Indonesia’s national carrier, Garuda Indonesia, has been named the ‘World’s Most Improved Airline’ in the Skytrax 2010 World Airline Awards.

The Skytrax World Airline Awards is one of the airline industry’s most comprehensive and prestigious measure of service quality and is based on survey results from nearly 18 million international passengers. The survey measures passenger satisfaction with some 35 different aspects of product and service delivery, involving more than 200 airlines worldwide.

The award recognises the success of Garuda Indonesia’s ongoing transformation programme. Recent landmarks include the introduction of a new aircraft fleet, new in-flight product, new on-board service concept and a fresh corporate identity. Garuda Indonesia was recently awarded the Skytrax 4-star rating and aims to achieve the coveted 5-star standard.

Garuda will resume flights to Europe via Amsterdam on 01 June 2010, with additional destinations planned… hopefully including London.

Symbiosis has contract rates with Garuda, so please contact us for booking info and rates.

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Now, when you book a whole Cottage (“Private Cottage”) at Lembeh Cottages in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, you pay for just 5 people, not 6.

This Group Offer is ideal for families or small groups of friends. As each Cottage comes with its own Personal Chef – achieve exclusivity for a very reasonable price.

Contact Symbiosis for more details or to book.

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The mystery of why thresher sharks have such huge tails has been solved.

For years, biologists have been unsure why thresher sharks uniquely sport tails that can grow as long as the shark’s body.

Now video footage has confirmed their true function: thresher sharks use their huge tails to swat and stun much smaller prey fish.

The discovery explains why thresher sharks are often caught by their tails by baited long-line fishing gear.

Three species of thresher shark swim the oceans: the common thresher (Alopias vulpinus), bigeye thresher (A. superciliosus) and pelagic thresher (A. pelagicus).

Each species has a similar general appearance, including an elongated tail which can extend up to half the total shark’s length.

Biologists have guessed that the sharks might use their tails to stun prey.

Read the full story on BBC Earth News.

One of the few places in the world to dive for thresher sharks… and be virtually guaranteed of a sighting at any time of year, is Malapascua Island, off the north of Cebu Islands in the central Philippines.  If you are interested to visit, Symbiosis would be happy to plan a trip for you.  Contact us here.

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The Philippines is proposing the adoption of a single visa policy for 10 South-East Asian nations, saying it would benefit trade and tourism.

Visitors currently need to secure separate visas for each of the 10 members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Philippine Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said he was pushing for a single visa for citizens of countries not belonging to ASEAN that would enable them to Travel freely within the region. He said the proposal would be discussed at a three-day meeting of regional immigration heads that starts on Monday in the Philippine capital, Manila.

Libanan said a common visa, modelled on the European Union system, would bring huge benefits in trade, investment and tourism.

The ASEAN member countries are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

At the moment, most visitors travel to Vietnam need a visa to enter the country. Visas for Vietnam are exempted for the citizens of the countries, which have signed a bilateral or unilateral visa exemption agreement with Vietnam, tourist visa may be valid for 15 to 30 days.

Facts

Vietnam remains the most difficult and expensive of the ASEAN countries for most people from outside the region to visit with visas required prior to arrival, or at least authorisation to get one on arrival. Visa exemptions are in place for a few, as follows:

Citizens of ASEAN countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand go to Vietnam from 14-30 days without visa. Citizens of Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Holland can travel to Vietnam for 14 days without visa.

Good luck, Mr Libanan!

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The UK’s Foreign Office (FCO) has revised its travel advice to Thailand, which last week advised against all but essential travel to the whole country.

The travel directive has been amended as follows:

This advice has been reviewed and reissued with amendments to the Summary and the Terrorism and Security section. The overall level of the advice has changed; we no longer advise against all but essential travel to the whole country.  We advise against all travel to specific parts of Thailand.  We advise against all but essential travel to other specific parts of Thailand, including Bangkok.

The website link for more detail is: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/asia-oceania/thailand

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will take place the weekend of 21 and 22 May 2010 at the Nirwana Gardens on Bintan Island in Indonesia’s Riau Islands, just south of Singapore. Triathletes of all levels and countries can join the weekend of fun-filled activities and participate in one of the region’s most festive and vibrant triathlons.

Organised by Tribob, the Bintan Triathlon 2010 will be staged on a scenic yet challenging course in Bintan Island. Race participants will start the course with a swim at the picturesque beaches off Nirwana Beach Club, followed by a bike ride through to the undulating hills of the island and a shaded run in the greenery of Nirwana Gardens.

Now in its sixth year, organisers are expecting a crowd of 1,400 participants across all categories. The event started in 2005 with 480 participants and has seen a steady annual increase to 1,200 race participants from 37 different countries last year. While most participants make it a holiday weekend; the day-trip option from Singapore is available for the most budget-conscious athletes.

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For the month of August, Tufi Dive Resort is running a low season special which is come for 7 days and pay for 5 days so 2 free days of accommodation and meals.

Contact Symbiosis for more

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Also aboard the SY Siren

21 Feb – 02 March 2011 – was 3,300 Euro now with 20% off making it 2,640 Euro

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Aboard the SY Siren

• 12 – 22 December 2010 – Best of Thailand – was 2,200 Euro now with 20% off making it 1,760 Euro
• 23 Dec 2010 – 03 Jan 2011 – Similan Islands, Thailand and Mergui Archipelago (Burma) – was 2,600 Euro now with 10% off making it 2,340 Euro

Contact Symbiosis for more details or to book

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One of the most recent additions to the fleet of high end, sailing pinisi liveaboards in Indonesia is the exquisite Aurora, launched late last year.

Symbiosis is offering a 10% discount on a liveaboard dive safari on this gorgeous vessel to the Banda Sea (Ambon ~ Maumere)

• 01-13 Oct (12 nights)

Also, for small groups, Symbiosis can offer a 6 pax + 1 goes free.

Details on the Aurora webpage here.

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We have had some additional places open up on some of our tours for the 2010 Mount Hagen Cultural Festival in August this year.

This is a highly sought after Papua New Guinea experience – the famous Mount Hagen Cultural festival. A must for people interested in photographing people.

In addition to attending this colourful event, the tour also includes stays at the stunning Ambua Lodge, high up in the Southern Highlands, overlooking the Tari basin (home to the Huli Wigmen) and to Karawari Lodge, deep in the Sepik basin, plus a Sepik River cruise aboard the Sepik Spirit.

Full tour details here.

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The 2m-long reptile is a monitor lizard, the group to which the world’s longest and largest lizards belong.

The monitor, described as spectacular by the scientists who found it, lives in forests covering the Sierra Madre mountains in the north of the country.

The striking reptile has bright yellow, blue and green skin, and survives on a diet of just fruit, yet until now it has escaped the eyes of biologists.

Full story….

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Rock islands in Raja Ampat bay. Photograph: Alamy

See this article about Misool Eco Resort, published in the UK’s Guardian newspaper at the end of March.

Learn more about Misool Eco Resort and the exceptional diving there.

Interested to see for yourself? Contact Symbiosis Expedition Planning.

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Two critically endangered vultures were released into the wild last week in Stoeung Treng’s Siem Pang district after the birds were found poisoned earlier in the month.

The birds, one white-rumped vulture and one slender-billed vulture, were nursed back to health after 2 weeks at the Phnom Tama0 Wildelife Rescue Centre where they were brought after eating the carcass of a poisoned dog. About 5 other birds died after eating the poisoned meat.

Mark Gately of the Wildlife Conservation Service, one of the NGOs that make up the Cambodia Vulture Conservation Project, estimates that there are only about 150 of each species remaining in Cambodia, whose ranges extend from India to mainland South East Asia.

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The political demonstrations by the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship in Thailand (aka UDD or “red-shirts”) are expected to start in provincial areas on 11 March 2010 and reach Bangkok on 13 March 2010.  The main demonstration is expected to occur near Government House and along Ratchadamnoen Road in the Dusit district of Bangkok, but the UDD has also announced plans for demonstrations in other parts of town.  As a result, traffic congestion and difficulty of movement is possible throughout Bangkok.

While UDD leadership has pledged that the demonstrations will be peaceful, the possibility of violence cannot be ruled out and the government has invoked the Internal Security Act (ISA), which enable the police and military expanded powers to maintain security.  The Foreign Minister also gave assurances that all officials would proceed in accordance with the rule of law and with the utmost restraints.

The Thai government is doing its best to provide the utmost security to all residents in Bangkok and Thailand, including the diplomatic corps and other foreigners.

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