Ecotourism is defined as: Businesses that cater to tourists follow special policies to protect the environment, aid the local community and educate travelers.

Unfortunately, there is no universal set of standards on what can pass as Ecotourism. Added to this there are 100 groups that is offering various “eco” certifications and memberships.

This CNN article on Ecotourism gives 4 simple questions that you can ask so you can judge by yourself whether a travel service or hotels is “ecotrourism” or not.

1. How do you conserve resources?
2. How do you protect plants and animals?
3. What do you do to helo the community?
4. What ecotourism activities do you offer?

Go here for the complete article

Several links on Ecotourism in Asia: Gordon’s Guide and Ecotourism Map from Nature.org

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ThailandGuru.com has a very useful page about traveling by BUSES in Bangkok.

Among the information he listed the advantages and disadvantages of taking bus in Bangkok:

Advantages:

• CHEAP — from 2.5 baht to 25 baht maximum from one edge of town to the other
• Don’t need to explain to taxi driver where to go; buses go most everywhere
• Compared to driving, no need to find parking, deal with one-way routes, bad drivers, etc.

Disadvantages:

• During rush hour, the buses are crowded with no seating
• Pollution is bad on the roads waiting for the bus (sometimes heat, too)
• Need a bus map in English; destinations written on bus are in Thai (some exceptions)
• Slower than taxis, skytrain, motorcycle taxis, driving
• Most buses stop service around 10-11pm (last one leaves station to start route at 10pm)
• If you shop much, then better to carry your bags back via a taxi or your car than on a bus

Complete guide of using bus in Bangkok from ThailandGuru.com:

• Do You Really Want To Take The Bus?
• How To Use The Buses
• Minivan Buses — The Best Alternative!
• Official Websites of Bus Operators

For more information on routes Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) website, the company that operated buses in Bangkok has an english version pages.

They divided Bangkok Area by 8 Bus Zones, unfortunately there are no maps that accompany this information which could be more useful:

• buszone1.htm
• buszone2.htm
• buszone3.htm
• buszone4.htm
• buszone5.htm
• buszone6.htm
• buszone7.htm
• buszone8.html

Check out this page to help get more clearer picture of Bangkok Area from Thai Ways Magazine on Maps of Bangkok that’s by far the most useful Bangkok map you can find online.

Some of the Bangkok maps that available online for free on the above page:

• Bangkok metropolis area 
• BTS Skytrain & Bangkok Metro route map
• Rattanakosin island map - Old town - Chinatown map
• Don Muang - Vibhavadi map
• Sukhumvit - New Phetburi map
• Silom - Surawong - Sathon - New Road map
• Siam - Ratchadamri map
• Ratchadaphisek - Ramkhamhaeng map

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Hong Kong is always known as shoppers paradise.

Here is a very descriptive article about where and when to shop in Hong Kong from CNN Travel: “A shopaholic’s dream day in Hong Kong”

Quotes:

With Hong Kong’s selection of markets and mega-malls, the question isn’t, “Where is the Prada?” It’s: “Where is the nearest Prada?”

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