Imagine a romantic holiday in the fairy-tale countryside of England and among the wild peaks of Wales.
To celebrate Valentine's Day, The Straits Times with its travel partners tour operator Trafalgar, Red Carnation Hotels and low-cost carrier Norwegian will give away a vacation for two, under its "ST+ news with benefits" programme to reward loyal subscribers.
Worth about $10,000, the prize includes:
• A Trafalgar Real Britain six-day trip,
• two-night stay at the luxury Summer Lodge Country House Hotel, Restaurant and Spa in Dorset, and
• a pair of round-trip Premium Class air tickets on Norwegian from Singapore to London.
The six-day trip begins in London and will take in the peaks of Wales, the rolling hills and farmlands of England, as well as the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Among the most romantic places en route are the beautiful Lake District, where poet William Wordsworth described the village of Grasmere as "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found", and Scotland's Gretna Green, the runaway capital of historical romance novels.
After the tour, the two guests will spend a couple of days in Summer Lodge in the Dorset countryside, the setting of Thomas Hardy's novels such as Far From The Madding Crowd and Tess Of The d'Urbervilles. Hardy was also the architect of the five-star Summer Lodge in little Evershot village.
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How to take part
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To win the Valentine's Day package for two, ST subscribers should: 1. Download the SPH Rewards app. 2. Look out for the giveaway in the Rewards section. 3. Save the deal to their e-wallet. 4. Click the "Go to website" button on the "Details" page and answer this question: "Why I want a romantic getaway to the United Kingdom with my love."
• The contest runs from today to Sunday. Prizes are valid for departure between March and October.
• Staff of Singapore Press Holdings, The Travel Corporation and Norwegian, and their immediate family members, are not eligible to participate in this giveaway.
• Redemption details will be included in an e-mail to the winner by Monday.
• Other terms and conditions apply.
Freshly baked scones with clotted Dorset cream and tartlets from the patisserie are among the highlights of the scrumptious traditional afternoon tea at the resort, which was voted the No. 2 United Kingdom hotel by the Conde Nast travel magazine last year.
Mr Nicholas Lim, president of Trafalgar (Asia), said: "We wanted to inspire ST readers to make time to travel with their loved ones this year."
Besides showcasing top attractions, Trafalgar will take guests "deeper into Britain" and they will dine in the country home of a Yorkshire family.
Norwegian airline started flying direct between London's Gatwick airport and Singapore last September. The fast-growing outfit was voted the World's Best Low-Cost Long-Haul airline at the prestigious SkyTrax Airline Awards for the third consecutive year last year.
Its spokesman said: "Singapore is an iconic route for Norwegian as our first route to Asia from the UK, so we're delighted to offer a pair of Premium tickets to the lucky couple who will enjoy high-quality comfort on our affordable service to London."
The pair will fly in the new 787 Dreamliner in a spacious cabin that offers more than 1m of legroom, and enjoy complimentary lounge access at Gatwick.
• Follow Lee Siew Hua on Twitter @STsiewhua
