If you love travelling (like we do), we’re sure you like looking at new hotels or destinations for your dream getaway. Read on for the latest hotel deals, resort openings and other travel titbits to check out for your next escape – it’s going to be the best one ever!
Sailing Away
Good news for cruise lovers: Asia’s most innovative cruise ship is making her return to Hong Kong in 2024! Through January 2025, Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas will offer seven HK homeport sailings. These include four-to-five-night Vietnam and Japan getaways and a nine-night Christmas Japan sail visiting Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Nagasaki and Fukuoka. Onboard there’s plenty to do, from adrenaline-pumping thrills, nightlife and performances to tranquil spa treatments and delicious dining options. For information and bookings, visit royalcaribbean.com.hk.
Hotel on the Harbour
The doors to the W Sydney’s ultra-modern and curvaceous-looking hotel will open on 12 October. A particular highlight is the double-level bar looking out onto the famous harbour and a 30-metre mosaic infinity pool; this is sure to become a sought-after venue in Australia’s biggest city for a cocktail or wine – or head to the upper levels for vintage champagnes by the glass! There are also tasty Basque tapas plates on offer. Find out more at wsydney.com.
Airline News
Cathay Pacific: The next time you fly with Cathay Pacific, you may get to choose from its new plant-based menu made in collaboration with VEDA by Ovolo. The variety of tasty plant-forward options will be available to passengers travelling in Premium
Economy and Economy class on selected long-haul flights. bit.ly/cathaypacificveda
HK Express: Trips from Hong Kong to the Philippines are now more affordable, convenient and accessible thanks to HK Express! The Hong Kong-based low-cost carrier is launching daily flights to Manila from 13 October. hkexpress.com
United Airlines: From 29 October, UA will fly daily non-stop from Hong Kong to Los Angeles (LAX), adding to its twice-daily flights to San Francisco. The new B787-9 Dreamliner route will open up more flight options, with smoother connections to over 70 locations in the US, Canada, and Latin America. united.com
Bangkok Air Takes Off Again!
After a three-year hiatus, Thai boutique airline Bangkok Airways has resumed direct flights to Koh Samui from 1 July. The service will initially offer three flights a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. bangkokair.com
Samui Sanctuary
To celebrate the return of Bangkok Air’s direct flights between Hong Kong and Koh Samui, six bedroom private villa Suralai is offering a special deal to HK residents. Rates start from just US$1,000 per night for exclusive use of all six rooms and one complimentary half-day sailing on the villa’s new 44-foot sailing catamaran Odyssey, for stays of five nights or more. The villa is staffed with a private chef and boasts views across to Koh Phangan (Full Moon Island) in the near distance. For bookings, visit elite-havens.com or www.suralai.com
New In-flight Mag for Cathay
Cathay Pacific has added a new magazine to its onboard experience. Titled Cathay, the refreshed publication provides inspirational content on travel, culture, food and shopping, plus what’s new in Hong Kong and beyond. It’s printed using eco-friendly vegetable oil ink and ethically produced paper which is recycled. cathay.com
The Regent Returns
After almost three years of restoration work, harbourfront icon Regent Hong Kong has unveiled an initial preview of its new look with a glimpse at its Classic Harbourview Room (pictured). Led by HK-born design visionary Chi Wing Lo, the transformation takes on a serene aesthetic featuring neutral tones and subtle details evoking harmony, warmth and tranquillity. The rooms feature stunning views of Victoria Harbour (some from the bathtub!) and a spacious open-plan design. Bookings are now open with a further unveiling of more guestrooms and suites.
Cruises are Back!
In exciting news for cruise fans, Resorts World Cruises has restarted trips from Hong Kong. Offering two- and three-night high-sea cruises, as well as a new four-day/three-night cruise to Taiwan, Resorts World One (formerly Explorer Dream) has a choice of accommodation to suit all budgets across more than 900 rooms. Expect all the hallmarks synonymous with the brand, including the signature luxury “ship within a ship”, The Palace, with its own 24-hour European style butler service. The two- and three-night cruises depart Hong Kong every Friday, Sunday and Wednesday. The Taiwan cruise (fares from HK$1,699) departs Sunday, arriving in Kaohsiung on Monday and calling in at Penghu on Tuesday before returning to HK on Wednesday.
For details, visit rwcruises.com.
More Great Cruise Options
Bookings are now open for Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ “2024 World Cruise”, an incredible 132-night voyage that spans 34,500 nautical miles, and 66 ports of call across 31 countries and four continents, including 61 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The nearly-five-month trip offers – wait for it – 442 different free shore excursions. That should get the travel juices flowing again!
Orient Express Heads Out to Sea
Known for its luxury trains, Orient Express is now launching the world’s largest sailing ship, Orient Express Silenseas, which will set sail in 2026. Inspired by the Golden Age of the French Riviera, this extraordinary 220-metre-long ocean treasure will feature 54 suites – one of them a monumental 1,415-square-metre Presidential suite – along with two swimming pools including a lap pool. There’ll even be an amphitheatre and a private recording studio for those in a musical mood!
Deep Diving
While Dubai is hardly a destination that comes to mind for diving, the city’s newest attraction will allow you to plunge into the depths of a mysterious sunken city. Deep Dive Dubai’s 60-metre pool is the world’s deepest underwater attraction, with experiences for divers of all ages and skill levels. Its discovery packages for snorkelling, free-diving and scuba diving are excellent for first-timers who want to learn in a warm, controlled environment. More advanced divers, meanwhile, can explore the deepest reaches of the submerged city.
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