Asia Travel || Laos

TRAVEL LEISURE TOURS HOTELS RESORTS LAOS Map of Laos Laos Visa Requirement LAOS AT A GLANCE Official Name : State of LAO P.D.R. : Head of State : Head of Government : Official Language : Land Area : Population : Currency : GDP per Capita : Main Exports : Main Imports : Exports : Imports : Lao People's Democratic Republic People's Democratic State President Nouhak PHOUMSAVANH Minister Khamtay SIPHANDONE Lao 236,800 square kilometres 4,581,128 (1995) Kip US$350 (1994-1995) Electricity, timber and wood products, garments and texties, coffee, tin, Petroleum, machinery and raw materials, vehicles, cement, iron, fabrics US$209.40 (1994-1995) US$375.40 (1994-1995) The Lao People's Democratic Republic is located in South East Asia at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula between latitude 14-23 degrees north and longitude 100108 degrees east. Laos has an eastern border of 1,957 km with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a western border of 1,730 km with the Kingdom of Thailand, a southern border of 492 km with the Kingdom of Cambodia a northern border of 416 km with the People's Republic of China and a North Western border of 230 km with the Union of Myanmar. Total area of Laos is 236,800 square kilometres, three quarters of which is mountainous and forest-covered 40 % while the country is rich in natural resources, such as mineral deposits, including 1 billion tons of high quality iron are between 60-70%, lead, gold, tin and 8200-8232 calorie/gram coal. Although the Lao P.D.R. has no direct access to the sea, it has the Mekong River which is the main river of the country flowing north to south. In addition, there are many branch rivers which nourish agriculture. Laos people use it as a power source which supplies hydro-electric of over 18,000 MW from 57 dams. The Population of the Lao P.D.R. is estimated at 4,581,128 (1995) and population density remains one of the lowest in the region at 19 persons per square kilometre with a population increase rate of 2.64 %. The Lao population is ethnically diverse with up to 68 different ethnic groups identified inhabiting the country, with various languages, cultures and traditions which are classified into three groups: The Lao Loam, who occupy the lowlands plains and the Mekong River valley, and constitute about 56% of the total population; the Lao Thing, who occupy the mountain slopes, comprising about 34% of the population, and the high mountain Lao, constituting about 9% of the total population, and one per cent foreigners. LAOS VISA REQUIREMENT - Request for Laos Visa Approval should be emailed to asiatrav@asiatravel.com giving the following informations: Family Name and Giving Name and Sex Nationaltiy Passport Number - Date of Issued & Expiry Date of Birth Occupation Date of Arrival ** It takes another 2 working days to obtain Lao visa aproval Ater getting the Laos Visa Approval, travellers have to obtain Lao Visa Stamp at the Lao Embassy in their own country or in Bangkok with the following documents: 2 Visa Application Form (Photocopy accepted) 2 photos Original Passport **It takes another 2 working days to obtain Lao visa stamp FOR TRAVELLERS WHO WISH TO OBTAIN LAO VISA ONLY The Arrangement fees is US$95 HOW TO REACH LAO PDR One can arrive in Vientiane either by air or by land BY AIR - From Bangkok, Hanoi or Phnompenh to Vientiane BY TRAIN - From Bangkok to Nongkai **Train from Bangkok to Nongkai travels at night berth. Upon arrival at Nongkai in the morning, you will have to take taxi or rickshaw to Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge and cross the border. The guide will wait for you after Lao Immigration to transfer you to Vientiane. Asia Travel || Laos Hotels & Resorts

Japan Travel

Japan Travel Information | Lonely Planet Destination Guide worldguide | shop | thorn tree forum | travel services | travel ticker | theme guides | on the road | postcards | travel links : Explore Japan Japan Hyperbolic, kitty-cute, switched-on, serene. At a Glance Fast Facts WORLDGUIDE Introduction Background Info See Image Gallery Events Transport Money General RELATED Thorn Tree Forum Postcards Travel Links More Places Check out our other destinations: Within Japan Kyoto Nagoya Osaka Sapporo Tokyo View Map Click here Feature Attraction Mt Fuji Japan's highest mountain stands 3776m (12388ft) high. When it's capped with snow, it's a picture-postcard perfect volcanic cone. Fuji-san last blew in ... more Whether you end up taking photos of a reproduction Eiffel Tower, surfing an indoor wave, musing in a Zen temple, shacking up in a love hotel or kipping down in a capsule, you'll do best to come with an open mind and be prepared to be surprised. Somewhere between the elegant formality of Japanese manners and the candid, sometimes boisterous exchanges that take place over a few drinks, between the sanitised shopping malls and the unexpected rural festivals, everyone finds their own vision of Japan. When To Go Spring (March to May), with its clear skies and cherry blossoms, is probably the most celebrated Japanese season, but it's a holiday period for the Japanese and many of the more popular travel destinations tend to be flooded with domestic tourists. Autumn (September to November) is a great time to travel: the temperatures are pleasant, and the autumn colours in the countryside are fantastic. Mid-winter (December to February) can be bitterly cold, while the sticky summer months (June to August) can turn even the briefest excursion out of the air conditioning into a soup bath; on the plus side, major tourist attractions will generally be quieter at these times of the year. It's also worth considering peak holiday seasons when you plan your trip. Moving around and finding accommodation during New Year, Golden Week (late April to early May) and the midsummer O-Bon festival can be a real headache. Factoid Inking the King Japanese tattooing ( irezumi ) is often considered the world's best. The practice was banned under the Emperor Meiji, but revived after Prince George (later King George V) was tattooed, in 1881, by master tattooist Hori Chyo. SPONSORED LINKS Enquire Accomodation Reviews Find Lonely Planet author reviewed places to stay * Required Fields Country * Please select Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada China Cuba Czech Republic Denmark Egypt England Estonia Finland France Germany Hungary Iceland India Ireland Israel & the Palestinian Territories Italy Japan Malaysia Mexico Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Poland Portugal Russia Scotland South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Taiwan Thailand Turkey USA United Arab Emirates Vietnam City * Please select Travel Services · Flights · Hostels · Hotels · Travel Insurance More Services › Disclaimer: We've tried to make theinformation on this web site as accurate as possible, but it isprovided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injuryor inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information.You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety,customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before youtravel. text & images © lonely planet 2005 about us | privacy | feedback | advertising FAQs worldguide | shop | thorn tree forum | travel services | travel ticker | theme guides | on the road | postcards | travel links

Vacation Package

Apple Vacations: air and hotel vacation packages to the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Bahamas and Bermuda Punta Cana La Romana Puerto Plata Bermuda Aruba Jamaica Grand Cayman St. Croix Curacao Sint Maarten/Saint Martin More... Cancun - Riviera Maya Puerto Vallarta Cozumel Acapulco Los Cabos Huatulco Ixtapa-Zihuatenejo Loreto Manzanillo Mazatlan Nassau Grand Bahama Hawaii-Maui Hawaii-Oahu Hawaii-The Big Island Hawaii-Kauai Hawaii-Lanai Hawaii-Molokai Costa Rica/Guanacaste California Canada Colorado Utah Vermont Wyoming London Paris Rome Madrid -- -- Cancun Iberostar Paraiso del Mar 3-nights, including air from $989.99 Gran Bahia Principe Tulum 3-nights, including air from $929.99 Punta Cana Sunscape The Beach Punta Cana 3-nights, including air from $969.99 -- See specials for the month of: - Select month, year - December, 2005 January, 2006 February, 2006 March, 2006 April, 2006 May, 2006 June, 2006 July, 2006 August, 2006 See specials from your airport: - Select an airport - Atlanta Baltimore Boston Buffalo, New York Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport Charlotte Chicago Midway Chicago O'Hare Cincinnati Cleveland Columbia, SC Columbus (CMH) Columbus (LCK) Dallas Fort Worth Denver Detroit Fort Lauderdale Hartford John Wayne Airport Kansas City Los Angeles Louisville, KY McCarrenan International Airport (LAS) Memphis Miami Milwaukee Minneapolis Nashville New Orleans New York City (JFK) New York City (La Guardia) Newark Norfolk International Airport Oakland International Ontario International Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Portland Raleigh Durham Reno-Cannon International Airport Richmond Rockford, IL Ronald Reagan International Airport Sacramento Salt Lake City San Antonio San Diego San Francisco San Jose Seattle St. Louis Tampa Washington DC (Dulles) From: - Select a departure city - Albany, GA Albany, NY Albuquerque, NM Allentown, PA Anchorage, AK Appleton, WI Asheville, NC Athens, GA Atlanta, GA Atlantic City, NJ Augusta, GA Austin, TX Balti-Wash Int'l, MD Bangor, ME Bar Harbor, ME Baton Rouge, LA Billings, MT Binghamton, NY Birmingham, AL Bloomington, IN Boston, MA Bozeman, MT Branson/Springfield, MO Brunswick, GA Buffalo, NY Burlington, VT Butte, MT Champaign, IL Charleston, WV Charlotte, NC Charlottesville, VA Chattanooga, TN Chicago, Midway, IL Chicago, O'Hare Int'l, IL Cincinnati, OH Cleveland, OH Colorado Springs, CO Columbia, SC Columbus - Rickenbacker, OH Columbus, GA Columbus, MS Columbus, OH Corpus Christi, TX Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX Daytona Beach, FL Denver, CO Des Moines, IA Detroit, MI Dulles Int'l, VA Elmira Corning, NY Erie, PA Eugene, OR Evansville, IN Fairbanks, AK Fayetteville, NC Flint, MI Florence, SC Fort Myers, FL Franklin, PA Ft. Lauderdale, FL Grand Junction, CO Grand Rapids, MI Great Falls, MT Greensboro, NC Greenville-Spartanburg Int'l, SC Gulport/Biloxi, MS Harrisburg Int'l, PA Hartford, CT Hayden, CO Helena, MT Hilton Head Is., SC Houston, Bush Int'l, TX Houston, W.P. Hobby, TX Huntington, WV Huntsville, AL Idaho Falls, ID Indianapolis, IN Islip, NY Jackson Hole, WY Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville, NC Jamestown, NY Juneau, AK Kalispell Glcr Pk, MT Kansas City Int'l, MO Kansas Municipal Airport, MO Ketchikan, AK Key West, FL Klamath Falls, OR Knoxville, TN Lafayette, LA Las Vegas, NV Lewiston Clarks, ID Lexington, KY Liberty Int'l, Newark, NJ Little Rock, AR Los Angeles, CA Louisville, KY Lynchburg, VA Macon, GA Madison, WI Manchester, NH Medford, OR Melbourne, FL Memphis, TN Miami Int'l, FL Milwaukee, WI Minneapolis, MN Missoula, MT Monroe, LA Monterey, CA Montgomery, AL Morgantown, WV Nashville, TN New Bern, NC New Orleans, LA New York, NY - JFK Int'l New York, NY - La Guardia Newark, NJ Newburgh Stewart, NY Newport News, VA Norfolk, VA North Bend, OR NW Arkansas Regional, AR Oakland, CA OHare Int'l, Chicago, IL Oklahoma City, OK Omaha, NE Ontario, CA Orange County, CA Orlando, FL Oxnard, CA Paducah, KY Palm Beach Int'l, FL Palm Springs, CA Panama City, FL Pasco, WA Pendleton, OR Pensacola, FL Peoria, IL Philadelphia Int'l, PA Phoenix, AZ Pittsburgh Int'l, PA Pocatello, ID Portland, ME Portland, OR Providence, RI Pullman, WA Raleigh Durham, NC Rapid City, SD Reading, PA Reagan National Airport, VA Reno, NV Richmond, VA Roanoke, VA Rochester, NY Rockford, IL Sacramento Int'l, CA Salisbury, MD Salt Lake City, UT San Antonio, TX San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Santa Barbara, CA Sarasota, FL Savannah Int'l Airport, GA Seattle, WA Sioux Falls, SD Sitka, AK St. George, UT St. Louis, MO Steamboat Springs, CO Syracuse, NY Tallahassee, FL Tampa Bay, FL Toledo, OH Topeka, KS Traverse City, MI Tucson, AZ Tulsa, OK Vail, CO Valdosta, GA Walla Walla, WA Walton Beach, FL Westchester County, NY Whistler, Canada Wichita, KS Williamsport, PA Yakima, WA Youngstown, OH To: - Select a destination city - Acapulco Antigua Aruba Aspen, CO Banff / Lake Louise, Canada Barbados Belize Bermuda Bonaire Burlington, VT Cabo San Lucas Cancun - Hotel Zone Resorts Cancun - Riviera Maya Resorts Colorado Springs, CO Cozumel Curacao Denver, CO Eagle / Vail, CO Freeport Grand Cayman Grenada Guadelope Guanacaste, Costa Rica Hayden / Steamboat, CO Huatulco Ixtapa Jackson Hole, WY Jamaica - Braco Resorts Jamaica - Falmouth Resorts Jamaica - Montego Bay Resorts Jamaica - Negril Resorts Jamaica - Ocho Rios Resorts Jamaica - Runaway Bay Resorts La Romana London Gatwick London Heathrow Loreto Los Cabos Madrid Manzanillo Mazatlan Mexico City Nassau Negril Nevis Orlando, Fl Paris Puerto Plata, Domincan Rep. 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Taiwan Travel Guide Overview

Taiwan Travel Tips and Advice | iExplore.com FORBES' #1 ADVENTURE TRAVEL SITE 5 YEARS IN A ROW — TIME MAGAZINE TOP 50 Keyword Search: -- Home Trip Finder Travel Guides Community Special Offers Store My iExplore advertisement -- Home Travel Guides Far East Taiwan Do's and Don'ts Taiwan Travel Guide Overview Tours Where to Go Activities General Info History Weather Travel Tips Dining Shopping Visa & Health View Trips to Taiwan Far East Overview Browse Taiwan Photos Taiwan Questions and Answers Read Taiwan Journals Find a Taiwan Travel Buddy Taiwan Travel Tips & Advice Social Conventions Handshaking is common. Casual wear is widely acceptable. Ancient festivals and customs are celebrated enthusiastically and traditional holidays are important. Entertainment is usually offered in restaurants, not at home. Visitors are not expected to entertain. Chinese culture in the form of drama, opera and art is very strong. Despite rapid industrialization and development, the way of life is very much Chinese, steeped in tradition and old values. Tipping Tipping is not an established custom, although it is on the increase. Taipei hotels and restaurants add 10 per cent service charge and extra tipping is not expected. It is not customary to tip taxi drivers. The standard tip for porters is NT$50 per piece of luggage. International Travel: Travel warning Earthquakes (mostly minor) occur regularly and typhoons and tropical storms are a risk: visitors are advised to learn about emergency procedures for such events on arrival. Air The national airline is China Airlines (CI) (website: www.china-airlines.com ). EVA Airways (BR) offers flights to destinations throughout Asia (excluding China, PR), Australia, Europe, New Zealand and North America. Other airlines serving Taiwan include British Asia Airways , Continental Airlines , Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways . Approximate flight times From Taipei to London is approximately 15 hours including a stop in Hong Kong. International airports Chiang Kai-shek-Taipei (TPE) is 40km (25 miles) south of the city (travel time - 30 minutes). Airport facilities include an outgoing duty free shop, post office, car hire, bank/bureau de change, bar/restaurant and tourist information. Buses depart every 15 to 20 minutes for both Sung Shan (domestic) airport and the main railway station. Taxis and buses are available to the city center. Kaohsiung International (KHH) (website: www.kia.gov.tw ) is 9km (4 miles) from the town center. Airport facilities include an outgoing duty free shop, car hire, bank/bureau de change, post office and bar/ restaurant. A regular bus service is available (travel time - 30 minutes). There is a taxi service to the town. Departure tax None. Sea Ferries run regularly between Keelung and Kaohsiung ports (Taiwan) and Okinawa (Japan). There are also sea links between Kaosiung and Macau. Duty-Free The following items may be imported by persons over 20 years of age without incurring customs duty: 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 454g of tobacco ; 1 bottle (not more than 1l) of alcoholic beverage ; reasonable quantities of perfume ; other goods for personal use up to the value of NT$20 , 000 (NT$10 , 000 for passengers under 20 years of age) . Prohibited items Narcotics, arms, ammunition, gambling articles, non-canned meat products, fresh fruit and toy pistols. Publications promoting communism are prohibited, as are items originating in Albania, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China (PR), Cuba, Korea (Dem Rep), Laos, Romania, Vietnam and members of the CIS. All baggage must be itemised and declared in writing. Internal Travel: Air Far Eastern Air Transport , Mandarin Airlines , Transasia Airways and Uni Air are amongst the domestic airlines that run services to local destinations from Sung Shan Airport, Taipei. Sea There are reasonable connections from local ports. For details, contact port authorities. Rail Services are provided to destinations all over the island by the Taiwan Railway Administration (website: www.railway.gov.tw ). The main tourist routes are Taipei-Taichung-Chiayi-Tainan-Kaohsiung (a top-class service), Taipei-Taichung-Sun Moon Lake (with the last leg of the journey by bus), Chiayi-Alishan (with spectacular mountain scenery) and Taipei-New Hualian-Taitung (scenic coastal route). Air-conditioned electric trains run at least hourly from Taipei to Kaohsiung; some trains have restaurant cars. Children under three travel free; children aged three to 13 pay half fare. Train tickets can be purchased at many major hotels in Taipei, as well as at the main railway station. Road Traffic drives on the right. There is an adequate road system joining all major cities. A highway links Taipei and Kaohsiung. Some main streets have English signs. Congestion can be a problem, and mudslides may block mountain roads. Bus: There are both local and long-distance bus and coach services. Taxi: These are plentiful and inexpensive (metered). The destination may have to be written in Chinese for the driver. Car hire: This is available in major towns. Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required. Urban A number of private bus companies provide extensive services in Taipei. An unfinished Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system, a monorail train, serves Taipei and its suburbs. Metered taxis are available in Taipei; tipping is not expected, but it is starting to come into practice. TRAVEL TIMES The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Taipei to other major cities/towns: Air Road Rail Kaohsiung 0.40 5.30 4.40 Tainan 0.40 4.30 4.10 Taichung 0.30 2.30 2.30 Hualien 0.30 7.00 3.00 Taitung 0.50 10.00 5.30 Sun Moon L. - 4.30 - Alishan - 6.00 - Kenting - 6.30 - Makung 0.40 - - Sponsored Listings ( Add your listing ) advertisement Advertisement -- advertisement Why iExplore? About Us Advertise Site Map Privacy Policy Travel Agents Contact Us © 2005 Adventure Travel with iExplore --

Mexico Travel Database on

An Interactive Mexico Travel Information Resource An Interactive Mexico Travel Information Resource Travel Value Packages Lodging Reservations What's New General Info Guest Book Talk to us Access Data by: Click on map to access our Map Section Features Travel Offers Hoteles Camino Real City More Mexico for Less State Apple Vacations Region Mazatlan Carnival Activity (Golf, etc) Day of the Dead Feasts Hotel Chain Cooking Classes Airline Service Copper Canyon Tours Villas Cozumel Honeymoons Trailer/RV Parks Hussong's Chili Cook-off Bed & Breakfasts List Your Business Boutique Hotels Tell a Friend Destination Services Privacy Statement Based on informationcontained in the Mexico Travel Database on December 13, 2005. Disclaimer: Data contained herein has been compiled from several sources including local hotel association directories. While we have made every attempt to verify information, we do not guarantee its accuracy. TIMS - Tony Perez Communications - 2003 All rights reserved. Individual users are welcome to print pages within this site to assist in planning trips to Mexico. Otherwise, content within this website may not be archived, saved in a database, or used for any commercial purpose without the express written permission of the Publisher . External links -- options Our Book and CD Recommendations The Know & Enjoy Mexico site has welcomed visitors today (since midnight Central Time) and more than 20 million visitors since July 1, 1997. Powered by Sanbachs Firestorm