Banyan Tree Resort, French food in Manila, Cathay Pacific's low priced flights and Hunan Gangnam Style

Backwater Banyan

I've been to beautiful Kerala, a region in India’s southwest known for its harmonious religious diversity as well as its idyllic backwaters. It’s also the place that Banyan Tree picked for its first Indian resort, set to open in early 2013. Located on a private island, this retreat houses 59 villas, each with its own pool and views of the area's signature palm-lined canals. Banyan Trees are known for their spas, and this one is no exception—but in addition to the usual indulgences, the property in Kerala will also house a dedicated Ayurvedic center to provide treatments based on individual guests’ needs.
Visit www.banyantree.com/en/kerala.

French Food Meets Hawker Fare

Manila’s Sofitel Philippine Plaza reopened last year after an overhaul, and the next revamp belongs to the seaside resort-hotel’s Spiral restaurant. No doubt that this US$11 million makeover has upped the ante. Vaunted chef Eric Costille was brought in to create a signature menu that combines flavors from French markets with that of Asian hawker stalls, plus introduce a healthy dose of fine-dining flair. The restaurant also houses a stunning, circular Parisian-style lounge called The Veranda, which has alfresco seating and views of Manila Bay.
Find out more about Spiral at www.sofitelmanila.com.

Cathay on the Cheap

Last week I made a major discovery that changed my life, and I’m not being hyperbolic. Every Tuesday morning at 8am, Cathay Pacific releases a roster of what they’re calling “fanfares,” which are limited batches of low-priced flights within specific date ranges to destinations from Hanoi and Osaka to Perth and Chicago. Here’s the rub: you’ve got to be quick on the trigger to get these insanely cheap deals, e.g. Shanghai from $790 roundtrip, pre-tax. Visit the site as close to 8am as you can, and be prepared to deviate slightly from your ideal departure and return dates in order to nab a seat to your locale of choice before they’re all sold out. I managed to secure a flight to Hangzhou over the Christmas holidays for just $1,500, which amounted to about $800 plus taxes and fees. That’s right, OVER CHRISTMAS. I’m still in shock.
Visit www.cathaypacific.com/fanfares. To preview the destinations on offer each week, sign up to receive the airline’s CXpecials e-newsletter.

Gangnam-Style Marketing

Imagine you’re the deputy director of the tourism bureau in Zhangjiajie, a small (ish, remember that this is China) city in Hunan province that is home to several lovely national parks in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area. How would you try to raise awareness about your verdant mountains, impressive rock formations and intriguing ethnic minority population? Make a Gangnam Style parody, of course. Now, I’ve seen more than my share of these viral videos, but this one is especially awesome. I won’t give it away, but the very faithful rendition includes waterfalls, indigenous costume, dance parties on a Chinese tour bus and a cameo by some blue-facepainted Na’vi (people say the park’s cliffs are akin to those in “Avatar”). Kudos to you, Zhangjiajie, and your clever publicity stunt. I really hope it works.

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