International travel journalist Belinda Jackson

TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR (25/26 & 23/24)
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY OF TRAVEL WRITERS

TRAVEL WRITER OF THE YEAR 2024, TRAVMEDIA

Haunted hotels, gold toothbrushes; the best and worst hotels: ABC Radio Adelaide

Gold toothbrushes? Someone else’s hair on the soap? What makes or breaks you for the best and worst hotels you’ve ever stayed in? While I was doing the prep for […]

Why now is the best time to visit Afghanistan: The World Awaits podcast

Come to Central Asia’s forgotten country, Afghanistan. I’ve long been fascinated by Afghanistan, since I first read historian William Dalrymple’s inspiring book In Xanadu; A Quest, and followed Irish travel […]

Navigating the unknown – travel during the Middle East crisis & Australia’s best runway rooms

Travel has taken a huge hit with the Middle East crisis now entering its fifth week, and it can be challenging to keep up with what you should and shouldn’t […]

Marnong Estate, Mickelham, Melbourne Australia

Escape to the country, within the city limits: Marnong Estate, Victoria

Review of Melbourne hotel Marnong Estate, on the northern fringe of the city. As a travel writer, I’ve got to say that it’s hard not to get gloomy when we […]

From swathes of scenery to secretive cafes: discovering the new, the exotic and the overlooked. Canter past Patagonian icefields. Sail the tranquil waters of Italy’s Lake Como. Climb the mountain paths of northern Albania. Listen to the ancient voices of Australia’s Arnhem Land.
Sip coffee in a Palestinian village. Let’s go!

THE WORLD AWAITS PODCAST

The World Awaits is Australia’s only weekly travel podcast, dropping on a Thursday morning (Melbourne time) on every major podcast platform, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and you can also listen in via our website, theworldawaits.au

I co-host the podcast with my friend, colleague and journalist Kirstie Bedford and our sound producer and resident movie and tech reporter Alaisdair Leith. Each episode is curated to inspire your wanderlust, with travel trends, interviews and tips to help you travel better.

The World Awaits also works with travel companies and individuals on a sponsorship basis – drop me a line for more. If you love travel, this is where you need to be.

For more, jump to the podcast page

A fabulous travel writer, incredibly knowledgeable about the industry as a whole.

Paul Chai, Editor, Luxury Escapes

Writing is concise and accomplished, and gives a real sense of place. The author has an assured style that wastes no words with not a whiff of self-indulgence or gushing. Clever, perceptive… the reader is well served.

Judge, Australian Society of Travel Writers Awards 2024

We were truly delighted to read Belinda’s wonderful feature on Mandarin Oriental, Costa. It beautifully captured the essence of her experience with us, and we’re so pleased she noticed all the details we take pride in.

Mandarin Oriental, Greece

Podcast Host

I co-host the weekly travel podcast The World Awaits. Join me each week for guest interviews, tips and news about the world. Click here to listen or jump onto the podcast via our website theworldawaits.au. I also provide commentary on travel matters for radio stations including ABC Radio, 3AW Melbourne and 2GB Sydney, ABC TV News Channel and occasional RTE Ireland.

Travel Journalist & Author

Melbourne to the Middle East, Antarctica to Albania, I’ve covered destinations on and off the beaten track. On horseback or on foot, by yacht or chopper – whatever it takes to get there. From editing travel guidebooks and design magazines, story books and local newspapers, I’ve updated Fodors’ Australian series, the luxury outback travel book by RM Williams, Australia in Style, and my COVID baby, Together Apart: Life in Lockdown.

Copywriter

Click for website copy that’s tight and terrific, with polished prose and great grammar. – the Canola Trail is a great example. With over 20 years’ experience writing and subediting copy, I’ve focused on finance for online news, kicked goals for glossy interior design magazines and written travel, travel, travel – with food, art, history, adventure, wellness and humanity mixed in.