Travel tidbits and deals of the week   30 Sep 2014

Some of the best travel deals going - both in New Zealand and abroad. Bookmark this page and check back each week for all the latest specials.

HOT DEALS

Explore Turkey's Turquoise Coast by small roads and a four-night stay on board a yacht that sails from Marmaris to Gocek. This 15-day, small group tour, 'Secrets of Turkey,' is departing in April. The holiday adventure costs $3525, excluding return flights from New Zealand. Book and pay by December 18 to secure a 10 per cent discount.

Contact: Trafalgar on 0800 872 325.

A break with the kids

Holidays are on their minds at Heritage Hotels throughout New Zealand, where the staff have even made plans to entertain your children, should it rain.

Choose from end of season skiing in Queenstown and swimming in the thermal pools at Hanmer Springs, take in the many city attractions in Auckland and Wellington or head to Christchurch to see the 'new' city re-emerging from the earthquake damage.

All Heritage Hotels offer multi-bedroom configured accommodation options, with the added convenience of kitchen and laundry facilities.

There are special holiday deals available for families, including meal discounts for children.

Contact: Heritage Hotels on 0800368 888.

Food and wine in Sonoma

Seek some special airfares that are San Francisco-bound, hire a car and head to Sonoma County - a regional 'gem,' known for its wines and gourmet foods.
A three-night accommodation package starts at $345 each, twin-share. Travel between November 2 and March 28. Book by October 31.

Contact: House of Travel on 0800 838 747.

In the Cloud Forest

A 14-night Costa Rica journey uncovers jungle gems in Tortuguero and Sarapiqui; hot springs, waterfalls and a live volcano in La Fortuna and white, sandy beaches at Quepos.

The activities includes Monteverde - Cloud Forest hike, orientation walk and a Tortuguero National Park walking tour. Stroll through lively markets in San Jose, explore the jungle in the Tortuguero National Park, chill out to the sounds of nature in Sarapiqui and soak off the day in La Fortuna hot springs.

This tour departs from San Jose on November 22 and is priced from $1745 each, twin-share.

Contact: Harvey World Travel on 0800 303 132.

Safari hunt

You'll visit places most people never get to see in a lifetime, when you take an Elewana Sky Safari. A chic plantation house at the Arusha Coffee Lodge is on the itinerary, as is a tree house at Treetops in the Tarangire National Park and a lavish estate home at The Manor, adjacent to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You also get to sleep beneath he stars at a luxurious tented camp in the Serengeti.

Priced from $7599 each, this Adventure World tour begins in Kilimanjaro and includes five-star accommodation, all meals, house beverages, laundry, internal flights in a Cessna Grand Caravan, transport in 4WD vehicles, scheduled game activities, English speaking driver/guide and park fees.

Flights to Africa from New Zealand are not included.

Contact: Adventure World on 0800 899 111.

Child's play in Fiji

Relax in the sun at the 'InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa Fiji' for five nights, and pay from $1499 each, twin-share. The price for each child holidaying with you starts at $199.

This package includes return airfares with Fiji Airways from Auckland, return airport transfers in Nadi, buffet breakfasts, daily, and free meals for children when dining with you.

If you're travelling from Wellington, add $223 for each adult and $201 for each child, and for travel from Christchurch, add $233 for each adult and $216 for each child. All flights travel via Auckland.

Book by October 6. Travel dates are from November 1 to December 14, or throughout February, next year.

Contact: United Travel on 0800 158 080.

TRAVEL TIDBITS

Letter to the Travel Editor

Dear Sir,

In response to Matt Heath's item on seat reclining and laptop use on aircraft, I would say his attitude is wrong.

Having been in the travel industry for over 50 years he should note: the seats are a result of much money spent on R&D to attain passenger comfort. The trays were added to the back of seats for drink and meal purposes, not laptops.

I always recline my seat on flights, short or long. I am not comfortable sitting in the bolt upright position and as the airline provides a reclining position for me to be comfortable then I am happy to use that facility.

So, if you want to use your laptop then it should be you who makes a request of the person in front to see if they might oblige. Certainly not the other way around.

If Matt and others are so desperate to have to use a laptop on a flight then there are seats that can be bought that will give that convenience without disturbing another passenger.

Remember, everyone is a customer regardless of the fare and has the right to use their seat for the comfort it provides without being bullied to do otherwise.

Ian Read,
Stillwater

*****

WE LIKE ...

Our new favourite aviation Twitter account, the peerless @PassengerShame, is a warts-and-all showcase of airline passengers behaving disgracefully. From press-ups in the galley to barefeet poked between the seats in front, it's all here.

WE DON'T LIKE ...

Seeing other people's bare feet on planes. Long hauls are tough enough without pondering your neighbours' fungal infections. Also, if you're barefoot in an airline toilet, you're pretty much betting that every bloke who's gone for a wee before you has hit the target.

- NZ Herald

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