Today’s Pic - Sunset over Baghdad
The amazing tale of the most travelled Rum
Benny’s most travelled Rum!
Our friend Ben has spent the last seven years traveling all over the world as a diving instructor and he’s been to some amazing places and seen some amazing sights.
He recently came back home for a couple of weeks and managed to bring back with him what must be the most travelled bottle of rum this side of the equator.
This lovely drop which is cheaper than bottled water where it comes from in Roatan - Bay of Islands has been lovingly carried all the way back to Australia through thick and thin from:
Laceiba - Honduras to
The Grand Cayman Islands
then over to Jamaica
down to Curacoa in the ABC Islands
over to Columbia and all over the Carribian Coast
next stop: Bolivia, then Argentina,
all the back to New Zealand and then home to
Australia!
Have you got a great travel tale?
We’d love to hear it, so get in touch with us and sumbit your story!
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Flight of fancy? A close look at the new Virgin Australia
A week on from the fan fare and hype in Australia for the re-branding launch of Virgin Australia. Urban Globetrotter takes an in depth look at the Virgin Australia outlook.
SIR Richard Branson landed last week with a pocket full of notes which he believes are the secret to becoming Australia’s best airline. His personal assistant has the unenviable task of making sense of the scribbles Sir Richard takes when talking to his staff on flights around the world.
This pocket full of scraps has led him to installing new premium economy seats across the fleet which he believes to be “the most comfortable in the world”, food designed by celebrity chef Luke Mangan and in-flight gadgets galore. All of which can be found on the airlines new A330-200 and Boeing 737-800. “I flew in from America this morning and I have a pocket full of notes on little things like the new uniform and how we made it more comfortable,” Mr Branson said at the launch of Virgin Australia. “We make sure all these little things are right for the staff and to make sure they are 100 per cent happy.”
Virgin Australia CEO, John Borghetti, said it is the airline’s crew who decide ultimately what passengers will experience. “We have consumer feedback, emails, random surveys but one of the most important elements of information is the crew because they see things every day and they know what works and doesn’t and what should be changed,” he said.
“The majority of the changes we have made have come from the crew. “We talk about the cabin interior and making seats bigger and more comfortable, but above all I think what the people want apart from a smooth operation is service – a friendly, genuine, engaging service and that’s something we have got and will continue to provide as we have but step up one more level, which we will,” he said.
Virgin’s much touted new service and “luxury” additions have raised questions about another increase in the cost of airline tickets, but Sir Richard counters with the belief that a better business class offering is the secret to keeping economy travellers happy.
“By capturing the business traveller on Virgin Australia, that will enable us to afford better seats in economy and it we can then also address the fare problem and be more competitive,” he said. So it seems that a premium economy will offset a normal economy when it comes to flight tickets in this very crowded airline market.John Borghetti has had something of a bumpy journey since he took the helm of Virgin Blue last year, with Queensland’s floods and cyclone, stratospheric jet fuel prices, flight delays and regulatory rejections making for a challenging start to his tenure. It does seem that finally the pieces of his strategy are falling into place.
A key plank of the Borghetti strategy of shifting his airline – rebranded Virgin Australia last week – slightly up-market to compete with Qantas for business travellers has been to create a virtual international network through alliances with other, bigger carriers. There are a number of rationales for the strategy, which is broadly aimed at boosting the volumes and importantly the yields of passengers carried on its domestic network, which today is too heavily oriented to the leisure end of the market in massive competition with Tiger Airways and badly over-exposed to the Queensland market. Virgin needs premium airlines in Asia so that it can provide corporate travellers with a network that links Australia to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo.
ASIAN FOCUS
Its plans for Asia could include tie-ups with several airlines. The Virgin Australia chief executive John Borghetti said the deal’s approval allowed Virgin to focus on the last plank of its international strategy aimed at cementing alliance partners in Asia by the end of this year.
VIRGIN Australia will step up efforts to find airline partners in Asia after finally securing the rights to form an alliance with Delta Air Lines on the Australia-US route. In a timely boost for the Australian airline, the US air regulator has reversed its decision to block the joint venture with Delta because the airlines had made ”substantial changes” to their initial application. Virgin made a ”very small profit” on the Australia-US route in the first half of this financial year, but Mr Borghetti hinted that it had fallen back into the red since fuel prices soared early this year.
The deal is part of Virgin’s strategy to snare a bigger share of the corporate travel market from Qantas.
There is a gap in Virgin Australia’s coverage, which Borghetti freely acknowledges. He needs at least one more alliance of some kind in Asia. He says there will be something in place before the end of this calendar year. ”Right now what we are focused on is bilateral alliances. The only part missing is Asia,” he said.
Industry insiders consider Malaysia Airlines or Japan’s All Nippon Airways as likely alliance partners. Singapore Airlines would be the best bedfellow but is less likely, especially with the new announcement of Qantas’ intentions to set up a rival premium Asian Airline.
Qantas, of course, through its Jetstar brands, has a big head-start on Virgin Blue in Asia, with one of the bigger and faster-growing networks in the region. At the very least Borghetti would want to be able to shadow some of Jetstar and Qantas’s more important routes into and within Asia.
ALLIANCES
From its original launch Virgin Blue’s strategy has been to try to have a presence on as many of Qantas’ profitable or strategically valuable routes as it can across the pacific.
The alliance with Air New Zealand, however, (an alliance initially opposed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which subsequently changed its stance) also allows the allies to co-operate to manage capacity better and improve the economics of an over-serviced route.
A similar relationship, for similar reasons, with Delta Air Lines on the trans-Pacific route was also rejected by the US Department of Transportation on anti-trust grounds, before it, too, changed its mind. Today Virgin Blue announced the department planned to grant the allies anti-trust immunity.
Yet another alliance with Etihad Airways, has had a smoother passage, perhaps because Virgin had no capacity on the Australia-Middle East-Europe routes that Etihad flies.
With its three alliances now approved (the US approval needs a final confirmation) Borghetti ought to get some synergies from the trans-Tasman and trans-Pacific co-operation but he now has alliances that connect his business to both Europe and North America – the deal with Delta will give him access to more than 200 destinations in the Americas. Virgin Australia will be able to connect its passengers with Delta and Etihad’s and Air NZ’s networks and enable them to earn frequent flyer point, and vice verse. Now that it has the right to use the Virgin brand for its international services, Virgin Australia has significantly increased the potential of its trans-Pacific operations and can really step up the fight against its bigger and financially more powerful competitor Qantas as Virgin is a highly recognised brand in North America. Borghetti it should be remembered is a Qantas veteran and knows his competitor inside out. By seeking to add another dimension to the basic strategy and use an up-market international product he is hitting Qantas right where it hurts.The Qantas international frequent flyer program is highly profitable and if Virgin can offer a similar program across its new alliances and a re-worked domestic product to boost his volumes of business class travellers it will undermine the yield premium Qantas enjoys because of its dominance of the business segment.
It may take some time, but even relatively modest shifts in business travel market share could have quite material effects on Virgin Blue, and Qantas. Which as promised, will ultimately lead to better Airline ticket prices for all Virgin Australia customers.
The New Virgin Australia at a glance:
- New look Aircraft Inside and out.
- Upgraded Premium Seating, Gourmet Menu, Uniforms and In-flight Entertainment.
- Remodelled Premium Lounges and Limousine services.
- New Expanded International Routes through Alliances.
- Improved customer services and ammenities.
So how does this fit with you? Some have called this latest move the last throw of the dice for Virgin in Australia, who have been in financial trouble for some time. Will you be tempted back to Virgin Australia for extra amenities even if you have to pay a little more?
What are your thoughts? Just drop us an email at: urbanglobetrotter@gmail.com
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Top 20 Smart Travel Tech Tips and Apps.
For the Computer / Smartphone savvy traveller.
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With the popularity of the Smartphone on the rise, there is an increasing array of tech travel tools to use to make things easier while out and about, on the road or in the air. From booking flights to reserving a table to finding a clean bathroom, travel apps have the potential to make any vacation easier and more affordable. But with hundreds of thousands of options out there, it’s hard to distinguish the essential downloads from the clutter. Not to worry. We’ve scoured the market and tested hundreds of travel apps to come up with the ultimate tool kit for the vacation-bound!
Needless to say, the explosion in popularity of Apple’s gadgets, applications for Apple’s iPhone and iPad are probably high on most lists, but there are still plenty of great tools out there for other Smartphone users and even those with just regular cell phones.
Travel Tech Tip 1: Check the Airline’s Website for Schedules.
Whether flying for work or to visit family, you want a flight that will be on time. That’s why it’s a great idea to check the websites of the larger airlines to find the on-time record of each of the flights when considering purchasing a ticket. You can learn how often that flight arrives on time — within 15 minutes of schedule — as well as how often it arrives more than 30 minutes late. You also can find out if a flight has been cancelled 5 percent or more of the time.
Travel Tech Tip 2: TripAdvisor.com Unbiased hotel reviews, photos and travel advice for hotels and vacations - Compare prices with just one click.
Travel Tech Tip 3: Kayak.com. Find and book cheap flights, hotels, vacations and rental cars with Kayak.com. Hotel, flight and travel deals. Search hundreds of travel sites at once.
Travel Tech Tip 4: SeatGuru.com. By Trip Advisor. The ultimate source for airplane seating, in-flight amenities, and airline information.
Travel Tech Tip 5: Yapta.com Track flight prices and save money before and after you buy! Yapta aims to help travellers get a better handle on pricing by providing easy-to-use tools and information that assures they get the best value from their travel spending.
Travel Tech Tip 6: GateGuru. Consider it Yelp for airports. It’s an app contains searchable directories for 98 U.S. airports (124 airports overall) and more than 25 international hubs. They take the guesswork out of finding an ATM, a decent cup of coffee, or a 10-minute massage station — wherever you happen to be delayed. Some locations even have user reviews, rankings, and photos. 
Travel Tech Tip 7: Slingbox. One of the most ingenious ideas around for the international traveller. Essentially thru a box and a program, your laptop becomes a home TV so no matter where you are in the world you can watch your favourite DVRed shows! The Slingbox is a TV streaming device made by Sling Media that encodes video into the VC-1 format for transmission over the Internet and provides an infrared blaster. The video encoding and IR blaster can both be operated remotely over the Internet. These features allow users to remotely view and control their home’s cable, satellite, or personal video recorder (PVR) system from an Internet-enabled computer with a broadband Internet connection.
Travel Tech Tip 8: Yelp When travelling around the U.S. use Yelp. It helps you quickly find almost any amenity and has reviews and additional information.
Travel Tech Tip 9: Open Table. Restaurant Reservations – Free, Instant, Confirmed. With Open Table for iPhone you can make free restaurant reservations at more than 15,000 Open Table-enabled restaurants in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom.
Travel Tech Tip 10: INRIX Traffic .An App that helps get you to the airport on time by showing traffic speeds and delays, and can even predict traffic speeds at certain times.
Travel Tech Tip 11: Weather.com See what the forecast is!
Travel Tech Tip 12: AirWX. Is an App that pilots use to get detailed aviation weather reports and forecasts, but it’s also useful for the general public to check weather at departure and arrival airports because the reports are decoded into plain language.
Travel Tech Tip 13: FlightAware.com. Flight Aware provides live flight data, airport information, weather maps, flight planning, and navigation charts, as well as aviation news and photos to over two million users a month.
Travel Tech Tip 14: iTranslate.com. For the Business flyer, offers translation services in all the major European languages and in Japanese and Chinese. Accurate and rapid translation of all types of tender/bid documents (RFI, RFP, RFQ, RFB, etc.), technical manuals, contracts, websites, standards, specifications, marketing copy and press releases.
Travel Tech Tip 15:MileBlaster.com. A frequent flyer miles and points tracker is the ultimate frequent flier tool. Available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch as well as on the web.
Travel Tech Tip 16: Star Walk. An App that allows you to recognize constellations, even on the other side of the world because the night sky looks quite different depending on where you are!
Travel Tech Tip 17: Skype. Stay in touch and stay connected with friends and business associates around the world cheaply.
Travel Tech Tip 18: Facebook. Stay in touch with family and friends on the web.
Travel Tech Tip 19: Dopplr. Is a service for sharing personal and business travel plans privately with the people you trust. Find city tips and travel advice on it’s own Social Media website.
Travel Tech Tip 20: Urban Globetrotter! Your source of daily unique travel stories and tips from people that have been there and bought the T-Shirt!
Missed anything, got any more?
What’s your favourite travel app?
See also: http://urbanglobetrotter.posterous.com/handy-travel-apps-for-your-iphone
Got something to add? Then please do! Just drop us an email at: urbanglobetrotter@gmail.com
or Join the conversation over on Twitter!
World’s Travel Industry gets ready for new wave of Chinese tourists
This year, China’s outbound departures are predicted to top 65 million after reaching over 57 million in 2010, according to a report from the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI). The UN World Travel Organization (UNWTO) estimates that there will be 100 million Chinese outbound trips by 2020.
International airlines that haven’t already established direct routes to China are rushing to do so such as Air Mauritius and South African Airlines which will become the latest to set up links with direct flights to Shanghai and Beijing respectively, as early as July.
But airlines are not just targeting China’s major cities for direct routes. Australia and New Zealand are trying to encourage airlines to establish new links between tourist destinations in those countries and some of the China’s tier 2 cities.
China’s largest carrier, China Southern Airlines, launched its first direct flight between the bustling business city of Guangzhou in the Pearl River delta and Auckland, New Zealand earlier this month. Australian cities Perth and Cairns are also in talks with airlines to create direct flights.
Speaking from the China-Australian Business Summit in Beijing, Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy told CNBC.com that Australian airports are actively seeking out new capacity to get more direct access to the fastest growing travel market in the world.
“It’s an important market, because there’s a lot of mix here — 167,000 students, a whole bunch of visitors, and business people,” McEvoy says. “We’re in the time zone, so it’s terrific to be in a region that’s growing like that.”
In 2010, over 450,000 Chinese visitors spent $3 billion in Australia, which was 20 percent more than the year before.
Growing Travel Demand
Pacific Asia Travel Association’s (PATA) Director of Strategy Management, Kris Lim, says that in spite of a number of negative global events such SARS, the global recession, and H1N1 in the past decade, the demand for air travel to and from China has continued to grow at a rapid pace.
“What we’re seeing here is that for any destinations within Asia-Pacific, and outside of the region that is intending to build their tourism sector, the connection to China will be a very important element,” Lim says. “Inbound is equally important — China has become a centre of commerce and business. There should be more capacities into China as their economy continues to improve.”
Globally, China has increased its travel market share to over 4 percent in the past decade. With some Chinese airlines betting big on Destination Australia.
Some airlines are testing the waters with charter flights before launching direct routes. Earlier this year, China Eastern Airlines launched the first-ever chartered flight to Hawaii. Two months, and three chartered flights later, the airline is now seeking approval from China’s aviation regulator for regular direct flights to Honolulu.
Dubai has become a hot spot for Chinese tourists after the emirate received “approved destination” status from the Chinese government in 2009. Hotels such as the world-renowned Burj Al Arab have hired a number of Chinese speaking staff, created brochures and programs in Mandarin and added Chinese cuisine to their menus. During this year’s Chinese New Year, almost 80 percent of the hotel’s guests were from China, says Burj Al Arab operator Jumeirah Group.
While last week, Air China announced the launch of a direct flight between Beijing and Milan starting June 15, along with a new service to Athens in May.
Large-Scale Group Travel
Executive Chairman of the Centre of Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) Peter Harbison says the industry has never seen group travel on the scale in which Chinese tourism operates.
“Some of those groups that go to Europe are 12,000 strong, and when you’re sending a group of 12,000 — you have tremendous buying power,” he says.
Tour operators can only send groups to countries that fall under China’s Approved Destination Status (ADS).
Meanwhile in Europe, academic institutions are offering courses on Chinese culture for tour guides and travel agents, Lim says. But, he says it will take a bit more time before countries are better able to cater for Chinese tourists, like the Japanese before them.
So how will Destination Australia cope with this influx of visitors, are we ready?
What’s your take?
Got something to add? Then please do…just drop us an email at: urbanglobetrotter@gmail.com
Join the conversation over on Twitter!
Secrets of traveling light
How To Travel Like A Pro
Part Three of A Travel Pro’s Guide To Touring The World In Style.
There’s an old theory about packing for a holiday: grab everything you think you’ll need for your trip, lay it out on the floor, then throw half of it away!
Sounds easy, right? But you’re not going to chop a pair of shoes in half, or your expensive camera and if you’re going on a varied holiday (beaches to trekking in the mountains) you’re definitely not going to want to ditch your swimming gear or your warm jacket.
But there are some smart ways to cut down on your luggage and take advantage of the savings airlines offer (plus the ease of getting around once you’re there). Every traveller has different priorities, but just taking a few of these measures will reduce your load.
Time to layer up
We’ve discussed layers before but it’s a key point. Unless you’re going to the snow, you probably don’t need a huge, bulky jacket. Instead, pack a thermal top, then your normal shirts and a jumper, and wear them in layers. The colder it is outside, the more layers you slap on, until you wind up waddling around town looking like the Michelin Man.
Please remove your shoes
Unless your hiking or mountain climbing, simply wear a comfortable shoe that is good for walking in, this is your ‘main foot ware’. After that pack a pair of slide-on’s and only if absolutely necessary take another pair of shoes for more formal night wear. Shoes are bulky and take up a lot of space. If space is super tight, another trick is buy anything you need at your destination on the cheap and then discard.
Get rid of the bulky Guidebooks
Not altogether, though. These days Guidebooks are expensive and most of the information can be found elsewhere (like at Urban Globetrotter!) If hard copies are your thing though, just photocopy the pages you think you’ll need, and take them along with you. There’s no point having a whole South-East Asia guidebook if you’re only going to Thailand. Even better is to download a digital copy of the guide onto your phone, laptop or tablet (if you’ll be taking them anyway). You’ll save money, too, as you can just download the chapters you’ll need.
Invest in an eReader or Tablet
It doesn’t really matter if you’re a Kindle, Kobo or an iPad person or a whatever-else-there-is-out-there person, an eReader will dramatically lighten your load if you like to read while travelling. The only down side is that it takes away the chance to swap books with fellow travellers, unless you have it on some sort of USB drive but that’s starting to get too geeky….
Sort all your electronics out
You’ve got your phone but do you really need a laptop? What about a Tablet? Do you really need a hair-dryer? (Really?) Do you need a point-and-shoot camera and a separate video recorder when your phone takes good photos? Do you even need your phone? Everyone’s different, but there’s probably something you can chuck out. The key is, modern technology is getting better and better and once separate devices are being combined with great quality and convenience. Look into this. It’s becoming easier and easier to just take a phone which does almost everything and a tablet which does everything else. Also remember that you can use computers in hotels or internet cafes. Only take extra electronics if you really, really need to and also be mindful of all the cords and make sure that you get the right wall adapters for power to recharge everything otherwise taking them will be a waste of time in the first place.
Think about your accommodation
If you’re staying in hostels, you’ll definitely need a travel towel, maybe a silk bed liner, and maybe a sleeping bag, depending on the weather. If you’re staying in fancier accommodation, however, ditch all three.
Pack for a week
This is purely personal, but you’ll usually have a chance to do laundry once a week while travelling, so there’s really no need to bring more than a week’s worth of clothes. And remember, there’s nothing wrong with doing the odd “backpack wash” – stick it in your backpack for a few days, and it becomes magically clean again. Pretty soon “clean” becomes a relative term.
Here’s another trick: Forget about folding your clothes, roll them up instead. Doing so will not only reduce air trapped in them, it’ll also prevent unsightly creases. You’ll be amazed at how much more you can squeeze into that bag of yours when every single garment has been rolled up. Avoid placing items into luggage an item at a time. Before you know it, you’ll run out of space and then got to unload everything and start over. Instead, lay out everything that you plan to bring along. Take a quick glance at the open luggage beside you and chances are you’ll have to forgo that thick sweater or the extra pair of running shoes. Discard as many items as possible. You can always add them back in if there’s space after that.
Listen fancy pants
Unless you’re going on a tour of the world’s best polo venues, you’re probably not going to need to dress up very often. Just one set of semi-nice clothes that you can also get away with wearing during the day will do the job.
The long and short of it
Going somewhere hot? You only need one pair of long pants, probably something loose-fitting and cotton, for comfort and versatility. If you’re heading to colder climes, then chuck in an extra pair. And you can safely reverse that for shorts (two for hot, one for cold).
What are your secrets to packing light?
How much to you usually travel with?
Then please do! Just drop us an email at: urbanglobetrotter@gmail.com
What’s your tip?
Here’s some related stories for you:
http://urbanglobetrotter.posterous.com/the-5-step-guide-to-travelling-like-a-pro
http://urbanglobetrotter.posterous.com/top-tips-to-fly-like-a-pro
Join the conversation over on Twitter!
Travel Like A Pro: How To Tour The World In Style
Travelling in style is the way that most people see themselves travelling these days. It is infinitely possible, but the majority of the time, that plan goes completely wrong because we get caught up in packing, arranging documents and finances and forget to concentrate on what it is that makes travel so important – taking the time out to relax and chill out for a while. Travelling in style is the epitome of that for a number of reasons.
Travelling in style is all about taking care of yourself and making the time to do so. Very few people find that they can take their time when heading to the airport because, for the majority, it is a mad rush to pack grab everything they need and then get to the airport on time. It is possible though. There are several ways you can achieve this, and all require you to take certain steps:
Step one – Start planning the week before you are due to fly if you want to travel in style. Make a list of what you are to pack and lay out the outfit that you are to wear when you board the plane.
It does not matter where you are travelling to, just as long as you remember to include all of the essentials in your carry on. A book, a music player of some sort, an eye mask, facial wipes and some candies to suck on when the plane takes off and lands so your ears do not pop! Make sure that your carry on is light but also contains a change of underwear just in case your luggage gets lost! This way, you don’t get caught short.
Step two – Plan ahead some more! This time, check out the essentials of the destination that you are heading to. If you want to travel in style then you cannot land in a mini-skirt and flip-flops if it is freezing cold and raining, or wearing heavy jeans if it’s all of a sudden really hot! Keep a watch on the weather forecast for your destination in the week before you fly because it will constantly update and give you a great idea on what to expect.
Also, buy a map and travel guide, a Luxe City guide is also nice to have for the more stylish traveller so that you can easily find your way to your hotel when you get there. Travelling in style is all about being prepared and making sure that you can handle anything that your trip throws at you!
To really top it off have your Hotel not only pre-booked but have then organise a car for you ready and waiting at the airport. Sometimes it doesn’t cost any where near as mcuh as you think when compared to a taxi.
Step three – Wear layers when you board the plane if you want to travel in style. If it is hot then you can strip off the layers, but a cold plane is nobody’s friend and encourages bugs and colds to spread to the vulnerable. As a result, you want to be warm! If you wear layers then you also escape using the airline blankets! You can look good and feel good all in one go!
Step four – Finally enjoy it! Travelling in style should be fun! Air travel should not be a chore, but it will be if you view it that way! Travelling should be about adventure, so be determined to make it one! Take some time to pamper yourself, discover some exciting places and take plenty of photos.
What’s you style? Got anything to add?
Let us know at: urbanglobetrotter@gmail.com
Enjoy.
10 Outrageous Dubai Projects that may never be completed!
With the Dubai Debt Crisis unfolding last night there are fresh concerns about a range of amazing projects that may never be completed. Here they are:
Number 10 - Hydropolis
The Hydropolis is a project seemingly dreamed up by pure wonder. Dubai is a fairly small city with a fairly high heat index, but it takes some force of will to decide that you’re going to move the entire hotel to the bottom of the ocean! You have to admire that dream. It takes a special breed of man to walk into a board room and present a PowerPoint presentation for an underwater hotel the size of Hyde Park. Lucky for us, after years of delays, the project should finally be ready for your ‘Aquaman’ fantasies by the end of 2009.
Number 9 - Burj Dubai
Financing probably never came into the equation of whether or not to build the Burj Dubai. This skyscraper is currently the tallest man-made structure on the face of the planet. The best part of that distinction is that it’s not even finished. When it is finished, Burj Dubai is slated to be 2,684 feet tall. What’s even more outrageous is that world records in construction had to be set just to build the thing; pumping concrete more than 1,900 vertical feet is no small task.
Number 8 - Dubai Sports City
We all love ambition but why did this massive sports complex need to see the light of day? Dubai is not traditionally known for its dominance in sport. Perhaps to change all that Dubai Sports City is going to contain a world-class 60,000-seat stadium, 25,000-seat cricket grounds, a 10,000-seat indoor arena, a 5,000-seat field hockey stadium, and an 18-hole golf course designed by none other than Ernie Els thrown in for good measure. Coming in at a price tag of more than $4 billion, the rumour was that this facility would serve as a bid to host the 2016 Olympics. Turns out the rumour was false and Dubai didn’t even bother to submit a bid. So, then, why did they build this world-class facility?
Number 7 - Dubailand
Tourism is the completely sustainable solution to Dubai’s declining oil production. All you need is disposable income and something to see. For the latter, Dubai has it covered. ‘Dubailand’, when completed, is going to be the largest theme park on the planet. Costing $70 billion to complete, the park will consist of seven fully themed worlds with 45 mega projects, including another massive $1 billion indoor snow park, and 200 smaller sub projects. ‘Dubailand’ will dwarf Disney World coming in at twice the size.
Number 6 - Burj Al Alam
It must be a joy to work in the permit office in Dubai. It seems no project receives the green light unless there’s some extra flair. Take for example the ‘Burj Al Alam’ office building and hotel. Expected to be completed in 2010, this hyperboloid skyscraper will be a crystalline flower rising 108 stories out of the desert floor. A Turkish bath and sky garden are going to occupy the top floors (in case you can’t get through the day working in the world’s most luxurious office space). With 74 floors of office space and 27 floors of luxury penthouses, the ‘Burj Al Alam’ is another shining example of Dubai’s audacious flavour.
Number 5 - Al Maktoum International Airport
Take the largest commuter airport in the world, combine it with the largest freight hub in the world, and then triple it. That’s the plan for Dubai’s new international airport. This sprawling complex in the heart of the new city center will feature six parallel runways for non-stop service with the world’s newest and largest aircrafts, including the Airbus A380. Parking won’t be a problem with 100,000 parking spaces. Completion is expected in 2017, at which time the airport is expected to accommodate 70 million passengers.
Number 4 - Falconcity of Wonders
Wouldn’t you like to see all the ancient and modern wonders of the world in one place? Look no farther than Dubai’s Falcon City of Wonders. They’ve decided to make replicas of the Seven Wonders of the World and throw in landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa for good measure. Ever thought the Eiffel Tower was a tad bit boring? Sure, we all have. That’s why Dubai is going to make it bigger, encase it in glass and turn it into a luxury hotel in the city center. Why is it called Falcon City? Well, if you happen to be on the International Space Station, it’ll look just like a falcon. They broke ground in 2008.
Number 3 - Mall of Arabia
Sure, Americans may be the world’s baseline consumers, but they’ve got nothing on this mall in Dubai. The Mall of Arabia will have 10,000,000 square feet of leasable shop space, surpassing the previous title holder for Largest Mall in the World. If you don’t feel like you want your shopping experience to end, you can plan on staying in one of the rooftop hotels that will be included. How’s that for shopping convenience? Ten thousand parking spaces and the world’s largest Starbucks coffee shop will round out the outrageous shopping experience.
Number 2 - Business Bay
In Dubai, if you’re going to play hard, you’re going to work just as hard. As such, Dubai is in the process of constructing a downtown, central business district known as Business Bay. What’s so special about a business district? Every city has them. Well, in Dubai, there will be 230 office towers, including many of the most spectacular office towers on this list. Dubai is literally changing the face of the city by moving Dubai Creek, adding 7 miles to this water way in the process, in order to make Dubai the place to do business anywhere in the world. While the first towers came online in 2007, completion of the project won’t occur until 2010.
Number 1 - The World Islands
Global warming may drown Florida and most coastlines in the near future. Dubai’s answer? Build its own islands rising out of an ever-rising sea. The World Islands make up the only man-made archipelago, consisting of 300 islands. You can own the last one for $250 million. If you do, your new neighbours might be David Beckham and Rod Stewart, as both are rumoured to have bought into this outrageous man-made wonder.
What do you think?
Chasing Picasso in the Park
Art Journey
Hakone Open Air Museum
The steam subtly rises up from the vents in the undulating roads lined by lush trees and shrubs. In the distance mostly covered by cloud but unmistakable no less is Mt. Fuji and almost unbelievably nestled amongst these ancient surrounds is one of the most amazing contemporary art museums in the world.
The Hakone Open Air Museum (Japanese: Hakone Chokoku No Mori Bijutsukan), creates a ponderous harmony of nature and art by exhibiting various sculptures across its rolling grounds in combination with beautiful views of the surrounding valley and mountains.
Besides the sculptures, the Hakone Open Air Museum has a few other indoor galleries, including one of the most amazing Picasso Collections around featuring paintings, prints, sculptures and ceramic creations but more on this later. As with anything the Japanese do, this place is born of passion and attention to detail which is immediately evident upon arrival where you are greeted by an outstanding and dynamic water feature that sets the tone of what to expect once you’re inside.
Once you are inside, it’s time to just wonder around and try to take it all in. There is so much to see.
As you walk and discover, you’ll never know what you’ll see next. Bright bursts of geometric colour pop out from around a clearing contrasting directly with other all white stone pieces representing more natural forms. You could easily spend the entire day here and everywhere you look is a million dollar view. It’s the perfect place to have a lazy picnic, even if the weather isn’t quite with you. The fact that you’re amongst the Japanese highlands means that your visit will probably be met with a little drizzle but this only adds to the mystique of the place.
The huge and well placed sculptures rise up from the ground in such a commanding way that they control their immediate position but only ever complimenting the surrounding pieces. Some are deliberately placed to work in tandem with each other which is a further demonstration of the thought that has gone into the facility. The mist that swirls around some of the higher works creates a dreamy atmosphere that easily sweeps you up and makes time disappear.
It’s such a curious place and if you’re the type that really likes to explore there are off beat tracks you can take venturing further into the forest where you’ll come across descending stone stairways that lead you to some hidden moss covered traditional stone works that seem as if they’ve been there for 100’s of years. Be careful here as there are also some very large spiders just waiting for you not to notice them!
Once you have almost done a lap and just when you think it doesn’t get any better, you are met with a very tall mosaic structure, which is the Picasso Wing. It’s here that you will find a wonderful array of Picasso works including sculptures, paintings and tapestry’s, the building itself one of his creations. There is plenty of informative signage to help guide you through which offers an excellent insight into some of the history, trials and tribulations of the artist. There is strictly no photography allowed in this section.
Because this place makes time stand still before you know it visiting hours will be almost over but if you’re into art or sculpture what a time you’ll have! The Hakone Open Air Museum is a must see attraction and can be reached by a short walk from Chokoku No Mori Station on the Hakone Tozan Railway (30 minutes, 390 yen from Hakone-Yumoto, covered by the Hakone Free Pass), the last station before the terminal station of Gora.
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Paul Blazey is an artist and travel writer for Urban Globetrotter
How to get to and around Hakone
