Indonesia Travel 02

Thursday, January 3, 2013

CNNGo.com

Can Starbucks make it in coffee-mad Vietnam?
Crowds stampede stores for Japan's 'lucky bags'
Would you stay in a hotel called 'The Thief'?

Can Starbucks make it in coffee-mad Vietnam?

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:23 AM PST

The Seattle-based behemoth plans to try its luck in Ho Chi Minh City, already home to some of the world's best coffee

CNN Travel staff

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Starbucks is hoping to shake up the coffee-drinking world of Vietnam, announcing plans to open its first store in the Southeast Asian nation next month, in Ho Chi Minh City.

Normally, a Starbucks expansion announcement wouldn't merit much excitement. After all, the Seattle-based behemoth already has more than 3,000 stores in Asia alone.

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Crowds stampede stores for Japan's 'lucky bags'

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 11:01 PM PST

Some underpriced goodie bags contained coats, others, a Macbook Air

Frances Cha

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It's "lucky" to be in Japan for New Year celebrations.

To kick off the start of the new business year, Japanese retailers have a custom of selling sealed goodie bags priced at a large discount.

The bags, called "fukubukuo" (meaning "lucky bag" or "mystery bag"), can contain items worth more than six times their retail price.

While most stores in Japan opened on Wednesday, January 2, the first business day of the new year, 2013 marked the first year that a department store opened on New Year's Day.

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Would you stay in a hotel called 'The Thief'?

Posted: 02 Jan 2013 01:16 AM PST

A Norwegian hotel pays homage to its island's criminal past -- and also helps ex-cons reenter society

Frances Cha

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In the eighteenth century, the tiny island of Tjuvholmen was where Norway's most dangerous criminals were exiled and executed.

Now, the area is Oslo's hottest district for art and architecture.

The latest addition to the Scandinavian cultural hub is a cool new boutique hotel named after the area's sordid history.

Slated to open on January 9, The Thief hotel takes its name from Tjuvholmen's nickname, "Thief Island."

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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

CNNGo.com

Kingfisher Airlines loses flying permit

Posted: 01 Jan 2013 11:30 PM PST

Cash-strapped Indian airline must pay employees in order to renew operations

Frances Cha

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It's been a terrible week for Kingfisher Airlines.

The Indian airline lost its flying license on Monday, and was told by the Indian government's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to pay employees' their past-due salaries in order to resume operations.

The Mumbai-based carrier has not operated a single flight since its engineers and pilots went on strike in October 2012.

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Sentosa Island: A tourist attraction no longer just for tourists

Posted: 01 Jan 2013 01:01 PM PST

With fantastic new venues, from restaurants to roller coasters, the 40-year-old venue continues to reinvent itself

Tina Hsiao and Jules Kay, for CNN

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With 800 species of marine animals, S.E.A. Aquarium is the world's largest oceanarium.

In September 2012, Sentosa Island celebrated its 40th anniversary -- hardly a young filly in the leisure destination game.

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Experience Singapore

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

CNNGo.com

Travel clichés we vow to avoid in 2013 (but probably won’t)
New York sees record number of tourists in 2012
52 weeks, 52 things to do in 2013

Travel clichés we vow to avoid in 2013 (but probably won’t)

Posted: 01 Jan 2013 12:43 AM PST

Hotels will no longer be perched. We'll eat, not dine. We'll enjoy, not luxuriate. Or so we say

CNN Travel staff

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A recent Wall Street Journal article belittling clichés the Style & Substance blog staff hopes to avoid in 2013 -- throw under the bus, fiscal cliff and iconic were three terms called out for opprobrium -- got us thinking about our own overuse of travel jargon.

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New York sees record number of tourists in 2012

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 10:01 PM PST

It's not your imagination -- it really is getting tougher to find a cab in "the world's greatest city"

CNN Travel staff

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Don't hold your breath waiting for hotel rooms to get affordable in New York City.

With Gotham welcoming a record 52 million visitors in 2012 (a 2.1 percent increase over 2011) the city solidified its standing as the United States' premiere city destination.

And the out-of-towners are spending.

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52 weeks, 52 things to do in 2013

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 10:02 AM PST

Damn we're organized. Print this out, stick it to the fridge, fill your year with fun and cheer

Duncan Forgan and Tara Donaldson, for CNN Travel

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Another year gone, another year in which you missed out on 95 percent of the cool things happening around the world.

No more excuses.

This list sets up your 2013 how it should be -- planned to the hilt with amazing, riotous, joyful, Facebookable things to do and photograph in as many countries as possible.

Now stop reading. Start planning.

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