Top five weekend travel media stories

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Here are some of the best travel stories culled from the travel sections of this past weekend’s newspapers.

1. In the Financial Times, Claire Wrathall pens a sailing exploration of northern Croatia’s Kornati islands, which take a backseat to the country’s southern Adriatic islands and port cities.

2. Seven writers weigh in on their first independent teenage trips in a Guardian travel feature. It’s amusing throughout, though the stories told by Terry Alderton and Emma Kennedy are especially funny.

3. In the Los Angeles Times, Michele Bigley recommends ten kid-friendly pit stops along Highway 1 between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

4. In the Winnipeg Free Press, Phil Reimer ponders the future of Antarctic cruises after the heavy-fuel ban takes effect next August. (Another great piece exploring the future of cruises among other tourism ventures was written by Doug French for the June 7 Christian Science Monitor.)

5. In the Irish Times, Ruadhán Mac Cormaic celebrates the virtues of Paris beyond the city’s six most central arondissements, sharing top-five hotel, restaurant, and activity lists.

(Photo: Flickr/Alaskan Dude)

Egypt plans smoking ban

by Sean McLachlan on

Smokers beware–there will soon be nowhere to run.

It started in Europe and North America, and now it’s spreading around the world. Country after country is banning the use of tobacco in public places. Some countries are going even further. Finland plans to ban smoking entirely, while more limited laws are appearing in the most surprising places.

Even the smoker’s haven of the Middle East is getting into the game. Syria’s smoking ban covers public buildings and popular gathering spots such as cafes, and now Egypt is starting a smoking ban too. Alexandria is the first city to enact the ban, which will eventually cover the whole country. Officials are starting by enforcing a usually ignored law already on the books that forbids smoking in government buildings, and the ban will spread to other public buildings such as cafes within two years. Other cities will soon follow.

One wonders if Egypt’s many hookah bars will fight the ban like the hookah bars in Paris.

New Abu Dhabi tower and Hyatt hotel crowned “world’s furthest leaning”

by Scott Carmichael on

Usually, when you think “leaning tower”, the Leaning Tower of Pisa comes to mind – but a new tower in Abu Dhabi is well on its way to changing that. The 35 story Capital Gate leans an insane 18 degrees – a whole 13 more than the Pisa tower.

The tower was crowned “world’s furthest leaning” by the Guinness Book of World Records on June 5th. But the best part is that this building is more than just a new skyscraper on the Abu Dhabi skyline – you’ll soon be able to spend the night in one of its rooms, thanks to the 5-star Hyatt Capital Gate.

With 189 rooms (including 1 diplomatic and 1 2,475 sq. ft. presidential suite), this luxury hotel is set to offer some of the best views ever thanks to its floor to ceiling windows. The hotel is also home to five restaurants, including an 18th floor tea lounge. The Hyatt Capital Gate is scheduled to open in the last quarter of 2010.

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Gucci to launch new hotel in Dubai

by Melanie Nayer on

As is the case in the fashion world, when one designer makes a statement the others will follow.

Enter: Italian fashion icon Gucci, who will launch its own hotel chain in Dubai, only a few months after the opening of Giorgio Armani’s hotel in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

Lorens Ziller, the managing director for Elisabetta Gucci Hotels says the first ever Gucci hotel will open in Dubai’s Media City by the end of the year. While construction has yet to begin on the hotel, plans are already in place to design the 87-suite hotel with the help of Elisabetta Gucci, daughter of designer Paolo Gucci. The Elisabetta Gucci website also states the hotel will offer 24-hour room service, a cigar club, a spa, fitness center and pool.

According to reports, Gucci also plans hotels in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Oman and China.

Dubai based Emirates places $11.5 billion Airbus A380 order

by Scott Carmichael on

Dubai based Emirates just placed a whopping $11.5 billion order for 32 Airbus A380’s. This is in addition to the ten they currently own and the 48 they still have on order – which instantly makes them the largest customer of the super jumbo. Once all their orders are delivered, Emirates will operate a fleet of 90 A380’s – worth about $30 billion.

This news comes hot off the heels of the news that Airbus delivered their 30th A380 – and are well on their way to turning the plane into a huge success.

The order was placed at the Berlin Air Show where Emirates CEO Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum signed the paperwork – $11.5 billion in paperwork.

The massive order is not only good for Emirates and Airbus – it is also a sign that the trouble aviation world may be well on its way to a full recovery.