Latest Travel News Daily Email from ASIA Travel Tips.com

Friday, 1 November 2013. News from last night Asia time and today.

Have a splendid weekend!

The ASIA Travel Tips Team
http://www.asiatraveltips.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Notice: In the coming days and weeks we will be uploading some brand new and exclusive HD video
interviews, photo galleries from exciting events around Asia, new HD Videos of aircraft and
hotel rooms, offering more comprehensive news coverage, and much, much more! Thank you, Steven
Howard (Editor/Publisher).


1/11/2013 Ritz-Carlton Opens its First Hotel in India.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/111-RitzCarlton.shtml


1/11/2013 Air Travel Demand Continues to Improve; IATA Reports September Traffic.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/111-AirlineTraffic.shtml


1/11/2013 Tickets for Singapore Airshow 2014 Go On Sale.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/111-SingaporeAirshow.shtml


1/11/2013 Emirates Launches Sixth Daily Non-Stop Flight Between Dubai and Bangkok.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/111-EmiratesBangkok.shtml


1/11/2013 Oakwood Appoints New Director of Operations, North Asia.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/111-Oakwood.shtml


1/11/2013 AirAsia X Launches KL - Adelaide Flights.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/111-AirAsiaX.shtml


1/11/2013 Qantas Unveils Details of New HKIA Lounge.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/111-QantasLounge.shtml


1/11/2013 PolyU's Doctoral Degrees in Hotel and Tourism Management
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/111-HotelDegree.shtml


1/11/2013 Air China to Launch Beijing - Siem Reap Flights.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/111-AirChina.shtml


31/10/2013 Qatar Executive Takes Delivery of Third Bombardier Global 5000.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3110-QatarExecutive.shtml


31/10/2013 Etihad Airways Offering Live News and Sport Channels Inflight.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3110-EtihadAirways.shtml










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9 unique Dubai restaurants Posted: 30 Oct 2013 03:00 PM PDT From BBQ Donuts to the world's highest restaurant to one of the simplest ... Dubai does unique as well as glitz Dubai is known for show-stopping style -- its diverse restaurant scene is no different. Eat out in the emirate and you'll be faced with virtually every cuisine under the sun, not to mention some novel environs. These nine restaurants put on particularly memorable acts (except for the one with no act at all) and with damn fine food, as well. At.mosphere At.mosphere: high standards and ... just high.What'd be the point of having the world's tallest building -- the Burj Khalifa -- if you couldn't put the world's highest restaurant in it? Welcome to At.mosphere. The full stop in the name appears to have something to do with "at," although the concept seems to run out of sense after that. Sitting 122 floors up, this swanky dining spot has what you want to call bird's eye views, except not that many birds appear to fly this high. To reach At.mosphere, you hurtle upward in an implausibly smooth "express elevator" (ears will pop) before stepping out to a two-level glass atrium. Does the food live up to the altitude? Actually, yes -- cuisine is modern European and artfully presented and, if you time your trip right, Michelin-starred guest chefs pop up in the kitchen (November brings Philippe Etchebest). It may seem counter-intuitive when the view is part of the package, but you're advised to visit At.mosphere at night -- Dubai looks best when it twinkles. At.mosphere, 122nd floor, Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai; +971 4 888  3828; autumn tasting menu 650 dirham ($178) per person, 1,070 dirham ($292) with sommelier's champagne and wine pairing More on CNN: Google captures view from world's tallest building Ossiano The seafood restaurant at Atlantis the Palm hotel is, in a word, theatrical. Yet despite the gold color scheme and gargantuan aquariums instead of walls, Ossiano's cuisine rises above the cheesiness. Lobster gazpacho, superior Sturia caviar and crispy monkfish are among the sophisticated seafood offerings. After you've got over initial discomfort at feasting on fish while surrounded by their relatives, the finned passers-by undoubtedly make for a spectacular -- and finally rather serene -- dining setting. Atlantis on the Palm, Palm Jumeirah; +971 4 426 2626; daily five-course set menu 750 dirham ($205) Tribes  After a dinner at Tribes, you'll never think about meat-on-a-stick the same way again. Dubai isn't the first place you'd expect to watch African tribal dancers as you eat, but then Dubai isn't most places. At African-themed steak house, Tribes, meat sizzles in an open kitchen while the (mostly Kenyan) staff hurry past in bright tribal patterns. Men should make sure not to sit with their backs against the main door -- a waiter will quickly tell them to switch in order to protect their date from intruding lions. In addition to the wholly carnivorous menu -- the multi-Tribal sausage platter is probably even meatier than you imagine -- meals include staff bursting into African song and dancing to feverish drums. Yes, it's all a bit clichéd and, yes, it does distract a little from the meal. And, yes, it's a lot of fun. When it comes to the "African" meats, don't be disappointed to find that most of them are imported from Sharjah. Tribes, Mall of the Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Road;  +971 04 395 0660; set menu 180 dirham ($49) per person More on CNN: Eight top Dubai souvenirs Pierchic  Look out to sea from Al Qasr hotel or Jumeirah beach and you'll see Pierchic's black warehouse-style facade suspended over the waves on wooden stilts. It looks more like a mysterious Arabian beach house than a first-rate fish restaurant. To reach it, you can stroll along the long private pier -- sail-shaped Burj Al Arab luxury hotel is on one side, vast Atlantis the Palm hotel is on the other. Or you could save your legs and hop aboard a golf cart. Oysters, yellow-fin tuna, sea scallops and various fishy carpaccios are all sparkling fresh and elegantly served. The tables on the ocean-facing terrace are the ones to fight for. Pierchic, Madinat Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim 3; +971 04 366 6370; main courses from 100 dirham ($27) Royal Express Meant to evoke the glory days of colonial Indian rail travel, the Royal Express is nonetheless permanently stationed in a Dubai hotel. With waiters in porter-like uniforms, regular platform announcements in Hindi, tinny train track sound effects and plush scarlet and gold furnishings, the heritage railway theme is pretty convincing. The quality of the cuisine is less so -- resembling more an Indian takeaway you'd consume on the London Tube than something you imagine being fed to rajahs. Still, members of Dubai's train-spotting community must be in heaven here -- there aren't any real long distance trains in the UAE. Royal Express, Admiral Plaza Hotel, Khalid Bin Waleed Road, Bur Dubai; +971 04 393 9247; main courses from 20 dirham ($5) More on CNN: The UAE's most outrageous hotel suites  Al Hadheerah  Despite its diverse dining scene, one of the hardest things to track down in Dubai is Emirati cuisine. As if to compensate, Al Hadheerah packs in as many Arabian desert clichés as a vacationer can handle. For starters, you're inside the walls of a traditional fort. The main event is the entertainment: falcons perch on handlers' mitts, Arabian horses parade with their tunic-swirling masters, local singers let rip and Sufi dancers whirl. It's all a bit Disney, but the regional cooking wins through -- a highlight is the whole lamb, lowered into a charcoal pit and slow-cooked for six hours.   Al Hadheerah, Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai; +971 04 809 6100; from 425 dirham ($115) per person for buffet dinner Aprons & Hammers Buckets of seafood fun.Once upon a time, Dubai was sustained by fishing and pearl diving -- today you can revisit that era by dining on a dhow, at Aprons & Hammers.  Moored a stone's throw from expat-favorite Barasti beach bar, this revived traditional sailing vessel serves crab and lobster by the bucket-load. Literally -- crustaceans arrive in little tin buckets. Once aboard, there's no mistaking the theme -- tables are shielded from the sun with fishing nets festooned with plastic crabs, starfish and lobster baskets. The simple fun that adults can derive from hammers, pincers and, you guessed it, aprons, shouldn't be underestimated. Aprons & Hammers, Dubai International Marine Club, Mina Seyahi Beach Resort; +971 4 454 7097; crustacean buckets from 140 dirham ($38) More on CNN: Six great Dubai escapes BBQ Donut When you get almost 365 sunny days a year, barbecuing on your balcony loses its shine. It's not every day, however, that you can light up the barbie sitting on a dinghy in the Arabian Sea. Dubai's aptly named BBQ Donuts aren't the accident-waiting-to-happen they may sound: a doughnut-shaped dinghy is fixed with a central grilling station, and up to six of you can float off, armed with a cool box of ready-to-grill meats. You can fork out 200 dirham ($55) for a captain for the day if you don't want to handle the (not terribly demanding) navigation. The Boardwalk, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Deira; +971 4 295 6000; from 1,200 dirham ($328) per two hours, per six people with a Tasty Mix meat selection or 950 dirham ($260) with afternoon tea Bu Qtair "Low key" isn't an oft-heard commendation in Dubai -- which is precisely what makes Bu Qtair stand out. There's a pleasant irony in eating at this port-a-cabin on Jumeirah beach, plastic pews and all, with the luxurious, sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel in sight. It's this pining for simplicity that makes so many Dubai expats seek out this basic fish shack at least once. There's no menu (it depends on the catch of the day) and you'll have to squeeze in to order what's likely to include shari (spotted emperor), pomfret, snapper or shrimp. The latter often comes marinated in salt, turmeric and an added ingredient that the owner, Moosa, wouldn't give up if you fried him. A bowl of fish curry, meanwhile, costs a dollar or two. In Dubai, that's novel.   Bu Qtair, Road 4d, near Burj Al Arab; 055 705 2130; from 5 dirham ($1)

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Latest Travel News Daily Email from ASIA Travel Tips.com

Thursday, 31 October 2013. News from last night Asia time and today.

The ASIA Travel Tips Team
http://www.asiatraveltips.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Notice: In the coming days and weeks we will be uploading some brand new and exclusive HD video
interviews, photo galleries from exciting events around Asia, new HD Videos of aircraft and
hotel rooms, offering more comprehensive news coverage, and much, much more! Thank you, Steven
Howard (Editor/Publisher).


31/10/2013 Qatar Executive Takes Delivery of Third Bombardier Global 5000.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3110-QatarExecutive.shtml


31/10/2013 SITA China Appoints New VP / GM.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3110-SITAChina.shtml


31/10/2013 Etihad Airways Offering Live News and Sport Channels Inflight.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3110-EtihadAirways.shtml


31/10/2013 Delivering More Value to Air Travellers.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3110-AirTravel.shtml


31/10/2013 Air China to Launch Non Stop Beijing-Hawaii Flights.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3110-AirChina.shtml


31/10/2013 20% Off Eurail Passes in November and December.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3110-Eurail.shtml


31/10/2013 Qantas Increases Share in Jetstar Japan.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3110-QantasJetstar.shtml


31/10/2013 Anchalika Kijkanakorn Voted Thailand's Quality Person of the Year 2013.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3110-AnchalikaKijkanakorn.shtml


31/10/2013 Phuket's Indigo Pearl Appoints New GM.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3110-IndigoPearl.shtml


31/10/2013 STR Reports Canada Hotel Pipeline for September 2013.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3110-HotelsinCanada.shtml


30/10/2013 Pan Pacific Hotel to Open in Yangon, Myanmar.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3010-PanPacific.shtml


30/10/2013 Wyndham Opens 500th Super 8 Hotel in China.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3010-Super8.shtml









- Prefer the convenience of an RSS Feed? The ASIA Travel Tips daily travel news RSS Feed is at:
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Established in 1997, ASIA Travel Tips was the first online daily travel news service in Asia. If
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---

Beyond Dubai: 6 exotic escapes Posted: 29 Oct 2013 11:00 PM PDT Retreats suitable for Bond villains, classic oases and ... fjords? These are the best short trips in the UAE Dubai might be Arabia's headline vacation destination, but it also puts you within reach of the region's best and most surprising short trips. Mountain retreats suitable for a Bond villain, diving off an island called Snoopy and discovering the UAE's very own fjords are some of the choices. Mountain retreats Just short of the summit of Jebel Hafeet (a 1,249-meter peak in Abu Dhabi emirate) sits the Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet (+971 3783 8888; from $120 per room per night).  The Mercure's location would work for a Bond villain seeking suitable lair premises -- reached by a snaking mountain road, with switchbacks and sheer drops, the property sits precariously on a plateau, with views out over the hazy plains. Around 100 kilometers to the north but located among the same rugged Hajar range as the Mercure, the Hatta Fort Hotel Hotel (+971 4809 9333; from $180 per room per night) lies in a small mountain town en route to the Omani border.  Hatta has historical interest, in the form of a Heritage Village and two 18th-century watchtowers, as well as wadis (a dry watercourse) and trails to explore. Mainly, though, people come to cool down by the four-star hotel's pool or hit a few shots on the nine-hole golf course. More on CNN: Eight top Dubai souvenirs Zighy Bay resort in Musandam. Diving and more off the rugged east coast  On the other side of the Hajar mountains, a two-hour drive from Dubai, you'll find the east coast emirate of Fujairah. These shores offer a different experience from the city-dominated west coast of the UAE: more rugged, less developed and, on the Gulf of Oman, particularly good diving. Snoopy Island (so called because it supposedly looks like a silhouette of the canine star of "Peanuts" lying on his back) is a popular snorkeling spot, where you can see black-tipped reef sharks, turtles and moray eels. You can swim out to the island from the beach of the basic-but-quirky Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort (+971 9 2445 555; from $160 per room per night). For an even greater sense of escape, you can drop in (literally) at Six Senses Zighy Bay (+968 2673 5555; from $1,060 per villa per night) -- a luxury resort just across the border in the Omani exclave of Musandam.  Such is its seclusion that one option for arriving at the property is by paraglider from the surrounding mountains. Dates in the oasis Every good desert needs an oasis.  The UAE has six of them, which together form a Unesco World Heritage Site in Abu Dhabi emirate's second city, Al Ain.  Known as the Garden City, it's a significant inland settlement 120 kilometers from Dubai, a verdant patch at the foot of Jebel Hafeet. Traditional falaj irrigation systems channel the oases' waters into expansive, jungle-like date plantations, which are open to the public to wander through and, in season, try freshly picked produce. This is a cultural and wildlife oasis, too. Looking like something out of an Aladdin movie, Al Jahili Fort hosts open-air classical music performances (Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Evgeni Bozhanov have played here). Al Ain Zoo (+971 3 799 2000; $5 adults, $1.40 children) houses nearly 200 species and has been working with San Diego Zoo to become a leading conservation center.   More on CNN: The UAE's most outrageous hotel suites  The oryx-friendly Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa. Dune stays Stumbling across a couple sipping cocktails in a hot tub amid sandy dunes you might think you're experiencing another desert standby -- a mirage. Unlikely. Luxury resort operators are increasingly colonizing the UAE's desert landscape to create high-end hideouts in the sand. To the north of Dubai is the Arabian Nights-styled Banyan Tree Al Wadi Hotel (+971 7 206 7777; from $463 per room per night) in Ras Al Khaimah.  Less than an hour's drive inland from Dubai is the Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa (+971 4 832 9900; $1,225 per room per night, meals inclusive), which features detached Bedouin-styled suites, each with private plunge pool. It's regularly visited by free-roaming oryx (it's located in a conservation reserve). Around 300 kilometers to the south of Dubai, in Abu Dhabi emirate, lies Liwa, a remote collection of villages on the edge of the Rub Al Khali, the world's largest continuous sand desert -- it's the last significant permanent settlement for hundreds of kilometers. The most upmarket of the three hotels among the dunes here is Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara (+971 2 886 2088; from around $380 per room per night), resembling an outpost desert fort -- albeit one with a luxury spa, pool villas and three restaurants on site. Arabian fjords cruise How exactly does a remote region of Arabia become known as "the Norway of the Middle East"? The area in question is Musandam, the Omani enclave 200 kilometers north of Dubai on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The reason for its nickname is the network of fjord-like sunken valleys penetrating the mountainous terrain. The fjords might lack Scandinavia's forests but exploratory trips aboard wooden dhows are memorable, cruising past isolated fishing villages accessible only from the water, spotting dolphins and mooring up for snorkeling. The town of Khasab is the gateway to fjord exploration, with a stay at the Golden Tulip (+968 267 30777; from $360 per room per night) the most common option for short breaks.  Equally dramatic is the coastal drive there from Dubai; once into Musandam, the highway hugs the cliffs, winding, rising and falling for 50 kilometers.  All very spectacular -- just don't expect snow. More on CNN: Insider Guide: Best of Dubai Typically immaculate: the golf green on Yas Island. Abu Dhabi Dubai isn't the only place in the Emirates building big-ticket tourist attractions.  Its southerly neighbor and UAE capital Abu Dhabi may be generally regarded as the less brash of these two Arabian hotspots, but its Yas Island development has nevertheless been transformed into a flagship leisure destination.  The Yas Marina F1 Grand Prix circuit and Ferrari World theme park (home to the world's fastest roller coaster) make it a particularly popular escape with motor racing fans.  There's also a typically immaculate golf course, a 43-ride waterpark (Yas Waterworld), and several five-star hotels. The most striking of the latter is the Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi (+971 2 656 0000; from $170 per room per night), eye-catchingly covered by a curved, color-changing glass shell and located tight in the middle of the grand prix track.

House of Dancing Water: Secrets behind the world's biggest water show Posted: 29 Oct 2013 03:00 PM PDT Macau's $250 million "House of Dancing Water" is famous for magical special effects. But the underwater action you don't see is even more astounding For Gary Bower, technical director at Macau's acclaimed "The House of Dancing Water" show, it's the spectacle that takes place below decks that's the real knockout performance. Gary Bower, technical director of "The House of Dancing Water.""Sometimes I feel that the best show is under the water," says Bower, of the Franco Dragone Entertainment Group. "You can hear the music and the instructions. The pagoda sinks and the Princess and Jean -- the protagonists of the show -- sink with it and the divers come out and give them respirators." Not only the most expensive show in Macau, "The House of Dancing Water" is the biggest and most spectacular water-based show in the world.  Produced under the direction of veteran Las Vegas wondrous show-maker Franco Dragone (he directed Cirque du Soleil's most prestigious shows in the 1990s), it combines water stunts, acrobatics, aerial arts and theater. Thirty professional divers are the unsung stars of the show and, like much of the water wizardry that keeps the show afloat, the audience never gets a glimpse of them. The behind-the-scenes team is double in size of the cast, with 160 technicians, production staff and divers working to make the daring leaps and magic moments possible. It's Bower's job to make sure the twice nightly stunt-packed show at the City of Dreams entertainment complex runs smoothly and safely. More than 2 million spectators have watched "The House of Dancing Water" since it opened three years ago. Learn more about the show: 'The House of Dancing Water': Behind the scenes at the $2 billion show The world's biggest water-based show also has world's largest commercial pool -- 160 feet in diameter, 26-feet deep. From sea to dry land in a minute The 85-minute spectacle opens with a tranquil scene -- a fisherman paddling his little wooden boat. Within minutes the sea is churned up, he's pulled underwater and a huge pirate ship rises from the deep. Scores of pirates throw themselves off the 10-meter-tall mast and plunge into the water. There's a serious amount of water sloshing about, but within a minute of the 26-ton pirate ship submerging the stage is transformed into a flat, dry surface. Magic. More on CNN: Macau's best casinos: Where to gamble, where to let loose It took five years to build the 2,000-seat theater, at a cost of $250 million. Although it's a 15-level space, it feels intimate. The first few rows are so close to the action that the audience gets drenched several times (towels are provided). The 10 floors above the stage are for lighting, rigging and a high-tech control room. The five floors below it house hydraulic pumps, stage lifts, special effects and a massive water filtration system and holding tank. There's enough water -- about 3.7 million gallons -- to fill five Olympic-sized swimming pools. The beating heart of the stage magic is the 11 automated stage lifts that fit neatly together and can be raised a meter above the stage or dropped seven meters below it, creating a pool deep enough for a diver to leap from a 24-meter-high platform. "Our lifts can hold 26 tons -- nobody else comes close to that, they're the biggest in the world," says Bower. More on CNN: 10 things to know before visiting Macau How it works: The most spectacular scene Divers beneath the surface are the unsung heroes of the show. One of the show's knockout moments is the "dancing water" scene when water blasts out of the ground in time to the music. This is accomplished with 258 water jets embedded in the lift lids and illuminated with LED lights. It's no mean feat -- water and electricity aren't the best of friends and it takes a huge amount of power to blast water 15 meters into the air. "We worked with a couple of companies to develop a submersible pump, which is high voltage and insulated to be super safe," says Bower. "Each pump is 400 volts and offers us the power to push that amount of water through the fountains." The audience sees a pool only 21 meters in diameter, but it's actually 51 meters wide -- the rest of the pool is located beneath the seating, where the artists enter (the aqua coulisse), and used for storing underwater props. The biggest danger for artists is getting disorientated underwater. Due to this, the pool is carefully thought out -- there are hookah (scuba breathing apparatus) for air and a network of handrails and color-coded rope lights to mark the four exits. More on CNN: Into the deep: World's 50 best dive sites Gigantic hidden pool and 30 divers The 30 divers in the pool, there to help orientate the artists and hand them underwater respirators, are all PADI-certified dive masters, instructors or commercial divers. They wear full face masks that allow them to speak to the artists underwater. The water is clean for the sake of the artists' health, but that also means that the audience can see seven meters down to the bottom of the pool. Fully masked, PADI dive masters help to orientate, provide respirators and communicate with the performers underwater. To keep the mystery, masking bubbles are created by pushing compressed air through air effect pods in the floor of the pool. When the power is ramped up, the bubbles come up so fast it creates the effect of boiling water. "The masking bubbles mean you never see the cast come out of the water or the boat leave, the audience is surprised because that's something they won't see on the mainland," says Bower.  "Most shows in China have a stock stage, but the spectacle you have here, with people flying in and fountains going off, you won't see that anywhere else." Bower says Dragone, the brainchild behind the ambitious show, had a bet with casino king Steve Wynn when the team was in the middle of creating the "dancing water" scene. Wynn allegedly bet Dragone that he wouldn't be able to beat him with an indoor fountain show. "[Dragone] watched that scene and said, 'Wow, you know what, I think I won my bet'," says Bower. More on CNN: Top-notch hotel under $100: Macau's best boutique stay The House of Dancing Water, City of Dreams, Estrada do Istmo, Cotai, Macau; +853 8868 6688; tickets from HK$580 CNN Travel's series often carries sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Read the policy.

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Latest Travel News Daily Email from ASIA Travel Tips.com

Wednesday, 30 October 2013. News from last night Asia time and today.

The ASIA Travel Tips Team
http://www.asiatraveltips.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Notice: In the coming days and weeks we will be uploading some brand new and exclusive HD video
interviews, photo galleries from exciting events around Asia, new HD Videos of aircraft and
hotel rooms, offering more comprehensive news coverage, and much, much more! Thank you, Steven
Howard (Editor/Publisher).


30/10/2013 Pan Pacific Hotel to Open in Yangon, Myanmar.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3010-PanPacific.shtml


30/10/2013 Wyndham Opens 500th Super 8 Hotel in China.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3010-Super8.shtml


30/10/2013 Visa to Launch Multicurrency Travel Prepaid Card in Myanmar.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3010-PrepaidCard.shtml


30/10/2013 Third Quarter Wraps with GDS Hotel Reservations Up +4.4%.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3010-BusinessTravel.shtml


30/10/2013 Best Western Opens Premier Hotel in Nha Trang.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3010-BestWestern.shtml


30/10/2013 Cosmopolitan Hotel Hong Kong Opens Newly Refurbished Grand Deluxe Rooms.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3010-Cosmopolitan.shtml


30/10/2013 Tigerair Launches Singapore-Lijiang Flights.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3010-Tigerair.shtml


30/10/2013 Dusit Fudu Appoints New Vice President Sales and Marketing.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3010-DusitFudu.shtml


30/10/2013 Hong Kong Int. Airport Extends Partnership with ARINC.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3010-HongKongAirport.shtml


30/10/2013 First Cruise Liner to Home Port at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/3010-KaiTak.shtml


30/10/2013 Air Seychelles Orders Three Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 Aircraft.
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The UAE's most outrageous hotel suites Posted: 17 Oct 2013 06:53 AM PDT Lap pool in your bedroom, view of ski slopes and sharks … it's all in a night's stay in the UAE If good things come in small packages, the UAE's hoteliers didn't get the memo. Fierce competition between the country's luxury hotels constantly raises the stakes when it comes to extreme guest amenities. If one palatial establishment is offering real-snow panoramas -- in the desert --  another is touting a swimming pool in your boudoir or a room suspended between two towers. With these ultra-indulgent accommodation offerings, seeing is believing. Otherwise, they seem frankly unbelievable. Underwater Suite, Atlantis the Palm, Dubai Everyone from Kim Kardashian to Kylie has strutted into this hotel of theme park proportions. The most ostentatious thing about it? Tricky question, but it's probably the Underwater Suite, whose three floors are separated by floor-to-ceiling windows from an almighty aquarium that's home to 65,000 sea creatures. Sharks and stingrays are companions as you take in the action from the bedroom or bathtub. Does the 24/7 butler also dole out the fish food? Just ask. Atlantis the Palm, Dubai, Crescent Road, The Palm; +971 4 426 0000; 45,000 dirham ($12,253) per night More on CNN: Eight top Dubai souvenirs Royal Suite, Burj Al Arab, Dubai Grand -- or possibly just very yellow -- entrance to the Royal Suite.A four-poster bed -- that proud calling card of every provincial hotel since probably time immemorial. So passé. The Burj Al Arab, Dubai has a four-poster rotating bed. It's the focal point of the Royal Suite, a space that could be accused of confusing "glamour" with "garish." Unadulterated Arabic glitz doesn't get any glitzier than this. A marble and gold staircase leads you up to the red-and-gold space occupying the sail-shaped hotel's entire 25th floor. When you're not playing on the spinning bed, there's a private cinema. Elsewhere, a private staff entrance gives you an idea of the extent of hired help at your beck and call. Burj Al Arab, Dubai, Dubai; +971 4 301 7777; 23,000 dirham ($6,262) per night Royal Suite, The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi Biggest suite in the UAE -- a continent-sized terrace doesn't hurt.At 2,100 square meters, this St. Regis's Royal Suite is the biggest in the UAE (not to mention one of the largest on the planet), taking up two floors of the hotel's west wing. The decorating style is one of toned-down colors with stone and driftwood details, no doubt inspired by the beach beyond. Inevitably, the Emirate's signature excess creeps in: there's a spiral staircase and water feature, outdoor pool, cinema, game room, ocean-facing terrace (plus bar) and spa room and sauna. Well, there's room for it … The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi; +971 2 498 8888; 130,000 dirham ($35,398) per night. More on CNN: World's 15 most expensive hotel suites The Dubai Floor, Raffles Dubai What was once the private playground of Sheikh Mana Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum (Raffles Dubai's owner) is now a suite open to the public. "Suite" -- well, more like an apartment you could easily get lost in. Within the 2,000 square-meter space there are six bedrooms and three kitchens. You get to choose the type of Arabian scent wafting through the place. You needn't ever really leave. The suite has its own cinema (getting predictable now), spa and hair salon. If you do want to step out, a private elevator will take you straight to a limo with its own chauffeur. Raffles Dubai, Sheikh Rashid Road, Wafi; +971 4 324 8888; 100,000 dirham ($27,229) per night Grand Ski Chalet, Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Faux-fur throws included, but you'll need to ramp up the air-con.It's like a Chamonix ski lodge on sand dunes. Never mind that Dubai is one of the hottest inhabited places on Earth -- why not build a ski run, and connect a hotel to it? The Kempinski's Grand Ski Chalet is furnished as an Alps-style abode, complete with wood finishes and faux fur throws -- though unless you pump up the air-con you won't be needing them. The views that muddle the brain -- windows look across Ski Dubai, one of the world's largest indoor ski resorts. There are penguins, too, shipped in from Texas Sea World. Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai; +971 4 341 000; 35,000 dirham ($9,530) per night More on CNN: Meet the boss of the world's most luxurious hotel Three-bedroom Palace Suite, Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi Six billion dollars. No, that's not a typo -- it's the reported cost of the Emirates Palace. So what can you expect from a suite in the second most expensive hotel ever built? For starters, there's marble imported from 13 countries and gold leaf by the trunk-load. If the décor doesn't leave you boggle-eyed, there's the army of staff: a 24-hour butler, private chef and waiters to serve in your private dining room. What really sounds worth a peek at is the six Rulers' Suites -- strictly out of bounds unless you belong to a ruling family from one of the Gulf Co-operation Council members. Thought you probably didn't. Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, West Corniche Road; +971 2 690 9000; 14,000 dirham ($3,812) per night Presidential Suite, Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi "Yes, Mr. President!"Whether you think the Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi's shell-like façade looks beautiful or like an armadillo, it nonetheless sets the scene for the UAE's sporting event of the year: Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. For F1 hotshots, the two-story Presidential Suite is the only place worth entertaining groupies -- not just for its size, Swarovski race-track-shaped chandelier nor for its track-side terrace. It's the private 10-meter lap pool (revealed at the flick of a remote) that secures its stud status. If the after party is at yours, there's an easy way to impress the guests -- the pool has underwater lights that change color. Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi, Yas Island; +971 2 656 0000; from 20,000 dirham ($5,445) per night Abu Dhabi Suite, The St Regis Hotel Abu Dhabi This is the world's highest suspended suite. Not that there are many other suspended suites to compete. Though it's not open to guests until later this year, you can see it teetering 200-metres above the ground, between the hotel's two towers. Needless to say, the vistas are superb, but the décor is almost as grand -- it includes 24-carat gold leaf accents, cascading crystals and leather wall tiles. On top of the elevators, spa and movie theater (one of those again), there's a private gym. The St Regis Hotel Abu Dhabi, Nation Towers; +971 2 694 4444; price on request

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