Who is the Man in Seat Sixty-One?

Kalau ko org pernah traval cara backpacker....ko org mesti tahu pasal website ni...kat website ni ada di sediakan secara terperinci mcm maner nak mengembara memalui jalan darat.....dgn guide dari mamat ni yg di gelarkan Man in seat sixty-One....Nak tahu sapa mamat ni...meh baca artikel bawah aku share kan utk ko org semua.... Who is the Man in Seat Sixty-One? My name is Mark Smith, and I live in England in deepest darkest Buckinghamshire, with wife Nicolette, 5 year old Nathaniel and 2 year old Katelijn. I'm a career railwayman who ran away from Oxford to join the circus (or British Rail as it was then called) as soon as he could... Starting out in delightful rural Kent on what was then BR's Southern Region, I became the Station Manager for Charing Cross, London Bridge & Cannon Street railway stations in London in the early to mid 90s. I was subsequently the Customer Relations Manager for two major UK train companies, and until a few years ago, I worked in London as the Department for Transport's expert on UK rail fares & ticketing. I now run this site full-time, as it's much more fun than real work... I've been lucky enough to travel around the world on trains and ships to many interesting places over the years, and I've been on the other side of the counter too - way back in university vacations I worked in a European rail ticketing agency in London, issuing tickets and advising travel agents across the UK on train travel across Europe. So if you'd like some help with a journey you're planning, why not ask the Man in Seat Sixty-One? On board Eurostar, in Seat 61... Why Seat 61? Zaharoff, the notorious arms dealer, would always book compartment 7 on the Orient Express to or from Istanbul. When treating myself to Eurostar's first class, I would always request seat 61 (in cars 7, 8, 11 or 12) to make sure my seat lined up with the window, one of a cosy pair of seats facing each other across a table complete with table lamp, rather like those in an old Pullman car. It became something of a tradition, and I've left London in seat 61 en route to destinations as diverse as Italy, Greece, Malta, Albania, Tunisia (via Lille & Marseille), Marrakech (via Paris, Madrid & Algeciras), Istanbul (via Vienna, Budapest & Transylvania), Ukraine & the Crimea, Aleppo, Damascus, Petra & Aqaba, and even Moscow, Vladivostok, Tokyo & Nagasaki via the Trans-Siberian Railway. Just don't book seat 61 when I need it! Above: On board the Rangoon-Mandalay overnight express What does the site aim to do? In a nutshell, two things: First, it sets out to HELP people who already know they want to travel by train or ferry, but who can't find out about it through normal commercial websites or travel agencies. These days, many people want to cut their carbon footprint or are simply fed up with the hassle of flying. Many of us prefer train travel, and a significant number of people are afraid of flying or medically restricted from doing so. However, information on alternatives to flying can often be difficult if not impossible to find. Second, the site aims to INSPIRE people to do something more rewarding with their lives and their travel opportunities than going to an airport, getting on a soulless globalised airliner and missing all the world has to offer. There's more to travel than the destination. It used to be called a j o u r n e y ... Above: Giving a presentation to the Cambridge University Railway Club. How did I come to set up the site? The problem is this. Travelling by train from London to anywhere in Europe is a far more practical option than most people imagine, in fact it can be easier and less stressful than flying. But in a world dominated by flights, flights and more flights, finding out about train travel has become frustratingly difficult, if not downright impossible. Although many people would prefer a more civilised, comfortable, interesting, adventurous, romantic, scenic, historic, exciting, less stressful and more environmentally-friendly way to travel, the average travel agent only sells flights, flights, car hire and more flights. The train operators themselves are little or no help, even Eurostar provides very little useful information on its website for travelling beyond Paris or Brussels. What was needed was basic 'how to' information for train journeys from the UK to Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Greece, Russia and every other country in Europe. And how about reaching Morocco, Tunisia, Ibiza, Corsica, Crete or Malta by combining train & ferry? I thought it was a gap that needed filling, and that I could fill that gap myself... So one day in 2001 I found myself at London's Marylebone station looking for something to read on my train home from work. I wandered into W H Smiths and spotted a 'teach yourself HTML' book costing all of £2.95. I had just bought a computer and my internet provider offered some free webspace. I read the book, tried a test webpage, and surprised myself when it worked. One thing led to another, and here I am. There's a lot of work involved in keeping the site even remotely up to date, but people seem to find the site useful, and this keeps me going. If you've any feedback or suggestions to make about the site, please e-mail me or use the guestbook. I'd be glad to hear from you! Is seat61.com a hobby or a business? Seat61.com is a personal website, started purely as a hobby. It's grown and grown, and became my full time occupation in September 2007. Which is just as well, as keeping it updated has indeed become a full-time job. However, I'm not a company or a travel agency, just an individual with knowledge that others might find useful. All the information on the site is provided free of charge to users, with the aim of providing sound practical advice to help people make journeys by train or ship instead of flying, affordably, comfortably and safely. The site generates income through Google adverts and affiliate schemes, and this supports the site, helps fund my travel habit (...er, I mean research, of course) and buys me a beer or two and now even the odd bottle of my favourite Chateau Musar... "The Man in Seat 61" books... I've now written two books based on the site, published by bantam Press. The first is an essential handbook for train travel from the UK into Europe that's so far sold over 10,000 copies. First published in June 2008, a new edition came out in April 2010 with updated timetables and information. You can buy it from Amazon.co.uk. A second book, this time about train travel opportunities worldwide beyond Europe, was published in February 2011. 'The Man in Seat 61' TV series? Watch the 'pilot' video A TV series called 'The Man in Seat 61' is on the cards, if a sponsor can be found. We are planning to make THE MAN IN SEAT 61 the world’s first international train travel series made exclusively for the Internet. In the pilot video, The Man in Seat 61 helps actor Kenneth Cranham travel from Trafalgar Square to Waterloo battlefield on the first leg of an overland journey to St Petersburg, on the trail of Napoleon... Guardian & Observer Travel Awards 2008... Above: Receiving the award for Best Travel Website from Mariella Frostrup & Andy Pietrasik at the Guardian & Observer Travel Awards, held in Fes in October 2008. I'm absolutely delighted that Seat61.com won the 'Best Travel website' category in the prestigious Guardian & Observer Travel Awards, held in Fes, Morocco 10-13 October 2008. Naturally, I travelled there by train and ferry, which helped me update that part of the site! Wanderlust Travel Awards 2010, 2009, 2008 & 2007... Seat61.com was voted "Top Travel Website" by readers of Wanderlust Magazine in the prestigious Wanderlust Travel Awards 2007, and again in the Wanderlust Travel Awards 2008, held at The Times Destinations Show at Earl's Court. It made the top three once more in 2009 & 2010 out of over 600 websites, receiving the Bronze Award in 2009 and the Silver Award in 2010. I'm truly delighted that the site has been recognised in this way, and am very grateful indeed for everyone who voted for the site. Responsible Tourism Awards 2010, 2009 & 2006... I'm delighted that seat61.com won the 'Best Low Carbon Transport & Technology Initiative' category at the Virgin Holidays Responsible Travel Awards 2010. The awards were presented on 10 November 2010 at the World Travel Market at the Excel exhibition centre in London's docklands. Seat61.com previously won the 'Best Personal Contribution' category in the First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards 2006. Seat 61 was in the top 3 finalists and was 'highly commended' in the 'Best Low Carbon Transport & Technology' category in the 2009 Responsible Travel Awards.

Perbezaan diantara pelancong (tourist) dan traveler.

Perbezaan diantara pelancong (tourist) dan traveler.

Pertamanya, apakah perbezaan utama diantara pelancong (tourist) dan traveler. Pelancong melakukan perjalanan untuk jangkamasa yang pendek ke sesuatu negara, dan kebiasaanya akan dikendalikan oleh “travel agency” dimana segala jadual perjalanan, hotel dan makan akan diuruskan oleh agensi. Mereka akan di bawa ke tempat-tempat bersejarah sesebuah negara, tempat shoping dan di bawa ke restoran yang makanannya sama dengan negara asal pelancong. 

Pelancong kebiasaannya akan berasa puas jika dapat shoping, membeli cenderahati atau mengambil gambar di monumen, atau mengambil gambar di papan tanda yang memapar nama negara yang di lawati. Pada akhirnya, pelancong sebenarnya hanya akan dapat mengingat monumen dimana mereka mengambil gambar di sesebuah negara. Mereka tidak dapat memahami secara tepat, bagaimana penduduk setempat menjalankan kehidupan seharian dan siapa mereka sebenarnya.


Traveler sebaliknya akan cuba menjelajah ke setiap pelosok bandar dan merasai kehidupan harian masyarakat tempatan. Berjalan kaki menyusuri lorong-lorong bandar atau menaiki kenderaan awam termasuk bas, teksi, beca, auto (india), tuk tuk (Thailand), bajaj (Indonesia) atau motor (ojek di Indonesia). Merasai makanan jalanan (street food) dan restoran untuk rakyat umum (bukan hotel). Traveler tidak terkilan jika tidak mengunjungi monumen di sesebuah bandar dan mengambil gambar untuk ditunjuk pada rakan-rakan bila sekembalinya ke tanahair. Mereka lebih puas jika dapat melihat dan merasai kehidupan sebenar masyarakat biasa termasuk budaya, makanan dan tradisi.

Backpacker traveler

Backpackers ialah satu golongan traveler yang memulakan perjalanan tanpa ada tempat tujuan (negara) yang spesifik dan tanpa had masa, dan pada masa yang sama membawa backpack (rucksack). Sejarah backpackers bermula pada tahun 60 an dimana perjalanan ala “Hippies” melalui laluan Eropah ke Asia yang dikenali sebagai “Hippie Trail”. Backpackers pergi ke sesuatu negara untuk suatu jangkamasa yang lama, dimana mereka akan tinggal di sesuatu bandar dan akan berpindah ke bandar lain apabila mereka inginkan suasana baru. 

Mereka akan tinggal di sesuatu bandar dalam cara yang paling sederhana dengan bajet yang paling minima, dan cuba melakukan “part time job” untuk menampung perbelanjaan harian. Apabila simpanan mereka sudah agak banyak, mereka akan memulakan perjalanan baru ke negara lain.

Perjalanan ala backpackers oleh Tony dan pasangannya Maureen Wheeler pada tahun 1972 daripada England ke Australia melalui jalan darat meliputi india, burma, thailand, indonesia seperti yang diceritakan dalam buku mereka “The Lonely Planet” telah memberi impak besar kepada golongan backpackers seluruh dunia.

Pemilik kepada syarikat buku yang terkenal Lonely Planet, Tony dan Maureen Wheeler telah menghasilkan buku Panduan Perjalanan bagi setiap pelosok dunia. Lonely Planet Publications telah ditubuhkan pada 1973 di Australia apabila pasangan Wheeler telah melakukan perjalanan ala Backpackers daripada England ke Australia pada tahun 1972 selama setahun merentasi asia. Hasil daripada pengalaman tersebut, mereka mula menulis dan menerbitkan sendiri buku panduan perjalanan pertama mereka “Across Asia on the Cheap”. Buku kedua mereka “South-East Asia on a Shoestring” dengan pantas telah menjadi panduan wajib kepada backpackers di seluruh dunia. Gaya perjalanan yang dimulai oleh pasangan Wheeler telah menjadi ikutan kepada golongan backpackers yang memilih “independent traveler with budget-conscious”.Tony Wheeler Blog

Flashpacker traveler

Bagaimanapun, akhir-akhir ada golongan lain dalam backpackers yang dikenali sebagai Flashpackers. Flashpackers adalah backpackers yang hanya tinggal di sesuatu negara atau bandar dalam jangkamasa waktu yang terhad sahaja serta mempunyai bajet yang lebih besar.
Backpackers as a Lifestyle

Perjalanan ala backpackers oleh kebanyakan orang dari seluruh dunia pada masa kini adalah mengikut keadaan, masa, negara yang ingin di lawati serta bajet. Kebanyakan warga Eropah akan bercuti dan keluar daripada negara mereka pada musim sejuk (winter) menuju ke Asia dan akan kembali apabila musim sejuk sudah berakhir.

Bagi saya pula, perjalanan ala backpacker adalah cara kita melakukan suatu perjalanan yang dilakukan melalui beberapa proses. Ia dimulai dengan mencari destinasi negara yang ingin dilawati, membeli tiket kapalterbang tambang murah (Air Asia) secara online, mencari maklumat melalui internet (google maps dan google earth), membeli peta serta buku panduan (The Lonely Planet), membaca pengalaman catatan perjalanan backpackers lain yang pernah ke negara tersebut serta maklumat hotel dan tempat makan halal.

Seorang backpacker selalu bersedia untuk menghadapi berbagai kemungkinan. Biasanya tidak peduli jika perlu menaiki pengangkutan awam yang penuk sesak dan tiada penyaman udara. Tiada masalah jika harus tidur di tempat yang kurang selesa, seperti di airport, madrasah ataupun di hotel bajet. Barang yang dibawa pun tidak banyak dan hanya yang perlu sahaja.

Couchsurfing 

http://www.couchsurfing.org/

Couchsurfing adalah salah satu aplikasi internet jaringan sosial (seperti facebook) bagi komuniti backpackers seluruh dunia. Organisasi NGO ini menawarkan kemudahan kepada backpakers berhubung diantara satu sama lain dan bertukar-tukar pendapat dan cerita samada melalui internet atau perjumpaan Couchsurfer. Sehingga kini, jaringannya meliputi sehingga di 231 negara diseluruh dunia. USA dan Eropah merupakan pusat tumpuan Couchsurfing yang paling terkenal.



Idea untuk menubuhkan organisasi Couchsurfing ini bermula pada tahun 2000, apabila Casey Fenton yang berasalal dari Boston ingin pergi ke Iceland menggunakan bajet murah. Beliau telah menghantar emel kepada 1500 pelajar University Of Iceland bertanyakan jika mereka boleh menyediakan penginapan murah kepadanya. Maklumbalas yang diterima daripada 50 emel amat menggalakkan, dimana beliau bukan sahaja memperolehi penginapan percuma, tetapi juga mendapat teman-teman baru yang bersedia untuk membawanya pergi bersiar-siar di kota Iceland secara percuma. Sekembalinya ke Boston, beliau memulakan projek untuk menubuhkan Couchsurfing.org dibantu oleh Dan Hoffer, Sebastian Le Tuan, dan Leonardo Bassani De Silveira.