JOTMAN TRAVEL

Earthquake Damage to Washington Monument?

2011-08-24T12:15:00.000+07:00

They closed the Lincoln Memorial. Photo by Jotman. Aug 23/11 Standing 169 meters, the Washington Monument is the tallest stone structure in the world. The scariest place in the world on Tuesday Aug 23 at 1:51pm was the undoubtedly the...

Is the 2010 MacBook Air just an overpriced netbook?

2010-11-06T02:59:00.099+07:00

Having tested Apple's new ultralight MacBook Air for over a week, one and only one thing tempers Jotman’s enthusiasm for this beautiful new travel laptop. This 13" MacBook Air shows Lance Armstrong on the custom Stages bicycle designed by...

How to rent a felucca in Egypt

2010-08-26T06:23:00.007+07:00

View from Jotman's felucca on the Nile at Aswan. Photo by Jotman. Feluccas have been sailing the waters of the Mediterranean for hundreds of years. Today, one of the few places they still operate is the Nile. If you find yourself in Aswan, the...

Thai monkeys attack tourist

2010-06-18T02:47:00.005+07:00

Phuket Gazzete: PHUKET: -- A British woman with a life-long fear of monkeys was seriously injured by several primates while visiting Monkey Beach on Phi Phi Don Island on May 21.... Ms Darwell, whose father kept an “evil” chimpanzee that fostered...

Map of world's most touristy places

2010-05-25T03:05:00.002+07:00

Great places-to-avoid heatmap using distribution of photos on Panoramio. By BlueMoon.ee (hat-tip EricScherer) : World map color-coded by level of touristiness, based on analysis of photos on Panoramio. Yellow ...

Occupancy rate on Bangkok's Khao San Road

2010-05-23T11:35:00.000+07:00

The Independent:Bangkok's night curfew has meant that even the city's notorious girly bars are boarded up at night, their neon lights dead. The few travellers who sit in Khao San's street-front bars, enjoying a cool beer in the hot afternoon,...

Does Thailand's government hate tourists?

2010-04-15T02:45:00.000+07:00

After Saturday's blood bath, the question begs to be asked.

Video of foreigner getting shot during battle on Bangkok's Khao San Road

2010-04-13T23:10:00.014+07:00

The following video was shot by Florian Witulski, a 23-year-old student from Germany who has been living in Bangkok for the past two years. The video caption reads "Some footage of my coverage of the demonstration this evening 10/04/2010. In the...

Violence in Bangkok: Is Khao San Road safe for tourists?

2010-04-11T01:57:00.018+07:00

UPDATE I For up-to date information about the situation in Bangkok, see my current events blog. UPDATE II Andrew Walker of New Mandala: There were more shrines and pools of blood at the entry to the haven of bohemians the world over, Khao San...

Airline charges passengers for use of overhead compartment

2010-04-07T02:33:00.001+07:00

CNN: Spirit Airlines announced Tuesday that it will charge its customers $20 to $45 for items they place in the overhead bins. Each passenger will still able to bring one personal item that fits under a seat for free, such as a purse,...

Drug resistant malaria in Thailand

2010-04-04T10:35:00.000+07:00

Medics on the Thai-Burma border are reporting incidences of a scary new drug-resistant strain of malaria. More here.

Air France: Obese passengers must now pay for two seats

2010-04-04T10:13:00.003+07:00

In response to an investigation into a crash landing in which Air France staff struggled to free a fat passenger from a seat while the jet burned, Air France has announced that obese passengers must pay for an extra seat. Purchase of a second seat...

Bali rabies epidemic

2010-03-25T00:44:00.008+07:00

"Once the signs and symptoms of rabies start to appear, there is no treatment and the disease is almost always fatal." - World Health OrganizationBites from stray dogs have recently led to the death of many people in Bali. Bali Discovery...

Why tourists who buy fake art suck

2010-03-20T01:03:00.003+07:00

I am thinking about conversations I have had with a number of artists based in different regions of Southeast Asia. It seems to me the big problem, anywhere you go -- from Bangkok to Bali -- is that most Westerners do not buy art thoughtfully....

Is it safe to visit Bangkok during the red shirt prostests?

2010-03-16T05:08:00.004+07:00

UPDATE: April 10, 2010. See this post.

Cambodia: scary new strain of malaria

2010-03-07T16:44:00.001+07:00

Reuters: Pailin is the epicenter of strains of malaria that have baffled healthcare experts worldwide, raising fears a dangerous new form of malaria could already be spreading across the globe. "The fear is what we're observing right now could be...

Killer rogue wave hits Louis Majesty

2010-03-04T13:48:00.009+07:00

About reports that a "26-foot rogue wave hit the Cyprus-based cruise ship the Louis Majesty today while the ship was sailing near the French Mediterranean port of Marseilles. Two passengers were killed and six others were injured. The Louis Majesty,...

Fake bomb detectors

2010-01-28T11:50:00.002+07:00

Travelers have been given a false sense of security. Bomb detector wands are a scam. Although Iraq and the UK have banned the devices, Thailand's Prime Minister and Army Chief are in denial. The fraudulent bomb detector devices have been used...

Running in old Bangkok

2010-01-21T03:58:00.010+07:00

Camera in hand, dodging security guards, I made my way down the streets of old Bangkok, passing the Royal palace, flags, angry protesters, and cheering crowds. I waved at a princess. It was April 19, 2008.

Five packing tips for how avoid new checked baggage fees

2010-01-14T04:55:00.019+07:00

WSJ reports: United Airlines on Wednesday said it will raise its check-on baggage fees to match those at US Airways (LCC), Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Continental Airlines (CAL). A unit of UAL Corp. (UAUA), United will raised the fee for the first...

Cats of Alexandria, Part II

2010-01-08T06:26:00.010+07:00

Pharos Cat Pharos Cat stares at Fort Qaitbey which was built on the site of the Pharos, Alexandria's 125 meter-tall lighthouse. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Pharos remained the world's second tallest structure (after the...

Spectacular view flying out of America's best airport

2009-12-26T15:06:00.010+07:00

I took this photo from the window of my United Airlines 757 as it took off from Reagan National Airport in Washington DC. The airport has a well-deserved reputation as being one of the most efficient airports in the country. In fact, it was...

The Cats of Alexandria

2009-12-12T16:49:00.003+07:00

Cat Men Wall Cats Camo Cat

ping pong peng

2009-11-20T08:50:00.004+07:00

It's the best German beer commercial ever:

Are airlines' carbon offsets pointless?

2009-11-18T12:40:00.005+07:00

I blogged about why "Ecologically misaligned market incentives have squeezed our bodies and forced us all to hurry quite needlessly -- even on holiday!!"