Original art
Among new Indigenous offerings in Western Australia, Bungoolee Tours has Aboriginal rock art trips in the areas surrounding Windjana Gorge National Park in the Kimberley.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Guests will join Aboriginal elder Jimmy Dillon Andrews at rock art sites such as Jumburrurru (Carpenters Gap), which show that Bunuba people have been on the land for 46,000 years.
The tour is operated as a tag-along departing and returning on the same day to Windjana Gorge campground.
The tours are $195 per person, with bookings required a minimum three days in advance.
Visit www.bungoolee.com.au.
Underwater dining
Watch schools of sharks and fish swim by at the newly opened Dundee's Restaurant at the Cairns Aquarium.
Dishing up Australian beef and seafood, Dundee's can be included as part of the new VIP Premium Experience, featuring a behind-the-scenes tour and feeding of a cownose ray.
Visit www.cairnsaquarium.com.au.
Final frontier for comedy
When this year's Ord Valley Muster excites the crowd, one of the highlights will be the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow, which will perform at the Festival Hub, the Jim Hughes Amphitheatre, on May 20-21.
Among the stars introduced by the MC, Tom Cashman, will be the UK's Mawaan Rizwan, Paul Williams of New Zealand, Xavier Michelides and Kirsty Webeck
Tickets to the show are on sale now for $65.
Come in early for a bite to eat from pop-up food stalls and kick on afterwards at the fully licensed bar, which is open until late.
The Muster features events across 10 days and will be held in Kununurra and surrounds from May 17-26.
The action can be found on the banks of the Ord River at the Jim Hughes Amphitheatre in Kununurra, the gateway to one of the last wilderness frontiers in the world.
And the beautiful, untouched Kimberley landscape is very much a part of the attraction.
Visit www.ordvalleymuster.com.au.
Cherry ripe for a cruise
A complimentary cabin upgrade is on offer for a new circle-Japan cruise-tour in 2020, timed to coincide with spring's spectacle of Japan's famous cherry blossoms.
Hosted by Cruise Express, the 18-night 'Blossoms of Japan' itinerary is designed to immerse Australians in the country's rich traditions and customs, with guests joining tea ceremonies, donning kimonos, learning to make sushi and watching a sumo wrestling display.
Shinkansen (bullet train) rides, the neon-lit shopping frenzy of Ginza and iconic Mt Fuji are also featured in the escorted cruise-tour.
The tour departs Australia in April next year, with a nine-day overland tour of Japan that first heads to the ancient, cultural capital of Kyoto with its 1600 ornate shrines and temples.
Experiences in Kyoto include a traditional tea ceremony, the spectacular Arashiyama Bamboo Paths, the striking Fushimi Inari Shrine, the Giant Buddha Temple, Nara Deer Park and the majestic, lakeside temple of the Golden Pavilion, framed by fluffy cherry blossoms in spring.
In Yokohama, guests board Princess Cruises' Diamond Princess for an eight-night, round-trip cruise circling the main island of Honshu.
Boasting a large sushi bar and the largest Japanese bathhouse at sea, the 2670-passenger ship will call at five Japanese ports.
The cruise also visits the South Korean city of Busan known for its beaches and where drinking tea is treated as a form of calming meditation.
Including return flights from Australia, the 18-night escorted 'Blossoms of Japan' cruise-tour is available from $9990 per person twin-share.
Phone 1300 766 537 or visit www.cruiseexpress.com.au.
Ice, ice baby
Beyond Travel is offering savings of up to $1800 per couple on its escorted 12-day 'Grand Tour of Iceland' departing on June 3 and 24 this year.
In addition, the company is offering return economy airfares to Iceland for $999 per person when the itinerary is paid for by May 1.
Each departure is limited to 20 travellers who will visit Reykjavik, Borgarnes, Patreksfjordur, Breidafjordur Bay, Akureyri, Lake Myvatn and Vatnajokull National Park.
The program was crafted for travellers looking to escape the tourist trail, featuring some memorable locations off-the-beaten-track as well as most of the highlights Iceland has to offer.
Guests will experience the local lifestyle, including several nights of unique accommodation at charming guesthouses and working farms, as well as spending time on the water with a boat journey on the spectacular Jokulsarlon glacier's lagoon and a ferry ride to explore the magnificent and remote West Fjords.
The tour is priced from $8170 per person twin-share with daily breakfast, sightseeing and transport in an air-conditioned coach.
Phone 1300 363 554 or visit www.beyondtravel.com.au.
Hop to Vietnam
Grasshopper Adventures has a new multi-sport tour of Hoi An and Central Vietnam.
Guests will cycle from energetic Ho Chi Minh City along the coast to an array of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and stunning natural wonders, ranging from historic monuments and citadels to small fishing villages and the awe-inspiring Phong Nha Cave.
Highlights will include overnighting at a rural farm stay, kayaking the Thu Bon as the sun rises over nearby Hoi An, and riding to an ancient Buddha statue near Da Nang City.
Guests can also bike and boat down the Mekong Delta, cycle the mountains of the far north, take a trip between the major centers of Saigon and Hanoi, or spend Christmas exploring the country with the kids.
The nine-day tour is scheduled for August this year, covers 220 kilometres by bike, and priced from US$2400.