Beijing opens new airport

Beijing will play host to the 2008 summer games in August 2008. To help make it a smooth ride for the millions of tourists heading to Beijing, the airport has just opened a huge new terminal.

It is over 3km's long and is the largest terminal in the world. You can read more over at the http://www.cheapflightscruises.com/traveltalk/ website

Yummy or not so yummy chinese food in Xi'an

My wife was watching Chinese television tonight and saw a program about food in Xi'an. In case you don't know Xi'an is home of the first Emperor in China and where you will find the amazing terracotta warriors.

Back to the food. My wife who is from Beijing loves her food and tells me so often about just how much food you can try in China. On the program they started off by showing some of the off-beat food I am in no way keen to try. At a market they had skewers with all things imaginable on them. The presenter of the show started by eating a centipede, he next tried a scorpion. This place even had spiders on the menu.

The next stop on the food exploration tour in Xi'an was not far from the City centre and the drum tower. This guy went to several restaurants and watched the chefs make noodles in front of him. They also showed so many other yummy looking local treats. Noodles of all varieties were prominent on the menu.

All of the food shown on this show had its origins in Xi'an. It was amazing just how much variety they had. My wife and I visited Xi'an in 2000 and tried a small portion of what was shown on the television show. My presenter on the show had a local guide to take him to all of the eating places. It shows that it is best to get expert help when making travel plans.

If you are interested in tasting the many tempting and not so tempting dishes available in China visit my website and read about finding a cheap flight to Beijing. Then go ahead and book your flights. From Beijing you can either fly or take the train. I enjoyed the train ride which took about 16 hours.

After seeing this show my wife kept saying she wants to go to China as she misses the food so much. We now live in Canberra, Australia

Travel Registration

Here is part one of an article I wrote at my travel website.

What You Need to Know About Travel Registration

Many travelers using cheap flights do not know about the travel registration service provided by governments around the world. The following article provides general information about travel registration services that governments provide to their citizens. This can be a life saver!!

What is the purpose of travel registration?

The purpose of travel registration is to allow governments to contact their citizens in the event of a disaster, emergency or other crisis. This is a free service. An example of when a traveler can benefit from this service was seen in the recent Israel/Lebanese conflict. Travelers that had taken the time to register with their government were able to be contacted by the local embassy and advised of evacuation plans.

What is Travel Registration?

Travel registration is a free service provided by many Governments for their citizens who are traveling on vacation in a foreign country or who live in a foreign country. Registration allows you to record details about your planned trip or to provide your address if you are living long term in a foreign country.

New Aviation Security Measures for Carry-on Baggage at International Airports

Below is text from a press release from the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Service dated 8 December 2006

"From 31 March 2007, the Australian Government will introduce enhanced security measures to limit the amount of liquids, aerosols, and gels that can be taken through the screening point for people who are flying to and from Australia

All containers with drinks, creams, perfumes, sprays, gels, toothpaste and similar substances will have to be carried in a re-sealable transparent plastic bag, no larger than one litre, and be inspected separately at the airport screening point.

Each container should not have a capacity greater than 100 millilitres and all containers should fit comfortably in the re-sealable plastic bag. Exceptions will be made for passengers with medical conditions and quantities of baby food required for the flight. However, these items may be subject to additional security checks. Passengers can still take on board items purchased after the screening point, including duty free."

Lucky for you as you now are aware of the new security measures and when they are going to be introduced for international flights both in and out of Australia. For people that don't know about this there will be inconvenience and delays when they go through check-in and security. The new security measures are following what is now common practice for international flights in many countries. The Australian Prime Minister John Howard has said they are looking at adding these measures to domestic flights however there is more study required before making a final decision.

For travel tips you may go to http://www.cheapflightscruises.com/tips.html

Fiji coup

The coup has taken place. It has been bloodless so far. Hopefully it will stay that way. The US has reacted by cutting aid funds to Fiji. I hope Bainimarama has a plan that will benefit the Fijian people. I don't really think what he is doing will do the country any good. Australia has also strongly condemned the coup and Alexander Downer calls it "a tragic day for Fiji and for the region"

The following is taken from a press release from Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia. For the full text visit:

http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2006/fa135_06.html

"I strongly condemn the Fiji military’s unconstitutional removal of the Government of Prime Minister Qarase.

This is a tragic day for Fiji and for the region. In overthrowing the democratically elected Government of Fiji, Commodore Bainimarama has shown his contempt for the constitution and for the rule of law, for the people of Fiji and Fiji’s traditional institutions, and for the weight of international opinion. His takeover of the government is completely unconstitutional and illegal, and cannot be justified on any grounds. His statements to the contrary are wrong. The Fiji economy, already affected by the military’s actions, will be badly damaged, and the people of Fiji will suffer even more."

Despite all this I heard today that there are actually flights going into Fiji that are full. I have not had this confirmed however my source at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that people are finding really cheap travel packages and are not afraid to take advantage of the situation. Maybe if I have time I will do some research into this.

Robert

Fiji - soldiers move on police tactical response hq

News in from Fiji is that soldiers have moved to take over the police tactical response unit. This unit has control of the police weaponry and also is responsible for the protection of the Prime Minister.

Is this just the beginning of the coup or are the army trying to force the hand of the Prime Minister. Only time will tell.

Travel Registration

If you are going to a foreign country on vacation you should seriously consider registering your trip details with your government. This helps the local embassy or consulate contact you if a situation arises where you need to be contacted in a hurry. For example someone back home may be sick and you need to get back urgently to see them. Or if there is a political situation like they are currently experiencing in Fiji you may need to be evacuated. If you have registered your embassy will contact with evacuation details. Another thing to mention is the need to keep an eye on the travel advice published on various government websites.

Speaking of Fiji the word in the press is that the army will take control of the country tomorrow morning. If this does happen it is a set back for the country as already tourist numbers are down due to the talk of a coup. It is a shame for the people of Fiji. Exactly one year today my family and I flew into Fiji for a holiday after we were able to find a cheap flight. The Fijian people are very friendly and we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Fiji. Our only regret was that we did not stay for a longer period.

Fiji - to visit or not?

News just in from Fiji is that an Australian Navy helicopter has crashed off the coast of Fiji. Early reports say 1 person has been killed with another missing. Another tragic loss for the Navy.

Crisis talks between military commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama and Fiji PM Laisenia Qarase have ended without a resolution to the ongoing crisis in Fiji. This does little to ease tension in the country. It also makes it difficult for thousands of tourists that may have booked holidays to Fiji. If you are flying into Nadi and then holidaying away from Suva it is probably safe to continue with travel plans.

The Australian Government is still worried about the situation as they are likely to evacuate families of diplomatic staff posted in Suva. Is this an overreaction or do they have inside information about the events that will unfold in the coming days.

Remember when travelling it is a good idea to check the government websites that provide travel advice. Links to the major countries that offer this advice can be found here.

Cheap Flight to Beijing then explore

If you don't mind cold weather right now is a good time to visit Beijing, you will find that it is less crowded. You should be able to find a cheap flight to Beijing by doing some research. You should also be able to also get cheaper hotel rates at this time of year.

Winter is about to start in Beijing. Some things you could do include the must see visit of the Great Wall. Later in December you would be able to go ice skating on some of the lakes found within Beijing. Some of the venues include:
Beihai Park, Xicheng District
Summer Palace, Kunmin Lake, Haidan District
Purple Bamboo Park, 45 Baishiqiao Lu, Haidan District (this is a special place for my wife and I as we got engaged here)
The above parks are open from early in the morning until at least 6pm.

Other activities you may consider include a visit to Beijing Zoo or a night of Peking Opera. My wife says the best thing to do is go shopping. There are many modern shopping malls in Beijing. One of the main shopping districts is Wangfujing. If finding a bargain in a market is more your style you may enjoy a visit to the silk market which is located on the corner of Jianguomenwai and Dongdaqiao.