Once upon a time, you had to book your year-end vacation months in advance. But these days, with so many options being available online, people can afford to be more spontaneous. That, however, presents another problem: with so many choices, you just don't know where to start. We have done the leg work and gone through the heap, and found five travel packages departing from the hubs of Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
SONG SAA
PACKAGE PRICE HK$44,859/US$5,785 (Dragonair economy class), $47,359/US$6,107 (Dragonair business class)
BOOKING AGENT Flight Centre Hong Kong
DEPARTING FROM Hong Kong
ACCOMODATION 1 night at Raffles Hotel Le Royal Phnom Penh with breakfast & 4 nights at Song Saa Private Island with daily breakfast
AIRPORT/HOTEL TRANSFER Available as part of package
ADD-ONS Lunches, dinners and beverages in Song Saa Private Island included
WHY WE LIKE IT Spending the holidays on a private island – what could be better than this?
FIJI
PACKAGE PRICE SG$3,086/US$2,358 (Qantas economy class)
BOOKING AGENT Zuji Singapore
DEPARTING FROM Singapore
ACCOMODATION 5 nights at The Warwick Fiji resort (garden view room) with daily buffet breakfast included
AIRPORT/HOTEL TRANSFER Not available as part of package
ADD-ONS Top up an additional SG$1,298 for an ocean view suite
WHY WE LIKE IT Not too bad deal for flights and five nights at a five-star resort
THE MALDIVES
PACKAGE PRICES HK$56,299/US$7,260 (Cathay Pacific economy class)
BOOKING AGENT Flight Centre Hong Kong
DEPARTING FROM Hong Kong
ACCOMODATION 4 nights at Gili Lankanfushi Maldives with daily breakfast
AIRPORT/HOTEL TRANSFER Roundtrip speed boat transfer included as part of package
ADD-ONS 4 Dinners at the Gili Lankanfushi’s Main Restaurant included
WHY WE LIKE IT The Maldives is hot, and with breakfast and dinners included, this is pretty fuss free.
CHRISTMAS ISLAND
PACKAGE PRICES A$1,666/US$1,408 (Malaysia Airlines charter flight)
BOOKING AGENT Christmas Island Tourism Association
DEPARTING FROM Kuala Lumpur
VALIDITY DATES 24 Jan – 31 Jan 2015
ACCOMODATION 7 nights at The Sunset hotel (standard room)
AIRPORT/HOTEL TRANSFER Available as part of package
ADD-ONS 7 days of car hire included; Christmas Island Nature Tour available for A$90 pp, while Christmas Island Orientation Tour available for A$50.
WHY WE LIKE IT Spending Christmas on Christmas Island – isn't that wild?
PERTH
PACKAGE PRICES SG$2,752/US$2,103 (British Airways and Qantas economy class)
BOOKING AGENT Expedia Singapore
DEPARTING FROM Singapore
VALIDITY DATES 25 Dec – 29 Dec 2014
ACCOMODATION Pan Pacific Perth (deluxe kings room)
AIRPORT/HOTEL TRANSFER Not available as part of package
ADD-ONS Car rentals for as low as SG$106 per day (URP SG$425 per day)
WHY WE LIKE IT Perth is lovely this time of the year. And Margaret River beckons.
