Travellers' ChecksTravel deals: Mongolian adventure, and 2 nights in Singapore from HK$3,190

Locally based adventure-travel specialist Whistling Arrow is offering intrepid Hongkongers the chance to explore western Mongolia with the Altai Adventure excursion. The two-week trip begins with a flight to the Mongolian capital, Ulan Bator, which is followed on day three with a three-hour domestic flight and a five-hour drive to the lakeside camp of Shohan, a friendly Kazakh eagle hunter. Then come nine days of trekking and camping around two hidden valleys, apparently known only to local Tuvan and Kazakh hunters. The first trip is scheduled for August 16 to 30, with space available for eight people, and costs US$3,950 per person, including domestic flights, all transfers, guides, accommodation, food and equipment (but not international flights). For full details and reservations, visit www.whistlingarrow.com.

There's an extensive list of hotels to choose from with Tiglion Travel's two-night Singapore Package, which will be available until the end of this year. The cheapest is the conveniently located (at least for public transport) V Hotel Lavender, which is offered from HK$3,190 per person, twin share. More interesting options include the Hilton Singapore, on Orchard Road. This was the first internationally branded hotel to open in the city, in 1970, and it has more of a Singaporean atmosphere than most of its more modern counterparts. Prices start from HK$4,190. Also available are the Grand Hyatt (also from HK$4,190), the Fullerton (from HK$4,490) and the Mandarin Oriental (from HK$4,890). Note that these prices are for Friday or Saturday check-in, and a HK$740 airfare surcharge will be in place from this Thursday to August 23. Flights are with Cathay Pacific. For further details and reservations, go to www.tiglion.com and click on Package Finder.

Grand opening The Grand Mansion, Nanjing is expected to be ready for business next month, having originally been slated to open in March, along with another of Starwood's upmarket Luxury Collection hotels, the Suiran, in Kyoto, Japan. Designed by I.M. Pei and Hirsch Bedner Associates, The Grand Mansion doesn't look particularly mansion-like from the outside - at least from the artist's impression, which is the only official exterior image currently available. Within its modern rectilinear exterior, though, the hotel promises "discerning global travellers exclusive access to exceptional experiences and uncompromising luxury". Several opening offers are already in place on the hotel's website, which can be found by going to www.starwoodhotels.com/nanjing.