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Maldives mutiny sparks tourism warnings

Zoe Li, Hong Kong Editor — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:05:41 +0000

by Zoe Li, Hong Kong Editor

The president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, resigned Tuesday following weeks of protests and a revolt by police officers. The tourism industry, however, has remained mostly stable in the face of the political tumult, with only a small number of trips canceled after various governments around the world issued travel warnings.

Also on CNN: Police revolt topples Maldives president

Tourism is one of the mainstays of the economy of the Maldives, a nation of 1,192 low-lying islands of which only 200 are inhabited. The political unrest is generally confined within Malé, the capital, which is not on the tourist route.

A Hong Kong travel agent, who did not wish to be identified, said that most tourists do not visit Malé.

"We usually take the tours straight out to the atolls after transferring at Malé airport and do not arrange a Malé itinerary."

Starbucks takes on India

Zoe Li, Hong Kong Editor — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:33:12 +0000

by Zoe Li, Hong Kong Editor

Starbucks is due to open its first store in India through a 50-50 joint venture with Tata Global Beverages. The first branches will open in Mumbai and New Delhi in September and about 50 stores will follow within the first 12 months.

John Culver, Starbucks president for China and Asia Pacific, said there could be as many as 3,000 Starbucks stores in the world's fastest-growing economy after China. China currently has about 500.

Starbucks declined to comment on the pricing at its future Indian stores. The price of a cup of coffee ranges widely in India, where consumers can spend Rs 53 rupees on a cappuccino at a local chain or Rs 400 on a frappé at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, an international chain that already has a presence in India.

Starbucks arrives at a time when the Indian government is trying to attract more foreign retail investment, but is slow at loosening restrictions.

Strict limits on foreign ownership in India in the past have kept many international brands from setting up shop, including Ikea and Walmart. The latter met with stringent conditions on a recent deal while the Walmart negotiations have been put off altogether.

The Flying Bus takes off in Mumbai

Deepika Sorabjee — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:06:12 +0000

by Deepika Sorabjee

Soon to be obsolete, Mumbai's iconic double-decker bus has been reborn with giant silver wings in Indian artist Sudarshan Shetty's latest public art project.

The beloved red buses will be phased out of service soon, but Shetty has elevated the veteran workhorse from its "antiquated fate" by giving one of the buses spectacular steel wings.

Located on the grounds of Maker Maxity in the Bandra Kurla Complex, the bus is stationary but gives the illusion of flight.

Welded to each side of the bus just behind the driver's cab, the wings are made of stainless steel scales that catch the changing light.

The front wheels of the bus are raised above the ground as though the behemoth is about to take off.

India art events worth traveling for in 2012

Deepika Sorabjee — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:24:03 +0000

by Deepika Sorabjee

Start the year with Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai as art destinations then pencil in an oil massage after the Kochi Biennale at the year’s end.

January, New Delhi: India Art Fair changes things up

The India Art Fair comes of age through a partnership with Art Hong Kong co-founders Sandy Angus and Will Ramsay.

This means becoming a part of the largest network of art fairs in the world. Big name galleries from Europe like Hauser & Wirth, Galleria Continua and White Cube are participating while the Lisson Gallery returns for the third time.

Closing on January 29, the fourth India Art Fair is a chance to see original works by Miro, Picasso, Antony Gormley, Mona Hatoum and Damien Hirst.

Also on CNNGo: New Delhi's India Art Fair explodes this year

The great Indian head bobble

Mahesh Nair — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

by Mahesh Nair

Be warned. I am going to share with you something that will forever change your perception of more than a billion people.

If you are an Indian it will bring you inner peace and smug satisfaction, and help you avoid much humiliation. If you are a foreigner, it will lead to spiritual salvation.

If you are in business it will lead to a paradigm shift of your vision and mission statement. And if you are Mark Zuckerberg you may be tempted to replace smileys with "bobbles."

If you are a pet lover you may actually bond better with your iguana or tortoise.

It’s something that the authors of "The Secret" and "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" have completely missed. And it’s called The Great Indian Head Bobble.

New Delhi's India Art Fair explodes this year

Himali Singh Soin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

by Himali Singh Soin

The India Art Fair (previously called The India Art Summit) features 91 galleries and art spaces from 91 countries.

Founded by 31-year-old Neha Kirpal in 2008, the India Art Fair features the work of well-known international artists such as Picasso, Dali, Rashid Rana and Damien Hirst as well as hosts a speaker’s forum by curators, gallerists, art theoreticians and artists from around the world.

The fair also lends its outdoor and (non-functional) indoor spaces to larger projects that cannot be contained within the gallery booths.

This year, look out for Zuleikha Chaudhari and Clemens Behr’s architectural installations, supported by the Creative India Foundation. These kinetic sculptures inspire awe and offer a space for silence and thought amid an otherwise intense atmosphere of seeing and dealing.

"Most people spend more than a day or two at the Fair and one of the reasons people also come back every year is that it offers a rare opportunity to experience the sheer diversity of the Indian art scene first hand, and under one roof," says India Art Fair founder Kirpal.

MapmyIndia Zx250: India's roads get the 3D treatment

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:21:01 +0000

The launch of the Mini Cooper in India at Rs 24.9 lakh was not the only interesting piece of news to come out of the Delhi Auto Show 2012 last week.

This year automobile accessories and special gadgets got their own spotlight alongside the latest cars, bikes and SUVs. And this one might be of special interest to travelers.

MapmyIndia, pioneer seller of portable navigation devices in the Indian market, launched Zx250, India's first portable 3D navigator which offers an augmented reality-like experience with unprecedented map details. These include house-level maps for 36 cities (20 cities in full 3D); more than 6.3 million places; and street-level maps for 4,000 cities and all towns and villages in India that are connected by highway or road network.

MapmyIndia was initially launched as a navigation tablet CarPad on Android 2.2 and is now the first 3D portable GPS system navigator in the country.

It wirelessly streams music, movies and turn-by-turn voice navigation instructions to the car audio system over a user-chosen FM frequency.

6 best sari shops in Mumbai

Jhilmil Motihar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

by Jhilmil Motihar

The pre-stitched sari is a wonderful thing for obvious reasons. But if you’re a purist and would rather drape and pleat than slip in and out, you need to do two things.

First, coax you mother into giving you a crash course in draping or download that very useful sari-tying iPhone application.

Second, follow this guide to Mumbai’s six best sari shops.

More on CNNGo: New sari app tutorial saves the day

Kala Niketan

Variety is best at Kala Niketan.If sari-anxiety is a condition, Kala Niketan certainly induces it.

No pay, no fly: Air India cabin crew disrupt international flights

CNNGo — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:19:04 +0000

by CNNGo

Since Tuesday, as many as 269 Air India flight attendants have refused to report for work, delaying four international flights from New Delhi.

Passengers bound for Paris, Chicago, Newark and Riyadh were kept waiting for up to three hours.

Air India is suffering financial difficulties, and cabin crew are protesting non-payment of salaries and "sustenance allowance" paid in foreign exchange for meals, transportation and incidental expenses when they are on a layover abroad.

"What we have been saying is that we won't operate flights to destinations which involve layovers as we will have to spend from our pockets and that is difficult when we have not received salaries for two months," an attendant told one newspaper.

A member of the All-India Cabin Crew Association refused to comment on what steps the airline was taking to quell the protest, according to news reports.

Manchester United Mumbai fans pay to party with Gary Neville

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:44:34 +0000

Any Manchester United fan will tell you footballer Gary Neville -- nicknamed "Busy Busy" -- is a legend.

He's coming to Mumbai this Thursday. And it will be the closest many fans have ever come to seeing a United player in the flesh.

And not just any player.

Neville, a one-club man, captained Manchester United for five years between 2005 and 2010, before calling time on his playing career on February 2 2011, almost 20 years after making his debut for United.

He is also England’s most capped right-back, playing on the national side for more than 10 years.

Best of the Jaipur Literature Festival

Himali Singh Soin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

by Himali Singh Soin

The DSC Jaipur Literature Festival 2012 was conceptualized five years ago by New Delhi-based literary tag team William Dalrymple and Namita Ghokale, bringing together an appealing mix of mainstream and fringe Indian and international writers to present their ideas on Indian thought, culture and its global context in relation to their own works.

This festival is not your average overdose of book readings and panel discussions, brooding authors and a drowsy audience.

For one, it is a free festival.

The informal, celebratory and interdisciplinary atmosphere in the gardens of an old and intimate Rajasthani palace, attracts a diverse crowd of 60,000-odd readers. Actors, directors, fashion designers, economists, travelers, politicians, scientists, students, bloggers and all manner of urban hipsters congregate in the sunny on-site cafe to spend three days "in conversation."

The Jaipur Lit Fest has expanded in collaboration with producers Teamwork, extending literature into the areas of music, dance, art, philosophy, history -- with one or two tense political debates featuring each year.

Americans don't know where India's map begins

Sita Wadhwani — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:35:44 +0000

by Sita Wadhwani

"We made a goof up and we fixed it," said the State Department spokesperson."We made a goof up and we fixed it and we're now back in compliance with our own cartographical policy," state department spokesperson Victoria Nuland admitted to reporters, as she announced the posting of the corrected maps of India on the website of the State Department and its travel-related sections last week.

"What you'll see on the [revised] maps is consistent with what the United States geographic position has been consistently: that there is a dashed line representing the 1972 Line of Control, reflecting Kashmir's unresolved status."

"We neglected to actually label that dotted line in the last round of maps. It has now been labeled," she said.

Previous maps showed portions of Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan. These were removed by the State Department in November following New Delhi's strong objections.

India, as always, maintains that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country. Islamabad prefers to call it an unresolved dispute. As do the United Nations and the United States.

Got the munchies in Goa? Where the experts eat

Shilarna Vaze — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

by Shilarna Vaze

For the past five years I have been cooking for a living in Goa during the six-month “season” which starts late October and ends in early April.

Stricter visa rules, the police closing down raves at 10 p.m. and other issues have evolved Goa’s avatar from international trance mecca to global food destination. Now, where to go for dinner is one of the most crucial decisions you can make.

Here’s my ideal eating itinerary for hippy hipsters, which includes where to swim, walk and shop to work up an appetite.

Breakfast at Baba Au Rhum

Baba Au Rhum a little bakery and pizzeria in Arpora.My perfect Goa day starts with being swept off for breakfast on “Terror,” my Swiss boyfriend Christophe Perrin’s name for his Indian motorbike, a black modified Enfield Bullet.

We’re heading to Baba Au Rhum, the best bakery in Goa for pain au chocolat, croissants and all things sweet.

Shopping in Singapore is better than Paris

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:04:20 +0000

How many shopping trips truly turn out to to be the idyllic experiences your friends promised they would be?

Presence Mystery Shopping, a Paris-based market consulting company, thinks it has found 30 places that really truly can offer shopping heaven. It has published a report ranking the welcome and service for the world’s most famous shopping streets.

“We surveyed the quality of retail service on iconic shopping streets that tourists are told they just need to visit,” says Presence Business Development Manager, Leslie Kambourian.

Over 30 main avenues were visited, and nearly 400 individual retail outlets were observed, including perfume shops, restaurants, ready-to-wear outlets and showrooms.

Orchard Road in Singapore came out in first place, Avenue de la Liberté in Luxembourg followed in second and PC Hooftstraat in Amsterdam took third spot.

Oprah to visit India, likely to attend Lit Fest

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:45:55 +0000

“Never been to India, it’s been on my vision board forever,” U.S. TV talk show queen Oprah Winfrey announced on Twitter last week.

“YES! I am coming to India next month for 1st time as part of NEXT CHAPTER!,” she said.

"NEXT CHAPTER" is Oprah's new talk show which debuted January 1 on her own TV network, Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

Unlike her previous studio show which ran for 25 years, "NEXT CHAPTER" sees her travel around the world, interviewing celebrities and news-makers.

And next up, confirmed, is Deepak Chopra in India. The author and spiritual guru is speaking at the Jaipur Literature Festival in the northern Indian city on January 22.

Sachin Tendulkar falls short of 100th century at the SCG's 100th Test

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:30:18 +0000

The scene was set for Sachin Tendulkar. He strode to the crease at his most prolific ground, the Sydney Cricket Ground (S.C.G), during its 100th test.

This week, it became the third ground in the world to score a "century," after London’s Lord’s and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

And Mumbai's "Little Master" was attempting to become the first player to score 100 international centuries. He’d scored an unparalleled 51 Test and 48 limited-over centuries for India.

For nine months now, 1.2 billion Indians have waited with bated breath for Tendulkar to create cricketing history.

With an overnight score of eight, Indian Australians and the "Swarmy Army" -- cricket fans who had traveled from the subcontinent -- surrounded the hallowed ground in justified optimism.

Indian holy city to get world's largest urban transport podcar system

Sita Wadhwani — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:20:09 +0000

by Sita Wadhwani

After seeing the world's first commercially operational pod system at work at London's Heathrow airport, the Punjab government in India has begun to build the world’s largest urban Passenger Rapid Transport (PRT) system in Amritsar, a major religious destination just 32 kilometers east of Lahore and therefore, very close to India's western border with Pakistan.

During religious festival days around 500,000 people visit Amritsar's Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine in the world. But on an average weekday the temple attracts 100,000 visitors. That's more than the Taj Mahal gets, and the route from the railway and bus stations to the temple is always packed.

This is where, by 2014, a network of "ultra pods" will be in place -- rubber-tired, electric battery-powered vehicles capable of carrying four passengers and luggage.

The 3.3-kilometer elevated podcar guideway will cut 30 minutes off current journey times at prices similar to existing auro-rickshaws and taxis, according to Ultra Fairwood, the British company which designs, constructs and operates pod PRT solutions.

These pods are driver-less, computer-driven, zero-emission vehicles that use one third the energy of a car and are nearly silent.

Gallery: India's coolest Ambassador cars

Tarini Awatramani — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

by Tarini Awatramani, Divya Dugar

Getting into an Ambassador is like getting into a time machine. Since it was first manufactured by Kolkata-based Hindustan Motors (HM) in the late 1950s in India, as a copy of the Oxford Morris, this automobile has seen few modifications and stylistic changes.

Affectionately called the "Amby" these cars are jokingly referred to as elephants for their slowness and size, and remain the wheels of choice for the Indian army officers and and government ministers.

(Resist joke allegorizing the efficiency of the government and its favorite mobile.)

Minister Karan Singh Tanwar claims that the all-white government Ambassador still commands respect.

"I still have a white Ambassador and I love it," he declares. "It is pure India and total VIP."