Blog

Jun

Searching for the face of Bhutan

I wish lived in a different, less politically-correct age, so I could write like
Norman Lewis, who wrote that “The mulatta girls of Havana were seen to flaunt
the biggest posteriors and the narrowest waists in the world”.

I’d write
that in this queue, waiting to check in to the flight to Paro, there are
Indians – plump, handsome little men doing business in the perfume trade. And
there are Asians: Louis Vuitton-toting Japanese, Chinese from Shenzen. And then there are those whose faces are
blurred by geography: a group of people who look like they’ve been mashed
between the two super-countries of India and China.

Dark skin and
full lips of an Asian face, but straight narrow noses and small eyes, the eyes
of a mountain race who were born closer to the sun than the rest of us.

The check-in counter
is down the back of Bangkok airport, along with Uzbekistan and Israeli
air, but the airport is eerily deserted. Amongst the luggage, I count 15
flat-screen tvs and six clear plastic carry bags stuffed with duvets and a
large dog, yelping his distress from his cage.

I can hear
other Australians behind me, some serious cameras slung nonchalantly over
shoulders, but at 5.10am, they’re already talking gear.

Bhutan, I’m ready.

Jun

En route to Bangkok

Bangkok airport.

The
soundtrack: Terry Oldfield on the chimes and meditation bowl, churning out a
Healing Sounds journey – to get that pre-Bhutan Buddhist feelin’.

The book:
Norman Lewis’s ‘The World, The World’ – going old school, back to my early
love, where travel writing all began.

The scene: it’s like a cheerful cocktail party around me, with Campari and
Singha beer going down with handfuls of salty nuts.

The
airline: Thai Airways – thank goodness, the attendants don’t look like overplayed
drag queens and neither are they so beautiful that it turns me into
Insta-Frump.

The
destination: Bangkok and the Novotel Bangkok
Suvarnabhumi Airport – “try the breakfast buffet, try
the pool, try the beds!” urges the hotel’s PR, Cyn Dammerer. With less 10 hours
on the ground (thanks to a 6.50am onward flight to Paro), I’ll see what I can
do, Cyn.

Jun

From British royalty to Victorian winery walkabouts: travel deals June 2, 2013

Mediterranean flavour: Santorini is the final destination
in Maeve O’Meara’s Greek gastronomy tour.
Photo: Getty Images

Australia

Queensland
Make a
date for a night in at the movies, at the QT Port Douglas hotel. Of
course, being in the tropics, it’ll be moonlight cinema. Stay any
Friday, Saturday and Sunday night between June 22 and October 6 and the
Locals Package gives you a complementary upgrade to a one-bedroom villa,
as well as two tickets to the flicks and breakfast for two in the
Bazaar restaurant. Quote code “moonlight01”. Costs from $199 a night.
(07) 4099 8900, qtportdouglas.com.au.

Victoria
Discover
the rich red and white Rhone varietals and sweet muscats of Rutherglen
at the Rutherglen Winery Walkabout, Australia’s longest running wine
festival, on the weekend of June 8-9 (winemakers.com.au).
Stay at the Tuileries and save 20 per cent on Sunday to Friday nights
until September 30. They’ll include a country breakfast and three-course
dinner for two at Tuileries Restaurant, including the unlimited wine
buffet, which showcases the region’s top drops. Usually $346 a night,
costs $276 a room, a night. (02) 6032 9033, tuileriesrutherglen.com.au.

Tasmania

Love
a snowy winter but hate long-haul travel? Freshwater on Berry is a
two-bedroom lodge in Miena, on the Great Lake in Tassie’s central
highlands, two hours from Hobart. Opened just six months ago, the local
attractions are all natural, from horse riding to bushwalking, mountain
biking and hunting. Usually $170 a night, stay two nights or more and
save $20 a night, with a bottle of Tasmanian wine thrown in to the
bargain. Valid on stays from July 1 to September 30. Costs from $150 a
night (two-night minimum).

Northern Territory
Check
in to the red heart of Australia, at one of our most iconic hotels,
Longitude 131˚, a luxury tented camp that curls along the sand dunes
facing Uluru. This three-night package includes all meals and drinks,
tours exclusively for Longitude guests and airport transfers, and
they’ll include a 15-minute helicopter flight over Uluru. Book by
September 30 for travel until November 30, and quote “escape”. Costs
from $2805 a person, twin share. 1300 134 044, longitude131.com.au/escape.

Travelodge Phillip St, Sydney

NSW
Be
a city slicker for three nights at Travelodge Phillip Street, main
picture, where you can walk to the best museums and art galleries as
well as the Opera House, the Rocks and Hyde Park. You’ll save 30 per
cent on stays until July 31, from $160 a night, with a buffet breakfast
included. Costs from $480 for three nights. 1300 886 886, travelodge.com.au.

Western Australia
Warm
up in the west, with a winter weekender special saving $100 at the
Metro Hotel, Perth. Stay one night in an executive room and get
breakfast, a bottle of sparkling wine and chocolates, noon checkout and a
$10 Coles voucher. Available on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights
until August 31. Costs from $299. 1800 004 321, metrohotels.com.au.

International

Indonesia
Children
are welcome at Seminyak’s Serene Villas, which have pool fences, toys,
cots, movies and games, and a special children’s menu. Book a three- or
six-night stay and get all that plus two complimentary meals for each
child, as well as discounted entry into Bali’s ultra-kid-magnets
Waterbom Park and Bali Safari Park. Save 20 per cent on stays until
September 30. Costs from $1130 for three nights, or $2415 for six
nights, for two adults and up to three children sharing a two-bedroom
villa. +62 361 730 899, serenevilla.com.

Abu Dhabi
It’s
official: the best of the Middle East’s desert resorts, according to
the World Travel Awards four years running, is Anantara’s Qasr Al Sarab,
in Abu Dhabi’s Empty Quarter. It’s got all the romance, with camels,
sand dunes and falconry. Stay five nights in a one-bedroom pool villa
and save up to 40 per cent. Book by July 22 for stays until July 31.
Costs from $1026 for five nights. +971 2 886 2088, anantara.com.

Oman
Gorgeously
traditional, Oman is a glimpse into the real Arabia, without the Dubai
glitz. Each of the 213 rooms in the new Crowne Plaza Duqm face the
Arabian Sea, with its shipbuilding history and tales of Sinbad. There
are five restaurants and lounges and the hotel’s opening special sees
rooms from $200 a night until September. 1800 007 697, crowneplaza.com.

Bolivia
From
the witches’ market in La Paz to the dazzlingly bright Uyuni salt flats
and the pre-Colombian terraces around Lake Titicaca, Bolivia is a blur
of colour and contradiction. Save 10 per cent when you book the new
13-day Bolivia Explorer tour. Book by June 30 for departures between
June 7 and November 8. Includes transport, guides and most meals. Costs
from $2115, twin share. 1300 763 338, bfirsttravel.com.

Greece
Dine like a goddess on the heavenly Greek isles, with SBS Food Safari
host Maeve O’Meara leading you off the beaten track to the islands of
Evia, Limnos and Lesbos, to finish with a bang in Santorini. “Each day
is a perfect little jewel,” O’Meara says. “You have a range of the best
regional produce, meet all our favourite Greek characters and feast on
dishes you’d never find in restaurants.” Includes accommodation,
internal flights, luxury sailing, most meals and wine. The tour runs
from September 3 to 15. Costs from $7250, twin share (save $700), $8200
for singles (save $800). (02) 8969 6555, gourmetsafaris.com.au.

Tour watch

With
a royal warrant from the Prince of Wales on its sleeve — the only one
of its kind in the world — expect fabulousness when checking in to the
Ritz London. Britain is deep in coronation mode, celebrating Queen
Elizabeth II’s 60th anniversary on the throne, and the Ritz has tickets
to the Coronation Festival at Buckingham Palace, from July 11 to 14. Its
Festival Fantastic package includes two nights’ accommodation, English
breakfast (naturally), dinner in The Ritz Restaurant, tickets to the
festival, and champagne and canapes when you’re there. Valid on
check-ins between July 11 and 13. Costs from $1789 a person, twin share.
1800 222 033, lhw.com.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

Jun

Katrina Pizzini’s ricotta & spinach gnocchi with creamy blue sauce

Here it is: the easiest gnocchi recipe ever, fresh from the Victorian high country. I took a photo and threw it up online, but someone suggested it made them want to throw up, so I may refrain from the graphics at this point.

Gnocchi
1kg ricotta
500g spinach blanched, cooled, liquid squeezed out and pureed
120g grated parmesan
1tsp grated nutmeg
170g plain flour
5 large egg yolks

Sauce
2tbsp olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cup dry white wine
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorns
600ml cream
3 tbsp fresh chervil, finely chopped
250g blue vein cheese (D’Ambert if you can find it – camembert is ok, too)

Katrina Pizzini in action, Cheshunt, VIC.

Gnocchi: Combine all ingredients and mix until well combined – the rougher the better. Mould a handful of mixture into a large sausage then roll onto a lightly floured bench until 2cm in diameter.

Cut the sausage with a flat-blade knife on the diagonal and place the gnocchi onto a lightly floured tray. Continue till all the mixture is used.

Drop the gnocchi into boiling salted water about 20 at a time. They’ll sink to the bottom and when the gnocchi rise to the surface, cook for a further minute or two. With a slotted spoon, scoop the gnocchi from the water and place into a serving bowl.

Sauce: Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onion. Add the garlic, white wine, bay leaf and peppercorns and cook until the wine has evaporated. Add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the cream sauce, add the chervil and the crumbled blue vein cheese.

Pasta, Ravioli & Gnocchi
Class $140 per person, Vino e Vita wine club $130 per person
This
class is not just about how to make pasta and the perfect gnocchi.
Participants will learn how to make interesting ravioli fillings and the
different sauces to go with the different pastas made.

May

Drink in the coffee, Rhone varietals or a Himalayan vista: travel deals 26 May 2013

Drink coffee in Brisbane, Rhone varietals in Rutherglen, or just drink in the view in the Indian Himalayas.

Victoria
Discover the rich reds, Rhone
varietals and sweet muscats of Rutherglen at the Rutherglen Winery
Walkabout, Australia’s longest-running wine festival, on the weekend of
June 8-9 (winemakers.com.au). Stay at Tuileries and save 20 per cent on
Sunday to Friday nights until September 30. They’ll include a country
breakfast and three-course dinner for two at Tuileries Restaurant
including its unlimited wine buffet, which showcases the region’s top
drops. Usually $346 a night, now $276. (02) 6032 9033, tuileriesrutherglen.com.au.

New South Wales
Ski
or board Perisher and Thredbo from the central
location of the Snowy Mountains’ Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa,
which is 15 minutes from either ski resort. Normally studio apartments
cost from $250 a night but the resort has two-night stays with a hot
breakfast, $100 to spend in the spa or restaurant, discounts on ski
hire, day spas, and free shuttles to the Skitube to Perisher. Available
from June 7 until October 6. Costs from $593 for two nights in a studio
apartment (sleeps two), or from $1034 for two nights in a two-bedroom
apartment (sleeps four). 1800 020 524, lakecrackenback.com.au.

Queensland
Check
in to Brisbane’s new Traders Hotel and they’ll give you a coffee
machine. Yes, really. Book a Friday, Saturday or Sunday night stay and
get a Nespresso U machine, worth $299, along with early check-in and
late checkout and a $50 voucher. There’s free wi-fi, too. The hotel is
opposite the Brisbane Transit Centre on Roma Street and within walking
distance of the spectacular Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern
Art. Book by June 30 for stays until December 29. Costs from $298 a
night. (07) 3238 2222, www.tradershotels.com/brisbane.

Thailand
The
new 277-room Pullman Phuket Arcadia is on Naithon Beach, 15 minutes
from the airport. It has sunken lounges with wine libraries as well as a
kids’ lunchtime restaurant by the pool, and spa aficionados will
appreciate the French Payot range. The hotel’s soft-opening special
means you can pay as little as $105 a night, saving 30 per cent off the
best rate on stays of three days or more, with breakfast and wi-fi
included. Valid until October 31. Costs from $315 for three nights. pullmanphuketarcadia.com.

Vietnam
The
coastline of Nha Trang boasts much natural beauty, and then there are
the hotels. The lush Evason Ana Mandara, main picture, sits on its own
stretch of sea, which obligingly issues lobsters for the table. Stay
seven nights and pay for five, with a villa upgrade, breakfast, airport
transfers and an hour-long massage for two in its spa. Includes return
international flights with Vietnam Airlines. Costs from $2032 a person,
twin share. Book by June 15 for stays until December 19. 1300 138 755, travelindochina.com.au.

India
If
exploring the Indian Himalayas in winter does it for you, this new
22-day Zanskar Ice Trek fits the bill. World Expeditions freely admits
this is one of its most adventurous treks, with minus-30-degree nights,
frozen river trekking and remote high passes. The tour departs from Leh
and includes all meals, internal flights, bilingual guides, sleeping bag
and jacket. Save 15 per cent off the second traveller when two people
book together; singles save 7½ per cent. Book by June 21 to depart on
February 2. Costs from $3900 a person, twin share. 1300 720 000, worldexpeditions.com.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

May

First bloom for bonny baby beauties: saying cheese in Victoria’s high country

It’s been a week since these baby camemberts were born, at the Milawa Cheese Factory in the Victorian high country, and their downy fuzz is just starting to grow.

At Anna-Kate Pizzini’s cheesemaking classes, we learned to make camembert from whole milk, then ricotta from the whey separated from the milk.

The ricotta found its way into a spinach and ricotta gnocchi, thanks to a pasta-making class by Anna-Kate’s mother-in-law, Katrina.

And the camemberts are curled up in a container in my esky in the garage, biding their time till they’re ready to eat, in about six weeks.

The classes run the first Saturday of the month and include lots of fabulous cheese tasting, $160 per class or $450 for three classes, which covers making camembert & ricotta, blue cheese & chevre and hard cheese & paneer: www.milawacheese.com.au

May

Deep fabulousness in Vietnam, heli-ski New Zealand or frock up in Melbourne: travel deals May 19, 2013

InterContinental Danang Sun peninsula Resort, Vietnam

Is this the most gorgeous photo ever? It was a toss-up between this fabulous shot of the restaurant at the InterCon Danang, designed by Bill Bensley, or the awesome NZ heli-skiing shot below. Reader: I chewed my nails for you. Enjoy this week’s best international and Australian travel deals.

QUEENSLAND
Avoid the queues
and head to the Gold Coast’s Sea World, main picture, out of the school
holidays and save up to 80 per cent on stays at the 4.5-star Broadbeach
resort, which includes unlimited entry to Warner Bros Movie World, Sea
World and Wet’n’Wild Water World. Stay two nights and get a free Dolphin
Discovery presentation at Sea World. You’ll get 25 per cent off food
and drinks, the kids’ club and free wi-fi. Valid until July 14. Costs
from $79.90 a person, twin share, $20 a child. 133 386, seaworldresort.com.au.

NSW
Sydney
Airport just grew up, with its first airport hotel in the international
terminal – Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel opened on May 7. The hotel is
celebrating with an opening special, free wi-fi and $35 to spend in its
Blackwattle Grill and sports bar. The 318-room hotel is one minute’s
walk from the international terminal and includes 24-hour room service.
Costs from $205 a night. (02) 9313 2500, rydges.com/sydneyairport.

TASMANIA
There’s
a rugged beauty to the Henry Jones Art Hotel, pictured above left,
which has had everyone from whalers to jam-makers on its stone floors on
Hobart’s waterfront. Book a night in a deluxe spa room and get
breakfast for two, free wi-fi and $50 towards dinner in Henry’s
Restaurant, saving a cool $178. Stay before September 30 and quote
PT014. Costs from $355. 1800 420 155, puretasmania.com.au.

TOP END

Hawke Dreaming camp

The wet season is
over, the roads are dry and the wilderness camps of the Top End are open
for business, including the Hawke Dreaming luxury tented lodge. Located
near Ubirr in a restricted section of Kakadu National Park, the lodge
has just 12 tents, with en suites and decks. Book by June 30 and save 15
per cent off the regular rate. Normally $265 a night, pay $225.
Self-drive travellers can save 10 per cent when they stay five nights at
any of APT’s exclusive luxury network of lodges across the Northern
Territory and Western Australia, including the Bungle Bungles and
Mitchell Falls. Includes dinner, bed and breakfast. 1800 240 504,
kimberleywilderness.com.au.

VICTORIA
Have
a Hollywood moment in Melbourne, at the Hollywood Costume exhibition at
the Australian Centre for the Moving Image as part of the Melbourne
Winter Masterpieces program. The Sofitel Melbourne normally costs about
$450 a night, but the Hollywood Costume package includes one night’s
stay, breakfast and two tickets to the exhibition, which has the
costumes of Scarlett O’Hara, Holly Golightly and Jack Sparrow. The
hotel’s Atrium Bar is shaking up Hollywood-inspired cocktails during the
exhibition, until August 18. Costs from $360. (03) 9653 0000,
sofitelmelbourne.com.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Set
at the start (or the end) of the Great Ocean Road, Mount Gambier is a
great base for wine tourism up into Coonawarra, for exploring the wild
and empty beaches along the Great Australian Bight or just taking in the
classic genteel sight of the town’s astonishing Blue Lake. Save up to
20 per cent on two-night stays in a self-contained apartment in the
4.5-star Precinct on Jardine. Valid on stays until August 5. Costs from
$800 for two nights in a three-bedroom apartment (sleeps six).
travel.com.au.

VIETNAM
One of the
world’s best new hotels, according to Conde Nast Traveler, is the
InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, pictured, on the Son Tra
Peninsula, halfway between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. To celebrate the
opening of the new Harnn Heritage Spa, packages include a three-night
stay, breakfast and yoga and 25 per cent off spa treatments, and a
one-hour massage. From $930 a night. 13 83 88,
danang.intercontinental.com.

SWITZERLAND
Switzerland
can be so cliched, and don’t we love it? Trafalgar’s new eight-day
Swiss Delight takes it a step further with a cable car ride to Mount
Pilatus, chocolate making and folklore tales at a traditional “stubete”.
Book by July 10 to save 7.5 per cent. Costs from $1688 a person, twin
share. Book a Singapore Airlines flight to Europe from $1999 with a
Trafalgar guided tour, and your friend flies from $899. Book flights
before July 31. 1300 663 043, trafalgar.com.

THAILAND
Get
four free nights in Phuket when you book eight nights at the five-star,
award-winning Merlin Beach Resort, close to Patong Beach. Facilities at
the resort include a kids’ club and pool, day spas and a range of bars
and restaurants. The deal includes breakfast, airport transfers,
restaurant discounts and a two-hour massage or half-day Phuket tour.
From $466 a person, twin share. Valid until October 31. 1300 883 887,
travelonline.com.

CHINA

The lobby of the new Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai

Just
a few years ago, the glitzy Shanghai district of Pudong was mere rice
paddies: now it’s home to the newest Mandarin Oriental hotel, which
features more than 4000 original artworks. Opening packages include stay
two nights and pay just one with free wi-fi, or the Discover Shanghai
package, which includes one night’s accommodation, free wi-fi and up to
$300 in spa or restaurant use. Valid until September 30. From $661. 1800
123 693, mandarinoriental.com.

SOUTH AMERICA
South
American adventurer Explora has been combining eco-adventure and luxury
for 20 years and celebrates its birthday with a free night on
four-night stays in remote lodges in the Chilean Patagonia, Easter
Island and the Atacama Desert until October 14. Stay four nights at
Atacama, which includes airport transfers, meals and open bar, and daily
explorations via horses, vehicles, boats and foot. From $2720 a person,
twin share. +56 2 2395 2800, explora.com.

TOURWATCH

So you can’t sing, but you can still ski like a rock star
amidst the snowy peaks of New Zealand’s South Island. Southern Lakes Heli Ski’s new all-inclusive,
one-week heli-skiing package gives you unlimited heli-ski runs. “As long as
your legs can keep going, then so do you,” they promise. And if the weather
gods get moody, there are golf pros, bungy jumping and Central Otago wines to
drink. Join a group with an Unlimited Package, which guarantees first and last
tracks each day, or the Private Package for groups of four or more gets your
own chopper and 8,500 square kilometers of heli-ski exclusive terrain to
explore. Includes five-star accommodation, meals and guides. From June 30 –
September 30. Costs from $7500 (Unlimited) or from $13,499 (Private) per
person. +64 3 442 6222, southernlakesheliski.co.nz.

Source: Belinda Jackson, Sun Herald

May

Make like Ellen on Hayman, jet across Australia, hike to Everest’s back door: travel deals May 12

Ubirr, Northern Territory

Make like Ellen on Hayman Island, air-cruise the continent on a private jet or hike to Everest’s back door in this week’s best domestic and international deals.

TASMANIA

There’s more to Launceston than the beautiful Cataract
Gorge. Dear old Lonnie (as the locals call it) also has a sparkle in its step,
thanks to all the delicious sparkling wines sold at the cellar doors on the
nearby Tamar trail. Stay three nights in a deluxe room in the Hotel Grand
Chancellor Launceston and pay for just two, on stays until September 30. Costs
from $165 a person, twin share, three nights. 132 757, harveyworld.com.au.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Get the
best seat in the house for Sydney’s Vivid Festival, from May 24 – June 10, and save
20 percent at the five-star Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour. The hotel’s
guestrooms have some of the best views of the Harbour Bridge, which will be
splashed in light during the festival. Stay in a one-bedroom harbor view suite,
which includes its own balcony, and get a three-course dinner for two delivered
to your door and a bottle of Taittinger Champagne. The Vivid
Stay & Play package costs from $569 a night. (02) 9256 4000, pullmanhotels.com

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Birks Harbour Boatshed, Goolwa, SA..

It’s about time the eastern states (as we’re known in
SA), turned our attention to the unsung Fleurieu Peninsula. It’s an hour south
of Adelaide, but budget a full afternoon if you travel via McLaren Vale’s
insanely good cellar doors (mclarenvale.info). Take a bottle back to your
boathouse accommodation on the water’s edge at the port town of Goolwa, a
serene retreat on the Murray River. Each of the three retreats sleeps two
people, and includes a gourmet brekky basket and a bottle of local wine. Stay
three nights, pay for two from June 1 – August 31. Costs from $590, three
nights. (08) 8555 0338, birksharbour.com.au.

QUEENSLAND

Experience living like an international talk-show host
and do Hayman Island the Ellen DeGeneres way. The ellenTV Excape package
includes four nights’ accommodation for the price of three, an upgrade to a
deluxe room, beachside breakfasts and transfers from the airport on the
island’s glam white launch. There’s also a seaplane tour of the Whitsundays and
all the windsurfing, catamarans, golfing and island exploratory walks a celebrity
could wish for. Valid for stays until December 20, quote code ‘Ellen’. Costs
from $1705 a person, twin share. 1800 075 175, hayman.com.au.

PAN-AUSTRALIA

All aboard the Great Australian Aircruise, a 12-day
journey by private plane from Sydney to Longreach into Kakadu and up to the
Kimberley, returning via Uluru, stopping at Australia’s most iconic country
towns, from Broome to Birdsville. Save $750 and they’ll also include
accommodation the night before at the Sir Stamford, airport transfers and breakfast,
a saving of up to $2000 per couple. The tour departs June 18, book and pay by
May 31. Costs from $11,595 a person, twin share. 1800 252 053,
billpeachjourneys.com.au.

NEW ZEALAND

Christchurch’s hotel scene is getting back on its feet,
with the re-opening of the Rendezvous Hotel Christchurch on May 1. Get 10
percent off the best available rate, with free internet and free local calls
until June 1. Or stay two nights and get 20 per cent off, otherwise stay three
nights and get 25 per cent off. Costs from $204.30 a night. 1800 088 888, rendezvoushotels.com/christchurch.

MALAYSIA

Malaysia has to be the ultimate shop-and-flop
destination: shop up the bargain-tastic malls of Kuala Lumpur then recuperate
on the beaches of Tioman Island at the Berjaya Tioman Resort, where the
bargains continue. The resort is offering six nights for the price of five,
with daily breakfast and flights from Kuala Lumpur. Book by May 31 for stays
till June 30, and from September 1 – October 31. Costs from $609 a person, twin
share. 1300 9393 414, flightcentre.com.au.

RUSSIA

See two faces of enigmatic Russia
when you absorb the hard-cash capitalism of racy Moscow with the genteel art
scene of its northern cousin, St Petersburg. Save five percent on the six-day
Russia Two Cities when booked by 31 May. Includes accommodation, breakfast and
rail transport between the two cities. The tour costs from $1214 a person, twin
share. 1800 221 712, bentours.com.au.

NEPAL

Help celebrate the 60th anniversary of Sir
Edmund Hillary’s ascent of Mount Everest with a 15-day trek in his footsteps to
Everest Base Camp. The trek reaches 5000 meters in the Himalayan foothills,
starting from the airstrip at Lukla. The price includes 12 nights’
accommodation in local tea houses, return local flights from Kathmandu to
Lukla, sherpas and an English-speaking guide. Book by June 15 for departures
until December 31, and save 10 percent. Costs from $1395 a person, twin share. 1300
021 123, myadventurestore.com.

GERMANY

Dreaming of a white Christmas? Slip Bing on the record
player and book your eight-day Bavaria & the Romantic Road tour, which runs
from December 2013 to March 2014 through the Rhine valley. Visit snowy
Neuschwanstein castle, medieval towns and see the Passion Play Oberammergau,
travelling quiet roads in mini-van comfort with a maximum of 15 guests. Save 10
per cent when booked by May 31. Costs from $2560 a person, twin share, excludes
international airfares. 1300 100 410, backroadstouring.com.au.

TOURWATCH CHINA
& TIBET

From the Silk Road markets of Kashgar to the Taklimakan
Desert, across the Aksai Chin plateau to Mt Everest’s North Base Camp in Tibet
(did you know there are two base camps?), this 28-day tour takes you far off
the beaten track into the wilds of western China and Tibet. The ‘Epic Dreams’
tour kicks off in Urumqi, in Xinjiang , and travels the highest road in the
world, the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway. Visit the ancient ruins of past kingdoms,
revered temples, see K2 as it hulks on the horizon and spy yak hurders’ camps
in the distance. The last stop is Chengdu’s panda reserve. The tour departs
August 20 and includes return international airfares with China Southern,
tipping and visas. Costs from $7634 a person, twin share. Wendy Wu Tours 1300
727 998, wendywutours.com.au.

May

Brick? Brack! It’s all Irish to me: recipe for Irish Bambrick

I was about to post this recipe, then I thought, that’s not very travel-oriented. But wait! It’s a recipe for Irish Bambrick!

So it’s time to break out the Bewley’s tea (Van Morrison’s fave), whack on the Claddagh CD (or Cranberries, Corrs, Boyzone – oh, Rohan – whatever takes your fancy) and carve up a slice of this solid, wholesome tea-time treat.

Irish Bambrick
1½ cups cold black tea
¼ cups sultanas
1 cup currants
¾ cup mixed peel, finely chopped (I think mixed peel is sooo ’50s, I used apricots)
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups self-raising flour (I used 1 cup wholemeal – I AM my mother!)
½ cup walnuts (almonds or brazil nuts)

The recipe doesn’t call for it, but I added a little nutmeg and some cinnamon. In hindsight, I’d drop the cinnamon.

Combine tea, sultanas, currants, mixed peel (apricots) and sugar in a bowl. Cover. Stand the mixture overnight. Stir in egg. Mix in flour and nuts. Spoon into a greased and lined 13x21cm loaf pan. Bake at 160 degrees for 1 – 1 1/4 hours or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool. This cake can be frozen for up to three months (though why you wouldn’t want to eat it hot from the oven is beyond me).

A note of warning: the uncooked mixture is seriously sticky. I added an extra splash of tea and it didn’t hurt. And it really needs the full hour or more in the oven, otherwise you’ll end up with a sticky heart.

PS: This recipe was clipped from an Australian nursing newsletter. The spelling of bambrick is weird: I have found reference to ‘barmbrack’, but just I’d call this a brack – take it from one who has consumed many bracks in her time living in Dublin.

May

Bali: savouring Seminyak

Fois gras trilogy, Metis

Beyond the rice paddies and the beaches, Seminyak is the heart of Bali’s dining scene – and whether it’s organic, local or international, you’ll find fine cuisine for all tastes.

Seminyak’s streets are pumping with a cosmopolitan array of chefs and restaurateurs, dishing up everything from Aussie steaks to Balinese crispy duck and Jimbaran Bay seafood, and offering up a potpourri of produce that’s never languished on a supermarket shelf.

If you can’t say Petitenget before you hit town, you’ll learn quickly enough. Jalan is the Indonesian word for “street”, and Jalan Petitenget is home to some of the island’s top tables.

Coconut rhumballa, Chandi

It’s also the name of a newcomer to the restaurant scene. When we meet, Petitenget‘s executive chef Simon Blaby is eating slow-braised pork belly with confit green-apple puree, shredded cabbage salad and sweet potato puree. “It’s a true homage to great local produce. Balinese pork is second to none,” says Simon, who hails from Queensland’s much-loved Spirit House.

If you’re out to impress, earmark a date at Metis, which opened in 2009 amid the rice paddies and lily-filled water gardens. French chef Nicolas Tourneville serves French Mediterranean cuisine, including a dedicated foie gras menu.

Looking for a Zen-like, Ubud vibe? Neighbouring Sardine has also tapped in to the rice-paddy gastronomical scene. If you’re obsessed with sustainable seafood, hand-plucked herbs and knowing where your onions came from (the mountain village of Bedugul), book a table for what fourth-generation Burgundy chef-restaurateur Pascal Chevillot describes as cuisine du solei1 (“food of the sun”) and sample the gourmet fare from the kitchen, run by Californian Michael Shaheen.

Funky MamaSan

If sand isn’t your thing, slip on some stilettos and trip upstairs to the rootop of Anantara Hotel to find SOS Supper Club, which mixes fine dining, lounging and clubbing.

Local seafoodies gravitate towards the Sunday brunches at W Hotel’s Starfish Bloo by Mauritian-born, Australian-bred chef Kevin Chung, and gleefully feast on the snapper dumplings of MamaSan, helmed by chef Will Meyrick of Sydney’s Longrain fame.

Head to Chandi for its New York take on local cuisine. With lounges facing the crushingly busy Jalan Laksmana it’s also an unsurpassed people-watching locale. “The clientele in Seminyak is a great mix of glamour meets health nut,” says chef-owner Agung Nugroho.

“The clientele in Seminyak is a great mix of glamour meets health nut.”

The glitzy alternative for local cuisine is Jakartan newbie Potato Head Beach Club, which is givinglong-timer Ku De Ta a run for its money with a kids’ pool and the sexiness of a swim-up bar balanced by its fine-dining restaurant, Tapping Shoes.

Overlooking the rice paddies at Metis

Its less formal pan-Asian tapas bar, Lilin, has communal tables overlooking the Indian Ocean, but chances are you’ll have eyes only for the catfish with red chilli sambal or the locally beloved buntut samba1bajak (braised oxtail with traditional chilli sambal).

“Bali is attracting great international chefs who still wish to dream and bend the rules more than you could in a Western kitchen,” says Petitenget’s Blaby, of Seminyak’s embarrassment of dining riches. “It’s magical, not logical.”

TAKE ME THERE
PETITENGET Jln Petitenget 40, tel, .+62 3614733054, petitenget.net
POTATO HEAD BEACH CLUB Jln Petitenget, tel: 62361 473 7979, ptthead.com
SARDINE Jln Petitenget 21, tel: +62 361 843 6111, sardinebali.com
ANANTARA SOS SUPPER CLUB Jln Dhyana Pura,tel, 62361 737773, sosasupperclub.com
W HOTEL Jln Petitenget, tel:.+62 361 473 8106, starwoodhotels.com
BIKU Jln Raya Petitenget 888, tel, +62 361 857 0888, bikubali.com
CHANDI Jln Laksmana 72, tel: +62 361 731 060, chandibali.com
LA LUCCIOLA Jln Petitenget, tel:.+62 361 730 838
MAMASAN Jln Raya Kerobokan 135, tel, +62 361 730436, mamasanbali.com
METIS Jln Petitenget 6, tel: +62 3614737888, metisbali.com

To view as a pdf, click here

Source: Belinda Jackson, Jetstar magazine

« First ‹ Prev 41 42 434445 46 47 Next ›Last »

Follow

BLOG

Australia

International

Tour watch