LOS Angeles set a new record for visitors in 2016 with 47.3 million travellers stopping in the California city during the past year. That number is 1.7 million visitors more than 2015 – an increase of 3.8 per cent from the previous 12 months – with the new tourism records set for overall domestic andContinue reading “Record LA travel stats …”
Category Archives: Destinations
Shop for style in new Saigon …
THE first time I went to Saigon almost 20 years ago shopping was limited to a stroll through Ben Thanh Market. Nothing cost more than a couple of dollars and while items like clothes and shoes rarely fitted the western frame it was a chance to stock up on delicate ceramics, colourful handbags and vibrantContinue reading “Shop for style in new Saigon …”
Germany’s Rostock …
ROSTOCK won’t be high on the list of destinations to see when crafting an itinerary to explore Germany. But this northern settlement, a stone’s throw from the Baltic coast in what was once East Germany, is a pretty place to spend a day especially for those planning on catching a ferry from nearby Warnemünde acrossContinue reading “Germany’s Rostock …”
Queenstown’s new Holiday Inn …
INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group has opened its first Holiday Inn hotel in Queenstown following the conversion of the former Goldridge Resort. The multi-million-dollar refurbishment sees an upgrade to all 75 rooms – with potential for 50 rooms to be added in 2017 – and other amenities include a fully-furnished deck with BBQ facilities, a bar andContinue reading “Queenstown’s new Holiday Inn …”
Burma’s summer-time capital …
IT’S Christmas Eve in Australia and I’ve spent the past few hours battling crowds to collect last-minute provisions from the supermarket, preparing tomorrow’s desserts, and rearranging the pile of presents under the tree. But while pottering around I’ve been thinking back 12 months and reminiscing about where I was this time last year. Instead ofContinue reading “Burma’s summer-time capital …”
Angkor’s colonial charming …
→ Staying at Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa promises a dose of colonial charm … I’VE stayed in a few Siem Reap hotels over the years. Since my first visit to Cambodia’s Khmer kingdom at the turn of the century I’ve slept in everything from budget bland to luxury lovely with every property providing aContinue reading “Angkor’s colonial charming …”
Flying Kangaroo hops to Tokyo …
AUSTRALIANS now have another flight option for reaching Tokyo with the first Qantas service between Melbourne and Tokyo’s Narita Airport departing on December 16. The daily hop, which will use upgraded Airbus A330-300 aircraft featuring a two-class cabin with Qantas’ signature Marc Newson interiors, departs Melbourne at 9:15am and leaves Narita at 7pm for theContinue reading “Flying Kangaroo hops to Tokyo …”
Four Points makes it to Melbourne …
FOUR Points by Sheraton Melbourne Docklands will welcome its first guests on March 28. The 273-room hotel, located at 22 Pearl River Road in Melbourne’s rejuvenated Docklands area, is just 2km from the Victorian capital’s CBD making it an ideal address for both business and leisure travellers. Each guest room boasts a river or cityContinue reading “Four Points makes it to Melbourne …”
Go-to Vancouver travel guide …
VANCOUVER has long been a hot spot for Australian travellers using the cosmopolitan west-coast settlement as a launching place to explore the vast maple-leaf land sprawling to the north and east. But there’s so much to British Columbia’s biggest city, an energetic metropolis made up of dynamic neighbourhoods each boasting a unique personality, it’s worthContinue reading “Go-to Vancouver travel guide …”
How to travel the UNESCO way …
AN ad in a 2014 issue of a British travel magazine stopped me in my tracks. A London travel company was offering a grand tour to every one of the planet’s UNESCO World Heritage sites – those not in war zones, at least – at a little under $2 million for business-class flights and fancyContinue reading “How to travel the UNESCO way …”
Singapore’s 2017 hot and happening …
NOT too long ago travellers were happy to stop in Singapore on the promise of nothing more than a gin sling at Raffles and an Orchard Rd bargain. But as the city continues to evolve into one of the world’s most dynamic destinations and visitors seek a holiday like no other in a country effortlesslyContinue reading “Singapore’s 2017 hot and happening …”
New to Aussie travel in 2017 …
AUSSIES are comfortable parking the passport and spending time in familiar territory with our vast homeland offering something to satisfy every vacation whim. And here are eight reasons to holiday at home in 2017 – from the hot and happening to new and novel – sure to sway those yet to be convinced. Cruising isContinue reading “New to Aussie travel in 2017 …”
Vietnam’s Sa Dec …
I’VE been to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta a few times now but this is the first time I’ve visited Sa Dec. The settlement sits upstream from big cities like Vinh Long and My Tho and, at first glance, looks much like all the other villages lining the banks of the might Mekong River as it snakesContinue reading “Vietnam’s Sa Dec …”
The big Kimberley catch …
BERKELEY River Lodge is buzzing with news from the water.“Did you hear what happened today?’’ a fellow guest asks as I arrive at sunset drinks which, on this tranquil dry-season evening, are happening on a west-facing plateau past the last elevated ocean-view villa. “One of the ladies out fishing this afternoon caught a crocodile, aContinue reading “The big Kimberley catch …”
Norwegian sets sail for Alaska bliss …
NORWEGIAN Cruise Lines is taking the next step in Alaskan cruising by unveiling plans for a new ship designed with just that remote corner of the planet in mind. The Norwegian Bliss, a vessel capable of carrying 4000 guests, will be “the first cruise ship custom built to explore America’s icy north with features andContinue reading “Norwegian sets sail for Alaska bliss …”
Slow journey is a fast boat …
THE pastel tropical dawn is fusing with the white glow of street-light fluorescents to illuminate our path along the wharf and we can hear the staccato throb of the motors on the back of the speedboat ferry awaiting our arrival. We’re in Chau Doc, on the Vietnamese side of the Cambodian border, and my WorldContinue reading “Slow journey is a fast boat …”
Asia’s top temples to tempt …
SOUTH-East Asia’s top temples, in settlements from Bangkok to Yangon, are ideal places to find serenity in the region’s bustling cities. Angkor Wat Cambodia’s Angkor Wat isn’t just the world’s biggest temple – the sanctuary occupies a 162ha plot 5km from Siem Reap – but it’s also one of the most famous with more thanContinue reading “Asia’s top temples to tempt …”
the Eureka Stockade …
THESE pieces of worn and faded navy and white fabric come together to make one of Australia’s oldest treasures. This is the flag of the Southern Cross, or what’s left of the material more than 160 years after it was created, with the banner born on the Ballarat diggings during the boom years of theContinue reading “the Eureka Stockade …”
Seeing Siem Reap without Angkor …
WHILE the Cambodian city is most famous for its temples — such as Angkor Wat — there is so much more to see than ancient ruins. A new generation of locals and expats are establishing boutique hotels, sophisticated bars, serene day spas, dynamic restaurants, bespoke tours, creative studios and stylish shops with so much goingContinue reading “Seeing Siem Reap without Angkor …”
Saigon’s secrets …
SAIGON – yes, that’s right, Saigon, only government officials and neophyte tourists call it Ho Chi Minh City – is Vietnam’s high-octane settlement and a place that manages to be brash and brassy while retaining a traditional simplicity. This metropolis of eight million people is divided into 24 districts, but it’s District 1, between theContinue reading “Saigon’s secrets …”
Make a base in booming Bugis …
SINGAPORE is celebrating the unveiling of another new hotel with the Mercure Singapore Bugis opening its doors in one of the Lion City’s most dynamic neighbourhoods. The 395-room address sits in the heart of the arts and culture district and offers panoramic views from its rooftop Sky Deck and infinity lap pool as well as Continue reading “Make a base in booming Bugis …”
South Pacific story …
THERE’S much to love about Norfolk Island. Cows have right of way on roads, house doors are left unlocked and car keys remain in the ignition, the population measure distance in driving time not kilometres, locals retrace their ancestors’ steps in an annual procession from the port, ships are unloaded using a method dating backContinue reading “South Pacific story …”
Singapore’s updated airport stay …
SINGAPORE’S Crowne Plaza Changi Airport has unveiled a new wing that will increase capacity at the award-winning hotel by 75 per cent. There are two room categories in the 10-storey extension – business king suites at 28sq/m and the 38sq/m business twin suites – with all chambers in the 243-room wing “furnished with thoughtful touchesContinue reading “Singapore’s updated airport stay …”
Australia, after the stars …
SO, you’ve done Australia’s headline acts. Heard Dreamtime stories in the Red Centre, paddled from pontoons above a far north Queensland atoll, soaked in Top End waterfalls, walked in the footsteps of convicts and motored the asphalt winding around a stretch of southern coastline. But don’t rest yet. Some of this Great Southern Land’s mostContinue reading “Australia, after the stars …”
Know non-stop Singapore …
FOR so many years Singapore was simply a place to change planes. Weary travellers transiting through one of the world’s best airports would peer through terminal windows at tropical clouds billowing above the horizon and wonder what there was to see in the city that banned chewing gum. But when flyers started pausing long-haul journeysContinue reading “Know non-stop Singapore …”
Best value city breaks …
TRIPINDEX, TripAdvisor’s annual cost-comparison study, has named Hanoi (below) as the best-value destination in the world for a city break. The study looked at 20 destinations and found the average price for a short break was $1,238, excluding flights, with prices varying significantly from the least to most expensive. The investigation compared the cost ofContinue reading “Best value city breaks …”
How to La La Land …
LOS Angeles is the first port of call for most Aussies jumping the Pacific to North America – flights zoom off to locations around the US, Canada and Central America from LAX – but there are plenty of reasons for travellers to stay put. Beaches, for one. The southern Californian city, America’s second largest byContinue reading “How to La La Land …”
Air NZ’s Hollywood-style safety …
AIR New Zealand is continuing its tradition of making quirky safety videos with Anna Faris and Rhys Darby teaming up to craft a Hollywood themed before-takeoff briefing. The video is called Safety in Hollywood and was filmed at Warner Bros Studios in Los Angeles with Rhys, a New Zealand actor and comedian, attempting to convince theContinue reading “Air NZ’s Hollywood-style safety …”
Cruise proves to be Dutch treat …
DO not fret if you haven’t heard of the Keukenhof. This annual flower garden on Amsterdam’s rural outskirts is a Dutch icon but it opens just eight weeks a year and is hardly as famous as the canals and clogs that top the tourism hit list in The Netherlands. While the Keukenhof may be aContinue reading “Cruise proves to be Dutch treat …”
Russia’s St Petersburg …
THE first time I went to St Petersburg there wasn’t a lot of freedom for exploring. That’s was ten years ago, a little more than a decade after the Iron Curtain fell, and I was on a coach tour with the guide not allowing much time for his passengers to stray from the organised itinerary.Continue reading “Russia’s St Petersburg …”
Far Near Or Here 