Thursday, September 1, 2011
Emirates takes the title for top consumer website
Monday, August 29, 2011
Rural retreat|china travel
Moganshan, once a resort for the rich and the royal, now welcomes a new breed of tourists who seek a country escape.[China Daily]
The rustic nature of the environment is carefully preserved at Moganshan.[China Daily]
As people seek to get away from the big city helter-skelter, vacation spots in the country are mushrooming. Xu Junqian finds one quiet refuge in Moganshan, in Deqing county.
It is verdant country laced with soothing streams and blanketed in evergreen trees and bamboos. Moganshan used to be a favorite summer retreat for the rich and royal of Shanghai in the past, and a sprawl of villas varying in style from medieval castles to country manors equipped with tennis courts, swimming pools and indoor ballrooms testify to that era of grand living.
Wealthy merchants and traders from The Bund created a holiday paradise for themselves at Moganshan, just 200 kilometers away from Shanghai and 60 km away from Hangzhou.
Now, a different breed of professionals and expatriates from big cities in the surrounding hinterland is re-discovering the pleasures of the countryside there.
In fact, some have actually invested in this new opportunity.
As our car crawls up the winding mountain road up Moganshan, it is easy to spot eight red-brick farmhouses among the hundreds of others that dot the rolling hillside.
This is the 395 Village resort, and the gravel path leading to the farmhouses is marked by a sign enlivened with colorful images of workers in the early revolutionary style.
The access is neatly maintained and free of plastic bottles or other holiday debris left by careless visitors. The front yard, too, is blessedly free of the vulgar statues and faux rock formations that adorn so many public areas throughout Zhejiang.
The only structure of note in this small open area is the wash basin, converted from a feed trough for livestock.
This is the work of Grant Horsfield, who took pains to maintain the rustic nature of the environment when he began work in 2007 remodeling these farmhouses into bungalows equipped with modern facilities.
"I fell in love with the area on my first visit that year and made up my mind to build a holiday resort," said the former management consultant from South Africa. Together with his two partners, Horsfield spent $1 million to lease eight of the 18 original farmhouses in the village, which got its name from the fact that it was home to only three families of nine people at one time.
Now, it is a holiday complex, renamed Naked Retreat, that can accommodate a total of 30 guests.
Business has been brisk. In the peak season, usually during the long breaks on Labor Day, National Day and the Spring Festival, bookings are required one to two months ahead.
More than 10,000 visitors have stayed at the resort since its opening in late 2007, and the occupation rate has been around 50 percent on average.
In the first two years, nearly 90 percent of guests were expatriates from neighboring Shanghai, but there is a growing number of young Chinese tourists, and Horsfield expects this group to represent half the occupancy rate soon.
The amenities of Naked Retreat seem bare.
Air-conditioning, deemed harmful to the environment, is banned and guests are kept cool with fans in summer. Most of the furniture is largely made from recycled material and all household fabrics are of cotton.
"We want to bring nature to urbanites from cities like Shanghai. It will help them relax, get refreshed, and hopefully, take up an eco-friendly lifestyle," Horsfield says.
Leisure in this nature resort doesn't come cheap. The average charge ranges from 500 yuan to 1,000 yuan per person, depending on season. This doesn't include meals, which guests can order from the cooks recruited from the neighboring villages.
"Basically, Moganshan has become an all-year-round retreat spot for urbanites," said Ji Huibin, vice director of the communication department of Deqing county.
"Some city people flock to Moganshan in the winter months simply to see the snow," he added.
Such enthusiasm has lured thousands of local farmers into the "agritainment" industry, as they call it. Many are simply opening up their newly refurbished and modernized homes. Some empty-nesters are simply renting out the spare bedrooms left by their children, who have gone to the big cities to make more money.
For them, it's like having paying guests at home to whom they can offer accommodation and meals - typical home-cooked country fare with ingredients that come straight from the vegetable patches and the hen coop in the backyard.
The county government estimates that there are currently about 1,500 beds provided by 108 agritainment families at Moganshan. More than 1,200 people, mostly farmers, are working in the business, accounting for 10 percent of the population of the less-than-100-square-kilometer mountainous area.
The numbers do not include "part-timers" with a regular job in town, who are more than willing to open their homes to make some spare cash when their neighbors are overloaded with visitors during peak holiday periods.
The demand is there, nationwide.
According to Horsfield, his company plans to open another three Naked resorts in some of the best locations in China to expand their green business.
The latest is Naked Stable, a 20-minute car drive away from the village, a more high-end facility which offers horseback-riding and conference amenities. It cost 200 million yuan to build and is expected to be in operation late this year.
Another two, still in blueprint stage, are to be located at Shangri-La in Yunnan and the Zhoushan Islands in Zhejiang.
Alaska Airlines Vacations 'Kids Fly Free* To Disneyland Resort'
The promotion lets children ages 2 to 11 who accompany an adult on an Alaska Airlines Southern California Vacation package travel for just the cost of applicable taxes and fees.* In addition, guests can save up to 35 percent at one of the Disneyland Resort hotels when they book by Feb. 19 and travel between Jan. 2 and April 15, 2011. Specially priced multi-day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Ticket pricing is also available with savings up to
$52 per ticket when purchased with an Alaska Airlines Vacations package.
Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Tickets make it easy for families to enjoy both theme parks the original Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park and to experience Disney's new World of Color show, a nighttime water spectacular that weaves water, color, fire and light into a kaleidoscope of fantasy and imagination.
The offer is valid to two Southern California airports: Orange County and Los Angeles (LAX). Vacations must be booked before Feb. 19, 2011, and are valid for travel Jan. 2 through April 15, 2011. Other restrictions, fees and taxes apply.
The packages are available on www.alaskaair.com or by calling 800-468-2248 (TTY/TDD line 800-392-0228). Each passenger who purchases a package on www.alaskaair.com will receive 1,500 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan bonus miles in addition to actual miles flown.
In addition to Disneyland Resort in California, Alaska Airlines Vacations offers other packages to California, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington, Canada and Mexico. For a complete list of vacation packages available, visit www.alaskaair.com/vacations.
Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008, 2009 and 2010 North America Airline Satisfaction StudiesSM. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.
*General terms and conditions: The Kids Fly Free (KFF) offer is valid for travel between Jan. 2 and April 15, 2011. KFF tickets must be purchased by Feb. 19, 2011. Seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or all days. A ticket purchased at an Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air airport location will cost $15 more per person than the advertised fare. Tickets purchased through an Alaska Airlines Vacations call center will cost $25 more per booking than the advertised fare. Travelers, including children traveling on a KFF ticket, are responsible for the following taxes and fees, as applicable: Airport Passenger Facility Charges of up to $18 (amount depends on itinerary), Federal Segment Tax of up to $3.70 per segment (takeoff and landing), September 11 Security Fee of $2.50 per enplanement. All taxes and fees shown are based on one-way travel and may be doubled if traveling roundtrip. Tickets are nonrefundable. A $20 baggage fee will apply for each of the first three bags. Other restrictions, such as fare rules, blackout dates, Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Ticket restrictions and other fees may apply. Visit www.alaskaair.com, www.horizonair.com or call Alaska Airlines' reservations at 800-468-2248 for more information.
Additional fees apply to travel from Canada (all fees are in U.S. dollars): U.S. Immigration User Fee of $7, U.S. Aphis Fee of $5, Canadian Airport Improvement Fee of up to $25 (varies by airport), Canadian Security Fee of $12 (fluctuates with exchange rate), U.S. Transportation Tax of 7.5 percent; British Columbia Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) of less than $3, Canadian Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5 percent and NAV Canada surcharge of up to $16 (fluctuates with exchange rate).
Where the spirit of Feng Zikai resides|china travel
With laundry hanging over the bushes, flowers blooming in the corner and neighbors chatting in the sun, the Chang Le Cun courtyard looks much the same as other communities in downtown Shanghai.
There's nothing to suggest it is the former residence of a renowned man of letters.
Feng Zikai (1898-1975), pioneering cartoonist, essayist and translator, spent the last 21 years of his life in one of its Spanish-style houses.
Born in Tongxiang prefecture, Zhejiang province, Feng was a disciple of Li Shutong, an accomplished scholar who later became a Buddhist master.
In 1921, he traveled to Japan to further his studies. After returning to China, he taught art and music in Shanghai and Chongqing, and became an editor with the Kaiming Publishing House in Shanghai.
Of Feng's numerous creations, his most famous are short essays and cartoons, used as illustrations for primary school textbooks.
The garden served as the German Expats' Country Club when first built in the 1900s. The French later bought it and renamed it "Verdun Garden", and it became a landmark of the French concession.
The garden has original Spanish architectural features, although most of the faded walls are covered in thick vines.
When Feng settled in Shanghai in 1954, he bought a house here and named it Riyuelou, or Tower of the Sun and the Moon, as he could observe the night sky from a small window in the attic of the third floor. It was here that Feng completed the last four volumes of his six-volume anthology of paintings, in memory of his mentor Li Shutong.
The first floor of the house was taken over by the government during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) and Feng family members gradually moved out after he died in 1975.
The Tower of the Sun and the Moon later housed five families until 2008, when Feng's descendents spent 3.5 million yuan ($533,000) to obtain the use of the second and third floors. The first floor is still occupied by another family.
The renovated second and third floors are now the Feng Zikai Studies Center, displaying the scholar's works and collections.
Despite its narrow space, the peppermint-and-vanilla rooms house a fine collection of paintings, calligraphy works, essays and poems.
Some of the original objects Feng used are now back where they belonged, including a small wooden-framed bed.
On the tables are piles of palm-sized paper, pens and brushes for visitors to leave their messages and sketches. Tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world have left messages complimenting Feng's paintings, essays and translation works.
"I read Feng's essays and enjoyed his comics when I was a little girl, and my excitement at finding his former residence is beyond words," Liu Suyin, 72, says.
Barely a stone's throw away lies South Shaanxi Road, one of the busiest streets in Shanghai. The scenes that Feng once witnessed have now been replaced by boutiques, shopping malls and dashing cars. Only a small sign with the three characters, "Chang Le Cun" written by Feng Zikai at the exit of the garden reminds visitors of the long gone past.
China Daily
(China Daily 03/10/2011 page18)
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Singapore Airlines first South American destination
Flights will operate between Barcelona and Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport under codeshare arrangements with Star Alliance partner Spanair. The codeshare will help facilitate travel from Spanair network to Sao Paulo through its Barcelona hub. SIA already adds its code to Spanair domestic flights between Barcelona and Bilbao, Madrid and Palma Mallorca.
Sao Paulo will be the Airline first South American destination. A dynamic metropolis, Brazil largest city is an arts and entertainment centre as well as an influential player in the areas of commerce and finance within the region.
we are very excited about this new service which will help boost ties between Singapore and Brazil and pave the way for enhanced trade, tourism and travel links between Asia and South America. It will also provide a direct link between Barcelona and Sao Paulo,said Mr Bey Soo Khiang, Singapore AirlinesSenior Executive Vice President Marketing & Corporate Services.
singapore Airlines has been eyeing opportunities in the fast-growing South American market for some time. We are pleased to be able to add a sixth continent to our route network and be the only airline offering direct flights between Southeast Asia and Brazil.
Singapore Airlines currently flies daily between Singapore and Barcelona via Milan in Italy. With the new service, three of the flights will operate non-stop between Singapore and Barcelona while four will continue to operate on a Singapore-Milan-Barcelona routing. To ensure that both Barcelona and Milan will continue to be served seven times per week, thrice-weekly non-stop Singapore-Milan services will be introduced.
Singapore Airlines new Japanese meals
the new Japanese meals are designed to cater to the increasingly sophisticated palates of the Airline customers.
Suites and First Class customers can take delight in the new Kyo-Kaiseki service which comprises an elaborate spread of appetisers, entres and dessert elegantly presented course-by-course, in traditional style.
The five-course Kyo-Kaiseki service will start with tantalising cold dishes such as Mukozuke (tuna belly sashimi with cucumber and tomato jelly) and Oshinogi (buckwheat soba noodles). The cold dishes will be followed by sumptuous food such as Futamono (lobster poached in white miso soup) and Yakimono (grilled duck with miso-sansho sauce and teriyaki scallop). The meal is served with fragrant steamed rice, miso soup and a seasonal dessert.
To enhance the dining experience, the Kyo-Kaiseki will be served on unique service-ware designed to represent the four elements of nature stone, water, wood and sky. The exclusive service-ware has been designed by Chef Murata, in collaboration with well-known Japanese fine bone china manufacturer Narumi.
Singapore Airlines Business Class customers will also experience a brand new meal service Hanakoireki also conceptualised by Chef Murata. Hanakoireki represents a culinary expression of nature changing beauty through the seasons.
Hanakoireki will be presented in two bento boxes. The first will include a selection of cold appetisers designed to awaken the palate and whet the appetite while the second will include meal that showcase each season's distinctive character through the use of fresh seasonal ingredients.
japanese cuisine is an art that has been perfected through the centuries. To capture the authenticity and finesse of a Japanese fine dining experience, we prepare our Japanese meals in a traditional way with the freshest in-season produce and present them with a touch of modernity. I am certain that our new Japanese meals will provide customers an exciting and delicious sensory experience in the sky,said Mr Yap Kim Wah, Singapore AirlinesSenior Vice President Product & Services.
Hanakoireki will replace Hanagoyomi, the current Business Class Japanese meal service.
Singapore Airlines will begin twice-daily flights to Tokyo Haneda Airport on 31 October 2010, complementing the existing twice-daily flights to Tokyo Narita Airport and bringing the total number of weekly flights to the Japanese capital to 28. The Airline also flies daily to both Osaka and Nagoya, and five times weekly to Fukuoka.
SQ Flight Schedule to Hong Kong
Customers will have an even wider range of flight timings to choose from, with seven flights within a 12-hour period departing from both Singapore and Hong Kong. For the full schedule, please refer to the table on the next page.
The new service will commence on 27 March 2011. SQ890, operated by a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, will depart Singapore at 0735hrs and arrive in Hong Kong at 1120hrs. The return flight, SQ891, will depart Hong Kong at 1230hrs and arrive in Singapore at 1610hrs.
With the new service, Singapore Airlines will be offering 2,151 seats per day between Singapore and Hong Kong, up from 1,847 previously.
Flight Schedule for flights to and from Hong Kong(Northern Summer 2011/12, commencing 27 March 2011)
Sector
Flight Departure Arrival
Singapore Hong Kong
SQ890 0735hrs 1120hrs
SQ860 0830hrs 1215hrs
SQ856 0930hrs 1330hrs
SQ866 1330hrs 1715hrs
SQ872 1505hrs 1850hrs
SQ002 1750hrs 2135hrs
SQ870 1900hrs 2245hrs
Hong Kong Singapore
SQ001 0800hrs 1140hrs
SQ859 1030hrs 1410hrs
SQ891 1230hrs 1610hrs
SQ863 1330hrs 1710hrs
SQ861 1520hrs 1905hrs
SQ865 1830hrs 2210hrs
SQ871 1955hrs 2335hrs
Hong Kong San Francisco
SQ002 2245hrs 2025hrs
San Francisco Hong Kong
SQ001 0120hrs 0635hrs + 1