Visiting Kampong Ayer in Brunei

By Jonny Blair

Well you've heard the phrase "The Venice of Asia" a lot of times, you might even have read about it twice on my blog when I visited Tai O (Hong Kong's Venice) and Pingjianglu in Suzhou (China's Venice). A lot of places get given this Venice of Asia moniker and today it's all about Kampong Ayer in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

How can you find Kampong Ayer, Bandar Seri Begawan

Once you're in Bandar Seri Begawan head down to the waterfront area and you will gaze across at Kampong Ayer. You'll be approached by guys on boats calling you over asking if you want a boat, which you do. Just tell them you are going to Kampong Ayer across the water and hop in. It's that easy!

What price does it cost to get to Kampong Ayer?

To get to Kampong Ayer you pay $1 Brunei Dollar for a single journey - so that's a total of $2 Brunei Dollars return. But you pay it each time. You just pay the guy on the boat in cash each time - there is no need to book anything or get tickets. It's a very easy process.

What is there to do at Kampong Ayer?

It's a completely free tourist attraction which is great so you just walk around at your leisure taking it all in. There is no set route and you can really do as you please. Here is my list of things to see and do there.

1. The Houses - The Houses on Kampong Ayer are fantastic. They are all built on water and are a work of art in themselves. You can walk all around admiring them and taking photos. They are a range of colours and sizes and if you're lucky you might be able to get into a house by asking a local.

2. The Mosques - Being a staunch Muslim State, Mosques are what you will see a lot. Kampong Ayer has at least two Mosques, both floating on water making them an excellent attraction.

3. Get to know the locals - the people of Kampong Ayer are approachable and friendly. They will stop and have a chat and join you for photos.

4. Sweet Shop - There is a magnificent old style sweet shop on Kampong Ayer. This is a great chance to pretend you are young again and buy some tooth destroying candy and sweets!

I grew up in Bangor in the 1980s and when I was a kid, every week my Mum and Dad would take me to the local newsagents for a "10p mix" - basically loads of sweets in a bag. Bad for your teeth I know but I used to love it. That childhood trait has continued into adulthood, and aged 33 I took great joy in paying less than a pound for a load of sweets here!

It also helps with the local economy if you buy something as the entrance to Kampong Ayer is free.

5. Strolling around - You should just take some time out to walk around the area of Kampong Ayer. It's very picturesque and you'll be in for a surprise at how amazing this village on water really is.

So that is my top 5 for Kampong Ayer in Bandar Seri Begawan. It is a great place and lives up to it's "Venice of the East" moniker. You will enjoy it and it's cheap. After you've seen Kampong Ayer, head back to the main part of Bandar Seri Begawan where you can explore the rest of Brunei.

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Make Bintan Islands your first choice for holidays

By Collier George

Among the great holiday destinations, the name of Bintan Islands is perhaps one which everyone will remember for a number of reasons. Tourists come here for snorkeling, scuba diving and water skiing. People come to this place for relaxing on the beach or just sunbathing. Trikora group of beaches are grouped towards Bintan's eastern side. Tourists reach the place by travelling along the road past Teluk Kawal a good sized fishing locality and then goes through the small sized village Kangka Kawal.

The people come here to admire the rich diversity in marine life as also to indulge in the water sports. Several varieties of snails, oysters, squids and sea turtles are found here. People get to see green turtles or even dolphins by just being there. Tourists come to Bintan Islands for the exciting experience of filming documentaries and getting a look at the diverse flora which is present in the waters. Tourists otherwise indulge in showcasing their talents on the water or travel from island to island by boats specially arranged for them by tour organizers.

It is indeed pleasant for the person who goes island hopping to visit the clusters of islands. It is common to find that many of the sites where the tourists go are culture sites. After scuba-diving and visiting market places, the tourists look to the buildings that reflect the past. The sulfur-colored-mosque is well known in Tanjung Penang. The domes along with the minarets are yellow in color and the structure is constructed using the egg-white mortar.

The island chain of Riau has its capital at the city of Tanjung Penang. One part of this island cluster is Bintan. It is ideally placed near Singapore and gives the Singaporeans the chance to relax and have fun. One need not worry about littering and smoking at any place. Shopping is plentiful and the prices are quite cheap. They are conducting a survey of the Raja Fisabilillah-Monument with an idea of including it with the list of those world monuments that have enormous universal value.

Vacationing in Bintan islands is a dream-come-true since there are plenty of spas, historic temples, beaches for sunbathing and golf courses where one could unwind. The Bandar Telani-Bentam ferry on the northern side is best for the passengers who are from Singapore. It is at Batam that one will find the airport; then one could traverse the expansive waterways with the help of boats to places such as Bintan Resorts. The climate is very tropical kind and has two distinct monsoons. The typical monsoon begins in November and goes on till March and the second one begins in June and lasts till October.

The China-India trade route which passes close to the Bintan Islands makes them important as a stopover point. Electricity generated using generators and drinking water is supplied by the resorts to the local people. Among the main tourist attraction is another time, the wildlife such as eagles, silver-leaf monkey, hawksbill, kites and sunbirds. Sea turtles find this place attractive and only one of the seven existing varieties can be found at a different place worldwide.

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Targeting Your Customers For Amazing Resort Business Marketing Success

By Carl Louise

You want to push your resort to continued growth when you are trying to have a successful vacation and wellness accommodations business. This means that you will have to invest in new methods. You want the operation methods and ideas to be creative in order to achieve these goals. Use this expert advice if you want to make your business thrive.

Advertising in multiple ways and methods is far more effective than putting all your money on a single campaign. If you're seeking something new, consider window clings with the resort logo on them. People still use those and that's not even a problem really, as long as they see your brand one way or another.

If you don't like winning prizes, you might not be alive. It's complicated to find someone who will honestly say he or she doesn't like a good raffle and that's good news for you; what better place to advertise than at a populated raffle? Folks have to stick around for their prizes anyhow, broadcast while they're near.

Never let someone other than you make an important decision. Important decisions can have a huge impact on your vacation and wellness accommodations business, so do not trust anyone else to make them. You are the only one who knows your business well enough to be able to make such big choices.

You must focus on the positives of your products /services on offer. Always be fair in connection to advertising the positives. When you advertise the products or services, keep the positives in front, and ensure you convey the message in a serene way.

If you are constantly late on your deadlines, no one will want to work with you. When a client picks you to perform a task for them, they expect that you will be able to do it in the time that you discuss. If you fail to do so, the client will be extremely disappointed and will not likely work with your vacation and wellness accommodations business again.

While any vacation and wellness accommodations business allows you the freedom to innovate and create your own benchmark, it does not allow you to relax. Optimism in fact is not a trait for businessmen to be proud of because it invariably makes you relax and take things as they come. You need to be pro-active and create quick solutions to get over difficulties.

Commercials are just a natural part of television, people just accept them. For this reason it is a bad idea to take advantage of television advertising because it is such an easy and innovative way to reveal your product or service to millions of people.

Introduce a stamp card or points program. Give consumers points or stamps as they shop and purchase items. Create a variety of reward options containing resort branded gifts and discounts. You can also offer points to customers who just stop in at the store as they will be more likely to buy even if they don't plan on it.

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The Best Technique To Promote Your Resort Business

By Billy Maso

Resort Businesses require time and effort to come in to being. They also need investment. And once you're off the ground, you need to keep your eyes on the budget if you're going to be able to smartly grow to where you need to be. Here are come helpful tips compiled to help you grow your vacation and wellness accommodations business while staying in the green.

Nothing should be more important to you as a vacation and wellness accommodations business owner than the quality of your products. Your products have to stand for themselves if you want customers to keep coming back to buy them. No matter how tight money might get, be sure to never sacrifice the quality of your products.

The main source of information today is the internet. Most people use it to look up vacation and wellness accommodations businesses and reviews. Have a quality site designed because it is an invaluable way to pull in new business and allow current customers to see what's new.

More and more internet users have moved to their smart phones as a way to access the web. If you want to attract these millions of people, creating a mobile website can be a great way. Mobile sites are easy to make and can attract many more customers to visit your vacation and wellness accommodations business.

You want your products to speak for the quality of your resort. Superior products will draw in customers and cause them to recommend them to their friends. This will lead your vacation and wellness accommodations business to success.

Sometimes you need to say the word "no" to people. If you constantly tell people yes to things, you will run out of money completely and go out of vacation and wellness accommodations business. You need to be discerning in order to be successful at business.

Without advertising yourself, you will not be able to reach a large amount of customers. Create a plan for how you want to market yourself. This strategy will help you to direct your marketing towards your target demographic and draw in lots of the types of customers you want.

A vacation and wellness accommodations business "line of credit" will help your business manage cash between sales. Most banks offer a line of credit. These are based on assets, similar to a loan. You can get an unsecured line of credit based on earning, projected receivables, or multiple sources of repayment. Your banker will help in telling if a line of credit is ideal for your travel accommodations business.

The urge to give up is human nature, but you must learn to never give into it. Instead, you should become more motivated to push harder in order to get your vacation and wellness accommodations business to succeed. Remember the love that you have for your business and the work that has gone into it and you can get it back on track.

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Killer Tips On How To Create And Operate A Growing Resort Business

By Jeff Howard

It might seem unreal to be able to make lots of money doing something you have passion for, but owning your own vacation and wellness accommodations business can make that a reality. If you create a plan that lays out where you want your business to go, you will have no problem becoming a success. The tips in this article can help you get started.

If you want to attract more people to check out your online presence, make sure you are linking to it frequently! When you chat with people online, give a link to your vacation and wellness accommodations business's website so that they can check it out. Who knows? You might make a few new customers this way.

It is very important to have some separation between your personal and your vacation and wellness accommodations business life. Too many relationships have come to a tragic end when one partner became too involved with his or her business and began neglecting of the needs of family and friends.

Personal relationships can really affect your vacation and wellness accommodations business's standing. If you are hanging out with people that do not have any confidence in you or your business, you will start to lose confidence, as well. Make sure that the people that you associate yourself with are kind and have faith in you.

Without the support of loyal customers, your vacation and wellness accommodations business cannot succeed. If your customers are not satisfied with your business, they will not come back. Keeping your customers satisfied will ensure that they will keep coming back and supporting your travel accommodations business. That way, you can make a lot of profits!

Nepotism has no place in your vacation and wellness accommodations business. Never play favorites and always be fair when it comes to employee treatment. This will help you reach all of your goals and more.

Having your site for a vacation and wellness accommodations business needs to be search engine optimized. Search engine optimization can mean the difference between being seen on the Internet and not being seen. Search Yahoo for SEO techniques and start improving your Web site today.

You should investigate options for employing a hosted solution for handling the shopping cart on your website. There are a variety of companies that provide these hosted solutions. They regularly offer attractive themes for your site and add stylish presentation pages. The better your site looks, the more simple it is to sell more products.

Utilize sites that focus on guiding you connect with other persons. Whether this is possible partners, clients, or just people with friendly advice. Any kind of vacation and wellness accommodations business relation that you can build online will open new doors for your business, and new opportunities for profit.

Social skills might seem insignificant for vacation and wellness accommodations business owners, but they can really make a big difference. How you talk to customers and suppliers on the phone will affect how they perceive you as a business. If you do not have the phone conversation skill mastered, it is something worth practicing.

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Awesome Advertising Strategy For Your Wine Tour Business

By Arthur Crown

It is very easy to get distracted and psyche yourself out with frivolous things, but try not to succumb to intimidation. Keep yourself focused and concentrate only on marketing and development. The good news is that there are several ways to expand and grow your wine tour service business; ways that are actually quite simple.

Sometimes, being controversial is the way to go. Nothing strikes up free PR for your wine tour service business faster than saying something in the mainstream media that goes against the grain. Just remember to maintain your professionalism and avoid any insults.

Cost containment is essential to turning, and then maximizing, profit. Be creative and proactive in searching ways to keep costs low. Lower production cost can also enable lower ultimate costs to the customer, providing much needed flexibility to wine tour service businesses seeking to increase sales.

Don't expand too soon when you start a new wine tour service business venture. If you open a new pizzeria, wait until all the hype dies down before deciding whether or not to expand your business. Unsuccessfully, the hype surrounding new businesses can't and won't last forever.

Making the jump to bring your wine tour service business onto the internet is a big step. You have to decide how far you want to go. You can stop at a simple webpage, or you can add an online forum or even an online store! Do some research about what types of online integration work best for your particular industry.

Advertisements are great for bringing in customers, but you have to make sure that you are getting the most out of the limited space you have. Make sure that you put your contact information and the links to your website on any of your advertisements so that customers can find out more information about you.

Many customers are nervous around salespeople that push products too strongly. Pushy salespeople can cause customers to avoid your stores altogether, even if they are a fan of your products. Make sure that your salespeople are polite to customers and never try to force them to buy something that they are not interested in.

If you have a great wine tour service business, you can submit a rule or two. You won't get fined if you stick a few posters on the walls while having sales or discount offers. People will rush in to your departmental stores as soon as they hear about the increased sales.

Reward systems for consumer loyalty can sometimes be the difference in one person visiting your wine tour service business or visiting the competition. Consider adding a reward process to grow your business. You don't have to give them the moon, but find some value addition that is cost-effective, yet attracting the consumer.

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Best Ways To Raise Funds For Your Dream Holiday

By Markus Bichler

Travelling is the greatest thing ever! Having the ability to discover the world, break free and check out the most awesome places across the world is exactly what makes live most interesting.

Nevertheless, at times funding your trip can be tough, whether you're about to go overseas for a week or for months getting the capital to do this can be difficult. Find out more about the six most inventive ways we have found to fund your holiday:

Tip 1: Piggybank it up

Avoid unnecessary daily expenses like drinks out and eat at home more frequently. If you put aside a few bucks each week into a piggybank or a savings account you will be surprised on how much you will end up with.

Tip 2: Go on a vocation: study a skill and get sponsored for it

If you work on your language skills overseas you may be more likely to persuade family members to sponsor your trip. You could do an internship abroad or study a foreign language. This is not only lots of fun but also an awesome reason to ask for financial assistance considering it's for your own growth.

Tip 3: Get scholarships for doing work experience abroad

If you happen to be a EU resident you could get around 1000 Euro every month as a travel subsidy for doing an internship if its relevant to your profession or consistent with your previous education. Look for specialists at universities or employment consultants and you'll be pleasantly surprised on how many scholarship grants you will be able to sign up for. If you're a student you could obtain a student loan to finance your trip.

Tip 4: Work as a travel writer

As a travel writer you will be sent to the greatest places on earth and you will get paid for doing it. How great is that? Obviously you will start small at the beginning. Ask your local newspaper if they need an article about your destination or check with a local travel agency if they need someone to explore or review a destination for them. A great option is to do a travel writing internship with a specialist such as www.Traveledventures.com.

Tip 5: Become a travel photographer and sell holiday snaps on Stockphoto's sites

Travel agencies, tour operators and many other marketing organizations are constantly hunting for awesome shots of great places around the globe. Photos of sights, interesting buildings, waterfalls, natural wonders or beautiful countryside are attractive money makers and companies are happy to pay for them.

Tip 6: Go shopping abroad for family and friends while overseas

In your holiday destination you will find various special things that are less expensive than in your country. Create a shopping list for friends and family and purchase things for them overseas. Charge a small shipping fee for designer clothes, bags, shoes, furniture, special drinks or cigarettes and many more. Make sure your friends and relatives explain what they want and keep in contact with friends via social media to show them the products you are about to buy. Travelling is exciting and following these tips will give you great chance to make your travel dreams come true.

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When The Time Comes To Get A 15 Passenger Van Rental Bay Area Car Rental Companies Are Ready To Serve You

By Michelle Howe

When a large group of people go on a trip somewhere, they will stop at a car rental company for their visit. Many times, this large group has to rent multiple vehicles to get around. Luckily for them, there are 15 passenger van rental bay area companies can offer them. This will allow everyone to enjoy their visit together.

Vehicles that can seat 15 passengers is rare. Even if we are talking about a van or a SUV, chances are that it cannot hold that many people in it. With vans, the wide variety of choices make it possible. Vans come in a variety of choices that can hold up to 15 people. It is very pleasant for a family or group of friends when they can all be in the same vehicle together. Everyone can talk to each other, and they can all experience the same exact experiences during their visit.

The rental companies who rent these vans usually have a difficult time keeping them in stock due to the popularity of them. Because of this, it is vital that a person who wants to rent these make a reservation well ahead of time. This will guarantee that they will have the van sitting there waiting for them when they go to pick it up.

Some people are under the impression that they can just walk up one day and request on of these vans. Don't make this mistake as the chances of that happening are greatly against you. When the 15 passenger van is not there for you, the only choice that you will have is renting two or three vehicles to accommodate everyone. This can really hit the bank account pretty hard.

The 15 passenger vans are very nice and offer many accommodations for the driver and passengers. They frequently have swing out doors and tinted windows to keep everyone nice and cool. When you pick up the van, it is guaranteed to be clean and offer you all of the comfort that you need. You will also be safe as they are mechanically inspected before they are rented out. There is never nay need for you to worry about breaking down.

Large family gatherings are usually the reason that people rent a 15 passenger van. Sometimes, even churches who go on a missionary will find the vans useful. Others who find them useful are schools that go on field trips and those who are on corporate events.

These vans are available at almost every reputable car rental business. It would be a big mistake for them not to offer these vans to their customers. Many companies offer a wide choice of colors for customers to choose from. If renting more than one van, you can match colors for easy recognition.

When you are in need of a 15 passenger van rental bay area companies will try their best to get you one. When you find out that they carry them, be sure to make that reservation for the date that you need it. It would be a good idea to call around to get the best possible price.

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How To Save Money Through Miami Sightseeing Tours

By Michelle Howe

Miami is well-known all across the world as being one of the biggest tourist destinations. Naturally gifted with scenic beaches, sunny weather and bikini clad beach goers, it continues to attract more and more people from all parts of the world. Visiting a beautiful place like Miami does cost a lot of money and it may be necessary for you to put some money aside as you plan your trip. One good way to ease the burden of coming up with a budget is to hire a reliable company specializing in Miami sightseeing tours.

People who love being at the beach would definitely love staying in this tropical paradise. This is why Miami continues to attract tourist from everywhere with the promise of giving them a good time. This is why local tourist agencies are well-experienced in handling tourist, and a tourist shouldn't have a problem in dealing with these companies.

It is not difficult at all to find a company that can help you get around Miami. There are hundreds of sites on the Internet that are more than willing to be your guide and will make sure you enjoy your visit.

Another problem people encounter when planning a sightseeing trip is knowing which places are worth visiting and which ones are not. Most travelers have a limited amount of time at an area, so their itinerary has to be planned where in it gives them enough time to move around as many different spots they can visit in that given amount of time.

One does not have to worry about planning out a trip if they hire the services of a sightseeing group. If time and know-how of planning a vacation is a problem for you, a travel group will take care of your needs by handling the places you want to go and managing the time you have in seeing them. Hiring professionals to take care of your travel will ensure you get the most out of your trip.

Setting a budget for your trip is another painstaking task. Fortunately, you won't have to worry about this at all when you go through a travel agency. You will be able to inquire about their rates and different packages being offered, and know how much money you should set aside when planning a visit to Miami.

Seasonal packages are also offered when you go through a travel agency, so knowing when the best time to visit is crucial if you want to save money going on a trip. This is almost impossible compared to planning a trip on your own. Looking at different company websites and comparing the rates is a great way of finding a killer deal.

There are so many advantages of hiring a tour company. Not only do you save money, but you also save yourself a good amount of time and effort in preparing for your trip. Surfing the internet to look at the available Miami sightseeing tours that are available to you will give you a better idea on what to look for. All you have to worry about now is getting a few rays at the beach when you go through a reputable company.

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Reasons why You Should Stay in a Bed and Breakfast

By Terry Rittenhouse

Housing is one of the major factors individuals have to consider every time they go out of town. Most people decide to stay in hotels, as these are the most trusted and popular form of housing. However, since these are pretty expensive, many people choose to look for different accommodations. There are many nice, more reasonably-priced housing options available, like inns, motels, backpacker's lounges or even bed and breakfasts.

Unlike hotels, bed and breakfasts, better called B&B s, are in fact private homes as opposed to commercial establishments. Given this, they can only offer up to 10 bedrooms at the most. The property owners, who live on-site, generally mingle with the lodgers and tell them local guidelines and secrets. Since you have a local looking after you, it would be also safer rather than staying at a hotel where no one is there to help you around. Since you are actually staying in somebody's residence, staying in a b and b also gives a homey and more comfortable ambience. It gives you the sense of being at home despite the fact that you are actually away from home. They only typically offer overnight stays and morning meals. This would give you the chance to try restaurants around the area.

Generally, bed and breakfasts are not the principal reason as to why people visit a particular area. However, thanks to the extraordinary services that some B&B s provide, this is gradually changing. A good B&B must first of all have a nice location. It should be safe and readily accessible to transportation. The policies and regulations of B&B s depend on their owners. A few may allow pets and/or kids while others do not. Your experience in a B&B would be a lot better if you take the time to choose whether you want to live with children and pets or not. It is also good to check the booking necessities of the lodging since these are normally stricter than those of hotels. A good B&B also deals with individuals' special dietary needs.

A bed and breakfast is not a business that generates high profit. Undoubtedly, you would be able to get through each day, but you won't get to purchase extravagant items. There is no assurance that people would decide to stay in your venue rather than hotels but you would have to spend for its maintenance either way. More rooms may indicate additional income during peak seasons but it also indicates extra expenditures on ordinary days. Some only carry out this business venture for the satisfaction of serving and meeting other people.

Many individuals prefer to book in hotels when visiting a foreign place. However, this is not very practical, as hotels are very impersonal and a bit pricey. If you are on a strict budget and looking for a comfortable and homey lodging, then a b and b is most likely for you. Not only will you be welcomed with the warm greetings of the owners but you will even be advised on the best sites to visit and activities to do during your stay. However, you must make sure to take time to look for a quality B&B to ensure that you don't end up visiting a yucky one. Observing the standards earlier would assure that you have a delightful stay in your area of preference.

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Take a look at Singapore breakfast hotels, to experience the perfect stay with professional services of staff and also pleasant ambiance!

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