This week’s travel deals features trains, planes...and a solar eclipse. By Winnie Yeung.

A Little Extra
Traveling is all about taking a break from your busy urban life but, if you would like your hard-earned holiday to be more worthwhile, luxury hotel chain Fairmont has a new option for you. From now until Nov 30, the hotel is running its Global Adventure Series. Packages include accommodation at Fairmont and also lectures and adventures led by National Geographic experts. If you’re tempted by the call of the wild, join the 10-day package to Kenya ($59,982) which includes nine nights accommodation, a full-day photo safari game drive with National Geographic wildlife photographer Michael Nichols, hot air balloon ride, visit to a Maasai village and meals. And my favorite is a three-night package at Egypt from Nov 27-30, with accommodation, guided tours of the Great Pyramids, the Cairo Museum and a Nile Felucca ride and also a special dinner lecture with Dr. Zahi Hawass, probably the most famous Egyptologist in the world, for only $7,488. Bear in mind that these packages do not include air tickets. Book at www.fairmont.com. Picture above.

The A380 is here!
All you aviation buffs will be delighted to hear that Singapore Airlines started flying its brand-new giant airbus A380 to Hong Kong last week. We hear there’s tons more legroom compared to the usual tiny coach seat, and the return fare starts at just $1,675. Book now at www.singaporeair.com.

Total Eclipse
First up, if you have not heard by now, China will witness a total solar eclipse on Wed, Jul 22. And while Hong Kong will only get to see a partial one from 8-11am that day, the best spot to watch the eclipse out of the vast land of China is at Tongling city in Anhui. It’s a bit of a last minute trip but it’s fairly easy to get there. The easiest way to Tongling is to catch a train from Shanghai, which takes around seven hours. Dragonair flies to Shanghai daily, with rates starting at $2,361 from zuji.com.hk. Picture number 3, above.

No More Sleeping on Airport Benches
The Thai government is onto something good here. The country is struggling to get its tourism industry back on track after last year’s riots. But it has just realized that in the last year more than 1.5 million passengers have arrived in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport before transferring to other flights. Now the government has come up with a range of package tours which transfer passengers can take between flights. The tours take a minimum of four hours and include a range of activities from shopping and sightseeing to canal boat rides, spas and golf. The cheapest tour is around $250. If you take a tour and stay in Bangkok for less than 12 hours you could even be exempt from paying the airport tax ($114). Clearly it’s a win-win solution---Thailand can boost its economy by luring more tourists into the capital, and tourists no longer need sleep on benches while they wait for their next flights. For detailed itineraries, go to www.tourismthailand.org. Picture number 4, above.

Cheap China Trains
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Hong Kong-Guangzhou intercity train service, MTR is offering big discounts on selected weekend trains from Hung Hom to the south China city. All one-way tickets will have their prices slashed from $190 down to $115 on the following trains: Hung Hom-Guangzhou: T812 at 7:25am, Fri-Sun and T824 at 8:18, Sat-Sun. Guangzhou-Hung Hom: T811 at 9:32am, Sat-Mon. Discounts are valid until Oct 12. Get your tickets at MTR Travel at Hung Hom Station at 2365-6993. Picture number 5, above.

Taiwan Banquet Tour
To introduce Taiwan’s culinary heritage to visitors, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau is hosting a banquet on August 18 for tourists and famous gourmands from around the world—and it’s free! Held in Tainan, the auspicious banquet dishes they plan to serve are traditionally consumed by the Taiwanese after visiting a temple. To take part in the banquet, you need to join a tour, booked through an agent in Hong Kong. Try Wing On Travel, which is offering a four day trip to Tainan for $2,499, departing on Aug 16. Space is clearly limited so book asap at 2928-8882. Picture number 6, above.