Travel | GlobalSalsa: travel writer Belinda Jackson

Oct

Hotel review: Swissotel Resort Phuket, Thailand

With Muay Thai in the gym, a broad sweep of beautiful white-sand beach, poolside kid manicures and Phuket’s cha long liquor at the poolside bar, what’s not to love about this family-friendly hotel?

Set on the broad sweep of Kamala Bay, on Phuket’s west coast, Swissotel Resort Phuket is two minutes’ walk to the beach, within driving distance of most of the island’s attractions, but away from the sin bins of Patong. Ideal for families, it’s the great beach holiday, Thai style.

You can read more about my review of this Phuket family hotel here on the Traveller website. The feature appeared in Sydney’s Sun-Herald and Melbourne’s Sunday Age newspapers.

Poolside at the Swissotel Resort Phuket, Thailand. photo: supplied.

Sep

Architecture tourism: The world’s inspiring new architecture

Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Courtesy TDIC, Architect Ateliers Jean Nouvel

Castles, towers, skyscrapers: all rich pickings for the travelling
architecture lover. Why not add a hill of garbage, a modern mosque or
the site of the world’s oldest drawings to your travels in 2017?

There’s some crazy, dreamy, ambitious and unexpected architecture
projects opening next year, from Denmark to Doha. Take a look at my round-up of a handful of the best, published in the Sydney Morning Herald/ The Age newspapers.

Sep

Architecture tourism: The world’s inspiring new architecture

Castles, towers, skyscrapers: all rich pickings for the travelling architecture lover. Why not add a hill of garbage, a modern mosque or the site of the world’s oldest drawings to your travels in 2017?

There’s some crazy, dreamy, ambitious and unexpected architecture projects opening in 2017, from Denmark to Doha. Take a look at my round-up of a handful of the best, published in the Sydney Morning Herald/ The Age newspapers.

The Abu Dhabi Louvre. Photo: Ateliers Jean Nouvel

Sep

Doha, Qatar: A three minute guide

The highlight of the world’s richest country is the white mud-brick buildings of Souq Waqif, where veiled women henna ancient designs on hands while men gather to gossip in sparkling white thobes (robes). With a look over his shoulder at nearby Dubai, Qatar’s Emir has seen the writing on the wall and is preserving his emirate’s pre-resource-boom Bedouin culture.

With Qatar Airways spreading its wings on a major expansion drive, chances are you’ll pass through its hometown, Doha.

Click here for my quick three-minute guide for the must-dos while you’re in town, originally published in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Aug

Where to eat in Shanghai: Chef Jan Van Dyk

Recently, I was in Shanghai for a three-day eat fest. While there, I caught up with chef Jan Van Dyk of the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund. The South African born chef calls Australia’s Sunshine Coast home, so we swapped favourite cafes… and settled on a shared fave, Hand of Fatima at the upmarket little cluster of shops at Peregian Beach.

Anyway, Jan was participating in the Waldorf Astoria’s annual hunt for new iconic dishes – this is the hotel group that gave us the Waldorf Salad, Red Velvet cakes and Eggs Benedict.

We caught up over Shanghai suckling pig and ziao long bao (Shanghai dumplings) to talk about best eats in that happening town.

Click here to read the full story, which appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and traveller.com.au

Aug

Places to eat in Vienna, Austria: Six of the best

Start the day like a local with an eye-pokingly strong coffee black coffee and a kipferl, forefather of the croissant. Photo: Belinda Jackson

From sausage stand to schnitzel, I give you are six eats you can’t miss in Vienna (even if you are a Michelin-star obsessive).

Road-tested one and all, they range from family heurigers (typical Austrian restaurants) to century-old sandwich bars and the classic Viennese cafes that the city is renowned for.

There’s also the new guard reworking old favourites (think minimalist vienna schnitzel) and Vienna’s first sausage stand. Because you can’t go to Austria and not eat sausage.

To see the complete list, read the story in the Traveller section of the Sydney Morning Herald.

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Aug

Beautiful game, beautiful life: Camp Nou, Barcelona

Big thanks to the man about the house for dragging me to Camp Nou, headquarters of Barcelona Football Club, to see his club in action. My story on the passion and the fashion of the beautiful game was published in the Sydney Morning Herald this weekend. (For the record, I did get him to visit Sagrada Familia.)

Action at Barcelona’s Camp Nou. Photo: Belinda Jackson

Forget Michelin stars, and Gaudi who? There’s only one reason to visit Barcelona.

The message is clear. “I only want to go to Barcelona to see Barcelona Football Club play,” says the husband, shelving any ideals of visiting Sagrada Familia or eating at world-famous restaurants.

We’re staying at one of the best addresses in town – the new suites in the Mandarin Oriental Barcelona – and the entrance is a dramatic catwalk up from street level. The lobby is sleek and hushed, the staff as polished as only five-star staff can be. Yet in Barcelona, football transcends gender and poshness.

In Barcelona, football certainly appeals to shoppers: the city’s new-town grids and old-city lanes conspire to walk me into one of dozens of official FC Barcelona boutiques selling balls and caps, water bottles and pencil cases. A genuine FC Barcelona shirt will set you back €80 ($124), even though it’s a sweaty 100 per cent nylon and manufactured in Vietnam or Bangladesh.

To read more about kicking off in Barcelona, click here.

This story was published in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper’s Traveller section.

Save

Aug

Places to eat in Vienna, Austria: Six of the best

Start the day like a local with an eye-pokingly strong
black coffee and a kipferl, the forefather of the
croissant. Photo: Belinda Jackson

From sausage stand to schnitzel, I give you are six eats you can’t miss in Vienna (even if you are a Michelin-star obsessive).

Road-tested one and all, they range from family
heurigers (typical Austrian restaurants) to century-old sandwich bars and the classic Viennese cafes that the city is renowned for.

There’s also the new guard reworking old favourites (think minimalist vienna schnitzel) and Vienna’s first sausage stand. Because you can’t go to Austria and not eat sausage.

To see the complete list, read the story in the Traveller section of the Sydney Morning Herald.

Aug

Lloyd’s Inn review, Singapore


Photo by Lloyd’s Inn, Singapore

It’s woefully easy to drop a bomb on your hotel room in Singapore:
Lloyd’s provides a more budget-friendly alternative that meets the
approval of design-hungry Singaporeans.

If you’re on the lookout for a hotel room in Singapore that doesn’t bust the budget, check out Lloyd’s Inn.

Old hands will know it for a shabby backpackers, but design-hungry Singaporeans know it’s been revamped by so-hot-right-now design studio FARM.

The hard-core white minimalist inn is close to Orchard Road, and breakfast is at the nearby kaya toast institution, Killiney Kopitiam cafe.

To find out more, check out my review in the Traveller section of the Sydney Morning Herald.

Jul

Lloyd’s Inn review, Singapore

It’s woefully easy to drop a bomb on your hotel room in Singapore: Lloyd’s provides a more budget-friendly alternative that meets the approval of design-hungry Singaporeans.

If you’re on the lookout for a hotel room in Singapore that doesn’t bust the budget, check out Lloyd’s Inn.

Old hands will know it for a shabby backpackers, but design-hungry Singaporeans know it’s been revamped by so-hot-right-now design studio FARM.

The hard-core white minimalist inn is close to Orchard Road, and breakfast is at the nearby kaya toast institution, Killiney Kopitiam cafe.

To find out more, check out my review in the Traveller section of the Sydney Morning Herald.

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