From Asia and Beyond

As summer hits, many in the UK will be on the hunt for cheap family holidays. However many will also be having to count their pennies due to the continuing recession the country is now going through. Holidays can be expensive, especially when dragging a family in tow. So for many it will be a case of going with a location that is already known to be a sure bet – Menorca.

Brits have been flocking to Menorca to soak up sun and lie on the beach since the 1970s and the island is ideally suited to those with families. The facilities that Menorca offers are second to none, and most resorts on the island have activities for children, allowing parents some much needed time off.

Located in the Mediterranean, Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands which belong to Spain and are among the top tourist destinations in the world. Many visitors come to Minorca in the summer to take part in the islands summer fiestas. Probably the best known of these is the Festes de Sant Joan which is held every year in Ciutadella. The festival lasts for three days and the streets are closed so bonfires can be lit.

 Menorca is a Catalan-speaking island, with native islanders speaking the distinctive Menorqui patois and others speaking regular Spanish.

Menorca is famous for its Pomada, and alcoholic beverage made from gin and bitter lemon. The use of gin is a reminder of when the island used to belong to Britain during the 18^th century.

It is no wonder that Menorca vacations are still among the most popular for Britons. In fact a recent survey found that Spain and its islands still ret

Sai Tai Mai is Bangkok’s Southern Bus terminal. This means that all the buses in this terminal are south bound ( Hat Yai, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and etc). This actually quite a new terminal ( to me) because the terminal I’ve been to, like more that 10 years ago, was in a different location.

As for my standards, this bus terminal is quite good. It has an airconditioned mini shopping complex inside with several food outlets, shops and clean toilets. If you have a lot of  waiting time, then I suggest that you just hang out at the main building first before going to the platforms. I find the  platforms to be crowded ( with not enough seats) and noisy with the buses going in and out.

And by the way, if you plan to buy a bus ticket a few days ahead of your trip, you don’t have to go through the hassle of  going to the terminal but can buy your tickets online through Thai Ticket Major).

We are going on a trip for our 10th wedding anniversary! We actually got a very cheap flight to the north of Thailand from one of the airlines’ promotion a few months back. Our flight tickets were so cheap that they’re even cheaper compared to taking a bus or a train! Thank God for this special trip. Even if it’s just within the country but it’s a great way of celebrating our 10 years together as husband and wife. I still haven’t planned out our itinerary for this trip yet but with ‘google search’ and travel reviews, this will be an easy job.

I wonder where we can plan to go next for our 15th wedding anniversary. I wish we can get cheap flights to tenerife. I heard a lot of  good things about this biggest island of the Canary Islands. The photos I saw of some of the sights in the island are just breathtaking. Terife, also hosts the world’s biggest carnival with the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife which is attempting to become a World Heritage Site. Anyways, let this trip  for our 10th anniversary finish first and only then I can plan or rather dream of our next trip.

* image from google

It was a long Songkran Holiday here in Thailand. It was 5 days to be exact (including the weekends). So, our family thought to spend some time together outside the city and just have some time of quiet and reflection. It was sort of a last minute decision, so the places we originally wanted to stay were already booked. But thankfully, we found the Boom Forest Resort ( through a friend) and we were able to book it the day before our stay.

The resort was a bit outskirt but it was the place we were looking for. It’s not near the beach but still it has this beautiful scenery especially on the foggy early mornings. It’s nice that they put some beautiful cottages on the area and a small man made lake where one can go on a boat ride. It really made the place more interesting.

The rooms were very clean and nice! I was happy to see a coffee/tea making facility and a DVD player which you don’t often have in the hotels in Thailand. The staff were also friendly.

As for our family, we had a beautiful time together just reading our Bibles, praying and doing our devotions. The only times we went out was for some of our meals since their restaurant was not yet functioning. All in all, we had a wonderful stay and be sure going back there for our family retreats.

For more information:

Boom Forest Resort,

Tel. Number: 074305350-1

Hat Yai, Songkhla

I just saw that some of my friends posted their island escapades during the summer season. While I was admiringly looking at their beach activities, a part of me was reminiscing the time when we were at the islands too! Going to the beach or the islands has always been a beautiful and relaxing experience. Though I don’t like swimming in the hot sun that much, but sometimes it’s just as tempting.

Oh, how I wish we could go to the islands again.. I will always be ready to hiking backpacks if ever someone invites me for a holiday there!