Monday, October 29, 2012

CNNGo.com

CNNGo.com

World's highest national park opens in Tibet

Posted: 29 Oct 2012 12:16 AM PDT

by CNNGo staff

China has set another tourism record by opening what it dubs "the world's highest national park" last week in Tibet Autonomous Region, according to China Daily.

Standing on "the roof of the world," the Qomolangma National Park (珠穆朗玛国家公园) embraces five eight-thousander mountains, including 8,848-meter Mount Everest (known in China as Mount Qomolangma), 8,201-meter Mount Cho Oyo and 8,013-meter Shishapangma.

The sky-high attraction also contains 10 mountains rising between 7,000-8,000 meters, as well as glaciers, hot springs and alpine forests.

High, huge and resourceful

Occupying 78,000 square kilometers, the newly unveiled tourist spot is roughly the size of the Czech Republic and is situated in the Xigaze Prefecture (日喀则) in southern Tibet Autonomous Region, near China's border with Nepal.

"The national park will be focused on the protection of the ecology and biodiversity and prevention from illegal resource exploitation or land use," said Sun Yongping (孙永平), deputy chief of the Tibetan Tourism Bureau, reported China Daily.

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Singapore Airlines orders more Airbus A380s

Posted: 28 Oct 2012 03:05 PM PDT

by CNNGo staff

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has placed an order for five A380-800 superjumbos and 20 A350-900s, valued at US$7.5 billion. Deliveries are due to begin in 2017.

This is on top of an earlier order of another 20 A350 XWBs (Xtra Wide-Body). The delivery of these 20 aircraft will begin in 2015.

The A350 XWB family's cabin width is five inches wider than the nearest competitor's. It is also said to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent.

On the other hand, the airlines' A380s also offer one of the widest long-haul business seats (34 inches) and one of the widest long-haul economy seats (19 inches).

The Singapore-based carrier currently owns a fleet of 19 A380s, which mostly serve long-haul destinations like Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo and Zurich.

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How to make a good first impression in Asia

Posted: 28 Oct 2012 12:05 PM PDT

by Jordan Rane

Any traveler who believes that good behavior is a universal language has never given the "OK" sign in Turkey, patted a child's head in Bhutan or noticed just how widely etiquette codes can vary around the world. 

So how do you greet, chat, dine and imbibe with new business contacts in Asia, where one guest's polite belch is another's tableside blasphemy? 

Making a good first impression in the following seven places may require some grueling firsthand experience, but here's what to know before you bow. 

China 

As German Chancellor Angela Merkel knows, a simple handshake will suffice when meeting someone in China. "The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials." -- Chinese Proverb 

It's doubtful this adage refers to the trials foreigners in China with poor name recognition and limited drinking skills face when becoming a polished practitioner of keqi (good "guest behavior"). But it might.

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Insider Guide: Best of Los Angeles

Posted: 28 Oct 2012 09:05 AM PDT

by Stephanie K Smith

Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the Western world.

But it's also among the world's most diverse metropolitan areas and is the United States' second-most populous city, with roughly 80 interconnected neighborhoods. Los Angeles county has almost 10 million residents.

Or, as Dorothy Parker once called it, "72 suburbs in search of a city."

From the cool-casual vibe of Santa Monica's Main Street to the Mid-City meccas of excess spanning Beverly Hills and the Sunset Strip, to the hipster's paradise of the East Side, Angelenos have a wide range of tastes and options.

The catch?

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at 9:59 AM