Shangri La Resort and Spa in Maldives Villingili

Villingili Shangri-La Resort and Spa is the first luxury resort in the Maldives is located south of Ecuador. Guests can enjoy a tempting selection of restaurants and entertainment, innovative treatments at CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La, and a variety of aquatic leisure activities, or to explore by bike five neighboring islands connected by a road of 17 kilometers The resort is a 70-minute flight from Malé and a boat ride eight minutes Gan Airport in Addu Atoll.

Accommodation:
From private ocean retreats to tropical tree houses villas with stunning views, the accommodation is available in five different styles, each equipped with two iPods and a docking station, and numerous luxury amenities. The mood throughout the whole property is one of serenity, with hints of Middle East and the elements of India. Pool Villa, Villa Beach, Villa del Agua, Tree House Villa, Twin Beach Villa, Muthee Villa, Villa Laalu

Pool Villa - Surrounded by lush forests and views of the beach through the tropical foliage, pool Villa guests can be forgiven for imagining themselves happily abandoned in a forest in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Guests at this intimate Pool Villas can enjoy sea views from the comfort of your bed, catch up on reading or relaxing on a sofa bed on the patio or terrace. The specialty of the villa from the pool of contemporary design in Asia, Middle East and Indian touches, free broadband internet, 40 inch LCD TV, Bose DVD player, iPod connection for two, an oval tub luxury, indoor showers and outdoor counters and his and her vanity, pool area Villa 133sqm / 1.432 square feet.

Beach Villa - Luxury Beach Villas offer a private retreat in splendid isolation on a beach of white sand. They are divided into two separate wards, next is a flag of life, and the other bedroom. Each Villa Beach has a terrace overlooking the beach. The specialty of the beach town of Asia's contemporary design with the Middle East and Indian touches, free broadband internet, 40 inch LCD TV, Bose DVD player, iPod connection for two, a luxury oval bath, indoor showers and outdoor, and she counters vanity, Villa Beach area 189sqm / 2034 square feet.

Water Villa-Villa has an open and airy. Access to this private paradise is via a footbridge over turquoise water is full of marine life. Water Villa's specialty infused with Middle Eastern elements and a touch of India, located in the lagoon of the resort, complimentary broadband Internet, 40 inch LCD TV, Bose DVD player, two iPods docking station, a luxury oval bath and open air shower, the water is Near Villa 166sqm / 1.787 square feet.

Tree House Villa - With stunning sea views, Tree House Villas are isolated refuges, private island. . The specialty of Tree House Villa Luxuriously imbued with elements of Middle East and the touch of India, perched on stilts ten feet above the floor with stunning views over the Indian Ocean, free access to broadband Internet, 40-inch LCD TV, Bose DVD player, two iPods and a docking station, a luxury oval bath, shower indoors and outdoors, his vanity and she counters, Tree House Villa area 218sqm / sqft 2347.

Double Beach Villa - Relax in the amplitude of one of the 10 Villas Playa Center. These luxury villas tastefully decorated and include a side by side, making it ideal for families or fellow travelers who want intimacy and closeness. The Twin Beach Villas is located in beautiful gardens and share a large courtyard and terrace with an infinity pool. The specialty of Twin Beach Villa traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern and Asian-themed furnishings and decor create a light and airy, erasing the distinction between inside and outside, free access to broadband Internet, 40 inch LCD TV, Bose DVD player, two iPods and docking station, a luxury oval bath, shower indoors and outdoors, his vanity and she counters, Twin Beach area Villa 224sqm / 2.411 square feet.

Villa Muthee -Villa Muthee, like a pearl in your oyster own Muthee Villa is located in your own luxurious atmosphere. From the finest of the decoration of stunning seascapes that surround it, Villa Muthee promises a truly sensational experience. The only one of its kind in Villingili Shangri-La Resort and Spa, Villa Muthee is appropriately named. Muthee, which means "pearl" in the local language Dhivehi, is a village shrine craving fast-paced world in an environment that offers stunning views and everything you need for a perfect getaway. The specialty of Villa Muthee incorporating Eastern influences such as teak accented with mother-of-pearl and other furniture as Lipa, Villa Muthee exudes a contemporary tropical style, free access to broadband Internet, 40 inch LCD TV, a player Bose DVD, two iPods and docking station, large bathroom with its own walk-in closet, dressing area and vanity, and she counters, and a pavilion spa area is 570sqm Villa Muthee / 6.135 square feet.

Laalu Villa - Spacious, elegant and thoughtfully designed, Villa Laalu is the crown jewel of the complex, with two large rooms and high ceilings, a spacious garden and all that the most demanding guests may need. Throughout the day, in the villa dining can be enjoyed in the living room with a wooden balconies, or in the halls air conditioned dining room or outdoors. The specialty of carefully selected works Laalu Villa are displayed throughout this villa exquisite, with beautiful high end items from Asia, sculptures and urns of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, free internet access, broadband 40 inch LCD TV, a Bose DVD player, two iPods and a docking station, the main bathroom comes equipped outdoors inside. A two luxury bath rises from the stone floor texture, with a waterfall feature and a pavilion adjacent spa area is 957sqm/10 Laalu Villa, 301sqft.

Services and facilities:
24 hours of free parking (Room), 24 hours in the villa dining, butler service from the airport, Babysitting / Child Services, Butler Service in the Village, Clinic, a free shuttle to the airport, complimentary shoeshine, Express Check-in and check-in services, disabled facilities, Flores, currency counter, Barber / Beauty Shop, House Doctor on call, butler service, valet laundry service, WI-FI Villas, Photo Processing , Postal / Courier Service, shopping, Safe, Wireless Internet in public areas and in all villas and the Center for Internet access.

The Rickshaw Wallahs of Kolkata

Following my two weeks Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo~Expedition & Workshop™, I have now completed two photo essays centering on the rickshaw pullers of that quintessential Indian megapolis. About half of the photographs were made using a Leica M9, while the rest with a Canon 5d Mark II. The audio was recorded with a Marantz 620PMD.

The first photo essay is an audio slideshow of about 30 black & white photographs of rickshaw pullers, supplemented by a soundtrack made up of Kolkata's traffic sounds, short narrative clips by the pullers themselves and live instrumental music played by Satyananda Das, a traditional Baul musician.

It can be seen either as a Vimeo movie (above) or as a regular SoundSlides multimedia, which is recommended because the quality of the photographs are much better, and are much larger.

The second photo essay is a gallery of still photographs... essentially the same as those in the multimedia products above, but the gallery is better suited for those who prefer to view them without any multimedia influence.

Documenting the rickshaw pullers was a secondary objective of the workshop, but was an important one. The government of Bengal had announced plans to completely ban the rickshaws, saying that the grueling work violates the pullers human rights, the argument was rejected by the rickshaw pullers with huge protests. Almost all of the pullers I spoke to were from the state of Bihar, one of India’s poorest states. Mohammed was one of those...an older man, a Muslim from Bihar with a dark bunion on his forehead from genuflecting five times a day. Past his prime, he said that he made about 400 rupees a day...the equivalent of $9 or so.

Having experienced first hand Kolkata's incredible 24-hour traffic jams, I believe those who claim that rickshaws are the only mode of transport who can circulate its narrow streets and alleys. The rickshaws carry business people, live poultry, school children, the sick to the hospitals, fruit to the markets, and even prostitutes. Without them, Kolkata could risk coming to a standstill, especially during the monsoon rains when roads can be impassable...and let's face it, Kolkata without the rickshaw pullers wouldn't be the same.

Many Kolkata intellectuals have said that while we can refuse on moral grounds to be carried by another human being, we have no right to take away their livelihood. There's also the hope that rickshaw pullers can be provided with an alternative employment.

New! Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GX1

Panasonic has just announced the Lumix DMC-GX1, which features a 16MP sensor, a maximum ISO sensitivity setting of 12,800, a touchscreen interface and a newly-engineered AF system. The GX1 is also the first camera compatible with Panasonic's brand new high-resolution LVF2 viewfinder, which is sold separately. These features puts the GX1 among the best performers in the Micro Four Thirds market.

According to dpreview.com, "Panasonic has provided the long-awaited spiritual successor to the highly regarded Lumix DMC-GF1."

The GX1 is available in a black or silver body with MSRP starting at $699.99.

Now I wait for a Leica Micro Four-Thirds model. I know...it's improbable for technical reasons perhaps, but one can hope. In the meantime, I think that Panasonic has a winner with this model.

Javier Arcenillas: Kolkata Sleepers

Photo © Javier Arcenillas-All Rights Reserved

Javier Arcenillas is a Spanish freelance photographer and a psychologist at the Complutense University of Madrid. He describes himself as a humanist, and develops humanitarian essays.

I chose an unusual subject out of Javier's photo essays; one that I personally witnessed whilst in Kolkata a few weeks ago...and that is of Kolkata residents sleeping in the outdoors largely because of poverty, or because they are migrant workers with families living elsewhere. My hotel room window looked over a side street, and waking up at dawn everyday gave me the opportunity of seeing dozens of people sprawled over thin blankets, cardboard boxes and the like. These were rickshaw pullers, vendors of fruits, hawkers and itinerant workers. During the initial days of my hotel stay, I reflected upon the lives of these people, and how difficult their lives must be.

Javier's Sleepers is a photo essay that really strikes a chord with me.

Javier has won a number of international prizes, including The Arts Press Award, Kodak Young Photographer, European Social Fund Grant, Euro Press of Fujifilm, INJUVE, Foto Press Third Prize, Luis Valtueña of Médicos del Mundo, Journalism Doñana´s prize, Luis Ksado, Make History, UNICEF, World Photography of the Year, Fotoevidence, Finalist of the Leica Prize 2009 and Antropography 2010.