Sarawak Elections with their symbol

Sarawak Elections

Hey! Did I not say so in my last article dated 27 March 2011 that Kuching Hotels around town will be fully booked. ( http://bestkuchinghotels.com/general/sarawak-election-2011-cuti-cuti-kuching.html The politicians need to book the banquet hall to give speeches why they are the best man for the job! Citizens votes at this time are as precious as gold. Seminar rooms and meeting rooms need to be booked to strategise how best to reach the voters in rural and urban area.

Today’s Sinchew-i  ( http://www.mysinchew.com/node/55465)  interviewed a few hoteliers and was informed that the FEEL GOOD MOOD will be after nomination of candidate names on April 6th according to Somerset Hotel sales staff.  Most hotels, like Harbour View ( 3 star) and Pullman Hotel are enjoying good occupancy and  usage of their banquet halls and meeting rooms. Now with AirAsia and Firefly airline flying several times daily, this is good news for the hoteliers. Of course, there are many more new hotels sprouting out. So there is a pie for everyone to share.

If you want the best deal during this peak time, check the lowest rate first before you book.

The election commission has also stated that for the Sarawak elections now independent candidate is allowed to use any of the 16 approved symbols like elephant, prawn, car, glass, aeroplane and tree. I find this interesting that candidates are allowed to use such symbol. Why not a symbol that is more meaningful for the Sarawak elections? Like signages of peace, or freedom be used instead. So DAP has chosen to use the symbol below. Cute Hornbill but dont you think the Head is too big for the body? Will it still be able to fly and sweep a winning spell on all the constituents?

Well! I shall wait for the sarawak elections before I comment but I wish them luck in their quest for change. Meanwhile, if you are coming to Kuching in the next 2 weeks, do book your Kuching hotel early. Whether you are here for cuti-cuti or to lend a helping hand, we Sarawakians welcome you with open arms.

Find the LOWEST RATES in any Kuching Hotels Now

What does Denver think of all this? >>

Denver’s verdict on Sarawak Election 2011

Sarawak, one of the richest state in Malaysia and full of natural resources and deeply entrenched culture that can only be found here. Something is heating up in Sarawak, with a cost of RM50million of taxpayers’ money. That is the long awaited Sarawak Election scheduled on 16 April 2011.

With the Sarawak Election just around the corner, the fight is getting tougher with the ruling party and opposition party hurling accusations at each other through cyber war or through the media but who is going to admit guilt of their doings.The current ruling party disseminates their information through sarawakreports.org while the opposition disseminates their information with evidence through sarawakreport.org. So, it is sarawakreports.org vs. SarawakReport.org

So, who are we going to believe? Who are we going to support and vote for? Who will I be voting for? Shhhhhh… It is a secret!

Recently I came across this heart warming video of Denver who had to admit guilt to his master.sheriff for his wrongdoing.

If you are wrong, then just admit it and say Sorry! Blogs and netizens are saying, wow! Why did Sarawakians let the ruling party RULE for so long, 30 long dog gone years? so here, it is like Macy ( the gal in the video with the red scarf let Denver ( the white fella) got into the kitty treats. hahaha! Who are you to question us!

But with the Election 2011 Sarawak, you will forever be seen as the super hero “if you are elected that is” as the chosen leader to lead this rich state to greater heights with every citizens having a share in the pie of our natural resources and towards betterment of mankind!

It seems top guns from West Malaysia will be coming to lend their support for the ruling party but then again, if they have never landed before in Sarawak and coming here to support their comrades just for the election, will Sarawakians be swayed by their sincerity?

With the election 2011 coming and just days away, hotels and transport company are bound to do roaring business. Hotels will be fully booked and cars will be fully rented out. If you are planning to come to Kuching for holiday, it is best to book early lest you will be disappointed.

Dont believe me? Check here

Come check out Cuti-cuti Kuching package of ours. Great Deal! Great value!

Come and explore Kuching City for 3Days 2Nights! Many different places to go and lots of souveniers to get!

Day 1
Upon arrival, meet at Kuching International Airport. Then check-in.
The brief reminiscence of once upon a time beginning in 1841, Kuching was a fabled place of romance ruled by the
White Rajahs for 100 years. It has changed with time and declared a city in 1986.
Places of interest include:
> A panoramic view of Kuching City from top of Civic Centre Tower;
> visiting the renowned Sarawak Museum;
> a drive passing by the gigantic Cat Monument;
> a glimpse of the Kuching South City Hall;
> then driving through China Town;
> the business centre - “Golden Triangle of Kuching”;
> Sarawak’s oldest Taoist Temple and award-winning Catholic Church.
> Take a loop to Satok’s area passing through Malay Village;
> old State Mosque (with 5 golden domes);
> then proceed to Sarawak Pottery Factory.

**Free Dinner at famous Seafood Restaurant in Kuching

Day 2
(Breakfast)
In morning, you will go to SARAWAK CULTURAL VILLAGE
- A living museum displaying 7 replicas of Sarawak major ethnic traditional houses namely:
Chinese Farm House, Malay Stilted House, Melanau Tall House, Penan Hut, and Longhouses of the Bidayuh, Iban and Orang Ulu.
The tour ends with a 45 minutes Cultural Performance in the theatre, performed by various ethnic groups.

Day 3
(Breakfast)
FREE AT OWN LEISURE until pick-up time for transfer to the airport for onwards flight.

Validity Date: 31-08-2010 ~ 30-12-2011

Minimum Person: 2
Adult Price: MYR 499.00
Duration: 3 days

INCLUSIVE:
Tour & transfer as per itinerary
02 nights stay at Harbour View Hotel or Telang Usan or Regal Court Hotel
Entrance to Sarawak Cultural Village

-standard room
Daily breakfasts
Tour guide

Email us: bestkuchinghotels@gmail.com

to book your tour NOW!

Check out this DAP Symbol >>

Kayan Kenyah Tribe with their Sape Music

I came across this Kayan Kenyah Tribe with their Sape Music .

This is a screen shot. go to the red link below to check them out!

http://belagahomestaysarawak.com/watch-our-short-cultural-dance-by-kenyah-lasan.html

Go check them out and enjoy the Music !

Sarawakians celebrate chinese new year their way

Today is the third day of chinese new year. Folks in Kuching here are still consistently playing fireworks and firecrackers. Chinese new year is the time where you see the chinese defy the law in still playing bangs of firecrackers and fireworks. This is a scene which you would never get to see in other places like strait laced Singapore, or highly packed high rise urban jungle of Hong kong or even Kuala Lumpur.

If you are a tourists and want to have a feel of how it is to have the REAL feeling of celebrating chinese new year, then come over to Sarawak during this time because this is the only time of the year where the chinese will play the fireworks and firecrackers on a large scale to ward off bad luck.

Below is a photo of a scene in Sibu, during chinese new year count down. This scene is similar everywhere in either Bintulu, Miri, Kuching or Sibu or any town. i remembered when i was younger and i lived in a detached house with a big compound. the whole garden was completely carpeted in red instead of green. Such beautiful sight to behold. We had played the Big firecrackers. it was fun. When one is younger, such thrills are definitely fun.

then as a kid, we always looked forward to the red ang pow. ( red packet with money). once the guests leave, we always count the money that we had collected.  I celebrated my chinese new year in Hong kong 3 years back and was VERY THRILLED to receive “ang pow” from my cousins ( the husband needs to give me one and the wife will also have to give me another one)  who are much younger than me but because they are married, the culture in Hong Kong states that they will need to give me any pow/hong bao” . I was definitely very very happy.

Yee Sang dish is not a Sarawakian thing. it is more of West Malaysian dish. We Sarawakians do not practise such yee sang culture of mixing all the condiments together and wishing for longevity and prosperity.

Chinese new year is a time to be happy and joyful. but then again, let’s not forget the less fortunate . several years ago, my good friend May told me a story of how a hawker stall owner gave away gifts of any pow or hongbao to the less fortunate during chinese new year and in no time at all, the God of Fortune gave it back to him and his business flourished within a short time span. So that got me thinking, why not i do the same to have the good fortune blessed upon me too. YEs, i visited boys’ shelter home and donated a boxful of oranges but only to be told that most of the boys had gone home. Then i visited the old folks home and i saw many boxes of oranges there. Next i visited the blind centre and saw almost 20 boxes of oranges there and i left mine there too. So many people are doing the same thing too. everyone wants to do something for charity but seriously, is donating oranges enough ?? No, of course not/

It would be more meaningful if the money used to buy the oranges be used instead to maintain the home, repairing work or perhaps donate a new air cond. something that would make these less fortunate individuals’ lives easier, won’t you agree?

Honest Video Review of Firefly Airline

The video that answers your questions if you have never flown on Firefly airline.

Memorable January 15th 2011 for Firefly Airline & Sarawak Chief Minister

January 15 2011:

I woke up today and I felt excited of what the day will bring for me. Today, I have been invited to attend the inaugural flight for Firefly launching in Kuching. I am excited because I have made many friends from the airline and I am excited to meet them face to face. I have liaised with them over emails but have not actually met them. So I am excited and honoured that I have been invited for the flight arrival and reception.

I am also excited because the city is buzzing with activity. Our Chief minister of 74 years old will be marrying his 29 years old bride. Not that I have much comment on it. But it seems that there is a big do and many head of states have been invited. It was to be a posh wedding where men had to wear tuxedo and the ladies had to be in evening gown. Very Posh indeed! Congrats CM!

Also, the Hong Kong Canto pop group is in town for a one night concert. So many things going on at the same time. So I am exicted that at least I have been involved in one of the events going on in town.

So this morning, I was supposed to go to the VIP lounge at the airport where the reception would be held. I was given the run around by the security as I was not able to find the entrance to the place. When I finally found it, many journalists have already arrived and so was the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching that arrived at 9:05am. So everyone was waiting for the Deputy Chief Minister’s arrival to officiate the event and give a speech. Then followed by light refreshments.

Here is me with beautiful Angelina, the Head of Marketing and Communications for Firefly.

I left around 12 noon to do my weekend chores. Need to get my hair blown nicely for the evening. Visited my regular hair dresser but was told I had to wait for 1 hour. Went on to another new hairdresser and had to pay more.

Then I drove to town. Along the way and while waiting at an intersection, I saw on right lane an antique blue car on its way to the wedding banquet and driven by the bridegroom himself. So very cool! See the snapshot. I wind down my glass window and waved to the bridegroom. He smiled back and i took the shot. Cool Dude! Yes, if your wedding is going to be on same date as the Chief Minister himself, might as well make it memorable too! I saw 4 girls behind me in their MYVI. Obviously envious of the lucky bride and probably wishing they were the ones travelling in the car. hmmn…

When I reached town and my sixth sense told me that I may not be able to get a parking space but then I got my Ah-HAH! Moment! Saw a car reversing out from the lot in front of Riverside majestic hotel. I put on my biggest smile and told the guard that I would like to park there. He asked if I am staying at the hotel. Obviously I have to say something. Did I lie? Go figure?

Dashed across the road and hopped onto the Firefly coach to merdeka palace hotel where the evening reception was held. Same morning crowd was present. We were entertained by 4 up coming singers from KL. Their rendition was pretty good. Give them a chance and I am sure they would be the next star in town. We were served with finger food at Merdeka Palace hotel. Angelina had a bowl of Sarawak Laksa that night because everyone told her that she must try the dish and rightly so she did. i left before everyone else and went on to have teh tarik to end the night.

I asked myself. What is so special about firefly and why do I seem to like the airline so much? Well, my answer is this.

1) I like orange colour. So the airline strikes a chord with me,

2) the staff seem much more friendlier.

3) their uniform seemed more pleasant too.

4) Of course the airline is up coming and cannot be compared to the bigger giants but I hate to be given tight seats, and pay hefty sums for checked in luggages and non negotiable rules etc. sometimes airline needs to be flexible. Afterall, aren’t we all humans?

5) we need not pay so much for baggage. Just one rate for a meal and a drink with the baggages.

Can I ask for more if I am only willing to pay low cost fee but hoping for a VIP treatment? www.Fireflyz.com.my is the answer for me from now on!

Christmas Celebration in Kuching

Tis a season of giving and loving, a season of forgiveness and cherish our loved ones.

Many folks take this oportunity to go away for holidays. Airasia and Firefly airports are

packed with tourists/travellers looking to go away for the holiday.

Last night, there are a big do in Spring shopping mall with Christmas celebrations. It drew huge crowds and cause massive traffic jam along the road Firefly was giving away FREE airtickets to the lucky ones.

Well, watch out Airasia! firefly is gonna give you a run for your money with better deals!

Meanwhile, Happy Christmas!

Do you know the real meaning of Christmas?

If you say, Yes! it is the day Jesus Christ was born.

Well, check again and let me know if 25th December was the exact date Jesus Christ was born!

Cheers!

MASwings Special Offer 3D2N to Mulu National Park, Sarawak for RM259

Tropical Adventure Tours and Travel in celebrating their 25 years anniversary is launching a special 3D2N offer to MULU  National Park with MASwings with an EXTREMELY LOW PRICE of only RM259.00, all inclusive of flights from Miri to Mulu (return),tour & 3 days Hotel (Budget/4 star Royal Mulu Resort).

Must travel between 8-10 Dec 2010.

Bookings must be made by 3 December 2010

Package Deal can be seen. Click below:

http://bestborneoholiday.com/specialmuluoffer/

	MASwings flight from Miri-Mulu (return)
	2 Nights stay at Royal Mulu Resort or Benarat Lodge (Budget)
	Showcaves tour of Mulu inclusive meals

Grab this limited offer NOW. Email : specialoffer@bestborneoholiday.com

Firefly Will be Landing on 15 January 2011 to East Malaysia

Hurray! Firefly is FINALLY buzzing its way to Sabah and Sarawak. To celebrate this new sector, to East Malaysia, they are throwing 50,000 tickets at rm9 per ticket and special package at rm399 ONLY for package to Kuching, Miri Mulu and Kota Kinabalu. The rate includes flight, hotel and and city tour too.

Go check it out NOW! Offer for limited time only! Dont say I never tell you!

cheers!

http://www.fireflyz.com.my/

http://www.fireflyholiday.com/promotions/journey-east

Comparison between Firefly Airline vs. Airasia

http://bestkuchinghotels.com/general/firefly-airline-vs-airasia.html

Firefly Airline vs. AirAsia

It is interesting to note that FireFly Airlines, the subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, is in competition wth AirAsia. However it cannot be denied that AirAsia is way ahead of Firefly even though Fireflyz is a full service point to point airline with rates almost similar to Air Asia. AirAsia started from a humble beginning of RM1 company and 1 aeroplane to become a RED giant that it is today with Richard Branson of Virgin Group having a share in its long haul AirAsia-X  sector.

The concept of firefly is to connect together the few neighbouring countries of Malaysia in Asia. Right now, its route are between Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. Firefly airline is still growing to add more destinations into its flying list. AirAsia on the other hand is out to conquer the world covering more and more destinations and sectors with each passing day.

Let’s check out in details the differences between the 2 airlines.

Full service? Low Cost?

Firstly, Firefly, the community airline as their tagline suggests is not a complete full service airline but neither a low costs airline either. The airline “IS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLD” as it offers the full service that full service airline like Malaysia airlines offer at the price of a low cost airline like AirAsia because of the type of aircraft(turboprop fleet of ATR72-500s) that they use which means that their cost is much lower. Operational costs, expertise, skills and infrastructure are well based on Malaysia Airlines. Airasia is a low-cost airline (also known as no frills, discount or budget carrier or airline) that generally has lower fares. To make up for revenue lost in decreased ticket prices the airline may charge for extras like food, priority boarding, seat allocating, and baggage which is what AirAsia is all about. It is a carrier that sends a person from 1 airport to another.

A full service airline means that you are taken care of when you pay one fare price and you will be allowed 20kgs of checked in baggage, 7kgs of hand carry luggage, you may choose your desired seat no, and be served soft drinks and snack on board without any additional charges.

Airasia recently came up with the ruling that starting from next year, there will be a fee charged for bags checked in at Check in Counter as they want to encourage people to check in earlier ONLINE to avoid offline check in congestion at airport. http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/22sia/Article/index_html

The good point is that means we will have less hassle at airport but the drawback is that it will cost more now to fly if we need to add in this cost, esp. if we are not able to print out the boarding pass ourselves. Firefly Airline is still free to have counter check in .

Would you like to Upsize your Luggage Sir?

For AirAsia, a regular size baggage is 15 kgs, a supersize Medium is 20 kg whilst a supersize Large is 25 kg and a supersize Extra Large is 30 kg. Most of us opt for the 15kgs and if you are on a shopping trip, I recommend you to buy at least 20 kgs and be at ease to know that you will not be required to pay if your bags exceeded the 15kgs weight but is less than 20kgs. http://www.airasia.com/my/en/flightinfo/supersizesave.html

Things like baby prams/strollers/buggies, wheelchairs, mobility devices and walking frames can be checked-in for free. Sports equipment however, is subject to a sport equipment fee. Check out the table above about AirAsia’s baggage allowances and rates.

As stated above, Frefly airline allows you 20kgs of checked in baggage at no extra charge.

Orange or Red?

Firefly airline crew comes decked in bright orange and white uniform while AirAsia crew is out to paint the town red with their bright red uniform of red blouse with tight red skirts with a little slit at the side.

_­­

Is it anything like OSIM Chair at all?

If you are looking for OSIM chair type of comfort, then you might as well be flying with Malaysia Airlines though of late, I have seen AirAsia’s long haul flight advert showing comfortable reclining seat.

The cabin within Fireflyz plane is more luxurious though AirAsia is equally on par with their new fleet of planes and black leather seats except for the tight seat space and leg room and certain seat near­­­­­­­ the emergency exit ways are permanently upright and could not be leaned down for more comfort.

As such, the value that you get from the “dollar/ringgit malaysia that you pay will be much higher with Firefly airlines compared to AirAsia. In short, you get better service in return for every dollar/ringgit malaysia spent.

Do you want to reach the city faster?

Firefly airline taxies at Subang Skypark Terminal while Air Asia berth at LCCT where there are constantly a high no traffic flow of people arriving and departing. Even Singapore budget terminal cannot beat the people traffic flow at LCCT.

Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport Terminal 3, also known as Subang Skypark Terminal is so much closer to city. LCCT is about 65 to 70 km away from KL city. I compared on Google map the distance to get from LCCT to Central Market, KL city centre. The data showed that we need at least an hour to reach the city. Terminal 3 is only about 26.2km if you use Federal Highway to go to KL city, it is 26.2km and takes only around 28 minutes to reach the city.

Have you twit lately? What is your FACEBOOK ID?

Airasia has a team specially to take care of their online marketing needs and promotions. They are aiming to get 1million fans on their facebook and they are almost there, having over 600k members now at point of writing. In this day and age, if you are not online, not on Facebook, not tweeting, not on youTube, then you are way behind time. Elections have been won and lost because of the usage or non usage of online technology. Check out AirAsia and you will see many videos about them or by them on YouTube. Firefly still has a long way to go if comparing the number of videos posted by AirAsia and them. Online marketing is “THE” thing to do now to get more customers. Having said that, offline marketing is as important too.

Conclusion

Honestly, most of us use AirAsia because the fare is lower than MAS and it allows us to save a few dollars. When things are expensive these days, saving a dollar or 2 means a lot too especially for those middle income earners.

When passengers intend to fly, the first thing we check is the fare rate, then the time schedule before we proceed to make a booking. Where access to instant information is available at the click of a mouse, smart travellers do their own research and go where the value for money is.

Firefly Airline at this point of writing has yet to touch down in Sarawak and Sabah and once they do, I will definitely support them for the value of Ringgit Malaysia that I will be getting. If I need to fly to a destination for a meeting, I don’t want to be stressed in having to worry of my baggage weight limit or many other million issues not taken care of online when I booked earlier. Regardless of how I feel, AirAsia has allowed thousands of people to tour and see the world. Keep it up AirAsia. You have made many people’s wishes come true!

http://bestkuchinghotels.com/general/firefly-will-be-landing-on-15-january-2011-to-east-malaysia.html

http://www.airasia.com/my/en/home.html

http://www.fireflyz.com.my/

The Top 7 Secrets of How to get the Cheapest Air Travel Fare

My friend just told me that she bought the cheap low cost carrier promotion fare sometime back but now ended up paying more because she could not go on the designated date and had to change the date. She bought the ticket 6 months ago. So i asked her, “So how much did you end up paying it for?” she replied, “A few hundred RMextra.” The best part is the ticket is now even more expensive than if she had made a fresh new booking.

So the question is, “How do we make the best of all this low cost carrier promotion” without compromising our money purse?”

Firstly, if you are not 100% sure if you are able to fly on the coming date to your desired destination, DON’T BUY even if the airline has a dirt cheap fare. This is because you will end up with more headache later in trying to change the date or trying to reclaim back the airport taxes. Confirm and purchase only if you are 100% definite that you are able to make it on the trip for the desired date.

Secondly, the cheapest time to fly is on Tuesday and Wednesday. Weekend rates tend to be higher.

Thirdly, there is a recent trend that when one airline launches an airfare promotion on Monday, other airlines tend to join in to share a piece of the pie. All of them wants your business, your hard earned money. So Tuesday is the best time to buy air-tickets for lowest fare.

Fourthly, subscribe to Airfare alerts of your favourite airline. Join their social media like Facebook and follow their Twitter to get firsthand knowledge of their latest offer. They usually have exclusive offers just for their members.

Fifth, if you are planning to go to Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur or Singapore or any city for shopping, don’t under-estimate your checked in luggage. It is better to pay for at least 20kgs online than have over-weighed baggage at checked in counter and pay for excess baggages as the rate is twice from that if you purchased online. The other trick is of course, to send back some of your stuff either by slow air mail or sea mail instead of paying high charges to the airlines.

Sixth, if you are on short travelling trip. Pack simple and carry no checked in luggage. ( I for one cannot do without checked in luggages)

Seventh, is seat selection really necessary? Just sit at whichever seat assigned to you and once you are inside the plane and on air, then just try to go for any of the empty seats available, seats that are not premium nor hot seat.

Well, hope the above pointers help. Sometimes cheap does not really mean cheap if you do not know what to do but it could mean substantial savings if you know what to do.

How to travel 12 countries with no Bags?

I travel frequently with my Hush Puppies Ultra Light Luggage Suitcase. Even with minimal clothing and laptop connector wires, camera wires, hp wires, hair dryer, toiletries, it still come up to around 11.8kg & these things are all NECESSITIES for me.

So i find this article below interesting. Do check it out and see if it is practicable and applicable for you. Do you think you can travel to Borneo BAGLESS?

HOW TO TRAVEL 12 COUNTRIES WITH NO BAGS WHATSOEVER

Starting tomorrow, travel writer Rolf Potts will embark on a trip that will take him around the world without using a single piece of luggage. This post will explain how he’s going to do it, and there’s a kick-ass giveaway at the end…

For six weeks he will explore 12 countries on five continents, crossing the equator four times, without carrying so much as a man-purse. The few items he does bring will be tucked away in his pockets. Though he’s a seasoned minimalist traveler (famous from his book Vagabonding), he usually travels with a single overhead-bin-perfect backpack, the Eagle Creek Thrive 65L. It’s been his go-to bag for the last 3-4 years.

So why attempt to travel the world with no luggage at all?

Rolf sees his journey as a real-time experiment in traveling ultra-light, and “a field-test for a more philosophical idea — that what we experience in life is more important than what we bring with us.”

While circumnavigating the globe with no luggage sounds like a clear enough proposition, it can raise a few semantic issues. What, for example, counts as a bag? Rolf has set up a set of ground rules to guide his own journey, including:

- No bags on the journey (not even a man-purse or grocery store bag, unless the latter is used en route to a meal).
- No borrowing items from his cameraman or using his cameraman as a pack mule.
- Borrowing or buying items along the way is permitted but excludes bags.

Since most people don’t travel with a film crew, Rolf’s advice for the average no-baggage traveler is a bit broader than the rules he’s set for himself. Here are 8 key tips from Rolf on how to plan and execute a no-luggage journey.

In Rolf’s words…

1) Manage the journey from your mobile phone.

A smartphone could well be the most important tool for a baggage-less traveler. It can store your boarding passes and other important documents, make phone calls from virtually anywhere in the world (with a swappable SIM card) and even act as a miniature blogging tool.

I recommend an iPhone with a foldable Bluetooth keyboard, which allows you to fit your mobile office inside a single jacket pocket. The iPhone can be loaded with a series of applications to replace everyday day items carried on a normal trip. The Kindle app lets you leave behind bulky books, and Genius Scan lets you use you iPhone’s camera as a makeshift scanner so you can quickly save receipts and email them to yourself on the fly. Wikihood utilizes the phone’s GPS to serve location-relevant Wikipedia articles, which is a unique and interesting alternative to a guidebook. Throw in your favorite currency converter, phrase book, and flight tracker, and you’ve got a single device in your pocket more powerful than its dead-weight paper counterparts.

Some recommedations:
TripTracker by PageOnce
Lonely Planet series of phrase books (multiple links depending on language)
_blank”>Currency converter: “Currency”

2) Keep your footwear simple and practical.

With no bags, the only shoes you’re going to want to bring is whatever you’re wearing from day to day.

I’m traveling with a pair of Blundstone boots I bought in Australia in 2006. I’ve worn these boots all over the world the past four years, from Paris to Ethiopia to the Falkland Islands, and they’ve served me great. They work for hiking in remote environments, yet they’re easy to slip off and on at airport security.

Some travelers might prefer Chaco or Teva sandals (if nothing else to save packing socks) — and I won’t fault them for that — but my Blundstones look nice enough that they will get me into places where sandals might seem too informal. You are on your feet constantly when you travel, of course, so whichever footwear you choose to bring (be it sandals or boots or running shoes), make sure you aim for comfort, simplicity, and durability.

(Note from Tim: I opt for darker-colored Keen Newport Bison Leather Sandals. If you use black or dark socks, since they have closed toes, you can easily get into restaurants or even pass for business casual if you tuck the tightening strings in.)

3) Buy or borrow certain items as you go.

An old vagabonding adage goes, “Pack twice the money and half the gear.”

The same notion applies to no-luggage travel — even if you’re only packing a tenth of the gear. If a journey takes you to a beautiful beach region, odds are you can buy rubber flip-flop sandals there for a few dollars. If a given city is rainy, cheap umbrellas should be in plentiful supply — and if you get sick, the world is full of pharmacies (many of which are better-suited to cure local ailments that whatever medicine you might have packed).

Should you travel your way into cold weather, thrift stores are a good place to buy a warm jacket (which can be given way to a needy person or left in a hostel swap-box when you leave). You can also borrow things from other travelers along the way. You don’t want to be obnoxious about this, of course, but most travelers don’t mind sharing a spot of toothpaste or a couple of aspirin, and asking for these kinds of things can be a great way to strike up a conversation at the hostel or on the hiking trail.

4) Be disciplined and strategic with what you choose to bring along.

Packing light can be enough of a challenge when you have a small backpack, let alone when you have to keep all your gear in your pockets. This in mind, don’t bring anything you’re not going to use every day.

Nail clippers can be borrowed along the way; rain ponchos can be purchased on rainy days. I left my razor out of the equation (it was better to let my beard grow and then get a hard razor shave in Morocco), and before the trip I cut my hair so short I won’t ever need shampoo. Any big-box retailer should have bins of tiny deodorants and collapsible toothbrushes to keep your toiletries micro-sized. Camping stores will sell 3-ounce snap-top storage bottles that work well for toting concentrated laundry detergent or multipurpose liquid soap. Err on the side of minimalism; you can buy or borrow items along the way.

5) Wear travel gear with strategically located pockets.

If you travel without any bags, this means whatever gear you bring will have to fit in your pockets. My journey is co-sponsored by ScotteVest, an Idaho-based sportswear company that specializes in travel clothing with multiple pockets.

Most of my gear fits into the ScotteVest Tropical Jacket, which has 18 pockets of differing sizes. A majority of these pockets are accessed from the inside, which (a) is a nice deterrent against pickpockets, and (b) saves me the “dork factor” of looking like I’m traveling the world dressed like a confused trout fisherman. I can carry a majority of my gear in this jacket without looking ridiculous — plus the sleeves zip off, so I usually wear it as a vest. I’m also wearing a pair of Ultimate Cargo Pants from ScotteVest, though I’ve packed light enough that I rarely have to use the large cargo pockets. ScotteVest isn’t the only company that makes travel gear with utility pockets, of course; your local camping outfitter or travel-specialty store should provide you multiple gear options, and you can choose the clothing that best fits your needs.

6) Use a minimal rotation of clothing.

Essentially, you’ll want to travel with little more than the clothes on your back — but you will want to bring a few spare clothing items to keep things fresh and ensure you won’t get too stinky.

Given that I wear cargo pants, a travel vest, socks, underwear, and a short-sleeved t-shirt under a long-sleeved shirt on a typical day of my trip, I keep one spare t-shirt, two extra pairs of socks, and two extra pairs of underwear in my pockets.

Each night I wash the day’s socks, underwear and t-shirt in the hotel/hostel sink, and these items are dry enough to pack by morning. I’ve been washing the cargo pants about once a week (and I have yet to wash the travel vest). Some people take short no-luggage trips with even fewer clothes, but my arrangement isn’t bulky and ensures that I always have a rotation of fresh socks, underwear and t-shirts.

(Note from Tim: Here what I pack for an uber-light trip, in this example less than 10 pounds total. ExOfficio underwear are a lifesaver.)

7) Utilize the postal system for souvenirs and extra gear

With airlines baggage fees quickly spiraling upward, many travelers these days are saving money and hassle by mailing certain items to one or more destinations along their itinerary.

If, say, you’re traveling from warm climates into cold climates, you can mail your warm clothing to the first cool destination (just make a pre-arrangement with the hotel you’ll be staying at in that location). On that same token, traveling without luggage doesn’t mean you have to forgo buying souvenirs — if just means you won’t be able to carry them. To solve this problem, just hit the local post office and mail that Balinese mask or Latvian amber or Syrian silk home.

This is actually a strategy that can be employed when you’re traveling with luggage: The souvenirs you find along the way might be nice, but there’s no sense in dragging them along with you. It’s worth the expense to ship them.

Remember: Travel is about the experience, not what you bring with you.

In the end, that remember that going without luggage and packing ultra-light need not be an extreme act. It isn’t a contest, or a rite of travel-superiority: It’s just a great way to eliminate distractions and concentrate on the experience of the journey itself.

Freed of baggage, there’s little to forget or lose on the road. You don’t have to stow anything, guard anything, or wait for anything (aside from the occasional train or bus): You can just throw yourself into the adventure and make the most of your travels.

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Afterword: So how’s Rolf doing? How’s he actually holding up? Check out his progress here, in real-time on the RTW (Round-The-World) blog.

Question of the Day (QOD): What tricks for light travel have you learned along the way? Please share in the comments. The more detail, the better.

Prize of the Post: Leave an answer to the QOD by this Sunday at midnight PST (8/22), and one of the best comments (hard to objectively say one is “best”) will get a Sonos ZonePlayer 120 ($499 retail) and two Klipsch speakers ($389 retail)! Just download the Sonos app for iPhone/iPod Touch, and you’ve got a killer home stereo system that can play just about anything, including Pandora and Rhapsody.

Article from here: Travel with no Bags from FourHourWorkWeek >>

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