Japan’s Hokkaidō tops Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Asia 2016’ list
The travel lists are coming thick and fast today! Hot on the heels of world’s best airline lists, Lonely Planet has just issued its Asian hotspots for 2016. Here’s what […]
NOTEBOOK
Canter past Patagonian icefields. Sail the tranquil waters of Lake Como in Italy. Sip coffee in a Palestinian village. Listen to the ancient voices of Australia’s Arnhem Land. Climb the mountain paths of northern Albania. Let’s go!
Emirates named world’s best airline
Ok plane nerds, here’s the list for 2016 – the world’s best airlines as voted by travellers in the annual Skytrax awards. Again, a battle between the Middle Eastern airlines […]
Beautiful game, beautiful life: Camp Nou, Barcelona
Action at Barcelona’s Camp Nou. Photo: Belinda Jackson Big thanks to the man about the house for dragging me to Camp Nou, headquarters of Barcelona Football Club, to see his […]
Just the tonic: blending health and hedonism on the Dawn Princess
Thick and rich, the mud seems to pulsate with a life of its own, like an extra from Doctor Who. Scooping a hearty handful, it’s just begging to be slapped […]
Tang: Treasures from the Silk Road capital
If you wanted to brush up on your knowledge of China’s Golden Age, the Tang Dynasty, you could do worse than regressing to a 1970s childhood. Grab the beanbags and […]
Whales, worship and weird cabaret: the Tongan triumvirate
Humpback whales bring their (very big) babies into the safe waters of Tonga each year, from July to October. Photo: Belle Jackson We’ve all been lamenting the devastation in Fiji […]
Airline review: Qatar Airways economy class, Melbourne to Doha
A street scene from Doha’s Souq Waqif. Photo: Belle Jackson Qatar Airways, the newest Middle Eastern airline to service Australia, does the Melbourne-Doha (Qatar) route and recently started flying from […]
Peppers Docklands review: Melbourne’s newest five-star hotel
A couple of weeks ago, I popped in to the newest five-star hotel in Melbourne, Peppers Docklands. It’s right beside Etihad Stadium, at the bottom of La Trobe St. Loved […]
Roberts’ portraits the ‘selfies’ of their day
With her huge blue eyes, plump rose-kissed cheeks and a tumble of golden curls spilling over her fashionable fox-fur trimmed coat, Lily Stirling is the perfect face of a beautiful […]
Mussels and brisket: eating Melbourne this week
It’s been a good week for eating in Melbourne, and I checked out the new Marion wine bar, by chef-restaurateur Andrew McConnell in happening Gertrude St, Fitzroy. How’s that for […]