Brisbane, Thailand and more…

By John Rozentals.

Prepare to run free in a rich playground of cultural wonder, as Parramasala returns to Parramatta from March 15-17, featuring a vibrant cross-section of cultures from South American to Middle Eastern, Indigenous Australian to South East Asian, and everything in between.

Parramatta will transform into a cornucopia of experiences, including cutting-edge live music, vivid dance and theatre, a breathtaking parade of splendid colour, spectacular costumes, and beating rhythms.

The festival includes a bustling food precinct and a bar area.

Visit www.parramasala.com.

Curious minds will congregate at Mantra South Bank from March 20-24 for the World Science Festival Brisbane, now part of Curiocity Brisbane.

Mantra South Bank has signed a three-year deal to be the festival’s official accommodation partner and provides the perfect base for a myriad of science, technology and the arts encounters across the city.

This year, all World Science Festival Brisbane ticket holders are entitled to a 10 per cent discount at Mantra Hotels properties in Brisbane.

From the South Bank Cultural Precinct, where the hotel is located, to the creative hub centred around the Brisbane Powerhouse in New Farm, Brisbane will be transformed.

World Science Festival Brisbane explores and celebrates the entanglement of science and art through a curated program of thought-provoking conversations, inspiring theatrical and cinematic experiences, interactive workshops and engaging demonstrations.

Visit www.worldsciencefestival.com.au.

Jump aboard the customised seven-seater de Havilland Beaver with Above and Beyond Seaplanes to see a different side of Hobart, Port Arthur and Stewarts Bay.

Departing from Hobart’s waterfront, the 30-minute City Scenic adventure takes guests on a loop over the city then down the River Derwent all the way to Bruny Island, then back up the river to the Tasman Bridge before landing back at Franklin Wharf.

The 90-minute Port Arthur and Three Capes Panorama flight heads toward the spectacular Tasman Peninsula and over the soaring cliffs of the iconic Three Capes before touching down at Port Arthur to stretch the legs ahead of the return journey via kunanyi/Mt Wellington.

Visit www.aboveandbeyond.flights.

Backyard Travel is offering a new cultural exploration through Thailand and Myanmar, delving into features ranging from Bangkok’s pulsing inner city to Bagan’s temple-studded plains.

The nine-night ‘Thailand and Myanmar Cultural Exploration’ begins in Bangkok, where travellers are introduced to two of the country’s most revered sites — the Grand Palace and Wat Po.

In Thailand, the journey continues through the ruins of its former capital, Ayutthaya, before traveling north to Yangon, Myanmar, to be immersed in local life, wandering the local markets and stopping in little tea shops.

The temples of Bagan then follow, with the option of drifting above them on a dawn hot-air balloon flight.

The tour concludes with three days exploring the villages of tranquil Inle Lake, with activities that provide glimpses into rural and hill tribe life.

European Waterways will celebrate ‘500 years of Renaissance Heritage’ in France this year with special hotel barge cruises in the Loire Valley.

Departures on the company’s six-passenger Nymphea hotel barge, which cruises through the Loire Valley on the Cher River, feature excursions that will immerse guests in the region’s many exhibitions, festivals and gastronomic events.

The Cher River is close to some of the more significant Renaissance sites, and Nymphea is one of the few vessels that can navigate it because of its shallow draft.

France’s Loire Valley is marking the anniversary of three major milestones that shaped the Renaissance: the death of Leonardo da Vinci, who spent his final years there, the start of construction of the Château de Chambord, the ultimate embodiment of Renaissance architecture, and the birth of Catherine de Medici in Florence

Rates for the six-night cruises start at €3990 per person twin-share, and include accommodation, gourmet cuisine, open bar, fine wines, daily excursions, and guided tours.

Visit europeanwaterways.com.

Riviera Travel has announced the addition of a ninth sailing in Europe this year exclusively for solo passengers.

All cabins will be free of any single supplement.

The new solo-only sailing is a seven-night cruise on the Rhone and Saone Rivers from Lyon to Avignon in France aboard the five-star, 76-cabin MS William Shakespeare, departing on October 14.

The cruise features the wine region of Burgundy, the flower-flecked meadows of Provence, the spectacular Rhone Valley, the gastronomic capital of Lyon, the Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard and the city of Arles — once home to famed painter, Vincent Van Gogh.

Fares are from $3999, including daily guided excursions, onboard meals and wi-fi.

Visit www.rivieratravel.com.au.

Four Seasons Resort Sayan has launched ‘Guided by Gratitude’, which it claims is Bali’s first year-round wellness retreat.

Inspired by Ubud’s acclaimed healing energy, and the Balinese daily rituals of thanks, guests can check-in any day of the year and embark on a personal journey of discovery into the ‘well of being’.

To this end, the resort has designed a three-night retreat that can be commenced at any point — and extended and tailored to suit each individual.

The program is largely the work of Ibu Fera (a former Buddhist nun) and Faraaz Tanveer (a yoga, reiki and meditation master).

It includes various meditation sessions, yoga classes, a Balinese water-blessing ritual, sound therapy with crystal singing bowls, chakra rebalancing spa treatment, and an exclusive ‘Sacred Nap’ experience, with guests rocked to sleep in a silk hammock while listening to nature’s melody and Buddha’s story.

Visit www.fourseasons.com.

STA Travel currently has savings of up to 54 per cent on accommodation worldwide.

Across Asia, the likes of four-star resort The Old Phuket, in Thailand, is offering seven nights from $190, and the Harbour Grand Kowloon in Hong Kong has up to 20 per cent off with three nights from $299.

In Europe, Hotel Nardizzi in Rome is offering a stay-three-pay-two deal, and Nadia Hotel in Amsterdam is offering 10 per cent off, with three nights starting from $199.

And Fiji Beach Escape has a stay-five-pay-four deal from $349 … plus get up to 20 per cent off Fiji Island Hopping passes.

Booking and travel dates vary, so check out www.statravel.com.au.

Book yourself and a friend on a UTracks’ five-day ‘Tulip Tour Deluxe’ in late March and the second traveller could receive a 50 per cent discount off the base price of the tour, a saving of $765.

The price for this boat-based cycling adventure includes most meals (four breakfasts, three lunches, four dinners), four nights aboard a barge in a twin cabin, two experienced English-speaking cycle guides, a seven-speed rental bike and selected entrance fees.

Cycle to the world’s largest flo

wer gardens at Keukenhof and be dazzled by the scenes of windmills, wooden houses and the canal ways of Amsterdam;

Visit www.utracks.com.

On this 14-day cycling journey through the heart of Central Asia, guests will experience mountain gorges, desert oases, ancient fortified cities, bustling bazaars, tented caravans, and the Great Steppe, all while absorbing the rich history that has shaped empires for millennia.

The itinerary, offered by Grasshopper Adventures, includes exploring the ancient cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, Shakhrisabz, and Khiva, cycling the canyons and peaks of the Nuratau Mountains, and overnighting in yurt camps stationed on the old Silk Road.

The tour covers 505 kilometres and prices start at $USD4950.

Visit www.grasshopperadventures.com.