Friday, July 1, 2011

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First ride on China's historic Shanghai-Beijing high-speed train

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 11:51 PM PDT

Thursday, June 30, 2011. This day is big. The Shanghai-Beijing high-speed rail line is about to begin official operations.

The event is so historic for China that, according to reports in the local media, most tickets for the first train out of Beijing South Railway Station were sold out within 10 minutes of going on sale.

Man, do I feel good about snatching two tickets -- one for the fiancé and one for me -- to became the first exapt ticket buyer in the high-speed rail line's history.

I had to get the tickets. I have been waiting for this journey for four years.

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Japanese turn sex doll into dental-training robot

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 10:26 PM PDT

Tokyo frequently presents a story that's borderline fiction -- sex dolls for cavity-filling practice, puhlease -- but the pedigree of the new Hanako Showa 2 dental training robot tells us this is no product of a fevered imagination.

We previously saw big sister, plain Jane Hanako Showa, in early 2010, noting that the synthetic patient was being used in the Showa University dental school for more than simple caries-evacuation practice on her plumbed-in dentures.

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Weirdest travel stories of the month

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 08:53 PM PDT

We all have a few wacky travel stories up our sleeves. But June was a particularly good month for tales of travel eccentricities.

1. Pilot vs. ugly flight attendants

A pilot from Southwest Airline accidentally broadcast a rant about gay people and older flight attendants over an air traffic control radio frequency in March this year.

The incident was reported last week by KPRC-TV in Houston.

The pilot was talking to another member of the crew and didn't realize the conversation was being broadcast until an air-traffic controller in Houston told him to check if his microphone was stuck open.

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Qantas engineers vow to strike

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 06:13 PM PDT

Qantas

Unless the airline unexpectedly meets demands to raise pay and make other concessions to its 1,600 engineers, Qantas flight schedules around the country will likely be disrupted next week when hundreds of those engineers walk off the job.

Qantas has vowed to minimize the effects of the threatened strike action by flying Boeing 767 planes (larger than it normally flies for many routes) and consolidating schedules of affected routes.

The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) cancelled a strike in May, but this time their resolve is clear: they will roll out two-hour strikes next week in Melbourne on July 4, Perth on July 5 and Brisbane on July 6.

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十大城市,百大免費景點

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 05:09 PM PDT

有發現免費的享受總是更勝一籌嗎? 賞遍世界精華不一定要花光身家的。

接下來跟大家分享全球十大最佳旅遊目的地之十大精彩景點,完全免費。

不妨逐一細閱,或點擊以下圖片直接「登陸」個別城市。

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Bettys Kitschen: 出得廳堂,卻未入得廚房

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 05:02 PM PDT

Bettys Kitschen 看來是丘德威全心投入餐飲事業的另一投資。

在香港出生,以倫敦為基地的餐館老板,擅長以西方口味包裝亞洲菜式,因而享負盛名。

他的米芝蓮星級食肆 客家人丘記茶苑 膾炙英倫人口, 而日式連鎖麵店 Wagamama 更幾乎是日本拉麵的代名詞。

2006 年獲英女皇頒 OBE 勳銜以表揚他在餐飲業的成就後,他大可以安享其成。 然而,他決定挑戰自己。

不再在西方城市開設他最擅長的亞洲餐館,而是反過來在港開設歐陸餐廳。從 Bettys Kitschen 這個項目中,隱約看出他還未發揮出其最大才能。


Bettys Kitschen 門口位置的多層高身木架上放滿羅勒香草和色彩繽紛的蔬果,感覺新鮮,清香滿店。

裝修跟一般咖啡茶座不同,別緻的餐桌上鋪著純白色的桌布,並以特色燈飾作照明。

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Top 10 Hong Kong restaurant trends

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 03:00 PM PDT

Hong Kong has long billed itself as the culinary capital of Asia. It's a subjective boast that is rooted largely in the fact that in past generations, the Cantonese diaspora blanketed the globe so comprehensively and with such speed that Cantonese cuisine in some shape or form came to exist in every single far-flung corner of the globe.

Hong Kong, as the hub of this culinary wheel, capitalized on the newfound prominence of its cuisine and offered it in its purest form, from the thrill of the dai pai dong to the opulence of the cavernous dim sum hall.

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Bajau Laut: Gypsies of the sea

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 03:00 PM PDT

I'm in the southeastern Borneo town of Semporna, the gateway to the paradise islands of Sipadan, Mabul and many others, all of which are great diving spots.

But I'm not here to swim in the crystal clear ocean. 

I'm here to visit the Bajau Laut settlement built on stilts over the Celebes Sea.

Originally hailing from the southern Philippines, these seafaring gypsies have migrated south over the last few decades to the Malaysian state of Sabah and onto islands in Indonesia.

They make up around 13 percent of the total population in Sabah, and their numbers around the world are currently estimated at 400,000.

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How love survives in the world's least romantic city

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 02:58 PM PDT

On the tip of leafy Malabar Hill, with a sweeping view of the Queen's Necklace and the sea, once sat Naaz Café. A rickety greasy spoon and a big draw for courting couples of 1960s Mumbai.

Romantic and picture-perfect as Naaz Café was, the rumor went that no affair conducted there ever fructified. The jinx was self-defeating. The café was erased and a water tank constructed in its place.

There are cities that seem made for lovers. Mumbai is not one of them.

Tar-lined highways, dusty taxis, seedy cafes and tacky beachfront hotels -- the Mumbai lover has made these his natural habitat and home.

Where else?

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15 sights that make Tokyo so fascinating

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 02:55 PM PDT

1. The salaryman

He was the ultimate symbol of the country's robust economy during the bubble era, but lately he's become something more of a weary corporate drone -- perhaps an apt representative of the state of the Japanese economy now.

Swarming through Tokyo's jam-packed rush-hour train stations in their anonymous black suits, it's the Japanese salarymen's (or salaried workers') characteristic diligence, loyalty, obedience to authority and strong emotional ties with fellow coworkers, that allowed corporate Japan to flourish in the best of times.

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Asia travel news

Asia travel news


Tourism bouncing back from recession; Asia Pacific shows fastest growth

Posted: 30 Jun 2011 07:04 PM PDT

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According to a report by UNWTO, international tourism recovered from the global recession last year, increasing 6.6 percent to a record 940 million travellers. Spendings by travellers reached more than USD 1 trillion, and is forecast to grow five per cent in 2011. Asia and the Pacific (up 13 per cent) was the first region to recover and among the strongest growing regions in 2010. Africa maintained growth (up 7 per cent) and the Middle East returned to double digit growth (up 14 per cent).

The increase more than offset the decline caused by the economic downturn, with an additional 23 million arrivals over the former peak year of 2008. In 2010, international tourism receipts are estimated to have reached USD 919 billion worldwide (693 billion euros), up from USD 851 billion (610 billion euros) in 2009, corresponding to an increase in real terms of 4.7 per cent.

As a reflection of the economic conditions, recovery was particularly strong in emerging economies, where arrivals grew faster (up eight per cent) than in advanced ones (up five per cent).According to the April 2011 Interim Update of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, International tourist arrivals grew by close to five per cent during the first two months of 2011, consolidating the rebound registered in 2010.

International tourist arrivals are projected to increase in 2011 by four per cent to five per cent. The impact of developments in North Africa and the Middle East, as well as the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March, are not expected to substantially affect this overall forecast. Tourism has become a “key driver of socio- economic progress through the creation of jobs and enterprises,” the report said.

International tourist arrivals in Asia and the Pacific reached a historic high of 204 million in 2010, some 24 million more than in 2009 and 20 million above the 2008 pre-crisis peak. The region’s 13 per cent growth in 2010 was double the world average and, following a modest 2 per cent decline in 2009, confirms Asia as the world’s strongest growing region of the past two years.

Most destinations posted double-digit growth, boosted by the strong development of local economies in the region. Receipts grew, accordingly, by 13 per cent in real terms to USD 249 billion. North-East Asia was the best performing sub-region (up 14 per cent), with double-digit growth in arrivals for virtually all destinations, particularly the fast growth of Japan and Taiwan (pr. of China) (both at up 27 per cent). Growth in China (up 9 per cent), the region’s top destination, was below average, but still represented around a quarter of the additional arrivals achieved by the whole region.

In 2010, travel for leisure, recreation and holidays accounted for just over half of all international tourist arrivals (51 per cent or 480 million arrivals). Some 15 per cent of international tourists reported travelling for business and professional purposes and another 27 per cent travelled for other purposes, such as visiting friends and relatives (VFR), religious reasons and pilgrimages, health treatment, etc. The purpose of visit for the remaining seven per cent of arrivals was not specified.

Slightly over half of travellers arrived at their destination by air transport (51 per cent) in 2010, while the remainder travelled over the surface (49 per cent) – whether by road (41 per cent), rail (2 per cent), or over water (6 per cent). Over time, the trend has been for air transport to grow at a faster pace than surface transport, so the share of air transport is gradually increasing, according to the report.

Arrivals in South-East Asia, the only sub-region to show positive results in 2009, were up 12 per cent. Destinations such as Vietnam (up 35 per cent), Singapore (up 22 per cent), Cambodia (up 17 per cent), Philippines (up 17 per cent), Thailand (up 12 per cent) and Indonesia (up 11 per cent) all recorded double-digit growth, although following weak 2009 figures.

International arrivals in South Asia increased by 11 per cent, with particularly strong performances from Sri Lanka (up 46 per cent) and Maldives (up 21 per cent), and a comparatively more moderate result for the major destination India (up 8 per cent).

In Oceania (up 6 per cent), growth in arrivals was just below the world average with leading and more mature destinations Australia (up 5 per cent) and New Zealand (up 3 per cent) showing growth after a flat 2009.

France was the top-ranked destination for tourists in 2010, followed by the U.S. and China, which moved up one place from the previous year. China, which has passed Spain, Britain and Italy in the past five years, saw a 9.4 percent increase to 55.7 million visitors.

The Middle East, before this year’s unrest, was the fastest-growing region in 2010, at 14.1 percent, followed by Asia and the Pacific at 12.7 percent and Africa at 7.3 percent.Tourism as an export category ranks fourth behind fuels, chemicals and automotive products, the report stated, accounting for 5 percent of the global gross domestic product.


Thursday, June 30, 2011

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Friday, 1 July 2011. News from last night Asia time and today.

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1/7/2011 Europe Now Leading Global Tourism Growth.
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1/7/2011 Top Chef from LA - Suzanne Goin - Joins SIA's Culinary Panel.
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1/7/2011 Qatar Airways Launches Flights to Montreal, Canada.
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1/7/2011 Thai Airways to Launch Direct Flights from Copenhagen to Phuket.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news11/17-ThaiAirways.shtml


1/7/2011 Hawaiian Airlines Expands Interisland Fleet.
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1/7/2011 Travelport to Distribute Germanwings Airfares.
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1/7/2011 Accor Opens Sofitel in Guangzhou.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news11/17-SofitelGuangzhou.shtml


1/7/2011 Mileage Plus Chosen as Loyalty Program for the New United Airlines.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news11/17-MileagePlus.shtml


1/7/2011 Kempinski Signs Distribution Deal with Expedia.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news11/17-KempinskiHotels.shtml


1/7/2011 TG Launches Resorts World Sentosa Promotion.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news11/17-TGPromo.shtml


1/7/2011 France Awarded JWC 2013 and Women's Rugby World Cup 2014.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news11/17-RugbyFrance.shtml


30/6/2011 Best Western Signs Grand Howard Hotel in Bangkok.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news11/306-GrandHoward.shtml


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Macau Hotels - Discover all Hotels in Macau

Posted: 29 Jun 2011 10:45 PM PDT

Macau Hotels - Discover all Hotels in Macau