Tv Member (me) Gets Nice Write Up In Ny Times

[buadhai]

NY TIMES - PRACTICAL TRAVELER

Making the Best of That Long Layover

By BOB TEDESCHI

Published: August 14, 2005

IN November, Jennie Perkins, a Los Angeles-based employee of a concert promotion company, was booking a 10-day vacation to Thailand when she realized she would face a 10-hour layover at the New Tokyo International Airport in Narita City on the return flight.

"I resigned myself to sitting and reading, eating sushi and experiencing Japan from inside an airport," Ms. Perkins said.

But Ms. Perkins visited the discussion boards on LonelyPlanet.com, where she read about a Web site devoted to those facing long layovers in Narita. The site, Mike Newman's Narita Layover Page (http://www.######/narita/index.html), helped her navigate through customs and out to the city for six hours - long enough to visit the Narita Temple.

Web sites like the Narita page offer a wide range of information for people who are anticipating long airport waits, but are close enough to an Internet connection to do some quick research. Airports' own Web sites are frequently worth a look as well.

Unlike the official airport Web sites or those produced by established travel publishers like WorldAirportGuide.com and Airwise.com, Mr. Newman's site does not try to offer objective information. Mr. Newman, who first posted the Narita page in 1996, after experiencing multiple layovers at the airport there during his business and personal travels, sprinkles in his opinions, and those of fellow Narita travelers.

In the What Can I Do in Narita section, for instance, Mr. Newman writes of "several rather uninspired places" to dine in front of the bus station, then yields to recommended restaurants from other travelers. For example, one contributor recommends Edokko Sushi near the Keisei station.

....

Read the full article here:

New York Times Practical Traveler, August 14, 2005

[cdnvic]

Congrats Mike! You know now that you're retired, there might be time for some travel writing. You have some good reviews already. That's enough to catch an editor's interest.

A relief to see a news article about a Thaivisa member that doesn't include the words 'police', or 'drunken rampage'

cv

[buadhai]

Thanks cv.

My intention is to get some more stuff out there on Isaan. There isn't much on the web and I'm not real impressed with the guidebooks I've seen so far. (When I read about Korat in LP it's as if I'm reading about a city completely different from the one in which I live.)

My Isaan Dining Guide has been a flop so far, but I'll keep plugging away....

mgn

[lopburi3]

Thanks cv.

My intention is to get some more stuff out there on Isaan. There isn't much on the web and I'm not real impressed with the guidebooks I've seen so far. (When I read about Korat in LP it's as if I'm reading about a city completely different from the one in which I live.)

My Isaan Dining Guide has been a flop so far, but I'll keep plugging away....

mgn

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it has more to do with the subject here rather than you. Every time there is an attempt at listing dining places they seem to be outdated before you finnish reading them. Many of the good food places change so often that when you write of a place larger than one chief the next day or month may find a major change. When it is the mom and pop they have moved on to bigger and better in many cases. But if you have time to feed beer to the snails perhaps you can pull it off. One thing that might be very important is map references for those not familiar with the various areas. And I would not be adverse to personal comments (if we can keep it a little less biased than the current visa run threads) as long as they are dated.

[Nordlys]

I think your Narita layover page should be translated into Japanese. Well, most Japanese travelers (like myself) don't "layover" at Narita, we just pass through Narita on our way in and out of the airport. But often I and many others stay at airport hotels when we take early morning flights as the airport is too far away and inconveniently located from Tokyo that I tend to check-in at the Narita airport hotel a day before the flight rather than to take an early morning rush hour commuter train with big suitcases to connect to Narita Express or Keisei Line. Shame I've never taken a step out of the airport hotel except when heading to the airport, had I known your comprehensive Narita guide, I would have taken some steps to venture out the city.

Also you might want to add some info on rental mobile phone booth at arrival lounge. As you know GSM phones used in most of the world including Thailand is no good for use in Japan.

BTW, I think airport terminal 1 renovation has long been completed.

[buadhai]

Nordlys,

Thanks for the information. Since I retired to Thailand I don't transit through Narita much so I depend on information from others to keep the Narita Layover Page up to date.

Can you tell me where exactly the mobile phone rental stands are?

I was last through there in early April and the Terminal 1 reconstruction was still in progress. Is it finally done?

mgn

[Nordlys]

I just went to see Narita airport official website and found they have expanded the Terminal 1 (new satellites) and although nowhere does it mention about the renovation, from the terminal 1 floor map it appears 5th satelite (south wing) looks empty and maybe that could be where the renovation is undergoing . I am going to Tokyo this week but will be flying on JAL (Terminal 2) so won't be able to check this myself but will let you know if I find out anything.

Also looked up for mobile phone rental booth infos and seems they are everywhere in the airport (I'm looking at the Japanese site now) but can't tell which ones are for departing passengers and which one for inbound, arriving passengers. You might wanto to look it up in its English website to find out. I remember they have brochures on rental cell phones in Japanese/English at arrival lounge so I'll get them for you when I'll be there soon (if I don't forget).

There is a link page in its website, maybe you should ask the Narita airport to link your site to its airport website.

BTW JAL will soon, or already have stopped its service to Saipan (and Guam).

[buadhai]

Thanks for your help. I appreciate it and will give you credit if you like.

I think the south wing (gates in the 30's and 40's) is still empty. Northwest use to use the 40's, but now has gates in the expanded mid-section of the terminal. (In the 20's I think.) I doubt they'll go back there as they just built two huge WoldClub lounges near the terminals they are using now.

It's a disaster for Guam and Saipan to have JAL pull out of the market unless one of JAL's budget arms takes over.

Saipan's economy is in a free-fall now. Losing all that tourist business will be a disaster.

Edited August 14, 2005 by buadhai