New Year Great Offer!

Happy new year 2011!

Travel Kaki has special launch offers of 20% discounts for all items.

Offer period from 1^st January – 7^th January.

Don’t miss this opportunity!

Original or Fake?!

'Travel Kaki' only sell the original Deuter product!!!!


Original Deuter Product

Original Deuter bag will has its own unique serial number on the product tagging inside the bag.

Besides, the original Dueter product tag shows the registered bar code and product description.

Fake Dueter Product

The fake Dueter product tag does not showing any product description and bar code.

Japan

Currency : 100 Japanese Yen = RM26.39

Language : Japanese

Time Zone : (GMT + 9:00)

Top Destination!!!

Tokyo

Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Tower

Kyoto

Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion)

Osaka

Nara

Todaiji Temple

Accommodation for Solo Travellers:

• The cheapest option and best way to meet someone to have dinner with when frustrated after a day of trying to commute around the city are the hostels/guest houses.
• The Japanese style accommodation called Ryokan is worth the test as well although a lot more expensive. It is best to stay in accommodation in the middle of the city to cut travel costs of going back and forwards from the suburbs.
• If you are staying longer you can also hire rooms by asking at guest houses, they are tiny but much cheaper.

Trips and activities for solos:

• You could spend days in Tokyo familiarizing yourself with the city, wandering and visiting the many galleries, history and techno museums. 
• In the evenings a trip to the hot springs will help you relax after a hard day of getting around the busy and at times, frustrating city. 
• City life in Japan is fantastic, people are out at all times of the night shopping, going to theatre, karaoke bars and eating. It is an amazing experience to wander and absorb all of this.
• Shosenkyo Gorge is a day trip from Tokyo and is simply beautiful. 
• The cities of Kyoto and Nara have many temples, shrines and tea ceremonies to visit.
• Visiting the history museum in Nagasaki is well worthwhile to see how the city coped with nuclear destruction.
• National Parks: Kirishima National Park and Daisetsuzan National Park are both beautiful with volcanoes, lakes and forests. 

Budget for Solo Travelers:

• Hostel/guesthouse accommodation is around 3000 Yen ($30). A Japanese style accommodation experience costs approx. 7,000Yen ($70US) for your own room.
• Transport within Japan is very expensive; the best option would be to buy an internal rail card as buying per ticket is very expensive.
• Dinner on average will cost around 1500-2000Yen ($15-20US)
• A solo backpacker would be looking at an approx. amount of $70-80US a day which is quite a hefty sum indeed.

Taiwan

Currency: New Taiwan Dollar ($100) = RM9.40 

Time Zone: GMT + 8

Language: Mandarin

Telephone Services: Country code +886, International Access code 002

Emergency Numbers: 110 Police

Weather

The climate in Taiwan is generally sub tropical, the temperatures in the north are more moderate and this region experiences a defined winter. The southern region does not have a winter season as such and is warm and sunny all year round, there is however a onsoon season from June to October.

Things to see and do

Taiwan's capital is a city called Taipei, this city is home to about 6 million inhabitants and is easily the busiest city on the island. Although there are definite problems with pollution and traffic congestion, Taipei has the biggest selection of shops, bars and nightlife on the island. The city centre also offers a selection of tourist attractions from the National Museum of History to Fu Hsing Dramatic Arts Academy, here visitor have the opportunity to take a tour of this remarkable institution and watch tradition Chinese opera, acrobatics and theatre. The city also houses what is reputably the finest example of temple architecture in the country in the form of the Lungshan or "Dragon Mountain" temple. This temple was founded in 1740 and was built as a tribute to Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy.

No Asian country would complete without its temple town, in Taiwan the town of Tainan fills the niche nicely. There are over 200 temples in and around the town, many still in active use. Highlights include the Taoist East Mountain temple where worshippers come to exercise ghosts or to communicate with their ancestors and the Mito temple which is famous for its statue of the 100 armed goddess of mercy Kuan Yin. Visitors looking witness actual Buddhist practices should head for Luerhmen. This suburb contains three large temples which are in current use. At each of them you have the opportunity to have your name engraved on a temple artefact in exchange for a donation to maintenance costs. Once you have seen the temples the Woozland water park is close by and offers an excellent way to unwind after a hard day's temple touring.

A short ferry hop from the south-east coast of Taiwan takes you to the beautiful volcanic island of Lanyu. This tiny island has a tropical climate and is inhabited by Yami aborigines. The Yami speak their own dialect which is totally dissimilar to Chinese, whilst modern culture has influenced the Yami people there is still a lot of aborigine culture present. For example the Yami build their homes underground to avoid typhoons. There is enough of a Chinese influence for you to find restaurants and taxis so inexperienced travellers shouldn't feel too out of their depth when exploring this pretty little island.

Travel

The rail system in Taiwan is provided by the Taiwan Railway Administration. The service is quite good especially on major tourist routes such as Tapei - Kaohsiung or Tapei to Sun Moon Lake. Most cars are air conditioned and some trains have a restaurant carriage. Fares are quite cheap and children under three travel free with under 13s paying only half fares. Tickets can be purchased from train stations or from most hotels.

The inter-city bus system in Taiwan is run by a collection of private companies with no real central resource. Fares are cheap but buses are often crowded, the best bet is to ask your hotel for details of bus services or find a tourist information point locally.

Travel within cities is generally accomplished by using local buses but Taipei has a partly finished monorail system which serves the city centre and some of the suburbs.

Accommodation

There are over 450 tourist hotels in Taiwan ranging from small budget hotels right up to luxury "5 lotus blossom" hotels with extensive facilities such as pools, gyms and tennis courts. Most hotels belong to the Internatinoal Tourist Hotel Association of Taipei.

There is limited hostel accommodation in Taiwan mostly centred around major cities or tourist hotspots. Both dormitory and non-dormitory rooms are offered at most locations. Many hostels will give discounts to members of the International Youth Hostel Federation.

Health

Healthcare in Taiwan is more than adequate and most western medications are available. Staff are well trained and competent and very close to the standards of the US or Western Europe. Healthcare is quite expensive especially for medicines which are not locally produced so comprehensive travel insurance is highly recommended.

Tap water is not considered safe to drink and should be boiled or otherwise sterilised before use. Bottled water is recommended. Milk are usually pasteurised, long-life, or filtered to make them safe for human consumption. Meat should be well cooked and served hot, both fruit and vegetables should be washed and peeled before use. Normal precautions should be observed when purchasing food from street vendors.

*Tips* How to find cheap flight

• Try to find cheap flights 21 – 45 days in advance. Other than last minute deals, you will pay more as your date to leave approaches. Sometimes buying too soon months in advance also makes for higher prices.

• Sometimes unsold seats are drastically discounted 2 days before departure.

• Never, ever fly on weekends! Try to fly on a Monday morning, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

• Try not to fly within 7 days before or after a holiday. Check your destination’s local holidays and festivals as well.

• If you are buying a round trip ticket, staying longer than 90 days usually results in a higher fare. Check on just buying two 1-way tickets instead for the extra flexibility.  You can also set a fictional return date and pay the change fee later.  Caution: deliberately skipping your return flight will get you blacklisted on some airlines.

• Search for flights at all times throughout the day, you never know when a cheap ticket has been released to the system.

• Make sure your luggage is not over sized or overweight. Check individual airline sites for rules, some charge for a carry-on now.

• Flights with longer layovers usually have lower price tags.

• Early morning redeye flights are more painful bur are usually cheaper.

• Fly into the largest city on the continent you are visiting. Take budget airline hops or travel overland from there to reach your destination. For instance, it may be cheaper to fly into Brussels (a major business hub) and then hitch your way to Amsterdam rather than flying straight there.

• Being as flexible as possible can help you find a cheap flight. Do not specify flight times, number of stops, etc.

• Never buy refundable tickets if they cost more – your backpacking insurance may have trip cancellation coverage anyway.

Nepal

Geographical

Nepal is a sovereign Independent Kingdom which lies between 80 degree 12' east longitude and 26 degree 22' and 30 degree 27' north latitude. The length of the Kingdom is 885 kilometers east-west and its breath varies from 145 to 241 kilometers north-south.

When to go                                                          

Nepal has two-season year which are dry season (October to May) and wet season /monsoon (June to September). While the best times to come to Nepal are autumn (September to November) and spring (March to May) bring almost perfect weather and are definitely the best times to come to Nepal.

Where to go? >>Hot Springs

There is quite a number of (at least 50) natural hot water springs scattered around the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal. These hot water springs are locally known as tatopani simply meaning ‘hot water’. 

The following is the list of natural hot springs located in various parts of Nepal: 

• Hotiyana in Sankhuwasabha, Koshi zone, Eastern Nepal.
• Syabrubesi and Chilime in Rasuwa, North of Kathmandu.
• Srikaar, Sina and Chamlaiya in Darchula.
• Riar, Saghu Khola, Sarai Khola in Middle development region of Nepal.

Festival Dates

Nepal follows a different calendar system than in the West. The New Year falls in mid-April. There are 12 months in a year which is same as the Julian system. Each month begins around the middle of a Western month. However, the festival dates determined by lunar calendar.

The following are some special festivals in Nepal:

-  Festival            :           Mata Tirtha Snan (Mother's Day) 

    Time                :           First month, Baisakh (April/May)

-  Festival            :           Gaijatra 

    Time                :           Bhadra (August-September)

    This festival has its roots in the belief that the god of death, Yamaraj, must be feared and hence worshipped.

-  Festival            :           Gokarna Aunsi (Father's Day) 

    Time               :           Bhadra (August or in early September)

-  Festival            :           Teej Ko Darkhane Din 

    Time                :           Bhadra (August/September)

    "Teej" is the fasting festival for women. Hindu women pray for marital bliss, wellbeing of their spouse and children and purification of their own body and soul.

-  Festival            :           Ghode Jatra (Horse Racing Day)

    Time                :           Chaitra (March/April)

Costs

The minimum budget for living in Nepal is from US$5 to US$7 a day.

Currency

The major international currencies include US dollar, euro and pounds sterling are readily accepted.

Changing money

The official currency exchange rates are set by the government's Nepal Rastra Bank. Besides, the exchange rates will be listed in the daily newspapers. Although the rates at the private banks are different but  normally not far from the official rate.

Word of Caution 
Outbreaks of violence by extreme left wing rebel groups targetting police posts have put the more remote midwest districts in jeopardy. Although they have so far ignored Western tourists, special caution is advised.

Egypt

EGYPT

Location:

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula

Climate:

desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters

Population:

80,470,869

Religion:

About 90% of the population are Muslim; the majority of the rest is Christian, including followers of the Coptic Christian faith. There is also a small Jewish minority.

Sailing Adventure

Pyramid

Camel Ridding 

luxor-temple

Egypt - Getting There and Around!!

Getting there by air:

The national airline is EgyptAir (MS) (www.egyptair.com).

Cairo - Luxor	1.00 Hour
Cairo - Aswan	1.30 Hour
Cairo - Hurghada	0.50 Hour
Cairo - Sharm El Sheikh	1.00 Hour
Luxor - Aswan	0.30 Hour
Aswan - Abu Simbel	0.30 Hour

Or By Train or Road:

Cairo - Aswan	15 Hours
Aswan - Luxor	03 Hours
Luxor - Cairo	12 Hours
Cairo - Alexandria	2.30 Hours

Things To Do !!

Shopping

One of Egypt’s best shopping experiences is Cairo’s medieval market Khan-el-Khalili. Everything from cheap souvenirs to household goods, reproduction ‘antique’ jewellery, spices, brass, copper utensils and cotton goods fill the narrow noisy alleyways. There are also modern shopping centres and small fashionable shops, particularly near Cairo’s Tahrir Square. In Alexandria, antique stalls cluster the Attareen neighbourhood. Luxor’s souk is mainly geared for the tourist market, but it’s a fun place to wander around in the evenings.

Duty Free

The following items may be imported into Egypt by travelers over 18 without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 200g of tobacco.
• 1L of alcoholic...        • well-known Chocolates 

Sailing Or Boating 

You may enjoy stunning on board of traditional boat that cross The Nile River with having the local fresh tea and great view of sun-set. about sailing where you gonna have a cross the Red Sea with a great adventure feelings.

Night Markets or Night Cafe

Many visitors enjoy the Yummy Food !! which is local and enjoy the most traditional way of preparing and offering to new comers there are a lot of varieties and mix food:

Regional specialties:

• Foul (bean dishes).
• Stuffed vine leaves.
• temayya (falafel).
• Kebabs.
• koshari (rice, lentil, pasta and tomato dish).

Accommodation!!

Camping Caravaning:

There are several places in the country to enjoy a night under canvas, particularly at budget-style resorts along the Sinai coast and during trips organised trips to the Sinai interior or the Western Desert. Egypt is not such a good place, however, for ad hoc camping and caravanning as there are many security restrictions in place to protect the country's tourist industry. There are a few official campsites that tourist offices in Egypt can advise about.

Guest Houses:

Youth Hostels:

There are 11 youth hostels affiliated to the Egyptian Youth Hostels Association, located mainly in large towns, on the coast and in popular tourist regions. They mainly cater to local residents but they are used by Western backpackers too.