This week's travel agenda: free attractions, new flights and a safari lodge opening

Where to go and what to know, from The Independent travel team

Taj's new Nepal lodge, Meghauli Serai

New Nepal lodge
Taj Safaris has opened a new lodge in Nepal’s Unesco-listed Chitwan National Park. Guests at Meghauli Serai can enjoy safaris, jungle walks and strolls through Tharu village, as well as canoeing on the Rapti river and trekking through the Himalayan foothills. Back at the lodge, there’s a spa and outdoor pool, as well as 30 rooms and villas. tajhotels.com

Dubai exit fee
Travellers leaving Dubai’s airport will have to pay a 35 dirham (£6.70) departure fee from 1 July, for flights booked since 1 March. Airlines are collecting the fee, which will go towards improving and expanding the airport, by including it in ticket fares. Transit passengers will also be charged. dubaiairports.ae

US National Parks for free
All national parks across the US will be offering free entry during National Park Week (16–24 April), with special events also taking place. On 16 April, children can earn a Junior Ranger badge on National Junior Ranger Day, while on 24 April parks will host activities to promote healthy lifestyles. nps.gov

Chic stay in Provence
Provencal farmhouse Mas des Herbes Blanches will reopen under new owners next month. Located in the Luberon, east of Avignon, amid cypress trees and cicadas, the hotel has been updated by architect Laurent Maugust, with a new spa and contemporary rooms – some with private terraces and pools – in addition to its pool and gourmet restaurant. herbesblanches.com

Mas des Herbes Blanches, Provence (P Chastel)

Route to the sun
British Airways will launch a new route from London City to Alicante at the end of June. Operating four times a week, it will bolster the airline’s current options from Gatwick and will run for 10 weeks. It will be the airline’s 33rd route from the Docklands airport – it is also launching routes to Berlin and Hamburg this summer – with return fares starting at £65. ba.com/londoncity

Channel link
High Speed Ferries plans a new service connecting Weymouth in Dorset with the main Normandy port of Cherbourg. The link is predicted to take slightly over two hours. For travellers in the West Country, Wales and the Midlands heading for southern France, it will offer significant time savings compared with travelling via Calais. It is not yet clear when the service will start, but you can register for online updates. highspeedferries.com

Family fun in Greece
Children will be well catered for at the Sani Resort in Halkidiki this summer when three new academies open for the summer. Offering football, dance and sailing from July to September, the courses are available throughout the day, split according to age group, from four to 17-year-olds, costing €15 per session per child. saniresort.gr

Havana flight boost
The only scheduled flight route between the UK and Cuba gets a useful boost this winter. Virgin Atlantic is adding a third weekly service from Gatwick to Havana from 5 November. And the departure day may also be better for many travellers: it will leave on a Saturday, returning early on Sunday morning. Existing flights go out on Mondays and Thursdays. virgin-atlantic.com