Travellers' checks

The new "Exotic destinations" tab on the Air France website links to an impressive display of offbeat city names, many of which look more like trivia quiz answers than realistic holiday propositions. Among them are Conakry, Ouagadougou, Bamako and Lomé in Africa - all on offer from HK$9,490 for a round trip. In South and Central America and the Caribbean, choices include more familiar names, though still of exotic appeal, including Havana, Panama City, Bogota and Rio de Janeiro, which are going from HK$11,100 return. Classier destinations, such as Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, and St Martin and Fort-de-France in Martinique will set you back from HK$14,350. You should add about HK$5,000 to these prices for fuel surcharges and tax, and stopovers of varying length in Paris will, of course, be required. For more details, visit www.airfrance.com.hk

The Wallawwa (right; www.thewallawwa.com), a boutique resort and former Dutch colonial manor house close to Colombo international airport, reopens this month after a summer of renovation. New accommodations include four Garden Suites and the 150-square-metre Mountbatten Suite, which have been added to the existing dozen rooms and suites, all set in a pleasant garden of about 1.2 hectares. The Wallawwa is just a 15-minute drive from the airport and a much better introduction or farewell to Sri Lanka than its dismal selection of airport hotels.