Phuket is a beautiful place to have a laid back vacation, except that it could be overwhelmingly crowded during the peak month of Decembers. I was there in late November and already the hotels, traveler lodges, pubs and massage parlous were gearing for the in flood of December tourists. If I could, I always like to visit Phuket a week or 2 before their golden months set in. It was great that the company sent me for a 4-day training stint there.

I like nothing better to do than waking up late, walk down to the beach and have a few laps before I head for breakfast. After that, is a stroll down to the town area for a massage. Well, the girls there were great, and their fingers can certainly do wonders. Especially if you can speak a little Thai language so that they can better understand your needs. Well, make sure you negotiate price before you settle for a massage, facial or foot reflexology. Sometimes, the listed price doesn’t count!

Currently, I can greet in Thailand and can bargain using Thai numbers. You bet that helps, because when you can bring on a wide smile from the vendors, there’s hope. “Sawatdee Khrab!” That is how you say hello in Thai. If you are a girl you will say “Sawatdee Kaa”. When you are on holiday in Thailand, most places you go to you won’t have a problem. Still, learn some basic conversational will help. Most web sites and phrase books just write down the Thai words using Roman letters for you to try and read. That is a waste of time because Thai is a tonal language. You need to listen to native speakers and try to talk as often as possible. You don’t talk, you don’t learn.

Additional Reading
60 Minutes to learn the Thai Alphabets

We were too early for one meeting and didn’t want to loiter around the lobby while waiting. So me and my colleague popped into the rug shop across the road, not so much to browse but to get away the scotching heat of India. Mumbai was so hot that I honestly believed you could fry an egg on the road. The Indian proprietor gave us a cursory glance and went back to his books. Surprisingly, this place was very well stocked and even more surprisingly, well labeled. There are many sign boards explaining the origins of the rugs in English! It was there I saw the difference between Persian rugs and Oriental rugs. I was so impressed thatI bought my very first oriental hand made area rug, a small 4′ by 6′ woolen piece. After all, I was in the Orient. While negotiating the price, (yes, you absolutely must bargain in India. They charge foreigners a tourist price because they assumed we got more money than the locals), the glum looking proprietor brightened up and started giving us a mini lecture on India rugs. According to him, India is on of the largest producers of hand-made oriental area rugs. Most of India’s rugs are modern except for the decorative, collectible and sometimes very expensive Antique Agra and Laristan. India produced a tremendous amount of Aubusson & Chinese Ming designs from 1960-1980, but the most popular rugs woven throughout the country today are Persian designs.

It was when I returned home and did my research that I realized that I should have bought a dozen or more back. The choices in India were mind boggling and the price was a steal. However, all is not lost as I recently discovered that I can get cheap rugs online. Online shopping may not be as fun as physically touching and feeling the rugs but I am not complaining because I save on airfare, hotel and food. If you have a similar experience of being to the treasure island and was so dumb as o bring out only one piece of gem, you might want to check out online for treasure coves.

Actually the benefits of shopping online is the information the sites provided. Though I got a mini lecture from the Indian boss, I must admit that I was totally at sea during parts of the conversation. Indian accent can be thick and make it tough to decipher and comprehend. So the following area rug selection tips I found at SuperiorRugs.com definitely helps. I’m extracting some important bits and pieces and put it here to serve as my external memory bank:

Selection Tips for Area Rugs
- Choose a rug that will perform well, with the right combination of density and fiber. The denser the pile, (with closer tufts or stitches), the better your rug will wear. Synthetic yarns – nylon, polyester, acrylic, and polypropylene “olefin” – and the naturals – wool and cotton – are durable, soft, and easy to clean.

- Machine-made rugs often look strikingly similar to the hand made kind, but they’re usually much less expensive. And as a reminder, you should consider the fringe. If the rug you like has fringe be careful when using the vacuum cleaner.

- If you have the opportunity, you may want to start with a totally empty room, choose a rug first, then paint or paper the walls in colors found in the rug. Choose furniture that will enhance the colors or patterns found in the rug.

- If you already have your furniture, choose a rug that picks up the colors used in your furnishing patterns. Patterns can be mixed if they are coordinated by color. Elements of a rug design can be further incorporated into the overall design scheme.

- Don’t underestimate the value of an underlay or pad. Protect your new area rug with a proper padding. Not only will the pad absorb the impact of feet and noise, it will reduce wear and tear on the rug and make vacuuming easier. A proper rug pad will also prevent the rug from sliding on hardwood or laminate flooring.

I was also pleasantly surprise that SuperiorRugs has a section on “Clearance Rugs” and “Final Area Rug Clearance”. Don’t call me cheapskate but I was already thinking these 2 sections will be good avenues to source for a nice Christmas present for the old lady. I mean a 81% discount from the list price is a big saving, and I have got another 21 people on my Christmas list! Honestly, I’m running out of out-of-the-box gifts to surprise mom. She always has this impression that I will surprise her every year with a gift from overseas. Well, I hope she will be surprised when Fedex knocked on her door with a bigger box than usual.

Whatever. His life, his choice. His plan is to go to Melbourne first and after that he might go to Sydney, Perth and Adelaide. I have been to Melbourne and I like the scenic Great Ocean Walk very much. Let’s hope the guy will sing to the ocean to practice his “qi” like those masters we saw in the Chinese and Japanese sword-fighting and gongfu movies.

His task to me is where to stay in those 4 places before he find a permanent place.. That isn’t daunting and I know a good website that will give me the details in a few clicks. Plus the fact he told me “money isn’t the major consideration but try to keep it under A$200 per night”

For Melbourne, I will pick one from the Radisson Hotels & Accommodation chain – the Radisson On Flagstaff Gardens Melbourne. Located in Melbourne’s CBD, this hotel with a 4.5 star rating is opposite to the Flagstaff Gardens and is conveniently located within short walking distance of the city’s many attractions. I figured he will need to be within city area to get and “meet” some opportunities. Anyway, the current price is right on target, only A$151 after a good discount.

For Sydney, I will short-list Four Points by Sheraton. The 4-star rating hotel is built overlooking Darling Harbour, it is located in Sydney’s bustling Central Business District. The 2-bed room at A$180 is well within his budget, so that’s cool. I always like the Sheraton Hotels. In fact, I stayed in one when I went to HK last month.

For Adelaide, Rydges South Park Adelaide is perfectly positioned for guests travelling on business or leisure trips. The hotel is situated next to the southern parklands with views over the Adelaide Hills. I understand that this is one of the more popular Rydges Hotels.

For Perth, Travelodge Hotel Perth is a good choice. Centrally located at the southern end of Perth’s shopping district and within walking distance to the city centre, entertainment and shopping area, the room will only cost him A$146. Travelodge is primarily a UK budget hotel brand, with a range of hotels around the world. Many hotels are located beside motorways and major roads, but this is now changing as newer hotels begin to open in city centres.

What do you think of my suggestion? If you have visited in any of these cities and have your favorite or “black-listed” hotels, do share..