World Best Travel

Airliner crew flies 150 miles past airport

By Mike M. Ahlers
CNN Producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A Northwest Airlines flight from San Diego, California, overshot the Minneapolis, Minnesota, airport by about 150 miles Wednesday evening, and federal investigators are looking into whether the pilots had become distracted, as they claimed, or perhaps fell asleep.

Air traffic controllers lost radio communication with the Airbus A320, carrying 147 passengers and an unknown number of crew, when it was flying at 37,000 feet, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

There was no communication with the airplane for more than an hour as it approached the airport, the board said. An FAA spokesman said the agency was tracking the airplane on radar, so it knew the aircraft’s position during the period without radio contact.

The aircraft flew over its intended destination — Minneapolis-St. Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain Airport — and continued northeast for approximately 150 miles over the next 16 minutes. The airport’s controllers then re-established communication with crew members, who said they had become distracted, the safety board said.

“The crew stated they were in a heated discussion over airline policy and they lost situational awareness,” the board said in a news release.

A federal official, who asked not to be identified, told CNN that air traffic controllers in the Denver area had communicated with the pilot, but during a subsequent communication the pilots were “nonresponsive.” The plane was handed off to controllers in Minneapolis as a NORDO, the designation for “no radio communications.”

In an effort to contact the pilots, the Federal Aviation Administration contacted the airline and had the airline attempt to reach the pilots through its dispatcher, the source said.

A board spokesman said the agency is examining all possible explanations for the mishap, including whether the pilots may have fallen asleep.

The safety board said it is scheduling an interview with the crew and has secured the plane’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder for examination. Cockpit voice recorders record cockpit conversations and other noises.

Reported instances of two pilots falling asleep are rare but have happened. In August, the safety board concluded its investigation into a February 13, 2008, incident in which two pilots on board a Go airlines flight fell asleep and traveled 26 miles beyond the destination of Hilo, Hawaii, before waking up and contacting air traffic controllers.

Northwest Airlines is part of Delta Air Lines, which issued a statement Thursday saying it is “cooperating with the FAA and NTSB in their investigation as well as conducting our own internal investigation. The pilots have been relieved from active flying pending the completion of these investigations.”

It said the plane, Northwest Flight 188, landed safely in Minneapolis just after 9 p.m.

Delta suffered another major embarrassment this week when a Delta pilot landed a passenger jet on a taxiway at Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport instead of the runway. The NTSB also is investigating that mishap.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/10/22/airliner.fly.by/index.html

In this month of love, Paris is a dream destination for any couple. The Jakarta Post draws inspiration from some of the most romantic movies ever as a guide to the city of love.

Amélie (2001)
The iconic location of this delightful movie is Café des 2 Moulins, where our leading lady works. In Montmartre, one can ask any local where it is; just utter the words ‘Amélie Poulain’ (pronounced poo-lane) café and they’ll point you in the right direction.

See where Amelie worked her charm and take pictures over in the cigarette corner (where most conversations in the movie occur), the toilet (for a reminder of the infamous sex scene) and the seat where Amélie peeks at Nino from behind and first falls for him.

Other memorable scenes take place at the Gare de L’est train station, where the game of cat and mouse between Amélie and Nino begins. Note that Gare de L’est is also the gateway to voyages between Paris and other European cities.

When tracing the path of Amélie, one shouldn’t forget to stop by the Montmartre Carousel, where she tricks Nino into a ride. Located just below Sacre Coeur, it costs 2 euro a turn. A favorite spot for Parisians, the Sacre Coeur, a Roman Catholic Basilica, stands tall at the highest point of the city. Linger a while here for sweeping views of Paris.

To conclude Amélie’s adventure, shop for groceries at L’épicerie in Monsieur Collignon on the Rue des Trois Frères, skip stones in St. Martin’s Canal and pay a visit in Notre Dame, where Amélie remembers her mother’s accident. Spare a lazy weekend for this whimsical tour, following in the footsteps of a whimsical girl named…Amélie.

Moulin Rouge (2001)

Set in 1899, in the Montmartre area of Paris, this Academy Award winning film stars Nicole Kidman as Satine, a dancer in the famous cabaret club, Moulin Rouge, who falls in love with Christian (Ewan McGregor).

The club remains a major tourist attraction. With its iconic red windmill (the English translation of Moulin Rouge) lighting up every night, Moulin Rouge draws audiences from around the world to its colorful cabaret show.

Feerie, a new vaudeville show with four different segments, has over 60 songs altogether and lasts for 2 hours. The show plays twice nightly at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Though Feerie has no Romeo & Juliet storyline, like the Spectacular! Spectacular! show featured in the movie, film fans need not worry. Similar to Baz Luhrman’s movie, it’s a feast for the eyes and features the performance of the legendary Moulin Rouge dancers (nicknamed Doriss Girls), who bring the traditional can-can dance to life.

Add glitzy costumes, acrobatics, comedy shows performed by clowns and magicians and a night spent at Moulin Rouge is simply splendid.

Before Sunset (2004)

This film brings two souls, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), from Before Sunrise back in Europe. Instead of Vienna however, this time they wander through the streets of Paris.

Reconstruct their tour by browsing through the extensive collection at the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in the vibrant Quartier Latin. The homey bookstore is the famous flop house of over 50,000 visitors, including celebrated writers like Henry Miller, James Baldwin, and Lawrence Durrell, just to name a few. Book and history aficionados shouldn’t miss this historic institution.
Avoiding the clichés of the city’s more famous Luxembourg and Tuileries gardens, the film used the Promenade Plantée, which runs from the Bois de Vincennes to Bastille. The 4.5 kilometer long elevated park makes for an easy afternoon walk or intense tête-à-tête, just like Jesse and Celine’s. Followed it up with coffee for two at the Pure Café (14 Rue Jean Macé) where visitors can imitate the movie by chatting over café au lait.

In one of the film’s more tender moments, Jesse and Celine take a river cruise (the couple uses the Canauxrama service) to see the city from the wonderful Seine. It’s the perfect way to see Paris’s gorgeous cityscape in an hour. Take the cruise right before sunset to view the city at its best, when all the lights come on.

Paris,Je T’aime (2006)

The endless different ways to explore the romantic city are summed up in 18 different stories in this movie. One of our favorites is the Cohen Brothers’ Tuileries, in which a tourist’s (Steve Buscemi) idea of colorful Paris is ruined by an experience on board the city’s popular metro. But despite the seemingly unnerving scene, we say take the Metro to see the real Paris.

Skip Tuileries, the station portrayed in the movie, and instead head for the most fascinating station, Louvre-Rivoli. The station leads to the world’s most legendary museum (The Louvre) and boy, didn’t the city council do something about it. Magnificent replicas of famous artifacts are mounted on the Metro’s walls.

While you’re at it, jump into the train (see also Walter Salles’ segment, which stars Catalina Sandino Moreno, or Natalie Portman’s scene in the part directed by Tom Tykwer) where locals, backpackers and immigrants interact with each other in different languages. Personally, we like hearing the French words uttered in unison in that confined space of the train. It just feels, yeah, romantic.

Another place in the movie that’s worth visiting on a trip for two is the Père Lachaise (Wes Craven directed this section) where Oscar Wilde, Chopin and Marcel Proust are buried. It’s an eccentric choice but a necessary for the admirers of world’s late maestros.

Arguably the best segment in the movie, Alexander Payne’s 14th Arrondissement brings Margo Martindale, playing an American tourist, to Paris. Practicing her heavily-accented French, the new comer strolls through 14th Arrondissement’s Parc Montsouris and Montparnasse tower. Sure it’s not the Eiffel, but at 210 meters high, the Montparnasse tower has the advantage of being the tallest building in the city and gives fabulous views of the Parisian skyline.

As the film rolls to the end, Martindale’s character is filmed eating a baguette in beautiful Montsouris Park, as she watches the day go by. That very second, she realizes how she has fallen in love with the city during her trip and, most importantly, how Paris has returned the affection.

Kenny Santana ,  CONTRIBUTOR ,  PARIS   |  Sun, 02/15/2009 9:29 AM  |  Travel | The Jakarta Post

Looming magnificently and yet sadly, over a major traffic island in central Semarang stands the building known as Lawang Sewu.

Lawang Sewu has many tales to tell but today it is quite tragically neglected and wasting away. This grand building stands empty and, in parts, is desperately dilapidated.

It was built by the Dutch in the mid-19th century as the headquarters for their Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij, or the Dutch Indies Rail Company. In its day it dominated the surrounding area with its high towers and sprawling footprint but in the war years of the 1940s it seems the Japanese made particularly nasty use of it.

Interrogations were apparently held within the confines of the building and many of the victims were even killed by the invaders inside its walls. It is from these more gruesome aspects of the building’s past that ghost tales arise.

There are tales told of headless ghouls wandering the corridors and of a young Dutch lady who killed herself in the building, for reasons unknown. But perhaps the design and current condition of the building allows for the embellishment of these tales.

The building is known as Lawang Sewu, which can be translated as the Building of a Thousand Doors. There are a very great many doors in the building but it is unlikely that there are actually a thousand. It is true though that there are long corridors with numerous doors and rooms along them. It is but a small stretch of the imagination to imagine ghosts and ghouls weaving their way between these rooms and through these doors.

Sadly it is a greater stretch of the imagination to conjure up images of what the building must have been like in its heyday. Today it is a dark and evidently sick. Its white walls are faded throughout; blackened by pollution and neglect. Rendered walls are cracked and any wall paper has long since fallen away to reveal the red bricks beneath. Mould and weeds grow over much of the building and mice and rats are the chief residents.

But even with all this neglect and terrible dilapidation there are parts of the building that survive and give hints at its former, undoubted glory. Take for example the main and central entry point into the building. Stepping into the building from here one is confronted by a monumental and powerful staircase that would not look out of place in an ancient castle or cathedral.

Light streams down onto this great stone staircase, colored by the glass through which it filters. Incredibly, given the extent of neglect and damage, these huge, high windows remain intact and what a wonder to the eye they are!

Arriving at the right time of day, it is possible to see these stain-glass windows in a wonderful riot of color. Light streams through, bringing them to life with their vibrant colors, which are perhaps accentuated by the grey stones of the staircase, and neglected walls that surround it.
The Dutch cities of Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam are depicted in the glass. Coats of arms sit at the tops of the windows and beneath these are two large, full-length female figures whose flowing robes are detailed and rich in color.

On other parts of the windows are details that are indicative of the colonial and mercantile origins of the building. There is a representation of a steamship riding the waves presumably between Europe and the Indonesian archipelago. Central to all of the windows is a single wheel, seemingly emerging from clouds. This alludes to the building’s railway connection.

Little else, though, is left in the building to suggest its original purpose. Rooms that were perhaps once busy offices are now empty and look forlorn. In parts, temporary columns have been installed to keep roof from falling in. The neglect is wretched and one wonders how long a building can survive in such a state.

The neglect is made all the more sad, even shameful, considering the quality of the building’s design. Its open galleries and ground floor cloisters are solid and fortress-like but there are subtle details too within the building. The stain-glass windows are an excellent example of this but elsewhere there are fine architectural touches.

Turning a corner the visitor arrives at a dark hole that runs between floors. Nothing can really be seen in this black hole but shine a light down it and what is revealed is a beautifully detailed cast-iron spiral staircase that is probably more than 100 years old; today though it is disused and covered in a thick layer of sooty dust.

Many of Lawang Sewu’s legendary doors have been lost and those that remain nearly all seem to have been stripped of their locks and handles. The empty, high-ceilinged corridors of the building no longer echo with the voices and hubbub of offices workers; instead only the voices of curious visitors are heard and many of these visitors come because of the building’s reputation for ghosts.

But tales of ghosts and ghouls should not be what this great building is all about. Bandung has its Gedung Sate, a great building that has become a symbol of that city. Semarang should have Lawang Sewu as a living and actively used building and symbol of its status.

Some say that the ghost-stories associated with the building deter people from renovating and bringing it back to use and life. How silly this does seem?!

Simon Marcus Gower, Contributor ,  SEMARANG   |  Mon, 02/09/2009 12:35 PM  |  Travel | The Jakarta Post

For years, the iconic South Beach mansion best known as the place Gianni Versace lived and died was open only to the privileged few.

Before the designer’s death more than a decade ago, his celebrity friends stayed so often, rooms were outfitted with them in mind. After Versace’s murder and the house’s sale, it become home to another mogul with A-list friends.

But, slowly, 1116 Ocean Drive has opened its doors, first as an invitation-only private club, then allowing non-members to stay in its ornate rooms, and now to the masses — or at least anyone willing to plunk down US$65 for a tour.

“It was just kind of a domino effect,” said Elisa Brinkworth, a spokeswoman for Casa Casuarina, as the 2,415-square-meter estate is allied. “The more people you let in the more that wanted to come in.”

The possibility of touring the villa and enjoying a meal there afterward — or if you’re lucky enough, to stay in one of its 10 suites — doesn’t come cheap. But it offers visitors a glimpse of a truly special place long kept from the pubic.

Outside, tourists flock to the cast-iron gates, taking pictures all hours of the day. It is not until you enter, though, that you truly sense its magnificence.

Pass through the limestone arch, into the courtyard of Casa Casuarina, and the fuss all makes sense. The trickle of water from a fountain, the shift of clouds above, the tickle of Atlantic breezes — the simple beauty of each is enhanced by the home’s lavishness.

Every inch of this place, every detail, is full of thought and history and detail. And yet it feels intimate and generally not over-the-top.

Modeled after Alcazar de Colon, the Dinican Republic house built by Christopher Columbus’ family in 1510, Casa Casuarina is a three-story, Mediterranean-style home surrounded by a high wall on a fashionable stretch of Ocean Drive.

It was built in 1930 by Standard Oil heir Alden Freeman, later became a hotel, spiraled into disrepair, and was  one point a hostel where rooms went for as little as $1 a night. Versace bought it in 1992, along with a hotel next door, and did massive renovations to make the estate what it is today.

The purchase of the neighboring hotel made room for Versace’s pool, a centerpiece of the tour, made of more than a million Italian mosaic tiles and 24-karat gold pieces. Its design was inspired by a Versace scarf and was created in Italy, broken down, shipped in numbered sections and reassembled here.

Versace’s touches are everywhere, often in the form of his Medusa head logo, which is seen in gold, on gates and railings, in stone mosaics even on shower drains. And, of course, visitors will want to know where he spent his final moment that Tuesday in July 1997, which staff prefer not to speak about. He was shot by a serial killer who later committed suicide.

“We don’t like to talk about it, but it happened by the steps,” Brinkworth says. “We try to live out his legacy rather than his death and, obviously, when people come in the house you’ll start to see the beauty he left behind. It kind of takes away from the tragedy that happened outside of the gates.”

The home is no longer owned by the Versace family; it was sold in 2000 to telecommunications mogul Peter Loftin, who has slowly made the estate more public while maintaining all of the Versace touches.

The home is full of tapestries, sculptures and paintings. The smell of fresh flowers and sound of classical music fills the air. The roughly hour-long tour includes the central courtyard, dining room, lounges, the pool and a look at a marble toilet with a golden seat, billed as one of only three in the world.

While the downstairs of the home is exquisite, whether it’s worth the price of the tour depends on your interest in art and architecture, your desire to gain access to an exclusive place, and your level of disposable income.

Upstairs is off-limits to tourists. To get a glimpse, you must be a club member or a paying guest. But it, too, is stunning and steeped in a history dotted with familiar names.

There’s the bathtub — the only one in a house full of showers — put in for Madonna. There’s the uppermost area of the house, the observatory, where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes reportedly enjoyed a three-hour dinner before getting engaged. There’s Versace’s sprawling cedar closet, one filled more recently, the host says, by Paris Hilton.

The name-dropping here doesn’t stop. The Wedgwood Suite was Cher’s favorite; the Safari Suite was Elton John’s. A photo of Bill and Hillary Clinton hangs in a cigar lounge; mentions of recent guests are made effortlessly.

Just stepping out on one of the balconies facing Ocean Drive and throngs of tourists makes you a celebrity, albeit briefly, too.

The bedrooms share many of the characteristics of downstairs — elegant chandeliers and moldings; thick, rich drapes and bedding; and artwork on the walls. But they also often offer stunning views — in the foreground, a fountain spouts water into the pool, and just off in the distance, behind the palms, soft ocean waters lap ashore.

The style of each suite is very different, though they may share the fact that they’re all out of your budget.

Three of the 10 rooms go for $1,200 during the peak winter season, plus 13 percent tax and 22 percent service charge. The others climb in price, up to the owner’s suite, which goes for $10,000 nightly. Prices are cheaper in summer, when the blistering heat chases many tourists away, and for members.

There is no way to sugarcoat the price, but it is worth noting that you could stay in one of the cheapest rooms and have room for several and that, given the exclusivity, a lower-end room could be considered a deal compared with other pricey South Beach hotel suites. In the Parrot Suite and the Wedgwood Suite, there are two full-sized daybeds in addition to a queen, meaning it could comfortably sleep four.

And, it is an once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Those who take the tour may stay for breakfast or lunch, depending on the time of day. But it, too, will come at a price. My colleague and I had salads, pasta and a bottle of water. It was sumptuous, but the tab was about $120.

No one expects the Versace mansion to be cheap; they do expect it to be special. And it delivers. In here, everything seems different, and a Tuesday afternoon is transformed from mundane to magical.

If You Go…

CASA CASUARINA: Gianni Versace mansion, 1116 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach; http://www.casacasuarina.com/ or 305-672-6604.

Call for tour reservations. Tours typically offered every other day during the peak tourist season, with times varying morning and afternoon.

Cost: $65. Those who take the tour can enjoy breakfast or dinner at Loftin’s 1116 Ocean, the in-house restaurant, at an additional cost.
Photos by Associated Press/Lynne Sladky

Matt Sedensky ,  Associated Press ,  MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA   |  Mon, 02/09/2009 11:12 AM  |  Travel | The Jakarta Post

West Sumatra’s natural beauty has long had regional cachet, even dating back to the early 1900s during the Dutch Colonial era.

It abounds with mountains, valleys, rivers, springs, caves and forests. One regency in the province, Solok Selatan, or South Solok, has them all. Recently we traveled through Solok Selatan for five days to see for ourselves how the natural beauty was standing up.

Our rental car set off on smooth asphalt roads from the Minangkabau International Airport leaving West Sumatra’s capital Padang behind us. Just past the Bung Hatta Nature Park, we began the first real adventure: twisting and turning roads with plenty of rocky roadbed. But we had no excuse to worry: The lush vegetation and clean, fast-running streams caught our attention from both sides of the car.

The rain caught up with us when we made a stop at Kayo Aro Lubuk Selasih restaurant for lunch. It was still a long way to Solok Selatan. Another stop we made was at Di Atas Lake before reaching the border between Solok Selatan and Solok. Before dusk we arrived at Wisma Umi Kalsum lodging in Muaro Labuh where we stayed the night. We fell on a happy coincidence for we got the chance to enjoy rarely seen traditional performances like Rahab and Saluang Panjang after dinner, staged for some well-heeled guests staying at the modest inn.

Our first full day was devoted to exploring the awe and fun of the region’s fast waters. Our first destination was the 15-meter-high Imbulun Sangir waterfall on the Batang Liki river located at the village of Lubuak Gadang, 161 kilometers from Padang. Then we ventured on to another waterfall 10 kilometers further upland, the Tansi Ampek in Sungai Lambai village. This waterfall is unique because it sits smack-dab in the middle of a tea plantation. To reach it, we had to walk single file along a narrow 100-meter path. Its waters feed at least 10 rivers in Solok Selatan, three of which have top-notch rafting spots. Tempted by the currents, we eventually tried this sport at the most famous of the three, Batang Liki. Lunch was served riverside once we finished rafting that watercourse. We continued on to Batang Sangir which had stronger currents. Generally speaking, Batang Sangir is rated five out of six for difficulty, six being most challenging. The last stage of the rafting session put us on the famous Batang Hari river, 79 kilometers from Padang Aro, the capital of Solok Selatan. This river marks the border between the West Sumatra and Jambi provinces.

The next day we shifted our attention from rafting to hiking. The Mitra Kerinci tea plantation was our starting point as we set out to climb Mt. Kerinci (3,805 m) the highest mountain in Sumatra. Most climbers ascend via the Kresik Tuo (old route) starting from Kerinci Regency in Jambi, but we had heard about a new approach. Upon arriving at the tea plantation, we spent half an hour just admiring the breathtaking scenery of the sea of tea bushes against the backdrop of Mt. Kerinci. Then it was time to drive to the base camp to start our climb. We met Hedi who recently led an 18-member team to open up the new route. “We’ve opened this new route called the North Route. Water supplies are more accessible from this route compared to the old way up from Jambi.”

“Just 100 meters before reaching the peak we will cross the conventional route, the Kresik Tuo.”

We returned to our lodge before gearing up for the next adventure; going inside the Earth, or caving. Our destination this time was Bukit Sungai Mintan cave in Sangir Batanghari district. We drove close to the cave, then pulled off to the side of the road. Inside the cave we found underground rivers with moderate currents and many stalagmites and stalactites. There were even columns where the two formations had joined, in the cave’s depths. Except for villagers, few people have explored this cave, apparently, which may account for its pristine condition.

Having roamed the cave, we returned to our lodgings and rested up. Our plan was to visit the hot springs Panas Sapan Maluluang in Nagari Alam Pauh Duo, 23 kilometers from Solok Selatan’s capital. The spring, deep inside a rubber tree plantation, was accessible by car or motorcycle.

Legend has it Sapan Maluluang and its small pond about five by 10 meters square formed after a volcanic eruption. Billowing steam and the pungent smell of sulphur welcomed us as we approached. Too hot for a dip, the waters are said to be 100* Celsius. To test this, we took some eggs, put them in a plastic bag and placed it in the pond. Voila! In less than 10 minute, our boiled eggs were ready to eat.

Our next treat was a walk to Ngalau Indah and a rubber tree and coffee plantation. Several smaller caves in this village were worth the visit. Though as not as pretty as the first caves, these were interesting because residents were using them to breed swallows and sell their highly prized nests.

Over so soon? On our way back to Padang, we did the math. Five days were too few. Along the way we got the feeling we had glimpsed only a small sampling of Solok Selatan’s beauty.

If You Go…

Solok Selatan is the youngest regency in West Sumatra. Home to more than 130,000 people, it is accessible with ground transportation from the Minangkabau International Airport in Padang.

You can take a public minibus or rent a car at the airport. The minibus usually charges Rp 50,000 (about US$5) and a rental car will cost you Rp 450,000 per day.

It takes 3 hours to get to Solok Selatan from Padang. If practicality and security matters, most travel agents in Padang can set you up with a tour package.

Adji K, ,  Contributor, ,  Solok Selatan   |  Sun, 02/01/2009 11:45 AM  |  Travel | The Jakarta Post

Seeking a getaway despite the downturn, Olivia Gonzalez called her travel agent with an agenda.

“I said, what kind of deals do you have?” said the Miami resident, who is in her 60s, standing outside the Port of Miami. What she found was a six-day, five-night cruise through the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos for $299 a person.

That was all the convincing Gonzalez and thousands of other passengers have needed lately to set sail. Though vacations are disposable when money gets tight, the cruise industry has kept ships full with deep discounts and some itinerary changes to shorter, cheaper voyages. Norwegian Cruise Line is sailing three-and four-day swings for the first time since 2004. Carnival Corp. is offering free state room upgrades and more Caribbean choices – a quick skip from the Miami port – in 2009 to accommodate demand.

“Consumers are looking for more value for their vacation dollar,” said Howard Frank, Carnival’s chief operating officer, on a recent conference call with analysts. “And our shorter, less expensive Caribbean cruise products are performing much better than our premium and luxury, longer cruise products. So we are seeing a consumer trade-down to value.”

The major cruise lines are also seeing vacationers wait longer to commit. Before the downturn, bookings averaged about six months in advance, maybe eight months for luxury trips, said Bob Sharak, executive director of the Cruise Lines International Association.

“People are deferring their purchases to the last minute,” he said. “They’re booking, but it causes the operators some degree of agitation, because it takes longer to put that sailing on the books.

“I don’t think that’s something unique to our cruise business right now. I think all travel is like that.”

Carnival is offering three- and four- day trips to Mexico and the Bahamas starting at $209 for the lowest-level rooms at the last minute, a nearly 50 percent discount in some cases. A four-day Baja California, Mexico cruise sailing in February and now selling at that rate would cost $399 later, while a three-day Bahamas vacation leaving Jan. 23 is available for $219 instead of $349. Norwegian’s short Bahamas cruises were starting at $229 through mid-April.

Photo by : Passengers wait to sail on a short cruises aboard the Carnival Cruise Line ship, Destiny, Monday, Jan. 12, 2009 in Miami. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)

Long considered a good vacation value, the cruise industry is holding up better than some competitors in this climate. The Port of Miami saw record cruise traffic of 3.8 million passengers from January to November 2008, a 10.5 percent increase over the previous year. Sharak predicts overall occupancy will continue to increase, despite grim predictions for 2009 in the industry and economy overall.

Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean have suspended stock dividends, a sign of some distress, and last month Carnival lowered its revenue predictions for 2009.

“I’m not minimizing today’s situation. We’ve not seen an economic situation like this in America or globally in my lifetime,” Sharak said. “However, if history is an indicator of the future, the business itself has been resilient in these varied markets, and I think right now we’re showing that as well.”

Carnival has rolled out a new pricing scheme to entice further advance commitments. The “Early Saver” program offers 25 percent discounts for certain trips booked up to three months before departure, plus a guarantee those passengers will get the same savings if rates drop.

“The good news is that consumers are still taking their vacations, but the vacation decision is for next month, rather than next year,” Frank told investors.

For consumers, the cruise lines’ push to fill big ships can mean big savings. Shannon McClelland was shopping for a birthday gift for her boyfriend two months ago when she found a five-day cruise sailing out of Miami for $1,500 a couple, including airfare from New York.

“Today is his birthday, so this is his birthday present,” said McClelland, of New York. “I was just looking for something nice, it seemed doable, so we did it.”

Travis Reed ,  The Associated Press ,  Miami   |  Fri, 01/23/2009 8:20 AM  |  Travel | The Jakarta Post

If you’re hungering for a taste of history, art and culture, you will get a good dose in Karangasem regency, in the eastern part of Bali, which is rich in examples of the island’s cultural heritage.

Taman Soekasada or “The Water Palace” in Ujung is one of Bali’s finest such cultural treasures.

It is, in short, an astounding architectural and cultural jewel not to be missed.

The 12-hectare water palace complex some 5 kilometers south of Amlapura, the capital of Karangasem, is ringed by an ornate fence.

The three big pavilions float on a serene lotus pond, connected by bridges, creating an intriguing and romantic atmosphere.

The palace was designed and constructed under the patronage and protection of Karangasem’s last king, Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut Karang Asem, in 1926.

The late ruler, a learned and well-traveled man, modeled Soekasada on the Versailles Palace in France.

It was originally intended as a meeting place and guesthouse for delegates of the Dutch government and dignitaries of other countries visiting tropical Bali.

The wide windows of the pavilions look over the palace waters, testimony to the late ruler’s passion for harmonizing nature and art. As a culturalist with an international perspective, he blended traditional motifs with modern materials, and balanced Western-style geometry with a Balinese sense of place and symbolism. To ensure his cultural vision materialized, he personally oversaw work at the construction site.

A visit is memorable: Take in the exotic blend of western and Middle Eastern architectural styles enlivened with intricated Balinese carvings, or stroll under the Middle Eastern flavored archways held up by elegant Italian columns, or pause a moment in a walkway shaded by frangipangi and mango trees.

The highest point in the park affords a marvelous view over the distant Lombok Strait and the lush green hills of Mt. Rinjani in Lombok. The view north is a breathtaking panorama of rice terraces set against the backdrop of the mighty Mt. Agung.

Soekasada sustained severe da-mage during the eruption of Mt. Agung in 1963 and the earthquake in 1975.

Because of the future of Bali’s rich art and cultural heritage lies in its past, intensive restoration work was carried out from 2000 to 2004 by members of the Karang Asem court.

Thanks to these efforts, one of Bali’s finest examples of its cultural heritage has been saved.

– Retno K. Djojo

Thu, 01/22/2009 1:48 PM  |  Surfing Bali | The Jakarta Post

Let’s start by being brutally honest: At first glance, Batam Island does not really appear a great vacation proposition.

Parts of the island are best described as an eyesore, with highly utilitarian industrial and commercial premises stretching over large swathes of the land.

And let’s be frank about the land itself, too – flat for one thing, with soil – exposed through the island’s numerous excavations – in an unappealing orangey-yellowish color that looks infertile and grubby.

Now we’ve got that out of the way, there is one more thing to add: Better things lie ahead.

As you travel from the island’s Hang Nadim airport to the area known as Nongsa, the industrial and commercial buildings – and that grubby-looking soil – gradually give way to dense thickets of shrubs and low-lying plants.

Keep going. This unkempt shrubbery then gives way to something else – to signs of humanity taming this wilderness and making it into something lovely and fresh. You have arrived at the dreamy vacation area of Nongsa, Nongsa is in the northern coastal region of Batam Island, with attractive inlets and beaches that add up to an idyllic and tranquil setting for some rest and recreation. There are golf courses here for those so interested, but it is much more the coast, the beaches and the resorts along the waterfront that attract visitors.

The resorts at Nongsa range from the pristine and ultramodern to the more traditional and tropical made from timber and bamboo with thatched roofs. Some of the modern architecture is impressive but those who find all that concrete and steel clinical and cold with may prefer the more “traditional” architecture with its natural materials.

Regardless of the style of architecture, the common theme here is the sea and the Strait of Singapore that Nongsa looks out onto. The shores and skyscrapers of Singapore are visible in the distance – no prizes for guessing why Singaporeans account for many of the holidaymakers.

Singapore is but a 45-minute ferry ride away, making it all too easy for those city-dwellers to escape their crowded city-state for the tranquility of Batam’s resort, the ferry dropping them at the very well-constructed and -managed ferry terminal known as Nongsapura.

Thanks to Nongsapura, getting to and from the resorts is easy and comfortable, with ferries setting off at regular intervals to destinations in both Singapore and Malaysia. These speedy ferries deftly negotiate busy waters, weaving around the huge cargo ships and tankers that pass through the strait. Before all that, though, comes the Nongsa River.

The Nongsa River connects the island to the strait. Like much of the rest of Batam Island, it is surrounded by dense vegetation, which lends it a distinctly wild air. Trips upriver to view exotic birds and wild monkeys are possible, although most people find it hard to drag themselves away from the coast.

One of those coastal attractions is Nongsa’s impressive and expansive marina open to private vessels. Otherwise, there are plenty of watery activities to help while away the holidays: fishing, snorkeling, parasailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing and banana boating.

The downside of all these water activities is the water itself – or more particularly the clarity of the water. It is perhaps only to be expected that with this strait being a major marine thoroughfare – dozens of massive ships pass through the Strait and often time clouds of exhaust fumes can be seen belching from their enormous engines – the water is going to be on the murky side of pristine.

The problem of pollution is also evident in the work of the cleaners raking the beaches each morning, burying the less desirable offerings that have been washed up on the shore.

Never mind – there is no need to swim in the sea, as the resorts all have their own swimming pools replete with fountains and waterfalls, and a mix of depths to please everyone from children and the more serious swimmer. Given this, the sea may be better left alone as a backdrop for the resorts.

Otherwise, the environment in Nongsa is generally clean and well kept, creating great benefits for the local wildlife. In the thick lush forests, visitors can see exotic and colorful birds going about their business of foraging and nesting. At night, bats sweep across the sky, gorging themselves on the abundant fruit hanging from the trees.

Nongsa and its resorts may be quite different from the rest of Batam Island, but are created ideally for rest and recreation. The detail in the construction and management of the hotels and resorts means taking a vacation here can be very pleasing and satisfying – regardless of first impressions.

Simon Marcus Gower ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 01/21/2009 2:21 PM  |  Travel

Hard times spark interest in New Deal sites

The election of an ambitious new president in hard times is evoking comparisons with President Franklin Roosevelt, and the 75th anniversary of FDR’s New Deal is sparking renewed interest in how Americans survived the Great Depression.

Now historic preservationists and tourism officials are hoping for increased tourism in places associated with the New Deal, like the town of Arthurdale, W.Va., which was built in the 1930s as a planned community for the rural poor.

“Arthurdale looks pretty much the way it did then,” said Martha Ballman of the West Virginia Preservation Alliance. “It’s just so intact.”

The alliance won a $100,000 grant this year to develop New Deal tourism across the state. Part of the challenge, however, is that the New Deal’s legacy is so vast: It includes everything from bridges and murals in government buildings to humble retaining walls and walking paths.

“You may know you’re a New Deal site, but how do you know you’re a tourist attraction?” Ballman said. “It’s all over the place, so the questions we’re asking are, ‘How can we make this more tourist-friendly? How can we beef it up?’”

The National New Deal Preservation Association, based in New Mexico, has seen an increase in calls and e-mails and a demand for maps of New Deal sites, according to spokeswoman Kathy Flynn.

And FDR’s retreat in Warm Springs, Ga., known as the Little White House, is the most visited of any of Georgia’s 63 state historic sites, attracting 100,000 people a year.

“The current political and economic climate is part of the reason there’s so much interest,” said Kim Hatcher, spokeswoman for the Georgia Division of Natural Resources, which oversees state parks and historic sites. The president sought relief from polio on his visits to the springs.

The story of Arthurdale is not as well known as sites like Warm Springs, but the town hopes to draw more tourists to visit a model home, museum and craft shop offering books, calendars and even colorful postage-stamp pins bearing first lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s likeness.

Located near Morgantown in northern West Virginia, Arthurdale was the first of 100 New Deal resettlement homesteads for the poor and unemployed around the country. Each home in the planned community had electricity, indoor plumbing, a refrigerator and a coal-powered furnace — tremendous luxuries for rural America in the 1930s.

Of Arthurdale’s 165 original houses, 160 remain, and one of them has been fully preserved. It is still furnished with a loom in the living room, a massive coal-fired furnace in the hallway and a coal-fired stove in the kitchen. Atop an old radio is a small clock one of the original residents brought with her as a child, and in the kitchen cabinets are Depression-era glassware and containers for “Arthur Dale Meat Products,” the ground beef and sausage the homesteaders packaged and sold.

Arthurdale’s small museum shows off some of the homesteaders’ lesser known skills. They not only learned to weave their own linens and throw their own pottery, but they also fashioned target kites with images of enemy aircraft for the Army to shoot at.

Eleanor Roosevelt took a special interest in Arthurdale, regularly visiting to hand out Christmas presents and high school diplomas, and even calling on individual families.

“I can still see her in my mind’s eye, coming around the house, and my mother telling us, ‘You kids sit on that couch and don’t you move,’” recalled Maryanne Wolfe, who was born in Arthurdale in 1938 and now lives in nearby Reedsville.

But the cooperative economics of the New Deal homestead communities mostly failed, and the government sold its stake in the towns in the late 1940s. Wolfe’s husband, Joe, who also grew up in Arthurdale, said that by the 1940s, the utopian dream that created Arthurdale had mostly been forgotten; residents simply got on with life.

“When I was going to school, we didn’t talk much about how Arthurdale was started,” he said. “My parents were homesteaders, but they didn’t talk about how they came to be there or anything.”

West Virginia got two other homesteads as well, Eleanor in Putnam County and the lesser known Tygart Valley Homesteads in Randolph County. Only Tygart Valley is believed to have repaid the government for its investment.

Interest in the CCC Museum at Quiet Dell, which has about 250 pieces of New Deal memorabilia on display, has also grown recently, according to director Robert Anderson.

CCC was the acronym for the Civilian Conservation Corps, which employed 4.5 million people nationwide between 1933 and 1942, planting 3 billion trees, forging roads and laying foundations for new communities by raising bridges, dams and telephone poles. About 55,000 men passed through the corps in West Virginia, building bridges, fire towers and state park infrastructure.

“There’s a mystique around the program,” Anderson said. “Back in the ’30s, it really helped salvage the country from disaster.”

____

If You Go …

ARTHURDALE: Located in West Virginia, about 90 minutes south of Pittsburgh, and about 25 minutes southeast of Morgantown, W.Va., on state Route 92; http://www.arthurdaleheritage.org/. or 304-864-3959. The New Deal Homestead Museum and Craft Shop, which includes a restored model homestead, are located on Route 92. Open November-April, Tuesday-Friday, noon-4 p.m. (May-October, Tuesday-Sunday, noon-4 p.m.) Adults, $5 ($3 for children in grades K-6; $4 for ages 55 and older).

WEST VIRGINIA CCC MUSEUM: http://www.wva-ccc-legacy.org/index.php or 304-842-5194. Located in the former Quiet Dell School in Harrison County, just off Exit 115 of Interstate 79, about 35 miles south of Arthurdale. Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Free admission; donations accepted.

ROOSEVELT’S LITTLE WHITE HOUSE STATE HISTORIC SITE: Warm Springs, Ga.; http://www.fdr-littlewhitehouse.org or 706-655-5870. Open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults, $7.

NATIONAL NEW DEAL PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION: http://www.newdeallegacy.org/.

___

Associated Press Writer Vicki Smith contributed to this report from Arthurdale, W.Va.

Tom Breen ,  The Associated Press ,  Charleston   |  Thu, 12/11/2008 3:24 PM  |  Travel

Refreshing the body and mind in Bintan

Bintan is relatively unknown, but perhaps this is why it is a place of such great surprises.

“This is just like being in Bali, only much quieter,” said a visitor, referring to the picturesque beaches he’s spot on.

But in some important ways, Bintan is quite different.

For one thing, Bintan — a resort island in Riau Islands province — is a relative unknown next to its internationally acclaimed counterpart.

But Bintan certainly is an international locale. It may be an island in Indonesia but many of its visitors come from or via Singapore.

This is reflected in the fact that most things are priced in Singaporean dollars, which in turn makes the island relatively expensive compared to others in Indonesia.

Bintan sits between Borneo and the Malaysian peninsular, just two islands or 40 minutes east of Singapore.

But Bintan is much larger than its city-state neighbor, however less developed. Save the string of resorts, which has sprung up on its northern shores, the island remains largely untouched.

Many visitors to Bintan arrive by boat, as “island hoppers”, effectively served by a port that brings a procession of ferries from the surrounding islands daily. At this port, a veritable convoy of buses awaits to whisk visitors away to their respective resorts.

The road to the resorts is surrounded by thick greenery; there is little or no sign of human habitation here and at times it feels as though the forests’ undergrowth is about to engulf the roadway.

It is only as the buses turn on up the long driveways leading to the resorts that some signs of life begin to show.

Reaching the northern shore, the dense greenery parts to reveal the manicured environs of not one, but four golf courses.

Getting of the bus, the first sounds one hears is the whir of lawn mowers, tending to the greens. Drivers busily buzz around and over the greens and fairways as attendants carefully rake the white sands of the bunkers.

Golf then, is perhaps the most prominent pastime at the resorts of Bintan, but there are plenty of other options for those not fond of the fairway.

Archery facilities, all terrain vehicles for a slog through the jungle, go carts, a paintball arena and “laser quest” zones can all be found along the shore.

In addition to these land-based activities there is, not surprisingly, a range of water activities to be enjoyed.

From windsurfing, jet skis and banana boats to kayaks diving and fishing from a traditional sampan, the waters surrounding Bintan offer something for everyone.

It is possible, therefore, to be highly active in Bintan. But those looking to take it easy also have many options.

Bintan’s north shore has long and mostly empty beaches that allow for peaceful walks on simply lying on the sand next to the tranquil water, absorbing some warm rays.

The surf here is gentle and limited, the waters are calm and practically lagoon-like. Dotted along the shore are pleasant little coves offering seclusion in which to take a dip.

This is perhaps the best thing about Bintan — it is quiet and restful. Thanks to the fact that it does not have the prominence and notoriety of a place like Bali, it is possible to be free of crowds here.

The resort hotels that have been developed here are really quite large and can accommodate very large numbers of tourists.

From the usual centralized hotel with swimming pool and restaurant to beach front villas, the range of accommodation offered is quite diverse.

All of this accommodation spreads out over a large area, so there is no feeling of congestion and/or over-development as there can be in places like Bali.

Many of the resorts exist as entities unto themselves. They are in effect bases for holiday-makers for which there is no need to stray.

Should you, however, crave a taste of the island beyond the resort compound, there are a few locations, worth checking out.

A nearby elephant park allows visitors the chance to ride a real-life Sumatran elephant.

For a peek of the local culture visit the village of Sri Bintan Kampung, where age old crafts and traditions may be observed. The more adventurous and physical fit can trek up Gunung Bintan, the highest point on the island.

Shopping is also on the agenda, at Pasar Oleh-Oleh, where dozens of shops huddled together cater to the tourist market. Perhaps disappointingly though, much of what is on sale here could be found in Jakarta or Bali — in other words, it is very touristy.

But souvenirs are secondary and hardly necessary. What the visitor will take away from Bintan and its resorts is a relaxing and refreshing experience.

Bintan may not be so famous as Bali but it is well worth a visit, the body and mind will thank you.

Simon Marcus Gower ,  Contributor ,  Bintan   |  Tue, 11/18/2008 12:37 PM  |  Potpourri