Destination: Asia
The Life of a Billionaire Traveler
by Michael Yessis | 03.15.06 | 12:23 PM ET
Oslo, Tokyo and the other places that topped the recent list of most expensive cities list hardly make a dent in the budgets of these private-jet flying, American Express Centurion card-wielding, $25 room service hamburger-ordering travelers. Forbes has an inside look at what it’s like to travel like a billionaire.
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Yahoo! BuzzRemembering “Japanland” and Other Books
by Jim Benning | 03.13.06 | 9:30 AM ET
The New York Public Library’s list of 25 Books to Remember from 2005 included “Japanland: A Year in Search of Wa,” which we reviewed and also made our 2005 list. Also making the library’s list was “Carnivorous Nights: On the Trail of the Tasmanian Tiger.”
Hokusai Exhibition Generates Wave of Enthusiasm
by Jim Benning | 03.12.06 | 4:20 PM ET
An exhibition of the work of Japanese woodblock print artist Hokusai attracted more than 9,000 visitors a day in Tokyo last year, the highest numbers for any museum exhibition since The Art Newspaper began tracking such data a decade ago, the paper reports. A Los Angeles Times article on the high visitor counts—which careful readers will observe carries a far inferior pun-headline to our own; “Hokusai Makes a Big Splash”? Please—points out that Hokusai fans in the U.S. can see some of his works at the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C., until May 14.
I’m a Recovering Alcoholic. Any Tips on Dealing with Social Situations While Traveling?
by Rolf Potts | 03.10.06 | 12:15 AM ET
Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel
China: It’s Not Easy “Preserving the Progressiveness”
by Jim Benning | 03.09.06 | 2:42 PM ET
Today’s New York Times has an interesting story on China and the communist party’s struggle to retain members and maintain interest. The approach? A “Maoist-style ideological campaign, complete with required study groups,” the paper reports. The campaign is known as “preserving the progressiveness.” It’s the butt of jokes in China, and it’s easy to understand why. When I was there, I asked a Chinese friend about the state of communism in the country. The response? “I don’t pay much attention to communism. I’m too busy following the value of my stock.”
Goodbye ‘Calcutta,’ Hello ‘Kolkata.’ What’s in a Name?
by Jim Benning | 03.07.06 | 3:35 PM ET
To reflect pre-colonial times in India, Calcutta has become Kolkata, Madras is now Chennai and Bombay has become Mumbai. More and more Western newspapers are using the new official names in datelines—the Los Angeles Times made the change Monday. In an eloquent piece in today’s Times, David Lamb wonders what’s lost when such iconic names are tossed into the “historical scrap pile.”
Cruising: A “Kiss of Death” for Japanese Marriages?
by Michael Yessis | 02.23.06 | 12:51 PM ET
The divorce rate is on the rise in Japan, and some marriage counselors say long-term travel by recent retirees is part of the cause. According to a Reuters story, here’s the logic: Japanese men devote long hours to their jobs, essentially living apart from their families. When these “salarymen” retire they take celebratory cruises with their spouses, where, with a lot of time on their hands in a confined space, they find they barely know each other. Divorce ensues. Marriage counselors are calling the phenomenon “retired husband syndrome” and are prescribing day trips as a treatment.
Singapore, United Arab Emirates Jump Into Space Tourism Race
by Michael Yessis | 02.21.06 | 12:35 PM ET
Space Adventures announced plans yesterday to open a spaceport in Singapore by 2009, just three days after releasing plans for another spaceport in the United Arab Emirates. The news escalates a race between Space Adventures and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic to be the first company to offer commercial space flights. The Independent’s Justin Huggler writes that Space Adventures has a slight lead. It has sold a Chinese businessman, Jiang Fang, a place on a sub-orbital spaceflight next year. Branson’s outfit plans to send its first passenger to space from a spaceport in Roswell, New Mexico by 2008.
Elizabeth Gilbert: ‘Eat, Pray, Love’
by Frank Bures | 02.20.06 | 11:23 PM ET
In "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia," Elizabeth Gilbert turns to travel in an effort to find, well, everything. Frank Bures writes that her journey will leave you smiling in your liver.
Peter Hessler on His Chinese Hutong
by Michael Yessis | 02.15.06 | 12:38 PM ET
Translation: his alley. The 80th anniversary issue of the New Yorker features a terrific story by River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze author Peter Hessler about the unnamed, centuries-old alley he lives on in Beijing, about a mile north of the Forbidden City. It’s unavailable online, but highly recommended.
Chinese Cyclist Aims to Ride Solo Around the World
by Michael Yessis | 02.14.06 | 11:52 AM ET
The Olympic spirit has really gotten into Yang Guangwen. The 46-year-old plans to ride his bike around the world beginning in March, visiting the cities that have hosted the Games since their modern inception. Beijing will host the 2008 Games, and Yang wants to do his part to promote the Olympics through travel.
Eva Airways Harnesses the Power of Hello Kitty
by Michael Yessis | 02.13.06 | 12:09 PM ET
Oh, those toys do get around. While Barbie’s man Ken was off backpacking through Tibet, Hello Kitty was flying around Asia. Taiwanese airline Eva Airways recently painted an Airbus A330-200 with images of Hello Kitty and dressed up its flight attendants in Hello Kitty-themed outfits. It turns out the ever-popular cartoon cat sure can sell airline tickets. Since Hello Kitty made the scene, bookings are up 13 percent, the New York Times reports.
Mattel’s New Ken Doll: “He’s Been Backpacking Through Tibet”
by Jim Benning | 02.12.06 | 2:56 AM ET
New Guinea: Paradise Found?
by Terry Ward | 02.07.06 | 12:43 PM ET
More than 20 new frog species, a rare tree kangaroo never before seen in Indonesia, four new butterfly species and five new types of palms are some of the astonishing findings reported by scientists during an expedition to a remote mountain jungle in the west of New Guinea. Predictably, it’s being likened to heaven on Earth. “It’s as close to the Garden of Eden as you’re going to find on Earth,” said Bruce Beehler, co-leader of the U.S., Indonesian, and Australian expedition, according to a Reuters report on CNN.com. Beehler said they “just scratched the surface.” Sounds like further evidence that undiscovered locales still await intrepid souls (or, at the very least, heavily funded scientists) in the world’s most far flung corners. Note to intrepid backpackers and Starbucks developers: According to the story, the area is now “off limits to most visitors.”
A Brief History of Adventure Travel
by Michael Yessis | 02.04.06 | 2:17 PM ET
Yahoo! adventure guru Richard Bangs covers the history of adventure travel in just 874 words today in a New York Times piece. I’ll summarize in 86 words: First adventure travelers were merchants on expedition. Many accidental discoveries. Ericson, North America. Columbus, the Caribbean. Modern adventure travel began 35 years ago. Treks in the Nepalese Himalayas. Maoist revolutionaries emerge. Adventurers go to Bhutan. In the ‘70s, Afghanistan, Algeria and New Guinea. In the ‘80s, the Nile, Mount Ararat and Bali. Religious-based terrorism drives out adventurers. In the ‘90s, the Alps. Euro rises. Everyone goes to Thailand. Tsunami hits. Libya, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Panama become popular. For now. When in doubt, there’s always Costa Rica.