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Ecruising is offering a grand cruising adventure late next year, exploring Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, Cape Horn, Brazil and Chile.

The itinerary will deliver a ‘white Christmas’ for travellers, with Christmas Day spent at sea, Boxing Day cruising the Antarctic Peninsula, followed by New Years Eve in the most southern city in the world, Argentina’s Ushuaia.

Guests will spend 34 nights on the Coral Princess, departing Fort Lauderdale and exploring St Kitts and Martinique while on the way to Salvador, Brazil.

Following this, there will be a two-day stopover in Rio de Janeiro before the cruise makes its way into the waters of Uruguay and Argentina.

On Christmas Eve travellers will find themselves exploring the Falkland Islands before spending four days cruising the waters of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Prices start at $10,479 per person twin-share ex Australia.

Phone 1300 369 848 or visit www.ecruising.travel.

 The iconic komodo dragon … a possible cruise highlight. Image: Richard Sidey.

Silversea Expeditions’ itineraries have been designed to take guests closer to a region’s authentic beauty, unlocking incredible moments in the some of the world’s most beautiful destinations.

Expedition experts are on hand to provide interesting information on the visited destinations and the animals that inhabit them.

On the company’s 16-day itinerary from Bali to Darwin, for instance, Silver Discoverer explores a series of Indonesian islands including Komodo, Ende (Flores), Lamararap, Takpala (Kalabahi), Pulau Tellang, Banda Neira Island, Aiduma and Yamdena, plus Triton Bay and the renowned Asmat region.

Travellers can experience fascinating encounters with local cultures, get an insight into intriguing local history, and possibly witness the iconic komodo dragon.

Fares start from $14,670 per person twin-share.

Phone 02 9255 0600 or visit www.silversea.com.

SeaDream II … a truly luxurious vessel carrying just 112 guests.

Australians have been amongst the keenest to book SeaDream Yacht Club’s voyages to new and off-the-beaten-track destinations, so the company isn’t surprised that were among the leaders in taking on its inaugural Cuba season next year.

SeaDream II’s program starts with a nine-day itinerary in January from San Juan in Puerto Rico to Cienfuegos via the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, followed by eight seven-day sailings.

Each of the seven-day sailings will visit hideaway ports few holidaymakers have ever had an opportunity to experience, with each adventure embracing Trinidad, Cayo Largo, Isla de Juventad, Maria la Gorda, a day at sea, and a day and overnight in Havana.

For classic-car buffs, the streets of Cuba are something of a rolling museum of tens of thousands of American cars from the 1950s, the result of a grudge by the late-leader Fidel Castro, who banned new-car imports from the USA from the 1950s to the 1990s.

SeaDream II carries just 112 guests and 95 crew.

Visit www.seadream.com/cuba.

 Venice … offered by Viking as a free two-night extension.

Viking has launched its World of Viking sale, with a wide variety of cruises on offer, many with free or discounted flights, stateroom upgrades, free city extensions and savings of up to $4000 per couple.

Offers are available until November 30 unless sold out prior.

Discover the heart of Europe, for instance, on Viking’s 15-day ‘Grand European Cruise’, with savings of up to $2000 per couple and free return economy flights.

The adventure traverses four countries and features 12 complimentary guided tours.

Or follow the tides of history on a 15-day ‘Mediterranean and Italian Sojourn’ cruise, visiting five countries, and receiving a free two-night extension in either Barcelona or Venice.

Phone 138 747 or visit vikingcruises.com.au.

Hamilton Island’s Qualia … a taste of what’s available through A&K.

Abercrombie & Kent’s 2019 collection of journeys around Australia, New Zealand and PNG captures a diversity of the travel experiences with a range of holidays labelled by style of travel.

There are active adventures, such cycling in the Barossa Valley and golfing in Tasmania, gourmet-themed holidays around the country, a family collection including a Lord of the Rings experience in New Zealand, and a self-drive adventure in the Red Centre.

The collection comprises a cluster of iconic adventures that includes Ningaloo Reef, rock art in Arnhem Land, and a journey on the Indian Pacific.

And then … there’s a new luxury expedition cruise along the Kimberley coastline.

 Celebrating the life of one of Australia’s best actors … Heath Ledger.

Spectacular floral festivities, exclusive exhibitions and wild adventures collide in Canberra this spring.

In the ultimate celebration of spring, Floriade, on show in Commonwealth Park from 15 September 15 to October 14, visitors can expect to see some much-loved characters and familiar faces at this year’s flowerbeds.

After dark for five nights, September 26-30, Floriade transforms into the illuminated wonderland that is NightFest, with spectacular lighting, entertainment and food.

This spring visitors can also experience one of the ACT’s nature parks like never before with the ultimate family sleepover – ‘A Wild Night Out at Tidbinbilla’.

Explore this reserve with ranger-guided activities, learn about the culture of the Ngunnawal people and see the history of European settlement in the Tidbinbilla Valley.

Among activities arts and cultural, ‘Heath Ledger: A Life In Pictures’ is at the National Film and Sound Archive until February.

Visit www.canberra.com.au.

 Remarkable Rocks … a magical Kangaroo Island attraction.

To celebrate the launch of Fly Pelican’s direct Newcastle-to-Adelaide flights, SeaLink has partnered with airline to create two Adelaide, Murray Princess and Kangaroo Island package deals offering savings of up to $750.

The two offers comprise a three-night Adelaide-and-Kangaroo-Island package and a seven-night Adelaide-and-Murray Princess package.

On the Adelaide-and-Kangaroo-Island package, for instance, stay two nights at one of the city’s newest five-star boutique hotels, the Mayfair Hotel, before soaking up the beauty of Kangaroo Island on SeaLink’s two-day ‘Best of Kangaroo Island Tour’, including accommodation at the Kangaroo Island Seafront hotel.

The tour takes in Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery, South Australia’s only eucalyptus-oil distillery, gets up close with kangaroos, wallabies and koalas at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park and experiences sea lions as they sleep, play and swim on the Seal Bay guided beach tour.

Of course, guests will visit Flinders Chase National Park to see Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch.

The offers are valid until March 1. Visit www.sealink.com.au.

 Extreme Bike Tours … a new dimension to overseas travel.

To mark the milestone of its 10-year anniversary, Extreme Bike Tours is offering a 10-per-cent discount on all its 2019 tours, featuring everything from the mountain roads of the Himalayas, to the incredible boabab trees of Madagascar, to the barren deserts and ancient forts in India and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka.

Each of the guided tours aims to give travellers an immersive experience, enabling them to see off-the-beaten-track sights not often visited by tourists.

Travelling by motorcycle brings a new dimension to overseas travel, making the journey just as important as the destination.

The 10 per cent discount is available on all seven 2019 rides, for bookings made by November 1 this year.

Visit www.extremebiketours.com.

 High on many bucket lists … gorillas in the mist.

Gorilla trekking is high on the bucket list for many travellers, and Uganda remains one of several countries where it is still possible to observe gorillas in the wild.

One of the best places to see gorillas there is the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the country’s southwest.

Bwindi is home to just over half the world’s last surviving mountain gorillas, as well as being the location of the spectacular Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp.

Comprising just eight tents, it is one of the most remote and atmospheric camps in Africa, and frequently visited by gorilla families.

Expect, though, a wake-up call at about 6.30am, followed by hearty breakfast, after which you will be escorted to the starting point for the gorilla trek.

Once you’ve located your chosen gorilla family, you’ll have around an hour to observe them in their natural habitat.

And be prepared to get wet as it can rain heavily, even in the dry season, so make sure that you carry a poncho or rain jacket and have a good-quality waterproof camera.

The experience is normally priced from about $530 per person per night twin-share, but visitors can save up to 40 per cent by staying at any of Sanctuary’s African camps for four nights or more.

Visit www.sanctuaryretreats.com.

The Chinese Library … an elegant new restaurant for Hong Kong.

Hong Kong has two new flagship restaurants — The Chinese Library and Statement — and an innovative new bar, The Dispensary, in the Tai Kwun development which has revitalised the former Central Police Station compound.

The restaurants reflect the city’s East-West heritage and occupy a first-floor location in the historic Headquarters Block, the former Police Officers’ Mess.

The Chinese Library celebrates the different regional Chinese cuisines which have become popular in Hong Kong over the years, while Statement is a showcase of innovative British cuisine, echoing Hong Kong’s colonial heritage and also displaying some of the more avant-garde culinary directions found in London today.

Linking the two restaurants is The Dispensary, an elegant lounge bar adorned with nostalgic ornaments that reveal clues to Hong Kong’s colourful past.

Visit www.aqua.com.hk.