Japan will tighten border controls for travellers arriving from Macau.
Starting on January 12, travellers on direct flights from Macau will be required to show proof of a negative test result obtained within 72 hours before their departure.
Upon arrival, they will need to undergo a PCR test, or similar.
These measures have already been implemented for those arriving from mainland China.
Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has refreshed the Sentosa brand to offer both local and international guests novel ways of discovering new experiences and celebrating connections on Sentosa.
The new brand identity sees the island taking centre stage and reflects Sentosa’s efforts to better connect with its audiences through leisure experiences that play up the island’s natural attributes and is anchored on four values: Island Soul, Island Connection, Island Discovery and Island Future.
In addition, the new tagline ‘Where discovery never ends’ draws inspiration from the island’s many unexpected sights, sounds, and experiences at every turn.
Thien Kwee Eng, CEO, SDC, said: “The natural island environment inspires SDC to continue to curate new experiences that empower our guests to forge new connections and foster deeper relationships with each other.”
In view of guests’ evolving needs and the desire to discover new experiences, SDC has delivered new leisure offerings over the course of its Golden Jubilee, such as the wellness festival, Zentosa Fest, and Sentosa Food Fest.
Looking ahead, Sentosa will introduce a diverse range of new leisure and experiential offerings, including new low-carbon leisure experiences in the nearby Southern Islands, Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa, Sentosa Sensoryscape, the opening of Tipsy Unicorn Beach Club at Siloso Beach in April 2023, the upcoming The Palawan @ Sentosa, and more.
Sentosa will also make its first foray into the metaverse, via a virtual space known as SentosaLand, where guests can explore and discover a fantastical reimagination of Sentosa island. Hosted on gaming platform Roblox, SentosaLand will be accessible to the public from today.
The river cruise tourism segment, which is in a nascent stage in India, is expected to receive a shot in the arm with the commencement of the world’s longest river cruise journey, Ganga Vilas, on January 13.
The 51-day cruise sailing on the rivers of Ganges and the Brahmaputra will start from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Dibrugarh in Assam, and includes Bangladesh as part of the itinerary.
Operated by Antara Luxury River Cruises, Ganga Vilas offers an opportunity for travellers to explore some of the most ancient regions of South Asia.
With the maiden journey fully booked by Swiss tourists, Raj Singh, founder & chairman, Antara Luxury River Cruises, told TTG Asia: “India’s cultural offerings are a big attraction for foreign tourists. River cruise has the potential to be a new segment for foreign travellers looking to explore India. This cruise will go through the hinterlands which otherwise are not accessible.”
He added that the historic route was finalised with the support, assistance and cooperation of both India and Bangladesh governments to ensure a seamless travel between the two countries.
Beginning September 2023, the river cruise journey will have regular departures operating throughout the year. With key inbound markets like the UK and Europe, the cruise will also be marketed in South-east Asian markets such as Singapore and Malaysia.
“For our other shorter river cruises of seven days, we have received good response from South-east Asian markets. We will be engaging with foreign tour operators in the region to promote this new offering,” said Singh.
Priced at US$66,000 plus taxes per cabin for two, the journey offers many offshore and onshore experiences including a visit to UNESCO-protected Sundarbans, home to the world’s largest mangrove forest; Matiari, where guests can watch brassware and textiles in the villages being hand-created; and Vikramshila, the site of one of the largest ancient Buddhist universities.
Regal Hotels Group has tapped into the metaverse by acquiring a “Land” at Mega City 2 of The Sandbox and launching MetaGreen, said to be the first green metropolis in the decentralised gaming virtual world.
The first phase of the development will launch on January 12, with support from pioneering strategic partners Hang Seng Bank, UOB Hong Kong, City Super Group and The Mills.
It includes an array of eco-friendly facilities, including Regal Hotels as the first eco-friendly hotel built in the metropolis. Gameplay highlights comprise Hang Seng Bank Metaverse Branch where the community can learn about ESG investments; UOB Art Space in MetaGreen’s Art Park; The Mill’s sustainable techstyle space; and more.
Poman Lo, vice-chairman and managing director, Regal Hotels Group, shared: “Regal Hotels group seeks to co-create a powerful collaborative ecosystem with strategic partners to inspire decarbonisation and behavioural changes in the consumer and business communities.
“MetaGreen is a progressive green movement aimed at promoting green actions in (the) metaverse and real life through immersive edutainment experiences, online and offline rewards. By harnessing the power of technology, MetaGreen will help accelerate the transition to a circular economy and a brighter, greener net zero future for us all!”
Sebastien Borget, chief operating officer and co-founder of The Sandbox, added: “The MetaGreen initiative from Regal Hotels Group is a first pillar that will set an example for additional environmentally-focused projects in the metaverse, to be followed by other large brands and companies worldwide.
“In the coming months, we hope to encourage more ESG-related development to boost the long-term environmental sustainability of The Sandbox.”
Peter Pottinga has been appointed as the general manager of the soon-to-open InterContinental Chiang Mai Mae Ping hotel.
In his new role, he will oversee all aspects of the hotel’s pre-opening and opening phases.
He was most recently the general manager of InterContinental Budapest before taking the helm at InterContinental Chiang Mai Mae Ping.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements have been stepped up for all Changi Airport workers in passenger-facing and janitorial duties as China resumes international travel.
Transport minister S Iswaran said in Parliament today that “protecting the health of our aviation workers, travellers and the broader community” remains “top priority”.
According to local news reports, the minister said that Changi Airport stakeholders are also encouraging employees to stay up to date on their vaccination. Staff can obtain their booster shots at the Raffles Medical clinic at Terminal 3.
“As of now, almost 100 per cent of the workers have attained minimum protection as defined by the Ministry of Health, and about half have up-to-date protection,” he said.
Thailand today (January 9) revoked a policy announced over the weekend which required inbound travellers to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination, citing sufficient immunisation levels globally.
An update from the Tourism Authority of Thailand stated that the country remains fully-reopened to all international tourists.
Thailand’s health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, clarified that “international travellers arriving in Thailand are not required to show proof of vaccination”.
Foreign arrivals are also not required to show a negative Covid-19 test result.
As part of Thailand’s full reopening to tourism, the authorities are offering a longer period of stay for visitors. Effective through March 31, 2023, visitors from visa-exempted nations will be permitted to stay up to 45 days – up from 30 days previously. Those eligible for visa-on-arrival can stay up to 30 days, up from 15 days prior.
The first wave of international travellers arrived in China yesterday, marking the start of the country’s reopening to the world without lengthy quarantine.
CZ312 from Toronto to Guangzhou and ZH9024 from Singapore to Shenzhen were the first to land on January 8. Both carried at least 380 passengers, according to a report by People’s Daily.
Beijing Capital International Airport has reopened Terminal 3-E and Terminal 2 for international arrivals. Local reports said the airport handled 10 passenger flights January 8. In preparation for the reopening, security forces and other areas of operations have been scaled up while Terminal 3-E’s border checkpoints, layout and facilities have been upgraded
China expects the reopening to boost domestic and international tourism during the upcoming Chinese New Year holidays.
Cathay Pacific will operate 61 return flights per week between Hong Kong and 13 Chinese cities from January 14, as it scales up operations in response to Hong Kong’s latest measures to facilitate quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and the mainland.
This compares to the 27 flights per week from Hong Kong to China, and 50 flights per week from China to Hong Kong that the airline is currently operating.
The eventual goal is to operate over 100 return flights per week by the end of March 2023.
In a press statement, the company expressed its commitment to “rebuilding the connectivity of the Hong Kong international aviation hub”.
“As a group, we anticipate that we will be operating around 70 per cent of pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity by the end of 2023, with an aim to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024,” it said.
The resort is located in a quiet cove on Choengmon Beach, 10 minutes’ drive from Samui International. The white sand beach stretches over one kilometre, long enough for a good stroll. Kimpton’s neighbours include the Sala next door and, at the other end of the beach, Melia and Royal Muang hotels. In between is a motley collection of accommodations, restaurants, bars and shops, some of which could do with a spruce up.
Rooms
There are 138 rooms, suites and villas with open-plan layouts and large terraces, many with direct pool access and sea views. Room sizes are generous, ranging from 58m2 to 224m2, and 628m2 for the only two-bedroom villa in the house.
I was brought to my room, a 115m2 one-bedroom suite, and my feet took me straight to the supersized outdoor terrace which boasted a stunning view and cool breeze – it was well furnished with a sofa bed, coffee table for two and dining space for up to six people.
Inside, the suite was just as luxurious, spotless and thoughtful – there’s even a shelf with paraphernalia for making cocktails, including a book with tips and recipes from award-winning mixologist Masahiro Urushido of Katana Kitchen in New York. A beautifully-illustrated The Great Gatsby book on my bedside, and other little touches like a Bluetooth mini speaker, gave the room a homely and lifestyle feel.
F&B
A “village community” spirit permeates throughout the resort, thanks to the hotel’s efforts to bring people together, such as a social hour every evening at Boho Thai Lifestyle Cafe, where all guests were treated to free wines and canapés.
The open layout of this main restaurant is fantastic – with sea view and breezes, and tables smartly spaced out. Here, daily breakfast is served, and where key executives of the hotel, including general manager Michael Janssen and F&B manager Potjanee Tretipakid, were always present to greet everyone and support the team in taking orders and delivering them.
Another restaurant I dined at during my stay was Fish House – no guessing what it serves.
Kimpton Kitalay Samui is also pet friendly, featuring one of GM Janssen’s creations – Paws Park. He also works with a recognised dog shelter in Samui to bring in healthy dogs to the resort and inviting guests and kids to walk them in the small but cute park that has its own paws towel house. The initiative has raised thousands of Thai baht in donations for the shelter, while a couple of dogs have actually been adopted by guests.
Facilities
Kids can rejoice at what’s probably the largest hotel kids club (500m2) on the island, which comes with its own slide. Thrice-daily activities, such as making towel animals and umbrella painting, are offered. Not only that, kids have their own social hour at 16.00.
Adults can be kids again with fat tire biking on the beach, aqua aerobics and making floating flower art, among an equally exhaustive list of daily activities as that for kids. As for me, I headed straight for the gym, then enjoyed a 90-minute signature massage at Pimãanda by Harnn, where just entering its peaceful garden compounds de-stressed me.
Service
Every Kimpton staff I met always greeted me by name and all of them were youthful, friendly, cheerful and helpful, creating a uniform, happy service wherever I went – one of the resort’s biggest achievements.
Verdict
As the second Kimpton hotel in South-east Asia, the resort reinforces the brand’s promise of relaxed, fun luxury while staying in line with local culture, architecture and flavours.
Contact details
Tel: +66 77 951 999
Email: kimptonkitalay.reservations@ihg.com
Website: www.kimptonkitalaysamui.com