Where to? With what? By Aaron Chong, TODAY | Posted: 16 October 2008 1047 hrs
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NEXT YEAR’S HOTSPOTS Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2009
One book, so many possibilities. For holiday ideas, flip through Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2009, out in bookstores this month.
Compiled by Lonely Planet authors, staff and travellers, the book is a heady smorgasboard of travel ideas and trends, presented in a colourful bite-sized style and sprinkled generously with humour.
The book essentially lists the top destinations in the coming year, places to go by theme — best spots to cycle, steal a kiss or discover lost relics, for example — and profiles every country in the world.
At its heart is the special feature, which is “water” this year. It’s a timely look at the natural resource given the impact of climate change on the earth.
According to the Lonely Planet, top countries for next year include Sierra Leone, Oman and Canada. For the cities, Beirut and Shanghai are two among 10 that have gained the attention of the list makers.
Packed full of pictures and presented in snippet form, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2009 is a fun and easy read. The 240-page book is available at major bookstores for $39, excluding GST.
PACK MORE FOR LESS Carlton’s Mirage
Carlton is giving travellers the means to stuff it and fly.
Mirage — the luggage maker’s new range of trolley cases and cabin bags — is distinctly light, allowing travellers to pack more into their suitcases without being penalised for overweight baggage at the airport.
The 50cm cabin bag, which has a 35-litre capacity, weighs 2.8kg, making it one of the lighter bags on the market. The 80cm suitcase has a 124-litre capacity and weighs 4.8kg.
Even more efficient is the expandable version: The 50cm bag weighs just 3kg but has a 43-litre capacity. The 80cm expandable weighs even less than the non-expandable, at 4.5kg for a 146-litre size.
The Mirage featherweight range includes trolley cases, holdalls, wash bags and beauty cases, and comes in black, blue, red and orange.
It’s available at Robinsons Centrepoint, Robinsons Raffles City, as wellas at the AATravel Store at HarbourFront Centre. Prices range from$89 to $219.
TRIP OF THE TONGUE iPhrase for iPods
Stuck for words at the most inopportune times when you’re travelling? Language learning publisher Berlitz has made communication in a foreign language a whole lot easier — not to mention lighter on the scale.
The iPhrase, the digital form of Berlitz’s popular phrasebooks, can be loaded onto the iPod. This means that travellers have more than 8,000 words and phrases at their fingertips without having to crack open a book. There is a phonetic guide as well as audio support to help travellers pronounce more than 300 foreign expressions.
The content is divided into travel-friendly sections such as Survival, Fun and Food, where users can learn how to order food, find the train station or an ATM. Also included are a bilingual dictionary and useful photos. Installation is done through the computer — the application works on both Macs and PCs.
The downside is that, unlike a conventional phrasebook, the iPhrase is dependent on the battery life of the equipment. So, charge up before you head out.
The iPhrase is available in Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish for $19.90 at major bookstores. - TODAY/ra
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