Thursday, April 14, 2016

RANKED: The 19 most expensive holiday destinations





The world's most expensive holiday destinations are revealed in a new ranking from the airport transfer website Hoppa.
To make its ranking, Hoppa added up the total of six travel expenses — including a 3-kilometer taxi journey, a night's stay at a hotel per person, and a meal — to find the average cost per person for a day trip in each destination.
The cost of a pint of beer, a cup of coffee, and a bottle of wine were also taken into account.
Pricy destinations included both coastal locations in Central America as well as European capital cities.

Here are the 19 most expensive cities to visit, along with a breakdown of travel expenses in each place.

19. Shanghai — £131.90 ($186.18)

19. Shanghai — £131.90 ($186.18)
Wikimedia
Taxi: £1.53 ($2.16)
Hotel: £75.95 ($107.21)
Meal: £21.93 ($30.96)
Pint of beer: £5.11 ($7.21)
Cup of coffee: £3.60 ($5.08)
Bottle of wine: £15.57 ($21.98)

18. Moscow — £133.45 ($188.37)

Taxi: £3.59 ($5.07)
Hotel: £100.02 ($141.18)
Meal: £25.76 ($36.36)
Pint of beer: £2.58 ($3.64)
Cup of coffee: £2.49 ($3.51)
Bottle of wine: £5.66 ($7.99)

17. Paphos, Cyprus — £135.73 ($191.59)

Taxi: £7.15 ($10.09)
Hotel: £90 ($127.04)
Meal: £31.21 ($44.05)
Pint of beer: £2.48 ($3.50)
Cup of coffee: £2.48 ($3.50)
Bottle of wine: £5.31 ($7.50)

16. Malta — £138.25 ($197.19)

Taxi: £7.57 ($10.80)
Hotel: £86.37 ($123.19)
Meal: £38.06 ($54.29)
Pint of beer: £2.12 ($3.02)
Cup of coffee: £1.42 ($2.03)
Bottle of wine: £5.38 ($7.67)

15. Los Angeles — £138.91 ($198.13)

Taxi: £5.63 ($8.03)
Hotel: £90.78 ($129.48)
Meal: £38.45 ($54.84)
Pint of beer: £3.72 ($5.31)
Cup of coffee: £1.99 ($2.84)
Bottle of wine: £8.64 ($12.32)

14. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic — £139.78 ($199.38)

Taxi: £6.75 ($9.63)
Hotel: £109.12 ($155.64)
Meal: £28.71 ($40.95)
Pint of beer: £1.33 ($1.90)
Cup of coffee: £1.08 ($1.54)
Bottle of wine: £5.90 ($8.42)

13. Rome — £152.14 ($217)

Taxi: £7.60 ($10.84)
Hotel: £125.06 ($178.38)
Meal: £22.84 ($32.58)
Pint of beer: £4.24 ($6.05)
Cup of coffee: £0.97 ($1.38)
Bottle of wine: £4.95 ($7.06)

12. Paris — £153.38 ($218.77)

Taxi: £8.14 ($11.61)
Hotel: £140.41 ($200.27)
Meal: £38.06 ($54.29)
Pint of beer: £5.93 ($8.46)
Cup of coffee: £3.10 ($4.42)
Bottle of wine: £5.66 ($8.07)

11. Dublin — £156.15 ($222.72)

Taxi: £10.26 ($14.63)
Hotel: £102.64 ($146.40)
Meal: £45.67 ($65.14)
Pint of beer: £4.18 ($5.96)
Cup of coffee: £2.27 ($3.24)
Bottle of wine: £9.20 ($13.12)

10. Lima, Peru — £158.90 ($226.65)

Taxi: £3.37 ($4.81)
Hotel: £139.74 ($199.32)
Meal: £15.74 ($22.45)
Pint of beer: £1 ($1.43)
Cup of coffee: £1.91 ($2.72)
Bottle of wine: £7 ($9.98)

9. Cancun, Mexico — £172.79 ($246.46)

Taxi: £4.12 ($5.88)
Hotel: £106.11 ($151.35)
Meal: £22.64 ($32.29)
Pint of beer: £2.35 ($3.35)
Cup of coffee: £1.65 ($2.35)
Bottle of wine: £4.54 ($6.48)

8. Caracas, Venezuela — £172.79 ($246.46)

Taxi: £2.04 ($2.91)
Hotel: £95 ($135.50)
Meal: £29.18 ($41.62)
Pint of beer: £1.01 ($1.44)
Cup of coffee: £2.73 ($3.89)
Bottle of wine: £3.88 ($5.53)

7. Singapore — £183.87 ($262.26)

7. Singapore — £183.87 ($262.26)
REUTERS/Vivek Prakash
Taxi: £3.43 ($4.89)
Hotel: £127.90 ($182.43)
Meal: £29.14 ($41.56)
Pint of beer: £5.66 ($8.07)
Cup of coffee: £3 ($4.28)
Bottle of wine: £16.99 ($24.23)

6. London — £191.50 ($273.15)

Taxi: £8.71 ($12.42)
Hotel: £127 ($181.15)
Meal: £50 ($71.32)
Pint of beer: £3.80 ($5.42)
Cup of coffee: £2.99 ($4.26)
Bottle of wine: £9 ($12.84)

5. Sydney — £203.06 ($289.63)

5. Sydney — £203.06 ($289.63)
Getty Images
Taxi: £8.03 ($11.45)
Hotel: £169.94 ($242.39)
Meal: £39.37 ($56.16)
Pint of beer: £3.60 ($5.13)
Cup of coffee: £1.96 ($2.80)
Bottle of wine: £9.20 ($13.12)

4. Marrakesh, Morocco — £223.44 ($318.70)

Taxi: £1.69 ($2.41)
Hotel: £155.27 ($221.47)
Meal: £10.18 ($14.52)
Pint of beer: £3 ($4.28)
Cup of coffee: £1.21 ($1.73)
Bottle of wine: £7.06 ($10.07)

3. Botswana, Africa — £225.07 ($321.03)

Taxi: £0.73 ($1.04)
Hotel: £210.30 ($299.96)
Meal: £15.22 ($21.71)
Pint of beer: £1.26 ($1.80)
Cup of coffee: £1.33 ($1.90)
Bottle of wine: £5.66 ($8.07)

2. New York City — £256.80 ($366.29)

Taxi: £6.29 ($8.97)
Hotel: £198.78 ($283.53)
Meal: £54.93 ($78.35)
Pint of beer: £3.98 ($5.68)
Cup of coffee: £2.66 ($3.79)
Bottle of wine: £11.30 ($16.12)

1. Dubai, United Arab Emirates — £278.92 ($397.84)

Taxi: £1.80 ($2.57)
Hotel: £214.81 ($306.39)
Meal: £28.04 ($39.99)
Pint of beer: £6 ($8.56)
Cup of coffee: £3.82 ($5.45)
Bottle of wine: £17.47 ($24.92)

10 Egg-lectic Brunch Dishes To Celebrate Easter In Kuala Lumpur





Easter Sunday may not be an occasion widely observed in Malaysia but that should not come in our way of taking a ‘bite’ of the experience.
For Christians, the Easter egg is an important feast day symbol that depicts the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hence, egg-centric activities like egg painting, egg hunting and egg rolling are fun traditions enjoyed by both young and the elderly on Easter Sunday.
If you don’t want to miss out on the fun, you can still enjoy eggy delights offered locally, through assorted egg-themed brunches to try in lieu of Easter! These 10 cafes fulfil your egg cravings in many shapes and forms:


Baked Eggs – Copper

Sidestepping from the usual shakshuka baked eggs is the Pira Oven Mushroom at Copper. The rather decadent casserole meal consists of charcoal roasted porcini, assorted mushrooms, drizzles of truffle oil, molten cheese and an onion puree, topped with a perfectly timed soft baked egg. A nicely toasted piece of bread served alongside completes the experience of dipping the runny yolk.

Egg Benedict – Yeast Bistronomy

Eggs Benedict may be a fixed item on any respectable brunch menu but none does it quite like Yeast. The French café boasts a variety of brunch egg dishes but their Eggs Ben with smoked salmon is among the standouts. Two perfectly wobbly eggs perch atop smoked salmon slices and brioche toast, smothered in creamy Bearniase sauce. Spear the plump domes for yolky gratification.

Scrambled eggs – Nutmeg

The much-loved scrambled eggs make frequent appearances on café and brunch menus, and although you can’t go wrong with them, it’s their pairing that makes them stand out. At Nutmeg, scrambled eggs is a highlight in their Croissant-wich dish, done in the creamiest and milkiest style, resting above a strip of house-cured salmon on a large flaky, buttery croissant, served with a side of crisp greens.

Salted egg yolk French toast - Frisky Goat

Of late, salted egg yolk anything has been enjoying a moment in Malaysia. Frisky Goat gets inventive with the creamy, salted custardy sauce tucked between warm, pillow-soft French toasts topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The French toasts’ creamy, savoury flavours are balanced with a side of sliced strawberries and bananas, sprinkled with toasted almond nuts – a truly indulgent dish for lovers of sweet things.

Scotch eggs – Thirdwave

Scotch eggs are a rare find in Malaysian brunch menus, and one such establishment that does a mean rendition is Thirdwave. Known for their visually stunning dishes and plating, the café’s Retro Scotch Eggs is a treat of a runny yolk centre egg enveloped in a juicy chicken mince wrap, made not so guilty with a crunchy beet and carrot nest on top of a creamy cauliflower bed garnished with alfalfa sprouts.

Egg waffles – Eggu

Another delightful egg snack to try in Malaysia, 'eggettes', or egg waffles, hails from Hong Kong. These eggettes are served from Eggu, a standalone kiosk that pairs these crunchy waffles with soft serve ice cream in a myriad of flavours. The eggettes themselves come in a variety of flavours like original, chocolate chip studded, green tea, charcoal or butterscotch, best enjoyed freshly crisp and warmly made, dipped into a cup of cold and creamy soft serve of choice.

Half-boiled eggs – Yut Kee

If you’re one who’s curious to do as the locals do, break fast with the traditional Malaysian dish of half-boiled eggs with a side of toasted bread. One legendary kopitiam (coffee shop) for this satisfying spread is at Yut Kee. Eggs are cooked in hot water for a few minutes before they are served cracked into saucers and eaten with a dash of pepper powder and lashings of soy sauce. It is best savoured dipped with warm and thick roti bakar toast coated first in kaya (coconut jam).

Brunch Pasta – Bread Fruits

If you’re craving a substantial breakfast that goes beyond eggs, Bread Fruits offers a toothsome Brunch Pasta dish tossed through with sautéed mushrooms, crispy bacon, cherry tomatoes, rocket, with a tantalising seven minute egg perched on top. The creamy fettuccine pasta is in fact a variation of carbonara, as the free range, half raw egg is intended to be tossed through the pasta for a creamy, eggy finish.

Chilli Cheese toast – Huckleberry Food & Fare

Wake up your senses with spicy lashings of Huckleberry Food & Fare’s Chilli Cheese Toast, topped with a fried sunny side egg. A thick slice of pain de mie bread is laced with a fiery and savoury onion chilli sambal relish with melted cheese that’s perfect to soak up the runny yolk. Each bite of the egg-and-cheese-drenched toast is served with crunchy side greens as a palate cleanser.

Eggs & Soldier – Tous Les Jours

For those of you who grew up on breakfasts of eggs & soldiers, or soft-boiled eggs dipped with sticks of toast, your childhood comfort can be found at Tous Les Jours. The Korean bakery-cafe chain serves two soft-boiled eggs with choices of black rice pulut pan bread and toasted breadsticks, to be slathered first with butter. On top of nostalgia, this plate caters to light appetites nicely.

6 intense modern war games





War games aren't for everybody, but those who love them are guaranteed to find epic entertainment below. Are you ready for the battlefield?

Call of Duty: Heroes


Call of Duty: Heroes

Experience the excitement of Call of Duty like never before. Command an army of legendary heroes, elite soldiers, and devastating drones straight from the Call of Duty franchise in this 3D combat strategy game.

Modern Combat 5: Blackout


Modern Combat 5: Blackout

Create a squad, add your friends and test your individual and team skills against other squads! Is single player your thing? Then step into a world on the brink of anarchy and shoot your way out of one dire situation after another to expose a lunatic who’s trying to tear the world to shreds.

World of Tanks Blitz


World of Tanks Blitz

Drawing inspiration from the hugely popular World of Tanks, World of Tanks Blitz introduces crossplatform tank combat. With an impressive roster of over 200 massive tanks, stunning graphics and intuitive touch-screen controls, World of Tanks Blitz makes it easy to jump into short, action-packed 7-vs-7 tank battles no matter where you are.

Sniper Fury


Sniper Fury

The time for diplomacy is gone. We are calling for the best sniper in the world to join us as we take aim at evil, wherever it hides. Try over 130 missions with unbelievable 3D graphics and top-secret weapons.

Tiny Troopers


Tiny Troopers

Size doesn't matter for these miniature men of war. Take control of a platoon of crack soldiers and deploy in a variety or war zones as you battle through the epic campaign.

World at Arms


World at Arms

In this free-to-play all-out modern-war strategy game, you will battle across the globe, in the sea's depths, on the ground and in the air, following a deep solo campaign and fighting in an exciting multiplayer mode.

THEN AND NOW: These photos show famous scenes of Paris from the 1900s and today





A new photo book containing 80 images of modern Parisian streets overlaid with vintage photographs reveals what the French capital was like over 100 years ago.
The French art director Julien Knez — who we first read about on IB Times UK — spent last summer wandering Paris, holding up monochrome photos in front of the camera when capturing the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, iconic streets like Place Vendôme, and the famous department store Printemps.
Knez worked with photos that he found from between 1871 and 1968, bringing key moments from Paris' history — such as the great flood of 1910 and Hitler's visit to the city in 1940 — into its present.
The photographer was approached by the publishing house Parigramme to work on the book, "Paris, Fenêtres Sur l'Histoire," after he completed a similar photography project commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of Paris.
"The overlay of historical photos on contemporary views opened amazing windows to the past," Knez wrote on his website. "Thus, the event that did not necessarily leave physical evidence, recovers a genuine existence and the city today is seen literally inhabited by its history."
Check out a selection of photos from his book below.


Place Vendôme, 1871


Julien Knez

Jardin du Luxembourg, 1895


Julien Knez

Moulin Rouge, 1900


Julien Knez

Quai de Conti, 1900


Julien Knez

Place de l’Opéra, 1900


Julien Knez

Eiffel Tower, 1900


Julien Knez

Arc de Triomphe, 1909


Julien Knez

During the great flood, people got through the water-filled metro tracks by boat — Métro Odéon, 1910


Julien Knez

Quai d’Orléans, 1930


Julien Knez

Printemps, Boulevard Haussmann, 1930


Julien Knez

Hitler's visit to Place de l’Opéra — June 23, 1940


Julien Knez

Friends meeting during the Liberation of Paris — Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, August 1944


Julien Knez

Student protests saw cars overturned and set on fire in the Latin Quarter — Rue Gay-Lussac, May 1968


Julien Knez