After a lot of travel research the past years I’ve finally concluded a study abroad program is the most economical and rewarding means to live abroad for an extended period of time.  After hours of research and introspection I’m happy to say that I’ll [hopefully] be studying abroad this Fall 2009 in Asia.

I just finished applying for my desired program(s) which go through my business school and are somewhat competitive from what I hear.  My business school has a multitude of programs, mostly of which are based in Europe and are not affordable for me.  However, fortunately they offer some great Asian programs too, and in my application I’m applying for three and ranking each one by preference.  Here are the possibilities:

Bangkok Thailand

Leading my favorite programs my miles is a program in Bangkok Thailand. I would be able to study at Thammasat University, which is the best university in the country and is well known throughout Southeast Asia.

I looked at it first for its great affordability and access to cheap travel everywhere, like Laos, Cambodia, and (more…)

As the rest of the world’s growth is finally starting to outpace the US economy’s growth, most of the new huge building projects are happening overseas and we tend not to hear about them, at all. Well these projects are massive, elaborate, beautiful, gaudy, and seem to be a fixture in future urban landscapes and urban tourism internationally.

So are these projects sustainable? And will they be budget friendly? Well probably not too nice on the pocket book, but that is yet to really be determined. But for theses massive building projects going on…

Kazakhstan - Entertainment Center

Norman Foster is bringing Kazakhstan (yes, the Borat kazakhstan) up to speed amongst it’s Asian neighbors with this entertainment center meant to show off the country a bit. Featuring retail space, a massive park, and some “entertainment center” Kazakhstan is looking to tap into some high end tourism. Maybe they’ll have some budget hostels in the normal part of the city so a day trip wouldn’t be too impossible.

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With the Olympics coming, China’s travel industry is about to get loads upon loads of promotion. NBC will undoubtedly feature Beijing-related pieces in between events. Bob Costas (or is it his writers?) will have some humorous monologues about the cultural differences between China and the U.S.

As long as anti-government protests don’t rage in the streets of Beijing, the games will be a boon for China’s tourism business.

That raises a question: will China’s newfound popularity make it into a giant over-visited Asian theme park? Will soccer moms toss around the words: “going to China this summer?” The same casual way that they now refer to Italy or The Bahamas or Hawaii. Most of all, will the games make China a more expensive place to visit?

Fear not!

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Backpackers, budget travelers, and those simply seeking unique experiences have long been traveling to islands off Thailand’s west coast. Alex Garland’s cult classic, The Beach, gave the eastern Andaman Sea a wider audience.  But these islands have always had appeal.

What’s not appealing about sitting on a beach all day taking in the near perfect balance of sand, surf, sun, and tropical foliage? What’s not to love about partying with like minded tourists and fun-loving locals before returning to a pleasant but spartan bungalow that’s so cheap it might as well be free? For the same as it would cost to stay in Cancun for a week, you could stay on Koh Phi Phi for six. Maybe 8 if you decided to forgo the banana pancakes and eat local food.

Thailand’s islands WERE the budget island Mecca. But are they still? (more…)

India Railways is taking on the same battle that its buddies in Europe are: defeat the budget airlines. Last week Europe I posted how Europe rail travel is positioning itself for a comeback with its new high speed rail expansions.

Well, Indian Railways is gearing up for a similar battle, but with an even more aggressive plan to win over budget travelers. And…it sounds like a good one.

The plan actually began in 1998, and targets the very thrifty budget travelers and backpackers, as well as the premium / high class travelers.There 4 tier plan includes:

1. Four High Speed Railroad links - They are testing some real fast ones that could cut travel time very nicely.

2. 100 Budget Hotels on unused land owned by the railway - In a public-private partnership, Indian Railways will lease land to private developers to create a 100 budget hotels along the rail routes. This ensures that travelers will not be required to stray too far away from the lines to find a cheap place to stay. Win-win for budget travelers and the government.

3. A campaign to increase cleanliness of travel - Good. Many people often picture railways to be crusty and dirty, and they probably have a good reason to do so. A public campaign will mandate cleanliness, giving travelers confidence.

4. Reservation and Fare changes - These changes are suppose to be pretty drastic compared to how Indian Railways previously operated. They will employ many new computer booking kiosks, smart cards, and better phone information and reservation systems. For the fare changes, fares are expected to be reduced a little bit, which is always good.

So this shows the railways haven’t been ignoring their loss in market share to the budget airlines over the past few years. If this continues it can only help the cause of the budget backpacking traveler. Sweet…The original story is from the Bangkok post, but the site is down at the moment.

After a nice, long Christmas break, it’s always hard to get out of “The Mondays” as you return to your normal routine. Personally, I have re-written this post entry about three times in the last 24 hours. I’m really struggling.

So what’s a better cure for “The Mondays” than more vacation time? Nothing… (more…)