Indonesia Travel 04

Sunday, July 29, 2012

CNNGo.com

Posted: 28 Jul 2012 09:01 AM PDT

by Zach Dundas

If you fly, you know them. Maybe you even love them.

In-flight magazines can be notorious for stodgy stories, bad puns and breathless travel fluff, never mind the sudoku that's been half filled in already.

These days, though, at least a few of these print-media warhorses are trying to raise their game.

We pored over recent issues of as many airline mags as we could get our hands on to build the ultimate airborne reading list. Our top dozen:

12. Ryanair Magazine (Ireland)

RyanAir Magazine Well, we just met, Ryanair seductress, but if you insist.

Friday, July 27, 2012

CNNGo.com

Frugal foodie alert: Michelin stars under US$100 coming to Hong Kong
Asia's best (and worst) tippers revealed
China's maritime hero theme park reopened
Eating eels: Tokyo's traditional summer tonic
Top 7 hotels for summer in Korea

Frugal foodie alert: Michelin stars under US$100 coming to Hong Kong

Posted: 27 Jul 2012 12:14 AM PDT

by Hiufu Wong

Meals by Michelin-starred chefs for under US$100 will be on offer at the 11-day Langham Food & Wine Festival 2012.

The food festival will feature eight guest chefs from around the world, as well as the Langham's own culinary masters, from September 13-23.

The guest chefs include: three-Michelin-star chef Albert Roux from London, one-Michelin-star Spanish chef Angel Pascual, New Zealand's new star Benjamin Bayly, two-Michelin-star Hibiscus owner Claude Bosi, French pastry maker Gontran Cherrier, two-Michelin-star contemporary Italian chef Igor Macchia, Philippe Mouchel from Australia and Hong Kong's homegrown chef Susur Lee returning from Canada.

The chefs will be present at the dining rooms of The Langham in Tsim Sha Tsui and Langham Place in Mong Kok. Set menus showcasing the best of each chef's talents as well as master classes for wine and rum appreciation, cooking and pastry-making are now available for booking.

The eight guest chefs will serve in Hong Kong's Langham Hotels for less than two weeks.

Asia's best (and worst) tippers revealed

Posted: 26 Jul 2012 08:59 PM PDT

by CNNGo staff

Considering an Asian adventure as a barman or waiter?

Avoid Japan, head for Thailand.

That's the message from a new survey from MasterCard Worldwide that asked around 7,000 people this year about their tipping behavior.

A massive 89 percent of Thai bar and restaurant-goers regularly tip, while a paltry 3 percent of Japanese said they do the same.

japan tipping A tenth full, or nine-tenths empty? Depends if you're in Thailand or Japan.CNNGo's Japan editor, Mark Hiratsuka, sheds a little light on why the Japanese come bottom of the tip jar: "Tipping just isn't part of the retail landscape here," he says.

China's maritime hero theme park reopened

Posted: 26 Jul 2012 03:20 PM PDT

by Raemin Zhang

Zheng He's flagship was high-tech in the 15th century, and remains pretty impressive today.

While China is sending thousands of tourists aboard luxury cruises to explore the mysterious shores of foreign lands, the country hasn't forgotten its past triumphs of marine navigation.

Treasure Boat Shipyard Site Park (南京宝船遗址公园), which stands on the site where China's great mariner Zheng He (郑和) oversaw his fleet's construction more than 600 years ago, reopened early this month in the former capital Nanjing, according to Xinhua.

Zheng He, or Cheng Ho, was a Muslim Hui Chinese sometimes called China's maritime Marco Polo. A eunuch, he led seven voyages of exploration as far away as Africa and the Middle East in the 15th century.

First opened in 2005, the Treasure Boat Shipyard Site Park commemorated the 600th anniversary of Admiral Zheng's first expedition in 1405.

Eating eels: Tokyo's traditional summer tonic

Posted: 26 Jul 2012 03:00 PM PDT

by Robbie Swinnerton

It's that season again. As soon as the rains lift, the blistering summer sets in. Cue a good two months of lethargy and debilitation.

If you can't stand the heat get out of the city. If you have no choice but to stay, then take preemptive action.

Time to stoke up the energy levels: time for that traditional panacea, unagi kabayaki -- broiled eel.

Every year, there is one day in particular when eating eel is reputed to offer the biggest boost. And this year's designated day is July 27.

Technically, by the ancient Japanese calendar it's known as the Midsummer Day of the Ox; in practice, ever since the Edo period, it's come to be known as Unagi no Hi, or "Eel Day."

Top 7 hotels for summer in Korea

Posted: 26 Jul 2012 10:00 AM PDT

by Max Kim

For anyone who has ever been to Korea in the summer, spending the hottest season in the peninsula might sound a bit like enduring a winter in Russia. Or the monsoon in Malaysia.

Even locals tend to hightail it out of the country during the sweltering summer months.

In these cities, however, hotels have risen to the occasion with tantalizing discounted rates and exclusively seasonal packages, parties and privileges.

These perks do more than sweeten a bitter staycation -- they're pretty damn good reasons to spend a summer in Korea.

And the mass exodus of locals? That just means more ice for our soju margaritas.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Latest Travel News Daily Email from ASIA Travel Tips.com

Thursday, 26 July 2012. News from last night Asia time and today.

The ASIA Travel Tips Team
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26/7/2012 Fairmont to Open its First Hotel in India on 9 August 2012.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-FairmontJaipur.shtml

26/7/2012 Bookings Fall as Rates Rise for Both Business and Leisure Travel.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-HotelRates.shtml

26/7/2012 SIA Group Posts Q1 2012-13 Net Profit.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-SingaporeAirlines.shtml

26/7/2012 SmartWings Chooses SITA Horizon to Support Hybrid Model.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-SmartWings.shtml

26/7/2012 STR Reports US Hotel Performance for June.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-USHotels.shtml

26/7/2012 FCS Computer Systems Targets Poland with Innergo Partnership.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-FCSComputerSystems.shtml

26/7/2012 TSA Expands PreCheck Security Program to Houston and Los Angeles
Airports.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-PreCheck.shtml

26/7/2012 Hong Kong Int. Airport Reports H1 2012 Traffic.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-HongKongAirport.shtml

26/7/2012 SilkAir Adjusts Network for Winter Schedule.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-SilkAir.shtml

26/7/2012 Imran Changezi Appointed Hotel Manager of Jumeirah Emirates
Towers.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-EmiratesTowers.shtml

26/7/2012 HFTP Establishes India Chapter.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-HFTP.shtml

26/7/2012 Cathay Pacific Selects ARINC to Implement Flight Deck Technology
Upgrade.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-Arinc.shtml

26/7/2012 Bombardier's Global 6000 with Vision Flight Deck to Tour China.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-Global6000.shtml

26/7/2012 Westin Hotels in U.S. to Offer Guests New Outdoor Experience.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-ElliptiGO.shtml

26/7/2012 KLM to Launch Flights to Harare, Zimbabwe.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-KLM.shtml

26/7/2012 Smiths Detection Opens Riyadh Office.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-Security.shtml

26/7/2012 New Livery for Air New Zealand's Fleet.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/267-AirNewZealand.shtml

25/7/2012 AirAsia Prepares for Airport Switch; Bookings to/from BKK
Unavailable 27-29/7.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/257-AirAsiaBangkok.shtml

25/7/2012 STR Reports Global Hotel Performance for June 2012.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/257-RevPAR.shtml

25/7/2012 AirAsia X Enhances Inflight Entertainment with Samsung Galaxy Tab
10.1.
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news12/257-AirAsiaIFE.shtml

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CNNGo.com

Will a ban on tourism help India's tigers?
11-year-old boards plane without passport, boarding card or parents
Olympics for freeloaders: 10 things that don't cost
Scorcher! Snapshots of Japan's blistering summer
Korea launches official foreigner-only national bus tours
Ultimate guide to Chinese dumplings

Will a ban on tourism help India's tigers?

Posted: 25 Jul 2012 02:36 AM PDT

by Zoe Li, Hong Kong Editor

India's Supreme Court banned tourists from core zones in tiger reserves on Tuesday to protect the endangered big cats.

It would seem like an obvious move -- reduced human access should lead to more intact wildlife habitats. However, the decision has provoked mixed reactions among conservationists and tour operators.

A two-person panel of the Supreme Court ruled that tourists can only enter peripheral buffer zones of tiger reserves, up to 10 kilometers away from core areas. The temporary restriction goes into effect immediately.

Conservationists who are against the ban are concerned that wildlife trafficking will increase as tourists empty out of reserves and poachers can move about freely without worry of being seen.

Some anti-ban groups further argue that forests not frequented by tourists have all but lost their tigers.

11-year-old boards plane without passport, boarding card or parents

Posted: 25 Jul 2012 01:33 AM PDT

by CNNGo staff

boy boards plane without passport Rome alone: the 11-year-old was able to evade security my mingling with other families. A young boy has managed to board a plane in Manchester, England and fly to Rome with no identification or boarding card, or even any guardians to accompany him.

Liam Corcoran slipped through security at Manchester Airport yesterday, July 24, having escaped from a shopping trip with his mother, and was only discovered after co-passengers on the Jet2 flight became suspicious of the "Rome-alone" traveler.

A spokesman for Manchester Airport denied there was a security problem. "This isn't a loophole in airport security. There was no threat to the airport or the aircraft or passengers."

However he admitted serious errors had occurred and staff members have been suspended as a result.

"He went straight from security … to the nearest aircraft that's boarding, which happens to be this Jet2 flight to Rome.

Olympics for freeloaders: 10 things that don't cost

Posted: 25 Jul 2012 12:36 AM PDT

by Sarah Sekula

Good things come to those who wait, and free things come to those who spend a few hours researching.

We've done the hard part for you, and picked out what we consider some pretty fine activities that don't cost a penny.

Some do involve a little travel expenditure -- such as a trip to Paris -- but they're worth it. And you can get to Paris from London in less than two hours and for less than US$100 these days.

1. Bell ringing: Various locations, United Kingdom

Hand bells, door bells, school bells, tower bells, bicycle bells. You name it, they will all be ringing at precisely 8 a.m. on July 27, the first day of the Olympics.

The bell-ringing bonanza is the brainchild of Martin Creed, a Turner prize-winning artist and musician who has titled the event "Work No. 1197."

Scorcher! Snapshots of Japan's blistering summer

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 03:00 PM PDT

With the notoriously unpredictable rainy season finally drying up and the sun breaking through the clouds, it can only mean one thing in Japan -- the summer silly season is officially upon us.

As in most countries, it's a time of year punctuated by annual rituals; some frivolous, some born of centuries of tradition.

We take a quick flick through the photo album to highlight a selection of some instantly recognizable seasonal markers.

From dangerous 40 C heat waves and lottery fever to fatigue-beating rituals and good, old-fashioned fun in the sun, here are a few of the highlights of a Japanese summer.

More on CNNGo: Thirsty? Check out the best beer gardens in Tokyo

Korea launches official foreigner-only national bus tours

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 01:30 PM PDT

by CNNGo staff

Bed, breakfast, transport, guide and admission tickets -- all for a fistful of Korean won? The latest tourism venture for foreigners in Korea dreamed up by the Visit Korea 2012-2012 Committee (the brains behind the Korea Grand Sale) looks like a pretty good deal.

The "K-shuttle" is a foreigner-only bus that trundles out of Seoul to 10 different cities around the country.

Visitors can choose to go on a package tour or just pay the fare to one of the destinations, which are Busan, Gyeongju, Andong, Wonju, Pyeongchang (host of 2018 Winter Olympics), Gangneung, Buyeo, Jeonju, Gurye and Yeosu, home of Expo 2012.

k-shuttle We like the selections. The two-night-three-day package costs ₩250,000 (approximately US$220) per person and includes accommodation, breakfast, an English-speaking guide, admission fees to various tourist sites including temples and folk villages and of course transportation.

The All Around Korea trips -- lasting five nights/six days -- cost ₩500,000 (approximately US$438) per person.

Ultimate guide to Chinese dumplings

Posted: 24 Jul 2012 09:30 AM PDT

by Joanne Yao

Rice is nice, and we drool over the very thought of noodles, but if an online poll were to solicit votes for China's most rational national food, surely dumplings would come out way ahead.

Stuffed with all things weird and wonderful, these edible snack packs fill up more than 1.3 billion tums across China in various shapes, forms and tastes on a daily basis.

And all dumplings great and small enjoy unique names, traditions and particular areas where they are scoffed by the bucket-load.

Here is a thoughtfully chosen buffet of the most iconic dumplings China has to offer.

Chinese dumplings -- inline 1 Chinese dumplings, pure and simple.