Halong Bay, Vietnam. Getty Images / Flickr RF
Halong Bay, Vietnam. Getty Images / Flickr RF

Find Asian inspiration with these travel deals



Vietnam

Journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City aboard the Reunification Express on this 15-day cultural holiday in Vietnam. Along the way, you'll visit Halong Bay for an overnight stay on the water; tour Hue and enjoy the opulence of Thai Hoa Palace, the Forbidden Purple City and the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc. Highlights include two days on a secluded beach at Nha Trang and a morning bike tour of Ho Chi Minh City.

The two-week trip costs from Dh4,440 per person, including accommodation based on two sharing, some meals, sightseeing as mentioned in the itinerary, local transport, services of a tour leader, and taxes. International airfare not included. Book through www.responsibletravel.com.

India

Bales Worldwide has a week-long "Taj and Tigers" tour that will take you through India's Golden Triangle. The itinerary includes tiger spotting in Ranthambore National Park; a tour of New Delhi's landmark monuments; a visit to Chandni Chowk market in the old part of the city and a day spent at the Taj Mahal in Agra. The journey ends in the architecturally rich city of Jaipur in Rajasthan.

The eight-day trip costs from Dh5,852 per person, including accommodation based on two sharing, game drives at Ranthambore National Park, some meals, sightseeing and all local transport and transfers. Departures in April, May and June. International airfare not included. Visit www.balesworldwide.com for more details.

Myanmar

Spend 15 days in Myanmar on this epic "Discover Burma" tour. From Shwedagon Pagoda (it glitters with gold and diamonds, and is said to contain eight hairs of the Buddha) and Lake Kandawgyi in Yangon to the ancient city of Bagan, known for its thousands of brick stupas, this trip offers a rare insight into the country's past. You'll also visit Mandalay's Golden Teak Monastery and the Royal Palace; the kilometre-long U-Bein bridge; and Lake Inle.

From £1,199 (Dh7,050) per person, including accommodation based on two sharing, some meals, local transport, domestic flights, and sightseeing as in the itinerary. International airfare not included. Visit www.exodus.co.uk for more information and to book.

China

Cox & Kings has a nine-day "Magical China" tour that takes in most of the important attractions and tourist sites across Shanghai, Beijing and Xi'an. Highlights include Beijing's Forbidden City and the hutongs; a city tour of Shanghai; and a visit to Xi'an's famous Terracotta Warriors. You'll also zip across the country on a Maglev train and enjoy a cruise on Shanghai's Huangpu River.

From Dh4,984 per person, including accommodation, based on two sharing, some meals, local transport, sightseeing and excursions, and the services of a tour leader. International airfare not included. Visit www.coxandkings.ae for more information and to book.

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Company%20Profile
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Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Financial considerations before buying a property

Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.

“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says. 

Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.

Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier. 

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020

Launched: 2008

Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools

Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)

Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13

 

Impact in numbers

335 million people positively impacted by projects

430,000 jobs created

10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water

50 million homes powered by renewable energy

6.5 billion litres of water saved

26 million school children given solar lighting

Kandahar%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ric%20Roman%20Waugh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EGerard%20Butler%2C%20Navid%20Negahban%2C%20Ali%20Fazal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ICC Awards for 2021

MEN

Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)

WOMEN

Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)

ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: 3/5