly impressed. Those impressions were partially the result of the long wait that I had to check in, and then another long wait to get through immigration. Maybe, it's just that I spent so much time in the old airport, but I really preferred it to the new one. But, I probably won't be spending much time traveling after I retire next year, so the changes won't really affect me that much. If you have new information, let me know.

 The Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in Airports, is an interesting site. This site is designed for those folks who would prefer to sleep in an airport rather than spend some money on a hotel room. Now I can relate to this especially when you have a seven or eight hour layover and don't want to leave the airport, go into the city and look for a room for a few hours and yet need to grab a few z's. People send in their reviews of airports along with their rating. Just reading some of the stories from travelers is excuse enough to visit this site. I checked out two of the airports that I am often in - Singapore and Bangkok - and found that folks have wildly divergent experiences which only goes to show that it is often just luck that separates a good trip from a nightmare. The most popular airport to sleep in as of January 2005 is London's Heathrow. Singapore comes in a respectable fourth and Bangkok fifth. Check this site out if you are planning on traveling sometime in the near future.

Chicago O'Hare International Airport, is a major airport in the United States. I just received an email from them asking if I'd like to update my links to the airport. So here it is. The new site has complete information on the airport and airlines that fly to O'Hare.

 Darwin International Airport, is a site that I just came across. I flew into the airport once many years ago, and it was early morning so I don't remember much, but if you are traveling to Darwin, you might want to check out the airport website.

 Dubai International Airport, is great! I had to use Dubai a number of times during my third year in Pakistan because of the war in Afghanistan and the cancellation of services in Pakistan by Thai Airlines and SIA. This airport is luxurious. Lots of shopping and places to eat. Smoke free for those of you concerned about that, but with plenty of smoking rooms available for smokers. A nice Irish Pub to eat and drink it. Loads of gold jewelry with some amazing designs. Electronics, toys, just about everything except good women's fashions. I spent several 10 hour layovers here and didn't mind it at all.

Bandar Udara Hasanuddin (Hasanuddin Airport), is the main airport in Sulawesi located just outside of the capital city of Makassar (formerly known as Ujung Pandang). I spent nine years transiting through this airport on my way to Bali from Papua and then back again. The airport has certainly had an upgrade in the 13 years since I was last there. This website is excellent because it gives current information on flight arrivals and departures, a brief overview of the airport facilities and some photos to help orient newcomers to this airport.

 Hong Kong International Airport, is one of the newest airports in Asia. It has an excellent web site which completely describes the airport and all of its facilities. There are 12 smoking lounges in the airport. If you are a smoker, this is the kind of information that you want to know before departing on a long international flight. Check out the website to get real time flight information. You can see the actual flight boards like you would if you were in the airport. I'm not exactly sure what purpose this serves, but it sure seems cool.

 Indira Gandhi International Airport, is located in Delhi, India. Their web site has more about Delhi than about the airport. It's been sixteen years since I was last at the airport in Delhi, and my memories are somewhat shaded because I had a bad case of Delhi Belly, but I do remember birds flying around the business class lounge. Traveller comments on the Skytrax site were not very positive for the most part. From reports on The Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in Airports, we get that it might not be the best place to spend the night, but it's ok.

 Juanda International Airport, is the domestic and international airport of Indonesia's second largest city, Surabaya. For an airport located in a city the size of Surabaya, Juanda is an easy place to navigate and is quite comfortable. There's a number of restaurants and cafes, a bookstore, and a few gift shops. If you bring a laptop, you can sit in a cafe and get free Wi-Fi while you have a cold beer. The international terminal is quite small and only services a few airlines: Garuda, Air Asia, Silk Air, and Malaysia. Compared to Bali's international airport, Juanda stands out as a much more comfortable facility.

 Jinnah International Airport, is located in Karachi, Pakistan. It's certainly not the most interesting international airport in the world, but it beat the old Lahore airport in that it was newer and had a few facilities available. I read some very positive comments about the Karachi airport on the site above which were more recent than my last visit there in January, 2002. At the time, I found the number of shops and restaurants to be lacking, but maybe they have added some since my last visit. Their web

 Kuala Lumpur International Airport , is relatively new. I was there just after they opened it, and it had a few kinks so I wasn't that impressed. But, just about everyone else that I know loves the airport and raves about it all the time. They are in the process of completing their web site KL was voted the best airport in Asia in a recent survey of business travelers.

 Lahore International Airport, was my home airport for four years. Well, the old one was. Lahore has had a new airport for the last year. I only used it once and it was considerably better than the old model which was decrepit .Unfortunately, most of the links on the web site don't work .Checking on the internet, I found some comments about the new airport which noted that they still don't really have any shops there and check-in and immigration on arrival are very slow if more than one plane lands at a time. This was true in the old airport; it's too bad that services are not improving at the new airport. You need to have a visa before entering Pakistan, but from what I hear it isn't difficult to get one. If you go to Lahore, you can travel overland to the Indian city of Amritsar which is only about 30 minutes away. Lahore is a beautiful city - see the Paksitan page for more information.

 Los Angeles International Airport, is one of the busiest airports in the world. LAX is the airport that I usually use to enter and leave the US when I need to travel there for business or pleasure. For such a big place, LAX is surprisingly easy to navigate through. You don't, however, want to fly economy class on China Airlines out of LAX. The last time that I was there, there had to be three hundred people waiting in line at the ticket counter. Fortunately, I was flying business and breezed right through. The last time that I entered through LAX (Oct. 2002), I was detained for a while because my passport was issued from a US embassy in Indonesia. LAX has a web site, but it's not nearly as helpful as Changi's web site for instance.

 Ngurah Rai International Airport, is Bali's international airport. The airport is situated at the southern most tip of the island, close to Kuta, Nusa Dua and Sanur. It is closest to Kuta. There are new restaurants and bars in the airport which have been added in the past year. The usual clothes, liquor, and arts and crafts are available for sale. The airport now has a McDonalds - for those of us who get cravings for a Big Mac. The airport has a left baggage counter outside in case you have a layover and want to run in to Kuta for a while. You can find flight shedules for both domestic and international flights on the website.

 O'Hare and Midway, Chicago, is the portal for information about the two main airports in the Chicago area. O'Hare now has a new website, but you can use this link to find out about Midway, which is Chicago's second airport.

 Perth Airport, is a neat little international airport that I used a few months ago. It's user friendly. You can find the usual information at their web site about shopping and dining at the airport, as well as flight information and transport to and from the airport.

 San Francisco , is my old home airport. I last flew out of SFO six years ago and have fond memories of the airport. The web site is excellent and has a guide to the airport that has all of the services available with descriptions. Excellent web site. Makes me want to stop by for a visit once again. I wouldn't dare sing, "I left my heart..."

 Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, has a great web site It has a list of bars, duty frees, atms, restaurants and other things. You can check out the web site and plan how you are going to spend your time before your flight leaves. I was last in this airport in July, 1998.

 Singapore Changi Airport,, has to be one of the most incredible places on earth when talking about airports. It's comfortable, quiet, filled with shopping areas, and easy to navigate. Changi has indoor and outdoor smoking areas - and they are close to the bars so you can get a tall, cold Tiger and take it outside with you. I love this airport, but I still prefer Don Muang just because it's funkier. Changi was ranked third best airport in Asia in a recent survey of business travelers.

 Skytrax - the world of air travel, is not an airport, but rather a website devoted to ranking airports and airlines. This is a fascinating site for international travelers. According to Skytrax's 2008 passenger survey, Hong Kong was ranked 1, Singapore was ranked 2, and Seoul Incheon was ranked 3, and Kuala Lumpur was ranked fourth in the best airport category. In the best airline survey, Singapore came in first, Cathay was second, Qantas placed third, Thai was a respectable fourth, and Asiana was fifth. I've flown all of these airlines over the years and loved all of them.

 Sukarno-Hatta International Airport , is the main airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. I've been in this airport many times and have never been particularly impressed. I hope that it gets some needed improvements soon.

 Sydney Airport,, has an excellent web site It's been years since I've been in the airport so I can't really comment on it other than to say from what I remember, it was very nice. Based on its web site, it sounds even better than I remember. The web site has a great list of bars and cafes.

 Taiwan Taiyuan International Airport , is the new name for the former Chiang Kaisheck International Airport in Taipei, Taiwan. It has a whizbang web site with information about everything. I have been in and out of Taipei in transit situations for the past 17 years, and I used to hate this airport. When I was last there in October, 2002, I really enjoyed it. The improvement was incredible, but I was also flying business class so I had access to the nice lounges.

Hotels

 Asia Hotels, is not actually a hotel, but rather a web site where you book a room anywhere in Asia. I've been using them for five years now, and I have never had a complaint. There are a number of dubious online companies that are in the travel business, but I trust this site.

 Keong Saik Hotel, is another boutique hotel in Chinatown on the edge of the business district. The hotel has very small rooms with a very friendly staff. I usually stay here when I'm in Singapore unless I'm on the old expense account. I love the location of the Keong Saik, as well. The price is very reasonable for Singapore.

 La Walon, is on Poppies in Kuta, Bali. Rooms go from about $20 to $30 a night. They have a pool and the rooms are the usual fare. I like the place for its location - lots of good places to eat nearby. I'm planning on staying here again soon.

 Shangri-la Hotel and Resort, is one of the five star hotels in Bangkok and around Asia. It is regularly voted as one of the best hotels in the world. The Shangri-la is located 30 minutes from the airport, adjacent to the Skytrain which is convenient if you want to shop during the day and avoid the traffic, and alongside the Chao Phraya river. I recently stayed here for the first time since 1992, and the Shangri-la is still as plush as I remember. The fruit basket and assortment of chocolates which are changed everyday is a nice touch. If you don't mind the price, this is a great place to stay.

Travel Forums

 Lonely Planet Online: The Thorn Tree, is Lonely Planet's travel forum. There are discussions on just about any place that you can imagine. I've never actually spent any time here, but I plan on in the near future because I have a business trip coming up to Vietnam, and I'd like to see what people have to say.

Other Resources

 AirNinja, is a place that I came across through my email. I regularly get requests for links and rarely add them because they are for businesses which I haven't tried or don't know anyone who has tried them. But I do check out the sites. I love this one. This site is not a travel agency and not an airline. It just purely provides information and links on budget airlines and their routes from all over the planet. This site was founded by two brothers and is an outstanding resouce for the traveler.

 Flight Arrivals, is a site that lets you check out the arrival and departure times around the world. Very cool. I wish this had been around when I was doing a lot of traveling.

 Flight Stats, is a site that has information on airports, airlines, and flights along with a bunch of other stuff. You can find ratings of airlines and airports and all sorts of other great things. This is a great site for travelers.

 One Bag: The Art and Science of Traveling Light , is a site for the non-luxury traveler - which is most of us. Traveling can be an incredible hassle if you have a lot of luggage. Think of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles if you aren't sure what I mean. This site tells you how and why to travel with one bag. The last time that I took a trip out of the country, I did the one bag thing, and it was the most comfortable trip that I've ever had - except for the days when I traveled first class all the way. If you take one bag, you are just so incredibly independent that it makes the trip quite pleasurable. Check out this site and see what I mean.

 Seat Guru, is a really cool site for the traveler. It calls itself the "The ultimate source for airplane seating, in-flight amenities and airline information." This is a must see site for anyone who travels even just occasionally. You can get information on seat arrangments, inflight amenities, and airline information like baggage allowances, traveling with children, traveling with pets, and more. Definitely must see. I wish that I had this when I was traveling.

 Travelmag, is an online magazine of people's reports on their travel adventures. This magazine isn't as flashy as some of the other travelzines around, but some of the reports are interesting and useful if you are planning a trip in that region of the world.

 Travisa, is another of these very cool travel sites that lets you apply for visas online (for countries that allow that) or renew your passport. This site can save you a lot of research time and aggravation when you need to get those pesky visas to visit the next country on your list.