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- Tokyo International Bar Show brimming with world champs
- Legoland Hotel Malaysia set for 2014 launch
- 10 reasons travelers can't keep away from Jeju Island
- All aboard! China to open luxury hotel on Soviet aircraft carrier
- Tune budget hotels set for Sydney, Melbourne
- Exhibitionists only: Visitors strip at Sydney expo
- Welcome back, Shanghai Tang! Hong Kong flagship biggest in the world
- Survey reveals the best airplane seat
- What do airline CEOs pack when they travel?
- iPad-controlled superyacht almost does away with deckhands
- How to make a mint at Japan's antique markets
- Jessica Alba's whirlwind tour of Seoul
- Best Hong Kong beer purveyors
- Budget carrier Scoot adds Bangkok flights
- Turbulence after Victoria Beckham Twitter pic
- Deal of the week: Super-cheap Shinkansen pass
- Take the edge off at Hong Kong's first craft beer festival, 'Beertopia!'
- Beyond the duck: 20 best Beijing restaurants
| Tokyo International Bar Show brimming with world champs Posted: 26 Apr 2012 09:36 PM PDT Here's an idea for Golden Week -- spend it recovering from the vast array of superb imbibing on offer at the Tokyo International Bar Show. The capital's most-celebrated drink extravaganza takes place May 5 and 6 at Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi and promises seminars in sake, gin, whiskey and rum, drinks made by top bartenders from London, New York, Paris and Tokyo, and best of all, free-flowing cocktails. The TIBS story began 12 years ago with the birth of "Whisky Magazine Japan." Local publisher David Croll threw a launch party and invited distillers to hand out samples. He called it "Whisky Magazine Live." The formula (lots of people + lots of alcohol) proved popular and the event has been repeated every year since. read more     |
| Legoland Hotel Malaysia set for 2014 launch Posted: 26 Apr 2012 07:47 PM PDT by Hiufu Wong
The park has announced plans to open Asia's first Legoland Hotel in 2014, adjacent to the theme park in Johor. The 249-room hotel is not built with Lego bricks but visitors can still expect to find the little plastic cuboids everywhere. Even the fries in the restaurant are shaped like them. Unusual for a hotel, children were front of mind during the design phase.
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| 10 reasons travelers can't keep away from Jeju Island Posted: 26 Apr 2012 06:00 PM PDT by Jennifer Barclay Just off the coast of South Korea, Jeju Island pulls in vacationers and honeymooners by the thousands. April to June is prime time for school trips. "You get a lot of students on field trips from April to June," says Kim Mi-ryang, of the Korea Tourist Organization's Jeju branch. But there is plenty of space for all. With half a million people spread over an area that's three times as big as Seoul, there's a lazy feel to the place. Even if you haven't just gotten married, a vacation here sure can feel like it. Regular direct flights to and from international cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Beijing and Shanghai (as well as South Korea's domestic airports) and liberal visa requirements also make getting here a snap. read more    |
| All aboard! China to open luxury hotel on Soviet aircraft carrier Posted: 26 Apr 2012 05:11 PM PDT by CNNGo staff Alternative luxury hotels are popping up on the horizon in China faster than ever. The country's first ex-naval hotel is set to open on a former Soviet aircraft carrier in Tianjin on May 1. US$15 million for an aircraft carrier hotelThe luxury hotel is part of Binhai Aircraft (天津滨海航母主题公园), an 80,000-square-meter military theme park opened in 2004 in east Tianjin. The government-supported park is built on and around a retired Kiev-class Soviet aircraft carrier, named Kiev (基辅号), which was sold to China in 1996. The park's parent company is reported to have spent an estimated US$15 million on the transformation and finished the refitting of three presidential suites last August. The nightly rate for the 148-room hotel ranges from RMB 988 for a standard double to a staggering RMB 28,888 for the 400-square-meter presidential suites. read more    |
| Tune budget hotels set for Sydney, Melbourne Posted: 26 Apr 2012 01:55 PM PDT Complaints about the high price of holidaying in Oz are set to lose a little legitimacy with the news that Tune Hotels is about to set up shop with new budget hotels in both Melbourne and Sydney. The no-frills hotel chain -- owned by AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes -- opened its first property in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2007 with rooms selling for as little as US$3 a night. Melbourne will be first Australian destination to get a Tune hotel, when a Swanson Street branch opens in August next year. After that, Melbourne appears to be next on a hit list that's bound to have the established hotels looking over their shoulders. More on CNNGo: AirAsia boss announces new airline for the super rich read more    |
| Exhibitionists only: Visitors strip at Sydney expo Posted: 26 Apr 2012 01:38 PM PDT With a forecast high of 22 C this weekend, most Sydney visitors will be looking forward to some pretty-much-perfect weather, but there's a select bunch who may find that a touch chilly. That's because they'll be touring the city's Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) completely naked in an event led by Melbourne Artist Stuart Ringholt. He'll be checking his clothes in at the door too, by the way. Ringholt's tour is actually billed on the MCA website as a performance, so that should give some clue as to his motivation here. He says he aims to address "themes of fear and embarrassment." The event itself comes with the equally attention-seeking -- not to mention long -- title, "Preceded by a tour of the show by artist Stuart Ringholt 6-8pm (the artist will be naked. Those who wish to join the tour must also be naked. Adults only)." read more    |
| Welcome back, Shanghai Tang! Hong Kong flagship biggest in the world Posted: 26 Apr 2012 12:50 AM PDT by CNNGo
Hong Kong's Shanghai Tang was kicked out of its Pedder Building home of 17 years last November when Abercrombie & Fitch won the bid for the lease at HK$7 million. But they got the last laugh in the face of Hong Kong's property bubble. Shanghai Tang are now back with a fierce three-story monument to Chinese chicdom on Duddell Street, just a stone's throw from their old digs. Dubbed the Shanghai Tang Mansion, the nearly 1,400-square-meter flagship store is the largest branch of Shanghai Tang in the world. More on CNNGo: Shanghai Tang moves into Mongolian yurts in Hong Kong read more    |
| Survey reveals the best airplane seat Posted: 25 Apr 2012 09:05 PM PDT If I were to guess what airplane seat you preferred on flights, and be correct, that would be impressive, wouldn't it? Well here I go. 6A. OK that may not have worked. But had I said a seat in rows one to six, I would have been right for nearly half the people reading this article. Had I predicted an even number, I would have been right for nearly two-thirds of you. read more    |
| What do airline CEOs pack when they travel? Posted: 25 Apr 2012 07:49 PM PDT Enough repurchasing USB adaptors and phone chargers because you keep forgetting to pack them. The key to packing smart is knowing what you really need. We asked some of the most frequent fliers in the world -- airline CEOs -- about their favorite picks to pack. iPad: Temel Kotil, CEO, Turkish AirlinesThe ultimate travel, entertainment, business companion. It really depends on the style of the traveler -- reader, film buff, game addict -- but it can all come down to the trusty iPad.
"While I enjoy the in-flight entertainment provided and often watch a number of movies, the uninterrupted time while in the air provides a quiet period for reading and listening to music that is found in few other places. read more    |
| iPad-controlled superyacht almost does away with deckhands Posted: 25 Apr 2012 07:28 PM PDT by CNNGo staff Sailors around the world have been admiring the US$15-million superyacht, Adastra, which launched in Zhuhai two weeks ago. Hailed as the first made-in-China superyacht, the futuristic, three-hulled vessel -- whose name translates as "to the stars" -- belongs to 62-year-old Hong Kong shipping tycoon Antony Marden and is the brainchild of U.K.-based boat designer John Shuttleworth, who spent more than five years crafting the design. The 42.5-meter yacht contains one en suite master cabin, two guest cabins, a lounge area, a dining area, a galley, and a bar on the aft deck. Adastra can accommodate as many as nine guests and six crew. Despite the unusual structure and luxury interiors, Adastra's iPad-control system is what everybody is really talking about. More luxe yachts to be iPad-controlledAlthough remote access is by no means news to the yacht industry, Adastra pushes the tech to a new level. read more    |
| How to make a mint at Japan's antique markets Posted: 25 Apr 2012 12:55 PM PDT by Lisa Jardine If you've been to an antiques market in Tokyo or one of the area's many shrine sales in the past few years, it's likely you've come across Jacqueline Wein -- or Tokyo Jinja as she's known to her dedicated band of online followers. She often draws small crowds waiting to see what gem she will pick up and examine. Selections made, it's not unusual to find her making several trips between the market and her car, loading up purchases she's made on behalf of her customers around the globe.
From there she went on to deal in 19th-century silver -- a period directly influenced by the "opening" of Japan -- and spent several years in the 1990s in Hong Kong studying Chinese and Japanese antiques. Helping clients integrate the quintessential piece into their home, regardless of their particular style, is her specialty. Wein prides herself in finding the one valuable object in a crowd of junk. read more    |
| Jessica Alba's whirlwind tour of Seoul Posted: 25 Apr 2012 12:30 AM PDT by CNNGo staff Hundreds of fans mobbed Incheon Airport today when Jessica Alba flew out of Seoul after a whirlwind five-day visit to Korea with husband Cash Warren and daughters Honor and Haven. The star of "Sin City" and "Fantastic Four" was in town for a -- relatively -- low-key family trip which was booked through Cosmojin Tour, which specializes in VIP tours of Korea. Other patrons have included Woody Allen, Cindy Crawford and YouTube co-founder Steve Chen. Korean media and blogs started humming once they realized Alba was in country when she began tweeting photos at Seoul landmarks. In addition to enjoying a couples' massage at the Hilton Hotel's Swiss Perfection Spa, Alba was photographed at the hottest Seoul club of the moment -- Octagon at the Hilltop Hotel -- last Saturday night. We hope the babysitter got a fat tip. After clubbing, she then headed to a pojangmacha to celebrate her forthcoming 31st birthday with soju and and fruit. read more    |
| Posted: 24 Apr 2012 10:58 PM PDT
Depending on the hops, yeast and malts used in the brewing process, beer can range from thick, sweet and rich, like the high-alcohol German Doppelbock, to crisp, citrusy and bitter like an India Pale Ale (IPA). Along the way there are beers as diverse as Lambic (a dry fruit ale made in Belgium) hefeweizen (a perfect refreshing summer treat) and stout (like Guinness, but with many even tastier options). Craft beers are made in small batches with special attention paid to the quality of ingredients and the nuances of style. "Craft beer is amazing because it has this awesome array of flavors that still can surprise and amaze you 20 years after you have had your first," says Jeff Boda, a journalist and beer critic whose new company, Hop Leaf, imports American and Japanese craft brews like Rogue and Baird. read more    |
| Budget carrier Scoot adds Bangkok flights Posted: 24 Apr 2012 10:29 PM PDT Singapore Airlines' new low-cost carrier Scoot just announced it will be operating daily return flights to Bangkok from July 5. As a promotion, Scoot is selling return tickets for S$88 (US$70.42). The addition of the Bangkok route means Scoot will be challenging Singapore Airlines' other budget carrier, Tiger Airways, as well as Jetstar and AirAsia. Scoot executives previously announced the airline would be flying between Singapore and Sydney, the Gold Coast in Australia and Tianjin in northern China. Scoot's inaugural flight out of Singapore will take off on June 4, to Sydney. To book, visit Flyscoot.com. read more    |
| Turbulence after Victoria Beckham Twitter pic Posted: 24 Apr 2012 08:18 PM PDT
If so, you were likely told to move given those seats are reserved for cabin crew only. Unless your name is Victoria Beckham. The former Posh Spice/current fashion designer and wife of the planet's second prettiest soccer player -- after Christiano Ronaldo, of course -- caused a stir this past week after she posted a Twitter photo of herself sitting with a Cathay Pacific crew member, apparently pretending to make an announcement on her Hong Kong to Beijing flight. Some internet users criticized her for putting the flight at risk, others said people need to lighten up. read more    |
| Deal of the week: Super-cheap Shinkansen pass Posted: 24 Apr 2012 06:51 PM PDT by Gail Nakada We all know that train travel in Japan is super-fast, super-efficient and super-expensive. Equally, the historically strong yen makes it even more costly for visitors looking to stretch their travel horizons beyond Tokyo's concrete sprawl. Until now. Following the March 11 earthquake last year, tourism and travel chiefs are anxious to lure travelers back to Japan and the latest carrot at the end of the stick is looking pretty tasty -- it's called the JR East Pass. For only ¥10,000 yen (US$123), Japan Rail (JR) East is offering a three-day unlimited train pass on any of its lines and routes, including the Shinkansen bullet train, from Tokyo all the way up to Aomori Prefecture in the far north. The three days can be within a 10-day window, meaning there's no need to rush. As a point of reference, a single fare from Tokyo to Aomori typically costs around ¥16,000. Tourism officials are hoping incoming tourists will head toward the quake-hit Tohoku region and there's a "Destination Iwate" campaign on the JR website to encourage just that. read more    |
| Take the edge off at Hong Kong's first craft beer festival, 'Beertopia!' Posted: 24 Apr 2012 03:30 PM PDT The first Hong Kong craft beer festival, Beertopia!, will bring together 90 remarkable brews from around the world to be tasted within century-old Western Market in Sheung Wan. The emphasis at Beertopia! is on artisanal quality and diversity, so we can finally discern our Doppelbock from our Lambic. Also on CNNGo: Best Hong Kong beer purveyors "It's about more than getting huge mugs of beer to get drunk," says organizer Jonathan So. "There are so many different types of beer, so many flavors, and this is a way to try a bunch of them." Like many Hong Kong beer nerds, So got his first taste of quality brews abroad, when he was living in New York. read more    |
| Beyond the duck: 20 best Beijing restaurants Posted: 24 Apr 2012 09:57 AM PDT by Tom O'Malley Beijing hums with the steam and sizzle of 70,000 restaurants showcasing the country's best regional cooking. Diners can eat their way through China without leaving the capital city. Every type of classic Chinese food is represented in Beijing, from Chongqing-style spicy hot pot joints to holes-in the-wall selling mutton skewers made by Xinjiang natives. The city's fine dining scene is also experiencing a boom, attracting celebrity restaurateurs such as Daniel Boulud, and giving rise to a generation of maverick contemporary chefs. Here's our list of 20 of Beijing's best eateries to match every budget. ExpensiveMore than RMB 250 per person, excluding drinks. read more    |
So far, only the model of Legoland Hotel Malaysia has been finished.Tired of the usual cookie-cutter hotel rooms and safe, neutral colors? Check out Legoland Malaysia as a potential next holiday.
Too bad the receptionist isn't dressed up as a Lego man.
Duddell Street no longer needs street lamps now that Shanghai Tang Mansion is open. 
Jacqueline Wein runs the numbers at another sale.Wein's fascination with treasure hunting started at a young age in flea markets and garage sales in the United States. This fascination led to Princeton where she studied history and art.
Every man in Hong Kong has a drinking problem: two hands and only one mouth.Good news for craft beer lovers in Hong Kong: there is more quality quaffage than ever before.
"Cabin crew prepare for landing! Welcome to Beijing!!" tweeted Victoria Beckham. Ever been on a flight waiting for the restroom and decided to park your butt on one of those horribly uncomfortable looking jump seats the airline attendants sit in when taking off and landing?| You are subscribed to email updates from CNNGo.com To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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