Ever been to Taiwan? We have, but apparently not enough tourists do get there, so Taipei County has decided to create a "coastal amusement resort" similar to the waterfront of Dubai. There'll be restaurants, gardens, hotels and miscellaneous skyscrapers. Developers plan to spend about T$10 billion (more than $300 million) but take just three years to build.

According to spokesperson Chou Hsi-wei:

It's bigger than Disneyland, a lot bigger. It's a huge, huge place. Only like this can you get international tourists to come.

Um, really? Maybe promoting some interesting local culture or highlighting something unique to Taiwan could work too. Couldn't it?

Related Stories:
· Mammoth Coastal Resort Slated for Taiwan [Reuters]
· Taiwan Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: zilupe]]]> amandak 2008-09-03T09:00:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/21/73622/0784

Determined to tick the Great Wall off your list in your Olympics-inspired visit to China in the future? The Chinese have just created an even easier way for millions of tourists to head out to Badaling, the most popular part of the Wall for snapshots and tacky memorabilia.

The Great Wall Express is a direct train halving the travel time from central Beijing to the wall. Only it doesn't quite take you all the way there: You still have at least a fifteen minute walk ahead of you, but they're "working on it."

The nice part about the Great Wall Express train is that you get to bypass all those nasty traffic jams that would otherwise await you riding in and out of Beijing by bus or taxi. That, and that at just 17 yuan ($2.50) for a first class seat, it's really cheap.

Related Stories:
· All Aboard for the New Great Wall Express [The Age]
· Beijinging: Tick the Great Wall of China Off Your List [Jaunted]

[Photo: auws]]]> amandak 2008-08-21T09:00:14-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/12/183819/445

We've been spending some time recently on a perfect summer island getaway: Fire Island, just off the south coast of Long Island. There's tons to do outside of hitting the beach, checking out the Sunken Forest and knocking a few back in the area bars with the local personalities as the sun sets on the bay.

One fun daytrip is to the Fire Island Lighthouse, perched off Kismet with amazing views of Long Island, the Atlantic Ocean, the South Bay and all of Fire Island's beaches. Built in 1857, the lighthouse was re-opened in 1987 as a museum and observatory by concerned locals looking to save this piece of American history. (It was decommissioned as an "aid to navigation" in the early '70s.) The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society (yep, FLIPS!) was also created to keep watch over this regal black and white landmark.

Two 1,000-watt bulbs now keep the lighthouse going, and the public can take guided tours of the lighthouse throughout the summer months.

Related Stories:
· Fire Island Lighthouse [Official Site]
· Hiking Fire Island's Sunken Forests [Jaunted]
· Landmarks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: stjenna]]]> sedona 2008-08-13T10:00:09-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/10/15536/6343

Tired of waiting in line for two hours just to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower? Fret no longer! The company that runs the landmark has just unveiled plans for a 10-year, $267 million makeover.

Among the ideas are timed tickets that you can book online, helping to ease waits. (They do this at the Tower of London, among other places.) The group also wants to put in more shops and restaurants so that visitors will spend more cash--on top of the $19 it costs to ride to the top.

Not yet on the makeover agenda? Fixing up Alain Ducasse's dumpy new in-tower restaurant.

Related Stories:
· Eiffel Tower Getting 21st Century Facelift [AP]
· Paris Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: webbmb]]]> pbb 2008-07-10T15:05:52-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/7/82631/09866

The weather must be good up there: After seven years, the National Park Service is thinking about re-opening the Statue of Liberty's crown to visitors willing to make the climb.

The statue reopened in 2004 after improvements were made to get the monument up to post-9/11 security standards. But the spiral staircase to the crown, most recently replaced in 1986 for Lady Liberty's centennial, isn't up to code and may have to be replaced before it's an option for up to 30 island-bound visitors at a time. A recent Park Service memo leaked by a New York congressman sought bids to make the crown safer.

On our first trip to New York City we walked all the way up to the crown, and the view is incredible. Let's upgrade this lady!

Related Stories:
· Statue of Liberty Crown Reopening is Studied [NYT]
· The New 7 Wonders [Jaunted]
· National Parks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: stevesheriw]]]> egw 2008-07-07T09:30:13-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/2/154748/0590

We spotted this painted lady outside the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle. In the tradition of the Cows on Parade, the Zurich public-art project featuring hand-painted statues of cows, Major League Baseball has planted several Statues of Liberty with new paint jobs throughout New York.

Eventually there will be 42 miniature replicas of New York Harbor's grand madame around town. (Find them yourself or download the MLB-provided map.) You can also buy wee versions of the ladies Liberty, but where's the fun in that?

Related Stories
· Statues on Parade [Official Site]
· Map of the Statues of Liberty on Parade [Official PDF]
· Travel Snapshots coverage [Jaunted]
· Jaunted Photo Pool [Flickr]]]> egw 2008-07-03T11:00:10-05:00 40.767953 -73.982338 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/1/151729/0756

The Eiffel Tower, the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio, the Colosseum, the Taj Mahal and the St. Louis Arch? All totally passé. The Great Orlando Wheel is coming to Central Florida in 2010--and will be the greatest thing ever invented!

At least, that's what the producers of this ridiculous 4-minute promo video would have you think. See if you can stand to watch the whole thing!

Make it to the end? No, you didn't miss it. They never mention how much a ride on this monstrosity will cost.

Related Stories:
· Great Orlando Wheel [Official Site]
· Wheel Announced With Hypnotic, Over-the-Top Promotional Video [WorldHum]
· Orlando Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-07-01T15:18:52-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/