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☆ New Delhi’s Iron Pillar has been exposed to the elements for centuries. So why hasn’t it ever shown signs of rust?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Poonam Binayak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque is part of the UNESCO-listed Qutb Minar complex. Scientists both in India and abroad began studying the iron pillar in Delhi in 1912 to try to figure out why it hadn’t corroded. Stuart Forster/ShutterstockBeyond its metallurgical intrigue, the origin of the Iron Pillar is also veiled in mystery. In the epic poem “Prithviraj Raso,” penned by Chand Bardai, a courtier in the Chahamana dynasty under King Prithviraj Chauhan, the Iron Pillar holds great significance. “Bardai describes the Iron Pillar in Raso as a nail holding the Earth on the hoof of Sheshnag, the serpent king in Hindu mythology,” says Vikramjit.

Persons: Qutb, Anders Blomqvist, Balasubramaniam, Stuart Forster, Gupta, Chandragupta II, Vikramaditya, Vishnu, It’s, Garuda, Vikramjit Singh Rooprai, King Vikramaditya, Siddhanta, ”, Raja Anangpal, Qutbuddin, Prithviraj Raso, Chand Bardai, King Prithviraj Chauhan, “ Bardai, “ Raso, Anangpal, Qutub, Ravi Pratap Singh, Pragya Nagar Organizations: CNN, New Delhi’s UNESCO, UNESCO, Indian Institute of Technology, National Metallurgical Laboratory, Indian Institute of Metals, Varāhamihira, ASI, Survey Locations: Mehrauli, Islam, India, Delhi, Kanpur, Varah, Udayagiri Caves, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, “, Mihirapuri, Tomar, Raso

☆ Your vacation was ruined, and the company apologized — with a heartfelt note written by ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Poonam Binayak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

'A pretty good job'For all its faults, ChatGPT "does a pretty good job" responding to customer complaints, Natasha said. A screenshot of a discussion about using ChatGPT to write reviews on Airhosts Forum, a website for Airbnb hosts. His company, which counts Priceline, Hopper and AvantStay as customers, uses AI to help customer service agents sound more professional, he said. More discovering itMichael Friedman, CEO of the family-run vacation rental company Simple Life Hospitality, said his company does not use AI to respond to customers. But after learning that other travel companies are, she decided to test ChatGPT with a real-life problem she recently faced.

Persons: Natasha, Reddit, Luca Zambello, Brad Birnbaum, Hopper, Birnbaum, Michael Friedman, …, Aw, Tokudaw, ChatGPT Organizations: CNBC, Airhosts, Airbnb, Mt Fuji Locations: TripAdvisor, Yelp

☆ This family traveled for a year. Here are the biggest mistakes they made
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Vivien Soo | Poonam Binayak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Life-changing experiences, unforgettable memories and beautiful pictures — these are things that come to mind when people think of a year-long family trip. The Sullivan family, shown here at Machu Picchu in Peru, ran into several unforeseen circumstances throughout the year. Source: Margaret Bensfield Sullivan"We had packed every conceivable medication, and it never occurred to me that we would encounter lice," she said. After a year abroad, Sullivan, shown here in Egypt, said her family returned home with a stronger bond. Margaret Bensfield Sullivan

Persons: Margaret Bensfield Sullivan, Sullivan, Teddy Organizations: Sullivans Locations: piranhas, Brazil, Mozambique, New York, Tanzania, South America, Africa, East, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Beijing, Peru, Berlin, Machu Picchu, Germany, Sullivan, Vietnam, Cambodia, France, Japan, Egypt

☆ Covid caused a ‘massive spike’ in yacht sales — now some of those boats are back on the market
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Poonam Binayak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The pandemic spurred a "massive spike" in yacht sales, said Richard Allen, chief operating officer of the Hong Kong-based yachting company Simpson Marine. "We've seen a lot of those people, that had their boats for two years, sort of now wanting to travel," he told CNBC. Prices in the pre-owned marketEnthusiasm for yachting remains high, even if sales have fallen since 2021, said Casani. Casani and Allen, who spoke to CNBC on April 26 while attending the second annual Singapore Yachting Festival, agreed that the continent's yachting market is growing. "We need to do a lot of lobbying with governments to make it easier to import boats," said Allen.

Persons: Richard Allen, we've, Paolo Casani, Allen —, Allen, Casani Organizations: Simpson, CNBC, Singapore Yachting Festival, International Council of Marine Industry Associations Locations: Hong Kong, Monaco, Asia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam

Those are some of the most fascinating items found in lost luggage in 2023, according to a new report by Unclaimed Baggage, a store that buys lost items from airlines, sight unseen. The company has long-term contracts to buy unclaimed items from airlines, as well as hotels, trains and rental car companies. Unclaimed Baggage opened a "Found Treasures" museum in Scottsboro, Alabama, in 2023 to showcase the oddest items acquired through the years. Then he found them at Unclaimed Baggage and brought them back to her." Source: Unclaimed Baggage

Persons: Richard Nixon, Louis, Bryan Owens, Cartier, Owens, Owen's, Doyle Owens, Doyle, There's, … we're, Owen, Louis Vuitton, —, …, Jimmy Choo, Yves Saint Laurent —, it's, they've, David Bowie Organizations: Louis Vuitton Nike Air Force, CNBC Travel, Rolex Locations: Scottsboro , Alabama, Scottsboro, America, West Coast, Atlanta

Singapore's Changi Airport has lost its pole position as the world's best airport to Doha's Hamad International Airport, according to air transport rating firm Skytrax. Travelers of more than 100 nationalities participated in the Skytrax survey, which also named Hamad International Airport as the best airport in the world for shopping. Changi Airport has been crowned the world's best airport 12 times by Skytrax, including winning first place consecutively from 2013 to 2020, and again in 2023. In this year's survey, the city-state's airport won the titles of "Best Airport in Asia" and the "World's Best Airport Immigration Service." Tokyo's other major international airport, Narita International Airport, ranked No.

Organizations: Doha's Hamad International Airport, Hamad International Airport, Changi, Immigration Service, Korea's, Narita International Airport, Best Airport Staff, Passengers Locations: Doha's, state's, Asia, —, Narita

Luxury trains in India date back to its colonial era, when opulent carriages transported dignitaries, officials and royalty. Without the money to maintain them, India's luxury rail carriages were abandoned. Blending historical elegance with modern comforts, these trains are a glimpse into India's regal past. A peek inside a dining car and a cabin show the ornate details on board India's Palace on Wheels train. Indian food served in one of the dining cars on board the luxury Maharajas' Express.

Persons: —, Sergi Reboredo Organizations: Railways, Local, The Times, Vw, Getty Locations: India, Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Rajasthan, India Price, South India, Mysore, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi Price

☆ A village on an Italian island is providing free housing to digital nomads
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | Poonam Binayak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Last week, Partis landed in the Sardinian village of Ollolai in Italy for a free stay paid by the local municipality. She's the first digital nomad to arrive — and already she said it feels like a life-changer. Source: Veronica Matta"That was a major success — many foreigners bought and restyled dozens of forsaken dwellings," said Mayor Francesco Columbu told CNBC. "Now, after investing in high-speed internet, with this new project 'Work from Ollolai' we want to make our village a digital nomad hub." Source: Veronica Matta"I just had to give my landowner a symbolic one euro for the house rental," said Partis.

Persons: Clarese, Partis, Ollolai, Antonio Meloni, Francesco Columbu, Veronica Matta, Sa, Matta, Veronica Matta Partis, —, that's Organizations: CNBC, Workers Locations: Los Angeles, Sardinian, Ollolai, Italy, Zanzibar, Sardinia, Singapore, Sardinia —, Partis

☆ Years in the making, Venice approves a tax on daytrippers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Poonam Binayak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Venice's city council on Tuesday approved a long-awaited regulation to tax day visitors 5 euros ($5.38) to visit the city. Overnight travelers are exempt, though they're subject to a separate tourist tax implemented in 2011. Why is Venice taxing day visitors? The new tax is an attempt to "protect the city from mass tourism," Luigi Brugnaro, Venice's mayor, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The city of Venice currently fines visitors who eat or drink on the ground, sit on monuments and bridges, or swim in its canals, according to the city's website.

Persons: Luigi Brugnaro, overtourism, Tatyana Tsukanova, Tsukanova, Miguel Medina Organizations: EHL Hospitality Business School, Venice, Afp, Getty Locations: Venice's, Venice, Belgium, Lausanne, Switzerland, Bhutan

☆ Where to stay in India? Here are 8 former palaces that are now hotels
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Poonam Binayak | Lisa Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Source: Heritage DharampuraIt's now a 14-room boutique hotel, which received an honorable mention in 2017's UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. It was transformed into a heritage hotel in the 1960s and is now impeccably managed by the Taj Group. Taj Lake Palace Source: Taj Lake PalaceStraight out of a fairy tale, the Taj Lake Palace boasts domed pavilions, ornamental turrets, crystal chandeliers, and 83 antique-filled rooms and suites, some which overlook a gleaming courtyard that hosts nightly folk dances. Source: Taj Usha Kiran PalaceToday, it's a lavish Taj hotel that balances old-world vibes with contemporary style. It is now a heritage hotel managed by the Taj Group.

Persons: Jehan Numa, Jehan, Palace, General Obaidullah Khan, Vijay Goel, James Bond, Taj Falaknuma, —, Taj Usha Kiran, it's, King Charles , Louis Mountbatten, Jacqueline Kennedy, Bhanj Deo, There's Organizations: UNESCO, Cultural Heritage Conservation, Taj, Taj Group, Royal, Rambagh, Jaipur, Cochin — Locations: India, Odisha, Rajasthan, Bhopal, Dharampura, Delhi, UNESCO Asia, Jama Masjid, Old Delhi, Udaipur, Pichola, Mewar, Taj Lake, Lake, lavishness, Falaknuma, Nizam, Hyderabad, Windsor, Gwalior, Rambagh, Jaipur, Baripada, Chittoor Kottaram, Kochi, Chittoor, —, Cochin

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