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Centara opens first branded beachfront resort in Ao Nang, Krabi’s most popular tourism hotspot

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Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, has celebrated the opening of Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi, a brand new upscale resort and the first branded beachfront property in Ao Nang, the popular tourism gateway in southern Thailand.

Nestled directly on the soft sands at the quieter end of Ao Nang Beach, just 40 minutes from Krabi International Airport and a short stroll from many local shops, bars and restaurants, this elegant resort offers uninterrupted views of the azure Andaman Sea. With a choice of accommodation for couples and families, outstanding amenities and delectable dining, this is the perfect setting for all types of beach break.


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Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi comprises 179 bright and contemporary rooms and suites, ranging from a generous 39 square metres to an expansive to 81 square metres. Whichever option guests choose, they will be able to unwind in style with modern amenities, including Smart TVs and complimentary Wi-Fi. The Pool Access Rooms offer the opportunity to step straight into the resort’s tropical outdoor pool from your private terrace, and some rooms even feature private plunge pools. Meanwhile, fun-filled vacations can be enjoyed in the resort’s Family Residences, which come equipped with bunk beds, kitchenettes and more.

Sensational Thai and international cuisine can be savoured at the all-day restaurant, which features a dramatic glasshouse and an idyllic alfresco terrace, and the Beach Bar specialises in tasty tapas and wood-fired pizzas. The Pool Bar is a great spot for refreshing daytime drinks, and the Lobby Lounge is an easygoing space to sit back, relax and catch up on the day’s events.

Endless days can be spent strolling along the beach, soaking up the scenery and swimming in the lagoon-style pool. Children will be kept fully entertained at Camp Safari, the resort’s kids’ club, while parents can experience soothing treatments at SPA Cenvaree or work out at the well-equipped fitness centre. For meeting planners, a versatile 292-square metre meeting room and pre-function area provides an excellent backdrop for all types of event, including corporate retreats and one-of-a-kind weddings.

Alternatively, guests can head out and explore Krabi’s breath-taking scenery. This exotic southern province is home to many iconic attractions such as Railay Bay, the Phi Phi Islands and Maya Bay (aka “The Beach”).

Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi becomes Centara’s fourth property to open in this pristine region, following Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi, Centara Anda Dhevi Resort & Spa Krabi, and Centra by Centara Phu Pano Resort Krabi.

“We are delighted to welcome guests to Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi, as we introduce a new era of international hospitality to this vibrant destination. With our stunning seafront location, choice of accommodation, exceptional amenities and warm Thai service, I am confident that this outstanding new resort will become a firm favourite among couples and families alike,” said Michael Gaarde-Nielsen, the resort’s General Manager.

Be among the first to stay at the new Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi! Under the special Introductory Offer, guests who book by 30th November 2019 and stay before 24th December 2019 will receive an amazing 30% discount on every room type. CLICK HERE to book!

The opening of Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi extends Centara’s leadership position in Thailand. The group now operates almost 40 hotels and resorts across the kingdom, with many more under development. Most recently, the 145-key Centara Sonrisa Residences & Suites Sriracha opened on Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard, the 22-villa Maikhao Dream Villa Resort & Spa Phuket has joined the Centara Boutique Collection, and the 142-key Maikhao Hotel Phuket is now managed by Centara. COSI Pattaya Naklua Beach will start welcoming guests in November 2019, follow by COSI Ao Nang Beach in Q3, 2020 and COSI Vientiane Nam Phu in Q4, 2020.

To discover Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort & Spa Krabi, please visit www.centarahotelsresorts.com/centara/cnk.

ABOUT CENTARA

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Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 76 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, China, Japan, Oman, Qatar, Cambodia, Turkey, Indonesia and the UAE. Centara’s portfolio comprises six brands -Centara Grand Hotels & Resorts, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara, Centara Residences & Suites and COSI Hotels – ranging from 5-star city hotels and luxurious island retreats to family resorts and affordable lifestyle concepts supported by innovative technology. It also operates state-of-the-art convention centres and has its own award-winning spa brand, Cenvaree. Throughout the collection, Centara delivers and celebrates the hospitality and values Thailand is famous for including gracious service, exceptional food, pampering spas and the importance of families. Centara’s distinctive culture and diversity of formats allow it to serve and satisfy travellers of nearly every age and lifestyle.

Over the next five years Centara aims to double its size with additional properties in Thailand and new international markets, while spreading its footprint into new continents and market niches. As Centara continues to expand, a growing base of loyal customers will find the company’s unique style of hospitality in more locations. Centara’s global loyalty programme, Centara The1, reinforces their loyalty with rewards, privileges and special member pricing.

Find out more about Centara at www.CentaraHotelsResorts.com

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Centara opens first branded beachfront resort in Ao Nang, Krabi’s most popular tourism hotspot
Family Residence Room
Centara opens first branded beachfront resort in Ao Nang, Krabi’s most popular tourism hotspot
Deluxe Pool Access Room

MEDIA CONTACTS:
 
Pornchanok Thongrungrot (Pao)
Corporate Public Relations Manager – International, Centara Hotels & Resorts
Email: pornchanokth@chr.co.th
Tel.: +66 (0)2769 1234 Ext. 6733 

Puntira Cherdboonmuang (Gam)
Corporate Public Relations Manager – Thai Media, Centara Hotels & Resorts
Tel. +66 (0)2769 1234 Ext. 6922

David Johnson 
Delivering Asia Communications 
E-mail: dj@deliveringasia.com 
Tel: +66 (0) 2246 1159 
Website: www.deliveringcommunications.com

Four Seasons launches Bali’s first hotel arrival by river raft

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Famed for its dramatic treetop arrival via a suspension bridge, the World’s #1 Hotel is now offering guests a 180-degree change of perspective, with Bali’s first hotel arrival by river raft.

Submerged in a river valley close to the artistic center of Ubud, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan has launched the innovative rafting check-in as an option for guests transferring from its sister Resort, the beach-front Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay on Bali’s south-west coast. Instead of the usual 90-minute road transfer, travellers combining a stay at both Resorts can instead be taken by private car (60 minutes’ drive) to the departure point for a two-hour rafting adventure down Bali’s longest river, the Ayung. While they enjoy a leisurely guided adventure through Class III rapids with views of lush jungle, rice terraces and majestic gorges, their luggage continues by car and precedes their arrival at Four Seasons Resort Sayan.

After discovering secluded sites – including a natural holy spring and an historic dam belonging to Bali’s th-century UNESCO World Heritage-listed subak irrigation system – rafters land directly at the Resort’s Riverside Restaurant. Waiting staff ensure a seamless check-in and within minutes guests are relaxing in their room, delivering a hotel arrival unlike any other.

“The Resort is well known for its magical rooftop arrival. Many guests stop in their tracks and are even brought to tears as they cross the bridge, full of wonder and awe, listening to the forest ‘symphony’ and descending into the hotel from the treetops. This new arrival by river offers the opposite view with a slow reveal from under the canopy of trees, making it perfect for repeat guests who have experienced the bridge arrival before,” says Resort Manager Gianni Costa. “It does not feel like a check-in experience, but rather a transition to another world, welcomed by the friendliest people on Earth.”

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Beach Vacation: What you do if a shark is about to attack?

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Shark and humans

Shark attack! The United States is the most dangerous country in the world when it comes to bloody encounters between people and sharks. It’s especially true in regions where tourism is big business.

In Hawaii, children are always taught two things about the ocean and sharks.
Today a 65-year-old visitor vacationing on the Island of Hawaii was bitten on her right inner upper thigh by a shark.  The bite mark was approximately 12 inches in diameter.

She was around several hundred yards offshore and brought in prone on a kayak via bystanders and does not remember events prior to being bitten. The victim was transported in stable condition to the hospital. A helicopter conducted a shoreline check within an hour of the incident, surveying several miles of ocean and along the coastline with no shark sightings.

What children are always taught in Hawaii about the ocean and sharks is to never turn your back on the ocean because then you won’t be aware of wave swells or anything heading in your direction. They are also taught to never go in the ocean alone. You never know when you will need someone’s help or you will need to help someone in distress.

When you enter the ocean, you are going into the domain of many aquatic animals, the scariest of which is the shark. Are there ways to avoid being attacked by a shark? Here, knowledge is definitely power.

If you see a shark and it is behaving aggressively, the best thing you can do is remain calm and as motionless as possible. While it may be hard not to panic, by not thrashing the water or screaming, this will likely be the biggest factor in whether or not you may be bitten.

Don’t attract attention to yourself by wearing jewelry that shines and reflects light. It can cause sharks to mistake you for a fish in murky water.

If you see a bait ball, get out! A bait ball is when small fish swarm in a tightly packed spherical formation and is a last-ditch defensive measure when they are threatened by predators – as in sharks.

Before you even go in the water, if you see animal remains on the beach, like dead seals, fish, or whales, there are more likely to be sharks in the water.

Although a shark will be in the water at all times, they mostly hunt at dawn, dusk, and at night because the low light makes it harder for prey to see them coming, and many fish are most active at dusk. Plan your ocean activities accordingly.

Be vigilant around areas with a steep drop-off, because certain species like the great white shark will use the deep water to ambush potential prey.

If despite all your best efforts to avoid a shark, an attack occurs, punch the shark in the nose or eyes, and use anything you have (surfboard, dive tank, etc.) to put it between the shark and yourself.

Immediately seek help from others. If no one is around, use your shirt, wetsuit, surf leash, or anything long enough to tie a tourniquet above the wound on yourself or the person attacked. If the incident occurs while surfing, put the person on a board.

Stay in a group as this will deter sharks from investigating further.

When you get to the beach, keep the legs elevated by pointing the attacked person’s head toward the water as the shore slopes down into the ocean.

Apply pressure directly to the wound with a towel or shirt until emergency responders arrive.

And in the ultimate prevention, first aid and CPR classes are extremely valuable for unexpected situations like a shark attack. Preparation is key and will increase your confidence in the ocean and in life.

Here is a story on the Great White Shark Attack in Australia.



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Major tour operators converging on Barbados for 2019 meeting with tourism partners

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Three weeks away from the May 1 start of the premier business-to-business marketplace, Connect Barbados, with over 100 participants – inclusive of 56 tour operators, have already registered to come and meet with local tourism partners including attraction providers and hoteliers.

Under the theme ‘Breathing Power into Business Connections’, the three-day conference is now in its 14th year. Tour operators have been invited from Barbados’ main source markets – the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Europe and Caribbean and Latin America. Tour operators such as: Air Canada Vacations, Virgin Holidays and Expedia Group, to name a few have already registered to come learn about what is new in Destination Barbados.

Connect Barbados is an annual conference providing opportunities to island operators to sell Barbados’ holiday products to invited tour operators in all of the island’s major source markets.

The marketplace allows global travel partners to learn about and experience the latest product and service developments on the island, while affording local partners the occasion to thank them for the tremendous contribution they continue to make the success of Barbados’ premier economic sector.

BTMI CEO, William ‘Billy’ Griffith, mentioned, “We are positively anticipating to surpass the 1,200 meeting appointments from Connect 2018 as we once again welcome and share our beautiful product with participating tour operators. Being able to connect our local service providers with the agents who have direct contact with potential visitors to Barbados will be extremely vital to both parties.”

This year, as we celebrate the Year of Wellness and Soft Adventure, tour operators will be treated to an outdoor welcome reception as they kick their feet in the sand at the “Feet in the Sand Beach Party, featuring top local entertainment and cuisine, before proceeding to two full days of business-to-business meetings at the Hilton Barbados Resort.

To close out the highly-anticipated conference, a special final evening reception will be held at the prestigious Harrison’s Cave and tour operators will get the opportunity to tour the cave first-hand. On the final day, participants will tour the island for a diverse Attractions Day, inspecting places of interest based on their specialties.

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Visa waiver leads to spike in bookings to Brazil

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Brazil’s visa waiver policy announced in March is already generating positive results. Recent data from a study done by Amadeus Group shows a significant increase in the number of reservations made in the United States, as well as in Canada, Japan and Australia, the other three other countries benefiting from the new policy. Amadeus is one of the 10 largest technology companies in the world and one of the three largest in the travel segment.

In the United States, the increase was 53% in the number of trips confirmed for June and 97% in July compared to the same period of last year. In Canada, growth was 86% for June, 54% for July and, expressive, 135% for August this year.

“The numbers show that visa exemptions for strategic countries are a good measure, which generates jobs and income in Brazil. It is time for the country to take advantage of all its tourism potential”, said Marcelo Alvaro Antonio, the Brazilian Minister of Tourism.

Here are some suggestions of amazing destinations in Brazil for all tastes:

• Historic Cities: If you like your vacations with a heavy dose of culture, Brazil should definitely be on your list. We have several historic cities, with a heritage dating back to its colonial period. In Minas Gerais State, you can find cities like Ouro Preto and Diamantina – the center of gold mining in Brazil in the 18th century. In the Northeast state of Bahia, you will find Salvador, the first capital of Brazil, and a city that also has a rich history of its African heritage. A few miles from Salvador, in the State of Pernambuco, you will find the city of Olinda. Founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the city is linked to the sugar cane industry, with gorgeous Baroque churches, convents, and views to die for.

• Sun and Beach: With more than four thousand miles of coast, its exuberant nature bordering the beaches with coconut trees, and tropical forests, Brazil has options for all travelers looking to spend time outdoors. Most know the famous urban beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis or Fortaleza, but there are also small beach towns like Trancoso, Boipeba, and Jericoacoara that can offer unique spots to get a tan. You can even find a stretch of sand in the Amazon, in the beaches near Manaus, along the Rio Negro.

• National Parks: Brazil’s natural beauties go beyond beaches and forests. The country is also blessed with great diversity, which includes waterfalls, canyons, wetlands and many different types of ecosystems throughout its many national parks. Think- Iguazu Falls, one of the most important forest reserves in South America. Another highlight is the Pantanal, in the central region of the country, home to hundreds of endangered species. And of course, the Amazon Rainforest.

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