Martin J Cowling, Author at Wild About Travel

Place Review: Phuket

April 9, 2015 by Martin J Cowling 5 Comments

a beach with people swimming in the water

There are a few destinations in the world that immediately spell party. These include: Bali, Ibiza, Miami and Porto Heli (Greece). The list also needs to include the small southern Thai island of Phuket which is invaded by 14 million tourists every year. They come to get massaged, swim, snorkel, eat, drink and dance. Many do not know why they go to Phuket, just lured by its reputation as a fun place. I first came to Phuket just after the 2004 Tsunami had ripped through. It did not capture my heart! I came back this week to…

Virgin presents the most boring movie ever!

April 8, 2015 by Martin J Cowling 1 Comment

Would you watch a 5 hour boring movie for 2500 frequent flyer points? Virgin America has created “BLAH AIRLINES FLIGHT 101”, a boring, beige and dull five hour and forty-five minute flight set in real time on a flight from Newark to San Francisco. The passengers aboard seem pretty creepy, the pilots bored and tired and the flight attendants over perked. The film’s trailer can be viewed here: Already almost one million people have already watched the film on YouTube since the film was uploaded in October, 2014! (Did they skip parts of it -like…

Unique Nok Air – Trip Report

April 7, 2015 by Martin J Cowling 7 Comments

Today, I was one of three “farangs” (foreigners) on a Nok Air 737 completely full of Thai people travelling from Bangkok, Thailand to Phuket. I could not work out if this was a random coincidence or do most foreigners not choose Nok? Me? I have wanted to fly the bright yellow Thai “Premium Budget” carrier for some time and today’s flight gave me that opportunity! Nok is the 90th airline I have travelled with since I started flying in 1968! Nok means bird in Thai. They are largely a domestic operation with an international flight to Myanmar. Booking:…

Just don’t do it!

April 6, 2015 by Martin J Cowling Leave A Comment

With my travel tips I generally work on the dos of travel. For the next six weeks, however, I will be focussing on some don’ts. My first one will be “Don’t be an A### hole” and will be published next week: 13th April, 2015. I am happy to take suggestions on other Don’t tips! Related Posts 93 Free Travel Tips Don’t let the Bedbugs bite Travel Tip: Don’t Check in baggage

Still Flying

April 5, 2015 by Martin J Cowling Leave A Comment

In forums and conversations since the tragic Germanwings crash, people have been lamenting that flying has become more dangerous. One person sad to me “you hear of all of these crashes and you wonder of its safe to travel anywhere” The word “hear” is an important one. I am old enough to remember Entebbe in 1976 when terrorists seized and diverted an Air France plane. The astonishing crash between two 747s in 1977. In 1985 there were multiple hijackings, bombings and crashes including the horrific Japan Airlines 747, crash into Mount Osutaka which killed 520 of 524…

Thai air problems knock Nok Scoot

April 3, 2015 by Martin J Cowling 1 Comment

In Thailand Nok means bird. “Premium low cost” domestic carrier Nokair after ten years of operation commands a healthy 27% chunk of the country’s domestic market and a healthy profit margin. Nok has not expanded internationally with the exception of a couple of routes. This was due to change this year. Nok has joined with Singapore Airline’s low cost arm Scoot, to form low cost international carrier called imaginatively NokScoot with the slogan: Fly Awesome. Literally the name means: Bird leaves suddenly and quickly! This new venture is 49% is owned by Scoot and 51% owned by Nok. The carrier aims to link China, Japan…

Learn these Seven Words- always

March 30, 2015 by Martin J Cowling 1 Comment

a group of people with colorful speech bubbles

Learn these seven basic phrases of the native language(s) of the place(s) you are going to: Hello (eg Bonjour, Hola, Guten Tag, Salaam, Namaste, Sawadee Krub- (French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Hindi, Thai) Thank you Merci (FR), Gracias(SP), Danke (GM), Shukrun (AR), Dhanyavaad (HI), Krob Khun Krub (TH) Good bye Au revoir (FR), Adios (SP), Auf Wiedersehen (GM), Ma’a as-salāmah (AR), Namaste (HI), Byebye (TH) Restroom Les toilettes(FR), Baño(SP), Toilette,Toilet or Privy, Alhammam, Hong Nam (TH) Help Au secours (FR), Socorro, Hilfe (GM), ilHaʿni, Maḍaḍ, Chûay dûay (TH) Yes Oui (FR), Si (SP), Ja, Iewa, Haji, Shy (TH) No Non(FR), No (SP), Nein (GM), la, Nahin, My (TH) It…

Post Germanwings: 2 in cockpit

March 29, 2015 by Martin J Cowling 1 Comment

On many of my flights, I have watched the pilot come out of the cockpit to use the lavatory. On some airlines, as he or she has emerged, a member of the cabin crew has replaced him. On others, the pilot or co pilot has left their colleague alone in charge of the plane. The U.S.A had rules before last Tuesday’s Germanwings crash requiring airlines to have two crew members present at all times during the flight. Many other countries allowed airlines to set their own policies. And this has always bothered me. I have always…

Modern Cockpit doors & Germanwings

March 28, 2015 by Martin J Cowling 1 Comment

After 11 September, 2001, airlines and authorities needed to ensure that no unauthorised persons could get into the cockpit. This resulted in the creation the cockpit doors we have on aircraft today. No more did we see the cockpit door left open on flights or people wandering in and out or passengers visiting. The doors themselves are virtually impenetrable. These may not have been topical until this week when the copilot of Germanwings 9525, Andreas Lubitz reportedly locked Captain Patrick Sondenheime out of the cockpit before deliberately flying the Airbus 320 into a French mountain. This video (which…

Air NZ: 75 years – nothing has changed

March 25, 2015 by Martin J Cowling 1 Comment

This hilarious commercial invites people to an exhibition celebrating of Air New Zealand by showing nothing has changed in that time. Well worth the 46 seconds as the video shows images from the early Trans Empire Air Lines (TEAL) Days to the current Air NZ days. From flying boats to 747s. The exhibition is on at the country’s national museum Te Papa, in the capital Wellington. Air New Zealand, began as a flying boat operator TEAL in 1940. It adopted the current name in 1965. Their 106 aeroplanes currently fly to 58 airports. I have flown Air New Zealand 44…

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