Sunday, September 30, 2012

Asia Travel Blog

Asia Travel Blog


Cathay Pacific Regional Business Class Unveiled

Posted: 29 Sep 2012 05:26 PM PDT

Cathay Pacific Regional Business Class Unveiled

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Asia Travel Blog

Asia Travel Blog


Sheraton Macao Hotel Landmark Opening Celebrated by Starwood Hotels

Posted: 28 Sep 2012 07:38 PM PDT

Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central, Landmark Opening Celebrated by Starwood Hotels

Friday, September 28, 2012

CNNGo.com

CNNGo.com


What's the big deal about mooncakes?

Posted: 28 Sep 2012 02:13 AM PDT

by Zoe Li

Mooncakes: can't avoid 'em, can't eat 'em. The traditional pastry eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival can have up to 1,000 calories per piece and most Chinese people admit that they don't even like the flavor.

According to Green Power, each Hong Kong family bought three boxes of mooncakes on average last year, but they discarded a total of 2.5 million mooncakes.

As our China editor Tracy You puts it: "It's just something I do because I'm Chinese, not because I like them."

So why is Hong Kong and mainland China caught up in mooncake madness every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival?  

Come the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, bakeries set up their special mooncake counters just to service customers seeking a box of the pastries. 

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British Airways starts automatic check-in service. But is this new?

Posted: 28 Sep 2012 01:38 AM PDT

by CNNGo Staff

Waiting in line at the airport to check-in is a nuisance for everyone, and British Airways (BA) is claiming that by the end of next year, this will come to an end.

According to various media outlets, the airline is trialing a new service that will automatically check in passengers ahead of their flight -- part of a £5 billion (US$8.12 billion) investment program that BA is rolling out to improve passenger experience. 

Selected BA passengers departing from French airports from this month will be checked in 24 hours prior to their flight, assigned a seat and allocated electronic boarding passes. All without having to wait.

"Customers have so much to think about prior to a trip, be that finishing up in the office or getting the kids' suitcases packed," said Frank van der Post, the airline's managing director of brands and customer experience. 

"We're aiming to give them one less thing to think about by giving them the choice to be checked in automatically and sent their boarding pass electronically. Then they just need to drop off any bags and make their way to the plane."

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World to tourists: 'Stop stealing everything!'

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 09:06 PM PDT

by CNNGo staff

Travel guides and websites are filled with advice for tourists on how not to get ripped off when visiting the world's great attractions.

But maybe it's the attractions that need tips on not getting pilfered by tourists.

From pieces of the Great Wall to live penguins, travelers looking for unique souvenirs will stuff almost anything they can into their luggage.

The latest uproar over theft of a public attraction comes from Boracay Island in the Philippines, where the magnificent white beach sands are suffering "blatant extraction" at the hands of the kinds of tourists that give the rest of us a bad name.

Responding to the threat to its most valuable natural resource, local officials passed an ordinance last week that greatly toughens the existing law for being caught carting off sand or pebbles from the Philippines' top tourist destination.

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'Asia's largest art museum' set to open in Shanghai

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 03:20 PM PDT

by CNNGo staff

China's commercial heart Shanghai hopes to boost its international art profile by opening a ginormous exhibition space which is more than twice the size of Buckingham Palace (77,000 square meters), one of the world's largest palaces.

The city is banking on its new art landmark, the China Art Museum, to rival internationally renowned museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris in the near future.

Colossal culture center

The new China Art Museum (中华艺术宫) covers 166,000 square meters with 64,000 square meters of display space.

It is sited in the former China Pavilion, a legacy of the Shanghai 2010 Expo, and will open its doors to the public on October 1.

"Speaking of the size, China Art Museum is the largest art museum in China or even Asia," said Teng Junjie (滕俊杰), an official who was involved in the planning of the museum, as reported by China's state news agency Xinhua.

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World's 10 best golf resorts

Posted: 27 Sep 2012 11:50 AM PDT

by Tony Smart

This weekend the 39th Ryder Cup tees off at the Medinah Country Club in Chicago, pitching the best golfers from the United States against the best from Europe. It's the third most watched TV sports event in the world after the soccer World Cup and the Olympics.

More importantly, it often gives golfing wannabes the fillip they need to finally book that week-long golfing break.

My criteria for choosing the world's top 10 golf resorts have been first, golf -- quality, condition and history of the courses; second, quality and luxury of the accommodation; third, the quality of the food and drink available; and finally the quality and variety of the other facilities available.

My list begins with what is, in my opinion, the best golf resort in the world and runs down to what I think is the 10th best, although there's very little difference between them.

I make no apologies for the fact that the first four are all in the United States. They simply do things bigger and better.

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Thursday, September 27, 2012

CNNGo.com

CNNGo.com


AirAsia X launches child-free seating zones

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:47 PM PDT

by Zoe Li

AirAsia is the latest carrier to offer child-free seating areas on its aircraft.

"We know that sometimes all you need is some peace and quiet for a more pleasant journey with us,'' the Malaysia-based airline said on its website.

The first seven rows of economy class on all AirAsia X flights, AirAsia's international operation, will ban under-12s, starting February 2013.

Also on CNN: The world's best airline for 2012 is ...

Click to enlarge -- AirAsia X flights now come with child-free areas. Passengers booked on AirAsia X flights next year can opt for the seats for an additional cost of RM 35 (US$11) or RM 110 -- the standard fee charged for picking specific seats in economy class and in the "hot seats" section, which provide more leg room.

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Britain counts cost of Summer Olympics

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:30 PM PDT

by CNNGo Staff

The London Olympics may have earned Britain plenty of bronze, silver and gold, but the hoped-for record-breaking hordes of overseas visitors failed to show up, according to official figures. 

The United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics says a total of 3.18 million foreign travelers visited in July -- 180,000 fewer than last year.

Around 2.12 million came from European countries, although Chinese and North American travelers made strong showings.  

Total visitor spending of £2.01 billion (US$3.25 billion) also fell short of expectations as it was £120 million lower than the previous year. 

More on CNN: London's Olympic legacy: Are the Games good for tourism?

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Tokyo's best high-tech kids' activities

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:05 PM PDT

by Jason Jenkins

From its gleaming skyscrapers to its cuddly robots, Tokyo is no stranger to technological achievement.

For children interested in science and technology -- or for parents eager to spark that interest -- Japan's capital is the place for kids to get neck-deep in high-tech.

Here's our selection of six of the best nerdy, educational and, much of the time, astonishing venues to thrill even the most jaded of 21st-century children.

Gas Science Museum

High-tech kidsNever before has a gas museum been so much fun.

The science and utility of natural gas: boring, right? You'd be surprised.

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Pocket guide to Hanoi's Old Quarter

Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:35 AM PDT

by Gemma Price

Hanoi Old QuarterThe Green Tangerine in Hanoi's Old Quarter meets all expectations of colonial Asian seductiveness.

When you think of Hanoi, you're really thinking of the 36 meandering 13th-century streets of the city's storied Old Quarter.

Here are some of the best in-the-know addresses to call at in the Old Quarter.

Contemporary quarter

Hanoi Old QuarterModern Vietnamese style lights up the interiors of Tan My Design.Hanoi's designers choose the antiquated setting of the Old Quarter to showcase their work.

See the best of Vietnamese style in clothes, jewelry and homewares on the streets of Nha Tho and Ly Quoc Su on the western fringe of the Hoan Keim Lake.  

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