Catching the New Wave of Trips Down Under

Ever thought about learning to surf? In the land Down Under? A surfing trip with lessons is one of three new trips being offered by Contiki Travel.

Contiki Travel is a large tour operator catering to travelers ages 18 to 35. It operates tours in North America, Europe, Russia, Britain, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Solo travelers don’t have to pay single supplements because the company will find you a roommate.

Contiki adds tours to Australia in 1998. For those who want to learn how to surf, the four-night Surf ‘n Tour itinerary begins in Sydney and heads north to Coffs Harbour for your first lesson. The next day it’s off to Surfers Paradise, with a stop at Cape Byron, for more lessons and beach play. The trip ends on the fifth day with a transfer to Brisbane after breakfast. The tour is priced from $379 for resort accommodations (four per room; twin share is available at a surcharge), daily breakfast, two dinners, surfboard rental, wetsuits and lessons.

For those who want to explore Australia’s rain forest by four-wheel-drive, the new three-day Outback Adventure leaves from Cairns. This trip visits the Atherton Tablelands, the Undarra lava tubes (with the evening spent in converted railway carriages), limestone caves at Chillagoe and a farm for an outback rodeo. Then it’s on to the rain forest village of Kuranda, before returning to Cairns by scenic railway. This trip is priced from $355 and includes daily breakfasts and dinners.

You can extend the Outback Adventure tour and experience the Great Barrier Reef with a day and a night on Fitzroy Island, and then an additional two days in the World Heritage area of the Daintree Rain Forest and Cape Tribulation National Park. This trip is called Outback to Rain Forest and starts at $779, including some meals.

Contiki will operate 16 Australia programs in 1998, ranging from four to 29 days, with tour prices averaging $79 per day. There will be seven New Zealand programs ranging from three to 20 days, averaging $81 per day. On all tours, accommodations are in resorts, hotels and lodges. Prices are based on four to a room. Transportation is by air-conditioned motor coach with a restroom, stereo and video. A professional Contiki guide accompanies the group and driver.

For further information, see your travel agent or call (800) CONTIKI.

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Council Travel has published a fall edition of their free Student Travels Magazine. The 48-page publication covers practical information on trip planning (from what to pack to international student identification cards, rail passes and passports), plus details on Council Travel programs for working and volunteering in foreign countries.

You’ll also learn about some of the world’s most popular youth hostels, including the Alf Chapman (a ship in Stockholm’s harbor), a prison in Ottawa and castles in Scotland, the Netherlands and Italy.

Student Travels magazine also offers tips on the popular places to hang out in Bangkok (Thailand), Chamonix (France) and Prague (Czech Republic).

Copies of Student Travels Magazine are available on college campuses, at 60 Council Travel offices nationwide and by calling toll-free (888) COUNCIL.

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Hostels aren’t for everyone. Sometimes you want more privacy, but are still willing to forgo frills for an economical price. A new source for finding low-cost lodging in France is “An Insider’s Guide to French Hotels: $50-$90 a Night for Two” by Margo Classe.

Classe has collected information on economical lodgings in Paris and 20 other French cities. Her criteria are that they have at least one room that meets the price requirements (with its own toilet and shower), and that the hotels are customer-friendly and centrally located.

This book is designed to accompany a guidebook. Hotel listings cover rates and amenities ranging from TV to direct-dial phones, reservation contacts and if the staff speaks English. You’ll learn about the neighborhoods and get directions from the closest rail station. Don’t expect listings for youth hostels, dormitories and student accommodations. However, if the hotel does cater to a young clientele, she points it out. In March 1997, Classe visited each hotel listed in all 21 cities except for about half of the hotels listed in Paris. She had been to most of the Paris listings over a five-year period from 1991 to 1996. The book also includes information on events. The author suggests that you familiarize yourself with the schedule of local holidays, traditional events and religious celebrations in the cities you are planning to visit so that you know which times of the year hotels are likely to be especially busy.

“An Insider’s Guide to French Hotels: $50-$90 a Night for Two” by Margo Classe (Wilson Publishing, $18.95) can be ordered by calling the publisher at (213) 939-0821 or toll-free (888) 663-9269. Shipping costs $4.05.

Izon is a Toronto-based freelance writer. She can be reached at https://www.izon.com