I chanced upon this agency's website many years ago and they have evolved even better now. And I like the part where they have a pretty good network of airlines.
I went to Tokyo 3 years back, F&E. From the air ticket to the accomodation, to the bullet train, we had to do it ourselves. And this is when I first paid-use their service. I went down to their office in Chinatown as I couldn't decide on the flight route. They patiently served me, from checking out a SG-Bangkok-Tokyo flight and bangkok hotel (Thai airways) to a SG-transit-Tokyo flight (all kind of airlines). Eventually, they scrap out the Free-2-nights-HK promotion of Cathay pacific and I got a pretty cheap SG-Tokyo(transit HK) ticket. They also can process the application for the Japan Rail Pass.
On other trips, I usually use their website as a guage of the available promotions and prices of the different airlines, although I haven't got a chance to make use of their service for F&E trips again.
When I go on packaged tours, I prefer to go to established agencies, in case I meet with problems at the foreign country, I know I can rely on the agency.
SA Tours give me a high level of comfort in this aspects, but I really have doubts going back again. Their packages tend to be higher priced, partly because their accomodation tend to be higher star. I went with them for my whole family Korea trip 4 yrs back and it came up to nearly $1.5k per person. It wasn't even winter.
My sister took Air Asia, Jetstar and Tiger Airways to Bangkok before and as unlucky as she can get, her luggage got damaged when she took Air Aisa and Jetstar. Air Asia was willing to at least give 10 dollars as compensation while Jetstar simply rejected her. (Note: In comparison, I took SQ before to Osaka and they gave me a paid delivery note to send the luggage to their repairer to repair and then deliver it back to me.)
But this aside, I thought the service was still ok when I took Jetstar to Bangkok. At least I do not need to go to the budget terminal.
I went to Plaza Market Cafe many years back for dinner, when it was really very focused on Peranakan food, and I thought it was a cheap disaster. But when I went back this time for lunch, I thought it was quite good.
Now, they have more of international buffet and keep the Peranakan cakes and dessert. And they have the durian puree (which I was told, is famous at their sister hotel, Swissotel Merchant Court), but too bad I was too "heaty" that day to try this.
I like their chinese dishes, like the meatball soup and the roast meat.
My trip to Siam Reap was very short and the whole trip's logistics was taken care of.
But I can't forget the steep steps that we climb (we were practically crawling) to get to the top of the temple and also the sunrise. The sunrise is not those where you see a big red ball jump out from the darkness. The sunrise here is amist a bright background as we see the sun from behind the big temple. A totally different experience.
(A pity I can't load this photo as I max-out the 5 photos limit and I can't delete my earlier upload).
For shopping, where we didn't thought of it initially, there were a lot of cheap shawl and handbags for sale. Those where you probably see at SGD 10-20 in Singapore, from Vietnam. Here the children are selling on the streets at only USD 1-2. How big a differential, not only about the price differential, but also about the life of kids. Some of the children even goto the extent of knocking on the windows of our stationary buses, trying to sell us travel guides.
I went to Tokyo 3 years back, F&E. From the air ticket to the accomodation, to the bullet train, we had to do it ourselves. And this is when I first paid-use their service. I went down to their office in Chinatown as I couldn't decide on the flight route. They patiently served me, from checking out a SG-Bangkok-Tokyo flight and bangkok hotel (Thai airways) to a SG-transit-Tokyo flight (all kind of airlines). Eventually, they scrap out the Free-2-nights-HK promotion of Cathay pacific and I got a pretty cheap SG-Tokyo(transit HK) ticket. They also can process the application for the Japan Rail Pass.
On other trips, I usually use their website as a guage of the available promotions and prices of the different airlines, although I haven't got a chance to make use of their service for F&E trips again.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
SA Tours give me a high level of comfort in this aspects, but I really have doubts going back again. Their packages tend to be higher priced, partly because their accomodation tend to be higher star. I went with them for my whole family Korea trip 4 yrs back and it came up to nearly $1.5k per person. It wasn't even winter.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
But this aside, I thought the service was still ok when I took Jetstar to Bangkok. At least I do not need to go to the budget terminal.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
Now, they have more of international buffet and keep the Peranakan cakes and dessert. And they have the durian puree (which I was told, is famous at their sister hotel, Swissotel Merchant Court), but too bad I was too "heaty" that day to try this.
I like their chinese dishes, like the meatball soup and the roast meat.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!
But I can't forget the steep steps that we climb (we were practically crawling) to get to the top of the temple and also the sunrise. The sunrise is not those where you see a big red ball jump out from the darkness. The sunrise here is amist a bright background as we see the sun from behind the big temple. A totally different experience.
(A pity I can't load this photo as I max-out the 5 photos limit and I can't delete my earlier upload).
For shopping, where we didn't thought of it initially, there were a lot of cheap shawl and handbags for sale. Those where you probably see at SGD 10-20 in Singapore, from Vietnam. Here the children are selling on the streets at only USD 1-2. How big a differential, not only about the price differential, but also about the life of kids. Some of the children even goto the extent of knocking on the windows of our stationary buses, trying to sell us travel guides.
Login to add your comment. Or, Register for an account now. It's free!