Air Asia's Zoom Promotion

AirAsia has launched a promotion called ZOOM which features special fares on domestic destinations in Malaysia. The RM9 fares are available one way from the Kuala Lumpur hub to exciting domestic destinations such as Alor Star, Johor Bahru, Kota Bahru, Langkawi, Penang, Terengganu and Kuantan. East Malaysian route, Labuan is also offered at RM9.

Other domestic routes offered under the ZOOM promotion, priced at RM29 one way, include Bintulu, Kuching, Miri and Sibu in Sarawak plus Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau in Sabah.

AirAsia’s Regional Head of Commercial, Kathleen Tan said, “The launch of our ZOOM promotion is a mark of support to the Tourism Ministry’s effort to promote domestic tourism, enabling travelers to explore the diverse attractions of Malaysia. The country has a lot of unexplored places which are as beautiful and exciting as foreign offerings, thus the ZOOM! promotion period is the best time for all to fly and explore the exciting places we have to offer”


The ZOOM Malaysia campaign was initiated by Tourism Malaysia to encourage more growth in domestic tourism and to motivate Malaysians to plan their holidays within Malaysia and discover the many exciting places in the country and appreciate its beauty and uniqueness. The campaign is also aimed to bolster the relationship between private and public sectors, to jointly promote domestic tourism products, attractions and events.

Minister of Tourism YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said explained, “ZOOM Malaysia is a continuous tourism campaign initiated by Tourism Malaysia, to make local holiday destinations the preferred choice among Malaysians. It is an effort to encourage local and also foreign travelers to explore, experience and enjoy the true beauty of Malaysia which boasts endless natural splendor, heritage and traditions”

“We are pleased with AirAsia’s support in promoting local destinations in its ZOOM promotion, as it helps the Ministry to realize its aspirations in promoting our domestic destinations and encourage domestic travel. With its affordable fares, more travelers may achieve their dreams to travel more frequently and experience the wonders of Malaysia,” added Dato’ Sri Azalina.

The promotional fares are available until 5 August 2008 for travel between 1 September and 13 November 2008.
Info extracted from AsiaTravelTips

Great News For Skywards Members

Skywards Members Earn Double Miles July Through October

DUBAI, 18th July, 2008 -During the months of July, August, September and October 2008, members of Skywards, the frequent flyer programme of Emirates, can earn double Miles on more than 100 flights across the network. All Skywards members who registers and flies Emirates in First, Business and Economy Class on select flights are eligible for the double Miles bonus. The offer is applicable to over 60 popular cities such as Munich, Sao Paulo, Doha and Mumbai. This exciting promotion allows new and existing members to earn Double bonus Miles on eligible flights, even if just part of their overall itinerary. For instance, a member flying from London to Sydney in Business Class still earns Double Miles for an eligible London-Dubai sector. There is no limit to the number of Miles that can be earned, with every eligible flight earning members the bonus and allowing them to reach their desired rewards even faster. Skywards total Miles earned offer immediate flight or upgrade rewards on Emirates, or a host of other exciting rewards including inspirational shopping at The Emirates High Street.

Members can then book their flights on http://www.emirates.com/ , by calling their local Skywards service centre, via Emirates reservations or by contacting their local travel agent. The Skywards Global Double Bonus Miles Offer represents an exceptionalopportunity to experience a world of exclusive rewards both for Emiratesflights and beyond the travel experience.

Trafalgar Tours

Mid Autumn Festival in Vietnam

Mooncake Festivals this coming Sept in Vietnam



Tet Trung Thu is a harvest festival much like other harvest festivals celebrated throughout Asia. It is held in the eighth lunar month and honors the Moon, which is at its brightest at this time of the year. However, Vietnam's festival differs in that it specifically celebrates children as well as the land's bounty.

The festival can be likened to a combination of Thanksgiving and Halloween, a time when families spend time with each other and for children to be doted on. Parents especially take time to make mooncakes, moon masks, and lanterns with their children. This is an event that children look forward to all year as they anxiously prepare for lantern contests or parades; gathering noisemakers and small drums, adding final touches to a precious lantern. In recent times, Vietnamese children have also been given gifts and lanterns in an effort to save time. However, traditionally, the emphasis was more towards spending quality and creative time with children and not cutting corners.

But before the festival begins, there's a mad rush for delicious mooncakes. What exactly are mooncakes? Think along the lines of a stuffed cookie, only made once a year so that Asian children and adults alike crave them all year long, much like Americans longing for Girl Scout cookies. They are comparable to the weight and size of a hockey puck, although obviously much more appealing when aimed for the mouth.

In Vietnam they are called banh tet trung thu, or literally, Mid-Autumn Festival cakes. The outer dough is a thin pastry, rolled flat and smoothed around a ball of filling, usually lotus nut paste or mixed nuts. Traditionally the filling also includes a small yolk which represents the moon. Once the outer shell covers the filling, the baker places it into a round mold, flattens it so that the design is imprinted, and whacks it out with a loud bang! Then, they finished the mooncakes with an eggwash glaze and carefully placed in an oven. As they bake, the rich aroma floats throughout the neighborhood and children eagerly wait for the adults to buy the expensive goodies.

Often the mooncakes are gifts from families, friends, and colleagues. Each cake is treasured and very rich tasting, often cut into small portions to savor with family and friends over cups of lotus tea. Other round foods are also served, such as grapefruit, pomegranates, apples, and grapes. Vietnamese families would then enjoy the snacks while watching the celebration and admiring the beautiful, luminous moon. And more importantly, surrounded by their children.


There are many legends associated with the Tet Trung Thu, including the story of the Moon Lady or Trang Yi, and the story of the carp who wanted to become a dragon or Cá hóa Rông.
By Linh Song, Exec. Dir. of Mam Non Organization


For more information about the various events at Vietnam visit
http://www.mamnon.org/

Looking for Places to Eat?

If you like food and want some suggestions on where and what to eat, why dont you check out this site. Mind you its on BETA stage so you might encounter some hiccups here and there on the website. The site has some recipes for anyone who would like to try their hands in cooking. Enjoy!

http://www.foodstreet.com.my/

Our Brand Spanking New Office!

We decided that it was time for a change, so here we are in a brand new place.

The lobby area

Office area