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Beating a retreat: If you fancy a break from the hi-tech clatter of Hong Kong living, check into Aleenta, a super-chic beachfront boutique hotel in Pranburi, which is 30 minutes' drive from Hua Hin, and two and a half hours from Bangkok. Opened last year, all 13 suites, bungalows, beach houses, villas and penthouse are TV-free and feature book and CD libraries. If you can tear yourself away from your private chill-out zone, take a dip in the infinity pool, treat yourself to a spa package (from $296) or dine in the restaurant. Rates range from $881 in an Ocean View Suite, to $2,925 in the two-bedroom Palm Villa with living and dining rooms, kitchen and private chef. Yoga and spa packages start at $2,665. And if you can't get away, simply slip on the hotel's cool Fresh Sounds of Aleenta CD ($94 plus $39 shipping to Hong Kong), shut your eyes and imagine you're there (tel: [66] 2519 2044, www.aleenta.com).

First writes: Those who wouldn't consider a destination unless there's a Lonely Planet guide covering it, may be interested in the publisher's first editions for Santa Fe & Taos in New Mexico, Coastal California and Austin, San Antonio & the Hill Country in Texas. All feature LP's new format, with colour maps, themed boxes and sidebars, and more top-end listings. Available at all major bookshops, but call Asia Publishers Service on 2553 9289 for specific stockists.

Cheap seats: Aero International, based in Sheung Wan, has promotional round-trip tickets to a variety of destinations including Bangkok from $970, Singapore from $1,420, Vancouver from $3,780 and New York from $3,950. Visit www.air-hongkong.com or call 2545 6669 for more details.

Domestic bliss: Fly to London on British Airways before June 16, and you can take a domestic flight to one of seven British destinations for $88 return. The offer is valid with World Traveller or World Traveller Plus tickets (from $4,900 and $9,300, respectively), and applies to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, Inverness and Jersey airports. Tickets must be issued before April 30. Call Brian at Window Discovery Tours on 2366 7830 for more details.

Laying low: Accor's Hotel Ibis Tianjin has opened in China's Technology and Development Industrial Area, 90 minutes' drive from Beijing. To mark the opening, rates of 128 yuan on weekends and 148 yuan on weekdays are available until April 30 - the lowest for an international hotel in China (tel: [86] 225 981 5100; www.accorhotels-asia.com). Two more Ibis hotels will open next year in China: Hotel Ibis Chengdu in Sichuan province and Hotel Ibis Qingdao.

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