Deals of the week, September 26: Travel Marvel; Viking Cruises; Luxury Escapes
Take advantage of earlybird savings on classic rail journeys or head to the Great Barrier Reef for adventure.
Get in early
Couples can save up to $1400 on earlybird bookings for select railway journeys across Europe, Asia, the US, Australia and New Zealand. The itineraries, devised by Travel Marvel with British company Great Rail Journeys, include the Glacier Express in Switzerland, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in India and Scotland’s West Highland Line, and range from nine to 18 days. Discounts of up to $3000 apply to rail holidays combined with a Douro River cruise in Portugal.
Transit of venus
Viking Cruises has added a departure in 2023 for its popular 29-day sailing from London to Sweden. The new Viking Venus will visit 10 countries, including Norway, Finland and Russia, on its Baltic Jewels and the Midnight Sun itinerary. The cruise line’s “risk-free guarantee” allows passengers to change their cruise up until 24 hours before embarkation. Departs July 22, 2023; from $18,495 a person, twin-share, in a veranda stateroom.
Go troppo
A reef tour in a semi-submersible vessel, a snorkelling session and guided rainforest walks are all part of a package on offer for Green Island Resort in tropical north Queensland. When booking an Island Suite, the Luxury Escapes deal also includes daily breakfast, a sunset drink each evening, $50 dining credit and return catamaran transfers from Cairns. From $1499 a suite for four nights (valued at $3584); book by October 7 for travel until December 20 next year.
Pine time
Explore the history and flora of Norfolk Island on an eight-day Botanica World Discoveries tour of the former penal outpost east of Brisbane. Guests on the expert-led trip will get to see the rare Phillip Island hibiscus and Norfolk tree fern, among other attractions. Departures are on April 12 and October 18 next year; from $4995 a person, twin-share, including return economy class flights from Sydney.
Scene saver
Economy class flights to the value of $1900 a person are included in a range of Scenic river cruises of 11 days or longer on the Rhine, Main and Danube, and in France or Russia next year and 2022. The cruise line also has a 50 per cent saving on single supplements for solo travellers. A 15-day voyage on Scenic Tsar between Moscow and St Petersburg is priced from $10,545 a person, twin-share; book by November 30.
World class
Seabourn has a host of offers on its 145-day World Cruise setting sail in early 2022, including discounts for repeat world cruisers. Return business class airfares, shipboard credits, internet packages, private car transfers and unlimited laundry are among the incentives for guests who pay in full by May 31 next year. Departs January 11, 2022, from Los Angeles; from $66,999 a person, twin-share, for an ocean-view room.
Send Great Escapes to travel@theaustralian.com.au.
OUT + ABOUT
Crooked Compass has launched Adventure by Air, a company that offers tours by private aircraft around Australia. Its eight ready-made itineraries visit the likes of Tasmania, the Kimberley, and Groote Eylandt and the Tiwi Islands but can be tweaked to suit guests’ wishes. Mystery Flights are available from $1700 a person for a one or two-day intrastate experience that includes exclusive dining and touring.
Not-for-profit conservation organisation Aussie Ark will open its NSW Barrington Tops facility to the public for daily tours during these school holidays. Tasmanian devils and eastern spotted quolls are some of the animals on show. Until October 11, opening hours are from 10am to 2pm, with tours running at 10.30am, 11.30am and 12.30pm; adults $35, children $15, family of four $90.
Tourism Whitsundays has teamed up with Diabetes Queensland for a competition that aims to increase awareness of the condition. Two holiday prizes, of seven nights and four nights respectively at island resorts, are up for grabs for people who join or refer a friend to the organisation before November 30.
The newly refurbished Rainforest Habitat at tourist attraction Wildlife Habitat in Port Douglas, Queensland, has reopened to visitors. New to the zone is a tower that takes visitors to different levels of the rainforest canopy. Cassowaries, eclectus parrots and rainbow lorikeets are among the birds in the enclosure.