TOUR
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CANADA
Rocky Mountaineer's Stay and Play Offer, gives up to $600 a couple in added value on bookings of seven nights or more. The bonuses come in the forms of extra hotel nights, activities, tours and more. Bookings of four to six nights attract up to $400 a couple in added value.
Sale valid till March 4 for various travel dates. See rockymountaineer.com.
ITALY
Hedonistic Hiking's eight-night walking tour though Basilicata in southern Italy includes a three-night mountain refuge stay in Pollino National Park and a stay in the cave dwellings of World Heritage city, Matera.
Book before February 15 to receive a free hotel night pre-tour. From $4192 a person, twin share. Departures October 8 and 16. Phone 1300 783 188. See activetravel.com.au.
ISLAND
SAMOA
In April 2016, Seabreeze Resort becomes the first adults-only property of its kind in Samoa, catering for guests 18 years and over. Save nearly $600 a couple on minimum five-night stays from April 1 to June 31. Includes two massages a person, champagne breakfast daily and transfers.
The price for the five-night stay is $957 a person twin share. Sale valid until January 31. Phone +685 774 8643. See seabreezesamoa.com.
KOH SAMUI
Save 30 per cent with this package that includes five night's accommodation in a Garden Pool Suite at Outrigger Koh Samui Beach Resort, breakfast daily, Wi-Fi and transfers. The price is from $769 a person, twin share. On sale until January 31 for travel January 11 to February 4 and February 16 to April 30.
Phone 1300 883 887. See travelonline.com.
FAMILY
GLOBAL
Air New Zealand is the latest airline to be offering great savings on airfares. The North America Sale goes till January 19. Travel from Australia via Auckland to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver for travel April 2016 to November 2016, from $983 return. There's also a South America Sale and a Norfolk Island deal current.
See airnewzealand.com.
FIJI
This Fiji Hideaway Resort & Spa package is for a six-night stay in a Frangipani bure, airfares, breakfast daily, transfers and more. From $1279 a person twin share ex-Brisbane and Sydney and from $1389 a person twin share ex-Melbourne.
Travel April 1 to May 31, then October 1 to November 30. On sale till March 31. Phone 1300 556 855. See escapetravel.com.au.
CRUISE
THE PACIFIC
Cruiseabout is offering deals on Carnival cruises. Save up to $800 a stateroom and pay only half the usual deposit on select Carnival Spirit and Legend sailings. Also, book by January 25 and receive up to $300 of on-board credit per stateroom.
See cruiseabout.com.au.
ANTARCTICA
Eclipse Travel is offering last-minute deals on some 2016 departures of Antarctic cruises. For example, get free flights from Australia, plus three free internal flights within Argentina, a four-day Buenos Aires stopover package and a choice of three-day packages in Patagonia or Iguazu Falls.
For January and February departures. Sale till January 15. Phone 1300 575 752. See eclipsetravel.com.au.
HOTEL
SEOUL
To mark its opening, Shilla Stay Gwanghwamun is offering a special package for stays till January 31. Guests receive a Shilla Stay Bear, complimentary breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi and access to the fitness centre.
From $175 a room per night. Phone +82-2-2230-3000. See shillastay.com.
LAKE TAHOE
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino's Diamond Peak Ski Package includes accommodation, two adult tickets at Diamond Peak for each night of stay, slope shuttle, 15 per cent off treatments at the hotel's spa, plus ski valet and storage.
From $486 per night, a saving of $US128 a night. Valid for sale till March 26 for stays till March 27. Full payment is required at time of booking. See laketahoe.hyatt.com.
GEBICKI TIP
If you travel overseas twice or more per year, an annual travel insurance policy will cost less than the price of buying each time you travel.
EXPERT OPINION
Sture Myrmell, P&O Cruises president
Q. If reconsidering overseas travel plans due to the falling dollar, what's in a cruise for those who've never done one?
A. If you've never cruised but are keen to try a holiday at sea, I'd recommend one of P&O's Sea Break cruises. They range from two to four nights – some of them spend a day in picturesque locations like Moreton Island and others just offer a few relaxing days at sea away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. They're a great way to try cruising without using too much of your annual leave. Many of our holidaymakers keep coming back and booking longer holidays – once people try a cruise they are hooked.
So my advice is to give cruising a go – with accommodation, main meals, entertainment and most activities included in the fare, the only costs you need to budget for are onshore activities and drinks on board.
Best of all, all our on-board expenses are charged in Australian dollars, which means guests travelling on any of our five ships to international destinations including the Pacific Islands, Noumea and Asia, don't need to worry about the Aussie dollar moving up or down or waste time converting Australian dollars to international currencies.
See pocruises.com.au.
THE BIG ISSUE
China roll
The boom in Chinese air travel now sees six China-based airlines flying to Australia. While that's made Sydney Airport the busiest in the world for long-haul Chinese aircraft and China, set to surpass New Zealand as Australia's largest inbound tourism market, it also means those planes have to return from whence they came.
For Australian travellers, this means greater access to China's vast landmass and its attractions. For instance, the latest carrier to start flying between China and Australia is Hainan Airlines, which calls Xi'an its home base. It's now flying between Sydney and Xi'an twice weekly, providing a direct flight to the home of the Terracotta Warriors.
Of course, the explosion in travel by Chinese nationals involves other destinations, especially Europe, so flights from Australia to more Chinese hubs means bigger choice of routes to Europe for Australians. Case in point, China Eastern, which flies in and out of Shanghai and Nanjing. Australians can, for example, fly with the airline to London via Shanghai, the second leg a code share with Virgin Atlantic.
The proliferation of Chinese airlines also means potentially cheaper airfares to China and destinations beyond, during competitive periods. The world's sixth largest airline, China Southern, flying to Australia from Guangzhou, regularly offers some of the cheapest fares to London.
In addition to Hainan, China Eastern and China Southern, the China-based airlines currently flying to Australia are: Air China via Beijing and Shanghai, Sichuan Airlines via Chongqing and XiamenAir from Fuzhou and Xiamen.
All fly to Sydney, most to Melbourne and China Southern flies to Perth and Brisbane. As of January 16, China Eastern flies to Brisbane. It already flies to Cairns, with China Southern reportedly considering services to Cairns, the Gold Coast and Darwin.
Taiwan's China Airlines also flies to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and onward to New Zealand. And of course, stalwart Cathay Pacific flies to Australia from Hong Kong.