Take a rail journey to festivities at The Peninsula, Hong Kong

Kick off the festive season in grand Peninsula style in Hong Kong on 21 November 2024, with The Peninsula Express – Festive Extravaganza, an evening comprising of a musical performance followed by a feast in the form of a culinary festive market.

Celebrating the glamour and excitement of vintage rail travel, The Peninsula Express pays tribute to the legacy of The Peninsula Hong Kong, which has welcomed guests after a long rail journey from Europe to Tsim Sha Tsui Station, once situated across the road from the hotel. The Peninsula Express will return to the hotel this festive season for the third and final year.

Taking place in the iconic lobby of The Peninsula Hong Kong, guests for A Culinary Journey Aboard The Peninsula Express will be taken on a train journey from Beijing to Shanghai with its final stop in Hong Kong through music and dance, with a surprise appearance by a celebrity. 

Guests will step into Grand Salisbury Station, where the custom-built Peninsula Express train carriage awaits its guests for a one-of-a-kind dining experience. With its exterior painted in signature Peninsula Green, and wood panelling, vintage light fixtures and elegantly-set dining tables inside, the carriage gives diners the sense of journeying through iconic destinations inspired by The Peninsula Beijing and The Peninsula Shanghai.

The festivities will include a time-honoured tradition at all Peninsula hotels - the tree-lighting ceremony. After the ceremony, guests are invited to continue their evening with a feast featuring delights from Swiss chalet Chesa, The Verandah, Michelin-starred Spring Moon, and Imasa.

Source: The Peninsula, Hong Kong. The Peninsula Express will return to The Peninsula, Hong Kong this festive season for the third and final year.

Details

The Peninsula Express – Festive Extravaganza

21 November 2024

5:15 pm at the hotel’s forecourt

The festive performance begins at 6 pm, followed by the festive feast at 7:30 pm.

HK$10,000 per person, covering the performance, the tree-lighting ceremony, a surprise appearance by a celebrit artist, and a selection of dishes from each of the hotel's restaurants. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

For general enquiries or reservations, please contact The Lobby at +852 2696 6772, or by email at thelobbyphk@peninsula.com.

For performance enquiries or reservations, please contact The Verandah by phone at +852 2696 6766, or email at theverandah@peninsula.com.

*Reservations may only be booked on a per table basis. Price shown is the minimum charge per table, for seating up to four guests. Pre-payment is required within 24 hours upon receiving the online payment link to secure the reservation. Exclusive private or corporate charters are available upon request. The Peninsula Express seats up to a maximum of 24 guests.

More details about the festive programmes at The Peninsula Hong Kong are available on the hotel’s festive webpage at https://www.peninsula.com/en/hong-kong/special-offers/festive/the-peninsula-concert-2024

Holiday dining is also available at:

Gaddi’s 

The Michelin-starred French restaurant Gaddi’s features Chef de Cuisine Anne-Sophie Nicolas’ French haute-cuisine specialities, served together with a sophisticated wine list. 

Felix 

On the 28th floor, Chef de Cuisine Aurélie Altemaire curates a selection of seasonal flavours, complemented by creative cocktails and spectacular Victoria Harbour views over the city skyline. 

Spring Moon 

Michelin-starred Cantonese cuisine and a refined Art Deco-style setting have made Spring Moon a longtime favourite. Chinese Cuisine Executive Chef Lam Yuk Ming and his culinary team present dishes to celebrate the Winter Solstice, Christmas and the New Year. 

Chesa 

This Michelin-selected Swiss restaurant offers charming ambiance reminiscent of a traditional alpine chalet. Known for its warming fare and cozy decor, Chesa features iconic dishes such as cheese fondue and raclette. 

The Lobby 

Always decorated in grand classical Peninsula style, with a picture-perfect Christmas tree as its focal point, The Lobby provides a sophisticated backdrop for guests to indulge in refined global cuisine – at breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a signature afternoon tea throughout the festive season. 

This experience is complemented by live carol performances by local choirs, creating a truly magical atmosphere. 

The Verandah 

Bountiful buffet offerings, warm service, and a relaxed ambiance combine at the holiday season with a miniature railway that is set up at the restaurant’s entrance every year. Originally designed and built by The Peninsula’s craftsmen, the mini train has become a cherished symbol of the festive season at the hotel. 

Imasa 

Japanese-food enthusiasts will be spoilt for choice with a menu that includes kaiseki set dinners and osechi menus, in which each dish has is an auspicious wish for the coming year. 

Teas of Hope afternoon tea 

To celebrate the season of sharing, The Peninsula Hong Kong also invites holiday guests to enjoy Teas of Hope, featuring sweet and savoury festive delights curated by The Lobby’s Chef de Cuisine Kay Ng. Guests can enjoy the tea either at The Lobby or aboard The Peninsula Express. 

Available up to 13 December 2024 and from 27 to 30 December 2024, the Teas of Hope is priced at HK$550* per person. For each afternoon tea served, US$5 will be donated to Make-A-Wish International.

Yuletide delights

Experience the essence of Christmas at The Peninsula with a festive log cake. As with last year, this year’s log cake derived inspiration from The Peninsula Express train and is priced at HK$888 each. Orders can be placed at the hotel’s online shop.

Staying in style

Guests who stay for two or more consecutive nights will enjoy: 

- Daily buffet breakfast at The Verandah for two 

- HK$1,000 hotel credits (room guests) or HK$ ,000 hotel credits (suite guests) to be redeemed at hotel restaurants and The Peninsula Spa (treatments only) during the stay, per guestroom per night (except Imasa and The Peninsula Boutique & Café) 

- Third adult guest supplement charge of HK$ 1,100* 

- One bottle of Peninsula Champagne per guestroom per stay 

- Priority festive dining reservations for any of the hotel restaurants before 21 November 

- Priority festive dining waitlists for any of the hotel restaurants after 21 November 

- Peninsula Time – flexible check-in from 6 am and check-out time until 10 pm (blackout dates apply, including 22-25 and 28-31 December 2024 and 1 January 2025)

Booking period: Ends 30 December 2024

Stay period: From 9 December 2024 to 1 January 2025

Book now on peninsula.com, or call The Peninsula Global Customer Service Centre at +852 2910 1628 for more details.

Peninsula Festive Hamper

Each hamper is inspired by the steamer trunks that travellers once packed for round-the-world voyages. The seasonal delicacies within include The Peninsula Champagne Brut by Deutz, handmade chocolates, gingerbread cookies, Christmas cakes, smoked almonds, wasabi nuts, and duck rillettes, as well as Christmas crackers, and a Peninsula Bear with Christmas stocking. The hamper is priced at HK$3,388.

For more information, please contact the Concierge at + 852 2696 6527, or email hamperphk@peninsula.com.

The gift of Peninsula luxury

A Peninsula Gift Card lets recipients choose from a variety of signature experiences at The Peninsula Hong Kong – including dining experiences and therapeutic treatments. For more information, please visit gifts.peninsula.com/hongkong.

*All prices listed are in Hong Kong dollars and are subject to a 10% service charge.

JR East Group offers vegan and Muslim-friendly sweets

Source: JR East via PRN Asia. JR East Group offers Plant Based Sweets Series. CAMPENELLA BROWN cookies are on the grey dish while Boule de Rouge cookies are in the glass bowl.

The East Japan Railway Company (JR East) Group, which operates the Shinkansen and other trains over a network of railways that cover half the main island of Japan, has launched the Plant Based Sweets Series to share delicious, high-quality food from Japan with people around the world.

Plant Based Sweets are Tokyo confectioneries made entirely from plant materials. They contain no ingredients from animals, including sugar refined from animal bones, honey, or alcohol.

The Plant Based logo is included on selected products by JR East Group. The logo's image of plants enveloped by two leaves conveys the idea of "plant-based only ingredients" while the words JAPAN QUALITY are assurance that the item was produced in Japan and is of the highest quality.

The Plant Based Sweets Series launches with products developed by three well-known Tokyo confectionery makers:

TOKYO CAMPANELLA BROWN

I'll Company's Tokyo Campanella Brown sandwiches milk-free chocolate between three crunchy butter-free French biscuits. The dough is made from whole wheat flour and 100% pure sudakito sugar from sugar cane on the Amami Islands.

Price: ¥1,200 for eight pieces (tax included)

Almond Caramel Sandwiches (Tokyo Banana World)

Price: ¥1,296 for eight pieces (tax included)

From the savoury caramel filled with roasted almonds to the almond-scented cookie dough coating, Tokyo Banana's Almond Caramel Sandwiches are full of almonds, topped off with a hint of banana. The cookies are made by GRAPESTONE Company.

Las Olas Series

Manufactured by Gâteaux de Voyage Company, the Las Olas Series consists of six different products including Boule de Rouge cookies. Boule de Rouge cookies are coated with raspberry powder, filling each bite with a blend of sour raspberry and cookie sweetness.

Price: ¥1,296 for 12 pieces (tax included)
*Price depends on the flavour

JR East separately announced that it will open a JAPAN RAIL cafe at Tokyo Station on March 5, 2020. This is designed to be a site where visitors from overseas can interact with one another and gather seasonal travel information on Japan.

The cafe will provide inbound tourists with up-to-date seasonal information which cannot be obtained from guidebooks or online, as well as travel support as a one-stop service while acting as a hub where travellers can exchange information about their trips in Japan.

JR East will establish a tourism information and travel consultation counter at JAPAN RAIL CAFE to propose specific travel plans in Japan in conjunction with tourism promotion campaigns underway in various parts of the country. Visitors can exchange their vouchers for the Japan Rail Pass and other specially-planned tickets for visitors from overseas as well as selling JR tickets and Welcome Suica* cards for inbound tourists.

The menu will include seasonal Japanese food and drinks, ekiben box lunches, and special food products made exclusively for the cafe under the supervision of Japanese tea producer-dealer Senchado Tokyo. Moreover, the cafe will advise visitors on how to enjoy Japanese tea during each meal.

Virtual travel in Japan will be available via a 140" screen. Visitors can also make use of digital signage at the Wall SHOP to search for travel information. Videos from japan-guide.com will be shown as well.

Details:

The snacks can be obtained at:

- In front of Tokyo Station's Tohoku, Joetsu, and Hokuriku Shinkansen South Transfer gates

- Nomono Tokyo Store, located outside the B1 ticket gate of the B1 Marunouchi Underground Central Gate at Tokyo Station

Other shops in Tokyo Station are scheduled to carry Plant Based Sweets.

*Suica comes with stored value that can be used on Tokyo’s public transport: Tokyo’s JR East Trains, subways and buses, as well as to pay for purchases on trains, vending machines and at participating stores.

Google brings free Wi-Fi to Mumbai Central Station, introduces Indic keyboard app

Source: Google Asia Pacific blog.

Starting 22 January, those passing through Mumbai Central station in India will have access to free, high-speed Wi-Fi, courtesy of Google. The service is part of a project announced in September 2015 to provide high-speed public Wi-Fi in 400 train stations across India.

Working with Indian Railways, which operates one of the world's largest railway networks, and RailTel, which provides Internet services as RailWire via its fibre network along many of the railway lines, Google's Access & Energy team plans to cover 100 of the busiest stations in India before the end of 2016, with the remaining stations following in quick succession.

"We’re hoping those of you from — or travelling through — Allahabad, Jaipur, Patna and Ranchi, will be as excited to learn that your stations are up next!" said Gulzar Azad, Head of Access Programs in India for Google in a blog post.

"Commuters will be able to tell if there is high-speed Wi-Fi available if they can see the ‘RailWire Wi-Fi’ network in Wi-Fi settings. If you see it, select it and follow the simple steps below to gain access on your phone and up to two additional devices, like a laptop or tablet — you’ll just need an Indian mobile number to get an access code for each device."

Azad said the Wi-Fi will initially be free, with a drop in speed after the first hour online. The long-term intention is to charge for the service in some way for self-sustainability.

The news follows an 18 January announcement that Google has developed a touch-based keyboard for the easier input of Hindi—and ten other Indian languages—with a phone or tablet. The Google Indic Keyboard app has been downloaded over 10 million times, and supports the alphabet used for that language, a transliteration keyboard, and handwriting input. Both Latin characters and native characters are recognised.

"By making mobile input easier for almost one billion speakers of Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu, we also hope to see more engaging content in these languages on the web," said Linda Lin, Product Manager, Google in a separate blog post.

January 2016 also saw the launch of YouTube home pages customised for Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in the local language and domain. YouTube was previously available in Nepali, Sinhalese and Urdu.

Interested?

View the associated video
How to watch YouTube videos offline
Download the Google Indic Keyboard from the Play store

Hotels.com shares insider's data on airport transport options

Online accommodation booking website Hotels.com has compiled an insider's look at the best transportation options from 29 major airports around the world. The Hotels.com Airport Transportation Insider compares taxi, private car and mass transit options within the most popular international and domestic destinations based on the latest Hotel Price Index™. While targeted at US travellers, the infographic has useful information on Bangkok, Beijing, Singapore and Sydney.

Some of the most affordable taxis in the world are in Bangkok (ranked no. 21 in international popularity), where travellers can get from the main airport to the city centre for around US$8. Hotels.com says Bangkok taxis offer travellers the most for their money, with the $8 fare covering a distance of 17 miles (about 27 km), or an average of US$0.45 per mile. Affordable taxi fares from the airport to the city centre can be had for under US$20 in Beijing (no. 29), and in Singapore (no. 19).

A number of cities also offer mass transit options under US$1 that take an hour or less, including the MRT rail in Singapore (US$1).

City	International Popularity ranking	Major Airport	Distance to City Centre/ km	Avg Taxi Cost/ US$	Avg Taxi Time	Avg Mass Transit Cost/ US$	Avg Mass Transit Time
Singapore	19	Singapore Changi International Airport	11	$17	25	$1	60
Bangkok	21	Suvarnabhumi Airport	17	$8	40	$2	85
			16	$49	50	$3	75
Seoul	23	Incheon International Airport	36	$39	66	$4	56
Hong Kong	9	Hong Kong International Airport	25	$38	30	$4	40
Taipei	47	Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport	29	$30	42	$4	60
Beijing	29	Beijing Capital International Airport	19	$15	28	$4	61
Sydney	32	Kingsford-Smith Airport	5	$35	25	$14	25
Tokyo	7	Narita International Airport	44	$191	60	$24	55

Source: Hotels.com

SMRT announces new initiatives to make commuting more pleasant in Singapore

SMRT has announced a second wave of initiatives to enhance the Singapore public transport experience.

Source: SMRT.

"SMRT remains focused and committed to improving our safety and train reliability through on-going maintenance and upgrading programmes. However, we recognise that service initiatives are also important to provide our commuters with a positive travel experience. 

"Our first three pilot programmes*, namely the Care Stickers, Priority Queues and Charging Points, were introduced over the last two months to cater to commuters with special needs and emergencies. To further enhance passenger safety and travel experience, we are pleased to introduce four more new initiatives: Escalator Safety Announcements, Care Zones, eFeedback System, and SMRT SNAP-REP. Collectively, we hope they offer greater conveniences and provide more channels of feedback for our commuters,” said Alvin Kek, Vice President, Rail Operations, SMRT Trains.

Escalator Safety Announcements
Escalator incidents often involve commuters who were distracted by mobile device usage and therefore failed to pay attention when using the escalators. SMRT is running Escalator Safety Announcements to alert and remind commuters of their safety when using the escalators. This complements its existing efforts of posters and signage to encourage commuters to hold on to the handrails and not use mobile devices while riding the escalators. Currently installed at Simei and Tanjong Pagar MRT stations, these safety announcements will be extended to other high passenger flow stations such as Yishun, Buona Vista, Jurong East, Orchard and City Hall stations.

Care Zones
To ensure passenger safety and better attention to the safety of commuters with special needs and those who may require extra attention, SMRT will be implementing Care Zones at its stations. Prominently located at waiting platforms of the stations, these CCTV-monitored Zones also allow commuters with quick access to Emergency Phones to contact station staff at the Passenger Service Centres for immediate assistance. Care Zones are implemented at Tanjong Pagar, Orchard, City Hall and Kent Ridge and will be provided at nine other stations over the next one month.

E-Feedback System at Passenger Service Centres
SMRT encourages commuters to provide feedback so that it can improve its delivery of services to the public. The company has added more channels for feedback. In addition to the existing channels: website, customer service hotline and Facebook page, commuters are encouraged to leave feedback through the eFeedback System, which are accessible through tablets at Passenger Service Centres. The eFeedback system is currently available at City Hall, Tanjong Pagar, Orchard and Kent Ridge MRT stations, and will be implemented at 18 more stations such as Jurong East, Woodlands, Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio, Marina Bay, Bedok, Pasir Ris and Changi Airport stations.

SMRT SNAP-REP
A new technical defect reporting channel, known as SMRT SNAP-REP (Short for Snap and Report), will also be introduced to provide commuters with a quick and easy way of alerting SMRT to any technical defect they come across while travelling within our network. Commuters simply need to snap photos of the defects with their mobile devices and send them to the SMRT WhatsApp hotline at +65 9788 4398 with details such as the vehicle number, date, time, location, and a short description of the defect. Commuters are encouraged to use the one-way feedback channel responsibly.

*Care Stickers are targeted at various groups of commuters who might require special care and attention, including commuters with mobility needs and unwell passengers. The care stickers would help other commuters identify and extend care to these commuters more easily. Also part of the trial is the Priority Queues initiative at the entrance of lifts to cater to passengers who are in greater need of using the lift facilities at our stations. The third initiative, Mobile Device Charging Points, are provided to commuters who need an outlet to quickly charge their mobile devices in the event that they need to contact someone urgently during an emergency.