Sukanya (Annie) Chuaywang Joins Boathouse Phuket as PR Manager

The Boathouse Phuket has appointed Ms Sukanya (Annie) Chuaywang as Public Relations Manager.

Annie joins the Boathouse team from the Trisara Phuket where she worked for the past seven years, with her most recent position being Personal Assistant to the Managing Director, Resort Manager and Property Sales Manager.

Annie has spent her entire career at Trisara since graduating from the Bangkok University with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Hotels and Tourism, with a minor in Information Technology.

After joining them in 2004 in the Business Centre, her professional and dynamic approach saw her quickly promoted to Assistant Manager and then Property Sales Manager before her promotion to Personal Assistant.

The Boathouse Phuket is now owned by Montara Hospitality Holdings, following its US$ 6 million renovation and refurbishment as well as the addition of the Re Ka Ta Beach Club. Montara Hospitality Holdings also owns the Trisara Phuket.

Red Beach is located in Panjin — China

Red Beach is located in Panjin, Liaoning Province, in northeastern China. It is the largest and best protected wetland in the world with rare and precious red reed marshes. The ebb and flow of the sea forms the beach, while the infiltration of salts and alkali contributes to its red appearance. The 100 square kilometers of reed marshes turn color during September, becoming spectacular vistas. The well-preserved wetlands are also home to large numbers of wild birds, including red-crowned cranes and Saunders' gulls.  The beach is a popular tourist site for those who live inside and outside Liaoning Province. more images after the break...

         

        

     

Jetstar Launches Singapore - Beijing Flights

Jetstar has launched daily flights between Singapore and the Chinese capital, Beijing.

 Jetstar’s fares for travel between Singapore and Beijing (one way, including all fees and taxes) start from Sin$248 for Economy Starter and Sin$598 for Business Class.

Sale fares on the inaugural six hour flight were as low as Sin$98 one way for Economy Starter, inclusive of fees and taxes.

“The growth of our Singapore hub is strengthened by our maturing product. As well as lower fares, we offer an expanding network, a choice of business or economy class and on-board innovations like iPads,” said Jetstar Group CEO, Bruce Buchanan.

CEO of Jetstar’s Australia & New Zealand operations David Hall, in Singapore for the inaugural Beijing flight, said the new route was also expected to increase inbound visitors from Australia.

“Numbers of Australian visitors to China are showing double digit growth this year and this route encourages people travelling to Beijing to see what Singapore has to offer as well,” said Mr Hall.

Jetstar will operate an Airbus A330 on its Singapore-Beijing service, configured for 303 passengers across business and economy classes.

 Jetstar will also be one of the first low cost carriers to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which will gradually replace its A330s from mid-2013.

Jetstar’s Singapore hub now connects to 27 destinations, including 14 in South East Asia, 10 in China and three in Australia.

China's richest village

The newly inaugurated skyscraper tower of Huaxi village is seen in Huaxi village, Jiangsu province, October 7, 2011. Huaxi, also known as China's richest village, celebrates its 50th anniversary with the inauguration of a massive 328-meters (1,076 feet) high skyscraper that screams for attention from its lowly skyline.

A woman stands next to a solid gold statue of an ox during the official inauguration of a skyscraper tower in Huaxi village, Jiangsu province, October 8, 2011. A solid gold bull weighing a tonne also greets visitors at a viewing area on the 60th-floor of the tower, a testament to the wealth of the village.  

Guests attend a dinner at the new skyscraper tower of Huaxi village before its official inauguration, in Jiangsu province, October 8, 2011. In Huaxi, those from the original 2,000 residents have at least a house, a car, and $250,000 in the bank and enjoy universal health care and free education. 

A view of villas built for residents in the Huaxi village of Jiangyin, Jiangsu province May 31, 2010. In 2003, Huaxi village became the first village to generate 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) of gross domestic product, Xinhua News Agency reported. 

 

JetLite Enhances Services with Amadeus Ticket Changer

JetLite, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jet Airways India, is to implement the Amadeus Ticket Changer solution, allowing travel agencies in India to change and modify flight bookings in just seconds.

In a first for India, Amadeus Ticket Changer is designed to automatically manage the necessary calculations to reissue a ticket, and to store the results in the correct ticketing formats.

Amadeus Ticket Changer allows all kinds of itinerary changes, including date, flight and routing, and processes a vast range of tickets, giving the end-consumer unprecedented control over their itineraries.

 Tickets for several different passengers can all be changed at the same time in one transaction and with the multi re-issue function an unlimited number of successive key customer benefits:

• With Amadeus Ticket Changer travel agents can service customers’ change requests, in a matter of seconds – giving them the right fare and price

 • Saves up to 25 minutes per re-issued ticket

• Offers unique integration benefits with Amadeus Ticketing Solutions to improve productivity changes can be made to the ticket before departure.

Sudheer Raghvan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways said, “JetLite is delighted to partner with Amadeus, due to the numerous accruing benefits both on the front and back-end ticketing functions. While our guests may now more easily control and modify their itineraries at their convenience, Amadeus Ticket Changer will also help provide us with streamlined process to handle various policies and simplify the entire booking process.”

Additionally, with this new solution, travel agents can reduce the risk of any calculation errors. Amadeus Ticket Changer incorporates numerous airline policies into one easy to use solution and can also enable the reissuance of tickets, reporting and results in the reduction of debit memos.

Top palaces around the world

Blenheim Palace is home to the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Set in 2100 acres of beautiful parkland landscaped by 'Capability' Brown, the magnificent Palace is surrounded by sweeping lawns, award-winning formal gardens and the great Lake, offering a unforgettable day out for all.

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a rallying point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.

Originally a hunting lodge, the Chateau de Versailles (Palace of Versailles) was the official residence of the Kings of France built in 1624, by Louis XIII. It was expanded by Louis XIV beginning in 1669. He used it as a little lodge as a secret refuge for his amorous trysts with the lovely Louise de la Valliere and built a fairy tale park around it.

Jules Hardouin Mansart, the king's principal architect, drew the plans to enlarge what was turning more and more into a palace from A Thousand and One Nights.

The Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, located at the European side of the Bosporus, served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. The palace is composed of three parts; the Mabeyn-i Humayun (the quarters reserved for the men), Muayede Salonu (the ceremonial halls) and the Harem-i Humayun (the apartments of the family of the Sultan).

Udaipur, the jewel of Rajasthan, has a regal feeling even in the streets and marketplace, a sense of pride surrounding every shop and square. Lake Palace (formerly known as Jag Niwas) is a luxury hotel, of 83 rooms and suites featuring white marble walls, located on a natural foundation of 4 acres rock, which sits on a private island in the middle of Lake Pichola.

Tokyo Imperial Palace is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in Chiyoda, Tokyo close to Tokyo Station and contains various buildings such as the main palace and the private residences of the imperial family

The Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century, symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet. The complex, comprising the White and Red Palaces with their ancillary buildings, is built on Red Mountain in the center of Lhasa Valley, at an altitude of 3,700m.

Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial summer residence in Vienna, Austria. Schönbrunn Palace with its surrounding buildings and the huge park is one of the most significant cultural monuments in Austria.

The Summer Palace is the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China. Its Chinese name, YiHeYuan, translates as 'Garden of Nurtured Harmony' or 'Garden for Maintaining Health and Harmony'. As its name implies, the Summer Palace was used as a summer residence by China's imperial rulers - as a retreat from the main imperial palace now known as the Palace Museum (or 'Forbidden City') - a pleasure ground in the countryside, yet near to the city.

The Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia was the official residence of the Russian Tsars. It was designed by many architects, most notably Bartolomeo Rastrelli, in what came to be known as the Elizabethan Baroque style; the green-and-white palace has the shape of an elongated rectangle. The palace has been calculated to contain 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows, 1,500 rooms and 117 staircases. Its principal façade is 250 m long and 100 ft high.