- NZ’S MOST OVERLOOKED HIDDEN GEMS
- WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR ON A CRUISE
- WHY YOUR NEXT SNOW TRIP MIGHT BE IN CHINA
- THE BEST PLACE TO SPEND CHRISTMAS
Procrastination rarely pays when it comes to booking summer holidays, but while winter may have been the best time to lock in a great deal it is still possible to plan a great Christmas getaway.
CRUISE ALONG
Though cruise companies recommend guests book well in advance to guarantee the cruise and stateroom category they want, great deals are still available.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Australia and New Zealand managing director Adam Armstrong says the key is to be flexible and do your research.
“Last-minute bookings usually mean not as much choice. So look at all that is available and see what works. If interconnecting or quad share staterooms are sold out, check out family suites.”
Royal Caribbean is offering 50 per cent off for the second guest on all its local sailings out of Australia, including Voyager of the Seas’ eight-night South Pacific Christmas cruise from $2499 for the first and $1249.50 for the second guest.
There are still spaces on Princess Cruises itineraries from Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Fremantle to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the South Pacific and Indonesia, with prices from $2399 a person.
P&O and Carnival Cruise Line also have availability on cruises out of Australia including a 10-night Great Barrier Reef cruise on P&O’s Pacific Eden from $1399 each and 11 nights on Carnival Spirit’s New Caledonia and Fiji cruise from $1449 a person.
Those who prefer river cruising can also enjoy last-minute options including Uniworld’s all-inclusive Enchanting Christmas & New Year’s luxury river cruise from Passau to Budapest from $6584 a person for 11 days, and Christmas on the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar with Belmond Road To Mandalay’s four-day cruise from $US2520 ($A3310) a person including complimentary cabin upgrades when booked online.
royalcaribbean.com.au, princess.com, pocruises.com.au, carnival.com.au, uniworld.com, belmond.com
A CAPITAL IDEA
As business travellers take their own holidays, hotel rooms in major Australian cities can be significantly cheaper over the Christmas and New Year period, particularly on weekdays. Choose to stay in the heart of your own city and spend the money you save on flights on restaurants, shopping and spa treatments, or get to know another great Aussie city.
According to Skyscanner, some Australian cities are actually more affordable to fly to over summer.
Last year, Sydney to Melbourne was 3.6 per cent cheaper, Melbourne to Sydney 2.3 per cent and Perth to Melbourne 1.3 per cent cheaper when booked in November for travel compared with the average price paid across the year.
Culture lovers can enjoy great new exhibitions over summer, including Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Artists at Melbourne’s NGV, which celebrates Friday nights with a live music program over the holidays.
Meanwhile Versailles: Treasures from the Palace will see personal items from Louis XIV to Marie Antoinette travel from France to Canberra’s National Gallery of Australia for the first time. Mercure Canberra is partnering with the NGA on a special Versailles exhibition deal including overnight accommodation, full buffet breakfast and two tickets to the exhibition for $167 a couple.
skyscanner.com.au, mercurecanberra.com.au
CROSS THE DITCH
The most visited overseas destination for Australians, New Zealand is also among the cheapest last-minute destinations for international flights.
“Some international destinations were found to be cheaper when booked in December compared with the prices travellers paid in November,” Emily Callahan, senior marketing manager at Skyscanner for Australia and New Zealand explains.
“Our 2015 data showed that flights booked from Melbourne to Auckland and Singapore in December saved about 10 per cent and 7 per cent respectively.”
As well as city breaks and self-drive holidays, there is a range of New Zealand tour options.
AAT Kings’ The Spirit of New Zealand 21-day guided holiday includes Christmas on a Milford Sound overnight cruise and is priced from $6250 a person, twin share, while the 10-day Southern Spectacular departs on January 1 and is priced from $3895.
THINK ABOUT CHINA
As the temperature drops in China so does the number of tourists, making this a great time to take advantage of cheaper hotels, discounted flights and room to move at some of the most popular tourist destinations.
Jaime De Silva, Booking.com’s APAC spokeswoman says most of the key destinations in China have a wide range of properties. “In Shanghai, there are 1392 properties listed on Booking.com. In Beijing, there are 1388 listed. “It gives travellers plenty of options to choose from, suited to any budget.
“Both cities have a strong transport infrastructure, which makes it that much easier to get to all the ‘must sees’ of each city even when they stay in a less central location.”
Some of China’s winter festivals are among the best in the world, including the Harbin Ice Festival (January 5 to February 25). On The Go Tours offers an 11-day Harbin Ice Festival Tour that includes visits to the Great Wall, and the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an from $2849.
WINTER WONDERLAND
With so many holiday-makers heading to warmer climates, hotel rates in Europe also become considerably cheaper in the wintry off-season, a season that holds a lot of charm for Australian travellers.
“While we all love our summer Christmas, it really is something special being able to experience a white Christmas,” Alex O’Connor, Insight Vacations’ managing director Australia says. “Whether you are wandering though historic Christmas markets, ducking into a cosy bar for a glass of gluhwein or enjoying a medieval banquet in a 700-year-old building, Europe in winter is a unique and truly magical experience.”
Insight Vacations’ nine-day Winter Wonderland itinerary takes in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, priced from $2875 a person, twin share.
Meanwhile, Contiki is offering up to 30 per cent off its 24-day Winter Wanderer for those who pay before November 30, priced from $3049 a person for travel from December 9.
insightvacations.com, contiki.com
TAKE A ROAD TRIP
Get your road trip playlist ready and take advantage of cheaper petrol prices while avoiding expensive holiday flights.
Use hotel comparison websites to find a last-minute bargain and drive somewhere new, or join the growing number of Australians embracing the traditional caravan and camping holiday. Australian Tourist Park Management says Australians took 11 million caravan and camping trips last year, up 7 per cent on the previous year.
General manager Lyndall Murray says that it’s not just grey nomads driving the trend, with a rise in young families choosing convenient and affordable family-friendly getaways.
Most tourist parks offer cabins and studio units as well as powered and unpowered sites, and some are offering discounts over summer.
RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort, RAC Exmouth Cape Holiday Park and Ningaloo Reef Resort all have up to 30 per cent off bookings made before March 31, including the summer holiday period.
DEAL WITH IT
Those who don’t have their hearts set on a particular holiday can let the deals decide their destination.
Kayak’s “Explore” tool allows users to put in their home airport, budget and month or season of travel and shows where they can go around the world, while choosing “Everywhere” as the destination on Skyscanner will show the cheapest places to fly to.
Following the deals is not only a chance to bag a bargain holiday but also a novel way to discover a new destination.
A great travel lover’s Christmas present to themselves.
