itravelnet.com Travel Blog

Featured Travel Site: Holiday Pad

2009-11-10T22:07:00.004+11:00

Holiday Pad is showcase of unusual, wonderful and downright weird ideas for a holiday.

holidaypad.net

Travel Photo: St Martins Cathedral, Mainz - Germany

2009-11-06T14:17:00.000+11:00

Location: Mainz - Germany
Photo: St Martins Cathedral

St Martins Cathedral in Mainz, Germany.

Travel Photo Gallery: Mainz Photo Gallery

Featured Travel Site: UrbanRail.Net

2009-11-03T21:14:00.001+11:00

UrbanRail.Net is a reference of urban railways worldwide. Includes information and maps on subways, tubes, undergrounds, U-Bahns, Metros and city railways worldwide.

urbanrail.net

Travel videos on YouTube

2009-11-02T06:39:00.003+11:00

I'm putting together a list of travel video channels on YouTube.
If you create travel videos or have a YouTube account for your travel website all you need to do is subscribe and friend my YouTube account: youtube.com/itravelnet.

I will soon be featuring a travel video here once a week so if you have an interesting travel video or know of one please contact me.

Travel Photo: Kuta Beach Trees, Kuta Bali - Indonesia

2009-10-30T14:28:00.000+11:00

Location: Kuta, Bali - Indonesia
Photo: Kuta Beach Trees

Trees on Kuta Beach in Bali, Indonesia.

Travel Photo Gallery: Kuta Photo Gallery

Featured Travel Site: Whatsonwhen

2009-10-27T17:13:00.000+11:00

Worldwide events guide and travel inspiration.

whatsonwhen.com

Travel Photo: Marseille Cathedral, Marseille - France

2009-10-23T14:08:00.001+11:00

Location: Marseille - France
Photo: Marseille Cathedral

Marseille Cathedral in Marseille, France.

Travel Photo Gallery: Marseille Photo Gallery

Featured Travel Site: Dine With Locals

2009-10-20T16:29:00.001+11:00

Dine With Locals pair tourists with locals to meet and eat dinner in their home and exchange a bit of national culture. Experience a home cooked meal of authentic, local cuisine and a taste of local culture, or be a host and enjoy a night getting to know international people from around the world.

dinewithlocals.com

Travel Photo: Big Buddha, Koh Samui - Thailand

2009-10-16T14:22:00.000+11:00

Location: Big Buddha, Koh Samui - Thailand
Photo: Big Buddha

Big Buddha in Koh Samui, Thailand.

Travel Photo Gallery: Big Buddha Photo Gallery

Featured Travel Site: Iglu Dorf

2009-10-13T15:03:00.002+11:00

Stay in an Iglu at the Iglu Dorf Igloo Villages in Switzerland, Andorra and Germany. You can sleep overnight or just visit the village. Igloo-Villages are open from 25th of December until April and bookings are available from mid October.

iglu-dorf.com

Travel Photo: Piazza San Pietro Obelisk, St Peter's - Vatican City

2009-10-09T13:55:00.000+11:00

Location: St Peter's - Vatican City
Photo: Piazza San Pietro Obelisk

Piazza San Pietro Obelisk in the Vatican City.

Travel Photo Gallery: Vatican City Photo Gallery

Featured Travel Site: Points.com

2009-10-06T15:19:00.002+11:00

Points.com is a frequent flyer management site where you can track all of your reward points in one location.

points.com

Travel Photo: Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakech - Morocco

2009-10-02T13:47:00.003+10:00

Location: Marrakech - Morocco
Photo: Koutoubia Mosque

Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech, Morocco.

Travel Photo Gallery: Marrakech Photo Gallery

Featured Travel Site: Monastery Stays

2009-09-29T14:56:00.001+10:00

Monastery Stays is a booking service for monastery and convent accommodation in Italy. Accommodation is open to everyone and there are over 100 destinations to choose from.

monasterystays.com

Travel Photo: Temple Cave Steps And Lord Muruga Statue, Batu Caves - Malaysia

2009-09-25T12:45:00.000+10:00

Location: Batu Caves - Malaysia
Photo: Temple Cave Steps And Lord Muruga Statue

Temple Cave Steps And Lord Muruga Statue at Batu Caves, Malaysia.

Travel Photo Gallery: Batu Caves Photo Gallery

Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)

2009-09-23T12:03:00.003+10:00

Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) is the budget airline terminal for Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

LCCT is on the other side of the runway of KLIA, so you can't walk between the two terminals. There is a shuttle bus that connects KLIA and LCCT if you intend to transfer to a low cost airline.

LCCT to KLIA shuttle

LCCT Airlines

The biggest airline at the LCCT is the AirAsia group, with AirAsia, AirAsia X, Indonesia AirAsia and Thai AirAsia operating flights from here. Cebu Pacific and Tiger Airways also fly here.

AirAsiaX on display

Internet

The LCC Terminal has free wifi.

Free wifi

Eating

The terminal might be basic but there is plenty of eating options. There are restaurants, cafes and a basic supermarket inside the terminal, and another food court outside the terminal near the bus stop.

Food Garden food court

LCCT Supermarket

Getting There

The cheapest and easiest way to and from Kuala Lumpur is with the Skybus or Aerobus, which departs from the bus stop outside the terminal.

Featured Travel Site: FreeToDo Travel Guides

2009-09-22T12:36:00.002+10:00

FreeToDo list free admission attractions, activites and events in UK and Ireland, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

freetodo.net

Travel Photo: Black Tower, Ceske Budejovice - Czech Republic

2009-09-18T09:41:00.002+10:00

Location: Ceske Budejovice - Czech Republic
Photo: Black Tower

Black Tower in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.

Travel Photo Gallery: Ceske Budejovice Photo Gallery

Tune Hotels - The low-cost airline of budget hotels

2009-09-17T11:14:00.003+10:00

Tune Hotels.com is a budget hotel chain from Malaysia. This hotel group is connected to AirAsia, so it has a similar pay for what you use pricing system like a low cost airline. It is similar to easyHotel, which is related to easyJet.

Tune Hotel - Kuala Lumpur

Just like a low cost airline, the price you pay depends on when you book the room. The earlier you book the cheaper the room will be. There are also the occasional crazy special offers such as rooms for 1 MYR. The best chance to get such a deal is by registering for the email newsletter.

I stayed at the Downtown KL. It's close to the Tuanku Monorail station, which terminates at KL Sentral LRT station for airport connections.

The rooms are clean and modern, and I was surprised at how much space was in the room. I had imagined it might have been a small box, like some kind of luxury flop house.

The beds are amazing as well. The beds are advertised as:

High quality King Coil spring matress beds with pillows, pillowcases, bed sheets and 250-thread count duvets.

After sleeping on some soggy guesthouse matresses I really noticed the quality here.

Tune Hotel Bed

When booking your room you can select optional extras such as:

Air Conditioning
Towel Rental + Free Essentials toiletries kit
Wireless Internet Access
Breakfast
Hairdryers

and that old favourite of the low cost airlines: Travel insurance.

Each room has a ceiling fan, which I prefer over air conditioning anyway. I didn't buy any extras when I booked, but I did end up buying internet credit when I was there.

Tune Hotel Bathroom

Featured Travel Site: AirBnB

2009-09-15T08:57:00.004+10:00

AirBnB is an online marketplace that can turn your place into a B and B. Anything from a spare room to an entire apartment can be listed. You can set your own price and you can accept or decline each application.

For prospective lodgers, you can search for destinations and read user reviews of listed accommodation.

airbnb.com

Travel Photo: Tea Plantations, Cameron Highlands - Malaysia

2009-09-11T13:03:00.002+10:00

Location: Cameron Highlands - Malaysia
Photo: Tea Plantations

Tea Plantations in the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia.

Travel Photo Gallery: Cameron Highlands Photo Gallery

How to get from Johor Bahru airport to Singapore

2009-09-09T14:14:00.003+10:00

Johor Bahru is the Malaysian city on the other side of the causeway from Singapore. It may look close on the map but getting from Johor Bahru Senai Airport to Singapore is time consuming.

Singapore does not allow a direct bus service as the government view Senai Airport as competition to their own airport.

Air Asia have a hub at Johor Bahru so if you want to go to Singapore it may work out considerably cheaper to fly to JB. A saving of a couple of hundred dollors on a flight makes it worthwhile for the time it takes to transfer from JB to Singapore.

Air Asia at Johor Bahru Airport

How to get from Johor Bahru airport to Singapore

At Johor Bahru airport take the bus to Larkin Bus Station, which is the bus terminal in Johor Bahru. You can buy tickets for the bus in the arrivals hall. Tickets cost RM8 one-way and journey time is approximately 45 minutes.

At Larkin Bus Station get the Causeway Link Express Bus (look for the yellow bus). There are two services that run to Singapore:

1. CW1 Larkin Bus Terminal <--> Kranji MRT Station

2. CW2 Larkin Bus Terminal <--> Queen Street

Causeway Link Bus

The Queen Street service is the most useful bus for visitors but you can get on either service to start with.

The bus then takes you to Johor Bahru Customs where you will alight to clear Malaysia customs.

Once you have cleared customs return to the bus park and get the next Causeway Link bus using the same ticket. This will take you across the causeway to the Woodlands Custom terminal in Singapore.

Once you have cleared customs in Singapore exit to the bus stop and get on the Causeway Link bus. This time you will need to get on the correct bus number (CW1 for Kranji MRT Station or CW2 for Queen Street).

By now you have two more stamps in your passport and the bus will take you straight to Queen St bus terminal.

All up you will need to allow for around three hours from arriving at Johor Bahru Airport to arriving at Queen Street Terminal in Singapore.

Featured Travel Site: The Ultimate Thailand Explorers

2009-09-08T11:46:00.000+10:00

Tourism Authority of Thailand has taken a leaf out of Tourism Queenslands marketing book and have set up The Ultimate Thailand Explorers. Promote Thailand via social media and you could win cash and a trip to Thailand.

TAT is sending 5 couples to explore Thailand's top five destinations. To enter this competition upload your audition video on Youtube and complete an application form on the site.

ultimatethailandexplorer.com

Ubud Monkey Forest - Bali

2009-09-06T09:07:00.004+10:00

The Sacred Monkey Forest Ubud Sanctuary is a great place to see monkeys in a natural environment. The sanctuary is south of the town at the end of the Monkey Forest Rd (Jl Wanara Wana).

The sanctuary is set in a lush forest with temples, stone statues and hundreds of monkeys (Long-tailed Macaque, or Crab-eating Macaque as they are properly known).

The monkeys are so accustomed to humans thats they generally ignore you when you walk by. The best way to get up close to the monkeys is with bananas, which are sold at the entry gate.

The monkeys are not shy in accepting bananas and they will go for your bag if they think you are hiding bananas from them. Make sure you are holding onto anything loose as they may take off with that as well.

Sacred Monkey Forest Ubud Sanctuary

Travel Photo: Kek Lok Si Temple Pagoda, Air Itam, Penang - Malaysia

2009-09-04T10:05:00.002+10:00

Location: Air Itam, Penang - Malaysia
Photo: Kek Lok Si Temple Pagoda

Kek Lok Si Temple Pagoda in Air Itam, Penang - Malaysia.

Travel Photo Gallery: Air Itam Photo Gallery