By John Rozentals.
Flash Camp … offering comfortable accommodation in Kakadu.
Flash Camp will return to Kakadu for a third season at the Cooinda Camping Ground from June 16 to September 16.
Set in beautifully shady grounds, Flash Camp offers bespoke bell-tent accommodation in the heart of Kakadu National Park, ideal for those seeking an effortless camping experience while exploring the UNESCO world-heritage-listed wilderness.
Accommodation will include double and twin bell tents with spring-foam mattresses on pallet bases, quality bed linen, fresh towels, bamboo furniture, toiletries and Armadillo & Co rugs. Tents have power, lighting and a fan, though nights are usually mild throughout the ‘winter’ season (18-20ºC).
Flash Camp tents can be configured especially for families, allowing two adjacent tents to be allocated for family groups, and a communal Flash tent will be available for relaxing and enjoying complimentary tea and coffee.
Flash Camp guests have access to communal toilet and shower facilities, barbeques, as well as a restaurant, bar and pools at the adjoining Cooinda Lodge. A pop-up up Food Truck will operate throughout the peak season offering quality, inexpensive takeaway food such as barra-and-chips.
Cooinda Camping Ground is located next to Yellow Water Billabong, 30 minutes from Jabiru and just over a three-hour drive from Darwin.
Rates start at $140 per night. Phone (08) 8979 1500 or visit www.kakadutourism.com.
Kangaroo Island … makes for a great family holiday.
Save up to $100 per family when travelling to Kangaroo Island with SeaLink’s ‘Kids Go Free to Kangaroo Island’ deal, which offers free return SeaLink ferry travel for up to two kids when travelling with one or two adults and their car. The deal is on sale and valid for travel until September 22.
Kangaroo Island, Australia’s third-largest island, is a 45-minute ferry ride from Cape Jervis on the South Australian mainland, and with hundreds of kilometres of quiet roads and adventure to discover, it is made for a self-drive family holiday.
Raptor Domain is a must-see for families. Enjoy the ‘Birds of Prey’ show and meet an array of birds including Jedda, the majestic wedge-tailed eagle and Casper the friendly barn owl.
A quick stop at Clifford’s Honey Farm is also essential, not just to see how honey is made but to try their famous honey ice-cream.
A visit to Little Sahara will guarantee hours of family fun enjoying the thrills and spills of sand-boarding or tobogganing down the massive white sand dunes and seeing Australian sea lions in their natural environment on a guided beach tour at Seal Bay Conservation Park.
Family accommodation across the island is available, ranging from holiday homes, cabins and caravan parks to motels and hotels with family apartments.
Visit www.sealink.com.au.
Flavours of Mudgee … the heart of the NSW Central Western town comes alive.
The 2018 Mudgee Wine & Food Festival will be held from September 4-23, with a range of dinners, lunches and tastings set to further establish the region as one of the preeminent food-and-wine destinations of NSW.
Key events will include:
Go Tasting on Saturday September 8 at 5.30pm — a public tasting of the wines entered into the 2018 Mudgee Wine Show. Guests can select from over 100 of the best wines in the region and compare their palates to those of the wine show judges.
Go Grazing on Saturday September 15 at 6.30pm — enjoy Mudgee’s best produce prepared by the region’s leading chefs. This three-course dinner comprises a range of bites that highlight Mudgee’s diversity with its food and wine varieties.
Flavours of Mudgee on Saturday September 22 from 4pm — the heart of the NSW Central Western town comes alive. Guests are invited to celebrate Mudgee’s food and wine with all the producers, winemakers and growers offering tastings and dishes along the town’s historic main street.
Visit www.visitmudgeeregion.com.au.
Austin is a lively place … so don’t expect to just kick back and relax.
Austin is the ideal place to enjoy a long weekend. But don’t expect to just kick back and relax.
There’s way too much to see and do, from shopping on funky South Congress Avenue to stand-up paddle-boarding on Lady Bird Lake and seeing live music in one of the many clubs around town.
Start by exploring downtown with a walking from the Austin Visitor Center. Pick your own starting time and place — your guide will tailor a tour to suit your interests, or join a guided tour.
Or join in the Austin Live Music Crawl with Austin Detours, led by a local musician who will take you off the beaten tourist path. Discover hidden gem music venues and see two-to-three shows in a three-hour tour span.
Once the sun begins to set, line up on the Congress Avenue Bridge to witness a staggering 1.5 million free-tailed bats fly into the night sky from beneath the bridge. Grab a spot among the crowds on the bridge’s sidewalk or take to the water with Lone Star Cruises or Capital Cruises, which will put you right in the middle of the action on Lady Bird Lake for an unbeatable view of Austin’s unofficial mascots.
For sustenance, there are plenty of choices, such as circling back to South Congress for homemade Mexican dishes and icy hand-shaken margaritas at Güero’s Taco Bar. Its Oak Garden features live music Wednesday to Sunday nights.
Visit www.austintexas.org.
Enjoy the luxury of a long soak in a big bath with a view of Mt Fuji.
Relax in a hot spa rock pool surrounded by a tranquil forest of red and gold autumn foliage.
Enjoy the luxury of a long soak in a big bath with a view of Mt Fuji.
Japan is famous for its exotic and extravagant thermal spring baths.
Volcanic waters rich in mineral salts attract thousands of visitors to spa resorts and traditional inns all over Japan.
Australian-based Japan travel specialist Toursgallery has a variety of different escorted small group tours available, that all include traditional Japanese baths.
“One of our most popular baths is located on a rooftop balcony overlooking Mt Fuji, offering a most memorable experience,” said Ken Osetroff, director of Toursgallery.
Experience these truly rejuvenating baths, for instance, on Toursgallery’s ‘Hokkaido Autumn Nature Tour’ in October, priced at $9850 per person twin-share.
This escorted tour is limited to a maximum of 14 guests.
Phone 1300 307 317 or visit www.toursgallery.com.
Avoid weekends and spend more tie exploring gems such as Dragoon Gulch, in Sonora, Californian gold country. Image: Menka Belgal.
Savvy travellers, with a little planning, can do more, see more and save more when visiting Northern California’s Gold Rush area and national park jewel, Yosemite, during the week.
By travelling mid-week to this popular region, adventurers snag lower rates on accommodation, avoid crowds and traffic, and spend more time exploring Gold Rush history, the High Sierra mountains, and Yosemite National Park.
While the weekend will have foodies waiting for tables, weekdays allow visitors to dive right in to delicious, unique, farm-to-table foods.
Taco Tuesday at the Standard Pour, for instance, puts a personalised flair on the authentic taco by utilising local and sustainable ingredients.
Or take a mid-week stroll through historic downtown Sonora and land in Emberz, a rustic, lively restaurant and bar which offers live music on Wednesdays while guests experience signature cocktails and wood-fired pizzas.
The ever-so-popular Yosemite National Park has more than five million visitors annually, most of them on weekends.
The extra time allows for more activities like hiking Hetch Hetchy and the Tuolumne Grove of giant sequoias.
Visit www.visittheusa.com.au.
Mysterious Myanmar … ancient temples and stupas scattered across Bagan’s dusty plains.
Discover a world hidden for decades as you journey to Myanmar with Travelmarvel in 2019 and make the most of the company’s fly-free offers.
The release of Travelmarvel’s new program for 2019/20 sees the return of the iconic 15-day ‘Majestic Myanmar’ itinerary, which features a 14-night cruise aboard the RV Princess Panhwar, setting sail from Mandalay and cruising right to the heart of Yangon.
Prices start at $6095 per person twin share, including a launch deal of saving up to $2000 per couple.
You’ll only have to unpack once to explore the rarely visited Irrawaddy River and discover the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda, see thousands of ancient temples and stupas scattered across Bagan’s dusty plains, and marvel at the shimmering Mahamuni Buddha statue in the Mahamuni Buddha Temple.
Phone 1300 196 420 or visit www.travelmarvel.com.au.
A bit of golf aboard the luxurious Seven Seas Mariner.
Seven Seas Cruises has announced details of its new ‘Down Under & Far East Grandeur’ 67-night ocean, river and land itinerary on board Seven Seas Mariner next year.
The sailing departs Sydney in January next year on board the intimate, all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Mariner.
Explore the beauty of Australia’s East and North Coasts, taking in the sights of local highlights such as Cairns and Darwin, before cruising the Timor Sea to such exotic ports-of-call as Bali, Penang, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong.
Also included will be visits to the scenic Thai island of Koh Samui, the melting pot which is Malaysia’s Kota Kinabalu and Cambodia’s Sihanoukville.
Amenities and inclusions for this decadent sailing include laundry service, a commemorative gift and a night with dinner in a luxury hotel in Sydney pre-cruise.
A complimentary 15-night post-cruise land program from Hong-Kong to Shanghai, including a four-night cruise aboard the Yangzi Explorer along China’s Yangtze River is also included.
Cruise features include in-suite mini bar replenished daily, open bars and lounges, unlimited wi-fi and pre-paid gratuities.
Prices start at $43,230 per person twin-share.
Phone 1300 455 200 or visit www.rssc.com.
On the way to the Shennongjia Natural Reserve … wild country that’s home to the mythical Yeren.
As the world’s most populous country, you may be forgiven for thinking that truly wild China no longer exists. However, you’d be wrong.
Just north of the Yangtze River lays the Shennongjia Natural Reserve — one of China’s most spectacular and dramatic wilderness areas, which has inspired myths and legends for centuries.
A thick covering of vegetation has helped the region retain an element of mystery — especially surrounding China’s ‘Wild Man’, known locally as Yeren.
This red-haired ape-man is said to stand well over six feet tall, living in the caves that scatter Shennongjia’s rocky landscape, and comes down from the mountains only to feast on local villagers’ dogs and chickens.
This year, Sanctuary Retreats will be running three special four-night sailings in July aboard the Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer, which will include a day trip to Shennongjia Natural Reserve.
Rates start at about $1650 per person twin-share’ including accommodation, all three meals during full sailing days and breakfast on the day of disembarkation, plus drinks (house wine, local beer, soft drinks and water), entrance fees as part of any scheduled sightseeing, pre-arranged entertainment and onboard activities.
Visit www.sanctuaryretreats.com.
In fascinating decay … Zanzibar Stone Town. Image: Jon Collins.
Intrepid Travel is offering up to 40 per cent off select sailing trips to the Galapagos Islands if travellers book before June 15 and up to 30 per cent off Zanzibar sailing trips booked before July 31.
The seven-day ‘Zanzibar Spice Islands Sailing Adventure’ was priced at $2265 but is now $1586 per adult in a twin-share room.
The adventure explores some of the 40 islands which make up the Zanzibar archipelago, with guests enjoying visits to local fishing villages, snorkelling among coral reefs and hiking through the Ngezi Rainforest.
Travellers can choose to relax on deck, dive into crystal-clear waters, cast a line overboard and savour a BBQ dinner of freshly caught fish while watching a magnificent sunset.
Intrepid sailing trips include all meals on-board, tea, coffee, water, beach towels and snorkelling equipment.
Visit www.intrepidtravel.com.au.
