Experiencing the best of Shanghai

For the best views of Shanghai's iconic skyline, you can't beat The Peninsula Shanghai, situated across the Huangpu River on the Bund.

Getting out of Shanghai Pudong International Airport is an exciting journey in itself. The Maglev -- the world's fastest train -- covers 30 kilometers in about seven minutes.

From its location on the historic Bund, the Peninsula Shanghai's rooms and rooftop bar offer views toward the city's Lujiazui skyscrapers.

On the south end of the Bund, Hotel Indigo offers views across the river as well as the roofs of Shanghai Old Town.

Hai Jin Zi is a no-frills restaurant that serves the best braised pork belly and stir-fried shimp you'll likely ever taste.

Han Yi, on Changle Lu, is said to have supplied some of the the qipao dresses for Maggie Cheung in the film "In the Mood for Love."

Short business trip? You can buy a traditional or modern version of the qipao at Shanghai Tang.

The rooftop terrace of Bar Rouge is a great place to get a shot of Shanghai's neon-lit skyline.

For Instagram photos that'll make your followers hungry, there's the delicious xialongbao at De Xin Guan.

Developed by British colonists, the streets between People's Square and the Bund are a great place for a post-meeting walk.

No need to spend away that signing bonus at the Dongtai Lu Antique Market. When bargaining, going for half the asking price is usually a good starting strategy.

• No need to hire a ride from the airport when you've got the Shanghai Maglev, the world's fastest train


• Shanghai's best fashion purchase is a tailor-made Shanghai qipao, made famous by film "In the Mood for Love"


• Shanghai restaurant Maison de L'hui on Julu Lu is set in the former home of a 1930s mob boss

(CNN) -- Arriving in a city with an area five times the size of New York City and 23 million people can be overwhelming.

Fortunately Shanghai -- the most developed city on mainland China -- is equipped to impress even the most jaded of international business travelers.

The problem, as usual, is finding the time to experience its highlights.

From getting in quick to getting out with the hottest souvenirs -- and having eaten plenty of fantastic food in between -- this mini-guide offers tips for time starved executive travelers looking for the best of Shanghai.

Fastest, most comfortable airport transport

Just getting out of the airport in Shanghai is a thrill if you climb aboard world's fastest commercial train, the Shanghai Maglev.

This airport shuttle connects Shanghai Pudong International Airport with Longyang Lu Station in the suburbs of Pudong.

From there, passengers switch to Metro Line 2 or 7 to travel to the city center.

Moving like a silver bullet, Maglev trains cover 30 kilometers in about seven minutes. Metro Line 2 also runs between Longyang Lu and the airport -- the journey takes about an hour.

Maglev trains run once every 15 to 20 minutes and cost RMB50 ($8) for a single trip and RMB80 ($13) for a round-trip, good for seven days.

Indigo Hotel is on the south end of Shanghai's famed Bund.

Rooms with views

Nothing motivates you to get down to business like waking up to amazing views of the Shanghai skyline from a centrally located hotel.

On a sunny, smog-free day the best Shanghai views can be found at the Park Hyatt.

The 174-room hotel occupies the 79th to 93rd floors of the 492-meter-tall Shanghai World Financial Center -- the tallest functioning building in Shanghai.

Rooms look down on the awe-inspiring high-rise matrix of Pudong.

Over on the Bund, Waldorf Astoria Shanghai and The Peninsula Shanghai are top choices for straight-on views toward the skyscrapers of Lujiazui.

If you'd rather enjoy views of both sides of the curved Huangpu River, you'll want to check into the Hyatt on the Bund on the north end, or Indigo Hotel on the south end.

The latter also provides views of Shanghai Old Town.

Park Hyatt Shanghai , 100 Shiji Dadao, near Dongtai Lu; +86 21 6888 1234; from RMB 1,800 ($293)

Waldorf Astoria Shanghai , 2 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu; 86 21 6322 9988; from RMB 2,500

The Peninsula Shanghai , 32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Beijing Dong Lu; +86 21 2327 2888; from RMB 2,700

Hyatt on the Bund , 199 Huangpu Lu, near Wuchang Lu; + 86 21 6393 1234; from RMB1,120

Hotel Indigo Shanghai On The Bund , No.585 Zhong Shan Dong Er Road; +86 21 3302 9999; from RMB 1,209

Memorable meals

When it comes to dinner, Maison de L'hui on Julu Lu is the place to impress the pickiest of clients.

This authentic Chinese restaurant is located in a revamped mansion that once belonged to 1930s mafia kingpin Du Yuesheng.

It serves local classics such as Shanghai-style deep-fried fish (no batter, it's marinated in dark soy sauce) and soup noodles topped with yellow croakers (fish).

Elsewhere, tree-lined Jinxian Lu is a relaxing little street known for its authentic home kitchens, such as Lan Xin and Hai Jin Zi.

In these no-frills restaurants, chatty Shanghainese women greet you in a cramped dining room as their husbands cook up some of Shanghai's best braised pork belly, stir-fried shrimps and tofu soup.

Qibao Water Town on the outskirts of Shanghai has a brilliant food street that offers unforgettable xiaolongbao, pig trotters and Shanghai-style glutinous dumplings.

Maison de L'hui, 168 Julu Lu, near Ruijin Yi Lu; +86 400 820 2028

Lan Xin, 130 Jinxian Lu, near Maoming Nan Lu; +86 21 6253 3554

Hai Jin Zi, 240 Jinxian Lu, near Shaanxi Nan Lu; +86 21 6255 0371

MORE: Best Shanghai food walk: Qibao Old Street

No time for a tailor? Shanghai Tang has off-the-rack fashions.

Unique clothes

The best shopping trophy for traveling fashionistas is a tailor-made Shanghai qipao.

Originally an ethnic dress of Manchu people, the qipao was immortalized by the flirty Shanghai calendar girls of the 1930s, and then by year 2000 film "In the Mood for Love" starring Maggie Cheung.

The best qipao tailors in Shanghai gather in two locations: Changle Lu (between Shaanxi Nan Lu and Ruijin Yi Lu) and Maoming Nan Lu (between Huaihai Zhong Lu and Fuxing Zong Lu).

Among them, Han Yi on Changle Lu is said to have supplied qipao for Maggie Cheung for her role in "In the Mood for Love."

A typical tailor-made qipao costs RMB 2,000 ($325) and up and takes around two weeks to make.

In a rush? Shanghai Tang, which has several outlets in Shanghai, sells stylish off-the-rack pieces, including Mandarin collar jackets and shirts for men.

Han Yi, 217-221 Changle Lu, near South Shaanxi Lu; +86 21 5404 2303; open daily 9:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Best photo ops

Free day to explore?

Zhongshan Park in the west side of the city is a great place to document Shanghai's morning exercise culture -- serious-looking retirees practicing fan dancing, Mulan boxing and gentle martial arts.

Afterward, for an Instagram shot that'll make all your followers hungry, De Xin Guan on Guangdong Lu is great for lunch. This popular local restaurant is known for noodles and incredible xiaolongbao (pleated pork dumplings).

The afternoon can be spent capturing the disappearing side of Shanghai in the Old Town, where residents enjoy a traditional alleyway lifestyle.

When the sun sets, Shanghai is at its most glamorous.

There are two perfect locations to photograph the neon-lit skylines.

In Puxi, we recommend the rooftop terrace of Bar Rouge in Bund 18.

In Pudong, the rooftop bar at The Ritz-Carlton offers an unforgettable view towards the vast Puxi area.

De Xin Guan, 471 Guangdong Lu, near Fujian Zhong Lu; +86 21 6352 2535

Bar Rouge , 7/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu; +86 21 6339 1199

Flair at The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai , Pudong, Shanghai IFC, 8 Shiji Dadao; +86 21 2020 1888

MORE: Best xiaolongbao restaurants in Shanghai

Places to experience the heart of the city

The former French Concession is the most pleasant and walkable area of Shanghai.

An ideal starting point for a 30-minute walking tour is the statue of Russian author Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, located at the meeting point of Taojiang Lu, Yueyang Lu and Fenyang Lu.

This is the heart of the former concession and a fine place to get lost in the neighborhood. All its streets are charming and fun to explore.

The streets between People's Square and the Bund make up another intriguing area -- the oldest part of Shanghai developed by the British colonists.

You can use Fuzhou Lu as an axis and explore the surrounding small streets, slowly making your way eastbound toward the Bund.

These backstreets paint a good portrait of Shanghai's economic transition, with modern office buildings and high-end art galleries standing next to wet markets, tiny local food stalls and residential alleyways.

The neighborhood also contains one of the few Muslim quarters in Shanghai, located between Guangxi Bei Lu and Zhejiang Zhong Lu.

That Mao statue would look good in your home, no?

Easy-to-pack souvenirs

Shanghai's top knickknack emporium is the Fuyou Wholesale Market in the Old Town.

Local residents and businessmen come here for gifts or decor at two-thirds of the regular retail price.

Many objects are souvenir candidates, such as colorful chopsticks, purses and cushion covers made with brocade, or bottle openers shaped like Peking Opera masks.

You can also hit the Dongtai Lu Antique market for mass-produced Mao pins and Little Red Books.

Few objects in this market are really antique, but they still make cool souvenirs.

Remember to bargain -- half the asking price is a good strategy.

Tianzifang on Taikang Lu is another good source of souvenirs.

Apart from the many boutiques filled with wacky T-shirts, communist-style postman bags and mugs, this amazing alleyway shopping complex has adorable tea shops selling carefully packed Chinese loose-leaf tea, handcrafted jewelry and artistic postcards.

Fuyou Wholesale Market, 427 Fuyou Lu, near Henan Nan Lu

Dongtai Lu Antique market, Liuhekou Road, Lu Wan Qu

MORE: Master shopper: The best of Taikang Lu's Tianzifang

U.S. strikes al Qaeda cell in Syria

• Strikes target what's known as the Khorasan Group, officials say


• It is too early to have an assessment of the results


• Khorasan is a group of hard-core al Qaeda operatives

Washington (CNN) -- U.S. aircraft have concluded a third round of strikes against an al Qaeda cell inside Syria, two U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the just-completed mission told CNN on Thursday.

The officials said it was a small number of strikes and that the targets included at least one top operative of what's known as the Khorasan Group. The sources would not say who was targeted. They said it is too early to have an assessment of the strikes' results.

Khorasan is a group of hard-core al Qaeda operatives, many of whom moved to Syria from Pakistan in the last few years.

Tunnels help ISIS avoid airstrikes?

The U.S. government has expressed concern about the group's ability to make bombs that can get past security screening in airports and elsewhere. It targeted the Khorasan Group with a series of strikes in Syria in September.

Those attacks came amid intelligence that suggested the group was plotting against a target in the U.S. homeland, as well as other Western targets, a senior U.S. official told CNN at the time.

The group has "suffered" setbacks as a result of the strikes, which have killed a number of fighters and forced it to spread out, one law enforcement official who has seen the intelligence assessments said Thursday.

Another U.S. official said "some have been killed. They're being hunted down and they have to think about what they do and that's disruptive."

At the same time, some of the Khorasan leadership is still believed to be alive and the group continues to pose a threat, according to the officials, who say some are still in Syria, actively plotting against the United States.

CNN's Dana Ford and Pamela Brown contributed to this report.

A G20 guide to Brisbane

Not many cities have a beach within steps of the central business district. In Brisbane, lucky locals can take lunch breaks with sand between their toes.

A South Bank icon, Streets Beach is a man-made lagoon surrounded by sandy beaches and palms.

The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre will host the 2014 G20 Leaders' Summit.

No just a great home for artwork, the Gallery of Modern Art restaurant is one of the best lunch venues within South Bank.

Located on Australia's eastern shores, Brisbane is a gateway to the region's Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

Moo Moo at Stamford Plaza is known for a selection of well-cut steaks that won't singe your credit card.

The City Botanic Gardens link government buildings and a Queensland University of Technology campus with the city proper. Getting around on foot or bicycle is easy.

Part of the Queensland Cultural Centre, Queensland Art Gallery features a collection of Australian and international art.

Queensland Museum is home to millions of objects that tell the story of the Australian state.

With stunning views of Brisbane, the Sky Room and Terrace at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre is one of the most sought after event venues in the city.

At the northern entrance of South Bank Parklands, the Wheel of Brisbane stands 60 meters tall. Each of the 42 air-conditioned capsules seats up to six adults and two children for a 12-minute ride.

Brisbane's CityCycle rental bikes allow visitors to rent a set of wheels from 150 stations across town.

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• Brisbane, Australia, is one of the world's most livable cities, according to Monocle


• Unique among Australia's major cities, sunny Brisbane has a beach near its central business district


• South Bank is an area for culture and international eateries


• In the central business district there's no shortage of high-end diners

(CNN) -- Interested in a lunch-hour swim, free from the office, in a big open-air pool with warm sand between your toes, palm trees swaying in the breeze and a cool drink close at hand?

If the answer's yes, consider Brisbane, Australia, one of the world's most livable cities, according to a 2014 Monocle Magazine index.

Unique among Australia's major cities, sunny Brisbane has a beach right on the doorstep of its central business district.

Its setting is South Bank, the lively entertainment and cultural precinct that -- as the name implies -- sits on the south bank of the Brisbane River.

This is where the city comes for recreation and entertainment, to eat and drink at casual riverside restaurants and bars, listen to impromptu music shows, ride a giant Ferris wheel, check out street artists and nighttime light shows, take in a formal concert at the performing arts center and visit art galleries and the state museum and library.

G20 weekend

Apart from being the favorite of city workers, students and families, South Bank is also the main venue for the biggest event Brisbane has hosted in years: the G20 Leaders' Summit gathering of global political and business leaders in mid-November that will see 4,000 delegates and 3,000 journalists pour into the city.

Along with U.S. President Barack Obama, world leaders including China's Xi Jinping, India's Narendra Modi, Japan's Shinzo Abe, Indonesia's Joko Widodo, UK's David Cameron, Germany's Angela Merkel and Russia's Vladimir Putin are scheduled to join Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbott on stage at South Bank's Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre for the G20 Leaders' Summit on November 15-16.

"For those few days in November, Brisbane will be the capital of the world," Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk tells CNN.

South Bank

South Bank: Where G20 leaders can unbutton their collars.

All those politicians, business people and journalists have got to eat, drink and get happy at the end of their deliberations.

In Brisbane they'll find plenty of places.

Within South Bank itself, the Gallery of Modern Art Restaurant (Stanley Place, Cultural Precinct, South Bank; +61 7 3840 7303) is normally one of the best lunch venues. Along with other institutions in the cultural precinct, the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art will be closed on November 14, 15 and 16 during the G20 Leaders' Summit.

For dinner it's hard to beat Stokehouse Brisbane (on the river at South Bank on Sidon Street; +61 7 3020 0600), near the maritime museum at the other end of South Bank.

Next door to the convention center on Grey Street is one of the city's liveliest new beer outlets, The Charming Squire (133 Grey St., South Brisbane; +61 7 3077 7254).

Two other great spots in South Bank are The Sangria Bar (Shop B12 Little Stanley Street, South Bank, Brisbane; +61 7 3846 1201), rated this year's "Best Bar with Food" by the Brisbane Times Good Food Guide, and Bacchus (corner of Grey and Glenelg Streets, South Bank; +61 7 3364 0837), rated the restaurant with this year's best wine list.

Central Business District

Across the river in the CBD, there's no shortage of high-end diners, led by chef Ryan Squire's brilliant Esquire (145 Eagle St,, Brisbane; +61 07 3220 2123).

The Sky Room and Terrace at Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre is one of the most sought after event venues in the city.

According to the restaurant, "the degustation menu evolves daily, driven by the availability of the best local produce that day and hand picked by the team of skilled craftsmen, the chefs, who work swiftly in the kitchen."

Other can't-miss choices include the highly creative Alejandro Cancino's Urbane (181 Mary St., Brisbane; +61 07 3229 2271) and the classy Aria Brisbane (1 Eagle St., Brisbane; +61 7 3233 2555), the northern edition of celebrity chef Matt Moran's original Aria in Sydney.

Power brokers on a modest budget find Moo Moo (Stamford Plaza, 39 Edward St., Brisbane; +61 7 3236 4500), near where President Obama and his team are expected to stay, delivers the goods.

One of the city's best-loved seafood restaurants is Gambaro's (33 Caxton St., Petrie Terrace, Brisbane; +61 7 3369 9500). The restaurant site has been completely rebuilt and now includes a Gambaro's Hotel.

Across the road, the family that owns Gambaro's has added steak to its repertoire, with the smart new Black Hide Steakhouse (36 Caxton St., Petrie Terrace, Brisbane; +61 7 3369 9500) winning accolades for the quality of its cuts.

West End and Fortitude Valley

Beyond South Bank and the CBD, some of the city's best cafes, bars and clubs are found in West End and Fortitude Valley, locales that come alive at night.

Gordita Bar & Restaurant (11b/100 McLachlan St., Fortitude Valley, Brisbane; +61 7 3666 0605) is a Valley favorite serving "wholesome Southern Spanish food along with a wine list so fat with artisanal wines from around the world you can practically feel it groaning in your hands."

For Asian noodles of any description, Kwan Brothers (43 Alfred St., Fortitude Valley, Brisbane; +61 7 3251 6588) is the obvious choice.

Craft beers are the call at Yard Bird Ale House (6/24 Martin St., Fortitude Valley, Brisbane; +61 7 3852 6413) and Archive Beer Boutique (100 Boundary St., West End, Brisbane; +61 7 3844 3419).

Away from the city

When it's time for sun, a city-side alternative to South Bank is the City Botanic Gardens, which link government buildings and a Queensland University of Technology campus with the city proper.

Outside the city, nature awaits.

Getting around on foot or bicycle is easy.

Buses operate from a couple of key points in the city, including below the Queen Street Mall, from the Brisbane Transit Centre on Roma Street and from South Bank's bus center.

Depending on where you're headed, the ferries plying across and along the Brisbane River make for a pleasant journey.

Brisbane is the gateway to two well-known tourist destinations: the glitzy Gold Coast an hour to the south, with its multiple theme parks, canals, long stretches of beach, high-rise apartments, casinos and shopping malls; and the Sunshine Coast an hour to the north, a more casual and less developed array of canals and beaches, with chic Noosa at its northernmost tip regarded as the best place to stay.

Two secret natural jewels can be found east of Brisbane, among the islands of Moreton Bay that shield the river mouth from the big swells of the Pacific Ocean.

One is Tangalooma on Moreton Island, a 75-minute ferry ride from Brisbane's Holt Street Wharf at Pinkenba, the other is Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island, about 60 minutes from the Brisbane suburb of Cleveland by water taxi or vehicular ferry, then island bus.

Tangalooma offers whale watching from June until late November and the chance to feed dolphins in the wild.

Point Lookout not only is one of the best whale-watching spots on the Australian east coast, it's home to a magic surf break that just keeps on delivering wave after wave.

Terror charge for alleged cop killer

• Frein claimed he shot two state troopers in bid change government, documents say


• Frein wanted to "wake up people, because it was all he could do," the documents say

(CNN) -- Suspected cop killer Eric Frein, who led police on a weeks-long manhunt in eastern Pennsylvania, was slapped with terrorism-related charges Thursday for allegedly admitting after his arrest that he shot two state troopers in a bid to change the government and "wake people up," according to court documents.

The 31-year-old survivalist and military buff was captured last month at an abandoned Pennsylvania airport and charged with the ambush shooting that left Cpl. Bryon Dickson dead and Trooper Alex T. Douglass wounded.

After his arrest, Frein allegedly told investigators that he "wanted to make a change (in government) and that voting was insufficient to do so, because there was no one worth voting for," according to affidavit filed in Pike County in support of the new charges.

Frein told an investigator that he "assassinated" one trooper and wounded another in an attempt to bring about that change in government and to "wake up people, because it was all he could do," the documents said.

In addition, investigators recovered a letter from Frein to his parents on a thumb drive in which he writes of revolution and complains that the United States "is far from what it was and what it should be"

"I have seen so many depressing changes made in my time that I cannot imagine what it must be like for you," Frein wrote in the letter. "There is so much wrong and on so many levels only passing through the crucible of another revolution can get us back the liberties we once had. I do not pretend to know what that revolution will look like or even if it will be successful."

Asked about the new charges, Frein's lawyer, Michael Weinstein, said: "These are just allegations right now, these are not substantiated yet. Let's take a look at this evidence. We'll take this one step at a time. These type of cases take a long time and require careful scrutiny."

Frein also is charged with first-degree murder and other crimes for the September 12 ambush outside the state police barracks in Blooming Grove.

He's accused of killing Dickson and wounding Douglass before melting into the thick Pennsylvania woods.

Video kidnapping suspect indicted

• Delvin Barnes indicted in the kidnapping of a nurse in Philadelphia


• He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted


• Barnes is also charged in alleged abduction of 16-year-old girl in Virginia last month


• He later abducted a 22-year-old Philadelphia woman near her home, authorities say

(CNN) -- Delvin Barnes, who allegedly abducted a Philadelphia nurse and held her for three days, was indicted Thursday on kidnapping charges, according to the Philadelphia U.S. Attorney's office.

Carlesha Freeland-Gaither's abduction on November 2 was captured on a surveillance video in Philadelphia and sparked a manhunt involving the FBI, Philadelphia police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshal's Service.

Freeland-Gaither, 22, was found in Jessup, Maryland on November 5. Barnes, 37, was arrested that same day after police tracked him down using his car's GPS device.

Abduction suspect's criminal history

If convicted, Barnes faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

FBI: Missing Philly woman found alive

A month before Barnes allegedly abducted Freeland-Gaither in Philadelphia, he hit a teen with a shovel in Virginia and stuffed her into the trunk of a car, authorities said.

Abducted Philadelphia woman found alive

Before he appeared in court for the alleged Philadelphia abduction, he was booked and processed in Virginia in connection with the other alleged kidnapping.

Philadelphia abduction caught on video

Carlesha Freeland-Gaither, 22, was abducted after she got off a bus in Philadelphia. She was found in Maryland.

Authorities say an auto dealer identified Delvin Barnes from surveillance videos and had put a GPS device in Barnes' car.

Maryland extradited him to Virginia, where he was booked and processed Thursday night.

Freeland-Gaither was abducted after she got off a bus in Philadelphia's Germantown-Penn Knox area.

As she walked the few blocks to her home, the suspect's car passed her and quickly parked. A man then got out and met Freeland-Gaither at an intersection, Philadelphia police Chief Inspector Dennis Wilson said.

Then her abductor pounced.

Surveillance video showed Freeland-Gaither forcibly led away to a car after a brief tussle on the ground.

During the struggle, her glasses and cell phone fell to the road. She kept fighting -- even breaking a passenger side window -- but the car sped away.

Barnes admitted to the abduction, according to a criminal complaint.

The alleged abductor left behind a string of clues.

A day after the kidnapping, the suspect allegedly used her ATM card at a machine in Aberdeen, Maryland. The same day, he allegedly used her card to make a purchase at a convenience store. Police released surveillance video of both transactions.

A car dealer identified Barnes from the videos and alerted authorities that he had placed a GPS device in the suspect's car because of concerns about his bad credit, authorities said.

The GPS device in the suspect's car is used to alert customers when they're behind on payments and also allows dealers to track down the vehicle and stop it, said PassTime USA CEO Stan Schwartz, the head of the company that made the unit.

Barnes, who made his initial court appearance in Philadelphia on Wednesday, will be tried there before being turned over to authorities in Virginia.

The 16-year-old victim in the Virginia case was sexually abused and doused with bleach and gasoline before she managed to get away, police said.

In Virginia, Barnes is charged with abduction, forcible rape and malicious wounding with a chemical, among other charges.

CNN's Faith Karimi and Greg Botelho