Tasmania | GlobalSalsa: travel writer Belinda Jackson

Dec

Hide away in the Maldives, Kimberley or Falkands: travel deals 2 December 2012

Hideaway tourism is so hot right now: Western Australia’s Kimberley, an island resort in the Maldives (pictured left), not to be confused with those other remote islands, Islas Malvinas, aka the South Atlantic’s Falkland Islands. There’s deals to be had in all corners of the world. Read on…

TASMANIA

Queueing is sooo boring – stay at Mantra One Sandy Bay
and they’ll hand over two tickets, worth $40, to the Museum
of Old and New Art (MONA) Theatre of the World exhibition in
their ‘Ultimate Hobart Package’. The hotel is a short walk from the ferry that
takes you up the Derwent River to MONA, or is a less romantic 15 minutes’
drive. Costs from $209 a night in a one-bedroom apartment until December
25. 131 517, mantra.com.au.

NSW

The city is hotting up for Christmas, and the Sydney
Hilton, on George St, is well placed to soak up the festive vibe. The hotels’Any
weekend Anywhere’ deal saves 25 per cent off its room only an dB&B rates on
stays from November 26, 2012 until December 31, 2013. Bookings are open unitl
February 14, 2013, and you must book at least seven days before you stay. Costs
from $209 a night. (02) 9266 2051, hiltonsydney.com.au.

Hello, Darwin.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

For a taste of real summer and different harbour views,
head north to the tropical heat of Darwin and sink a sundowner as the sun sets
over the water. Crowne Plaza Darwin’s Recharge package knocks 20 per cent off
the room rate and throws in a free breakfast buffet on stays until February 28,
2013. Minimum three nights’ stay. Costs from $354 for three nights, 138 388, crowneplaza.com/recharge.

VICTORIA

The
Yarra Valley is a vista of rolling hills and vineyards, with the 4.5-star Mercure
Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort & Spa in its centre. The hotel has just
opened its new Experience Pool, set at a toasty 28 degrees, which provides therapeutic
treatments and exercises that tie in with its onsite spa. Stay midweek (Mon –
Thurs) in a one bedroom spa suite and they’ll include breakfast and a couple of
champagne cocktails – perhaps simultaneously? – on stays from December 16 to
February 28, 2013. Costs from $305 a night (03) 9730 0700, balgownieestate.com.au.

QUEENSLAND

Forget rumours that Queensland is the most expensive
place to holiday in Australia@: take the family for a Gold Coast break for less
than a grand. Book a BYOKids family package for two adults and two kids staying
seven nights in a two-bedroom apartment in Turtle Beach Resort, and get a round
of putt-putt golf, paddle pop vouchers and welcome drinks, as well as a family pass to “Ripley’s
Believe it or Not,” worth nearly $50. Book by December 16 for stays from
now until December 21, and from January 27 – March 27, 2013. Costs $995 for 2
adults, 2 kids or $1170 for 2 adults, 3 kids. 1300 296 543, byokids.com.au.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The only way to arrive at Australia’s newest eco lodge is
by float plane. The Berkeley River Lodge sits on Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, on the Kimberley coast, one of Australia’s
great wildernesses an hour’s flight from the nearest town. Couples save $2100
and solo travellers save $1100 on this four-night package that includes
float plane transfers from Kununurra, guided treks, river cruises and fishing
adventures. Stay February 1 – March 31, 2013, costs from $5976 a couple, $4488
for solo, four nights. 1300 851 800, abercrombiekent.com.au.

ITALY

When in Rome… drive a Fiat 500. Actually, this new tour
starts in Florence, and sees you driving in a convoy of the classic tiny Fiat
500 cars along quiet private roads to a 15th-century Renaissance villa for a
Tuscan picnic, swim and wine tasting. The five-hour tour normally costs $190 a
person. Book and pay by December 31 for tours between February and October
2013, and save 25 per cent. Costs from $145 a person, twin share. (03) 5722
1245, holidaystoeurope.com.au/specials.

WALES

Visit medieval towns and learn to say their names,
especially when their names are Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
Lucky you’ve got five days to do so, on a five-day Welsh Explorer. Other Welsh
classics on the tour include the wilds of Snowdonia, Conwy castle and a coal
mine. Save up to 15 per cent on bookings before December 21, quote code
‘earlybird’. Costs from $349 a person. 1300 287 226, haggisadventures.com.

The Alhambra, Granada, Spain.

SPAIN

Ronda’s beautiful bullring, Real
Palace, the Alhambra – does Spanish sightseeing get any better? Yes, when you
add wine and tapas tasting, and sangria and flamenco in Seville. The eight-day
small-group Spanish Inspiration tour starts in Madrid and travels south to
Malaga. Save $812 on bookings made by December 15. Costs from $3468 a person,
twin share. 1300 100 410, backroadstouring.com.au.

CHINA

Any holiday can be improved with the inclusion of a Rolls-Royce transfer or lavish afternoon tea, and Shanghai is no exception. Book a two-night Winter Moments stay at the Peninsula Shanghai and get up to US$150 credit to spend in the hotel’s restaurants, spas or services, as well as an upgrade to the next room category, daily American breakfast, free local calls and wi-fi. Stay by March 15, 2013, costs from $714 for two nights. 1800 116 888, peninsula.com/wintermoments.

MALDIVES

The Maldives are the last word in luxury, and the
44-bungalow island resort of Huvafen Fushi per Aquum one of its jewels, with
the world’s first underwater spa. The property has just reopened following a
refurb and is offering guests free speedboat transfers, free half board and a
stay five, pay four deal in its beach bungalows, complete with plunge pool,
until December 23. Usually from US$6050, costs from US$3800 for five nights. eliteresortsofasiapacific.com.

TOURWATCH

Marathon obsessives, take note, the world’s most
southerly marathon, on the far-flung Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic,
will take place on March 17, 2013. The remote archipelago comprises more than 700
islands off the eastern coast of Argentina, and its brief summer sees average
temperatures of just 15 degrees, though there’s plenty of sunshine. The
Falklands hosts an extreme marathon route that sees less than 50 runners
complete the race each year. An eight-day tour departs Punta Arenas in southern
Chile and visits a penguin colony in Chile, and the Falklands islands of Sea
Lion, Darwin and Carcass, for a chance to
mingle with the locals – human and animal, including reindeer, orca pods
and sea lions. The itinerary includes time for pre-race preparation and costs
from $4195 a person including internal
flights. +1 406 541 2677, adventure-life.com.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Dec

Animal antics in Africa and Adelaide: travel deals 25 November 2012

Discover the Way of the Panda in Adelaide, go gorilla-tastic in Africa, or hitch a ride on a camel in Broome in this week’s best international and domestic travel deals.

TASMANIA

Stepping into summer, it’s shaping up as peak walking
time for Tasmania’s hills and mountains. Yes, you can camp, but it’s so much
nicer to fall into a hot tub after a day trekking the highlands. Cradle
Mountain Chateau is knocking its rates almost in half until December 20, quote
booking code ‘PT004’. Normally from $105 a person, costs from $65 a person. 1800
420 155 www.puretasmania.com.au

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL
TERRITORY

Canberra celebrates its centenary in 2013, with a
year-long calendar of events, with indigenous cultural explorations, art
exhibitions and sporting face-offs, canberra100.com.au. Stay at the 4½-star Pavilion on
Northbourne in a deluxe room with the
big buffet brekky, and save up to $286 a night. Valid for stays until February
2013, quote ‘Canberra Sale Special’. Costs from $140 a night. 1300 88 7979, wotif.com/hotelW6953.

WESTERN
AUSTRALIA

Where else can you ride a camel along the beach but
in Broome? Soak up that golden WA sun on Cable Beach and save up to 30 per cent
off your room at the 4.5-star Oaks Cable Beach Sanctuary, curled around a
lagoon-style swimming pool. Book by November 30 for travel until April 30,
2013. Costs from $139 a night for two in a studio room or stay five and save 40
per cent, from $595 for five nights. 1300 888 180, zuji.com.au.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Let Wang Wang and Funi show you ‘The Way of the Panda.’
Adelaide Zoo’s two pandas are one of the city’s great drawcards for kids and
adults, set in eight hectares of botanic gardens. The zoo is a pleasant walk
(ok, five minutes in a cab) to BreakFree Adelaide, in Hindley St, which is offering
the fourth night free for families who stay three nights in a two-bed apartment
until March 27, 2013. On top of that, stay before January 18, 2013, get a
two-for-one Gray Line Barossa Valley tour. Costs from $615 for three nights. 132 007, breakfree.com.au.

VICTORIA

The few weeks before Christmas is when bargain hunters
slip in a sneaky getaway: take San Remo,
for example. Just over an hour south of Melbourne, the sleepy town is
the gateway for Phillip Island, and the place for fish and chips on empty,
windswept beaches, visiting tiny cellar doors and shopping the weekend produce
markets. Stay two nights, get 10 per cent off, or stay three or more and get 20
per cent off at Silverwater Resort on stays until December 20 quote code
‘Santa12’. Costs from $278 a room, for two nights. 1800 033 403,
silverwaterresort.com.au

TRANS-AUSTRALIA

It’s time to break out the iconic Aussie songs,
Gangagang’s ‘Sounds of Then (This is
Australia)’ and
of course Icehouse’s ‘Great Southern Land’ – you come over all patriotic when
you’re crossing our country’s Red Centre.
Save up to $611pp on The Ghan, travelling from Adelaide
to Darwin or vice versa. Book before December 24 for travel until March 31,
2013. Was $2116, costs from $1505 a person, Gold Service, and was $3210, now
$2259 a person, Platinum Service. 13 21 47, greatsouthernrail.com.au.

The Dipan Resort Villa & Spa, Seminyak, Bali

BALI

Seminyak is
Bali’s hip and beating heart, with the best boutiques, bars, spas and
restaurants on the island. Stay in The Dipan Resort Villa and Spa, a
22-suite hotel in the pinnacle of Seminyak hip, Petitenget, for half the price,
but still get breakfast, wi-fi and a welcome massage. Stay four night and get a
dinner in the resort restaurant as well. Book now for travel until July 3,
2013. Costs from $130 a night in a hotel room, or $241 a night in a one-bedroom
villa. 1300 85 95 65, cantikbalivillas.com.

Flamingoes on Lake Nakuru, Kenya.

KENYA

Kids travel free
when they’re with two adults on an eight-day Kenya Highlights package. Each
couple can have one child under 12, who stays in the same accommodation and the
deal includes all meals and sightseeing. Highlights include meeting the Maasai
and the masses of flamingos on Lake Nakuru. Costs from $1895 a person, twin share.
1300 195 873, benchinternational.com.au.

CHILE & ARGENTINA

With a BMW F650 GS between your legs and the panorama of
snow-capped volcanos before you, is there any more beautiful place in the world
than the Andes? This nine-day tour by road bike starts and ends in Santiago and
covers 2100km, travelling south into Patagonia, where you cross the Andes to
Argentina and beautiful Bariloche. Compass Expeditions is offering US$800 off
for the rider and $400 for co-riders. Tour departs 28 December, 2012. Includes
bike hire, fuel and 10 nights’ accommodation. Costs from $3490, $2190 for
pillion. 1300 887 327, compassexpeditions.com.

AFRICA

Spend 20 days visiting the gorillas of Africa in some of
the continent’s most spectacular scenery, including Masai Mara, Victoria Falls
and Tanzania’s Lake Manyara and the Serengeti. There’s mountain gorilla
trekking in Rwanda, game drives, a boma dining experience beneath the
stars. Travel Associates is offering one free return economy flight with South
African Airways when two people book together. Book by December 31 for travel
on May 31, 2013, includes all internal flights and up to eight game park
drives. Costs from $16595 a person, twin share. 1800 044 066, travel-associates.com.au

TOURWATCH: SWEDEN

The low Swedish coastline was surely designed for
kayaking, and the new West Coast Sweden: Bohuslän Archipelago journey with
Southern Sea Ventures is a girl’s or boy’s own adventure writ large. The
itinerary includes beach camping and stays in snug lodges, paddling through
thousands of granite islands while observed by seals and seagulls. You’ll be
led by Swedish seakayaker Ulrika Larsson, who started her paddling career in
the Stockholm archipelago and has paddled the Swedish coastline solo. The
10-day trip includes eight days’ kayaking, and has a moderate grading, so some
paddling experience is necessary, and it helps if you’ve seen the inside of a
tent before. Departs August 25, 2013 from Gothenburg, in southern Sweden, and
includes all kayaking equipment. Costs from $2250 a person. (02) 8901 3287, southernseaventures.com.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Nov

You can can can in Canberra: travel deals 18 November 2012

The Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition opens
14 December, Canberra

You can can can in Canberra, oh yes you can. You can also go ethical in Melbourne’s Fed Square or go camel, houseboat or rickshaw riding in India, in this week’s international and Australian travel deals.

VICTORIA

Love it or hate it, Melbourne’s Federation Square is the
city’s centre. Check out Australia’s largest fair-trade and ethical festival,
Fair@Square, from November 30-December 2, then discover the world beyond the Square with a
Laneways of Melbourne tour. You’ll find tiny galleries, boutiques and some of
the world’s best street art, and snack along the way. The tour includes
chocolate, lunch and a goodies bag. Normally $69 a person, costs from $49 a
person until December 31, 2013 (excluding public holidays). 0407380969, meltours.com.au

TASMANIA

Eat regional food, breathe pure air: where else but our
own Tassie? Upcoming attractions on the island include the makeover of the
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and MONA FOMA, the music and art festival
curated by Brian Ritchie (ex Violent Femmes) from January 16-20, 2013. The
4-star Mercure Hadleys Hobart hotel is in the centre of the city, a National
Trust-listed building that dates from 1834. Book until November 30 for stays
until March 31, 2013. Costs from $112 a night. 1300 888 180, zuji.com.au .

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Work your frou-frou when the Moulin Rouge comes to
Canberra, at the National Gallery of Australia’s Toulouse-Lautrec
exhibition, which opens 14 December. French artist Henri de
Toulouse-Lautrec painted the seamy side of fin
de siecle Paris – and we’re not talking just stocking seams here. Stay at
the Mantra on Northbourne from December 14 – January 31, 2013 and they’ll
include the breakfast buffet and two adult tickets to the exhibition. Costs
from $199 until January 31, 131 517, mantra.com.au.

NSW

Concert goers and NRL
fiends have a new pad to stay at when they attend events at Sydney’s Olympic
Park with the opening of the new 4.5-star Quest at Sydney Olympic Park, which
has 140 studios, one, two and three bedroom options. Each has a fully equipped
kitchen and laundry, there’s an on-site gym and local restaurants are happy to
charge back to the hotel. Normally from $349 a night for a studio apartment,
snap up an opening rate until November 30 from $219. 1300 334 033, questatsydneyolympicpark.com.au.

QUEENSLAND

The Sunshine Coast hinterland is a hotbed of galleries,
cafes and boutique food, best discovered from the town of Montville. Stay three
nights at the couples-only 4.5-star Falls Rainforest Spa cottage, pay for just
two. You’ll also get a bottle of sparkling wine and cheese on arrival, as well
as breakfast daily, on stays until March 25, 2013 (Monday-Thursday, excludes
Christmas). Costs from $279 a person, twin share, three nights. 1800 044 066, travel-associates.com.au.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Perth marks the start of a tour of southern WA, through
Margaret River down to Cape Leeuwin lighthouse, Albany and Esperance before
turning inland to pan for gold and oogle Kalgoorlie’s Golden Superpit. The 9-day
Southern Wonders tour includes lunch showcasing the best indigenous ingredients
at Palandri winery and takes time to stop and smell the wildflowers. Save up to
$150 a person when you book and pay for six months in advance. Costs from $3009
a person, 1300 228 546, aatkings.com.au.

MACAU

Currently enjoying a hotel boom, Macau is great for a
flutter, and is also ramping up its cultural gems and family entertainment. Stay
in a deluxe king room at the new Conrad Macao, in Cotai Central, and get either
a room upgrade to a deluxe suite or a complementary buffet breakfast – featuring Portuguese-inspired Macanese
cuisine – for each night of your stay. Costs from $236 a night. +853 8113 6055,
conradmacao.com.

FRANCE
The French Riviera hotspot of Cannes has been the star of the show, with
its film festival luring A-listers for decades. Fittingly, the InterContinental
Carlton Cannes hotels’ 39 suites are named after stars including Sean Connery,
Grace Kelly and Sharon Stone. The Belle Epoque hotel now turns 100 and the
hotel is having a party until March 31, 2013. Normally from $252, costs from $215
a night. 1800 007 697, ichotelsgroup.com.

FIJI

Sonaisali Island Resort, Fiji.

Schoolies alert! Sonaisali Island Resort is staging what
it describes as the ultimate schoolies week, with seven-night packages at half
price. The island has been chartered exclusively for schools for two weeks,
starting December 4 and December 11, and packages include return airfares,
transfers, all meals, activities, and nightly entertainment including DJs and
themed parties. There is extra security and an experienced crew who will meet
you at the airport, just 25 minutes away, and be on hand 24 hours a day. Save
$1000, costs from $999 a person. 1800 981 320, unleasedschoolies.com.au

THAILAND

The holistic heaven of Thailand is encapsulated in the
luxury health resort Chiva-Som, which is luring lovers of spa lusciousness with
bonus treatments between December 1-19. Stay five nights, receive seven spa
treatments, stay seven, get 10 treatments at the much-awarded resort, located
in Hua Hin, 185km south of Bangkok. Costs from $3400 a person, five nights.
1300 857 437, traveltheworld.com.au.

INDIA

Travel by camel in Shekhawati, by luxury houseboat on
Kerala’s backwaters, and by rickshaw in Jaipur on the 23-day Colours of
Mystical India tour. Journey through the southern states of Tamil Nadu and
Kerala, discovering the historic tradition maritime town of Kochi and the
French flavour of Pondicherry before heading north to Rajasthan, Delhi and
Agra. Book before March 31, 2013 and get free return flights to India with
Singapore Airlines. Costs from $12,995 a person, twin share. 1300 723 642,
scenictours.com.

TOURWATCH

Step into an unexplored world, just 500km north of
Australia, into West Timor. This new 14-day walking tour launches from Denpasar,
Bali, flying in to the West Timor capital, Kupang. Local guides will lead you
to old Dutch hill stations, markets and traditional farms, staying in local
hotels or thatch and bamboo homes in the villages, including, in one instance,
the royal family compound. The journey takes you from tropical beaches to
mountain villages, and local host Will Kadati helps with interactive
discussions with the West Timorese. Suitable for medium-level walkers, the trip
includes two days’ walking to the Biboki kingdom, discovering each region’s
unique textiles and crafts, cuisine and religions. Departs June 28, 2013. Costs
from $2865, per person, twin share, ex-Denpasar. 1300 783 188,
activetravel.com.au.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald newspaper

Nov

Peace in Bali, bustle on the Bund: travel deals 11 November 2012

Cinque Terre, Italy

Peace is found in Bali’s Tabanan district and in a Tuscan villa. Or find fabulousness on Shanghai’s Bund and Hobart’s Salamanca market in this week’s Australian and international travel deals.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Named one of the state’s top pubs by the AHA, the 4.5-star
Walkers Arms Hotel is spitting distance from the CBD, in happening Walkerville.
The hotel has a huge beer garden and there are gigs on Friday nights, DJs on
Saturdays and live acoustic music on Sundays. Save 20 per cent on stays until 28 February. Costs from $135 a night. 130
130 483, travel.com.au.

QUEENSLAND

Budget hotel aficionados know the Traders hotels: owned by the luxe Shangri-La gang, they’re aimed at 4-star corporates, with the benefits and panache from a glam big sister. Australia’s first Traders Hotel has opened on Brisbane’s Roma St, with prices starting from $289 weekdays and $159 weekends, always with free wi-fi. It’s celebrating the opening with a ‘Stay Connected’ package that includes one night’s accommodation in its recently, 34sqm renovated rooms, and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, all for the retail price of the tablet, $459. (07) 3238 2222, tradershotels.com

Sofitel Melbourne

VICTORIA

The acclaimed play ‘War Horse’, about a man and horse’s journey through World War I, makes its Australian debut at Melbourne’s State Theatre Art Centre in December. Well that’s a good excuse to head south. Usually, a night at the Sofitel on Collins costs from $260. The ‘stay and see’ package includes a five-star sleep for two and one ‘A’ Reserve ticket, worth $124, from December 23 – February 10, 2013. Costs from $269 a night. 1300 306 341, showbiz.com.au/warhorse.

NEW SOUTH WALES

It could well be the best deal in town: stay in one of
the Sheraton on the Park’s 48 suites, take home a Boucheron diamond. Between
November 17-25, and you’ll be on a treasure hunt for a diamond pendant and a
diamond bracelet hidden in the suites, but could be consoled with other surprises
including a splash from Moet, bath butler service, Polynesian spa treatments by
Thalgo or a sparkling midnight swim – it’s a surprise, people. Costs from $599,
includes access to the Sheraton Club, with pre-dinner drinks, canapés and
breakfast on Level 21. (02) 9286 6000, sheratonontheparksydney.com/sparkle.

The Tarkine, Tasmania

TASMANIA

Hobart’s been cosying up with San Fran, Amsterdam and
Beijing, all named in Lonely Planet’s top 10 cities to visit in 2013. The new
Unknown Wilderness itinerary from Inspiring Journeys travels from Launceston to
Hobart, visiting the mountains, lakes and rivers in between, not to mention
dishing up your fair share of wine and cheese. Departs from January 31 to April
28 with more dates pending: book six months in advance, save $190. Costs from
$3750 a person, twin share (excluding flights) 1800 467 747,
inspiringjourneys.com.au.

NORTH-WEST
AUSTRALIA

Play spot the croc along Australia’s remote north-western
coastline. This 22-day adventure travels in coach-style 4WDs from Darwin to
Perth, crossing the Kimberley until the Coral Coast. Includes cruises on the
Ord River and through Katherine Gorge at sunrise and four nights at Bell Gorge
and Bungle Wilderness Lodge. Save up to $575 a person when booking six months
in advance, until December 31, for travel May 1-September 30, 2013. Costs from
$10,920 a person, twin share. 1800 044 066, travel-associates.com.au.

Palais Amani, Fez, Morocco

MOROCCO

Your home in the open-air theatre that is Fez is a riad;
those perfumed, inward-facing homes beloved by Morocco’s old merchant class.
With only 14 rooms, the luxury riad,

Palais Amani, is set within the medina. Normally from
$169 a night, save 33 per cent on stays until January 31, 2013, excluding
December 20 – January 1, 2013. Includes a traditional Moroccan breakfast, and a
spa with hammam and rooftop showers for those hot summer nights. Costs from $125
a night, minimum three nights’ stay. 1300 896 627, mrandmrssmith.com.

CHINA

Shanghai’s promenade the Bund has another swanky
resident, the Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund. Its 130 rooms overlook the Bund
and the Huangpu River. Check out the three-floor spa and 150-minute hot stones
therapy, made more delicious by a 30 per cent discount. Until February 28, get
your second night free and half-price on all subsequent nights, breakfast and
free non-alcoholic minibar on stays in the riverside retreats. Costs from $460
a night. +86 21 2509 1188, banyantree.com.

INDONESIA

Alila Villas Soori, Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia

Bali’s Tabanan district is famed for its traditional
dancers and gong (gamelan) orchestras, and private viewings can be arranged by
Alila Villas Soori, a collection of villas set between beach and rice paddies.
Save 20 per cent off the internet rate when you book one of their newly
relaunched Mountain Pool villas, when booking seven days in advance for stays
until December 19. Costs from $490++. +62 361 894 6388, alilahotels.com/soori.

ITALY

From your base in the spa town of Salsomaggiore Terme,
you’ll explore Bologna, Milan, Cinque Terre and then Lake Maggiore in this
eight-day Hidden Treasures of Northern Italy tour. Book before December 27 to
get an early-bird fare of $1475 for return flights with Cathay Pacific to Rome,
and book four months in advance to save 2.5 per cent on the tour cost. Costs
from $1134 a person, twin share. 1300 230 234, cosmostours.com.au.

EUROPE

A Contiki tour through Europe is a rite of passage for
first-time travellers. Tick off all the biggies – Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Rome’s
Coliseum, Athens’ Acropolis, Amsterdam’s red light district – in one fell swoop
on the 33-day European Explorer. You’ll also get into the boat in Venice, shake
it in Mykonos and dream on the Isle of Capri. Book before December 27 for
travel from April to September 2013 and save up to $620. Costs from $5154 a
person, twin share. 1300 266 845, contiki.com.au.

TOURWATCH

Cycling, yoga, Italy: the recipe for perfection. Throw a
little hiking in, as well as a 17th-century country villa near Lucca, Tuscany, and
it’s music for the soul. This seven-night retreat sees you practising yoga each
day, with views of the villa’s olive groves and peaceful panoramas, and cycling
through quiet country lanes. Yes, there is eating. This is Italy, after all.
There’s one completely free day in the midst of the retreat for guests to do as
they please, and non-cycling friends and spouses are welcome. “It’s a retreat,
not a boot camp,” says organiser Virginia Slevin, and there are no
super-humans, the 14 guests require just a general level of fitness. Runs from
June 8-15, 2013 (yoga & cycling) and June 15-22, 2013 (yoga, cycling &
hiking). Costs $2450 a person, twin share with a shared bathroom, or $2855 with
a private bathroom. 0407 788 600, soulfitadventures.com.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Nov

Gangnam style and buffalo stations: travel deals 4 November 2012

Bamurru Plains, Northern Territory, Australia

Let’s talk Victoria’s (shopping) secrets, Gangnam Style in Seoul and, for a complete wildcard, buffalo stations in the Territory, in this week’s best Australian and international travel deals.

VICTORIA

Melbourne’s shopping scene goes into overdrive during the
Spring Racing Carnival, throughout November. Stay in the thick of it all, in a
studio deluxe suite at the new Fraser Place Melbourne aparthotel, near Carlton
Gardens. They’ll add in internet and continental breakfast for two on stays
before December 30, and the hotel is on the free city tramline, so you don’t
even have to buy public transport tickets. Costs from $160 a night. 1800 372
7377, frasershospitality.com

The main lodge at Pethers Rainforest Retreat, Qld

QUEENSLAND

Tambourine Mountain, an hour south of Brisbane, is lush
rainforest on the appropriately named Scenic Rim, best viewed from the Rainforest
Skywalk. The adults-only Pethers Rainforest Retreat is celebrating a decade in
the business with a midweek romantic getaway. Stay two nights in a luxury treehouse,
get a cheese platter and bottle of wine on arrival, daily continental breakfast
basket and late check-out. And romance at a discount is always sweeter: save
$250 on stays Sunday – Thursday until February 28, 2013, quote code
‘celebration’. Costs $450 for two people, for two nights. (07) 5545 4577, pethers.com.au.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Sydney is a playground for kids big and small. Stay in a superior room at the 4.5-star Grace Hotel, on the corner of King & York Sts, and they’ll include entry passes to either the Sydney SEA LIFE Aquarium, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo or Madame Tussauds. Normally $400 room only, until December 20, costs from $230 for two adults and one child. (02) 9272 6602, gracehotel.com.au.

TASMANIA

The quiet beauty of Corinna, Tasmania

The Tarkine Wilderness, in Tassie’s far north-west, encircles
the last traces of the ancient forests of Gondwana. Spend three nights in a
queen bed eco cottage in nearby Corinna and get all meals including a Tasmanian
cheese and wine platter and three-course dinners, a day cruise on the Pieman
River, guided and self- guided walks and kayaking on a Wilderness Discovery Eco
Experience Holiday. You’ll also get a coffee table book, ‘The Tarkine’ and you
get to take all your rubbish home with you, too! Save 30 per cent on stays
until April 31, 2013. Costs from $1355 a couple, (03) 6446 1170,
corinna.com.au.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Stay in a buffalo station in one of Australia’s great wild
places, the Mary River floodplains, west of Kakadu National Park. The
safari-style Bamurru Plains is named for the wild geese who nest here each
year, and taking a fly boat over the waters in the early morning is a
heart-lifting experience (and they even stop to make you coffee). Stay two
nights with a fully-inclusive deal that sets you up in a safari bungalow,
supplies all meals, open bar and daily guided activities including 4WD safaris.
The deal includes return flights from Darwin, saving $980 a couple, until November
30. Costs from $3720 a couple, two nights. 1300 790 561, wildbushluxury.com.

GERMANY

Train
across Germany this winter, with free stops at 13 historic towns and cities
where great events helped shape world history.
Save 20 per cent on German Rail passes when booked by November 30 for travel
November 15 – December 31, 2012. Passes also get you 10 per cent off at select
hostels and hotels in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Normally $264,
costs from $211 for a five-day second class pass. raileurope.com.au.

Gangnam style, Korea

KOREA

If
you’re completely clueless as to what Gangnam Style is, check in to the Novotel Seoul Ambassador, in the Gangnam
district. The deal includes accommodation and breakfast for two, a half-day local
tour, a 20 per cent discount at the nearby Art Performance Centre and shopping discount vouchers so you can
hit COEX, the largest underground shopping mall in Asia. They’ll also throw in
a great cup of coffee: don’t get it? Listen to the song. Costs from $260 a
night until January 31, 2013. (+82) 2/567 1101,
novotel.com/korea_gangnam.

NEW ZEALAND

Walkers and cyclist are sure to flock to Queenstown for
its latest attraction for the active, the new 100km-Queenstown Trail. Soften
the blow of all that hardship with three nights’ stay at the plush Hotel St
Moritz MGallery, with a three-for-two offer. Its picture windows, overlooking
Lake Wakatipu to The Remarkables mountain range, will keep you connected with
the great outdoors. Costs from $408 a room, three nights, including breakfast until
March 31, 2013. (+64) 3 442 4990, mgallery.com.

Sri Lanka

SRI LANKA

Visit old British hill stations, admire Dutch
architecture and savour the craziness of Colombo on this 13-day tour of Sri
Lanka. There’s also beach time to be had and spices to savour. Save 15 per cent
when booked by November 23 for departures until March 31, 2013, quote promo
code 1274. Normally $1640, costs $1394. 1300 854 444, geckosadventures.com.

SOUTH AFRICA

Spas and safaris – they’re a natural mix when you’re a
Travelling Diva. The tour includes private wine tastings, an insiders’ tour to secret boutiques and local designers in Cape
Town and three days on safari staying at Kwandwe
private game reserve. Book by November 16, get an additional night
in Cape Town and a personal tour of a diamond supplier (and tax free diamond
shopping!) Tour departs May 12-25, 2013. Costs from $6999 a person, twin share.
0408 721 569, travellingdivas.com.au.

TOURWATCH

You could be one of 100 million people watching the 2013
SuperBowl on TV, or you could live the dream and watch it live, in New Orleans’
Superdome, on February 3, 2013. Choose from the silver, gold or platinum
packages, each one getting you closer to the action on the Loge level, between
the 20 and 50-yard lines, which Mr Aristotle co-founder Paul Kent says is the
best viewpoint for some of the biggest action of the 2013 Super Bowl. “It’s a
case of first in, best dressed,” warns Kent. Costs from US3835 (silver), US6825
(gold) or US11,050 (platinum) a person. 0423 538 593, mraristotle.com.

SOURCE: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Oct

Lemme hear you go Woo! Travel deals 14 October 201

WooBar at the new W Hotel Singapore

Snap up the bargain of the century with six cases of wine when you bed down in St Kilda, or throw your hands in the air like you don’t care at the new WooBar Singapore’s new W hotel in this week’s travel deals.

VICTORIA

If you ever needed a good reason to stay in St Kilda (aside
from it having the town’s best band pub, great pizza cafes, awesome spas,
smokin’ beachside cafes), here’s another. Book a standard non-bayview room at
the Novotel Melbourne St Kilda until October 31, get six bottles of wine, worth
$200, absolutely free. The deal also includes free car parking and breakfast
for two. Costs from $179 a room, a
night, quote ‘wine and wind down’. (03) 9525 6191, novotelstkilda.com.au.

NSW

Revel
in all things Polynesian, without leaving the state. The Sebel Resort & Spa Hawkesbury Valley’s midweek Polynesian
inspired special includes overnight accommodation in a deluxe spa room,
breakfast for two, $50 to blow at the restaurant and two hours of Polynesian
spa fabulousness at its Villa Thalgo. Start with a body scrub, lagoon water
bath and a Mahana massage using sacred oils. Just an hour from the city in the
Hawkesbury Valley, the 4.5-star hotel has been recently renovated. Worth $499,
pay $289 a room, a night, Mondays to Fridays until December 28. 131 515, sebelhawkesburyvalley.com.au.

TASMANIA

If you’ve got the time, then Tassie’s got the deal, with a
five Strange+Wild nights which includes accommodation for two, priority access
tickets to the Museum of Old and New Art’s (MONA) Theatre of the World extravaganza,
car hire, a ferry ride up-river to MONA, a bottle of Moorilla Muse chardonnay,
maps and tourist guides. Save up to $796
a person until April 8, 2013. Costs from $915 a person, (03) 6277 9900,
mona.net.au/short-breaks.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Lovers of the tv series ‘McLeod’s Daughters’ will already
know Kingsford Homestead, a beautiful five-star historic home in the Barossa
Valley, just north of Adelaide. Accommodating just 14 guests in its suites and
cottages, stays at the homestead include three or five-course dinners and big,
hearty country breakfasts, as well as drinks and canapés at sunsets and
lashings of local wine. Costs from $1580 for two nights for two people. 1300
130 483, travel.com.au.

TOP END

Discover some of the most remote beauty spots in
Australia, spending 13 days exploring the Kimberley. The Kimberley Complete
tour starts and finishes in Broome, cruising Geiki Gorge, Emma Gorge at El
Questro and the beautiful Windjana Gorge, staying in wilderness lodges and
taking a helicopter flight over Mitchell Falls. Couples can save up to $1500 on
departures between April and October 2013 when they book by December 31, 2012. Costs
from $7145 a person, twin share. 1800 240 504, kimberleywilderness.com.au.

SINGAPORE

I’d like to show you a room shot, but hey,
this is the ELEVATOR. W Hotel, Singapore.

Singapore
now has its own W Hotel, set on Sentosa Island, the city-state’s super-chi-chi
beach getaway. So naturally, the hotel’s three room types are classed as Wonderful,
Spectacular and Fabulous, normally priced from SGD430++ ($343) room only. Get ahead of the pack and
snap up an Island Glamour Welcome opening package, which includes one night in
the Wonderful guestroom, breakfast for two and cocktails, until March 31, 2013.
Costs from SGD$388++ a room. 1800 325 2525, wsingaporesentosacove.com.

INDONESIA

A magnet for surfers, Uluwatu is at the southernmost tip of the island of Bali and its famous sea temple. Nearby, the family-friendly Uluwatu Surf Villas looks over the high cliffs, down to the surf beaches, prime location for daily sundowners. Normally $290 a night, all accommodation bookings on TravelMob are 20 per cent off until November 10. Costs from $232 a room a night. travelmob.com.

BALTICS

Get off the beaten track with a journey through the
former Eastern Bloc countries of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia,
finishing in the glamorous museum mecca of St Petersburg. Book and pay for the
11-day journey 12 months ahead and save 10 per cent. Book by December 27, 2012
and fly from $1754 a person with Emirates, with a free stopover in Dubai. Costs
from $2319 a person, twin share. 1300 230 234, globus.com.au.

SPAIN

It’s got Gaudi, Picasso, the Alhambra palace and then there’s tapas. Oh Spain, we love you. The 10-day cultural extravaganza, Treasures of Spain, starts in Barcelona, and visits Valencia, Granada, Cordoba and finishes in Seville. Includes accommodation, some meals, transport and tour guide. Book before October 31, save on seven departures between May 19 and October 13, 2013. Past Peregrine travellers also get additional discounts. Normally $5090, costs from $4581 a person, twin share. 1300 854 400, peregrineadventures.com.

USA

The Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles

Girls, get your
scarves and sunnies on and hit the road with the ultimate road trip, from LA to
Vegas. The package includes four nights’ accommodation at the Hyatt
Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles,
three nights in the Westin Las Vegas, return flights and eight days’ car hire.
There are also bonus tours including a tour of Hollywood, a helicopter flight
over Vegas, entry to Madam Tussards. Book by October 20, travel November 9-30,
February 1 – March 20, 2013. Costs from $2290 a person, twin share. 1300 000 872, myholidaycentre.com.au.

TOURWATCH

Many Vietnam
tours take you through the Cu Chi tunnels, the elaborate tunnels of the
VietCong, but this is a tour with a difference. The guides are author Jimmy
Thomson and Sandy MacGregor, a former ‘tunnel rat’ serving in the Vietnam War
who led the group that discovered the tunnels and the underground city of Cu
Chi. The tour also visits the Vietcong Caves in the Long Hai mountains and a
few days in the sin city of Vung Tau, a notorious town where troops went for
R&R. Oh, and there’s time for shopping, too. The Tunnel Rats tour departs
October 26, 2012. Costs from $1900 a
person, twin share, land only. (02) 8229 4764, sapperswar.com.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Sep

Judi’s India, wild things and skydiving: travel deals 16 September 2012

Judi Dench does India

Channel Judi Dench in India, throw yourself out of a plane in Torquay or take the kids to where the wild things are.

NSW

Sydney’s biggest hotel, the Four Points by Sheraton
Sydney, is celebrating a $20 million refurbishment with its new rooms
introductory package. The 682-room behemoth on Sussex St overlooks Darling
Harbour, so make sure your rooms have a water view for Friday night fireworks
followed by dinner down on the Cockle Bay strip. Save $365 a night, costs from
$235 a night on stays in its new premium rooms until December 27.Includes
accommodation for two, as well as free wi-fi and breakfast for two, worth $80.
(02) 9290 4000, fourpoints.com/sydney.

TASMANIA

Being the start of the Bay of Fires lodge walk and the Cradle Mountain huts walk are two reasons to visit Quamby Estate. Two more great reasons may be the ten sweetly restored guest rooms of the historic 1830s Launceston hotel, and the 50 per cent discount tag. And when you learn it’s the sister property to Sir Richard Branson’s Makepeace Island, in Queensland, you know you won’t be slumming it. Expect immaculate golf links, top Tassie produce on the table and world-class local wines in the glass. Normally from $190 for a standard room, costs from $95 a room until September 30. (03) 6392 2135, quambyestate.com.au.

Kids go wild and free on Kangaroo Island, South Aus

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Children go wild and free on Kangaroo Island during the
school holidays and October long weekend. Up to three kids between 3-14 years
travel free on the SeaLink ferry, saving up to $144 when travelling with two
paying adults and a vehicle, and the adults get a discount voucher booklet
thrown in, with savings at cellar doors, restaurants and attractions on the
island. Travel until December 14. Costs from $96 an adult return and $184 for a
car return. 131 301, sealink.com.au.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Save $1200 per couple when you book four nights at the
Kimberley’s newest resort, the Berkeley River Lodge. The only way there is by
float plane from Kununurra, and its eco-villas, fishing tours and river
cruises, included in the price, are worth the trip. For travel now until March
31 (the lodge closes for wet season October 16 –January 31, 2013). Costs $5976
a couple or $4488 for solo travellers (saving $1100) for four nights. 1300 851 800,
abercrombiekent.com.au.

VICTORIA

Skydiving above Torquay ,Victoria.

Get a birds-eye view of Victoria’s magnificent coastline – if your eyes are open – when you leap out of a perfectly good plane at 3050 meters, and save up to $225. Book an ‘Escape to the Skye’ package which includes a night in a studio room at the Peppers The Sands Resort and one or two tandem skydives, and get breakfast, a free upgrade to a view room, a bottle of wine and chocolates, noon checkout and free car parking. Available from Wednesdays to Mondays, until November 30. Costs from $550 a couple, one person jumping or $899 a couple, for two people jumping. (03) 5264 3333, peppers.com.au.

SWITZERLAND

Hot chocolate, hot cheese: two good reasons to love Switzerland.
Explore both on its two-for-one deal on its four-day Swiss Pass, for unlimited
rail, bus and boat travel through the mountains in all their autumn glory. Book
until November 27 for travel between September 1 and November 30. Costs from $246
for two people for four days. From travel agents or raileurope.com.au

NEW ZEALAND

Feeding time at Wellington Zoo

Wellington is wooing junior jetsetters with a splash of kids’ activities during September and October. Become a world explorer at Wellington Zoo, while Zealandia takes kids through a wildlife sanctuary after dark. They can explore the planets at Carter Observatory, or go crazy at Capital E National Theatre for Children. Accommodation deals include one night at the Amora Hotel Wellington for two adults and two children, with breakfast, and a family pass to Wellington Zoo, from $199, until January 20, 2013. +64 4 473 3900, wellingtonnz.com.

MALAYSIA

An hour’s flight from Kuala Lumpur, looking over the
South China Sea, the newly scrubbed-up Club Med Cherating Beach offers jungle
walks and rock climbing for adults and kids. The resort now includes a new
adults-only Zen Space and a baby welcome for littlies up to 23 months. Book
until November 18, travel November 1 – April 30 2013. Adults save $345, kids
save $137. Costs from $915 for adults, $372 for children (4-11 years), twin
share, for five nights. 1800 258 263, clubmed.com.au.

CENTRAL AMERICA

You can spot a toucan on this nine-day journey through Guatemala,
Mexico and Belize. There are macaws to be glimpsed, old Spanish towns and Mayan
ruins to explore and lolling in the waters of the Caribbean is compulsory.
Departs Antigua, Guatemala, on October 29, book by October 24 and save25 per
cent. Costs $1365 a person. 1300 018 871, intrepidtravel.com.

BOTSWANA & ZAMBIA

Walk the plains of the Kalahari Desert and cruise the
Linyanti waterways in this 11-day safari, staying in tented camps and lodges.
Book now for travel between November 10 – March 20 (excluding December
20-January 10, 2113) and save $3048 a person.
Kids 6-14 years also get half-price accommodation in a family room.
Costs from $8994 a person, includes international flights ex-Sydney, full
board, all transport, night game drives and most drinks. 1300 363 302, africanwildlifesafaris.com.au.

TOURWATCH

Doing India a la ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’

Do a Judi Dench and check into the ‘Best Exotic Marigold
Hotel’, which is actually a former rural palace an hour from the Rajasthani
city of Udaipur. The hotel, which is now
an equestrian hotel, is not quite as dilapidated as in the movie of the same
name, assures TravelManagers, which is leading a 12-day private journey through
the movie’s colourful film locations. Must-see destinations are ticked off – e
Taj Mahal, Delhi’s Udaipur’s Red Fort and Udaipur’s picturesque lake, starting in Delhi before moving
to Agra, Jaipur, Pushkar and Udaipur. See elephants wandering the roadsides,
run a sea of vivid orange marigolds through your fingers at a flower market and
take a horse safari in rural Rajasthan. Costs from $2020 a person, twin share
(four-star) and $2127, twin share (five star), excluding international
airfares. travelmanagers.com.au.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald newspaper

Sep

Shake it, spa it, catwalk it: Travel deals 9 September 2012

Four-Diamond Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa

Nostalgic surfer chic meets Miami swim catwalk on the Gold Coast and learn to shake what your mama gave you at the home of samba, salsa and tango.

VICTORIA

Quest’s five new studio apartment properties in
inner-urban Sydney and Melbourne include a kitchenette, workspace and free
wi-fi. They’re kicking off with deals such as $175 a night, down from $300, at
Quest Studios East Melbourne, close to the shopping strip of Bridge Road and
Melbourne’s top sports arenas. Includes breakfast for two at a local café. Stay
until October 30, quote ‘SHSO’ when booking. (03)
9413 0000, questapartments.com.au.

TASMANIA

Save 40 per cent when you book a night at Launceston’s
Country Club Tasmania, on the edge of the state’s second city. A night in a 4.5-star
deluxe room for two includes a bottle of Tasmanian wine, 18 holes of golf and a
30-minute massage as well as breakfast in the Links restaurant. Go horse
riding, take a wine tour or fish for trout in its private lake. Costs $299 a
night, until September 30. 1800 635 344,
countryclubtasmania.com.au

QT Gold Coast

QUEENSLAND

Get the party started on the Gold Coast with a two-night
stay in the slinky QT Gold Coast, self-described as ‘nostalgic surfer chic
meets Miami swim catwalk’. That’ll help you choose your wardrobe. On top of a
saving of $384, you’ll get breakfast, an exploratory dinner for two in its hugely
popular signature restaurant, Bazaar and $50 spa credit or a party starter at
the happening Stingray Lounge. Costs from $450 a room for two nights until
November 30. (07) 5584 1200, qtgoldcoast.com.au.

Seashells Resort Mandurah

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Mandurah is only an hour south of Fremantle, which is
gearing up for the return of the replica Dutch ship Duyfken, the first European
ship to reach Australia in 1606, on Sunday 23 September. Stay three, pay for
two nights in a one-bedroom apartment at the 4.5-star Seashells Resort Mandurah
until November 30. Costs from $210 a person, three nights, twin share. 132 757, harveyworld.com.au.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Watch the sun rise on Uluru, discover galleries of
Aboriginal rock art and visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Book 12 months
advance for your journey into the red centre, saving up to $450 a couple on a
six-day Red Centre Discovery. Included is a dinner and a discovery tour of the
Earth Sanctuary World National Centre, airport transfers and guiding. Deal
valid on departures until December 28, 2013. Earlybird special costs from $1689 a person, twin
share. 1300 228 546, aatkings.com.au.

NSW

Spring has sprung so put a wiggle in your walk with a
visit to the town of love and light, Byron Bay. Normally $780 room only, the
sleek Byron at Byron resort’s spring package gets you 10 per cent off in the
spa, restaurant and bar, as well as free yoga, wifi, daily breakfast buffet and
bike hire to cruise the rainforest trails down to the beach. Valid for stays
until December 10. Costs $794 for two nights in a standard suite. 1300 554 362, thebyronatbyron.com.au.

FRANCE

B&B,
Île Saint-Louis, Paris

You may still be shopping for the wardrobe to suit your
Parisian jaunt, but your apartment will certainly come up to scratch. Set on
the Île Saint-Louis, an island in the middle of the Seine, the B&B is on
the third floor of a traditional Haussmann building, and despite its antique
interiors, its owners welcome kids. There are two rooms, great for families or
two couples. Save from E44 a night on stays between November 1 and March 30.
Costs from E175 a night. petiteparis.com.au.

HAWAI’I

Hit the sands of Waikiki beach and stay eight nights at the Four-Diamond Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa, with breakfast, flights and airport transfers. Kids under 17 stay free, under-12s get free lunch and dinner with a paying adult. Bonuses include a tour of Pearl Harbour and Honolulu city and one entertainment show or catamaran dinner cruise. Costs from $1990 a person, twin share, eight nights and return airfares with Hawaiian Airlines. 1300 00 42 92, myholidaycentre.com.au/hawaii.

Semara Resort & Spa

BALI

Hot to shop and the island’s best dining strip, Seminyak
is the fast-beating heart of Bali. The Semara Resort & Spa’s Winter Escape
deal saves $438 on stays until September 30. Book a two-night stay in a
superior poolside room, get daily buffet breakfast, dinner for two at Finns Beach Club, two hours
for two in the spa, wifi, yoga and
meditation classes and airport transfers. Costs from $484 for two people, two
nights. +62 (361) 847 6661, semararesorts.com.

MALAYSIA

Koto Kinabalu, Malaysia

Get a double dose of the tropics and a free Darwin stopover
on your way to Malaysia’s Kota Kinabalu. Price includes return flights to KK via
Darwin with Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia, two nights at Darwin’s
Travel Lodge Mirambeena Resort and four nights at Novotel Kota Kinabalu.
They’ll throw in a free tour of Litchfield National Park, worth $149, full
breakfast daily and one free nightBook by end September, travel November 1 –
December 7. Costs from $1459 a person (land and air). 1300 747 400, creativeholidays.com/asiaonsale.

AFRICA &
MIDDLE EAST

Blend African wildlife with the craziness of Cairo and
Jordan’s deserts over 26 days from Cape Town to Cairo. Book before December 31
and your friend flies free (paying only taxes of $795), saving up to $2040 per
couple. Departs August – October 2013 and includes all flights within Africa,
two charter flights in Kenya, 4WD game viewing and accommodation in private
game lodges and luxury camps. Costs from $18,995 a person, twin share. 1300 229
804, aptouring.com.au.

TOURWATCH

Learn to shake what your mama gave you, and where better
than the home of samba, salsa and tango, South America? This 14-day dance-themed tour starts in
Santiago, Chile, where you’ll tackle the cueca and rumba, lubricated with wineries
visits, before hitting Buenos Aires’ La Boca district for up-close-and-personal
tango workshops. There’s samba and salsa classes in Rio de Janeiro as well as
visits to Copacabana Beach and Corcovado Mountain, to stand at the feet of
Christ the Redeemer, and the tour includes a trip to the Argentinean and
Brazilian sides of the magnificent Iguassu Falls. Departs March 3, 2013. Costs
from $3995 a person, twin share and includes some meals and all South American
flights. 1300 558 987, tempoholidays.com.

Source: Belinda Jackson Sun Herald

Sep

Strange and wild ghouls and snow: travel deals 2 Sept

Morning at Machu
Picchu, Peru (Intrepid Travel)

It’s all strange, wild and ghoulish in Tassie and Dracula’s Romania, and the locals say it’s puking in Victoria’s Falls Creek (translation: it’s snowing heavily, so get on down!)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Mantra on Frome, in the centre of Adelaide, is throwing
open the doors on its new balconies, with a weekend package that includes
dinner for two and a bottle of wine at Mantra Hindmarsh Square’s Sq
restaurant as well as late check-out,
saving $197. Costs from $219 a night for stays on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
nights until December 2. 131 517, mantra.com.au.

QUEENSLAND

Melt the ice in your bones with a quickie getaway to Palm
Cove, a hop-skip north of Cairns. Stay four nights at the Reef House, a
colonial-style beach house, pay for only three. You’ll also get 20 per cent off
hotel meals, free wifi, breakfast, and a sunset Brigadier’s Punch in its Brigadiers
Lounge as well as free DVDs. Mention this page and get $25 credit in the
hotel’s spa. Stay until October 1. Costs from $129.50 a person per night, twin
share. (07) 4080 2600, www.reefhouse.com.au

NSW

Hit the big smoke with a budget stay in town and catch
one of the many festivals keeping the city alive including Crave food festival
throughout October. Stay three nights at the 3.5-star Travelodge Hotel, near
the Thai strip on Wentworth Ave, close to Hyde Park and Oxford St, and save 20
percent when booked by October 7. Costs
from $95 a night, minimum three-night stay. 1800 846 835, hotels.com

TASMANIA

Eerie Port Arthur, Tasmania

It’s a strange and wild corner of the world, down there
in Tassie, and the Theatre of the World, a collaboration between the Tasmanian
Museum and Art Gallery’s Pacific bark cloths and Museum of Old And New Art’s
(MONA) treasures should have you panting to head south. A four-night Art &
Place package includes accommodation at the Mercure Hobart, priority access to
MONA Theatre of the World tickets, 30 per cent off its catalogue (normally
$80), Mona Roma fast ferry tickets, a bottle of Moorilla Muse chardonnay and a
Tasmanian Attraction ticket. Save $793, costs $662 a couple. (03) 6277 9900,
mona.net.au/short-breaks.

VICTORIA

The snow has been falling thick and fast in the ski-in,
ski-out Falls Creek resort. Catch the last few weeks until the season ends and
save up to 50 per cent on peak season rates. Stay five nights at Trackers
Mountain Lodge White Space for $1130 an adult including bed, breakfast,
dinners, ski lift pass, ski lessons and snow equipment hire. Kids up to 14
years cost $720 and also get free Kids Club from 6-9pm. Also includes afternoon
tea, Winter Christmas on Wednesday nights (with turkey, eggnog and all the
trimmings) on stays September 7-30. 1800
453 525, skifalls.com.au.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Shoot the breeze in Broome, with sunsets over Cable Beach
and the Indian Ocean at your doorstep. Stay seven nights in a Shinju studio the
Pinctada Cable Beach resort and get airport transfers, welcome drink, daily
buffet breakfast, a five-course spice trail dinner and a one-hour couples’
treatment at the resort spa. Save up to $525 on stays before September 30.
Costs $2086 a room for seven nights. (08) 9193 8340, pinctadacablebeach.com.au.

Novotel Saigon Centre

VIETNAM

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is a city of extremes,
with a wild street food scene and ultra-glam sky-high bars. The 4-star Novotel
Saigon Centre is the newest digs in town, with a gorgeous open-air pool and
breakfast buffet worth the trip alone. Snap up an opening deal which includes
free wi-fi and 10 per cent off spa treatments until October 30. Costs from
USD$100++ for a superior room a night. +84 (0)8 3822 4866, novotel.com.

NEW ZEALAND

Pop in on the neighbours and see what’s going down in
Auckland. Stay three nights, pay for two at the five-star Langham Hotel
Auckland in a Classic room. The hotel is a short amble from the waterfront and
the main shopping areas. Includes buffet breakfast each day as well as a free
tour of Auckland’s city sights and wineries as well as airport transfers. Book by January 17, 2013, travel until
September 30 and December 14 – January 20, 2013. Costs from $489 a person for
three nights, twin share. 1300 130 485, travel.com.au.

ROMANIA

Brasov, Romania

Explore an untouched corner of Europe on a Taste of
Transylvania’s six-day private tour. Sleep with Dracula in medieval Sighisoara,
lunch with local farmers, visit the castles of Bran and Peles, explore the
gothic charms of Sibiu and Brasov and lunch at Romania’s two top wineries. In crazy
Bucharest, your address is the historic Athenee Palace Hilton. Book by
September 30 to save $150. Costs $2032 a person. 1300 668 844, eetbtravel.com

PERU

Home of Machu Picchu and
Paddington Bear, Peru gets all the South American gems: tracts of Amazon
jungle, ancient civilisations and roasted guinea pig. There’s pisco sours to be
drunk, sand dunes to be climbed and the tour includes a homestay with a local
family on Lake Titicaca. Sign up for Intrepid Travel’s 21-day Peru Encompassed
journey, departing Lima October 18, and save $952. Costs $2828 a person, 1300 018 871, intrepidtravel.com.

ITALY

If the blue waters of Capri are beckoning, answer the
call on an 11-day Bellissimo tour that starts in Rome then works its way down
to Pompeii and the divine coastline of Capri and Naples before delving into the
mysteries of Assisi, Venice, Florence and Siena. Includes first-class hotels,
dining in a Tuscan olive grove and a farewell dinner to say ‘ciao’ in Rome.
Book the September 24 tour to save $485 a person. Costs $3050 a person. trafalgar.com

TOURWATCH

Chelsea Flower Show

Next year, the Chelsea Flower Show celebrates its 100-year
anniversary. Australian-owned Botanica World Discoveries takes you to the show,
with five and 10 day tours of London’s premier floral display. “While the site
at the Ranleigh Hospital gardens is compact, the displays are just
sensational,” says Botanica founder Judy Vanrenen, who has been taking
Australians to Chelsea since 2005. “It’s a full-on floral experience.” The
five-day tour starts in London on May 20 and includes tours of London’s private
gardens, as well as four nights’ accommodation in the four-star Crowne Plaza
London, St James. The 10-day tour includes entrance to eight other beautiful
gardens in southern England and Wales. Costs from $2,655 a person, twin share (5
days) and $5795 a person, twin share (10 days) 1300 305 202 botanica.travel.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Aug

Travel deals 26 August 2012

Masai
Mara tribe, Kenya

Meet the Masai, the 12 Apostles or the hamlets of the Nullabor Plains on an epic trans-Australian journey.

QUEENSLAND
Pay $111 a night – a discount of 33 per cent – when you
book three nights at the Novotel Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast until
December 20. Located close to beaches and popular attractions like Australia
Zoo and Aussie World, the resort also provides free catamarans, kayaks, bikes
and mini putt putt golf, plus a water trampoline on the resort’s man-made
lagoon. Kids’ Club and babysitting services are available. 1800 072 277,
novoteltwinwatersresort.com.au.

VICTORIA
For many, the highlight of Victoria’s beloved Great Ocean
Road are the 12 Apostles near Apollo Bay. For others, it’s the local waterfalls
and rainforest walks. Check into the YHA and grab a winter special: stay three
nights, pay for two, saving $95. Costs $190 a double/twin room for three night stays
before September 20. (03) 5237 7899, yha.com.au.

NSW
Tootle down to Merimbula, on the south coast, to
rediscover what holidays used to be like when you were a kid. Cute villages,
broad sweeps of empty beach, jetties for dropping a line off and dolphins and
whales cruising by. Book two nights in an apartment or townhouse at the
4.5-star Coast Resort before September 21 and save almost 50 per cent. Facilities
include heated pools, tennis courts and big balconies. Costs from $360 for two
nights. 1300 130 483, travel.com.au.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Quay West Resort, Bunker Bay

Trade your Weet-Bix and morning news for views of Bunker
Bay, three hours south of Perth in the Margaret River region. The vista from
the terrace of the Quay West Resort is of the blue waters of the Indian Ocean,
and brekky is drawn from local produce, with a splash of sparkling wine, as
befits the locale. Save $65 on bookings before September 30. Costs from $478
for two nights for two people, midweek (Sun-Thurs), includes breakfast for two.
13 15 15, quaywestresortbunkerbay.com.

TRANS-AUSTRALIA

Cross the continent in four days, from Perth to Sydney on
The Ghan, stopping at historic crossroads and watching the scenery of desert,
mountains and the Nullarbor Plain pass your window. Red Sleeper cabins sleep
two, with beds that fold into day lounges, and the trains feature newly
refurbished Matilda Cafés and new Red Gum lounges. Take a friend for free when
booking Perth to Sydney in a Red Sleeper before October 31. Costs $1510 for two
people, 132 147, greatsouthernrail.com.au.

TASMANIA

One of the country’s top lodges, Saffire Freycinet, on
the Freycinet peninsula, comprises just 20 beautiful suites looking out to the
Hazards Mountains. Book a deluxe suite for four nights, pay for three and get
all meals and dinner drinks, activities including guided walks, fishing, golf, wine tasting, canoeing, cooking demos
and learn to mix the perfect cocktail.
The deal also includes $100 to spend in the spa until end September.
Costs $5400 a suite, 1800 723 347, saffire-freycinet.com.au.

Slick and sweet: Eurostar

FRANCE
It’s easy to slip a little ski weekend in on your British
adventures – the Eurostar runs from London to over 40 ski resorts in the French
Alps, including Courchevel, Tignes, and Les Arcs. Book now for travel between
December 21, 2012 – April 13, 2013. Costs from $123 a person (standard class)
or $190 (standard premium class). Travel agents or raileurope.com.au.

THAILAND

Stay eight nights, pay for just four at the Kata Palm
Resort & Spa, in southern Phuket, down past Karon Beach, and you’ll also
get breakfast daily, return airport transfers, one dinner and a 30 minute
traditional Thai massage for each person. The deal runs until October 31, in a
superior pool view room. Costs from $245 a person, twin share. 1300 138 755,
travelindochina.com.au.

FIJI

You deserve sun: specifically, you
deserve Fijian sun. Book five nights at The Westin Resort & Spa and save up
to 50 per cent. Includes return flights with Air Pacific, airport transfers and
daily breakfast. Book by September 28, stay between November 1-December 27 and
January 6-March 31. Costs from $1169 a person for five nights, twin share,
including flights. 1300 358 382, coralseas.com.au.

ENGLAND

Though the Olympics are now over, London will always have
Wimbledon, from June 24, 2013. Book before November 30 and get 5 per cent off
three-night packages, which include a reserved seat for two days at The
Championships on Centre and No. 1 court, three nights’ accommodation, breakfast
daily, London Travel cards, programs, admission into the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis
Museum and lunch at The Wimbledon Experience Club. Costs from $2049 a person,
twin share, 1300 730 023, keithprowse.com.au

SOUTHERN
AFRICA
Wildebeest migrating across the Masai Mara, flamingos on
Lake Nakuru, sunrise over Mt Kilimanjaro. Scenic Tours’ ultimate African small
group tours spend 31 days on a Grand African Adventure, from Cape Town to
Jo’berg via Tanzania and Kenya. Save up to $1600 a couple on 2013 tours when booked
by December 31. Costs from $15,695 a person, twin share. 1300 723 642, scenictours.com.au.

TOURWATCH: TRANS-SIBERIAN
RAILWAY ADVENTURE
High on many people’s hit list, the Trans-Siberian
railway crosses from Vladivostok, in Russia’s far east, to the capital, Moscow,
over 15 days. The Golden Eagle is a luxury train that covers the epic 10,600-kilometer
journey, its highlights including the onion domes of St Basil’s Cathedral in
Moscow and Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake, in remote Siberia. Forget
rough sleepers – cabins have underfloor heating, DVD players, power showers and
there’s fine dining in the restaurant. The package includes $700 air credit per
person, two nights’ accommodation before the trip, tour guides in nine stops,
all meals, transfers and tipping. Costs from Book before November 30, 2012 for
travel on February 24, 2013. $14,495 a person, twin share. 1800 044 066, www.travel-associates.com.au.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

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