TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe ETIHAD Airways has started the New Year by setting a record for the number of passengers carried across its worldwide network in a single day. The record was achieved on Saturday 5th January 2013 when 33,802 passengers flew with the Abu Dhabi-based airline, beating the previous record of 33,766 for Saturday 14th July 2012. Etihad Airways capped an impressive festive holiday season with Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th January 2013 also entering the airline’s top 10 ranking for busiest ever days, with 32,622 and 32,918 respectively flying each day. www.etihad.com
a tomato-cashew nut sauce. As for dining, the most difficult thing is to decide what to try – everything not only looks, but truly tastes heavenly and delicious. Beautifully arranged food with romantic dinners on the outside deck all prepared by highly skilled chefs made my culinary experience here a night to remember. Spa The original building ng Mai Pool & ■ The Chedi Chia is surrounded by a low-rise complex of spa, fitness area and accommodation and Holiday Hotspot accommodation designed the darks woods, tiling and The Chedi, Chiang Mai, around a cutting-edge design glass helped me to declutter Thailand www.ghmhotels. involving a natural sense of within minutes of my arrival. com www.etihad.com light and space. The open-air They all come with compliThe Chedi, Chiang Mai is lobby induces an immediate mentary mini-bar and launa city centre resort experi- sense of tranquility due in dry, Bose hi-fi and day-beds ence that delivers on every part to minimalist décor & a on the balcony. International level. Here visitors indulge large Zen like garden, infinity TV is also available on giant in five-star chique and be pool and terrace, all over- rotating flat-screens and the within walking distance of looking the river, providing super fast Wi-Fi kept me octhe many key city attractions public spaces to laze around cupied by the pool. Club Suite in minutes. Situated on the & feel good! The Chedi spa guests also enjoy access to banks of the Mae Ping River, treatment menu includes a the 4th floor club lounge The Chedi is constructed signature Thai massage to for fresh breakfast spreads, around what was once die for and if you feel like you afternoon tea breaks and the British Consulate. The need more pampering go for sunset cocktails with fusion “Restaurant” housed in the a rejuvenating seaweed expe- canapés. It’s just a short original Colonial building is rience using Irish Voya prod- walk from the Chedi to one of serves authentic Indian cui- uct offering a taste of home. Chiang Mai’s most famous atsine including favorites such The club suites offer superior tractions – the Night Market. as murgh makhani, buttered There are plenty of stalls for chicken in tourists here but the atmosphere is bustling, festive and laid back and it’s a fun place to wander around in the evening to window shop and people watch even if you’re not looking for anything to buy. Be prepared for some bargaining, as asking prices can often be negotiated down by at least 30% and sometimes a lot more if the mood takes you. For culture vultures a reminder that this region boast over 300 Buddhist temples, many dating back to the 13th century. It also offers spectacular scenort rp Ai in bl Du at ery, and is a great base for ness Lounge si Bu ad ih Et ■ trekking, rafting, elephant
Pet’s Corner...
Living
■ The Chedi Chia
ng Mai Club Su
riding and hill tribe visits. Doi Suthep is the most famous of the temples sitting at 1685 meters above the city offering spectacular views. If you have children or a love for elephants then visit Mae Sa Elephant Camp where they show off many skills including playing football and even painting! Elephant riding is also an option here but don’t forget to bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen lotion, or an umbrella to shield you from the hot sun. A visit to Tiger Kingdom located in Mae Rim is about 25 minutes by Tuk Tuk from the city and also popular with visitors. In February the annual Flower Festival in Nong Buak Had Park, Amphor Muang, is a local tradition – and a perfect opportunity to see African marigolds, orchids, chrysanthemums and assorted roses. Also a reminder that Chiang Mai is one of the most famous places for celebrating Songkran, the Thai New Year. Traditional practices, such as giving food offerings to monks and Buddha image bathing, the morning market and the sand pagoda contest are all highlights with celebrations lasting for three days, starting April 13th. The weather in Chiang Mai is divided into three seasons, cool, hot and wet. The cool season is between Novem-
ite
ber and February, the hot season runs between March and June and the wet season runs between July and October. The average temperature is 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit) Etihad operates 10 flights a week from Dublin and daily flights from Manchester and Heathrow to Abu Dhabi and over 85 destinations including numerous daily connections to Bangkok and onwards to Chiang Mai through its code share with Bangkok Airways. In business class on the international leg expect awardwinning fully flat beds in an innovative 1-2-1 layout – all seats have aisle access and are forward facing. Expect the services of a dedicated Food & Beverage Manager offering restaurant quality dining-on-demand, boutique wines, and a unique “kitchen anytime option “. Enjoy over 600 hours of on-demand entertainment on some of the largest personal screens in the sky – as well as MP3 player connectivity and universal power sockets. Etihad Airways also offer a dedicated lounge within the new Terminal 2 facility at Dublin airport, with features including showers and a business centre. This impressive oasis of calm is furnished with Italian leather chairs and soft
sofas with extra facilities including a family room, bar, and a la carte and buffet food choices. Etihad also offer a private chauffeur taking you door-to-door in a luxury limousine for customers across the island of Ireland. For best fares visit www.etihad.com For best rates to stay at the ultra trendy Chedi www.ghmhotels.com
Weekly Best Buy
Stena Line’s January sale is now on, and you can grab a bargain with an incredible €60 OFF return travel to Scotland from Belfast to Cairnryan. Enjoy €60 OFF Flexi and Premium* car and motor-home return fares and €30 OFF motorcyclist Flexi return fares which are valid for travel up to 27 March. This fantastic offer is now open for booking and for sailing on any day, subject to availability. Simply book by 31 January 2013, and at least two days before departure to avail of great value fares from only €138 return (car + driver). www.stenaline.ie/ sale Robert Walshe is a travel broadcaster with Q Radio Network and Travel Editor for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland. www.robertwalshe. com
with Kathleen Murray
Is your dog overweight? ARE overweight dogs a symptom of a human problem? Why do dogs become overweight? They get fat by eating too much. Who is feeding them all this extra food that they don’t need? Dogs are being indulged now to a level that is unhealthy. Putting our emotions and thinking onto our dogs is causing trouble for the dogs. If we are eating and the dog is sitting looking at us, some people cannot ignore the dog. They have to give in to the demands of the dog… that is what the dog is doing… he is demanding your dinner. He doesn’t care if you have a dinner or not. He just wants what you are having and if you give it to him then you are telling the dog that he is more
important than you. The dog won’t feel guilty. He won’t be thinking “My owner has no dinner, I’ll give them half of my dinner”. Dogs think in a very simple and straightforward way. If they want something they let you know. It doesn’t mean they have to get it. If they want to run across the road in front of a car would you say “Oh, go on then, enjoy”. Dogs need boundaries to ensure their safety. Giving in to all their demands does not ensure their safety. Feeding them too much is not ensuring their safety, it is putting them at risk. It will put too much strain on their joints and organs and shorten their life. That is not being kind to your dog, that is killing your dog. If
you are really thinking about your dog then only give it what its body needs to function properly and if you want to be kind to it then take it for a walk. If your dog is already overweight then start to help it by cutting out the in-between snacks and treats. Have the amount of food that it requires for a daily portion set aside and then you can feed it to the dog in one feed, or two smaller feeds. Adult dogs only need one feed but if you are not able to stick to that then make the overall daily amount into two portions. A little in the morning and a little in the evening. If you don’t know how much your dog should be eating then read the portion sizes on
the bags of dried dog food. That will give you a measurement to go by. If your dog is still looking for food after its had its dinner then this is normal. If it has been used to more food then it will need time to adjust.
Exercise can help with this. Play a game or teach your dog some new things to distract it. If you are not sure if your dog is overweight then take it to your vet and they will tell you. 0863192247