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- 10 best bars in Beirut
- Asiana flight attendants get pants privilege
- How to get America's most crowded natural wonders to yourself
- Airline ‘fat tax’: Should heavy passengers pay more?
| Posted: 26 Mar 2013 07:00 AM PDT As partners go, "bar-hopping" and "Middle East" might sounds like dogs and cats, but a night out in Beirut is an exception. The city has long been the party capital of the region, from its swinging '60s heyday as the playground of the international jet set to its more recent resilience after years of conflict. Beirut's bar scene centers around the neighborhoods of Gemmayzeh and Hamra, and the recently hip district of Mar Mikhael. Here are 10 places where Beirut warms up, gets hot and winds down. 1. Dragonfly
Behind the bar, Nino and Danny mix inventive cocktails to old school jazz. The daily happy hour from 6 to 8 p.m. makes Dragonfly a perfect place to start a Beirut night. Gouraud Street, Gemmayzeh; +961 (0)1 561 112; daily 6 p.m.–late. More on CNN: Skiing provides escape for Lebanese 2. Torino Express
What it lacks in size, this former picture-framing shop makes up for in character, with barrel-vaulted ceilings, no-frills décor and unpretentious crowd. By day, it's a café serving tasty panini and excellent espresso; by night, a standing-room-only bar serving beer, wine, cocktails and eclectic tunes. Gouraud Street, Gemmayzeh; +961 (0)3 611 456; daily, 10 a.m.–late.
3. Kayan
It's busiest midweek, when a casual, jean-clad crowd of 20- and 30-somethings pops by for expertly mixed cocktails ($5.50 during happy hour from 5–8 p.m.). Like many Gemmayzeh bars, there's no drink menu. Unlike its competitors, the owners are behind the long wooden bar. Brothers Kayan and Jean Moukhtar are renowned for their tiramisu shot (they also make a mean Bloody Mary). Lebanon Street, Gemmayzeh; +961 (0)1 563 611; daily, 5 p.m.–1 a.m. (2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday) 4. February 30
There's furniture stuck to the ceiling, a DJ booth above the bathroom door and Beirut's best bar stools. The generous happy hour -- all drinks half-price between 5-8 p.m. daily -- provides a good excuse to visit. On Sundays there's a barbecue followed by a Lebanese film ($27). 78th Street, The Alleyway, Makdessi Street, Hamra; +961 (0)76 994 405; daily, 10 a.m.–3.30 a.m. for brunch, lunch and dinner 5. Bar ThreeSixty
Visitors can pull up a pew overlooking the blue-domed Mohammad al-Amin mosque and join a sophisticated crowd sipping the signature ThreeSixty Martini. A huge wine list features excellent local and international bottles, while the delicious charcuterie and cheese platters are good for sharing. The resident DJ plays soft jazz, funky soul and happy house; there's live music on Wednesday and Friday. Le Gray Hotel, Martyrs' Square, Downtown; + 961 (0)1 962 888; daily, 7.30 p.m.–2 a.m.; www.legray.com More on CNN: An eating tour of Lebanon 6. Internazionale
A large black and white photo adorns one wall, showing a smoky plane full of sharp-suited jet setters, resplendent in dark glasses (including Boulos' granddad). An equally hip crowd sips cocktails from an impressive list, although they've got to smoke outside these days thanks to a recently introduced smoking ban. Inside, an open kitchen serves gourmet burgers and daily specials, while DJs play deep house, acid jazz, and hip hop. Armenia Street, Mar Mikhael; +961 1 565 463; daily, 7 p.m.–late. 7. Ferdinand
The music reflects this, with a playlist featuring funky old school, indie rock and '70s and '80s tunes -– but strictly no electro. It's primarily a cocktail bar, but there's also local beer like Almaza, imports and Heineken on tap, plus good quality Lebanese wines. The main draw is the Ferdi burger, which is topped with blueberry jam and homemade mayonnaise ($15). Trust us, it's worth it. Mahatma Gandhi Street, Hamra; +961 (0)1 355 955; Monday-Saturday, noon–late, Sunday 4 p.m.–late. 8. Dictateur
Split over four areas, there's a busy bar serving local beers and cocktails, with a happy hour every day from 6 to 8 p.m. DJs play alternative and indie rock. If you want quiet conversation with your cocktail, there's a lounge area and outdoor terrace. Badawi Street (behind Manadaloun nightclub), Mar Mikhael; +961 (0)3 251 512; Tuesday–Sunday, 6 p.m.–late, weekend brunch noon–4 p.m. More on CNN: Beirut souvenir shopping 9. Behind the Green Door
Behind the Green Door attracts Beirut's alternative party crowd (and a few hen nights, too) who come for the wide mix of music, including R&B night on Thursdays. It gets packed on weekends, so visitors are advised to call head to reserve a table. Consider plumping for a Piscine (champagne over ice) or brave a dou-dou shot (vodka, lemon juice and Tabasco with an olive). Nahr Street (opposite EDL, the Lebanese electricity company), Mar Mikhael; +961 (0)70 856 866; Monday–Saturday, 8 p.m.–late. 10. SKYBAR
Opened in 2003, SKYBAR still reigns as the city's biggest and best summer rooftop bar/super-club. With 10 resident DJs yet no dance floor, dancing on the 60-meter long bar isn't just encouraged, it's expected. Dress to impress and reserve a table to get past the notoriously tough doormen -- there's no minimum spend, but you'll need at least eight people. Other clubs may be snapping at its heels, but SKYBAR is still the one you want to brag about to your mates back home. BIEL Pavillion, Minet El Hosn, +961 3 939 191; open mid-June through end of October, Thursday-Sunday, 10 p.m.–4 a.m.; www.sky-bar.com      |
| Asiana flight attendants get pants privilege Posted: 26 Mar 2013 03:31 AM PDT Following a long-running discussion between Asiana Airlines and its flight attendants union about ending a skirts-only dress code for female cabin crew, the Seoul-based airline says it will be introducing a pants option to its uniform as soon as next month. The National Human Rights Commission in South Korea ruled the current dress code as discriminatory after the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions filed a complaint about restrictions on dress and appearance. More on CNN: Do sexy flight attendants really sell more seats Original designsThis is the first time pants will be part of the female dress code lineup in Asiana's 25-year history. Asiana is Korea's second-largest carrier and was named Airline of the Year by Global Traveler magazine in 2011 and by Skytrax in 2010. Korean Air, the largest carrier in Korea, debuted female cabin crew pants in 2005 when the airline hired Italian designer Gianfranco Ferre to redesign its uniform. When asked why pants had never been part of its female uniform, Asiana said the policy had more to do with design than discrimination. "The uniform was originally designed with Korean traditional dress in mind, where women don't wear pants," an Asiana spokesperson told CNN. "We haven't updated the uniform since, but we are in the process of doing so now." Overblown issue? "You have to realize this is a very small minority who have complained about this," said the spokesperson about local media flurry over the news. "Most of the flight attendants will probably not choose the option even if it becomes available." That's precisely the problem, says the union. "Even if the rules are officially relaxed, many flight attendants don't feel comfortable doing things like wearing glasses or not having their hair in the expected bun because of what the airline might think of them," said a representative for the airline union. "It's not actual freedom." Forget discrimination or design, it's about comfort and safety on the job, say some. "There are many cases when we have to stand up and sit down in front of our passengers, which makes {skirts) not only uncomfortable, but sometimes dangerous," an Asiana flight attendant told CNN last year when the issue first arose. Hopefully, she'll like the new uniform, which is currently in design and slated to debut in a few weeks. Do you approve of Asiana's "pants" decision? As a passenger, how important is a flight attendant's uniform? Let us know in the comments section.    |
| How to get America's most crowded natural wonders to yourself Posted: 26 Mar 2013 03:00 AM PDT Some tourist meccas are meant to be savored with a crush of people. Entering the fray in Times Square, Bourbon Street and every other man-made wonder out there is all part of the experience. No one imagines enjoying Space Mountain or the San Antonio River Walk in solitude. Then there are the natural wonders. Places that lend themselves to quiet marveling and meditative solitude … if it weren't for the surging mass of humanity beside you shooting phone video, jockeying for position and thinking exactly what you are: "Imagine this place without crowds." No, you won't be getting Bright Angel Trail or Broadway (the one in Mammoth Cave), Yosemite Falls or those in Niagara, for that matter, to yourself these days. But even at the most magnificently mobbed must-sees of nature, a little local intel can help bring you a step (or quick shuttle ride) closer to that ideal. Grand Canyon, Arizona
Annual visitors: 4.4 million Everyone has to gawk into Arizona's perspective-shattering, mile-deep abyss at some point. And during the summer months, when the South Rim's Grand Canyon Village population bloats to capacity levels, it seems like everyone is. But even during "low season" don't expect to be the only one outside El Tovar Hotel staring through a wide-angle lens at sunset. "Driving through that main South Gate, you're approaching via the busiest entrance," says Mark Wunner, the park's Backcountry Information Center Supervisor. Instead, he suggests entering via the South Rim's quieter East Gate, which offers several serene overlooks and pullouts along 26-mile East Rim Drive en route to the park's hub. In the Village, early dawn hours afford the only reliable South Rim solitude potential before the tourist throng buzzes 'til dusk. During civilized hours, make use of the park's free shuttle service and head further afield to a viewpoint or trailhead hiding off the map-toting hoi polloi's "recommended trail" radar. "The farther away you go from that epicenter, the quieter it'll be -- but you don't even have to go too far," says Wunner. "Try the Hermit Trail. It's a shuttle-accessed threshold trail just eight miles away, but a world apart." For maximum solitude … Head to the Grand Canyon's loftier, more remote North Rim -- a crowd-thinning, five-hour drive from the South Rim -- where park facilities (there's just a single lodge there) operate only between mid-May and mid-October, and receive a fraction of the park's total visitors. "It's a whole other Grand Canyon experience on this side," says Wunner, "at the same Grand Canyon." Yosemite Valley, California
Annual visitors: 3.5 million The glacial-carved peaks, towering granite walls and half-mile-long waterfalls visible as you exit the far side of Yosemite Valley's Wawona Tunnel provoke the same three involuntary words from everyone's mouth. Oh. My. God. And you can bet your 2013 Ansel Adams calendar that it'll be a pretty big everyone joining in that chorus. "About 95% of Yosemite [National Park's] visitors come to the Valley, which represents less than 5% of the total park area," says Yosemite park ranger, Scott Gediman. "So that's a lot of people gathering in a seven-mile-long by one-mile-wide canyon." He suggests visiting on an early weekday during shoulder season to dodge summer crowds and weekend masses. Winter's an even better bet. "You're talking about 800,000 visitors for the month of August versus 100,000 or less in January, when it's just as stunning and the crowds and hotel rates are at their lowest," notes Gediman. Best approach strategy during peak season Either come really early in the morning or later in the afternoon. "We see a noticeable drop-off of day visitors in the Valley by around 3 p.m.," says Gediman. "Driving in at that time, you're usually going against traffic, the parking is easier and there are far less folks on the trails in the late-afternoon or dusk, when you get that gorgeous alpenglow light." In the Valley, lose the pack along its lesser-known trails. For a quick escape, take the short Snow Creek hike hiding behind Mirror Lake or, for a longer one, the relatively flat and unpeopled 13-mile Yosemite Valley Loop Trail. Then check out the other 95% of this 747,956-acre park. Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
Annual visitors: 400,000 There's enough space in the longest known cave on earth -- 400 miles mapped and counting -- for more than 130 types of animals, and 14 species of bats alone. But the human tourist species may not get as much elbow room in the main attraction of Mammoth Cave National Park. Only 10 miles of the cave are open to the public, which can congest its main caverns with up to 120 guests per tour on a typical busy day. That can be a spoiler even in Mammoth's gargantuan Rotunda room, or on "Broadway" -- a 40-foot high, 60-foot wide passageway that meanders for three miles. "If you're here in the summer, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the place is just packed with visitors," says Vickie Carson, the park's public information officer. Unsurprisingly, it's the opposite in the winter, but here's the thing: inside the cave, it's the same temperature year-round. "A wonderful 54 degrees," says Carson. In January, it can feel almost balmy inside, and you may get a tour nearly all to yourself. "Walking along Broadway in the offseason when you're practically alone," adds Carson, "is truly one of the most surreal, peaceful experiences you could ever imagine." But if you're here during high season … Book an 8:30 a.m. tour slot before all the buses arrive. Or reserve a spot on Mammoth's Wild Cave Tour, an intense 6.5-hour drive, five-mile cave trek (and occasional belly crawler) restricted to just 14 helmeted souls exploring the cave's innards, where handrails, lights and snack-doling nannies dare not tread. "That one's not for everyone," says Carson. Which is exactly the point. Niagara Falls USA, New York
Annual visitors: 8 million Checking off this thundering cataract via crowded Niagara Gorge elevator or Maid of the Mist boat bulging with newly engaged couples is one way to go. Experiencing the falls your own way -- no barrel required -- is another. "Most of the summer congestion is happening in the main areas of Niagara Falls State Park, where lines for must-do's like Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds are based," says Michelle Blackley of the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation. She suggests investing in a Niagara Falls USA Discovery Pass to dodge long and abundant ticket lines. For a quick escape … Head for any of the Three Sisters Islands -- a trio of footbridge-linked islets accessed from larger Goat Island. "They're the most remote section of the park and offer some rare views of the Upper River Rapids just a few hundred feet from the brink of Niagara Falls," says Blackley. About a third of the 400-acre state park's (America's oldest) 8 million annual visitors arrive during the summer, with crowds frequently swelling during high season's loaded roster of events and festivals. The most obvious crowd ducking strategy at the world's best-known waterfall is simply to steer clear of that time. But broadening your definition of Niagara Falls helps too -- during peak season especially. Just north of all the tourist action, a hike into Devil's Hole State Park leads alt-Falls travelers 300 feet into the Niagara Gorge for an intimate look at the Niagara River's category five rapids and swirling whirlpools. Says Blackley: "It's one of those places where you'll find the locals hiding out." Always a good sign. More on CNN: 50 natural wonders: The ultimate list of scenic splendor    |
| Airline ‘fat tax’: Should heavy passengers pay more? Posted: 25 Mar 2013 10:43 PM PDT An economics scholar in Norway has recommended that air ticket costs be calculated according to a passenger's weight. Dr. Bharat P. Bhatta, associate professor of economics at Sogn og Fjordane University College, Norway, is proposing three models that he says, "may provide significant benefits to airlines, passengers and society at large." In his paper, published in the Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Dr. Bhatta noted "a reduction of 1 kilo weight of a plane will result in fuel savings worth US$3,000 a year and a reduction of CO2 emissions by the same token."
"Charging according to weight and space is a universally accepted principle, not only in transportation, but also in other services," Bhatta says. "As weight and space are far more important in aviation than other modes of transport, airlines should take this into account when pricing their tickets." His three "pay as you weigh" models are: Total weight: A passenger's luggage and body weight is calculated, with the fare comprising a per kilo cost. In this scenario a passenger weighing 100 kilos with 20 kilos of luggage (120 kilos total) would pay twice that of a passenger of 50 kilos with 10 kilos of luggage (60 kilos total). Base fare +/- extra: A base fare is set, with a per-kilo discount applying for "underweight" passengers and a per-kilo surcharge applying to "overweight" passengers. High/Average/Low: A base fare is set, with a predetermined discount applying for those below a certain weight threshold and a predetermined surcharge applying for those above a certain weight threshold. Bhatta prefers the third of these options. He goes on to say that weight could be ascertained through passenger self-declaration, with one in five passengers randomly selected and weighed to dissuade cheats (with penalties for cheaters) or by weighing all passengers at check in. This latter option however would "incur huge transaction costs" and "would require a passenger to arrive a couple of hours early to have time to get through weigh-in, security and passport control." What do you think? Is it fair to charge fliers based on their weight? Tell us your thoughts below    |
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