Hotels with history …

THERE’S a trend in Melbourne – well, a mini trend, at least – with the Victorian capital’s newest hotels moving into territory that once served a different purpose. The shiny new Sheraton Melbourne Hotel (below) sits on the Little Collins St site of the bygone Naval and Military Club, a 127-year-old institution that once counted SirContinue reading “Hotels with history …”

Riding the rails …

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 …”

Wanders of the Incas …

I HAVE always been intrigued by Machu Picchu – the ancient settlement built on a peak in the Peruvian Andes and an Inca city hidden from the world for centuries and only revealed by American archeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911 – but I could never imagine getting myself there. I thought the only way toContinue reading “Wanders of the Incas …”

Arequipa’s curious discoveries …

  THE life of a nun never appealed to me. When I was little, and there were a couple of “Boston buns” knocking around my Catholic primary school, the vow of poverty was an instant deal-breaker, as I couldn’t imagine giving up my yellow Walkman or my collection of Judy Blume novels. A few yearsContinue reading “Arequipa’s curious discoveries …”

When second is best …

IT’S fair to say America’s Grand Canyon is the world’s most famous gorge. But when it comes to deep, the Grand Canyon is a couple of spots from the top sitting third on the list of the globe’s most cavernous ravines. There are two canyons in the Peruvian Andes that are considerably deeper than theContinue reading “When second is best …”