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Smoking orangutan forced to kick the habit
Karuizawa: Tokyo's 'Shire' escape
Thinking inside the box: China’s shipping container hotel
Insider Guide: Best of London
5 tips for taking great food photos
Thailand tourists, Disney asked to show Buddha some respect

Smoking orangutan forced to kick the habit

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 09:57 PM PDT

At Indonesia's Taru Jurug Zoo, a popular orangutan named Tori is being forced to butt out her filthy addiction to cigarettes.

So how exactly does a 15-year-old orangutan gain access to nicotine sticks, one might ask? From the visitors, of course.

The Jakarta Globe reports that zoo management have long tried to stamp out her love for smoking, but visitors continue to assist her by tossing lit cigarettes into her cage.

Tori even puts her fingers to her lips to signal that she wants a smoke. Those who don't comply get things thrown at them.

More on CNNGo: 5 zoos where you won't find a smoking orangutan

Karuizawa: Tokyo's 'Shire' escape

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 07:59 PM PDT

by Jessica Ocheltree

Unlike most heavily sold tourist spots in Japan, Karuizawa genuinely offers a hefty helping of nature.

As the sticky Japanese summer heat stretches into July, Tokyoites long to escape to cooler climes.

True, there are few if any Hobbits inhabiting the area, but a world-class weekend refuge just about an hour away from Tokyo in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture is no fantasy.

Overheated urbanites

Located on the eastern edge of the prefecture, Karuizawa was once a busy post station on the Nakasendo, a highway linking Tokyo and Kyoto. After the Meiji Restoration, however, that traffic was diverted and the town began to fall into decline.

It was "rescued" in 1886 by the arrival of missionary Alexander Croft Shaw, who was, supposedly, reminded of his ancestral home in Scotland and built a summer residence there.

Thinking inside the box: China’s shipping container hotel

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 07:10 PM PDT

by Raemin Zhang

China exported 3.2 million shipping containers last year -- more than any other country in the world. And now a handful of what the trade calls TEU -- Twenty-foot Equivalent Units -- are being put to a new use, one that should appeal to novelty-hunting travelers.

Nan Dazhan Cun (南大掌村), a rural village on the outskirts of Changzhi city in Shanxi Province, is set to open a "luxury" hotel made from 35 new shipping containers next month.

Meng Qingdong (孟庆东), the village governor and prime mover behind the project, said "Xiang Xiang Xiang Pray House" was designed to be a boutique hotel. Although the hotel is not officially rated yet, Meng said all the facilities were built to five-star standards.

Five-star containers

The Japanese government imported shipping containers from China to build temporary houses for the [earthquake] survivors. It's fast [to build] and [looks] good, and that inspired me to build the hotel.

-- Meng Qingdong, Nan Dazhang Cun village governor

Insider Guide: Best of London

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 11:10 AM PDT

by Chris Newlands

Buckingham Palace, the Dickens Museum, Hyde Park, the Hitchcock walking tour, Kew Gardens, Shakespeare's Globe Theater, St. Paul's cathedral, the Thames, Wimbledon -- these are just a few examples of the best of London.

It should be no surprise that a city 2,000 years old is an alphabetic mishmash of things to gawp at.

But like a Dickensian novel, the best of London's real character seeps out of the cracks that split its major attractions.

Yes, London is the world's financial capital (along with New York), yes it's Europe's cultural hub and, yes, more than 300 languages are spoken within its perimeter.

But we don't care about any of that, mate.

5 tips for taking great food photos

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 11:10 AM PDT

by Derrick Chang

Travelers in Asia don't have to dine at expensive five-star hotels or Michelin-star eateries to get a great meal.

I am more likely to frequent streetside hawker stalls and hole-in-the-wall restaurants where the food is cheap and cheerful.

And when I get home it's often the food photos I've taken that attract the most attention from friends. So I'd like to share five easy tips for taking better food photos to make your friends and family drool.

Don't worry about what camera you're using, these tips work for any camera from your mobile phone up to the big DSLRs.

1. Make sure the food looks good to start

Look good Who cares what it tastes like. If it's colorful, shoot it.

Thailand tourists, Disney asked to show Buddha some respect

Posted: 08 Jul 2012 09:10 AM PDT

by Richard S. Ehrlich

A series of child-friendly Walt Disney movies features a big dog named "Buddha," who avoids meat and stress, enjoys yoga and meditation, and eats out of a dish on the floor labeled with his name.

Some Buddhists in Thailand are not amused.

A new Bangkok-based group called Knowing Buddha Organization is calling for an international boycott against the Disney films and their Buddha dog.

The group also demands an end to all commercialization of Buddha, including retail statues, wall hangings, T-shirts, sex toys, furniture, tattoos and other decorations within Thailand and worldwide.

During their Khao San Road protest, the Knowing Buddha Organization carried a photograph of Disney's dog character, emblazoned with the word "BUDDHA" alongside Disney's logo.Late last month the group targeted tourists in Bangkok with a solemn "Stop Disrespecting Buddha" march down Khao San Road, Asia's most popular neighborhood for inexpensive hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, travel agencies and souvenirs.

Backpackers were gently confronted by 200 Thai protesters who said they would not tolerate Buddha's image being used in any way -- including by tourists -- except with "respect."

The group protested earlier that day at Bangkok's bustling J. J. Market, which also commercializes Buddha's image.

Acharavadee Wongsakon, 47, says she created the Knowing Buddha protest movement after seeing Walt Disney's Buddha dog, "when my daughters rented the film from iTunes" in January.

"If you [Disney] put this with Jesus's name, or Mohammad's, I don't think you'd have a place to stand in the world," Acharavadee says. "Because those people, their religions, they're strong."

"Disney's adorable talking puppies" are "everyone's favorite canine siblings," says Disney's website.

The dogs form a group known as "Buddies" and are named Budderball, RoseBud, B-Dawg, MudBud and Buddha.

"We would like to ask the Buddhists around the world to boycott the 'Buddies' movies," Acharavadee says.

She wants Disney "to stop using the name Buddha for a dog. No need to cancel the series, just remove that character, or change the name. The public should feel shocked."

"We will ask Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to do what they can."

More on CNNGo: Thailand calls for ban on religious tattoos

'Welcome to Buddha land'

A Buddha statue is juxtaposed among commercial items in a Bangkok temple, which does not displease the Knowing Buddha Organization because such displays are done "with respect."Disney's "Corporate Citizenship" manifesto promises to "act and create in an ethical manner, and consider the consequences of our decisions on people and the planet."

But when asked about its Buddha dog and the anti-Disney protest, the company tersely responded on June 29 by email saying: "Hi. Thank you for contacting us. You have reached Disney Corporate Citizenship. Unfortunately, we are unable to assist you with your inquiry. Regards, Eric, Corporate Citizenship, The Walt Disney Company."

Repeated e-mails to Disney's other media addresses resulted in no response.

During their Khao San Road protest, the Knowing Buddha Organization unfurled a huge photograph of Disney's dog character, emblazoned with the word "BUDDHA" alongside Disney's logo, and captioned: "Stop!! How could we let this happen?!"

Slowly marching, they gave tourists a "Welcome to Buddha land" brochure which told them how to behave.

"Ban those who treat Buddha's image badly," the brochure demanded.