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Published: 12:00am, 20 Jan 2004

Pitter-patter pit stop

As any new parent will attest, one of the worst aspects of travelling with children is lugging the paraphernalia that accompanies them. To alleviate the excess baggage (as well as stress levels), the Mandarin Oriental Macau has come up with the ingenious Baby Pit Stop programme, providing almost all you might need for a weekend away. On arrival, you'll find a cabinet filled with such necessities as toiletries, nappies, wipes and soft toys, all of which can be taken home. Items available to borrow include bottles, bottle warmers and sterilisers, baths, cots, slings and pushchairs. For details, call toll-free on 800 967338 or see www.mandarinoriental.com/macau

Fly for free

Until the end of the month, Air France has a 'Buy One Get One Free' offer on its L'Espace Affaires class to any of 34 cities in France or 57 cities in Europe. For HK$43,000, you will receive two roundtrip business-class tickets, but you must depart before February 29. One Paris stopover inbound or outbound is permitted. Contact Brian (tel: 2366 7830) or Nicole (tel: 2366 7810) at Window Discovery Tours for details.

Cruise to New Zealand

Having soared after the filming of Lord of the Rings, New Zealand tourism is predicted to swell further with the release of The Last Samurai. Starring Tom Cruise and Billy Connolly, the film was shot in the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island, with Mount Taranaki (described by explorer Captain James Cook as 'the noblest hill I have ever seen') standing in for Mount Fuji. The region is New Zealand's premier surf spot, but the adventurous can also try their hand at dam-dropping (dropping eight metres over the edge of a dam on a plastic sled) or waka paddling in a traditional Maori canoe. For more information, visit www.travel.newzealand.com or www.taranakinz.org.

Take our advice

Lonely Planet's expansion into travel-related publishing continues with the release of Travellers' Tips - a compilation of ideas garnered from its roaming writers. Edited by Tom Hall, the titbits focus on subjects as diverse as the secrets of child-friendly travel to advice on how to end a holiday romance. Available for $75 from all major bookshops. Best for guests Highlights from the 'Greatest Hotels in the World 2004' awards voted by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine. Hong Kong: The Peninsula; Bangkok: The Peninsula; Singapore: Four Seasons; Sydney: The Westin; Melbourne: Sofitel; London: The Connaught; Paris: The Ritz; Italy: Four Seasons Milan; Cape Town, South Africa: Cape Grace; South America: Alvear Palace, Buenos Aires, Argentian; Los Angeles: Peninsula Beverly Hills; New York: St Regis; Las Vegas: Four Seasons; San Francisco: Four Seasons; Vancouver: Wedgewood; US Ski Resort: Little Nell, Aspen, Colorado; Canadian Ski Resort: Post Hotel, Lake Louise.

Send travel news to Tinja Tsang ([email protected])

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