8 Old Colonial Hotels You Can Still Stay In
Posted November 10, 2009 , comments closed8 Old Colonial Hotels You Can Still Stay In
Remnants of a bygone world, these colonial memorials are places of nostalgic luxury where century-old traditions are preserved with meticulous care. Their Victorian flavour is reminiscent of Agatha Christie stories (actually, the famous writer stayed in some of them herself).
Most of old colonial hotels are as unaffordable for the average traveller as they were a hundred years ago, but this apparent shortcoming is compensated for by their opulence, charm, rich history and a long list of famous guests. Get to know some of the most celebrated hotels in the world…
Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Opened in 1864
Facing the Indian Ocean, this very personal and unique hotel has been hailed as a masterpiece of Victorian architecture. Some of its guests have said that staying at Galle Face is alone a sufficient reason for visiting Sri Lanka.
What is more, staying at Galle Face is affordable. You can enjoy the dramatic sunsets over the Indian Ocean from its black-and-white chequerboard terrace and know that famous guests, such as Richard Nixon, Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Neru, Emperor Hirohito, Roger Moore, Yuri Gagarin have probably done the same.
The hotel has its own ‘landmark’ – a world-famous doorman, eight-eight-year-old Kuttan, proudly bearing the title of the most faithful employee in hotel industry. He has served Galle Face for 66 years since the days of the British Raj.
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, Thailand
Opened in 1876
One of the oldest hotels in Asia, the famed Mandarin Oriental (formerly Oriental) is not cheap, but it certainly lives up to its reputation of superb service and opulent luxury. With a ratio of three staff per one guest, the hotel aims to make every visitor feel like royalty.
The famous guests include almost everyone who comes to mind – politicians, royalty, designers, celebrities such as Graham Greene, Sophia Loren, Alfred Hitchkock… Joseph Conrad did not stay at the hotel, but he was a frequent visitor to the bar.
In 1888, he arrived in Bangkok to take over the command of a ship whose previous captain died at sea, and spent many an evening swapping stories of far-off places in the bar of the Oriental. A few years later he would settle in England and take up writing full-time.
Raffles Hotel, Singapore
Opened in 1887
In 1886, the Armenian Sarkies brothers took over a harbour-facing building known as the Beach House. In December 1887, the new hotel opened and was named after the founder of the British colony in Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles.
Rudyard Kipling, who arrived in the same year, noted that the food was excellent but the rooms were bad. It seems the hotel has improved a great deal since then and has a guest list that looks like an edition of Who’s Who. Charlie Chaplin, Ginger Rogers, William Golding, Elizabeth Taylor and David Bowie have all stayed there.
One of Raffles‘ legendary, even if not overtly famous guests, was a certain Dutch archaeologist, Professor Callenfels, who drank up to three bottles of gin for breakfast alone and once ate every dish on the hotel’s menu. He then proceeded to do it all over again, only backwards.
Rumoured to be the place of mass suicide of 300 Japanese soldiers in the end of the Japanese occupation of Singapore in 1945 – in fact, only one such suicide has been proven – this famed hotel withstood wars, crises and disasters gracefully and is now a celebrated national monument.
Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
Opened in 1885
The Eastern Hotel in Penang – now a UNESCO world heritage site – was the first enterprise of the Sarkies brothers. Renamed Eastern & Oriental after a few years, it became commonly known as the E&O.
This hotel is one of the earliest major historic buildings still standing in Georgetown and is a charming legacy of Malaysia’s colonial past. Many of the historic features have been retained up to the present day, including the somewhat moody antique elevator and classic black-and-white tiled Victorian bathrooms.
E&O has welcomed celebrities such as Noel Coward, Herman Hesse, Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham.
Pera Palace, Istanbul, Turkey
Opened in 1892, will reopen in April 2010
The grand and opulent Pera Palace was built for the use of passengers coming from Paris to Istanbul on the Orient Express. It is located in a cosmopolitan quarter of Istanbul on a hill overlooking the Golden Horn and Bosphorus, a place of symbolic significance, where the East meets the West.
Pera Palace been frequented by politicians, writers and artists. The guest list includes name such as Mata Hari, Greta Garbo, Ernest Hemingway and Valeri Giscard d’Estaing.
The hotel had a very special place in the life of Agatha Christie. She stayed there many times between 1926 and 1932, and also wrote one of her best-known stories, Orient Express, in the hotel.
Winter Palace, Luxor, Egypt
Opened in 1886
Winter Palace, built in a typical British colonial style, soon became famous for its New Year’s Eve celebrations with masked costume balls. Taking part in hotel celebrations became a symbol of status and recognition. It was said to be the ultimate privilege to have one’s yacht moored along the quayside opposite the Winter Palace.
Agatha Christie is once again on the list of famous visitors, and it might have been here she got inspiration for her many stories set in Egypt.
It was on the notice board at Winter Palace that Howard Carter first announced the discovery of the tomb of Tutankamon in 1922. The famous Egyptologist frequented the hotel until his death.
Oberoi Grand, Kolkata, India
Opened in 1890
One of the oldest hotels in India, this colonial mansion is a haven of privacy, peace and old world charm in the hectic and exhausting city of contrasts that Kolkata is.
Boasting celebrity guests such as Melinda Gates, Ricky Martin and the Queen of Bhutan, Oberoi Grand used to be the favourite destination of princely Indians and local and international celebrities alike.
It is still one of the best hotels in India and perhaps the best hotel in Kolkata, a city is rich in top of the range hotels. The grand dining room offers different international buffet every night of the week as well as an exquisite Sunday lunch buffet, popular with locals and tourists alike
Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa
Opened in 1899
Mount Nelson Hotel was the fruit of the imagination and determination of shipping magnate Sir Donald Currie. The first visitors were the European high society travellers and the nouveau riche who partied and celebrated at the wake of Anglo-Boer war that broke out in the end of 1899. A young Winston Churchill was then a regular guest as a newspaper correspondent reporting on the war.
Since these troubled days, the walls of Nellie, as it is affectionately known, have survived three wars and many changes of government. They have welcomed the rich, the famous and the royal. Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and more recently Charlize Theron, Robbie Williams, Bono and Oprah have all stayed at Mount Nelson.
This white mansion boasts breathtaking views of the Table Mountain, and is striking in its colonial grandeur that South Africa is so famous for. Mount Nelson still serves high tea in the afternoon and champagne before dinner.
Additional photo credit: Pera Palace Hotel by Inga Kastrone
The Netflights Autumn Sale ends Midnight Tonight!
Posted October 23, 2009 , comments closed) If this rain isn’t enough to make you want to book a holiday, the prices in the Netflights autumn sale will be but hurry up and get booking, because it ends at midnight tonight!
The Netflights autumn sale has seen prices drop on flights, hotels and holidays worldwide. Over the last six days, Netflights customers have benefitted from up to a massive 60% off hotel prices, up to nearly £400 off worldwide flights, and brand new holiday packages, with free nights, free food and drink, free child places and reduced rates all up for grabs. Today is the last day you can take advantage of these fantastic prices so get booking!
If it’s inspiration you need this autumn, look no further than the latest offers pages at www.netflights.com, so jam packed with special offers and exclusive deals you’ll be spoilt for choice! Choose from a collection of brand new holidays in Thailand, Dubai, Florida and Barbados. Get some guaranteed sunshine if you book one of these fabulous packages before midnight tonight! What’s more, as part of the Netflights autumn sale, get up to four nights in amazing destinations like Las Vegas, Mauritius and Malaysia absolutely free, not to mention free half board and kids go free offers at world class resorts in stunning destinations, including Borneo, Bali, Orlando and the Maldives. Now that’s what we call a sale, and it ends soon!
British holidaymakers have struggled through the decidedly dreary “Credit Crunch” summer of 2009. But with the economy looking up, so Netflights flight fares come down, making this autumn the perfect time to book a holiday. Until midnight tonight, get cheap return flights to the USA, starting at an incredible £329, cheap flights to the ever popular Bangkok and Hong Kong at a jaw dropping £337, and return Dubai flights from only £269. Offers like this don’t come along every day, and this sale ends in just a few hours’ time, so visit www.netflights.com and see how much you could save on a fantastic last minute holiday this autumn.
About Netflights
Netflights is part of the Thomas Cook Group and guarantees fantastic offers on flights, hotels, holidays and car hire worldwide. Thousands of discounted airfares from over 135 airlines, reduced rates at over 15 000 hotels, great holiday offers and cheap car hire are all available at www.netflights.com, giving you easy access to all the latest and best travel discounts.
Netflights is a member of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), and every flight and holiday sold is ATOL protected, giving you full financial protection and complete peace of mind when booking whether online or over the phone.
To book, visit www.netflights.com TODAY. Sale ends midnight tonight!
5 Great Itineraries in Asia for 5 Different Theme Trips
Posted September 30, 2009 , comments closedAsia is as broad and varied as a continent should be, so how does one plan to go around such a vast area? There is the banana pancake trial; where veering off the lonely planet recommendation is unheard of. But how about some themed trips instead to see the real Asia?So what is Asia known for? Well the food for one; have you ever struggled to find a Chinese take away? Thought not. UFC and other mixed martial arts tournaments dominates interest in combat these days, but a lot of martial arts originate from ancient Asian traditions so we have a martial art itinerary for you too. We will also look at how colonisation influenced Asia to what it is today and wars occurred in Asia. To top things off we will be using the vast land space to get away from it all with a very adventurous itinerary.
Food
What better theme to start off with than a sampling of some of the more notable culinary examples of the region?
- China – The real home of Chinese food. Everybody has a favourite dish; sweet and sour, black bean, ginger dipping, stir-fry, dim sum, soups, noodles, rice, steamed bun, dumplings, there is thousands of combinations, and you don’t have enough time to try them all.
- Japan – There is much more to Japanese food then sushi. Other popular dishes include Domburi, Onigiri, Yakizakana, Ramen, Yakisoba, Oden,Chanko Nabe, Nikujaga, Yudofu, Omuraisu, and Tsukemomo amongst many others, Google them to surprise yourself!
- Malaysia – I have a Malaysian friend who I asked what the Malaysians don’t eat, he replied ‘rocks’; everything that moves or grows is eaten. “We’d eat the clouds if we could catch them” he said. Satay is the national snack – dipping small meat kebabs into a peanut sauce.
- India – Like Japanese food, Indian food is often stereotyped to spicy curry and poppadom. The sheer amount of spices is what makes Indian food as varied as it is. In Northern India you can find dairy based food and flat-bread; Southern India brings the reliance on rice, coconuts and vegetable stews to the table; Eastern India is where you go for your sweet desserts and Western India tends to mix a lot of these combinations up.
- Laos – Yes, whilst you can get deep fried bat here, the French colonisation had a big influence on Laos cuisine, so you can enjoy a freshly baked baguette with melted garlic on with your crunchy bat.
Colonies
Thailand is the only Asian country to not be under control as a Colony, and thus there is a few options here to see external influence on a country. We have already seen how it can affect food, but it can also influence building structure, language, law, culture and even the way people think, prime examples to visit are:
- The French in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos from 1858 to 1954.
- The British in Malaysia and Singapore from 1786 to 1957.
- The Japanese in Korea 1910 to 1945.
- The Spanish in The Philippines from 1565 to 1898.
- The Britain in India between 1765 and 1857.
War History
With such a large amount of colonisation, you can guess that Asia has had its fair amount of wars over the years making a significant impact in the history books.
- The forgotten war between North Korea and South Korea ending in stalemate which divided the 2 countries is still present today and tension on both sides can be seen at the border between the countries.
- The Vietnam war in Vietnam was fought with Viet Cong underground tunnels that you can visit to get a taste of what life was like in wartime Vietnam.
- World War II in Japan saw the only use of nuclear weapons in history in sobering Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the scars are still there today for visitors to see.
- In the 12th Century, one country reigned over nearly all of Asia: Mongolia. See the history of the invasions into China and beyond in museums across the region.
- Even further back in time you can find war and fighting references on the Angkor temples in Cambodia on which this is the only recorded history of that period.
Self Defense
With war comes self defence. Martial arts has spanned hundreds of years in different forms and Asia produces the majority of them such as:
- Tae Kwon Do is a martial art biased towards kicking and sports competition in South Korea.
- Muay Thai boxing in Thailand utilises the sharp quick attacks from knees, elbows and shins.
- Eskrima is the Filipino form of stick and sword fighting.
- Karate, Judo, Ninjutsu, Jujitsu and Sumo Wrestling were all made famous by Japan.
- Kung Fu was made famous and brought martial arts popularity to the world by Bruce Lee and originates from the monks in China.
Epic Trips
So far the itineraries have been quite heavily about war, colonisation and fighting, so it’s time to get away from it all with an epic Asian trip.
- Walk, run, motorcycle, unicycle or whatever you choose to move yourself down the Great Wall of China, it’s still going to take a while to do any significant percentage of the longest man made structure in the world.
- Borneo Island hosts a huge and unique jungle. Trekking through catching glimpses of the wildlife, flora and fauna would be a good decision as long as you can avoid the mosquitoes.
- Cycle through and over the Himalayas mountains including the worlds highest Mount Everest for a breath of fresh air and spectacular views.
- Follow the trial of Genghis Khan by riding a horse through the nomadic region of Mongolia.
- Sail and dive around the entire Asian coast. Some of the most beautiful and interesting. scenery can be seen from and under the sea bed.
Do you have a better way to theme your trip around Asia?
Asia Vacations & South Pacific Vacations - Globus family of brands
Posted , comments closed) Travel to Asia and South Pacific regions of the world has increased with travelers’ growing interest in exotic travel. Whether they list China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tibet, Mongolia or Vietnam on their “must-see” lists for 2010, the Globus family of brands has unveiled a deep offering of vacations designed to enhance the lives of Americans venturing abroad.
“We are not only revealing new itineraries in Asia, our vacation styles to exotic locations worldwide have increased,” said Scott Nisbet, president and chief executive officer for the Globus family of brands. “We’re giving travelers a plethora of tours, river cruises and independent vacation packages to choose from.”
As part of its 2010 vacation offerings, Globus has unveiled several NEW vacations, including two tours: Essence of China and Exploring Australia vacations. And, Monograms the company’s independent travel arm has substantially increased offerings to Asia with NEW Tokyo & Kyoto, Beijing & Shanghai, Beijing & Hong Kong, China Escape and Bangkok & Phuket itineraries. On these vacations, travelers will traverse the Asia Pacific region of the world independently, with help from a Local Host.
“Our Monograms product has witnessed the most growth in these exotic destinations,” said Nisbet. “This expansion, in part, is because Monograms is the perfect choice for first-time travelers to a destination people who want the security and convenience of having an English-speaking Local Host on-hand to point them in the right direction and ensure they explore all of the ‘must-see’ sites.”
To celebrate its exotic vacations, the company is providing travelers $400 off per couple on the air-inclusive price on 2010 Asia & South Pacific vacations when booked before October 13, 2009.* Visit www.globusjourneys.com for more information.
2010 ASIA & CHINA VACATION HIGHLIGHTS:
NEW Essence of China (8 days), priced from $1,599 land- and intra-tour flights only.
Mystical Thailand (12 days), priced from $1,969 land- and intra-tour flights only.
Magical China & the Yangtze River (12 days), priced from $2,799 land/cruise- and intra-tour flights only.
Fascinating China & Mongolia with Yangtze River Cruise (17 days), priced from $5,389 land /cruise and intra-tour flights only.
NEW Bangkok & Phuket (9 days), priced from $989 land- only.
NEW Beijing & Shanghai (7 days), priced from $909 land- only.
2010 SOUTH PACIFIC VACATION HIGHLIGHTS:
NEW Exploring Australia (20 days), priced from $5,919 land- and intra-tour flights only.
South Pacific Sampler (13 days), priced from $3,139 land- and intra-tour flights only.
Naturally New Zealand (10 days), priced from $2,089 land- and intra-tour flights only.
Australia Escape (10 days), priced from $1,329 land- only.
Aussie & Kiwi Explorer (14 days), priced from $2,139 land- only.
*Book a 2010 Globus, Monograms or Avalon Asia or South Pacific air-inclusive vacation. Booking must be made, under deposit and discount applied between August 12 and October 13, 2009 for travel commencing through December 31, 2010. Offers not valid with any other offer except Journeys Club and applies to new 2010 bookings only. Offer reliant on space availability. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.
ABOUT THE GLOBUS FAMILY OF BRANDS
Littleton, Colorado-based Group Voyagers, Inc. is the privately held company that markets and sells the Globus family of brands within the United States. Globus, Cosmos, Monograms and Avalon Waterways offer travelers unparalleled tour, independent travel package, river and small ship cruise options. Considered the world’s largest tour operator, with more than 80 years of international travel experience, the Globus family of brands is dedicated to enriching the lives of travelers by turning foreign destinations into familiar harbors, where the expense of travel is forgotten and replaced by personal value.
Asian Trails celebrates 10th anniversary
Posted , comments closed- eTN Executive Talk: Palestinian tourism minister one-on-one
- Africa Business Summit in Washington, DC
- New cruise law about to set sail
- Launch of hotel bidding concept in India
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- Berlin tourism is fitter than other European metropolis
- Empowerment, flexibility, and networking to continue in travel
- Tourism cannot end under any circumstance, former ASTA head says
By
Luc Citrinot, eTN Asia Staff Writer |
Sep 30, 2009
It has been ten years now since Luzi Matzig, one of the most prominent personalities in Asian tourism, created his own tour operation. For eTurboNews, Matzig – who just celebrated his 60th birthday - gives his vision of tourism in southeast Asia.
eTN: What are the most dramatic changes you have experienced over the last ten years?
Luzi Matzig: This is definitely Internet booking that has revolutionized distribution and the way to do business. Booking engines are now into the hands of large travel groups that contract directly with travel suppliers such as hotels. Agoda.com has been taken over by Priceline and asiarooms.com by TUI. Tour operators such as ourselves are not anymore needed to book rooms. We just lost ourselves a contract with asiarooms.com as they decided to deal directly with hotels. And we cannot compete, as it would request a lot of effort and money. We have to adapt our strategy and concentrate on our core business, the tour operating. We just, in fact, gained Kuoni UK as a new customer.
eTN: Are travelers from today very different from ten years ago?
Matzig: We definitely experience[d] a strong rise in individual travelers. As soon as a market becomes mature, it walks away from group tourism. We see also emerging two strong types of travelers, both at the extreme. With the collapse in airlines and hotels prices due to increased competition, there is a trend for cheaper and ever-cheaper packages. But how cheap can we further go? Is it really worth the energy to chase those mass tourism markets producing a very small return on investment? We prefer to look after the other segment, FIT who looks after exclusive up-market products. There is more disposable money and less competition.
eTN: What are the products then that you can offer?
Matzig: These FIT travelers have very determined ideas about what they would like to do and when. Our strength is then to propose packages à la carte. We can arrange for a private car with chauffeur or offer a tailor-made circuit in southeast Asia. We see, for example, a strong interest for cruises as the choice becomes more sophisticated in the region. They are classical cruises on the Mekong River or on the Andaman Sea. Borneo is also emerging as an attractive cruise destination. We also propose private jet[s] for top travelers. We also find more holidaymakers looking for exclusive destinations. For example in Thailand, we see up-market clients moving away from well-known tourist destinations such as Krabi, Phuket, or Pattaya to go more to secluded islands. The last Kuoni Switzerland catalogue on Asia is a very good example of the current trend. It contains up to ten pages of stays and packages at little-know[n] Thai islands.
eTN: Did you also experience a shift in destinations requested by travelers?
Matzig: Indochina has seen the biggest growth over the decade with tourism booming in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and also Laos. Burma is coming back, rather slowly, but it went through a terrible time in 2008. I expect that Myanmar will double the number of its travelers next year compared to 2009… The Philippines is gaining in popularity, especially for Boracay with its fine beaches. But the most successful destination over the last two years is Indonesia. Especially for Bali, where it becomes extremely difficult to sort out an accommodation. The EU ban lift on air travel for some Indonesian airlines help us to design new packages. We propose again overland tours from Sumatra to Bali or propose tours to the Toraja in South Sulawesi in complement to a stay in Bali.
eTN: Is culture an attractive theme in Southeast Asia?
Matzig: It has always been, but as travelers are becoming more discerning, they like to link many cultural destinations with eventually a few days break at a seaside resort at the end of their tour. In Europe, travelers from France, Germany, or Switzerland are very keen at combining multi-countries cultural tours, such as Vietnam-Cambodia and Thailand. But Russians, Scandinavians, and Britons would mostly favor a single sea and sun holiday destination.
eTN: What are your predictions for 2010 for Asian Trails?
Matzig: We definitely will see a recovery, let[’s] say in a growth range of 10 percent. We are personally very happy with our position today and our presence all around southeast Asia. We do not plan to move to other markets as we estimate to remain among the best specialists in the region.