Archive for the 'Asia' Category
10 smokers’ paradises: A guide for globe-trotters
October 31, 2009 6:00am
With so many places around the world instituting smoking regulations, increasing taxes and, quite literally, kicking smokers to the curb, it’s getting harder to find cigarette-friendly vacation spots.
But not every country is trying to kill that buzz. On the flip side, some of them, such as Greece, are attempting to crack down but are failing miserably.
You may feel alone smoking in some major U.S. cities, so we’ve compiled a list of countries with the most prevalent tobacco use among people aged 15 or older, based on 2005 data from the World Health Organization.
Nonsmokers, too, will want to take note of the list. As you might guess, a smoker’s paradise can be, in turn, a nonsmoker’s hell.
San Francisco is top U.S. city to visit, says Condé Nast survey
October 18, 2009 7:10am
What’s your favorite city in the U.S. to visit? If you picked San Francisco, you’d be in line with Condé Nast Traveler readers who voted the City by the Bay as the No. 1 U.S. city in the publication’s 2009 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Cities were rated on these criteria: atmosphere and ambiance; culture and sites; friendliness; lodging; restaurants; and shopping. San Francisco fared especially well in — you guessed it — restaurants. But the city boasts many lures, and they are apparently consistent. This is the 17th consecutive year that it has won this category in the annual survey.
Following San Francisco in the top U.S. cities category were Charleston, S.C.; Santa Fe, N.M.; New York; and Chicago, in that order. Ubud, Indonesia, ranked as the best city to visit in Asia, and Sydney, Australia, earned the top slot of all cities internationally. Read the rest of this entry »
British Airways offers $300 to fliers who booked mistaken $40-$100 fares to India
October 9, 2009 2:10pm
British Airways, which declined to honor U.S.-India round-trip fares of $40 to $100 that were posted by mistake a week ago, is now making nice with customers. In an e-mail to travel agents today, the struggling airline said it would offer a $300 discount on a future flight to people who snagged the cheap fares. But it still didn’t say it would honor the fares, which it planned to refund to buyers.
The offer came after the U.S. Department of Transportation said it was investigating the incident, which has unleashed a barrage of criticism in Internet chat rooms on sites such as FlyerTalk and in comments posted on my earlier post. A DOT spokeswoman declined to elaborate on the investigation.
Some people who bought the low fares on Oct. 2 said they had thought they were valid because, with taxes and fees, they could total more than $500. Others worried that the mistake could wind up costing them hundreds.
British Airways goofs, sells $40 round-trips to India
October 7, 2009 6:38pm
How’s this for a dream deal: Fly round trip between the U.S. and India for as little as $40, plus taxes, fees and surcharges. For about two hours last week, that dream was reality for untold numbers of British Airways customers who booked these fares. Alas, it was a computer error, and now the carrier is trying to fix it.
“We sincerely apologize,” British Airways spokesman John Lampl said today. “We’re trying to figure out how to best rectify the situation.” He added that it might be taken on a case-by-case basis and involve not only refunds but possibly credits toward other flights.
In an e-mail sent to travel agents today, the airline was more specific.
“As these fares were so clearly below the normal fare levels, British Airways is unable to honor these bookings,” the e-mail said. “We have cancelled all affected bookings made during this two-hour window, and will make a full refund for any paid for and issued ticket.” It also said it would refund any fees associated with rebooking other airline segments on the same ticket.
Meanwhile, Lampl gave us the scoop on how the glitch happened.
2010 Watch List of ‘at-risk’ sites announced by World Monuments Fund
October 7, 2009 2:32pm
Sharing a commonality as of late: Traditional houses called machiya in Kyoto, Antoni Gaudi’s Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona, the Suq al-Qaysariya in Bahrain, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin in Wisconsin, and the bridges of Merritt Parkway in Connecticut.
These and 87 other treasures, from the ancient to the modern, are included on the 2010 Watch List issued by World Monuments Fund. The nonprofit organization, working on cultural preservation issues, puts out the list to draw awareness to the dangers that threaten certain cultural heritage sites — “irreplaceable monuments to human culture” — around the world, according to the organization.
A Watch List is published every two years, with some sites, such as Machu Picchu in Peru, making repeat appearances. That world-famous archaeological site has survived time, warfare and natural disasters, but “steady and significant increases in visitation at the site have prompted development and urbanization in nearby areas to meet the growing tourism needs,” according to a WMF press release. Read the rest of this entry »
Visit Beijing for $788, with airfare and hotel
October 7, 2009 8:30am
Winter in Beijing can be a chilly affair, and that’s why tour companies give you a break on prices then. But really, it’s not hard to warm up to $788 — or even $588, if you’re willing to pay cash — for a seven-day trip to China.
That’s the starting rate for the “China Express: Beijing Free-Style Travel” deal from China Spree, a company based in Blaine, Wash. Here’s the 411:
Deal: You get round-trip, nonstop airfare from San Francisco or New York, airport transfers, five nights at the Beijing Joy City Hotel and daily breakfast. Prices range from $788 per person, double occupancy, for departures November through January to $1,088 for departures in March. Prices do not include airport taxes and Chinese visas. Day tours of Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall, 2008 Olympic venues and other sites also are not included, but at $50 to $70 per person, they seem reasonably priced.
Shop ’til you drop with National Geographic in London
September 25, 2009 8:55am
Strolled down Regent Street in London lately? If so, you’ll doubtless have noticed the amazing new National Geographic retail store, which opened last fall on three floors in the heart of shoppers’ London.
There’s everything for the traveler: books, maps, DVDs, photos and posters, cameras, watches and high-quality expedition gear that can be tried out in a testing chamber simulating high winds and abrupt temperature change.
Other departments feature locally sourced handicrafts and jewelry from Africa and Asia, home décor and toys.
Moon cake alert: Mid-Autumn Moon Festivals in L.A. and beyond
September 24, 2009 1:19pm
It’s about time for the Mid-Autumn Festival, an important harvest event for Chinese and Vietnamese communities internationally. Every year, for about 3,000 years now, people come together to celebrate, dance and eat — among other traditional foods — moon cakes, which are dense pastries filled with red bean, lotus seeds and salty egg yolk.
The annual holiday occurs on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which this year is Oct. 3. San Francisco’s Chinatown is ahead of the game, having already celebrated the popular cultural event this month. This coming weekend, you can partake of the festivities in Chicago or San Jose (both on Sept. 27), among other places.
But for the Los Angeles celebration, you’ve got a little more time to ready your taste buds. The free, annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m. at Central Plaza in Chinatown. Read the rest of this entry »
China: 10-day tour package to Forbidden City, Great Wall and Shanghai only $999
September 15, 2009 8:44am
The Great Wall of China. The Forbidden City. The Terra Cotta Soldiers. If those three attractions in China are on your must-see list of all time, have a look at this 10-day China tour starting at $999 including air, hotel and some meals.
The “Taste of China” package has been particularly popular with Friendly Planet Travel, and since announcing this deal, they are already sold out of several dates. Hurry, some are still available. Don’t worry, there’s no need to make such a commitment blind; the Friendly Planet Travel website walks you through what you can expect on every day of the 10-day trip, which items are optional and at an extra charge, plus it tells you which hotel you’ll be staying at.
Deal: $999 is the starting price per person based on double occupancy. Feel good about that amount (even before taxes and optional add ons) because a flight between Los Angeles (LAX) and Beijing (BJS) easily costs more than $700 per person in early December. When I tested the deal I found the package available for departure Dec. 1. After the $300 sale discount, optional tour upgrade ($165) and taxes ($120/per person), the price came to $1,284 per person, double occupancy. If you want travel insurance add on $99 per person or $1,383 per person. Plus, the itinerary shows optional tour items that must be paid on site - it will be an additional $233. So, if you wanted to do everything that they suggest for this tour and have trip insurance, the price comes to $1,660 per person, including tax but not including the visa.
Free booklet offers 101 tips for women travelers
September 14, 2009 9:02am
Where do Hong Kong shoppers go for deals? How many credit cards should you take abroad? How do you make a hotel room safer? Find the answers to these questions and more in a free booklet, “101 Tips for Women Travelers,” being offered by a tour company.
The company, Overseas Adventure Travel, based in Cambridge, Mass., gleaned the advice from customers and employees, including trip leaders. Besides the tips, the 126-page booklet offers entertaining profiles of adventurous female travelers, from the Queen of Sheba to Mt. Everest climber Junko Tabei.
You can order the booklet online or by calling (800) 873-5628 and leaving your name, mailing address and the year you were born. Why the year? Because if you’re over age 50, the target customer for Overseas Adventure Travel, the company will follow up with a letter asking if you’d like to receive its catalog, said spokeswoman Priscilla L. O’Reilly.
