Asia-Pacific | GlobalSalsa: travel writer Belinda Jackson

Rescued from the jungle: aviation stories from Papua New Guinea

There’s always a burst of sunshine when Paradise magazine arrives in the post. I have written for the magazine for many years – there was a little hiatus during COVID, but it was one of the few magazines that bounced back with a print edition, which goes into seatbacks on its flights around Asia Pacific four times a year. Paradise is, actually, PNG’s most widely read magazine.

Dr Bablis and the Tin Goose

In this edition of Air Nuigini’s inflight magazine, I interviewed curator Dr Gregory Bablis about finding, retrieving and restoring WWI and WWII aircraft from PNG’s jungles. With care and dedication, the aircraft are now displayed in their forever home, the new Aviation Heritage Centre in the capital, Port Moresby.

Take a look at this photo of Dr Bablis, standing beside the shell of this Ford Trimotor, dubbed the Tin Goose. Just this one aircraft has a story that spans continents, from luxury flights across Europe to flying along PNG’s Kokoda Track in wartime.

The Aviation Heritage Centre’s other great drawcard is a Douglas A-20 Havoc bomber nicknamed the Hell’n Pelican II. It crashed in the jungles of Madang Province in PNG, and lay undisturbed for three decades before it was retrieved and sent to Australia to be restored by the Royal Australian Defence Force.

Initially built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in Long Beach, California, it entered service on the Pacific Front during WWII.

Also, popular PNG chef Julz Henao teamed up with TSI actor Aaron Fa’Aoso for a celebration of the food, language and culture that ties PNG with Australia in the miniseries Kin & Kai, supported by the Australian High Commission Papua New Guinea.

Two things that never fail to surprise me about PNG’s relationship with Australia:

1. PNG was an Australian colony – imagine! We were always the colonised, not the coloniser. We were the underdog. Not in this show.

2. Only 4 kilometres of sea separate Australia and PNG at their closest point, in the Torres Strait. Incredible.

That second point is why the Australian High Commission in PNG commissioned a new miniseries called Kin & Kai, using a PNG chef and an Australian actor from the Torres Strait.

Together, PNG celebrity chef Julz Henao and Aaron Fa’Aoso, a Torres Strait Islander actor, filmed Kin and Kai. The miniseries was produced by Aaron’s production company, Lonestar Entertainment Company, for the Australian High Commission’s Yumi Stap Wantaim (We Stand Together) campaign, which celebrates the cultural bonds that tie PNG and Australia after 50 years of PNG’s independence, which the country celebrated in 2025.

Through the five episodes of Kin and Kai, the two men find they have a lot in common, including cooking in earth ovens – mumus here in this part of PNG, amai or kupmari in the Torres Strait, even further afield, hangi in New Zealand and lovo in Fiji.

“Because Aaron is from Thursday Island, it was an easy match,” says Julz. “TI and PNG share lots of similarities and culture, and even some words in the local dialect. And geographically, it’s just across the water. There’s a lot of trade going back and forth, the people look the same, so I think, holistically, it’s just worked.”

Click here to read the current edition of Paradise magazine.

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To watch the miniseries, visit yumistapwantaim.com/kin-and-kai/

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Flight review: Melbourne-Jakarta-Tokyo with Garuda Indonesia | Sydney Morning Herald

If you’ve ever tried to find a last-minute ticket to Japan from Australia in sakura (cherry blossom) season, read on. You’ll know direct flights sell out hotter than a plate of piping takoyaki balls, and when you do find a seat, you need to sell a body part to get your backside on that seat for the 10 1/2-hour flight.

Faced with this dilemma recently, and needing to buy two tickets, I took a circuitous route with Garuda Indonesia, the country’s flag carrier. Yes, the flight was longer. Yes, it had a three-hour layover in Jakarta (lovely airport) and back via Denpasar (for all the Bintang singlets, yogawear and seriously overpriced food – however the TUMI shop had some great bargains, if you’re browsing). But for this review for the Traveller section of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers, I took away a few very interesting lessons…

Did you know that you can fly Australia-Tokyo, and break your stay in Indonesia, at no charge, for up to a month’s stay? That’s a two-destination holiday, Tokyo and Bali, for the price of one! And if you’ve been watching the travel stats, you’ll know that Japan has recently taken over Indonesia (specifically, Bali) as the most popular international holiday destination for Australians.

I need to point out that Garuda has won Skytrax‘ award for best cabin crew multiple times, which sort of surprised me, but then in the flight, I found the service to absolutely live up to the award, on and off the plane. At one point, my travel companion left a small toiletries bag in her seat when we arrived in Jakarta. We reported it to customer service, who told us to take a seat, and in about 20 minutes, they’d run back to the flight, found the bag and returned it to us with a flourish and lots of smiles.

Also, they made a point of telling me that if you book a ticket with multiple guests on it, you automatically get seated together on the flight. I mean, people, this should not be so shocking, but having been split from my (then) five-year-old child on an international flight, and frequently flying with the (now much larger) child, it is a constant stress for many parents, who are thus forced to pay for seat allocations on top of their air fares. So, hats off to Garuda for maintaining what should be (and used to be) a basic service for passengers.

And final takeaway, the beef rendang served in flight is delicious – in economy. If you are an omnivore, you can’t go wrong with this meal choice.

For the basics: I flew Melbourne (MEL) to Jakarta (CGK) on Flight GA717.

The MEL-CGK flight runs four times weekly on an Airbus A330-300. Don’t expect glamour: it’s teal and chocolate. Need I say more? Ok, I will – the usb chargers are stupefyingly slow (as is the case on many airlines) and the sound didn’t work on the flight of one of my legs (I just plugged into the vacant seat beside me).

I flew Economy, and I’m a window-seat girl, sitting in seat 28A. The flight time is 7 hours 35 minutes from Melbourne to Jakarta, and about the same again on to Tokyo. And yay, I got three seats to myself so I slept all the way from Jakarta to Tokyo, arriving at 6am as fresh as an economy-class flight can ever leave you. It doesn’t beat a direct flight, but sometimes, needs must.

Flight review of Garuda Indonesia by Belinda Jackson

To read the full review, click here.

Disclaimer: my flight was not hosted by Garuda, but was paid for by Cruise Traveller. I paid for my daughter’s seat.

Boat safety in Bali; TV appearance on ABC TV News Channel

Bali has had four tragic boat disasters this year, most recently with a speedboat carrying 80 people between the popular tourist island Nusa Penida and Sanur, on Bali’s east coast.

I spoke with ABC TV’s News Channel about boat safety in Bali, and how travellers can travel safely in the region.

Click here to watch the full television report: https://youtu.be/JPJD0hqUABM?feature=shared

If you’re thinking about taking a boat ride in Bali – either to Nusa Penida or further afield to the Gili islands, don’t be afraid to ask even the most basic questions. Here’s a checklist of just a few questions:

is there one lifejacket for every person on board?
do the crew do a safety briefing?
is the crossing going to be rough?
and ask yourself… does it feel right, does it feel safe?

In the end, you have to trust your gut instinct. There are regulations in Bali, they are not enforced.

Take a listen and see what you think; and let me know in the comments.

And here’s a link to ABC’s news report of the disaster.

Visiting Vietnam’s underrated regions: travel tips, budget airlines and hot hotels: Canberra Times

This trip to Vietnam, I’ve turned my back on the big cities – Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang; even tourist-loving Hoi An, and definitely Ha Long Bay.

Instead, I’ve begun my exploration of Vietnam’s waterways in the imperial city of Hue, in central Vietnam, continuing south to the fishing village of Ke Ga, and further south again to Can Tho, in the Mekong Delta.

For a floating breakfast with a difference, I’m on a boat cafe in the Mekong Delta, continuing my exploration of Vietnam’s breakfast soups. This morning, it’s a bowl of bún nước lèo, a deep broth with prawns, calamari, noodles, shredded banana blossom – to name a few things – on a pink boat at Can Tho’s early morning markets.

In Hue, I take a step back to 1930s Vietnam, where whitewashed columns and geometric tiles meet claw-foot baths and four-poster beds at the Azerai La Residence. There’s a flair and love of embellishment here that sings to me – the round windows and curved balustrades, the high ceilings and dark timber floors. We’re on the Perfume River, home of the last imperial family of Vietnam, which the sun sets over as dragon-headed longboats sail by. Yep, it’s hot. This is low season in central Vietnam but, selfishly, I’m ok with that.

And for the most beautiful tropical modernist hotel, try the Azerai Ke Ga Bay, on Vietnam’s southern coastline. It’s only 180km east of HCMC, but once off the freeway, the pitted local roads are a danger to loose molars.

To read more, see my feature for the Sydney Morning Herald/The Age newspapers’ Traveller section, visit https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/i-skipped-the-big-cities-for-vietnam-s-charming-less-visited-waterways-20250423-p5ltq9.html

If you’re after more Vietnam travel tips, I’m also sharing my great hotel tip, which offers cultural tourism without the hefty price tag, and another budget tip of new flights from Melbourne into Hanoi with Vietnamese low-cost carrier VietJet, azerai.com, vietjetair.com – you can hear more on this episode of my travel podcast, The World Awaits – just click on this link or the player below.

How to eat in Tokyo: The World Awaits interview

There are 26,000 ramen bars in Tokyo – how do you choose the best one? On The World Awaits travel podcast, which I co-host each week, chef Luke Burgess talks about how to eat in Tokyo, and about finding your culinary path in the megalopolis.

Listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or via our website https://theworldawaits.au or find us on our new facebook page

“It’s an endless pursuit,” says the co-author of ‘Only in Tokyo: Two Chefs, 24 Hours, the Ultimate Food City on the podcast. “If you didn’t have to sleep, it’d probably take three lifetimes to get though all the 180,000 places to eat in Tokyo. It’s the city that kills FOMO, because you’re never missing out.”

Luke, who is about to open his new, Japan-inspired restaurant in Hobart, Tasmania, shares his favourite, and most confronting dishes, and talks about the endless pursuit of understanding Japanese food and its refinement. “And don’t plan everything, because you need to leave those moments of ,“Oh wow, look at this little bar!” And then, you can end up having the greatest night of your life,” he says.

Also, Lonely Planet’s much anticipated global best beaches of 2025 list has dropped and Australia has made the top two; and travel is still top of our wishlist, according to a new survey from money.com.au

This episode is sponsored by Explore Worldwide, which offers small group adventures with local tour leaders. Click here for adventure travel inspiration from our friends at Explore Worldwide. Don’t Just Travel, Explore. See Explore Worldwide

Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au

Enter the Year of the Dragon! Celebrate the Lunar New Year in Melbourne

Kung Hei Fat Choi! The Lunar New Year is upon us, and we’re entering into the Year of the Dragon, and not just a dragon, but the wood dragon, which promises growth and prosperity for all!

Word is China is bracing for a baby boom in this auspicious year, says Chris Chun, the artist of this lovely green dragon and my guest on The World Awaits travel podcast this week.

Take Chris’ recommendation and visit Melbourne’s Chinatown to see the Lunar New Year parade followed by yum cha, then pop into the ⁠Museum of Chinese Australian History⁠ to say “Kung Hei Fat Choi” to the largest dragon in the world, the Millennial Dragon, whose head weighs around 200kg.

Also, ⁠@bookingcom ⁠releases its Top 10 Most Welcoming Places in Australia, and the @SunshineCoast and @VisitVictoria are shining bright – but who do you think got the top gong? Tune in for more Sunny Coast goodness, and to put its claim as Australia’s craft beer capital to the test.

And finally, let’s save money on travel insurance, says financial comparison site @mozo.com.au

Thanks to my co-host @kirstiewrites and sound producer @alaisdair for another great episode! And if you’d like to continue to hear more great pods, why not buy us a coffee? https://ko-fi.com/theworldawaits

Best new architecture openings in 2024

From Paris to Seoul, Notre-Dame cathedral to a robot-built museum about robots, architecture perves are in for a treat this year.

In my round-up of new architecture openings in 2024 for the Traveller section of the Sydney Morning Herald/The Age newspapers, I suggest you book tickets to Albania or Saudi Arabia, to China or hit New York City to see some of the best new designs in the world.

If, like me, you’re here in Australia, you don’t have to go far to find some of the best – the iconic Sydney Fish Market is a glittering addition by Danish architects 3XN to Blackwattle Bay, while Victoria’s Great Ocean Road gets a piece of man-made architecture that finally matches the natural beauty of the 12 Apostles.

Click the link below to read my story on some of the best new architecture openings for 2024.

https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/world-s-most-incredible-buildings-to-have-on-your-radar-in-2024-20231110-p5ej38.html

Rebuilding Maui & Life in Bhutan

This week on The World Awaits podcast… rebuilding Maui and life in Bhutan.

Click here to listen to the latest episode of our travel podcast.

Did you know there are only 45 foreigners living in the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan? One is Carissa Nimah, an Australian responsible for marketing the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Surrounded by snowy peaks and temples, I caught up with Carissa to talk about about the hiking trails, homestays and spirituality of Bhutan, ⁠bhutan.travel⁠

Also on the podcast this week, Lianne Driessen from Sail Trilogy, talks to Kirstie about the fires that recently devastated Maui. The a 50-year-old tourism business is integral in helping rebuild Maui and Lianne – who lost her own home 12 weeks ago – shares what you can do to help in its recovery, ⁠sailtrilogy.com⁠

We’re announcing the winners of our giveaway, Lonely Planet’s new book, Best in Travel 2024, hack claiming insurance if monkeys steal your gear, and cover Fodor’s 2024 No List; travel list of places to avoid.

Mindful travel in Nepal & Hiking with refugees

Walking slowly in silence in the Nepalese Himalayas is just one of the ways travel writer Nina Karnikowski says we can embrace mindful travel. Belle talks to Nina about taking the time to travel, and taking in the world around us on a more acute level.

“We can travel at a pace so fast, we actually miss all the wonder around us as we tick our boxes and return home exhausted,” she says. You can see more about Nina’s work, including her latest book, The Mindful Traveller, at ⁠ninakarnikowski.com, and for more about her tour to the Nepalese Himalayas, visit worldexpeditions.com

For many refugees from war-torn countries, settling into Australian life can be daunting. Especially for those who have suffered trauma most of us can’t even imagine. Finding solace in nature himself, Neil McCulloch decided to start a charity where he could help new refugees in Australia settle into life here, and experience an Aussie pastime, camping and hiking – and First Hike Project was born, firsthikeproject.org.au

Neil talks to Kirstie about how the transformative effect of nature on many of the refugees he takes into the Aussie bush, and why it’s so life-changing.

We also reveal the world’s most loved landmarks, including which Australian landmark makes the list (it might just surprise you), share tips on the best ways to save money when you’re travelling in Europe, and take a little ride down the Great Victorian Rail Trail, see greatvictorianrailtrail.com.au

Visit our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theworldawaits

The World Awaits: Bali and memorable wildlife encounters

On this week’s episode of my travel podcast The World Awaits, we discover how to have the best wildlife encounter (best for you, best for the wildlife), and is Bali really all it’s cracked up to be? Also, sip your way around the world at these leading wine destinations and find out how you can while away your time (for free!) at the airport. What an episode!

My co-host Kirstie catches up with award-winning wildlife photographer and journalist Rachelle Mackintosh to chat about the powerful impact of seeing wildlife in their domain. She shares hair-raising tiger encounters, talks of her obsession with sighting whales, and explains how you can ensure you’re doing the right thing by the wildlife experience you book, ⁠https://faunographic.com/⁠

I chatted with Bali-based author and travel writer Penny Watson, who moved to the Island of the Gods in the midst of the pandemic. Penny talks about how not to be an absolute loser when you visit Bali, and how to spread the love. We’re talking Kintamani, the waterfalls of Munduk, Amed on the east coast and Lovina in the north – basically anywhere beyond Ubud, Kuta and Canggu – for access to local businesses, ceremonies, and a connection to the Balinese people. She’s also just released her new book, Wilderness, which you can order here⁠ pennywatson.com.au/books⁠

Also, here’s the link to Alex the Flemish Giant bunny at San Francisco’s airport, take a listen to Belle’s chat with ABC radio Melbourne, talking about how to while away the time in airports around the world,

And a big shout out to our producer ⁠Alaisdair Leith⁠ for his zen-like patience, and to you for listening! Don’t be afraid to subscribe to The World Awaits via your favourite podcast wrangler or at ⁠theworldawaits.au⁠

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theworldawaits/episodes/Episode-12–Bali-and-memorable-wildlife-encounters-e28n42p

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Two things that never fail to surprise me about PNG’s relationship with Australia:

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