A Christmas holiday with a difference

Adventurous vacationers might want to consider spending their Christmas break looking at rhinos, tigers, dolphins and elephants from on board a river cruise along India’s sacred Brahmaputra River. 

Departing December 22, 2019, the river cruise is offered by Adventure Resorts and Cruises (ARC) and as an added gesture of Christmas cheer, solo travellers will pay no single supplement on the Christmas sailing.

The cruise will pass ancient palaces, temples, tribal villages, tea plantations, jungles and the towering Himalayan mountains.

The seven-night cruise is one of the few river cruises to sail through a national park - Kaziranga National Park - which is home to wild buffaloes, elephants, Bengal tigers, freshwater dolphins, over 400 species of bird and two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceros. 

The cruise begins in Guwahati and ends at Jorhat with other highlights including views of the 7000-metre-high Himalayas, visiting the birthplace of English Breakfast Tea and the opportunity to light bonfires on deserted river islands at night. 

The cruise will also feature a special Christmas Eve gala evening complete with live music. 

ARC’s boutique, 46-guest river ship, MV Mahabaahu boasts a swimming pool, spa, bars, lounge, restaurant and sun deck.

Available until sold out, a 25% reduction means fares are available from US$1975 per person, twin-share, for the seven-night cruise, including all shipboard main meals, transfers and daily shore excursions. Flights from Australia are extra. 

“A cruise on the Brahmaputra River offers Australians an exclusive and exotic new adventure far off the beaten tourist trail,” said ARC chairman Sanjay Basu. 

“Accommodation in Assam is also very limited so a journey aboard the MV Mahabaahu offers the best, easiest and most secure way to explore the region.”

To book a Brahmaputra River cruise with ARC, see a travel agent or visit: www.adventurerivercruises.com

Where to enjoy Tasmania at its sparkling best

Tasmania's trend-setting sparkling wine festival Effervescence Tasmania is returning in November for its sixth annual event and organisers are promising the best festival yet.

Effervescence Tasmania has established itself as the leading sparkling wine event in Australia and will again feature events in Launceston, Hobart and at Tamar Valley vineyards.

Guests will be able sample the island state's finest bubbles at the Grand Tasting, indulge in a long lunch, benchmark Tasmanian sparklings against the rest of the world, or dance themselves silly at Bubbles & Beats.

The first Australian sparkling wine was produced in Tasmania in 1826 and today around half of the island’s pinot noir and three quarters of its chardonnay are used for sparkling wines. 

From November 1-17, 12 different sparkling wine houses across the state will feature at over 50 events, spanning regions as far apart as Barnbougle and Bruny Island.

There'll be a partnership with the Tasmanian Walking Company, which will see a walk at Bay of Fires capped off with the chance to enjoy some of the finest food and wine the state has to offer at Bay of Fires Lodge.

Barnbougle Lost Farm in the state's north-east will host a long table lunch along with a round at one of the world's most spectacular golf courses. 

There will be a beginner's masterclass at Josef Chromy Wines at Relbia, where a panel of sparkling experts will offer a window into the world of both making and tasting wine.

The grand tasting will also take place at Josef Chromy, giving wine lovers the chance to sample products from all the sparkling houses involved in the festival. 

"This installment of Effervescence is looking to be bigger and better than ever before," said Josef Chromy Wines chief winemaker and general manager Jeremy Dineen.

"We've got a great group of wineries, some of the best sparkling producers in Tasmania, which literally means the best sparkling producers in Australia, and possibly anywhere outside of Champagne.

"We've got a bunch of extra events here [this year] in and around Launceston and a couple in the south."

Tickets for the festival can be purchased at Effervescence Tasmania's website now.

https://www.effervescencetasmania.com

Wine Island celebrates its fifth birthday

Wine Island, one of Australia's quirkiest gourmet festivals, will celebrate its fifth birthday in November. 

Wine Island will run from Friday, November 1 to Sunday, November 3, on Clark Island in Sydney Harbour. 

The menu features premium wines from Australia and abroad, beer, food, cocktails, Wine Selectors
masterclasses, music, treasure hunts and more.

Wine Island has become a "go-to" event of the spring calendar for not only wine lovers but also those wanting a mini getaway in their own backyard. 

Visitors will set sail from the Sydney Opera House on Batch & Co Spritz Boats, choosing either a Noosa, Sorrento or Bondi Spritz for the short journey to the island.

Wineries featured include Grant Burge, Petaluma, St Hallett, Cape Mentelle, Cumulus, Hungerford Hill and Tulloch.

Other options include a beer from Mornington Peninsula’s Jetty Road Brewery with a Chur Island burger, loaded fries or lamb souvlaki, or perhaps cocktails from Brix Distillers. 

Wine Island is a small island which means only a limited amount of guests are allowed per session. So it pays to book early. 

For details and bookings: www.wineisland.com.au/

Greedy Malaysians deal a blow to tourists

UPDATE: 
In what can only be described as a dumb move, Malaysia will impose a departure tax from September 1. 

The tax will be imposed to tourists despite protests from local airlines and trade group IATA. 

The cost will vary depending on class of service and destination, up to a fee of RM150 ($AUS 54).

There have been calls within Malaysia for the tax to be deferred tuntil after the end of the Visit Truly Asia Malaysia 2020 campaign, the country's travel agency trade group says.

It sends the wrong message for a country aiming to attract more overseas visitors and should be postponed, the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) honorary secretary general Nigel Wong said.

"In general, Matta feels that the tax should be deferred until after the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign at least," he said. 

Standby for more queues at KLIA (above) and other airports, and more inconvenience. 

The Malaysian Government passed a ministerial order for the levy, which will be collected on departure from the country from all eligible travellers.

Exemptions are made for flight crew, transit passengers that do not exceed 12 hours, and children under two years old.

The departure levy starts at RM8 for economy fliers travelling within the ASEAN bloc and RM50 for business or premium classes.

The ASEAN bloc consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The new departure levy order calls for fines of up to RM1 million for passengers or third parties who wilfully try to avoid paying the fee.

Airline group IATA says the fee will cause a reduction of about 835,000 international travellers a year, costing airlines about $US419 million.

This will ultimately lead to more than 5,000 job losses, IATA says.

Why Australians are idiots when it comes to travel insurance

Anyone who travels overseas without travel insurance is a complete raving lunatic. 

On an almost weekly basis we read of some poor unfortunate who has had an accident, riding a motorbike in Thailand, or being mugged in the US, and are unable to pay massive hospital bills. 

It is a truism that if you cannot afford travel insurance you cannot afford to go on vacation - but thousands still take risks and end up having to neg for assistance from their wheelchair or rehab facility. 

Research commissioned by ING reveals Australians are underestimating the potential costly pitfalls to be encountered  even at relaxing retreats.

A new tribe of ‘chillseekers’ is emerging with research revealing that “relaxation” is the number one factor for Aussies when deciding their next holiday, with more than three-quarters (78%) preferring a ‘chilled’ holiday over a ‘thrilling’ getaway. 

Australians have always been known for their adventurous spirits, but many are now opting for experiences that are “more relaxing” (62%), help them “digitally detoxify” (48%), and let them “invigorate their mind and body” (45%). 

For these chillseekers, almost a third (30%) believe they are safer on relaxing holidays. The most popular holiday types favoured by Aussies are beach vacations (42%), family catch-ups (36%) and river or ocean cruises (28%).

But relaxing on a sun lounge doesn’t exempt you from mishaps, with three quarters (or 9.1 million) travellers having suffered some form of issue while on holiday. 

The most common travel mishaps are cancelled or delayed flights (48%), food poisoning/illness (32%) and being conned out of money (20%). 

“Risky selfies” have been revealed to be a new potential danger, with almost one-fifth of those surveyed (18%) revealing they have taken risks to get the perfect holiday photo, such as ignoring warnings, standing on cliffs or posing with wild animals. 

Over half (53%) of Australian travellers surveyed expressed that they have found themselves out of pocket after encountering a problem or accident while on a holiday. Of those travellers, the average loss they estimated was $1,426. 

Despite this, Aussies are still willing to risk a trip without insurance, with over two-thirds (69%) of those who have experienced a mishap saying they rarely or never take out travel insurance. 

Reasons for dodging travel insurance include thinking it’s not necessary when travelling domestically (33%) and that not much can go wrong on a relaxing holiday (31%). 

Cathy Duncan, ING Head of Wealth, said: “Aussies are leading busier lives than ever, so it’s no wonder people are using their holidays as a time to relax, unwind and disconnect. “But unfortunately, the most common travel mishaps can happen no matter what type of vacation you choose – from lost luggage, to unexpected flight cancellations – meaning that to enjoy a relaxing holiday, it’s a good idea to get cover.” 

# This survey was commissioned by ING and conducted by YouGov Galaxy in July 2019. The sample comprised 1,001 Australians aged 18-69 years distributed throughout Australia. 

A bargain basement package holiday in Phuket

As a fussy traveller, I’m used to preparing my own trips down to the finest detail. 

I like to make sure the hotel is just right; the location is perfect, and also do a whole lot of pre-trip research to avoid finding myself next to a building site, or a noisy nightclub.

It had been ages since I took a package holiday, one with flights, accommodation, transfers and other extras all included in the price. Such packages can be risky.

But we needed a week away, somewhere sunny and exotic – and that did not want the hassles of getting a visa. That ruled out Vietnam and Cambodia.

Thailand is always a great holiday destination; not too far away, good beaches, terrific food and plenty of interesting day trips.

So, we splashed out on an eight-night stay at Burasari in Phuket for a shade over $1000 a head, booking through Flight Centre. 

It turned out to be a delightful resort ideal for what we had in mind: reading, lots of lazing around, and a few cocktails by the pool.

Thailand’s largest and most popular island, Phuket is renowned for its nightlife, restaurants and beaches. 

But it’s just as perfect for doing very little except drinking cocktails! 

Burasari is just a two-minute walk from busy Patong Beach but far enough away from the notorious bars of Bangla Road so there is no risk of being disturbed by revellers.

It is a four-star resort a short walk from Jungceylon and the new Patong Central shopping centres, and a tuk-tuk ride away from Kamala, Kata and Karon beaches.

That’s what we knew in advance. And what we found was almost all positive.

Burasari is an older resort, but comfortably worn. It is a little green oasis with comfortable rooms; and extremely friendly staff.

There are two swimming pools and pool tables; a spa, free computers, for guest use; an authentic Thai restaurant (Kantok), a French eatery (La Citadelle), a juice bar and swim-up pool bar. 

Breakfasts are a highlight with an impressive array of both traditional western and Thai dishes, as well as Chinese options.  Food is overseen by Austrian chef Thomas Polt.

There are several room configurations but I’d go for one with a balcony overlooking the pool. 

All have satellite TV, free wifi, air-conditioning, safes, free minbars replenished daily with soft drinks, snacks and local beers, as well as tea and coffee-making facilities and beach towels and a beach bag.

Spa Burasari offers a range of treatments in a quiet space with well-trained therapists, as well as cooking classes and regular traditional dancing performances.

Burasari is a favourite with families and attracts a cosmopolitan crowd who clearly enjoy the boutique vibe and the fact there are several markets, international restaurants, massage shops and bars within short walking distance.

The hotel can recommend drivers for day trips to the likes of the Big Buddha, the Chalong Bay Distillery, remote beaches, cashew nut factories or elephant experiences (both ethical and not).

Burasari Phuket, 18/110 Ruamjai Road, Tambon Patong, Ampur Kathu, Phuket 83150.

www.burasari.com. + (66) 76 292929.

Our flights from Australia were with AirAsia via Kuala Lumpur.

AirAsia was recently named Skytrax World’s Best Low-Cost Airline for the 11th consecutive year and offers excellent options like Hot Seats (with extra leg room) and a Quiet Zone (no screaming children).

The economy class meals are among the best I’ve come across; best to stick to the Asian choices like nasi lemak or chicken rice.

AirAsia connects Australians to over 140 destinations across the Asia Pacific region on more than 65 flights per week from Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne Avalon and the Gold Coast.

For details visit www.airasia.com.