Hip hop artist launches travel site

by Abha Malpani on

At first I thought: what on earth was Kanye West thinking trying to be a travel agent!? But a bit of thought and it makes complete sense — it’s a great way to encourage his fans to book with him, especially making it easy to for them follow him around when he’s on tour!

The Grammy-winning hip hop star has actually done a decent job making the site “Kanye Travel Ventures” seem quite resourceful as it offers hotel and flight bookings, car rental options, and last minute deals. It also has a list of suggestions on things to do in various cities and the site is working on developing city guides.

Primarily a marketing initiative for Kanye West, you’d think they’d flash in your face special Kanye West tour packages that include concert tickets, accommodation and flights, with cheaper deal options should you want to follow him around while he’s on tour, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Anyway, I don’t know of any other celebrity that is trying to be a travel resource, just on that count you might want to check it out. Maybe he should open a site for shades too, he often has funky ones.

###

Think these crazy ladies booked through Kanye?

“We Are The World” impersonated by the Japanese

by Abha Malpani on

I watched this video 3 times in a row, it is freakishly fantastic. Apparently the song has been #1 on the Japanese pop charts for four centuries. I’m not sure what that means.

Anyway, they’ve really paid attention to every detail of the original 1985 version and I loved seeing all our western stars played by Japanese impersonators; it’s funny, fascinating and endearing at the same time. Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen will make you split into laughter, Tina Turner looks shockingly real and Cyndie Lauper (have ear plugs ready for her bit) is just helium-tastic! Ray Charles will probably not like his Japanese version but Michael Jackson will love his, as Japanese style he almost looks normal. Enjoy!

[Via Giggle Sugar]

Bon appetit on the Eiffel Tower

by Abha Malpani on

Taking further our kicks of eating things either made by someone famous or with someone famous, now eating on something famous takes a new turn. Friends, friends and friends, you can now dine in new style at 410-feet on the Eiffel Tower.

Called Jules Verne (after the famous French author?), the revamped restaurant on this monument is the brain child of celebrity chef Alain Ducasse that will serve authentically French food (duh!), and will seat up to 120 people. For safety reasons, there will be no gas-cooking and the food will be prepared in a kitchen underneath the Champ de Mar garden which is located at the base of the tower.

With the 6.7 million tourists that visit this monument every year, dine at the restaurant and you will be taken up in a private lift. Meals are priced at $108 for lunch and $216 for dinner, making them totally “accessible to everyone”.

Anyone enticed to go?

Known for his eccentric ideas of taking cuisine to new heights, Ducasse was heard saying “I don’t work, I dream…I illustrate my dreams” — the next one being a restaurant on Mars. Now that’s somewhere I would love to go for a meal.

Who Have You Run Into On Your Travels?

by Brett Atkinson on

Everyone reckons it’s a small world. Six degrees of separation and all that. To prove it, I want to find out from readers what famous faces they’ve chanced upon in their travels. Here’s my list.

  1. Actress Jane Fonda on a racing bike stopped at traffic lights in Toronto.
  2. Singer George Michael at a Wimpy burger bar in London.
  3. Actor Mandy Patinkin in the Air New Zealand lounge at LAX.
  4. Actor Matt Dillon at a screening of Scorcese’s Last Temptation of Christ in New York.
  5. Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti at the City Lights bookshop in San Francisco.

Thanks to scott92007 on Flickr for the pic of the world’s best bookshop.

Oscar Tourist’s Guide To Eating And Accommodation

by Jonathon Morgan on

Chances are, you weren’t invited to the Oscars this year. But for those of you interested in celebrity watching, it’s a great time to visit L.A. If you do plan to visit Tinsel Town, here’s a few suggestions that should help maximize your star-studded vacation.

-Keep a camera on you at all times. You never know when you’ll bump into someone famous.

-Also, eat and drink like locals — most film actors and actresses live in L.A., or, at the very least, spend a considerable amount of time there. They’ll know the best places to grab grub — whether it’s fancy, or fast food. Try local arts and culture sites like LAist to get an idea of where everyone’s heading.

-When looking for hotels, don’t forget to book early. Especially if you want to stay close to the action, there’s very few rooms open to the public.

-Lastly, while it’s no longer an option for this year, keep in mind for future Oscar-themed visits that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences makes 300 bleacher seats available to the public for one week every September. The competition is fierce — over 10,000 people tried for this year’s seats — but it’s worth a shot.

And lastly, have a blast! You’re in L.A. for crying out loud.