Catching up on the best travel deals and destinations around Asia.

Top of the World
The planet might be falling apart but there’s no reason to not travel—especially when airfares are plummeting along with the stock market. Most airlines have dropped their fuel surcharge by at least 10 percent, and now Cathay Pacific and Dragonair have relaunched their World Pass program. The pass allows you to buy a combination of roundtrip tickets for long- and short-haul flights to 59 locations around the world at super-cheap rates. Short-haul destinations include most Asian countries, while long-haul flights go to Australasia, Europe, the Americas, Central Asia and the Middle East.

A pass for one short-haul and one long-haul flight is $7,880, but you can pay another $2,000 for an extra short-haul trip. Other packages are available, but book now, because the offer expires on Nov 3 (though tickets are good for travel until Jul 15 next year.) Available at any good travel agent, Cathay Pacific at 2747-1577 or Dragonair at
3193-2222.

The Opposite House
There seems to be an endless number of hotel openings in Beijing this year and they just keep on coming—but don’t write off The Opposite House. It’s Swire’s first-ever hotel venture and by far one of the most stylish properties in the capital. Designed by famous Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, this 99-room hotel is located at The Village, Beijing’s newest and hottest shopping complex in Sanlitun. Stimulating design details are everywhere. The lobby—aptly named the Living Room—features a vast, whitewashed apothecary table as a centerpiece. Corridors on the upper floors are lined with wooden walls with hidden doors to the rooms, which are comfortably minimalist and very spacious. Asia Miles members can now earn 500 miles per stay, and Cathay Pacific Holidays has launched a package with return flights and two nights accommodation at the hotel for $4,899 per person. Book at www.cxholidays.com. The Opposite House, Building 1, 11 Sanlitun Rd., Chaoyang District, Beijing, (86-10) 6417-6688, www.theoppositehouse.com.

The Hidden City
While you’re in Beijing, head to the new nightlife and dining hotspot, The Hidden City 1949. Renovated from a red-brick building that once housed a technology research institute, this compound features a fine-dining Chinese restaurant, the 1/5 taverna and bar (opened by Hong Kong’s very own 1/5), and Sugar Bar for light snacks and drinks throughout the day. The compound is an elegant hideaway, completely blocked off from the buzz and traffic nearby, and a tranquil change from hectic Sanlitun. 4th Yard, Gongti Bei Lu, (near Pacific Department Store), Chaoyang District, Beijing, (86-10) 6539-3683.