Friday, March 23, 2012

CNNGo.com

CNNGo.com

Tycoon class: China's super-rich get their own travel brand

Posted: 23 Mar 2012 02:02 AM PDT

by CNNGo staff

Chinese travelers struck lucky this month.

Domestic business travelers got two dedicated hotel brands; geeks were let loose on a new travel-focused social website, Fengche.com; and now the nouveaux riches have been presented with an exclusive travel brand, as one of China's biggest travel websites, Ctrip, launches HHtravel (鸿鹄逸游), targeted directly at Chinese tycoons.

Huge tycoon travel market, but no dedicated brand

According to the "2011 China Personal Fortune Report," the country is home to more than 500,000 people (link in simplified Chinese) with disposable assets of more than RMB 10 million (roughly US$1.6 million). 

Moreover, the "Hurun Report" -- aka "The China Rich List" -- pointed out last year that China currently has more than 4,000 yuan billionaires (link in simplified Chinese)

"Yet no professional organization in China is guiding these people on how to travel," says Hua Li (华莉), Ctrip's marketing director.

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Asia's 10 greatest street food cities

Posted: 23 Mar 2012 12:20 AM PDT

by Lina Goldberg

The food is one of the most enjoyable things about the Asian continent. But do you know where to find its best street dishes?

Now you do. We've put together a collection of the best examples of street food from 10 of the greatest foodie cities in Asia, and also made some handy maps to show exactly where to get them.

While the nature of mobile street carts and movable market stalls means pinpointing every dish isn't possible, we have shown which roads in each city are more than likely to have someone selling each food.

Start your Asian street food journey below, by clicking on a city.

Penang

Penang street food

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iReport: Admiring penguins on South Georgia Island

Posted: 22 Mar 2012 10:29 AM PDT

"South Georgia is synonymous with three things: Shackleton, penguins and seasickness," writes iReporter Jonathan Pozniak.

That's not far from the truth.

South Georgia Island is the home of one of the largest king penguin colonies on earth and the resting place for Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, the Anglo-Irish polar explorer. It's one of the United Kingdom's overseas territories located in the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

Pozniak shares his adventure and photos for our iReport assignment -- "Adventure travel."

Pozniak visited South Georgia Island on Christmas Day 2010, after a three-day sail through nine-meter waves from South America.

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Liberatum brings Pharrell Williams and Mike Figgis to Hong Kong

Posted: 22 Mar 2012 12:09 AM PDT

by Samantha Leese

liberatum pharrell williamsPharrell Williams will speak on music and design with Khalil Fong.International culture conference, Liberatum, is coming to Hong Kong for the first time on April 27-29.

It will bring together an eclectic mix of cultural powerhouses, from V.S Naipaul to Pharrell Williams to Mike Figgis (best known for writing and directing "Leaving Las Vegas") and Hong Kong's own Wing Shya and Khalil Fong.

The celebrity brains will gather for a three-day powwow to present and talk about their own projects to the public as well as exchange ideas amongst themselves.

Liberatum is a multidisciplinary festival founded by Pablo Ganguli in London 11 years ago. It has since taken place in several countries, including Russia, India, Morocco, Papua New Guinea and Turkey.

It claims to be a humanitarian effort of "international cultural diplomacy" as well as a celebration of "art, design, fashion, literature, film, music and ideas." Basically an excuse to bring together some of the most glamorous thinkers of our time in different parts of the world.

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at 9:28 AM