Fujairah gets Fairmont hotel
Fairmont, which already has hotels in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ajman, has opened a fifth property in Fujairah. The Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort has 180 rooms, a private marina and five bars and restaurants. A Willow Stream Spa will open next month. There is an opening special, offering rooms from Dh768 per night including taxes and breakfast (www.fairmont.com).
New cruise to stop in Bangladesh
The Monaco-based cruise operator Silversea is to launch what it claims is the first cruise to Bangladesh next month. Its Silver Discoverer ship, which carries 120 passengers, will depart from Colombo in Sri Lanka on February 11, calling at Trincomalee and the Andaman Islands before cruising along the Bangladesh coast. Highlights include using small Zodiac boats to land among the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans. Fares cost form from US$15,275 (Dh56,106) per person including taxes; silversea.com
New ‘slow’ holidays in Europe
The high-end UK tour operator Inntravel has launched four new self-guided "SlowMotion" holidays in Europe. The "inspirational journeys by train, car or boat" include two in Italy and one each in Spain and Norway. Two of the trips, in Emilia Romagna in Italy and Catalonia in Spain, are focused on food, while another 14-night Italian tour focuses on the country's cultural highlights. The 14-night Norway tour highlights include: walking on the largest icecap in mainland Europe, Jostedal Glacier; a stay in Norway's oldest hotel, the fjord-side Walaker Hotel, which has been in the same family for nine generations (dating back to 1690); and a ferry journey to Ålesund, a colourful town bursting with Art Nouveau, set in an unbelievable coastal location. Trips are available from April 1 and cost from US$1,214 (Dh4,460) per person based on two sharing, including accommodation, transport, route maps and notes and some meals, but not flights, www. inntravel.co.uk
Muscat festival to run until Feb 11
Visitors to the Omani capital can take part in the 2017 Muscat Festival, which runs until February 11 and includes motorsports events and family activities such as folk music, circus, magic, theatre, arts and crafts, fireworks and a heritage village. Most of the festival takes place at Naseem Gardens and Al Amarat Park (www.muscat-festival.com).
rbehan@thenational.ae
