Our picks from this week’s travel headlines.
NEW HOTEL FOR MECCA With an estimated 2 million Muslim pilgrims coming to Jeddah every year, the largest hotel in the world is being planned to accommodate the ever-rising number of visitors to the holy land of Mecca. At an estimated cost of USD 3.5 billion, the Abraj Kuda will be 2.2 kilometres away from Masjidil Haram, the site of the Holy Kaabah. The hotel will consist of a mega podium topped with 12 towers set to house a whopping 10,000 rooms. Ten towers will be four-star accommodations, while the other two will have five-star facilities including royal floors and rooftop helipads. Meanwhile, the podium will function as a convention centre and shopping mall, as well as a bus station. This mega project will be completed in 2017.
STAYING WHERE MANDELA DID How would you like to walk (or in this case, sleep) in the footsteps of one of the most iconic characters in modern history? You can if you have USD 6,000 to spare per night. What used to be a holiday getaway of former South African president, the late Nelson Mandela, this newly-opened luxury retreat is now open to the public. Spread across 24,000 acres of beautiful African countryside full of wildlife, including zebras and elephants, the residence has one presidential suite, five bedrooms, a boardroom, a spacious living room with a fire place, a heated indoor swimming pool, an outdoor deck, and even comes with private chef and butler services. Built in 2001, the Nelson Mandela Centre for Reconciliation is located at the Shambala Private Game Reserve, which is two and half hours away from Johannesburg, South Africa. Its high-profile guests include Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey.
IS IT A HOUSE OR IS IT A BOAT? The mystery around the floating blue house on London’s River Thames was solved when it was revealed to be a marketing initiative by Airbnb. The house is the accommodation-sharing website’s way of celebrating a new house-sharing rule that allows Londoners to rent out their homes to travellers up to 90 days a year. Truly putting the ‘house’ in houseboat, the fully-functioning abode has two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room, and is even decked with a real garden, complete with an apple tree and a dog house. It was designed by twin brothers Steve and Nick Tidball, who said that there are currently no plans for the house, though they would be happy if Bear Grylls were to buy it.
