Travellers' checks

Located near the southern Sri Lankan coastal town of Tangalle, Maya (right; www.mayatangallesrilanka.com) is a new exclusive hideaway comprising just five suites housed in a 19th-century manor house and a new, modern wing. Low season rates start from US$170 per night for double accommodation, or you can rent the whole place for US$750 per night. Breakfast is included, as are meals and accommodation for your driver, but the 23 per cent tax rate is not. Maya is a more than five-hour drive from Colombo airport, or you can take a Sri Lankan Air Taxi (www.srilankan.aero) to Dikkwella, which is a 20-minute drive from the property.

The new Banyan Tree Macau (www.banyantree.com) is taking reservations from May 15, and its opening offers are quite attractive. If you book a one-night stay between now and the end of September, you'll receive a voucher for a free weeknight stay for a future visit; stay for two nights and you'll get a voucher worth 888 patacas for dining or spa treatments, while a third night will get you an additional 90-minute massage for two. Room rates start from 2,499 patacas per night. Located on the Cotai Strip, the Banyan Tree sounds like it should be a haven of non-tackiness within the otherwise gaudy-looking Galaxy Macau 'gaming' resort (left). It has 246 suites, with its own indoor relaxation pool and 10 larger pool villas.

Farrington American Express Travel is offering a three-night Cambodia package starting from HK$3,190 per person, twin-share, for economy-class flights with Dragonair and accommodation at Phnom Penh's Juliana Hotel (www.julianahotels.com/phnompenh). This is a decent enough property, with mostly positive online reviews, but, if you want to upgrade to something a bit smarter, the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra (www.sofitel.com) is available for HK$4,350. Best of the bunch, though, is the Raffles Hotel Le Royal (above; www.raffles.com), where you can have a state room for HK$4,750 or a landmark room for HK$5,090. These prices, which include daily breakfast and travel insurance, will be available until the end of September. For reservations, call 3121 3121, or e-mail [email protected], quoting package ID: L2011PNHK083.