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Dream on: Until April 18, spend at least $6,000 on Frette bedlinen at Lane Crawford stores, and you could win: two return Club World business-class tickets to Milan, with a private tour of the Frette headquarters; two return Club World tickets to London (all on British Airways); or a cashmere Glenkash king-size blanket, priced at $24,000 (visit www.lane crawford.com for branches).
Pit stop: Cathay Pacific Holidays has launched a Stop@Singapore! Promotion, with four-day/three-night twinshare packages, from $2,290 to $2,990. Deals include: round-trip economy tickets; three nights at a choice of eight hotels, including The Oriental, M Hotel and the Sentosa Resort & Spa; daily breakfast; travel insurance; a ticket to Singapore Zoo plus a 20 per cent discount coupon for the night safari; 3,000 bonus Asia Miles; and a S$300 (HK$1,380) gift certificate that can go towards your next package to Singapore or a spa at the Fullerton Singapore or Sentosa Resort & Spa. The offer is available until May 28, with a blackout from April 8 to 12 (tel: 2747 4388, www.cxholidays.com).
Going for a song: Bored with the same old Bangkok hotels? Then, book a room on the Manohra Song for your next visit. The restored 20-metre rice barge features four luxurious air-conditioned rooms with en suite bathrooms, a living and dining area with a bar, a forward sun-deck lounging area and private crew quarters and kitchen in the aft section. Every Monday and Thursday, the barge heads down the Chao Phraya river to the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya, stopping at the Summer Palace in Bang Pa In, the Wat Bang Na Royal Barge Museum, the Unesco world heritage site of Ayutthaya, the Bang Sai Royal Folk Arts and Crafts Centre and a variety of temples. The three-day/two-night cruise costs $7,605 per couple, and includes all meals, transfers and private guides, or $30,420 to charter the entire barge. You can book a one-hour sunset cocktail cruise on the Manohra for $148, or a three-hour dinner cruise on the Manohra Moon for $276 (tel: [66] 2477 0770; www.manohra cruises.com).
History lesson: Seonbichon Village in Yeongiu, two hours' drive from Seoul, is a new tourist site built to represent a traditional hamlet during the Joseon era (15th to 19th century). Experience life as a Korean aristocrat, by taking part in tea ceremonies and calligraphy, or live like a commoner with straw shoe-making. You can also dine in the market street's eateries or watch folk performances. A night's stay in a large tiled roof house costs 50,000 won (HK$333) or 20,000 won in a cottage (tel: 82 54 634 3310, Korean only).
La Dolce Vita: Baglioni Hotels, Italy's leading luxury hotelier, has opened a property at London's Hyde Park Gate, overlooking the park and Kensington Palace. Not surprisingly, it has a distinctly Italian flavour, featuring a Caroli spa, staff uniforms by Ermenegildo Zegna, Illy espresso machines in the rooms and fresh ingredients for the Brunello restaurant flown in from Italy. Rates start at a discounted #190 (HK$2,670) - instead of the usual #300 until May 31 (www.baglioni hotellondon.com).
Send travel news to Tinja Tsang (tinja.tsang@scmp.com)
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