The President of the Maldives has made a bold, green statement – the islands will become carbon neutral within ten years.
Mohamed Nasheed said this would be achieved by switching completely to renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.
He said the Maldives understood better than most what would happen if the world failed to tackle climate change; his tiny country – made up of some 1,200 tropical coral islands - is one of the lowest-lying on earth and extremely vulnerable to rises in sea level.
He said that going green would cost a lot of money, but refusing to act now would ‘cost the earth.’
“We don’t want to sit around and blame others, but want to do whatever we can; hopefully our carbon neutral plan will serve as a blueprint for other nations to follow,” said the President.
by Andy Moreton
For those who want to taste a little bit of paradise, Luxique offers ten luxury hotels in the Maldives.
Venice is a city like no other and its people have always been anxious not to let anything spoil its uniqueness.
It was inevitable, then, that a row would break out over the decision by the Mayor to enter into a sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola worth 2.1 million euros (£1.8 million / $2.7 million).
Sixty vending machines will sell Coke (and snacks too) all over the city, including at the main waterbus stations and reportedly even in St Mark’s Square, where a city law already forbids picnicking by tourists.
The Mayor of Venice, Massimo Cacciari, said the funds raised would be used to safeguard the city’s artistic heritage. He said commercial sponsorship was the only financial strategy for safeguarding the monuments of Venice in these difficult economic times.
The cash-strapped Italian government, led by Silvio Berlusconi, has slashed its budget for culture and the arts by half this year and is investing millions of euros in an ambitious engineering scheme of flood barriers to prevent Venice being swamped by high tides in winter.
Not surprisingly, bar owners and food vendors are irate at the Coca Cola deal because of what they see as unfair competition. “Custom is bad enough as it is,” said one.
Other residents feel the city is ‘selling its cultural soul’ and accuse the Mayor of double standards. They point out that only recently, the authorities announced a clampdown on eating in the street, litter and tacky souvenir stalls (See ‘Venice Battles The Boors’ and ‘Tracing The Traders In Tat’).
by Andy Moreton
Luxique offers an unrivalled selection of luxury hotels in Venice.
Naked alpine ramblers have been warned to keep their clothes on from this spring – at least in one area of Switzerland - or face fines.
Apparently, hiking through the heather with nothing more than a rucksack and a pair of strong boots is a growing pastime, especially among Germans.
The walkers have been at liberty to wander free of clothes and of prosecution because there’s been no law to prevent them. But the Swiss canton (state) of Appenzell Innerrhoden has now said it will slap fines of 200 Francs (£122 / $175) on any holidaymaker who’s caught rambling au naturel.
“We have been receiving many complaints,” said Markus Dörig, a spokesman for the canton. “The local people are upset and we in the government share their concern. How would one feel if one was to go walking and suddenly came across a group of naked people?”
Not surprisingly, there’s been disappointment among naked hiker websites in Germany. One said it was a harmless pursuit aimed simply at getting back to nature. “Abandoning unpractical clothes enables a direct contact with the wind, sun and temperature,” it said.
The area of Appenzell Innerrhoden is well known for its natural beauty but not its liberalism: the canton gave women the right to vote only in 1990 under pressure from the Federal High Court and international human rights groups.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique offers more than just the bare facts about an unrivalled selection of luxury hotels in SwitzerlandAscona to Zurich. from
The centrepiece of this year’s Venice Carnival will be a formal Renaissance garden in St Mark’s Square. Nearly 4,000 plants will be laid out amid hedges and walks.
Carnevale Di Venezia 2009 takes place from February 14-24 and includes processions, concerts, theatrical performances, art shows and food displays. The end of the Carnival marks the beginning of Lent.
Masks and elaborate costumes are always central features. “The secret of wearing a mask is to invent a personality for yourself and interact with the people around you,” said master maskmaker Guerrino Lovato, whose papier-mâché creations were worn by Nicole Kidman in Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut.
The organisers expect between 800,000 and a million visitors this year. The city’s Mayor, Massimo Cacciari, underlined the economic importance of the event, given the financial downturn. “We’ve got a hard year ahead of us and the authorities have to work together to do everything to help out what is the most important industry of our region – tourism.”
Financial backing includes 1.5 million euros (£1.3 million / $1.9 million) from the city’s marketing agency and another 4 million euros (£3.5 million / $5.1 million) from commercial partnerships.
by Andy Moreton
If you’re thinking of taking part in the mystery and passion of Carnival, Luxique can offer a top-notch selection of luxury Venice hotels, including the renowned Cipriani, Gritti Palace and Danieli.
The world’s biggest wholesale fish market is reversing a month-long ban on tourists at its pre-dawn auctions.
The manic daily tuna sales at Tsukiji market in central Tokyo often draw hundreds of visitors, many from abroad. But loutish tourists were accused of flouting hygiene rules and causing disruption with flash photography. Some had apparently been caught hugging, licking and even riding the huge frozen tuna that are Tsukiji’s most famous commodity.
While the ban on visiting has been lifted, guards will hand out strict guidelines governing behaviour. An official said: “We recognise that the auctions are part of the Tokyo scenery and a popular tourist attraction.”
Tsukiji handles more than 400 different types of seafood from tiny sardines to 300kg (660lb) tuna, from cheap seaweed to the most expensive caviar. It’s the source of fresh sushi and sashimi to top restaurants around the world.
by Andy Moreton
Take a look at our unrivalled selection of luxury hotels in Tokyo together with a helpful Tokyo city guide.
After a gap of nearly 2,000 years, gladiators are set to do battle at the Colosseum in Rome.
The head of archaeology at Rome City Council, Umberto Broccoli, said it was time that the five million people who visited the Colosseum every year experienced the sights, sounds and smells of ancient Rome.
The mock combats will be part of a series of events being held this year to mark the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of the Emperor Vespasian, who began the construction of the ancient arena.
It has yet to be decided whether they will be staged on a floor placed within the arena or outside it. Mr Broccoli insisted that the fights would be visually authentic, with gladiators using the same weapons. He wasn’t seeking a ‘Disneyland attraction,’ rather an educational experience to bring the spirit of antiquity alive.
Sergio Iacomoni, who runs one of a number of gladiator schools in Rome, said: “We have 200 students and are more than willing to take part in this. This is a real passion for us.”
City officials said mock gladiator fights were a more appropriate form of entertainment at the Colosseum than pop concerts, which risked damaging the monument through vibration. In the past, Paul McCartney, Simon and Garfunkel and Elton John have performed on a stage next to the arena.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique has a range of luxury Rome hotels available for booking, including the Capo d’Africa, a leading boutique hotel close to the Colosseum.
I’ve written recently about Venice’s efforts to improve its image and now I hear Amsterdam is following suit. (See “Tracing The Traders In Tat” and “Venice Battles The Boors“)
The authorities in the Dutch capital have unveiled plans to clean up the city’s old town and red light district by halving the number of coffee shops - where marijuana is bought and smoked legally - and brothels.
They’re concerned that, although it’s a popular tourist destination, the red light area is also a magnet for organised crime. A council spokesman said: “We can still have sex and drugs, but in a way that shows the city is in control.”
In addition to its blitz on sleaze, the city will spend £30 million ($44 million) to try to attract hotels, restaurants, art galleries and boutiques to the heart of old Amsterdam.
Opposition to the scheme is led, not surprisingly, by coffee shop owners and the prostitutes’ union. They believe that, far from reducing crime, it will encourage drug dealers and prostitutes to go underground in areas where they were banned.
The prostitutes’ spokeswoman blamed the European Union for pressurising Holland into tightening its laws. “Once we were a free country,” she said. “Now they tell us what to do.”
City officials are bending over backwards to help, so to speak – they’ve promised retraining for prostitutes and coffee shop employees who lose their jobs.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique has a fine selection of luxury hotels in Amsterdam and a helpful Amsterdam city guide.
The Vatican is doing its best to go green.
Christmas at St. Peter
The largest Christmas tree ever to be placed in St Peter’s Square was lit up last Saturday and the Vatican says all the wood will be recycled to make toys for needy children and benches for schools.
The 33-metre (109-foot) red spruce, which is about 120 years old, came from the forests of southern Austria. Hundreds of pilgrims from Austria sang carols in the pouring rain as the tree was officially unveiled.
It’s decorated with 2,000 gold and silver balls, white lights and a shining star. It stands next to a larger-than-life-sized Nativity scene, which will be unveiled on Christmas Eve.
The recycling of the wood after Christmas is the Vatican’s latest effort to be environmentally conscious. Last month, it activated a large system of solar panels on the roof of its audience hall.
by Andy Moreton
If you’re planning a trip to Rome and Vatican City, Luxique has a selection of the finest luxury hotels in Rome.
It’s been a rite of passage for countless student backpackers making their way around the world.
And this month, the bungee jump has been celebrating its 20th birthday in the country where it all started – New Zealand.
AJ Hackett and Henry Van Asch opened the first commercial jumping station in 1988. Twenty-eight thrill-seekers queued to pay for the chance to take a terrifying leap off the 140ft Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown with just a rubber cord tied round their ankles.
They turned out to be the first of several million people with a sense of adventure (and a head for heights) who would perform the modern version of an ancient manhood ritual from Vanuatu.
Bungee-jumping is now a global leisure phenomenon which, it’s estimated, has brought in NZ$ 1 billion (£386 million / $564 million) for the country’s economy. Tourism is New Zealand’s biggest foreign exchange earner and bungee jumping typifies the adventurous spirit that is one of its greatest attractions.
Couples have even been known to get married on the high platform before jumping off to celebrate.
Hackett, 50, and Van Asch, 45, celebrated their 20-year success story with a tandem jump from the same bridge where it all started. Hackett thought they’d still enjoy the thrill in another 20 years’ time – although he said they’d probably need to jump with Zimmer frames.
by Andy Moreton
Fast becoming one of the ‘must see’ destinations in the world and Luxique offers a choice of eight luxury hotels in New Zealand, including Millbrook Resort and The Spire in Queenstown.
Final preparations are being made for one of the events in the social calendar of the world’s rich and powerful.
The Debutante Ball in Paris is a ‘coming-out’ party for 24 women aged between 16 and 19, whose families are all members of the international elite. The ‘New Debs’ all wear gowns from leading international fashion houses - from Vivienne Westwood to Christian Lacroix.
The guest list is dominated by the international aristocracy, but also includes celebrities from the world of art and sport - an attempt, perhaps, to bring the ball into the 21st century. Proceeds go to Aids and cancer charities.
Admission is strictly by invitation, but for those unlucky enough to be left off the guest list, there’s bound to be extensive coverage in upmarket magazines such as Tatler and Harper’s Bazaar.
The venue for this exclusive bash is the Crillon, one of the finest of the luxury Paris hotels – a traditional haunt for film stars, kings and Presidents.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique can offer the best rates for a stay in the opulent five-star surroundings of the Hotel de Crillon.
