Talking Travel: Private Island

Talking Travel is the Beijinger's weekly travel guide to great deals, interesting destinations, and weekend getaways.

Sometimes this author wonders if we shouldn't publish Talking Travel on Wednesdays, since it seems that every week, we barely push "send" when another interesting deal has arrived in the email box.

Last week we wrote about Cathay Pacific's deals on airfare to the Maldives. If you didn't get in on that by now, then available dates and tickets are probably scarce. However, there's a new incentive: use the money saved on those lower fares to visit a private island. Owned by husband and wife Radka and Jiri Smejc, their island features 43 private villas, and each has its own swimming pool. One Romantic Villa is even on a private island away from the private island. Of interest to Chinese guests, resident Michelin-star chef Adeline Grattard cooked for two years at the two Michelin star Hong Kong restaurant Bo Innovation. For booking or just dreaming, visit their website.

Talking Travel first reported it in September, but now everyone and their brother is noting that non-stop service from Beijing to Honolulu has been approved and will start in January with Air China. Hawaiian Airlines will follow suit in April. Just like we said it would.

Also in the yes-we-already-mentioned-that category, Air China service from Beijing to Cambodia's Siem Reap starts December 1, just like we said it would. Buzz is building as Beijing gets chillier and a romp around Angkor Wat prior to the holidays seems more enticing.

Air China was quick to announce that it would resume service to London's Gatwick airport in summer 2014, after Gatwick officials expressed their disappointment over the airline's suspension of winter flights there. Either way, Air China's announcement changes nothing.

Paying for international flights is a bit easier now, with regulators from China and the US signing an agreement this week that will allow Chinese passengers to buy tickets using Alipay, payment arm of e-commerce juggernaut Alibaba.com. Alipay has 800 million registered accounts in China (really?) and can offer international payments in 15 currencies.

We're sure that some amazing deal will arrive about 15 minutes from now, but press time is press time. We'll update at the top if anything exciting comes in. Otherwise, until next week, one road flat safe.

Look for more travel information in the Beijinger's monthly Get Out column.

Photo: Velaa Private Island