TOUR
SCANDINAVIA
Travel Associates' 20-day Grand Tour of Scandinavia starts in Copenhagen and visits Sweden, Finland and Norway. It includes accommodation, many meals and transfers.
It's now $697 off – from $6278 a person, twin share. On sale till December 17, for travel April 29 to May 20. Phone 1800 044 066. See www.travel-associates.com.au .
SPAIN, PORTUGAL AND MOROCCO
Save $250 a person on Bunnik Tours' Spain, Portugal & Morocco small group tour for 2016. Commencing in Barcelona, it finishes in Portugal.
$9745 a person twin-share if booked before December 18. The price includes return international airfares, accommodation and more. Phone 1800 286 645. See www.bunniktours.com.au .
ISLAND
SINGAPORE AND MALDIVES
This seven-night holiday combines a two-night stay at the Conrad Centennial Singapore in Marina Bay before heading to the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort for five. Includes upgrade to half board, a fruit basket, bottle of champagne on arrival and an afternoon tea.
From $5424 a person twin share. Sale till March 6. Travel May 12 to July 31. Must be booked 90 days prior to travel. See www.siaholidays.com.au .
BALI
Luxury Escapes is offering a great value package that includes meals at some of Bali's best restaurants, while staying at Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali resort. It provides eight nights for two adults (and up to two kids under nine stay free). Breakfast daily, nightly dinners and much more.
$999 a person (worth more than $5000). On sale till December 5 for travel till October 31, 2016 with blackout periods. Phone 1300 88 99 00. See luxuryescapes.com.
FAMILY
EUROPE
Save up to $413 per person on Trafalgar's 2016 11-day European Wonderland Family Experiences coach tour when booking and paying in full by December 17. Stay two nights in Rome, Florence, Engelberg in Switzerland and Paris in four to five-star hotels. Also included: 16 meals, tips, sightseeing, transfers and more.
From $3895 per person, twin-share, with young traveller discounts available. Phone 1800 002 006. See www.Trafalgar.com.
LOS ANGELES
Spend four nights with the family in Los Angeles with a city tour, a movie star's homes tour and a beaches tour. Accommodation is at the Magic Castle Hotel in a one-bedroom suite and it includes daily breakfast, wi-fi, access to LA Fitness Gym, entrance for two at Magic Castle Club and more.
From $2640 a family, based on two adults and two children sharing. Valid for travel select dates January 21 to June 10. Valid for sale until December 14. Phone 1300 939 414. See www.flightcentre.com.au . Quote "deal 3872126".
CRUISE
THE KIMBERLEY
Book an Aurora Expeditions' 2016 Kimberley Coast cruise before December 31 and add a four-night Deluxe Broome Eco Beach escape at Ramada Eco Beach Resort for $100 a person.
Aurora Expeditions' 11-day Kimberley Coast expeditions start in Broome on May 23 and June 13 or in Darwin on June 3. From $7790 a person, twin share. Phone 1300 061 490. See www.auroraexpeditions.com.au .
GLOBAL
Save up to 50 per cent off the cruise fare of one in a twin-share party with Royal Caribbean. Also, many repositioning voyages, departing January 1 to April 23 attract a free upgrade from Oceanview to Balcony stateroom. Thirdly, Europe, Caribbean, Alaska, Asia cruises of five nights and longer departing from December 10 attract onboard credit.
Fares start from $1499 for the first person and $749.50 for the second in an Oceanview stateroom for an eight-night South Pacific cruise on board Radiance of the Seas. Excludes China cruises. Phone 1800 754 500. See www.royalcaribbean.com.au.
EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA
Dorchester Collection is offering three nights for the price of two at its European and North American properties when three or more consecutive nights are booked. The offer is valid for stays December 14 to April 3. Hotels include the Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, voted Global Hotel of the Year at the 2015 World Luxury Hotel Awards.
The offer is valid till midnight February 29. Some exclusions and blackout dates apply. See www.dorchestercollection.com.
BANGKOK
Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel is offering gifts for both Christmas and New Year. Stay three nights over Christmas and receive a THB3000 voucher for use in the hotel restaurants and 20 per cent discount on spa treatments at the Anantara Spa. Valid for stays December 23-27. The same applies for three-night New Year stays, December 27 to January 2.
Over both periods, four-night stays attract additional access to the Kasara Lounge. Deluxe Room Rate start from THB11,500 ($450) for Christmas and THB 14,500 for New Year. See www.siam-bangkok.anantara.com.
EXPERT OPINION
Martin Winter, chief executive officer of Gold Coast Tourism
Q. Why should the "been-there, done-that" types reconsider the Gold Coast these Christmas holidays?
A. Golden beaches have made the Gold Coast Australia's favourite holiday destination but there's more to the city than meets the eye.
The Gold Coast is a city in transformation. Its unique evolving culture is being driven by a vibrant and creative new generation keen to embrace the city's iconic coastal lifestyle. The Gold Coast's food scene has quietly undergone a food revolution. Multi-award winning restaurants like Kiyomi and The Fish House have put the Gold Coast on the foodie map, while every week buzzing street food markets carry locals to the back streets of Asia or South America. The NightQuarter is a new cultural and entertainment precinct, giving makers, growers and artists a chance to connect with the community.
Our city comes alive during school holidays with plenty of school holiday programs and events for families across the city. My picks are Gold Coast Bike Tours which takes you along the world-famous beach or kayaking in Currumbin or Tallebudgera Creek. Discover the new beachside cafe culture, take a walk through stunning rainforest in the Gold Coast Hinterland and simply relax while you soak up the sun.
There truly is something for everyone. If you haven't been to the Gold Coast recently, I'd urge you to take another look these Christmas holidays.
Visit www.visitgoldcoast.com.
THE BIG ISSUE
WHERE NEXT
The 2016 edition of Lonely Planet's handy and inspiring little book, Best in Travel (Lonely Planet, ($24.99) has just been released and within it, there are some great suggestions of destinations for wallet-friendly travel. Here's just five of them.
Vietnam remains a destination where quality can be experienced for less than $50 a day, says Lonely Planet spokesman, Chris Zeiher. "It's an especially good destination for family travel as it's relatively easy to access and offers a vast variety of experiences for your crew whilst you're there."
East Africa also rates. "It's never been more affordable to consider an African safari," says Zeiher. "Botswana, Tanzania and Kenya are outstanding value, with some destinations now even offering self-drive safari options. The most expensive part of this trip will be getting there."
New Eurozone member, Estonia, has been transformed, Zeiher says, "into of the more affordable rorthern European destinations. A combination of Nordic and eastern European influences, Estonia's capital city Tallinn is one of Europe's prettiest and most interesting capitals. Stunning beaches, a spa culture and bog-like countryside make Estonia unlike anywhere else on the Continent."
Australians have been travelling to Japan in fantastic numbers over the last couple of years and there's no reason for that to stop. "Now, with increased service into Osaka and Tokyo via low cost carriers, the destination is even more accessible. Couple this with the favourable currency translation and Japan looks like a great value destination any time of year," Zeiher says.
And the fifth destination is Canada. The Canadian and Australian dollars are close to parity, "making an outdoor Canadian adventure a must in 2016," Zeiher says. "Canada is brilliantly affordable. "
Check out the book for other value destinations. See lonelyplanet.com.
SAVINGS PLAN: WHEN BIGGER IS BETTER
Big ship cruising is one of the best money-savers around. Accommodation, meals and entertainment are prepaid, drinks are cheap and if you steer clear of the casino, you can live like royalty at a pauper's price.
