Jetsettersblog

Hong Kong Shopping, Events for Olympics

For the 12 weeks starting from July 1 covering the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Hong Kong will feature food and shopping events to attract Olympic visitors. Retailers, hotels, tourist attractions and restaurants are offering discounts and incentives. Twelve major shopping malls and department stores will offer promotional events and special surprises – “shopping hotpicks” – in the latest products from fashion and beauty, jewelry and watches, consumer electronics and Chinese goods.

Entertaining shows and exhibitions will also enliven Hong Kong shopping experiences. Visa is running a ‘Million Dollar Travel Bonanza’ Lucky Draw with prizes worth more than HK$1 million ($130,000), open to all Visa cardholders that is applicable to all transactions in Hong Kong during the event period. Cardholders are entitled to one entry for every HK$500 spent ($64).

See www.visa.com.hk for registration and details. The “Explore Hong Kong Stamp Rally” rewards visitors who collect three stickers from three participating spots on their Stamp Rally Pass, visitors will earn a special gift.

The Olympic Piazza opens from July 25 to Aug. 24 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre where visitors can watch Olympic themed activities and watch the Games from Beijing telecast live on huge screens. The Equestrian Games take place in Hong Kong Aug. 9 to 21, while the Paralympic Games will be held in Hong Kong Sept. 6 to 17.

Visit www.DiscoverHongKong.com

Olympics Is A Go, Qianmen Street Is Not

Restored Qing Dynasty street not ready for Olympic tourists

BEIJING — Beijing planners lifted the veil Tuesday on the city’s newest tourist attraction — a fully refurbished Qing dynasty street - then admitted that the project would not be open in time for the Olympics.

Beijing city and local banks have poured 9.2 billion yuan (1.3 billion dollars) into restoration work on Qianmen Street, one of the capital’s oldest neighbourhoods, with the goal of restoring it to its former glory a century ago during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).

“It won’t be finished in time for the Olympics,” Tian Yun, chairman of the real estate developers working on the project told visiting journalists. “But tourists will still be able to come and have a look.”

Qianmen Street runs down Beijing’s historic central axis just south of Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City. Further to the north stands the new National Stadium, the main arena for the August 8-24 Olympics.

The road has been torn up and replaced with paving stones to make up a pedestrian street, with cars giving way to a tramway that has been restored after it was discontinued in the 1960s.

Qianmen Street reached its peak of importance in pre-revolutionary times as a commercial, theatre and entertainment district but fell on hard times in recent decades because of over population and inner city decay.

The project to renovate the area was launched in May last year and newspapers reported at the time that the goal was to finish it in time to attract Olympic tourists.

Up to 500,000 foreign visitors are expected to be in Beijing during the Games but Tian denied that a deadline for opening the street had been missed.

“We are here to do a good job, not to rush the job for anybody,” he said, adding that he could not say when the project would be completed.

Critics have charged that the street has been turned into a Disney-style version of old China that bears little resemblance to reality.

“This is history as it never was,” said Ed Lanfranco, a writer who has monitored the changing face of Beijing for the past 20 years.

But Tian said restoration work had been conducted using old photographs and written records and that no buildings of historic importance had been demolished.

San Luis Postosi Mexico museum hotel

In order to satisfy the increasing international demand for hotels, the Palacio de San Agustin was introduced in the beautiful colonial city of San Luis Potosi.

AeroMexico inaugurates route to Shanghai

AeroMexico announced its new route with two weekly frequencies to Shanghai, with which it will extend its coverage of the Asian continent.

Dawn and the Sun South Pacific Princess Cruise

Princess Cruises has released the latest cruise program for its superliners, Dawn Princess and Sun Princess, with both ships offering stylish sojourns in the South Pacific.

Passengers can relax and enjoy the superb features of the 77,000-tonne sister ships as they visit a string of tropical destinations renowned for their white beaches, exotic cultures and friendly people.

The new 2009-10 program will see Sun Princess set sail on two cruises taking in some of the South Pacific’s most idyllic ports – Wala and Champagne Bay in Vanuatu, Isle of Pines in New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands’ Lifou - as well as the bustling towns of Port Vila and Noumea.

The 12-night cruises depart Sydney December 17, 2009 and January 11, 2010, providing the perfect summer holiday getaway, and are priced from $2946* per person twin share.

Travellers can also enjoy a 35-night roundtrip voyage to Hawaii from Sydney on Dawn Princess. Departing April 3, 2010, the cruise will visit the tranquil islands of Tonga, before sailing to Papeete for an overnight stay, followed by visits to the beautiful Tahitian islands of Moorea and Bora, Bora. From Tahiti, Dawn Princess will cruise by Christmas Island before visiting four Hawaiian ports – Honolulu, Lahaina, Hilo and Kona – and sailing to Samoa, American Samoa and Fiji. Fares on this cruise start from $8994 per person* twin share.

For those keen to explore Asia, Sun Princess will offer a memorable 42-night cruise to China and Japan to coincide with the Cherry Blossom season. Departing Sydney on March 3, 2010 the cruise features visits to 15 different ports from Shanghai in China to Osaka and Yokohama in Japan and Rabaul in Papua New Guinea, with fares from $10378 per person* twin share.

Meanwhile the superliners will sail on three popular round-Australia cruises, visiting 13 ports from Broome in Western Australia to Burnie in Tasmania. Priced from $7383 per person* twin share, the 28-night voyages depart Sydney on October 17, 2009 and March 6, 2010, and Melbourne on November 18, 2009.
Sun Princess and Dawn Princess both carry 1950 passengers, with almost half their staterooms offering private balconies and feature eight restaurants and cafes, seven lounges and bars, a spa and fitness centre, state-of-the-art theatre and four pools.

For more information see a travel agent, call 0800 951 200 or visit www.dawnsunprincess.co.nz

* Fares are in New Zealand dollars. Conditions apply, subject to availability.

Swissotel Foshan China for luxury

Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has opened Swissôtel Foshan, its fourth hotel in the People’s Republic of China. This luxury hotel is located in the city of Foshan in Guangdong Province and is the first international hotel in the city. Its amenities and services cater for business travellers and tourists alike. The Zumiao Commercial District and the Fenjiang Financial District are in the immediate vicinity of the hotel, and the cities of Guangzhou and Shunde are only a short drive away. “We are very proud to complement our Chinese portfolio with a fourth hotel, in a market which is so important to us”, says Meinhard Huck, President Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts.

The hotel is 208 metres tall, which makes it the highest building in Foshan and the 234 hotel rooms and suites are located on the top 15 floors. Each room has modern interior design and state-of-the-art facilities, such as a plasma TV, high-speed internet, and a spacious work area.

Guests have a choice of four first class restaurants and bars: The Café Swiss on the 49th floor offers à la carte dining and international buffets, the Italian restaurant Cielo 51 and Bar 51 on the 51st floor have breathtaking panoramic views. “The Flow” lobby lounge serves sandwiches and cocktails and the Swiss gourmet shop offers Swiss products and oven-fresh pastries. The Swissôtel Foshan provides six exclusive meeting, conference and function rooms and the grand ballroom can accommodate up to 800 people. A dedicated team of experts and event managers is available to assist customers in the detailed planning and smooth running of their event. For their well-being, hotel guests may relax in the sauna, steam bath and swimming pool in the hotel’s spa and fitness centre or unwind with a massage.

“Foshan and the surrounding area have a number of historical sights to offer. For example, the Zumiao Ancestral Temple built in 1078, and the Nan Feng ceramic workshops in Chancheng, which have a tradition dating back to the time of the Ming dynasty Emperor Zhengde, are well worth a visit”, says Torsten Pinter, Swissôtel Foshan’s General Manager. “Furthermore, in 2006 a new museum was built dedicated to Bruce Lee, who was born in Foshan. This will certainly attract kung fu and martial arts fans. We are looking forward to treating guests from around the globe to Swiss hospitality.”

Beyond The Great Wall

The Great Wall is a highlight of any visit to China. Stretching over 4,000 miles, from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, the Great Wall of China was built mainly to protect the Chinese Empire from the Mongolians and other invaders from the 6th century BC. Successive dynasties have all had a hand in repairing, re-building and preserving the wall, and Chairman Mao once claimed that ‘he who has not climbed the Great Wall of China is not a true man’.

To protect developing trade links with India and central Asia, the Great Wall was later extended westward along the Silk Road, which brought traders and their camels across the deserts in pursuit of great wealth.

Cox & Kings’ Silk Road Explorer tour traces one of these ancient trade routes, starting in Beijing and the Tang Dynasty capital of Xian, and travelling past the western extremities of the Great Wall to Dunhuang, an oasis town in the Gobi Desert. From here, visit Urumqi - the largest city in western China and the world’s farthest city from the sea – and see the spectacular scenery of Nanshan Pasture and visit a local Kazak family.

Next on the itinerary is Kashgar. A Silk Road trading centre for two millennia, Kashgar was once an important staging post and was home to many travellers and caravans. The Sunday bazaar is one of the world’s most exotic markets, with traders from Central Asia, Pakistan and India selling everything from paprika to handcrafted daggers.

From Kashgar, continue over the Silk Road’s fabled Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, through spectacular scenery and astounding landscapes as arid Chinese land gives way to mountain forests and lush steppe. In Kyrgyzstan, highlights include the Russian garrison settlement at Karakol; the picturesque Djety Ogyz valley; the world’s largest freshwater lake, Issyk-Kul; and the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.

Follow the Silk Road on Cox & Kings’ 14-night group tour, from £2,531 per person including flights with British Airways, accommodation with most meals, transfers and all excursions.

The Opposite House in Beijing’s Sanlitun District

The Opposite House, a luxurious contemporary hotel, will open in the summer of 2008 in Beijing’s vibrant Sanlitun district. It is an integral part of The Village at Sanlitun, Beijing’s premier open-plan shopping destination, developed by Swire Properties.

The hotel aims to provide a new luxury experience for travellers who seek design, individuality, style and personalised service.

The Opposite House is the first of a number of hotels being developed in China, Hong Kong and the UK by Swire Hotels, a new initiative from Swire Properties. These will all be highly distinctive hotels, individually named and designed by world renowned architects and designers.

The Opposite House will be the first hotel by esteemed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, whose work includes some of the most innovative retail and commercial spaces in Japan. With the Opposite House, he will alter the definition of hotel space by minimizing conventional boundaries, creating seamless flowing space that allows light to flood in.

His striking design greets guests with its emerald glass exterior while the interior colours and textures are a vibrant mix of modern and traditional and come alive when struck by the natural light in the hotel’s abundant space.

The hotel’s 99 rooms will include 10 spacious suites which will be amongst the largest in Beijing, with more than half being over 70 sqm. All guest rooms will be strikingly simple with natural wooden floors and subtle touches of Chinese décor, lending each one a sense of place. The bathrooms owe their design to their Asian home with deep oak soaking tubs, invigorating rain showers and under floor heating.

The restaurants and bars, conceived by well known Shanghai-based, Australian-born restaurateur David Laris, will take you from the shores of the Mediterranean to the lands of north Asia, whilst the contemporary bar will offer a range of wines, cocktails and spirits. The luxury meets punk ‘mini club’ will define its own scene and create a new late night spot in Beijing.

The name, The Opposite House, is derived from a translation of a Chinese word, which historically described the building located opposite the main house in a courtyard where esteemed guests would stay. The name also reflects the hotel’s southern location within the courtyard design of The Village at Sanlitun, the new retail and entertainment complex which will raise the bar for international luxury brand shopping and innovative places to eat and drink in Beijing.

The hotel’s name also highlights Sanlitun as a district of diversity and opposites – old and new, east and west, bohemian and chic.

The Opposite House’s team all have one thing in common, aside from their wealth of experience; a burning desire to inspire the individuality and creativity of each team member in order for them to provide spontaneous, intuitive service to their guests.

“Our goal is to create different and surprising experiences that challenge the norm and complement the lives of our customers,” said Brian Williams, Managing Director of Swire Hotels. “We feel we will achieve that with The Opposite House in Beijing, our first hotel.”

Outback Ballooning up up away

Outback Ballooning’ s signature post flight breakfasts have just got a whole lot better. Outback Ballooning has recently established a joint venture operation in Guilin, China.

For over 20 years Outback Ballooning has been serving a sumptuous fresh cooked four course outdoor breakfast after every balloon. After an early start and the ballooning adventure over the desert the breakfast ha s been the perfect way to complete a memorable morning. Traditionally the breakfast has been served in the bush but this has meant limited facilities – not a problem but certainly something that could be improved upon. The atmosphere of the bush setting has however been something that clients consistently rated as a highlight and could not be compromised.

After a long period of searching for the perfect way to access facilities without losing the ambience of the morning Outback Ballooning in conjunction with the Alice Springs Resort have come up with the perfect solution.

The same wholesome home cooked breakfast is now prepared freshly by the Resort’s chefs then served under the shady gum trees overlooking the dry Todd River. The setting is completely separate from the buildings and other guests of the resort but still allows access to wash room facilities and electricity for freshly brewed coffee. Luxuries that were just not available in the desert. The location also reduces transfer times after breakfast and makes it easier to connect with other tours.

On a completely different note Outback Ballooning has recently established a joint venture operation in Guilin, China allowing international tourists to for the first time experience this truly spectacular area from the air in balloons operated to the highest international standards.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact:
Kelley Smith, General Manager Outback Ballooning Pty Ltd
Email: sales@outbackballooning.com.au
Website: www.outbackballooning.com.au

Summer 2008 China Insider tips

BAG IT

As part of its commitment to a green Olympic Games, the Chinese Government has officially banned free plastic bags across the country. Before the ban, China went through over three billion plastic bags every day. It’s hoped that by charging for bags, consumers will be more inclined to BYO and think before they bag that bargain.BUILDING BRIDGES

Shanghai’s urban planners and engineers alike love breaking world records. The latest architectural feat to make the news is the Hangzhou Bay Bridge. Officially open to the public in May, the 36-kilometre bridge is the longest ocean-crossing bridge in the world. Its completion effectively shortens the commute from Shanghai to Ningbo by 120 kilometres, making the journey possible in just over two hours, rather than the current four.

CHIC CHOO CHOO

If you’re the kind of hard-core traveler who believes in the adage “no pain, no gain,” then you probably won’t enjoy the new Tangula luxury trains. Taking to China’s rails in September, the trains are all about pleasure, with very little pain involved at all. The chic trains whisk passengers from Beijing to Lijiang or Lhasa in style, with passengers enjoying onboard treats including spacious suites with private bathrooms, five-star amenities, and world-class cuisine.

TASTY TRAVEL

When picking holiday destinations, an increasing number of Chinese are letting their palates do the talking. According to the latest Nielsen study, 58 percent of Chinese tourists consider good food to be one of the most important factors in determining their end holiday destination, coming in second only to affordability (61 percent). Other key factors in determining the destination for Chinese travelers include safety (57 percent), as well as the environment and nature.

MONASTIC MAKEOVERS

The government recently announced plans to inject over US$81 million into the conservation of 22 historical and cultural sites in Tibet – the largest cultural preservation project in the history of the autonomous region. Sites on the list include 15 monasteries, amongst them the Zhaxi Lhunbo Lamasery in Xigaze, the second largest cultural relic in Tibet, after the Potala Palace.

SURF’S UP

For the first time in history, Chinese Internet surfers now outnumber those in the United States. According to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information, the mainland has over 221 million Internet users - the largest online population in the world. Despite the rapid growth in netzians, they still only account for around 16 percent of China’s total population, slightly below the global average of just over 19 percent.

Hong Kong’s Hotel Jen Harbourview Package

Hong Kong’s Hotel Jen’s Suite Harbourview Package, from HK$2,588 ($332) per night, runs through Aug. 31.

Available on any stay of two nights or more, guests stay in a Harbourview Jen Suite.

Each Jen Suite features a separate living/dining room, fully equipped kitchenette, separate dressing area, his and her sinks, separate shower stall and a deep soaking bath with harbor views.

In additional to a daily complimentary breakfast for two at Hotel Jen’s Sky Lounge, the package includes a limousine pick-up or drop-off from hotel to the airport, express check-in, unlimited wireless/wired Internet access, complimentary beverages and canapés in the Sky Lounge on the top floor of the hotel from 6-8p.m., late check-out and HK$100 ($13) laundry voucher per room per day and a buffet lunch for two at Hotel Jen’s signature restaurant, Jen Café during the stay.

Guests will also be able to use their in-room mini bar with compliments of Hotel Jen, a 24-hour room service option, and make full use of the hotel’s recreation facilities including a 16-meter outdoor roof-top swimming pool and fully equipped gymnasium. Hotel Jen opened in March in Western District.

Hotel Jen offers a ‘Best Rate Guarantee’ that the rates available from its own website at www.hoteljen.com or WORLDHOTELS at www.worldhotels.com