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Weekly UpdatesAug 16, 2009
Australia, New Zealand
Down Under Answers, an Australia/New Zealand specialist, is offering a free upgrade to Premium Economy on vacations featuring luxury properties for travel in Australia in August and September. The seven-night vacations are inclusive of roundtrip airfare on V Australia plus domestic flights within Australia on Virgin Blue. Options include four nights at the Shangri-La Hotel Sydney in a Deluxe Grand Harbour View Room inclusive of breakfast each morning, with views of Sydney Harbor, the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Then choose from a three-night stay at either qualia or Southern Ocean Lodge. Aug 11, 2009
Ban Nam Khem
About 400 residents of the Ban Nam Khem village here were evacuated early Tuesday morning following warnings that a tsunami could hit their shore. Maitree Jongkraijak, a coordinator of the village, told Thai newspaper The Nation that a text message warning from the National Disaster Monitoring Centre was received at about two minutes after midnight about a possible tsunami because of a quake in the Indian Ocean. Jongkraijak then alerted 60 volunteers to be on standby. When another text message warning arrived at 5:00 am, he and the volunteers woke up other residents of the community and led about 400 of them to Ban Nam Khem School, which is a 3-storey building. The residents returned home at 7:00 am when the center sent another text message canceling the tsunami warning. Aug 10, 2009
Galapagos
The unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islandsis under threat from disease-carrying mosquitoes arriving on board growing numbers of aircraft and tourist boats, researchers said on Wednesday. Experts fear the spread of the southern house mosquito, or Culex quinquefasciatus, could have the same devastating effect in the Galapagos as in Hawaii during the late 19th century, when disease wiped out many indigenous birds. The mosquito was first spotted in the Galapagos in the mid-1980s, but its presence then was considered a one-off. Now research by British and Ecuadorean scientists has found the insects are, in fact, transported regularly by plane and are island-hopping on boats, spreading throughout the archipelago. Genetic tests also confirm they are able to survive and breed once they arrive at their new home. Aug 12, 2009
Princess dOAnnam Resort
VietnamOs Princess dOAnnam Resort & Spa debuts a new menu every single day. OThere is no default menu,O said Jean-Philippe Beghin, general manager of the resort on Ke Ga Bay near Phan Thiet on VietnamOs south-central coast. OIn the same way that performance artists feed off their audience, weOve charged our chef and f&b manager with acquiring new information about that dayOs group of guests and using that information to develop that eveningOs menu.O This new Oconsultative approachO to dining is one of the hallmarks of the Princess dOAnnam. The 57-unit, all-villa resort opened earlier this year with a mission to establish itself as one of VietnamOs most individual properties. Two to three times a week, Chef An and Mounon shop in the local fishing village. As often as not, theyOre accompanied by guests who want to review the catch and query the local fishermen. The Princess dOAnnamOs kitchen specializes in both Vietnamese and French cuisine. Each eveningOs menu includes choices from either tradition. One recent menu included pan-fried prawns marinated with lemongrass and seafood risotto as the Eastern option and roasted lamb tenderloin as the Western option. Aug 14, 2009
Singapore
Industry watchers said the boutique hotel sector in Singapore is under-penetrated. They said there's room for at least another 10 new ones to spice up the local hospitality scene and to attract more niche travellers looking for something different. Take a shower right in the middle of the room just a few feet from your bed is what you get to do for about S 385 per night in a basic executive room at Singapore's latest boutique hotel, klapsons. The most expensive room, the premium suite, costs USD 850 or S 1,225 per night. Since its soft launch in June, the 17-room hotel, located in downtown Singapore, has attracted bookings from some 250 corporate clients. Located at 15, Hoe Chiang Road, klapsons will open officially in October. It took developers three years to put the hotel together. Aug 10, 2009
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Vacations, the U.S.-based tour brand for Singapore Airlines, has expanded with a new slate of vacation deals to Singapore, Bangkok and Phuket. The new packages combine luxury hotel accommodations with airfare, tour and airport transfer-inclusive vacations priced from USD 1,145 per person. Singapore & Bangkok, five nights from USD 1,145, includes roundtrip Economy Class airfare on Singapore Airlines; two nights in Singapore at the top-rated Regent Hotel or Pan Pacific Hotel (standard room); 50 percent discount on food at a specified restaurant in your selected Singapore hotel; three nights in Bangkok at the five-star Millennium Hilton (deluxe room); daily breakfast in Bangkok; complimentary city tour in Singapore; city and temple tour in Bangkok; free Hop-on Bus pass in Singapore; and airport/hotel transfers in Singapore and Bangkok. The packages must be purchased by Oct. 31. Aug 12, 2009
Taiwan
Typhoon Morakot has slammed into eastern China, killing a child, destroying hundreds of homes and submerging farmland. China's official Xinhua news agency says a four-year old boy died Sunday when his home collapsed in the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang province. It says the city has recorded 70 centimeters of rain since Morakot made landfall earlier Sunday in Fujian province to the south. Chinese authorities evacuated one million people to safety in the two provinces before the storm hit with winds of up to 120 kilometers an hour. Forecasters predicted Morakot would weaken as it moved north over land. Earlier, the typhoon caused the heaviest flooding in 50 years in southern Taiwan. The island's Central News Agency says seven people have been killed and another 46 people are missing. The storm has dumped more than 250 centimeters of rain on southern Taiwan since Friday, submerging villages and stranding thousands of people. Aug 10, 2009
Taj Hotels Resorts
Greaves Tours LLC, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, and &Beyond have unveiled the Ultimate Tiger Safari program where travelers can explore the country by private plane. Priced from USD 5,200 per person, based on four people traveling together (two per room), a savings of USD 4,300 per person compared to the open market, this seven-day safari adventure is valid for an eight-month period from Oct. 15 to May 15. GreavesO use of the fully commissioned Super King Air B200 private plane provides guests with easy access to IndiaOs national parks, avoiding domestic airline schedules, airport queues or long journeys by road. The Ultimate Tiger Safari itinerary is flexible and can be expanded to include additional hotel nights at the Taj and &Beyond properties, additional destinations in India, and varying group sizes (since the plane can seat up to six passengers). Another option is for travelers to choose a home-base property with Taj and &Beyond and take day-trips via private plane to Agra, Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur and many other cities. Aug 11, 2009
Tanzania
Tanzania is marking this month a milestone anniversary on wildlife and nature conservation after half a century of the establishment of two famous tourist parks in Africa, the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. In line with the two parks, which are unique in Africa, archaeologists are celebrating mid-this month 50 years of the discovery of the skull of the earliest man, which is believed to be the oldest in world archaeological history. Serengeti National Park is undoubtedly the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world, unequalled for its natural beauty and scientific value. With more than two million wildebeest, half a million Thomson's gazelle, and a quarter of a million zebra, it has the greatest concentration of plains game in Africa. The wildebeest and zebra moreover form the star cast of a unique spectacular - the annual Serengeti migration. Aug 10, 2009
Vietnam
Since the opening of its economy to the world markets in the 1990s, VietnamOs travel and tourism sector has experienced unprecedented growth. In 2008, the tourism industry generated more than USUSD 4 Billion in tourism receipts, indicating the importance of tourism industry in VietnamOs economy. Being a source as well as destination market, the Vietnamese tourism industry has grown nearly twice as fast as GDP in recent years. Vietnam is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Asia-Pacific region. Recently, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) named Vietnam as the world's fourth fastest-growing tourist destination. In 2008, the country recorded around 4.25 Million foreign visitor arrivals, an increase of around 2 percent from 2007. However, this growth was comparatively slower than over 16 percent recorded in 2007 due to global economic slowdown. Total outbound tourists from Vietnam also achieved an all-time record high in 2008. Aug 12, 2009
Vietnam
General Tours World Traveler is offering USD 400 to USD 800 per couple savings on two Small Group Escorted Tours to Vietnam and Angkor Wat. OThese are among our most popular trips,O notes Bob Drumm, president of General Tours, Oand weOve made special arrangements with our partners to offer these savings right through peak season.O The eight-day Vietnam Sampler, priced from USD 1,849, includes a two-night stay in Hanoi with sightseeing, a walking tour in the Old Quarter and a Cyclo ride through the streets. An overnight Ha Long Bay cruise promises a leisurely exploration of this UNESCO World Heritage Site before travelers continue on to historic Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. Regularly priced from USD 2,299, the trip features first-class and deluxe hotels, 13 meals, in-depth sightseeing with never more than 16 guests, and all on-tour transportation including two internal flights. Travelers can choose from seven guaranteed departures between October 2009 and April 2010 with savings of USD 200 to USD 400 per person. Aug 10, 2009
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