Still looking for somewhere to go at Christmas? We might have something for you! Book this 11 days sailing cruise onboard the Ombak Putih and enjoy this Special Offer ‘Free Domestic Flights’, saving up to USD $1,100

What: Sailing cruise (Papua & Central Maluku Expedition) onboard Ombak Putih
Where: Kaimana – Misool – Ambon, Indonesia
When: 16-27 December 2014
Offer: Free Domestic flights (associating with cruise program) – Save up to USD $1,100

Contact Symbiosis Custom Travel for more details

Super deal available for adventure cruise onboard the Ombak Putih. When book this November cruise, you are entitled to free domestic flights (associating with the cruise program) which saves you up to USD $700+.

What: Sailing cruise (Snorkelling & Paddling) onboard Ombak Putih
Where: Sorong – Raja Ampat – Sorong, Indonesia
When: 20-29 November 2014
Offer: Free Domestic flights – Save up to USD $700

For further details, please contact Symbiosis Custom Travel

Take this opportunity and enjoy our offer of up to 50% discount for river cruise onboard the Toum Tiou II between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Duration: 3 days 2 nights
Where: Phnom Penh – Siem Reap
When: 20-22 Dec 2014

Contact Symbiosis for further details.

Due to a last minute cancellation, the master cabin has become available for a special 10 day/9 night trip to Indonesia’s Komodo National Marine Park aboard Mermaid I.

Dates: September 29 to October 8
Special Price: EUR 2800 per person sharing, including free nitrox.

Highlights: diving with the amazing Mola Mola in Nusa Penida then continuing on for fantastic diving throughout the Komodo National Park and Sangeang volcano now famous for its smoking top and super macro!
 
Book now – contact Symbiosis Custom Travel asap

Symbiosis is pleased to offer the Green Season promotions for the HanumanAlaya and HanumanAlaya Villa that began on 1 April 2014.

During September our offer is rooms at half‐price, while October has a ‘Stay 3, Pay 2’ promo.

From 1 to 30 September 2014
– Stay minimum 1 night get 50% Discount including breakfast.
From 1 to 31 October 2014
– Stay 3 nights, pay only 2 nights including breakfast.

The two HanumanAlayas – the Boutique Residence and the Villa – are located next door to one another just off the road that leads to Angkor Wat, about a 10 minute tuk tuk ride from the centre of Siem Reap – an ideal location close to the action but far enough to offer peace and seclusion. One of Symbiosis’ favourites in Siem Reap.

Contact one of our travel specialists as early as possible to book.

Visas for foreigners entering Cambodia will increase by $10 on 1 October. Tourists will pay $30 upon arrival, with business visas increasing to $35. The ministry said it was to keep in line with visa costs in other neighbouring countries and was the first increase since 1997. E‐visas will increase by the same amount.

Fabulous End of Season promotion available for stay at Dewa Phuket - Thailand! Book your stay for from between 08th September – 31 October 2014 and enjoy a 50% off of the normal rates.

Please contact Symbiosis for further details

Divers Alert Network, the leader in dive safety, has introduced two new travel insurance plans to the scuba diving and travel communities. Based on DAN’s 30+ years of emergency travel assistance experience, these plans have been redesigned and offer enhanced levels of coverage to provide protection for unforeseen travel events. The introduction of these plans marks DAN’s return to the travel insurance business after a brief a hiatus stemming from underwriter restructuring.

DAN’s new Trip Insurance provides valuable travel protection for one special trip and features coverages such as Emergency Assistance and Transportation, Medical and Dental, Trip Interruption and Cancellation and protection for baggage and sports equipment. Other plan benefits include concierge services, identity theft resolution services and on-demand medical services. With three plan levels to choose from, travellers will be able to enjoy the trip protection best suited to their budget and coverage needs.

DAN’s new Annual Travel Insurance plan is ideal for individuals who take multiple trips throughout the year. The new Annual Travel Insurance coverage provides protection for every trip taken during the course of a year and includes coverages such as Emergency Assistance and Transportation, Medical and Dental, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, Trip Interruption and Cancellation as well as baggage protection with sporting equipment included. The annual plan is available at three levels of coverage.

Both travel insurance plans can be purchased online by members and nonmembers alike at DAN.org/travel. The website’s easy-to-use interface enables travellers to get an instant quote based on their travel parameters. For travellers on the move, the website features a fully responsive design for the ultimate user experience on smart phones and tablets. In addition to the valuable Trip and Annual Insurance plan features, the modern interface and enhanced usability of the web applications further differentiate DAN’s travel insurance products in a competitive marketplace.

About DAN: DAN’s mission is to help divers in need of medical emergency assistance and to promote dive safety through research, education, products and diving services. The DAN Foundation is a 501(c) (3) organisation (Tax ID # 56-1696689) and has grown to become the largest association of recreational scuba divers in the world since its inception in 1980. DAN is supported by membership dues and donations. Membership levels include individual, family, industry partners, professional, and students. Some benefits of DAN membership include emergency medical evacuation assistance through DAN TravelAssist, a subscription to Alert Diver magazine and access to DAN’s insurance services. For more information, or to become a DAN member, explore DAN.org

The Thai military government has announced that foreign tourists to the country can now extend their free 30 day visa’s to 60 days once in Thailand. Hurray!

Despite their inaccessibility and lack of infrastructure, Indonesia’s remote Papuan highlands have begun to feel the claws of development, leaving the area’s youth at an awkward crossroads of tradition and modernity. Great story in The Globe by Joanna Mayhew

Take the advantage and enjoy our special offer ‘Book for 7 nights, pay for 6 nights ONLY’. Come and dive the Lembeh Strait and stay at the Eco Divers Resort.

Conditions of offers:

• Bookings must be a minimum of 7 nights
• All-Inclusive Dive Package
• Offer cannot be back-dated onto existing bookings
• Only applies to bookings made between 25 October and 30 November 2014
• Valid for stays by 30 June 2015
• Cannot be taken in conjunction with any other offer made by Eco Divers
• All bookings are subject to availability
• Offer applies on pre-booked package only

Exclusions: Drinks, Tips, Diving equipment rentals, Incidentals e.g. night dives, Nitrox fills, spa services, land tours, mini-bar purchases, laundry, telephone calls

Additionally, you can also enjoy a group offer: Come 6pax and pay for 5pax ONLY.

Price starting from: USD $1,224 per person based on twin/double sharing.

Contact Symbiosis for further details

Book for 7 nights, pay for 6 nights only to dive the Bunaken National Park with stay at the Minahasa Lagoon!

Conditions of offers:

• Bookings must be a minimum of 7 nights
• All-Inclusive Dive Package
• Offer cannot be back-dated onto existing bookings
• Only applies to bookings made between 25 October and 30 November 2014
• Valid for stays by 30 June 2015
• Cannot be taken in conjunction with any other offer made by Eco Divers
• All bookings are subject to availability
• Offer applies on pre-booked package only

Exclusions: Drinks, Tips, Diving equipment rentals, Bunaken National Park entrance fee, Incidentals e.g. night dives, Nitrox fills, spa services, land tours, mini-bar purchases, laundry, telephone calls

Additionally, you can also enjoy a group offer: Come 10pax and pay for 9pax ONLY.

Price starting from: USD $1,152 per person based on twin/double sharing.

Contact Symbiosis for further details

The curfew on the East Coast of Sabah, involving the area starting three nautical miles from shore until the international borders with the Philippines, has yet again been extended to 2nd September 2014. However, it will be now only be a 10-hour daily sea curfew from 7pm to 5am. This encompasses an area of some 121,270 sq miles. The length of the curfew area is about 362 nautical miles from Tanjung Pundaras in Sandakan to part of Pulau Sebatik near Tawau (please refer to map attached for more details). 

Tourism activities in Sabah are not affected by this enforcement. All activities, including night and early morning activities in areas such as Sukau, Abai & Danum Valley, continue to operate as usual. Trips to Selingan (Turtle Island) are also not affected because boats travel after 5am only and there are no boat transfers after 7pm.

See press links below for more details:

The Star Daily
The Malay Mail 

Fabulous opportunity to spend a week cruising the lower Mekong River aboard the lovely Toum Tiou river cruiser between Saigon and Angkor Wat for a fraction of the normal price. But you will need to be quick!

Dates are:
01 to 08 Oct, 2014: Siem Reap (Angkor) to Saigon
16 to 23 Oct 2014: Saigon to Siem Reap

To book, contact us at Symbiosis Custom Travel ASAP!

Burma’s Ministry of Immigration and Population this week began a trial period for an online tourism visa application system that is due to be fully implemented next month.

During the trial run, applicants are required to fill out an online visa form, verify that all the information entered is correct and make an online credit card payment. Applicants will receive a visa approval letter via email and are then eligible to have their passport stamped upon arrival by presenting a print-out of the electronic approval letter.

Following submission of an application, the approval process will take up to five days and the online visa costs US$50 per applicant. From the date that the approval letter is received, applicants have up to 90 days to enter Burma, where they can stay for a maximum of 28 days.

Previously, travellers to Burma were required to apply in person at a Burmese Embassy abroad.

The launch of the e-visa system comes tourist numbers to Burma continue to swell. Foreign arrivals through the first seven months of this year rose 43 percent compared with the same period in 2013, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism announced last week.

January through July 2014 tallied 1,604,746 arrivals, compared with 1,121,795 over the first seven months of 2013.