A Trip News

The good times are over for Aussie travellers looking to enjoy the benefits of a strong currency.
The Australian dollar has plummeted from more than 95 US cents just three months ago down to as low as 61.87 cents on Tuesday.
But it’s not just Australian travellers to the US who will feel the pain of the weaker currency - the dollar has also fallen against the traditionally strong euro and British pound, as well dropping against the currencies of popular tourist destinations such as Thailand, (more…)

Where are the best places on Earth to lace up your hiking boots? Christopher Somerville makes his choices.
Travel has never been easier for those who like to hike. Guided walks and the companies that offer them have never been so numerous. Who doesn’t know someone who has hiked to Machu Picchu or climbed Mount Kilimanjaro or gone trekking in the Himalayas?
It doesn’t matter where you are in the world: walking is the way to go. It’s clean and green but, more than that, it’s (more…)

Cultures combine to give Mauritius a unique identity, writes Glenn A. Baker.
Take a 10-minute stroll down a beach at Bel Ombre at the southern end of Mauritius and you just might think you’ve wandered on to a Universal Studios backlot. What meets your eyes is a combo of cultures - a sequence of styles drawn from countries that have played a role in the settlement and evolution of this lush Indian Ocean island.
This sweep of splendour begins with the spectacular Voile d’Or Resort (more…)

Travelers will welcome the cascade of cuts in fuel surcharges by airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Air France/KLM, Thai Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and El Al, in response to a sustained fall in the price of oil, with jet fuel now half the price it was in the summer. Air Canada has eliminated fuel surcharges altogether on North American flights, instead “folding them into advertised base fares.”
This raises some questions: What is the “benchmark” (more…)

A Qantas flight from Melbourne to Sydney has been forced to turn around and return to Melbourne airport after the pilot was alerted to a possible landing gear malfunction.
The Boeing 767 with 244 passengers on board had only just taken off at 1.29pm when the landing gear fault light came on in the cockpit.
The pilot immediately turned the plane around and returned to Tullamarine  airport, landing safely at 2.15pm.
A Qantas spokesman said passengers were not in danger, and that Qantas (more…)

Looking to bring back a unique souvenir from your next overseas holiday?
How about some new breasts from Brazil, a yummy mummy make over from Thailand or perhaps that designer vagina you have always wanted from Malaysia - a steal at just $7,700 which includes 10 nights accommodation in a five star hotel!
Medical tourism is a global phenomenon; savvy surgeons are teaming up with luxury hotel operators to offer cosmetic surgery/holiday packages that can include flights, accommodation, multiple (more…)

Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has launched a collection of lodges and chalets, entitled ‘Ski’. Covering winter sports destinations across the globe, including New Zealand and the newest ski destinations of China, SLH promises a global, year-round choice of ski options. Visit www.slh.com/inspirations.

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British drinkers could soon be nipping down to their local pub for a swift two-thirds of a pint under proposed changes to the law on weights and measures.
Easing the restrictions on glass sizes for draught beer and cider is designed to appeal to people who can’t face a pint, but think a half is too small.
Currently, pubs can only serve pints, half pints and a third of a pint, a measure rarely seen in pubs but popular at beer festivals where drinkers try lots of different ales.
A British (more…)

Angela Cuming finds out if a party girl still has what it takes.
Britney Spears was still an acceptable role model for young girls the last time I was at the Kirketon.
It was during Sydney Fashion Week and the hip hotel and bar was where all the models were staying - and partying - and I was witness to all the revelry that went down within its walls.
I remember drinking my first glass of real champagne and watching the Glamazons strolling up the carpeted steps to their boutique (more…)

Poor results from three the US’ three largest casino operators, Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts and MGM Mirage, will lead to an “ugly” for Las Vegas, according to a Bloomberg report. Eight straight months of declining gambling revenue on the Las Vegas Strip and tightened visa limits by authorities in Macau have eroded third-quarter profits, said Dennis Forst, an analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets in California.
“It’s ugly,” Forst said in an interview with Bloomberg. “Investor expectation is for (more…)