There’s so much for travellers to do in New Zealand’s biggest settlement, and lots of stuff can be seen for free … AUCKLAND FOR FREE AUCKLAND is one of the world’s most vibrant non-capital cities. The New Zealand metropolis, which is the country’s largest settlement by size and population, may yield capital status to sleepyContinue reading “VISIT – AUCKLAND”
Author Archives: Sarah N
VISIT – WINTERTIME VICTORIA
July is the perfect time for a mid-winter break, with properties dotted around rural Victoria providing the ideal retreat for a quick recharge VICTORIA’S WINER RETREATS DAYS are dark, the temperature has plunged below brisk, and even the hardiest of souls battling this bleakest of mid-winter months are dreaming about a break. While the sunContinue reading “VISIT – WINTERTIME VICTORIA”
HOTEL – WALDORF ASTORIA MALDIVES
Discover a tropical paradise surrounded by lush greens, white sand beaches, and azure waters. A mere 45-minute yacht journey from Velana International Airport, Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi awaits. Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi NEW DIGS FOR MALDIVES LUXE Three islands in the South Male Atoll, a 30-minute journey by boat from Male International Airport, is homeContinue reading “HOTEL – WALDORF ASTORIA MALDIVES”
NEWS – LATAM FLIGHTS
DIRECT SANTIAGO SERVICE IT’S about to get a whole lot easier for Aussie travellers to reach South America with LATAM Airlines announcing direct flights between Sydney and Santiago. The new non-stop service will start on October 27 and include three direct flights a week between Sydney and the Chilean capital, with another four hops continuingContinue reading “NEWS – LATAM FLIGHTS”
VISIT – SABI SANDS
SABI SABI SAFARI HEAVYNESS giggles mischievously when I ask him the story behind his first name. The Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve tracker holds his hands in front of his chest and slumps, pretending to be carrying something substantial, and tells me his mother settled on the name when she held him for the firstContinue reading “VISIT – SABI SANDS”
INSPIRATION – EUROPE
EUROPE’S OTHER CITIES BARGAIN hunters on your marks, it’s early-bird season. It’s the time of the year when airlines zooming to Europe offer cheap seats which can save travellers looking to get away between March and October hundreds of dollars. But instead of buying a ticket to an old favourite, like London or Paris, takeContinue reading “INSPIRATION – EUROPE”
HOTELS – THE PENINSULA MANILA
The Peninsula Manila gets a spruce up, and a brand new club lounge PENINSULA’S MANILA UPGRADE THE Peninsula Manila is ready to receive a revamp with the work taking aesthetic place across the third quarter of 2019. The soft renovation of the hotel in the heart of the Makati Central Business District will be mostContinue reading “HOTELS – THE PENINSULA MANILA”
VISIT – SWITZERLAND
Stretch out that Switzerland itinerary to squeeze in a few hidden gems with this charismatic corner of the Continent home to more than just the sightseeing superstars that get all the glory SEE SOME SWISS MADE TREASURES SWITZERLAND is home to some cultural treasures that are world famous. Lucerne’s Chapel Bridge, the annual Montreux JazzContinue reading “VISIT – SWITZERLAND”
HOTEL – ELEMENT MELBOURNE
Our spacious, light-filled guestrooms and suites with striking views are designed to create a peaceful place for you to unwind. Element Melbourne Richmond website MELBOURNE IN ITS ELEMENT SUBURBAN Melbourne is home to Australia’s first Element by Westin with Element Melbourne Richmond opening its doors this month. The brand, which belongs to the Marriott InternationalContinue reading “HOTEL – ELEMENT MELBOURNE”
INSIDER – INSURANCE
GO WITH ANNUAL TRAVEL INSURANCE ARE you one of those people that rush around in the hectic hours before starting a holiday nailing down last-minute details that seem to evade attention until departure is imminent? Ringing the bank to let them know the credit card will be used in faraway lands, storming the chemist toContinue reading “INSIDER – INSURANCE”
HOTEL – BRISBANE MARRIOTT
It’s like Australia’s River City has a new place to stay, with a $20 million renovation modernising the Brisbane Marriott Hotel BRISBANE MARRIOTT MAKEOVER A $20 million spend has “reimagined” Brisbane Marriott Hotel with the just-completed renovation transforming all 267 guest rooms and suites as well as the executive-level lounge and the property’s signature restaurant.Continue reading “HOTEL – BRISBANE MARRIOTT”
CRUISE – NORWEGIAN JOY
A $70 million renovation transforms Norwegian Joy before she embarks on new adventures and new itineraries carrying passengers from Seattle to the scenic sightseeing spots around Alaska NORWEGIAN’S NEW JOY IT’S not rare for a cruise ship, particularly a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, to receive a $70 million renovation, boats that have been bobbing onContinue reading “CRUISE – NORWEGIAN JOY”
VISIT – HANOI
Planning a visit to the Vietnamese capital? Here are some things you simply must do when spending time in Hanoi WHAT TO SEE IN HANOI IT’S big, it’s busy, and Vietnam’s capital is filled with intriguing attractions — so we’ve put together a bucket list of the best things to do in Hanoi. OLD QUARTERContinue reading “VISIT – HANOI”
VISIT- GRAZ
Graz might be second in size to Vienna, but the miniature metropolis in Austria’s scenic south doesn’t lack when it comes to tantalising travellers GETTING TO GRAZ EVERY year around 4 million international travellers descend on Vienna to savour the sightseeing icons. But Austria’s smaller cities like Salzburg, Innsbruck, Linz and Graz have just asContinue reading “VISIT- GRAZ”
DESTINATION – ARLES
WHERE … Arles Arena WHEN … Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 10.08am WHAT … The old Roman Arena in Arles was built 2000 years ago to host battles between man and beast to keep the locals entertained. Back when the Romans occupied Provence there would be day-long programs here starting with battles between wild animals,Continue reading “DESTINATION – ARLES”
VISIT – OUTBACK QUEENSLAND
If getting back to nature, exploring the great outdoors and reconnecting with our amazing country and its people are what you’re looking for, then Outback Queensland is for you! The landscapes are like no other, from red deserts to luscious waterholes, and are waiting to be explored. Outback Queensland website OUTBACK QUEENSLAND IS CALLING THEContinue reading “VISIT – OUTBACK QUEENSLAND”
HOTEL – THE MARK
A favourite New York hotel has a quirky new mealtime option with The Mark now offering on-the-go guests the chance to pick up a packed lunch. THE Mark, the Big Apple property described as “New York’s most boldly lavish hotel”, has a new lunch offering for guests with Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten now packing aContinue reading “HOTEL – THE MARK”
VISIT – HAKODATE
Hakodate, Hokkaido’s third-largest city, is now one of its most important because this is where the vast agricultural prefecture is connected to the mainland by the Seikan Tunnel, a 53.85km-long engineering marvel that sits 23.3km under the Tsugaru Strait seabed. Marc Atchison, Visit Japan website HAKODATE HAPPENINGS THE gloomy clouds that have been hugging HakodateContinue reading “VISIT – HAKODATE”
HOTEL – DOUBLETREE PERTH
Northbridge has emerged to be the entertainment and cultural hub of Perth, and Doubletree by Hilton Perth Northbridge is located at the heart of it all. Hilton Australasia’s oeprations boss Heidi Kunkel NEW HOTEL FOR NORTHBRIDGE THE West Australian hotel boom continues with the Double Tree by Hilton Perth Northbridge now welcoming guests seeking a placeContinue reading “HOTEL – DOUBLETREE PERTH”
GALLERY – CHASE RANGE
FLINDERS RANGES FLYING WHERE … The Chase Range, in the north of South Australia’s Flinders Ranges WHEN … Thursday, July 3, 2018, at 3.40pm WHAT … The Chase Range appears under the wing as my Air Adventure tour of the Flinders Ranges draws to a close with a quick two-hour flight back to Melbourne. SouthContinue reading “GALLERY – CHASE RANGE”
CRUISE – MEKONG RIVER
Customer demand prompts Pandaw to introduce a new three-night voyage sailing the mighty Mekong river between Saigon and Phnom Penh … PANDAW’S MEKONG ADVENTURE THERE’S now a new option for travellers looking to move between Saigon and Phnom Penh with Pandaw introducing a three-day voyage linking the two South-East Asian cities. The new itinerary willContinue reading “CRUISE – MEKONG RIVER”
DESTINATION – SIEM REAP
SIEM REAP ANSWERS ANGKOR Wat is world famous but the ancient ruins wouldn’t be half as easy to see if it wasn’t for Siem Reap. The Cambodian settlement 5km from Angkor’s front door is home to 140,000 people with the majority working to support the hordes of tourists descending daily to sleep, scoff, shop andContinue reading “DESTINATION – SIEM REAP”
GALLERY – BERLIN’S AMPLEMANN
MEET BERLIN’S AMPELMANN WHERE … Ampelmann Berlin at Unter den Linden 35 WHEN … Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 11.47pm WHAT … … meet ampelmann. This jaunty fellow was the character on East German traffic lights telling pedestrians when they could cross – or stop on the red – and has become so popular he now hasContinue reading “GALLERY – BERLIN’S AMPLEMANN”
VISIT – NORTHERN TERRITORY
LOCAL TOP-END TIPS DOROTHEA Mackellar might have been dreaming about the Northern Territory when she penned the most famous verse of her ode to Australia. The swathe of sunburnt terrain crowning the continent has everything the patriotic poet describes in My Country’s second stanza, from the sweeping plains and ragged mountain ranges to droughts, floodingContinue reading “VISIT – NORTHERN TERRITORY”
INSIDER – TOP TRAINS
Rail Plus announces its top five train journeys for 2019 RIDE THE RAILS ON TOP TRAINS THE team at Rail Plus has come up with a list of the top train trips for travellers to do in 2019 and while there are a couple of old favourites on the list there’s also a fab newContinue reading “INSIDER – TOP TRAINS”
GALLERY – ZHUJIAJIAO
VISIT CHINA’S WATERTOWN WHERE … Zhujiajiao, the “watertown” a couple of hour’s drive from Shanghai in eastern China WHEN … Wednesday, April 18, 2018 WHAT … On my April visit to Shanghai with Wendy Wu Tours I make an afternoon stop in Zhujiajiao before dashing to the airport for an evening flight on to mountaintopContinue reading “GALLERY – ZHUJIAJIAO”
INSIDE – INSURANCE
INSURANCE FOR SENIORS THERE’S a cruel conundrum that strikes mature travellers. Though seniors have the time, inclination, freedom and funds to roam into their 60s, 70s, 80s and even 90s, it can be a challenge securing travel insurance. Some companies flat-out refuse coverage and others inflict costs that climb even when the most common pre-existingContinue reading “INSIDE – INSURANCE”
GALLERY – BERLIN WALL
WALK BERLIN’S COLD WAR ROUTE WHERE … The Berlin Wall Memorial, Bernauer Strasse, Berlin WHEN … Saturday, December 8, 2018 at 1.12pm WHAT … The Berlin Wall. I’m fascinated by the Berlin Wall, and the idea of a divided Germany, so visit what’s left of the notorious 20th-century landmark every time I’m in the GermanContinue reading “GALLERY – BERLIN WALL”
VISIT – GRAND CANYON
GRAND CANYON FAQ THE Grand Canyon snakes 450km through the heart of America but ask a traveller to point out this great natural wonder on a map and most are mystified about its actual location. The big attraction of Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park – which celebrates its 100th anniversary on February 26, 2019 –Continue reading “VISIT – GRAND CANYON”
INSIDER – TRAVEL HACKS
EXPERT TRAVELLERS SHARE TOP HACKS LET’S face it, travelling can be a challenge, but those who hit the road regularly have it down to a fine art. They know the websites to consult when organising places to stay, how to stay healthy, what currencies to carry, the apps to use, and who to ask toContinue reading “INSIDER – TRAVEL HACKS”
Far Near Or Here 