Virtual tour of the ancient temples of Angkor Wat

Thanks to Google, you can now take a virtual tour from your own computer to visit the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.  Google Street View now touts around 90,000 panoramic images of the vast 12th century Khmer wonder. Click on the link below to start your tour! http://www.google.com/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/streetview/treks/angkor/#angkor-wat Note: low-end PC might experience poor performance

Travel in Gangnam style

The viral music video has been viewed more than 150 million times on YouTube since mid-July, propelling South Korean rapper Psy to international celebrity status and launching a dance craze that’s made it socially acceptable for adults to ride imaginary horses in public. (video at the end of the post) Lots of fans are aware Psy is singing about a place but many are still wondering: Where ...

Thailand – Park fees rise

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has announced that the entrance cost at many popular national parks in Thailand will increase because of rising management costs. The new rates will be imposed at 29 “Grade A” national parks and will be effective from 1 October 2012. Eight parks in the North; four in the Northeast; three in ...

Thailand – New island airport

Airline Kan Air has invested USD$25 million into the construction of an airport on Koh Phangan Island in the Gulf of Thailand. The facility is due to be completed on the eastern side of the island next year and will have a small air terminal and a 1,100 meter runway. It will provide a non-stop link with Bangkok’s Don Muang ...

Thailand – Heavyweight contest

Some of the world’s largest competitors will showcase their skills in the sports of football, tug-of-war, and physical combat in the Thai province of Surin in November. Weighing as much as 5,000-kg apiece, the elephant participants will also showcase their more sensitive nature with a beauty pageant, a table arrangement contest, followed by an elephant buffet with a table virtually ...

Thailand – ‘Cleansing the soul’

Thailand will unite to celebrate the Loy Krathong festival on Wednesday, 28 November 2012 when people pay their respects to the goddess of the waters by floating candlelit offerings on waterways across the kingdom. The word Loy literally means “to float” and Krathong means a raft; and people make small floating rafts from a variety of materials that are decorated ...

Starwood skis into Asia-Pacific

With the winter sports season underway in the northern hemisphere, skiers have an exciting new option with the recent opening of Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ first dual-branded ski resort in China. The Westin Changbaishan and Sheraton Changbaishan resorts are located adjacent to the slopes of northeast China’s Changbai mountain range, near the border with North Korea, in the province of ...

Slope off in China

Skiers still have until late March to enjoy this year’s white powder, and a resort in China offers one of the best options in Asia. The Yabuli Ski Resort, located in the northernmost province of Heilongjiang, is praised as China’s Davos. It is built on Yabuli Sun Mountain, part of the Changbai Mountain Range, about 180-km southeast of the province’s ...

Singapore – Race still on track

The Singapore Grand Prix is to remain on the Formula One calendar for another five years after organizers agreed a new five-year deal with the sport’s governing body. The race is hugely popular with the motor industry, tour operators and motivation companies. Singapore reportedly enjoyed an average 400,000 race visitors each year for the five years to 2012. The new ...

Singapore – Forest of the future

Diners with a head for heights will soon be able to enjoy dinner at “Supertree Bistro” situated atop a 50 meter high “Supertree” in Bay South at Gardens by the Bay. Although its official name has not been declared yet, the 80-seat bistro is scheduled to open in June 2013. It is part of an ambitious project that will boast ...

Shanghai – New era of luxury

The Mandarin Oriental Pudong – scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2013 – will mark the debut of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in Shanghai. Located on the east bank of the Huangpu River, amidst the dramatic skyline of the Lujiazui financial district, the property offers 362-rooms and 210 fully serviced executive apartments. It is situated within Harbour ...

Shanghai ‘Good Luck’ Hotel

With a radical design to rival Singapore’s “cruise-ship-on-stilts” shaped Marina Bay Sands – the newest landmark hotel in China has grabbed global headlines for its horseshoe shape. The Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort near Shanghai has been labeled the “horseshoe hotel” by locals because of its curved U-shape. The eye-catching 27-level building is actually a full oval, with two basement ...

Pandering to pandas

China & Asia Travel Service’s new excursion offers guests the opportunity to get up close and personal with giant pandas through a volunteer stint at the Bifengxia Panda Reserve. This activity offers a greater experience than visiting a zoo or a wildlife park as participants play a prominent role in caring for the endangered creatures. The Bifengxia Panda Reserve is ...

Myanmar – Cushioning beds shortage

Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has announced the supply of 1,670 new hotel rooms over next year to help reduce the acute shortage of mid-range and high-end accommodation in the former capital Yangon. The Ministry’s Directorate of Hotels and Tourism said the 270-room Centrepoint Towers Hotel in Yangon, and the 100-room Nawarat Hotel in Hlaing Township are among the ...

Moon Festival and National Day Holidays in China

China and Asia Travel Service would like to wish all of our friends and clients a happy Moon Festival as people in China and several other Asian countries prepare to celebrate from 30th September to 7th October 2012. Otherwise known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Moon Festival is a very important harvest festival celebrated in China, across Asia, and in ...

Latest News on Haiyan Typhoon

Haiyan – the massive storm that lashed the Philippines – weakened to a category one hurricane when it hit northern Vietnam early today. Despite this there were still winds of up to 75mph. Nearly a million people were evacuated from the central Vietnam provinces before the path of Haiyan turned further north. The typhoon passed very close to the Chinese ...

Laos – Inaugural flight

Bangkok Airways will fly to Vientiane on 1 December 2012 marking the carrier’s first-ever connection to the Lao capital. The Airbus A319 aircraft will depart Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 8:15am and arrive in Vientiane at 9:30am. The return flight will leave Vientiane at 10.10am and land in Bangkok at 11.25am. The new connection commences during the current “Visit Laos ...

Laos – Faster cross-country links

A new railway bridge is planned between Laos and Thailand near to the Laos-Thai Friendship Bridge which connects Nong Khai province in Thailand with Vientiane Prefecture in Laos. Although the existing Friendship Bridge accommodates two round-trip train services in the morning and afternoon, the train crossing delays all vehicular traffic for at least 15 minutes each time. Therefore, the governments ...

Japan – Train with less strain

An energy-efficient bullet train has just been launched – the first new model to take to the tracks in five years. The Central Japan Railway Co. said the new Shinkansen train has several new features designed to ensure it runs more firmly at high speeds thanks to a function that ensures automated running while maintaining maximum speeds set for each ...

Indonesia – Reaching for the stars

The race to build the world’s tallest building has been active ever since the first skyscraper – the Home Insurance Building – was built in Chicago in 1885. Now, a structure planned for the Indonesian capital Jakarta will take over the title of the highest building in South East Asia when it is completed between 2017 and 2020. The planned ...

Indonesia – Bali steps up a gear

Bali is counting down to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting next year with a series of measures designed to showcase the best the resort island has to offer. All the island’s tourism stakeholders are gearing up to ensure visitors gain the best experiences and for hotels, this means having professional “liaison officers” on hand to ensure that guests ...

Indonesia – Airport expansion

Work has started on the expansion of Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in order to increase passenger handling capacity to 62 million by the 2014 project completion date. The expansion of the biggest international gateway in Indonesia holds strategic significance as the country prepares for full integration into the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015. Paul Andreau, a French architect famous for ...

Hong Kong – Time to tipple

Glasses containing the world’s finest wines will be raised when the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival kicks off a month long epicurean feast of wine-themed events. The island’s love affair with wine started long before city authorities abolished tax on it in 2009 ensuring a huge growth in the number of wine cellars. Now, even Chinese restaurants have sommeliers ...

Hong Kong – Food fit for a palace

The Michelin two-star Shang Palace has just reopened after an extensive refurbishment and the Cantonese restaurant now offers a 42-sq-m private dining room that is perfect for business events. Situated within the Kowloon Shangri-la in Tsim Sha Tsui, the new restaurant interior features traditional red and gold hues, matched with beige and white for a modern contemporary look. New facilities ...

Beautiful hyperlapse of Guangzhou city in China

Guangzhou’2012/CHINA from zweizwei

Full bloom in Japan

It is now time to view the cherry blossom festival in Japan as parts of the country are blessed with groves of cherry trees in full blossom. Known as Hanami, this is an important Japanese custom held all over the country in spring. Hanami literally means ‘viewing flowers’, but it generally indicates viewing cherry blossoms at this specific season of ...

Free Tours in Taipei!

Transit or transfer passengers with 7 to 24 hours before their next connecting flight, and who have a valid R.O.C visa or eligible for visa-exempt entry can now participate a half day tour in Taipei for FREE!! You can go to www.immigration.gov.tw for a complete list of visa-exempt entry countries.  Citizens from India, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia who hold ...

China – Rising in the East

The Swire Hotel Group is planning to unveil the EAST Beijing hotel at the end of this month, following on from the launch of the EAST Hong Kong in January 2010. Located in the capital’s Chaoyang district, EAST Beijing will feature 369 rooms, including 23 suites, all of which have iPod touch technology and complimentary Wi-Fi. Facilities include a gym, ...

China – New Airport Approval

Chinese government has granted approval to start construction of a second airport outside the capital Beijing. Deliberations over the building of a new airport began two years ago as China’s economic boom outstripped the capacity of the existing Beijing Capital International Airport. The latter has a designated volume set at 76 million passengers a year. The latest government figures state ...

China – Conrad enters Beijing

Scheduled to open before the end of this year, The Conrad Beijing will offer guests a convenient stay in the center of the capital’s premier business district, near the recently built China Central TV Tower. For tourists, the hotel is also near to the sightseeing spots of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Also close by is Wangfujing Street, a ...

Shanghai – Budget on the bund

A new boutique hotel set along Shanghai’s prestigious Bund offers river views and an elegant and intimate experience at a fraction of the cost of the global brand hotels that line this high-end district of the city. The Les Suites Orient Bund Shanghai Hotel provides guests with a special brand of art deco design in the center of the city ...

Best Urban Hike in Asia – Hong Kong

Few major world cities have sprawling rural areas so close to the central business district as Hong Kong and this excursion heads to the celebrated Dragon’s Back trail which Time magazine has declared as the “Best Urban Hike in Asia”. The designated walk offers stunning views of coastal villages, sandy beaches, offshore islands, sheltered bays and the South China Sea. The Dragon’s ...

Beijing National Museum Expansion

The National Museum in Beijing has become one of the capital’s biggest cultural draws following a USD$380 million refurbishment that gained it recognition as the world’s largest museum. Located at the Eastern end of Tiananmen Square, the museum has over 200,000 sq-m of display space and a collection of over one million cultural relics spread over an area the size ...

Beijing – 798 reasons to visit

A new China & Asia Travel Service’s Beijing half-day tour titled “The Art of Shopping Beijing” takes guests to the capital city’s cutting edge 798 art district, an area with an abundance and eclectic mix of art museums, gallery spaces, public art and a profusion of shops. Political, cultural, and economic combustion created 798’s edgy, fascinating contemporary art scene and ...

Asian Markets – Vietnam Ben Thanh Market

In the ongoing series about the Asia continent’s best markets, we next highlight Ben Thanh Market, the oldest trading place in Ho Chi Minh City. Located in the heart of District 1 next to Saigon’s equivalent of the Arc de Triomphe traffic circle, Ben Thanh Market is one of the most iconic buildings in the city and images of the ...

Asian Markets – Or Tor Kor Market

In Asia Talk’s ongoing series about the continent’s best markets, we next highlight Bangkok’s Or Tor Kor Market which has been ranked the fourth best market in the world by CNN Go. Preceded in global terms only by La Boqueria Market in Barcelona; Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo; and Union Square Farmer’s Market in New York City, Or Tor Kor ...

Asian Markets – Luang Prabang Market

In Asia Talk’s ongoing series about the continent’s best markets, we next highlight Luang Prabang Night Market situated in the former capital of Laos. The UNESCO-listed city is a hybrid of French Indochinese architecture and Theravada Buddhist temples and is framed by a magnificent mountain backdrop. The market offers the best collection of handicrafts in the country. It is located along ...

Hong Kong Markets – Kowloon City Wet Market

In Asia Talk’s ongoing series about the continent’s best markets, we next highlight Kowloon City Wet Market in Hong Kong which has been ranked tenth in a CNN Travel survey of the world’s best fresh food markets. This facility raises the bar in a metropolis known for the quantity and quality of its wet markets. The freshness of the produce ...

72 hour visa-free stay in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou

Effective on January 1st, 2013, both Beijing and Shanghai will allow transit passengers from 45 countries to stay in these cities for up to 72 hours without a visa. Shanghai has already been offering visa-free transit stays for some certain passport-holders for a maximum of 48 hours. In Shanghai, transit passengers holding third country visas and plane tickets can enter Shanghai through the city’s two ...

2013 China Fam Tour

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Indonesia – Sky is the limit

Situated on top of one of the tallest buildings in Jakarta, the recently opened SKYE Lounge and Restaurant offers dining 56 floors up, with a stunning view of the capital’s business district. This high altitude hotspot on BCA Tower is currently the biggest draw in town and attracts a nightly crowd of models and socialites. SKYE is divided into two ...