Last-Minute Breaks
The holiday season is officially upon us, but you’ve left it until the last minute—again—to book your tickets. Lucky for you, there’s some great packages still available out there (as of press time, at least). Bangkok is an excellent last-minute escape, and Hong Thai Travel is offering several five-day, four-night packages starting at $3,249 per person, departing on Christmas day and flying on Orient Thai Airlines. Call 2108-8888 to book.

High-end Singapore
It’s easy to write Singapore off as boring, but the truth is, the city state is a great getaway if you’re looking for delicious food and fabulous shopping. Spice up your next trip by booking yourself into the new luxury resort, Capella Singapore (1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island, Singapore, 65-6377-8888, www.capellasingapore.com). Located on Sentosa island, the resort is Capella’s flagship property in Asia, with 112 guestrooms that range from suites to villas and even manors. Cathay Pacific Holidays is offering a three-day package to Capella Singapore at $4,099 and up per person. It includes return flights by Cathay, a two-night stay in a premier garden view room, 24-hour personal assistant service, free pressing for five outfits, drinks served in the room, and all-day snacks at their Library lounge. Bear in mind that there will be—of course—an air ticket surcharge for Christmas and Lunar New Year, at $650 and $1,400 per person respectively. Offers good until February 28, 2010. Book at www.cxholidays.com.

Who’s for Yunnan?   
Lijiang in Yunnan province has the perfect weather for tourists to visit all year long. This winter, the temperature ranges from around 5 to 17 degrees Celsius (the day-to-night temperature fluctuation is huge there), the air is not humid—and the sun shines practically every day. Hong Kong Student Travel (no, they don’t just serve students) has a three-day package to Lijiang starting at $4,250 per person, which includes return flights by Dragonair and a two-night stay in a deluxe suite at the Banyan Tree Lijiang (Yuerong Rd., Shuhe, Lijiang, Yunnan, China, 86-888-533-1111, www.banyantree.com). The package also includes a RMB300 spa credit for each guest to spend at the spa, which is famous for combining Banyan Tree Spa expertise with the Chinese “five elements” philosophy in its treatments. There’s a room surcharge during Christmas and Lunar New Year of $460 per room per night, and an air ticket surcharge of $450 (Christmas) and $800 (Lunar New Year) per person. Book at 2730-2800.

Let it Snow
The annual Harbin Ice Festival opens January 5, 2010, and this year, Hong Kong Airlines Holidays has launched special packages to the city. The three-day package, priced $3,488 and up per person, includes return flights by Hong Kong Airlines and two-nights stay at a hotel of your choice. For an extra $560 per person, you can join a guided day tour that will bring you around all the major tourist attractions and of course, the ice festival itself. Book at 2369-8888 before Dec 31.

Major Bummer in Taiwan
Travelling to Taiwan is always cheap and fun, but if you’re a Hong Kong resident, you have to get a visa every time you go. To simplify the process, the Taiwanese government set up a counter at the Hong Kong Airport, making it easy for you to get a visa on the day. However, last week Taiwan announced that they would shorten the opening hours for that counter, so starting January 1, it will be open daily from 8am and closing at 6pm instead of the old time of 8pm. Regular Taiwan visitors, take note. -Winnie Yeung.