General Travel

Guide to Tipping in the United States of America

October 3, 2016 by Bino Leave a Comment

Tipping is a way of life in the United States. Most waiting staff are paid below minimum wage and rely on tips to make a living. This practice is different from many other countries where servers are paid a living wage and where a “service charge” is added to the bill. For most visitors, it can be confusing – and even embarrassing – trying to decipher whether a particular service warrants a tip. Despite having lived for a period of time in the United States previously, I was likewise stuck in situations where I pondered the merits of a tip during a recent visit. Of course, I could have played it safe and just tipped every server that took care of me but it would have been excessive not to mention detrimental to the tipping culture of the United States.

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Creative Muvo 2c Portable Bluetooth Speakers : Travel Gear Review

September 27, 2016 by Bino Leave a Comment

Bluetooth speakers are often a dime-a-dozen affairs with just about every electronics brand churning out their own version of this highly popular travel gear. Creative Technology is the latest to update their colorful Muvo line of portable speakers by introducing the Muvo 2 and 2c. The two differ in size with the Muvo 2 being larger and the 2c being the smaller and more portable option (though both are light enough to be considered portable). Recently, I had the opportunity to try the Muvo 2c during one of my trips and I must say I was impressed.

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5 Travel Destinations That Will Offer Better Value in 2016

January 3, 2016 by Bino 1 Comment

For 2015, I listed Japan, the Eurozone countries, Russia, Poland, Australia/New Zealand and Singapore as countries that will become a whole lot cheaper throughout the year. These predictions turned out to be mostly correct, though at varying degrees. I was wrong about one (find out which one below!). Here is a summary of last year’s predictions and outcomes:

Singapore Dollar ended 7% cheaper in 2015 and is now at its lowest level since the global financial crisis of 2008-09
Russian Ruble plummeted by more than 20% in 2015 after already suffered a 50% loss in 2014, offering even better value to tourists in 2015
The Euro became 10% cheaper in 2015
The Aussie and Kiwi dollar sank in tandem in 2015, by around 10 to 12%
The Polish Zloty also sank by 10% in 2015
Despite a popular notion on a weaker Japanese Yen, the Japanese currency ended in 2015 almost unchanged, but was at its weakest in April when it touched 5% weaker compared to the beginning of the year — I was wrong on this one when I predicted that the Yen would continue to get weaker in 2015

You can revisit last year’s list here.

As what I have done for the past two years, here is my fearless prediction for 2016’s countries that will offer better value as travel destinations, as well as my reasons for citing them.

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7 Airport Hacks to Remember Before Your Next Flight

December 14, 2015 by Bino 3 Comments

Raise your hand if being at the airport is your favorite thing about going away. Nope? Anybody? I didn’t think so! Airports can be hectic and are a bit of a necessary evil if you want to get from A to B. Having said that, airports don’t have to be a complete nightmare. Keep these airport hacks in mind before your next flight and being at the airport won’t be such a terrible experience:

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How to Get a Tourist Visa to IRAN

June 11, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

Iran is on a most deserving rise as a travel destination, thanks in part to a government that’s been perceived to be more liberal in recent years. While it’s still common to be thought of as mad for traveling there, people are discovering the many wonders of this Middle Eastern country in greater numbers. And there’s no shortage of these wonders – from the ancient ruins of Persepolis to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in cities like Esfahan, and of course the very friendly citizenry which makes traveling around Iran a true delight!

It’s been a few years since I visited Iran but until today, I am still getting a lot of questions on how to get a visa to enter the country. Here, I share my personal experience in obtaining a tourist visa to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Most nationalities require a visa to enter Iran. The only exceptions as of this writing are Malaysian, Sri Lankan, Bolivian, Venezuelan, Azeri, Syrian and Turkish nationals.

Most other nationalities can apply for a visa either at an Iran embassy in their home country or obtain a visa on arrival. There are notable exceptions to the granting of visa on arrival however and this includes Americans, British and Canadian passport holders. These nationalities can only get their visas at the embassy in their home country.

Singapore and Philippine passport holders can opt to get a visa-on-arrival. This facility is available only for those entering by air at key airports which include Tehran, Shiraz, Esfahan, Tabriz and Mashhad. Compared to elsewhere however, a visa-on-arrival isn’t as straightforward as an approval code still needs to be procured before being eligible to enter! While there have been many reports of people successfully getting a visa-on-arrival without an appoval code, it’s still wise to get one just to play it safe.

I applied for my visa via Pars Tours Agency. Their website can be found here. There are other agencies that handle approval code applications

My approval code application process:

Contacted Pars Tours Agency via the email address found on their website. Got the visa application form, filled it out and sent it back along with a copy of my passport
They charged me EUR 30 for processing which I had to remit to their account in Germany. At that time, they also charged me for the visa cost itself. This is no longer practiced and the actual visa fees are collected only upon arrival at the airport
Around 2 weeks later, I got the approval code

I chose Shiraz as my airport of entry in Iran. The departure process from Singapore was quite uneventful. I took Qatar Airways from Singapore to Shiraz via Doha and at no point did airport authorities ask me for my Iran visa.

The flight to Shiraz from Doha took a mere hour. I was only among a handful of foreigners on the Doha to Shiraz flight. I arrived at the airport in Shiraz at around 4AM and had to call someone to man the visa on arrival desk. They got my passport and approval code and processed my visa which took about an hour. Other than the long wait, it was quite painless. They visa they gave me was a 15-day single entry visa.

Although not particularly straightforward in that they required an approval code, Iran’s visa application process is relatively easy. Unlike in other countries, I never had to submit my bank or employment details. Aside from the application form, the only other thing they took from me was a copy of my passport photo page. That being said, the whole process is definitely worth it!

How I Got My Canadian Tourist Visa in 2 Weeks (2017 Update)

June 4, 2015 by Bino 497 Comments

As I originally intended to visit Canada to attend my cousin’s wedding, I went to apply for a Canadian visa (officially called a temporary resident visa if you’re entering as a tourist) some months back. I recall my past experience in applying for a Canada visa – that was some 10 years back – and my experience then was unique for it was the only developed country visa application that did not require me to personally appear at the embassy or consulate. Canada’s visa policy was already progressive back then in 2005 and I was relieved to find that over the past few years, they pushed the button further where visa applications are concerned. They now allow applicants to submit entire applications online, saving one a long commute to the post office just to submit documentary requirements for visa applications!

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Countries Which Will Be a Whole Lot Cheaper to Visit in 2015

December 30, 2014 by Bino 4 Comments

Last year, I listed among others, Iran and Japan as must-visit destinations for 2014. The same destinations were later also cited by other publications such as the Financial Times in their 2014 travel recommendations. For 2015, I foresee another exciting year for travel. The predominant theme will be cheaper air tickets brought about by cheaper oil. In this regard, more people are likely to venture to destinations that are > 5 hours in air travel time. A couple of noteworthy destinations are also emerging as bargains due to plummeting currencies, an unintended effect of localized economic turmoil.

Without further ado, here’s a rundown of key bargain destinations to visit in 2015. Just to clarify – this list aims to show places that are expected to give relative value in 2015 where traveling is concerned, i.e. destinations that are becoming a whole lot cheaper to visit. It does not aim to show the absolute cheapest places to visit. If that was the case, there would hardly be any change from year to year with usual suspects like Southeast Asia, India and parts of Latin America as perpetual shoo-ins.

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Funniest & Most Bizarre Travel Encounters, Part 1

November 19, 2014 by Bino 7 Comments

They say that the best thing about traveling is that one gets to have rich and vivid encounters with all sorts of people. I could not help but agree more. For the most part, I’ve met some really amazing and kind folks which have left me with a lasting and positive impression about humanity. I’ve often found myself in situations where I had no choice but to rely on the kindness of strangers. That being said, there are also the funny and bizarre bits which I’ve often charged to experience and which I equally treasure especially when I look back on them and laugh.

Before I start to forget these laughable experiences – like I have with an overwhelming majority – I thought I’d share some here. I would love to know if any of you have experienced the same!

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