Watch the quick video here:

Pictures:

City View

Port View

Watch the video below and you be the judge! Do you see Art or a massive Bin in Marble Arch? Let me know..

So here is my short video on Bangkok. Just giving you my tips on how to get to Bangkok from the airport. Hope you’ll find it helpful!

Quick note: You can also take the train from the airport to Bangkok. The fare is really cheap but I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t know your way around Bangkok especially when you have luggage with you. Traffic in Bangkok is crazy so best if you take the taxi to your hotel. Just saying.

Ciao.

Ambar.

Despite all that, I was pleasantly surprised when I realised that this Alpyland in Mottarone, Italy was open today. Happy days!

This ride is totally unique. It uses gravity and it takes you to the creepiest edge of the mountain.. (A bit like tobogganning but 1000 times better!! )..and safer..despite it being the ultimate scary ride (I mean, if you’re afraid of heights that is ) Sorry for being dramatic here.

Just watch the video below. You’ll get what I mean. Enjoy!

I have no problems flying with budget airlines and I’ve had some good experiences flying with them eg: EasyJet, Ryan Air, Air Asia but unfortunately, nothing compared with the shocking experience that I had with with Tiger Airways Australia. It was bad..I mean bad is probably not a suitable word to describe it. Its just ghastly!! The airline is ripping people off left and right… and almost operating in a scam-like manner!

Rip Off Tiger Airways

I was on a business trip in Sydney, Australia in early December 2010. During the last couple of days in the city, I had decided to join another conference in Melbourne. This trip wasn’t in the intial itinerary so I had to google for flights information for a return flight from Sydney to Melbourne. I stumbled upon Tiger Airways website and I thought that they were offering competitive fares so I immediately booked my flight with them. However, I didn’t book my seat preference nor did I register any bags for check in. I was planning to leave my bags in Sydney and I didn’t feel it that it would be money worth spent when paying to book a preferential seat on a 1 odd hour flight. I didn’t mind sitting anywhere on the plane to be honest!

I did the usual thing which was to print the confirmation page that include my reservation number for check in. For the record, I paid $220 for my return flight from Sydney – Melbourne.

Finally, on the day of travel, I had decided to bring my luggage with me and I knew that I will now have to pay additional charge for it during check in. I expected that it wouldn’t cost more than $60 so $220 plus $60 = $280.00 return didn’t sound too bad.

I queued up at check in. The flight was full and the queue was a bit long so it took a few while before my turn for check in. I put my baggage on the weighing travelator, gave my passport along with the printed confirmation ticket to the check in lady.

The first thing that the lady said was an alarming ” OH!!!” and I thought to myself…why did she say that?

She then said, ” Did you web check in?”. I said, ” What web check in? I have my reservation number, confirmation printout and I’m here with you to check in.”

She replied, ” Well sir, if you did not web check in we have to charge you $25 for it!”

I was like…. WHAT!!! I mean why? I’ve got my reservation number to confirm my flight so surely that would be enough to check in on the flight..just like any other airline…

But wait theres more…

She then said, “Oh you have baggage with you sir?” I said, “Yeah”

She immediately took out her calculator and started punching numbers into it. I felt alarmed!

She then said, “In order for us to check you in for this flight you’ll need to pay $170.00 which included the $6.60 fee if you decide to pay with a credit card”

I fumed!!! $170.00 dollars charge for petty things – One. Web check in penalty and Two. to check in my one luggage!!

Thats just way too diabolical..more like daylight robbery!! They shouldn’t be charging for this. It was totally unnecessary. Everyone who flies need to use these basic airline services!

I created a bit of a scene because I thought that I was treated very unfairly but to cut the story short, I gave in in the end. Theres no point arguing at check in. It gets you no where so I paid the unfair daylight robbery fees!!

But wait..there’s more…

She said, ” Sir, these charges are for one way only. You will need to pay for your baggage on your way back from Melbourne!!”

I was like…What!!! Surely they weren’t being serious!!! This was getting too much to handle in less than 15 minutes!!

I’ve had it. I couldn’t be asked dealing with them anymore and I said to her, ” OK, can I pay for the fee for my flight in Melbourne?”

She said, ” Sorry sir, you cannot pay it here, you will need to call our customer service at this number and pay it there.”

I was like..WHAT!!! You’ve just asked me $170 dollars for pumped up charges and now you wanted me to call at my own expense to pay for another pumped up charges for my flight back from Melbourne!! Now this was a bit too much. Any decent mind would go crazy at these demands!! Service was definitely poor and without a smile, more like from a concentration camp! It was crazy!!

Again, I decided not to argue. I took the number and decided to call their customer service after security clearance at the airport and naturally I had to pay the outrageous $6 odd dollars for their flat rate credit card fee! Again!!!

OK I admit. I wasn’t in my best moods when I arrived in sunny Melbourne but thank goodness that I had my great friends with me to guarantee a fab time in Melbourne….

After a couple of days in Melbourne, it was now time to fly back to Sydney which I dreaded badly especially when I was flying with rip off blood sucking Tiger Airways! I knew another problem would arise!!

OK I was back at the check in counter at Tiger Airways terminal at Melbourne Airport. It was busy as usual but what surprised me was the amount of people that I saw who shouted, screamed and complained at the check in desk. I assumed it was all for the Tiger Airways well hidden and incessant charges!!

I even saw a family of four who had to pay the $25 Australian dollars each!! They were clearly unhappy about it and was disputing everything. Clearly, I wasn’t their first victim. Almost one out of four passengers at the queue had the same problem and had no choice to pay collosal charges!! It was disgusting!!

Anyhow, I checked in and lo and behold they wanted more money off me!! Clearly, the amount of money that I paid to their customer service whilst in Sydney wasn’t enough. The weight of my baggage had exceeded by a mere 1kg from the 20kg limit so this other sombre- looking check in lady said, ” Sir, unfortunately you are over the limit on your baggage limit and we have to charge you $15 dollars plus $6.60 if you’re paying by credit card.”

That was it. I couldnt take it anymore. I opened up my bag and took out whatever I could and put some of the contents in my hand luggage. I closed my bag and handed the bag back to her. This time she didnt say anything and checked me in…

I had also realised that there was a film crew filming at the terminal. This was probably for a local Airport TV programme. They took some video footage of me at check in and maybe..just maybe that the lady who checked me in didn’t say too much because she knew she was on tele!!

I did ask her this question just before I left, ” Why did you do this?” Her only reply was, ” I’m sorry sir..I will lose my job if I didnt do it” and my reply, ” Well, I’d rather be unemployed than live with a guilty conscience by scamming people left and right!!”. She didnt say anything…

Again, unless if you know how Tiger Airways works then you’re okay but if youre a tourist like me then my advise is never ever fly Tiger Airways!! Their motto “Fly Cheaper” is clearly a BIG MASSIVE FAT LIE!! You pay cheap online but you still have to pay a lot more offline!! I paid over $400 dollars for this one hour trip which was like over £300 odd Pounds. I could get a Business Class seat with an international airline from the amount of money that I paid with these Tiger Airways rip off charges!

My advise never fly with these cowboys. Trust me. I’m not the only one who’ve been scammed by this airline!!

Please comment and let me know your experience. I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks

Ambar.

I have always wanted to run in the park but laziness always superceded my good intentions but fret no further, it won’t easily happen again. I mean why should I? I get to see great views like these…

A frozen Rose Garden..

Frozen Lake..

столове

The Birds..

The birds nests..

The snow…

and the sunrise with the BT Tower in sight..

The fun fair was amazing. There were everything that you could possibly want from a winter wonderland. From mulled wine, to chocolate covered apples, to rollercoasters, ghost house, slot machines, fun crazy rides, a circus and the whole shebang..

Here are some of the selected pictures that was taken by Brian.

The Pirate…

The Toy Soldier..

The Little Circus..

The Big Wheel..

I thought, “What a pleasant surprise!” and FYI, this River Kwai Bridge however, was much older and is still in use today!

We were also told that we would be driven to a train station and wait for the train to arrive. This train would take us all the way over the Bridge over River Kwai.Wow!! Great experience I’d say

The journey to the train station took about 30-40 mins but the weather was becoming unbearable. It was too hot and dry for my liking and the air conditioning in the bus wasn’t sufficient to cool any of us. It was bad!

Anyhow, we got to the Thakilen train station and waited for the train. Thailand trains are never on schedule so we had no choice but to wait in the heat of the dry sun! Bad experience but I was pretty sure that it was all soon going to be worth it!

I took some pictures whilst we were waiting for the train to arrive. These photos were taken within the vicinity of the train station…

The train station:

The Old Train Wooden Planks..

A Village House In Thakilen

I was instantly relieved when heared the sound of the train. I was beginning to think that it would never come :-)

I have always wanted to come see the bridge over River Kwai so I had no choice but to subconsciously ‘delete’ the thought of being burned under the tropical sun for a little while.

There’s a small River Kwai train station which is not too far to the infamous bridge. The rail tracks are still in use but the tourists and locals use it and walk over it. I mean, what if there was an oncoming train!! That’d be dangerous!

(I believe the exclusive Eastern & Oriental Express train passes through here also..)

and here is the River Kwai Bridge train station sign…

I immediately got weak in the knees when I found out that you could actually walk on the bridge over the River Kwai. There wasn’t a foot path per se, but you walk through the centre of the rail tracks leading to the other end of the bridge

I thought that was crazy. It was definitely a health and safety hazard. The train still passes through this route. I mean what if the train comes, what would I do? Walk to the precipice of the bridge and witness the sheer drop to River Kwai? Oh No No….

Look at this…

It may look harmless in this picture but I tell ya, I was a bit petrified!

Ok despite the fear I actually did walk over the bridge. It would be a great shame otherwise Yes, I know I moan a lot

and here’s the view of River Kwai from the bridge…

and here is the floating ‘homes’ or ‘restaurant’ (Not sure)

I walked to the middle of the bridge when it finally dawned on me that this was a bit too much. I started feeling quesy so I walked back to safety….and no I didn’t walk to the other end of the bridge. Hell no

FYI, the bridge was originally built in wood but as time passed, the Thai government replaced it with steel structure. Nonetheless, it is still a beautiful bridge.

I left the hotel early in the morning to join the group tour and we left immediately for River Kwai. Our first stop was the Kanchanaburi War Cemetary which is 129 kilometres away in the North West of Bangkok.

Upon arrival, I entered the war museum which is next to the cemetary. It was a small museum but it provided all the information you need in relations to the war and graphic stories on what the prisoners had to endure. Some of the details that I read and the pictures that I saw were just a bit too overwhelming and I felt really saddened by the whole experience. Sad because the pain and the dread that these prisoners of war had to endure when building the rail network for the Japanese. I had to exit early. It was too sombre and too much to take in.

I then walked across the road to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetary. More than 5,000 Commonwealth and 1,800 Dutch casualties are buried or commemorated in the cemetery.

The prisoners that died here were very young. On average, they were all less than 25 years old. Many were 18-19. It was too sad. My tears were falling. Reading the many tombstone inscriptions here made me sad. I felt so sorry for these young men who lost their lives too early. They didnt deserve it.