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Tags: Amazing-Race-15 / Chasing Racers / Amazing Race / Television Travel / TV Travel / → All Tags

It's Like Being Dropped on Planet Mars

Click Here for Amazing Race 15 Map

Chasing Racers is back, with a brand-new Amazing Race 15 mashup. This map will update the morning after every new episode. Send along tips, rumors, gossip, locations and spoilers to our map editors; become a member and comment on the stories below and add to the Jaunted-Flickr photo pool to get in on the fray.

Remember to zoom in, out and around on the map—with so much happening in each episode, it's easy to miss a map point.

On the season-opener of The Amazing Race last week, beautiful blond boyfriend-girlfriend duo Cheyne and Meghan won the first leg of the race, and Pinky and the Brain, a.k.a. Matt and his dad, Gary, were victorious on the second leg. Meanwhile pro poker pals Tiffany and Maria made some enemies when they lied about their background to get the edge. Did the poker ladies' play pay off or was it bad strategy?

Find out after the jump.

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Tags: Southeast Asia Field Trip / Southeast Asia Travel / Memorials / Attractions / Tourist Attractions / Museums / → All Tags

SEA Field Trip: HCMC's War Memorials

Can't afford a European vacation this summer? Do what our contributor Claire Duffett did: Explore Southeast Asia instead.

Are we talking about the same war? You don't know the history of the Vietnam War until you've learned about the "struggle against American aggression" from the tour guides at Ho Chi Minh City's Reunification Palace.

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Tags: Southeast Asia Field Trip / Southeast Asia Travel / Bars / → All Tags

SEA Field Trip: HCMC from Above

Can't afford a European vacation this summer? Do what our contributor Claire Duffett did: Explore Southeast Asia instead.

The nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City is, well, tame. So spend the evening taking in the view of the city on the outdoor patio of the Saigon Saigon Bar on the ninth floor of the Caravelle Hotel. After a day in the hot, dusty, moped-filled city, the evening breeze feels great and the reggae-rap-fusion band is out of place but entertaining.

One bit of advice: Whatever you do, don't order The Hemingway. Ernest never visited Vietnam, and he certainly never would've stood for this tall, sweet and undrinkable cocktail.

That said, the view is excellent, with the city's stock market in one direction and Uncle Ho himself seated at the other end of the panorama. Down the elevator and across the street is Q Bar, which stays open late for a change of pace.

Related Stories:
· Ho Chi Minh City Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Southeast Asia Field Trip [Jaunted]

Tags: Low Cost Carriers / LCCs / Asia Travel / Jetstar / Pacific Airlines / → All Tags

Pacific Airlines: Now You See 'Em, Now You Don't

Back at the start of this year we mentioned that Pacific Airlines was about to start running as a budget airline in Vietnam. They did, and they're still running, but it looks like they're about to get a name change anyhow.

As they stand at the moment, Pacific Airlines is a low cost carrier based in Ho Chi Minh City, flying to other parts of Vietnam as well as to Thailand and Singapore, with plans to add Cambodia and Malaysia soon.

Costs are typical for budget carriers; flights to Singapore for $39, for example. The flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi being advertised for one million Vietnamese Dong might sound pricey, but that works out at around $63.

Recently Qantas acquired a 30% stake in Pacific Airlines, and it's in the cards that it will be rebranded as Jetstar in 2008. We'll be watching the skies to see what happens.

Related Stories:
· Pacific Airlines [Official Site]
· Airline Report: News Round-Up [Jaunted]
· Low Cost Carriers coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: IPJ Mike]

Tags: Celeb Travel / Angelina Jolie / Brad Pitt / Super World Travelers / → All Tags

On Your Marks, Get Set, Adopt!: The Angelina Jolie Vietnam Stalking Starts Now

Less than a year after giving birth to Jesus Christ Superstar her daughter Shiloh, Angelina Jolie is back in Asia scooping up an orphan. According to the Associated Press, she's expected there "late Wednesday night" (which could mean as little as a few hours from now) to officially suck an unsuspecting 3-year-old into a life that will definitely blow his mind, and likely turn him crazy by the time he hits the other side of 25. Don't expect any commercial flight sightings to come through, though: She'll definitely be flying private.

The Jolie-Pitts have previously stayed at the luxurious Park Hyatt while in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The Park Hyatt is currently sold out between tonight and at least the 19th. Angie's fault or the paps'? You decide.

[Photo: The Bosh]

Related Stories:
· Angelina Jolie expected to arrive in Vietnam to adopt boy [IHT]
· The Angelina Jolie Hands-Free Multiple Child Carrier [Gallery of the Absurd]
· What Baby Flavor Should Brangelina Try Next? [BWE]

Tags: Culture / Death / Sights / → All Tags

To Dead Guy or Not To Dead Guy

This month, pretty online mag Pology features a story on the ol' dead guy, Ho Chi Minh. Writer Jennifer Anthony isn't quite sure about going to see dead people, likening it to a greedy relative peeking in the coffin before the will is read.

An interesting discussion on the Vietnamese attitude to Americans follows, and as one of her guides told her:

"The war is over." He, like the cyclo driver and everyone else I've met, don't harbor ill will or malice towards Americans, or the French, or the Chinese, all who have a history here. They have moved on.

Good to know. Jennifer ended up skipping the mausoleum and there's a good tip in it for you--avoid heading to see the bearded guy on weekends, when long, long queues of Vietnamese wait to pay their respects. Or perhaps if you want to meet some locals, it's a good place to hang around.

[Photo: wufgaeng]

Related Stories:
· A Wake [Pology]
· Ho Chi Minh Escapes from Madame Tussaud's [Jaunted]

Tags: Festivals / Sights / → All Tags

All the World in Vietnam

We're still pretty sure that the Japanese win the prize for recreating the largest number of world tourist attractions at home, but a current festival in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City is giving the Japanese a good run for their money. The Wonders of the World exhibition being held until February 25 at HCMC's Zoo and Botanical Garden features miniature versions of half the world.

Some 30 tonnes of steel and thousands of lanterns and lights have been used to recreate sights like the Great Wall of China, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and (of course) the Eiffel Tower, along with some local Vietnamese sights like the One-Pillar Pagoda and the beautiful Halong Bay. Scales for the models vary from 1:10 to 1:30, so you should still get a good image of what you're not seeing. Or, of course, you could go to Vietnam and see the country itself.

[Photo: jenijen]

Related Stories:
· Miniatures Festival Opens in HCMC [VietnamBridge]
· Catch the Northern Lights (Without Going North) [Jaunted]

Tags: Celeb Travel / Angelina Jolie / Brad Pitt / Brangelina / → All Tags

Angelina Jolie Stops Off in Vietnam

Just one half of Brangelina escaped the cold this weekend and skipped out on playoff football games, taking a quick surprise trip to Vietnam.

Reports say that Angie arrived solo on Friday morning in Ho Chi Minh City, sparking rumors that she and Brad Pitt plan on adopting from Vietnam. The two visited Vietnam together back in November, when they were snapped riding a motorcycle through the city together (not usually so easy for the first-time tourist) and reportedly stayed at the Park Hyatt Hotel.

According to People, Angelina was there to make an appearance on behalf of the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Project, the charity she founded to aid son Maddox's birthplace, Cambodia. HCM City seems to be turning into one of her favorite destinations in the region--but does Jolie read Noodlepie?

Related Stories:
· Angelina Jolie Travels to Vietnam [People]
· Brangelina return to Vietnam [Thanh Nien Daily]
· Party Favors: Jolie Visits Vietnam [TMZ]