Hello Kitty theme park opens in Tokyo

by Leigh Caldwell on


If you’re a lover of all things Hello Kitty, there’s good news today. Hello Kitty Kawaii Paradise has opened in the Odaiba district of Tokyo.

The 10,000-square foot attraction is being called an indoor theme park, but it’s a pretty small space to accommodate any kind of ride or show. Kawaii Paradise does have a theater with Hello Kitty cartoons projected onto a domed ceiling, a restaurant that serves Hello Kitty pancakes, and that bastion of all theme park values, the gift shop.

There are two other theme parks — Sanrio Puroland and Harmonyland — dedicated to Hello Kitty and other characters in the Sanrio universe. But this is the first park where Hello Kitty does not share the marquee with her friends.

Kawaii (which means “cute” in Japanese) Paradise is in the growing Venus Fort shopping complex. The park’s operator, PleasureCast, says it expects to top 700,000 visitors in the first year of operation.

[Image credit: Flickr user Stephen Hucker]

Discovery Adventures announces new trips for 2011

by Kraig Becker on

Discovery Adventures, the Discovery Channel’s foray into the travel industry, announced a number of new destinations last week, offering travelers several new adventurous options for 2011. Sticking to the themes of their previous excursions, these new itineraries offer cultural and historical immersion in some of the most exotic and spectacular places on the planet.

The company has partnered with Gap Adventures, one of the top adventure travel companies in the world, to help deliver some amazing new trips to such destinations as Japan, Kenya, Greece, Italy, France, Turkey and Indochina. The trips range in duration from 8 to 15 days and include comfortable accommodations and a selection of amenities to choose from, as well as some unforgettable experiences that can’t be found anywhere else.

The new trips include Classic Japan, during which travelers will have the opportunity to visit the Hiroshima Peace Park, explore an ancient Japanese castle, and visit the famous Geisha District. The new Kenya Wildlife Safari visits the Great Rift Valley and the Masai Mara Game Reserve in search of lions, elephants, and the rare black rhino, while the Historic Footsteps Through France tour takes visitors to the beaches of Normandy and the wine country of the Loire Valley.

Additionally, Discovery Adventures has also teamed with the Planterra Foundation, a non-profit organization that looks to have a positive impact on destinations around the globe through a series of voluntourism opportunities. These trips allow travelers to visit some distinct, and often remote, destinations, while working on important community building projects. These trips deliver an amazing cultural experience unlike any others, as travelers get to see the direct and immediate impact of their work on the places that they visit.

For a complete list of these new adventure travel options, as well as their existing catalog of trips, go to DiscoveryAdventures.com, and start planning your adventures for 2011.

Get 178 Mandarin Oriental Tokyo rooms, keep the neighbors away

by Tom Johansmeyer on

There’s nothing worse than being in a hotel room that’s filled with the sounds of your neighbors. It has to get pretty bad outside your door for some out-of-control moron to be loud on your side of it, but let’s face the reality: some hotel neighbors are awful. You can solve this problem easily, as long as you have close to three quarters of a million dollars on hand per single night of bliss.

The Mandarin Oriental Tokyo has a great deal for guests who just want to sleep well at night. Pony up a whopping $679,500, and the only other people in the hotel will be the staff – and the few lucky people you invite to join you. Spa rooms, all nine restaurants … you can turn the hotel into your personal playground

According to the Sydney Morning Herald:

The luxury hotel in central Tokyo began selling the plan a week ago as “something splashy” to commemorate its opening five years ago, said hotel spokeswoman Chie Hayakawa. It intends to apply for recognition from Guinness World Records once a reservation is finalised.

“When the hotel opened we had an exclusive party like this — black tie, cocktail dresses. There was music and drinks and food from the restaurants, and it was all quite grand,” said Hayakawa, who took part.

The rather hefty price tag doesn’t even get you a full 24 hours; it only runs from 3 PM until noon the next day. But, you can host a cocktail reception for up to 500 people.

There has been some interest in the package, mostly from businesses. Of course, eccentric individuals are also open to book a stay of this caliber. There is a catch:

“The only thing is, you have to pick a date where there are no reservations already,” she added. “It’s not as if you could just request it for later this week.”

[photo by TheTruthAbout via Flickr]

Photo of the day (10.7.10)

by Meg Nesterov on

I’m one of those weird adults who doesn’t know how to ride a bike. No great excuse, just never bothered to learn as a kid, preferring indoor pursuits and walking on nice solid ground, and it’s become harder to learn as an adult. My husband has attempted several times over the years and now I’m sort of like Toonces the driving cat – I can ride, just not very well. Maybe this fellow in Tokyo is also a non-bike rider and thus looks a bit shamed by the row of bicycles. No matter the reason for his sour face, this photo by Flickr user jrodmanjr is a nice composition in black and white of a city that takes its eco-friendly commuting seriously.

Have a great travel photo you’d like featured here? Add it to our Gadling group on Flickr and we might choose one as our Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day (09.27.10)

by Mike Barish on
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who mix together all of the food on their plate and those who like to keep food segregated. Personally, I’m a mixer. I like to get some potatoes on my fork before stabbing a piece of turkey. Or allowing the rice and beans to hitch a ride with my ropa vieja on their way to my mouth. For some people, though, such mixing is akin to culinary anarchy.

Bento boxes in Japan are perfect for the OCD epicurean. This photo by Flickr user Marisoleta shows just how beautifully organized the bento boxes are on Japanese trains. If you prefer that your food have borders, then bento boxes are the way to go. I, however, suggest that you put two pieces in your mouth at the same time. Let the flavors mingle. Live a little.

Have a picture that shows how you eat on the road? Or, even better, just some great travel photos? Submit your images to Gadling’s Flickr group and we might use one for a future Photo of the Day.