Jan 12, 2012

Air Mauritius is increasing its capacity to Shanghai by over 100% (from 14,300 seats to 31,200 seats annually) as from 26th of March 2012. The current weekly Airbus A330 flight to Shanghai will no longer stopover in Kuala Lumpur and will be operated by the larger Airbus A340 aircraft according to the following schedules ( All times local and subject to slot

Nov 16, 2011

(WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Nov 08, 2011) — Surging ahead in China, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., today announced its popular Westin brand will open three new hotels in the fast-growing cities of Ningbo, Xian and Xiamen over the next six months. Earlier this year, Westin opened three hotels in several dynamic markets including its first hotel in

Nov 14, 2011

(Blaine, WA., November 10, 2011) —The  best-value deal on the market is China Spree’s 14-day China’s Best Treasures tour.  Depending on the departure date, the price starts at $2,199 from San Francisco, which translates to $150 a day for luxurious hotel accommodations; 32 delicious meals; knowledgeable and personable guides; a fascinating and fun

Jun 25, 2011

Tianjin, China, June 15, 2011 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc introduces its premium Luxury Collection brand to China with a suitably iconic property – The Astor Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel,Tianjin. The 148-year-old landmark in central Tianjin reopened in August 2010 after an 18-month, makeover by award-winning designer Alexandra

Many people expect Vegas when they come to Macau. There are certainly a plethora of casinos and plenty of ready and able gamblers. But the gambling scene seems the least of it really when such a vast offering of cultural experiences await. The ruins of St. Paul, a plethora of temples from grande to tiny, the lavish Handover Museum, Senado Square, and the

Cirque du Soleil’s first permanent show in Asia has finally found it’s way to Macau. The show is called Zaia and it’s housed in a theatre in The Venetian Macau on the Cotai Strip built especially for the show. It is only 90 minutes long in an effort to be family friendly and I was enthralled every second. Performers bicycled through the sky. Acrobats

I don’t believe in those whirlwind “Europe in a week” tours. But if I am going to travel across the International Date Line, I like to know what I should be sure not to miss. So, don’t tell anyone I gave it to you, but here’s a very unofficial (and surely incomplete) check-list of the Macau (cultural) must-sees: Penha Church A-Ma Temple Moorish

Years ago, Martini and Rossi hosted me on a trip to Italy that included one evening at the Venice film festival. The roof top bar at the Altira Hotel in Macau reminded me of that terrace with groovy chairs in which couples can lounge head to toe and toe to head like a living Yin and Yang and a view of the city that rivaled any I have seen. Friday nights, the

I am the only Caucasian in the elevator, in the restaurant, on the street. I like it. It puts me in my place. It reminds me that English is a national language not an international one. Many people in Macau speak English. But plenty of others speak only Portuguese and/or Chinese. I am forced to attempt to interpret signs and evaluate context. I am forced to feel

I have to admit, I dig any place where you can have dim sum and pan fried noodles for breakfast any day of the week and pork and shrimp dumplings in noodle soup is available 24 hours a day from room service. The Sofitel has an impressive breakfast buffet that runs the gamut from French pastries to satay. There is only the one restaurant and it’ll run you about

Of all the days to get sick, I had to choose this one. At least it wasn’t the swine flu, which I have to tell you, I wondered if it might be as I sat on the pretty tile floor of a private bathroom in the MGM Grand Macau. The Imperial Court restaurant famous for its authentic Cantonese cuisine had set up a gorgeous, private dining room for us. The dim sum

The entrance to the Sofitel Macau is impressive, all glittering lights and mirrors. I was excited to see my room and wasn’t disappointed when I turned the key. A panorama of windows with an amazing view of the decadent pool, the causeway, and the city all stretched out before me is the first thing I see. A giant bed and sleek, architecturally inspired

The skyline and streetscape of Macau is an intriguing mix of old buildings far past their glory days, laundry hanging from their balconies and paint peeling from their facades and shiny new creations with brilliant lights racing across their slick fronts and towers reaching to the sky. The streets are narrow and packed and when we arrive at the Macau airport,

I seem to have misplaced Wednesday. I got on a flight from Dallas to LA on Tuesday evening and a few hours later boarded a plane headed for Hong Kong. When I landed twelve hours later, it was Thursday morning. And after a short ferry I was in Macau, on of my favorite places. Crossing the International Date Line is a strange experience, no matter how often you do

It is surprisingly easy to get to Macau (which is part of China, just a waterway away from Hong Kong). You can hop a direct flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific and then grab a ferry right on over to Macau. The flight is long, yes. But on Cathay in Business Class, you won’t care. Come hungry. The made to order wonton and noodle soup will make