REUTERS

Here comes the neighborhood: Hindu statues in Singapore get a touch-up just in time for Deepavali

Posted Monday, October 20, 2003; 21:00 HKT
From Big to Bigger
It's a case of "Crisis? What crisis?" at Hilton International, as the chain defies the region's travel-industry downturn to announce one of its most ambitious expansion plans ever. Hilton will open 26 hotels and resorts in Asia-Pacific over the next three years, and at least 10 of those will be so-called new-generation properties, which will do away with the thick carpets and heavy drapes for a chic, contemporary-design palette that should make style-conscious guests feel right at home. Already adopting the new look are Hiltons in Chongqing, Auckland and Melbourne Airport, and you can expect Sydney's and Kuala Lumpur's to follow next year. Votes of confidence in the regional travel market don't come much plusher than this.
—By Liam Fitzpatrick

Point, Click and Go with PATA
The address may be cumbersome, but there's nothing superfluous about the Pacific Asia Travel Association's (PATA) new website. PATA, which works with nearly 100 government tourism organizations and many more industry businesses, launched TravelWithPATA.com in August as part of its Project Phoenix campaign, which was inaugurated to revive regional tourism. All-encompassing, the site carries information about more than 35 destinations in Asia, North America and Oceania, including culture, transport and a plethora of activities. Plus it offers airline and hotel deals, national advisories, maps, local times and currency-exchange rates—all at the click of your mouse. This is the first time PATA, founded in 1951, has broadened its industry role to target consumers. If you're planning a trip in the region, you now know where to start.
—By Chaim Estulin

Great Timing
The swanky Great Eagle Hotel has long been one of Hong Kong's best-kept secrets, but that looks set to change: realizing that its name hardly tripped off the tongues of the global jet set, the hotel rebranded itself this month as the internationally recognizable Langham. The new name is taken from London's Langham Hotel, purchased by Great Eagle Hotels International in 1996. The former was London's first "grand" hotel when it opened in 1865; the 487-room Hong Kong flagship is a zippier property whose suites recently made the London Sunday Times' list of the world's "top 10 high-tech hotel rooms."

Up-and-Coming Destinations: Remember where You Read it First
What do you mean you've never heard of Tongyeong? Next time you're in South Korea, check out this quiet charmer of a fishing town—a five-hour drive from Seoul—before it gets discovered. The lure: its 151 islands, scattered across 16,000 hectares of water so pristine that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared it a "clean sea area." Seafood lovers will adore the town's Jungang Sijang fish market, while those in search of peerless tranquillity will find it amid the stunning islets of Hallyeo Marine Park.

Keys to the City
Headed to Beijing? Then you'll be spoiled for choice. For the past half-century, foreign travelers to China's capital were limited to specific hotels. This, say officials, was for the sake of "safety and stability." But times have changed: last year, more than 3 million foreign visitors spent more than $3 billion in the city. So starting this month, non-mainland guests can stay anywhere they wish—well, almost. Military installations are still officially off-limits.

Read All About It
In time for this year's Deepavali celebrations, right, Singapore has launched its historical-signage program in Little India. The markers highlight the colorful stories of 33 significant attractions, including shop-lined Buffalo Road and the venerable Kandang Kerbau Hospital.

Air Time
Next time you're in Macau, do something constructive with your casino winnings and head to Spa Philosophy, tel: (853) 728330. It's the world's first "fully oxygenated" day spa, meaning that an industrial-strength filter system screens out all airborne pollutants. Sounds like a breath of fresh air.

Good Morning, Vietnam
Had enough of crawling Internet access? The Caravelle, tel: (84-8) 823 4999, opposite the City Opera House, has become the first hotel in Ho Chi Minh City to offer in-room broadband. Guests can now download up to two megabytes per second.

	TIME Global Adviser Our weekly roundup of news, notes and helpful tips for the global traveler Lowdown on the High Life [Oct 13, 2003] Which laundries can you trust with your Prada shirts? Find out from a new batch of guides for upscale tourists Rooted to Nowhere [Oct. 6, 2003] Globe hopping can be an emotional strain on expat kidsÑbut it can also bring them lifelong benefits The Road to Redemption [Sept 22, 2002] A wartime trail becomes a symbol of Vietnam's future Top Spot for High Tea [September 6, 2003] Fancy a cuppa? Then head for the hills of Kerala More Related Items | Search all issues of TIME Magazine