Travel › 12 reasons to visit Japan in 2012
January 24th, 2012 | 
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1. January: Lashings of good luck
Bright red daruma dolls are a symbol of good luck in Japan, due to their unique shape that allows them to right themselves when knocked over. Apparently, that’s a good thing.
The tradition of the daruma can be traced back centuries to Takasaki’s Shorizan…
Travel › Shangri-La Tokyo selected as No. 1 luxury hotel at Traveler’s Choice Awards 2012 by Tripadvisor
The Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo, has been selected as the No. 1 luxury hotel in the world at the Traveler’s Choice 2012 Awards by Tripadvisor, the world’s largest online community of travelers.
The awards are based on the reviews and opinions from travelers around the world.
The Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo was…
Travel › Trouble spots of 2011 work to woo back tourists
Tunisia, Egypt and Japan are working hard to lure back visitors who steered clear of their countries last year due to civil unrest and an earthquake, officials said at a world tourism fair.
Popular revolts in Tunisia and Egypt ousted long-term rulers but also scared off tourists from the popular…
Travel › Nozawa Onsen ski resort a true winter hot spot
Japan offers some excellent skiing and snowboarding, but I won't lie -- it's not one of my favorite winter activities in a country filled with many more-leisurely pursuits.
It probably has something to do with the fact that I am much more likely to end up face-first in the powder…
Travel › Mission accomplished for travel volunteers
As we reported back in November, the Travel Volunteer Project, which reached the finish line just over two weeks ago at the end of 2011, was one of the more ambitious and far-ranging PR-driven travel schemes we’ve yet come across.
The brainchild of a travel agency in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa…
Travel › Niseko Village ranked No. 1 ski resort in Japan
Niseko Village in Hokkaido has been ranked the No. 1 ski resort in Japan by Snow Japan. Voted by ski enthusiasts globally, the award further recognizes Niseko Village as one of the world’s most popular ski destination.
Voting was conducted on Snow Japan’s website at www.snowjapan.com where ski-goers ranked the…
Travel › Hilton HHonors launches More Points promotion
Hilton HHonors, the loyalty program for Hilton Worldwide’s 10 distinct hotel brands, announces its More Points global promotion. From now through March 31, HHonors members can register to earn 1,000 Bonus Points per night plus an additional 5,000 Bonus Points for every two-night weekend stay at participating Waldorf Astoria Hotels…
Travel › Peach Aviation announces 5 new routes
Peach Aviation, Japan’s first dedicated low cost carrier, on Thursday announced 5 new routes that include Osaka (Kansai) – Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Okinawa(Naha), Hong Kong and Taiwan (Taoyuan) will be available during the 2012 summer timetable.
The Osaka (Kansai) – Nagasaki route will commence on March 25, 2012, while the Osaka…
Travel › TravelDNA seed planted on rocky honeymoon
Anishiya Taneja and her husband turned a rocky honeymoon into inspiration for a free online travel service that matches people with ideal vacation itineraries.
TravelDNA has been a viral hit during an invitation-only test period and has already caught the eyes of Google, Facebook and Amazon.
"We are trying to…
Travel › Jetstar to begin Narita-Darwin service in March
Budget Australian airline Jetstar will introduce a four-times weekly Darwin-Manila-Narita service from March 25.
In addition, the airline’s popular Darwin-Singapore route will grow from 7 to 10 flights a week equating to an extra 13,000 seats per year.
Jetstar Group CEO Bruce Buchanan said the new schedule pointed to sustained…