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World to tourists: 'Stop stealing everything!' Posted: 20 Apr 2013 09:06 PM PDT Here's another reason anything from a beach makes for a terrible holiday souvenir. A U.S. tourist has been arrested for trying to bring home rocks and what he thought was debris from a beach in Turkey. Jason Dement, 30, from Mississippi, was stopped and questioned at Antalya Airport when airport security found a piece of marble and what may be a piece of old masonry in his luggage. The Turkish authorities charged him with trying to "smuggle historical artifacts," reported the Telegraph. While his wife was allowed to leave the country, Dement now faces up to 12 years in prison. Theft by travelers has been in the headlines various times over the last year. Travelers looking for unique souvenirs will stuff almost anything they can into their luggage from pieces of the Great Wall to live penguins. At Boracay Island in the Philippines, the magnificent white beach sands are suffering "blatant extraction" at the hands of the kinds of tourists that give the rest of us a bad name. Responding to the threat to its most valuable natural resource, local officials passed an ordinance last September that greatly toughened the existing law for being caught carting off sand or pebbles from the Philippines' top tourist destination. Also on CNN: Towel elephants, bell boys, and other hospitality loves and hates This part of the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall of China, in Hebei province, is in good shape. But other sections of the Wall have been diminished over the years by brick and stone looters. As reported by the Manila Bulletin, the ordinance stated that: "Boracay Island, a masterpiece of nature endowed by the Almighty with powdery white sand, is being gradually dissipated by man's selfish interests without due regard to the consequences." The new penalty for first-time sand thieves in Boracay was set at 2,500 pesos (US$60) or a prison sentence of not less than one month and not more than six months. Subsequent offenses will bring stiffer minimum penalties. The new punishments may or may not be effective, but one thing is certain: greedy tourists will continue to commit selfish acts around the globe. Last June, The Telegraph reported that visitors in Italy have been pinching cobblestones, marble mile markers and mosaic pieces from ancient Roman sites. Italian officials have reported an increase this year in cases of theft of Roman relics, with pieces of 2,000-year-old stone and other artifacts often discovered in travelers' luggage at major airports. Also on CNN: Manhole thefts in Singapore A year ago, the Daily Mail reported that three British citizens had been accused of stealing a penguin from an Australian marine park, though, surprise, a night of partying may have been involved in that absurd heist. Exhausted but unharmed, the seven-year-old fairy penguin, named Dirk, was discovered and returned to his park home and mate, Peaches. Officials and archaeologists in China have long been concerned about major destruction and diminution of large sections of the Great Wall due to casual looting. Regrettably little, it seems, is off limits to the dedicated souvenir hunter.

10 of the world's most enjoyable movie theaters Posted: 20 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT The best movie theaters always make the movie better. You could be watching the third re-run of your own birth, but if you're snuggled into a soft seat with buttery popcorn in your lap and a sound system that feels like its channeled directly into your temporal lobe, somehow you'll come out feeling like you had a good time.  For the global jet-setting movie junkie, these are some movie theaters that take a good experience and make it great.  Also on CNNGo: 15 city hotel rooms with amazing views 1. Cine Thisio, Athens, Greece Movie magic. Athens is home to multiple outdoor movie theaters that crop up during the summer but none provide as majestic a view as Cine Thisio. From your seat at Cine Thisio you not only get to view the latest blockbuster but also the Acropolis, and the Parthenon that sits on top. The best view is at night. Cine Thisio is the oldest outdoor movie theater in Athens, built in 1935, and is usually open from April to October. Cine Thisio shows both first-run studio releases and classic movies. Apostolou Pavlou 7, Thission, Athens 11851, Greece; +30 210 342 0864; www.cine-thisio.gr 2. Alamo Drafthouse, Texas, United States Don't worry, you don't have to dress like a hipster wrestler for all Alamo events. It shouldn't make sense that a movie theater chain has such street cred, but Alamo Drafthouse does. Think of it as the cool kid brother movie theater. Alamo Drafthouse started out in Austin, Texas, and hosts a whole series of events including Heckle Vision, Quote Alongs and nights where experts rip apart Michael Bay popcorn blockbusters. But what makes the Alamo theaters really cool are its policies: no children under the age of six, no talking, an extremely strict no-cellphone policy (as this curse-laden voicemail left by an unhappy customer demonstrates) and no ads before the movie. This is a movie theater experience as it should be: the movie you pay for, zero annoyances and great food and beers being served to your seat. 1120 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, Texas 78704, United States; +1 512 476 1320; www.drafthouse.com Also on CNNGo: Why photography has ruined travel 3. Raj Mandir Theatre, Jaipur, India Housing 1,200 seats, the show place for the nation. Come here for the ultimate Bollywood experience: the national anthem at the start, a choice of expensive and cheaper seats, the three-hour Hindi flick bisected with an interlude and applaud along with the locals whenever the hero shows up on screen. With its pink Art Deco-inspired exterior made up of waves and asymmetrical shapes, the Raj Mandir is a symbol of Jaipur, a city laid out beautifully from its founding in the 18th century. It opened in 1976, seats around 1,200 and usually fills up. With ticket prices around Rs100 (US$1.90), this won't be your most luxurious movie outing, but it will definitely rank among the most memorable. Ashok Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India; +91 141 260 5267 Read more on CNNGo: 10 of the world's ultimate sights 4. Kino International, Berlin, Germany There's beauty in the straight lines and right angles. A remnant of the Cold War, Kino International dates back to Germany's socialist period. Today Kino International boasts a well-rounded art-house program and hosts a strong list of premieres, festivals and parties. The movie theater is situated along Karl Marx Allee, where entire blocks of buildings carry heritage status and are protected by the Denkmalschutz in Berlin. This heritage status means that the outside façade of Kino International, along with its interior furnishings, cannot be altered. 33 Karl-Marx Allee, Berlin 10178, Germany; +49 030 24756011; www.kino-international.com 5. 4DX, Seoul, South Korea All the latest in movie technology housed in one theater. 4DX bills itself as the first 4-D movie theater in the world that screens studio releases, taking 3-D movies to the next level by introducing movement and scent, as well as wind and water effects. Sitting through amusement park-type effects for such a long time may not be suitable for everyone, and people with heart disease, back pains, pregnant women and children under one meter are discouraged from entering. 4DX aims to "free" the moviegoer by connecting with the characters on screen, placing them into the shoes of the protagonist by feeling what he feels. 4DX theaters are now part of 14 CGV locations all over Korea. Tickets for the 4-D screenings start at ₩14,000 (US$12). 4DX CGV Theater in Gangbyeon; 10F TechnoMart, 546-4 Guui-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 광진구 구의동 546-4 테크노마트 10층); 1544-1122 (Domestic calls only); www.cgv.co.kr Also on CNNGo: 7 sci-fi innovations that will change travel 6. Uplink X, Tokyo, Japan Only in Japan can space constraints be sold as a plus. Uplink X calls itself the smallest movie theater in Japan, with 40 seats. It's housed in a multipurpose building managed by Uplink Co. alongside Uplink Factory, a multipurpose theater space and Uplink's café Tabela. Its standout feature is its "social seating" plan -- the 10 various types of seats are not screwed into the ground, but can be moved around within the space, making the movie-watching experience more interactive and social. 2F, 37-18 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0042, Japan; +81 3 3485 6821; www.uplink.co.jp Also on CNNGo: Hello Kitty jets -- cutest airplanes in the sky 7. Prasads, Hyderabad, India A multiplex can be interesting if it offers something new for moviegoers. You might mistake Prasads as just another entertainment complex in Hyderabad -- but take a look at its cinema screen; it's the largest IMAX 3-D screen in the world. Measuring 72 x 92 feet, and running since 2003, it receives more than 1,500 calls a day to the telephone booking line.  Sydney may have the largest IMAX in the world at 97 x 117 feet, but throw in the 3-D technology and you get yourself on this list. The biggest grossing films in IMAX 3-D for Prasads so far have been "Avatar," "The Polar Express" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1." NTR Gardens, LIC Division P.O., Hyderabad 500063, India; +91 40 23448888; www.prasadz.com Read more on CNNGo: 20 of the world's most iconic skyscrapers 8. Cine de Chef, Seoul, South Korea Nothing dissonant about pairing French-made seats with the latest Matt Damon thriller. Korean movie theater company CGV claims another spot on this list with its Cine de Chef theater, which gives a luxury spin to the "dinner and a movie" concept. Many other movie theaters also provide food and beverage options to moviegoers, but Cine de Chef stands out with its upscale French-Italian cuisine, courtesy of a former Park Hyatt chef.  After dinner, patrons can relax for the duration of the movie in the Quinette Gallay seats, specially designed for Cine de Chef. The seats are by the same people who make private movie theater seats for United Arab Emirates royalty. This meal and a movie doesn't come cheap, however; prices start at ₩38,000 (US$34) for a lunch and a movie ticket. The dinner prices start at ₩60,000 (US$53).  B5 CGV Apgujeong, 602 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 강남구 신사동 602 CGV압구정 지하5청); +82 2 3445 0541; www.cinedechef.com  9. Secret Cinema, Worldwide Even the term "movie theater" is now a malleable term. This may be stretching the concept of the movie theater since Secret Cinema does not host events in a single physical space -- the location is determined by the movie screened. Secret Cinema is a London-based group that organizes monthly movie events shrouded in mystery. Patrons are told not to reveal the location or even the movie screened. Once you register, you are told the day of the screening to gather at a predetermined location. From there hired actors put on a live-action version of scenes from the movie before the finale, a theatrical showing of the movie itself. Tickets from US$50; +44 0207 739 6055; www.secretcinema.org 10. The Castro Theatre, San Francisco, United States Sometimes old school is still cool. The term "movie palace" was coined to describe the elaborately designed theaters that sprung up in the first half of the 20th century in the United States. Opened in 1922, the Castro Theatre is one of the last vestiges of that bygone era still in operation. Its Mexican cathedral-inspired façade continues to captivate tourists and moviegoers. With the decadence of its lobby and auditorium, and the attention to detail in the wet plaster motifs on either side of the screen, the Castro presents simply what new technologies are attempting to mimic -- the pleasure of the movie-watching experience. 429 Castro Street, San Francisco, California 94114, USA; +1 415 621 6120; www.castrotheatre.com Read more on CNNGo: 10 of the world's ugliest buildings First published February 2012, updated April 2013

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