Here And There

Here And There

The Age

Saturday September 9, 2000

Bountiful Norfolk

ALL-INCLUSIVE group tours to Norfolk Island are available from Pacific Unlimited on a monthly basis until March, with two departures in December.

Everything's organised: air fares, eight nights' accommodation, breakfasts and dinners, 10 tours and an island book and other extras. Meals include a dinner in homes of Bounty mutineer descendants, an island fish fry and a ``night as a convict".

The ``Wattle Group" tours are priced from $2099 per person twin-share ex-Melbourne. Tel: 1800 221 260, or see travel agents.

Grand package deals

GRAND Hyatt Melbourne has announced its new packages, with prices from $245 for a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night stay. A deal that includes breakfast for two in the Plane Tree Cafe costs $285.

A Regency Club package ($350) includes access to the club lounge, breakfast, all-day refreshments, canapes and evening drinks. Other deals include an executive suite costing $550 or the Presidential suite for $1950.

All packages include valet parking, morning newspaper and unlimited use of indoor swimming pool, spa, sauna and steam rooms. Tel: (03) 9653 4444 or 1800 339 494.

Business class deals

CORPORATE Traveller has several business class air fare specials available. A free side-trip in Italy is available to purchasers of a $4649 return ticket to Rome on Qantas or British Airways, with a Bangkok stopover allowed, travelling before next March 31.

With Japan Airlines as carrier, two people can fly to 10 destinations in Europe via Tokyo - with a side-trip in Japan - for $4199 per person; this offer is valid until September 30. And there's a return flight to Singapore for $1259 with Egypt Air, also available until September 30. Tel: 131 285.

Game, set, match

TENNIS fans itching to get to the Davis Cup final between Australia and Spain in Barcelona in December can make the trip with a six-night Flight Centre package.

Included are air fares with Malaysia Airlines, twin-share hotel rooms from December 5-11 and reserved seats for all three days of the Cup, with transfers. The price is $3456 per person twin-share or $3696 for singles. Tel: 131 600.

Lucky in Lukla

LUKLA airstrip, gateway to the Everest region of Nepal, will be closed for runway extension from next January and may be shut for the remainder of the trekking season, putting the area largely out of bounds to trekkers.

Peregrine has decided to fly trekkers to Lamindanda and to connect with Lukla by helicopter. The adventure travel company has decided to absorb the cost of the helicopter flights.

Peregrine has treks in the Everest area, from $3418 ex-Australia for a 13-day tour that includes a nine-day lodge-based trek, to $3948 for a 19-day base camp trip. Tel: 1300 854 444.

Weighing Angkor

IN JANUARY, 2001, the luxury Eastern & Oriental Express train will introduce a new three-night trip from Bangkok to Singapore that will include a day excursion to Cambodia's Angkor Wat temples.

The train will leave Bangkok for Kanchanaburi and the Bridge on the River Kwai and then Hua Hin. On the second day, a private flight will take passengers to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor Wat and Bayon. Special one-day visas have been negotiated.

The third day will see a visit to Penang in Malaysia before arrival into Singapore mid-morning on the fourth day. Prices begin at $3250 per person, with departures in January, February, March, August, September, October and November. Tel: 1800 000 395 or online: www.orientexpresstrains.com

Best buy

Canadian Airlines has a $999 package to Vancouver including air fares and five nights' accommodation at Howard Johnson Hotel. The deal is for sale until September 14 for travel in October and November. Tel: 132 002 or any Traveland outlet.

Air fares

With new price competition, domestic air-fare discounts are now changing weekly. The old 21-day advance-purchase fares are mostly obsolete; look for cheap, one-way fares. The following one-way fares from Melbourne have to be purchased by Monday (September 11) for travel until October 8. There is no advance purchase, but they are non-refundable and non-rebookable:

Sydney $55

Brisbane $110

Adelaide $55

Gold Coast $110

Perth $165

Canberra $55

Cairns $165

Hobart $55

Launceston $55

Ayers Rock $110

Burnie $55

Devonport $55