Coming up: Follow the eclipse

Sue Ryan

• Last Updated: November 21. 2009 5:42PM UAE / November 21. 2009 1:42PM GMT

The longest annular solar eclipse of the millennium on January 15, lasting 11 minutes, will be fully visible from Africa and Asia. Graham Crouch for The National

On January 15 an annular solar eclipse, the longest this millennium, will be passing along a narrow corridor of the Earth and will be visible across Africa, the Indian Ocean, India, Sri Lanka and South-east Asia. On the Go Tours (www.onthegotours.com) has tailored some of its sightseeing holidays in India, Africa and China to take in this phenomenon. The partial eclipse can be seen over Kerala on the second day of a three-day tour starting in Kochi and taking in Kumarakom and the Keralan backwaters and Alleppey; the sun will appear to peek out from behind the moon in a thin extended crescent shape, and the sky is predicted to change to a deep purple as the horizon falls into shades of orange and red. From US$385 (Dh1,414) per person, departing January 14.

For those wanting to see the eclipse but also see more of Kerala, there is a nine-day version of the tour that includes a visit to the Parsi Synagogue, Dutch Palace, St Francis Church, Fort Cochin, the Munnar Hill Station, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and Kumarakom. From $923 (Dh3,390) per person, departing January 9.

Africa is famed for having one of the most beautiful skies in the world, which makes it a good place to see the solar eclipse. The event can be viewed from Lake Nakuru as part of a 13-day tour that also takes in the annual migration of the wildebeest at Masai Mara and the Ngorongoro Crater. The eclipse will take place on the fifth day of the tour, shortly after sunrise. From $1,387 (Dh5,094) per person, departing January 11.

Wonders from the deep

A whale-watching company based in New Zealand and founded by men whose families had always made their living from the ocean has taken the top accolade in the Responsible Tourism Awards, catapulting their daily tours into the limelight.

The world’s largest toothed animal may be the size of a cricket pitch but locating sperm whales at sea is a difficult and skilled operation that the company, Whale Watch Kaikoura, has been perfecting over the past 22 years. Sperm whales spend no more than 10 minutes on the surface and can stay underwater for an hour before rising again to replenish their air stocks; they are also solitary creatures and rarely swim together, making the task of finding them even harder.

The whales can be seen against a backdrop of Kaikoura’s snow-capped mountains and an adult whale lifting its tail out of the Pacific Ocean is an extraordinary sight. The company is now upgrading its fleet of six purpose-built catamarans – protecting the environment is key to the company’s ethos – to make them quieter and more fuel efficient and therefore more whale-friendly.

Kaikoura is on the South Island, north of Christchurch, and the maximum number of passengers per trip is kept to 48 for a more personal experience.

The tours are daily and tickets cost $108 (Dh398) for adults and $45 (Dh165) for children (www.whalewatch.co.nz).

Special offers for Eid

Both Etihad Holidays (www.etihadholidays.com) and Emirates Holidays (www.emiratesholidays.com) have launched special packages tailored for Eid Al Adha, most of which include bonus nights, extra luggage allowances, room upgrades, airport transfers or complimentary meals. Emirates Skywards members will also receive up to 20 per cent bonus miles when they book any of these packages.

Between November 26 and December 5, Emirates Holidays is offering four nights in Sri Lanka from $686 (Dh2,520) per person; four nights in the Maldives from $1,587 (Dh5,830) per person; four nights in Mauritius from $2,012 (Dh7,390) per person; and four nights in the Seychelles from $2,333 (Dh8,570) per person.

For those wanting to shop in Asia, Emirates Holidays is offering an extra 10kg baggage allowance on the return journey from Malaysia, Shanghai, Singapore and Thailand. Three nights in Kuala Lumpur is on offer from $969 (Dh3,560) per person; Shanghai from $1,065 (Dh3,910) per person; Bangkok from $1,124 (Dh4,130) per person; and Singapore from $1,143 (Dh4,200) per person.

Etihad Holidays is focusing its Eid packages on Jordan following a new partnership with the tourism authority there. Holidays include flights, accommodation, breakfast and airport transfers and a range of additional special offers: three nights at Le Meridien Amman Hotel from $640 (Dh2,350), with a complimentary room upgrade (valid for stays between November 26 and December 4). Alternatively, there is four nights at the Grand Hyatt Amman Hotel from $788 (Dh2,895) (valid from November 25).

In southern Jordan, there is three nights at the Mövenpick Petra from $855 (Dh3,140); there is three nights at the Mövenpick Aqaba from $832 (Dh3,055); or, at the Dead Sea, three nights at the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea from $836 (Dh3,070), with Etihad Holidays guests receiving a free upgrade to a junior suite as well as early check-in and late check-out.

travel@thenational.ae