travellers good buys: with david ellis
KICK A GOAL WITH SHOPPING & RUGBY TOUR
MIX and match rugby and shopping with a getaway to Kowloon during the
Hong Kong Rugby Sevens in March. OctopusTravel.com.au has
accomm-odation packages at the modern 3-star Dorsett Olympic Hotel in
Kowloon from $114 per night until March 31; the hotel is close to
public transport for shopp-ing or to get to the Rugby Sevens (March
28-30,) has an in-house restaurant with Asian and Western cuisine, and
rooms have broadband internet access and satellite TV. Details 1300 72
79 72 or www.octopustravel.com.au
POPPIES Bed & Breakfast between the mountains and Mooloolah on the
Sunshine Coast, and just 10-minutes from the famous Australia Zoo, has
minimum 2-night stays from $135 per room per night to the end of
October. Four stylish air-conditioned studios each have their own
entrance and deck and views to a dam, gardens and birdlife; a
breakfast hamper on arrival includes bacon, eggs, tomatoes, cereals,
muffins or waffles, fruit, juice, home-made marmalade and tea and
coffee. Details www.roamfree.com
A LATE afternoon aperitivo with Tuscan wines at an historical winery,
a 3-hour cooking class with lunch, and a visit to the famous Uffizi
Gallery are wrapped together in a 3-day Florence in Style package from
Tempo Holidays. From $888pp twin share also includes 4-star hotel
accommodation and two breakfasts – and participants tuck into the
Tuscan dishes they prepared during the cooking class. Details 1300 558
987 or www.tempoholidays.com
A FOUR-night stay at the Coral Sea Resort at Airlie Beach – at the
gateway to the Whitsundays – is priced from $663pp twin-share until
February 28, the normal price of a 3-night stay. Airlie Beach has a
host of bars and clubs and a popular Saturday market on the foreshore
parklands features local arts, crafts and fresh produce. The 4-star
ocean-front Coral Sea Resort is just 3-minutes to Airlie Beach Village
and has a pool, beauty therapy centre and watersports activities.
Phone 1300 72 70 72 or check-out www.octopustravel.com.au
IF you're already planning a visit to Europe, add a 4-day stay in the
Old City of Dubrovnik in Croatia from just $544pp including a walking
tour of the city, twin-share, breakfasts daily, entry fees to the City
Walls and return private transfers. Details on 1300 558 987 or
www.tempoholidays.com
CELEBRATE Valentine's Day in style at the award-winning Bellachara
Boutique Hotel in Gerringong, on the coast just 90-minutes south of
Sydney. From $250 a night includes a King Garden Room, breakfast for
two, a bottle of Champagne and a rose petal bed turn down; for an
extra $69pp there's also a Valentine's Day 3-course a la carte dinner
with a red rose on arrival, a cocktail, and strawberries dipped in
chocolate. These room and dinner specials are available February 14
only; go to www.bellachara.com.au
TRUE: OFFICIALS in Brasov in Romania decided to boost tourism by
buying a $500,000 luxury coach to do Dracula Tours of nearby
Transylvania. But when it arrived it was too high to fit through the
city's medieval gates, and they admit they've no idea yet how they're
now going to get it inside.
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