LIFE & STYLE

This was the luxury journey to end all luxury trips: staying at at four of the best resorts in New Zealand – three of them judged among the best hideaway spots in the world.

Who wouldn't love sailing on a luxury cruise ship – especially over the holidays? We recently spent 16 days sailing in ultra-luxurious style on Regent Seven Seas Cruises, on the Mariner, from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale through the Panama Canal (www.rssc.com)

We've sailed on many cruise lines, but we hadn't, until now, sailed with Princess Cruises. We were in for a most enjoyable treat, and now, after having had such a marvelous experience, we highly recommend this ship to others. Using some of the terminology given to precious gems of all kinds, we will illustrate our many points based on this analogy. One thing's clear – the sparkling brand new R...

Endless cocktails, wine and dessert. Private in-suite dinners. Couples massages. Pillow menus and plush bedding. Ballroom dancing classes. These are just some of the posh perks that Silversea Cruises offers. Most upscale cruise lines have always offered unforgettable experiences – for example, you can often wine and dine to your heart's content in fabulous restaurants, and, unlike real life, nev...

Is it possible to feel like the only couple on a ship of 3500 passengers? The answer on Costa Cruises' new behemoth ship, the Serena, is a resounding yes! My husband and I chose a seven-day cruise in the eastern Med for the itinerary and because, with two busy work schedules, we want someone else to do the organizing. But will we feel herded from place to place? Will the staff be too overwhelmed ...

The Serengeti has mythological appeal; it is a primal call. On a planet in trouble, it is also a profound and important place, sustaining (along with the Masai Mara in Kenya) the massive herds with the instinct and the space to migrate year after year.

Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi is set to enter the Guinness Book of Records as the 'world's most inclined tower.' It will lean 4 times as far as Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The capital city of Seoul is a good example of his success. It is a big, dynamic city, but sometimes makes tourists confused. Seoul keeps the traditions of the ancestors alive. Old temples are still well visited, and the many palaces of former rulers remind the visitor of the past. But the general impression of this city is a big, complex, busy megalopolis with heavy traffic and air polution.

Hong Kong is a vibrant & exotic locale with a rich and varied history. Although it has become synonymous with shopping & stopovers, visitors soon discover that....

It has spectacular beaches but is not Australia; it is one of the world’s most secure destinations but is not Singapore; it has opulent city hotels and superb beachside resorts but is neither Jakarta nor Bali. It has world class shopping but is not Hong Kong.

Washington DC is located near the middle of the eastern coast of the USA. It is 230 miles south of New York City, less than an hour drive to Baltimore and slightly more than two hours to Philadelphia. The city is near the vast Chesepeake Bay about 100 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. The surrounding landscape is nearly flat with some gently rolling hills and shallow valleys. Summers can get q...

Boston is one of America's oldest cities and first settled in 1630. The capital of Massachusetts, Boston is a city rich in history and tradition, yet vibrant and modern. Located along the northeastern seaboard of the United States, Boston is about 200 miles northeast of New York City. Logan International Airport serves the area. Although only two miles north east of Boston, it will take you about...

Los Angeles is the largest city in California and the second largest city in the United States of America. It is located on the southern coast of California about 75 miles (120km) north of the Mexican border and 400 miles (600km) south of San Francisco. The original name of the city was

New York has always been the city of unlimited options: dining, shopping, entertainment. The fifth character of Sex and the City series lives up to its name and charms both locals and travelers. Whether you plan to sip a cosmopolitan in the newest club, eat a hot dog while watching a baseball game, stroll the streets of Manhattan or take a photo of the Statue of Liberty, New York will always have ...

This stunning city is perfect for an unforgettable romantic getaway. Stay in a swank hotel, enjoy romantic seafood dinners on the waterfront, indulge in shopping for exclusive designer goods, dance the night away in each other's arms, explore the colourful back streets and temples, hike up hilltops or stroll on the beach at sunset. Hong Kong has it all!

Hong Kong has a stunning array of glass, steel and marble-clad edifices that are monuments to modern architecture and some of the world's top architects. But in this city of contrasts you'll also find gems of colonial era architecture, some dating back more than 150 years.

Hong Kong has a stunning array of glass, steel and marble-clad edifices that are monuments to modern architecture and some of the world's top architects.

Culture and heritage are what sets Hong Kong apart from the rest of Asia – indeed the world. With 150 years of colonial history and a largely Chinese population, Hong Kong is a unique fusion of Western and Eastern cultures where the old and the new live side by side. Its incense-filled temples, colonial buildings and glass-and-steel skyscrapers, along with its ancient traditions and lively festiv...

Lantau Island features the world's tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha, along with the Po Lin Monastery, Tai O village on stilts, Ngong Ping 360 and Hong Kong Disneyland.

Take the iconic Star Ferry to enjoy stunning views around the harbour, and don’t miss the nightly A Symphony of Lights show featuring harbour-front buildings.

Hong Kong's most popular attraction, The Peak offers spectacular views over the city, harbour and mountains beyond. For an extra buzz, take the Peak Tram.

We're very big fans of cruising – but only on the most luxurious ships: Silversea, Regent, Oceania, Seabourn, SeaDream Crystal and Windstar

If last year's tax rebates are any indication, one-time payments from the government are a weak economic stimulus, say economists at the University of Michigan.

One thing you can probably get 99% of economists to agree on is that a global trade war in the middle of a global recession is a bad idea. If every country increases import tariffs, hoping to protect its domestic industry from foreign competition, global trade will fall in all directions, hurting everybody. Put another way, increased tariffs are a negative-sum game.

With economic indicators pointing to a lingering recession and many businesses in regroup mode, it seems that building and adding to talent would be the last thing on the minds of managers and corporate executives, but that can be a mistake.

Look for countries with strong middle-class growth -- say, China or Brazil. Stick mainly to housing and retail. Focus on the long term. And don't attempt to do it without a local partner.

Alums discuss the latest in ‘customer-centric innovation’ at Kellogg Centennial conference in Miami. Practitioners joined academics during a two-day event at Miami’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel, where they explored strategies to enhance “customer-centric innovation.” The conversation turned repeatedly to the ways technology can enable collaboration and harness consumer insights — and lead to busines...

Quietly and with little fanfare, the ownership of hundreds of public companies in the United States has moved from being dispersed among many players to being concentrated in the hands of a just a few. But it's not big banks that are dominating corporate ownership, as in the past. Instead it's mutual funds that hold almost 30 percent of U.S. corporate ownership today, compared with 8 percent in ...

Investment adviser's scam exposes Security and Exchange Commission's shortfalls and could worsen the financial crisis, says Ross professor. Bernard Madoff, once a respected investment adviser, may have perpetrated one of the biggest financial scams in history. Federal authorities are now trying to sort out what amounts to an enormous Ponzi scheme after Madoff admitted wrongdoing to employees of ...