Cosmetic surgery tour group stopped at the border

by Scott Carmichael on

A group of 23 Chinese women became stranded at the border of their own country when they tried to return home from a “cosmetic surgery vacation”.

The women had been visiting a Korean institute to get some work done on their eyes, nose and chin.

Obviously, they had not realized that this kind of work would make them look significantly different than their passport photo, and the entire group was stopped by immigration officials.

Eventually, document specialists were called in to examine their passport photos, and compare them with parts of their faces that had not had any work done. Of course, the healing wounds and stitches probably didn’t make things any easier. After several hours, the group was cleared to enter their own country.

Apparently, cosmetic surgery is becoming increasingly popular with Chinese women, who pay upwards of $3000 to have their faces altered to look more “western”.

Endangered spaces: Kashgar’s Old City

by Kraig Becker on

Kashgar is an ancient city in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. It’s origins date back more than 2000 years, when it was an important trade stop on the Silk Road. Over the centuries it has been visited by the likes of Ghenghis Khan and Marco Polo, amongst many others, and it has a rich history as a trade outpost.

Today, Kashgar is no longer the focal point of a major trade route, but it is a fantastic tourist destination, with history around every corner and down every narrow street. More than 220,000 people live and work there, but according to this story, from the U.K. newspaper The Guardian, the Chinese government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to demolish the historic Old City in Kashgar to make way for modern structures, which will take the place of centuries old buildings, many of which are still inhabited by artisans and craftsman.

When the demolition begins next year, more than 85% of Kashgar’s Old City will be destoryed, with thousands of inhabitants being relocated to newer, safer buildings. When the project is complete, Kashgar will practically be a completely new city, and the unique and intresting historical sections will be almost completely gone. The question is, when they are gone, is there any reason for travelers to still make the journey to the city?

If you’re an adventurous traveler who enjoys visiting unique, historical places, and you haven’t made it to Kashgar yet, you may want to book a trip in the next few months. The days are numbered for the Old City, and soon Kashgar will be just like so many other modern cities in China.

Gadlinks for Tuesday 8.4.09

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Welcome to this Tuesday’s installment of Gadlinks. What weird, wondrous and wacky tales did we dig up from the travel world today? Read on to find out:

  • Like Rollercoasters? Maybe it’s time you booked a ticket to Shanghai, where China’s largest amusement park is set to open its gates next week. That looks like quite a wooden coaster! [Via Jaunted]
  • Looking to be inspired? This plan by two dozen homeless men in Poland to build and sail a ship around the world is an absolutely amazing story. [Via The NYT]
  • We shouldn’t forget that some of our country’s best beaches aren’t on the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans – they’re on the Great Lakes. How about this list of Seven Michigan Lake Towns to get you started? They forgot my favorite, South Haven. [Via Intelligent Traveler]
  • Sometimes, despite our best efforts to get “off the beaten trail” we end up in what is otherwise known as the dreaded tourist trap. Don’t fret, Esquire has a Five-Minute Guide to American Tourist Traps like the Grand Canyon, Disneyland and Yellowstone. The hordes of tourists are still there, but you’ll have the upper hand. [Via World Hum]

More Gadlinks HERE.

Spring Airlines gets international approval

by Stephen Greenwood on

Remember that story about China’s Spring Airlines considering standing-room only tickets?

Well, if they ever get around to realizing that glorious dream, standing-room only could be slowly making it’s way closer to you.

The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) ruled on Thursday that the airline will be able to operate specific international routes. Spring Airlines is the second private firm that has received this approval by the CAAC.

This will initially open up short-distance routes, such as flights to Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea and Russia. The airline was founded in 2005 and currently has 13 Airbus 320 passenger jets, with 30 domestic air routes.

Any volunteers for when Spring Airlines decides to take standing room to trans-Pacific flights?

Traveling the globe with Nat Geo Student Expeditions

by Kraig Becker on

In the summer of 2008, National Geographic launched a fascinating and inspiring project called Student Expeditions, which aimed to send high school students to a variety of exotic locals around the globe, immersing them in that location through unique, special projects that give them the opportunity to experience the culture and landscapes of the place, while learning something special in the process. The program is now in its second year, and even more students are getting the opportunity to take part in this amazing travel experience.

The students can choose to travel to Australia, Belize, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Galápagos, Iceland, India, Mexico’s Yucatan, Peru, Rome and Greece, Spain and Tanzania. Each of the trips is three weeks in length, and along the way, the students, and their trip leaders, are joined by National Geographic experts, who share their insights and unique perspectives on each of the countries. These experts are generally writers, photographers, explorers, and so on, and they typically spend between four to eight days traveling with the high schoolers.

While traveling in their selected country, each of the students adopts an On Assignment Project, which are specially designed to teach them something about the country, while offering an experience that only National Geographic can deliver. The projects focus on photography, filmmaking, wildlife and conservation, and more. The trip leaders and experts work closely with the young travelers to help complete the assignments, and create a lasting travel experience unlike any other.

Many of the studens have been blogging their travels all summer long, and you can read all about the Student Expedtioins experience by clicking here. You’ll find thoughts on trekking glaciers in Iceland, exploring Inca culture in Peru, and visiting the sites of ancient empires in Rome and Greece, amongst many others.

And if there are any students out there that are interested in joining future Student Expeditions, click here to begin the application process.