Spread the love

Potential travellers should check the status of individual events and establishments with regard to the coronavirus outbreak.

Mantra Chatswood Sydney’s 144 guest rooms have been rejuvenated in a multi-million-dollar refurbishment and now boast a rich colour palette and high-end textured finishes.

The hotel’s selection of studio- and one- and two-bedroom apartments feature splashes of navy, with timber, upholstered bedheads, beds dressed in crisp white linens and luxurious textured cushions, and stylish new window furnishings.

The one- and two-bedroom apartments also have a gourmet kitchen in colour of the cabinetry tones paired with a contrasting light stone.

Rates start from $165 per night in a studio.

Phone 1300 987 603 or visit all.accor.com.

 Port Cygnet Cannery: offers among Tassie’s best paddock-to-plate eating. Image: Damien Milan.

Tassie’s best paddock-to-plate eating is often just a country drive away from the island’s gateways.

Long lunches in picturesque locations are the best way to relax into the Tasmanian way of life.

Joining the likes of Agrarian Kitchen and Eatery (New Norfolk), the Tasmanian Food and Wine Conservatory (Sassafras) and Fat Pig Farm (Cygnet) are new regional eateries, including Port Cygnet Cannery which is located in an old apple-canning factory.

The first stage of the restaurant includes a wood-fired eatery, bar, beer garden and event space, beside the cellar door of Sailor Seeks Horse.

And at the former Potters Croft Lodge in the Tasman Peninsula town of Dunalley, Van Bone will focus on seasonal menus inspired by an on-site permaculture market garden.

Visit www.portcygnetcannery.com.

Hyde Paradiso: combines fresh local produce with Mediterranean influences.

Stride into Hyde Paradiso at Peppers Soul Surfers Paradise during March and April for 49 per cent off food when paired with any drink purchase.

Hyde Paradiso’s new food menu combines fresh local produce with Mediterranean influences and features a host of small and large dishes, including: fried haloumi chips with rosemary aioli; watermelon-and-feta salad with pomegranate; porcini and truffle risotto with parmesan cheese; and house-made focaccia breads with any of the three dips (hummus and spiced chickpea, salmon-and-cream-cheese, or spiced corn with bacon crumb).

With Hyde’s ‘Stride into Hyde’ deal, these new menu highlights aren’t all that expensive — working out to be $6.63 for the haloumi, $8.16 for the watermelon-and-feta salad, $12.24 for a serve of the risotto, and from $4.59 for the focaccia and dips.

Visit www.hydeparadiso.com.

 Oberon: a newly launched wine trail and producer events.

A two-hour drive west from Sydney begins with winding through the Blue Mountains and descending into a countryside that includes the local-government areas of Bathurst, Orange, Cowra, Parkes, Oberon, Blayney, Cabonne, Forbes, Lachlan and Weddin that host a variety of events.

Oberon’s The Field to Forest Festival, for instance, features foraging and food events from April 1-30 .

Highlights include wild mushroom foraging tours with Detour Adventures, workshops and pine-forest lunches with Diego Bonetto, a newly launched wine trail and producer events at The Long Arm Farm café and Jenolan Caves.

Visit www.visitoberon.com.

Metro Hotel Perth: packages from $89 per night.

Metro Hotel Perth is offering a ‘Seasonal Stay & Save’ package priced from $89 per night, a saving of up to 30 per cent.

The offer includes complimentary wi-fi and car parking, plus 25 per cent discount on dinner in Red Bill Restaurant.

As a Metro web exclusive, there is a complimentary drink per guest at Red Bill Bar and an extended check out time of 11am.

The offer is valid for bookings to June 19, for stays Thursday-Monday until June 29, and with a minimum 10-day advance-purchase requirement.

Visit www.metrohotels.com.au.

 The Toursgallery experience: catering for individuals.

Receiving personal attention is an important factor for seniors when choosing a holiday.

Toursgallery has created a series of escorted tours, designed especially for mature-age people seeking a personalised travel experience away from the crowds.

Small groups can gain access to off-the-beaten-track places that are often more attractive and meaningful than the commonly known ones.

Japanese itineraries, for instance, are relaxing, with accommodation in spa resorts, top quality western hotels and traditional ryokans.

Phone 1300 307 317 or visit www.toursgallery.com.

 Abercrombie & Kent: the cultured traveller will discover age-old secrets.

Guests who book an Abercrombie & Kent tailor-made or private journey to Japan, China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia or Laos, worth $10,000 or more, can enjoy a complimentary last evening’s accommodation on the tour operator.

The cultured traveller will also discover age-old secrets, remarkable landscapes and fascinating experiences.

These regions are both ancient and strikingly modern, filled with diverse cultures and natural delights, places that constantly invite visitors to dig a little deeper.

Visitors will go beyond the usual tourist haunts to find incredible riches and contrasts: from Japan’s neon cities, dynamic pop trends, delicate cherry blossoms and serene traditions; Beijing’s world-historical power and maze of humble hutong precincts; to the kaleidoscopic colours, cultures and cuisines of South-East Asia.

Visit www.abercrombiekent.com.au,

Crooked Compass: challenging the curious.

Crooked Compass is challenging curious and sophisticated travellers to think differently about destinations not commonly found on bucket-lists: Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Chechnya and Palestine.

One of the world’s last true frontiers and most misunderstood nations, Saudi Arabia, recently opened its previously forbidden doors to travellers, and is a truly intriguing destination — a country rich in symbolism and pre-Islamic treasures, and home to unusual yet diminishing tribes, hidden cultures, contrastingly modern cities and a stunning coastline.

Pay from $14,195 for 12 escorted days, departing November next year.

Visit www.crooked-compass.com.

Triton Bay: a hidden treasure. Image: Charlotte Ortholary.

There are several reasons why Australians travel to Indonesia for their holidays — it’s affordable, close-by and scattered with idyllic, tropical islands to explore. But despite its popularity, there remains one paradise in Indonesia that few have visited or even heard of.

Triton Bay is a hidden treasure located on the remote, west coast of the island of New Guinea  in Indonesia’s West Papua province.

Triton Bay remains a location for endless marine exploration, with new dive sites popping up each year.

The remote location is less known to the mainstream tourism markets and is only accessible via expedition cruise ships with an emphasis on eco-tourism.

Exploring the underwater wonders that reside in Triton Bay will be the highlight of any expedition cruise through Indonesia.

Cruise Traveller partners, Ponant and Silversea, offer small-ship expedition cruises this year and next that feature Triton Bay in their itineraries, giving adventure seekers and nature lovers plenty of time to explore the wonders of this magic destination.

Visit www.CruiseTraveller.com.au.

 Salzburg in winter: plenty of Christmas and New Year cheer.

The growing popularity of yuletide-market cruises in Europe has prompted Riviera Travel to offer short-break river cruises from Cologne and Budapest over Christmas and New Year for the first time this December.

Four sailings have been introduced on the Rhine and Danube rivers, with each offering a selection of cabins that solo travellers can use with no single supplement.

The four new festive sailings, including Christmas Day or New Year’s Day, are:

— Christmas on the Rhine – eight days, round-trip from Cologne, sailing December 21.

— Christmas on the Danube – eight days, round-trip from Budapest, sailing December 21.

— New Year on the Rhine – six days, round-trip from Cologne, sailing December 28.

— New Year on the Danube – six days, round-trip from Budapest, sailing December 28.

All four cruises will take guests to medieval old towns embellished in winter sparkle, with cobblestone squares filled with carollers, glittering Christmas trees and market stalls laden with roasting chestnuts, hot mulled wine, decorations and gifts.

Phone 1300 561 001 or visit www.rivieratravel.com.au.