- World
- Australasia
- Australia
- New South Wales
- Sydney
- Holiday
Australia in Style (Flights excluded)
Australia in Style (Flights excluded)
Description
Location: Bangkok and Australia
Your holiday price includes
- 2 nights 4* Siam City, Bangkok
- Grand Palace Tour, Bangkok
- 5 nights 5* Radisson Plaza, Sydney
- 2 nights 5* Shangri-La Marina, Cairns
- 5 nights 5* Sebel Reef House, Palm Cove
- All transfers included
- Bonus offer - free Sydney Habour Lunch Cruise (based on sea food buffet lunch)
Itinerary
- Day 1: Bangkok
Arrive into Bangkok, Thailand’s vibrant capital city. Upon arrival, you will be meet and transferred through to your accommodation, 4* Siam City Hotel. Spend the remainder of the day at your leisure, exploring some of the delights that Bangkok has to offer.
2 nights – Siam City, Bangkok.
- Day 2: Grand Palace Tour
Sample a taste of oriental splendour with a tour of the famous Grand Palace a ‘must see’ for all visitors to Bangkok. The Grand Palace Complex, which includes the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Keow) is unquestionably one of the wonders of the world today. Within its enormous grounds is the most exotic Buddhist temple and at the heart of the temple itself is a fabulous Buddha image, carved from one piece of Jade, which is the holiest and most revered of religious objects in Thailand today. Nearby is the Grand Palace, once the official home for the Kings of Siam built in traditional Thai architecture mixed with European designs. You can also see the Royal Funeral Hall and the Royal Coronation Hall. Afternoon is to relax.
- Day 3: Bangkok – Sydney
Say goodbye to Bangkok and hello to one of the most enchanting cities in the world, Sydney. Upon arrival into Sydney, you will be met and transferred to 5* Radisson Plaza, where the start of your Australia experience begins.
5 nights – Radisson Plaza, Sydney.
- Day 4 to day 7: Sydney
Over the next 4 days, indulge yourself in a feast of attractions from the iconic Opera House located on the dazzling Sydney Harbour, to the breathtaking beaches and top quality local wineries that Sydney is world famous for. No trip is complete without experiencing a Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb with incredible 360 views of Sydney harbour by day and the magic of the city lights by night, it is an experience you will not forget. (Own expense).
- Day 8: Sydney – Cairns
This morning you will be transferred to Sydney Airport for your domestic flight to Cairns, the Gateway City to the Great Barrier Reef. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the 5* Shangri La. Spend this afternoon at leisure.
2 nights – Shangri La, Cairns.
- Day 9: Cairns
At your leisure enjoy the spectacular rainforest mountain backdrops and the Coral Sea that Cairns is famous for. Why not take a scenic hot air balloon ride, experiencing what Cairns has to offer from both the land and air. (Own expense).
- Day 10: Cairns – Palm Cove
Located just 25 minutes from Cairns is Palm Cove, a stylish, sought after beachside village. This morning you will be transferred to the 5* Sebel Reef House, Palm Cove to begin your stay in paradise.
5 nights – Sebel Reef House, Palm Cove.
- Day 11 to day 14: Palm Cove
Relax sunbath and enjoy yourself in the tropical haven that is Palm Cove. With the Great Barrier Reef just on your doorstep, take this opportunity to visit and explore one of Australia’s greatest wonders. Whether it be sailing or scuba diving, rainforest treks or hot air ballooning. Just ask one of reservations team to find the ideal touring option to fit your needs, making this a trip to remember. (Own expense).
- Day 15: Palm Cove to UK
Say goodbye to Australia as your trip down under comes to an end. Transfer to Cairns Airport for your international flight (included).
- Free lunch cruise is based on sea food buffet lunch
Price excludes:
- Meals, Tips, Porterage, Gratuities or items of a personal nature
- Any touring not mentioned in itinerary
- Any personal expenses such as drinks, laundry etc
- Gratuities
- International and Domestic flights
- Airport Taxes
Single supplement: Subject to availability
Infants: Adults sharing only
All accommodation prices are based on from prices only. High season supplements may apply at peak times.
Include your flights with Qantas:
Flights are available to include subject to availability. Prices vary depending on the departure date band. From fares including Taxes are as follows:
- Departures up to 30 November 2008 and 16 January to 31 March 2009 fares from £1220.00
- Departures: 01 - 09 December 2008 fares from £1310.00
- Departures: 10 - 23 December 2008 fares from £1610.00
- Departures: 24 - 31 December 2008 fares from £1422.00
- Departures: 01 - 15 January 2009 fares from £1422.00
The State capital of New South Wales, Sydney is a thriving centre for both business and the arts. The city has all the cosmopolitan amenities top shopping, excellent restaurants and buzzing nightlife. Carved between the mountains and the sea, it also offers the ultimate in the great outdoors. The Pacific Ocean swells onto golden beaches, while a seasonally shifting palette of colours unfolds further inland over the Blue Mountains. In addition to the harbour, famously adorned with sailing boats that mirror the distinctive curves of the Opera House, there are numerous inland waterways and national parks.
From its sordid beginnings as a British penal colony in 1788, Sydney rapidly flourished, establishing booming trade links and witnessing large-scale development throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The Sydney Opera House (a feat of avant-garde architectural vision) epitomises the citys desire to lead the New World in the 21st century. Sydneys architecture is a stunning melange, with little Victorian structures nestling below towering concrete, steel and glass skyscrapers.
All the exuberance and plate-glass sophistication nonetheless fail to compensate for a certain competitive edginess in the citys psyche. After the Australian Federation was created in 1901, the traditional bickering between Sydney and its arch rival, Melbourne, was settled in 1908, by making Canberra the new national capital. However, until 1927, when the city of Canberra was completed, Melbourne remained the seat of national government. Nevertheless, Sydneysiders insist that their city remains the true capital of Australia and indeed, with a triumphant hosting of the 2000 Olympic Games, the world might even agree with this. But the rivalry with Melbourne persists a rivalry based more on style than on stature for, while Sydney is decidedly Anglo in its ethnic orientation, Melbourne is more continental, with a much more tangibly imported culture. To Melbourne, Sydney will always be hedonistic and shallow, just as to Sydney, Melbourne will always be grey and intellectual.
Australias white history has eclipsed its indigenous inheritance and, although Sydney has the highest Aboriginal population of any Australian city, a stroll around the citys streets offers little evidence that it has anything other than a white (and latterly, an Asian) heritage. While museums, galleries, theatre and dance troupes pay tribute to the archaeological and cultural legacy of indigenous culture, Aborigines in the city remain very much an invisible minority.
With the Olympics, Sydney came of age as one of the worlds great cities. The games smooth running has been attributed to the thousands of local volunteers, whose helpful, welcoming attitude revealed (much to Sydneys own surprise) that beneath its somewhat vain and self-seeking surface there still exists a bedrock of traditional Australian virtues. But the Games did more than affect the citys mindset: they transformed its physical appearance. Streets and public areas were remodelled, long-neglected eyesores were removed and new street furniture erected, resulting in a city centre that is more pleasant and easier to navigate than ever before. Combine that with semitropical summers and mild winters and the result is an excellent city to visit at any time of the year.
- International Sites:
