It’s billed as the crossroad of ancient civilisations but, until now at least, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was not exactly at the crossroads of anything for Australian globetrotters.
Now, thanks to those trailblazing folk at Tempo Holidays, ancient and fashionable-all-at-once Jordan beckons Down Under.
Their seven-day itinerary includes the amphitheatre and museum in capital Amman, the Roman city of Jerash, the important Christian centre of Madaba, Mt Nebo which offers views over the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea, Jericho and Jerusalem, the Crusader Castle at Kerak and the Lost City of Petra.
That's a lot of culture for the $7410 pp twin-share ticket but in case there are some who'd like more, there is a two-and-a-half hour spa treatment at the luxurious Kempinski Ishtar Hotel on the Dead Sea, deluxe accommodation in Amman and the Dead Sea, daily breakfasts, private vehicle transfers and tour guides.
Tempo can arrange the international air travel extra through its partner airlines Emirates, Etihad or Singapore.
For more information call 1300 558 987 or visit www.tempoholidays.com
Best in a field of bests
Nam Hai trumps its opposition
Located overlooking the South China Sea on world-famous China Beach kind of gives Vietnam's Nam Hai hotel and beach resort a bit of a head start.
The property is, however, much more than location, location which earned it top billing as Asia's best beach resort in the hotly-contested Travel Trade Gazette 2008 travel awards. Last year it was Best New Resort.
The Nam Hai, close to the World Heritage site of Hoi An, delivers five-star everything and embraces the unique culture of central Vietnam, reflected in every department from wining and gourmet dining to accommodation and service.
It's an all-villa resort ranging from 60 one-bedders to 40 private-pool villas with up to five bedrooms for families or close friends.
Dining can be indoors or on the beach; there are three beachfront swimming pools and a temperature-controlled tropical lagoon spa; and a new 18-hole golf course.
Hoi An's narrow streets and busy shophouses are a short walk away or you can hire a car to do My Son, home to the ancient Cham civilization, or magnificent Hue, the former imperial capital.
To get to the Nam Hai it's best to fly in direct from Singapore or Bangkok to Danang's international airport which is half an hour from the resort.
The Nam Hai is a jewel in the sparkling crown of General Hotel Management (GHM) which has a string of award-winning properties all over Asia and the UHS. Having a whale of a time
Minus mobile phones and no dressing up
There is no mobile phone coverage and dressing up means wrapping up in a sarong, full-stop . . . which makes Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef pretty close to heaven for many.
It is also THE place to swim with sharks - whale sharks that is, with mouths up to 1.5 metres in diameter yet safe as houses.
Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef is an exclusive safari camp nestled in the white sand dunes of Western Australia's Cape Range National Park.
“For some, swimming with whale sharks conjures images of a Jonah-and-the-Whale experience, but the ghostly behemoths, which gather each year on Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef, are harmless to humans,'' says Kerry Lorrimer.
We'll take her word for it.
To get up close and personal with them, Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef is offering whale shark encounters in combination with accommodation at its luxury tented camp on the edge of the reef.
Sal Salis has partnered with Ocean Eco Adventures which has operated whale shark expeditions on the reef for 15 years, to give guests private tours to swim with the whale sharks between April and June next year.
The full-day tour is aboard the 18-metre Keshi-Mer, a fast and well-appointed vessel, which works in collaboration with a dedicated spotter plane. So it's not another hit-or-miss-venture.
“Snorkelling alongside a 12-metre, 10-tonne gentle giant is one of the world's most extraordinary wildlife experiences,'' says Lorrimer.
There are also 500 fish species, 300 corals, turtles, rays and other marine life in this World Heritage Marine Park.
At the end of the day, guests return to the wild bush luxury of recently opened Sal Salis tented camp.
There are five individual, luxury wilderness tents sheltered among the dunes on a deserted stretch of beach. The dining room serves Australian produce prepared by a resident chef.
Three and four night whale shark packages between March 31 and June 30, 2009, cost from $2970 and $3655 per person, twin share, respectively, including accommodation and meals at Sal Salis, guided activities including snorkelling, kayaking and gorge walks from camp, and an exclusive whale shark tour.
For more information call 1300 790 561 or visit www.salsalis.com.au | 
