A new dawn had barely broken over Gallipoli on April 25 before we were being exhorted to be there for the 2010 commemorations.
Tour operators APT, far from being opportunistic, were making an offer almost too good to refuse for any one of the ever-growing band of Aussies heading over for the in situ Anzac experience. For bookings made and paid by August 31 this year there are savings of $1420 per person and, of course, exactly double that for couples.
The APT Anzac program is a complete 24-day European holiday. It is a well-balanced program commencing with the emotional force of Gallipoli and Anzac Cove. This is followed immediately by a 15-day river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam - a holiday option which has a huge following from Down Under.
There is also an option of three days in Paris to round out the 24-day span priced from $11,995, and, if you just want the 21 days, the odyssey ends in Amsterdam, priced from $10,045.
The prices include the Istanbul-Budapest flight, hotels in Istanbul, Assos and Paris, 56 meals, visits to 24 cities, towns and villages, touring and cruising, guided sightseeing (including at Gallipoli Peninsula), personal-choice activities, staff tipping (a saving in itself of $700 per couple), airport transfers, as well as welcome and farewell dinners.
The river cruise sector on the Danube, Main and Rhine rivers, is aboard APT's own luxurious river ship Amadagio.
At Gallipoli, arriving the day before the service allows passengers to experience the build-up to the Dawn Service.
(I notice in some sections of the media this has been renamed the Dawn Stand-to, a pointless quest for “correctness” with the result being an expression which flies in the face of tradition and doesn't mean a thing to anyone other than its perpetrators.)
The tour starts with three nights in Istanbul.
For more information talk to your travel agent or call 1300 656 985.
Another reason to “do” Malaysia
Sanctuary within a sanctuary is back
For reasons best known to themselves, travel promotion in Malaysia is fairly low-key . . . not unenthusiastic, but just more matter-of-fact than many of their neighbours. It's almost as though they realise their country, to a large extent, sells itself and thrives on repeat business.
The Malay peninsula abounds in attractions well-known, like capital Kuala Lumpur; the tourist haven of Penang; historic Malacca; or the gambling and-or-golf mecca of the Genting Highhlands.
The latest addition to that list is a boutique resort on Langkawi Island on the peninsula's northwest coast. Tanjung Sanctuary Resort is ready to re-open following total refurbishment which lasted a whole year.
The 16-villa resort sits on 2.4 hectares of a 25-hectare plot of native mixed hardwood trees which sweep down on to a private sandy beach and five separate sandy coves. It is home turf for dusky leaf and crab-eating monkeys, sea eagles, hornbills, sea otters and rare pink dolphins.
The showcase restaurant, The Point, sits over coastal rocks.
There is an emphasis on couples seeking privacy but not exclusively so.
The resort is the first beach property owned by Kuala Lumpur-based Coronade Hotels. It is just 10 minutes' drive from Langkawi airport and, if you are so moved, within cooee of the many restaurant choices of Telaga Harbour, popular with international yachties. Panti Cenang shopping area is 15 minutes away.
“Many of the themes which identify Malaysia apply to Langkawi,'' Roslan Othman, director of Tourism Malaysia's Kedah State office said.
“If your holiday focus is islands and beaches, honeymoon, romance, diving, fishing, yachting, spa and relaxation, Langkawi has it all.”
Langkawi is also known for its geoparks, top-rated by UNESCO.
An archipelago of 99 islands 30km off the coast of Kedah and close to the Thailand border, Langkawi is duty-free. It has direct scheduled flight connections with Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Penang.
For more information, talk to Tourism Malaysia in Sydney (9299 4441) to help you plan tour trip. | 
