Jetsettersblog

Ipoh, Malaysia’s Lost World of Tambun, is an eco-adventure themed amusement park that features five main elements — Lost World Hot Springs, the Tiger Valley, an Amusement Park, a Water Park, and the Lost World Petting Zoo.

There is also jungle trekking, cave exploration, and the ability to camp overnight in villages. The Lost World Hot Springs are 100 percent natural mineral hot springs containing healthy minerals such as calcium carbonate, sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sulphate, chloride and iron.

In Tiger Valley visitors interact with Siberian tigers. They can see the handlers at play in the Tiger Valley, and observe the tigers’ agility and strength as they jump over rocks and logs to get to their food during the tiger feeding shows. Visitors can learn about the tigers through the valley’s educational program.

The Lost World Petting Zoo features python, raccoons and macaw. Visitors can feed, touch and experience animals in their natural habitats.

The Water and Amusement Park features a beach area, wave pool, kids-only zone, volleyball ball area and water rides.

The amusement park provides exciting rides for all ages. Travelers can also make their way through the jungle, trekking through the deep limestone hill forests of the Lost World of Tambun.

Or they can delve deeper into the caves for an exploration of the Gua Datok, a cave dating back 400 million years. There is also a three-hour cave exploration at the Six Mile Tunnel using experienced guides through the 765-yard-long cave tunnel, walking through knee-deep mud, swimming across a shallow pool, before continuing to walk through chest-deep water inside the tunnel. There’s also a Tambun River Cruise.

Malayana — The Ancient Tribe tells the story of the Malayana, a tribe that hunted, gathered and built temples for a living. They communicated in a language known as the “Koo Koo” language. The tribe still lives in the jungles of the Lost World of Tambun, and as visitors journey through the park, they may come across some of them clad in their traditional dress.

For more information, visit www.sunway.com.my/lostworldoftambun/main.asp,  www.tourismmalaysiausa.com   or www.tourismmalaysiany.com

Also Visit: Malaysia Explorer: A comprehensive and independent travel guide written and maintained by local Malaysians

The maturation of golf in Vietnam took another step forward yesterday with formation of the Vietnam Golf Coast, a new partnership of golf and beach resorts in the Central Coast city of Danang. The consortium’s web hub, www.vietnamgolfcoast.com, also went live. The establishment of the Vietnam Golf Coast coordinates for tourists the country’s top new courses with its finest hotels and beaches, all in one place. Danang sits within a two-hour flight from both Singapore and Hong Kong. The first of 30 regularly scheduled charter flights to Danang out of Hong Kong on Vietnam Airlines will commence Sept. 17, and will fly every Tuesday and Friday thereafter.

The founding members of The Vietnam Golf Coast are Montgomerie Links Vietnam, designed by sitting European Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie and opened in August 2009, Monty Links was recently ranked seventh on the list of top courses in all of Southeast Asia; Danang Golf Club, crafted by Greg Norman and opened in May 2010, the Dunes Course at Danang GC is “as close as you’ll come [in Asia] to the U.K.’s great links courses,” according to Golf Digest Singapore; The Nam Hai, an all-villa property, The Nam Hai was named to Travel+Leisure magazine’s “It List” when it opened in 2007, and won Best Resort in T+L’s design competition the following year; Life Resort Danang, the region’s newest five-star hotel, opened in March, Life Resort Danang is set on five hectares fronting Bac My An beach, and its nearby sister property in Hoi An is on Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List and won a Reader’s Choice Award; and Golfasian Vietnam, the leading golf tour operator in Southeast Asia, Golfasian Vietnam has been named Official Tour Operator of the Vietnam Golf Coast, and has arranged more than 17,000 golf trips to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam since 2001

In Danang, the golf and airline offerings appear to have come of age simultaneously. While a new international airport will open in 2011, Danang already accommodates international flights from Singapore and Guangzhou, in addition to regular connecting service from both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. S

hanghai Airlines will soon commence a twice-a-week charter service from its hub, Shanghai, to complement those Vietnam Airlines has scheduled from Hong Kong, starting in September.

For more information, visit www.vietnamgolfcoast.com

Novotel Phan Thiet Ocean Dunes & Golf Resort, Phan Thiet -  Hotel property Novotel Phan Thiet Ocean Dunes & Golf Resort, 1 Ton Duc Thang Street in Phan Thiet, Vietnam

The InterContinental Hua Hin Resort has become the first hotel in Hua Hin to launch its own private air service to shuttle guests from Bangkok to the beachside city.

The service departs from either Suvarnabhumi International Airport or Don Muaeng Airport direct to Hua Hin before a resort limousine takes guests away for the 10-minute drive for check in.

The service uses an eight-seat Cessna Grand Caravan on the 35-minute flight between Bangkok and Hua Hin.

Flights can be either one way or return on the Cessna, and packages combining the shuttle service and accommodation are available from the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort.

Best Western International announced a partnership with Fort Hotels Group Ltd. to open the luxury Best Western Premier hotel in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

Targeting a wide range of family vacationers to large corporate conferences, the property’s facilities will include four restaurants and two juice bars, three swimming pools, world-class health center and beauty services, spa, bowling track, theater hall, mini golf, tennis court, board room, seminar room, business center and two Grand Banquet Halls with capacity for 3,000 guests.

With the state-of-the-art eco-friendly technology, green architecture and carbon-neutral establishment, the hotel is designed to offer utmost safety and security against natural disasters such as a tsunami of 25 feet high, an earthquake of magnitude 7.5, and 260 kilometer per hour winds.

The addition of this hotel marks the arrival of the chain’s luxury Best Western Premier brand in the country and is part of Best Western’s key strategy to expand the presence in Bangladesh.

Best Western’s growth will add the chain’s world-renowned hospitality to Bangladesh’s tourist appeal, along with its expertise in hospitality and tourism marketing.

Cheap calls to Bangladesh

Korea’s list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites continues to grow with the “Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong” being the 10th site to be inscribed on the world cultural heritage list.

Their location makes them ideal to combine with a trip to Gyeongju historic area known as the “museum without walls.”

Founded in the 14th to 15th centuries, Hahoe and Yangdong are considered the two most representative historic clan villages in the Republic of Korea.

Their layout and location, sheltered by forested mountains and facing out onto a river and open agricultural fields, reflect the distinctive aristocratic Confucian culture of the early part of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

The villages were located to provide both physical and spiritual nourishment from their surrounding landscapes.

They include residences of the head families, together with substantial timber framed houses of other clan members, also pavilions, study halls, Confucian academies for learning, and clusters of one story mud-walled, thatched-roofed houses, formerly for commoners.

The landscapes of mountains, trees and water around the village, framed in views from pavilions and retreats, were celebrated for their beauty by 17th and 18th century poets.

In partnership with Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Government and other related agencies, the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea will hold a variety of events to celebrate the deep cultural value of these recently designated sites.

In the future, the Administration plans to provide a range of long-term and short-term policies to assist residents in proactively preserving the village and related cultural heritages in the region.

For more information, call the Korea Tourism Organization at 201-585-0909, ext. 204, or visit www.visitkorea.or.kr

Rajasthan’s luxury train, Palace on Wheels (PoW), is rolled out in August this year with a new look, a new spa, gym, cuisines from around the world, latest upholstery and other modern amenities.

The new look will sport upgraded facilities, different and improved interiors along with other services which, according to official sources, were inevitable with other luxury trains like Maharaja Express, Indian Maharaja-Deccan Odyssey and Golden Chariot plying in the country.

Along with PoW, a second luxury train from the state, the Royal Rajasthan on Wheels (RRoW), is also being upgraded to attract tourists and make their experience enjoyable. Facilities of spa and gym, as well as upgraded interiors will also be present in the RRoW.

Manjit Singh, chairman and managing director, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC), said, “Tourists will have an option of a Dubai-like desert safari when the train halts at Jaisalmer.

More varied food including Mexican, Thai and seafood will be served.

The bar is also being upgraded and some of the world’s best wines will be made available on the train, while interiors have also been upgraded to give a new look besides improving quality of existing services.

The PoW started its journey from August this year, while RRoW will be on track again from September this year.

“We are planning an aggressive marketing campaign to promote both the trains and make these the most preferred by tourists worldwide.

“There is competition with rising number of luxury trains in the country in recent times, but we hope our distinguished trains will get good responses.”

For more information, visit www.royalrajasthanonwheels.com

Riu Hotels & Resorts will open its newest property, Riu Panama Plaza, on Sept. 13, 2010.

The $120 million luxury hotel will be the company’s first in Panama City, Panama. Located in a new 35-story building in the center of Panama City’s financial district, the 645-room hotel will offer guests amenities and services including hotel-wide high-speed Wi-Fi; 21 conference rooms with capacity for 1,300 people; a sixth-floor, terraced reception area; four restaurants; 24-hour room service; an outdoor pool with Jacuzzi; a gym, spa and wellness center; a Turkish bath; and a hair and beauty salon.

The hotel will also offer deluxe, executive, senior suites (839 square feet), presidential suites (1,291 square feet), and penthouses (2,776 and 3,292 square feet) plus 24-hour room service and mini bars with complimentary initial content.

Qatar Airways announced the opening of a new contact center serving its growing customer base throughout North and South America.

The center, which can be reached via the toll-free number, 877-777-2827, operates Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET), and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET). Qatar Airways provides daily nonstop service to Doha International Airport from New York, Washington, D.C. and Houston and recently introduced a daily service from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, to the carriers Doha-hub.

For more information, visit www.qatarairways.com

Adventure cruise specialist Cruceros Australis will unveil a new ship, the 210-passenger Stella Australis, in December.

The Stella will have 100 177-square-foot cabins and three lounges — the Sky Lounge, the Darwin Lounge and the Yamana Lounge — equipped with audio-visual equipment for educational presentations throughout the voyage.

There is also a reception area, a dining room and an exercise room. Cabin highlights include picture windows, independent climate controls, bathrooms and a satellite phone.

Cruceros Australis also operates the Via Australis and the Mare Australis. Both the Via, built in 2005, and the Mare, built in 2002, have 64 cabins, each with windows.

The five decks of both ships include two lounges and a dining room.

Cruceros Australis explores the southernmost regions of South America including Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn.

Additional highlights include Ainsworth Bay and Glacier Alley, as well as small group excursions such as a trip to Magdalena Island to see the Magellanic penguins.

Expedition leaders present daily lectures in both English and Spanish to complement the educational component of the expeditions. The talks take place both on the ship and on land during excursions.

From September to May, Australis offers four-night itineraries from Punta Arenas, Chile, to Ushuaia, Argentina, with rates starting at $1,120 per person, and three-night itineraries from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Punta Arenas, Chile, with rates starting at $840 per person. Cruises include meals and open bar for wine, beer, liquor and other beverages. The menu combines international cuisine and local recipes served with Chilean and Argentinean wines.

For more information, call 877-678-3772 or visit www.australis.com

Wales has the highest castle-to-person ratio in the world — 641 castles to 3 million people — and a long and turbulent history of hangings, riots and rebellions.

VisitWales is putting the ghosts of Wales to work with a list of haunted places for those seeking a spiritual journey in Wales.
Lady Gray is the resident ghost of North Wales’ Ruthin Castle Hotel, executed for murdering her husband’s lover. She is often seen roaming the castle grounds and battlements.

Ruthin is hosting a Mediaeval Banquet Murder Mystery (£44 or $69 per person) on Halloween eve, Saturday, Oct. 30, and offers murder mystery dinners and guided tours of the castle walls and dungeon year-round.

For more information, visit www.ruthincastle.co.uk

Overlooking the Snowdonia National Park, Hotel Maes-y-Neuadd (Mansion in the Meadow), which dates back to the 14th century, has a haunted bedroom called the Morfa suite where a female phantom of goodly intentions thought to be the ghost of a former children’s nursemaid has been known to calmly lull guests into a deep and restful slumber. For more information, visit www.neuadd.com

Llancaiaich Fawr Manor, the living history museum of the year 1645, voted one of Britain’s 10 most-haunted buildings, has no less than eight resident ghosts including prank-playing children, soldiers and a maid. Ghost tours run from October through March.

For more information, visit www.caerphilly.gov.uk/llancaiachfawr.

Close by, Caerphilly Castle is said to be home of the “Green Lady of Caerphilly.”

While the castle is fairytale like, the story of the green lady is tragic. She is thought to be the spirit of Alice, a star-crossed lover who died tragically.

Caernarfon Castle, begun in 1283 as a military stronghold, seat of government and a royal palace by King Edward I, is said to be haunted by the ghosts of English soldiers who are on vigil defending the castle against the native Welsh.

For more information, visit www.visitwales.com/ghosts  or www.visitwales.com