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- Vietnam War bunker discovered, reopened under luxury hotel
- In Koh Samui, a prototype for the future of ‘wellness’
- Hotel room prices surge 46 percent in key cities in 2011
- World's first airline seating system that depends on your mood
- Tourism Australia campaign blasted over boozers
- RV tourism motors into China
| Vietnam War bunker discovered, reopened under luxury hotel Posted: 06 Jun 2012 09:01 AM PDT by Gemma Price "When the sirens sounded, 15 trained defenders would go to the roof. The anti-aircraft gun mounted there was used once, when the Red River was bombed in May 1972. The planes came over the State Bank, and the shooters on that roof also shot at the plane. I don't know if they found their mark." Cao Xuan Nha's memories of the Vietnam War were brought vividly to mind with the recent opening of Hotel Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi's old air raid shelter. Lost for decades, then rediscovered and now open to the public, the claustrophobic tunnels are a unique memorial to wartime Vietnam -- one to the bonds formed during a time of fear and destruction, and to the role this iconic hotel has played over the last 111 years. Nha, who was a member of the Commission for External Affairs, Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, says the Metropole was the only hotel in the city to have a shelter. He was responsible for taking care of government guests from 1969 until 1972, all of whom were hosted at the hotel, then known as Thong Nhat (Reunification). read more     |
| In Koh Samui, a prototype for the future of ‘wellness’ Posted: 06 Jun 2012 09:01 AM PDT by Jim Algie As a yogi connected to an ashram at the foot of the Himalayas, John Stewart and his cohorts spent seven years hauling rocks to build plots of land for vegetable gardens and fruit orchards on reclaimed riverbed. All the work was done by hand. His guru and taskmaster, Babaji, said, "We don't wait for miracles. We create them." Those experiences in India, where Stewart also met his marital and business partner, Karina, provided much of the heft behind the Kamalaya Wellness Retreat and Holistic Spa on Koh Samui.
The results illustrate the founders' desire to create a nature retreat with upmarket designer smarts. read more    |
| Hotel room prices surge 46 percent in key cities in 2011 Posted: 06 Jun 2012 01:06 AM PDT by CNNGo staff If you traveled to Hong Kong or Brisbane in 2010 -- good call. Had you gone a year later you'd have had to pay nearly 50 percent more, according to Hotels.com's latest Hotel Price Index. While the average price of a hotel room rose 4 percent internationally in 2011 compared to the previous year, "increased demand from business executives, leisure travellers and shoppers, especially from the Chinese mainland" saw prices in those two cities hit US$163 compared to US$112 (Hong Kong) and US$180 compared to US$123 (Brisbane) on average. Honolulu (+44 percent, to US$216), Auckland (+30 percent, to US$131) and Melbourne (+30 percent, to US$173) also saw significant hikes in the average price of their accommodations. At a regional level, various factors such as political, natural and economical conditions affected prices around the world. Floods in Thailand and the March 2011 earthquake in Japan saw hotel prices there fall. read more    |
| World's first airline seating system that depends on your mood Posted: 05 Jun 2012 11:43 PM PDT In another move toward making life more predictable, Latvian airline airBaltic has launched the world's first "SeatBuddy" scheme that pairs up like-minded passengers. The free and optional service powered by social seating system Satisfly can place you next to someone who is in the same "flight mood" as you. If it was seriously concerned with passenger well-being, the airline might include categories like, "Do you snore?" "Do you have body odor problems?" or "Will you be accompanied by bratty children?" More on CNNGo: Malaysia Airlines launches kid-free economy zone Instead, there are but four moods to choose from. read more    |
| Tourism Australia campaign blasted over boozers Posted: 05 Jun 2012 02:55 PM PDT Probably only in Australia could tourism chiefs attempt to move the country's image upmarket and still come away red-faced after a gaffe over boozing in public. The new AU$250 million (US$242 million) 17-language TV marketing campaign that began airing this week is an attempt to get away from the stereotypes of beach babes and laddish culture that might not appeal to more discerning travelers. Instead, it focuses on luxury destinations and high-end activities designed to attract overseas visitors keen on a "broader" experience. Scenes in the "There's nothing like Australia" TV slot include spa getaways in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Kimberley's Bungle Bungles and even people playing chess in Tasmania. More on CNNGo: Insider guide -- the best of Sydney read more    |
| Posted: 05 Jun 2012 11:27 AM PDT by Tracy You Jing Xinghua (敬兴华), a 33-year-old Xinjiang native, first saw a Recreational Vehicle (RV) in 2009 during a trip to Chengdu in southwest China. He was immediately engrossed by a vehicle that not only had a steering wheel, but also a bed, a galley and most of the accoutrements of a mini-home. "I asked the driver to give me a tour of the RV," Jing recalls. "This was the lifestyle I wanted, the sense of freedom." Jing was hooked. But he didn't end up purchasing one RV. Instead, he bought 10. With purchase prices starting at RMB 300,000 (US$47,105) for a domestic brand and RMB 1.5 million for an imported RV, it was a substantial outlay. Today, Jing is the head of Shanghai's Zhong Tian Xing RV Club (中天行房车俱乐部). He wants to turn his dream into a career. read more    |
Kamalaya's design is part earthy, part otherworldly. Set among the boulders and palm trees of the sparsely inhabited southeast corner of the Thai island, Kamalaya's construction was a Herculean undertaking that even dwarfed Stewart's previous endeavors at the ashram.| 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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