Breakaway - Have Mountain, Have Sea (You Shan You Shui) - Take Your Holiday Pick

June’s not far away, and I have just been reminded by my pilot bro-in-law that….hyperventilate…. flights are filling up!! Okay, so he was actually referring to London so if anyone is keen to try out the Grace Kelly weekend, time to BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS!

Anyway, the world is not that small, and if one’s finger doesn’t click on the online flight reservation button fast enough, there are still options…..(though I heard too, that the sales in London are now on and the it’s a good time to go ‘cos the pound is relatively low and that means shop till you totally drop-and-smear-yourself-on-the-sidewalk-under-all-your-wonderful-bags-and-bags-of-shopping-but-it’s-ok-‘cos-it's-a great-bargain-and-you’re-happy!)

If not, there’s the Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives which offers a free night tossed in for every 3 nights you book. Valid until 15 October 2010, you can pick your choice of lazy stays from ocean retreats to tropical tree house villas. The deal includes one complimentary night when paying for a minimum of three nights, return domestic flight from Malé to Gan – a 70-minute scenic flight over the Maldives’ different atolls and breakfast for two.

It says here that honeymooners staying for at least five nights get additional benefits including a 60-minute massage at CHI, The Spa for two, a flower bed decoration and a relaxing bath ritual in the intimacy of their villa. How about old married couples? Don’t we get any rewards too?!

For more information e-mail reservations.slmd@shangri-la.com

If that’s just too much luxury for you to bear, how about some adventure and how about fluttering up to the Himalayas and meet Yeti? Jet Airways is offering eight-day packages from Singapore (from S$1068) to Kathmandu via Delhi and Mumbai. 

The itinerary brings you to Kathmandu where you see the 2000 year old Swayambhunath Stupa and Lalitpur, known for its fine metal work; Pokhara, the second largest city in Nepal where an hour long boat ride at Fewa Lake gives you pamoramic photo ops of the Himalayas, and to Nagarkot, 2300 m above sea level (serious hyperventilation! Oxygen, darling?) where you can soak in excellent views of the Himalayan range at sunset and even Mount Everest on a clear day….if you’re not completely struck with altitude sickness that is. 

On the return to Kathmandu, visit the famous Durbar Square, Hanumandhok (Hanuman Gate) and Kasthamandap dominated by Shiva temple where the “Living Virgin Goddess” Kumari lives and a whole lot of other temples. A number of travel agents offer this deal, of which include Asia Euro Holidays, tel: 63385566 www.aeholidays.com and Classic Travel, tel 65380993 Email : classictravel@pacific.net.sg

- By EW