Oz Link Competition to the Western Australian capital, Perth, will intensify from 15 July when Etihad launches a non-stop daily service from its hub in Abu Dhabi in competition with Emirates and Qatar Airways. There are connections from Heathrow and Manchester. Perth is the airline's fourth Australian destination after Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. etihad.com Cruise news Aqua Expeditions has opened reservations for its third luxury vessel, the Aqua Mekong, which will start cruising South-east Asia's main waterway from September. The boat is the company's first foray into Asia, following on from its two existing Amazon vessels. Three-day cruises from US$3,000pp (£2,000). To book, call 0808 189 0361. aquaexpeditions.com Rail rebrand As The Independent revealed earlier this month, Rail Europe has become Voyages-sncf.com, with a re-designed website that claims to makes it easier to book train travel across the Continent. The rail-booking service has been the UK representative of the state-owned French company, SNCF, for more than a century. A UK-based call centre and booking office in London will remain. uk.voyages-sncf.com Wild side Naturetrek has announced a range of new wildlife tours for 2014 that span from a 12-day "Western Madagascar" trip, where you'll encounter lemurs and the Malagasy mongoose (departs 28 October; £4,695pp), to the 15-day exploration of the birds and mammals of India's Ladakh region (departs 3/4 July; £2,895pp). Flights included. naturetrek.co.uk Island life Thai hotel chain, Anantara, has opened its first luxury resort in Africa. Located in the Bazaruto archipelago - 30km off the coast of Mozambique - it offers 44 thatched villas, with four-poster beds and sunken baths, surrounded by tropical gardens. The Portuguese-influenced Golfinho Restaurant promises to be a centrepiece. bazaruto.anantara.com Group gain Virgin Trains is offering a 20 per cent discount for groups of three to nine passengers across the whole network. The deal applies to Advance tickets purchased online; they are sold up to 11.59pm on the day before departure. With the one-fifth discount, return tickets from London Euston to Manchester or Liverpool start at £20 per person. virgintrains.co.uk Game on Design Hotels will launch a six-room Brazilian pop-up hotel in time for the World Cup. The project will open in Rio's bohemian Santa Teresa area on 1 January and remain until December, 2014. As well as accommodation, it promises an open-door policy, with a year-long series of fiestas. Double rooms (from US$350/ £233) are bookable now via the website. designhotels.com