China’s State-Controlled Media Recommends Top 10 Nude Beaches

by Dave Seminara on

Looking for nude beach recommendations this summer? You probably wouldn’t think to consult Xinhua, China’s state-controlled press agency, but here comes editor Yang Yi’s list of their “Top Ten Sexy Nudist Bathing Spots Around the World.” I stumbled across the link to the slideshow while checking out an article about their new English language travel website and had a few good laughs reading the photo captions.

According to Yi, Australia’s Lady Bay Beach “is one of the legitimate nudist beaches announced by the Prime Minister in 70s,” and the entire city of Rio de Janeiro is “the most ‘eye-candy’ beach” where visitors will “find many graceful statures and beautiful faces in beach activities.” In “Cape Down” (sic) South Africa, Yi recommends Sandy Bay Beach because it has “inconvenient traffic,” which makes it feel “away from the world.” Other entries included San Gregorio State Beach in California, and beaches in Negril, Jamaica, British Columbia and St. Martin. The entire state of Hawaii also made the list. Aloha!In recommending Paradise Beach in Mykonos, Yi opines, “Europeans are always full of reverence for human body … In other European countries, restrictions on public nudity are very relaxed. Say nothing of other countries like Netherlands, France, and Spain, even England, which is strict and conservative in some people’s eyes, possesses officially-recognized nudist beaches.”

It’s obviously a pretty half-assed list and some of the stock photos they used look like models from cheap ’70s porn sets. But it’s nice to see that state-controlled media in China is letting its hair down and chasing clicks just like every site in the West.

I hit a couple clothing optional beaches in Greece last summer and can highly recommend Plakias on the island of Crete and Psili Ammos beach in Patmos. Somehow I don’t think editor Yi has spent much time on nude beaches, so if you want more detailed recommendations consider checking out Captain Barefoot’s Naturist Guide to the Greek Islands.

Carnival Splendor Fire Explained By Coast Guard Report

by Chris Owen on

It was November 2010 when fire broke out on Carnival Splendor, disabling the 3,300-passenger ship. At the time, the reason for the fire was unknown. Now, the U.S. Coast Guard has completed its investigation into the cruise ship fire and has a report.

Identifying mostly human factors in what could have been an easily-extinguished fire, the Coast Guard report places the source as an engine failure.

“While the fire was eventually self-extinguished, the failure of the installed CO2 system and the poor execution of the firefighting plan contributed to the ineffectiveness of the crew’s firefighting effort,” the report said, as noted by a Miami Herald article.

Initially thought to be out of service for a short time, Carnival Splendor finally returned to service three months later after being thoroughly inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard and Lloyds Registry, a ship classification society, which monitored the progress of repairs during the ship’s dry-dock period.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/15/3501875/coast-guard-highlights-crew-errors.html#storylink=cpy

As a result of the Carnival Splendor incident, Carnival Cruise Lines began a renewed focus on cruise safety that was further energized by the grounding of Costa Concordia and other safety-related events in recent years.

In April, after February’s Carnival Triumph incident, when an engine room fire knocked out the ship’s propulsion, Carnival Cruise Lines announced the beginning of a comprehensive fleetwide technical enhancement program.

Part of that program was the formation of a Safety & Reliability Review Board, third-party experts to provide perspective and input for continuous improvement across the line’s fleet. Just this week, Carnival announced new members of that board including a two U.S. Navy Rear Admirals and two airline safety experts.

6 Destinations Made More Popular By Celebrities

by Libby Zay on

Travel Channel and the Esquire Network are both set to air TV shows that ask celebrities to give local perspectives on their favorite destinations. While one can argue that Travel Channel is taking Esquire’s already developed idea and running with it, it’s undeniable that this fascination with celebrity travel is nothing new. In fact, celebrities have been popularizing places for years. Here’s a few examples of places where the stars have come out to play (and crowds of people soon followed).

George Clooney and Lake Como, Italy
George Clooney bought an 18th-century lakeside villa here in 2001, and it’s been a tourist hotspot ever since. According to the Daily Beast, the actor has an egg-throwing contraption that wards off paparazzi and other gawkers.Brigitte Bardot and Armação dos Búzios, Brazil
French sexpot Brigitte Bardot famously vacationed in Saint Tropez on the French Riviera, but she’s also credited with popularizing the resort town of Armação dos Búzios in Brazil during the 1960s. Townspeople are so happy with the tourism surge they erected a statue in the starlet’s honor.

Elvis Presley and Hawaii
It’s no secret Elvis loved Hawaii. From his first visit in the 1950s, it remained his favorite vacation destination. Elvis made three movies there, including the immensely popular “Blue Hawaii.” It’s also the setting of the first broadcast concert via satellite, “Aloha from Hawaii,” which Elvis starred in.

Sir Richard Branson and Necker Island, British Virgin Isles
Sure, he owns the island, but he also made it a popular vacation spot. Famous names like Steven Spielberg, Mel Gibson, Oprah Winfrey, Harrison Ford and Pamela Anderson have all visited at one time or another. For those that can afford to go to Necker Island, it’s ultra-luxe accommodations and private submarine make it one of the ultimate destinations.

Britney Spears and Turtle Island, Fiji
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline famously vacationed to this private island after their marriage in 2005. It was also the honeymoon locale for Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson. Both marriages ended in divorce, but the island still remains one of the most sought-after (and priciest) honeymoon destinations.

Jay-Z & Beyonce and Cuba
This is just a projection, but earlier this year Jay-Z and Beyonce visited Cuba to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. As travel restrictions become more loose, it’s likely more Americans will want to follow in their footsteps.

Hotel Fulfills Guest’s Ridiculous Request Involving Bacon

by Libby Zay on

A man staying with his girlfriend at the Woodlands Resort in Houston may have forgotten about the silly request he made when booking, but the hotel didn’t. In the “Comments or Special Request” field, Dustin Wray asked for three single M&Ms (“One for me, one for my girlfriend, and one to split if we get hungry late at night”) and a picture of bacon set on the bed.

He added: “I love pictures of bacon.”

A month went by. The couple forgot about the request.

“I was quite confused when I walked in and saw three single red M&Ms,” wrote Wray, whose girlfriend started laughing at a framed picture of bacon on the bed. Things clicked, and Wray soon found himself posting to Imgur.com (below) and Reddit.

More people have stepped forward on Reddit to share tales of hotels going above and beyond, including one person who asked for (and received) a picture of a dinosaur on a pizza box. Last year, we posted about the Fairmont Winnipeg fulfilling a request for “a pre-made pillow fort and Vanilla Coke.”

According to Wray’s Facebook page, Woodlands Resort contacted him to thank him for the post and offer him a free stay at the hotel for all the positive publicity.

More proof that bacon and chocolate make everything better.

See the full slideshow of the bacon and the M&Ms below.

Passengers Refuse Startup Millionaire’s $100 Offer To Switch Seats

by Libby Zay on

Would you switch seats on a transatlantic flight if someone offered you $100? Jason Goldberg, founder and CEO of online shopping website Fab.com, can’t seem to understand why someone refused that same offer.

The startup millionaire asked surrounding passengers to trade seats so he could get work done with his business partner on a flight from Sweden to the United States. The passengers, who had already forked over more than $7,000 for the 9.5-hour ride, all declined his offer. One passenger said he wanted to be close to his family, while the other simply said “he was too comfortable to move,” according to a string of Facebook posts by Goldberg. Looks like when sitting in business class, Goldberg might need to up the ante on his offers.

Goldberg’s posts have gotten a lot of tongues wagging. Business Insider even broke out a seating chart to explain that its obvious why the passengers refused the offer.