Put your own tour package via cyberspace

Put your own tour package via cyberspace

Duncan Graham, Contributor, Surabaya

Fancy a break in Bali -- five days with some white-water rafting
thrown in?

The hotel deal looks OK, but riding rapids gives you the
collywobbles.

So how about a week in Malacca plus guided tours of the Strait
settlement? The history bit appeals, but the hotel is too
expensive and you have only two days.

The problem with package tours is that you have to take what
the travel agent offers and it's almost impossible to tailor
their product to your individual tastes without paying big
premiums.

So why not design your own package and pocket the commission?

It's not so difficult and the cost savings can be significant.

All you need is an Internet connection, a credit card and
organizational skills, plus patience and perseverance. For ease
and comfort it helps if you have a personal high-speed system,
but working from a warnet (Internet cafe) is just as effective.

A bit of research makes the process easier. If traveling
overseas, check visa requirements and make sure you have more
than six months before expiry. (The passport, that is, not you.)

Get an impartial guidebook of the area you fancy. Lonely
Planet seems to be the world standard, with the Rough Guides a
distant second. These books tell you how it really is, without
the gloss.

Many countries run government websites promoting their wares.
Naturally, these show unspoilt beaches and uncrowded streets.
Best to seek "virtual traveler" websites where people post frank
comments and useful tips.

Let's assume you'd like to visit some neighboring countries.
First air fares: Type "Travel Jakarta to Singapore (or wherever)"
into your search engine and select an airline.

Read the small print

Many now encourage Internet bookings. Select the flight you
need and confirm booking through Visa or MasterCard, or sometimes
American Express. The airline then e-mails you with a booking
code that you show at the airport check-in.

I've yet to encounter any problems using this system in
Indonesia or other APEC countries. In most cases it's as speedy
as presenting a standard ticket.

However, there are some precautions you need to be aware of.
It's essential to read the pinhead-size print on the airline's
conditions. Some tickets include airport taxes in their charges
-- others don't.

And watch out for the synonyms: Is "airport tax" the same as
"passenger service charge"?

Well, sometimes. If you don't check carefully you could find
yourself paying a surcharge in the departure lounge just when
you've used up the last of your local currency. This is a problem
in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

Not all airlines have user-friendly sites. I've found Air Asia
to be the simplest, but the ease of use is offset by the
discomfort of jostling for somewhere to sit, as the company
doesn't allocate seat numbers.

OK, you've organized the flights. Now look for accommodation.

The Lonely Planet books rank hotels and offer comments and
prices. These change with time so ensure you update off the Web.
Just search for "Hotels Phuket" or wherever you fancy and you'll
be hit with multiple choices through a portal that brackets rooms
according to price and location.

This part of the hospitality industry is well advanced in
electronic booking to the point where the buyer can be
overwhelmed by choice. It's like buying milk in a supermarket:
Low-fat, calcium-added, vitamin-enriched, flavored (six
varieties), local, imported -- no wonder customers get shelf-
shocked.

Discipline is important. Select your star rating and price in
advance and keep a note of the sites you visit, otherwise you'll
be going round in circles.

Personal details must be encrypted

Also check the location and access. Your dream deal may turn
out to be nightmare if you have to pay more in cab fares than
room rates and find your hotel is directly under a flight path.

So study city maps in guidebooks and on the Internet. Check
the calendar for local festivals. Arriving in Kuala Lumpur
during the Indian Deepavali festival, when every contract worker
from the subcontinent is in town to celebrate, can be daunting.

Keep a clear head while manipulating your mouse or you'll
confuse rupiah with ringgit and think you've scored a bargain
when in fact you've just bought the presidential suite in the
Sheraton.

Type "Exchange Rates" into the search box for up-to-date
values because most charges are in the local currency.

Hotels in some big cities and resorts have organized a late-
stay booking service. This is really handy for the budget
traveler. It works like this:

Cooperating hotels notify the agency that they have unsold
rooms for particular nights and often discount these heavily.
Sometimes breakfast is included, sometimes not. During peak
periods a surcharge may apply. As with the airlines, read the
small print.

You book through the Internet using your credit card and don't
pay the hotel. If you find a good deal you have to negotiate a
longer stay on the Internet and not at the reception desk.

Of course there can be hiccups and hazards, as with using
agents. Designing your own package tour is not for the nervous
who fear Internet fraud. Reputable sites have encrypted pages
when you give credit card details.

To make a booking you're required to fill in ID or passport
details and credit card information. Hassles can arise when you
have a different address for your credit card statement to your
home address.

Indonesians with only one name also encounter minor
difficulties because the system expects everyone to be binominal.
Repeating the name seems to satisfy the machines that read your
form. And if you haven't got a postcode just invent one or your
application will be rejected, as empty boxes are anathema.

Check your e-mail regularly even when on tour because these
booking systems do not use phone or fax contact.

Finally, travel insurance. Indonesians tend to ignore what
Westerners consider essential. Whatever your views you can shop
for rates and buy on the Internet.

People still sit around travel agents and queue at airport
offices, but such primitive behavior is no longer essential. Why
go to town to buy someone else's holiday offering when you can
custom-make your own at home?

Vacation adventures start at the keyboard.

Pic captions: 1) DIY tourism means you choose a hotel that suits
you.
2) Get to see what you want and when you want to see it, minus
the crowds.

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