Arrivals & Departures Weekly Travel News & Views 8 October 2024

UBER ON SAFARI

Uber this week launched Uber Safari — a limited-edition wildlife experience from Cape Town, South Africa. There’s a $US200 ($290) flat fee for a group of up to four guests. The full-day trip starts with an Uber pick-up in Cape Town, with guests then driven to the Aquila Game Reserve. There will be a welcome toast and lunch before boarding a traditional safari vehicle with rangers and guides for a three-hour game drive. They are then driven by Uber back to Cape Town. Uber Safari is live until February 1, 2025, and is booked exclusively through the Uber app, from 90 days to 24 hours in advance.

ALDI ADDITION

... and supermarket Aldi this week launched Aldi Holidays, with cruise, tour and holiday packages. An example is a 10-day fly-and-tour package for China with a visit to the Terracotta Warriors in Shanghai. In 3.5 star hotels, it is from $999 per person, twin share. aldiholidays.com.au

FESTIVE SAVINGS

Great Southern has savings on its all-inclusive Christmas and New Year rail journeys from Adelaide to Brisbane and vice versa. There’s 30 per cent off for a limited time. The trip combines coastal landscapes, charming towns, memorable dining and off-train experiences — and a chance to celebrate these festive moments in an unusual way. The Christmas departure leaves Adelaide on December 20, and Brisbane on December 23. There will be full “Christmas trimmings” on the train, with a menu featuring Tasmanian salmon with a jewelled salad topping, creme fraiche dressing, roast turkey breast, cherry and pistachio stuffing, jus and duck fat potatoes. (And an appearance by Santa Claus, of course.) The New Year’s Eve celebrations depart Adelaide on December 27 and Brisbane on December 30. The Adelaide to Brisbane trips are from $1895 per person, twin share, in a gold twin; and Brisbane to Adelaide are from $2755 each. journeybeyondrail.com.auand 1800 703 357

ON THE ROAD

I’ve had several readers asking about coach day trips. Here are two suggestions to start with:

I like Casey Tours’ Manjimup markets cherry farm gate day tour on Saturday, December 14. Manjimup is the place to be during the cherry season for this market-style day filled with lots of stalls, food trucks, local produce, arts and music. The day is $129 for adults, $125 for seniors. caseytours.com.au and 1800 999 677

Australian Pinnacle Tours has a number of full-day trips, including a big day out to the Margaret River region. For $245, it includes a visit to Busselton Jetty, a Margaret River brewery for lunch featuring local produce, Mammoth Cave and Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. australianpinnacletours.com.au and 6270 6060

AND A CHERRY ON TOP

Travel With Me has a four-day Cherry Exclusive Weekend tour to the Southern Forests region from December 13 to 16. It is from $2190 per person, twin share and $2440 solo.

It celebrates “all things cherry” and includes a summer sundowner at Truffle Hill, local markets and festivals, a long table feast with local wines and a cherry-inspired dinner at Two Little Black Birds. travelwithme.com.au and 9581 5944

BAGS FOR BOTTLES

I like “useful stuff”. I carry a 10 litre, vinyl dry bag (think vinyl with welded seams) to use as a day bag in very wet weather, on kayaking trips — and it is also long enough to take a wine bottle. (If it were to break, at least the catastrophe would be contained inside the bag).

A fancier option is an inflatable wine protector bag. These usually come with a pump, and in six packs. They really cushion a bottle. Prices on amazon.com.au currently include $14.99 for four.

QUIET IN CORFU

Reader Gary Tate photographed the cruise ships you can see at the top of the page recently in beautiful Corfu, Greece. He was cruising the Med on the Island Princess, on the left, which was joined in port by Viking Sea and the Sun Princess, on the right, which can carry 4300 passengers. Gary says: “Needless to say, Corfu was heaving with tourists.”

But, as I have written many times, you can so often find your own, quiet experience by taking “one step to the side”.

Gary explains: “Having been there last year, we opted to wander the quiet and quaint Venetian back streets adjacent to the port. The architecture was pleasingly photogenic, restaurants well priced and the locals extremely friendly and sociable. This walk took us to the marina where we were able to take a ‘pirate ship’ the 1200m across to Vido Island for another quiet and lovely stroll.”

ROME TO ATHENS

There’s so much value in cruising, it’s not surprising that so many people are on ships.

And My Cruises has stepped it up again with a 15-night “stay and cruise” from $5990 per person, twin share. Their NCL Majestic Mediterranean package is to cruise from Rome to Athens in 2025, stopping at Florence and Cannes on the way. It includes flights to Rome and back from Athens, two nights in Rome and an 11-night cruise on Norwegian Pearl, with prepaid gratuities and an onboard beverage package and wi-fi.

Oh, and a $US200 onboard credit and $US450 shore excursion credit.

Then there’s two nights in Athens to round it off. Amazing. It has to be booked by October 31, 2024, for select travel dates from May 20, 2025. MyCruises.com.au and 1300 924 585

BEST OF THE BEST

Our writer in Europe, Steve McKenna, had a great story in Sunday Travel last week, about attractions in Northern Ireland. It begins: “When I was a kid, I had a mate whose dad would rave about George Best, the greatest footballer on the planet, he claimed.” Before we go any further, we have to clear one thing up … George Best was/is the greatest footballer on the planet. The picture above is of me with the 1968 George Best Soccer Annual — one of my prized possessions. I saved my pocket money and bought it when I was nine years old.

(Steve also had a story on British music spots, you can read it here.)

THE LAST VERSE

I feel sad without country songwriter and singer Kris Kristofferson in the world. He died this week. On a personal front, writing “a week in the life of” Kris for a London magazine was one of my first big assignments. He was in London in 1982 to perform at the International Festival of Country Music at Wembley Stadium. Kris is my go-to soundtrack on the roads and tracks.

Pilgrim’s Progress: “Am I young enough to believe in revolution? Am I strong enough to get down on my knees to pray? Am I high enough on the chain of evolution, to respect myself, and my brother and my sister, and perfect myself in my own peculiar way?”

Yes, Kris, you were. I’m still trying to be.