FROM The Oriental Express to the Rocky Mountaineer, the romance of train journeys have long captured the imaginations of travellers the world over. We’ve chosen the top ten rail experiences that will bring out the explorer in you. 1. Peru’s Andean Explorer (below) takes 10 hours to rattle from Cuzco to Puno, making for aContinue reading “Riding the rails …”
Category Archives: Destinations
Stay like an emperor …
→ Brunei’s best hotel comes with a heaped helping of the regal … THE Empire Hotel & Country Club is arguably Brunei’s most luxurious place to stay with the sprawling property funded by a senior member of the country’s ruling royal family. The beachfront address, which sits on Borneo’s north coast a stone’s throw fromContinue reading “Stay like an emperor …”
A desert oasis …
ABU Dhabi is an oasis in the desert – a destination where travellers can do as little or as much as they like, from sitting on an empty beach to screaming across the sand dunes on a four-wheel-drive safari. The capital of the United Arab Emirates , Abu Dhabi is one of the mostContinue reading “A desert oasis …”
Majesty of northern light …
IT’S the middle of the night and I’m gazing at a sky heavy with stars sparkling like tiny searchlights. I’ve been waiting an hour for the mystical Northern Lights to appear and I’m beginning to fear disappointment when a subtle swirl of silver appears on the horizon. The colour suddenly shoots across the black, spreadingContinue reading “Majesty of northern light …”
Busy in Bean Town …
→ Planning a visit to Bean Town? Here’s everything you need to know … BOSTON isn’t the biggest city on America’s east coast – and it’s certainly not the most famous – but the Massachusetts capital is punching above its weight thanks to a huge dose of history, world-famous university and sports teams, likeable neighbourhoods,Continue reading “Busy in Bean Town …”
Swiss hit …
CHEESE, chocolate and banking come to mind when Zurich is suggested as a holiday destination. But there’s more to this sophisticated Swiss settlement than guidebook stereotypes, with the city home to an enviable food scene, glorious summer days and white winters, an established art and design community and an assortment of world-class festivals. And, for a place seen toContinue reading “Swiss hit …”
Seaside Stanley …
Where … Stanley, Hong Kong Island When … May 19, 2013 What … Boats bob on the water in Stanley Harbour as locals enjoy a day at the seaside settlement that’s home to the Stanley Markets and a swag of places to eat and drink. Visit the Discover Hong Kong website … posted Tuesday, MarchContinue reading “Seaside Stanley …”
Melting-pot metropolis …
HONG Kong is s a destination where East meets West on bustling blocks, a metropolis rocketing towards the future with a population that looks back to celebrate the Chinese and colonial roots that made the place great. The city is home to famous attractions that have been around for decades – the Star Ferry, VictoriaContinue reading “Melting-pot metropolis …”
Relaxing Rasa Ria …
→ Retreat to Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort & Spa for a break in the Borneo sunshine … SHANGRI-LA’S Rasa Ria Resort & Spa sits between the Borneo jungle and the white sand of Pantai Dalit Beach a stone’s throw from Kota Kinabalu. The luxury resort is not only is home to a championship golf courseContinue reading “Relaxing Rasa Ria …”
A taste for cruising …
KEEN on cruising but stressing about seasickness? Like the sound of seeing the world from the deck of an ocean liner but worried about being trapped on a floating casino with nothing to do? Concerned you’ll feel corralled by fellow travellers looking to chat? Your pals have been raving about cruising for years – unpackContinue reading “A taste for cruising …”
Danube River …
Where … Budapest, Hungary When … August 16, 2009 What … The view along the Danube River to Chain Bridge and the Hungarian parliament building from the deck of Uniworld’s River Beatrice at the start of an eight-day cruise north to the German city of Passau. Visit the Uniworld website … posted March 14, 2015
New Zealand’s luxury lodges …
I’M spending the night in a treehouse. I grant you it’s not technically a treehouse balanced in the branches of a forest giant, but this suite is perched high above a rough copse of tall New Zealand fauna on a bucolic block between the snow-capped peaks of the Kaikoura Range and the Pacific Ocean onContinue reading “New Zealand’s luxury lodges …”
On the run in New York …
WELL before dawn on November 1, 2015, a team of New York police and city officials will quietly close the Queensboro Bridge. On any other day of the year this famous span, stretching 2.27km across the East River to connect Manhattan’s urban canyons with the suburban streets in Queens, is busy with vehicles moving betweenContinue reading “On the run in New York …”
Escape the tourist trail …
LOCATION’S away from the tourist trail are proving popular in 2015. The Escape team has glanced across the globe – assessing everything from trends and anniversaries to new air routes and the latest hotels – to come up with 20 spots set to become this year’s hottest travel destinations. Philippines THERE’S been a 25 perContinue reading “Escape the tourist trail …”
the Yarra Valley …
Where … Coldstream in the heart of Victoria’s Yarra Valley When … Friday, February 20, 2015 What … The vines at Meletos, a restaurant and boutique hotel in the Yarra Valley near Melbourne, mature towards vintage in the warm summer sunshine. Visit the Visit Yarra Valley website … posted Sunday, March 8, 2015
More than an airport …
AKIKO Ishibashi has seen great change since moving to Narita City in 1972. When the young bride arrived in the Japanese settlement to join new husband Kikutaro, and work in his family’s famous restaurant, the destination was a sleepy rural settlement with a modest main street and a few residential roads surrounded by vast hectaresContinue reading “More than an airport …”
Out of the ashes …
→ Take a sneak peek at the hotel rising from the ashes of Black Saturdday … I ENJOYED a sneak peek at the new Vibe Hotel Marysville a few days after it opened in February. Marysville, which is surrounded by the Yarra Ranges National Park a couple of hours from Melbourne, was all-but destroyed duringContinue reading “Out of the ashes …”
Streets paved with gold …
IT was not so long ago when View St was one of Bendigo’s most decrepit corners. In the early-1990s this historic avenue decayed into such a state of disrepair that neighbourhood children were told to take another route should their journey between school and home take them near View St. The wide verandas andContinue reading “Streets paved with gold …”
Melbourne’s Langham …
Where … A function room at The Langham in Melbourne When … Thursday, February 5, 2015 What … The view across the Yarra River to the Melbourne skyline was the vistas I had to gaze at during today’s Visit Britain media briefing at The Langham on Melbourne’s South Bank. Visit The Langham Melbourne website …Continue reading “Melbourne’s Langham …”
Shades of green …
I HAVE never seen so many shades of green. The bucolic vista filling my window has more tones than the green portion of a paint chart, with every hue from emerald and jade to mint, khaki and lime combining in a scene that deserves to be captured in a whimsical watercolour. I’m so close toContinue reading “Shades of green …”
Capital of contradiction …
IN Japan the locals I meet are reluctant to talk about private matters such as marital status and offspring yet they’re completely at ease getting naked to soak in a pool of scalding spring water with assorted associates and neighbours. This is a land where it’s considered rude to chatter on a mobile phone whileContinue reading “Capital of contradiction …”
Roll up for penguin parade …
PAULA Wasiak is ready to work so she pulls on a grey glove that covers her arm almost to her shoulder, settles into the long grass, and reaches into a burrow below a leafy green shrub. It seems like a precarious activity on a hot Victorian day, when slithering creatures tend to linger just outContinue reading “Roll up for penguin parade …”
Emperor’s silent protectors …
WHEN I was growing up, there were two miniature terracotta warriors standing on the chest of drawers in my parents’ bedroom. Mum bought the tiny statues – not much larger than a TV remote control – when she took my brother and I to see an exhibition of ancient Chinese artefacts touring Melbourne in theContinue reading “Emperor’s silent protectors …”
Small town esprit de corps …
MELBOURNE is awash with significant streets. Metropolitan avenues boasting swanky restaurants and quirky cafes, trendy bars and hip boutiques, and a swag of shops selling everything from the sophisticated to the shabby chic are dotted around the Victorian capital’s busy urban neighbourhoods. There’s Acland Street in St Kilda and Clarendon Street in South Melbourne, Prahran’sContinue reading “Small town esprit de corps …”
Karrat Fjord …
Where … Karrat Fjord, on Greenland’s west coast When … August 22, 2012 What … Baby icebergs, that have just been calved from glaciers inside the Arctic Circle, float in the still water of Karrat Fjord before making their way into the Davis Strait and eventually south to the Atlantic Ocean. Visit the official GreenlandContinue reading “Karrat Fjord …”
Badminton and bells …
→ Sightseeing and people watching in China’s biggest city … IT is only when someone starts reciting facts and figures that I begin to comprehend how vast Chinese cities are. Take the prosperous metropolis of Chongqing, which is roughly halfway between Shanghai and the Tibetan capital of Lhasa on the Yangtze River. I can tellContinue reading “Badminton and bells …”
Wet-season Darwin …
Where … Darwin Harbour When … Saturday, November 29, 2014 What … Whispy wet-season clouds gather over Darwin Harbour, with this early-evening photo snapped from Stokes Hill Wharf which was the site of devastation after the first Japanese raid on the top-end city in 1941. Visit the official NT Tourism website … posted Saturday, NovemberContinue reading “Wet-season Darwin …”
Darwin’s waterfront …
Where … My room at the Adina Hotel on the Darwin Waterfront When … Thursday, November 27, 2014 What … The view across Darwin’s wave pool to historic Stokes Wharf, which was the scene of such devastation when the first Japanese bombs fell on Darwin during the Second World War, to the gathering clouds ofContinue reading “Darwin’s waterfront …”
Darwin’s waterfront digs …
→ An apartment hotel on Darwin’s waterfront offers a comfortable place to stay in Australia’s steamy Top End … WHEN it comes to location, travellers can’t go past the Adina Apartment Hotel Darwin Waterfront. The apartment hotel sits between the city’s CBD and Stokes Hill Wharf, beside a wave pool and close to the protectedContinue reading “Darwin’s waterfront digs …”
Bay of Many Coves …
Where … Bay of Many Coves, New Zealand When … Friday, November 20, 2014 What … The view from the sitting room in my suite at the Bay of Many Coves Lodge, sitting in a quiet corner of Queen Charlotte Sound at the top of New Zealand’s South Island, as day descends into evening. VisitContinue reading “Bay of Many Coves …”
Far Near Or Here 