Worlds of Discovery - new gem in The Palm Jebel Ali 'crown'

SeaWorld, Aquatica, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove join forces to create the Worlds of Discovery on The Palm Jebel Ali in Dubai. Worlds of Discovery will occupy a section of The Palm Jebel Ali known as “the Crown,” which will resemble a giant killer whale when reclamation work is complete.

“Dubai has become one of the world’s leading tourist destinations, and a key part of the strategy has been attracting world-class entertainment brands to the emirate. We have already concluded partnerships with major brands such as Trump, Cirque du Soleil, and Atlantis, and the partnership with BEC is a further example of Dubai’s growth as a city of global prominence,” O’Donnell said. “We are extremely honored that The Palm Jebel Ali will become home to the first Worlds of Discovery theme parks outside of the U.S., which is not only a major coup for Nakheel, but for the whole of Dubai.”

In addition to SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, plans call for the construction of a Discovery Cove similar to the park adjacent to SeaWorld Orlando in Central Florida. Discovery Cove in Orlando is an all-inclusive, reservations only park that features a variety of animal interactions and resort experiences, most notably swimming with bottlenose dolphins, rays and exotic fish.

Preliminary design work and site planning is underway, with the first phase expected to open in 2012.

Swimming with dophins

Tomorrow, 1st of March new attraction – The Aquatica water park opens in Orlando, Florida. This new SeaWorld venture blends up close animal experiences, waters from serene to extreme, high-speed thrills and wide, sandy beaches.

“SeaWorld is famous for immersing guests in the mystery of the sea and its animals,” said Jim Atchison, executive vice president and general manager of SeaWorld Orlando. “Aquatica takes this immersion to a new level, inviting guests to play in, over, and under the water itself.”



Sounds and looks like a true winner with kids of all ages.

Message in the sand saves life

The search for the missing 22 years old French tourist who ventured into the Australian Outback finally ended with success after 3 days. The woman was saved after a rescue team spotted the word "Help" scribbled into the desert sand.

1 Good night in Paris?

Paris Hilton supposedly would like to open her own hotel chain. Her empire already consists of clothing, shoes, canned champagne and perfume lines.

I cannot help but to wonder if video cameras are going to be standard equipment and if next to The Bible hotel guests will find 'The Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries'?

resource: Metro

Royal rendezvous Down Under

Yet another royal appointment took places lately. On 24th February QE2 and Queen Victoria Cunard cruise liners met up in Sydney Harbour.

For QE2 this is last voyage, before becoming a floating hotel in Dubai.

Fiji me, Fiji you. AHA!, Mr Brown

Fiji, gorgeous golden sand beaches, bluest sea, relaxing atmosphere, stunning sunsets, unspoilt nature, exotic heaven, in other words – one of the coolest places on Earth. So who do you think should endorse this little paradise? Well, Gordon Brown of course (?!)

Last week, Fiji Visitors Bureau launched the new face for their ‘Fiji me’ campaign - UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown shown with red flower behind his ear. The picture is supposed to represent a “get me out of here” theme portraying the pressure Mr Brown has been under lately.

Jane West, the director of the Fiji Visitors Bureau,said: "Gordon Brown has taken his fair share of criticism lately and has been under a lot of pressure in his job. The advert is saying that if you've had a tough time lately, where would you rather be in the middle of February, Britain or Fiji? It's an exotic island and is a great place to come to get away from your troubles."

The campaign was designed by the London agency DK Advertising and was supposed to feature other “stressed” public figures; the Duke of Edinburgh, London's Mayor Ken Livingstone, and Jérôme Kerviel – fraudster who cost the French bank Société Générale £3.6bn. However, only Gordon Brown gave permission for his image to be used … hardly a surprise.

Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises to offer weddings at sea

Weddings at sea are becoming more popular. P&O Cruises has 246 weddings planned for 2008-09, compared with 184 in the first year the service became available.

In complying with this trend, Celebrity and Azamara Cruises are extending their vow renewals and weddings in port or on cruise excursions and will offer on board wedding packages from later this year.

Marrying couples will be spoilt for choice with a variety of packages, that include private receptions in speciality restaurants, wedding cakes and Champagne. The basic wedding package will start at $2500.

A380 flying casino

'High-roller' can quite acquire yet another meaning soon, as the Airbus is in talks to create the A380 casino.

Businesses from Asia and U.S. are interested in turning Airbus A380 into a flying casino. "Certain clients of ours have shown their interest," said David Velupillai, marketing director at Airbus executive aviation. "The principle draw of the A380 is that it offers 50% more floor space than a Boeing 747, and if you plan to create something like [a casino], you have enough space."

François Chazelle, Airbus head of the executive and private aviation division stated that should the agreement be reached soon, superjumbo casino could be operational as soon 2012.

Place your hand luggage in overhead storage and your bets on roulette!

Top of the cruises

The cruisers’ favourites are announced.

The twelve-day Mediterranean, seven-day Alaska and five-day Western Caribbean cruises emerged as the top long, mid and short itineraries this year in Cruise Holidays Travel Trends Survey.

Rome, Venice, Barcelona, Santorini, Athens and Istanbul are said to be the most popular Mediterranean ports, while St. Thomas, Grand Cayman, St. Maarten/St. Martin, Cozumel, and Aruba and Jamaica are most popular Caribbean locations.

The most popular non-Mediterranean Europe ports are St. Petersburg, London, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Dublin and Lisbon.

A prayer for love.

It is not easy to find true love and sometimes divine intervention is needed. So if you are for a single female looking for some heavenly help, Kuzuryu Shrine (Nine-headed dragon shrine) in Japan maybe your answer.

On 13th of each month women from all over Japan cruise across Ashi Lake to reach the shrine and pray for soul mate. Yesterday, more than 500 Japanese women sailed and then trekked through a snow-covered forest to plead for love.

It's Same Difference time!

‘Potentially the most annoying people you've ever met’ aka Same Difference will entertain Butlins’ visitors in Skegness, Minehead and Bognor Regis. Same Difference will be performing between 24th March and 13th April and overall give five shows.

Fellow X Factor contestant Chico will also be performing at Butlins between February and June, when he will host 28 shows with Ben Mills, Eton Road, Robert and Ashley as guest stars.
source: Butlins

The ugliest hotel 5 - Bad Blumau , Austria

Straight from the Gaudi - Klimt nightmare comes out my next contender to the honourable name of the ugliest hotel in the world.

The designer spa Rogner Bad Blumau Hotel near Graz in Austria was designed by Austrian sculptor and painter Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who is famous for calling straight lines “the devil’s tools”.

The hotel claims to be the world's largest habitable work of art and offers 290 rooms, some underground in few differently themed areas. The spa is at the centre of the complex and provides a variety of saunas and health facilities and offers a number of wellness programmes. The hotel is also home to Europe's leading holistic health centre.

According to the hotel’s philosophy ‘The absence of kitsch makes our life unbearable, you can’t do without romance.’ Can someone explain to me how kitsch is related to romance?

Battle for the moustache

In 2001 an air steward Victor Joynath De was grounded by Indian Airlines for refusing to shave off his handlebar moustache he has grown for 25 years.

Indian Airlines assessed Mr. De’s moustache to be a health risk due to food handling and ordered him to trim in accordance to the company’s rule book, i.e. not extending beyond the upper lip.

After Mr. De, who has worked for the Indian Airlines for over 20 years, refused to comply he was sacked. The spokesman for Indian Airline said that some passengers could be unnerved by such a striking although unhygienic facial feature.

Mr. De’s case eventually ended in India's Supreme Court, which has issued a notice to a Indian Airline asking for justification of the decision to make an air steward redundant for wearing a big moustache.

To shave or not to shave, this is the question!

View from the rooftops... train rooftops

No more free ride for Indonesian commuters riding on the roofs of trains. From next week they will be sprayed with dyed liquid, so they can be recognised when getting off the train and then issued a ticket.

Although roof riding is illegal, the trains are so packed with passengers during rush hours that many are forced to do so due to lack of space inside the carriage or to avoid paying.

"We will send a copy of the ticket to their family, their local neighborhood unit head, their employer, or, if they're students, their headmasters" said a spokesperson for the rail company.

That is how you put colour into colourful journey!

It's got to be Austria, has it?

Austria tries to revamp its image in the newest branding campaign 'It's got to be Austria', which rolls out this February. The campaign is aimed at highlighting Austria’s distinctive characteristics and combining them with unexpected perspectives.

Dr. Petra Stolba, CEO of the Austrian National Tourist Office, said: "We aim to produce so called ‘decision triggers’, which tip the balance in Austria’s favour and provides potential visitors with reasons to travel and opportunities to experience. Overall the campaign is designed to inspire and convey Austria as an enriching holiday destination."

Maybe it is slightly too witty for me. Although the sarcasm of calling the Vienna Boys Choir the world’s oldest boy band does not escape me, I have trouble with understanding how that could affect my decision in any case.

U.S. Customs helps to sink Hawaii cruises ?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has proposed a rule change which would force foreign-flagged cruise ships calling at more than one U.S. port to extend their usual visits in foreign ports from four- to 12-hour to 48 hours. It also recommends that the ships should spend more than half their port time in foreign ports and passengers have to be given the opportunity to go ashore.

The impact of the new rule could prove a downfall for cruises from US ports to Alaska, Canada, New England and some to the Caribbean.

James P. Walsh, an attorney representing the Holland America Line, Princess Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Lines, said cruise lines would have to change all itineraries to meet the proposed rule.

"For example, cruises that call temporarily at Alaska ports will have to move to Vancouver, British Columbia, and away from Seattle," said Walsh, who estimated Holland America's economic impact on Seattle at $400 million in 2006.

source USA Today

Leave that monument alone!

A New Zealand tourist was charged with minor hooliganism as he paraded in his underpants and made rude gestures while posing for pictures in front of the Freedom Monument - Latvia’s sacred landmark as it is regarded to be a symbol of their nationhood.

It is not the first time, the foreign tourists made headlines for desecration of this seventy two year old landmark of Riga. In November 2006, a British tourist was fined the largest penalty of 810 lats (1,676 dollars) for urinating on the monument while his mates took pictures. In July 2007, another Brit was fined 50 lats for urinating at the monument while intoxicated.

Those incidents forced the British embassy to launch a public awareness campaign for Britons planning to visit Latvia, advising them on accepted code of behavior in the region.

To err is human, to ‘loath’ is Parisian.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Paris springs to mind as a perfect romantic destination, but maybe you should think twice.

According to the newest Teletext survey, over a third of Britons picked Paris as the place they would most likely to argue, due to "grey" and "difficult to navigate" city and brusque restaurant service. Marrakesh came second and Amsterdam third as lovers squabbled over allure of soft drugs and red light district.

The same survey reveled that one in 10 Britons ends a relationship with their partner while on holiday. On the other hand, one in four proposes to their loved one on a romantic city break.

Barcelona, Florence, Paris, Prague and Madrid were rated as the top cities for romantic escape.

So Victor Hugo was almost right, when he said ‘To err is human, to loaf is Parisian’. It had to be his French accent, I think.

The ugliest hotel 4 - Idaho, U.S.

After a glorious weekend I have another nominee for the quest to find the ugliest hotel in the world.

Welcome to the Dog Bark Park Inn in Idaho, U.S. Established in 1997, it boasts to be a home to the biggest beagle in the world; Toby, a 12-foot tall beagle statue and Sweet Willy, the bed & breakfast guesthouse.

The Dog Bark Park Inn ‘s guests enter the body of the beagle from a private second story deck. Inside, they will find twenty-six carved dogs on the queen headboard, a loft room in the dog’s head, an alcove in the muzzle and dog-shaped cookies on the pillow.

Even if one can get over this barking mad idea, honestly… it is not pretty, is it?

Green Map – a way of eco-traveller

‘Think Global, Map Local’ it is a motto of U.S. based non-profit cooperative the Green Map, promoting eco friendly living through mapmaking. The Green Map congregates mapmakers around the world who chart green living, ecological, social and cultural resources and prepare practical guides for residents and tourists.

Whether you are searching for cycling routs in Tokyo, organic produce in Bristol or best walks in Wellington New Zealand, the Green Map will help you. At the moment site boast over 300 maps and although not all of them are published it certainly is a must stop for any eco-traveller.

$1 million for cruises domain

The web domain name cruises.co.uk has been sold for record $1 million (£560,000). The owner claims the price has smashed British record previously set by recycle.co.uk purchased for £150,000 in last October.

When one looks at the prices of the world’s most expensive domains;
- sex.com sold for $12 million,
- porn.com - $9,5 million,
- business.com – $7,5 million
- diamond.com - $7,5 million
- beer.com - $7 million

the true nature of mankind appears.

2008 - Year Zero in time travel?

Wormholes, bending space and time travel might not be science fiction any more.

The Large Hadron Collider, the most powerful particle accelerator in the world is to be operational in May 2008. According to two Russian mathematicians, Irena Aref’eva and Igor Volovich, the Large Hadron Collider will be powerful enough to tear space and time allowing for creation of a wormhole through which time travel would be possible.

Unfortunately, the time travel would be possible only to the time when first wormhole was established.

And here go my hopes of letting myself from a week ago know what will be the winning numbers in the European Lotto this week with a £95 million rollover. Although there is still hope that the future me will visit me before the draw

The ugliest hotel 3 - Ottensheim, Austria

dasparkhotel in Ottensheim in Austria is my next candidate for The Ugliest Hotel.

The hotel offers three rooms (yes three, not three dozens nor three hundred), all detached (that’s not a phrase used often when talking about hotel rooms), weights 9.5 tons and is constructed from reclaimed drain pipes.

The dasparkhotel boasts an unexpectedly comfortable interior - full headroom, double bed, storage, light, power, woolly blanket and light cotton sleeping bag. All other facilities: toilets, showers, minibar, cafe, etc are supplied by the surrounding public space.

At a "pay as you wish" pricing system customers leave a Euro amount that they can afford and with which they wish to support dasparkhotel. It is probably the best value for money hotel in the world.

You know what I am going to say – the idea is down the drain - literally.

Public holidays cut back in Indonesia

Last Tuesday, the Indonesian government cut down the number of public holidays by three days, bringing it to total of 20 days. According to the decree issued by the ministers for religious affairs, manpower and transmigration the cut back is caused by fear of a global economy slowdown.

The cut three holidays were among so called “sandwich holidays” - days sandwiched between public holidays and weekends, introduced in 2002 to encourage domestic tourism.
Private sector businesses can decide whether or not to offer the holidays to their employees.

I am trying really, really hard to feel sorry for Indonesians. However, with our mere eight days of public holidays, just somehow I am more envious than sympathising.

Nonos or non-itch pyjamas

Travelodge is testing full body-hugging non-itch pyjamas in five of its hotels including Heathrow Terminal 5 Travelodge.

This high-tech pyjamas are made from DermaSilk fabric and boast to help the skin to breathe, regulate body temperature and reduce itching and scratching.

The company's sleep director, Leigh McCarron, said: "As a retailer of sleep, we are constantly investigating innovative ways on how we can help our customers attain a good night's sleep.

"Something as simple as changing your bed attire can dramatically affect your quality of sleep."

To itch or not to itch, this is a question!... of practicality over the style. For me… maybe if they would come in pink… or maybe not.

Dame Helen Mirren to name a new P & O cruise ship

Dame Helen Mirren, the Oscar winning Hollywood actress, will name new P&O Cruises' ship Ventura. The naming ceremony will take place in Southampton on April 16 prior to the 3,076-passenger ship's maiden voyage to the Mediterranean.

Partnering up with some of Britain’s favourite names, Ventura’s holidays will offer something quite special for all ages. Tate Modern, will be bringing their expertise on board selected cruises, presenting ‘Tate Talks’. Noddy will be livening up playtime through themed activities. A giant 14.5 metre Scalextric track will provide fast pace fun for all ages. And Michelin star chef Marco Pierre White, is creating, Ventura’s unique fine dining venue, The White Room, plus a number of her other menus.

The ugliest hotel - 2

Thanks to Paul from AardvarkTravel , I have a great new contender for ‘The ugliest hotel’ ranking.

Ladies and gentlemen I present you Hotel Marqués de Riscal, created by Frank O. Gehry, the renowned architect famed for the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao.

Hotel Marqués de Riscal belongs to Starwood Hotels & Resort’s The Luxury Collection - a group of unique hotels and resorts offering exceptional service to an elite clientele. The Luxury Collection hotels and resorts are distinguished by magnificent décor, spectacular settings, impeccable service and the latest in modern conveniences and amenities.

Hotel Marqués de Riscal is located in the heart of the Rioja wine region of Spain and is supposedly ideal for a relaxed holiday. According to brochure it offers “43 guest rooms, including 11 suites, feature a modern, comfortable atmosphere and unique design”.

Unique design… you can say that again.

Increase in visa fees to Zambia

The government of Zambia has ceased the existing visa-waiver scheme. From now on, Britons planning holidays in Zambia will have to pay £75 (increase from £33) for their visa and £240 for multiple entry visa (up from £45).

The ugliest hotel - project

I am trying to compile the ugliest hotel list. While searching the net I came across this… building.

It supposed to be Son of Heaven Hotel in The Son of Heaven Hotel in Yanjiao Economic-Technological Development Zone, Langfang, in Hebei Province in China, only 20 minutes from World Trade Centre in Beijing. The hotel allegedly is in a shape of Chinese Gods; Fu, Lu and Shou.

I would love to hear more about it!

Naked flight

Happy news for you, if you are free on 5th July, fancy visiting Usedom, have spare $735 and are… a nudist!

German travel agency Makotel GmbH starts today taking bookings for a trial nudist flight from the eastern German town of Erfurt to the popular Baltic Sea resort of Usedom.

The 50 nudist passengers will pass through the airport clothed and then undress before embarking. The cabin crew will remain clothed "for safety reasons".

The mind boggles when thinking of the “safety reasons” involved :D

Cheap flights are "squeezing the life out of British tourism" ?

Travelodge accused Ryanair and easyJet of "squeezing the life out of British tourism" and causing a £18bn “tourism deficit” by drawing British holidaymakers away from Britain.

According to Travelodge, inward tourism has fallen by 16% between 1995 and 2002, while British spending abroad has risen by nearly 50%. Greg Dawson, Travelodge director of communications, said no-frills carriers were "the single biggest cause of decline in traditional tourism resorts and we urge the enquiry and government to investigate the airline's unfair grip on holidaymakers that is squeezing the life out of British tourism". Further, Dawson called on the Government to add VAT to air travel.

How would this affect Joe Bloggs’ interest, I wonder?