Free Bangkok National Museum Tours

Bangkok National Museum

The Bangkok National Museum is the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia. The museum, built in 1782, houses many beautiful and diverse exhibits, including elephant howdahs, royal furnishings, weapons, porcelain, and musical instruments. It has wonderful major collections of historic artifacts and Buddhist art. Thailand's artistic treasures of the Dvaravati, Lop Buri, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, and Rattanakosin periods are well represented at the museum.  

The Buddhaisawan Chapel (Tamnak Phutthaisawan), located within the museum's grounds, contains well-preserved murals depicting the life of the Buddha and the second most important Buddha image in Thailand - Phra Buddha Singh.

Bangkok National Museum

The National Museum Volunteers conduct English, French, German, and Japanese guided tours of the National Museum every Wednesday and Thursday, starting at 9.30 am. These tours are free, after paying the museums 200-baht admission fee.

The National Museum Volunteers is a non-profit organization, which has served the National Museum Bangkok since 1969. Under the auspices of the Fine Arts Department, the National Museum Volunteers supports the National Museum Bangkok through a variety of educational and cultural activities. Members study the art, history and culture of Thailand and its neighbours and may also get the opportunity to train as museum guides.

Bangkok National Museum

Date: 29 February - 1 March 2012
Venue: The National Museum, Na Phrathat Road, Phra Nakhon District
(Located Opposite Sanam Luang) Bangkok 10200
Email: information@museumvolunteersbkk.net

For further information visit http://www.museumvolunteersbkk.net

Grand Opening of Fairy Garden

The newly created Fairy Garden, located in the central courtyard of the Scone Library, will open on Thursday 1^st March. This will follow the official opening of the Scone Library upgrade.

This has been a local community project which will be enjoyed by the children, parents and reading groups that will use the newly developed area.

People are welcome to come along dressed up as their favourite Fairy Tale character to the opening.

Put the date in your diary - Thursday 1st March 2012 at 11.00am
Where: 30 Liverpool Street, Scone, N.S.W. Australia
RSVP for catering purposes 65452562

South Korea Encourages Meetings and Incentives in 2012

Events headed to South Korea from now until 2015 can qualify for goodies handed out by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) as part of its 2012 Korea Convention Year campaign.

Conventions that meet UIA meeting criteria, and meetings and incentives with more than 100 overseas participants will enjoy up to 10 per cent off meeting venues, up to 40 per cent off hotel room rates, as well as complimentary upgrades, welcome amenities, site inspections and traditional entertainment. Events with more than 500 Asian participants or more than 1,000 international participants may obtain further airline discounts.

Lee Hyeonjin, KTO assistant director, MICE strategic planning team, said the 2012 Korea Convention Year was the highlight of the destination’s 2010-2012 Visit Korea Year campaign.

“South Korea’s convention business has been growing rapidly, but the industry’s focus has so far been on infrastructure development. We want to now focus on using software and content to promote South Korea as a MICE destination.”

Apart from increased subsidies and support, the bureau will also host overseas road shows to raise awareness of the destination, invest in advertising campaigns  The bureau will also organise road shows to Geneva and France, where most association headquarters are based.

“South Korea has been too dependent on incentives, so it is time to grow our association meetings,” said Lee.

10 Things To Do at the Start of Your Hotel Stay

Guangzhou Marriott China Hotel

Usually when we arrive at our travel destination we get the key to the hotel room, drop our bags, and head off to see the sights or go to the business meeting.

However there are some important things (in no particular order) to do on arrival so that the rest of your trip can be enjoyable

1. Let someone know you arrived, and where you are.
It is a good idea to let someone know back home that you arrived safely. Let them know how to get in touch with you if needed by giving them your hotel phone and room number etc

The Grand China Hotel Guangzhou

2. Check the weather.
Look outside and see if the sun is shining or if it is pouring with rain. Check the internet or newspapers for the weather forecast for the next few days. This will help you to decide what type of clothing to wear, what activities to do, and what type of transport will be best.

3. Read the hotel guide book.

Search around the hotel room for the hotel guide book. This will tell, you important information about hotel facilities, room service, opening times etc. Essential reading in the first part of your hotel stay.

Beijing Courtel Hotel Rooms

4. Secure your valuables.

If you are travelling with any valuable items it is a good idea to lock them in the room safe or secure them in some way. A holiday or business trip can be ruined by the loss of something valuable.

5. Grab something to eat

You are probably hungry after your travelling. If you haven’t done any previous research on to what eating spots are in and near the hotel, find out what is available. There may be an all day/night dining room open in the Hotel, or you may have spotted one with a block or twos walk on the way to the hotel. If it is morning, go have tea or coffee and breakfast foods (pancakes, pastries, etc.); if it is evening, have a proper dinner; if it is nighttime, maybe a cocktail and a snack

Jin Jiang Tower Hotel Shanghai

6. Reset your clock.
If you changed time zones while travelling, it is best to adapt to the new zone immediately. Change your time pieces to the local time zone if you haven’t already done so.

7. Explore the room.

Find out where the lights switches are, how to turn on the TV, how the air conditioning works etc. It is best to do this now rather than late at night on returning from you evening outing. Discover what complimentary toiletries and refreshment are provided, wand what ones you need to pay for.

Astor House Hotel

  Shanghai

8. Get outside.
Go for a walk, familiarize yourself with the surroundings and get some fresh air and exercise. Do this again the morning after you arrive; getting yourself out into the sunlight alerts your brain and body to what time of day it is. Take your camera with you and take a few pictures of your room and the local area you are staying in. Your family back home will appreciate seeing these on your return.

The Longemont Hotel Shanghai

9. Have a Hot Drink.

Sit down and relax for a few minutes with a coffee or tea you make for yourself in the room, or wander down to the hotel coffee shop, or a nearby one.

10. Charge your electronics.
When you arrive in your room unpack all your electronic devices, and using travel adaptors if necessary, plug them in so that they are fully charged.

Delicious Eating at Spain's Museums

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Savouring a delicious recipe by one of Spain's most prestigious chefs is always a delight. However, if you happen to be enjoying it after looking at some of the world's most important works of art, then the idea becomes irresistible. Find out which of Spain's main museums, besides famous paintings and sculptures, also have high quality restaurants. The culinary art awaits you. Is your palate prepared?

More and more people are looking for haute cuisine and originality when it comes to eating out. If you are one of them and you are also into art, then you will love Spain. Many of the country's main museums, located in major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia, are also home to restaurants whose menus are pure imagination. Come and discover galleries where the works of art are not only to be found on the walls.

Madrid

One destination not to be missed is Madrid, the Spanish capital and one of the world's most important artistic centres. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is situated in the so-called "art triangle". A walk around this gallery, which covers the history of European painting, is a wonderful experience in itself, while savouring a dish at its café-restaurant, set in a beautiful garden, is something simply not to be missed. Can you imagine trying dishes such as "Majorca Abstraction" or "Catalonian Landscape"? These are the names of two dishes that the restaurant created for an exhibition on Miró. We would recommend a visit to this museum in summer, because on July and August nights you can also discover its "Mirador" - a wonderful rooftop terrace where you can sample delicious Mediterranean cuisine whilst enjoying stunning views of the city.

Reina Sofía National Art Centre

Also in Madrid, and just a few minutes' walk from the Thyssen, is another of its most important museums, the Reina Sofía National Art Centre. It has a restaurant with interior design that fits in perfectly with the gallery's vision of modern and contemporary art. Their promotional slogan says it all: "edible creativity". To complete the visit to the "art triangle", don't miss the amazing Prado Museum, which also has a pleasant restaurant - "Café Prado" - and a terrace that opens from May to September. It is perfect for relaxing after enjoying the spectacular artworks on display in this museum.

For one last proposal in Madrid, we would suggest a restaurant that is very fashionable at the moment, at the Clothing Museum. After looking at its wonderful collection of clothing (some items go back as far as the 16th century), what could be better than savouring the flavours of its restaurant. The Bokado Group runs this restaurant and is in charge of showing you the typical cuisine of the Basque Country, combining tradition and modernity in original dishes such as "king prawns making waves". Sampling delicious pinchos (tapas), sitting on a pleasant terrace with the gentle sound of the piano washing over you, you are sure to be delighted.

The coast, leading the gastronomic avant-garde

Guggenheim Museum

We now head to northern Spain, to the Basque Country, specifically to its famous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. If the building, designed by Frank Gehry, is in itself a tribute to the avant-garde, then its exceptional choice of restaurants is no less. Come with your nearest and dearest and share the gastronomic pleasures of haute cuisine at Nerua restaurant, awarded a Michelin star and managed by chef Josen Martínez Alija. What would you like? An exquisite aperitif or a dish of grilled red chicory, with shellfish consommé and grapefruit cream? The restaurant staff has everything waiting for you. If you prefer a more informal place, we recommend the Bistro restaurant in the museum, which also opens from Thursday to Saturday in the evening

Valencia Institute of Modern Art

Our gastronomic journey continues to the heart of the Mediterranean coast, and the city of Valencia with its Valencia Institute of Modern Art (IVAM). Succulent recipes, innovation, and a select, minimalist atmosphere come together in its bright restaurant, "La Sucursal", awarded a Michelin star. Chef Jorge Bretón heads the team at this establishment where you can savour a shoulder of baby lamb with sage yoghurt and parsnip "angel hair", or alternatively try the exquisite gourmet set menu - each dish is a unique sensation for the palate. Furthermore, we would suggest you order some wine because at this restaurant, besides the wonderful reinterpretation of traditional Valencia recipes, you can also choose from a full wine list, managed by Manuela Romeralo, winner of the National Gastronomy Award for the best sommelier.

Picasso Museum

Also on the Mediterranean, but now in Catalonia, in the city of Barcelona, there are two more museums with recommended restaurants for art lovers whose palates are in search of new sensations. The first will bring you into contact with one of the main figures in the history of painting, Pablo Picasso. We are talking about the Picasso Museum, which also has a café-restaurant with an intimate, cosy atmosphere and an outdoor terrace you will love. Make the most of your stay in Barcelona to visit the Catalonia National Art Museum as well, with its Oleum Restaurant. Why is it so special? Because its large windows offer splendid views of Barcelona, because it is set in the old Throne Room of King Alfonso XIII, because it has a climate-controlled wine cellar and because it serves delicious, creative Mediterranean cuisine. There is no shortage of reasons…

Inland Spain… delicious too

Museum of Contemporary Art

The final place we would recommend to give your stomach a treat is in inland Spain, in the city of León (Castile-León Region): the Vivaldi Restaurant at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MUSAC). An example of what to expect there? Tasty miniature menus to taste the typical products of Castile-León. Enough to make your mouth water.

As you can see, the main museums in Spain do not only offer a wide range of colours, but also of delicious flavours and aromas through the dishes served at their restaurants. To make sure you get in, we would recommend you book a table in advance, and you can check average prices at each museum's website. Come on! Try combining art and gastronomy. You will be pleasing every sense in your body.

Top Athletics Events to be Hosted at Sydney Olympic Park

Sydney Olympic Park

Athletics Australia has just selected Sydney Olympic Park as the venue for a range of top athletics events, including the Sydney Track Classic. This means that Sydney will play host to Australia’s finest athletes for the next three years.

Athletics Australia selected a bid by Destination NSW and Sydney Olympic Park Authority to host a number of athletics events over competing interstate bids, awarding Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre hosting rights to:

Sydney Olympic Park

- The Australian Athletics Championships in 2013

- The Australian Junior Athletics Championships in 2012, 2014 and 2015

- The Sydney Track Classic in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

New Head Of Marketing at Grand Hyatt Beijing

Jade Woon 

Jade Woon is the newly appointed Director of Sales and Marketing at the Grand Hyatt Beijing.

Ms. Woon brings to Grand Hyatt Beijing more than 10 years of hospitality and sales and marketing experience in the Southeast Asia and China region. In her new role, Ms. Woon will be responsible for positioning Grand Hyatt Beijing as one of the best hotels in Beijing, and will oversee the entire Northern China market for Hyatt’s sales and marketing strategies.

“We are delighted that Jade has joined Grand Hyatt Beijing,” said Malcolm Zancanaro, General Manager of the hotel, “Jade’s extensive experience in hospitality sales and marketing management, plus her knowledge of market, means she is well placed to drive our sales efforts in China and the region. She is a very welcome and important part of the Grand Hyatt Beijing team.”

Grand Hyatt Beijing.

Grand Hyatt Beijing is a splendid addition to China’s capital city, Beijing, a dynamic 21st-century metropolis with a 3,000-year cultural heritage. It offers the best of both worlds - a subtle blend of Western and Oriental traditions encompassing contemporary design and classic standards of service and excellence. Located at the crossroads of Chang an Avenue and Wangfujing, the 825-room hotel is part of the Oriental Plaza – China’s largest commercial complex, at the heart of the city’s prestigious business and commercial district. It is just minutes’ walking distance away from China’s most treasured spot, the Forbidden City.

The Latest Avant-Garde Architecture In Spain

Guggenheim Bilbao Museum

Strolling around the streets of many cities in Spain you'll notice that innovation and design are to be found in more and more of its buildings. Famous architects such as Frank Gehry, Santiago Calatrava, Richard Rogers, Norman Foster and Rafael Moneo have chosen Spain to build their latest works. Here we present a few of these outstanding examples of 21st-century avant-garde architecture.

Avant-garde architecture is striking and leaves its imprint on the mind's eye. This is the case of the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, in Bilbao, the Reina Sofía Art Centre, in Madrid, and the City of Arts and Sciences, in Valencia, but Spain is also home to many more examples. Cities such as Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia are obvious ones. If you are planning to come and explore their streets, then make a note of these suggestions.

Madrid, enthusiasm for everything modern

CaixaForum Cultural Centre

'Madrid has unconditional enthusiasm for modern constructions.' These are the words of Richard Rogers, winner of the 2007 Pritzker Prize and designer of the Madrid Airport extension. This can be seen in buildings such as the extensions to the Reina Sofía National Art Museum, by Jean Nouvel, and the Prado Museum, by Rafael Moneo. They are both in Madrid's 'art triangle', where the CaixaForum Cultural Centre was built, with Spain's first vertical garden.

Other architectural novelties in Madrid are the towers of the Las Torres Business Area, four huge office buildings designed by prestigious architects, located on Paseo de la Castellana; the Canal Theatres, a major complex for the performing arts; and the Magic Box, a modern Olympic tennis centre.

Bilbao, an open-air architecture museum

Bilbao station entrance

Frank Gehry, Norman Foster and César Pelli are just some of the leading international architects to 'exhibit' their works in Bilbao. Special mention should be made of the Abandoibarra area, with avant-garde constructions which include the emblematic Guggenheim Bilbao Museum.

Bilbao has an unswerving commitment to design. Take a look, for example, at its underground system, whose station entrances have been designed by Norman Foster. Examples of avant-garde architecture can be seen all over the city, which is home to unique buildings such as the Health Department of the Basque Regional Government, a construction which manages to convey an impression of movement.

Kursaal Centre

The Basque Country, is also home to many more examples of avant-garde architecture such as the Donostia–San Sebastián Conference Centre and the , both in San Sebastián; the Ysios Winery by Calatrava, and the Marqués de Riscal Winery designed by Frank Gehry, in Álava; as well as the Contemporary Basque Art Centre-Museum (Artium) in Vitoria.

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Barcelona and its avant-garde buildings

District 22@Barcelona

District 22@Barcelona was born in 2000 as an initiative by the City Council to transform 200 hectares of industrial land in the Poblenou district into a hub of innovation featuring avant-garde architecture and modern spaces. The Torre Agbar tower can be seen from practically any point in Barcelona, and is an eye-catching cylindrical building which soars up from the 22@ district.

This is a place which combines tradition with modernity in creations such as the new Audiovisual Campus and the Central Park, a garden designed by Jean Nouvel to produce a range of sensations through the play of light and shadow, and the perfume of the flowers.

Marenostrum Tower

The whole city is home to plenty of striking avant-garde architecture. Besides the famous and eternally-modern work of Gaudí, Barcelona will surprise you with many unusual buildings such as the Marenostrum Tower, which has a completely horizontal block, or the Golden Fish, designed by Frank Gehry and located in the Olympic Village.

Valencia, Santiago Calatrava country

City of Arts and Sciences

The city's main emblem is the stunning City of Arts and Sciences, by Valencia architect Santiago Calatrava. Nevertheless, there are many other avant-garde buildings, such as the Reina Sofía Arts Centre and L'Assut de l'Or Bridge, both by Calatrava; the Conference Centre, designed by Norman Foster; and the Veles e Vents building, built for the America's Cup and finalist in the Mies Van der Rohe architecture awards, to name just a few.

New architectural ventures throughout Spain

Castile-León Museum in León

Avant-garde architecture can be found all over Spain. For example, the Castile-León region is home to the winner of the 2007 Mies Van der Rohe Award, the Castile-León Museum of Contemporary Art in León, the Miguel Delibes Cultural Centre in Valladolid, the Museum of Human Evolution in Burgos, and the Museum of the Roman Town of La Olmeda, in the province of Palencia.

Meanwhile, in the Region of Galicia, in A Coruña, you'll find the Exhibition and Conference Centre, located right on the seafront, and the unusual Caixa Galicia building; and Santiago de Compostela is the site of the City of Culture. In Aragon, in Alcañiz, you can see the Ciudad del Motor de Aragón sports complex; and Zaragoza still has two of the most spectacular pavilions from Expo Zaragoza 2008: the Pavilion Bridge and the Water Tower, as well as the Third Millennium Bridge. Oviedo, in Asturias, is home to the new City of Oviedo conference centre.

Santa Justa railway station

Highlights in Andalusia include the Medina Azahara Museum in Cordoba and the offices of Caja Granada in the same city. And in Seville, the Santa Justa railway station and the Public Library by Cruz and Ortiz are among the buildings which marked its urban transformation on the occasion of the 1992 Universal Exhibition.

In short, innovative projects and new architectural solutions that will surprise you with their originality and avant-garde style when next come to Spain

Tropfest Huge Hit

Tropfest in Sydney

Tropfest celebrated its 20th Birthday last Sunday, 19 February 2012. Tropfest is one of several events that reinforce Sydney’s position as the film capital of Australia. Tropfest has grown over the 20 years to be the the largest short film festival in the world. This year it was not a one day event, but three days of screenings, live music, industry seminars.

Tropfest is screened at live sites around the country with spin-off events now staged in cities including New York, Las Vegas, Berlin, London, Penang, Bangkok, New Zealand and Abu Dhabi.

This year Tropfest was screened live to an estimated 150,000 at free outdoor public events across Australia and New Zealand. It took place for the first time this year in New Plymouth and in Wollongong. Stars including Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Geoffrey Rush attended the Sydney event in The Domain. It was also televised live on subscription TV channel Movie Extra. For all the results and information go to the Tropfest website.

Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour

Bathurst 12 Hour Race

A record 12 overseas entries will make the 2012 Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour the most international race to be held at Mount Panorama since the 1987 Bathurst 1000. Destination NSW is supporting the event which is being held this weekend from 24 to 26 February.

Bathurst 12 Hour Race

This is the longest endurance race in Australia, held at the country's most demanding circuit, Mount Panorama. Now a thrilling fixture on the motorsport calendar, it consists of race categories comprising of Historic Touring Cars Group A/C, Group N, HQ Holden’s, Improved Production and Formula Vee.

Tickets available at Ticketek on 13 28 49.

Venue: Mount Panorama, Bathurst, N.S.W., Australia