Escape plans
HOLIDAY DEALS We select our pick of destinations on offer from travel agents
the gabled mansions climbing the hillside in Santa Teresa. A cherished part of the community since 1877, the canary yellow Bondinho de Santa Teresa tram car operates journeys into downtown.
■ HOW: Norwegian (norwegian.com/ uk) offers flights from London Gatwick to Rio from £239.90 one-way.
4GETTING SPORTY IN JAPAN
JAPAN is on its marks to get set for two major sporting events, with televised scenes of the country’s snow-crested mountains and neon-lit cities very likely to tempt visitors.
On September 20, the Rugby World Cup will kick off for the first time in Asia; over the course of six weeks, 48 matches will be played at 12 venues nationwide. Whetting an appetite for competition, the tournaments will no doubt set a healthy precedent for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
In anticipation of growing demand for the destination, British Airways will launch a new direct flight from London to Osaka in April, starting at £572 return. Although only an hour’s train ride from Kyoto and two-and-a-half hours from Tokyo, Osaka has enough to keep visitors occupied for several days. Now surrounded by skyscrapers, the 16th century Osaka Castle is a fairy-tale stack of sloped roofs surrounded by cherry trees. For families, there’s also Universal Studios Japan.
■ HOW: Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.co.uk; 01242 547 760) offers the 14-night Discover Japan tour from £4,445 a head, including flights, accommodation and transfers.
5LOOK BACK IN BERLIN
A SYMBOL of strength and authority in Europe, it’s easy to forget Germany was once divided. 2019 marks 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, a physical and metaphorical barrier between east and west, in place since 1961.
On November 9, 1989, following a wave of revolutionary activity in Eastern Bloc countries, East Berlin’s Communist Party declared residents of the GDR were free to cross to the other side. People from both sides responded by clambering onto the wall, and the government officially began demolition work a year later.
Memories of the past are still preserved in Berlin: Former squats in Mitte and Friedrichshain are now bars and restaurants; the East Side Gallery is a section of the wall left standing and converted into an open-air art display.
But commemorations will also be taking place in eastern city, Leipzig. On October 9, 1989 – a month prior to the fall of the wall – more than 70,000 people joined a non-violent protest for freedom and democracy, which many believe had an impact on events in Berlin.The monumental march is now celebrated annually with a Festival of Lights.
■ HOW: Explore is offering a one-off opportunity to cycle the 155km length of the former Berlin Wall, accompanied by a guide who grew up in East Germany. The 7-day Cycle the Berlin Wall departs September 16 and costs from £1,420pp, inc flights to Berlin, transfers, B&B accommodation and bike hire. Luggage is transported between hotels.
■ MALDIVES: Kuoni (kuoni.co.uk; 01306 747008) offers seven nights at Velassaru Maldives (B&B) from £1,449 – saving up to £939 per couple (two sharing). Includes flights from Gatwick and transfers. Travel on selected departures in May and June.