LOOKING TO get bragging rights over your neighbours when it comes to that next holiday away?
Take advantage of a diverse exploration of Southeast Asia’s newest and least-visited destination.
Intrepid is launching a specially designed itinerary to discover the local way of life in Timor-Leste, the only Asian country entirely in the Southern Hemisphere.
The nine-day ‘Timor-Leste Expedition’ was carefully developed in partnership with Market Development Facility (MDF).
MDF is a multi-country initiative promoting sustainable economic growth, with the purpose of supporting local communities, expanding the potential of tourism in Southeast Asia and delivering travellers alternative destinations for culturally rich and wildlife-dense adventure travel experiences.
Tour highlights include:
- Hiking to the summit of Mt Ramelau, Timor-Leste’s tallest mountain, at sunrise
- Snorkelling from local fishermen’s boats at Atauro Island, a global hotspot for whales and dolphins with the most biodiverse marine protected coral reefs in the world
- Enjoying a local homestay to experience Timorese hospitality and daily life
- Discovering the capital of Dili, sampling traditional food, visiting the Tais market to learn about this traditional textile and learning about the country’s complicated history during several tours and museum and cemetery stops
- Exploring local coffee farms, plantations and cafes to learn how coffee is produced and understand its importance to local culture
- Visiting several social enterprises dedicated to supporting and empowering the people of Timor-Leste, including the Alola Foundation, an NGO aiming to improve the lives of women and children by addressing problems relating to education, economic development, maternal and child health, and gender inequality.
The tour is priced from $3,495 per person and will depart for the first time on October 15.
SAVINGS OFFERED ON AN AUSSIE MUST-SEE
FEW AUSTRALIANS would turn down the chance to visit one of this country’s most inspiring landscapes.
Cruise Traveller is offering free flights and savings on a luxury tour of the Kimberley in 2024.
The company’s 12-night ‘Kingdom of the Kimberley’ fly, cruise and stay package features a 10-night, all-inclusive, ultra-luxe expedition cruise from Broome to Darwin aboard PONANT’s 184-guest exploration ship, Le Jacques Cartier.
Adventure seekers will go on an in-depth exploration of the Kimberley’s gorges, waterfalls and age-old rock art with Dreamtime stories, migrating whales and crocodiles adding to the allure and excitement.
You’ll visit King George Falls, coral-filled Montgomery Reef and Horizontal Falls, where the ocean surges at high tide through a narrow break in the cliffs.
The package includes two nights’ accommodation in Broome before the cruise and a complimentary flight to Broome and back from Darwin ex Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth.
The package, including the free flights, is available from $12,555 per person twin share in a deluxe balcony stateroom – a saving of $4,500 each – when booked by May 30. Four sailings are available from July to September.
THIS SANTA SPECIAL IS A CHRISTMAS CRACKER
IF MEETING Santa is on the family bucket list, now is the time to book ahead and save.
Adventure World is offering five-day ‘Christmas in Lapland’ packages from $3,319 per person twin share, with one departure on December 23. The offer is available until May 22.
The tour begins with a trip to Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, where visitors can meet the man himself and send postcards and letters with a special Santa Claus postmark to family and friends back home.
Get a taste of snowmobiling on a scenic safari through the Arctic Circle Forest and wind down in the wilderness with a visit to a reindeer farm for a sleigh ride, with memorable views of the snow-covered landscapes.
The price includes accommodation, most meals, airport transfers and attractions.
YOUR CHANCE TO HONOUR OUR HEROES
AS THOUSANDS of pilgrims commemorate ANZAC Day, Australia’s leading battlefield tour company has launched its 2024 itineraries.
Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours have special commemorative visits to the Western Front, Gallipoli and Hellfire-Pass Thailand.
A special four-day ANZAC Day in Ypres tour is also being offered, which includes a Dawn Ceremony alongside local townspeople at Polygon Wood in Flanders.
Early bird offers are available, with travellers able to save up to $400 per couple when booking by June 30.
“Walking the ground where the ANZAC legend was born, where loved ones fought and fell, is an important way to connect with our war-time history, to bring the soldiers’ experience to life and to honour those who served,” said Mat McLachlan.
Tours include accommodation in the heart of the battlefields together with exclusive extra visits all led by expert historians who can assist with researching relatives who fought in the First World War on the Western Front or at Gallipoli.
“For many of our travellers, this is a pilgrimage and trip of a lifetime, but we also have many people return to tour the battlefields time and again, as although the sounds of gun fire on the Western Front and at Gallipoli ended over 100 years ago, there is always something new to discover on these great battlefields.”
