Sample the wine and food of Hong Kong in October. (Shutterstock)

This year's Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival, organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, promises to be extra delicious for food loving visitors.

The 10-day event, Oct. 30-Nov. 8, wraps up Hong Kong's Year of Food and Wine Festival.

During the festival there will be street carnivals, food-district promotions, the Sai Kung Seafood Festival, a hotel dine-around program, the International Wine & Spirits Fair, wine appreciation classes, and guided walks and cooking demonstrations led by renowned Hong Kong chefs. There will also be live entertainment and a sound and light show.

Some streets will be decorated and closed to traffic so performers can mingle with crowds. And delicious food will be available everywhere from booths and restaurants.

Special tours include sunset cocktail cruises of Victoria Harbour, a Hong Kong Island tour with dim sum lunch, seafood and wine buffets on Lamma Island, and special menus at Wan Chai's Revolving 66 Restaurant -- the only revolving restaurant in town.

The Hong Kong Tourist Board has produced guidebooks for visitors who like to go off-the-beaten-path to discover local eateries. And two Canadian tour operators have packages.

Silkway Travel has a five-night Hong Kong: Best Place, Best Taste trip from $1,160, including Cathay Pacific flights from Vancouver, accommodation, participation in Hong Kong's Cultural Kaleidoscope visitor program, and time to explore the food scene. Contact 1-888-800 7455 or silkway.travel.com.

Jade Tours' five-night Culinary Tour -- from $999 from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal via United -- includes a Hong Kong Island tour, a night harbour cruise with dinner at Lei Yue Mun Seafood Village, admission to the Museum of History and a wine appreciation class. Contact jadetours.com or 1-866-227-2125.

For more festival information, contact HKTB at 416-366-2389, 1-800-563-4582 or log onto DiscoverHongKong.com/canada and hkfoodandwineyear.com.

ACCESSIBLE EXOTICS

A new "Exotics" program from Globus is making off-the-beaten-path locales more accessible and affordable.

The company's 220-page Canadian brochure features escorted and independent tours to South America, Asia, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Mexico and Central America.

Reflecting strong interest in Asia, Globus has also introduced several new "Monograms" itineraries designed for independent travellers. These include Tokyo-Kyoto, Beijing-Hong Kong and Bangkok-Phuket combinations. Escorted group tours in Asia include Vietnam and Cambodia, India and Thailand.

Globus also offers small ship cruises to the Galapagos Islands and five cruise-tour programs in China, which range from 13-20 days, and venture as far as Tibet and Mongolia. A 22-day Cruising the South Pacific itinerary includes cruise and land touring in Fiji, Australia and New Zealand.

Travellers who book by Oct. 13 are eligible for a discount of $300 per person. For details, see globusjourneys.ca or your travel agent.

ROBIN.ROBINSON@SUNMEDIA.CA