Carnival in Rio de Janeiro! (in 2006, festivities are from February 25-28)

In February of last year, My friend and I visited Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for 8 days in time for the Carnival Festival! My bestfriend Marcia let us use her flat in Copacabana for the whole of our duration just before she rented it out.

During our stay in Rio, we sampled as many exotic Brazilian fruits we could lay our hands on, had a juice of many a young coconut and it's nice white meat after our routine walk from Copacabana to Ipanema and back and occasionally, would indulge ourselves with a serving of caipirinha or two.

As part of our daily activity, we would also play a few games of fresco ball on the beach day time or night time.

Dinner time, we would normally indulge ourselves with the Brazilian local cuisine at a local churrascaria; Marius in Leme our favourite haunt. There are two Marius restaurants in Leme: Marius Carnes (Meat) and Marius Crustaceos (Seafood). These two restaurants are located right next to each other and first timers often step into the wrong restaurant by mistake. The only difference is that the Marius Crustaceos only serve seafood. Marius Carnes (Meat) offered both meat and seafood buffet. Although it is was expensive for Rio's standards, the quality of the food was second to none. The service was great, too. The waiter kept on replacing the plates to make sure that we got a clean plate every time. The seafood was self-service buffet and the different types of meat were brought to the table in a Brazilian barbecue style. The total bill per person was about US$50.00 which included meat and seafood buffet, a bottle of wine, a bottle of sparkling water, dessert, and 12% tip. A man can only eat so many lobster and oyster in a day - and this is the place to come for them.

We visited Christ the Redeemer with its Open Arms located at the summit of Mt Corcovado just outside Rio de Janeiro, an orphanage not far from Sambodromo - supported by British Airways, a museum located on top of a hill overlooking the city and, a lagoon not far from Marcia's flat where we were staying.

We also spent walking the streets of Rio on a few occasions during day time to get a feel for the city, its character and its people - and its beautiful.

Just like any other major cities in the world, I would like to caution everyone that your personal safety is paramount. Therefore, when visiting Rio, please look after yourselves by being sensible in what you wear - expensive or flashy watches and jewelry should not be worn on the street at any time. When going to the beach to sunbath or for a swim, I would suggest that you don't take any personal effect especially, money, watches and mobile phones. It is only best to take cheap shoes and a towel.

Soon, once again, the carnival spirit will explode in Rio de Janeiro - where riotous and colourful themed scenes mounted on floats pulled or driven in a parade full of beautifully tanned, gorgeously costumed and often half-naked dancers shimmying to the spirited sounds of the samba. The streets of Rio will flood with its own population - young and old, rich and poor - and with visitors from all corners of the world to bop to the the infectious samba beat.

Carnival in Rio is the world's biggest and most outrageous party: four days of festivities culminating in a grand procession of floats through the vast parade ground of Sambodromo. More than 60,000 revellers gather in the stands to watch a similar number of performers parade past. Everyone taking part in the Carnival is a member of a samba school and each school's presentation is judged for skill and originality to determine which will win the coveted cash prizes and the glory of victory at this hugely competitive event. The atmosphere resembles that of a great sporting tournament but the true driving force of this wildly extravagant spectacle is the way it brings together rich and poor, young and old, in an outpouring of music, costume and dance.

Beyond Sambodromo, Rio at carnival time is one huge celebration. All offices are closed and the city's inhabitants pour out on the streets in jubilation.

If you plan to visit Rio for this celebration, you may still be able to book a flight and accommodation. You will also be able to buy tickets for the parade at Sambodromo on the day but caution must be taken when buying a ticket from a tout.

I hope you find this blog helpful and interesting!

Take care and God bless

Alan Aldana

Mole's-Eye-View of Beautiful Toronto

I visited Toronto briefly two weeks ago and met up with my friend, Elisa who then introduced me to her brother Helder and Husband David. We decided to meet up at the local Thai Restaurant we visited the last time I was in town but was disappointed that the premises were closed for renovation.

We soldiered on and decided to go to China Town instead but as we drove past a series of restaurants not far from where we originally stopped by, I spotted another Thai Restaurant and decided to check the place out and it turned out to be just as nice.

The time spent together with my friends was not long enough - really, I consider them to be my other family in Toronto.

I had to bring my dinner with my friends to a close to go back to their apartment to see their wonderful penthouse view overlooking the city in order to leave time to meet up with my relatives at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel where I was staying whilst in Toronto.

I have been to Toronto so many times before but mostly during the summer season. This time, as the weather was sub-zero, for the first time I went down under via the PATH Walkway which really impressed me. A 'City Underground' I could call it but really the tunnels were so wide and high that you would not even think you were underground.

PATH Walkway Major Attractions:

*Visitor Information Kiosks (southwest corner of Dundas and Yonge Street)
*Sky Dome
*CN Tower
*Metro Toronto Convention Centre
*Concert Halls: Roy Tomson Hall and Massey Hall
*Theatres:
Royal Alexandra Theatre, Princess of Wales Theatre, St Lawrence Centre, Hummingbird Centre,
Canon Theatre, Elgin/Wintergarden Theatres
*Hockey Hall of Fame
*Design Exchange
*City Hall
*Toronto Stock Exchange
*Downtown Yonge Stree
*Eaton Centre


PATH provides an important contribution to the economic viability of the city's downtown core. The system facilitates pedestrian linkages to public transit, accommodating more than 100,000 daily commuters, and thousands of additional tourists and residents on route to sports and cultural events. Its underground location provides pedestrians with a safe haven from the winter cold and snow, and the summer heat.

PATH facts:

According to Guinness World Records, PATH is the largest underground shopping complex with 27 km (16 miles) of shopping arcades. It has 371,600 sq. metres (4 million sq. ft) of retail space. In fact, the retail space connected to PATH rivals the West Edmonton Mall in size.

The approximate 1,200 shops and services, such as photocopy shops and shoe repairs, found in PATH, employ about 5,000 people. Once a year, businesses in PATH host the world's largest underground sidewalk sale.

More than 50 buildings/office towers are connected through PATH. Twenty parking garages, five subway stations, two major department stores, six major hotels, and a railway terminal are also accessible through PATH. It also provides links to some of Toronto's major tourist and entertainment attractions such as: the Hockey Hall of Fame, Roy Thomson Hall, Air Canada Centre, Rogers Centre, and the CN Tower. City Hall and Metro Hall are also connected through PATH.

There are more than 125 grade level access points and 60 decision points where a pedestrian has to decide between turning left or right, or continuing straight on. The average size of a connecting link is 20 metres (66 ft.) long by 6 metres (20 ft.) wide.

The building furthest north on the PATH network is the Toronto Coach Terminal at Dundas and Bay Streets. The building furthest south that can be accessed through PATH is the Toronto Convention Centre's Convention South Building. PATH does not follow the grid patterns of the streets above.

The first underground path in Toronto originated in 1900 when the T Eaton Co. joined its main store at 178 Yonge St. and its bargain annex by tunnels. By 1917 there were five tunnels in the downtown core. With the opening of Union Station in 1927, an underground tunnel was built to connect it to the Royal York Hotel (now known as the Fairmont Royal York). The real growth of PATH began in the 1970s when a tunnel was built to connect the Richmond-Adelaide and Sheraton Centres.

In 1987, City Council adopted the recommendation that the City become the co-ordinating agency of PATH and pay for the system-wide costs of designing a signage program.

In 1988, design firms Gottschalk, Ash International, and Keith Muller Ltd. were retained in by the City of Toronto to apply the design concept for PATH.

PATH's name and logo are registered to the City of Toronto. The City co-ordinates and facilitates the directional signage, maps and identity markers throughout the system.

Each segment of the walkway system is owned and controlled by the owner of the property through which it runs. There are about 35 corporations involved.

In the early 1990s, signage for PATH was developed to provide pedestrians with better ease of use and functionality. The signage enhances PATH's visibility and identity, ultimately increasing its use, attracting more people to downtown Toronto, and drawing more businesses there.

Each letter in PATH is a different colour, each representing a direction. The P is red and represents south. The orange A directs pedestrians to the west, while the blue T directs them to the north. The H is yellow and points to the east.

The PATH Walkway is a wheelchair accessible; where there is no access, alternate routes are clearly marked.

Signage includes a symbol for people with disabilities whenever there is a flight of stairs ahead.

For more info about Canada please click

Canada Facts

Take care and hope this gives you a moles-eye-view of Toronto underground.

Alan Aldana

Memoirs of a Geisha

Yesterday, was Orange Wednesday - two cinema ticket for the price of one!

We left hurriedly for Cineworld, Wandsworth 15 minutes before the start of our program - Brokeback Mountain. As we normally leave ourselves just a few minutes before each start of the film before driving 2 London miles to the cinema, and unexpectedly queued for 15 minutes for our tickets therefore missing our film - we opted for Memoirs of a Geisha which would have been seen by us on a different occasion.

It was a pleasant surprise! It gave us an insight to the life of a Geisha and what it truly means. The cinematography and acting was great and the pre-second World War II Japanese Village set was most authentic. In a scale of 1-5, I give it a 4!

According to Arthur Golden's absorbing first novel, the word "geisha" does not mean "prostitute," as Westerners ignorantly assume--it means "artisan" or "artist." To capture the geisha experience in the art of fiction, Golden trained as long and hard as any geisha who must master the arts of music, dance, clever conversation, crafty battle with rival beauties, and cunning seduction of wealthy patrons.

In simple, elegant screenplay, Golden puts us right in the tearoom with the geisha; we are there as she gracefully fights for her life in a social situation where careers are made or destroyed by a witticism, a too-revealing (or not revealing enough) glimpse of flesh under the kimono, or a vicious rumor spread by a rival "as cruel as a spider."

From Library Journal

"I wasn't born and raised to be a Kyoto geisha....I'm a fisherman's daughter from a little town called Yoroido on the Sea of Japan." How nine-year-old Chiyo, sold with her sister into slavery by their father after their mother's death, becomes Sayuri, the beautiful geisha accomplished in the art of entertaining men, is the focus of this fascinating first novel. Narrating her life story from her elegant suite in the Waldorf Astoria, Sayuri tells of her traumatic arrival at the Nitta okiya (a geisha house), where she endures harsh treatment from Granny and Mother, the greedy owners, and from Hatsumomo, the sadistically cruel head geisha. But Sayuri's chance meeting with the Chairman, who shows her kindness, makes her determined to become a geisha. Under the tutelage of the renowned Mameha, she becomes a leading geisha of the 1930s and 1940s. After the book's compelling first half, the second half is a bit flat and overlong. Still, Golden, with degrees in Japanese art and history, has brilliantly revealed the culture and traditions of an exotic world, closed to most Westerners. Highly recommended.
-?Wilda Williams, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

More About Geisha

Alan Aldana

My Flight to Hong Kong & back to London

Book Flights, Hotel, Car Rentals and Travel Insurance

I flew British Airways from London Heathrow to Hong Kong. The flight was just a little over 12 hours but after 8 hours in the air at an altitude of 37,000 ft, we had to descend slowly to 24,000 ft due to the Chinese Airforce Exercise Drills a drop which caused my ears and fellow travellers to pop. Due to the change in altitude we then experienced turbulence which was not nice. Eventually, when we levelled off to our normal altitude it was all well. Other than that little turbulence and ear popping experience, the whole flight, which normally takes 11 hours and 45 minutes on average, was very smooth.

Upon arrival in Hong Kong, we were allocated a gate straight away for a quick disembarkation. The Immigration formalities was brief but the traveller has to queue for roughly 15-20 minutes to be seen by an officer. The baggage retrieval is quick and trolley/carts are easily accessed from the carousel. The customs formalities are straightforward.

Hong Kong Airport is efficient and modern. It has a train service that takes you right in the heart of Hong Kong Island and bus service that connects you to your final destination. A taxi service is also available.

If like me, you are flying from London Heathrow, you can fly direct to Hong Kong with British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Qantas Airways and Virgin Atlantic. There are several airlines covering London to Hong Kong flights but these may not offer a direct flight, unlike the three airlines I have mentioned.

British Airways offers three flights per day; at 18:55, 20:25 and 22:05 hrs, seven days a week.

Cathay Pacific Airlines offers four flights a day on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday at 12:05; 18:05; 21:15 and 21:55hrs respectively and three flights a day on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturdays at 18:05; 21:15 and 21:55hrs respectively.

Qantas Airlines has a flight to Hong Kong from London Heathrow which departs at 12:25hrs daily.

Virgin Atlantic
has a flight to Hong Kong from London Heathrow which departs at 21:30 hrs daily.

The time difference is +8 hrs in Hong Kong or you can refer to the website worldtimeserver.com for time difference and weather if you travel from a country other than the UK. Due to the 8 hour time difference, you will feel very tired when you get to Hong Kong. Make sure you get some sleep inflight, drink lots of water and making sure you avoid alcohol other than when you are having your meal and cut back on caffeinated drinks to arrive in Hong Kong in tip top shape.

The flight coming back to London is slightly longer due to the headwinds by 30 minutes or slightly more; not forgetting that the airport is always congested at Heathrow therefore arriving aircraft generally have to wait for a stand to be available.

The immigration formalities in London if you are a non-European passport holder can take up to an hour on average.

I hope you find the information in this journal helpful and I thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

More About Hong Kong

Take care of yourself and God bless you all.

Alan Aldana

Hong Kong, here i am again...

One of the joys of Hong Kong is the ease with which you can get around this teeming city. Start the morning with a stroll around Victoria Park and see the ancient ritual of t’ai chi practiced. Then head over to Central and take a ride on the world’s longest escalator network through Mid-Levels. Hop off anywhere along the way at small market stalls selling fresh fish, fruit and vegetables. A leisurely walk along the antique-buyer’s heaven of Hollywood Road is a must as is a visit to Hong Kong Island’s oldest temple, Man Mo. Trundle back to Causeway Bay by tram and disembark at The Excelsior Hotel where the Concierge will take you on a tour of the nearby Noon Day Gun, a daily midday ritual from colonial days and immortalized in Noel Coward’s song Mad Dogs and Englishmen.

Tracey, Outi and myself took a mini bus to Stanley Market just after midday today after having been lost in the heart of Causeway bay, Big Time! Outie being her bubbly self, asking for directions from a taxi driver waiting for a fare at a taxi stand – (where the bus station was for Stanley Market). Locals overhearing the enquiry were too willing to help but at the same time entertained by and giggling at Outie’s action - asking a taxi driver for a bus fare!

We tried to follow the instructions but still got lost a second time. (You could easily get lost in Hong Kong by the way - I'm getting quite defensive here) I then approached a very willing second victim of Mother and daughter who happily walked us to the bus station which I find very touching. I apologised for the inconvenience the three of us had caused the Mother & Daughter, but they were just too happy to help. Isn’t it amazing that – the first person I ask for directions turns out to be so helpful and obliging out of the millions all around us?

The journey to Stanley on the mini-bus took no time, because the driver seem to be speeding but also because of the good company provided by Tracey and Outi. We zig-zagged there and back on a glorious day, making me feel a bit queasy after each journey. Just a bit of advice, make sure you have the exact fare as no change is given on the buses when you pay more than the fare which is a standard HK$9. (U$1 = HK$7.75 or HK$13 to 1 British Pound)

We had a leisurely walk around the market where Outti bought herself a pair of work shoes and slippers. Tracey bought a couple of beautiful prints for her folks. I ended up buying some fruits; cherries, mangosteen and (blueberries from Outti). We then had lunch at a Chinese-Thai Restaurant after having missed the opening time of a restaurant we were suppose to go to.

Seven days a week the open market around Stanley New Street and Stanley Market Road throbs with the passing parade of life as bargain-hunters from all over the world join in the fun of haggling with shopkeepers and stallholders after swooping on items of brand-name clothing and accessories, or simply irresistible souvenirs, ornaments and other Oriental knick-knacks.

It takes time and energy to push your way through thousands of fellow shoppers jamming the narrow footpaths, specially at weekends, but not to worry - at the other end of this shopping paradise is a variety of bars and restaurants ranging from greasy spoon to up-market Continental which I have visited previously.

Due to Outi's doctor appointment, our visit to Stanley market was brief, therefore missing the nearby Stanley Plaza with its elegantly rebuilt European-style Murray House and Village Square adjoining the seafront promenade and its specialty stores there. We therefore missed a visit to this nostalgic reminder of the Colonial-style architecture that dominated Central District in early Hong Kong. Murray House was carefully dismantled in 1982 to make way for the towering Bank of China glass tower that now occupies its former site.

If you like shopping then you must make a trip to Causeway Bay, which is a testament to the passion the locals have for it. Japanese influence can be seen in the department store SOGO and the next-door Island Beverly Arcade features scores of small boutiques. Times Square and Vogue Alley (next to The Excelsior Hotel) offer a more usual mall experience with most high-street brands available. For up-market shopping, go to the Lee Gardens. Those who don’t have time to visit the flea markets across the harbour in Kowloon can settle for a browse in Jardine’s Bazaar.

If Hong Kongers are not shopping, they’re eating. This is the home of Cantonese cuisine so you must try some of the many local dim sum specialities. Yee Tung Keen in the Excelsior Hotel is a great place to sample the most authentic spring rolls or prawn dumplings. A restaurant located on the mezzanine floor of the hotel, Cammino, offers Italian cuisine for those who prefer it.

If you venture outside the confines of the hotel, Central is a district where you’ll find many old-style tea houses. Yung Kee on Wellington Street is famous for its roast goose, while Luk Yu on Stanley Street is as celebrated for its hit-and-miss service as its dim sum. Further down towards Sheung Wan is Lin Heung Restaurant where waiters rest kettles of piping hot Chinese tea on their shoulders and top up your cup from astonishing distance. Another favourite of mine is the Ocean Empire Restaurant that specialises in Congees. It isn’t fancy but if congee tickles your palate then it’s worth a visit. It heaves with local clientele and is a favourite haunt of mine when I want a quick, healthy and tasty bowl of Congee! (I took along Tracey and Mark but congee was not for them!) This place is a haunt of mine especially for a midnight snack.

Talk of the Town Asian Grill and Bar is a place to enjoy your glass of Merlot, a G & T or a glass of Champagne! At the top of the Excelsior Hotel, ToTT, (voted one of the five most stylish hotels in Hong Kong by Conde Nast Traveller), is where I celebrated my Chinese New Year two years ago. The bar and restaurant affords 270-degree views of the city where you can unwind and enjoy the night lights from the comfort of your chair.

Downstairs, the elegant coffee bar EXpresso is a great place to grab an authentic Italian coffee, they serve Café Illy - my favourite.

Lan Kwai Fong in Central is a must as this nightlife district comes alive as revelers fill the street. Lux is a great spot to people-watch and underground nightclub C Club will keep you dancing til the wee hours but not for me this time as I have been quite poorly on this trip due to the stress of traveling and time change. I therefore ended up collecting and collating materials useful to yourselves when you visit Hong Kong in the future.

I hope my experience will encourage you to visit Hong Kong

More About Hong Kong

Take care and God bless

Alan Aldana

Luxurious Hong Kong

Hong Kong is regarded as a standard bearer for the best classic, luxury hotels. On this blog, I have a list of the Top Hong Kong Suites usually very high in the sky – these provide a tranquil escape from the bustle of this world capital and if given the choice they would be my preferred base.

*****The Peninsula, Salisbury Road, Kowloon

The Peninsula has one Suite with a 24-hour Butler and 24-hour Chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce fleet. The total number of rooms in the Suite is Eight; One and Two Halves Bathroom; Special amenities of Bulgari toiletries, telescope and weather station in the office at a nightly rate of US$5,015.

The Peninsula has a total of 300 rooms and suites.

The Suite's opulence is literally fit for a king (and/or queen), with one of the most breathtaking views in the world. You enter through a stone foyer to the central entertainment area, double height with floor-to-ceiling windows and a black granite balcony.

Tom Cruise has stayed here.

*****Island Shangri-La, Pacific Place, Central

The hotel has a single Presidential Suite 5501 which is a home away from home from the 55th floor. You have a commanding postcard view of Victoria Harbour, a Private Butler, a Personal Guest Relations Officer, a Private tour of Hong Kong, a Private Gazebo on the hotel’s pool deck, and a meeting with a famous Feng Shui master. The Suite has a total of Six rooms and the following special amenities: Bose electronics; Two and one half bathrooms with Hermes toiletries, a private sauna at a nightly rate of US$3,590.

You can be met airside at the aircraft gate, and escorted through to your Park Ward Rolls-Royce Silver Spur II.

The Style is Classic European and traditional Oriental. The Island Shangri-La has a total 565 rooms and suites.

HM Sultan Haji Jass, Anal Bolkiah of the Sultanate of Brunei, HM King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden have stayed here.

*****The Langham Hotel, 8 Peking Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon

Its Premier Suite is in the heart of Tsimshatsui and convenient for quick trains to Guangzhou, the center of China’s trade fairs (stay here and commute to those events, with meals for the two-hour journey prepared by the hotel).

Presidential Elegance is the style of the four rooms in the Suite, with Bang & Olufsen electronics and Bulgari toiletries; Two and one half bathrooms; and an in-room tailoring service; all at a nightly rate of US$1,545. The hotel has 490 rooms and suites.

Kenneth Cole and other leading fashion executives slept here.

*****The Ritz-Carlton, 3 Connaught Road, Central

The hotel has two Presidential Suites - 2501 and 2301, at a nightly rate of US$3,216. At the heart of Hong Kong’s financial and business district, the hotel offers strategic views across Victoria Harbour to the Kowloon mainland. Reminiscent of an elegant manor home, the Presidential Suites have access to the 24th-floor Ritz-Carlton Club lounge.

Traditionally elegant in style and the hotel’s concierge team offer an elite romantic getaway, including a helicopter flight.

The Suites each have four rooms in total, with One and one half bathrooms, Bose entertainment system and Bulgari White Tea toiletries. The Hotel has a total of 216 rooms and suites.

Sir Elton John and Jose Carreras have stayed here.

*****Le Meridien Cyberport, 100 Cyberport Road

The hotel has the Bayside Premier Suite 1301, which is modern, unique, hip and trendy, and is available at a nightly rate of US$1,286. This suite is high-tech, welcoming and has a breathtaking ocean view. The concierge staff are young enthusiastic and particularly attentive to your needs.

Clean white, with a light touch of orange and light brown wood, is the style of the Suite's three rooms. The Suite has One and one half bathrooms, Bose electronics and Hermes toiletries. The Hotel has a total room of 173 rooms and suites.

Pat Cash, Goran Ivanisevic and Henri Leconte, and designer Alain Mikli stayed here.

*****JIA, Causeway Bay

This hotel's top Suite is Penthouse 2303; designer Philippe Starck has combined his genius at harnessing sensuality with spatial clarity in this duplex, with bedrooms downstairs, living and dining upstairs. The ultra-sleek top suite includes many modernist luxury areas, like a sensuous daybed with sheer drapes.

The 164-foot Baglietto cruise around the waterways is a standout service.

The total number of rooms in the Suite is Six and it has Two bathrooms plus outdoor shower on private terrace, LG home theatre systems, DVD library, SMEG oven and personal laundry at a nightly rate of US$770.

The hotel has a total of 54 rooms and suites.

Ice T and designer Karen Walker have stayed here.

*****Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Central

This hotel has the Mandarin Suite 2402. Hotel fans should hurry to stay in the famous Mandarin before it closes in 2006 for complete refurbishment. This suite is a reflection of the opulence of the old Chinese Court combined with the latest comforts of the West.

The total number of roooms in the Suite is Five and it has Two and one half bathrooms with Hermis toiletries a balcony running the entire length on two sides of the 2,034 sq ft at a nightly rate of US$4,500.

The hotel has 524 rooms and suites.

The Late Princess Diana, The Queen of Denmark, George Bush, President Chirac, Naomi Campbell, and Carlos Santana have stayed here.

*****Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, One Harbour Road, Wanchai

This hotel has its two Presidential Suites. A private elevator provides access to the suite and Grand Club floors. Once you are in your suite, you will get commanding panoramic views of bustling Hong Kong Island, The Peak and across Victoria Harbour to the Kowloon mainland.

Your dedicated butler contacts you before your arrival to attend to all your special needs. A private sauna and Jacuzzi, a baby grand piano, Sony electronics, Charles and Ray Eames chairs are at your disposal at a nightly rate of US$3,861.

The number of Rooms in the Suites is Six, and they have Two and one half bathrooms with L’Occitane toiletries.

The total number of rooms and suites in the hotel is 556.

Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, George Clooney, Nora Jones, Karl Lagerfeld, Jennifer Lopez and Andrew Lloyed Webber have stayed here.

It's a bit silly not to mention the Great Suites that are being opened this winter.

*****Intercontinental Hong Kong

Asia's largest and most spectacular duplex Presidential Suite will have an expansive outdoor terrace and private infinity swimming pool and Jacuzzi. The suite is inspired and designed to give guests an IMAX-like experience of Hong Kong. VIP services for suite guests will include limousine service by your choice of Phantom VI Rolls-Royce, Bentley or Mercedes. Inside the ten-room, 7,000 square-foot suite, Bose and Sharp entertainment technology, TechnoGym equipment, indoor sauna and steam shower, and private security system await you for US$9,000.

*****The Landmark Mandarin Oriental

This fashionista newcomer is right in the hub of Central's top shopping and part of the Landmark Atrium, which includes the largest Armani store in Asia and a Harvey Nichols department store. The hotel dazzles with its breathtaking drama and indulgence and the Presidential Suite at US$5,400 will be no exception. A sleek modern design suffused with cool sophistication by Peter Remedios permeates the four-room 1,500 square-foot space, which includes a grand piano and state-of-the-art in-room entertainment system, and as befits its location, in-room shopping services are offered.

*****Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong

With dramatic views from the 43rd floor of a building right on the waterfront in Central, the hub of Hong Kong Island, you can look down at the busy Victoria Harbour traffic across to the dynamic Kowloon mainland from this stunning Presidential Suite at US$5,145. Sporting eight rooms and three and one half baths in its 3,430 square feet, the suite's wall-to-wall windows and marble elegance will no doubt impress the internaiontal captains of industry who will flock to this new hotel.

I hope this has given you a birds-eye-view of Hong Kong and its Hotels, & the Top Suites Available.

Take care and God bless

Alan Aldana