Backpacking in Thailand
Hi, I'm Jack, a college student in UK majoring in Southeast Asia Studies. After taking many fascinating courses about Thailand's culture and religions, I can't help but think "why not go on a trip there to truly experience it?" With a few information exchanged in class and provided by the professor, I decided to take advantage of eSobi, a program that came with my Acer computer, to plan this trip. Let's see how eSobi could benefit a budget traveler like me:
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1. Add RSS Feeds
I started with adding RSS feeds from websites shared by my classmates to eSobi RSS Reader - simply right-click on one of the
icons from web pages, select "Copy Link Location" or "Copy
Shortcut" and then select [New Channel] in eSobi RSS Reader.
Choose the preferred category/folder and click on [Finish].
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2. Set [Channel Watch] Keywords
With Bangkok and Chiang Mai as my destinations in mind due to their historical significance and visitor friendliness, I set "Bangkok; Chiang Mai" and "Thailand; Thai" individually in [Channel Watch] to track relevant news. Staying informed of my target information became so easy and efficient thanks to such a unique feature of eSobi.
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3. Refine Information with [News Filer]
Upon selecting the keyword combination in [Channel Watch], a list of news articles about my destination showed up on the screen. Then, I typed "backpacking" and "budget" separately in [News Filter] to further narrow down the massive number of articles to read only things of my interest:
- http://thaitour76.blogspot.com/2008/03/thailand-guides-bangkok.html
- http://travelhappy.info/thailand/thailand-backpacking-a-quick-guide/
I also typed "hotel" in [News Filter] to look for places to stay. I soon found an article about budget hotels on KhaoSan Road, backpackers' paradise in Bangkok:
- http://travelhappy.info/bangkok/khao-san-road-hotels-on-google-maps/
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4. Save Information Instantly to eSobi Document Clipping for Future Reference
In order to compare different information side by side later, I saved useful articles to eSobi Document Clipping while reading. By clicking [Save to My Clipped Documents] icon above the embedded browse window, articles were stored instantly, creating a personal archive for my Thailand journey.
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5. Conduct Detailed Research in eSobi Smart Search (Meta Search)
While reading an article about Wat Pho, one of the oldest temples in Bangkok, I was particularly interested in its famous "reclining Buddha". I highlighted that term, therefore, right-clicked on the mouse, and selected [eSobi Meta Search]. I was immediately brought to eSobi Smart Search (Meta Search) without typing the same words again. With searching properties set as English only; Any Country; Any Format; 100 Results per engine in [Advanced Search], I easily obtained information needed to fulfill my curiosity. Very thoughtful, isn't it?
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6. Explore Further with [Keyword Proposition]
What's even better, eSobi analyzes search results automatically and lists down the phrases that appear most frequently under [Keyword Proposition]. One can then narrow down his/her search scope or refine search queries by the suggested keywords. For instance, when researching on "reclining Buddha," a proposed phrase "largest reclining Buddha" intrigued me to further study the Buddhist Art in Asia as a whole. It certainly added more excitement to my trip ahead!
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7. Log Search Records to [Search History]
When a meaningful search is made from eSobi Smart Search (Meta Search), don't forget to save it by selecting [Save to My Search Results]. I could retrieve the complete search record from [Search History] to continue my trip planning anytime in the future with one simple click.
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8. Build a Personal Travel Database in eSobi Document Clipping
After enough web pages were saved to eSobi Document Clipping, the final stage was to categorize them at [Scrapbook] to make my personal travel archive. I also utilized eSobi's handy [print] and [email] buttons above the built-in html window to keep a hardcopy of my plans and notify my friends of my upcoming trip. Different from traditional online search, I no longer have to switch between applications just to find, read, and organize Internet information. By using eSobi, I can take a quick-witted and efficient approach for trip planning. Below I'd love to share some of my favorite RSS feeds about backpacking in Thailand. Enjoy it!
To help you quick start planning your vacation with esobi, we have prepared a vacation RSS pack. Simply right click to save the XML file and import it to esobi. If you have any question, please click here !
