I-FEATURES-JAPAN
YUFUIN FLORAL VILLAGE, OITA, JAPAN
A cute and delightful village of boutique shops, cafes and pubs by the side of Lake Kinrinko, the lake of golden fish scales. The lake was called Takemoto no Ike before. If you want to know why it was renamed as Kinrinko, come to the lake during sunset. If you are lucky, you will be able to see some breathtaking scenery. When the sunlight shines on the fish that jumped out of the lake, their scales are golden (due to the reflection of sunlight). This is why it is named Kinrinko, the lake with golden fish scales.
Lake Kinrinko has onsen and spring water flowing out from the bottom of the lake and creates a thick morning mist at daybreak. A most beautiful sight.
The village is full of boutique shops selling all kinds of specialty and curiosity items and has trendy cafes, pubs and ice cream and food outlets.
In plain sight behind the village is Mt. Yufu, a volcano of approximately 1,560 meters tall, also known as the “Mt. Fuji of Ōita”.
I-FEATURES-HONG KONG
SHOPPING STREETS OF HONG KONG
Tung Choi Street in the Mong Kok area is probably the most famous of them all with its nickname “Ladies Street”. Over 100 street market stalls of bargain clothing, accessories and souvenirs line the 1 km plus road. Nearby is Fa Yuen street aka “Sneaker Street” which sells inexpensive sneakers. You also have “Toy Street” which is Tai Yuen Street in Wan Chai. And there are others like “Pet Street” which sells pets, “Jade Street” which sells jade, “Cat Street” which sells antiques, Ap Liu Street which sells electronics, Shanghai Street which sells kitchenware. Ko Shing Street is “Medicine Street” and has TCM shops lining the street.
WORLD'S BEST NEW SKI HOTEL 2023
Setsu Niseko is the proud winner of the title ‘World’s Best New Ski Hotel’ 2023 in the prestigious World Ski Awards competition. Location is a top draw for this hotel. The ski resort is flanked between Mount Yotei (affectionately called by locals as ‘little Fuji’) and the slopes of Mount Annupuri. Niseko is often called ‘Japan’s Powder Paradise’. This town in Hokkaido claims the most snowfall of any major resort worldwide with an average snowfall of between 14-15 metres each season and benefits from an unusually long season running from December through to early May. The luxury of the hotel is a top draw too. Setsu Niseko has luxury apartment style accommodation from 40sqm studios to 5-bedroom penthouses – 190 residences in total. There are 5 dining venues with chefs of Michelin acclaim, a 750 sqm wellness centre, children’s playroom, business centre, hotel shuttle service and courtyard gardens.Additional facilities found in Setsu include ski boutique and rental service by Rhythm Japan, a new retail experience The Holiday Project featuring all the leading European brands, ski concierge, and locker rooms. So a top-class hotel in a top-class destination for a top-class holiday – not much more you can ask for.