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24 hours in...Singapore
Travel / Intrnational Travel
Written by : Christine Laskowski
Sep 1, 2008
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8:30am: The Singapore Zoo. Get an
early start, as the animals do. See the
white tigers, kangaroos, pygymy hippos
and Abyssinian baboons. From 9- 10 am
daily, the Singapore Zoo features its Jungle
Breakfast with Wildlife where you can eat
your croissants and fresh fruit with the
world's largest number of orangutans in
captivity.
11:30am: Mandai Orchid Garden. Located
within the Singapore Botanic Gardens and
home to over 200 varieties of orchids, some
of which are available for purchase, as well
as for tasting. Yes, if you want to sample
some on a plate, have lunch at Vanilla
Pod Restaurant and Bar and sample these
beautiful orchids in a range of gourmet
dishes, from crab salads to mango crème
brulee.
12:30pm: Arab District. Check out the
Sultan Mosque and roam around its pastelcolored
stucco streets, lined with palm trees.
Reminds you of a bazaar, in that superclean,
somnolent ... ... |
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My grandfather was born in Xiamen
Travel / Intrnational Travel
Written by : Jean Wong
Sep 1, 2008
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As a first generation Canadian immigrant from
the massive pre-1997 Hong Kong exodus, neither
myself nor my parents ever envisioned me returning
to China. Yet I have always felt an irresistible
draw to my homeland. Having led a rather nomadic or as
some have called it, "cosmopolitan" lifestyle, I still continue
to struggle with the question of home and identity.
Rewind a few months and you will find me at a crossroads
in my life, not knowing where to go next or what to do. So I
packed up as much as I could carry and got on a plane to
China. I decided to visit Fujian province, where my grandfather
was born- my heung ha. It seemed like a good place to
start my journey of self-discovery.
As soon as I landed in Xiamen, it felt much easier to
breathe. I had left behind the humid and polluted air of
Guangzhou and exchanged it for a crisp and slightly salty
breeze. Palm trees lined every avenue. I was almost convinced
I had ... ... |
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On Safari in the Masai Mara
Travel / Intrnational Travel
Written by : Christopher Lay
Sep 1, 2008
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As we dropped below the clouds, the plains of the
Masai Mara National Game Reserve sprang into
view. At first glance, the fields and hills appeared
barren and I wondered if the pilot had taken a
wrong turn. However, as the plane descended, visitors began
excitedly pointing out animals on the ground. As our Air
Kenya flight came to a stop, it was clear from the giraffe near
the runway that we were no longer in bustling Nairobi.
Although there are a host of hotels, resorts and camps to
choose from when visiting the Masai Mara, we stayed at the
Governors' Camp, located within the Reserve along a calm
stretch of the Mara River. Not only did this cut down driving
times to view the spectacular scenery, but the animals also
came into the camp. Each night, we were serenaded by the
snorts and hoots of the Mara River hippos as they sang to
one another. We witnessed hippos, giraffes, elephants, bush
babies, warthogs, bats and a guidebook's ... ... |
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An Indian serenade
Travel / Intrnational Travel
Written by : Elyse Singleton
May 9, 2008
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India
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| India in the summer is hot. Not just warm; we're talking 42 degrees type of hot. Hot enough that you drink whole liters of water without even noticing; hot enough that small blisters form on your skin and, at night, under the restless turning of the fan; hot enough that you can't sleep.
At 4am, we wake to take the train from Delhi to Agra, home of that famous marbled beauty, The Taj Mahal. It was a long process trying to buy tickets – we went from station to offices and on to other offices until finally they were procured. In the early morning, we trekked through the Paharganj, Delhi's backpacker area. It's seedy at the best of times, but now with the shutters down and the sleeping bodies of families strewn on cardboard in the street or on carts, it's positively eerie.
At Agra, we teased ourselves by not going to the Taj on the first day, but by visiting minor tombs, and catching glimpses of the palace from various parts of ... ... |
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Feel the difference in Dalian
Travel / Regional Travel
Written by : Christian Edwards
May 9, 2008
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Dalian
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| So then, find yourself on the appropriately named First Japanese Street and you'll quickly realize there is no city in China quite like Dalian.
Not far from these leafy sidewalks, and behind Victory Bridge, the newly glitzified Russia Street, complete with hawkers touting mini-Stalin dolls, Stalin lighters and Stalin night lamps recall a time when French-influenced Soviet architects were busy trying to help redecorate Russia's new toehold in Asia. It's a sight to behold.
Yet for such a young and buoyant city that so clearly delights in its internationalism, Dalian also hides a painful past that is difficult to reconcile. Gleaming streets and fantastic bars full of giggling Korean students, hard-drinking Japanese salarymen and Russian working girls are testimony to one of China's greatest metropolitan success stories. Dalian has indeed come along way from the brutality of the last century; a century where foreign ambitions and ranging ... ... |
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That's Zhuhai
Travel / Local Travel
Written by : Christopher Cottrell
Apr 2, 2008
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Zhuhai
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| If you go down to the coast ?today youíll find a big surprise. . .
Twenty years ago, it was a sleepy fishing village. Today, it's preparing for six luxury marinas to become the yachting capital of South China. Welcome to the new Zhuhai, a city where the economic tide is rising in tandem with the new Macau. Of course, it's going to take a few more years before the bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai is finally complete, but now is the time to get acquainted with the subtle splendors of this Pearl River seaside city. Try our tourist sampler list for size. . .
Ambient dining destinations
Alain's Belgian Beer Bar
It's a perfect setting for amorous pairs or amicable get-togethers over supper.
Here they serve a great selection of fresh Belgian ales, chicken steaks and scrumptious chips. The long dripping candles, large tables and buttery walls will also remind you that Zhuhai is a very special economic zone indeed. Reservations for at the ... ... |
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The jewel of the South Pacific
Travel / Intrnational Travel
Written by : Daniel Schwarz
Apr 2, 2008
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| Palau Island is one of God's most perfect creations.
Some places need no introduction. They are so famous that merely mentioning their name is enough to provoke rapture in those who have visited, and envy in those who have not. Admittedly, Palau is not one of these places. But it should be.
Palau, a small Pacific island nation, is more likely to produce blank stares than any kind of reverence. So I set out to find more about Palau. While it certainly wouldn't have the historical glamour of Easter Island, Palau really is paradise. It is famous among Pacific travelers for its stunning variety of ocean life. While I was excited by this fact, I was still skeptical. But these nagging doubts were dispelled before we even hit the tarmac in Palau.
After hours of nothing but uninterrupted ocean panoramas, the outer reef of Palau appeared on the horizon. This thin blue line is all that separates the islands of Palau from the vastness of the Pac ... ... |
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Pastime pleasures in Pingyao
Travel / Regional Travel
Written by : Lee Ambrozy, photos by Lee Ambrozy and Lucia Pedrero
Apr 2, 2008
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| Amble through this ancient town in Shanxi Province.
First light in Shanxi. The carriage window reveals a horizon broken by enormous red, blue and white characters on low brick hamlets. The fields are dusty and devoid of tractors; the air is perfumed by the Lao Chen Vinegar brewery. As the train nears the city of Pingyao, this groggy tourist feels that she is journeying back in time – or to a China of the imagination.
Indeed, Pingyao embodies what many foreigners hope to find in China. It's a jewel of Ming and Qing architecture with elegant courtyard homes, stellar temples and a complete city wall. This physical beauty is the fruit of Pingyao's eventful history. Strategically located at the crossroads of the Han heartland, the town grew wealthy in imperial times through commerce and banking. In 1824, native son Lei Lutai opened China's first draft bank, the Sunrise Prosperity Draft Bank. The city was China's financial capital during the 19th c ... ... |
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24hours in Zhongshan
Travel / Local Travel
Written by : Cen Jieying
Apr 2, 2008
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| A city that loves to kickback.
In 1997, during my very first visit to Zhongshan, hometown to the famous?political Chinese hero Sun Yet-sen, I was instantly struck by afree-spirited joyfulness rarely felt in Guangdong Province. I also fell in love with the city's tree-shaded lanes, the calmness, and the old houses, of which the roofs had grass growing on the tiles.
And yet here was a city, as I return 11 years later, which still hasn't caught the economic tidal wave that has swept through most of the PRD. Zhongshan remains one of the least money-oriented cities in a province moving at staggering speed, with a more civilized pace and a more free-wheeling take on life. In fact, it makes you rather giddy to be here. . .
Firstly, the best place to be introduced to Zhongshan is Qi Jiang Park, along the Qi River in the commercial district. Like many cities in China and around the world, life begins and ends on the river. Everything comes back to fashion, ... ... |
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