Global voting ends! The New7Wonders of Nature are...

Komodo Dragons - Komodo Island, Indonesia

The initial count of the global vote to choose the New7Wonders of Nature has been announced. Congratulations to the following entries.

Amazon (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela)

Halong Bay (Vietnam)

Iguazu Falls (Argentina, Brazil)

Jeju Island (South Korea)

Komodo Island (Indonesia)

Puerto Princesa Underground River (Philippines)

Table Mountain (South Africa)

Unfortunately six finalists that were leading in last week’s tally did not make the final cut. These are:

Dead Sea (Israel, Jordan, Palestine)

Grand Canyon (USA)

Great Barrier Reef (Australia, Papua New Guinea)

Jeita Grotto (Lebanon)

Sundarbans (Bangladesh, India)

Vesuvius (Italy)

They were instead taken over by Amazon, Iguazu Falls, and Table Mountain.

The results were announced at the headquarters of the New7Wonders Foundation in Zurich, Switzerland after the global voting ended on 11.11.11.

The New7Wonders of Nature campaign lasted for over four years, starting with more than 440 locations from over 220 countries and all the way to the 28 finalist candidates from whom the New7Wonders of Nature have been chosen.

These preliminary results are provisional and are subject to validation. Confirmed winners will be announced in early 2012.

I’m delighted to see three winners from ASEAN. It only proves that Southeast Asia is a place of bountiful natural beauty. Visit ASEAN!

- Kwento ni Remus Mark

Cebu hosts Philippine International MICE Conference 2011

Cebu is hosting this year’s MICE Con 2011 from 10-13 August 2011. Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia welcomed around 200 delegates at the Cebu International Convention Center for the event’s opening ceremony.

International delegates from various countries including China, India, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam are officially booked at Cebu’s finest hotels and resorts including Marco Polo Plaza, Imperial Palace, Radisson Blu Hotel, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino, and Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa. Delegates are sellers, buyers, and resource speakers.

One of the offerings prepared by the conference committee is a visit to the Cebu provincial jail for the delegates to watch the “dancing inmates,” who are famous around the world for performing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” which currently has over 48 million views on YouTube.

The conference aims to position Cebu and the Philippines as a competitive host for MICE events at par with other popular MICE destinations in the world, banking on the natural warmth and hospitality of Filipinos and the country’s attractive travel destinations. MICE – the acronym for “meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibits” – is considered the tourism industry’s most lucrative market because MICE visitors tend to spend more compared to those traveling for holidays or other purposes.

- Kwento ni Remus Mark

New Lombok International Airport to be inaugurated on 01 October 2011

Residents and tourism stakeholders in Lombok are delighted by the announcement made by West Nusa Tenggara Governor M Zainul Majdi that the new Lombok International Airport will be inaugurated on 01 October 2011. The inauguration ceremony will be headed by no less than Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.


Located in Central Lombok, the new airport will replace the outdated Mataram Selaparang Airport. The Lombok International Airport will have a runway of 2,750 meters x 40 meters and apron that can accommodate up to 10 wide-bodied aircrafts like the Airbus 330 and Boeing 767. The airport has the capacity to handle 3 million passengers annually.

Located east of Bali, Lombok is considered Bali’s sister island with beaches and landscapes to rival. Tourists who seek escape from Bali’s crowded beaches turn to Lombok’s Senggigi Beach (Pantai Senggigi) and Kuta Beach (Pantai Kuta). Popular diving sites northwest of Lombok include Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air – collectively known as the Gili Islands. Lombok is also home to Indonesia’s second highest mountain – Mount Rinjani (Gunung Rinjani), which also happens to be an active volcano.

- Kwento ni Remus Mark

Cebu’s landmark: Cebu Provincial Capitol

Cebu Provincial Capitol

Standing proudly at the north end of Osmeña Boulevard is an eye-catching white building. This is the Cebu Provincial Capitol or Kapitolyo sa Sugbo, the seat of Cebu’s provincial government. The Cebu Provincial Capitol faces the road that leads to Fuente Osmeña.

Construction began in 1937 under the administration of Governor Sotero Cabahug and was completed a year later during the term of Governor Buenaventura Rodriquez. The inauguration ceremony was held on 14 June 1938 and was led by President Manuel Quezon.

Cebu Provincial Capitol at night

An inscription on the building’s facade reads, "The authority of the government emanates from the people. Erected A.D. MCMXXXVII."

Jika anda ingin membaca artikel ini dalam Bahasa Indonesia, klik disini.

- Kwento ni Remus Mark

Cebu's landmark: Marcelo Fernan Bridge

Spanning across Mactan Channel, Marcelo Fernan Bridge connects Cebu Island & Mactan Island. Marcelo Fernan Bridge was opened in August 1999 to ease the congested traffic from the older Mactan-Mandaue Bridge. With a total length of 1,237 meters, it currently stands as the 6^th longest bridge in the Philippines after the Metro Manila Skyway (1^st), Candaba Viaduct (2^nd), San Juanico Bridge (3^rd), Asingan-Sta. Maria Bridge (4^th), and Patapat Viaduct (5^th).

Marcelo B. Fernan Bridge

Mactan Channel as seen from Marcelo Fernan Bridge

The bridge was named after former Senator Marcelo Fernan, a lawyer and political figure from Cebu City.

Jika anda ingin membaca artikel ini dalam Bahasa Indonesia, klik disini.

- Kwento ni Remus Mark

Singapore Airlines to launch new low-cost carrier

Singapore Airlines announced that it will establish a no-frills low-cost carrier catering to budget-conscious travelers, set to be operational within a year.

The proposed new airline will be wholly owned by Singapore Airlines but will be operated independently and managed separately.

The new carrier is set to compete Jetstar Airways, the low-cost unit of Australia’s Qantas Airways, and AirAsiaX, the longer-haul unit of Malaysia’s AirAsia, for routes beyond the reach of traditional low-cost carriers that don’t fly for more than five hours.

Campbell Wilson, who has been with Singapore Airlines for more than 15 years, was recently appointed as founding CEO of the low-cost airline whose name is yet to be announced.

- Kwento ni Remus Mark