Looking for an exciting new cruise or tour? Here are three great ideas. Avalon Waterways has just announced it'll be making a foray into France's Bordeaux region in 2025, with one-, two- and three-week cruises on rivers such as Garonne and Dordogne. From bike rides through vineyards to guided tours of medieval towns, the itineraries are packed with activities.
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If you want to get a bit more adventurous, sign up for Contiki's new tour in the Philippines later this year, on which you can snorkel through a shipwreck site or hop from one gorgeous island to another. For the ultimate experience, though, you can't go past the package that combines two Australian bucket-list experiences - a cruise in the Kimberley with Coral Expeditions and The Ghan train trip by Journey Beyond. Launching in 2025, the cruise and rail experience will have multiple departure dates. avalonwaterways.com.au; contiki.com/en-au; coralexpeditions.com; journeybeyond.com
Easter favourites
Australians are going overseas in big numbers, with bookings for Easter up by 43 per cent this year compared with 2023, according to new data from online booking platform Webjet. Accounting for more than 16 per cent of bookings made, Bali is the number one place Australians are heading to, followed by a trio of NZ destinations: Auckland (12.1 per cent), Christchurch (5 per cent) and Queenstown (4.1 per cent). Other destinations on the top 10 list include London, Bangkok, Tokyo, Wellington, Manila and Phuket.
French connection
A slice of Paris has just landed in Bendigo. Head to the Bendigo Art Gallery to check out more than 170 pieces of art in the Paris: Impressions of Life 1880-1925 exhibition (on until July 14), then soak up the French vibe at a number of events being organised as part of the Bonjour Bendigo program. Francophiles will be in heaven at the Macaron Masterclass to be held at Treacy Patisserie on March 24, while connoisseurs of good food and wine will be right at home at the GPO, where special French lunches (including a glass of champagne) are on offer until July 14 (Bastille Day). There's a Parisian-candle-making workshop, too, at Belvoir Park Estate on May 5, in case you want to unleash you inner artisan. bendigoregion.com.au
