Delta Airline News, Best Travel Deals, Best Hotels Deals: November 2013

Tuesday 12 November 2013

What women really think about travelling with men

'Oops ... we're in the wrong country. Oh well' Picture: Thinkstock Source: ThinkStock

FLIRTING with foreign men, eating exotic food, guilt-free shopping and getting lost - welcome to the wonderful world of women-only travel.

Bellas Travel Nirvana founder Shauna Paine, who specialises in female-only holidays, says women have way more fun flying solo.

The Brisbane-based tourism operator, who is launching Bellas Travel Nirvana this week, says female-only adventures are literally taking off.

Here are 25 reasons why.

Setting off on an epic independent adventure. Picture: Thinkstock. Source: Supplied

1. You can go wherever you want without argument

2. You can do exactly what you want - whether that is lie by the pool, drink champagne, read trashy novels or go exploring on foot.

3. You can peruse the shops as long as you like.

4. You can buy whatever you want without someone asking "what do you need that for?"

5. You won't be embarrassed by someone's stinky farts in crowded places.

Tourists in Ubud, Bali. Picture: Lukman Bintaro. Source: News Limited

6. Instead of just picking up after someone, you can actually pick up.

7. You can choose whether there's a hot body in your bed.

8. You can stay out as late as you like.

9. You only have to look after yourself.

10. You only have to pack and repack your own bag.

This is the only luggage you have to worry about. Picture: Thinkstock. Source: News Limited

11. You don't have to worry about his lost wallet, passport or sunglasses.

12. You don't have to carry his sunscreen.

13. You can walk/climb as far/high as you like without someone asking "how much further?"

14. You can take as many selfies as you want without any eye-rolling.

15. You won't have to sit in pubs or watch sport being played on the other side of the world.

‘I might cycle around all day’. Picture: Thinkstock. Source: News Limited

16. You don't have to perform in bed after a full day of shopping, err, we mean sightseeing.

17. You don't have to worry about whether your man's enjoying himself.

18. You can indulge in endless massages and beauty treatments without worrying about "wasting money".

19. You won't have to endure mortifying partner moments as your man haggles over a $2 pair of thongs.

20. You won't suffer from sleep deprivation caused by his restless night in a foreign bed.

Food being prepared at a restaurant in Thailand. Picture: Thinkstock. Source: News Limited

21. Your memories of amazing places won't be ruined by fights about forgetting the camera.

22. You will be able to ask for directions if you get lost.

23. You won't have to endure sulking about sore feet.

24. You won't have to tell anyone you need "me time".

25. You won't have to seek out western foods for fussy fellas.

Is this list one-sided? You betcha! But we're willing to even the score. So blokes, tell us why travel is better without women?

Continue the conversation via Twitter @newscomauHQ | @itsKShort | @shaunapaine

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Five of the best travel deals

Explore the best of Britain - including London's landmarks - with a 10-day coach tour. Source: Supplied

Take a coach to see the best of Britain

BOOK one 10-day coach holiday to England, Scotland and Wales and receive a second for free. The offer is priced from $1999 for two people booking together when booked and paid in full by November 14. Explore London, Cambridge, York, Edinburgh, Inverness, Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, the Scottish Highlands, Liverpool, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Wales and more. Stay in 3-star hotel accommodation, travel by motorcoach, receive breakfast daily and the services of an experienced tour leader. Departures are from March to October 2014 from London.

Ph 1300 813 391 or see ditravel.com.au

Rajasthan’s attractions include the Palace of the Winds in Jaipur. Source: Supplied

Royal India

TAKE off on a nine-day Indian holiday travelling from Delhi to Jaipur from $4585 and save $1140 a person on remaining 2013/14 departures. The Splendours of the Taj Gold itinerary will take you to some of India's top hotels such as the Oberoi Amarvilas with views of the Taj Mahal, and other premium inclusions such as a gala evening at Jaipur City Palace, lunch at the Baroda Royal family's palace and an elephant safari at a private estate.

Ph 1300 237 886 or see insightvacations.com.au

Enjoy stunning scenery from the comfort of Club Med, such as these Guilin landscapes. Source: Supplied

Club Med calls

STAY in one of several Club Med resorts worldwide and save $600 a person when you book a minimum seven-night stay. The deal is available at 11 resorts including Phuket, Malaysia, Bali, China, Cancun, Mauritius, Maldives, Brazil, Turkey and France. All-inclusive seven-night packages start from $1057 an adult and $422 a child and include accommodation, three meals daily, open bar and snack service, Kids Club and return airport transfers. Valid for bookings made before November 18 and travel between November 1-April 30, 2014.

See clubmed.com.au

The Colosseum in Rome is among the many attractions to explore from the Marco Polo Hotel. Source: Supplied

Eternal City

FLY to Rome from Australia and stay five nights from $2060 a person, twin share (departing Perth). The package includes five nights' accommodation at the 3-star Marco Polo Hotel in Rome, return economy airfares with Singapore Airlines and a hop-on, hop-off, double-decker bus tour of the Eternal City. Offer on sale until November 15 and valid for travel from March 1-October 31, 2014. Departures from Brisbane are priced from $2078 per person, twin share; departing Melbourne from $2141; departing Adelaide from $2145 and departing Sydney from $2157.

See directflights.com.au

The Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort and Spa in Bali. Source: Supplied

Tasty Bali

TWO adults (and up to two kids) can enjoy an eight-night holiday at the 5-star Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort & Spa Bali for $1399, down from $3699. This offer includes accommodation in a deluxe room, VIP airport pick-up from Bali International Airport, daily buffet breakfast, a romantic three-course seafood dinner for two, a "Taste of Indonesia" lunch, a Balinese cooking course (including three course lunch), a poolside afternoon tea, eight massage treatments at Nirwana Spa, a sunset walking tour to Tanah Lot Temple, free Wi-Fi and more. Offer available for sale until October 19 and valid for travel until December next year with no blackout dates.

Ph (03) 9020 0245 or see LuxuryEscapes.com

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Five of the best travel deals

Explore the best of Britain - including London's landmarks - with a 10-day coach tour. Source: Supplied

Take a coach to see the best of Britain

Ph 1300 813 391 or see ditravel.com.au

Rajasthan’s attractions include the Palace of the Winds in Jaipur. Source: Supplied

Royal India

Ph 1300 237 886 or see insightvacations.com.au

Enjoy stunning scenery from the comfort of Club Med, such as these Guilin landscapes. Source: Supplied

Club Med calls

See clubmed.com.au

The Colosseum in Rome is among the many attractions to explore from the Marco Polo Hotel. Source: Supplied

Eternal City

See directflights.com.au

The Pan Pacific Nirwana Resort and Spa in Bali. Source: Supplied

Tasty Bali

Ph (03) 9020 0245 or see LuxuryEscapes.com

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The best cruise holiday deals

The Dawn Princess will visit South America, New York, Rome, Singapore and Athens on its 104-night world tour. Picture: Timothy Clapin Source: News Limited

TAKE a 24-night voyage from Barcelona with its Gothic Quarter, vibrant La Ramblas and extraordinary Gaudi buildings, to the Adriatic jewel of Venice with its canals, gondolas and St Mark's Square. The holiday includes return flights from Sydney on Singapore Airlines with departures from April to October. The 26-night Magic of the Mediterranean cruise on Holland America Line's Nieuw Amsterdam has port stops at Marseilles in France; Monte Carlo in Monaco; Venice, Naples, Civitavecchia (for Rome) and Livorno in Italy; Dubrovnik in Croatia; Kotor in Montenegro; Katakolon, Lesbos, Thira, Argostoli, Kerkira, Corfu and Piraeus in Greece; and Istanbul and Kusadasi in Turkey. The package is priced from $5999 a person, twin share.

Ph 1300 854 897 or see holidaysofaustralia.com.au

Royal connections

PRINCESS Cruises will have a record presence in Queensland next year with a host of new cruises. Roundtrip cruises from Brisbane range from seven to 104 nights. These include a 35-night Australia and New Zealand cruise on Dawn Princess sailing April 15, priced from $4499 a person, twin share; a 41-night Hawaii, Tahiti and South Pacific cruise on Sea Princess departing April 7, from $5799 a person, twin share; and a 104-night world cruise on Dawn Princess departing May 20, from $18,999 a person, twin share. It will visit ports in South America as well as New York, Rome, Singapore and Athens. Shorter cruises include an 11-night Fijian Jewels itinerary sailing January 22 on Sea Princess, from $1099 a person, twin share, with calls at New Caledonia, Fiji and Vila.

Ph 132 488 or see princess.com

Treasure hunting

CRUISE Express will host a new 21-day Treasures of Northern Europe and Russia cruise in May next, 2014, year aboard Celebrity Eclipse to England, Germany, Scandinavia, the palaces of St Petersburg in Russia and France. Departing Australia on May 22 , 2014, next year, spend a night in an English country manor just outside London then board the 2800-passenger Eclipse in Southampton for a 14-night voyage through the Baltic to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki with an overnight stay in St Petersburg. The tour calls at Berlin and Paris before guests return to England for three nights in London. With return flights from Australia, the 14-night cruise and four nights' hotel accommodation in England is available from $6490 a person, twin-share.

Ph 1300 764 509 or see cruiseexpress.com.au

Luxury trip around

SAMPLE the famous Cunard service on a trip aboard the Queen Mary 2 when she circumnavigates Australia next February. Sectors are available such as a 15-night cruise from Sydney to Fremantle, departing February 19, priced from $3719 a person, twin share. The full trip calls at Brisbane, Whitsundays, Darwin, Bali, Fremantle, Adelaide and Melbourne and is priced from $5699 a person, twin share, departing Sydney on February 19.

Ph 132 441 or see cunard.com

Fly, cruise and stay

CRUISECO'S new fly, cruise and stay holidays aboard the premium ships of Holland America Line have 15 departures between April and October next year. These 14 to 30- night holidays include return airfares and pre and/or post cruise accommodation. Prices start from $4699 a person, twin share, for an 18-night Rome return package aboard Eurodam departing April 13 to ports in Greece, Turkey, Tunisia and Italy, plus a two night pre-cruise stay at the Empire Palace Hotel Rome. A 14-night Jewels of the Baltic holiday departing London is priced from $5299 a person, twin share, aboard Ryndam, including a two-night pre-cruise stay at the Waldorf Hilton. It departs on May 17 and calls at Copenhagen, Warnemunde (Berlin), Tallinn, St Petersburg for an overnight on board, Helsinki, Stockholm and Aarhus in Denmark. An Adriatic and Ancient Explorer Collectors voyage is a 26-day cruise from Istanbul to Rome aboard Noordam departing on July 12 next year and is priced from $6615 a person, twin share. The package includes two nights pre-cruise stay at the Hilton Istanbul and two nights post-cruise stay at the Empire Palace Hotel in Rome.

See cruising.com.au

Asian adventure

A 32-night cruise on board P&O's Arcadia from Sydney to Singapore plus three nights' accommodation in Singapore, a zoo tour and flight back to Australia departing on February 21, 2015, is available from $6899 (Perth) $7169 (Adelaide and Melbourne), or $7179 (Brisbane and Sydney) a person twin share. Port calls include Kota Kinabalu, Manila, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, Laem Chabang and Sihanoukville. Offer is valid to December 31 this year.

Ph 132 757 or see harveyworld.com.au

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This is the coolest world map, ever

Map of what each country leads in the world in. Picture: Doghouse Diaries Source: Supplied

DID you know that Australia has the most deadly animals, deadly shark attacks and highest rate of melanoma in the world?

Gotta be proud of that, right?! Umm ...

A new world map created by comic website Doghouse Diaries highlights what each country around the world leads at. And the results are bound to raise a few eyebrows.

The map was based on articles from Wikipedia so may not be the most accurate, but it sure is amusing.

"Most countries lead the world in something," Doghouse Diaries artist Ray Yamartino said. "Sometimes good things, sometimes not so good things, and sometimes funny things. This map shows what each country does best compared to all other countries."

Here are some of the highlights:

Russia: Raspberries and nuclear warheads

Cameroon: Killer lakes

Mongolia: Velociraptor bones

US: Death by lawnmower

Mexico: Getting struck by lightning

South Africa: Ostriches

Finland: Coffee-drinking

Spain: Cocaine use

Canada: Maple syrup and asteroid impacts

New Zealand: Sheep and rugby

Malaysia: Caves

Greenland: Personal space

Ireland: Highest quality of life

Democratic Republic of Congo: Pygmy chimpanzees

Cambodia: Longest alphabet

India: Movies

South Pole: Emperor penguins

Sweden: Atheism

Japan: Robots

Click here for a full-sized version of the map.

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Monday 11 November 2013

Now or never: Tourist attractions under threat

The citadel of Aleppo. Picture: Zachery Baumgartner, Flickr Source: Supplied

A boy plays at the citadel. Picture: Karmel80, Flickr Source: Supplied

THE cultural heritage of the entire country of Syria and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, US are among the diverse cultural heritage sites threatened by neglect, overdevelopment or social, political and economic change, a preservation group announced.

The World Monuments Fund's watch list for 2014 includes 67 sites in 41 countries and territories, from Japan to the US.

The New York-based group has issued its watch list every two years since the mid-1990s to call attention to important landmarks threatened around the world in an effort to promote awareness and action. The list was assembled by a panel of experts in archeology, architecture, art history and preservation.

"Some sites are famous, others struggle for recognition," said Bonnie Burnham, president of the organisation. "It is our goal to help as many as possible.

"For some sites, inclusion in the Watch is the best chance to survive."

The list cited escalating violence in Syria for the devastating effect on some of its monuments, including the citadel of Aleppo and the fortress of Qa'lat al-Mudique.

Eero Saarinen's Gateway Arch, a mid-century modern structure, was at risk due to "encroaching corrosion," the result of the challenges its extreme height and design presented for its preservation, the group said.

Eero Saarinen’s Gateway Arch. Picture: Teemu008, Flickr Source: Supplied

It also singled out the Hudson River Palisades, saying the planned construction of a commercial building nearby would spoil views from the cliffs on both the New Jersey and New York sides of the river.

Among the list are three former industrial sites in England - the Grimsby Ice Factory, Battersea Power Station and Deptford Dockyard - obsolete structures the fund said could be converted for cultural and community purposes.

The list also includes Yangon, Myanmar, whose religious structures and late 19th- and early 20th-century colonial buildings were threatened with destruction from the demand for commercial and residential properties, the fund said.

Yangon. Picture: Imke.stahlmann. Flickr Source: Supplied

US sites on the list also included sculptor Donald Judd's buildings at The Chinati Foundation, a contemporary art museum in Marfa, Texas; Frank Lloyd Wrights' Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin; and woodworker George Nakashima's house and workshop in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The modern heritage sites were included because they all require creative approaches to their conservation, the fund said.

Also on the watch list are places threatened by what the fund called "large-scale cruise-ship tourism".

It said Venice, Italy, was a dramatic example of that, and said it hoped that placing the ancient city on the list would lead to an analysis of the adverse impact large vessels were having on the environment.

See more at the World Monuments Fund's website.

Venice is also under threat from cruise tourism. Picture: Thinkstock Source: News Limited

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The world's most intriguing cities named

Athens, Greece, is in the running to be one of the new wonders of the world. Picture: Supplied Source: News Limited

THE hunt is on for the most intriguing city in the world.

From Casablanca to Athens, Doha and Prague, 28 finalists have been chosen as part of a new New7Wonders campaign.

Created by Swiss-born filmmaker and explorer Bernard Weber, more than 100 million votes flooded in back in 2007 when he asked the world which seven wonders were the greatest. The Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China were among the winners.

This time, the focus is on city wonders.

"This outstanding shortlist of 28 cities mirrors the diversity of urban society, especially when, for the first time in history, more than half of our planet's population lives in cities," Weber said. "Going forward, the New7Wonders Cities campaign will encourage debate about how cities should respond to the challenges of the present and the future. By voting in this worldwide campaign, people everywhere can decide the seven cities that best represent the achievements and aspirations of our global urban civilisation."

There are three more elimination phases, and the competition will end on December 7, 2014.

The 28 finalists:

• Athens, Greece

• Bangkok, Thailand

• Barcelona, Spain

• Beirut, Lebanon

• Casablanca, Morocco

• Chicago, US

• Doha, Qatar

Doha, Qatar. Picture: Getty Images Source: Supplied

• Durban, South Africa

Cabana Beach, Umhlanga Rocks, Durban, South Africa. Picture: Jody D'Arcy Source: Supplied

• Havana, Cuba

El Capitolio in Havana, Cuba. Picture: Thinkstock Source: News Limited

• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• Istanbul, Turkey

• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The world's most intriguing cities named

The Batu Caves at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Picture: Thinkstock Source: ThinkStock

• Kyoto, Japan

• La Paz, Bolivia

• London, United Kingdom

• Mendoza, Argentina

• Mexico City, Mexico

• Mumbai, India

• Perth, Australia

• Phnom Penh, Cambodia

• Prague, the Czech Republic

Prague. Picture: Thinkstock Source: News Limited

• Quito, Ecuador

Quito, Ecuador. Picture: Thinkstock Source: ThinkStock

• Reykjavik, Iceland

The Reykjavik skyline. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

• St. Petersburg, Russia

• Seoul, South Korea

• Shenzhen, China

• Vancouver, Canada

• Vigan, the Philippines.

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Man spends $200k visiting every country in world

A man has become the youngest traveller to visit every country. Picture: Thinkstock Source: ThinkStock

WHAT begins in Afghanistan and finishes in Zimbabwe?

The adventures of the youngest person to visit every country in the world.

The massive trip took 24-year-old UK traveller James Asquith five years and cost over $200,000.

But he didn't mind, he wasn't in a rush. After taking his first trip as a student in 2008, James gave himself until the age of 25 to complete the feat, the UK's Telegraph reported.

It was when he reached Egypt that he decided he wanted to visitall 196 countries in the world, including unstable nations.

He raised the funds for his trips by taking part-time jobs in bars and hostels along the way.

His timing wasn't always spot-on though.

"I loved the adrenalin that went with it - but I always seemed to pick the worst timing to visit a lot of the countries," James said.

"I went to Libya three weeks after Gaddafi fell, Afghanistan two weeks after the terrorist bombings in Mazar-i-Sharif, but generally I just found a local and tried to get an insight into each country.

"The longest I spent anywhere was six months in Africa. I travelled overland from Senegal to the Congo and then over back up through the east.

"There were lots of small countries and tricky border crossings, [and I was] putting trust in some people that drove me as much as three countries at a time."

And he hasn't finished yet. Next on the list is Tahiti, Easter Island and Antarctica. By the way, they're not technically countries.

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The web's best pics of spring and autumn

The classic perspective hack. We love it. Source: Instagram

WE LIKE to think life is pretty great Down Under but on the other side of the world, our antipodean counterparts are loving life just as much. Instagram contains all the proof you need.

While we're posting perfectly filtered pics of warm days at the beach and flowers in bloom, #fall is going off with photos of crunchy leaves and toasty soups.

It's enough to make you want to jump on a plane with a suitcase of warm clothes.

So to settle, once and for all, who has it better at this time of year, we've scoured Insta for the best of #fall and #spring.

From pictures of cupcakes to pictures of puppies, all the usual Instagram suspects are here. See if you agree with our judgment.

(PS - we know, we know, it's called autumn down here. But obviously to search for the pics, we used the very American word "fall".)

SUNSETS

#SPRING: A blazing sun sets behind power lines. Classic Instagram. Source: Instagram

#FALL: Sure there’s a filter, but Mother Nature is doing most of the work here. Source: Instagram

WINNER: The yellow sunset is impressive, but #fall is putting on an unbeatably brilliant show of fuchsia here.

TALLY: #fall: 1. #spring: 0.

KIDS

#SPRING: Bloomin’ beautiful. Points deducted for the unsubtle BMW brag stage left. Source: Instagram

#FALL: Looking forward to his first Halloween, we reckon. Source: Instagram

WINNER: No-one was ever going to outdo a cute, chubby baby wearing a pumpkin. Ever.

TALLY: #fall: 2. #spring 0.

CUPCAKES

#SPRING: Ladybirds in grass. Very clever. Source: Instagram

#FALL: We agree with the first commenter. Bring me oneeeeeeee. Source: Instagram

WINNER: The pumpkin cupcake sounds delicious, but the attention-to-detail on the ladybird can't be ignored. Note - a taste test could change our minds. #justsaying.

TALLY: #fall 2. #spring 1.

DUCK FACE

#SPRING: Floral headband + duckface Source: Instagram

#FALL: Ten points for a winning pout, but what does this have to do with autumn? Source: Instagram

WINNER: The flower-adorned girl in #spring is way more on message than our #fall contender. Consider a crunchy leaf headband next time, #fall.

TALLY: Tied at 2 each.

FLOWERS

#SPRING: There was a lot of competition within the hashtag, but roses reign supreme. Source: Instagram

#FALL: While the leaves are withering, the lavender is thriving. Source: Instagram

WINNER: Look, autumn was never going to trump spring in a flower competition, was it?

TALLY: #fall: 2. #spring: 3.

FEET/SHOES

#SPRING: Are the floral pants enough to make up for the sad concrete background? Source: Instagram

#FALL: Lovely shoes and bonus points for featuring dry leaves on the ground. Source: Instagram

WINNER: We're not sure why Instagram is so obsessed with foot shots in the first place, but #fall wins this one for its choice of location. Grass over concrete every time, folks.

TALLY: Three a piece.

DOGS

#SPRING: How could you not want to adopt a dog wearing a daisy chain? Source: Instagram

#FALL: Some autumnal introspection. Source: Instagram

WINNER: Sorry, we're not the type to discern between cute pups. Everyone's a winner.

TALLY: Four each.

TREES

#SPRING: A site familiar to many Aussies — a jacaranda in full, glorious bloom. Source: Instagram

#FALL: Changing into its winter coat. Source: Instagram

WINNER: Tough call, but nothing heralds the oncoming of summer quite like a beautiful jacaranda in bloom.

TALLY: #fall: 4. #spring: 5.

Congrats, southern hemisphere! You are indeed the superior shutterbugs (according to this totally biased, completely uncomprehensive survey of Instagram anyway.)

Agree with us or think otherwise? Continue the conversation on Twitter @danielstrudwick | @newscomauHQ

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Is this the world's most bizarre superyacht?

The bizarre-looking new yacht. Picture: Moka for Zaha Hadid and Blohm + Voss Source: Supplied

IT'S set to become the ultimate toy for billionaires.

But this dazzling new yacht is so strange it will not only turn heads, but leave many scratching them as well.

The yacht is part of a new fleet of vessels designed by London architect Zaha Hadid for German shipbuilder Bloom + Voss.

The largest of the fleet, the 128-metre long 'mothership' yacht has a curvy mesh 'exoskeleton' of support beams that give the vessel the resemblance of Beijing's 'Bird's Nest' Olympic stadium.

There's also a smaller 90m version called the Jazz.

$1 billion Streets of Monaco yacht a floating city

Inside the yacht. Picture: Moka for Zaha Hadid and Blohm + Voss Source: Supplied

Billionaires are snapping up superyachts, the ultimate display of wealth. It's the ultimate toy for the super-rich. Picture: Moka for Zaha Hadid and Blohm + Voss It’s the ultimate toy for the super-rich. Picture: Moka for Zaha Hadid and Blohm + Voss Source: Supplied