The top 10 wine destinations to visit in 2013

 Well, France – often regarded as one of the best wine producers in the world – was excluded from   that TripAdvisor list. And now they’ve been snubbed again, this time by Wine Enthusiast, who have declared the following as the top 10 wine destinations to visit in 2013:

1. Rioja, Spain
2. Danube, Austria
3. North & South Forks of Long Island, New York
4. Stellenbosch, South Africa
5. Monterey County, California
6. Vale dos Vinhedos, Brazil
7. Willamette Valley, Oregon
8. Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia
9. Douro Valley, Portugal
10. Puglia, Italy

London hotels ranked the worst in 100 cities

           

Visitors to London have marked its hotels as the worst in a list of 100 cities due to overpriced minibars, lousy breakfasts and slow service, according to a survey.

  A study by travel metasearch website Trivago of hotel reviews from more than 140 accommodation booking sites found London came last in a list of 100 cities that had at least 135 hotels and 60 reviews. It did not include TripAdvisor postings.

The German city of Dresden came top with its hotels receiving the highest ratings and most positive reviews from guests.

"Users praised Dresden hotels for their value for money, whilst London hotels were criticised for their prices," said a spokeswoman for Trivago.

"In particular, reviewers felt the minibars were overpriced and breakfast service was both overpriced and disappointing, whilst hotels in Dresden were praised for their delicious and well-valued breakfasts."

She said London hotels were also criticised for overcrowding at breakfast, long queues at check-in, inability to cope with large groups of people, small rooms and poor views.

On the other hand, hotels in Dresden were praised for their exceptional service, efficiency, helpful staff, as well as their spacious rooms with excellent views.

Close behind Dresden in the list of cities with good hotels were Hanoi in Vietnam, Tokyo, Chicago, and Krakow in Poland.

Joining London in the bottom five were Rio de Janiero, Copenhagen, Paris and Amsterdam.

The spokeswoman from Trivago, which is majority owned by Expedia, said the website released its reputation ranking classifying destinations according to the reputation of their hotels twice a year.

Metasearch engines allow users to send requests to other search engines and databases to get a single list of results and are popular with consumers facing an overload of information on various competing deals.

The 10 best cities for hotel rooms: 1. Dresden, Germany; 2. Hanoi, Vietnam; 3. Portland, US; 4. Tokyo, Japan; 5. Santiago de Compostela, Spain; 6. Gdansk, Poland; 7. Chicago, US; 8. Seattle, US; 9. Krakow, Poland; 10. Budapest, Hungary.

The 10 worst: 91. Los Angeles, US; 92. Kiev, Ukraine; 93. Frankfurt, Germany; 94. Panama City, Panama; 95. Brussels, Belgium; 96. Amsterdam, Netherlands; 97. Paris, France; 98. Copenhagen, Denmark; 99. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; 100. London, UK. - Reuters

 

New Gulf Air Falcon Gold Lounge, a place of serenity



The new spacous Falcon Golf lounge at BIA
 
 

 

Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air’s Falcon Gold Lounge at Bahrain International Airport (BIA) seamlessly integrates contemporary design and architecture with Arabic influences.

The fully renovated lounge sports an open design giving a sense of space and freedom with generous and clever use of space, creating an environment that combines peace and tranquillity with extensive modern-day business and catering facilities. For the first time, premium passengers have the added facilities of seven private sleeping rooms, a cigar lounge and shower rooms with hotel-style towels and luxury brand toiletries and amenities.

Passengers can stay connected with free wi-fi throughout the lounge, discreet power sockets at every seat and a business centre that includes PCs, fax machines and printers. For families the lounge offers a spacious family room with highly trained professional SkyNannies in attendance as well as a gaming room equipped with Xbox and PlayStation units.

The lounge upgrade is in-line with the airline’s service and product enhancement strategy both in the air and on the ground including the company’s aircraft which are either new or have been refurbished. The current fleet age is 5.2 years, one of the youngest in the region.

Gulf Air chief executive officer Samer Majali says that the upgraded-lounge was a further example of the airline’s commitment to investing in its hub. He says: “Bahrain is our most important market so developing and improving our home-product is key. The new lounge is the latest in a series of service enhancements across our entire passenger value chain including the re-launch of our Sky Nanny Service, Sky Chef, online check in and a robust network connectivity in the Middle East.

“We believe in investing in our customers and, as we keep improving ourselves in our customer service on the ground, we will continue to add more features and facilities in the air as well, so that our premium customers enjoy a consistently enhanced experience throughout their journey,” he says.

Gulf Air chief services officer Marcus Bernhardt says: “The revamp of the Bahrain Falcon Gold Lounge is part of an extensive lounge-renovation programme across our network, which saw the inauguration last year of our new premium lounge in Terminal 4 at Heathrow International Airport in London, and will be preceded next year by the upgrading of our premium lounge in Dubai International Airport.”

The architectural design of the new 1,720 sq ft lounge offers Arabian ambience with its huge walls adorned with Bahraini paintings and murals and featuring well laid-out business, dining, lounging facilities and TV areas in addition to offering panoramic views of the runway through a high glass wall. The design concept has been inspired by Bahrain’s heritage as the Pearl of the Gulf, and its pearl harvesting tradition.

There are also separate prayer rooms and secure lockers for those who want to use these facilities. The private sleeping rooms boast comfortable beds with dimming light and the ‘do not disturb’ option to rest in complete privacy. The rooms are also equipped with hi definition TVs with wireless headphones.

The modern, self-service buffet area offers a wide variety of snacks and meals, including an Italian coffee corner offering the world famous Lavazza brand coffee varieties.

The lounge can accommodate up to 200 people and all Platinum, Gold and Silver card holding FFP members of Gulf Air, and premium class ticket holders of Gulf Air’s code-share partner airlines.





  



Vietnam increases visa charges

Vietnam has sharply increased the cost of visas for those looking to visit the country.
Under the new programme, outlined by the ministry of tourism, travellers will now have to pay US$80 to obtain a one year visa, $100 if they wish to stay for one-to-two years, and $120 for a two-to-three year visa.

While the ministry of tourism admitted the decision would put a heavier burden on companies which hired foreign workers, it said the policy was designed to encourage Vietnamese enterprises to employ Vietnamese workers.

For tourists, the fee for a single-entry visa increased from US$25 to $45.

This is applicable to foreigners and Vietnamese holding foreign passports.

The fee must be paid in cash, in US dollars or in Vietnamese Dong.

In addition, UK tourists must now pay £12.29 for a service fee for a Visa approval letter from the Vietnam Immigration Department.

The new visa charges come as Vietnam raises its target to 7.2 million foreign visitors and 35 million domestic tourists in 2013.ses visa charges

50 Best Places to See Christmas Lights in America

No matter where you're spending your holidays this year, there's a beautiful light display near you. You may need to shell out a few dollars for the right to drive through a few miles of dancing reindeer and twinking snowmen, or you might be lucky enough to have an entire neighborhood of Griswolds in your area. Here are 50 of the best places in America to see Christmas lights in 2011.
1. Bellingrath Gardens Magic Christmas in Lights (Mobile, Alabama)
Stroll through over 3 million sparkling lights and over 950 displays throughout the 65 acre Garden estate.  Enjoy nightly choral performances on the South Terrace of the Bellingrath Home. (Bellingrath Gardens, 11/25 - 12/31, closed 12/25)
2. Christmas in Ice (North Pole, Alaska)
The city claims to have the Christmas spirit all year long, but only during the winter holidays can you enjoy Christmas-themed ice art in the park next door to Santa's house. (Ice Park, 12/3 - 1/8)
3. Arizona Celebration of Lights (Phoenix, Arizona)
More than 7  million lights will make up one mile of light displays you can drive through. You can also visit Santa's Village and enjoy hot chocolate and photos with Santa. (Phoenix Event Complex, 11/18 - 1/1)



4. Lights on the Landscape (Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas)
More than 1.8 million holiday lights transform the woodland landscape of Garvan Gardens into a winter wonderland.  The displays feature traditional holiday scenes as well as themes from nature, like the butterfly display. (Garvan Gardens, 11/19 - 12/31)
5. Riverside Festival of Lights (Riverside, California)
The historic Mission Inn is decorated with about 3.5 million lights  and over 400 animated figures decorate the surrounding area. Dickens' carolers sing from the balconies above and you can visit Santa in his workshop, or go ice skating at the Main Street rink. (Main Street Riverside, 11/25 - 12/24)
6. Blossoms of Light (Denver, Colorado)
A unique viewing experience, this light display highlights the beauty of a winter garden. Marvel at lights, ice sculptures, and an ice sleigh available for family photos. (Denver Botanical Gardens, 12/2 - 1/1)



7. Fantasy of Lights (New Haven, Connecticut)
This drive-through light display celebrates 17 years of holiday tradition this year. Proceeds benefit the local Easter Seals organization. (Lighthouse Point Park, 11/18 - 1/7)
8. Faucher Family Christmas House (New Castle, Delaware)
Local and national news repeatedly compares this family home to Clark Griswold, but the reality is Clark's display didn't come close to what the Fauchers do each year. Over 1 million lights illuminate this private home at a cost of about $82,000 per Christmas season. (1054 Red Lion Road, New Castle)
9. The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights (Orlando, Florida)
What started as an Arkansas family's home display has become one of the largest light display in the country - so big it had to go Disney! Hollywood Studios hosts this spectacle of dancing lights and has added free hot chocolate and magical snow fall. (Hollywood Studios, 11/10 - 1/7)



10. Magical Nights of Lights  (Buford, Georgia)
Walk or drive through a  seven-mile tour of holiday displays featuring millions of lights. The trail ends at the Holiday Village, where kids will can visit to Santa and go for a pony ride. (Lake Lanier Island Resorts, 11/18 - 1/1)
11. Kauai's Festival of Lights (Kauai, Hawaii)
This is a celebration of the holidays and folk art. For nearly 40 years, this tradition started by local artist Auntie Josie Chansky has allowed visitors to enjoy Christmas folk art decorations. (Kauai County Building, 12/2 12/24)
12. Coeur d'Alene Resort Holiday Light Show (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho)
Billed as the largest floating holiday light show, more than 1.5 million lights sparkle on the water of Lake Coeur d'Alene. Watch from the shore or take a holiday cruise to get a closer look. (The Coeur d'Alene Resort, 11/26 - 1/1)


13. ZooLights (Chicago, Illinois)
Lots of zoos put up holiday lights this time of year, but the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago takes it a step farther by handing out 3D glasses to enhance the experience. (Lincoln Park Zoo, 12/16 - 1/1, closed 12/24 and 12/25)
14. Christmas in The Country (Sharpsville, Indiana)
The lights blink and dance in time to holiday music. Every night you can enjoy a 45-minute show featuring 10 holiday songs played over your car radio. (Sharpsville Lights, 11/25 - 12/30)
15. Reflections in the Park (Dubuque, Iowa)
Twinkling lights, animated displays, and holiday music bring the small town park to life each year. (Murphy Park, 11/24 - 1/1)


16. Isle of Lights (Winfield, Kansas)
This drive-through community light display is set to holiday music. This year the display is going green with new LED lights. (Island Park, 11/24 - 12/30)
17. Winter Wonderland of Lights (Ashland, Kentucky)
Park the car and stroll through 52 acres of holiday displays. Children can hop aboard a train and visit with Santa. (Central Park, 11/14 - 1/5)
18. Celebration in the Oaks (New Orleans, Louisiana)
New Orleans' City Park is one of the country's most beautiful public parks, and the holidays add even more beauty. Walk through lights, play in the amusement park, or go ice skating. (City Park, 12/2 - 1/1, Closed 12/24 and 12/31)

Photo: MSVG/Creative Commons
19. Wilton Lights (Wilton, Maine)
This animated light display is put on by a local family every year and includes holiday music transmitted to your car radio by a low-wattage transmitter. (Wilton, 12/11 - 1/6)
20. Miracle on 34^th Street (Baltimore, Maryland)
For more than six decades, homeowners on Baltimore's 34^th street have been going all out every year to wow visitors with light displays. One house has trains on the roof and another displays Christmas trees made from hub caps. There's even a ball drop on New Year's Eve. (Christmas Street, 11/26 - 1/2)
21. Bright Nights ( Springfield, Massachusetts)
Giant displays feature more than 600,000 lights along a three-mile route through historic Forest Park. (Forest Park, 11/23 - 1/1)


22.  The Big, Bright Light Show (Rochester, Michigan)
Local business owners get together to light up the night. Buildings are covered with holiday lights and a massive tree is turned into the Dazzling Tree of Lights. (Downtown, 11/28 - 1/1)
23. Bentleyville Tour of Lights (Duluth, Minnesota)
More than 3  million lights make the shores of Lake Superior sparkle in one of the Midwest's largest holiday lights displays. (Bayfront Festival Park, 11/19 - 12/26)
24. Southern Lights (Southaven, Mississippi)
The city of Southaven sets out over half a million lights for visitors in an effort to raise money for local charities each year. (Central Park, 11/24 - 12/31, closed 12/25)


25. Santa's Magical Kingdom (St. Louis, Missouri)
Wind your way through over 35 acres of holiday lights and displays. Highlights include Santa's flying reindeer, Candy Cane Village, and the Waterfall of Lights. (Jellystone Park, 11/18 - 1/8)
26. Zoo Lights (Billings, Montana)
Zoo Lights is a 2.5 mile drive through holiday lights. Proceeds benefit the Easter Seals organization. (Zoo Montana, 12/15 - 12/24)
27. Shining Light Celebration (Gothenburg, Nebraska)
The local KOA campground lights up for the holidays and welcomes visitors - with our without a tent - to celebrate. (KOA, 12/18 - 12/31)

28. Glitter Lights (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Drive through more than two miles of lights and be dazzled by more than 400 animated displays. (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 11/18 - 1/1)
29. Gift of Lights (Loudon, New Hampshire)
Another speedway spectacle, this one features more than 1 million LED lights. (New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 11/18 - 1/1)
30. Holiday Festival of Lights (Camden, New Jersey)
Friday and Saturday nights come alive at the local Children's Garden during the holiday season. Enjoy over 100,000 lights decorating 4.5 acres of gardens. (Camden Children's Garden, 11/28 - 1/2)


31. River of Lights (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Enjoy the New Mexico's largest walk-through light show at the Botanic Garden. (Botanic Garden, 11/26 - 12/30, closed 12/24 and 12/25)
32. Dyker Lights (Brooklyn, New York)
One of the most famous lighting displays in one of the most famous cities in the world is in a residential neighborhood in Brooklyn. Hop on the subway and head out to see neighbors out doing neighbors in the spirit of holiday tradition. (Dyker Heights, no official date, mid-December recommended)
33. Christmas at Biltmore (Asheville, North Carolina)
America's largest house, Biltmore House, features dozens of Christmas trees and miles of ribbon, garland and lights. Live holiday music is performed inside the house during the season. (Biltmore Estate, 11/11 - 12/31)


34. Christmas in the Park (Bismarck, North Dakota)
For just $5 per car, families can drive through the local park and enjoy a holiday lighting display sponsored by local businesses. (Sertoma Park, 12/1 - 12/31)
35. The Legendary Lights at Clifton Mill (Clifton, Ohio)
More than 3.5 million lights cover the countryside for a display that's been featured in national magazines and other media. Drive through a lighted covered bridge and visit a Santa museum. (Clifton Mill, 11/26 - 1/1)
36. Garden of Lights (Muskogee, Oklahoma)
City volunteers come together to create spectacular lighting displays through the city park each year. The animated displays featuring animals and children playing in the gardens are always a big hit. (Honor Heights Park, 11/25 - 1/1)


37. The Lights of Peacock Lane (Portland, Oregon)
Since the 1920s, each house in this Portland neighborhood has been decorating for the holidays. Today, displays include bright lights, nativity scenes, and Christmas trees. (Peacock Lane, 12/15 - 12/31).
38. Hershey Sweet Lights (Hershey, Pennsylvania)
You have to believe that a candy company knows how to make kids smile during the holidays. This drive-through display boasts over 600 lighted scenes. (Hershey Park, 11/18 - 12/31)
39. Christmas at the Newport Mansions (Newport, Rhode Island)
You can't move in, but you can marvel at the beautiful decorations at The Breakers, The Elms, and Marble House. (Newport Mansions, 11/19 - 1/2)


40. Lights of Hope (Anderson, South Carolina)
Enjoy the glow of 2.5 million lights and the warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing your money is going to help children in need. (Darwin Wright Park, 11/24 - 12/25)
41. Festival of Lights (Aberdeen, South Dakota)
If driving through your neighborhood doesn't give you enough holiday cheer, head to Wylie Park and pay $5 per car to see twinkling lights and dancing Santas. (Wylie Park, 11/26 - 12/26)
42. Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland (Nashville, Tennessee)
There are four Shadrack locations around the country, including this bright light bonanza that comes to life once a year. What started as a local holiday display behind a boat store  in West Knoxville has turned into one of the world's largest drive through light displays. (Jellystone Park, 11/1 - 1/8)


43. Austin's 37^th Street (Austin, Texas)
There might have been a miracle over on 34^th, but in Texas you'll find all the action on 37^th. This residential street brings the "everything's bigger in Texas" philosophy to holiday decorating. (37^th Street, no official dates)
44. Christmas Utah (Murray, Utah)
Every year one man puts out a display so spectacular, he stops traffic for miles around. Marty, the magician behind the lights, has said that 2011 will be the last year for his notorious display. (Whispering Pine Circle, 11/25 - 1/1)
45. Billings Farm (Woodstock, Vermont)
While not especially known for their lights, Woodstock has been voted one of the most "Christmassy" towns in America. Hop in a sleigh and tour Billings Farm & Museum to see how the holidays were celebrated in the 19^th century. (Billings Farm, 12/3 - 1/1)

Photo: Phil Roeder/Creative Commons
46. 100  Miles of Lights (Richmond to Virginia Beach, Virginia)
Seeing this display will take a while, and you might need to book a hotel. Actually, this is a collection of lights and decorations spread over 7 Virginia towns. (Virginia, no official dates)
47. Candy Cane Light (Seattle, Washington)
Another neighborhood celebration, this one has been lighting up ark Road and Ravenna Boulevard in Seattle since the 1940s. (Ravenna Boulevard, 12/10 - 12/31)
48. Oglebay's Winter Festival of Lights (Wheeling, West Virginia)
Take a six-mile drive through one of the largest and light displays in the country. Pass through a tunnel filled with twinkling snowflakes and wave as you pass by Snoopy and the gang. (Ogelbay Resort, 11/11 - 1/8)

Photo: CP Storm/Creative Commons
49. WPS Garden of Lights (Green Bay, Wisconsin)
There may be other light displays in other parts of the state, but this is the town they bring the Super Bowl trophies to, so we're featuring this one. Visitors can walk through a 60-foot lighted caterpillar and take a wagon ride through an icicle forest. (Green Bay Botanical Garden, 11/25 - 12/18, 12/26 - 12/29)
50. Cheyenne Holiday Trolley tours (Cheyenne, Wyoming)
You don't even have to know who has the best displays in town. Just hop on the Holiday Trolley and let the driver take you by Cheyenne's most illuminated neighborhoods. (Street Railway Trolley, 12/15 - 12/24)

Lost Bags? No problem!

What is Luggage Locator?

Visiting the baggage carousel can be the most stressful part of a long flight. Locating a piece ofluggage, or multiple pieces, from among the hundreds of other bags can get confusing. Aluggage locator can help track down luggage with a remote control that activates a flashing alarm. Variations are available for locating several bags, and some even initiate spoken responses to cut through the confusion.

Luggage Locator provides a location and monitoring service of your luggage.

A Luggage Locator is a tracking device that comes in two distinct pieces. One is a small button that fits on a key chain and looks like the locking and unlocking fob that comes with some automobiles. The second piece is larger, about the size of a small paperback book, also made of hard plastic with one or up to a series of lights embedded. Some brands differ in design, but both pieces typically also feature a strap made from nylon or plastic coated steel wire for attaching to bags.

The Luggage Locator device.

This wireless device operates much like a garage door opener because of its reliance on close-range radio signals. The small part of the luggage locator is called the transmitter and, like a garage door remote in a car, emits a signal when its button is pressed. The larger piece of theluggage locator is called the receiver, and it functions like the garage door opener itself, except that instead of opening a door when a button is pressed, its lights turn on and a sound is emitted. Most transmitters and receivers have a range of 60 feet (18.2 m), and their lights and sounds function for approximately four seconds.

Each luggage locator operates on the same radio wavelength, but a remote control will activate only its mate. The locators are each given an individual code. This assures that another bag with a luggage locator will not accidentally flash and beep when the button is pressed.

With the product rising in popularity, some brands have branched out and made additions that can help travelers even more. Many travelers don't fly with only one bag, and members of a family often have several bags each. Some luggage locators offer multiple receivers for a single transmitter so that multiple bags will notify the owner with only one push of a button. Another innovation is personalization that allows users to record their own voice saying whatever they want, so that when the button is pressed, they see lights and hear their own message.

If you want to know more, just LugLoc: https://www.facebook.com/LugLoc

Air India introduces stopover packages in Delhi

Air India introduces stopover packages in Delhi

Air India has established Delhi as its Hub and schedules have been progressively built to facilitate transfer connections at Terminal-3 (T3), particularly from Domestic to International flights and vice versa. About 3,000 Air India passengers already transit daily through T3.

To further enhance the hub experience, Air India has introduced a unique stopover product, branded Air India Stopover Packages. The Stopover package will enable passengers transfer-connecting on AI flights over Delhi to experience the city, with a range of accommodation on offer to fit all budgets.

The Stopover Packages offers the facility of web-based hotel booking, airport/hotel transfers, and sightseeing options in and around Delhi. A range of hotels, from budget to 5-star category, located in and around the Airport zone are available, including the hotel located inside Terminal 3 itself.

A unique feature of the product is ‘Day Rates’, which allows ‘wash-and-change’ facilities to the passenger at select hotels. Other options that can be added include:

– Overnight stay rates inclusive of Airport pick-up, breakfast & taxes with option to upgrade room. 

– Extended stay. 

– Day Use Rates for ‘wash-and-change’ facility (4 or 6 hours as per hotel rules). 

– Departure transfers. 

– Add half or full day sightseeing. 

– Car hire. 

– Day Trip to Taj Mahal, Agra.