A Mandarin Oriental property opened this month in southwestern Turkey, on the north coast of the fashionable Bodrum Peninsula. Sandwiched between a Hilton resort to the west and a small Aman resort to the east - both of which launched in 2011 - the Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum (above) has 109 guest rooms and suites, and 10 restaurants and bars, on its sprawling 60-hectare waterfront site. The resort's opening offer isn't quite as "tantalising" as promised, sadly. A Discover Paradise Bay offer was recently publicised as inclu-ding a minimum three-night stay in a guestroom, suite or villa, and a daily dining or spa credit worth €150 (HK$1,585) per room, or €300 for suites and villas. In other words, you'll have to stay for three nights if you want the voucher. Rates are advertised from €595 per night, but that price doesn't seem to be available until November, which is low season, when booking online at www.mandarinoriental.com/bodrum. Turkish Airlines will get you to Milas-Bodrum Airport from Hong Kong via Istanbul, where another Asian-based hotel company, Raffles, will be opening a new hotel on September 1.

The X2 River Kwai Resort (below) has just opened on its namesake river in Kanchanaburi, about 90 minutes' drive from Bangkok. With only eight rooms, or "cabins" - each facing the river and looking something like upmarket shipping containers - the resort is the latest property to be opened by private company X2 (pronounced "cross to"), which owns and operates a handful of small "design" resorts and villas across Thailand. Facilities at the new resort include a river-view restaurant with outdoor deck, bistro, library and infinity pool. Up to 60 per cent savings on standard rates are available if you click through Offers/Limited Time Offer at x2resorts.com/resorts/river-kwai.

A world cruise is not something to be undertaken lightly and the January 2016 departure date for Silversea's 115-day Fort Lauderdale to Venice voyage leaves plenty of time for planning and preparation. While not quite a round-the-world cruise (it doesn't cross the Atlantic), the "Venetian World Odyssey 2016" is definitely in the once-in-a-lifetime category, with the Silver Whisper (below) putting in at such exotic locations as Easter Island, the Pitcairn Islands, Bora Bora and Bali on its way to Hong Kong. On the way west to Venice, ports of call include Singapore, Bangkok, Colombo, Cochin, and several spots in the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. All-inclusive fares for the voyage, which covers 31 countries on six continents with 13 multiday stopovers, start from US$59,950 per person (twin share). For a full itinerary and a list of what you'll be getting in return for your life savings, visit www.silversea.com/worldcruise2016.