It was the trip to freedom that seemed destined to never happen. While the red dirt and wide-open blue skies of the Red Centre were calling, my friends and I – having booked a four-day camping tour there last July – were firmly stuck in Victoria, dreaming of swags, starry nights and outback adventures. Escape.... Continue Reading →
Cycling India’s Khardung La Pass: An exhilarating trip down the ‘world’s highest motorable road’
The sign at the top proclaiming this to be the 'world's highest motorable road' might be a bit of a white lie. But you know you're ridiculously high when, driving up India's Khardung La Pass, a plane flies by – and instead of craning your head skywards, you realise you're actually looking down. Traveller, The... Continue Reading →
I’m an Airbnb host and I’m falling out of love with Airbnb
COMMENT I’ve started to wonder whether Airbnb has become, well, too “mainstream”. Do people no longer respect the trust that underpins the whole deal? Is it OK to smoke in a no-smoking apartment, to leave rubbish all over the place? Domain, Fairfax Media. Full story here
On board Australia’s newest cruise ship
Without getting too salty, losing your 'virginity' (cruise virginity that is) is apparently quite the big deal. Indeed, it's clear there are two types of people on any cruise. Those who have, and those who have not sailed the high seas. Those who know the difference between a boat and a ship, for example. Or... Continue Reading →
Meet the world’s cutest animals
Can you fall head over heels at first sight if the object of your affections is considered lazy, dirty and only goes to the toilet once a week? The answer – clearly written across the charmed faces of our group at the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica – is a most definite YES. "It's very easy to... Continue Reading →
Meet the Costa Rican miracle couple
It's a wild old day when I meet Australian Sarah Trinler and her Swiss-American husband Scotti in a small surfing town on the south Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The tropical rain is thundering down, and we're trading shouts to make ourselves heard. The town's main, dirt road is turning into a sloshy mud bath. Powerful... Continue Reading →
Crank up the salsa
Our Cuban salsa instructor demands, ''Look at me like you love me!'', his face just centimetres away on a sweat-soaked Havana morning. He sashays effortlessly across the tiled floor, an open window providing minimal relief from the heat as salsa beats pour out of an old CD player. ''Moooove your body. One, two, three!'' Leonardo,... Continue Reading →
Down the tube
What started out as a way to relax after a hard day's work has turned into a tourist trap in Laos, writes Larissa Ham. The man who claims he accidentally started the tourist craze of tubing in the Laos riverside town of Vang Vieng says its popularity is now hurting the town and its culture.... Continue Reading →