DECEMBER 25, 2000 - JANUARY 1, 2001 VOL. 156 NO. 25/26

Web Crawling

TRAVEL WATCH New Tricks for Buying Old Furniture in China Doreen Chan fell in love the moment she walked into the tiny furniture shop in Gongbei, a southern Chinese city just north of Macau Short Cuts Great news for squeamish travelers: Beijing is renovating 452 public toilets at 305 tourist locations, according to China Daily Web Crawling This is a great place to learn about Thailand's elephants Detour Sunbathing can be risky, sailing is too complicated to pick up in a weekend and Jetskis are loud and irritating Travel Watch Archive Browse hundreds of Asian travel tips

Elephant Nature Park
(www.thaifocus.com/elephant)

WEBBED PACHYDERMS This is a great place to learn about Thailand's elephants. Despite their iconic status in the country, the animals are often terribly mistreated, and this site—operated by a park just north of Chiang Mai—provides updates on their plight. You can also find tour information and listings of opportunities for volunteers.

Unusual Villa & Island Rentals
(www.unusualvillarentals.com)

BIG SPENDER Let's face it, no matter how exclusive and expensive a hotel is, there will always be other guests. To dodge poolside chats with sunburned strangers, visit this site to learn how you can rent your own private castle in Port Antonio, Jamaica. If that doesn't grab you, how about a villa in the Sardinian countryside? Warning: with prices of up to $10,000 a day, these homesteads away from home are strictly for the rich and famous.

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