Monday, March 5, 2012

CNNGo.com

CNNGo.com


Ultimate Japan: 6 must-see destinations

Posted: 05 Mar 2012 08:55 AM PST

by C. James Dale

What: Ancient Kyoto

Best of Japan travelIt may be a cliché, but you might just see her on the cobbles of Kyoto.

Why: Let's face it -- most travelers can't resist the magnetic pull of Japan's former Imperial capital (794-1869), with its temples, shrines and (dwindling) ranks of geisha.

"Of course, many people from Western countries, like the United States and Canada, like to travel to time-honored cities like Kyoto," says Mamoru Kobori of the Japan National Tourism Organization.

And lest we forget, the ancient city would have been obliterated by an atomic bomb at the end of World War II had it not been for U.S. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, who took it off the list of potential targets because he had fond memories of honeymooning there.

For years, people have visited Kyoto to stay in its old ryokans and eat traditional, multi-course kaiseki meals. But they should also consider exploring the city's new side.

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50 best Chinese restaurants in the United States

Posted: 05 Mar 2012 08:00 AM PST

by Clarissa Wei

Becoming a successful Chinese restaurant in the United States is tricky. You need to cater to the American palate, but still be authentic enough to be considered a reputable Chinese joint.

With more than 41,000 Chinese restaurants in the United States, it's not easy picking a top 50. But since we're suckers for controversial jobs (checked our reader comments lately?) we've gone ahead and done it.

Based on interviews with chefs and Chinese restaurant associations, surveys of local food writers and polls, and our own experience, here are the 50 best Chinese restaurants in the country, arranged by state.

Arizona

1. China Magic Noodle House, Chandler 

Watch through a window as the noodles you just ordered are handmade and pulled for you.

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From Australia, with love: Celebrity drama aims to lure Chinese tourists

Posted: 04 Mar 2012 09:19 PM PST

by CNNGo staff

In today's worldwide tug-of-war to win the hearts and wallets of Chinese tourists, Australia is pulling well above its weight.

Tourism Australia doubled its marketing budget for Chinese travelers last year (though no specific figure was revealed) and, according to some industry experts, the agency's Shanghai office is the largest in its global network.

And there's more.

Australia is now making a big bet on China's video-sharing sites and celebrities to attract more attention.

Tourism AustraliaWill the drama make Melbourne's Graffiti Lane Australia's new landmark for Chinese?

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50 reasons Tokyo is the world's greatest city

Posted: 04 Mar 2012 05:55 PM PST

By Steve Trautlein, Matt Alt, Hiroko Yoda, Melinda Joe, Andrew Szymanski and W. David Marx.

1. The world's most sophisticated railways

With 13 subway lines and more than 100 surface routes run by Japan Railways and other private companies, Tokyo's railway system seems like it was designed to win world records. It's rare to find a location in the metropolitan area that can't be reached with a train ride and a short walk. Now, if only the government could devise a way to keep middle-aged salarymen from groping women onboard.


Tokyo Sky TreeTokyo Sky Tree. (Tim Hornyak/CNNGo)2. Sky-high one-upmanship

When officials in Tokyo learned that the new Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower in China would be 610 meters tall -- the same height that was planned for Tokyo Sky Tree, then under construction -- they did what any rational person would do: They added 24 meters to the top of Sky Tree to preserve its claim as the world's tallest tower. Now complete and scheduled to open in May, the Guinness-certified structure features shops, restaurants and an observation deck that lets you see almost all the way to Guangzhou.


3. Tongue-gasmic food porn

You could spend hours drooling over the elaborate pastries and picture-perfect sushi rolls at Isetan's recently refurbished, super-stylish depachika. Square watermelons and ¥50,000 matsutake mushrooms are displayed with gallery-like reverence. Other highlights: Eat-in counters run by some of Tokyo's snazziest restaurants and free samples of food and booze on weekends.

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Gallery: Indonesia's 'tree of life'

Posted: 04 Mar 2012 02:00 PM PST

by Andrew Marshall

When you hear "tree of life" you may think of that strange Brad Pitt film that thankfully did not win an Oscar recently. 

But for Alexander Haninuna from Indonesia's Roti island, the juice from what he knows as the tree of life was his first meal. When he dies, he will be buried in a coffin made from the wood of the same tree. 

All through his life he will be indebted to the lontar palm that grows in his backyard for everyday products such as mats, containers for watering the garden, trays for winnowing rice, fans, umbrellas, belts, knife-sheaths, thatch, cigarette papers and even bags for transporting chickens to market.

Haninuna, 50, lives on Roti, the southernmost island of the Indonesian archipelago and home to thousands of lontar palms, one of the planet's most efficient sugar-producing trees. 

Roti has suffered from surface erosion for many years, and in a great example of ecological efficiency the Rotinese have learned to utilize the tens of thousands of hardy lontar palms that are one of the few plants to flourish here. 

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Insider Guide: What to do in Cape Town

Posted: 04 Mar 2012 01:42 PM PST

by Richard Holmes

How gorgeous is Cape Town?

Bring out your paints and brushes, or better yet, your camera, at Camps Bay, Cape Town. So gorgeous we're going to get through an entire article on this South African wonder without once mentioning Charlize Theron.

Surrounded by ocean on three sides, with the landmark Table Mountain soaring 1,000 meters above the packed streets of the City Bowl, Cape Town rightly places high -- maybe number one -- in any ranking of the most scenic big cities on the planet.

You're never at a loss for what to do in Cape Town.

Powder-white beaches fringe the Atlantic seaboard. Trellised vineyards line historic winelands. A fynbos-covered national park is parked in the heart of the city.

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