Wednesday, May 23, 2012

CNNGo.com

CNNGo.com


10 of the world's best city beaches

Posted: 23 May 2012 12:40 AM PDT

by Duncan Forgan

When you hear the word "city," what do you think of?

Skyscrapers? Traffic jams? Great restaurants? Bad service?

How about beaches? 

There are some cities where the working class can strip off the suit and tie, jump into the swimming shorts or bikini and enjoy a day with their toes in the sand without having to leave the urban perimieter. 

By talking with our well-traveled friends and colleagues, collating data from tourism authorities and using our own experiences, we've put together a list of what we think make up 10 of the best city beaches in the world. 

read more

China to overtake U.S. as world's top business travel destination

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:57 PM PDT

by Frances Cha

China's travel business tycoons will be rubbing their hands in glee over the findings of a new industry report.

China will beat out the United States to top the business travel market as early as 2013, according to a report by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), a business travel and corporate meetings organization based out of the U.S. state of Virginia.

The organization predicts that business travel spending in China will increase by 17 percent this year and 21 percent in 2013, bringing spending to US$202 billion and US$245 billion respectively.

Business travel spending in the United States is expected to reach US$233 billion by 2013.

Significant growth  

"We forecast significant increases in business travel by Chinese citizens over the next two years with at least two-thirds of the growth being real increases in trips and spending as opposed to rising travel prices," said GBTA executive director Michael W. McCormick in a press statement.

read more

Toast this trend: Hong Kong's teaching wine shops

Posted: 22 May 2012 12:00 PM PDT

by Payal Uttam

The average Hong Konger is drinking more wine than anyone else in Asia. We consume 4.7 liters a year, according to a survey by International Wine & Spirit Research for Vinexpo. That's more than the Japanese's 2.4 liter average and Singapore's 2.1 liters. 

With the growing number of vino aficionados, a new breed of wine shop has cropped up across the city. Breaking away from the mainstream, they are run by true wine geeks on a mission to educate.

Whether it's through formal classes or touch screen technology, these newcomers are changing the game.

Also on CNNGo: The Flying Winemaker: Hong Kong's hotshot vino expert

Sex sells at Portrait Winery

hong kong wine shopsPortrait Winery makes a Pinot Gris that evokes a sexy librarian. This place strives to be the most down-to-earth tasting room in the city. There's no wine jargon or fancy labels, instead, founder Steven Jaray will plunk down glass after glass, asking you to sniff, swirl then gargle.

read more

007 things for James Bond to do while in Shanghai

Posted: 22 May 2012 11:57 AM PDT

by Steve Bellman

Some of the action in the forthcoming James Bond film, "Skyfall," takes place in China, and Daniel Craig and the production team were filming in Shanghai earlier this year.

Sneak peeks show car chases under the blue lights of the Yan'an elevated road, Bond leaning up against a bar in Lujiazui, and plenty of gorgeous shots of neon-lit skyscrapers. (Watch the movie's Shanghai clip on YouTube.)

But did the womanizing, hard-drinking, crack-shot super spy miss anything during his whistle-stop tour of Shanghai? We've put together a list for Britain's finest secret agent.

1. Shake it at the Long Bar

James Bond in China -- Long BarAt 34 meters, this is China's longest bar. 


Plenty of places claim to make the best martini in town, but for Bond's preferred variation of the classic cocktail, there is no better place than the Waldorf Astoria.

read more

iReport: Southeast Asia after dark

Posted: 22 May 2012 10:22 AM PDT

After dark, Southeast Asian cities undergo a complete transformation.

Dusty, empty streets light up with roadside vendors selling steaming bowls of noodles. Night markets rise from the pavement and quickly fill with local and visiting shoppers, while well-lit temples go quiet. 

In a recent CNNGo iReport assignment, we asked iReporters to share their favorite Southeast Asia night shots. 

Check out the above gallery for some of the highlights, courtesy of iReporters Duangmon Chaturapitaporn, Ahmad Azaharuddin Omar, Orange C. Mallari, Lia Ocampo, Sherbien Dacalanio and Gregorius Suharsono. 

Interested in submitting your own stories, photos and videos? Visit our iReport page.

read more

Where to spot the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the last leg of its tour

Posted: 22 May 2012 02:32 AM PDT

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is wrapping up its Dream Tour with a seventh and final leg starting tomorrow, May 24.

After visiting the United States, South America, China and Africa, the plane will touch down in five more cities before rejoining the flight-test fleet.   

Often dubbed the most innovative aircraft to be launched in decades, the Dreamliner welcomed aboard more than 59,000 guests during the first six legs of the Dream Tour and is expected to host another 6,000 during the seventh. 

The schedule for the seventh leg is: 

May 24: Sydney, Australia  May 29: Auckland, New Zealand  May 31: Darwin, Australia June 1: Tashkent, Uzbekistan June 3: Casablanca, Morocco

After the last flight, the plane will undergo a scheduled maintenance check-up and join the 787 flight-test fleet in Seattle. 

read more