Travellers' checks

Before the advent of commercial flight, to travel around the globe by land and sea was a relatively common undertaking, especially after Thomas Cook launched round-the-world package tours in 1872. Even as late as the 1950s, tourists arriving in Hong Kong from Europe via the Suez Canal by steamship would often head for home on American steamers to San Francisco, then cross North America on the First Transcontinental Railroad before sailing across the Atlantic to Liverpool or Southampton. Anyone with a yearning for such naturally paced travel might be interested in an "Around the World in 53 Days" package that has just been announced by Great Rail Journeys. Although with flights across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, this ambitious tour covers a good portion of the globe by train, including a leisurely 22-day stretch across the United States on a variety of locomotives including the narrow-gauge Durango & Silverton Railroad (above). After a flight from San Francisco to Shanghai, a flight to Xian is the final airborne experience before London, which will be reached by the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Orient Express and several lesser-known but comfortable trains. The tour doesn't leave until May 18 next year, so you have plenty of time to acquire all the Paul Theroux and Agatha Christie volumes that will be required on the voyage, and to save the £21,995 (HK$281,000) needed to buy your ticket. For a full itinerary and reservations, visit www.greatrail.com.

Following the demise late last year of Nelson Mandela, South African Tourism has launched an interactive map that will be useful for anyone travelling to the country with an interest in discovering locations that are relevant to the former president. As well as ones to places such as Robben Island (top), the map provides links to 15 lesser-known points of interest, where visitors can obtain a stamp to mark their visit. Most are located in and around Cape Town and Johannesburg, with several others along the east coast from Port Elizabeth to Pietermaritzburg. See Madiba's Journey at mandela.southafrica.net.

Orient-Express Hotels changed its name this month to Belmond, after French railway operator SNCF revoked its licence to use the name. To help publicise the new brand, Belmond is offering a 15 per cent discount on all its hotels, train trips and cruises. The company's hotel portfolio extends from the Belmond La Samanna, in the Caribbean, across Europe, Africa and the United States to Belmond Napasai (top), on Thailand's Koh Samui, so there's plenty to choose from. The downside is that this offer is only valid for travel until the end of June. For a full list of what's on offer, go to www.belmond.com and click on Offers.

It's not often that international hotel companies run promotions that are of much interest or value once scrutinised, but New World Hotels has a couple of deals that do offer good value. The first is a Weekend Welcome package, whereby guests checking in for two or three nights on a Friday or Saturday will receive 50 per cent off the second and third night's rate, as well as half-price food and drinks at any of the hotel's restaurants and bars, and a 4pm checkout. There's also a Bonus Stay package that offers a free night's stay in a suite for anyone booking three nights or more, plus a free one-way airport transfer and all-day access to the executive lounge. Hotels offering these deals are located in the following cities, with the basic Weekend Welcome/Bonus Stay nightly room rates provided: Beijing (from 1,088 yuan [HK$1,370]/2,688 yuan); Shanghai (top; 800 yuan/1,400 yuan); Dalian (680 yuan/1,630 yuan); Wuhan (600 yuan/1,300 yuan); Shunde (380 yuan /750 yuan); Ho Chi Minh City (US$145/US$240); and Manila (US$143/US$280). Some of these hotels, which can be found at www.newworldhotels.com, may not have these offers listed on their websites, but they will appear through the main booking engine when online reservations are made.