Travel news and deals: from luxury in Kiev to a new train route in India



Take in the sights of Ukraine's capital

A luxurious and stylish boutique hotel has opened in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, close to the National Opera House. A design hotel, 11 Mirrors is currently running a "sparkling winter special" offer with three nights for the price of two on stays from December 20 to January 15 inclusive. A double room costs from €212 (Dh1,005) per night, including breakfast and taxes. The offer is based on two people sharing. For further information, visit www. 11mirrors-hotel.com.

Celebrate the season on Saadiyat Island

Check into the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort here in Abu Dhabi this Christmas and take advantage of one of the hotel's festive offers. Stay the night of December 24 in a double room, which costs from Dh1,600, and enjoy a festive buffet for two at Oléa, its Mediterranean restaurant, as well as breakfast. An additional dinner or lunch at Oléa will cost from Dh300 for adults or Dh100 for children aged from 5 to 12 years old. Father Christmas is set to make an appearance with presents for children, and there's carol singing to set the mood. To book, visit www.stregissaadiyatisland.com.

What's new at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers

Scott's, a British seafood restaurant, is the last of the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers' eateries to open. The original Scott's, an oyster warehouse, was established in London in 1851 and the Abu Dhabi incarnation has art-deco styling as well as its own private jetty; the restaurant sits at the end of a short pier over the Arabian Gulf. On the menu is Shetland mussels, dressed Cornish crab and Scottish smoked salmon. To book a table for lunch or dinner, call 02 811 5666.

A new beach resort opens in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico's "first six-star hotel", the Ritz-Carlton Dorado Beach opened this week with 100 rooms and 14 one-bedroom suites, plus Su Casa, a renovated 1920s beachfront hacienda that will serve as a VIP villa. If lazing on the shores of this Caribbean island, once the hang out of John F Kennedy and the 1960s jetset, begins to pale, the hotel has created the Rockefeller Nature Trail, a 17km paved path around the area for walkers, cyclists and electric carts. Double rooms cost from US$1,600 (Dh5,875) per night, including taxes. Book at www.ritzcarlton.com.

Tour India's golden triangle in comfort

A new and convenient rail service linking two of India's most visited destinations - Jaipur and Agra - has just started. The Shatabdi Express has fully air-conditioned carriages and departs on a convenient daily schedule, leaving Jaipur at 07.05, arriving in Agra, 241km away, three-and-a-half hours later, and departing Agra for the return journey at 16.20. A single fare costs 430 Indian rupees (Dh29). The same express service also links New Delhi with Jaipur. For more information, visit www.indianrail.gov.in.

Sinopharm vaccine explained

The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades. 

“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.

"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8

Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm

Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km

Price: Dh380,000

On sale: now