Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour has opened Australia's first L'Occitane en Provence Spa, bringing a slice of southern France to Darling Harbour. Think almond oil massages, lavender steam rooms and Provence-inspired treatments – a handy stand-in for anyone whose fantasy of the south of France currently outranks their flight budget. Bookings via sofitelspadarlingharbour.com.
If Greece is more your thing but the airfare isn't, Sydney gets an unlikely taste of the Aegean in March 2027: Mamma Mia! The Party arrives at the Sydney Event Centre at The Star. It's a four-course Greek feast with live theatre and an ABBA soundtrack, running from sunset until the taverna turns into a '70s disco. Tickets go on sale November 12.
For travellers with deeper pockets, Aman has announced five Private-Jet Expeditions for 2028, run with specialist operator Remote Lands and capped at 16-18 guests. The headline trips: Cultural Treasures of Asia, a 15-night route through Japan, Cambodia, China, Bhutan and India, and From Islands to Ancient Worlds, 17 nights across eight destinations from Japan and the Philippines to Montenegro and Turkey. Highlights include a helicopter flight over Angkor and the hike to Bhutan's Tiger's Nest Monastery. Pricing on request – so, a lot.
Etihad is doubling its Sydney-Abu Dhabi service from December 15, adding four weekly flights for two daily departures. That means smoother connections to London, Paris and Rome, and the airline's stopover programme – which includes a free one- or two-night hotel stay – now covers Al Ain as well as Abu Dhabi. If you're flying to Europe via the Gulf, that's a genuinely useful upgrade.
Down in Rio, the Copacabana Palace has given its Pool Wing a five-storey renovation, adding Latin America's first Dior Spa. Expect Brazilian jiu-jitsu studios and a post-sun facial developed with dermatologist Dr Maria Bussade. Dior and the hotel go way back – the house showed a couture collection in the hotel's gardens in 1961.
And for cruise fans: Cunard's Queen Elizabeth returns to Australian waters on its 2029 World Voyage, calling at Fremantle, Kangaroo Island, Melbourne and Burnie, with an overnight in Sydney before sailing on to New Zealand. You don't have to commit to the whole circumnavigation – a nine-night Fremantle-to-Sydney leg departs March 16, 2029, and you can even continue across the Pacific to Los Angeles.
The takeaway: whether you're after a spa afternoon in Sydney, a free UAE stopover, or a long-haul splurge years in the making, several of these can be booked now or soon – and the Aman and Cunard itineraries reward early planning.
