Kipling & Clark

Macau: A Record Year for Gambling

2012-01-04T09:26:00.000-08:00

Last year was quite a year for Macau, a Financial Times article reports:

"Macau reported record gambling revenues yesterday [Tuesday, January 4th] with a 2011 total of $33.5bn, a leap of 42 percent - more than five times Las Vegas's expected take of $6bn."

This is great news for China and Macau, a place that is now the world's largest destination for gambling. But as the article reveals, Macau has kept silent about the source of much of the cash: illegal money transfers from mainland China. Illicit revenue in Macau seems to be widespread, which may be indicative to the surfacing problems China's government is facing.

Enid Tsui goes on the explain the relationship between China and its Macau territory:

"From pawn shops offering money withdrawal services to underground banks using human mules to transport cash across the border, Macau tolerates the illicit methods mainland punters use to bring money into the former Portuguese colony, which reverted to Chinese control in 1999."

You can read the whole article, here.

Airlines on the Right Track for Safety in 2011

2011-12-28T09:49:00.000-08:00

We found this to be a compelling and useful article for our fellow travelers in the December 28th issue of the Wall Street Journal. Despite many airlines adding more flights, 2011 held the record for being one of the safest years to fly.

"Airlines on Track for Safety Record". Michaels, Daniel. Wall Street Journal. 12/28/2011.

This year is on course to be the safest ever for modern commercial aviation.

With only days left, 2011 is posed to eclipse the postwar record low rate of passenger fatalities with roughly one passenger death for every 7.1 million air travelers world-wide, according to Ascend, a consulting firm in London. But the improving statistics mask lingering dangers, according to safety experts.

This year also appears set to end with among the lowest total number of passenger deaths, at 401 to date, despite a sharp rise recently in the number of flights and passengers world-wide. In 2004, 344 passengers died in commercial-aviation accidents, but the industry carried 30% fewer passengers on far fewer flights, according to Ascend. The figures exclude acts of terrorism.

"Safety is improving and it's improving faster than the industry is expanding," said Paul Hayes, director of safety at Ascend.

The record is best for carriers flying Western-built planes. This year, they have experienced one major crash per three million flights world-wide, a roughly 49% better rate than in 2010 and roughly three times better than 2001, according to International Air Transport Association, a global trade group. The figure represents the industry's best performance since IATA began collecting crash records in the 1940s.

Since Oct. 13, when a propeller-plane crash in Papua New Guinea killed 28 passengers, nobody has died in an airliner, which is generally defined as a commercial, multi-engine airplane carrying 14 or more passengers.

That marks another notable record: the longest period in modern aviation without a single fatal airliner accident, according to Harro Ranter, president of the Aviation Safety Network, a non-profit organization that tracks accidents and incidents. The longest previous such period was 61 days, in 1985, Mr. Ranter says.

While the year's records are noteworthy, they don't guarantee future safety - and could even undermine it by breeding complacency, warned Bill Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation, a global advocacy organization. "We have such a fantastic record," improving safety globally that airlines and governments are tempted to say, "look how well we have fixed it, we're done now," he said.

Some safety yardsticks have not improved in years, while recent incidents have exposed areas that need work: safety on the ground at airports, the training of pilots to handle sophisticated computers, and greater awareness of flight hazards in some developing countries.

Most aviation fatalities in 2011 occurred in Russia, Iran and African countries that have long faced air-safety problems, such as Angola and Congo.

The major accident rate in North America for example has remained flat at about one in 10 million flights, while in Africa the rate is roughly 40 times greater, according to IATA. But African aviation is generally less dangerous than a few years ago, thanks to concerted efforts by local aviation officials and international regulators.

In more-developed countries, ground accidents seem stubbornly resistant to stepped-up safety efforts by industry and regulators. Planes running off runways continue to be the most common hazard, totaling almost one-fourth of all crashes involving Western-built jets, although they account for a much smaller proportion of deaths.

Causes include pilots descending without proper preparations for landing and crews failing to properly enter data or monitor flight computers.

Rarer but far more severe are so-called "loss of control accidents," when a functioning aircraft suddenly makes a catastrophic maneuver, according to Ilias Maragakis, an analyst at the European Union's European Aviation Safety Agency. At a conference EASA held in October about the phenomenon, he had no single factor is to blame. One response from regulators has been to require increasingly realistic training in simulators, including teaching high-altitude stall recovery techniques.

Another major safety threat stems from pilots who become confused by cockpit computers or who rely on automation too much. Such pilots can get into fatal difficulties when they are forced to revert to manual flying skills in an emergency.

The increasing computerization of jetliners and similar big changes to flying mean "we need to admit that fundamental changes need to occur," including how pilots are recruited, trained and tested, Mr. Voss told an international safety conference in Singapore last month.

That shift is one of many that safety experts say are necessary to further reduce accidents. Historically, improvements have come largely from better equipment and pilot training.

Experts believe that in the future, however, the biggest advances will come primarily from analyzing huge volumes of data about a broad array of incidents, culled from multiple carriers across the globe.

The technique "allows us to find that rare, high-risk event that a single carrier" could never identify or counter by itself, according to Ken Hylander, the top safety official at Delta Air Lines Inc. and the head of a joint FAA-industry safety team.

K&C Early 2012 Trips: Burma, Japan, Morocco, Tanzania Safari

2011-12-19T12:18:00.000-08:00

Many of our clients have asked for suggestions for travel during the spring break and early summer periods. Bev, Zen and I plan to return to enigmatic, beautiful Burma in February and then to our beloved Japan for the early April sakura/cherry blossoms. We are excited about our much-anticipated safari to Tanzania in early June, including Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and ending with the great migration in the Serengeti and Grumeti River Camp. This will be Zen's first visit to East Africa and she is totally psyched!

Please note below our Lynch family Burma, Japan, and Tanzania private tour itineraries for your reference. Although we do not have the time in early 2012 to visit Morocco, we have included this private tour itinerary also. The ideal time for travel to Morocco is during the March through early June period, especially if you wish to include a one-night Desert Camp stay (Bivouc tent!).

By the very nature of what we do, each private tour is custom and unique onto itself.

Please click into our Kipling and Clark 9-day Burma luxury private tour

Please click into our Kipling and Clark 8-day Japan private luxury tour

Please click into our Kipling & Clark 10-day Morocco private luxury tour

Please click into our Kipling and Clark 10-day Tanzania Private Safari tour

The Battle for Retail Space in Hong Kong

2011-12-05T12:47:00.000-08:00

Bev and I are big fans of Shanghai Tang, while Zen is a frequent shopper of Abercrombie & Fitch. We felt the following article in the Financial Times is quite interesting in terms of the two retail company's location in Hong Kong. - RL

Hong Kong Shops Look to the Mainland
Tsui, Enid. "Foreign Retailers defy Hong Kong Rent Surge." Financial Times. 11/30/11

MONGOLIAN yurts on a ferry pier may be a strange sight for Hong Kong commuters, but they are a telling symbol of the city's shifting retail landscape.

The yurts are the temporary home of Shanghai Tang, the luxury brand and Richemont subsidiary which has just lost its 13-year-old flagship store in a downtown colonial building to Abercrombie & Fitch, the US fashion chain.

"We are in-between stores. We have become the nomads of the Central district," says Raphael le Masne de Chermont, executive chairman of Shanghai Tang.

The Hong Kong retailer lost out because Abercrombie & Fitch offered the landlord about $1m in rent per month, three times more than Shanghai Tang was paying, real estate agents say.

The US retailer is part of an influx of foreign mid-range retailers defying an average 25% increase in retail rent this year to set up shop in the city in an effort to snare the big-spending mainland shopper.

According to CBRE, the real estate agency, retailers in Hong Kong are this year paying on average about $1,700 per square foot per year in prime locations, just behind prime areas in Manhattan, the world's most expensive district, where landlords charge $1,900 per square foot. Sydney is in third place at $1,224 per square foot.

Gap, the US clothing retailer, opened its first Hong Kong store last Friday, while fellow US retailers American Eagle Outfitters has already opened and Forever 21 is putting the finishing touches to its first store. Zara and H&M, the European companies, meanwhile, opened in Hong Kong in 2004 and 2007 respectively.

Hong Kong's retail market is tiny compared with the estimated $2,200bn in China's total retail spending last year.

However, it is the sheer number of shoppers coming from north of the border that represent Hong Kong's main appeal.

In 2010, 23m visitors came to Hong Kong from mainland China, a 25 per cent increase on the previous year, and they spent about $13bn in the city, according to the local tourism board. That is 17 times more than the amount Chinese tourists spent in France in the same period.

Hong Kong recorded $42bn in retail sales last year, up from $39.9bn in 2009.

Their number has increased by 17-28 per cent over the previous six quarters alone, year-on-year, according to government statistics. Competition is so intense that retailers are struggling to find the right kind of shop space. Many of the best spots are already taken up by luxury brands. Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Armani, and other high-price brands were among the first western retailers to set up flagship stores in Hong Kong in the early 2000s with a firm eye on mainland Chinese demand.

With more than 90 per cent of global luxury brands already in the city, the latest entrants tend to come from the mid-range segment, according to CBRE, the real estate consults. Gap's new 15,000 sq ft, four-story shop in Queen's Road, the busiest thoroughfare in the business district, was opened just weeks after the group announced a 20 per cent cull of its North American network amid a sales slump there.

Mr. le Masne de Chermont adds: "Hong Kong is the most capitalist place in teh world, and it's all about survival. Retailers new to the market will soon find out that if they don't do well, they will end up working for their landlords."

Yes, Japan is Back

2011-11-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

Saihoji Garden in Kyoto

We (well at least Zen and I!) freely admit Japan is our favorite, most compelling destination in the world. Bev, Zen and I are heartened that normalcy is returning to this inscrutable land, despite the devastation and suffering of March 11.

Despite our many travels to Japan, there always seems to be an impenetrable veil in truly understanding this wonderful land. As David Pillig noted, "in almost every aspect of life in Japan from sumo wrestling and tea ceremony to business, one has a feeling of something other than itself, beyond itself." A big part of Japan's uniqueness is its wabi-sabi aesthetic. Wabi-sabi represents the Japanese worldview emphasizing simplicity and purity. You may think of wabi-sabi as a spiritual longing, the beauty of all things humble, unpretentious ephemeral and imperfect. In contrast to our Western celebration of perfection, permanence, symmetry, and bravado, wabi-sabi exalts imperfection, impermanence, asymmetry and humility. Many in Japan refer to wabi-sabi as a feeling of hopeful sadness - nothing lasts; nothing is perfect, nothing is ever finished.

The pervasive Japanese spirit of jishuku has proven an indispensable asset in Japan's remarkable recovery. Although we have sent clients back to Japan over the past two months, Bev, Zen and I have not returned to Japan since 2010. We are most excited about embarking on our fifth (yes, 5!) sakura/cherry blossoms trip this April 2012.

Please click into our Kipling and Clark's 8-day Japan private luxury tour for 2012.

Steve Jobs & The Japanese Concept of Wabi-Sabi

2011-11-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

Reading excerpts from Walter Isaacson's recent biography of Steve Jobs, I am struck by Jobs' affinity to Zen Buddhism and his strongly held belief of experiential widsom over empirical analysis. Based on his early travels to India, he felt that the people in the countryside did not use their intellect like Westerners do, but, instead, used their intuition. Wabi-sabi parallels the basic concept of Zen Buddhism in that intuitive insight is considered a more powerful force than intellectual deliberation.

Steve Jobs seems to have been a practitioner of the wabi-sabi aesthetic and worldview as he hailed the power of intuition in contrast to what he called, "Western rational thought." One wonders the true influence of Japan's unique culture on Steve Jobs and if indeed, he ever traveled to this amazing land.

--RL

Yes - Burma!

2011-10-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

Several developments in Burma have gotten us excited about this wonderful land. Although still ruled by the military junta, opposition leader and Noble Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who now has relative freedom of movement, is implicitly encouraging travel to her beautiful homeland. Also, based on popular discontent, the government has suspended construction of the Chinese-financed Myitsone dam project in Kachin state. This decision reflects perhaps the government's increasingly progressive stance over the past few months. The release of additional political prisoners last week was another encouraging piece of news. We hope for the best for these beautiful people.

Notwithstanding its politics, we still feel Burma to be among our favorite places in all of Asia. Bev, Zen and I all agree that the Burmese people are among the most handsome and kind-hearted people in all of Asia.

- Randy

Our Extraordinary Experience with Cathay Pacific

2011-10-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

Cathay Pacific's 777-300 aircraft delivery ceremony at the Boeing headquarters in Everett, WA.

We were humbled to be invited to Cathay Pacific's 777-300 ER new aircraft delivery at Boeing's headquarters in Everett, Washington on August 26, 2011. Following the aircraft delivery ceremony, our small party was flown on the new aircraft directly to Hong Kong. We had various Chicago service inaugural activities in Hong Kong and Shanghai, ending the week flying Cathay's inaugural HKG-ORD flight on September 1.

Although United Airlines has always been our preferred transpacific carrier, we are, indeed, in awe of the level of excellence and high-touch service of Cathay Pacific.

Prior to the aircraft delivery ceremony, Cathay treated us to a private tour of Boeing's main747-8F, 777 and 787 assembly building. Superlatives cannot properly describe this building, the largest building by volume in the world - covering 98.3 acres with 18,000 workers on site; 75 football fields can fit within its area! Observing the various complex stages in creating the 747-8F, 777 and 787 aircrafts, one is awed by the creative manufacturing achievements by the Boeing engineers, produced in the most leading and technologically advanced facility in the industry.

We were most impressed with the new 787 Dreamliner, a sleek smaller aircraft than its larger 777 cousin. Nearly 50% of the 787 primary structure, including the wings and fuselage, is made of composite material. Our August 26th visit coincided with the official 787 Dreamliner FAA Certification. Congrats to the Boeing 787 team!

No coincidence that most of the 787 aircrafts waiting for delivery were from the fast-growing Pacific Rim-based airlines, starting with ANA.

Cathay CEO John Slosar and Director Nick Rhodes cutting the Inaugural ribbon!

Being a special aircraft delivery flight, our Everett, WA to Hong Kong cabin service had a festive, jubilant atmosphere, with Cathay's engaging CEO, John Slosar, serving as our host. As only the First and Business Class were used in this flight, it was somewhat eerie to see a completely empty Economy Class cabin area!

Cathay's 777-300 First/Business Class Cabin

Our snapshot review of Cathay's 777-300 First and Business class cabin service:

The First Class seats are enormous, with each seat occupying a 3-window space area. The dining trays are so large, a couple may share a meal together in one seat. Our favorite First Class keepsake was the custom Cathay Shanghai Tang pajamas - very nice!

Cathay First Class 5-star hotel analogy - the feeling and exclusivity of an Aman Resort stay!

Cathay Business Class 5-star hotel analogy - the comfort and service level of a Peninsula Grand Deluxe Room (sorry, no Victoria Harbour or Pudong views at 37,000 feet!)

Both First and Business Class offer amazingly
quiet BOSE noise cancellation headsets.
The First and Business Class flat-bed seats truly have a feel of a bed; roomy and loaded with amenities, including 15" video monitors with over 100 movies - "Cedar Rapids" and "Midnight in Paris" being the consensus favorites!

Asia service culture

With the Buddhist and Confucian based cultures' embracement of hospitality and respect, it is no coincidence that high-touch service seems almost intrinsic to Asia-based carriers, particularly Cathay Pacific. Also, in contrast to the many other international airlines, you feel the cockpit and cabin service alike have a sense of belonging and "familyness" to their airline...how refreshing! Great job Cathay Pacific management!

The hobbit from the Shire meets the world's most powerful jet engine!

The Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc

2011-10-05T09:47:00.001-07:00

The beautiful lush grounds of the Hotel Du Cap

...perhaps the best in all of France.

Many believe the Hotel du Cap to be the most sought after summer retreat in the world. Yes, the Hotel du Cap is expensive, pretentious, home to global celebrities/jet-setters, AND we feel, among the most beautiful hotels we have stayed anywhere in the world. Directed by general manager Philippe Perd, the property recently completed a USD 67 million renovation project this past spring 2011. You can now enjoy wi-fi, huge Phillips flat screen TVs, and newly redesigned fine fabrics in all rooms.

Perhaps the most impressive part of our stay here was the genuinely friendly and personal service extended to us by the Hotel du Cap staff. It is reassuring to see a hotel where the staff sincerely enjoy serving others. Staying as paying guests, we feel we have the freedom and independence to objectively evaluate all of the worldwide luxury hotels we visit. The Hotel Du Cap was no exception.

Please read on for our Lynch family observations and favorites from one of France's great retreats:

GM Philippe is a man of details and it shows in the high-touch service here – nearly everyone on the Hotel du Cap property addressed Bev, Zen, Sofia, Coco and I by our names (extraordinary for a 118-room hotel!) and you can actually summon the room service staff by using a bell alongside your bed - quite amusing for the girls!

We were all big fans of the sun-bathing pontoons off the Eden-Roc pool and the super snooty cabanas! (33 in total).

Although the Eden-Roc infinity pool adjacent to the waters of the Cap d’Antibes is quite spectacular, Zen did not really care for the pool’s salt water.

Coco very much enjoyed her cheeseburger at the Eden-Roc pool grille...at a cost of Euro 48, surely the tastiest cheeseburger in all of France!

There truly is a distinctive Hotel du Cap scent. The intoxicating fragrant smell that permeates the halls and rooms of the property is heavenly.

A central feature of Hotel du Cap is its expansive 22 acre lush, green grounds, including rose gardens and clay tennis courts…great for morning walks and tadpole catching in the lily pond!

Breakfast or evening cocktails on the Bellini terrace—it is difficult to imagine a more picturesque setting overlooking the warm waters of the Mediterranean!

Zen was quite surprised to see the hotel's own pet cemetery...Edward VIII's and Wallis Simpson's dogs were buried here.

If you haven't viewed our exclusive Turkey-France luxury tour itinerary yet, visit the website and take a look!

Turkey-France Private Tour: Istanbul - Paris - Provence - Antibes

Istanbul: The Hippest City in the World?

2011-10-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Sofia, Zen, and Coco at the main entrance of the

Audience Chamber at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul

From its deep, rich culture and its economic dynamism, we are very much humbled to have had such a compelling trip to Istanbul. Among the quality guides we use in Turkey is Saffett Tonguç. Widely

considered to be among the top (along with Ms. Arzu!) private guides in all of Turkey, he is the author of several award-winning books on Turkey tourism, history and culture. Among Saffet's notable clients touring Turkey are Oprah, Colin Powell, Eric Schmidt of Google and now the Lynch family!

Despite our limited time, we hit all the major stops in Istanbul's historical Sultanahmet peninsula (Hippodrome Square, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque). Similar to the Taj Mahal, the Blue Mosque is even more impressive in person than all the lovely pictures -- we found the blue tiles lining its interior walls most mesmerizing!

In addition to the Blue Mosque, we found the Topkapi Palace to be the most compelling historical site in all of Istanbul. The official residence of the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries, Zen, Sofia and Coco could not believe that Prophet Muhammad's actual cloak and sword are on display here!

Shopping was enjoyed by all at the Grand Bazaar at the Hans...please note Zen's observations in her journal below.

A 2-hour private cabin-cruiser excursion along the Bosphorus is a scenic and refreshing way to see the breadth of this beautiful city. We had a special stopover lunch at HAMDI, located near the Spice Bazaar. The restaraunt has wonderful rooftop views and delicious kebaps with delicious balloons of traditional breads straight out of the oven!

Istanbul Four Seasons Duo

Having experienced both Istanbul Four Seasons properties, we found each property offering its own unique activities and advantages.

The Four Seasons Sultanahmet offers a small, more intimate setting (only 65 rooms), located in the heart of the Sultanahmet historical district, walking distance from the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, as well as numerous small shops and restaurants. Engaging general manager Felix Murillo mentioned that the property was actually Istanbul's first contemporary prison from 1918 all the way until the 1970s. The prison inscription date is still displayed on the Four Seasons entrance! The only real downside to families staying here is no pool.

In contrast to the Sultanahmet, the Four Seasons Bosphorus is a more sprawling (175 rooms) stand-alone luxury resort, saddled along the banks of the Bosphorus. Despite the property being new (perhaps three years), the Four Seasons Bosphorus has a unique 19th century feel. We love the amazing Bosphorus views to the Asia side of Istanbul from the breakfast terrace. A private hammam at the spa is a special treat and the kids love the pool overlooking the Bosphorus. We feel it is not an overstatement to proclaim the Four Seasons Bosphorus as the top luxury hotel in all of Istanbul.

Hello fellow global kid travelers!

YES, Japan is my favorite place in the world, BUT I really loved Turkey and France! My cousins, Sofia and Coco, and I wrote a list of the things we liked most about Istanbul.

Kittens and dogs everywhere! Istanbul is a kittens-dogs paradise; everywhere we walked we saw the most beautiful animals! We especially liked the dog "Harry," who returned to the coffee shop across from the Four Seasons Sultanahmet every night for food...We miss you Harry!
Shopping at the Grand Bazaar! Forget Michigan Ave. in Chicago -- we prefer all the small, cute shops at the Grand Bazaar. Top of my list were the many "evil-eye" pendants. These are great for my birthday party goodie bags!
Prophet Muhammad's actual cloak and sword at Topkapi Palace - unreal!
Hammam (Turkish bath)! No, we were not allowed to do this because of our age, but at least we did a walk-through!
Our private guide Saffett! Yes, we have had so many great guides in so many countries. Add Saffett to the top - he is so awesome! Saffett is a walking "Google" for Turkish history and culture AND he is so funny!
My only dissapointment is that we missed the sunrise hot air balloon over Cappadocia - next time!

Happy Travels!

-Zen Lynch

Bonjour Paris!

2011-10-04T08:10:00.001-07:00

Among our many worldwide travels, Bev, Zen and I consider Paris to be no less than the most beautiful and culturally compelling city on the planet! Walking through the various boulevards, neighborhoods and winding streets, you are teased with so many wonderful activities: innumerable iconic landmarks, awe-inspiring art, lush greens parks, all that amazing food and so many beautiful, historic bridges! In our view, Paris is complete aesthetic perfection.

Although our clients prefer the 5 star luxury hotels of the Right Bank (Four Seasons, Hotel Le Bristol, etc.) Bev, Zen and I prefer the more intimate immersion of Parisian life on the Left Bank. Unlike the Right Bank, where there is a clear abundance of French historical monuments and public buildings, the Left Bank (think Latin Quarter) is more residential and university-oriented. It is made up of countless boutique shops and bistros in great walkable neighborhoods - this is definitely the more artsy, aesthetic side of Paris!

We were most happy with our stay at the luxury, boutique 51-room Relais Christine, located in the heart of St. Germaine. Built on the foundation of a 13th century Abbey, Relais offers a quite relaxing haven with meticulous service. Our family preferred the tastefully decorated 2-story duplex Junior suites. Another plus of staying here - meeting the property's engaging general managerJean-Luc Chomat - a remarkable look-a-like of Stephen Colbert!

Our engaging Paris travel coordinator, Sylvie, gave us great advice for shopping - just look at the stylish Parisian gamines walking the street for good shopping tips!

Paradoxically, we could not believe the block-long line for locals visiting the newly openedAbercrombie & Fitch store on the Champ Elysees...we finally felt stylish in our A&F tees!

Hello fellow global kid travelers!

Paris is SO BEAUTIFUL! Some of my favorite activities with my mom, dad, Sofia and Coco:

My favorite tour in Paris was the underground catecombs. This tour was AWESOME and also creepy! Walking through the underground hallways full of skulls was fun and scary. Our guide, Jean-Manuel, says the catecombs contain the remains of 6 million Parisians!

Eiffel Tower - cool, old-style mechanical elevator to the top + great views!

Brassiere Le Suffren - the best escargot I have eaten anywhere - smothered with butter and garlic!

Lourve Museum - We love the Lourve! Our funny and so-smart Paris guide, Jean-Manuel, gave us entertaining lectures on the many paintings of the museum's Greek mythology section (my 4th grade teach Ms. Cuesta would be so proud!). Landscape with Orpheus and Eurydice is my favorite. The way Jean-Manuel explained the paintings was like a movie going through my mind. Jean-Mauel is a walking art history book!

Happy Travels!

Zen Lynch

Bali: Art, Ritual, Performance

2011-06-09T12:49:00.001-07:00

This summer at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco!

Congratulations to our friend Jay Xu and all those at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco who have put together a spectacular exhibition on the island art of Bali! For those who may be traveling to San Francisco this summer, the exhibition, titled Bali: Art, Ritual, Performance, is a sprawling collection that reveals the rich cultural history of Bali, an island unknown to outsiders before the 1930s.

We consider Jay, his wife Jennifer, and their lovely daughter Toni, among our dearest friends. We have had some amazing travels together in Asia. We missed traveling with them again to Egypt this year! But perhaps it's for the best since Jay has been busy with all the great happenings at the museum! We are, however, trying to persuade them to join us in a private East Africa safari in 2012!

Over these many years, Bali has become one of the top tourist destinations in Asia. Bev, Zen, and I love this lush, green island and its unique Hindu-Animistic culture!

The exhibition incorporates that which is so important to Balian culture - art, ritual, and performance. In addition to displaying Balinese rituals and artifacts, what may be most impressive about the showing is the Museum has imported more than 25 dancers, musicians, and artisans from Bali! There will be more than 60 live performances and demonstrations during the run of the show!

A job well done, Jay!

Here is a link to the exhibition: Bali: Art, Ritual Performance

Confucis and Mao: Age Old Ideologies in Present Day

2011-06-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Zen learned about Confucius in school and wanted to know more about the Confucius statue and the uproar around its appearance (and later removal!) in front of the newly renovated National Museum in Tiananmen Square.

Photo of the statue from AFP/Getty

The 31-foot bronze statue of the Chinese sage was erected near Tiananmen Square in January of this year - only to "disappear" 4 months later. The political class was first to take notice of the statue, a historical reminder of Chinese politicians relying heavily on symbolism and historical allegory to attack their rivals. The statue caused turmoil since Confucius faced the iconic portrait of Mao Zedong. The history of Mao and Confucius dates back to the Cultural Revolution against the “Four Olds” (old customs, old culture, old habits and old ideas).

One night in April the statue mysteriously disappeared and was later relocated with no explanation! It has caused much commotion in China - students of Confucius are outraged while Mao fans celebrated on the streets of Tiananmen Square on what is seen as victory for Mao.Given the government has recently embraced Confucius ideals, this incident is an interesting look into the intricacies and complexities of China's leadership

Sakura Season Begins!

2011-04-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

It's sakura season in Japan! Notwithstanding the recent tragic events there, the sakura is a subtle reminder of Japan's natural and tranquil beauty. This past week, the cherry blossoms have come into full bloom and some of our Japan guides, Maya-san and Satoi-san, have shared some stunning photos and a video with us!

Watch Maya-san's short video of the beautiful cherry blossoms in Tokyo! You will also find a link to Satoi-san's blog, where there are many sakura photos from Kyoto.

And here is the the link to Satoi-san's blog, From Kyoto to the Globe.

Luxury Travel Newsletter / March 2011

2011-03-11T12:29:00.001-08:00

Saihoji Garden - Kyoto

120 varieties of moss cover the undulating landscape that surrounds the
ponds and trees of Saihoji.

The garden's air itself has been described as green with intensity.

2010-2011 8 Day Japan Private Tour

Hello friends, clients and associates!

As many of you know, Bev, Zen and I had planned on traveling to Egypt this past month. Although we were disappointed to have to postpone this trip to 2012, we are also very much excited a

bout Egypt's future. With so much international good will now focused on this wonderful country, rest assured our Egyptian friends will prosper in the years to come. I cannot imagine another country with the depth and historical richness of this amazing land.

Our next significant family trip will be a somewhat ambitious Round-the-World trip, departing mid-June. This trip will include stopovers in Japan (Kyoto, Shigaraki, et. al), Thailand (Bangkok), Turkey (Istanbul) and France (Provence & Paris). Our last family RTW trip was back in 2008-2009 when we visited Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, India and Dubai - we have a lot of catching up to do!

Please enjoy reading Part II of our private luxury tour picks. Please note that these itineraries are trips that either our clients or the Lynch family have traveled in the past eighteen months.

Also, please note another installment of "Zen's Journal," our most popular read!

All the best + Safe travels!

Randy Lynch

CEO

Kipling & Clark and travNET

rlynch@kiplingandclark.com

www.kiplingandclark.com

www.travnet.net

Part II of Our 2011 Private Luxury Tour Picks

Italy - France Private Tour - 14 days

This private luxury tour includes the best in Italy and France within a manageable 14 day schedule - Positano, Rome, Antibes, Luberon - Provence, Paris. Among the wonderful overnight experiences are teh extraordinary Hotel du Cap/Antibes, LeCouvent des Minimes/Luberon and the LebBristol in Paris. Originally founded by Marquis Melchiar de Forbin Janson in 1613, we feel the Couvent des Minimes to be among the most idyllic settings in Luberon, not to mention its celebrated spa.

China - 17 days

This is an ideal family private summer tour of all the major highlights of China - Bev, Zen, and her cousin, Sofia, and I traveled this exact schedule and very much enjoyed! Your itinerary includes Hong Kong, the Tibetan cultural area of Zhongdian, set in the 10,000 ft elevation of the southern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, private panda audience in Chengdu, a luxury Yangzi River Cruise, lush, green Guilin, and lastly Beijing and Shanghai. In addition to the diverse cultural experiences engaged on this trip, you will be thoroughly pampered at some of our favorite 5 star properties: the Mandarin or Peninsula in Hong Kong, Banyan Tree in Zhongdian, the most unique HOMA (Hotel of Modern Art) in Guilin, and the Peninsula in both Beijing and Shanghai. This trip provides your family with an encyclopedic knowledge of China.

Cambodia - Laos - Thailand - 15 days

As this is among our favorite parts of Asia, Bev, Zen and I have traveled these parts several times. This 14 day Southeast Asia private tour includes the Buddhist-based cultures of Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, including 4 nights in Siem Reap (Angkor Wat), which we feel is the most impressive historical/archeological site in all of Asia. Other stops include our beloved Luang Prabang, Laos, as well as Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai (Maesa Elephant Camp!) and Bangkok, Thailand. Service and hospitality are intrinsic to all of these Buddhist-centered lands. This high-touch service matches up nicely with our preferred properties: raffles, Aman, Four Seasons, and Mandarin. Please note that we may also offer a Phnom Penh /Siem Reap Mekong River option via the 5 star deluxe Jayavarman luxury cruise.

South Africa - 9 days

Although we prefer the vast migration herds in Kenya and Tanzania, no other area in Africa can compare with South Africa's combination of wildlife/native culture, with a European sense of sophistication. We feel an ideal South African private tour itinerary includes the physical beauty and refinement of Cape Town with a private safari adventure in Londolozi. Cape Town offers the natural beauty of Table Mountain, ape Point, the 22,000 acre Cape of Good Hope Nature Preserve, and beloved by all, Boulders Beach and Penguin Colony. Complimenting Cape Town's physical beauty is a 2-3 night stay in the picturesque Winelands region. Blessed with a climate that enables this area to produce world class wine, a stay at LeQuartier Francais in the heart of South Africa's gourmet capital, Franschoek, is an idyllic, culinary experience. We recommend ending your South Africa private tour with a 3-4 night tar at Pioneer Camp, the most secluded of Londolozi's luxury game lodge camps. The three private suites here have superb river views with private game drivers to see lions, leopards, wild dogs (somewhat rare), giraffe, rhino, and elephants. This is where wildlife meets luxury!

Greetings global kid travelers!

As my dad mentioned, my family and some friends planned on being in Egypt this past month. That's ok - we'll try again next year! After spending the past two months tudying Egypt in our 4th grade class, I cannot wait to finally see everything next year. As part of our "Egyptian Museum" project at school, I was assigned "Burial Crafts" - so interesting! I can tell you EVERYTHING about canopic jars, shabti, and sarcophagus. by the way, my favorite pharaoh was Egypt's first female pharaoh, Hatshepsut (1508-1458 BC) - all hail Hatshepsut! (Girls Rule!!)

Zen & Jenna at Parker School "Egyptian Museum"

Now that we must wait next year for Egypt, I am planning fun stuff for our June Round-The-World trip.

RTW Trip "Fun" List

Kyoto - Return to "Sushiiwa" for the best sushi (salmon eggs) on the planet! Also, look forward to re-uniting with our favorite Kyoto guide, Ms. Izumi-san and returning to our favorite shrine, Fushimi.

Bangkok - Long-boats ride through the klongs (canals!) + massage at the Oriental!

Istanbul - Spice Market, Grand Bazaar & Sekerci Cafer Erol candy shop!

Provence - I must finally see and smell those beautiful lavendar fields! My dad says this must be heaven, at least the French version.

Paris - Eiffel Tower + I must find Ratatouille!

Also, February was Black History Month and reminds us of what WAS, and what COULD have been. Last year, in Third Grade, I learned my favorite quote from Martin Luther King, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Happy Travels!

Zen Lynch

Coming up in our April Luxury Newsletter:

Hermes helicopter service, Narita/downtown Tokyo, Our Top 10 Favorite Asian Family travel experiences, Japan's new Hayabusa high-speed train, and our look at the new UA (CO)!

Top 10 Favorite Asia Luxury Hotels & Ryokans, 2010 Edition

2010-12-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

Seasons Greetings friends, clients and associates!

Over the past several years clients and airlines alike have asked us for our opinions on the various hotels we have stayed at in Asia. Based on our annual travels to the Pacific Rim, Bev, Zen and I are continuously (re)evaluating what we consider the very best luxury hotels/ryokans in Asia. Here is the Kipling & Clark/Lynch Family Top 10 Favorite Asia Luxury hotels/Ryokans, 2010 Edition.

Also, please note Zen's Top 5 Fun Travel Experiences in Asia.

Safe Travels!

Randy, Ben & Zen Lynch
rlynch@kiplingandclark.com

1. TIED – Tawaraya Ryokan and Hiiragiya Ryokan – Kyoto, Japan

No change from 2009 – we cannot imagine more respectful, high-touch service or more cultural immersion anywhere else!

Amazingly, two of the most famous ryokans (Japanese inns) in Kyoto are located directly across the alleyway from each other. It’s difficult to distinguish Tawaraya from Hiiragiya – they both represent the very highest levels of high-touch service. A big part of Japan’s uniqueness is its wabi-sabi aesthetic. Wabi-sabi is a Japanese worldview/state-of-mind emphasizing simplicity and purity – the beauty and awe of all things humble, unpretentious and imperfect. Both ryokans successfully integrate the finest Japanese traditions and wabi-sabi philosophy with contemporary conveniences that seasoned travelers expect.

When staying at Tawaraya or Hiiragiya, one can expect a complete, comprehensive immersion into traditional Japanese culture, including a meticulously prepared and delicious multi-course kaiseki dinner. An added once-in-a-lifetime experience is a Kipling & Clark arranged private Geiko and Maiko geisha dinner at either ryokan. (Kipling & Clark can arrange through a private geisha house, “okiya”)

Luxury in ryokan terms is quite different from luxury in a traditional western sense. The high costs of staying at one of these ryokans has no correlation with sleek, modern amenities such as flat-screen TVs/sound systems, high-tech bathrooms or 5-star 24-hour room service, but, rather, due to the meticulous, sincere high-touch immersion into Japanese culture one experiences. This includes your own dedicated Japanese room attendant who individually serves your meals, prepares your bedding, and provides a wabi-sabi centered service that is pure and real.

Our favorite rooms:
Tawaraya – "Izumi" room (8 + 7.5 tatami mats)
Hiiragiya – Room #30 in main building (large - 15 + 14 tatami mats!), Room #51 in new annex building (10 + 3 tatami mats; although small, #51 is cozy and has wonderful lighting from the window)

2. Four Seasons Tag Team! (Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai/Thailand)

We cannot imagine two nearby luxury resorts with better service or more beautiful settings. First, the Four Seasons Chiang Mai – landscaped gardens, water lily ponds, water buffalo (Zen loves the morning rides!), set in terraced rice paddies. No pretention here, the service is subtle, heartfelt, natural, almost wabi-sabiesque in its delivery. Although smaller (only 15 free-standing luxury “tents”) in scale, the Four Seasons Tented Camp/Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle offers every bit of service as its sister property in Chiang Mai. Set in a lush hillside overlooking Burma and Laos, the tented accommodations offer every custom amenity imaginable. The focal point here is elephants – much fun!

Our favorite rooms: Rice-Terrace View Pavilions in Chiang Mai and tents #1 or #2 in Chiang Rai.

3. TIED – Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong & Mandarin Oriental Bangkok

The Mandarin in Hong Kong and the Oriental in Bangkok are our two favorites in Hong Kong and Bangkok, respectively.

• Mandarin Hong Kong: Although we very much enjoy the Four Seasons, the Peninsula, and the Intercontinental in Hong Kong, we must give a slight edge to the Mandarin, especially since its 2007/2008 renovation. This place truly represents understated luxury. The renovation has resulted in the Mandarin’s former balconies being converted to lounge/study area extensions, with stunning Victoria Harbor views. We especially like the bathroom/amenities, including the vertical, swivel plasma TV/mirrors – so unique! The Mandarin offers a luxurious, peaceful oasis from the noisy, frenetic city outside.

Our favorite rooms: Deluxe Harbor & Harbor Suite Rooms

• The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok is our absolute favorite in Bangkok. Boasting a 130 year history of tradition and the highest level of service makes this place a truly unique luxury property. Unpretentious, understated, attentive. We particularly enjoy the Executive Suites overlooking the Chao Phraya River. Bev and Zen are big fans of the Oriental Spa, located just across the river from the hotel, designed in a traditional Thai-style house of beautiful teak wood. The Oriental Bangkok may have the largest, most varied breakfast buffet in all of Asia!

Our favorite rooms: River View State Rooms & Author Suites

4. Gora Kadan Ryokan – Hakone, Japan

A short 45-minute bullet train ride from Tokyo, the Gora Kadan is a quiet, Shinto-Buddhistque oasis from the big city, offering its rejuvenating onsen (hot mineral springs).

Proprietress Mikawako, the third generation of Fujimotos to run Gora Kadan, has blended traditional Japanese ryokan hospitality with modern Western design in creating a luxurious ryokan spa experience. The Gora Kadan’s original building dates back to 300 years and was the summer home of the Kan’in-No-Miya imperial family.

We love the rooms with private granite open mineral springs bath, fed by the Gora Kadan’s natural springs. With its airy east-west fusion aesthetic, its wonderful (Kaiseki) food service, and total relaxation spa, Gora Kadan is definitely on our A-list for high-touch ryokans in Japan.

Our favorite room: Japanese style "Aoi" suite with private mineral springs bath!

5. Peninsula – Tokyo

The 24-story Peninsula has the best luxury hotel location in Tokyo, directly across from lovely Hibiya Park (think 5K run!), Imperial grounds, and adjacent to the amazing Ginza shopping district. Envisioned by architect Kuzukiyo Sato to look like a giant Japanese stone lantern, the freestanding Peninsula combines subtle Japanese hospitality with the Peninsula tradition of understated luxury.

The rooms are among the largest in Tokyo, stating at 544 sq ft. Cool amenities range from bedside consoles that control the drapes to Lavazza espresso machines. The rooms even offer the ladies a personal nail dryer! For our jogging friends, the Peninsula offers a nice 5K start to your day. Beginning across the street on the Imperial Palace’s grounds, a full 5K jog runs through the grounds and back through Hibaya Park. Zen rates the hot chocolate and the Peninsula’s amazing “vitality” pool as the best in all of Japan!

Our favorite rooms: Grand Deluxe Park View & Deluxe Corner Rooms

6. TIED – Grand Hotel D’Angkor (Raffles) & Amansara – Siem Reap, Cambodia

Most hoteliers would describe the Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor as a luxury 5-star hotel/resort, while Amansara (part of the Aman Resorts) fits into the other-worldly elite category. We very much like both properties, located just down the street from each other in Siem Reap.

• The staff at the Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor feel almost like family. In the five years that we have been visiting the Raffles, we have seen very little staff turnover, a glowing testament to the morale and dedication of the friendly, gregarious Khmer crew. Our daughter, Zen, is always invited for fun rides in the antique caged lift and enjoys bringing local friends to the attractive pool/spa area. Sorry, McDonald’s, Zen says the pool grill’s French fries are the very best anywhere! This early 20th Century French colonial style property is among our absolute favorites in Southeast Asia!

Our favorite rooms: Personality and Cabana Suites

• Formerly the guesthouse of Cambodia’s King Sihanouk, Amansara represents the highest elite level of luxury accommodations. The service here is singular, extremely high-touch, personal and custom. In contrast to the friendly, airy Raffles where guests have the opportunity to mingle with others, we feel almost ensconced at the Amansara. When staying at one of the luxurious pool suite rooms, everything is managed insularly with little incentive to go outside the room. Our only chance at interaction with other guests was at breakfast. In the final analysis, Amansara may be better for couples and high-profile travelers wishing privacy, while the Grand Hotel D’Angkor is better suited for families and those wishing a more group dynamic environment.

Our favorite rooms: Pool Suite Rooms

7. Amantaka – Luang Prabang, Laos

As Luang Prabang is among our favorite hidden treasures in Southeast Asia, we are obliged to include a hotel in this sleepy, Buddhist town. Set in a large garden estate in the grounds of a former French hospital, Amantaka is an easy 5-minute walk from Luang Prabang’s main street. Similar to our other favorites in Luang Prabang, the Le Residence and the Maison Souvannaphoum, heartfelt smiles come naturally to the local Laotian staff here. Being an Aman property, the Amantaka does all the little things that make your stay here truly special – cookies and tea every afternoon in the library, ice cold towels waiting for you every time you return to the hotel from the outside.

Our favorite rooms:

8. TIED - Banyan Tree – Lijiang (Yunnan, China) & Hotel of Modern Art (HOMA) – Guilin, China

• Located just outside UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lijiang, the Banyan Tree – Lijiang has created the perfect harmony of the local matriarchal Naxi culture and Banyan Tree’s predictably friendly customer service.

With all 55 of its villas looking out at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, this place has a spiritual soul-searching feel. Notwithstanding the Banyan Tree’s 6,500 ft location, the spa offers wonderful massage service from their Phuket-trained Thai staff!

Our favorite rooms: Deluxe Garden or Deluxe Pool Villa

• Hotel of Modern Art (HOMA) – Founded by a Taiwanese business entrepreneur in 1997, HOMA represents a lovely balance of world class sculpture, architecture, and art set against the backdrop of the natural beauty of the lush grounds.

Despite the somewhat limited English among the staff, the genuine kindness and warmth delivered here is truly heartwarming, with each guest room assigned a personal attendant. HOMA’s art workshop for kids is hands-on and fun! All 46 rooms here are individually designed with hip, funky decorations/artwork, along with flat-screen TVs, modern amenities, and a “wow” design aesthetic. I feel HOMA is THE place to stay if visiting Guilin.

Our favorite rooms: Libre Family Suite

9. Sofitel Metropole – Hanoi, Vietnam

We feel this is the best hotel in all of Vietnam! Conceived in 1901, the Metropole combines wonderful French colonial architecture/history with Vietnam’s cultural traditions of hospitality and services. Our family always feels at home here. Bev loves the modern Vietnam art work displayed throughout the first floor from local artists. Although there are really no bad rooms at the Metropole, the Opera Suite is a major treat!

Our favorite rooms: Opera Suite or Grand Luxury Rooms

10. Shinkansen (Bullet) F Class N700 "Green" Car – Tokyo/Kyoto

Yes, we know this is supposed to be our top 10 luxury hotels/ryokans...but we cannot resist including our most pleasurable rail experience ANYWHERE, the SHINKANSEN N700 F Class Green Car!

Like most things we love about Japan, the SHINKANSEN successfully integrates technology with impeccable service and wonderful aesthetics. We never tire of riding in the "Green" Cars - fastiduously clean, ultra-comfortable seating, and SPEED. These duck-billed bullet trains are most impressive with innovative "tilting" technology that allows the train to tilt one degree to maintain high speeds, even on turns. Another bonus - these trains are QUIET and SMOOTH.

ZEN'S JOURNAL: My Top 5 Fun Travel Experiences in Asia

Happy C-H-K (Christmas - Hanukah - Kwanza), everyone!

Of course my Dad has to give you our family update of our 10 top luxury hotels. Now it's my turn...these are my top 5 FUN travel experiences in Asia.

1. Samurai sword lesson in Kyoto, Japan
My Parker classmate, Zuri, and I both agree this was the most awesome experience during our last trip to Japan. We loved the way the Japanese actors faked their dramatic deaths from our fatal lunges - it felt so real!

2. Take the toboggan down the Great Wall at Mutianyu in Beijing, China
Dad, Mom, my cousin, Sofia, and I felt this to be among the really fun activities of our last China trip! Each toboggan has a manual control throttle that controls your speed sliding down (4500 ft.) from the wall highpoint - the entire trip down takes about 5 minutes - better than any ride at Disneyworld!!

3. Maesa Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai, Thailand tied with morning water buffalo rides at the Four Seasons/Chiang Mai
If you love elephants, Maesa is the place to visit. This is a private elephant camp where you get to feed the elephants, ride the elephants, bathe the elephants, and finally paint pictures with elephants! So cool! I love staying at the Four Seasons Chiang Mai for the morning rides on their two "cute" water buffalo.

4. Spending time with my friends at COSO Orphanage in Siem Reap, Cambodia
The orphan kids are so friendly and happy with none of the many "things" we have. I love to spend time with Marie & Sophiek.

5. Private tea ceremony in Kyoto
I love making the matcha green tea, the sweets and learning all the steps and ceremony. The tea master, Suzuki-san, was so kind and respectful.

Happy Travels & Enjoy the Holidays!

Zen

Lynch Family 2010 Travels

2010-11-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

Greetings friends, clients, and global travelers, and Happy November to all of you!

Now that Halloween and the elections are behind us, the Lynch Family (Bev, Zen and I) is preparing a quick whirlwind trip to Southeast Asia, traveling late December. Also, we are very much looking forward to our February 9-day Egypt private tour as well as travels to Asia & Europe in the summer. We just started reading noted author Stacy Schiff’s newly-released biography of Cleopatra – feedback forthcoming!

We are truly grateful for the vast spectrum of noteworthy clients we serve, from the world of finance, entertainment, technology, science, law, et. al. Many thanks for giving us the opportunity to serve you!

Please enjoy reading our November luxury travel updates, including our 2011 private luxury tour picks and, of course, Zen’s Journal!

Safe Travels!

Randy, Beverly & Zen Lynch

rlynch@kiplingandclark.com

Our 2011 Private luxury tour picks – Part I

As noted in previous correspondence, we really love all of our nice things, but none compare to the amazing travels we experience throughout the year – memories truly do last forever! In terms of raising our children, our clients and we agree that education and travel are critical assets in this newly competitive, global world.

We have prepared a short list of our favorite 2011 private luxury tours. These itineraries include travels to Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Either our family (the Lynch’s) or our clients have traveled on these itineraries during the past year. We will introduce 4 private tours in this edition, with the balance introduced in our Dec/Jan newsletter.

Japan/8 days
For those with time constraints this 8 day private tour is short & so compelling! We freely admit Japan is perhaps our favorite place on the planet with its unique Shinto-Buddhist centered culture, the technology, the meticulously clean environment and Japan’s amazing wabi-sabi aesthetics.

China/17 days
Bev, Zen, her cousin Sofia, and I loved this wide-ranging kaleidoscope of China. Traveling over a 17 day period (with private guide & driver), you see all of China’s contrasts – spectacular Hong Kong, the Tibetan minorities of Yunnan, a private panda session in Chengdu, the romantic landscapes of Guilin and, of course, Beijing and Shanghai.

Egypt/9 days
We cannot imagine a 9 day private tour with so much rich history and awe-inspiring monuments. Four nights in Cairo and four nights plying the Nile River onboard the luxurious Sun Boat IV. Having your own private Egyptologist is a critical plus!

South Africa/9 days
Picturesque Capetown, the buccolic winelands region, and ending your private tour at the secluded (and luxurious!) Londolozi Pioneer Suites Game Lodge.

Part II – Italy-France – Southeast Asia – New Zealand coming in next issue.

Hello global kid travelers!

Halloween
This might be my most fun day of the year! Dress-up + candy – what is there not to like? This year I dressed up as a geisha – it was easy except for that tight wig! I actually dressed as a maiko, a young apprentice geisha (geiko in training). Geisha is the term used in Tokyo, but geiko and maiko is what geisha are called in Kyoto (my favorite place in Japan!).

Paris via Japan?
Ok, my Asia-obsessed Dad finally gave in to Mom and I for travel to Paris next summer – girls rule!! But there is always a catch with my Dad. He has asked if Mom and I “do not mind stopping in Japan and Southeast Asia on the way to Paris.” Sure sounds like another Round-the-World trip to me!

Planes landing at ORD over Full Moon Lake Michigan – WOW!!
My family and I live on the 27th floor on the Chicago lakefront. About five days before Halloween, on a Full Moon night, my Mom, Dad and I saw an awesome sight – we counted over a dozen planes headed toward O’Hare Airport flying over Lake Michigan in a clear straight path. It was so cool to see these bright lights flying over the lake and crossing the cloudless, Full Moon - so beautiful and so unreal!

Attn: Toni Xu in SFO – Our Egyptologist (female!) is now confirmed for our February Nile River Cruise – Hooray!!

Pennies for Peace really works!
Our school (Francis W. Parker) just had a Morning EX (assembly) with a presentation by people from Pennies for Peace. Pennies for Peace began at one school in Wisconsin but now thousands of schools participate! Gamini and Marta's (TravNET) kids, Haley, Gavin, Evan, and Zoe, also participate. They help children in Pakistan and Afghanistan get a good education and build schools. It is so sad to see so many kids without a good education and a good diet. Every penny counts! Please look at their link and give if you can. http://www.penniesforpeace.org/

Thank you + Happy travels to all!

Zen Lynch

P.S. If you need to reach me by e-mail you may send to my Dad – rlynch@kiplingandclark.com

Japan’s Luxury Onsen Ryokans/Resorts
According to our favorite Japan art’s publication, Kateigaho, Japan is a “hot-spring archipelago.” No doubt the Japanese have turned bathing in “onsen” (hot springs) into a tradition and art form. The many high touch onsen ryokans/resorts throughout Japan successfully integrate relaxation/therapy, luxury hospitality and wonderful local cuisine – “onsen” travel is always a big part of our annual Japan sojourns. Take a look at the amazing Chikusenso in Miyagi, http://www.mtzaoresort.com/en

International Business to First Class Up-grades
For your benefit and comfort, please contact Gamini (gamini@travnet.net) or Marta (marta@travnet.net) about our international Business to First Class up-grade opportunities.

Coming up in our December Newsletter: more 2011 private tour picks, Narita - downtown Tokyo helicopter service, our thoughts on wabi sabi, and Tony D'Orio's amazing images of Italy!

Farewell and safe travels!

Lynch Family 2010 Travels

2010-09-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends, clients & Asia associates!

Happy (autumn) to all of you! Following summer (yet active!) break, the Lynch Family (Bev, Zen and I) is looking forward to another year of school and compelling travels. On our calendar the next ten months we have trips scheduled to Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos), Egypt (Nile River Cruise), Japan, and Italy.

Our Egypt trip will be a reunion of sorts with our dear friends, the Xu Family - Jay Xu, Director or the Asian Art Museum (SFO), his lovely wife Jennifer, and their precocious daughter, Toni. Our two families have traveled together far and wide, including Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Burma. This will be our first trip together outside of Asia, our first love.

Enjoy reading our September luxury travel updates!

Safe travels - Randy Lynch rlynch@kiplingandclark.com

- Experiences vs. Consumption

Although we really love all of our nice things, none compare to our amazing travels. Several recent academic studies on what makes people happy only confirm what Bev, Zen and I have known for years: experiences, particularly travel, create more deep-seated happiness that the very short-term high from material consumption. Memories last forever...It's no coincidence that our closest friends are also the same individuals that we have shared travel experiences with.

Two noteworthy Malibu clients' recent private tour of Kyoto illustrate this point. We arranged a private visit at Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), along with an audience with the senior monk. The concluding heartfelt conversation with the monk, discussing the couples' children and careers, ended up being the most emotionally-charged activity of their trip. Both couples feel they will treasure this very special experience for years to come.

ZEN'S CORNER

Hello kids of the world!
Wow, did this summer go by fast! I am back at Parker starting 4th grade. I am so excited with my new teacher, Ms. Cuesta! We study Egypt in 4th grade so our trip there in February should be a big help.

I am looking forward to our Nile River Cruise and sharing a cabin with my San Francisco friend, Toni. The last riverboat cabin we shared was on the Irrawaddy River in Burma. I remember my dad complaining he couldn't sleep with the sound of "High School Musical" from our cabin!

Water and Orphanages in Cambodia
Many kids in Cambodia must walk miles just to get clean drinking water. All of us can help by donating to the Water Wall Project in Siem Reap. After doing this last year, my family and I met the villagers with their new well. The families were so excited and I felt so good to help. Also, here are some orphanages in Cambodia that we know need help -

* COSO Orphanage (we donated a motor for their tuk-tuk!)
o www.coso-orphanage.com
* New Day Cambodia (our friend, Cindy Szadokierski at UA, visits these kids every year!)
o www.anewdaycambodia.org

Braces are tough but you can get through it!

I've had my braces for nearly seven months. Here are some tips from a braces "veteran" -

* The first three days after the braces are put in are the worst! My dentist had me take Motrin which helped the pain.
* At least in the beginning you should ask your parents to help you floss between the braces.
* Once you get the colored brackets you will feel more pressure on your teeth.
* Now after seven months I feel AOK! (My dad says my tips are not necessarily recommended by the American Dental Association!)

Make Your Own Sushi Birthday!

Here is my 10th "Make Your Own Sushi" birthday celebration at Sunda in Chicago. Thank you Tenae and Aeron!

Happy Travels to everyone! - Zen Lynch
P.S. If you need to reach me you can e-mail my Dad - rlynch@kiplingandclark.com

- Tawaraya vv NAHA and Frontera Grill

What do Kyoto luxury ryokans Tawaraya and Hiiragiya have in common with Chicago's noteworthy restaurants NAHA & Frontera Grill - location! Amazingly, two of the most famous ryokans in all of Kyoto, Tawaraya and Hiiragiya, are located directly across the alleyway from each other. Similarly, James Beard award chefs Carrie Nahabedian (NAHA) and Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill) are also located directly across the street from each other, both near Clark and Illinois streets, home of Kipling & Clark!

- Carrie Nahabedian's private (luxury!) tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Thailand

Speaking of Carrie at NAHA, please note one of the e-mails Carrie sent us from Siem Reap, as part of her whirlwind Southeast Asia private tour...yes, Carrie gave us the OK to open this up to all of you..

The temples of Angkor are just like the photos you have seen and then some. The Raffles was great, we had a suite by the pool as big as NAHA...Randy has taken good care of us! We had active days and then an afternoon break, Colin slept and I swam in the luxuriously large pool. I also had a great massage courtesy of Bev Lynch and that made my day. We would then tour again in the afternoon, visiting the fishing villages on Ton Le Sap Lake which was having a big windstorm the day we were there. We visited some villages in the rural areas where Phal has installed water wells for his project which is to bring clean water to each village. Hard to believe in 2010, but millions of people in this region do not have clean water access, electricity or even a home with four walls. The water well project will be my next project and I will be asking all of you to donate to build wells. You can't even imagine the joy of the villagers to go to a pump and be able to get clean drinking water for cooking and drinking. They still bathe in the river and we wont bring up the bathroom situation in the villages. But despite their hard living, they are truly lovely, genuine and hard working people who survive as a community. Their kids go to school and they raise all the food they eat. Colin was quite moved by it all, since he has never seen anything like this. One more thing on the water wells...for $350 a well can be built and will supply clean water for five families. Each well has a big sign and who it was donated by. I was happy to see many American tourists donating thousands to this wonderful cause.

Good job Carrie - you would make a great travel writer!

Although Asia is our favorite area in the world, we prepare amazing high-touch, private luxury tours globally. Our clients recently traveled to France, Italy, Turkey, New Zealand, and East Africa. The common thread among all our trips is personal singular service, individually designed. Our sense of passion and enthusiasm for what we do is unfettered and unrestrained - we truly love working with our wonderful array of clients! (Yes, we admire Alexis de Tocqueville's writings)

Farewell to all!

P.S. Coming in October - our top luxury private tour picks for 2011!

JAPAN APRIL 2010 SAKURA CHERRY BLOSSOMS TRIP - PART II EGYPT, FEBRUARY 2011

2010-06-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends, clients, and Asia colleagues!

Hope you enjoyed reading our Lynch Family Part I April 2010 Japan luxury cherry blossoms trip. Bev, Zen, Zuri and I now wish to share with all of you Part II, including, of course, "Zen's Journal," our brief stop in Koyasan, returning back to our beloved Kyoto, our first visit to the amazing Kayotei ryokan near Kanazawa and then back up to Toyko. Also, we have included a brief preview of our February 2011 - EGYPT 9 day private tour, including a 4 night Nile River luxury cruise.

KOYASAN

Despite the 3 ½ hour travel time from Kyoto (Shinkansen-subway-train-cable car), we thoroughly enjoyed our brief stay in Koyasan. Founded in the 9th century, Koyasan is home to Shingon Buddhism and is considered of one of Japan's holiest mountains.

With over 117 temples and 53 shukubo (think temple ryokan) set in a spectacular forested hills, we found this monastic refuge to be magical and other-worldly. We were pleasantly surprised with the quality, sincere service we received at the Fukushi-Inn (ryokan). The mostly young, male Buddhist staff delivered a delicious, tofu-centered vegetarian kaiseki dinner that we all thoroughly enjoyed. The meal was skillfully cooked without any use of meat, fish, onions, or garlic. Koyasan's Okuno-in Cemetery temple grounds we found to be most interesting. We walked along a eerie, winding cobbled path lined by tall cypress trees with an estimated half million tombs set on both sides. Many noteworthy and peculiar individuals are interned here, including White Ant Memorial built by a pesticide company to honor the thousands of ants that they exterminated!

Koyasan is where we met our Israeli back-packing friend, Moran. Although Moran was intent on backpacking throughout Japan in 30 days, she seemed tired and somewhat disoriented when we first met her on the streets of Koyasan. We felt Moran was in need of some friendly faces and some overdue pampering. Within one day we successfully converted Moran from a struggling budget backpacker to a part of our luxury travel family. Zen, Zuri and Moran would be inseparable for the next two days!

KAYOTEI INN (RYOKAN) - GRADE A

Located in the small hot springs village of Yamanaka, Ishikawa Prefecture, not far from Kanazawa, our stay at Kayotei (1.5 hour by train from Kyoto) was likely our most pleasurable experience during this 8-day Japan trip.

This place has it all - discreet, unpretentious luxury coupled with traditional heartfelt Japanese service. Limited to only 10 sukiya-style suites, General Manager Jiro Takeuchi and his staff can afford to provide singular, high-touch service to each and every guest. Bev, Zen Zuri and I were simply overwhlemed by the personal attention to every detail of our stay - think of Tawaraya service levels set in a green lush environment. Zen and Zuri particularly enjoyed their private onsen/hot springs bath just outside their room on the balcony. An added bonus of staying at Kayotei is its green, forested setting. Bev, Zen, Zuri and I enjoyed a beautiful hike along the verdant winding path adjacent the nearby Dashoji River, clinging to the Kakusenkei Gorge.

KYOTO
When visiting Kyoto we normally spend one or two nights at our favorite high-touch ryokans, Tawaraya or Hiiragiya. Amazingly, two of the most famous ryokans in all of Japan are located directly across the alleyway from each other. It's difficult to distinguish between Tawaraya and Hiiragiya. They both represent the very highest levels of unpretentious luxury, integrating the finest Japanese traditions with contemporary conveniences that seasoned travelers expect. We always follow our ryokan stays with a couple of nights at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto, our much preferred 5 star hotel choice in this beautiful city.

Designed by Japan's superstar design firm, Super Potato, the Hyatt embraces a clean, minimalist update on traditional Japanese style. Zen, Zuri and Bev love the Regency Executive King rooms featuring washi-paper lights, kimono fabrics, and deep cedar tubs. Incredibly, in the four years we have visited the Hyatt Regency Kyoto, we have seen most of the same friendly, smiley faces at the Front Desk/Concierge/lobby area - kudos to General Manager Ken Yokoyama in retaining such a wealth of young talent.

FUSHIMI INARI TAISHA
Fushimi Inari Taisha, located in the southeast suburbs of Fushimi-ku Kyoto, is perhaps our favorite shrine in Japan. (Fushimi is featured in the beginning of the film, "Memoirs of a Geisha"). Fushimi is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the spirit Inari, whose name was derived from "ine-nari" or "growing rice" or "grain". The 4km-long tunnel of thousands of torii gates at Fushimi were donated by individuals, families, and Japanese businesses. Depending on how high you walk along the pathway, this can be a long, somewhat taxing trek. Bev, Zen, Zuri and I very much enjoyed the eerie, magical ambiance of Fushimi.

ZEN'S CORNER

JAPAN HIGHLIGHTS

Hello fellow global kid travelers!

Hope I gave you a good taste of Japan in my Part I journal. Summer camp is coming soon but I still need to finish telling you about our Japan trip, Part II.

OUR FAVORITE PLACE
Zuri and I really loved Kayotei ryokan. What would any 9 year-old kid not like about having their own private room and balcony onsen (hot mineral springs) - Zuri and I thought we were in heaven. Also, our hostess and the food were beyond awesome. For breakfast we chose the American option which was more delicious than any breakfast I've had in Chicago!

We later walked along the beautiful path from Kayotei to the town of Yamanaka. I bought a very cool skull jacket there. One of my teachers at Parker (Mr. O'Brien) wants it for himself and I am officially bequeathing it to him!!

BIGGEST SURPRISE
Meeting our new (back-packing) friend, Moran, at Koyasan. After two days, Zuri and I felt like Moran was our adopted Israeli sister. The weird thing is that Moran loves Japan but does no eat sushi - Moran, we have to talk!

FUNNIEST THING
The Hyatt Regency Kyoto has these really cool clear glass sliding doors at the entrance - so clear that my dad walked right through and really bumped his head! Sorry, Dad, but next time less talking!

MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT - SUSHIIWA IN KYOTO
Zuri and I agree that the sushi at Sushiiwa was the very best of our trip. The salmon eggs (nigiri-ikura) are so good!!!

PENINSULA TOKYO
We spent our last night in Japan at my FAVORITE hotel in Tokyo, the Peninsula. I loved the room's really cool telescope for looking out over the Imperial grounds. Of course, we can never get enough of the incredible TOTO toilets - it's all hands-free! Zuri became obsessed with the Peninsula's room service - I think she has a future in hospitality!

FINALLY - EGYPT!
I love Asia, but 8 trips to Asia in the past 3 years seems a bit too much. Mom and I finally convinced Dad to travel to Egypt next year - we are so excited! Here we come Nile River!

Enjoy the summer and thank you!
Zennia Lynch

JAPAN APRIL 2010 SAKURA CHERRY BLOSSOMS TRIP - PART I

2010-06-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

Greetings friends, clients and Asia colleagues!

The Lynch Family (Randy, Bev & Zennia) has returned from our fourth April sakura/cherry blossoms trip. We were excited to travel with Zen's special guest on this trip, her Parker third grade classmate, Zuri. Zen & Zuri were quite the dynamic travel duo!

Starting in Tokyo, we further explored Kyoto, Koyasan and then on Kanazawa. Similar to past trips we criss-crossed between old and new Japan...The orderly balanced Shinto/Buddhist centered culture of traditional Japan in contrast to its futuristic technology-driven subculture and most unique aesthetics. Traveling within the context of a high-touch, private touring experience, we surveyed additional luxury ryokans and interesting cultural experiences. (think private tea ceremony & samurai sword lesson!) We have decided to share with you our whirlwind 8-day tour in two separate newsletters. Part 1 including "Zen's Journal" follows - please enjoy!

TOKYO (IMPERIAL - MEIJI - HARAJUKU - "MAID CAFE")

On past Tokyo trips we have stayed at the Peninsula, Four Seasons, the Mandarin and Hotel Seiyo Ginza - all outstanding though we much prefer the Peninsula's location across from Hibiya Park and the Imperial grounds. For this trip we decided to try the venerable 5 star Imperial Hotel. Located on the opposite side of Hibiya Park from the Peninsula, the service here was excellent. However, being a large/business/convention hotel (900 rooms!), the scale and size of the Imperial did not really fit our tastes. Bev, Zen, Zuri and I agree that we thoroughly enjoyed or Easter brunch at the Imperial's 11th floor buffet restaurant - amazing food and great service! The buffet offered a traditional "American" breakfast section as well as a "Japanese" breakfast area. The contrast in the two food sections I felt was an appropriate metaphor for Japanese healthy living lifestyle vs the high-fat American diet.

Japanese Buffet: salmon, carrots, mixed cabbage, pickled radish, boiled spinach, pickled nozawana rice

American Buffet: friend bacon, french toast, pancakes, fried potatoes, sausage

FYI Japan remains near the very top for longevity rates in the world while the U.S. ranks 42nd!

MEIJI SHRINE & HARAJUKU

Following our annual pilgrimage to Meiji Shrine we headed to nearby Harajuku and the trendy teenage mecca of Takeshita Street. Despite the overflowing crowds, Zen and Zuri were enthralled with the countless shops selling everything a young global teen would desire - clothing, accessories, videos, food!

SHINKANSEN (BULLET) F CLASS N700 "GREEN" CAR TOKYO/KYOTO

We never tire of riding the Shinkansen (Bullet) N700 F Class "Green" Cars - fastidiously clean, ultra-comfortable seating, and SPEED. These duck-billed bullet trains are most impressive with innovative "tilting" technology that allows the train to tilt one degree to maintain high speeds, even on turns. Another bonus - these trains are QUIET and SMOOTH.

KYOTO (PRIVATE TEA CEREMONY AT TEA MASTER MS. SUZUKI'S HOME)

Although this sounds ponderously taxing, a private tea ceremony is most interesting with the hour or so going by very quickly! Believed to be introduced to Japan by Buddhist monks in the late 12th century, powdered "matcha" green tea is considered the highest quality tea in all of Japan.

Over a dozen steps, including the respectful exchange of greetings, eating the tea sweets, mixing the green powder tea and water with the bamboo whisk, et. al. Following the careful instruction of the tea master, Ms. Suzuki, Zen and Zuri soon became spellbound with the simplicity and beauty of the preparing, serving and drinking the tea. In effect, the tea ceremony is a stylized manifestation of Japan's unique wabi-sabi aesthetic, reflecting a deep-rooted Japanese cultural tradition.

HOSHINOYA RYOKAN (OUTSIDE KYOTO)

Sorry, Conde Nast and Travel & Leisure, we feel Hoshinoya is not quite ready to be placed on our "Favorites" list.

Although advertised as Hoshinoya Kyoto, this luxury East-West fusion ryokan is actually located in Arashiyama, an approx. 45 minute drive from central Kyoto. With 25 guest rooms set alongside the clean, tranquil Hozu River, we found the setting here quite beautiful and picturesque. Hoshinoya is a couples retreat; definitely not a family, kids-friendly environment with few activities. Hoshinoya is trying to combine an "Aman" like sense of exclusive luxury with the aesthetic/culture of a traditional Japanese ryokan. Based on its distance from Kyoto, with all of its rich cultural/culinary options, we feel there are more compelling alternatives for those making a 3-4 day trip to Kyoto: Tawaraya or Hiiragiya ryokan or the sleek minimalist Hyatt Regency Kyoto. I feel the addition of full-service spa activities would definitely enhance the desirability of staying at Hoshinoya - we will keep you posted!

Part II of our Japan trip featuring Koyasan, more of Kyoto and Kanazawa coming soon...including the amazing Kayo-tei ryokan.

Many thanks & Safe Travels! - Now a few words from Zen...

Randy

ZEN'S CORNER

JAPAN HIGHLIGHTS

Hello fellow global kid travelers!

Our 4th sakura/cherry blossoms trip - I cannot believe my first sakura trip was back when I was 6! This was my first trip with my 3rd grade classmate, Zuri. Wow - so much fun!! Let me tell you a few things Zuri and I experienced NOT covered by my Dad.

*Tokyo "Maid Cafe": This was AWK-ward! Dudes being entertained at lunch by young girls dressed like cutesy (kawaii) maids. Sorry, we don't get it! Zuri, my parents and I were all thinking, "Why are we here?"

*Private Tea Ceremony: Zuri and I both loved making the matcha green tea, the sweets and learning all the steps in the ceremony. The Tea Master was so kind to us.

*Private Samurai Lesson: We both agree this was the most AWESOME experience of the whole trip! I think the best part was the Japanese actors faking their dramatic deaths from our fatal lunges - it felt so real!

*Biggest Downer: My dad is a big fan of Ippodo Tea company in Kyoto - but why he would cut short our Samurai sword lesson for a visit to Ippodo is totally beyond Zuri and I. A tea company! Sorry Dad, but boring!

Part 2 coming in our next newsletter!

Goodbye for now & thank you!

Zennia Lynch

Fish Consumption in Japan

2010-03-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

Despite Japan's global reputation as the world's premier seafood loving people, we have noticed a discernible taste for beef among Japan's youth. According to the Wall Street Journal (03/22/10) fish consumption in Japan has been declining. In fact, per capita fish-eating fell below meat for the first time since 2006. The average monthly household spending on seafood has dropped 23% since 2000, to approx. $74 in 2009. While staying at Yoshikawa and Kayotei ryokans in April, we will be sure to check the seafood/beef ratios in the kaiseki dinners - will report back to you our delicious results late next month!

Asia Travel Updates

2010-03-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

Greetings friends, clients, Asia colleagues!

Based on the demands of our ever-inquisitive clients, the Lynch Family will be exploring more extraordinary lands in 2010. In addition to returning to Japan for the April sakura, we will travel back to Southeast Asia for the Jayavarman Luxury Cruise along the Mekong River, our first visit to the amazing land of Sri Lanka, and finally, based on pressing requests from Bev and Zen, travels to Southern France and Paris.

Please enjoy reading our latest Asia travel updates, including the new "Zen's Corner".

Many thanks & safe travels!
Randy, Bev, & Zen Lynch

JAPAN'S FASTIDIOUS (AND WONDERFUL!) NOODLE CULTURE
No doubt Bev, Zen, and I truly enjoy the many amazing eating experiences throughout Japan,including the tasteful aesthetic of the kaiseki dinner and all the fresh sushi. Japan's wonderful array of slurping noodle dishes may be among our favorite culinary delights. Whether ramen (spaghetti-like noodles), soba (thin, grayish noodles made from buckwheat flour), or udon (thick, snowy wheat noodles), half the fun is eating these various dishes is the slurping ("tsuru-tsuru") – no worries about proper etiquette here! Zen enjoys visiting Sato Yosuke, a small restaurant in Ginza featuring Inaniwa udon, a regional premium noodle dating back to 1665 and produced completely by hand. Japan's noodle obsession is truly a national addiction and still another reason Japan is perhaps our favorite destination in all of Asia!

JAYAVARMAN LUXURY CRUISE ALONG THE MEKONG!
Bev, Zen, and I have had many wonderful experience along the Mekong River whether river cruising in Laos or walking along the banks of the Mekong in Luang Prabang or Phnom Penh. With the inauguration of the new Jayavarman luxury river cruises, one can now cruise from My Tho, Vietnam to Phnom Penh, and then onto Siem Reap and the grandeur of Angkor Wat. With only 27 luxury cabins, the Jayavarman vessel offers intimate, high-touch service while also introducing Mekong River stops that would be inaccessible if not by boat. A complete report from the Lynch Family coming later this year.

INDIA'S NEW LUXURY MAHARAJAS EXPRESS TRAIN
As many of you know, traveling through India via rail is most challenging and not so enjoyable an experience. That's all changed with the launching of the new Maharajas Express Train Service. Beginning in Mumbai, with stops n Udaipur (we feel Udaipur to be a beautiful gem), Jodhpur to Delhi, luxury rail service has triumphantly arrived in India. We look forward to boarding the Maharajas Express for our return to the tiger sanctuary at Ranthambore (yes - the train stops here!).

SRI LANKA
The New York Times recently listed Sri Lanka as it's Number 1 must-visit destination in 2010. Described as having the feel of one big tropical zoo, we have no doubt that sugar-beach-ladened country is on the rise.

Despite our many travels to Asia, we embarrassingly concede that we have never visited this idyllic island nation. Bev and Zen are pushing for a quick trip to Sri Lanka after school ending early June 2010. Rest assured we will keep you updated with high-touch experience that our clients demand.

AIRLINE OF THE YEAR - AIR NEW ZEALAND
Congrats to Air New Zealand for being awarded "Airline of the Year" by Air Transport World Magazine. As a prominent agent of Air New Zealand (NZ), our sister company, travNET, has been a big fan of NZ for many years. We are all looking forward to Air New Zealand's launching of its New Economy "Skycoach" later this year!

UA SEEKS RIGHTS TO TOKYO'S HANEDA AIRPORT!
We are very excited about United Airlines' application to provide nonstop service from SFO to Tokyo's downtown Haneda Airport. With Haneda's close proximity to central Tokyo, arriving here is a huge advantage for travelers vs. the inconvenient far-flung location of Narita.

ZEN'S CORNER
Hello fellow global kid travelers!

My family and I are preparing for our fourth sakura/cherry blossoms trip to Japan. Wow, does time fly, even for a 9 year-old! I love Japan for many reasons. The fact that I need no shots or pills to travel there is a good start! Also, I really like staying at the ryokans. The personal attendants are so kind and look so beautiful in their kimonos. I always tell my dad that I sleep best when lying down on the soft futons spread out over the tatami mats. (So comfy!) I am excited about making our first visit to Yoshikawa Ryokan in Kyoto, famous for its tempura. I will be joined by one of my school classmates on this trip - this will be awesome! Take a look at our itinerary. I will tell you all about our Japan adventures when returning in mid-April!

For fun, please enjoy my haiku:

People in a boat
Flowing down a wet river
Ahhh! A waterfall!

Zennia Lynch

P.S. If your kaiseki dinner is too much food, you can always hide some under the table!

Lynch Family Annual Cherry Blossoms (Sakura) Pilgrimage!
April 2010

Bev, Zen, and I will be making our annual spring break/cherry blossoms (sakura) pilgrimage back to Japan this April.

Traveling to Kyoto in April for the cherry blossoms is becoming somewhat of a tradition in the Lynch Family. Cherry blossoms were literally exploding this year in the backdrop of all the wonderful Kyoto temples and shrines, including Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavillion) and Kiyomizu Temple. Perhaps our favorite setting for cherry blossoms is the Heian-jingju Shrine the many weeping cherry trees in the gardens are heavenly this is one of the most beautiful, meditative walks in all of Kyoto. From March through May, the progress of the "cherry blossom front" is reported nightly on the weather reports as it makes its way through the archipelago. The local Japanese meteorologists always become animated when their regular weather report moves onto the "cherry blossom front".

Japan's Economic Doldrums

2010-01-07T12:08:00.000-08:00

The recent January 2, 2010 Economist offered an interesting analysis of Japan's struggling economy. The declining expectations of many Japanese was reflected in our many conversations with locals in Japan during our visit this past year.

Randy Lynch

"For many Japanese the boom years are stilled seared on their memories. They recall the embarrassing prices paid for works by Van Gogh and Renoir; the trophy properties in Manhattan; the crazy working hours and the rush to get to the overcrowded skii resorts at the weekend, only to waste hours queuing at the lifts.

The bust, when it came, was less perceptible. The world did not come crashing down after December 29th 1989, the last trading day of that decade, when the stock market peaked. The next year Japanese buyers were still paying record prices for Impressionist art at Christie's. It was not until 1991 that the property bubble burst. There was no Lehman-style collapse or Bernie Madoff-type fraud to hammer home the full extent of the hubris.

But once the Nikkei 225 hit 38,916 points 20 years ago this week, life began to leach out of the Japanese economy. In the third quarter of 2009 nominal GDP - though still vast by global standards - sank below its level in 1992, reinforcing the impression of not one but two lost decades. Deflation is back in the headlines. On December 29th the Nikkei stood at 10,638, 73% below its peak, though an expansionary budget drafted on December 25th has given it a recent lift. Urban property prices have fallen by almost two-thirds. Some ski apartments are worth just one-tenth of what the "bubble generation" paid for them.

What effect has this steady erosion of value had on the psychology of the Japanese people? The bust did not lay waste to Japan, after all, as the Depression did to America in the 1930s. Homelessness and suicide have risen, and life has got much harder for young people seeking good jobs. But Japan still has ¥1,500 trillion ($16.3 trillion) of savings, its exporters are world-class, and many of its citizens dress, shop and eat lavishly. As a senior civil servant puts it: 'Japanese people have never really felt that they are in crisis, even though the economy is slowly withering away.'

For individuals the damage lies below the surface. One of the first bubbles to pop, says Peter Tasker of Arcus Research, who has written several books on the bust, was a psychological one: confidence. Instead of getting angry, people lost faith in Japan's economic prowess. 'It became all about declining expectations and how society coped with it,' Mr. Tasker says."

The Chinese Communist Party - Russia's Role Model

2009-10-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

Very illuminating article in The New York Times by Clifford Levy, 10/18/09, regarding Russia’s wish to model their economic development from the Chinese Communist Party’s one party rule structure. -Randy

"MOSCOW — Nearly two decades after the collapse of the Communist Party, Russia’s rulers have hit upon a model for future success: the Communist Party.

Or at least, the one that reigns next door.

Like an envious underachiever, Vladimir V. Putin’s party, United Russia, is increasingly examining how it can emulate the Chinese Communist Party, especially its skill in shepherding China through the financial crisis relatively unbowed.

United Russia’s leaders even convened a special meeting this month with senior Chinese Communist Party officials to hear firsthand how they wield power.

In truth, the Russians express no desire to return to Communism as a far-reaching Marxist-Leninist ideology, whether the Soviet version or the much attenuated one in Beijing. What they admire, it seems, is the Chinese ability to use a one-party system to keep tight control over the country while still driving significant economic growth.

It is a historical turnabout that resonates, given that the Chinese Communists were inspired by the Soviets, before the two sides had a lengthy rift.

For the Russians, what matters is the countries’ divergent paths in recent decades. They are acutely aware that even as Russia has endured many dark days in its transition to a market economy, China appears to have carried out a fairly similar shift more artfully.

The Russians also seem almost ashamed that their economy is highly dependent on oil, gas and other natural resources, as if Russia were a third world nation, while China excels at manufacturing products sought by the world.

“The accomplishments of China’s Communist Party in developing its government deserve the highest marks,” Aleksandr D. Zhukov, a deputy prime minister and senior Putin aide, declared at the meeting with Chinese officials on Oct. 9 in the border city of Suifenhe, China, northwest of Vladivostok. “The practical experience they have should be intensely studied.”

Mr. Zhukov invited President Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, to United Russia’s convention, in November in St. Petersburg.

Whatever the motivation, Russia in recent years has started moving toward the Chinese model politically and economically. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia plunged into capitalism haphazardly, selling off many industries and loosening regulation. Under Mr. Putin, the government has reversed course, seizing more control over many sectors.

Today, both countries govern with a potent centralized authority, overseeing economies with a mix of private and state industries, although the Russians have long seemed less disciplined in doing so.

Corruption is worse in Russia than China, according to global indexes, and foreign companies generally consider Russia’s investment climate less hospitable as well, in part because of less respect for property rights.

Russia has also been unable to match China in modernizing roads, airports, power plants and other infrastructure. And Russia is grappling with myriad health and social problems that have reduced the average life expectancy for men to 60. One consequence is a demographic crisis that is expected to drag down growth.

The world financial crisis accentuated comparisons between the economies, drawing attention to Moscow’s policies. In June, the World Bank projected that China’s economy would grow by 7.2 percent in 2009, while Russia’s would shrink by 7.9 percent.

Politically, Russia remains more open than China, with independent (though often co-opted) opposition parties and more freedom of speech. The most obvious contrast involves the Internet, which is censored in China but not in Russia.

Even so, Mr. Putin’s political aides have long studied how to move the political system to the kind that took root for many decades in countries like Japan and Mexico, with a de facto one-party government under a democratic guise, political analysts said. The Russians tend to gloss over the fact that in many of those countries, long-serving ruling parties have fallen.

“We are interested in the experience of the party and government structures in China, where cooperation exists between the ruling party and the judicial, legislative and executive authorities,” Vladimir E. Matkhanov, a deputy in Russia’s Parliament, said at the Suifenhe meeting, according to a transcript.

United Russia praises the Chinese system without mentioning its repressive aspects. And the party’s stance also appears to clash with repeated declarations by Mr. Putin, the former president and current prime minister, and President Dmitri A. Medvedev that Russia needs a robust multiparty system to thrive."

Deng Xiaoping - The Real Revolutionary Hero of China

2009-10-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

A compelling article by Ezra Vogel/Financial Times, arguing that Deng Xiaoping is the real revolutionary hero of China.

"Thursday was the 60th anniversary of the day Mao Zedong stood on the platform at Tiananmen Square and announced the formation of the People’s Republic of China. But the revolution that millions of Chinese are really celebrating began 30 years ago — under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping.

Still, most Chinese recognize that the true revolution belongs to Deng Xiaoping. No specific reforms were as important as his persistence in further opening China’s doors and encouraging its people to scour the world for new ideas in science, technology and management.

One first step was to promote talent at home. Many universities had been closed during the Cultural Revolution, which ended with Mao’s death in 1976. When he returned to power in 1977, Deng embarked on a colossal rush to hold national entrance examinations and reopen universities.

Deng also frequently invited Chinese-American scientists for talks. His key question was always: How can China catch up in science? In 1978, when Frank Press, President Jimmy Carter’s science adviser, visited China, he was taken aback when Deng proposed sending far more students and faculty to the United States than Dr. Press had the mandate to offer. Deng was so insistent on a quick answer that Dr. Press called President Carter, waking him in the middle of the night. President Carter immediately accepted Deng’s proposals.

In the 30 years since Deng started his revolution and further opened China’s doors to foreign trade and investment, hundreds of millions have risen above the poverty level, China has become the workshop of the world, urban slums have been replaced by forests of modern high-rise buildings, superhighways have succeeded dirt roads and cars have displaced donkey carts.

To be sure, the last 30 years have had plenty of problems — corruption, crackdowns on dissidents, environmental degradation, unequal educational opportunities and a failing rural health system. Chinese leaders lacking confidence in their ability to maintain public order are not likely to listen to Western advice on how to handle human rights, minorities and dissidents. China will move at its own pace, but Deng’s revolution demonstrated that it is able to take positive lessons from the West.

So on this 60th anniversary, we should join in the celebration of the Deng revolution and not be distracted by the portrait of Mao hanging in Tiananmen Square."

Kipling & Clark Founder Randy Lynch's 15 Favorite Things (Places & Experiences) in Southeast Asia!

2009-10-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

We've given you "Favorites" for Japan and Hong Kong, and we have now compiled our 15 Favorites for Southeast Asia (Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos-Thailand-Burma). Hope you find out list informative and entertaining!

-Randy, Bev & Zen Lynch

1. Luang Prabang/Laos
The ancient royal city of Luang Prabang is a place where time seems to stand still. Bev, Zen and I have always felt Luang Prabang to be among out favorite hidden treasures in Southeast Asia. It's a slow, sleepy town nestled on the Mekong River and rich in Buddhist culture. This former royal capital is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a fusion of monasteries, traditional Laotian dwellings and French-colonial architecture. (We love La Residence and the boutique Maison Souvannaphoum - Amantaka opening!)

2. Maesa Elephant Camp/Chiang Mai, Thailand
This is among the unique highlights of our Southeast Asia trips. What the Four Seasons, Peninsula and Mandarin are to luxury hotel accommodations, the Maese Elephant Camp is to very personal, hands-on, elephant training. Your private elephant camp experience will include a breif training of elephant commands, riding the elephants on your own (no worries with training close by), personally bathing the elephants in the river (so much fun!) and end with a painting session with your elephants. Yes, with directions, these elephants can actually paint and draw.

3. Mekong River Cruise (Laos - Thailand)
In contrast to the 5-Star luxury resorts we normally use in Southeast Asia, our nine-year old daughter, Zennia, considers the tranquil Luang Say Cruise down the Mekong River as "roughing-it."

The 2 day/1 night journey down the Mekong River from Luang Prabang to Huai Say Laos, across the border from Thailand, is a great way to wind down and simply enjoy the Mekong River culture and scenery. You literally overnight in the middle of nowhere, on the banks of the Mekong at the Luang Say Lodge. Although certainly not luxury, the lodge has clean, comfortable villas overlooking the Mekong and a friendly, Laotian staff that earnestly care for your needs. This is a rustic Spartan environment in a good way.

4. Altruistic Opportunities/Cambodia and Laos
Our various trips to Cambodia and Laos have been instructional in terms of the tangible ways we can improve the everyday lives of underpriveleged children. COSO Orphanage in Siem Reap, New Day Cambodia in Phnom Penh, and countless primary schools in Laos and Cambodia offer numerous opportunies to give back to these beautiful, yet very needy kids. Many of our clients, particularly the younger ones, find these activities eye-opening and heartwarming, a real-world contrast to their privileged life back in the U.S.

The genuine kindness and heartfel gratefulness you see in the children's faces and beaming smiles make these experiences incomparably gratifying.

5. Angkor Wat/Cambodia
We feel the various temples of Angkor represent the most amazing and enduring architectural acheivement of any religious site in Asia. The temples, built between the 8th and 13th centuries, when the Khmer civilation was at the height of its development, are spread out over approximately 40 miles around the village of Siem Reap. We particularly love Angkor Thom, Banteay Srei, and, of course, Angkor Wat! (Added bonus 0 staying at Grand Hotel D'Angkor or Amansara!)

6. Hanoi/Vietnam
Hanoi represents all that is most compelling about Vietnam; the resourceful/entrepreneurial spirit of its people (do not miss "36 Streets"), its rich French traditions as reflected in its charming French-colonial architecture (think Sofitel Metropole) and French-incluenced Vietnamese cuisine ("Seasons" and so many other wonderful restaurants), and, of course, its symbol as Vietnam's cultural/political capital. The legacy of Ho Chi Minh is ubiquitous - his mausoleum is spell-bounding and abominable.

7. Buddhism and Its Intrinsic Service Culture
Buddhism fully embraces the concept of altruism, kindness/empathy to others, and service. Think of Buddhism as The Golden Rule (squared!). It is no coincidence that the Buddhist-based cultures of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, and parts of India, represent the highest level of service/hospitality that you will find anywhere.

8. AMAN in Southeast Asia (the very very best!)
Well-known by many of our clients and friends, Singapore-based Aman Resorts represent the pinnable of world-class luxury hotel/resort hospitality. While Peninsula, Four Seasons, and Mandarin rule the 5-Star deluxe hotel category, Aman, alone, occupies the very elite level; small, extreme high-touch, singular, and personal. Each resort is characterized by a small number of rooms (typically less than 55) and minimalist architecture designed to complement the location's natural settings. Amansara (Siem Reap), Amanpuri (Phuket), Amankila and Amandari (Bali) among others - we love Aman in Southeast Asia!

9. Burma/Cruising on the Irrawaddy River
We feel the intoxicating Irrawaddy River epitomizes the wonderful culture of Burma - and endearing, leisurely charm and innocence that was perhpas pervasive in Southeast Asia fifty years ago. Rudyard Kipling "thought it quite unlike any land you know about." The 2-night cruise on the RV Pandaw (only 16 cabins) affords wonderful village stops only accessible via the river. The meticulous service and food on the Pandaw is another bonus!

10. Laotian Baci Ceremony
Bev, Zen and I participated in our first Baci ceremony back in 2004 and thought it was among the highlights of our Luang Prabang stay. (Zen was just 4 then!) The Baci ceremony pre-dates the arrival of Buddhism in Laos (8th century) and is considered the most respectful form of welcome from Laotian villagers. During the ceremony the selected individuals tie strings around their wrists believing the strings will protect the wearer. It is suggested the strings must not be removed for at least three days. The ceremony is highlighted by accompaniment of music and traditional dance. It's a very moving personal ceremony, and is meant to bestow the protective power of the spirits of the visitor(s).

11. The Oriental/Bangkok
Founded in 1876, the Oriental really sets the standard for subtle, understated luxury - the service here is legendary. The State Rooms, River Wing, are our favorites - decorated in traditional Thai style with dark teakwood and bright Thai silk. Another plus is their amazing spa (accessible via ferryboat directly across the Chao Phraya River from the hotel).

12. Ballooning Over Bagan (Bagan/Burma)
The sunrise hot-air balloon ride over Bagan is not to be missed, perhaps the most compelling hot-air balloon ride in all of Asia. You rise over 2,000 pagodas, stupas and monasteries built during the Bagan Dynasty 1044A.D. Bagan is to Burma what Angkor Wat is to Cambodia.

13. Four Seasons Tag Team! (Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai/Thailand)
We cannot imagine two nearby luxury resorts with better service or more beautiful settings. First, the Four Seasons Chiang Mai - landscaped gardens, water lily ponds, water buffalo (Zen loved the morning rides!), set in terraced ride paddies. No pretention here, the service is subtle, heartfelt, natural, almost wabi-sabiesque in its delivery. Although smaller (only 15 luxury "tents") in scale, the Four Seasons Tented Camp/Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle offers every bit of service as its sister property in Chiang Mai. Set in a lush hillside overlooking Burma and Laos, the tented accommodations offer every custom amenity imaginable. The focal point here is elephants - much fun!

14. Phnom Penh/Cambodia
Although small by comparison to other Asia capitals, dusty, sleepy, undeveloped Phnom Penh makes us feel that we are visiting a place from time's past. Ubiquitous French-colonial architecture, genuinely friendly, unpretentious natives, and history - this is a nice place to unwind. We particularly enjoy lunch or dinner at Foreign Correspondant's Club/FCC on the bankd of the Mekong.

15. Southeast Asia Kids!
Of course, all children are beautiful. Nevertheless, the children of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Burma project so much happiness and heartfelt kindness in their eyes and smiling faces, they always hold a very special place for us.

Our 15 Favorite Things about Japan

2009-09-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

1. Cleanliness
Japan's Shintoesque identity has made the Japanese perhaps the cleanest people on earth. Regardless of where you travel in Japan, the natives are well-groomed, neat, and spotlessly clean. This extends to streets, homes, office buildings, wherever!

2. Geisha Culture
A private geisha dinner with a Geiko (geisha in Kyoto), Maiko (apprentice geiko), and Jikatu (instrument-playing geiko), is an other worldly experience. While being served a scrumptious multi-course kaiseki dinner, you are serenaded with traditional Japanese song and dance. Separately, Zen feels her geisha "makeover" is among her most "awesome" experiences in Japan.

3. Japan's Railway System
Similar to so much of Japan, its railway/shinkansen (bullet) transport system is meticulously efficient, immaculately clean, very fast, and completely reliable. If only we had shinkansen in the states! We particularly love the First Class N700 Green Cars - ergonomic seating with an unbelievably smooth ride!

4. Japan's bathroom culture
Toto's automated toilets/washlets make Japan's bathroom culture most unique, perhaps a further expression of Shinto clealiness/hygiene. These toilets are amazing - all-spraying, all deoderizing, with oscillating heated massage! Bev, Zen and I agree that the Toto washlet is a fun, hands-free, spa-like bathroom experience. This is another bonus for staying at the Peninsula!

5. Sum0 Wrestling
If you are unable to make one of the bi-monthly Sumo wrestling tournaments, a private morning Sumo wrestling practice session is the next best thing - followed by a Chanko breakfast with the wrestlers!

6. Wabi-sabi aesthetic
The Japanese worldview/state of mind emphasizing simplicity and purity - the beauty and awe of all things humble, imperfect, unpretentious.

7. Anime (and manga)
Bev, Zen and I are all big anime (Japanese animated film) fans, particularly as manifested in the Ghibli Museum, west of Tokyo in Mataka. Ghibli features the work of Academy award-winning filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki ("spirited Away"). Ghibli is a kid's animation wonderland!

8. Onsen (natural hot springs)
Whether indoors or outdoors, Japan's ubiquitous hot springs are a national treasure, relaxing, therapeutic, cathartic. Gora Kadan in Hakone is our favorite!

9. Shinto shrines/Buddhist temples
Fushimi-inari (our favorite!) and Heian Jingu in Kyoto, and Meiji in Tokyo; Kiyomizudera ("Pure Water Temple"), Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), Nanzenji (Zen's favorite) in Kyoto, and, of course, Todaiji in Nara.

10. High-touch (luxury) ryokans)
Amazingly, two of the most famous ryokans (Japanese inns) in Kyoto are located directly across the alleyway from each other. It's difficult to distinguish Tawaraya from Hiiragiya - they both represent the very highest levels of high-touch service. Both ryokans successfully integrate the finest Japanese traditions and wabi-sabi philosophy with contemporary conveniences that seasons travelers expect.

11. Japanese (matcha) green tea
The highest quality of all green teas, matcha (MA-cha) is a fine, powdered Japanese green tea, originally conceived by Chan Buddhists in China. Matcha is an integral part of the Japanese tea ceremony and a very special treat when visiting Japan. All hail matcha!

12. Japanese food, in all of its variety!
Sushi, tempura, robata, soba, kaiseki dinners.

13. Japanese vending machine craze
Japan is the vending machine epicenter of the world - clean, reliable and pervasive throughout the country. You can get just about anything in Japan's vending machines: food (including hot ramen), alcohol, soft dinrks, even fresh eggs, umbrellas and lingerie!

14. White-gloved taxi service
We always look forward to experiencing Japan's meticulously clean and efficient taxi service, particularly the drivers' clean, white gloves and white lace seat covers.

15. Japanese Professional Baseball
Enthusiastic, yet perfectly choreographed participation by the fans, attending a professional Japanese baseball game makes one feel American-style baseball is comparatively eneventful. Coordinated cheering and towel waving, deafening roar of the crowds, and, of course, the ubiquitous stadium "beer girls" make baseball in Japan so much fun!

Burma Brief

2009-09-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

Notwithstanding the bad press generated by its repressive ruling military junta, we still feel Burma to be among our favorite places in all of Asia.

100 years ago Rudyard Kipling visited Burma and “thought it quite unlike any land you know about.”

Burma has changed little since colonial times.

Burma is best described as a product of times past – an endearing, leisurely charm and innocence that was perhaps pervasive throughout S.E. Asia fifty years ago. Unlike the rest of Asia, however, Burma has remained reclusive, especially since military junta imposed its rule over the country in 1988.

Due in part to Burma’s self-imposed isolation, Western influence, particularly the grittier commercial aspects, are not to be found here. You will see few Burmese dressed in Western garb and you will see no Starbucks or McDonald's here.

Despite the widespread adoption of Buddhism, the pre-Buddhist practice of nat (spirit) worship is ubiquitous throughout much of everyday Burma. Traditional beliefs encompass a spirit world inhabited by a cast of supernatural beings, none more important than nats, mischievous little spirits that can wreak havoc if not placated with offerings of flowers, food, and money.

Similar to other Southeast Asian countries, Burma is a land of little smiling faces. We are particularly drawn to the young Burmese women displaying their thanaka applied faces. Thanaka, a type of sandalwood paste, is used as a beauty mark as well as a sun protector for many Burmese children and young women.

Our 12 Favorite Things in Hong Kong (Randy, Bev, & Zen Lynch) – Fall 2009

2009-09-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

1. Hong Kong Skyline/Victoria Harbor
Hong Kong’s expansive skyline, including so much world-class architecture (Bank of China Building being our favorite!), set in the backdrop of Victoria Harbor, makes this panorama perhaps the most wondrous in all the world. (The nightly “Symphony of Lights” is a must-see!)

2. Hong Kong’s unabashed sense of status consciousness/consumerism.
If you’re looking for a sense of spirituality or transcendental self-awareness, Hong Kong may not be the place for you. As Taiwanese essayist Lung Yingtai has noted: “In Hong Kong, economic benefit is the core value for all decision-making and development is the sole ideology.” This is a city of hyper-drive commerce where it seems material success is everyone’s ultimate goal.

3. The Star Ferry
Dating back to 1880, the plain green and white Star Ferry vessels cross Victoria Harbor throughout the day and night between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Perhaps the best transport value in the world – Hong Kong’s spectacular skyline/harbor views for a cost of approx. USD1 per person!

4. The very best luxury hotels in the world
The Mandarin, the Peninsula, the Four Seasons, the Intercontinental, the new Upper House, too many to name. Bev, Zen and I all feel no other city can match Hong Kong in terms of the number of high-touch 5 star deluxe luxury hotels. The service culture here is innate, almost genetic.

5. Lan Kwai Fong night-life
We always love returning to the trendy, chic Lan Kwai Fong area for great restaurants, night-clubs, and a high-energy group dynamic. Its two main streets, D’Aguilar and Lan Kwai Fong, are packed with office workers, expats, and local shakers enjoying the restaurants, bars and shops. Good for singles and families alike!

6. Hong Kong’s unique (walking) neighborhoods
Hollywood Road (antiques), Gough Street in Central (hip alternative to expat-dominated SOHO), Sheung Wan (one of Hong Kong’s oldest original settlements), Mong Kok (residential/industrial area including Bird Market and many shops catering to local Chinese), Midlevels (residential area with world’s largest series of escalators), Herbal Market (Chinese herbal drugstores and doctor consultations), Stanley Market (cheap, touristy shopping!). Many amazing neighborhoods for walking and people-watching!

7. Unique, wonderful private clubs
China Club, Halo, Azure, Volar, Club 71 – take your pick!

8. Wonderful variety of food!
Hong Kong is world capital for all foodies. World-class standards and variety of outstanding restaurants – Bo Innovation, Caprice, Halo, Goccia, Felix, Kin’s Kitchen, Indochine 1929, dim sum at traditional Luk Yu Teahouse or with a contemporary twist at Kee Club.

9. Asia-based high-end shopping
Shanghai Tang, Joyce, Douglas Young’s G.O.D. (Goods of Desire), all among Bev and Zen’s favorites!

10. Macau and Hong Kong Helicopter Getaway/Sightseeing
Quick trip to Asia’s new luxury Sin City with a spectacular view from above or stay in Hong Kong with helicopter sightseeing from the helipad atop the Peninsula.

11. A private Junk cruise along Victoria Harbor, along with a BBQ dinner. (So much fun and spectacular scenery!)

12. Hong Kong International Airport
Our favorite airport in all of Asia – meticulously clean and efficient, shopping, restaurants, transport – Hong Kong Airport has it all! It has been named world’s best airport seven out of the last eight years (from SKYTRAX).

Failure as Viewed in the U.S. vs. Japan

2009-09-08T11:52:00.001-07:00

In America failure is viewed in perhaps transformational terms, with examples of people overcoming calamities, physical, emotional, and financial, and coming out better for it in the end.

Japan draws a distinct contrast to the American model. Peter Goodman, reporting in the NY Times 09-06-09, writes that in Japan "failure traditionally carries a deeper stigma, an enduring shame that limits the appetite for risk in the view of many of the nation's cultural observers. This makes the Japanese form less comfortable with choices that increase the prospect for failure, even if they promise greater potential gains."

Air China increases stake in Cathay Pacific to 30%

2009-08-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

Cathay Pacific, among our favorite, high-touch carriers in Asia has become a bigger interest of China. Air China, mainland China's largest airline, raised its stake in Cathay Pacific Airways to 30%. Swire Pacific Ltd., the Hong Kong-based conglomerate with British roots and Cathay's biggest shareholder, raised its own to 42%.

The share purchases by Swire and Air China on Monday are the maximum stakes that the two companies could purchase without triggering a requirement under Hong Kong law to bid for the whole of Cathay, according to Christopher Pratt, chairman of Swire and Cathay. Mr. Pratt said Monday that the new shareholding wouldn't affect strategy and management at Cathay, and underscored Swire's commitment to remain the single largest shareholder in the airline.

Japan's Bathroom Culture (TOTO S400!)

2009-08-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

TOTO's advanced S400 "Intuitive" washlet takes Japan's unique Shintoesque bathroom culture to a whole new level, with an automatic hands-free flushing system and sensor-activated lid that automatically lifts as you approach the toilet. At your command, using the remote control LCD panel, you may control the aerated warm water, with front and rear washing, and, of course, warm air drying with a variable temperature setting. Bev, Zen, and I all agree that the TOTO washlet is a fun, hands-free, spa-like bathroom experience. This is another bonus for those staying at the Peninsula Tokyo!

How to Visit a Shinto Shrine

2009-07-14T12:47:00.001-07:00

Purify yourself by washing your hands and mouth at a water place. It is called a “Chosuya,” and almost all shrines have it.

Dip up water and pour over the left hand and then over the right one.

Rinse out your mouth and be sure that your does not directly touch the dipper.

Wash the dipper.

How to make a wish to gods at Shinto Shrine

Throw a coin into the offertory box.

Bow twice.

Clap your hands twice and make a wish during the series of this last motion.

Bow again.

www.howcast.com

Smile-checking in Japan!

2009-07-14T12:36:00.000-07:00

Just read an amazing update from The Economist . Keihin Electric Express Railway in Japan is requiring its staff to check their smiles every morning using a computer software called Smile Scan (modeling OMRON Corp). Workers have their grins scored from 1-100 and are given advice on how to improve them. Later in the day they are able to get a print-out of their best smile, which they can use for future improvement. Let's get this in the U.S.! -Randy

COSO Orphanage

2009-07-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

Notwithstanding our severe economic downturn. most of us are still blessed beyond compare to those orphaned overseas. To get a fresh perspective pleaes note the donation plea from Sean Samnang, Director of COSO Orphanage in Siem Reap, Cambodia - no wasted funds here!

"Nowadays, we are very lacking the budgets for support the children, and request to help from all. Please you all to make small donation to help us by possible who can.

With lists has to spend! We provide have three meals a day, for monthly need to spent $ 1,950 USD for food , $ 126.50 US for Ingredient of cook, $ 90.00 US for wood charcoal, $ 80.00 US for sweets, $ 21. 75 US for toothbrush, $ 50.75 US for fluoride, $ 38.70 US for soap, $ 20.00 US for washing dishes, $10.00 US for toilet washing, $ 37.50 for washing clothes, $ 150.00 USD for rented land, $ 253.50 USD on fee school, $ 100.00 USD for medical supplies, $ 323.20 USD for gasoline and $ 139.00 USD on services of Internet every month. In total, $ 113.03 USD is spent a day, $ 791.21 USD is spent per week and $ 3,390.90 USD is spent for a month.

$113/day, $791/week, $3390/month"

To make a donation to the COSO Orphanage, visit www.cosocambodia.org

On their website, we can see a picture of the "motor-drag tuk-tuk" vehicle that our donation allowed them to purchase! (www.cosocambodia.org/donation) Something so small can make such a big difference in the lives of the children.

Yokiro Takita’s “Okuribito” (Departures) film a compelling glimpse into Japan’s culture and view of death.

2009-06-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

Bev and I feel the recently released Japanese film “Departures” is a wonderful window into Japan’s Shinto/Buddhist-centered culture, especially in terms of the Japanese view of death. The film evolves around the experiences of an apprentice nokanshi (“encoffining master”), a professional who cleans and clothes a body before cremation or burial. The film vividly shows the nokanshi carefully and very respectfully dressing up the deceased, in full view of the survivors/relatives, with compassion and a meticulous, artful professional touch.

A nokanshi is not really a mortician or an undertaker, but perhaps a gatekeeper/facilitator from the world of the living to the next spiritual realm. After watching this thoroughly engrossing film, one can argue that the Japanese outlook on death makes a lot of sense. Seeing deceased family members made up like wax mannequins at funeral wakes, I feel the more natural and beautiful aesthetic created by the nokanshi makes for a wonderful final journey from this world.

- Randy & Bev Lynch

Restoring peace to heart of Shanghai

2009-05-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Illuminating article in Financial Times, 05/26/09, regarding the newly renovated Peace Hotel in Shanghai. - Randy Lynch

For years, Shanghai has happily smothered its past in skyscrapers, each one taller, flashier and more futuristic than the last. But now it is looking backward. The city that ran an 11-lane highway down the middle of the Bund, riverside heart of colonial Shanghai, is rebuilding the art deco Peace Hotel, its famous landmark and a symbol of all that was playful and decadent in old Shanghai.

In typically Chinese defiance of both the global economic crisis and a glut of Shanghai luxury hotel rooms, the Peace Hotel is to reopen in March as a luxury hostelry, managed by Fairmont, the historic hotel operator. The money for the Rmb500m ($73m, €52m, £46m) restoration comes from the owner, Jin Jiang group, which is majority owned by the Shanghai government.

Balancing the needs of profit and preservation makes this one of the most challenging, and closely watched, historical restoration efforts in China. If the project succeeds, and the renamed Fairmont Peace Hotel becomes a commercially viable property, it could encourage more preservation of old Shanghai, according to local restoration experts. The Peace Hotel survived wartime bombs, Japanese occupation and Communist takeover: but some Chinese heritage experts worry that it will not survive a brush with capitalism.

The hotel’s pedigree is impeccable: brainchild and plaything of Victor Sassoon, the British-Iraqi trader of opium, guns and Shanghai property, it opened as the Cathay Hotel in 1929 and was the most luxurious hotel in Asia. Charlie Chaplin stayed there: one of his photographs even provided historical material for the restoration, according to Professor Ruan Yisan, consultant to the Shanghai government’s historical preservation commission. Noel Coward finished Private Lives while staying there.

From its Lalique glass shaving mirrors to its opulent “Nine Nations Suites” – from Indian, Georgian and Chinese to German, French and Italian – the hotel helped make Shanghai famous in the 1930s. When it opened, sceptics predicted failure, as Shanghai already had too many hotel rooms, says Peter Hibbard, official historian to the restoration project. “They were all proved wrong, as the hotel ... heralded a new era for Shanghai.”

But by 2007 – though foreign tourists still made the nostalgic journey to the fusty old landmark where rooms cost about $100 a night – the hotel was overcome by damp and decay. Its signature Old Jazz Band was still playing pre-war favourites, with some of the original octogenarian musicians. But Jia Xue Tai, saxophonist for the band – which now plays at another Shanghai hotel until it can return to the restored Peace Hotel – remembers burst water pipes leaking on them.

But reinstating the Old Jazz Band will be easy compared with the task of restoring the hotel’s interior. Ian Carr of Hirsch Bedner Associates, designers of the restoration, says everything from furnishings to faucets has disappeared and the hotel has had several botched renovations.

“There is no way of telling what was original,” he says. The restorers advertised for information but even getting the original blueprints was hard. Luckily, ceilings were out of reach “they couldn’t knock them down or take them out ... so they just covered them up,” he says, noting that the hotel’s octagonal glass rotunda, covered by gypsum board for decades, will be a centrepiece of the restoration.

Balancing the demands of the hotel’s Chinese state-controlled owners, Jin Jiang International Hotels, and the foreign-owned operators, Fairmont Hotels, has also been tricky. Fairmont wants “a repositioning, not a restoration,” he says, adding “they don’t want a dowdy museum piece.”

But Yang Weimin, CEO of Jin Jiang International Hotels, says the company must abide by historical preservation laws. A new building will be built at the back of the hotel to house a swimming pool, spa and large lifts.

But Lu Jiansong, of Shanghai Fudan University’s Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology, says he worries that a restoration driven by profit will not honour the historical value of this national treasure.

“The Peace Hotel belongs to the state, not to Shanghai, not to Jin Jiang and not to foreign investors,” he says.

By the time the Peace Hotel reopens, most of the Bund’s traffic will have been diverted to an underground tunnel and a new riverside promenade will have been built. It will be an important step toward realising the tourism potential of Shanghai’s historic Bund, neglected for decades.

Today, I Have Lived

2009-05-18T12:47:00.001-07:00

I was reminded by our daughter, Zen, of our singular amazing day in Kyoto this past April, including our private geisha dinner that we shared with our dear friends, the Xu Family. This wonderful day was driven home to me by an article I read from Harry Eyres of the Financial Times. His reference to a lovely poem by the Roman poet/philosopher Horace is a succinct description of a single perfect day:

"All power and joy to that man who can say, 'today, in this day, I have lived'; tomorrow may bring rain or sun, but nothing can undo, or render worthless, what the fleeting, unrepeatable hour has brought."

- Randy Lynch

ANA Service

2009-05-01T12:15:00.000-07:00

Bev, Zen, Sofia and I were most impressed with ANA's Chicago-Tokyo 777 in-flight service. Similar to the Shinto/Buddhist-centered culture ANA represents, the service among the all Japanese crew was kind, respective, and completelely attentive. Noteworthy observations in Premium Economy:

We loved the curry chicken entree and the tasty & healthy "soy" snack bars!
Zen and Sofia took special note of the Haagen Dazs ice cream treats at the end of dinner
Great audio/video selection with over 20 movies to choose from

Of course, even after a ponderous 12hr flight, the ANA lavatories were spotlessly Shintoesque clean!

We love Japan in the springtime!

2009-04-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

The Lynch Family (Randy, Bev, Zen, and Cousin Sofia) has just returned from our annual spring break trip to Japan. This has to rate as our best Japan trip ever! Ghibli, origami, maiko dress-up, sakura (cherry blossoms), private Geisha dinner, the best ryokans in all of Japan, and, of course, traveling with our dear friends, the Xu Family – Jay Xu, the Director of the Asia Art Museum and his lovely wife Jennifer and engaging daughter, Toni. Japan’s unique Shinto-Buddhist-centered culture and other-worldly wabi-sabi aesthetic truly separates this land from any other in the world. By the way, Japan may be the cleanest country on the planet!

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR TOKYO, HAKONE/KYOTO-NARA CUSTOM TOUR

TOKYO

- The Peninsula Tokyo feels like our Japan home away from home – the staff is so friendly and warm-hearted. Although Bev and I appreciate the sleek design and amenities of our room overlooking the Imperial Palace grounds, Zen and Sofia are convinced the Peninsula’s hot chocolate is the best in Asia!

- Hibiya Park, directly across the street from the Peninsula, is the perfect respite from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Our mornings started with a walk through the park’s lush gardens for beautiful cherry blossom views.

- Ghibli Museum (west of Tokyo in Mitaka) is perhaps the most interesting fine-arts museum in all of Japan, featuring the Japanese anime (Japanese animated film) work of Academy award-winning filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away”). This was a euphoric experience for Zen, Sofia and Toni – Ghibli is a kid’s animation wonderland!

- Origami – All of us enjoyed the private one hour origami lesson we arranged at Origami Kaikan. We created fish, our elaborate Christmas tree, talking “lips”, and even a dragon. Although assimilated and refined in Japan, origami was actually introduced to Japan via 6th century Chinese Buddhist monks. The shop at Origami Kada is a treasury of origami related papers and gifts.

HAKONE/GORA KADAN RYOKAN

A short 45-minute bullet train ride from Tokyo, Hakone is a world apart from the big city in terms of the lush, green mountainous environment and its rejuvenating onsen (hot mineral springs).

Our sole purpose in traveling to Hakone was to make a brief relaxation stopover at the amazing Gora Kadan Ryokan – we loved this place! Proprietress Mikawako, the third generation of Fujimotos to run Gora Kadan, has blended traditional Japanese ryokan hospitality with modern Western design in creating a luxurious ryokan spa experience. The Gora Kadan’s original building dates back to 300 years and was the summer home of the Kan’in-No-Miya imperial family.

Gora Kadan was Zen and Sofia’s introduction to a “public” onsen at the ryokan’s main natural hot springs bath area. Following a brief “public” soaking, they retreated to our room with its own private granite open mineral springs bath, fed by the Gora Kadan’s natural springs. With its airy east-west fusion aesthetic, its wonderful (Kaiseki) food service, and total relaxation spa, Gora Kadan is definitely on our A-list for high-touch ryokans in Japan.

THE NEW JR GREEN CAR (N700) BULLET TRAIN

We were most impressed with the new First Class (Green Car) N700 series Shinkansen “bullet” train to Kyoto-Osaka. With its large and improved ergonomic designed seats, LED reading lights and futuristic design, this next-generation rail service is an amazing experience. Its advanced “tilting” capabilities allow the N700 to cruise smoothly up to 186 mph. Think of our advanced jet aircraft on rails! Still, Zen is more impressed with the tasty “Ekiben” station lunchboxes.

KYOTO (THE ONE AND ONLY!)

We feel Kyoto represents the cultural and aesthetic essence of Japan; amazing Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, the highest quality ryokans, geisha culture, wonderful food, and in April, sakura (cherry blossoms)! And Kyoto at night, particularly in the lantern-lit streets of Gion, is magical and wondrous. There is literally no place on earth like Kyoto.

HANAMI (CHERRY BLOSSOM VIEWING)

From our 2-night base at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto (think Frank Lloyd Wright aesthetic with Japanese refinement) we ventured out our first night for some celebratory “hanami” (cherry blossoms viewing) in Maruyama Park. With all of the remarkable food/game stalls and, of course, the famous weeping cherry tree, this was a fun and amusing night for Zen and Sofia.

TODAI-JI TEMPLE, NARA DEER PARK, AND FUSHIMI-INARI

Today we were re-united with the Xu Family (Jay, Jennifer, and Toni) for two days of exploration, fellowship, and good times! For the next two days we were trusted with our favorite Kyoto guide, Izumi-san. She is simply the best!

Our travels today took us out to Nara and the most impressive Todai-ji Temple (Japan’s largest Buddhist temple within the world’s largest wooden building) and to adjacent Nara Deer Park. Although we were again over-run with the deer feeding, Zen, Sofia and Toni enjoyed every moment! En-route back to Kyoto we stopped at our favorite Shinto shrine, Fushimi-Inari (think of Memoirs of a Geisha!). Dating back to the 8th century. Following a hike up Fushimi’s pathway, Zen, Sofia and Toni wrote their prayers on the wooden blocks at the shrine’s entrance.

MAIKO DRESS UP!

Today was “Geisha” day for the girls! In Kyoto, they do not use the word Geisha, but “Geiko” instead. A younger, apprentice Geiko is called a “Maiko”. A quick way to tell the difference between a Geiko and a Maiko is that the older Geiko always wears a white neck collar.

Today was very exciting because Zen, Sofia and Toni were all made up as Maiko - yes, real Maiko with all the make-up, the wig hair, and beautiful kimonos. Hannah Montana eat your heart out! It took over an hour to prepare their make-up, hair, and kimonos. They were later able to walk down the street like real Maiko in the Gion district. It was unreal!

PRIVATE GEISHA DINNER/ENTERTAINMENT

This was one of the truly special and unique high-lights of our Japan private tour. While being served a delicious multi-course kaiseki dinner at Mitoko in the Gion district, we were graciously hosted by two Geiko and one Maiko. The older Geiko, Yumi-san, played a shamisen, an old Japanese musical instrument that looks like a banjo with a long neck. The younger Geiko, Hisano-san, and the Meiko, Mitsuna-san, performed traditional dancing for us. The dancing was so gentle and beautiful. After our long Kaiseki dinner, Hisano-san and Mitsuna-san taught us some traditional Japanese parlor games to play. Zen will try to teach these to her classmates at Francis Parker School! The most fun game was konpira fune-fune (“slapping box” game). Although too complex to explain, this was great fun!

HIIRAGIYA RYOKAN

We stayed at Tawaraya Ryokan last year, directly across the alleyway from our chosen ryokan this year, Hiiragiya. Improbably, two of the most famous luxury ryokans in all of Japan stand directly across from each other! A stay at either Hiiragiya or Tawaraya represents a complete 24-hour high-touch immersion with traditional Japanese culture.

Enclosed in a traditional sukiya style wooden structure, Hiiragiya was conceived in 1818 when Hiiragiya, a seafood dealer, began providing accommodation to traveling merchants. Later, Hiiragiya welcomed many members of the imperial family including writers/governing officials/international celebrities.

Our two families shared a lovely kaiseki dinner together, served on traditional kiyomizu pottery, with each course exquisitely prepared with an understated aesthetic.

We give an A+ to both the Tawaraya and Hiiragiya, although we feel Hiiragiya is perhaps more accommodating and open to Western eccentricities.

CONCLUSION

Although only eight days, this particular Japan trip turned out to be one of our most rewarding trips ever! Extraordinary fun with dear friends, Jay, Jennifer and Toni, geiko/maiko experience, the girls’ makeover, Shinto/Buddhist culture, sushi and kaiseki, origami, world-class transportation, and among the very best ryokan/hotels in all of Japan.

In the final analysis I feel Japan is an extraordinary family/friends travel destination. Notwithstanding my love for China, Southeast Asia, and India, I admit to a special longing for Japan. On top of its other-worldly culture and scrupulously clean, world-class infrastructure, Japan is easy to prepare for. No visas or shots required – just a valid U.S. passport and some precious time to spend with your family and friends.

In terms of weather conditions, we recommend travel to Japan in April-June or September-October.

We look forward to serving you!

Randy Lynch
CEO
Kipling & Clark

Our Kaiseki Dinner Menu from Hiiragiya - April 11, 2009

2009-04-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Menu of Hiiragiya Kaiseki
April, 2009

Aperitif (Shokuzen-Shu) Original white peach cocktail

The first appetizer (Sakizuke)
Yuba (skin of soybean milk), Sea urchin, Yam, Wasabi
Pea-Tofu, Lily bulb, Broad bean
Boiled abalone, Taro stem, Bofu parsley, Liver of abalone sauce

Simmered Dishes (Nimono-Wan)
Clear soup with wrap Greenling in Kudzu starch, Paste of white fish and
mugwort, Hosta, carrot, Yuzu citrus

Sashimi Dishes (Mukouzuke)
Sea bream, Tuna, Japanese spiny lobster, Bracken, Carrot, Red water pepper,
Wasabi leaf, Japanese white radish, Wasabi

The second appetizer (Hassun)
Ark shell seasoned with vinegar and miso, Prawn, Burdock root wrapped in
conger eel, UDO-edible, Sea bream bound together with egg, Royal fern,
Boiled firefly squid, Canola blossom bods

Grilled Dishes (Yukizakana) - Please choose between one of these two -
- Grilled trout pickled in sake lees, Asparagus, Bamboo shoot, Butter bur leaf

- Grilled beef, Asparagus, Onion, Red bell pepper, PON-ZU (sauce containing
soy sauce and citrus juice), Yuzu citrus and green pepper with a mixture of
salt, Mix up tomato and Miso

Simmered Dishes (Takiawase)
Bamboo shoot, Rockfish, Wakame seaweed, Japanese butterbur, KINOME

Deep-fried Dishes (Age-Mono)
Baby sweetfish, Koshiabura-edible, wild plants, MANGANZI-sweet green
pepper, Shiitake mushroom, Sauce for dipping tempura, Salt

Soup (Tome-Wan)
Clear soup with FU (wheat gluten), Mibuna cress

Rice (Gohan)
Steamed sushi of edible wild plant -Gyozyaniniku-long freen onion, Horsetail,
Mountain fern sprouts-, Shredded omelet, Pea

Pickles (Kou-No-Mono)
KYOUSAKURA (cucumber and eggplant pickled with cherry blossom and
leaves)< style="font-weight: bold;">Dessert (Mizu-Mono) Melon, Strawberry, Mint

That “Wabi-sabi” (Japan) Feeling

2009-04-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

Within the context of our private, custom travel experiences, we have been blessed with opportunities to explore the many prisms and facets of Japan’s truly singular culture.

A big part of Japan’s uniqueness is its wabi-sabi aesthetic. Wabi-sabi is a Japanese worldview/state-of-mind emphasizing simplicity and purity – the beauty and awe of all things humble, unpretentious and imperfect. In a recent university commencement speech, singer/songwriter John legend defines the meaning of "soul" - he defines "soul" as authenticity, about finding things in your life that are real and pure. Perhaps unknowingly, John Legend is referring to wabi-sabi. My conception of wabi-sabi is a beautiful sunset, the still morning frost, a graceful and simple Japanese tea ceremony. It’s a sort of subtle, unspoken beauty, like Katherine Hepburn vs. Marilyn Monroe (our friend at United Airlines, Suzanne Wahl, feels a more contemporary comparison is Kate Winslet vs. Angelina Jolie). Wabi-sabi, in essence, is savoring all of one’s daily simple pleasures. Wabi-sabi parallels the basic concept of Zen Buddhism in that intuitive insight is considered a more critical force than intellectual deliberation. This Japanese lifeview perhaps contributes to the country’s deep sense of egalitarianism, with one seeing few outward signs of wealth in this wonderful land.

Randy Lynch

Zen’s Excellent Adventure & It’s Time to Help

2009-03-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, it’s Zen!

A lot of classmates and friends have asked me about our fun family trips to Japan, China, and so many parts of Southeast Asia. The trips are awesome!! I know my dad sends our trip pictures out on the Kipling & Clark Newsletters, but let me tell you the pictures cannot tell you how much fun we really have – Google times 100!! I say every kid should hang out with elephants for a day in Thailand, spend time with your own panda in China, or have your own private dinner with Geishas and dress up in Japan – sorry Hannah Montana, Asia travel’s got you beat!!

Our trip to Cambodia this last February was also fun, but in a different way. My family and I saved some money to take to the COSO Orphanage and Wat Po Krom Grade School. My dad even arranged for two of the kids at the orphanage (Mary and Sophaek) to travel with us in Siem Reap. The day we visited the orphanage reminded me how lucky I am. My mom and dad love me, I go to a great school, and I never worry about what to eat or what nice clothes to wear. All the kids at COSO seemed happy and friendly when they performed their beautiful Khmer dance for us. I felt bad, though, when I saw how they all slept together in a large room on small, thin mattresses. It was sad for me. When I gave our family’s donation to Mr. Samnang at the orphanage, I think that made me feel a little bit better.

Mr. Samnang later sent us an e-mail to say he bought a new motor for their tuk-tuk with our donation. I remember I saw the tuk-tuk at the orphanage – it looked in bad shape. With the new motor, the orphanage can now take the kids to the local schools every day. My sadness has turned to happiness for my new friends at COSO!

I urged my dad to make visits and donations to Asia orphanages and grade schools a regular part of our Kipling & Clark private tours. He agrees it’s a good idea! All of us can really help make a BIG difference when traveling to Asia and make a lot of kids a little happier.

Well, back to my homework!

Yours truly,
Zen Lynch/World Traveler, age 8

Altruistic Travel

2009-03-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Based on the current global economic downturn, our need to reach out to those suffering and less fortunate than ourselves becomes much more acute. Although our clients choose to travel to Asia within the context of a custom, luxury experience, they also ask for transformative, life-changing activities where support for a local orphanage, grade school, or water well project makes a real change to people’s lives. Kind-heartedness and generosity to others is a universal attribute we all aspire to.

Bev, Zen, and I agree that our brief February 2009 Vietnam/Cambodia 7 day trip was instructional, especially in terms of the tangible ways we can improve the everyday lives of those wonderful children in Cambodia. We have integrated optional visits to various orphanages and grade schools for all of our clients embarking on our Southeast Asia private tours. Among all of the various custom activities we plan for our clients, these authentic, eye-opening visits give travelers the opportunity to connect and give back to those much less fortunate than ourselves. Notwithstanding the current severe world economic downturn, many of us in the U.S. are truly blessed with much opportunity, particularly compared to so many in Southeast Asia.

Our following 7 day Vietnam/Cambodia trip illustrates the way we have integrated altruism with our custom Asia private tours.

Spring Break Trip to Vietnam & Cambodia

2009-03-03T13:07:00.000-08:00

Greetings friends!

The Lynch family (Bev, our 8 year-old daughter, Zennia, and I) is back home in Chicago after a whirlwind 7-day Spring Break trip to Vietnam/Cambodia. Although one of our shortest, this particular trip to Asia turned out to be the most emotionally gratifying. Our experience with the COSO Orphanage and Wat Po Krom Grade School were awe-inspiring and indelible. The following is a brief re-cap of our 7 day trip:

February 15 - Saigon (via UA 895/869)

Hats off to UA for their new, innovative Lie-Flat Beds in Business Class – as Zen remarked, “Awesome!” Bev & Zen thoroughly enjoyed the expanded entertainment package (150 hours of movies, games!) viewed from the large +15” monitors. I settled for the full 180º truly lie-flat beds and the impressive LED reading light (similar to Japan’s First Class Green Car Bullet train seats’ lighting).

Similar to our past visits, our overnight at the Park Hyatt Saigon was restful and completely predictable: personal and meticulously attentive service. The room service, the spa, and concierge are all Asia world class, similar to the Mandarin in Hong Kong or any number of Four Seasons properties in the Pacific Rim. I particularly like the properties’ luxurious rugs: the perfect padding and firmness for morning stretching/exercises!

February 16 - Saigon/Hanoi

After a brief stop at one of Bev’s favorite Saigon modern art studios, we made a quick look/see at the former residence of U.S. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge. We now use this beautiful French-colonial home for clients wishing special, private dinners/entertainment.

Following a short 2 hour flight to Hanoi (via Vietnam Airlines 777 Business Class), we checked into the lovely, nostalgic French colonial Sofitel Metropole. We always love staying here. I can honestly say that the Sofitel Metropole has no peer in Hanoi – simply the best!

February 17 - Halong Bay

Notwithstanding the long drive from Hanoi (3.5 hours), the uniqueness and beauty of Halong Bay is well worth the drive. As remarked previously, Halong Bay’s thousands of sculptured limestone karsts evoke a Guilinesque feeling, with the added dimension of gleaming blue/green waters.

Our 1-night/2-day Halong Bay cruise aboard the luxury junk Halong Ginger was a great way to recover from any lingering effects of our jetlag. With only 24 cabins, the Halong Ginger service is personal and intimate, fostering a lively group dynamic among the varied group of international guests. The local seafood and freshly prepared Vietnamese vegetables were outstanding! Zen loved the foot massages!

February 18 - Halong Bay/Hanoi/Siem Reap (Cambodia)

Following our drive back to Hanoi (with our trusted guide, ‘Tiger” and driver Pluoc) and a short flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia, we spent the night at Amansara, formerly the guesthouse of King Sihanouk. Well-known by many of our clients and friends, Aman Resorts represent the pinnacle of world-class luxury hotel/resort hospitality. While Peninsula and Four Seasons rule the 5 star deluxe hotel category, Aman, alone, occupies the very elite level; small, extreme high-touch, singular, and personal. Our Pool Suite was Zen’s early morning personal water park, with Zen splashing in the 6 x 5 meter private pool (at 6:00am!). The dinner (lamb shanks with noodles) and breakfast served to us at Amansara was simple, tasteful and extraordinary.

February 19 - Siem Reap – COSO Orphanage

We have visited the various temples of Angkor on previous trips including Angkor Wat, Angkor Tom and Banteay Srei. I feel the various temples of Angkor represent the most amazing and enduring architectural achievement of any religious site in Asia. However, this visit to Cambodia was planned for Zen’s altruistic activities.

As previously arranged Bev, Zen and I were introduced early to our two travel companions from COSO Orphanage, 9 year-old Mary and 10 year-old Sopheak. Spending two days with these two lovely children was among the true blessings of our trip. Though limited English, Mary and Sopheak established a wonderful chemistry/rapport with Zen – their smiles and laughter were intoxicating – of course a morning swim and large-fries/shakes at the Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor did not hurt!

We were all later driven out to COSO Orphanage. Upon arriving at the orphanage, we were quite surprised to see the entire orphanage and staff gathered at the entrance for a happy, boisterous, heartfelt welcoming. After touring the facilities, COSO's Director, Sean Samnang, brought us up to a make-shift stage for a Khmer/Cambodian dance performance by the orphanage's children. Although absent the ornate costumes featured by the Aspara dance performers back at the Raffles Grand Hotel D'Angkor, the precision and slow graceful style of the children dancing was amazing. Despite all of their obvious disadvantages, these kids took great pride in their Khmer culture and had spent countless hours practicing their craft. After the dancing concluded, Zen bestowed our donation to COSO Director, Mr. Samnang (including Zen's own $182). She also handed out the many stuffed animals she brought from Chicago to all the children. Bev, Zen and I were overwhelmed by the genuine gratefulness and heartfelt appreciation the COSO Orphanage kids and staff extended to us on this bright sunny day. I cannot recall a more inspiring and gratifying afternoon.

February 20 - Siem Reap

Our first stop today was Sre ChangHoat Village outside Siem Reap. As part of the Angkor Well Project, Zen was donating a water well on behalf of her Second Grade Class at Francis Parker School, to the families of Mr. Dong Ley and Mrs. Bo Rort.

Among our clients wishing to give back to those less fortunate, the Angkor well project has become immensely popular. For a cost of USD400-600 per pump/well, based on the size and the distance of the water well, one may donate a well, thus providing fresh drinking water to a local village. By most estimates, less than 31% of rural Cambodians have access to safe water. Clients donating to the Angkor Well Project make a real difference in the daily lives of rural Cambodian families.

Following our very emotional day at COSO Orphanage, Bev, Zen, Mary, Sopheak and I had no idea what was to follow the next day at Wat Po Krom Elementary School.

Amazingly, all 500 children of the school, along with the teachers and staff, had gathered at the school’s entrance to form a long procession line welcoming our party. As all of us walked down the line, the students celebrated our arrival with applause and a local Khmer welcome song. After visiting various classrooms, the school’s staff and students proudly presented to us the many supplies they had purchased with our donation – three tables full of knapsacks, pens/pencils, writing books. The sincere, smiling faces and pervasive signs of warmth and friendship were overwhelming. Despite our donation of school supplies, I felt the extraordinary display of respect and honor extended to us was quite undeserved, especially in light of Wat Po Krom School’s many, many needs.

Eric Raisina – Our favorite in Cambodia for high-end clothing/textiles!

Before leaving for the airport in Siem Reap, Bev, Zen and I made a stop at the home/workshop of Eric Raisina. A French-Madagascar native who has settled in Siem Reap, Eric Raisina has become quite noteworthy in international design circles with his distinctive Cambodian silk clothing and accessories. (“Haute-texture”) Eric selected a beautiful red silk scarf for Zen (perfect for Chicago winters!), while Bev purchased a dazzling white rafia skirt. Eric’s engaging personality coupled with his very compelling silk designs, makes him our new favorite for singular Southeast Asia silk textiles.

Bev, Zen, and I agree that our brief 7 day trip was instructional, especially in terms of the tangible ways we can improve the everyday lives of those wonderful children in Cambodia. We have integrated optional visits to various orphanages and grade schools for all of our clients embarking on our Southeast Asia private tours. Among all of the various custom activities we plan for our clients, these authentic, eye-opening visits give travelers the opportunity to connect and give back to those much less fortunate than ourselves. Notwithstanding the current severe world economic downturn, many of us in the U.S. are truly blessed with much opportunity, particularly compared to so many in Southeast Asia.

Japan/April Cherry Blossoms

With Zen’s second school spring break coming in April, we will be returning to Japan for cherry blossoms and a private geisha dinner and dress-up – updates to follow!

Best to all and safe travels!

Randy

Kids That Need Our Help...

2009-02-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

As a fundamental part of our custom, private tour itineraries, we arrange for client visits to local schools and orphanages in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Burma. Many of our clients, particularly the younger ones, find these activities eye-opening and truly authentic, a real-world contrast to their blessed, privileged life back in the U.S.

Based on the current global economic downturn, our need to reach out to those suffering and less fortunate than ourselves becomes much more acute. Although our clients choose to travel to Asia within the context of a custom, luxury experience, they also ask for transformative, life-changing activities where support for a local orphanage, grade school, or water well project makes a real change to people’s lives. Kind-heartedness and generosity to others is a universal attribute we all aspire to.

Along these lines, Bev, Zennia, and I will be returning to Cambodia this mid-February. We will be visiting one specific orphanage and a local elementary school outside Siem Reap (Angkor Wat). In both cases, there is much needed assistance for those lovely children. Once all has been qualified/vetted, we plan to focus our Southeast Asia philanthropic efforts on these two locations. After returning to Chicago, we will advise all of our friends and supporters of the institutions involved and what we can all do to improve the daily lives of these precious human beings.

- Randy Lynch

Over 60 Being Chic in Japan

2008-12-19T14:40:00.001-08:00

Being a big fan of Tyler Brule, editor-in-chief of Monocle magazine and the Fast Lane article of the Financial Times, I was amused by his take on the new Japan magazine OilyBoy, targeting upwardly mobile men from mid-50’s age up. Please enjoy Tyler’s take on OilyBoy:

On the far side of the Pacific, in the new Book 1st megastore in Shinjuku, I stumbled upon what seemed like Japanese answer to Zoomer, only with the slightly more edgy title of OilyBoy. Anyone would be excused for thinking it was a particularly raunchy gay manga – yet OilyBoy couldn’t be more innocent. As its tagline boldly explains, this is a “magazine for elder boys”. Another stamp on the cover even confidently promoted that this was a venture brought to its readers “from old editors”. Inside, it was a slickly produced style magazine clearly created for a male consumer who grew up on trendy fashion mags from the late 1970s but was now looking to remix his personal style or even revisit parts of his wardrobe that he now thought fit for the charity shop.

Always quick to build on a trend, Japanese newsstands are heaving with Lohas (lifestyle of health and sustainability) titles, cosy parenting magazines that encourage young mums to wear smocks and potato-shaped shoes and dads to wear similar get-ups, magazines for 60-year-old women who behave like they might be turning 40 – and now there seems to be a growing shelf for graying men with titles such as Brio and Geothe sitting alongside OilyBoy.

Western titles venturing into the territory have failed either because of their cheesiness or patronizing tone and imager. Oilyboy, on the other hand, is a simple, commonsense guide to looking and acting your age. It gas also won support from advertisers who see their audience the same way and aren’t necessarily trying to flog the fountain of youth behind a series of different facades.

From front to back there were weathered surfers hanging out and cooking, 60-plus CEOs looking chic in Tuscan countryside-meets-New Hampshire weekend attire, illustrated shopping maps of Tokyo, loads of fashion tips, lots of recipes, the odd vintage car, the odd vintage guitar and plenty of pointers about essential winter footwear.

The cast of characters populating the pages were all acting their age, showed none of the tell-tale signs of perma-surprise that might suggest Botox or surgery and there was a sunny sense of optimism from cover to cover. I ended up adding OilyBoy to my stack of purchases because I spotted at least four shops I wanted to visit and there were plenty of shoes that I’d happily add to my closet.

OilyBoy actually made being over 60 a quite chic constituency to be a part of, and there wasn’t a virility advertisement or cheesy grin in sight. Given Japan’s rapidly graying population, it only makes sense that its publishers are leading the way with magazines that speak to a demographic that has considerable spending power and is also hyper-fashion conscious. The trick is that these publishers are having the same conversation they’ve always been having with their readers – only now they’re reshuffling and refining the looks and faces they put on page rather than dressing them up for a one-way trip to the nursing home.

According to the AARP:

“Oily Boy” is the actual nickname of the late Jiro Shirasu, once the coolest guy in Japan.

Tall, rich and movie-star handsome, Shirasu was educated at Cambridge University, where he drove a Bentley. After Japan’s defeat in World War II, his excellent English and smooth demeanor helped when he was called on to negotiate the terms of the U.S. occupation with Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

Shirasu was one of the first Japanese men of substance to allow himself to be photographed while hanging out in jeans. He owned and often tinkered with fine automobiles. On social occasions, his pants and shirts were sometimes stained with oil.

“That kind of man never forgets the ‘boy’ in him,” says the OilyBoy Declaration, which can be found in the magazine’s first edition. “The boys became not adults, but ‘elder boys.’ And that is why we cry out loud: We are Oily Boys.”

Kanno concedes that OilyBoy is not a perfect name for a fashion magazine aimed at 50-plus men, Not everyone of that vintage remembers Shirasu or his nickname or his cool. In fact, Kanno’s first choice as a name for the magazine was “Old Boy,” but a trademark dispute nixed that.

With 22 percent of the population already older then 65 (compared with about 12 percent in the United States), and with the old predicted to outnumber the young 4 to 1 by 2040, Japanese retailers, marketers and publishers are all trying to tease more purchases out of the elderly.

The government desperately wants them to succeed. It is trying to wean the economy from an unhealthy dependence on exports. Growth here depends almost entirely on exports, which have collapsed as part of the global economic downturn and are considered unlikely to come back for at least a year or two.

A government spokesman said last week that for Japan to bounce back, “we have to transform the shape of the economy from saving to spending,” adding: “There are elderly Japanese who are financially secure but refuse to spend.”

OilyBoy, however, is run by Kanno and a cadre of editors who 30 years ago invented a hugely successful men’s fashion magazine called Popeye. Its readers, like its editors, were then young.

“At OilyBoy, we think we can probably make fashion happen again,” Kanno said. “Our intent is to bring them back.”

OilyBoy tries to do so without triggering sticker shock. Instead of $6,000 suits, it features $500 sports jackets. Its male models are on the far side of 50 or 60. They look fit and healthy, but not insanely so. They are out at the beach or in big kitchens or with their beautiful daughters. They wear loose-fitting sports shirts, relaxed-fit shorts and sensible-looking shoes.

- Randy Lynch

Japan's Ryokan Culture

2008-11-14T13:10:00.000-08:00

Somewhat reflecting Japan’s compelling insularity and high-touch egalitarianism, Japan’s ryokans (inns) embrace a hospitality culture that is truly unique. In contrast to the many 5-star deluxe hotels we have used throughout Asia, Japan’s traditional ryokans offer no customizations and no extras: no concierge, no high-tech fitness centers or affinity pools, no business centers, no choice of pillows, and no elaborate 24-hour room service. What Japan’s premier ryokans do offer is a complete, high-touch immersion into Japan culture and cuisine, within the framework of a minimalist aesthetic. Your personal attendant will provide an individual level of hospitality that may be beyond anything one can experience at any Four Season, Peninsula, and Mandarin hotel. I recently came across an illuminating article by Tyler Brule of the Financial Times who listed 10 pointers for stay at a ryokan. Bravo Tyler!

1. Go easy on the eye: ryokan offers relaxation because the experience tends to be a minimalist one.
2. Avoid veneers: it’s hard to beat aroma of a hinoki-scented structure that’s made from solid timber rather than plastic.
3. Breathe deep: windows that open wide make for a cosy night’s sleep under a meringue of goose down.
4. Keep lighting at the lowest level: most innkeepers know a thing or two about using light and shadow for seductive effect.
5. Make a night feel like a week: the regimented programme allows guests to fully switch off and start to recharge immediately.
6. Forget your toothbrush: all good ryokan bathrooms are stocked with essential toiletries.
7. Soak up the scenery: a private tub with a view often comes as standard.
8. Someone to watch over you: real service comes with a dedicated attendant seeing to all your needs.
9. Adding to the bottom line: in the case of the Asaba and Murata, the gift shop is usually best avoided unless you want to spend another $500 on outstanding gifts and housewares.
10. A rub before bedtime: who needs a massage table when you’re already wrapped in the inn’s pyjamas, lying on your futon, and being kneaded by a pair of ancient, seasoned hands?

- Randy Lynch

Privately Arranged Geisha Dinner/Entertainment for Families/Couples Touring Japan by Kipling & Clark

2008-11-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

Over the past year Kipling & Clark has arranged special evening private Japanese dinners with contracted Geisha entertainment at various noteworthy Kyoto restaurants. These unique Geisha nights have included one Geiko (term used for Geisha in the Kyoto district) and two Maiko (younger, apprentice Geisha). Together they perform dancing and singing, as well as serving a multi-course traditional kaiseki dinner. Our lady clients have also dressed up as geisha for a very interesting, long-lasting memory.

This is among the very special activities we have added to our Japan private luxury tours. The subtle aesthetic of the Geisha experience is a pure reflection of Japanese cultural traditions – a world that was more common in times past.

Enigmatic, Compelling Japan

2008-11-06T13:18:00.001-08:00

Japan is singular among Asian cultures in its amazing ability to assimilate and then synthesize foreign cultures and influences. The contrast between Japan’s orderly, balanced Shinto/Buddhist centered culture and its hyper-innovative technology-driven economy is compelling. One always sees two sides of Japan: Its 21st Century technology as expressed in its auto/electronic industry, sleek designs, and thoroughly modern economy on the one hand seem incongruous to Japan’s structured, conformist set of social norms and religious beliefs on the other. Despite our many travels to Japan, there always seems to be an impenetrable veil in truly understanding this wonderful land. As David Pilling noted, “Almost every aspect of life in Japan from sumo wrestling and tea ceremony to business, one has a feeling of something other than itself, beyond itself.”

I think Americans are most impressed with Japan’s fastidiously maintained and antiseptically clean infrastructure – the trains – highways – roads, clean beyond belief! Our daughter, Zen, particularly loves the delicious ekiben lunchboxes one can enjoy on the train. The Japan Rail/Bullet Train system is amazingly efficient, fast, and a really fun way to travel!

Japan is most unique in its arts/design with its singular and subtle aesthetics: think of their clean, simple, minimalist designs, the meticulous skill in origami and Ikebana, the geisha culture and tea ceremony - all so intrinsic to Japan.

Egalitarianism: Unlike nearly all other major advanced countries, Japan has a balanced evenly-spread distribution of income – one sees very few pretentious displays of wealth (no grand, opulent estates or mansions).

As Paul Theroux has written, “The Japanese have a settled sense of themselves as an advanced culture, a sense that other people simply are not doing things right. Japanese think their food is the best, their way of living is the best. Although they lack space, they pretty much feel they’ve got it all figured out.” – we wholeheartedly agree!

Enjoy this extraordinary land.

Randy

India Etiquette

2008-11-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

When visiting the huge and wonderful country of India, it is polite to understand and practice their very strong traditions. Much of their traditions are shaped by the various religions that are practiced there, and because of that, it is very important to be respectful of them.

Etiquette is very appropriate and should be followed by wearing the appropriate attire in India. Make sure your clothing is not tight and you are covered when in all rural places. Larger cities tend to be more modern, therefore the locals are used to seeing tourists, so there is more flexibility there in terms of what kinds of clothes are acceptable. Sandals are often worn because footwear is not acceptable in a home, museum, historic monument, or place of worship.

The etiquette is more formal than most countries when dining. People are served in an order by guest of honor, children, and then women. Unlike the Americans ways, eating utensils are traditionally not used; instead you would use your right hand when eating. The left hand is considered unclean.

When entering India as a tourist, be sure to take photographs only where it’s allowed. For example, it is unacceptable to take pictures in temples, at airports, or military locations. It's not allowed.

It is essential to know how and when you will need to greet people in India. Greet those worthy of respect by saying “Namaste” with your hands together (as if praying) and quick bow. Greet the most senior person first, but do not shake their hand unless they extend their hand first. Always apply common courtesy to all when visiting another country. Be sure to tip helpful services such as waiters, guides, drivers, and all bags porters. By following the lead of locals you will be honoring your host and enjoy a safe fun filled trip.

www.vayama.com

Taj Mahal

2008-10-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

The Taj Mahal truly is one of the wonders of the world. It is a monument of love built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1630 for his Queen Mumtaz Mahal to enshrine her mortal remains. For twenty-two years, 20,000 men labored day and night to build this masterpiece that has held the world awe struck ever since. It is visited today by more than three million people who visit Agra each year. I feel the Taj Mahal is one of the very few places in the world where the reality of seeing the subject actually surpasses all of the hyperbole and hype. Rudyard Kipling expressed the beauty of this place aptly as “the embodiment of all things pure.” –R. Lynch

Luk Yu Teahouse and Dim Sum

2008-09-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful place for tea and dim sum lunch. Opened in 1933, Luk Yu Teahouse evokes colonial charm with its nostalgic ceiling fans and stained glass wall decorations.

Luk Yu Teahouse is also famous for being the scene of an execution-style murder in 2002. After finishing his breakfast, a mainland Chinese hit-man calmly paid his bill, then walked over to the nearby table of a local Hong Kong property tycoon, Harry Lam, and killed him with a single gun shot to the head! The hit-man was later caught and sentenced to death. - From an article by Claudia Blume in Hong Kong.

Airline Safety

2008-09-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

The New York Times
July 27, 2008

For the 100th anniversary of powered flight, President Bush in 2003 went to Kitty Hawk, N.C., for a re-enactment of the Wright Brothers’ feat. September will mark another major centennial in aviation history, though no ceremony has been announced: the first death of an airplane passenger.

It was Sept. 17, 2008. Orville Wright was showing off a new “aeroplane” at Fort Myer, Va., for about 2,000 people, including Army brass. He took up a 26-year-old lieutenant in the Army Signal Corps, Thomas E. Selfridge, “an aeroplanist himself,” according to the report in this newspaper. Contemporary accounts vary, but the pair apparently made three and a half successful circuits at an altitude of about 75 feet, before a propeller split and hit other parts of the plane, causing it to crash. Orville was badly hurt.

Still, the Army was impressed, so much that the War Department eventually bought the Wrights’ invention. Aviation endured, punctuated by occasional catastrophic crashes that have, in the end, made flying much safer, especially in the United States, where the airlines carry some two million people a day on tens of thousands of flights.

A big plane could crash tomorrow, of course. On Friday, a Qantas passenger airliner en route from Hong Kong to Melbourne, Australia, was forced to make an emergency landing in Manila after a hole opened in the fuselage of the Boeing 747-400 at 29,000 feet, resulting in a loss of cabin pressure. Experts immediately began a search for the cause, just as the Wright Brothers did 100 years ago after Orville’s crash.

“My brothers will pursue these tests until the machines are near perfect as it is possible to make them,” Lorin Wright told reporters right after the crash, “if they are not killed in the meantime.”

The arc of safety improvements has been dramatic. Boeing, reaching back to the beginning of the jet age, found one fatal accident for every 30,000 commercial jet flights in 1959. By 2006, the rate for all airliner flights had dropped to one accident for every 4.2 million flights by Western-built commercial jets, according to the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit research group. (Lieutenant Selfridge nonetheless stands at the head of a rather long queue. Boeing counted 26,454 deaths of people on commercial jets between 1959 and 2006, and an additional 934 on the ground.)

The Olympics and Chinese Pride

2008-08-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

China’s most impressive and meticulous management of the Beijing Olympics was truly a “coming out party” and a proper metaphor for a more ascendant, confident China and its place as an economic/cultural power in the 21st century.

What most impressed Bev, Zen and I during our Summer 2008 China trip was not just the country’s amazing economic advancement, but the day-to-day ordinary Chinese we encountered. Nearly everyone we talked to expressed genuine pride and joy in China’s hosting of the Olympics and a perceived long overdue respect from other nations worldwide. China’s humiliation at the hands of the West and later Japan in the 19th and early 20th centuries colors much of China’s worldview and is a fundamental part of the national psyche.

Although most Chinese wish to embrace globalization, western business practices and economic development, many worry of the pernicious effects of Western influences on their traditional culture.

The Beijing Olympics, in Closing

2008-08-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of being interviewed last week by Associated Press reporter Henry Sanderson. We talked about how the Olympics were being used by China to showcase a "new modern image." I thought to include Mr. Sanderson's thorough AP piece - it ran in hundreds of newspapers across the country. My quote is at the bottom.

Olympics as PR: Here's the new, modern China
By HENRY SANDERSON – August 23, 2008

BEIJING (AP) — If proof were needed that the Olympic Games are meant to give China an image makeover, look no further than the 10-yuan note: Chairman Mao is out, the Bird's Nest is in. There are only enough of the bills that replace the late Communist Party leader's likeness with the iconic stadium to make them a collector's item — for most of the billions of dollars in transactions here, Mao Zedong is still the man.

Like the currency, the modern image that China is showcasing to the world during its turn in the white-hot Olympic spotlight may be nice to look at, but the Communist Party remains firmly in control. The multi-layered Chinese public relations blitz has helped lure tourists leery of a country often portrayed as polluted and repressive, and has given a boost to Chinese who have rallied behind the games, experts on China and public relations said. At the same time, the nation's leadership has barely budged from its policies.

It largely ignored criticism of its human rights record and continued its repression of free speech. Its harsh rule in Tibet has been downplayed, political dissidents locked up, beggars pushed out of Beijing and journalists covering protests roughed-up. It did not grant a protest permit.

"I think (the) China government has done a very good job of presenting a positive image overseas, but in doing so it didn't change much of its behavior to do that," said Russell Leigh Moses, an analyst of Chinese politics based in Beijing.

While the Communist Party leaders will have received a warm boost from their people for staging successful games, the real test will come afterwards when they have to deal with the myriad problems China faces, Moses said.

For many Chinese, the Olympics have been presented as a comeback from a century or more of weakness and humiliation, the culmination of a "100-year dream." The Communist Party has gained from being able to achieve it.

China has also tried to present a non-threatening image to the world that helps dispel fears of the country's rise on the world stage, allowing it to restore what it sees as its rightful place in the international community. Beijing became obsessed by image in the lead up to the games and anything unsightly was deemed offensive. Neighborhood food stalls were covered up by roadside barriers showing pictures of ancient Chinese-style curved rooftops or Olympics motifs. Factories were shut down and millions of cars taken off the roads to clear Beijing's notoriously pollution-clogged skies.

"This was part of the grand plan to show a new China, and I think it's delivered in many regards," said Scott Kronick, president of Ogilvy Public Relations in China. Chinese authorities are getting more polished and confident in delivering their message globally, he said.

The games' lavish opening ceremony, vetted by party leaders, barely touched on communism and the tumultuous decades after the Communist Party came to power in 1949. The ceremony focused on China's ancient culture — Confucius was quoted, Mao was not.

"China is trying to present itself as nonthreatening and in a lot of ways nonsocialist," said Michael Dutton, an academic at Australia's Griffith University's Asia Institute who studies political cultures. "They've gone all out to try and present a country that's ancient yet super-modern."

China's political leaders have also changed their style. Dark-suited and often appearing stiff in public, President Hu Jintao smiled his way through the opening ceremony and was seen at a ping pong event clapping alongside his wife and International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge.

Beijing also has another audience to please — the millions of Chinese who have benefited from the economic boom through growing personal wealth and greater access to the outside world via television and the Internet. It serves the government for China's people to forget about the excesses of Mao's Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square. Better the government be thought of as the stewards of three decades of economic growth that have raised millions into a burgeoning middle class.

Tiananmen Square has been spruced up to include a large flower decoration and a 55-foot-tall Beijing 2008 Olympic symbol.

While a few short protests by foreigners were held there early in the games — and were quickly ended by a heavy police presence — a more common sight has been dancing and other activities on a government-sanctioned cultural program. For foreigners too, the government "wants people to shift their responses beyond the man standing in front of the tank," said Anne-Marie Brady, a political scientist at New Zealand's University of Canterbury.

Randy Lynch, the president of Kipling & Clark, a Chicago-based agency that organizes high-end travel to China, has said bookings for next year has jumped 40 percent since the games began — many of them by people who before the Olympics never would have considered traveling to China.

"The one thing the Olympics has shown Americans is that China has a very well-developed and successful infrastructure, and it's easy to get around," he said. "It's almost like they've thrown the Communist Manifesto out of the window."

Olympics Got You Interested in Visiting China??

2008-08-20T16:18:00.001-07:00

If the Olympics have you interested in visiting China - then be sure to check out our post-Olympics luxury private tours of China. Click here for a sample itinerary.

A post-Olympics tour of China is a journey you and your family will love - it's a trip-of-a-lifetime! The Lynch family recently returned from an 18-day luxury tour and our journey is chronicled in three parts on this blog.

Click on these links to read about it:

Part I:
http://kiplingandclark.blogspot.com/2008/07/our-family-luxury-tour-of-china-what.html

Part II:
http://kiplingandclark.blogspot.com/2008/08/our-family-luxury-tour-of-china-part-ii.html

Part III:
http://kiplingandclark.blogspot.com/2008/08/our-family-luxury-tour-of-china-part.html

Here's our press release about our post-Olympic tours in China:

Kipling & Clark, the Leading Luxury Travel Planner to Asia, Introduces Post-Olympics Private, Custom, Luxury Tours of China

CHICAGO, IL—August 21, 2008—If the Olympic Games in Beijing have you interested in visiting China, Kipling & Clark – the expert in private, custom, luxury travel to Greater China, Japan and all of Southeast Asia – has introduced post-Olympic private, luxury tours of the many popular areas of China. From the historical and cultural attractions in Beijing to the unique landscape and lush, green rice fields along the Li River in Guilin, from the striking skyline of Hong Kong to the palpable energy and drive of Shanghai, Kipling & Clark takes you on a personalized luxury tour of the most popular areas of China, and those areas off the beaten path, for a trip of a lifetime.

“The intense, pervasive coverage of the Beijing Olympics has opened China’s unique, diverse culture to millions of people worldwide,” said Randy Lynch, founder and president of Kipling & Clark. “My family and I recently returned in June from an 18-day luxury tour of China that included Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Zhongdian, Chengdu (where we had a private audience with a baby panda at the Panda Research Center!!), and Hong Kong, and we were overwhelmed with the beauty, art, history, warmth and genuine kindness of the Chinese people. The introduction of the first luxury cruiser plying the Yangzi, The Yangzi Explorer, adds another jewel to a China private tour itinerary. A post-Olympics private, luxury tour of China is a journey you and your family will cherish forever.”

Click here for a sample Kipling & Clark 17-day itinerary to China

Aspirational China

2008-08-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

Similar to most Americans in times past, I feel the Chinese fully embrace the concept of the “American Dream.” That is, many of our Chinese friends fully expect their lives will be much better than that of their parents – more economic opportunity, higher quality living standards, and more freedom of movement. You feel their sense of excitement and urgency with their quest for upward mobility. Communist party dogma seems irrelevant in the everyday life of most Chinese.

A recent Wall Street Journal article referred to such upwardly mobile Chinese as the “aspirational China.” I fully believe the current Beijing Olympics is a fitting metaphor for “aspirational China” and its compelling future.

Although my family and I have made many trips to China, our recent, long, June 2008 trip seemed to amplify to us China’s continuous change and its unprecedented, spectacular economic growth and development. This last trip brought us to eight different airports throughout the country, from the very small, remote Shangri-La/Zhongdian Airport in Yunnan province to the recently opened Beijing Capital Airport Terminal 3 – the largest in the world. Regardless of the areas we visited, from the far-flung regions of Yunnan and Sichuan provinces to the urban clusters of Beijing and Shanghai, the overall infrastructure/transport facilities we used were practically all newly-built, integrating 21st century technology, and most efficient. China’s transport system has been comprehensively transformed/modernized. In stark contrast, upon return to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, I was reminded of the antiquated, aged infrastructure that most Americans must deal with on a daily basis.

Any frequent visitor to China will come home with the sober realization that we, as a nation, have much work to do to get ourselves more competitive in this newly globalized, interdependent world.

New Ticketing Policy from United Airlines

2008-08-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

Some news we thought to pass onto you - United Airlines has recently enacted a new ticketing policy.

All Economy tickets must be purchased within 24 hours or they will be auto-cancelled.

There are some exceptions:

· Unrestricted/full fare economy fares such as "B and Y" class and Business/First Class must be issued within 72 hours before departure.

· If the reservation is made less than 72 hours before departure, ticket must be issued within 24 hours of booking.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this new policy. rlynch@kiplingandclark.com

Interesting Facts about Beijing

2008-08-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

With the Olympic Opening Ceremonies tomorrow, I thought to share some interesting facts about Beijing. Here's a short profile:

"Beijing"
The name means "Northern Capital." (Nanjing is the "Southern Capital.")

City Names
King Wu first declared what is now Beijing the capital of China in 1057 B.C. The city has gone by the names of Ji, Zhongdu, Dadu, and finally Beijing when Ming Dynasty Emperor Cheng Zu selected the name in 1421. Before 1949, Beijing was known in the West as Peking.

Location
Beijing is situated in the northeastern part of the North China Plain, west of the Yellow Sea and southeast of Mongolia. About 143 feet above sea level, the alluvial plain between the Yongding and the Chaobai rivers forms Beijing. The city occupies 6,500 square miles. It is surrounded by the Yanshan Mountains on the west, north and east while the Yongding River plain lies to its southeast. Beijing faces the Bohai Sea, also called Beijing Bay.

Founded
Modern Beijing began to take shape during the Shang Dynasty (1766-1100 B.C.), first as a frontier trading town for the Mongols, Koreans and tribes from Shandong and Central China. This year, Beijing celebrates its 3,053rd anniversary. Beijing includes 18 districts and counties.

Borders
China shares borders with Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.

Population
15.244 million, it is China's second-largest city after Shanghai (20.2 million). It was ruled by numerous "dynasties" until 1949, when the People's Republic of China was established.

Climate
Beijing's climate is classified as "continental monsoon," featuring cold, dry winters and summers that are hot, owing to humid monsoon winds from the southeast that bring Beijing most of its annual precipitation. January is the coldest month and July the warmest.

Monetary unit
Yuan (about 8.27 per U.S. dollar).

Government
Communist state.

Major Industries
Mining and ore processing, machine building, armaments, textiles, apparel, petroleum, cement, chemicals, consumer products, food processing, transportation equipment, telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles and satellites.

Beijing is famous for: Beijing roast duck, Carpets, Cloisonné, Forbidden City, Glassware, Great Wall, Ivory sculptures, Ming Tombs, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square. Its top sports include: Soccer, Table tennis, Basketball, Soccer (football), Gymnastics, Badminton and Swimming.

Our Family Luxury Tour of China - Part III

2008-08-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

I hope you've enjoyed Parts I and II of our amazing 18-day luxury tour of China. Here is Part III, Shanghai:

We feel Shanghai to be a perfect metaphor for China's future - young, dynamic, optimistic and supremely confident. No evidence of Communist dogma here - you get the feeling that they have thrown the Communist Manifesto out the window! The energy and drive of this exciting city is almost palpable. As Zen remarked, Shanghai is a great place to "chill, hang out and play."
We cannot say enough of our Shanghai-based guide Faye - engaging, educated, and most interesting. Faye really personifies China's articulate and forward-looking youth.

As shopping and people-watching are wonderful activities here, Faye brought us back to two of our preferred areas, Xintiandi (meaning "New-Heaven-Earth") and Taikang-lu St. Xintiandi is the Ben Wood-designed high-end restaurant/shopping/entertainment complex built on restored preserved two-three story traditional Shikumen buildings - this place is ground zero for superlative people-watching in Shanghai! Another bonus, you will find the home of the Communist Party here! Among our favorite restaurants here are T8 and, of course, "ZEN." Taikang-lu, also known as Shanghai's "Creative Art Park," is a group of backstreets filled with clothing boutiques, jewelry shops, and art galleries. Built into old row house apartments with charming street signs, Taikang-lu attracts a hip, affluent crowd.

Xintiandi Area
As we have been frequent visitors to Shanghai, we did not include our past stopover to the fabulous Shanghai Museum and many of the other sites: The Urban Planning Museum, Yuyuan Garden, and the Old City section. We also missed the day trip to Hangzhou this time around, although we always enjoy visiting there (particularly for the Dragon Well tea!).

When visiting Shanghai, Bev's first stop is always the M50 art gallery area in Suzhou Creek. Since exploding on the international art scene a few years past, Chinese contemporary art has been the fastest growing art market in the world. We returned to M50's Art Scene gallery so Bev could purchase two more Chen-Xing Mao paintings - there goes the budget! While Bev perused the galleries, Zen, Sofia and I discovered a very unique, custom shop - Zedong Fashion Co. Ltd (Hipanda.org) - This is a wonderful place for avant-garde, hip panda t-shirts for friends and family!!

Surprise Hyatt on the Bund
(the image at the top of this entry is the Pudong view from the Hyatt on the Bund)
As many of our friends/clients know, we always prefer the smaller boutique luxury hotels vs. the larger deluxe properties. Based on this preconceived notion, our expectations of our stay at the Hyatt on the Bund were not so high. Our principal reason for staying here was that the Hyatt is the first 5 star luxury hotel to be located directly on the riverfront Bund - a wonderful location. Although large in size (600 rooms), the level of personal, high-touch service at the Hyatt on the Bund was simply outstanding! - Smiles everywhere, and a pervasive sense of kindness and warmth that is difficult to imagine in any place other than a small luxury hotel. We had spectacular Pudong/Huangpu River views from our sleek, modern-designed rooms. Room service is usually a good barometer of a hotel's overall quality and attention to detail. Similar to the Mandarin/Peninsula/Four Seasons, room service delivery was prompt and the food was amazing. Of course, I loved the 24hr Business Center - Bev took special note of the center's comfortable, hip Mario Bellini chairs!

JIA
To get a more urban feel of Shanghai, we spent one night at the relatively new luxury boutique hotel JIA ("home" in Chinese). Adjacent to the vibrant, high-end street mall, Wujiang, we felt JIA to be the perfect place to stay if one wishes to experience young, hip, Shanghai urban life. JIA is located in a 1920s colonial building, with all 55 rooms done in a contemporary 5 star style that is both pampered and high-tech. Our balcony suite had wonderful views of the city activity below. Another bonus - JIA's Issimo Italian restaurant on the second floor! (You were right Patrick M.!)

Shanghai Private Jewish Tour
We have heard much positive feedback about Dvir Bar-Gal and his private Jewish heritage tours of Shanghai. With Faye taking Sofia and Zen back to the pool at the Hyatt, Bev and I enjoyed a half-day Jewish heritage tour with Dvir, beginning on the Bund and ending in the old Jewish ghetto section near Qingming Park. We were most impressed with Dvir's encyclopedic knowledge of Shanghai history in general, as well as all of the Jewish influences. Most compelling was the narrative of the Jewish migration to Shanghai in the 19th and 20th centuries and the major cultural/political/economic influences. The private tour ends in the old Jewish ghetto section of Shanghai where over 20,000 Jewish refugees lived during the Nazi period.

Shanghai's "longtangs"
An amazing part of any visit to Shanghai is a visit to the residential longtangs (alleyways) where one sees everyday life among Shanghainese. Although the number of longtangs continues to decline due to demolition for new, modern developments, there are still plenty to visit - this is most compelling! The longtangs are teeming with life - grandparents gambling with playing cards, noisy animated children everywhere, mothers washing their clothes with drying clothing lines everywhere. Reflecting Shanghai's Western influence, longtangs were conceived in the 19th century when the city was forced open to the west as a treaty port. You see Western architecture mixed with Chinese traditional courtyard concepts, and, of course, the uniquely Chinese way of integrating communal, social interaction among the residents.

There's nothing else to say except China was amazing!!

Our sense of enthusiasm and passion for Asia is unfettered and unrestrained! Please email me if you'd like to talk about preparing a custom travel experience for you, your family and friends. RLynch@KiplingandClark.com

(click here to read about Part I of our China journey)

Upcoming 2008/2009 family luxury trips for the Lynch family include: Southeast Asia and India, (Christmas/New Year holiday, we are hoping the Xu family will join us!) and back to Japan (cherry blossoms!) during April Spring Break.

Our Family Luxury Tour of China - Part II

2008-08-03T22:29:00.000-07:00

Many thanks for the kind words from friends, clients and associates about Part I of our Lynch Family Tour of China. Here's the second part of our 18-day trip, including Guilin and Beijing.

GUILIN
This was our third family visit to Guilin. Guilin's unique landscape, with its ubiquitous karsts limestone formations in the setting of lush, green rice fields adjacent to the Li River, evokes traditional Chinese landscape paintings. Notwithstanding the large number of tourists visiting this area, it's still worth the visit! After reading about the recently restructured HOMA (Hotel of Modern Art) Libre, outside Guilin, my very artsy wife, Bev, was anxious to experience this very special place. In short, our stay at HOMA came to be among the special highlights of our China trip! Founded by a Taiwanese business entrepreneur in 1997, HOMA represents a lovely balance of world class sculpture, architecture, and art set against the backdrop of the natural beauty of the lush grounds.

Despite the somewhat limited English among the staff, the genuine kindness and warmth delivered to our family was heartwarming. Our personal attendant, Daisy, (all guests are assigned a personal attendant) was a kids' dream. Daisy's sincere, dedicated time with Zen and Sofia made her feel like part of our family. HOMA's art workshop for kids is hands-on and fun! All 46 rooms here are individually designed with hip, funky decorations/artwork, along with flat-screen TVs, modern amenities, and a "wow" design aesthetic. I feel HOMA is THE place to stay if visiting Guilin.

BEIJING
More stoic and perhaps less dynamic than free-wheeling Shanghai, Beijing boasts China's major historical and cultural attractions, and, of course, home of the August 2008 Olympic Games!! We were most impressed with all of the Olympics facilities, including the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube. However, based on the huge media buildup of Beijing for the Games, I will forgo any further review. Suffice it to say that the Beijing Olympics facilities are 21st century world-class and wow!!

Our affable and diminutive guide, Doyle, brought us to the obligatory visits to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Summer Palace. Built from 1406, the Forbidden City was the China Imperial Palace from the Qing Dynasty. Taking at least 2 hours to walk through the sprawling grounds/compounds, the Forbidden City is a taxing walk for seniors and a "challenging" walk with a 7 and 8 year old! Despite our talks of the history and background of the inner/outer courts (and the 980 surviving buildings!!), Zen and Sofia began "losing it" after the first hour - per Zen, "I love China daddy, but this place is just way too big!"

Most compelling, we made a visit to the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, adjacent to Tiananmen Square. Particularly for westerners, viewing Mao's preserved corpse is at once spellbinding and abominable. The long waiting line to enter the mausoleum moves swiftly, perhaps not more than 15-20 minutes.

Factory 798
Being an avid modern Chinese art lover, Bev led the way to Beijing's funky art district, Factory 798. Named after the military factory that formerly occupied the buildings, Factory 798 is a must for all modern art lovers. In addition to the many art galleries/exhibitions, the district also includes cool, hip cafes and bookstores. Timezone 8 is our favorite - the best Caesar salad in all of Beijing set in an artsy-soho ambience.

Nanluoguxiang St. (hutong) - Dongchen district
Similar to Factory 789, Nanluoguxiang St. is a quiet, artsy contrast from most of busy, noisy Beijing. Nanluoguxiang really resembles a long alley, and is a favorite spot for Beijing's young musicians, hipsters, and gen X's. This is a great street to have lunch and shop. All of us very much enjoyed the many small custom shops, two of the most interesting - Pottery Workshop (this gallery sells modern takes on classic ceramics fired in the imperial porcelain city of Jingdezhen) and NLGX Design. (Very cool China-themed T-shirts!) Our only disappointment here was hearing that this area was formerly a teeming residential hutong that was transformed by a local developer.

LAN Club - WOW!!
This Beijing restaurant/nightclub is without doubt the most intoxicatingly fascinating eatery we have experienced anywhere in China. LAN is a 60,000 square foot Philippe Starck-designed palace of pretentiousness, and is great entertainment - for kids and adults alike! Including a restaurant area, oyster bar, cigar lounge, and high-energy nightclub, the entire dining complex is designed with a mix of oil paintings and chandeliers, set against corridors lined with Hindu icons, stuffed birds, and an aesthetic that perhaps only Marie Antoinette would fully comprehend. Zen and Sofia particularly loved the dim-lit individually designed restrooms. One of the grandiose restrooms boasts a white leather armchair next to an almost fairytale-like four legged closet. The nearby washbasin bears a bright golden swan stretching its wings, whiles its neck serves as a water tap. All of this is highlighted by red lights fitted out with small monitors resembling eyes - they follow you with every step!! You would expect the food prepared in such an ostentatious setting to be mediocre at best. Not the case here - the East-West fusion/Szechuan creations were loved by all. Bev, Zen, Sofia and I give Lan an A for food/atmosphere/entertainment!

Notwithstanding the various wall locations, we enthusiastically endorse the Mutianyu section, an approx. 2 hour drive from downtown Beijing. Not nearly as jammed with tourists as the closer Badaling site, Mutianyu has a ski-lift service to the Wall itself where one can hike (an earnest work-out!) to varying sections of the Ming Dynasty guard towers, with few tourists and unobstructed views.

Another big plus of Mutianyu - a toboggan ride from the wall to the base. Bev, Zen, Sofia, and I felt this to be among the really fun activities of our trip! Each toboggan has a manual control throttle that controls your speed sliding down (4500 ft.) from the wall highpoint - the entire trip down takes about 5 minutes - exhilarating!! - (check it out on YouTube!)

Next up, Part III - Shanghai

New Baby Pandas Born

2008-07-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

A major highlight during our recent visit to China was spending time with the panda bears at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province. It's a sprawling 600 acre complex of lush landscape with rolling hills, mixed with the natural bamboo habitat where over 70 giant pandas and red pandas live. We had a great time playing with the pandas.

We are thrilled to see there have been some additions there! Just a few days ago, four giant panda cubs were born within 14 hours. This is a mini baby boom for the rare animals. Click here for more on the story.

Pictured here is one of the babies.

photo credit Reuters/China

Recovering After the Quake

2008-07-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

On May 12, China suffered from a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake. As of July 12, the death toll stands at almost 70,000, the number of injured people is 374,000, and the number of people missing is close to 18,000.

Today, China is slowly recovering from the catastrophic event. The government disaster relief fund had topped 59 billion yuan (about 8.5 billion U.S. dollars). Numerous countries around the world have donated their time, money, and other goods to China. Domestic and foreign donations have reached close to 57 billion yuan in cash and goods, of which 21 billion yuan had been forwarded to the quake-hit areas. Relief workers have been constructing temporary houses for the masses of people whose homes were destroyed, damaged roads are almost completely reconstructed, and clean up is a daily project.

Kipling & Clark and its sister company travNET support the American Red Cross relief effort in China and Myanmar. If you're interested in learning more, click on the link above.

Christianity on the Rise in China

2008-07-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

A history lesson: since the 7th Century, Christianity has struggled to take root in China. Christian followers would go to underground churches to conceal their faith from the government. But now, Christianity is on the rise. In this officially atheist nation, the government has counted 21 million Catholics and Protestants - not including the underground population of roughly 50 million.

Christianity is thriving, in part, because it offers a moral framework to citizens adrift in an age of western capitalism that has not only corrected a heavy toll in corruption and pollution, but also harmed the global image of products "Made in China." Some Chinese Christians may even argue that their faith is an unexpected benefit for the Communist Party, because it boosts up the economic foundation that is critical to sustaining party rule.

Christianity is driving citizens to be more politically assertive, encouraging them to push for greater freedoms and testing the party's willingness to adapt. A growing number of lawyers and scholars have converted to Christianity and turned their skills to the issue of religious freedom. They are teaming up with churches to challenge the government in court, suing for the rights they believe are guaranteed under China's constitution.

Two Weeks Away - Let the Games Begin!

2008-07-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

With two weeks to go until the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, there is great attention now on Beijing and its surrounding cities. China's eye-catching National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest" (the most architecturally striking stadium we have ever seen!) will be the main stadium of the Games.

Preparations for the Olympic Games include a massive clean up of Beijing’s air pollution. Half of Beijing's three million vehicles have now been pulled off the roads, and many polluting factories are being closed. The chemical plants, power stations and foundries left open have to cut emissions by 30 percent, and dust-spewing construction in the capital will be stopped.

Also, security has increased not only in Beijing, but Shanghai as well because the government is worried about foreign terrorist plots. The government is also concerned about the potential for political protests from domestic critics such as Uighurs in the restive western province of Xinjiang and Tibetans. Surprisingly, Beijing hotels had to cut prices in half in their last effort to book their rooms. But, keep in mind...this is after more than tripling their original prices.

Here are a few interesting news links about what's happening in Beijing in preparation for the incoming tourists:

AP article about China clamping down on business visas:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gNmhIfQfEVKFgn5D5agWE421z3ZQD924CR903

AP article about pollution in Beijing, and what city officials are doing about it:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hffL1XfQ3apaxbsVWxBAj5QJeJKQD921N24O1

Our Family Luxury Tour of China - What a Journey!!

2008-07-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

As promised to our friends, clients and associates, we want to tell you about our incredible luxury tour of China. We (Bev, Zennia, her cousin Sofia and I) recently returned from our 18-day private luxury tour of China.

Because we enjoyed so many wonderful experiences, I am making the story into three parts. Here's part one, check back again next week for parts two and three.

Part I: Hong Kong, Zhongdian (Yunnan Province) Chengdu and Chongqing

HONG KONG
Although we really love Shanghai, it’s hard to beat Hong Kong – the picturesque, deep water harbor is always abuzz with ferries, container ships and hydrofoil activity. The backdrop of the harbor is among the most striking skylines in the world: an array of sleek, glass and steel buildings (Bank of China building being our favorite!) unmatched by any other city at night.

Exploring the neighborhoods with our super-guide Rebecca was great fun. We added a morning Dim Sum breakfast at local Jade Garden, and a return to the Island Shangri-La for Zen’s adoption reminiscing. We visited the Shangri-La so Zen could celebrate her 6 year adoption anniversary, returning to the King Bed harbor view room we used in 2001. Zen remarked “life is good!” We later recharged with an hour foot/head massage at a local spa.

We very much looked forward to returning to the newly-renovated Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. This place truly represents understated luxury. We forgot how much we love this place: unpretentious, singular luxury coupled with a very sincere, friendly staff that evokes a home away from home feeling. The renovation has resulted in the new Mandarin’s former balconies being converted to lounge/study area extensions, with stunning Victoria Harbor views. Zen and Sofia especially liked the bathroom/amenities, including the vertical, swivel plasma TV/mirrors – so unique! Similar to our Japan trip, Zen and Sofia had a tough first night in Hong Kong with jet lag. Around 2am I overheard Zen calling room service for French fries and milkshakes - at least they properly tipped the room service waiter!! We feel perhaps no other 5 star deluxe property in Hong Kong offers such a luxurious, peaceful oasis from the noisy, frenetic city as the Mandarin: an A+ in our book!

ZHONGDIAN
Next we flew onto Zhongdian – Shangri-La (Yunnan Province) in southwest China. This remote, obscure area represents the antithesis of the sophisticated, urban environment of Hong Kong. The region, (Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture) rich in Tibetan culture, rises 10,000 ft in elevation on the southern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

Amazingly, Banyan Tree Resorts has built a lovely idyllic resort here (Ringha) using Sino-Tibetan designs with each lodge/villa looking remarkably like the local Tibetan farmhouses. The Banyan Tree is located in a lush, green valley that is truly representative of this beautiful, remote land. At least during late spring/summer period, think of the scenery as a Tibetan cultural version of Sound of Music! Our lovely local Tibetan guide, Hannah, was blessed with the physical ‘beauty of her local “sisters” – high rosy cheekbones with naturally beautiful skin, bathed in the local Yak bitter from an early age. In addition to visiting the very impressive Ganden Sumtseling Gompa Tibetan monastery (nearly 600 monks!), Hannah brought us to a local Ringha Buddhist Temple – no westerners here! Walking up the hill to the small temple, we saw colorful prayer flags and many local Tibetan pilgrims. Hannah helped Zen and Sofia tie their own prayer flags with each making their own private, solemn wish.

CHENGDU (Altruism + pandas)
Based on the earthquake tragedy in Sichuan Province, we were ambivalent and reluctant to visit here. After much correspondence and reflection we decided to go ahead with our brief Chengdu stopover. Although we were unable to visit specific damaged schools north of the city, we were still able to give donations to the Sichuan relief effort here. Despite media reports, we were pleasantly surprised that Chengdu itself (a sprawling city of over 4 million) suffered very little earthquake damage.

Based on the perspective of Zen and Sofia, the Chengdu Research Base/Giant Panda Eco-Park was the number one highlight of our 18-day China trip! The sprawling 600 acre complex was most impressive – a lush landscape with rolling hills mixed with the natural bamboo habitat of both the “giant panda” and the interesting “red panda” (think of a raccoon crossed with a fox!). Over 70 giant pandas live here! Before the Sichuan earthquake, the Panda Research Center averaged over 4,000 visitors per day. Following the earthquake, officials remarked that not more than 50 persons visited a day. After arranging a donation with the research center, Zen and Sofia were given a golden opportunity for a private “holding-hugging” session with a 10-month old “baby” panda named Xing-rong. This “baby” panda weighed in at 44lbs! Their group hug with Xing-rong was off the charts for Zen and Sofia – not even Hannah Montana or High School Musical could match this!

In reality, there exists no other place in the world where one can experience such personal encounters with giant pandas – only here in Chengdu. This is a must visit for all families traveling to China!!

Another wonderful family place in Chengdu is its “Peoples’ Park,” a lovely setting for all families, with tea houses, zany rides, and local “medicine doctors.” I am not sure we would recommend the ear-wax removal service using super thin bamboo prods!

CHONGQING
A couple of months back we planned on flying into Chongqing to board the newly built vessel Yangzi Explorer, the first legitimate 5 star luxury cruise to ply the Yangzi. However, due to launching delays until late summer, our Yangzi Explorer expedition is postponed. Nevertheless, the Chongqing stop gave me a golden opportunity to take a full day excursion onto the Dazu Grotto. Dating back to the 12th century, the Dazu art is rated among the great Buddhist cave sculptures in all of China. Luckily, as the Dazu grotto was inaccessible by road during the Cultural Revolution, the entire area was spared the excesses of the Red Guard. Reflecting Buddhist, Taoist and Confucius influences, the detail and integrity of the artwork is somewhat comparable to Angkor Wat. (Please forgive me Jay Xu if this comparison seems untenable!) As Zen had developed a slight fever, Bev, Sofia, and Zen had a Chongqing spa/massage rest day while my wonderful lao ban voiced guide Nancy and I visited Dazu.

This is the end of the first part of our trip. Click here for Part II, Guilin and Beijing.
Click here for Part III, Shanghai.

All Eyes on China

2008-07-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

Amazing! Incredible! Stunning! These are just a few of the words that describe our Lynch Family private luxury tour of China. For 18 days we enjoyed five-star hotels, extraordinary service and took in all the beauty and culture of this great country. From Beijing to Hong Kong to Chengdu, from Guilin to Shanghai, we have so much to share with you! (And Zen and cousin Sofia had the best time visiting with the Panda bears!)

Meantime, with all eyes on China now because of the upcoming Beijing Olympics, I want to take a moment to talk about summer tourism in China, specifically in Beijing. It was originally expected that Beijing would see a boom in tourists for the Olympics - but this is not happening. Perhaps you've read the recent headlines about how Beijing is a bust for the hotel industry??

The best time to visit Beijing is *after* the Olympics, after the hoopla and the lights. I'll have much more on this in my next posting. For now, here's a link to an interesting story from the AP about the tourism bust in Beijing:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g_coiYn7zmiqw9IMgcmqezqZa6bQD91HAVCG0

Our Next Lynch Family Adventure: CHINA

2008-06-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

We are excited to share our summer travel plans to China. The Lynch family (Bev, Zen, her cousin Sofia and I) is heading to China for a private luxury tour June 12 - June 29. Many clients and friends have been asking for details about our next family adventure, so I thought to share some of our itinerary:

HONG KONG, YUNNAN & CHENGDU
We arrive in Hong Kong nonstop from Chicago where we'll stay at the recently renewed five-star Mandarin Oriental. We plan to explore some interesting Hong Kong neighborhoods, in addition to day-tripping to Macau to get a look-see at the new Asia "Las Vegas." Although the Mandarin has always been one of our favorites, we have not stayed here since its 2007 room recreations.

From Hong Kong we'll fly to Zhongdian/Shangri-La (Yunnan Province) to visit fascinating peoples of this remote gateway to Tibet. Here we'll stay at the luxury Banyan Tree Resort in Ringha. We'll spend a couple of days with our local guide including visits to:

- Bev is very much looking forward to visiting Songzangling Monastery: first built in the late 17th century under the auspices of the fifth Dalai Lama, this monastery has more than 800 monks and is a noted Buddhist religious college with halls for chanting and instructing. It's quite compelling.

- We will also visit Ringha Village (Khamph Tibetan), and of course, dancing with the evening local townspeople is a must!

Our next stop we feel will be a sad but necessary visit in Chengdu. Our daughter Zennia, and her cousin Sofia, plan to visit two specific elementary schools to bring various school supplies and lend our moral support to these precious children affected by the earthquake.

Before our departure the next day, we will return to the Panda Research Center where we will be introduced to recently-born baby pandas. (We must always be careful holding the babies - cuddly but playful biters!!)

CHONGQING and GUILIN
From Chengdu, we'll travel onto Chongqing where we will explore the Grotto Art Dazu. Located about 100 miles outside of Chongqing, these Buddhist cave sculptures and carvings range from the 9th to the 13th century. They are rated among the foremost expressions of Buddhist - Taoist - Confucius influence in all of China.

We will then fly onto the strikingly beautiful area of Guilin, where we'll stay at the Hotel of Modern Art, a very relaxing and peaceful property located in the awe-inspiring countryside. In Guilin we'll take a private boat excursion on the Li River. We will also visit the Valley of Longji (Dragon Spire), consisting of picturesque hills sculpted into tightly pocketed rice fields (think Bali!).

BEIJING and SHANGHAI
Following Guilin, we will fly to Beijing and immense ourselves in all of the pre-Olympics activities. We'll be here June 21 - 25, staying at the famed Raffles Beijing Hotel. We'll tour the Olympic Stadium, Olympic Pools, Factory 798 (the most interesting collection of China modern art and art studios in all of China), and the Capitol Museum. Our private, guided tour also includes visits to the "Wild Wall" - (rigorous exercise for us all!) - Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and various "Hutongs". We are very excited to return to the Green Tea House and Lan Club for some wonderful East-West/Chinese cuisine!

From Beijing we'll fly to Shanghai for the last leg of our luxury expedition. We are staying at the recently opened five-star Hyatt on the Bund, located on the banks of the Huang Pu River.

As Shanghai is our FAVORITE city in all of China, we have plenty of activities planned including: an all day walk through the wonderful French Concession area and Xintiande (dinner at T8!), a morning excursion to the ancient river town of Zhujiajiao, and a Shanghai Jewish history private tour with Dvir Bar-Gal. Of course, our daughter Zennia has demanded a return to several Shanghai elementary schools to share stories and discuss the latest Disney musical videos! Among our return, dinner venues will be M on the Bund and Issimo at the new JIA Hotel.

On June 29, we'll leave Shanghai from the Pudong International Airport on a United Airlines nonstop flight returning home to the "stormy, husky, brawling city of big shoulders!"

We'll have a complete wrap up of our journey upon our return. Meantime, I will be posting highlights during our trip on our blog.

Bon Voyage!
Randy Lynch & Family

P.S. If this itinerary interests you and you'd like to create a private family luxury expedition to China, or to Japan, or anywhere in the Pacific Rim, we are happy to talk with you anytime: 800.354.3404 Click here for sample itineraries to the Pacific Rim

Travelogue Japan: Our Spring Break Luxury Tour of Japan

2008-05-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

As many friends and clients have inquired about experiencing Japan, the Lynch family - Randy, Bev, Zen and cousin Sofia – is happy to share the details of our extraordinary whirlwind visit to Japan over spring break. We had an amazing time. We were pampered, impressed and made to feel welcomed everywhere we visited. Here is an overview of our trip:

TOKYO
We arrived in Tokyo Sunday afternoon and our Kipling & Clark representative transferred us by private vehicle to the recently opened Peninsula Tokyo for check in. This was our first visit to the recently opened Peninsula Tokyo - we were most impressed with the very personal, friendly staff, as well as the aesthetic and design of the property. From the Peninsula's "Grand Deluxe" rooms, you have a great view of the Imperial Palace grounds and Hibiya Park. Bev & I think this maybe perhaps the premiere 5 star deluxe hotel in Tokyo.

After arriving the night before, Zen and Sofia had major jetlag, waking at 2am and then ordering an elaborate room service meal of hot chocolate, oatmeal, lox & bagels and pancakes. Later we all walked across the street to enjoy the lush, green Hibiya Park. Like most everything in Japan it was beautiful and meticulously clean. Some details about the hotel: men will love the high-magnification Aliseo shaving mirrors in the Peninsula bathrooms and the always amazing, oscillating heated massage and powder deodorizing Toto toilets--why can't we have these in the U.S.?!

Once we left Takishita, we headed to chic, hip Omotesando for shopping and then onto the beautiful 175-acre evergreen-forested grounds of the Shinto Meiji Shrine. It's hard to imagine that this tranquil, lush place is in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world. The imposing Torii gate leading to the shrine is most impressive, as well as the many colorful barrels of donated sake displayed near the shrine. Zen & Sofia reflected on their dreams and wishes, and left their written messages on wooden plates at the Emma.

Being a decades-long super-fan of the Beatles' John Lennon, Bev had our guide take us on the 1.5 hour long pilgrimage drive outside downtown Tokyo to the John Lennon Museum. Although Bev felt the exhibitions were tilted a bit too much toward Yoko's point of view, we all loved the John Lennon music and fascinating memorabilia.

TRAVELING THROUGH JAPAN
Whenever traveling throughout Japan, the clean, super-efficient bullet train transport system is always a comfortable, satisfying experience. Two reminders though: Firstly, porterage help is *not* available at any of the Japan railway station so you must fend for your own baggage. Secondly, the overhead luggage rack space is limited, even in first class cars. Conventional, large suitcases are a real burden. Alternatively, you may *truck* your bags from Tokyo to outlying areas; we have done this frequently with past clients traveling "heavy".

TOKYO – TAKAYAMA
Tokyo via Nagoya to Takayam is a five hour train rain via the bullet train, which is efficient, clean and fastidiously punctual. Bev and I agree that Takayama is a less pretentious, more egalitarian Japanese Alpine version of Carmel, California.

Because of our whirlwind schedule, we were unable to attend the annual Takayama Spring Festival (Sanno Matsuri) (Apr 14-15). The Festival includes a wonderfully colorful night festival of floats accompanied by marionette performances.

We were able to take a two-hour drive out to Ogimachi and the village in Shirakawa-gu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to many picturesque gasshozukuri farmhouses, many dating back to the 16th century.

NAGASE RYOKAN
Located in the traditional Edo village of Takayama, Nagase Ryokan may seem a bit touristy at first, but be assured staying here is a rewarding experience. The Nagase Ryokan has been operated by the same family for over 250 years! It has only 11 rooms, most with private gardens.

Although the reception area staff speaks English, the room attendants' English is very limited. No worries, however, as you can easily communicate any of your needs. The dinner presentation at Nagase is amazing, as well as the variety of dishes including grilled river fish, Hida beef and crab Nabe. All meals are served in the privacy of your room.

We loved the afternoon stroll through Sannomachi Street, with many historical homes, coffee houses, and sake breweries, many having been in business for centuries!

KYOTO
Traveling to Kyoto in April for the cherry blossoms is becoming somewhat of a tradition in the Lynch Family. Cherry blossoms were literally exploding this year in the backdrop of all the wonderful Kyoto temples and shrines, including Nijo Castle, Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavillion) and Kiyomizu Temple. Perhaps our favorite setting for cherry blossoms is the Heian-jingju Shrine – the many weepy cherry trees in the gardens are heavenly – this is one of the most beautiful, meditative walks in all of Kyoto.

THE TAWARAYA RYOKAN
The Tawaraya Ryokan is considered the most famous ryokan in all of Japan. Our only regret is that we stayed here only one night. It is subtle, high-touch service. The cypress tub and bathroom fixtures are all custom, and the bed sheets are luxurious Egyptian cotton. The outside private gardens are lush and green with a surreal Zen-like ambience. Everything in the room seems in perfect rhythm and harmony: simplistic, understated aesthetic.

FUSHIMI SHRINE
Of course, we returned to our favorite Shinto Shrine in all of Japan, the Fushimi Inari Taisha. You may have seen the bright red/orange torii of Fushimi in the film "Memories of a Geisha." Dating back tot he 8th century, the shrine includes a wandering pathway around three miles up the mountain, lined with hundreds of beautiful red torii, now faded to look orange.

Fushimi is the most famous of several thousand shrines across Japan dedicated to Inar. Inari is the Shinto god of rice, and foxes are believed to be his messengers, hence the many fox statues found along the pathway. Walking up the pathway early in the morning, Bev, Zen, Sofia, and I very much enjoyed the magical, eerie ambience, and the two-and-a-half hour hike.

HYATT REGENCY KYOTO
The Hyatt Regency Kyoto is located in the southeast area of Kyoto near the train station which is very convenient. Its minimalist, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired design with spacious rooms featuring all the latest amenities. The sliding doors and windows enable guests to bring in fresh air to evoke a modern-style ryokan feeling. The Hyatt Regency is comparable to a stay at the Tawaraya Ryokan, or the Yoshida-sanso ryokan residence.

Despite our many travels to Japan, there always seems to be an impenetrable veil in truly understanding this wonderful land. As David Pilling noted, “Almost every aspect of life in Japan from sumo wrestling and tea ceremony to business, one has a feeling of something other than itself, beyond itself.”

In terms of first-time visitors, one is most impressed with the meticulous cleanliness of everything in Japan, the precise speed and efficiency of the transport (bullet)/transit system, the lovely and subtle Japan aesthetic, and finally, the democratic egalitarianism of the Japanese. We truly enjoy this wonderful place!

You are welcomed to view a sample itinerary of this private luxury tour of Japan at: http://internetmailmanager.com/i/ou.htm?a=156237&b=1159737&c=11405368&d=http:~~kiplingandclark.com~pagesNew~KC_Japan_SpringBreak_itin1.pdf

Our next trip is coming up in early June – Hong Kong and the China hinterlands! Send me an email and I'll tell you more about it: Newsletter@KiplingandClark.com

Frances W. Parker School Scholarship Auction Winner

2008-04-24T11:33:00.001-07:00

Friends, it has been a very busy few weeks! The Lynch family is back home after our fantastic seven day trip to Japan. We have so many wonderful things to share with you from our luxury adventure in Japan. In the next few days we’ll post pictures and details from our trip.

Meantime, a big THANK YOU to Michael & Beth Hughes!

The Hughes family offered the highest bid ($19,000) to win a Kipling & Clark private family luxury tour of Thailand and Laos. The luxury trip was part of the Francis W. Parker School’s Scholarship Auction Dinner last month. It was a terrific evening for a terrific cause!

Pictured: Michael Hughes and Randy Lynch, Dr. Houri Shafaie and Beth Hughes (at right)