Travel news from around the world

INTERCONTINENTAL have opened a brand-new hotel in Vietnam, while the Western Plains Zoo is offering an overnight bush camping experience.

intercontinental

INTERCONTINENTAL have opened a brand-new hotel in Vietnam, while the Western Plains Zoo is offering an overnight bush camping experience.

1. Scale of nature

SINGAPORE now has a $1 billion park that spans 100ha and houses more than 250,000 rare plants.

Gardens by the Bay is made up of a range of different gardens.

Supertree Grove has tree-like structures up to to 16 storeys high that are home to exotic ferns, vines and orchids.

The Heritage Gardens have an Indian Garden, Chinese Garden, Malay Garden and Colonial Garden, which bring to life Singapore's cultural diversity and colonial history through plants, while the Dragonfly Lake serves as a natural water filter.

2. In the heart of Heritage

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotel Group has opened a luxurious new resort in Vietnam. Danang Sun Peninsula Resort has 197 rooms, suites and beachfront villas with views over the South China Sea. The resort is the latest creation of one of Asia's most celebrated resort designers, Bill Bensley. It is a few kilometres from the UNESCO World Heritage sites of The Imperial City of Hue, The Old Town of Hoi An and the My Son ruins. To celebrate the opening, the resort is offering stays until the end of the year from $US220 ($A215) a night, including breakfast. Terms and conditions apply.

See intercontinental.com or email [e-mail]

3. Adventure tales

AUSTRALIAN adventurers James Castrission and Justin Jones are touring Australia to share tales of their most recent expedition next month.

They will talk about their 89-day, 2270km journey from the edge of Antarctica to the South Pole and back.

The pair will also sign copies of their book Extreme South.

See paddypallin.com.au for dates.

4. Guided by stars

FORMER My Kitchen Rules contestants Emily Cheung and Scott Bradshaw will lead a tour of Vietnam that includes a visit to Hanoi's "Food Alley", dinner with a local family and an evening cooking class.The 11-day Travel Indochina tour departs October 28 and costs from $2890 a person, twin share (excluding flights).

Ph 8229 4764 or see travelindochina.com.au

5. Animals at night

TARONGA Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo is launching an overnight bush camping experience in which visitors will stay in one of 20 tents near a billabong in its Australian wildlife section.

The zoo received a $100,000 grant from the NSW Government to launch the new activity, which will cater for up to 80 people a night.

Taronga already offers overnight stays at Zoofari Lodge in Dubbo and Roar and Snore in Sydney.See taronga.org.au