Qantas is offering special packages to Australian cities, but there's a double asterisk against Sydney. Yes, you guessed it. The deal doesn't cover the Olympics city from September 11 to October 2. But if you aren't too bothered about the Olympics, you can fly to Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth from now until December 14, and Sydney outside the Olympics period at a good price with accommodation thrown in.
The package is priced at HK$5,690 per person on a twin-sharing basis including three nights accommodation, breakfast and airport transfers. Alternatively, you can opt for four days Hertz car hire with unlimited mileage instead of hotel accommodation, at the same price. Qantas is also offering special interest holidays, the 'Aussie Farm Experience', 'Campervan Adventure' and a 'Tassie [Tasmania] Escape' programme at $6,930. For more information, contact Qantas Holiday at 2737 6798, or your travel agent.
P&O are also selling Fly-Drive packages to New Zealand (Auckland or Christchurch) with Singapore Airlines through to next March. The prices vary according to the season, but start at HK$6,599 per person including return ticket and three days car hire with Budget, unlimited mileage. They also have a Fly-Drive deal to Australia, but this is more expensive than the Qantas offer at $6,399 upwards for return ticket and three days car rental. For details, phone 2956 6810 or fax 2956 2826.
The historic centre of Lyon, in France, will join the Unesco list of World Heritage sites. The areas of Lyon that have won acclaim are Croix Rousse, Vieux Lyon and Presqu'ile. On December 8, Lyon will hold a Festival of Lights, a tradition dating back 150 years, when it will be lit by thousands of candles.
Hong Kong has come third in a list of the world's top cities for business travel, in a survey by WCITIES, a San Francisco-based content provider for portals. New York came top, followed by London. Tokyo came fourth, and other Asian cities in the top 20 are Singapore, Beijing, and Kuala Lumpur.
