Hot Deals

35% Cruise Discounts

Star Clippers, operators of three of the world’s largest luxury sailing ships, is offering up to 35 % savings for early bookings on many itineraries in its new 2011 program.

Book by October 31 for discounts on selected cruises including Lisbon/Barcelona, Barcelona/Rome, Rome/Lisbon, Lisbon/Malta, Malta/Athens vv, Malta/Malaga, Malaga/LasPalmas, Lisbon/Monaco and eight Atlantic crossings or segments.

For reservations contact your travel agent or the Australian general sales agent for Star Clippers on 1300 362 599, or email

Bring a friend for half price

The Great Escape Charter Company has End of Season Specials for all new reservations.  Simply book a place on any of the remaining August and September 2010 MV Great Escape departure dates and you can bring a friend along for half price!* The dates are:

13 nights Kimberley Classic Adventure
7th – 20th August – Broome to Wyndham
21st August - 3rd September – Wyndham to Broome

7 nights Southern Kimberley Experience
4th – 11th Sept 2010 – cruise/fly
11th – 18th Sept 2010 – fly/cruise
19th – 26th Sept 2010 – cruise/fly
26th Sept – 3rd October – fly/cruise

To find out more, click YOURLifeChoices simple short cut.

$470 - 4-Day Brazilian Beach Break

If you’re looking for the kind of relaxed beach holiday that Brazilians enjoy, Chimu Adventures is offering its Fortaleza Beach Break at just $470 per person. The 4-day tour will allow you to experience the culture of Brazil’s northeast coast, an area few tourists get to see.

The tour kicks off in Fortaleza, where travellers can revel in the nightlife, enjoy the restaurants and chill out on the beach of this coastal city. An English-speaking guide will show you the Iracema Statue in Messejana Lagoon and the beaches of Praia Do Futuro and Praia de Iracema, where you may even catch a glimpse of some dolphins. This tour includes airport transfers, three nights’ accommodation at 3-star hotels, a tour guide and some meals.

This offer is valid for daily departures.

Find out more here.

Tour the world for less

Who said adventure & fun is only for the young? With Escape Travel’s all-inclusive touring holidays, you can safely see all of the places in the world you have dreamt about all your life - and doing it won’t cost the kids inheritance!

If you have ever taken a road trip you know how much fun it can be exploring new sights every day, experiencing wonderful cultures and tasting different foods. But you also appreciate how much better it is when someone else does the driving in unfamiliar roads, finds the parking spots, and organises the accommodation.
That’s where coach tours are great. You get to meet new people who share similar interests and tastes, while exploring different parts of the world. Your safety and security while travelling is increased, and you get to travel in comfortable coaches led by experienced tour guides who share all those little bits of local knowledge that aren’t found in travel guides.

The other great thing about touring holidays is the costs are all-inclusive which means it covers all of your travel, insurance, petrol, accommodation and most meals. As a result, touring holiday costs are much cheaper than if you organise it yourself. You see more of the world for less money and stress!

Escape Travel are experts in organising affordable and memorable touring holidays, and as part of the Flight Centre group, you can relax knowing your holiday is backed by a large, reputable company.
We have a great range of coach and adventure touring holidays including:

Kruger Adventure 4 days from $519*
London and Paris 7 days from $1195*
Italian Experience 5 days from $1199*
Nepal Adventure 15 days from $1385*
Machu Pichu/Inca Trails 15 days from $1805*
Kimberley Safari 11 days from $1915*
Best of Egypt 9 days from $2325*
New Zealand 14 days from $2589*

Call today to speak to one of our specialist Touring specialists – 1300 556 855 or visit www.escapetravel.com.au for a full list of our exciting coach and adventure tours.

Egypt - Two for the price of one

Scenic Tours are excited to announce the launch of their Egypt, Jordan & Dubai 2010/2011 program. Tour these fascinating lands with exclusive Scenic Enrich inclusions and exceptional hotels with fully inclusive tours escorted by the very best multi-lingual Egyptologists and expert tour directors in Jordan and Dubai.  For a limited time only when you book one of our selected tours you can buy one airfare – get one airfare free, just pay taxes from $554 per person, flying Singapore Airlines. 

Our 10 day all-inclusive The Heart of Egypt Tour includes luxury stays at the Palace Hotels of Egypt, a luxury 4 night Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan onboard the Nile’s newest 5 star cruise boats, Abu Simbel air excursion, full day guided tours of the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx and the Valley of the Kings including the tomb of Tutankhamen.  Explore the Egyptian Museum in Cairo for a half day guided tour including entry into the Mummies Room plus new for 2010 exclusive Scenic FreeChoice Activities in Cairo. 1st person from $5,339*, 2nd person from $4,049* including return, economy class flights from Australia.

Visit Scenic Tours
Phone 1300 723 642 or see your local travel agent.

$100 road trips

The price of fuel may be at an all time high but $100 can take you further than you think in a fuel-efficient car.

Hire a fuel efficient car from Vroom Vroom Vroom for the weekend and just $100 can take you up to 875km.  Even factoring in the average cost of hiring a vehicle for the weekend, which can vary from state to state and depending on the time of year, you can get further by car than you can with the cheapest of airline fares. Some of the suggested weekend road trips are:

Sydney to Shellharbour via “Paradise”
A favourite with day-trippers since the railway brought the first tourists to town in 1887, Shellharbour is just an hour’s drive south of Sydney but some of the memorable sites along the way make it an unforgettable journey. 

London Bridge to the Goldfields of Sovereign Hill
Drive the 800km of the Great Southern Touring Route and save yourself a trip to the UK to see the London Bridge.  All that remains of the natural double span bridge is the arch but the Twelve Apostles and the Great Ocean Road make it a journey worth taking.

Perth to Kalgoorlie
This journey will take you close to six and a half hours, about 595km, allowing you to take your time, visit the quaint country towns en route, and enjoy the best of local hospitality with a farmstay.

For more information on car hire, visit Vroom Vroom Vroom.

Japan rail pass discounts

One of the easiest ways to get around Japan is by rail and thanks to discounts on Japan Rail passes by HIS, this is now even cheaper.

Offered in two classes, Ordinary and the superior Green class, discounts apply to all seven, 14 and 21 consecutive day rail passes. Orindary passes start from $295 for a seven-day pass, $638 for a 14-day pass and $830 for a 21-day pass.

To understand the true value these passes represent to visitors, a seven-day pass is equivalent in cost to a return ticket between Tokyo and Osaka. An added benefit of the pass is that it can also be used on Japan’s extensive national network of buses and ferries.

Passes must be pre-booked and are only available to international visitors. For more information, visit Travel Japan.

Rail Explorer Pass

International travellers can now enjoy the best of Australian rail travel for the small price of $690.

Non-Australian passport holders can enjoy unlimited travel, with Red Daynighter Seat service over a period of six months, on the Ghan, Indian Pacific and the Overland train services for $690.  Great news for family and friends making the trip down under.

Red Daynighter Seats are affordable and comfortable, making them ideal for the more budget conscious traveller.  All guests can access the Lounge Car, to meet other guests and enjoy affordable light meals snacks and drinks.  Towels and soap are provided for every guest with showers and toilets located at the end of each carriage.
If you’re looking for a way to wow your visitors from overseas, the spectacular landscapes and wildlife that can be seen as these trains glide across Australia, will leave them with memories of a trip which will last a lifetime.

For more information on any of these train journeys or the Rail Explorer Pass, visit Great Southern Railways.

Free fuel alerts

The name isn’t very glamorous, but motormouth sure is a site we like very much. It is a running list of the best fuel prices in major locations, as well as free email updates. This site is simply too good to ignore.

The site is still in its infancy, so it doesn’t cover all major cities, but for many capital city residents or visitors it does offer a useful way of comparing fuel prices and saving hard-earned dollars when buying petrol or diesel.
Find out more here

Spirit of Tasmania

Spirit of Tasmania provides grandparents with a wide variety of accommodation and onboard entertainment facilities to make sailing with their grandchildren extremely convenient, comfortable and enjoyable, including the Children’s Room on Deck Seven. For more information, call 13 20 10 or click here

The London Pass

This pass gives access to London’s museums, historic buildings and locations!
The London Pass is museum/attractions pass which bills itself as the ‘Passport to London’ allowing free entry into over 60 London attractions. The Pass is valid for 1, 2, 3, or 6 consecutive days.
The prices range from 1-day adult $89 to 6 days $200, with children (5 - 15 years) receiving a further discount.
Enjoy free priority admission into over 60 London attractions including the London Zoo, The Tower of London and Windsor Castle, a free 128 page colour guidebook and discounted offers at selected restaurants and attractions.
Find out more at Rail Plus’ website, including the full list of attractions.

Beach beauty

South Australia’s beaches are this country’s best kept travel secret. Whether you want spectacular dunes, crashing waves or calmer waters, the Yorke Peninsula’s unspoilt national parks offer great fishing, surfing, snorkelling and diving, as well as bushwalking, birdwatching and fascinating history.

For the marine-minded, there are two underwater trails for the beginner and the experienced diver, as well as historical jetties which provide excellent opportunities to see historical shipwrecks.

Yorke Peninsula can accommodate you in a range of fashions – from beach shack getaways to romantic bed and breakfasts. Walk Innes National Park or take in the history of the natural resources museums and mining communities.