Generally, handicap cards are not required to play on courses in mainland China, however they are required within Macau and Hong Kong. As the courses are fairly busy, the main requirement is to keep up the speed of play. Don’t be surprised to be tailed by a marshal if you don’t.

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One month in Southeast Asia
This is an iterinary for a month-long whirlwind tour of the highlights of Southeast Asia. Most major international airlines fly into Bangkok, but there are dozens of daily connections to surrounding countries.
- Spend 2-4 days in Bangkok.
- Fly (45 mins) south to the Ko Phi Phi Ko Lanta or Ko Pha Ngan islands for one week.
- Fly from Phuket to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam (2 hours). Spend 1 week visiting the surrounding area.
- From Ho Chi Minh City travel through the Mekong Delta to Cambodia. Spend 3-4 days in Phnom Penh and 3-4 days in Siem Reap visiting Angkor Wat.
- OR From Hanoi in the north or Da Nang in central Vietnam cross the border into Laos by bus (8-12 hours). Spend a week visiting ruins and the Mekong river area.
- Fly (1 hour) or take a bus (8-14 hours) from Siem Reap, Cambodia, or Vientiane, Laos, back to Bangkok.

One month at Southeast Asian beaches
- From Bangkok, take bus to Ko Samet(about 3 hours plus 1-1.5 hours for boat) or Ko Chang (4-6 hours). Spend 4-5 days.
- Return to Bangkok and fly to Phuket (45 mins), bus (8-10 hours), or train (6-8 hours).
- Ferry to Ko Phi Phi (1 hour). 2 days.
- Ferry from Ko Phi Phi to Ko Lanta (1-2 hours). 4-5 days.
- Ferry back to Krabi. Bus to Ferry to Ko Pha Ngan (8 hours). 4-5 days, day trip to National Park of Ko Tao.
- Ferry to Ko Samui and flight back to Bangkok.

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The Red Fort (Lal Qila) is one of Delhi’s top tourist sights. A brilliant red sandstone fort built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (who also built Agra’s Taj Mahal) as his ruling palace. Completed in 1648, the years since have not treated the buildings kindly: the rooms have long since been stripped of all objects, the marble inlays are long gone and quite a few buildings are off limits. Still, the scale remains imposing and the gardens are kept lush and green even in midwinter. Major buildings within include:
- Chatta Chowk (Covered Bazaar). True to the name, this is a covered bazaar between the gate and the fort itself, now filled with souvenir hawkers.
- Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience). This building separates the outer court from the inner court, and has a marble platform for the emperor’s throne.
- Hayat Baksh Bagh (Life-Bestowing Gardens). Once a grand garden of full of fountains and streams, now sadly all dry — only dry channels and acres of green grass remain.
- Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience). Built completely of marble, this is where the emperor received special visitors.
- Khas Mahal (Private Palace). The Emperor’s main residence. The octagonal Mussaman Burj tower looks out toward the Yamuna River, and is where the Emperor used to appear before the public for each morning.
- Rang Mahal (Colour Palace). The residence of the Sultan’s main wife.
- Mumtaz Mahal (Jewel Palace). Contained six apartments for the Sultan’s harem. Now used as a museum of court textiles, carpets, weapons, etc (free).
- Daawat Khana. A minor palace at the northmost end of the Fort, this was originally the residence of a prince, but it was converted into a tea house by the British, a function it continues today. Basic meals go for around Rs. 60, drinks Rs. 10-20, and it also has the cleanest toilets around.
- Swatantra Sangrama Sangrahalaya (Museum of the Independence Movement). To the left after the Chatta Chowk, this is a reasonably well-presented museum on the history of independence activism in India, starting from the Mutiny of 1857 all the way to Gandhi.
The only open entrance is Lahore Gate, on the west side. Security in and around the Fort is very heavy, as it was the scene of a terrorist attack in 2000 that killed three people; bags are allowed, but they’ll be X-rayed and you’ll be patted down. Tickets cost Rs 10/100 for Indians/foreigners, photography free, video cameras Rs. 25 extra. Open sunrise to sunset daily except Monday. The most scenic way of reaching the fort is to take the Metro to Chawri Bazaar and then a cycle-rickshaw through the incredibly packed bazaar to the Fort (price negotiable, aim for Rs. 20).
The fort has a light and sound show (Rs.30) in the evenings between 7:30 and 9 PM depending on the season.

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Located a mere 1.5 degrees north of the Equator, the weather is usually sunny with no distinct seasons. However, most rainfall occurs during the northeast monsoon (November to January).
The temperature averages around:
- 26°C (79°F) daytime, 24°C (76°F) at night in December and January
- 31°C (89°F) daytime, 26°C (80°F) at night for the rest of the year.
The high temperature and humidity, combined with the lack of wind and the fact that temperatures stay high during the night, can take its toll on visitors from colder parts of the world. Bear in mind that spending more than about one hour outdoors can be very exhausting, especially if combined with moderate exercise.

Broadly speaking the main attractions are:
• Beaches and tourist traps: Head to one of the three beaches on Sentosa. Other beaches include the East Coast and the Southern Islands (boat service from World Trade Centre).
• Culture and cuisine: See Chinatown for Chinese treats, Little India for Indian flavors and East Coast for delicious seafood and its famous chilli crabs and black pepper crabs.
• History and museums: The area north of the Singapore River is Singapore’s colonial core, with historical buildings and museums.
• Nature and wildlife: The Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Jurong Bird Park and Botanic Gardens are all in the North and West section.
• Skyscrapers and shopping: The heaviest shopping mall concentration is in Orchard Road, while skyscrapers are clustered around the Singapore River, but also check out Bugis to see where Singaporeans shop.

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Hong Kong is divided into a number of distinctly different districts:

- Hong Kong Island was the site of the original British settlement. The Northern part of the Island is densely populated. Because of the scarcity of land supply, you’ll find most of Hong Kong’s skyscrapers and the famous skyline along the northern coastline. The main business and nightlife districts, in addition to the government offices, can be found here. The southern part of the Island has more leisure facilities, with beautiful beaches and luxury residential complexes.
See:
- The Peak. Overlooking the Victoria Harbour from the island side, offers views of the Hong Kong and Kowloon skylines, as well as many other touristy but fun attractions. To get there, take the scenic 10-minute Peak Tram from Central ($20), and then enjoy a high-speed rollercoaster ride down with green minibus #1 from below the Peak Galleria ($7). Get away from the hordes by taking a circular walk around the Peak. The walk starts along Lugard Road, and follows the beginning of the Hong Kong Trail. It finishes along Harlech Road. The walk along Old Peak Road is also recommended, but take the tram up and walk down unless you are fit.
- Hong Kong Planning and Infrastructure Exhibition Gallery, 1F City Hall, Central. Mostly of interest to infrastructure buffs, but to its credit this small propaganda exercise manages to make even, say, sewage treatment reasonably interesting with well-presented exhibits, some interactive. The highlight, however, is the Infrastructure Walk, with a giant scale model of a wide swath of Hong Kong showcasing projects completed and planned. Free admission, open daily except Tuesday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
- Man Mo Temple Hollywood Road, Hong Kong Island’s oldest temple. It was built in the 1840s
Do:
- Check out Ocean Park on the southern side of Hong Kong island.
- The many beaches of the southern coast are a nice escape on a sunny day, especially outside the weekends when they’re often packed. Repulse Bay is largest and the most popular of the bunch. To get there from Central, take bus 6 or 61 for a scenic, slow and cheaper trip over the Island’s hills, or expresses buses 6A/6X for a faster trip through the Aberdeen tunnel.
- Walk around the grocery market in Wan Chai
- Ride the tram between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan. The journey takes round 80 minutes and costs $2. The Hongkong Tramways runs between the West and East of Hong Kong Island. Starting from the old district Kennedy Town, you can see the residental areas, followed by the Chinese herbal medicine wholesalers in Sai Ying Pun. Then the tram goes in the famous Central district with high rise commercial buildings and banks. Wan Chai and Causeway Bay are the districts popular with shoppers and are always crowded with people at all times. Travelling further east are North Point and Shau Kei Wan areas, which are of completely different styles from that in Central and Causeway Bay.

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From the northern end of the chain near Kyushu to the southern end near Taiwan, Okinawa’s major islands are:

Okinawa Island — the largest island in both size and population, featuring administrative capital Naha
- Ie - an upheaved coral reef island with only one village and an estimated population of about 5,000 inhabitants
- Ikei - a great secluded island getaway with some of the best beaches
- Hamahika
- Kume - often said to be one of the most beautiful of the Ryukyu Islands
- Kerama Islands — a cluster of tiny islands between Kume and Okinawa
Daito Islands — specks in the sea hundreds of kilometers to the east
- Kitadaito — the easternmost island in the prefecture
Miyako Islands — tourists are usually most interested in the natural monuments found here
- Irabu — the “other island” of Miyako
- Miyako — by far the largest of the three main islands that make up the group
- Shimoji — very close to Irabu, but not quite as large
- Tarama — known for its August festival
Yaeyama Islands — closer to Taiwan than the mainland
- Hateruma — the southernmost inhabited point of Japan
- Hatoma - the smallest of the Yaeyama Islands, barely 1 kilometer in diameter
- Ishigaki — the hub of the Yaeyamas, with spectacular beaches and manta rays
- Iriomote — jungles and the mysterious Iriomote wild cat
- Taketomi — small island off Ishigaki, known for a carefully restored Ryukyu village
- Yonaguni — the westernmost point of Japan, with mysterious ruins and hammerhead sharks
- Kuro — tiny island mildly famous for having (way) more cows than people

Most people come to Okinawa for the sun and beaches. Even in midwinter, when mainland Japan teeters around the freezing point, temperatures rarely dip below 15°C in Okinawa. For more adventurous types, the vast yet almost uninhabited island of Iriomote is covered in dense jungle.
Cultural attractions are rather more limited — Japanese colonization and World War II did a regrettably thorough job of eliminating most traces — but two standouts are Shuri Castle in Naha on Okinawa Island, and the carefully preserved village of Taketomi in the southern Yaeyama Islands.

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Being one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, Yogyakarta has many heritage buildings and monuments. The number one must-see attraction is Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono’s palace, better known as Kraton Ngayogyakarto. Other heritage buildings from colonial era are: BNI ‘46 building, Kantor Pos Besar (Central Post Office) building, and Bank Indonesia building, all of them are located north of the Sultan’s ground. Other notable landmarks and attractions are:
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- The first national park was Khao Yai in 1961 and together with other parks in the Dong Phaya Yen mountains is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage. It lies largely in Nakhon Ratchasima Province (Khorat), but also includes parts of Saraburi, Prachinburi and Nakhon Nayok provinces.
The park is the second largest in Thailand. It covers an area of 2,168 square kilometers, including evergreen forests and grasslands. Its altitude mostly ranges from 400 to 1000 m above sea level. There are 3,000 species of plants, 320 species of birds and 67 species of mammals, including elephants, tigers, gibbons, deer and wild pigs. Its waterfalls include the 80 metre Haew Narok.
As with all national parks in Thailand, the fee is 200 baht for foreigners, and 20 for Thais. Food is available from private concessions within the park. As well, night-time “wildlife spotlighting” is available via pick-up trucks in the early evening. Animals sighted usually are limited to deer and civet cats, and only rarely include elephants.

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Located at the exact centre of the ancient city of Beijing, the Forbidden City was the imperial palace and home to 24 emperors during the mid-Ming and the Qing Dynasties.

Known now as the Palace Museum, its extensive grounds cover 720,000 square meters, 800 buildings and more than 8,000 rooms. As such, it is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world, and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 as the “Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties”. The Imperial Palace Grounds are located directly to the north of Tiananmen Square and are accessible from the square via Tiananmen Gate. It is surrounded by a large area called the Imperial City.

There are unique and delicately structured towers on each of the four corners of the curtain wall. These afford views over both the palace and the city outside. The Forbidden City is divided into two parts:

- The Outer Court, which includes the southern and central sections, centres on three halls used for ceremonial purposes, such as coronations, investitures, and imperial weddings.
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