HOLIDAY DESTINY

CHERATING OLD VILLAGE - KUANTAN, PAHANG.

2010-07-26T22:19:00.000+08:00

The old Cherating Village has a blend of the modern and traditional. A stretch of road about 1km long runs parallel to the beach, dotted with charming and comfortable chalets, many of which face the beach front.

Cherating Beach

Cherating has the perfect combination of great surf, a wide stretch of white-sandy beach, a wealth of accommodation, dining choices and a classic surfers' nightlife scene.

Where to go at night, just drop down at Little Bali where live band entertained nightly. Nice place located nearby the river and serving food too.

Surfers linger for days and even months in this small enclave to catch the best waves and chill out with fellow surfers, exchanging the day's conquests at one of the chic bistros or bars.
In fact, "Surfers' Haven" has long been the description of old Cherating Village since the 70's.

Each year, surfers from around the world return to Cherating to test out the surf and catch up with local acquaintances.

Cherating beach is immaculate and breath-taking. So much so that Club Med decided to build its first Asian base right here.

Traditional Locals House that you can find in Cherating

And surfers take the opportunity to have local friends take them through some of the most charming rural villages along the coast and soak in the gorgeous scenery along the way.

New born turtles

Other attraction to go is Cherating Turle Sanctuary just few kilometers from the old village heading towards Chukai.

Surfing Guide
The best time to wind surf and surf is between November and December.

How to get there :

By Road

Cherating is a 3.5-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur via the scenic route to the east coast. There are buses to Kuantan departing daily from Kuala Lumpur. From Kuantan, there are regular bus and taxi services to Cherating. Alternatively, take a bus from Kuala Lumpur to Dungun or Kemaman in Terengganu, which is north of Pahang, and disembark at Cherating.

Transportation : AGHNA SERVICES TRADING (Contact No : +60182100103)
Wide range of cars, mpv, vans and bus. Email us aghstco@gmail.com for further details and charges.

By Air

Malaysia Airlines operates daily flights to Kuantan. From the airport, Cherating is just 45 minutes away.
Log on to : http://www.malaysiaairlines.com

FireFly Community Airline operates twice a week(Mon & Sun) to Kuantan.
Log on to : http://www.fireflyz.com.my

Accomodation

The Moon one of the accomodation of Chalet type, just few meter drive from the main road junction. Booking and reservation : +60167940144 (Mr Rani)

Cherating started off as a backpacker's haven many years ago. These days, however, the range of accommodation has widened considerably to include everything from basic backpacker's hostels to 4-star hotels.

The temple of the Isle

2010-05-31T04:41:00.000+08:00

After the short gondola ride across the river, visitors are overcome by the enchantment of Wat Niwet Dharma Prawat.

PHOTOS: PATSINEE KRANLERT

The distinguished Wat Niwet Dharma Prawat occupies a minute parcel of land encircled by the country's iconic River of Kings, the Chao Phraya.

Although the route from Bangkok to Ayutthaya's Bang Pa-in district is well-travelled, many tourists miss this captivating temple nestled on a tiny islet to the west of the legendary Bang Pa-in Palace.

SOURCE

Virgin space rocket for tourists - First Flight Test

2010-03-25T00:17:00.002+08:00

In an historic day, the Virgin Galactic rocket made its maiden flight – while the UK launched its own Space Agency to rival NASA.

The SpaceShipTwo – the first rocket which plans to carry tourists – made a successful three-hour test flight slung beneath the wing of its mothership, the WhiteKnightTwo.

The pair reached 45,000ft – just below the 50,000ft altitude at which SpaceShipTwo will eventually be released on a Mach 3 thrill ride to the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Workers and onlookers clapped and cheered as the aircraft – dubbed the Virgin Spaceship Enterprise – touched down in the California desert at the Mojave Air Base.

Designer Burt Rutan said: “This is a momentous day.” And Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson said: “Seeing the finished spaceship in December was a major day for us. But watching VSS Enterprise fly for the first time brings home what beautiful vehicles Burt and his team have developed.”

And while Virgin Galactic started its two-year test programme in the US, the Government launched a drive to make the UK an economic powerhouse in space over the next 20 years with the £230million UK Space Agency.

Britain’s official astronaut-in-waiting Major Tim Peake revealed its £10,000 logo, which features a Union Jack shooting for the stars.

The UK already has world-leading expertise in robotics and satellite technology, contributing £6bn a year to the economy and supporting 68,000 jobs – but the agency aims to give the sector the financial muscle to grow to £40billion, creating around 100,000 jobs over the next 20 years.

Lord Mandelson, who announced a £40million Space Innovation Centre at Harwell, near Oxford, said: “This stuff is not sci-fi. It may start in space, but it comes down to Earth very quickly and is directly relevant to all our daily lives.”

But Virgin Galactic is hoping for a more immediate impact with commercial flights planned for 2012. About 330 people have already pledged to pay £133,000 to be flown six at a time with a crew of two, before gliding to Earth.

Mount Takao Fire Walk

2010-03-18T03:14:00.000+08:00

Walk as they step on the fire.

This yearly Buddhist purification ceremony at Mount Takao puts the fire to the feet of monks and visitors.

A conch horn is de rigeur for Shugenja.

There is a special tradition in Shingon Buddhism called Goma (known as Homa outside of Japan) -- an esoteric ritual meant to burn away bad luck and misfortune. Goma relies on the simple belief that fire has the power to cleanse. Buddhist temples carry out Goma rituals within their walls throughout the year, but for those interested in seeing it on a larger scale -- and even getting the chance to participate -- there is no better way than by paying a visit to Mount Takao on the second Sunday of March when the Shugenja, practitioners of the religion of Shugendo, hold their annual Hiwatari-matsuri ("Firewalking Festival"). For 2010, the event happened on March 14.

The monks set the stage before getting blazed

Shugenja preparing for the ceremony.

When attending the Goma, the rapid chanting of Buddhist sutras can be heard even from a distance. The bleating of a conch-shell horn echoes through the air while the Shugenja descend from their alpine monastery on Mount Takao.

Near the base of the mountain, just a short walk from the Takaosan-Guchi train station, a sacred pyre has been prepared for their arrival. It is large, easily six or seven meters square, covered in aromatic pine boughs. I await their arrival in the midst of hundreds of other spectators clustered around rope barriers erected around the temporary holy ground.

Arrows fired into the pyre ensure the spiritual purity of the area.

Moments after they reach the pyre, the ceremony begins. One Shugenja sparks flints to symbolically strike impurities from the now-sanctified area. Another uses a sword to symbolically cut the ties of wickedness from it. While yet another fires arrows in the cardinal directions to create a 'barrier' against evil spirits. Meanwhile, another Shugenja whips a branch of bamboo that has been soaked in boiling water over his own naked upper torso.

Lighting up and walking across

The pyre is lit, and the sound of the Buddhist "Heart Sutra" fills the air. The conflagration grows, throwing tendrils of fire into the sky. You can feel the heat emanating from the pyre in almost physical waves. As it begins burning down a good twenty minutes later, the Shugenja begin tossing goma-gi, or prayer sticks, into the blaze, each inscribed with the personal hopes and wishes of those who have paid for them. Good news for foreign visitors: Goma-gi are now available in English, Korean and Chinese as well as the original Japanese.

The pyre blazes up.

When the fire has reduced itself to smoking ashes, the walk begins. Once the Shugenja cross, the coals are opened for any who care to journey across them -- and hundreds line up for the privilege, removing their socks and shoes in anticipation of the venture. (Don't worry: A safe path is cleared so that you're basically walking on cooled ash instead of embers -- but you might want to bring along some wet wipes to clean off your soles, which will be stained soot black after the short journey across.)

The pyre at its peak.

At the end of the path awaits a statue of Izuna-Daigongen, the god of the mountain. Buddhist or not, if you take the walk, you're a part of the ritual. Put your hands together, bow your head and offer your respects to the diety for some good luck all year round.

Goma-gi being heaped on the pyre.

Postscript: I may not have burned my feet, but my jacket didn't fare as well. A stray spark must have landed on my hood while I was watching the ceremony unfold. A word to the wise: Watch from a distance if you're worried about clothing being damaged. But then again, they say the sparks bring good fortune.

Source :

CNNGO by Hiroko Yoda runs AltJapan Co., Ltd. -- a Tokyo-based entertainment localization company that specializes in video games, comic books, and other pop culture. She is the co-author of "Hello, Please! Very Helpful Super Kawaii Characters From Japan" (2007, Chronicle) and "Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide" (2008, Kodansha International). She keeps a photography journal at Photoshelter.

Mũi Né fishing village, Vietnam

2010-03-08T02:23:00.001+08:00

Coconut oddities and fishing vessels along Mũi Né's shoreline

Those aren't small bowls in the foreground, they're half-nut fishing boats.

Dozens upon dozens of fishing boats lie beyond the coastline, stretching towards the horizon. But my camera barely does this scene justice. My eyes strained to confirm what those large coconut oddities are littering the shoreline, and a local informed me were half-nut fishing boats.

The Vietnamese villagers here work hard from sunrise to sunset, sitting patiently upon the waves in their boats, waiting for their nets to feel heavy with a fresh catch. Knowing how they capture what could be the next fresh seafood meal you have in this seaside hamlet is a priceless experience.

Mũi Né is about 200 km from Ho Chi Minh City. It is located on the coast in South Central Vietnam. White sand stretches about 22 km from Phan Tiet (the largest and nearest town in Binh Than province) to the fishing village at Mũi Né's furthest point.

There are three ways to get to Mũi Né: either by renting a car, taking a train, or a bus. The trip can usually be condensed in a three to four hour drive depending on whether you start in HCMC, or elsewhere in Vietnam.

About the author: Jacklyn Yap is an Australian Journalism and Asian Languages student and is not one to settle in a particular area for long. Travel is a proud hobby. Yap will also happily declare that there is nothing better in the world than good Asian food. Nothing beats that.

Space travel is ready for booking

2010-03-03T21:05:00.001+08:00

Back in 1984, Advertising Age ran an article noting that 2010—a newly-released film and the sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey—contained an odd product placement: a futuristic 2010 commercial for Pan American World Airways' Space Clipper service that would feature "convenient non-stops to the moon and all the major space stations."

Well, now it really is 2010 and Pan Am is long gone. Yet the dream of shuttling civilians into space is closer than ever. So close, in fact, that Congress has begun debating the specifics. And several entities are willing to accept your bookings—as well as your deposits.

Richard Branson unveiled Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo last December. About 250 would-be travelers have already booked flights with the "spaceline."

For some, the time has come. Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin has developed the ShareSpace Foundation, designed to "foster affordable space travel opportunities for all people." The non-profit Space Tourism Society dubs itself a "visionary space experience research and design organization" that is promulgating the "Orbital Lifestyle" for everything from space hotels to space cruise ships.

But already there is tension between regulators and the private entrepreneurs who hope to carry paying passengers into space. In December, the House Subcommittee on Aviation held hearings on Commercial Space Transportation and the Chair of the Transportation Committee, Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), predicted that "regularly scheduled, manned commercial space flights" could generate upwards of $700 million a year in revenues. However, he also stated: "I continue to have concerns about its safety. As with any emerging industry, we must ensure that it is receiving the proper Federal safety oversight without discouraging development."

This prompted an angry essay on The Space Review site entitled "Will James Oberstar Kill the Space Tourism Industry?" The piece included this commentary: "In spite of some weasel wording, the hard legal requirements of Oberstar's proposed regulation would effectively kill the whole entrepreneurial suborbital industry." Indeed, last week I spoke to Eric Anderson, the CEO of Space Adventures, who said, "I hope the regulation is not excessive."

An investigation in 2006 by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found the FAA had "provided a reasonable level of safety oversight for commercial launches." But new challenges await. The FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, known as AST, weighed in at the December hearing as well. And the associate administrator of AST testified that safety is not an absolute, noting: "Climbing aboard a rocket carries with it the potential for unfavorable results."

There are other considerations too. Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), the chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation, pointed out at the hearing that the scheduled retirement of NASA's shuttle fleet in 2011 will leave the United States without launch vehicles for years to come, and noted: "The reality is that the United States may have to rely on other countries to facilitate this travel unless commercial space transportation is able to fill the gap." At the same time, foreign states such as Russia, Singapore, and Dubai are reportedly ramping up their own space programs.

All indications are that the era of space travel being dominated by the federal government is giving way to an age when governmental and private entities will be interdependent. Actually, it's happening now since some companies are already up and running.

Expanding Virgin's route map

Undoubtedly the most recognizable name in commercial space travel is Richard Branson, and the world-famous entrepreneur and airline executive has invested heavily in Virgin Galactic, what he hopes will become the world's first private "spaceline" by 2011. The company received a bit of a boost in 2007 when it signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NASA to "explore the potential for collaborations" in a range of technical areas.

In addition, Virgin is the "anchor tenant" of its base at Spaceport America, the industry's first commercial facility, in Las Cruces, N.M. And unlike other space tourism entrepreneurs, Branson is covering both the manufacturing and operational ends of the business by also launching The Spaceship Company (think Virgin Atlantic Airways not only operating but also building its own 747s).

Back in December, news of Virgin Galactic unveiling its new craft, SpaceShipTwo, was reported on this site. (I was able to get up close and personal with SpaceShipOne—designed by Branson's partner, aerospace engineer Burt Rutan—at an air show in Oshkosh a few years ago and it was quite an experience.) Branson was recently quoted as saying: "NASA spent billions upon billions of dollars on space travel and has only managed to send 480 people. We're literally hoping to send thousands of people into space over the next couple of years. We want to make sure that we build a spaceship that is 100% safe."

About 250 would-be travelers have already booked flights, and you can do the same on the Virgin Galactic site at a cost of $200,000, with a deposit of $20,000. The company is even allowing low-tech bookings through travel agents—excuse me..."space agents."

What's out there (and up there)

In the meantime, there's Space Adventures, a Vienna, Va.-based firm eager to book you for the longest trip you've ever taken. Founded in 1998, the company works in conjunction with the Russian space program. The CEO, Eric Anderson, said last week that he sees expansion in this sector: "I think markets for private space flight will continue to open up."

Consider this menu of Space Adventures products, some of which are available now with others still in development:

• Suborbital Spaceflights provide a view of Earth from 62 miles above the planet, take several days and cost $102,000, including cancellation insurance. The company says hundreds have signed up.

• Orbital Spaceflights are marketed as a way for private citizens to travel 200 miles above the Earth in Russian Soyuz craft. The cost reportedly ranged between $12 million and $20 million for business executive Dennis Tito in 2001, when he became the first paying space tourist. You can also add 90-minute spacewalk for another $15 million. Space Adventures has already launched seven citizens, the most recent being Canadian Guy Laliberté last fall.

• Lunar Missions are currently listed on Space Adventures' website at the rounded figure of $100 million (no word on whether that includes your first checked bag). This ambitious journey calls for not one but two launchings en route to the far side of the moon.

But while the splashy orbital spaceflights and lunar missions generate headlines, the company has rather quietly signed up thousands for zero gravity flights through its subsidiary, Zero-G Corporation. The cost to sample weightlessness onboard a modified Boeing 727 is a much more modest $4,950. Reservations can be made for locations throughout the country at gozerog.com.

Look before you take a giant leap

Needless to say, it would make sense for you—and your attorney—to thoroughly scrutinize such high-ticket items.

One of Space Adventures' would-be passengers, Japanese business executive Daisuke Enomoto, underwent training but was bumped from a flight due to health concerns. In 2008 he filed suit against Space Adventures to recover $21 million he claimed was not refunded to him. The company won't discuss the case beyond a brief written statement: "Space Adventures and Mr. Enomoto have reconciled their differences, and each party's legal claims have been dismissed, as of June 2009. Space Adventures respects Mr. Enomoto and wishes the very best for him in the future."

No doubt we'll all be discussing this topic more frequently in the near future. I'll let you know when I've saved enough for the 10% deposit. How about you? Let us know if you're up for the ultimate flight.

Read previous columns

Bill McGee, a contributing editor to Consumer Reports and the former editor of Consumer Reports Travel Letter, is an FAA-licensed aircraft dispatcher who worked in airline operations and management for several years. Tell him what you think of his latest column by sending him an e-mail at USATODAY.com at travel@usatoday. Include your name, hometown and daytime phone number, and he may use your feedback in a future column.

The sleepy Hakkanese village of Tai Long

2010-02-21T22:27:00.002+08:00

Tucked away on an isolated part of Lantau Island, Tai Long is a picturesque little Hakkanese village with a population of five.

But whenever there is a traditional festival a swarm of people return to Tai Long, their ancestral village, to celebrate. The biggest celebration of all is Chinese New Year, during which Tai Long swells with over a hundred people returning to feast, set off firecrackers, hold midnight ceremonies, and catch up with friends and family they haven't seen for a whole year.

Tai Long's village chief Kenny Cheung and his son Ryan tell us how at the center of the frenzy of celebrations is the qilin dance, a Hakka tradition that welcomes good health and prosperity for the coming year. In the video above, you will see the villagers bring the mythical beast qilin to life with loud percussion music and powerful, jerky movements as they dance from house to house.

Getting there

Tai Long village is inaccessible by vehicle. To get there, hire a boat from Cheung Chau. The ride should take about 15 minutes.

by Edwin Lee - CNNGO

Nuang Khet market

2010-02-09T00:54:00.000+08:00

This sleepy, charming market at the intersection of Nuang Khet and Tha Khai canals may be on the comeback trail

If you've become bored with the typical over-crowded markets in Thailand, Nakhon Nuang Khet Market is an interesting and much quieter choice, but maybe not for long. The market is situated in Chachoengsao province at the intersection of Nuang Khet Canal and Tha Khai Canal, which runs from the Bang Pakong River.

Chatcharun Visetsuwan, who operates a boat on these waterways, grew up around here. He recalled the atmosphere of the market in his childhood.

"Three or four decades ago it was much livelier than now. Passenger boats from Min Buri stopped here for fuel, and passengers disembarked for shopping and dining before continuing the journey to the Bang Pakong River. It was busy all day, until 1am."

The 21-kilometre Nakhon Nuang Khet Canal was dug in 1876 during the reign of King Rama V to serve as short cut between Bangkok and Chachoengsao. After the completion of the canal, King Rama V journeyed to Chachoengsao by train and returned to Bangkok by boat via this canal.

In the past the rural market was filled with locals coming to buy and sell rice, tea, oil and fresh food. Today most people go to supermarkets for these items.

"It is pretty quiet today. Just behind these houses along the canal you will see only vast rice fields," said Mr Chatcharun.

But after the success of Klong Suan Market, another old market on the border between Chachoengsao and Samut Prakan provinces, in the last six months community members have tried hard to promote the Nakhon Nuang Khet Market.

So before it returns to its former fame and becomes crowded again, take a walk around the century-old market and enjoy the old-time flavour. The market's mostly wooden shophouses line both sides of the calm canal, linked by a high wooden bridge. Merchants also do business out of boats on the canal. There is an old-fashioned coffee house which welcomes guests to sit on marble-topped tables, and food stalls selling a variety of prepared dishes.

There is a wide selection of food, fruit and souvenirs here. I sat down on the pier and ordered a bowl of egg noodles with pork from a boat vendor. In only a minute she served up the delicious dish. To my surprise, the price was only 10 baht.

One of the best known shops in the market is Ban Tanai - the Lawyer House - which offers a variety of authentic local dishes.

Next to Ban Tanai you may notice customers sitting around a big steaming hot pot, waiting to be served.

"It is kuay tiew pak mor, a kind of noodle," the merchant explained to me.

Each customer gets a bowl of clear soup. Then the merchant will drop a spoonful of rice batter on the top of the pot, which is then covered with a piece of clean cloth. After a minute the rice batter becomes a soft sheet and various vegetables are added on the top. The merchant wraps it all up and puts into the hot soup of her waiting customer.

On the day I went the playground was was free of children and the owner of a plant shop took the time to engage me in a discussion on her favourite flowers. Fortunately, this still-forgotten market keeps its easy atmosphere for now and there is plenty of space to sit back and enjoy the cool breeze off the canal.

>>Bangkok Post - Peerawat Jariyasombat

The Aircruise - Floating Hotel

2010-02-04T22:36:00.007+08:00

London, England (CNN) -- We could one day be spending our holidays in a gigantic vertical airship that floats thousands of meters above ground if a design concept becomes reality.

The Aircruise

The Aircruise is a radical new design that promises to accommodate guests in a 265-meter tall hotel that could float above city skylines or over dramatic landscapes according to its designers at Seymourpowell.

"The Aircruise concept questions whether the future of luxury travel should be based around space-constrained, resource hungry, and all too often stressful airline travel," Nick Talbot, head of transportation at Seymourpowell said.

"A more serene transport experience will appeal to people looking for a more reflective journey, where the experience of travel itself is more important than getting from A to B quickly."

While the Aircruise is only a conceptual proposal, designers have developed a detailed and achievable technical plan for the craft that could allow it to be built in the future.

Luxury Apartment

A maximum of 100 guests and crew would be allowed onboard and there would only be 10 luxury apartments available for rent.

There would also be large internal spaces for dining as well as a bar and lounge area for passengers.

"I can't think of another way you can experience pure luxury travel," Talbot said.

"Imagine sitting in your stateroom and seeing the Serengeti below you or floating above the tallest skyscraper in the world."

Hydrogen gas would be used as the primary lifting gas and it would be capable of lifting around 1.2 kg per cubic meter of volume.

Large hydrogen fuel cells would also provide on board power and some drinking water.

The cruising speed of the Aircruise would range from 100 to 150 kilometers an hour and a journey from London to New York would take 37 hours.

"We think the new form of luxury will be those that have the time to enjoy an experience," Talbot said.

"We think of this as taking a cruise, except you'd be floating high above the earth."

The Aircruise's designers say that it would take a huge amount of money to actually build such a thing and at its current stage, it's only a feasibility study.

By Phil Han - CNN

Achieving Asean spirit

2010-02-03T22:37:00.006+08:00

More knowledge and travel among neighboring Southeast Asian countries will ensure greater harmony and prosperity.

It would come as no surprise if you couldn't answer all of those questions correctly. You would simply be among the majority of Thais who have little knowledge of our neighbouring nations in Southeast Asia.

The Hindu Po Klong Garai temple in south Vietnam. PHOTOS: PLOENPOTE ATTHAKOR

"Thais have relatively little knowledge about our neighbours, even if we are regionally grouped as Asean. Obviously we overlook our neighbours," said renowned historian Charnvit Kasetsiri, who initiated the "Knowing Our Neighbours Project" in the hope of bridging this knowledge gap.

Mr Charnvit blamed ignorance for present-day prejudices, fuelled by ultra-nationalism.

"It can be said that Thais largely overlook their neighbours. It is unfortunate that the attention Thais pay to their neighbours is primarily limited to border conflicts in an ultra-nationalist context in the aftermath of World War Two."

The conflict over the Preah Vihear temple is the case in point.

He believed that better knowledge of our neighbouring nations could lead to better understanding between the people who, in theory at least, are gathered together in Asean.

The project basically comprises an annual conference and a field trip to one of the neighbouring countries. Open to members of the public, the last trip - from Nov 28 to Dec 3 last year - covered the southern part of Vietnam, including the area known as Funan, Long Xuyen, the central site of the ancient seaport town of Oc Eo (pronounced ok-kaew in Thai), the seaside town of Hatien or Bantai Mas, the famous battlefield of Siam and Annam during the reign of King Rama III in southernmost Vietnam, as well as some Cham-influenced areas in Phan Rang city and Khmer temples worshipped by ethnic Khmer Krom in Rach Gia. The six-day tour also aimed to solicit money for the 10th anniversary of the Southeast Asian Studies Programme Fund. Media participation was arranged by the Toyota Foundation.

ICON: The statue of Ho Chi Minh in front of City Hall in Ho Chi Minh City.

While the destinations were of historical and archaeological importance, few Thais have visited this part of Vietnam.

"This is truly unseen Vietnam," said Mr Charnvit.

The journey began in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, the bustling economic capital of Vietnam. Local guides said the city has experienced rapid changes over the past 20 years, with new high-rises and luxury brand-name shops from the West lining the city centre. At night, people strolled through the city's treets to enjoy the nightlife, lit by Christmas decorations.

Highlights of the trip were two Cham temples in Phan Rang, about 100km from Cam Ranh International Airport. The first was Po Klong Garai temple, where three cultures, namely Dong Son, Sa Huynh and South India's Tamil Nadu, met while the second, Po Nagar temple, where the original statue of Uma, supreme god Shiva's wife, has the look of the goddess Guan Yin, in Mahayana Buddhist belief, with glittering Chinese-Vietnamese headgear and costume attracted a large number of worshippers and tourists.

HERO: The statue of Nguyen Trung Truc, a Vietnamese hero who was executed by the French for his attempts to lead Vietnam to independence.

In Thoai Son of An Giyang province, the colossal statue of God Vishnu in Linh Son Co Tu is also "Vietnamised" with flashing accessories. In the same district, visitors headed to Cham Museum, designed in as the striking Shiva lingam structure.

"This museum is the harmonious blend of Hindu and Cham. The Shiva Lingam building represents Shiva while decorations come in the form of breasts that represent Uma Devi," said Mr Charnvit.

Mr Charnvit also noted that the Vietnamese have a unique belief that harmoniously blends traditionalism with nationalism. And that explains why there are a large number of shrines across the country to those who led Vietnam to independence from France, and to those who fought the US.

As a famous Vietnamese saying goes: "A general when alive, a deity after death," those heroes and their ideologies are immortalised.

One of the more popular heroes is the Nguyen Trung Truc Shrine in Rach Gia. He was the general who stood against the French forces. Each day, a large number of worshippers turn up to pay their respects to him - a general-deity.

The trip ended in the History Museum where visitors got a glimpse of ancient artefacts from different cultures that were mentioned in the previous days - Funan, Oc Eo, Cham and Hindu - the same civilisations that influenced Thai beliefs.

Mr Charnvit said that travelling to neighbouring countries is a good way to open up your mind to them, studying their historical conflicts and learn how to co-exist as a people of Asean in the present.

And unless people can open up their minds, it will be a long way before what is aspired as "the Asean spirit" can hardly be achieved, he said.

KHMER INFLUENCE: A mural at Wat Udom Meanchey, a place of worship for ethnic Khmer Krom people in Vietnam.

HINDU INFLUENCE: Vishnu at Linh Son Co Tu temple in a monk’s robe.

FERTILITY: The Shiva lingam-shaped museum with decorations in the form of women’s breasts demonstrates the harmonious blend of Hindu and Cham.

Bangkok Post - Ploenpote Atthakor

Norway in a nutshell

2010-01-20T16:44:00.000+08:00

Arief Suhardiman , The Jakarta Post , Myrdal,Norway

Aurlandsfjord (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

"You're so lucky!" a fellow traveler from Bergen, Norway, told me moments before the train that was to take me and my companion entered the station of Myrdal to start my "Norway in a nutshell" adventure.

"The weather was really bad yesterday. There was a rainstorm so we couldn't go anywhere. But now the sun is shining and the sky so clear," said the woman, pointing at the panorama over the railcar window pane.

Upon hearing that, I couldn't help but smile. Jokingly, I responded to her and her two friends, "Our presence makes the sun shine." My comment set them off laughing. "Yes, yes... now you can see our beautiful landscape. I hope you'll enjoy it. Have a nice trip!" she remarked.

Our chat had to be cut short, as we were rushing for another train that would carry us to Flam, a town famous for its picturesque railway line. Out in the sunny, yet brisk pre-winter day, we sought information about our next train.

After being notified by station officers that the Flam-bound train was departing within 15 minutes, we hurriedly boarded one of the dark green carriages.

Not long after that, the series of coaches began to move ahead. Around a hundred passengers, mostly comprising tourists, were in high spirits despite the fact that some of them, like us, had just done the five-hours train journey from Oslo.

Over the train's loudspeaker, a woman began describing the stunning landscape along the trip from Myrdal to Flam. Sadly, much of what was said was indiscernible among the steady rumble of train engines.

In no more than five minutes, the passengers leapt from their bright red seats to line the carriage windows. All eyes gazed down from the height of 886 meters above sea level, onto a magnificent vista of steep valleys, snowcapped mountains and rocky waterfalls.

Some of the phalanx of amateur photographers opened their windows to get a better picture, without those annoying pane reflections. The clickity-clack of the train's wheels over the tracks created a distinctive ambience adding to my enjoyment of the awe-inspiring natural beauty.

The train slowed several times as we passed particularly gorgeous scenes. It was then, it seemed, that one side of the carriage was standing room only as camera shutters whirred and clicked, forever capturing the remarkable scenery.

Kjosfossen waterfall (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

As the train crept along near the Kjosfossen falls at the height of 93 meters, it was announced that we were allowed to get off and feel the cool spray that rose from the base of the falls as a fine mist, and settled on our faces.

The journey passes through a number of tunnels, and each time the train would burst into the light, revealing amazing views to be relished by the travelers who had been kept in darkened suspense.

After an hour, the 20-kilometer Myrdal - Flam scenic route was over. Once in Flam, we were guided to the conveniently located (adjacent) port and onto a waiting ship to cruise along Norway's famous fjords.

Aurlandsfjord & Naerofjord

Most of the passengers chose the outdoor seats aboard the vessel, Skagastol, to watch the marine panoramas as we cruised through the fjords. Some struggled to secure their best places for the rare spectacle.

The ship soon left Flam for Gudvangen. On its way, this boat was coasting along Aurlandsfjord and Naerofjord, which are the pride of Norwegian people. They constitute a conservation zone and have been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 2005.

A fjord is formed when a glacier retreats after carving its typical U-shaped valley allowing the sea to fill the valley floor. This forms a narrow, steep sided inlet (sometimes deeper than 1,300 meters) connected to the sea.

Slicing through the turquoise seawater, the cold wind numbed our faces. Protected by my thick wind breaker I managed two hours out on the deck, snapping the splendid features of marine beauty comparable to the ice kingdoms of fairy tales, my mind began to wander back to the days of Vikings and the Ice Age.

The fjord, at times, soared to dizzying heights either side of us, dwarfing our ship and making me feel rather insignificant. The coral mountains, hundreds of meters high, were colored a mottled gray, and partially covered by greenery.

At certain places snow was trapped in crevices. Waterfalls carved into the sides of the fjords over thousands of years gushed down spectacularly. I began to wonder where the water pouring through steep coral mountain slopes had come from.

Away from the fjords, I noticed very neatly arranged housing units of simple architecture, reflecting harmony between rural settlements and their natural environment. But in the several villages we sailed past, I could hardly see any people around.

At Aurlandsfjord port with hundreds of houses in its vicinity, I only spotted three people: a boat passenger and two port officers. Probably due to Norway's small population of 4.5 million, coupled with the approaching winter, keeping people indoors.

The fascinating scenery stretching throughout the journey along the fjords, where the Vikings once roamed, ended in Gudvangen.

A view from Stalheimskleiva (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

Stalheimskleiva Road

Voss was our final destination, and we took the bus. Pressed by time, we had to hurry.

Punctual is the most appropriate word to describe the public transport here. It's praiseworthy although the interval is short, no more than 15 minutes, forcing visitors to rush before it's too late. I chose to sit on the front seat.

Full to capacity, the bus began the trip to Voss. It plied the route via the valley of Naeroydalen. The sightseeing tour gave a heart-pounding experience as the bus was passing Stalheimskleiva, known for its extremely steep road (as if it was sloping by almost 40 degrees!) with 13 hairpin bends.

Unsurprisingly, this is lauded as one of the steepest stretches of road in Northern Europe.

"Wooowww...!" was the humming cry of several passengers. Nearly all those on the bus were looking ahead with their hands gripping the seats in front. I just smiled at their reflex movements, squeezing the seats as if trying to apply the brakes.

It requires a lot of skill and prime vehicle conditions to pass the road. It's scary to think what would have happened if any of the requirements were not met, but I managed to shunt that thought out of my mind.

The bus crept slowly along the narrow asphalt road. In spite of the strong heartbeats induced, the surrounding landscape was too wonderful to miss. The bus also paused for a while before Sivlefossen and Stalheimsfossen waterfalls, allowing us to steady our hearts.

This is only open from May to September. During the winter months buses between Gudvangen and Voss have to take another way.

I was reminded of what the woman from Bergen said in the beginning of this journey. I was lucky to be able to make the trip by mid-October so I could experience the sensation of this well known road.

After about an hour and a half, we arrived at Voss railway station. And we only had about 15 minutes to board the train that would take us back to Oslo.

I spent the little time left to go to a restaurant where I bought a salmon sandwich to relieve my hunger.

After everything was ready we all got on the train bound for the capital of the country boasting its slogan "See this small, but great country!"

Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta has invited The Jakarta Post to visit Norway recently.

Exotic Tastes of the Big Island

2010-01-16T15:27:00.015+08:00

By BONNIE TSUI

Hilo, Hawaii — CHERIMOYA, calamansi, rainbow papaya. Puna ricotta, poha berries, lilikoi. Lava salsa, dinosaur kale, Hamakua mushrooms. This is the exotic-food litany on the lips of pilgrims who go to the Hilo Farmers Market, held twice a week on the lush eastern side of the Big Island.

Photographs by Marco Garcia for The New York Times

Many unusual food products can be found at the Hilo Farmers Market, top left. Some of the islands’ more familiar fare includes, from left, coffee beans from Big Island’s eastern slopes, fresh coconut and grilled abalone.

On a Saturday in mid-December I was in the greedy throng, caressing a cluster of longan, or “dragon eye” fruit; sampling a fresh, made-to-order green papaya salad; sidling up for a whiff of ripe, fragrant mango.

The Big Island, a k a Hawaii, is the biggest agricultural producer in the state. But its farming history is one of immigrant fruit — produce that is itself a pilgrim. Virtually everything that is grown in the Hawaiian islands today is an exotic, brought in from somewhere else by sailors, merchants and contract laborers; pineapple, long seen as Hawaii’s signature fruit, was introduced to the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1813 by Don Francisco de Paula y Marin, a Spanish adviser to King Kamehameha I.

On my December visit I set off in search of unusual agritourism experiences from a recent wave of Big Island farms. Though agricultural production has been geared largely toward industrial export and plantation-scale production over the last century and a half — entire crops of bananas, pineapple, macadamia nuts and sugar cane were shipped overseas, while almost everything else had to be flown in from the mainland — that mindset is shifting.

Almost two decades ago 12 local chefs, including Alan Wong and Peter Merriman, became the founding fathers of the Hawaii regional cuisine movement, which focuses on getting the state’s producers to grow what local chefs need. Today, crops are more diverse all across the state, but especially on the Big Island, as farmers have rediscovered heritage breeds and branched out to grow ever more varieties.

My agriventure began at the Hilo Coffee Mill, which is at the epicenter of a rebirth of coffee production in the tropical forests on the island’s east side, where — little-known fact — the 20 miles from Hilo to Volcano once produced more coffee than the entire state of Hawaii does today.

A full-service coffee farm that not only grows and processes its own coffee but also does custom processing for other farms, the Hilo Coffee Mill was founded in 2001 by Kathy Patton and Jeanette Baysa, who wanted to revive coffee-growing in East Hawaii with artisanal small-batch production. I first discovered their smooth, fragrant roasts on a 2003 visit to the Big Island; today, Hilo Coffee Mill is situated on 24 acres in Mountain View.

A tour begins in the roasting room, where the aroma of roasting beans is dizzying and delicious, and continues with a loop around the grounds and a tutorial on coffee from bean to brew. As we meandered among rows of coffee trees heavy with bright-red fruit — which are hand-picked — Ms. Patton plucked a coffee cherry from a branch and popped it into her mouth.

“I like to tell visitors to try this, because it mimics the coffee process itself,” she said. “When you chew the outside of the cherry, you’re pulping the fruit. When you suck on the bean, you’re fermenting.”

I obliged. The flavor of the fruit skin was tart, the soft pulp around the bean sweet and mellow.

Tours conclude with a tasting and lunch at the cafe. There’s also a well-chosen collection of culinary and coffee-themed goods for sale like cold-brew coffee makers for connoisseurs, and seriously addictive chocolate-covered macadamia nuts. And, of course, there’s the coffee.

“Everybody knows Kona coffee,” Ms. Baysa said. “The farms on that side of the island have been very organized and created a huge marketing push to get their coffee out there. So people assume that coffee can’t grow in a wetter climate.”

But she points out that in the late 1800’s nearly 6,000 acres of premium coffee flourished in East Hawaii until sugar, a k a King Cane, took over as the more profitable crop. The decline of sugar in recent years has made it possible for small coffee farms on the Big Island’s east side to make a comeback.

“Like wine it comes down to the farm and the care in processing and roasting the product,” Ms. Baysa said. “When you taste the coffee, it’s that speck of earth you’re tasting.”

The next morning I drove two hours west across the island on dramatic, winding Saddle Road, which takes visitors from dense lowland greenery to a high plains landscape dotted with cows and sheep-crossing signs, and on up to a lava-field landscape bookended by two massive volcanoes, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. With a neck sore from craning to take in the view, I finally dropped down toward the Pacific and the arid Kona Coast.

Not far from Kona International Airport I found myself examining tiny abalone, turquoise-blue in their infancy and as bright as gems in nursery tanks at the Big Island Abalone Corporation. Perched on the ocean at the National Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority, which pumps pristine deep-sea water to the tanks, this farm specializes in Kona Coast abalone, a premium stock of ezo, or Japanese northern abalone. They are a delicacy long prized in Japan, and the demand from Hawaiian chefs has been skyrocketing.

Big Island Abalone began visitor tours in 2008. To observe all the stages from spawn to shipment, I followed Jay Booth, the farm’s production director, around the hatchery, nursery and 32 grow-out tanks. The farm also has an algae lab to grow a patented strain of seaweed to feed its meaty mollusks.

“Abalone have an amazing sensitivity to environment, even in captivity,” Mr. Booth told me as we stood over the grow-out tanks, holding rack after rack of iridescent, silvery shells, about two million of the mollusks at any one time. Caring for abalone is labor-intensive; it takes two and a half years for them to reach market size, three inches long and weighing three ounces.

“They like it dark,” Mr. Booth said, “and they like something to cling to. They can sense when there’s an earthquake, or a storm, or other major weather event, and it triggers them to spawn.”

Originally from Montana, Mr. Booth began his farming career in livestock 29 years ago and has a background in microbiology. “As far as animal husbandry goes, it’s pretty much the same,” he said. “You manage the stocking density and the quality control of the environment, whether it’s water or land.”

At the end of the visit I sampled fresh, tender abalone off the grill prepared by Kayo Arai, the wife of the company’s chief executive, Hiroshi Arai. Fresh abalone sells for $10 apiece at the farm’s gate, and it is also found in local farmers’ markets, groceries and high-end restaurants.

After my taste it was down the Kona Coast to a tropical-fruit test garden that is experimenting with growing ultra-exotics for big-name chefs all over the state. The garden and a farmers’ co-op are on the grounds of an old coffee mill in the town of Captain Cook, along the picturesque road to Kealakekua Bay, a tranquil expanse of protected water that is visited by spinner dolphins, pufferfish and the occasional whale.

The garden is part of the 12 Trees Project, which began with a list of 12 tree fruits that the chefs said they wanted for cooking; the farmers planted the varietals to see if they would flower there. The original 12 — the tree tomato, poha, loquat and Rangpur lime among them — have since been joined by countless other plants. A walk around the garden is a lesson in the diversity of things that can thrive in this climate: tiny turkey figs, knobby atemoya, towering banana trees. (More than 100 types of bananas are grown in Hawaii.)

Ken Love, the executive director of Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers, a nonprofit group that helped start the test garden, is passionate about merging the interests of farmers and chefs to create a more direct relationship.

“It might have started 20 years ago with Hawaii regional cuisine, but now it’s the next step,” he said. “They’re getting involved with the growing and the science here on the Big Island. It makes sense, because this island is the breadbasket of the state.”

IF YOU GO

Hilo Coffee Mill 17-995 Highway 11, Mountain View; 808-968-1333; hilocoffeemill.com. Farm tour and coffee tasting, $10 (with lunch, $15).

Hilo Farmers Market Mamo Street and Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo; 808-933-1000; hilofarmersmarket.com. Wednesday and Saturday, “from dawn till it’s gone.”

The Big Island Abalone Corporation 73-4460 Queen Kaahumanu Highway, Suite 115 Kailua-Kona; 808-334-0034; bigislandabalone.com. Farm tours and abalone tastings on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at noon, $10 (reservations required).

Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative and Tropical Fruit Garden (the 12 Trees Project) 82-5810 Napo’opo’o Road, Captain Cook; 808-328-2411. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

WHERE TO STAY

The Old Hawaiian B&B (1492 Wailuku Drive, Hilo; 877-961-2816, thebigislandvacation.com) doubles from $80) has three quiet rooms (ask for the bright and airy Sunrise Room) in the hills above downtown Hilo.

The Sheraton Keauhou Bay (808-930-4900; sheratonkeauhou.com; doubles from $159) has excellent ocean views and is convenient to the Kona Coast farms, markets and coffee belt.

The lost fortunes of Kemarau

2010-01-15T19:26:00.001+08:00

Simon Marcus Gower , Contributor

Happy face: A corpulent, happy Golden Buddha suggests prosperity may lie on the island.

Tales about the island of Kemarau, located near Palembang along the 800-kilometer Musi River that meanders across South Sumatra, are abound, with two of the most recounted riches-to-rags stories involving Chinese ships sailing down the river.

Both regrettably tragic tales could easily pass for mythology rather than straight history. The most popular one about this low-level island — often described as “the island that floats the river” as it mysteriously never seems to flood despite heavy rainfall — recounts the story of a Chinese commercial ship sailing down the river after its captain earned a fortune trading goods in Palembang.

Inebriated from celebrating his success, the captain neglects his sailing duties, sinks his ship near the island and spills all his riches into the river there. Since then, people have been searching the river to recover the fortunes believed to have sunk around the island.

In the second tale, which claims to explain how the island came to exist, a Chinese man by the name of Tan Bu An comes to Palembang to study and falls in love with a local princess called Siti Fatimah.

He asks for her hand in marriage but her parents insist upon gifts to allow the wedding to go ahead.

Tan Bu An sends a messenger back to his father in China asking for such gifts to be provided. When the messenger returns with fruits and vegetables, Tan Bu An is so disgusted he throws the gifts into the river, not realizing his father had placed money inside the edible gifts.

Upon finding out about the subterfuge, the enamored Chinese man frantically jumps into the river to find the discarded treasures, but soon drowns. Siti Fatimah, who rushes to the river the instant she finds out her love is lost in the river, also sadly drowns.

It seems however she had a premonition about her fate, so before entering the river’s waters, she leaves a message saying land may form in the place she will die, and the tree that will grow will be one of love.

Spell of beauty: The tall pagoda is the most outstanding feature of the island.

The land that emerged is said to be Kemarau Island. It is also believed the spirit of Tan Bu An remains on the island and over the years, the local Chinese community has consequently come to see Kemarau as a special place.

Nowadays, the main attractions are a Chinese temple and pagoda, built as a result of those mythical stories.

The Taoist temple, dedicated to a deity that protects homes, villages and rural areas on the island, was erected in the 1960s and receives a fairly constant flow of worshippers. Those visitors usually brave the murky waters of the river by slow sampan (a flat-bottomed skiff usually propelled by two short oars) or fast speedboat to make offerings and say their prayers.

A tall Chinese pagoda erected in 2006 is now the most distinctive feature of this otherwise flat island.

Many Chinese figures are represented in relief or statues, with the most alluring of these being a huge venerable golden standing Buddha, seemingly laughing out loud looking across the river. The island tends to fill up during festival times such as the Chinese New Year, but otherwise remains a haven of peace the rest of the year.

A peaceful moment: Worshippers make their offerings and say their prayers at various locations around the island.

Pilgrims — local and sometimes from Singapore and Malaysia — who come to pay respect to their deities, leaving the sweet smell of their burning incense sticks to waft across the island.

How much truth there is to the tale of Tan Bu An and Siti Fatimah cannot really be said, but hopefuls can still be seen scouring the river looking some of the lost riches of that wedding gift.

With many believing the island is still haunted by the spirit of Siti Fatimah’s suitor, Kemarau remains a sleepy little outcrop of Indonesia, enveloped by the Musi River’s murky waters.

While much of the surroundings are industrial, the island remains a charming get away for those seeking quietness.

— Photos by Simon Marcus Gower

Play it Cool

2010-01-07T15:52:00.002+08:00

A wide spread awaits tourists travelling to Kanchanaburi this holiday season

About the author

: Writer: Karnjana Karnjanatawe; Position: Reporter

Lively waterfalls cascading down lush mountains, gushing rivers, historical sites and resplendent nature make Kanchanaburi, just two hours drive west of Bangkok, a convenient diversion compared to places further afar north, especially in the cold season when the urge to get out of the city and enjoy fresh mountain air is strong.

Fed by the rivers Kwae Noi and Kwae Yai, this province bordering Myanmar is the third largest in Thailand, after Chiang Mai and Nakhon Ratchasima, covering an area of 19,473 square kilometres, making it 10 times the size of Bangkok. But the terrain is mostly mountainous blessed with dense forest cover, ideally suited for naturalists, birders and trekkers.

You can enjoy a dip in its streams or waterfalls, or go rafting, or spend the night in floating raft houses moored close to the banks. Additionally, you can ride elephants, explore ancient Khmer ruins or visit a temple whose residents include tigers which seemingly hog more spotlight than the monks and deities.

After agriculture, tourism is the province's main source of income. Over the past year the number of Thai and foreign tourists travelling there rose 10.82% and 20.17% respectively pumping 6 billion baht into the local economy, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

On average a visiting tourist spends two days in Kanchanaburi, although day-long trips also popular. Statistics compiled by the Tourism and Sports Ministry show that a tourist spent about 1,098 baht a day _ the breakup being food and beverage (34%), transportation (33%), souvenir (19%) and accommodation (7%). Almost half (44%) of them were from the central region and 29% from Bangkok, while the bulk of foreign tourists (49%) were Europeans and 36% Asians.

We took Highway 3199 leading to the Srinakarin Dam and along the way stopped at Elephant's World where a veterinarian and his staff take care of old, injured and stray elephants. A little further north is a village school where we stopped briefly to make a donation before heading up the dam.

The next morning we took Highway 323 that runs parallel to the Kwae Noi River, stopping en route at Muang Sing Historical Park to observe the ruins of an ancient Khmer kingdom, and the ''Tiger Temple''. Our last stop was the notorious Death Railway on the fringes of Kanchanaburi town.

Throughout the two-night/three-day visit we thoroughly enjoyed the cool ambience of this border province which can easily lay claim to being the jewel in the crown of western Thailand.

Kanchanaburi is 129 kilometres west of Bangkok. Trains leave twice daily _ at 7.45am and 1.35pm _ from Bangkok Noi station on Thon Buri side of the city. Travel time is about five hours. Visit www.railway.co.th or call 1690 and 02-411-3102 for details.

Public buses depart hourly from the Southern Bus Terminal, while van service is available at the Victory Monument, in the Pin Klao area along Pata, Merry King and Central department stores, on Ratchadamnoen Road opposite the Government Lottery Office, and near the Rattanakosin Hotel.

The bus terminus in Kanchanaburi, on Saeng Chuto Road, operates daily service to Sai Yok district (red buses) between 6am to 6pm, and to Erawan Waterfall (blue buses) between 8am to 5.20pm. Call 034-511-182 for details.

- For Tiger Temple, visit www.tigertemple.org or call 034-531-557.

- For Erawan National Park, visit www.dnp.go.th/parkreserve or call 034-574-222 and 034-574-234

- For Muang Sing Historical Park, call 034-528-456/7.

- For Srinakarin Dam, visit snr.egat.com or call 034-574-001 ext 2455 and 2457 for accommodation.'

- For the Tourism Authority of Thailand office in Kanchanaburi, visit www.tourismthailand.org/kanchanaburi/ or call 034-511-200 and 034-512-500.

Spanning the Kwae Yai River, the iconic Death Railway is a grim chapter in the history of Kanchanaburi. Constructed by Asian labourers and allied prisoners of war who endured great harships and casualties at the hands of their Japanese captors during World War II, more than 100,000 died building the 415-kmlong bridge from Ratchaburi to Myanmar critical to the Japanese for ferrying weapons and logistics.

This deep fried gouramy weighing over 2kg is twice the size served in most Bangkok restaurants but for the same price. Called ‘pla tod samun prai’ in Thai, the fried gouramy is topped with tamarind sauce and herbs—lemon grass, leaves of kaffir lime, garlic and shallot—and the taste is sweet and sour. Another dish worth a try is ‘phad phak kud’ or fried edible fern (Dilplazium esculentum). The shoots are eaten raw with ‘nam prik’ spicy dip. It is high in vitamin A.

Located in Saiyok district, the Tiger Temple began as a forest monastery where people came to meditate but evolved into a tourist attraction, even winning an award from ‘Time’ magazine in 2006 in the ‘Best for the Soul’ category. Formally called Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua Yannasumpanno, it was founded by Phra Acharn Phoosit in 1994, a disciple of Luangta Maha Bua, as a centre for meditation. In the early days merciful villagers occasionally brought injured birds like jungle fowl, which they would leave to heal at the temple. In due course this act of mercy was extended to peacocks, wild boar, deer, buffaloes, horses and finally to its first tiger, a cub, brought there by villagers in 1999. Today the tiger count has risen to 47, not to mention stocks of other animals populating its 683 ‘rai’ sanctuary. The temple provides tours. The morning session is reserved for private groups not exceeding 10 people. The cost of bathing and feeding a tiger is 4,500 baht per head. The gates open to the public between 12.30pm-3.30pm and the entrance fee is 300 baht for a Thai and 500 baht for a foreigner. Once inside, visitors are required to queue up, 20 to a line, after which follows a parade in which eight tigers, held on leashes by the temple staff, are led to an area where after a brief commentary, the staff will ask if they want to pose in group with the animals. If the answer is yes, they need to dole out 1,000 baht, and a staffer will lead them to a tiger, ask one of the group members to sit down and instruct the animal to rest its head in his/her lap. That’s when cameras start clicking. But if you don’t want to part with 1,000 baht, you still get a chance to pose with tigers. But in that case you have to take the photo alone and are allowed to touch only the hips of the tigers. After 3.30pm you get yet another chance to feed the cubs, but it is going to cost you 1,500 baht. The staff call it ‘donation’.

This waterfall at Erawan National Park in Si Sawat district, 65km northwest of Kanchanaburi town, is easily the most popular in the province. Declared a national park in 1975 its original name, Khao Salop, was changed to Erawan following the discovery of a rock shaped like the three-headed elephant in Thai mythology on the top of this seven-tiered fall. The highest tip of the park is nearly 1,000 metres above sea level. Foam containers or plastic bottles are banned beyond a 500-metre radius from the park headquarters, while officers are posted at all levels of the fall to ensure public safety. The trail leading to each level is clearly marked allowing you to proceed on your own at a pace that suits you. After a swim some women tourists, especially Western, walk the trails still clad in their bikinis, which is a breach of park etiquette. But there’re no public signs warning them not to. The park welcomes about 320,000 visitors annually of which 24% are foreign. Its revenues rose from 19 million baht in 2003 to 28.8 million baht last year. In 2006 the park was cited at the Thailand Tourism Awards as the best eco-tourism spot in the central region.

The ruins of Muang Sing Historical Park convey the splendour of a Khmer kingdom from a bygone era. The ruins are believed to be that of a Mahayana temple built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII who also built Angkor Thom and ruled Cambodia for 30 years in the 13th century. His empire included parts of today’s Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Burma. Located in Saiyok, the park covers 641 ‘rai’ by a bank of the Kwae Noi River. Built in rectangular shape and 880x1,400 metres in area, it is surrounded by a wall 7 metres tall. There are four buildings inside the park, the first one near the entrance in better shape than others. It houses statutes of the eight-handed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and Prajnaparamita, the goddess of wisdom, their squarish faces tinged with smiles and the eyes shut, indicating Bayon art. Abandoned for centuries, the ruins were discovered by the Fine Arts Department in 1958, and thus began a long process of restoration. The site was reopened to the public in 1987, by which time it had been declared a national treasure and historical site. Also found were artefacts dating back 1,800 years, including four skeletons in a grave outside the wall but only two are on public view, bronze utensils and agate and Carnelian beads which are on view at the provincial museum in Kanchanaburi town. They are proof enough that people lived there long before the temple was built. The park is open daily from 9am to 4.30pm. The entrance fee for a Thai is 10 baht and 100 baht for a foreigner.

Opening in 2008, Elephant’s World, the brainchild of Dr Samart Prasitphol, is a protection home for aged, injured and stray elephants built on 130 ‘rai’ by recreating their natural habitat. Called Ban Chaw Chang Chara in Thai, it sits 32km northwest of the provincial town by the Kwae Yai River, and the animals here have a rare luxury—the chance of receiving a bath twice daily. It has a stable of 10 elephants: the youngest five, the eldest 74 years old. The former is a stray from Bangkok picked up by city authorities and delivered there; three others followed in June this year. Elephant’s World is an eco-tourism destination where visitors can feed the animals banana and pineapple or bathe them in the river.

Si Nakharin Dam, the largest rock-filled dam with a clay core in Thailand, spans the Kwae Yai River. About four kilometres north of the Erawan Waterfall and run by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), it began operations in 1973 and is a vital source of power and water for farmers in Kanchanaburi and nearby provinces. With a capacity to produce 720MW of electricity, it is the second biggest around after Bhumibol Dam (779.2MW) in Tak. Egat operates a golf course and restaurants in vicinity of the dam and also offers tourist accommodation and seminar facilities.

Before night falls in Roppongi

2009-12-28T19:42:00.001+08:00

Kenny Santana , Contributor , TOKYO

People spend time admiring the magnificent vista from Tokyo City View. Courtesy of Tokyo City View

Mostly known for its eminent nightlife, Roppongi in Tokyo’s Minato district also bursts with life during the day.

After just a few walks in its parks, a handful of shopping bags and a couple of great museums, the vicinity proves equally fascinating even before the late night drinks and club hopping kick-in.

If you arrive in the city on a late afternoon, there’s no better choice to start the day than getting into
Roppongi Hills’ Tokyo City View. A 360-degree panorama from a 250-meter high observation deck
in Mori Tower is breathtaking, especially at dusk when the capital sparkles. Between Mount Fuji and
other skyscrapers, visitor will be rewarded with a beautiful snapshot of Tokyo Tower, the city’s Eiffel
Tower-esqe landmark.

During our visit, we were lucky enough to experience the Sky Aquarium, an impressive display of water creatures accompanied by a dazzling lightshow. Imagine drifts of jellyfi sh swimming while colorful laser lights fall on their bodies and tentacles. Simply mesmerizing. Do note though that this showcase is
temporary and is set to change in due course.

The recently opened Skydeck in the same tower is hard to miss. Here, the observation deck is brought to a new level, the rooftop. Atop the 52-fl oor Mori Tower, the Skydeck is popular with visitors trying to get a breezy air outdoor and closer to the sky.

Mori Art Museum features contemporary works from around the world. JP/Kenny Santana

Adjacent to Tokyo City View is Mori Art Museum, dedicated to the contemporary art scene. Until November, the museum is displaying art works from Ai Weiwei, a Beijing-based artist. Grab a free audio guide and be enthralled by Ai Weiwei’s philosophy behind his innovative creations.

Moving 1 kilometer away from Roppongi Hills, Midtown is the latest breed of composite city consisting of six buildings and lush greenery. On the backside of the Midtown Tower, people often spend their afternoon in the garden accompanied by the free-to-borrow books and vinyl mats available from
Midpark Project. With a caravan selling nibbles and a cuppa, some sun during a fi ne day and a few
friends, it’s a perfect little getaway tucked behind the Tokyo skyscrapers.

Don’t miss a visit to 21_21 Design Sight situated next to the park. The Issey Miyake-curated gallery is
dedicated to becoming a forum in examining how design impacts our daily lives. Exhibitions are held free of charge, where visitors can ponder on extraordinary design objects for hours. A must.

One of Roppongi’s great shopping destinations, Midtown’s Galleria is a four-storey arcade with many stores and food outlets to go gaga for.

Midtown Tower’s impressive-looking roof construction. JP/Kenny Santana

We loved browsing on the third floor where its interior shops are the perfect source of fi nding
goodies for loved ones back home.

In Style Meets People we found message-engraved plant seeds in a can that grows into a tree after a
few days of watering. Also stop by Idee where they sell everything chic from sofa to ties. A café inside the store is a favorite haunt for many trendy locals.

In the basement, visitors get their caffeine fix at Dean & Deluca, while some with more time to spare can take cooking lessons in English at ABC Cooking Studio. And like any other Japanese department stores, Midtown basement’s food hall has many scrumptious dining options to choose from, including sushi, katsu, tempura and ramen. Those who prefer an al fresco-style long lunch, often book a seat in Union Square Café facing the park.

Take time to browse Muji, a brandless fashion and lifestyle store (soon to open in Jakarta) that’s a hit
for Japanese and travelers alike for its affordable, simple-but-stylish goodies. From snacks to shoes,
aromatherapy to wallets, anything you need or you think you need can be found here at a steal.

In Roppongi Hills, four towers are fi lled with over 200 shops and food outlets. Once your hands are
fi lled with shopping bags from the likes of Anna Sui, Pepe Jeans or Kapital, grab some delicious omelet rice in a bento box from Omtrak Pit and have it in one of the open-area squares, followed by a trip to the nearby swanky Toho cinema, where most movies are presented in original language with English/Japanese subtitles.

Audience is participating in Blue Man show by transporting paper rolls into the stage. Courtesy of Ken Howard

For a two-hour blast, catch the worldwide sensation avant-garde theater of Blue Man Group (www.
blueman.jp) in Roppongi Hills. If you caught a glimpse of them in the Intel ad a few years back, trust us – the real deal is much better.

Three hairless and earless men in blue face-paint make for a rollicking good time, despite only making gestures with no verbal communications. Daily activities from a dinner norm to rock concert movements are stirred by the Blue Man Group with live percussion music, broad comedy and physical activities involving the spectators.

At the performance we attended, they dragged a clueless audience member backstage, and had him
recorded while being hung upside down and splattered with buckets of paint; we were jolted in our
seats. Also imagine our disbelief [and laughter] when they placed a wired mini camera into an audience member’s mouth and went straight inside his colon to be projected on the big TV screen. Was it real or not? That’s the cheeky part.

Audience members in the few front rows were also given ponchos to avoid getting splattered with paints from the stage. While in the fi nale, everyone will get a Blue Man experience by participating in transporting paper rolls from the back of the room to the stage creating somewhat an installation form. At this point, everyone felt they were part of this great show, which really rocks.

GETTING THERE

We flew from Jakarta to Osaka via Manila, with low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air.
For tickets and schedule click www.cebupacificair.com
Osaka and Tokyo are 2.5 hours away by the fast train Shinkansen. To save cost on Shinkansen tickets, buy a Japan Rail Pass before leaving for Japan, available from JaLan Tour (www.jalan-tour.com)

Cosmopolitan KL

2009-12-25T01:17:00.002+08:00

About the author

: Writer: Mick Shippen; Position: Reporter

For a memorable city break, head for Kuala Lumpur

With its ethnic mix of Malay, Indian, and Chinese, Kuala Lumpur is a microcosm of all things Asian. Affectionately known as KL, it is one most colourful and cosmopolitan cities in the region and a fabulous destination for a rewarding short break. What's more, KL is just a two hour flight from Bangkok.

It's just over a decade since the completion of the spectacular Petronas Twin Towers. Rising 450 metres above the streets KL, the 88 floors of glass and gleaming stainless steel proudly declared Malaysia's entry the developed world. Investment poured into the city, as did expatriates. KL authorities wasted no time in getting to grips with the city's then nightmarish traffic problems by building an expansive light rail network. A major new airport followed, along with a Formula One race track, Cyber Jaya, a satellite city for IT businesses, and dozens of palatial shopping malls. Although many of KL's older districts were cleared in a Singapore-style rejection of the past, the few that survived have recently enjoyed revitalization with many trendy bars and restaurants taking advantage of the attractive architecture.

High life

Dominating the city, the Petronas Twin Towers is KL's most popular attraction but visitors can only gain access to the skybridge that links the two towers at the 41st and 42nd floors. Tickets are free but with only 1,700 visitors allowed up each day and queues starting as early as 5 a.m. it can be more trouble than it's worth. In truth the towers are best viewed from a distance and at night. To enjoy this truly spectacular sight head to SkyBar on the 33rd floor of the Traders Hotel at around 6.30 p.m., just before the spectacular building lights up. This breezy pool bar overlooks the towers and is a fabulous place to take in the view while enjoying a signature lemongrass martini cocktail or a glass of wine with tasty finger food. To be sure of a front view, you can book cabana-style seating by calling +603 2332-9888. www.shangri-la.com

Other notable viewpoints in the city include the Menara Tower, also known as the Telecom Tower. The 420 metre building has an excellent viewing deck.

Culinary melting pot

To experience KL's colour and culture head to Masjid Jamek on the train. The area is the location of the city's oldest mosque, and a centre for local textiles businesses. Built in 1907, Masjid Jamek was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback, an English architect who had severed in India, hence the mosque's distinctly Mogul appearance. Hubbard was also responsible for some of KL's other notable buildings, namely the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and the Old High Court. Today the area around this venerable place of worship bustles with traders selling bolts of silk and traditional Malay clothing. It makes an excellent place to explore for a couple of hours, not least because nearby Lebuh Ampang is lined with brightly painted shop house restaurants serving up delicious Indian cuisine. Malaysia's first wave of immigrants came from India, then under British rule, to Malaysia (also under British rule at the time) in the mid-1800s. Most found work in the sugar cane and coffee plantations and later on, when rubber became the new cash crop, as rubber tappers. The majority were Tamils who also brought their Hindu culture and cooking traditions which thankfully are still thriving today. Down Lebuh Ampang you can enjoy a delicious meal of southern-style curries and pickles spread out on a banana leaf, tasty dosa or chapattis.

Other culinary highlights in KL include Jalan Alor for street food, and the ever-popular Chinatown. At Jalan Alor, the focus is on Malaysia's popular dishes, all cooked to order. Here you can sample ikan bakar, barbecued fish, and beef and chicken satay.

Kid's KL

Few Asian cities can claim to be great destinations for a family holiday but KL has plenty to offer children. One of the most interesting is KL is Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, a parcel of rainforest in the central downtown district at the base of the Menara KL Tower. The 11 hectare inner city forest reserve is the result of an idea germinated back in 1906 when most of Malaysia was blanketed in rainforest. The reserve features well sign-posted walking trails and eagle-eyed visitors can see lizards, monkeys, squirrels and tropical birds. There are also other recreational facilities including an outdoor gymnasium, a playground for the kids, and benches and tables allowing visitors to relax and enjoy a picnic. The main gate is located on Jalan Puncak but there are several entrances. The park opens from 8 a.m. till 6 p.m. There are also guided walks departing at 11a.m., 12.30 p.m., 2.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. www.nature-escapes-kuala-lumpur.com

Other options for youngsters include the Bird Park. Ten minutes from the city centre, it makes a superb outing for the family. The park covers over 20 acres of lush hillside and is home to over 3,000 birds. The 200 species of birds are free to fly around in the huge covered park. The park is located on Jalan Perdana, which connects to Jalan Lembah. Also on this loop are the Orchid Garden, the Deer Park, the Planetarium and the Museum of Islamic Art.

GETTING AROUND

A fast and efficient train runs from airport to KL Sentral Station, a journey of about 28 minutes. At Sentral Station join the other rail networks or pick up a taxi.

KL is a breeze to get around. The excellent Light Rail Transit system links the eastern and western suburbs of Kuala Lumpur. There is also the STAR system, the KL Monorail, an inner-city public transit system that serves the central business, hotel and shopping districts and connects to KL Central Station, and the KTM Komuter.

KL also has a user-friendly Hop-On Hop-Off tour bus which is a good way to reach many attractions. Buses circle the inner city from 8.30am to 8.30pm and the onboard commentary is delivered in various languages. www.myhoponhopoff.com

Standard red and white taxi start at three ringit but get drivers to turn the metre on can be a challenge. The blue `executive' taxi fares start at 6 ringit.

WHERE TO STAY

Conveniently located behind the Pavilion Shopping Mall and a short distance from the Petronas Twin Towers, the Royale Chulan is a brand new hotel offering luxury and attentive service. The palatial hotel features 300 well appointed rooms including a Royale Club floor with exclusive lounge offering complimentary afternoon tea and evening cocktails. On New Year's Eve lovers of Philadelphia soul and disco can see The Three Degrees perform in the hotel's ballroom. www.theroyalechulan.com.my

Other city centre options include the Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, a contemporary city centre hotel popular with business and leisure travelers. Traders offer 571 stylishly rooms and suites in the heart of the city, just opposite the Petronas Twin Towers. It is also has two excellent restaurants, and the fabulous SkyBar where guests and visitors can enjoy intoxicating views of the Petrona Twin Towers. www.shangri-la.com

Mumbai's new open Aer bar

2009-12-23T21:50:00.004+08:00

Aer, the highest rooftop bar in India is open at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai. Thirty four floors above street level, 6pm sunset happy hour for champagne by the glass and a panoramic view of old and new Mumbai in one clean sweep.

The roof top is split in two, the bigger space for smokers because it turns out there's more of them.

Put it like that and you'll have 700 people attending the opening party. Which is exactly what happened and the next day nobody could remember a thing.

A place that lets you experience and appreciate both old and new Mumbai.

— Vincent Hoogewijs, General Manager, Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai

So I went back, for a good look at Mumbai’s best view and it was still there. I could see Haji Ali, the race course, the old Mill areas, the new sky scrapers, city lights and the sea. It's windy and dimly lit, but black shawls, slick mini torches (to read the Lebanese and Mediterranean tapas menu) and weights to hold down champagne flutes, off set the high altitude conditions.

Aer's design, accentuated with an abundance of mirrors and glass, feels clubby at the staircase but the roof top furniture is minimalist and luminous and despite what that sounds like, is also comfortable. That's because the design team includes Bob Bilkey, Oscar Llynas, Nozer Wadia, Ritu Nanda, Elsie Nanji and Annalisa Beliettati. Organic industrial designer Ross Lovegrove’s 'Love Bench' features at the entrance. Rhythm and blues music adds further silkiness to this much-awaited Mumbai bar and the stage is set.

At 7:30pm on a weekday you'd feel out of place if you weren't a man wearing a white shirt, entertaining a client from Europe. I'd vote for this as a venue for pre-party gaming on weekends. Or as an in between spot waiting for evening to turn to night. It doesn't know it yet but Aer is a crucial piece of the puzzle in Mumbai's pitch to be the most entertaining city in Asia, in the coming decade.

Aer, Four Seasons Hotel, 114 Dr. E. Moses Road, Worli; tel. +91 (0) 22 2481 8444. Moet Chandon at Rs 500 a glass. Open from 5.30pm–1.30am daily.

Sita Wadhwani is CNNGo City Editor in Mumbai -- a hustling metropolis by the sea that smells fishy

Dim sum in Hong Kong : Steam Baskets

2009-12-22T00:57:00.004+08:00

The Lam family have been making bamboo steamers by hand for decades and they're continuing to do so in Hong Kong.

Migrating from Guangdong province after the Second World War, the Lam clan set up their Hong Kong operations in Western District. Over the years, they have outlasted the competition, most of whom stopped making bamboo steamers in the last two decades due to the lack of willing artisans to train in the craft.

Today, the family-run business mostly redistributes bamboo steamers made in mainland China where labor is considerably cheaper. Bamboo basket making is labor-intensive as several procedures in its production can only be done by hand, but there are still three family members who hand make steamers to order in their Hong Kong headquarters.

Tuck Chong Sum Kee not only sells steamers but also other household goods made of bamboo, which is one of the world’s fastest growing plants, able to grow up to a meter a day.
Shop manager Raymond Lam demonstrates the traditional method for making a bamboo steamer: holes are drilled into the steamer suing a bamboo rod rolled by a bamboo "bow" similar to a violin bow.
"Nails" are also made of bamboo and cut by hand.

Bamboo nails are hammered into the steamer. It takes a skilled crafter about an hour to make a large steamer.

Bamboo steamers are preferred over metal ones since bamboo absorbs moisture and won't cause condensation to drip onto the delicate bums and dumplings inside the steamer.

Baskets held together by bronze thread (right) are more durable, but most customers prefer the traditional look without metal wires.

Oversized steamers for restaurant use: Tuck Chong Sum Kee's regulars are Cantonese restaurants who have come to trust the Lam's for their quality and continue to buy from them even after migrating overseas.

Customers ask the shop to produce baskets in a range of sizes. One customer proposed to his fiancé with an engagement ring inside a mini bamboo steamer.

Tuck Chong Sum Kee Bamboo Steamer Company

12 Western Street, Hong Kong
+852 2548-8201, +852 2540-4386

Derrick Chang is a Canadian documentary photographer based in Hong Kong specializing in portraiture, events and humanitarian photography.

A nostalgic walkabout through Hong Kong's NoHo

2009-12-17T03:10:00.003+08:00

by Christopher DeWolf - CNNGo

First developed in the 1850s, shortly after the arrival of the British in Hong Kong, the area around Gough Street was a borderland between the city's European and Chinese quarters. Throughout the years, the neighborhood was home to Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary meetings, flourishing family-owned businesses, and a fast-growing red light district alongside a community of mistresses kept by merchants from across the border.

Then, just a few years ago, the area began to attract businesses priced out of trendy SoHo. The NoHo moniker was born. Nearly all of the area's old shophouses have been redeveloped and even many of the walk-up apartment buildings built after World War II are being replaced by highrises.

Even if the buildings are changing, though, it's still possible to get a sense of Noho's history. The government has installed signboards to mark important historical sites, including those where Sun Yat-sen lived, worked and studied. And the quiet, narrow streets themselves, linked by small laneways and stone steps, seem to recall another era.

Below is a look at the people and the businesses who have watched NoHo evolve. A century ago, the area around Gough Street straddled two worlds -- and it still does today.

Kwong Wo Hing has been at the same spot on Aberdeen Street for over 40 years, which makes it one of NoHo's oldest traditional Chinese dispensaries.
"Rents are getting higher and the shops around here are changing," says Ngo, the medicinal shop owner who would only give his surname. "It doesn't make any difference to me. People still need Chinese medicine."
Before it was known for its designer boutiques and trendy restaurants, Gough Street was famous for its printing shops. Keung Hing Printing Press has made its home in NoHo for 30 years. Siblings Dennis Tang and his sister Deledda have taken over the family printing business. "There's a lot of competition now from the mainland and internet printing services. That's why so many print shops have closed around here," the Tangs say.
When he wasn't soliciting support for his revolutionary plans to overthrow the Qing dynasty, Sun Yat-sen spent much of his time with friend Yang Heling who hosted revolutionary meetings in his family's store. Paul's Kitchen and a laundry occupy the site where it once stood.
On Wo Lane was also known as Yi Nai Lane ("mistress lane") because one merchant was so enamoured with his mistress he bought her all of the houses along the street -- or so legend has it. Today, funky shops such as Hong Kong's one and only fixed gear bike shop Rodafixa can be found here.

Noho's rents are still lower than elsewhere in Central, which has been a boon to the art scene. New galleries have flocked to the area, like Madhouse Contemporary, which focuses on Asian contemporary art and emerging Hong Kong artists. Madhouse's curator Vicki Lui has been trying to come up with new ways to attract art lovers: "We want to create an art street here on Sundays to help amateur and local artists promote themselves."
But the gentrification of the area hasn't benefited everyone. This stall has been in the same spot for over 50 years and the Wong's who own it say business has been bad since Lan Kwai Fong Hotel opened across from them.
Mr. Wong and his wife sell lightbulbs, switchplates and other electronic accessories from their stall. They say that "People used to live around here and buy from us every day. Now we're lucky to make a few hundred dollars a day."
As the evening draws to a close, so too does Sing Heung Yuen, a dai pai dong at the corner of Gough Street and Mee Lun Street. This is one of the few remaining dai pai dongs that have operated since before 1956, when the government stopped issuing new dai pai dong licences.
Cans of Black and White brand evaporated milk are stacked in Sing Heung Yuen's kitchen. The milk is what gives Hong Kong-style milk tea and coffee its incomparable richness. Remnants of old Hong Kong can still be found around Noho, such as folding metal shutters engraved with the names of their shops, creating a nostalgic atmosphere.
Read more: Streets of your city: Photos from a nostalgic walkabout through Hong Kong's NoHo | CNNGo.com http://www.cnngo.com/hong-kong/play/streets-your-city-nostalgic-walkabout-through-hong-kongs-noho-sam-035866#ixzz0ZsenNFQ1

City of culture

2009-12-15T00:26:00.002+08:00

About the author

: Writer: Achara Ashayagachat; Position: Reporter

Cut off from Europe for most of its history, Zaragoza today is more accessible to tourists, thanks to the Pyrenees and its multi-ethnic diversity

The Aragon autonomous region of Spain is a land of extreme natural contrasts, both in climate and geologically, complemented in equal measure by a cultural, religious and historical diversity that few nations in Europe can match.

Located in northeastern Spain, the region comprises three provinces from north to south: Huesca, Zaragoza and Teruel that spread out from the green valleys and snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees to the dry plains and lonely hilly areas of the south.

Aragon's northern province of Huesca borders France and is positioned in the middle of the Pyrenees. Within Spain, the region is flanked by Catalonia on the east, Valencia and Castile-La Mancha to the south, and Castile and Leon, La Rioja, and Navarre to the west.

The main draw in Zaragoza is the Del Pilar Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church on the Ebro River, whose construction began in 1681 but was never completed. Several years later a large central cupola and 10 smaller ones were added with four bell towers rising up at the corners. Inside is a large bascilica, believed to be the place Virgin Mary descended from the heavens and came down this marble pillar.

Zaragoza is its capital city and, thanks to Europe's efficient rail network, tourists traversing the Iberian Peninsula, particularly between Madrid and Barcelona, find it a convenient port of call. To them, it's a ''passage through city'' worth a stop to explore and enjoy a multi-ethinic ambience such unique and refreshing that it lingers in their memories long after they've moved on.

In case you are ignorant like me, the Aragon has nothing to do with the handsome but ragged prince in the Lords of the Ring. Rather, the landscape is littered with Roman, Arab, Christian and Jewish monuments, relics and influences sure to fire the imagination of travellers, for some almost date back a 1,000 years, though Moorish architecture still standing in Zaragoza might not be as grand as that found in Granada.

Zaragoza is a liberal and welcoming city, the result of the influence of the four cultures that have marked its character. Like elsewhere in Spain, the people of Zaragoza enjoy a drink or two and know how to entertain themselves, particularly on Fridays when their partying tends to continue into the wee hours of the morning. Tourists, too, enjoy this part of the week every bit as much, because for much of rest of the week the city, like others in Europe, goes to bed early.

Tourists accommodations are adequate but before check-in find out if room rates include breakfast, towels and wi-fi use. So are public buses and taxis, and by the roadside you will find bicycles for hire.

The locals are helpful to tourists, though they feel more at home communicating with them in their own language.

At night on weekends you will spot youths hanging out in gangs or driving around town in turbo-charged vehicles and stopping at fancy tourists hang outs, briefly, and turning on car music full blast as if to announce their presence, before moving on; but they're not intimidating. And by day you need be watchful of skateboarders and scooter drivers.

Besides, Zaragoza is a great destination for those who crave outdoor adventure like rowing and hiking, for it is blessed with soaring peaks, deep canyons, dense forests and spectacular waterfalls.

No wonder Spain's biggest city nearest to the Pyrenees, the mountain range which for much of history has kept the Iberian Peninsula isolated from the rest of Europe, is such a memorable holiday destination.

Kayaking or biking around town or in the countryside, are popular activities in Zaragoza and residents—whether individuals, couples, groups or whole families—can be seen going about their task daily. There are plenty of facilities in the city where you can sweat it out, but if you are looking for real adventure or something more challenging, head beyond the city’s flat landscape to the Pyrenees, and you’ll be rewarded with scenic view and fresh mountain air.

Giant waste disposal bin are a common sight around town. Seen here is a mother teaching her children about recycling in front of the bins designated: bottles, paper, and others.

Betting is a human frailty and on the streets of Zaragoza perhaps it is in evidence more openly than anywhere else, from the stand-alone kiosks on main thoroughfares to shops and upmarket malls that bettors can be seen entering and exiting after having put a wager on the government lottery. No less conspicuous are tailoring shops specialising in bridal dresses present at almost every street corner. They make wedding dresses for both the brides and the grooms, lending in the process a bit of lustre and glamour to this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Public transportation is environmental-friendly, evident from local buses that run on NGV, while the local government has strict rules dealing with vehicles releasing pollutants into the air. Bus stops are user-friendly, too, and tourists are encouraged to travel by bicycle which they can conveniently hire from numerous shops by the roadside.

From the main shopping alley you can see the Del Pilar Cathedral at the other end. Here, you will not only find souvenir shops and restaurants but also some colourful outlets, like this one, selling children’s items.

The Aljaferia, built in the 11th century, was conceived as a pleasure palace of Zaragoza’s Muslim rulers. A century later the city fell into Christian hands when alterations were made to the palace and later, in the 15th century, Catholic monarchs made it their residence. The Patio de Santa Isabel is where you confront the north and the south by the opulence and geometric mastery of Muslim architecture with lovely interwoven arches. Inside, there are several small rooms for different purposes such as an ‘oratorio’, a horseshoe-shaped prayer room which features finely chiselled floral motifs, Arabic inscriptions from the Koran and a pleasingly simple cupola. Go further and you can see additional structures and drawings on the ceilings, walls and doors that portray the shift of power from Muslim to Christian hands.

The Plaza del Pilar is a major tourist attraction and a very convenient recreation spot for locals, because nearby are a number of fancy restaurants that diners find particularly attractive on weekends. Three sculptures representing poet-philosophers stand diagonally across from each other on the east end of the plaza near the renaissance style exhibition hall called Lonja. To the west and in front of the Del Pillar Cathedral is an open space adorned with more sculptures, such as a globe and an artificial horizontal waterfall which keeps the whole area cool. The first church in Zaragoza, La Seo, is a few steps from the globe sculpture at the Plaza del Pilar. It was built in 1316 in Gothic-Mudejar style, to which additions were made later in Baroque and Plateresque styles. Many of Aragon’s kings and queens are buried in this church. In 2001 Unesco declared it a World Heritage site. Walking around you will come across a shopping area, old museums and an underground Roman-era foundation and baths.

Renfe, Spain’s national railway authority, is noted for punctuality and functionality of rail cars. On the car you can stow away luggage near the sliding electronic doors. Connecting terminals are also comfy; how I wish I could travel same way in Thailand.

This 600-year-old building of the University of Zaragoza and others nearby have undergone several renovations since they were built—some in the 12th century and others in the 14th century—as a place of learning, initially teaching grammar, philosophy and administration, its curriculum adapted from one in use at the time at the University of Paris. These days it serves as Zaragoza University’s Faculty of Medicine. Strolling around the building is like walking through a museum, its corridors adorned with portraits of former deans and professors.

Zaragoza boasts outstanding water management since the Ebro River is Spain’s main source of water. Up in the Pyrenees, not far from the city, sits a station tasked with realtime monitoring of rainfall, water in dams, rivers and channels using remote-sensing technology. Called Automatic Hydrological Information System of the Ebro River Basin, the station has helped maintain ecological balance in the region and keep track of the movement of animals and birds native to the region.

Walks, wine and hidden secrets

2009-12-13T18:47:00.002+08:00

Melbourne and the Yarra Valley is a rewarding destination for lovers of cuisine and culture

About the author

: Writer: Mick Shippen; Position: Reporter

Melbourne is known as Australia's city of arts, food and culture; and with good reason. It is home to excellent museums, galleries and theatres that attract culture vultures from all over Australia and the Asia-Pacific region eager to open their minds to new visual and aural experiences. With its cosmopolitan population and distinct Greek, Italian and Vietnamese districts, and the renowned Yarra Valley wineries just a short drive from the city, Melbourne also allows visitors to embark on a rich and rewarding culinary journey.

The Grand, Melbourne, one of the original buildings from the goldrush era

Hidden secrets

One of the joys of spending time in Melbourne is the fact that the city is a breeze to get around. Hopping on and off the iconic trams that offer free travel around a central city loop is a quick and convenient way to gain a snapshot of Melbourne but to discover its heart and a few of its many charms it is best explored on foot.

If you intend to stay in Melbourne for a few days, one of the best decisions you could make is to join a Hidden Secrets walking tour of the city. Owned by Fiona Sweetman, a local business woman with a passion for her home town, visitors have an inspiring selection of specialized tours to choose from - each designed to reveal a less well known face of Melbourne. Fiona and her team of knowledgeable guides infuse the excursions with a mine of information and insight about the city in a delightfully relaxed manner. The Lanes & Arcades Tour is a casual three hour walk through Melbourne's hidden lanes and arcades that reveals some of the best places to eat, drink and shop. With this invaluable eye-opening tour, you'll know exactly where to return to over the coming days to make the most of your trip. The essence of the tour is that it takes you down lanes and alleyways that you would simply walk past without a second glance but present you with a hidden gem, whether it's a bohemian caf? such as Von Haus on Grossley Street, great coffee shops and sandwich bars down colourful Degraves Street, or one of the city's many hard to find but essential dining hotspots like Cumulus Inc on Flinders Lane and Jamie Oliver's worthy Fifteen in the basement of Collins Street. Other options by Hidden Secrets include the Sommelier's City Wine Walk, and Upwardly Melbourne, a walk for those interested in architecture. To discover more visit www.hiddensecretstours.com

A panoramic view of the city as seen from the 265 metre Railto Tower

Wine tours and the Yarra Valley food trail

As one of Australia's premier wine growing regions, the Yarra Valley boasts more than 80 wineries and is responsible for exporting more than two million litres of Australia's finest wines throughout the world. The beautiful valley has a rich history of wine growing dating back to the early 1830s when Scottish cattle ranchers moved down from New South Wales and planted vines they had imported from France. Today, the region is well known domestically and internationally for its sparkling wines, including those made by French Champagne houses, Chardonnay, complex Pinot Noirs, and full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

Although the Yarra Valley has its fair share of big player wineries, touring the region also provides the chance for wine lovers to discovery many boutique producers. The smaller wineries, often with as little as 30 acres under vine, are able to exercise tight control over the product and establish brand integrity. Local day trippers and tourists have the opportunity to sample and purchase some truly exceptional small batch wines.

Graffiti is viewed as art in Melbourne and brightens up many alleyways in the city

There are several companies operating specialized wine tours out of Melbourne. One of the most respected is the Australian Wine Tour Company. Employing only wine industry professionals, the company offers a variety of tour options that entertain as well as inform wine lovers. One of the wineries on their itinerary is Yering Farm, an award-winning 30-acre vineyard producing handcrafted Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Merlot. The small operations is run by Alan Johns who handcrafts around 10,000 cases of New World wines from estate grown fruit to produce Yering Farm's high quality individual wines. Visitors can expect to sample some exceptional vintages at the cellar door, a charming converted hay shed decorated with old farming and winemaking equipment and historical maps.

Another highlight on the Australian Wine Tour Company's schedule is Giant Steps Innocent Bystander Winery. Located in the centre of the town of Healsville, this fantastic winery includes a cellar door, restaurant with wood-fired pizzeria, an artisan bakery producing excellent sourdough breads, and a cheese room and provedore. The winery, which is owned by a jazz lover and named after John Coltrane's first solo album, produces great chardonnay's and pinot noirs under the Giant Steps and Innocent Bystander labels. A visit to this fabulous winery-cum-restaurant is a must for any lover of good food and wine. For further information about wine tours visit www.austwinetourco.com.au

WHERE TO STAY

In keeping with historic and cultural roots, the Grand Hotel is the largest and finest building of the state of Victoria’s gold rush era. The majestic hotel spans an entire city block, right next to Spencer Street Station and is on the city’s circular tram route. Although recently refurbished and branded as an Accor MGallery property, architects and designers have carefully retained the building’s unique character.

As well as spacious rooms and suites, the Grand Hotel also features a renowned restaurant serving the finest seasonal local produce.

Melbourne’s quintessential ‘hotel of the arts’, the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, is another excellent choice for cultural travelers. It offers luxury and style in the city centre and often features ‘stay and see’ packages that incorporate major exhibitions, musicals and culinary tours. For further information, visit www.accorhotels.com.au

For those looking to make wine the focus of their trip to Victoria, there’s the Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort & Spa located in the heart of Yarra Valley. The resort provides the perfect place to indulge, relax and sample some of Australia’s finest wines and regional cuisine and is just an hour’s drive from Melbourne. It features its own restaurant, spa, winery and cellar door. Visit www.balgownieestate.com.au

GETTING THERE

Air Asia X has put long haul destinations on the map for budget travelers.

Holidaymakers can fly from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur and then direct to Melbourne with one of the lowest fares available.

Although it is a typically nofrills service, large business class type seating is available.

For more information on Melbourne and Victoria, visit www.visitvictoria.com

Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in the heart of Melbourne serves excellent food and provides troubled teenagers with the chance to become a top chef.

Trips around the city in a horse-drawn carriage are popular.

The local markets are a haven for food lovers.

Cycling Bangkok on The Dark side

2009-12-11T13:54:00.002+08:00

Night-time is the right time to pedal through the City of Angels

Brunch

About the author

: Writer: Pongpet Mekloy; Position: Horizons Editor

Most people might think that Bangkok and bicycles do not mix, and maybe you believe so too. Not surprisingly, such a notion seems to be backed up by many harsh realities _ the scorching sun, the city's notorious traffic, the potholes and blocked cycle lanes, those nasty stray dogs and their stinky booby traps.

Still, the truth is Bangkok is a really fun place to cycle. And if you think that is nonsense, you've never tried riding after dark.

The part of the city most popular for night-time cycling is the Rattanakosin area, especially along Ratchadamnoen Avenue, which at this celebratory time of the year is beautifully decorated to mark His Majesty the King's birthday.

But this grand thoroughfare was just a small part of the route my friends and I got to try out one recent night, one I'd wholeheartedly recommend.

It's a 20-something kilometre loop that covers small lanes and back roads on both sides of the Chao Phraya River, marked by the Rama VIII Bridge to the north and the Memorial Bridge to the south.

Our starting point was the car park of Wat Chana Songkhram (yes, that big temple near the Chakrabongse end of Khao San Road). It was about 7pm when we set off from there to a nearby bicycle shop where we met up with Toh, one of the shop's staff who would lead us along the ''secret'' route.

From the shop we headed out casually to Ratchadamnoen Avenue and continued to the foot of Phra Pin Klao Bridge.

The uneven surfaces of the streets and footpaths pose no problem if you have a proper bike. In fact such little obstacles just make the ride even more fun if you are armed with skills such as the ability to bunny hop (jumping your bike by raising the front wheel first, followed by the rear wheel) or trackstand (stopping your bike still without your feet touching the ground, for example at a red traffic light).

The reason we came to the foot of the Phra Pin Klao Bridge was to enjoy the view along the riverside walkway, from where we could also see the beautiful Rama VIII Bridge, not far away. The walkway leads up to Phra Athit Fort and Santi Chai Prakan Park, where every evening people of all ages come to enjoy various activities, from break dancing to juggling and painting.

From the park, Toh led us into a small dimly-lit lane that zigzags through the Wat Sangwet community and a few other century-old neigbourhoods before emerging at the foot of Rama VIII Bridge next to the Bank of Thailand and the majestic Bang Khun Phrom Palace, which can be seen through a tall metal gate.

Under the bridge we ran into a small group of cycling tourists who were forced to take a break because one of them had a flat tyre. Seeing that their guide was already taking care of the problem, we continued on, now carrying our bikes up to the big bridge via the steps.

The night-time vista seen from the top was breathtaking, so much so that I failed to see the fresh dog poop not far from the stairs. (Damn it!)

Wasting no time, I managed to clear off the yucky gunk from my shoe and we glided to the other end of the bridge, then got down, again, via the stairs, because we wanted to check out the open grounds on the riverside. This is a popular hangout for several groups of teenagers, from football lovers and cheerleaders to skateboarders and trial bike riders.

The local riders were not there that night, so after taking a quick look around the area we followed Toh into a soi that goes through the communities surrounding Wat Daowadueng. The small road led us to the Thon Buri end of Pin Klao Bridge.

It should be noted that all along the way the soi dogs seemed to be very well behaved. Perhaps they didn't dare to mess with us since we came in a group, or maybe because it was already dark and they were too lazy to chase us.

Anyway, we cut beneath the bridge and took the side road to Wat Dusittaram, through several old communities along the Bangkok Noi canal, the Thon Buri Railway Station, Siriraj Hospital, the Wang Lang area, Wat Rakhang, Wat Arun (the famous Temple of Dawn), Wat Lok Molee, Wat Hong Rattanaram and several old riverside communities between these temples.

By then it was almost 9pm. To avoid disturbing the local residents we skipped Wat Kallayanamit and Santa Cruz Church and opted for the main road instead. After a while full-speed sprinting along the virtually empty Arun Amarin Road we turned left into a soi that took us to Wat Prayoon and emerged at the foot of the Memorial Bridge, which was Bangkok's first bridge across the Chao Phraya River.

On the other side of the bridge is a night market and Pak Khlong Talat, the city's largest flower market. Traffic here is very heavy, with buses, taxis and tuk-tuks crowding the narrow street. But it's just a short stretch, after which we followed the quiet Maha Rat Road that runs along the west walls of Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) and the Grand Palace. Both places are beautifully illuminated at night, and Wat Pho is still open to visitors.

We didn't stop, though, because the bikes would have had to be parked outside and we didn't bring locks. So we continued to Sanam Luang and back to Wat Chana Songkhram, where the van was parked. Toh split from us there, and rode back to the bike shop.

Well, all in all, despite the dog poop incident, it was a sweet, sweet ride.

WANT TO TRY?

A number of Bangkok cycling groups do a night ride every once in a while. They usually post their itineraries on websites such as www.thaimtb.com/forum and majorbike.com inviting others to join.

For those who have no bicycle of their own and prefer a more confirmed schedule, going with an organised tour would make life easier. A small bike shop in Soi Samsen3called Velothailand offers regular night tours. For details, visit www.velothailand.com or call 089-201-7782.

Copenhagen: Europe's greenest city

2009-12-07T21:41:00.020+08:00

Politicians at the climate change summit on Monday should take a few notes from a city where the bike has taken over

The Times - Tom Chesshyre

The receptionist at the Danish Design Centre in Copenhagen was a woman of few words. “This will disappear,” she said, handing over a bag containing information on an exhibition on sustainability.

What will disappear? “The bag,” she replied as though I ought to know. What did she mean? “It is sustainable — biodegradable. In two years it will be gone.”

She pointed towards a display by the entrance. It was all about the bags. A panel said: “We have sought to raise the discussion to a higher political level, which has resulted in a higher debate about the plastic bag of the future.”

A slogan on a wall declared: “We must act now to prevent extreme climate change!” Another announced: “Design is a problem-solver in a world filled with surplus production!”

Being green is a big deal in Copenhagen — which makes it an excellent choice of venue for the United Nations Climate Change conference beginning in the city on Monday. It is, as I found on a recent weekend break, just about the greenest major city that you are ever likely to visit.

Not only are plastic bags disappearing, but also there are serious plans to make the entire city carbonneutral by 2050. This may sound hugely ambitious — verging on the impossible when you think of all the carbon emissions in a major city — but Copenhageners remain confident.

Evidence of the city’s green credentials is everywhere — in the form of thousands of bicycles. Walking out of the main railway station, I found vast bike racks spread out along the footpaths, while scores of cyclists zipped about on wellorganised cycle lanes.

There are more than 300km of these in the centre of the city, and it is estimated that 36 per cent of people cycle to work or their place of education each day.

The city hall aims to lift this figure to 50 per cent by 2015 (imagine the chaos if that happened in London), and the cycling network is so good that new cycle routes in New York have been dubbed “Copenhagen lanes”, while politicians in Melbourne describe plans to encourage cycling as “Copenhagenising”. Last year the International Cycling Union named Copenhagen its first “Bike City”.

It is easy for a weekend visitor — or perhaps some of the politicians visiting the city — to get into the mood. A bike can be hired for about £10 a day (there is an excellent rental shop in the basement of the main station) or you can borrow a bike for nothing, picking one up from one of the 110 free bike racks dotted about the city.

On a tour of the city centre I passed the funfairs of the Tivoli Gardens on the way to see the Little Mermaid statue. Then I took a spin around Christiania, the selfproclaimed “freetown” and its commune of about 1,000 mainly eco-conscious residents, where I stopped for an organic coffee and a bagel not far from the main street, nicknamed Pusher Street. This used to be a haven for drug dealers, although authorities have cracked down in recent years.

Afterwards, I cycled back to my green hotel. Copenhagen has lots of green hotels, but Hotel Guldsmeden, near the station, is just about the greenest. It is also pretty trendy. On the day I arrived, I sat in reception sipping an organic ginger juice, watching stylish guests queueing for check-in. They looked nonchalant and hip under retro ceiling lights with low-energy bulbs.

Past the foyer, an open-plan restaurant is pioneering a different kind of recyling: some of the staff are women who had previously been trafficked for prostitution in streets around the central station, where Hotel Guldsmeden is found. The hotel works with a charity that supports women caught up in the sex trade. Prostitution and illegal drugs are still rife in the area (the Guldsmeden may be green, but the streets near by are distinctly red light).

Sandra Weinert, owner of the Guldsmeden and a former designer at Lego, met me in the lobby and was soon explaining that being green seems to come naturally to people in Denmark. This, she believes, is because most Danes are brought up to use electricity sparingly, for example by turning off lights when leaving rooms.

She cycles to work every day and transports her children in a large tricycle known as a Christiana bike, which she admits is “getting pretty heavy” as her children grow.

Weinert said that Copenhageners are not “dull, serious and abstinent” about their greenness: “We know how to have fun. We enjoy good food and good wine — and lots of it.” She also believes that driving fewer cars and using bikes keeps locals healthy: “Who wants to be in a stuffy car or stuck in a metro?”

She wishes that some of the delegates for climate change conference would stay at the city’s greener hotels: “At an advance meeting for the conference, Al Gore stayed at a hotel with air-conditioning. How could he have done that?”

The Guldsmeden, which has 129 rooms (it’s a proper hotel, not a twee boutique hideaway with green pretensions), would make a good eco-choice. Along with the low-energy bulbs, there are motiontriggered lights in halls, and a policy of buying electricity from a Norwegian company that uses wind turbines and wave technology.

Towels are used for three days before being washed. All rubbish is recycled. Much of the furniture consists of bamboo (considered a green choice). Organic toiletries are provided in refillable bottles. And each year the hotel uses less electricity and water for what it calls “sustainable, nouveau bohemian living”.

Copenhagen is so green that it is hard not to feel a bit overwhelmed, and the targets set for yet more greenery are extraordinary. Every fifth product in shops must be organic by 2015, and there is also a pledge that no city resident should have to walk for more than 15 minutes to reach a green area or waterway.

Impressed by such forward-thinking policies, the trend-setting magazine Monocle last year rated the city as the best place to live in the world. Maybe Copenhagen’s greenness will rub off on the politicians meeting there next week? Perhaps we can look forward to a Copenhagenised world?

Need to know

Getting there SAS (flysas.com) has flights from Heathrow to Copenhagen from £65. Lastminute.com also sells flights and has hotels from about £65 a night.

Staying green Hotel Guldsmeden Axel (hotelguldsmeden.com) has B&B rooms from about £125; the basement spa, full of organic beauty products, costs an extra £30 a day. Try the organic restaurant too.

Bikes Most hotels rent out bikes for about £10 a day, and there is a bike rental shop in the basement of the central railway station. Or try one of the free bikes (some of which are not in quite as good repair as rentals) from one of the free bike racks. You need to pay a deposit.

Greenery galore The Visit Copenhagen website (visitcopenhagen.com) is a great starting point for eco-tips. See also Visit Denmark’s website (visitdenmark.com) and the Danish Design Centre (www.ddc.dk).

- Edited by holiday destiny

Napa Valley's top secrets

2009-11-25T02:35:00.001+08:00

(Budget Travel) -- You don't need us to tell you that Napa Valley is a nice place to visit. What you do need is a way to lose the masses.

Napa's 400 wineries produce only 4 percent of the state's wine. The focus here is quality, not quantity.

1. There aren't that many vineyards

Although it has casually been dubbed California's wine country, Napa Valley is hardly the state's largest wine-producing region (that honor goes to San Joaquin Valley, 80 miles southeast). Napa's 400 wineries produce only 4 percent of the state's wine. The focus here is quality, not quantity.

2. A kitchen shop with character

Shackford's Kitchen Store in downtown Napa has a seemingly endless selection of gleaming gizmos: cupcake molds, paella pans, cappuccino makers. But the most compelling item in the place is John Shackford himself, a true Napa legend who runs the shop with his wife, daughter, and granddaughter. At 80, Shackford works in the store six days a week, just as he has for the past 34 years, punching an antique cash register, hand-printing receipts, and calling his customers by first name. 1350 Main St., Napa, 707/226-2132.

Budget Travel gallery: See Napa's secret places

3. A wine tour using legs, not limos

In the town of Napa, 18 tasting rooms stand within easy walking distance of one another, and a $20 Taste Napa Downtown card gets you a pour at 13 of them. Officially, each winery is supposed to charge you 10 cents to do the tasting, but most won't take your dime. napadowntown.com.

4. The Preiser Key tells all

Consider Monty and Sara Preiser your all-knowing wine country guides. They're the couple who in March 2007 launched The Preiser Key to Napa Valley, a free booklet that comes as close as possible to listing every Napa wine label (over 800) and restaurant (170) -- but no chains! The Key also includes detailed maps of the region. They put out a new issue three times a year and distribute it all throughout the valley. preiserkey.com.

5. It's all casual, all the time

In Napa, there's no such thing as a dress code, even in the poshest places. So that bearded guy in weathered blue jeans sitting at the next table? He's just the billionaire from next door.

6. Fainting goats. Yes, fainting goats

In Calistoga, a town near the top of the valley known for its hot springs, there's a regularly erupting geyser called -- you guessed it -- Old Faithful. You'll want to tread lightly; the area near the geyser is also home to a herd of Tennessee fainting goats, a quirky breed with a nervous-system disorder that causes them to keel over (harmlessly and temporarily) when startled. 1299 Tubbs Ln., Calistoga, 707/942-6463, oldfaithfulgeyser.com, $10 adults, $3 kids 6-12.

7. Real sleeper cars

At the recently refurbished Napa Valley Railway Inn, seven suites, fashioned from 100-year-old train cars, lie on the dormant tracks of the Napa Valley Railroad, which went out of passenger service in 1929. Black-and-white photos of the old Yountville train station adorn the walls, and the cupolas, once used as lookout posts by railway employees, serve as skylights. An eighth car, a quaint red caboose, was converted into a coffeehouse this summer. 6523 Washington St., Yountville, 707/944-2000, napavalleyrailwayinn.com, from $125.

8. The road less traveled

When the traffic bottlenecks on Highway 29, Napa's central thoroughfare, find salvation on the 35-mile Silverado Trail, a pastoral road along the valley's eastern edge that's lined with world-class, often small-batch wineries whose labels you're unlikely to find at your local grocery store. silveradotrail.com.

9. The two-wheel option

Founded 22 years ago, Napa Valley Bike Tours is an area fixture. Among the staff's favorite routes to lead you on is the Rutherford Loop, a 16-mile spin that meanders through the Rutherford and Oakville appellations, known for their cabernets, before depositing you back at the shop. If you'd rather go solo, you can pick up a map with other suggested routes. 6795 Washington St., Bldg. B, Yountville, 800/707-2453, napavalleybiketours.com, tours from $134, rentals $35 per day.

10. There's a respectable oil industry

Forget grapes -- olives are another treasured Napa crop. Round Pond Estate, one of the valley's top olive oil producers, offers guided tours that lead you from harvest to mill and culminate in tastings paired with cheese and freshly baked bread. 886 Rutherford Rd., Rutherford, 888/302-2575, roundpond.com, tours $25, by appointment.

11. Wineries double as art galleries

A heart-shaped sculpture by pop artist Jim Dine greets visitors at Cliff Lede Vineyards, one of several wineries that put prized private collections on free display (1473 Yountville Cross Rd., Yountville, 800/428-2259, cliffledevineyards.com, tastings from $20). At Artesa Vineyards & Winery, a waterfall-flanked stairway leads to a tasting room that could pass for a museum. Credit artist-in-residence Gordon Huether, who mounts dramatic glass, metal, and canvas installations that change throughout the year (1345 Henry Rd., Napa, 707/224-1668, artesawinery.com, tastings from $10).

12. A vineyard tour with a third-generation owner

The best Napa Valley wine tours go beyond the tasting room. At Gamble Family Vineyards, owner Tom Gamble takes you on a hay-bale ride through his organic and sustainable vineyards, on land his grandfather first farmed almost a century ago. This is no cookie-cutter tour; it's a chance to hear wine-making tales from a third-generation Napa native -- and taste an old-vine Syrah and a robust cabernet. 707/944-2999, gamblefamilyvineyards.com, by appointment, free with suggested purchase of two to four bottles of wine, bottles from $25.

13. A supersize mineral bath

The nearly Olympic-size pool at Indian Springs Resort and Spa, fed by geysers and infused with minerals, is naturally warm -- typically 102 degrees in winter and 92 in summer -- and preternaturally relaxing. A single spa treatment, like a vitamin C facial or a volcanic-ash mud bath, comes with an all-day pass to the pool. Rooms and cottages in the Spanish-style resort, many with private patios, are pictures of casual comfort. 1712 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, 707/942-4913, indianspringscalistoga.com, treatments from $65, rooms from $185.

14. The valley's most awesome view

The subtle drama of Napa is never more obvious than when you're sitting on a veranda on a hill overlooking the vineyards. Auberge du Soleil, a high-end resort on the eastern side of the valley, has one of the region's best spots for taking in the view. Forget booking a $575 (or more) room; a shaded terrace out back opens up onto the valley below, and everyone is welcome for sparkling wine at sunset or cappuccinos in the morning -- the perfect time to take in hot-air balloons rising through the mist. 180 Rutherford Hill Rd., Rutherford, 707/963-1211, aubergedusoleil.com, sparkling wine from $13.

15. Even the malls are gourmet

Founded by Steve Carlin (who helped start San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace), the Oxbow Public Market feels like it belongs in an epicurean fantasy. In a concrete building that calls to mind an industrial barn, 23 artisanal vendors sell everything from strawberry-balsamic ice cream (from Three Twins) to soothing oolong (Tillerman Tea) to peanut-butter-and-chocolate cupcakes (Kara's Cupcakes). 610 and 644 1st St., Napa, oxbowpublicmarket.com.

16. And even the beans are better here

Rebosero. Flageolet. Black and white runners. In a world overrun with plain-tasting and industrially processed pinto beans, Steve Sando is committed to preserving heirloom legumes. His love for the earthy flavors of distinct organic strains has given rise to Rancho Gordo, a bean-centric specialty store whose coveted products can be found at top California markets and at restaurants across the country. 1924 Yahome St., Napa, 707/259-1935, ranchogordo.com, beans from $5 per pound.

17. A taco to remember

No reservations required at La Luna Market & Taqueria, a home-style Mexican takeout counter. Get there before noon, at which point locals have already started to line up. Adventurous eaters swear allegiance to the smoldering tacos al pastor (spicy, marinated pork). 1153 Rutherford Rd., Rutherford, 707/963-3211, lalunamarket.com, tacos from $1.75.

18. Anything's possible

House-made granola. Lavender-dusted almonds. Yoga gear. These are just a few of the things you can get at Ubuntu Annex, a tasting room and variety store that opened in June two doors down from its eclectic sister spot, chef Jeremy Fox's acclaimed vegetable restaurant (please, not "vegetarian") and yoga studio Ubuntu. 1130 Main St., Napa, 707/251-5656, ubuntunapa.com, almonds $8.

19. 150-foot-tall redwood trees

The footpaths in Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, a peaceful swatch of green just down the road from the Beringer winery, provide a perfect way to work off food-and-wine-related excess. The six-plus-mile hike that connects the Ritchey Canyon Trail and the Redwood Trail runs past Douglas firs and the easternmost stands of redwoods in California. 3801 St. Helena Hwy. N., Calistoga, 707/942-4575, parks.ca.gov.

20. A local dive bar with class

Pancha's of Yountville is just the kind of place where the guy slumped on the bar stool next to you might start giving you tasting notes on his margarita. This is where Napa's winemakers come to unwind (and unwind and unwind). Expect to eavesdrop on gossip about rivalries and romances that seem sprung from Falcon Crest. 6764 Washington St., Yountville, 707/944-2125.

Oasis Of The Seas: world's biggest cruise ship unveiled

2009-11-23T01:37:00.001+08:00

The inside of the world's biggest cruise ship, Oasis Of The Seas, has been shown to the public for the first time.

Oasis of the Seas Photo: Simon Brooke-Webb/PA

The 225,000-tonne leviathan was shown unveiled at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, by the US company Royal Caribbean.

Oasis of the Seas Photo: PA

Until now, the inside of the 1,187ft long ship, which can carry 6,296 passengers, has been a closely guarded secret as it travelled through the Baltic and across the Atlantic for its launch.

It even made a brief stop in the Solent earlier this month, but no-one was allowed to look inside.

The ship was given a glamorous launch live on US television. Pop star Rihanna performed a concert on board and two of the ship was even given two "godmothers" - for the ship were named as the actress Jane Seymour and the singer Gloria Estefan.

The £800 million vessel is 40 per cent bigger than any other cruise ship afloat and it has the "Central Park" style open air space aboard about size of a football pitch with its own micro-climate and trees.

It means that guests can have the option of a sea or tree view and 254 rooms with balconies overlook the park.

In addition, there is a bar called Rising Tide that moves between three of the 16 passenger decks.

So passengers cannot get lost, a computerised room finder on each floor near the lifts makes sure they can find their way home through the ship's seven neighbourhoods.

It also has a 750-seat AquaTheater modelled on an ancient Greek amphitheatre, located at the stern of the ship.

It allows guests on board the chance of lounging around the biggest pool afloat in the day and going back at night for shows including acrobatics, synchronised swimming, water ballet, and professional high-diving.

Other amenities include loft-style apartments and an ice rink, plus the usual pools, 24 restaurants, a casino and even a carousel.

Oasis of the Seas, which was built in Finland, is so big its exhaust stack retracts so it can pass under bridges as it travels the world. Its owners claim it is the most technologically advanced cruise ship in the world.

Cruising continues to grow in popularity in Britain and America despite the recession with Royal Caribbean building another ship of the same size due to enter service next year.

This represents a £1.6 billion investment in the industry by the company with competitors like P&O and Cunard also expanding their fleets in Britain and America in recent years.

However, the recession is biting into the industry with new ship launches dramatically down this year.

Royal Caribbean said it has not sold out all its cruises on the new ship.

Despite the downturn, figures from the Passenger Shipping Association project that 1.55 million Britons are expected to take a cruise holiday in 2009 - up from 1.35 million last year.

By 2012 it estimated 2.2 million Britons will take a cruise. This is a doubling of the UK cruise industry in 10 years.

There will now be a series of further celebrations on board until the ship goes on its first paying cruise on December 1.

Prices start from £1,786 for a nine-night eastern Caribbean fly-cruise on board the ship.