Month: February 2019

21Feb

Traveling Tips: Hokkaido

When in Japan, the two go-to choices of travelers always revolve around the cities of Tokyo and Osaka. A third option exists to advanced travelers. When you’re just about satisfied with your thirst for urban scenery and deep-rooted culture, you are now welcome to enter the snowy plains of Hokkaido.

Planning a trip to Hokkaido offers an extra challenge to all travelers. It simply isn’t easy because there’s just too much to explore. This is why there will be two parts to planning your travel: the pre-trip checklist, and your actual guide once you’ve reached your destination.

Before the flurry

It’s a fact we have to face. It’s hard to be away from home these days without internet connection. Quite honestly, having no internet connectivity while traveling In Japan will be a nightmare. From translations to map-checking, things will be more complicated. The choice is yours if you want opt for a sim card (for solo travelers) or a standard 4G pocket wifi (suited for group travels).

An efficient public transport is what drives Japan in general. Before heading to Hokkaido, get a reloadable IC card that could be used on all public transport like JR trains, and buses. Pre-purchased IC cards from other regions like Tokyo and Osaka can also be used.

Sapporo TV tower

A famous landmark in the area, this tall structure offers a beautiful view of Odori park. It is the second tallest tower in Japan after the Tokyo Tower.

They charge an entrance fee of 720 yen. Third party services such as Klook offer tickets for a relatively lower price.

Otaru Canal

Beautifully restored and a favorite tourist spot, the Otaru Canal is a sight of beauty, better at nighttime. The place is a serene body of water lit by 63 gas lamps along its promenade. If you travel during the winter period, you get to see the stone houses buried in snow, giving an appeal that reminds you of the western places.

Mt. Hakodate

Standing at 334 meters high, Mount Hakodate is a wooded mountain at the southern end of the area. For cheaper expenses, this perfect spot offers a view of the city from a high vantage point. The facilities are accessible through your choice of a 10-minute ropeway, or through a bus. They charge a fee of 1280 yen for a roundtrip ropeway and 780 yen for a single trip.

Shirugane Blue Pond

We live for beautiful turquoise waters and a sense of peace. This place is a must-visit if you’re after wintry sceneries. During the cold season, the area transforms into a magical view as it gets engulfed by artistic lighting patterns. Even without the light shows, its beautiful waters are enough to surely steal your heart.

Furano Flower Fields

Maybe it’s time to give Sunflower a break. Being in Hokkaido provides a fresh opportunity to fall in love with lavender, which has been cultivated in the area for more than half a century. Furano’s flower fields are lavender heavens which always have a lot of visitors in summer, when everything is in full bloom.

Still uncomfortable being outside your comfort zone? Overestimate your calculated expenses, particularly when you’re planning to go on a budget trip. Pull the extra strings on safety by securing travel insurance which will provide you security from the smallest hassle to the biggest of inconveniences. The snowy plains of Hokkaido will be waiting for your you, but there’s nothing wrong with a little extra precaution. Be it your first time or your 20th, it’s always best to be at ease and not worrying about anything.

15Feb

Don’t Pass Up on Cyber Securty

Computer viruses are just the beginning in the long line of possible cyber threats. The spectrum extends to limits still unexplored, and are still expanding to very this day.

Cyber attacks are very real and aren’t limited to the four walls of fiction. At the top of your head, the closest examples of cyber attacks when it comes to business involve phishing and credit card scams.

Phishing is defined by what it sounds like. It happens when notorious online parties put an effort to steal sensitive information such as passwords and personal details to either gain leverage or to put to fraudulent use.

Credit card scams lure you into any way possible to provide key information so hackers can simply pluck away from your bank account.

Various media such as films and books may give us the false idea that these threats only cover high-profile targets, but anyone with as much as a mobile phone is easily vulnerable these days. Even their respective fields have been no stranger to these incidents: from early leaks to unprecedented releases.

In the tough world of business, data still tops the pyramid as the most valuable resource, not contingent to other factors such as potential clients and revenues.

In this case, it’s conclusive to say that a breach of data is just as much as a loss such as losing potential clients.

As responsible business owners, people have to know better than merely investing in physical security. A business dictates its own network, and having many devices on that very line increases the risk of having your data stolen.

2018 marked a sudden spike in cyber attacks from across the world. Juniper Research predicts that the United States for example, will account for half of all total data breaches by the year 2023.

According to a survey ran by The Harris Poll in 2018, nearly 60 million Americans have been victims of identity theft. Attacks have been slowly rising by the moment, and it’s always good to have security in the case of an incident.

Just recently, International company Beazley has reported on alarming numbers of “sextortion” cases. This is a cyber scam that attempts to extort money from people by claiming they were filmed through their device’s built-in camera. These photos are threatened to be leaked into circulation unless payment will be made, usually in the form of cryptocurrency.

Insurance has taken its steps even in the digital world. Cyber insurance exists for a reason, and a sensible one. It is an actual product that aims to help businesses put a fence on the growing dangers caused by the various strings of cyber crimes.

Be it a multi-layered company or small business, cyber insurance works for good aid that may attenuate issues.

It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out or already an established name. The number of applications tangled with work increases the risk of a possible attack. Prevention is always better than cure, and the repercussions of having your employees’ payroll details may leave cuts that may never be healed.

There was a time when usual online errors could be pinned on the lack of discipline of internet users. Technology and technique have both evolved since then, and safety isn’t really a question on everyone’s minds these days unless you take it up a notch.

The threat of data breaches from cyber scams originates from discrediting that cyber insurance will do you any good at all. If business moves on as usual, it will be easy to overlook an extra pinch of security. By the time the damage has been done however, things will have been too late.

7Feb

Travelling in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is easily one of the world’s well-loved and well-trodden tourist destinations worldwide, and, if you’ve visited any of its countries, it’s easy to see the reason behind its appeal.

“Diverse” is the best word to describe Southeast Asian countries. It is already known that the culture in these countries tend to be kaleidoscopic—it takes different colors and figures to make it what it is. This is from the people to the culture. However, what people seldom realize is there is diversity also exist in the activities that they offer.

Are you itching for some adrenaline and want to go to forest or ocean adventures? Is your mouth craving for a food trip? Want to look smart in front of your friends by the end of the summer by going to a cultural or history tour? Want to cap off your trip by spending the day shopping or exploring the night life of a roaring city that never sleeps? (That’s right, New York. You’re not the only insomniac’s paradise anymore.)

All of this can be done in Southeast Asia.

So, if you’re considering Southeast Asia as your next travel destination (and it would be unwise not to), here are some of the must-go, absolutely necessary places to visit depending on what the over-all theme of how you want your vacation to be, along with tips in travelling when there:

Adrenaline rushers

Palawan of the Philippines is one of the most popular go-to destinations for people who are willing to dip their toes into the wild side. From parasailing, to trekking, to canoeing in a cave, to snorkelling, to full-on scuba-diving, the island of Palawan has it all. The island’s diverse marine life is one the reasons why it is continuously revisited by tourists and even locals. It would be a sin not to explore its waters when there. Prepare some cash, though, almost everything comes with a price there but, rest assured, you’ll get your money’s worth.

Other islands in the Philippines that’s slowly gaining popularity is Cebu. The biggest hassle though is the travelling in the island itself. The go-to places tend to be far apart and transportation is a bit difficult to come by, however there are cab drivers that offer their services.

Other things to explore in Southeast Asia:

  • Surfing in Bali
  • Off-road motorbike tour in Laos- this would be more fun if you know how to ride a motorbike on your own
  • Sky-diving in Pataya, Thailand
  • Spelunking in Vietnam
  • Climbing Mount Pulag, Philippines

#Cultured

Southeast Asia is layered with so much history that in any country that you choose, their historical and culture tours would not disappoint. However, here are some of the note-worthy activities:

  • Temple-hopping

One of the most marvelled temples in Southeast Asia is Cambodia’s Angkor Wat Temple. Considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, it’s magnificent and intricate design has won the hearts of many tourist and architecture enthusiast

Other temples are:

  • Hue in Vietnam
    • Candi Prambanan and Borobudur in Indonesia
    • The temples in Laos
  • Japan Culture tour

The culture of Japan captured the hearts of many people that is has reached the western countries. If you’re interested in diving deeper, you can arrange for a culture tour wherein you can:

visit Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, Imperial Palace 

explore Gion, and visit a Kimono craftsman workshop, wear an actual kimono, and experience an authentic tea and incense ceremony. You can also opt to have full-course kaiseki dinner, complete with Geisha performance.

Just want to be fat and happy

Singapore is the first place that comes to mind when somebody says, “Food trip!”

Sure, Thai and Japanese food are great, but nothing compares to the hawker stalls in Singapore. Although the city is known for being “fine” because everything there seems to be expensive and comes with a hefty “fine”, the street foods are actually cheap when taking into consideration their quality and serving. Remember that scene from “Crazy, Rich, Asians”? Made your mouth water, didn’t it?

One can map an entire tour, just based solely on your craving. And since the city is quite small, you can burn calories and guilt that came with what you just ate by walking to the next restaurant. You probably won’t, but at least the options there.

From adrenaline junkies to wannabe “cultured snobs”, Southeast Asia is ready to cater to everyone and anyone. All you have to do is do your research and know where to look.

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