By Tan Yi Hui and Cheryl Tan

STAR-GAZING

If you relish the idea of being on holiday and on television, book yourself on Chan Brothers' My Star Guide 3 tour.

For its 11-day Turkey package departing on Sept 6, MediaCorp motormouth Bryan Wong plays host and the entire trip will be captured, Candid Camera-style, and telecast on TV.

Attractions on the itinerary include the Grand Mosque in Bursa, which was built in 1399 during the Ottoman empire.

There will also be a city tour of picturesque Istanbul, with visits to the Hagia Sophia Museum which is famous for its massive dome and was once the largest cathedral in the world.

The package costs from $2,388, with $200 off per couple and another $100 off for each Citibank credit card member per room.

For more information, call Chan Brothers Travel on 6212-9660.

ROYAL BRUNEI TOURS

Jet to Brunei on one of Royal Brunei's tours, available for travel from now till March next year.

Choose from an array of spa, honeymoon or city tour packages. Prices start at $555 for twin-sharing, inclusive of return airfare and all taxes plus surcharges.

Avid golfers might want to take note of the four-day, three-night Golfer's Challenge Package, which offers three rounds of golf at the Empire Country Club or the Royal Brunei Golf & Country Club, including buggy and green fees.

For inquiries, call Royal Brunei Airlines on 6235-4672.

CONTIKI TO NEW ZEALAND

If you are between 18 and 35 years old and are on a tight travel budget, get on the Contiki bus to Auckland, New Zealand.

The five-day 'Sun and Steam' holiday is priced at $1,307 per person and includes the flight to Auckland on Thai Airways.

Prices do not reflect airport taxes and surcharges but include resort accommodation, transport and most meals.

Start your tour by crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge, which has a picturesque view of the city skyline. Then head to Northland to explore the Kauri forest at Parry Kauri Park. The massive trees are not only famous for their size but also because they are one of the most ancient plant species on earth. The oldest trees are around 1,000 years old.

Take a catamaran cruise through the Bay of Island's world-famous 'Holein-the-Rock', a rock outcrop with a hole in it. Keep your eyes peeled for dolphins in the clear blue waters.

You will also travel along the Ninety Mile Beach, a desert-like landscape full of sand dunes, and visit Waitomo, a region full of enchanting limestone formations and sparkling glow-worm caves.

There, try your hand at black water rafting or underground cave rafting and relax in a Polynesian thermal pool. Wrap up with a traditional Maori Hangi meal and concert in Rotorua.

All tours are accompanied by experienced tour managers and drivers. Optional excursions are available for adventurous types who want to get more out of their trip. The promotion lasts till the end of the year.

For more information, call Contiki Holidays on 6337-8166 or visit http://contiki.com/tours/96-sun-steam

CHRISTMAS GETWAYS

It's never too early for Christmas when it comes in a gift pack filled with enticing travel promotions and discounts.

Go to Suntec City this weekend to check out Chan Brothers' offers on winter packages and ski holidays to Korea, Japan, China and Europe.

Take up the eight-day Ice and Snow World package in north-east China to see snow sculptures and ice lantern exhibitions. Join in the celebrations at the ice and snow festival in Harbin and ski at the Jingyuetan Ski Resort.

Couples can sign up for the 10- or 12-day Eastern Europe tour which includes a cruise down the Danube River. Then take the road less travelled and head to the city of Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic, the Slovenian city of Maribor and Zagreb in Croatia.

But if snow and icy weather are not your cup of tea, check out the Australian tour packages instead. They offer warm and sunny farmstays, and The Great Sunshine Way tour promises a great Australian experience in southern Queensland.

Fuel surcharge subsidies for selected package tours and a slew of discounts for families, senior citizens and honeymoon couples are also on offer.

Citibank card holders enjoy an additional discount of up to $50 off best-selling package tours.

The Chan Brothers Travel Christmas Greatest Hits Event is on at Suntec Singapore, Level 3 Concourse, on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.

Phuket is one of SilkAir's two-to-go destination offers.

SILKAIR PROMOTIONS

If you are thinking of soaking up the flavours that the rest of Asia has to offer, you might want to take note of SilkAir's latest twoto-go airfare promotions valid for travel till Dec 31.

You can explore the watery deep off Phuket and Kota Kinabalu, chill out at Danang's pristine beaches, or pamper yourself at spas in Surabaya. Here are some examples:

From $118: Kuching, Langkawi, Medan. From $158: Danang, Kota Kinabalu, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Siem Reap. From $188: Shenzhen, Surabaya, Yangon. From $248: Chiang Mai. From $308: Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming. From $388: Coimbatore, Thiruvananthapuram.

For more information and bookings, log on to silkair.com by Aug 31.

tanyihui@sph.com.sg

tcheryl@sph.com.sg