Virgin America has announced that, come March, the airline will begin offering Sundance Channel programming, including independent films and documentaries, as part of its in-flight entertainment system. Yes, it’s only one airline with a few destinations, and, yes, it’s just one more cable channel, but the news marks just one more amenity that sets the young airline apart from the pack.

Of course, I happen to be biased. When I flew Virgin America a few months ago, I freely admit that I was instantly hooked. When I picked up a friend who flew the airline last week from New York to San Francisco from the airport, one of the first things he said when he got in the car was how much he liked Virgin America. And this is a crotchety New Yorker we’re talking about. Purely anecdotal information, sure. But my point is this: it may have been the slick interiors and cool mood lighting had us at hello, but it’s the perks like the Sundance Channel, documentaries and full-length feature films (not the censored versions on most airlines) that will keep us coming back.

In For the Moment | Jeff Klein on Heath Ledger, New York Times guest blogger and owner of the Sunset Tower in Los Angeles and the City Club Hotel in New York Jeff Klein recalls the four months Heath Ledger spent living in his Los Angeles property. In this post, Klein explains why, in his experience, Ledger was the “perfect hotel guest.” If it’s true, it’s quite a touching story to read in the wake of the actor’s surprising and abrupt death earlier this week.

A little chorus began singing in my head when this press release popped up in my RSS reader today:

Southwest Airlines Bringing the Internet to the Sky Via Satellite

If all goes according to plan, Southwest Airlines will begin testing in-flight Internet services delivered via broadband satellite on four aircraft this summer. The service, delivered by Row 44, will allow passengers with wi-fi enabled devices full access to the Internet and email.

Here’s a promotion for DailyCandy readers that you can take advantage of: Book by Jan. 30th for travel through Oct. 31, 2008, and you can save $125 off Silverjet flights between Newark Liberty International and London Luton Airports with the promo code DAILYCANDY08. Choose a “Very Sivilised Fare,” and a roundtrip ticket will cost $1,509 (including taxes and fees). Not a bad deal considering you fly in private-jet style with no more than 100 passengers (cabin pictured) on each flight, 6′3″ flat beds, seat back massagers, in-seat power outlets, noise reduction headphones, in-seat entertainment systems and meals designed by London restaurant Le Caprice.

Silverjet DailyCandy Promotion

I was reading the NY Times story Aviation Industry Offers Ideas to Help Passengers yesterday, and, while I was glad to hear that airport officials from around the country are getting together to brainstorm ways to make travelers’ lives easier during weather crises and other potential disasters that would result in stranded airplanes, I was quite surprised to read about the suggestions they’re coming up with - sorry to say it, but it shocks me that airports don’t already have many of the suggested processes and improvements in place. Whether it does so intentionally or not, the story really shines a light on the stodgy, antiquated procedures at many U.S. airports, as well as the lack of consistency in procedures from airport to airport.

Since the purpose of this aviation industry meeting was to compare operating procedures across U.S. airports and to compile suggestions for submission to a task force that’s being formed by the Department of Transportation and charged with investigating the much talked about problems surrounding flight delays, I am assuming that the ideas put forth are not currently a matter of standard procedure at the majority of U.S. airports. And that’s downright freaky when you look at how basic they are:

- Determine the location of all available air stairs

- Instruct airport retailers to stock emergency supplies like diapers, baby formula and over-the-counter medicines

- Create a list of all lifts available to transport handicapped passengers off planes not parked at gates

- Keep an inventory of cargo plane parking spots that could be used by passenger planes during emergencies

- Catalog available airport buses, including employee shuttles, that could transport passengers during emergencies

- Have a plan in place to keep airport retail shops open late when passengers are stranded in the airport

- Establish areas for stranded pets to pee and poop

- Have a plan in place to make extra chaperones available for unaccompanied minors during emergencies

All of these things seem like basic, common sense procedures any major organization should be able to put in place fairly quickly. And while I certainly have to give props to the aviation industry for getting off its collective duff and trying to come up with ways to fix a broken system before the government steps in with ideas of its own, I’m surprised and a little disgusted that measures like these aren’t already standard.

The Mountain Outpost (pictured), a brand new eco-adventure complex that’s part of the Kapalua Resort on Maui, opens its doors to the public this week. The opening is the latest of many recent changes around the resort. Earlier this month, the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua reopened after $160 million in renovations. New restaurants, a new fitness center, new hiking trails and a renovated and upgraded deli are among the numerous other improvements to this popular Maui vacation spot.

But because we love adventure, we were most excited about the new Mountain Outpost, which boasts Hawaii’s longest suspension bridge and offers heart-thumping activities like zipline tours, climbing and ropes challenge courses. To get the inside scoop on the new Mountain Outpost and other must-do activities in and around the sprawling Kapalua Resort, we checked in with Kapalua Resort’s Director of Resort Activities Adam Quinn. Read on for his local take on getting the most out of a visit to this 23,000-acre resort area.

It’s 6 a.m. We’re up, thanks to jetlag. Where should we head for early morning adventure?

Well, before starting any activity I usually like to eat a good breakfast. Luckily you can start your culinary adventure at Kapalua Resort’s newly renovated Honolua Store deli, which opens at 6 a.m. The deli serves a wide variety of ‘ono (tasty) breakfast items like Molok‘ai sweet bread french toast and a local favorite, Loco Moco, a generous mound of rice topped with a hamburger patty, eggs and gravy. They also offer new items like a crab cake Benedict and farm-fresh veggie omelette. The rustic Honolua Store, built in 1929, also sells sundries and all the snacks you need to pack for a day of exploring Maui.

On your ideal day off, where on Maui would we find you?

I like to head down to one of Maui’s best white sand beaches, D.T. Fleming Beach, for some fun watersports. This long beach is great for running, and the shore break is good for kayak surfing and boogie boarding. During the summer, it has great snorkeling around the lava rocks, too.

What activities at Kapalua Resort are most likely to satisfy our inner adrenaline junkie?

Anyone seeking an awesome eco-adventure should check out our new Kapalua Adventure Center where you can jump into a bio-diesel Mercedes-Benz Unimog for a journey to our Mountain Outpost located about 1,500 feet up the mountainside.

The Mountain Outpost’s eight dual-track zipline course is among North America’s largest—spanning nearly two miles with two ziplines more than 2,000 feet long. Adventurers can also put their endurance, balance and strength to the test with a comprehensive ropes challenge course and 35-foot climbing tower.

All activities are led by guides who have extensive knowledge of Hawaiian culture, history, geography, flora and fauna.

Can you suggest a great excursion for a family with one or more kids under 12?

The Maui Ocean Center is a great place to take the kids. This aquarium has the nation’s largest collection of living coral, and parents love taking pictures of their little ones in the see-through acrylic tunnel within the 750,000-gallon deep sea tank.

Where are the best spots for romance at Kapalua Resort?

At Kapalua Resort, The Plantation House Restaurant offers open-air island style ambiance and amazing panoramic views of the ocean.

Where would you send us to score postcard-worthy views?

Honolua Bay, a marine life conservation area, has fantastic snorkeling. Buy a waterproof camera to snap unbelievable photos of colorful coral and tropical fishes. To get there, hop in a catamaran sailing charter from Lahaina Harbor or Ka‘anapali Beach, and you’ll be taken to a picturesque bay with a scenic mountain backdrop about ten miles north of Ka‘anapali.

When friends and family visit you, what’s one place you always take them to see?

Watching the sunrise from the summit of Haleakala, the world’s largest dormant volcano, is a rare treat. I usually like to take my visiting friends and family to Haleakala National Park to enjoy the incredible above-the-clouds view, hiking and cultural activities.

What should every Maui visitor take home?

Maui Pineapple Company offers the nation’s only tour of a working pineapple plantation. Guests learn about planting, cultivation, and harvesting pineapple. A highlight is tasting pineapple in the field and then picking your own Maui Gold pineapple to take home. Kids especially love these tours. If you don’t want to carry fruit on the plane, order Maui Gold online at mauipineapple.com to be delivered right to your door.

A trip to Maui wouldn’t be complete without _______.

A trip to Maui wouldn’t be complete without attending The Feast at Lele, an intimate, oceanfront Polynesian lu‘au experience that includes traditional, upscale cuisine from Hawai‘i, New Zealand, Tonga and Tahiti, small beachside tables in a lush garden patio, beautiful sunsets and authentic hula and fire dance performances.

Note: All activities can be arranged through the Kapalua Adventure Center’s adventure concierges. For more information call 808-665-4FUN (4386) or toll-free at 877-665-4386.

Freelance writer Lorraine Sanders has been editing the TravelPost.com Insider blog since 2005. You can reach her at news (at) lorrainesanders (dot) com.

And you thought snakes on a plane could only happen in the movies:

Thousands of Snakes on a Plane Seized in Vietnam

Newspapers are reporting that the government of Saudi Arabia has issued a statement to Saudi hotels asking them to admit women traveling without male guardians. It’s big news for Saudi women, who live with a host of restrictions placed on their personal freedom.

Saudi Arabia Eases Rules for Women in Hotels

Here’s an interesting travel contest from USA Today and Royal Caribbean: Name that Ship. That I’m a writer probably has something to do with why I am posting this, but I’ve always liked the idea of naming contests. I guess I just like the idea of winning because of something you did - and not necessarily just because of the luck of the draw.

Travelers can enter the contest by choosing names for two new Royal Caribbean ships. Winners will receive all expenses paid trips each ship’s inaugural celebration (which includes a two-night mini cruise), as well as a separate seven-night cruise for two on the ships. The contest runs through Feb. 29, 2008. For more details about the contest and hints about the kinds of names they’re looking for, check out the official rules via the site linked above and be sure to read the press release.

A local gem, cult-favorite, sure bet and constant it-spot among those-in-the-know and all those other hackneyed phrases used to describe tried-and-true favorites in popular tourist destinations – call it what you want – San Francisco’s House of Nanking is one of ‘em.

Yeah, you’ll find a dirty mop in the bathroom and there might be gooey rice stuck to the underside of the plastic bowl from which you’ll eat. Sure, the staff may greet you not by saying hello, but with a tug on the sleeve that says quite unequivocally, hurry up, sit down and eat already. Yes, your table may toggle back and forth on its uneven legs as you sit hunched over a bowl of soup whose exact contents will forever remain mystery.

But you’ll absolutely love it. Well, not everyone will. House of Nanking – a somewhat dingy little joint on the border of Chinatown and North Beach (just up the block from a dive bar whose awning proclaims “Where Good Friends and Girls Go to Meet”) – is no fine dining experience, but it consistently wins accolades as the city’s best Chinese.

Instead of ordering from the crinkly, plastic-covered menu, tell your waiter (who’s likely to be one of the owners) just to choose “what’s good today” and bring enough food for the table. If you want something specific, sure, let them know (we highly recommend the onion cakes) and be clear about whether you want vegetarian dishes, meat, chicken, fish or a combination. Then let the kitchen do the rest.

Don’t waste time holding your breath for the sort of Chinese fare you’ll find in most restaurants around the United States. This ain’t no P.F. Chang’s. Far from it. Produce is market-fresh – we’d be shocked if the majority of what appeared on our plates had been in the kitchen longer than 24 hours. Sauces are nuanced and flavorful, but light enough to let the food itself take center stage.

Dishes like this plate of basil leaves, mushrooms and red onion arrive at the table in mere minutes and disappear (into our mouths of course) just as quickly.

Eggplant draped on a bed of bok choy, peppers and fresh greens:

House of Nanking
919 Kearny St
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 421-1429

The TravelPost.com Insider Native City series is a regular feature highlighting unique, iconic or influential edibles, products and other creations found in some of the world’s most popular travel destinations.

Freelance writer Lorraine Sanders has been editing the TravelPost.com Insider blog since 2005. You can reach her at news (at) lorrainesanders (dot) com.