My latest article is about contemporary art in Beijing, for the June issue of Qryx, the in-flight magazine for Qatar Airways (the world's 5-star airline).
The staff at The Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai Pudong, which by the way is my favorite of all the Ritz-Carlton hotels I have reviewed so far around the world, really know how to make an engagement special. All I said was that I will be arriving with my Laopo (老婆, wife/fiancée), and they had the whole suite decorated as I have never seen before. A big thank you to the team there. The whole room was heavily decorated with a sea of fresh roses. In September 2015, the company introduced a fresh new brand-voice to keep up with the times. It was a refreshing feeling to experience this new brand tone and voice in the Shanghai property- everything just seemed to be rejuvenated- except that the first-class luxurious trademark service was still the same. The views, the glamour, the food, the smell, the experience- this flagship property in Shanghai has it all. I feel like coming back here again and again. The hotel has also introduced a couple of special packages, including guests to embrace its rich heritage with a new immersive experience, “This is Shanghai.” It basically balances modern luxury with the glamorous, art deco design inspired by the roaring 1930’s, and the hotel is the perfect place for guests to learn about Shanghai’s legendary history and gain insight into its bright future. Included in the three-day packaged tour, is a half-day architectural tour by local historian Dr. Spencer Dodington. The packaged tour allows travelers the opportunity to deepen their understanding of life in the world’s largest city and celebrates the best of Shanghai’s seductive and storied past, present, and future. It also includes Tai Chi classes by grand masters and a visit to a famed tailor. Offering guests a luxurious way to explore the city’s rich past and vibrant present, the “This is Shanghai” package starts at approximately 5,880 USD per package based on double occupancy. (This price is subject to 15% service charge). This time around, I had the pleasure of being accompanied on this press trip with my fiancée, and so it was good to get her viewpoint and prospective on things as well. The Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai Pudong is a whole lot more opulent than most of its neighbours. Despite the rapid growth of the area around the property, it remains a firm favorite with the good and the great- everyone from foreign dignitaries and stars prefer to stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai Pudong. Despite another Ritz-Carlton property to be introduced to Shanghai, this flagship property will always remain a firm favorite with both of us. The Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai PudongBeing a chocolate fan, Vicky, my fiancée, opted to try the chocolate spa treatment at The Ritz-Carlton Spa. Who can resist the allure of chocolate? According to the staff at the Spa, the scent of chocolate stimulates “happy feeling” endorphins, which create feelings of well-being and can actually reduce stress. Vicky certainly agreed to that! After having a cup of rich hot chocolate drink, Vicky enjoyed immersing her senses with the aroma of a full-body chocolate scrub, a personalized chocolate massage and a soothing chocolate wrap with a chocolate facial. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The spa features a private shower room and is equipped with luxurious amenities. RMB1,800 (approx. £180/US$230) per person for 120 minutes This treatment includes a chocolate scrub, chocolate body massage, body wrap with a chocolate facial, and home-made chocolate as a dessert after treatment. Jin Xuan Dining ExperienceI last dined here in 2012. It was a great pleasure to be back at Jin Xuan again, and this time it was a different and special experience all together as both Vicky and I indulged in scrumptious Cantonese Dim Sum in the company of spectacular views and the sound of the beautiful Zheng being played in the background. Chef Daniel Wong's whimsical culinary creations are to die for. It is not just food but sheer art, and one cannot argue with the fact that he is a most certainly a culinary artists wearing a neat chef's hat. There must be something special about the cookery of a chef who's food makes grown men giggle with glee. Indeed, food has always been a form of art, and both need an immense amount of creativity- the only difference being that Chef Wong has to do it many times over, with speed and accuracy. That in itself is just amazing. The end result? Priceless tasting food. In response to the success of Smile Asia Week in 2015, The Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts, Asia-Pacific have announced Smile Asia Week from May 2–8, 2016 to sell specially created limited edition cakes across Asia.
The campaign is to raise funds and awareness for the children suffering from cleft and other facial deformities. The charity partner is Smile Asia, a global alliance of medical charities that heals children’s smiles through its dedicated medical volunteers. Around 10,000 staff of The Ritz-Carlton company from 22 hotels will bake 15,000 specially crafted limited edition Valrhona Chocolate Banana cakes that will result in 500 life-changing surgeries to the poor and needy children across Asia. Hotel suites have always been a decadent indulgence, whether you want lavish style or barefoot luxury, these treats offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences. The Presidential Suite at the Intercontinental Shenzhen, being the largest Presidential Suite in the city, offers no less. As China's first Spanish-themed luxury hotel celebrates its tenth anniversary in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, the accommodation has something special to boast about. Situated close to the city's version of Asia's Silicon Valley and surrounded by lavish man-made spacious boulevards that adorn lush greenery, the hotel sets an iconic tone. A number of things make it stand out from the growing number of five-star properties that have been adding to Shenzhen's high-rise skyline. Firstly, the hotel has a large lifelike replica of a Spanish Galleon ship, of which the mast extends over the main road. The ship houses the flagship eatery, Galleon. Then there are the views from each of the 540 luxurious guestroom and suites, each generously spaced at 50 square meters, with all the modern amenities one can wish for, including Agraria and Salvatore Ferragamo. Think jungle chic, the hotel houses a lavish man-made beach resort hideaway- a heaven for the senses slap bang in the middle of a modern city. Paul Hugentobler Regional General Manager InterContinental Shenzhen, told me that in his seven years at the hotel he has seen remarkable change, especially on how the hotel, as well as the IHG group in general, has embraced digital (all guests can order daily newspapers through apps hence saving trees), and caters to provide a luxury experience while maintaining the local environment. You can effectively feel like a king (or queen) here, with each room stunningly decorated with the emphasis made on Spanish art. F&BWith eight dining venues, each of which can be classed as a separate entity compared to the hotel itself, you'll be spoilt for choice. If you want me to describe the taste of the food at any of the eight fabulous venues, then it has to be the word fresh. Whether it is Brazilian, French, Chinese or the general cuisine at the Mercado Restaurant and Bar, the chefs are very good at bringing out the freshness of the ingredients. Some people say that Shenzhen is a cultural desert, but I wouldn't say so these days. The eateries at the Intercontinental Shenzhen bring along old cultures, old design and explosive tastes in the mouth- highly appreciated by all that come here. What also fascinates me the absolute decor of the restaurants - the decor of a restaurant can yell you a story of its own.
Shenzhen, being so close to Hong Kong and Guangzhou, has a culture nowadays that embraces change (and it has done so for many years). The locals have sophisticated palates with a taste for expensive ingredients like sea urchin or fresh sea water oysters. There is a certainly a prestige to them. Tastes do change here quicker than most other parts of the world but there are certain dishes that people always come back for. There is plenty of space here, too. Everything is just on a glandular scale. Indeed, the iconic London 'Hackney' black cab is now built in China. It is not uncommon to come across the London style black cabs in some Chinese cities, including in Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai (pictured). My wife and I were on our way to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh Located in the heart of Shanghai's French Concession on the fine Hengshan Road (known during the early concession period as the “Champs Elysees of Shanghai”), the Gallery Suites is boutique hotel housed in a 1933 heritage building. Once the home to a Russian princess (Olga Gregorievna Ogneff), the sophisticated accommodation was opened to the public in 2009 and offers 39 spectacular and generously spacious suites, which are all over 50sqm.
The oversized bathroom has a deep bath tub and two-person shower-oh and, in case you need them, there are authentic period oil paintings on the walls. After The Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai Pudong, the Gallery Suites is my favourite hotel in this beautiful city. You can buy the art and other room amenities, including the bone china cutlery and rich dove feather duvets. A perfect start to any day is made with freshly cooked Dou jiang (豆漿) and Youtiao (油条). Thanks to my laopo (老婆, wife) for taking me to this amazing place in Taizhou.
It took some time, but I suppose it has to be done once in a lifetime. Getting married into a Chinese household...the first most important thing is to go and visit the girl's parents and get their permission. So this was the main reason I came to Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province. Getting engaged in Chinese culture is quite an experience. Effectively I met the whole of my fiancee's family members and got permission (and questions asked) from each and every one of the senior members of the household. Not as nervous as I thought I would be. After all, it is a very serious lifetime decision. I had the honor of staying at my future in-laws home for a week, and had it timed perfectly because it was also Vicky's (my fiancee/wife/Laopo (老婆)) birthday on the 6th of April (me being a Capricorn and she an Aries - we are somehow a perfect match!). There is plenty of eating and drinking (baizhou/strong homemade wine anyone?!) with the whole family for the full five days. So, yes, finally joined the wedlock club and can finally tell the world. A new life ahead! I had the pleasure to visit Yangzhou with my fiancée, who is from nearby Taizhou in Jiangsu Province. The city has remained a leading economic and cultural center and major port of foreign trade and external exchange since the Tang dynasty (618–907), and home to the famed Yangzhou Fried Rice (揚州炒飯). Far Away in the Land of the East Lies a City Rising From the Sea...What a Welcome from Nanjing!4/1/2016
Nine hours into the flight flying en-route from London Heathrow to Hong Kong, we came across some spectacular sights over Mongolia. Outside air temperature is -65 Celsius degrees. Not sure of the exact place, but it is around 150 miles west of the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh The beautiful Paracel Islands belong to China and are located just off the coast of Vietnam. I took these photos while on the way to Kuala Lumpur from Hong Kong (Malaysia Airlines).
The Chinese city of Shenzhen can be seen in the background as we take off from Hong Kong Airport (heading to Kuala Lumpur). It is always a sad feeling when I leave China or Hong Kong...Shenzhen and Guangzhou have a special place in my heart. I have so many memories in these cities. With this flight, while the take-off was fine, I was praying that my ears didn't blocked again!: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh Having spent five days at high-altitude (at 3,500 meters above sea level), I caught a slight cold and a runny nose. Usually the advice from doctors is that you shouldn't fly when you have a cold because your ears are more susceptible to be blocked. On a short-haul flight from Jiuzhaigou to Shenzhen (via Chongqing), my eardrums took some battering during decent and they just became totally blocked. I couldn't hear anything.
For the first leg of the flight, I felt pretty good at altitude, however when it was time to descend into Chongqing, I experienced the worst ear pain ever. I couldn't hear anything. My head felt as if it’s in a vase, and descending increased the pressure more. Why did this happen? The key way to learn this is to know that a human head has holes in it. These holes include the eight major sinuses, which are paired in either cheek, the forehead, between the eyes, and a deeper pair far behind the eyes. Each cavity holds anywhere from a milliliter to four or five tablespoons of air. Inside our heads, each of our sinus cavities "communicates" with - has an opening to - the nose. This opening, however, is quite small and may be only one millimeter across. Under normal circumstances, this opening is large enough to let air travel freely between its sinus and the lining of the nose. As we gain altitude, the air pressure around us drops so, the pressure inside our sinuses is higher than the outside. The sinuses don't expand like a balloon does because air flows through the communicating channel to the nose, thus equalizing the pressure. The reverse happens on descent. However, the big problem here is that if we have a cold or other upper respiratory infection, the mucous membranes that line the inside of all our airways, swell and become inflamed. When this happens, the tiny communicating channels can easily become blocked. Then, pressure in the sinuses may be great enough to force air out through a narrowed channel, taking bubbling bits of mucous with it. That causes the squeaking sound we hear as the pressure equalizes. This swelling and inflammation acts like a flapper valve. It lets air out, but it doesn't let air back in. The pain was excruciating- it felt like the end of the world. To open the Eustachian tubes under normal circumstances, use the Valsalva maneuver. I did what you should do- that is to pinch my nose shut, close my mouth, and tried to exhale gently through my nose. It should have forced the pressure into both ears and I should have felt my eardrums pop. It sadly didn’t work. The pressure differential - increasing ambient pressure causing low pressure in the sinuses - can be so great that the sinus lining literally can be ripped right off the bone. For the eardrum to vibrate properly, air pressure on both sides has to be equal. The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the back of our throat. As we gain altitude, air can spontaneously bubble out of the middle ear. The small muscle in the back of the throat acts like a flutter valve. During descent, the muscle must hold our Eustachian tubes open, which allows air to pass through them and equalize the pressure in our middle ears. If we can't do this, the outside pressure can push the eardrum inward enough that it might rupture. And, that’s exactly what happened to me. A ruptured eardrum will usually heal on its own in two to three weeks. But I didn’t have the luxury of waiting two or three weeks at the ground. My next flight was to Kuala Lumpur in two days and then after three days in Kuala Lumpur I was expected to fly to Kathmandu (again at high-altitude), and then after a week in Kathmandu, I had a 12-hour flight to London! I decided to go and see the doctor in the Accident & Emergency department of the local expat hospital in Shenzhen, and have my ears checked out. The doctor used sound therapy to clear the ears- took less than 10 seconds and cost about US $20. Basically he pushed a tiny pipe into the eardrum and with a couple of ‘bleep’ sounds, the air was cleared. With antibiotics in hand for the next six days, the only piece of advice was: “Navjot, don’t fly for at least two weeks”. I had no choice it seems. Just hoped that it would not happen again! Jiuzhaiguo Airport...at 3,500M above sea level, it is the 3rd highest in China and with straight cliffs at each side of the runway ends. No night-time landings/take-offs. The airport is built on three mountains...and is relatively new (2008 if I'm correct). It's amazing how China sliced off the top of three mountains to make an airport...would never happen in the West (well..it would take years /decades to get planning permission!). Closed to outsiders until a generation ago, Jiuzhaigou has come a long way since the 1990s. It is a spectacular national park located in the village of Jiuzhaigou, comprising of natural sulphuric lakes at around 9,500 feet above sea level in rural Jiuzhaiguo valley. The view is truly spectacular and upon first sight you just want to dive in and swim but obviously you can't because the water is so toxic. The sapphire- and emerald-tinted waters of the park are the result of dissolved limestone, and high concentrations of calcium carbonate are responsible for the lakes’ crystal clarity. This is one of the loveliest places on earth. The lushness of the mountain, the willows hanging down over the lakes, the gently moving water lilies, the faint white mist hanging over the limpid surface. Steeped in history, the modern world brings tourists in their millions, from Beijing, Shenzhen, from Japan, and from Germany, Britain, and Korea, to a place which the emperors once reserved for themselves. As a travel snob, I am glad I can travel throughout China, yet I can't help remembering when it was next to impossible to get to a place like Jiuzhaigou. Despite the tourists, despite the sudden modernization of almost everything in China, despite the rapid destruction of its alleyways and wooden houses, China's history is a continuum. The distant past seems very close at Jiuzhaigou — worth every penny. I first heard about the place when, one summer's afternoon in Shenzhen, during a conversation with another journalist. "You have been in China for 12 years and you have never been to Jiuzhaigou?!" "Go now...quick; it won't stay undiscovered for long." He was absolutely right. It is best to go early in the morning and avoid the national holidays to Then there are also the fairy lakes, which are located quite high up...takes three hours to drive...not many foreign tourists come here, not only because it is difficult to get to, but also because if you cannot converse in Chinese then it is very difficult to get around, and the place isn't really sold to foreigners as a tourist destination. It is therefore, hidden gem. Jiuzhaigou, formed in large part by glacial avalanching, covers an area of 720sqkm and is made up of three valleys arranged in a “Y” shape. Each valley is composed of lakes and waterfalls with names like Tiger Lake, Double Dragon Lake, Arrow Bamboo Falls and Pearl Shoals Falls. My first impressions were that it is one of the cleanest parts of China. It is well-kept by the locals, with roads and lakes all in pristine condition. On the drive down, my ears popped due to the pressure changes...nevertheless, it is an amazing place to visit. SEE MORE PHOTOS Some Tips
The Upper Seasons Lake serves as a watering hole for the yaks tended by the Tibetan villagers who live inside the Jiuzhaigou borders. Among the park’s other wildlife species are golden snub-nosed monkeys, hog badgers, musk deer, lynx, civets, the littler red species of panda and rhesus macaques: Photo Copyright Navjot Singh Probably not. The Swastika has been used since the dawn of time and is still used in many religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and by Vietnam's Cao-Dais. Contratry to popular belief, religion is actually allowed to be practised in China- just don't go around preching about it! Tibetans are mostly Buddhists, and Jiuzhiagou has a large popualtion of Tibetans (as well as the whole of Sichuan province): Photo Copyright Navjot Singh
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Get in Touch:LIFE MATTERSHere I share my thoughts
and experiences during my travels, and how some things have affected my life as an expat and world traveller. Travelling is about capturing that moment in life. Every word, view and opinion on this page is that of Navjot Singh - except where indicated. The most recent is at the top. Scroll down to read the archive. Or search using CTRL+F (COMMAND + F) and enter a keyword to search the page. Just some of the stories you never heard before. The NAVJOT-SINGH.COM web blog is separate to this web site....Click blog, which may not be visible in some countries due to local firewall restrictions, so in those cases this weblog may be read. The weblog also includes some of my press trip reports- most of which are not published on the official blog because of copyright issues. The weblog also contains articles that may be associated directly with a PR trip for a country, airline or a hotel. These are PR reviews done in relations with various companies. If you are an investor or a trend watcher then you may find this website useful as investing has a lot to do with personal observations and finding the ideal trend or next big thing. The average human on the street frequently knows far more about the state of the economy than politicians, university professors, subject matter experts, and financial analysts who seldom travel, or if they do so, only from one hotel to another hotel! The pulse and vibrancy of an economy is nowhere more visible than on a country's streets. All photos and words are © Navjot Singh unless stated. Photos taken by others or by agencies are appropriately copyrighted under the respective name. No photo or word/s may be taken without the prior written permission by the author (i.e. Navjot Singh). All Rights Reserved. Archives
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