Travel | GlobalSalsa: travel writer Belinda Jackson

Apr

Snaptastic in Kakadu, Cape York hooked up and Queenstown communes: Takeoff travel news

TECH

Snap to it!

Ditch the hard drive of photos you’ll never look at and
go retro with Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 8 cameras, for instant gratification from instant
photos. The camera runs on two AA batteries and pops out instant pics at a wallet-friendly
62x46mm. Accept its limitations – no zoom, no macro mode and, incredibly, you
have to look through a viewfinder – it’s ideal for cute wedding snaps or of you
’n’ your bestie, and has a cult following that includes Katy Perry and Taylor
Swift. Available in seven colours
including the new raspberry and grape, the camera come with a 10-pack of film,
and additional packs costs $15-20. Yes, it does come in macho black. The grape-coloured
camera is exclusive to Target, all other colours available in Ted’s Camera
Stores, Harvey Norman, Big W, Officeworks and Kmart, $99. See fujifilm.com.au.

AIRLINE

Cape York

Cape York once again is linked by air with Cairns following
the launch of new flights to the regional hub of Bamaga, population 1000. The
weekday flights are operated by Regional Express, running a Saab 340 to the Northern
Peninsula Area airport, 35km from the tip of Cape York. The flights will appeal
to time-poor travellers aiming for the northernmost point of mainland
Australia, choosing a two-hour flight over a two-day, 850km drive. The Cape is a
tourist hot spot in the dry winter months and renowned for its spectacular
fishing. The newly refurbished Cape York
Peninsula Lodge (formerly the Bamaga Resort) has 44 suites, rooms
and eco-tents and is part-owned by ATSI communities, so all profits go directly
back to local schools, health programs and its hospitality training program
(from $309 a night, B&B, see cypeninsulalodge.com.au). Hire a 4WD in Bamaga, Weipa and
Lockhart, or ferry through the Torres Strait Islands and back to Cairns from
nearby Seisia, (phone 1800 424 422, see seaswift.com.au).
One-way flights from Cairns to Bamaga cost from $248. Phone 131 713, see
rex.com.au.

Photo: Paul Arnold

PHOTOGRAPHY

Shoot to thrill

Smile at a crocodile: it’s a snap with professional photographer
and bushman Paul Arnold, who is running new photography tours in Kakadu during
the dry season until November. Arnold will lead groups of seven out onto Yellow
Water Billabong for a two-hour cruise to spot crocs, learn to frame Kakadu’s
dramatic landscapes and capture its teeming birdlife ($250 a person).
Otherwise, join a two-hour walk to the billabong from Cooinda Lodge
Kakadu ($50)
or take a two-hour course that helps get your DSLR camera off auto mode ($110).
Arnold will also be holding photo nights, sharing tips and his secret locations,
at the lodge (one hour, $30). “I’ve spent the last 20 years exploring
Australia’s unique countryside, and that is where my interest in photography
began,” he says. See paularnold.com.au or kakadutourism.com. Stays at the indigenous
owned Gagudju
Lodge Cooinda
cost from $179 a night or $41 for a campsite. See gagudju-dreaming.com.

GEAR

Glam metallic

You can be sure that’s your luggage, shimmying down the carousel.
Amongst a sea of black, the new Altitude range from Australian luggage brand
Paklite is hard to miss, with its glossy copper or gun-metal metallic finish.
Made from lightweight polycarbonate composite, the range comes in
three sizes, large (weighs 4.2kg, packs 115l), medium (weighs 3.5kg, packs 85l)
and the cabin bag, which has a quick-access front pocket and padded laptop
compartment (weighs 2.8kg, packs 40l). All include heavy-duty handles, TSA
locks and combinations and four wheels, and the two larger bags expand generously
to accommodate in your shopping finds. Phone 1300 303 021, see
paklite.com.au.

FOOD

Beyond the cellar
door

Enter a wonderland of wine when you visit Vasse Felix, the
founding wine estate of the Margaret River region and the newest member of Ultimate
Winery Experiences Australia (UWEA). Vasse
Felix has launched two bespoke experiences, the Vasse Felix Original tour, $45,
which goes through the history of the label and winds up with a private
tasting, and the Vasse Felix Epicurean, $185, which adds a three-course meal
with matching wines. Experiences at other wineries in the group include being a
winemaker for a day, taking a helicopter flight over Tasmania’s wine-producing
Tamar Valley or tasting and interpreting MONA. See ultimatewineryexperiences.com.au.

Vasse Felix winery, Western Australia

HOTEL

Community in
Queenstown

Recently named the top tourist destination in the South Pacific by
the TripAdvisor community (bumping off Our Sydney), Queenstown hotel newcomer
Sherwood pitches itself as a creative hub for travellers. The eco-friendly hotel’s 78 rooms welcomes
all comers, from lakeview studios to budget-conscious double-bed bunks in
dorms. Tapping into the clean, green vibe, there’s a wholefoods restaurant
fuelled by its own biodynamic garden, a yoga studio, bikes and winter ski hire.
Sherwood is unashamedly Kiwi, stocking local craft beers in the mini-bar, woollen
blankets from the South Island, manuka honey and myrtle soaps and local
artists’ work on the walls. The hotel overlooks Lake Wakatipu and the
Remarkables Mountain Range, is five minutes’ drive to the city centre and 30
minutes to the Coronet Peak ski fields. Rooms range from NZ$165 for a standard
king to NZ$285 a night for the two-bedroom terraced loft, which sleeps two
adults and up to five kids. See
sherwoodqueenstown.nz.

Sherwood, Queenstown

The Takeoff travel news column by Belinda Jackson is published every Sunday in Sydney’s Sun-Herald newspaper Traveller section.

Apr

Weekend in Kosovo, off to the Olympics, secrets of the Big Apple: Takeoff travel news

Palenque ruins, Mexico

ADVENTURE

Into
the obscure

Fancy a weekend in Kosovo? There are few corners of the globe that are
not comprehensively explored, but Intrepid Travel has revealed four new
destinations it says will sate the appetite of the most adventurous explorer.
The tours are the first wave of unusual locations in its new Expedition range,
which could see you uncover your inner Indiana Jones in a southern Mexican
jungle, hike in the Svaneti region of the former Soviet republic of Georgia,
get in the thick of the Rabaul Mask Festival in Papua New Guinea or sail the
ancient Lake Ohrid on a journey through Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia. The 15-day journey
through the Balkan states costs from $1795 a person and departs September 5. See intrepidtravel.com/theme/expeditions.

GEAR

Crumpler off to
the Olympics

Melbourne luggage brand Crumpler is packing its bags for Rio and
joining our athletes as the official supplier of luggage to the 2016 Australian
Olympic Team. It will be kitting the team out with the Vis-à-Vis trunk
78 centimetre trunk, a hard-shell case bound by sturdy fabric belts and handle for easy,
secure hauling. Currently, the Vis-à-Vis range comes in a black shell, with red,
lime, black or clear handles. The Olympic colour range is yet to be revealed, and
will tie in with the team’s formal uniforms, designed for the seventh time by Sportscraft.
The competition and training uniforms, footwear and casual clothing will again
be designed by Adidas. Expect the big reveal around mid-2016. Crumpler’s
Vis-à-Vis range comes with a lifetime warranty, and the range also includes a 68-centimetre trunk, a 55-centimetre cabin bag and an
attaché case. The 78-centimetre trunk costs $545. See crumpler.com.au.

KIDS

Best seat in the
house

Intrepid families will love this simple bag, which is
designed to pack up your kid’s car seat and protect it when you’re on the move.
The bag is padded on all sides so you can include the car seat as checked-in luggage,
and is made from water-resistant fabric. It can also be worn as backpack for a
hassle-free, hands-free trek through the airport when you’ve run out of arms
pushing trolleys and reining in children. Great for those who prefer to
BYO car seat on driving holidays, the bag measures 45cm W x34cm H x45cm D. The
JL Childress Black Ultimate Car Seat Travel Bag costs $69.95. See
thestorknest.com.au.

FOOD/TRAIN

Silver service, gold-rush route

The scenery is fabulous in the Canadian Rockies, but the food can
be great, too. The Rocky Mountaineer train network is adding 840 SilverLeaf
Service seats to its Rainforest to Gold Rush route, which journeys deep into
the Canadian Rockies. This train route deviates from the best-known Rockies
route from Vancouver to Toronto, and instead veers north to visit the ski mecca
of Whistler and Jasper via the gold-panning city of Quesnel. The SilverLeaf
class lets you dine in style, with local beers and wines from the British
Colombia’s Okanagan Valley. A two-day rail journey from Whistler to Jasper (or in reverse)
costs from $1865 a person. See rockymountaineer.com.

HOTEL

Northern newcomer

Brisbane’s CBD is currently enjoying a wave of new hotel
openings and the latest, Capri by Fraser, threw open its doors on April 1. The
Albert St property blends hotel and residence with 239 studios and one-bed apartments,
pool and gym as well as a restaurant bar and cafe by celebrity chef and paleo
poster boy, Pete Evans. Expect design
touches including vertical garden walls and art installations as well as
ergonomic workspaces in the rooms. E-travellers can check-in by iPad and the
e-Concierge, while the rest of us will appreciate the 24-hour gym, in-room kitchenettes,
room service and laundry with Xbox Kinect. This is Fraser Hospitality’s fourth
Australian property, with Fraser Suites in Sydney and Perth and Fraser Place in
Melbourne. Capri by Fraser’s opening special costs from $179 a night, which
includes wi-fi and parking (Friday – Sunday nights) on stays until June 30.
Located at 80 Albert St, Brisbane. Phone 1800 110 800, see capribyfraser.com.

BOOK

Big Apple secrets

If you, like half the world, have a passionate affair with
Manhattan, tuck this modest book under your arm before you decamp to New York.
Its title is self-explanatory; Seeking
New York: the stories behind the historic architecture of Manhattan – One Building at a Time. The book is based on the blog Daytonian in Manhattan, written by Tom Miller, a NY police inspector
originally from Daytonia, Ohio. His curious mind digs into the histories of 55 of
the borough’s buildings (there are many, many more on his blog), describing property
speculation in 1820s Canal Street, the impoverished Lower East Side at the turn
of the 20th century, great real estate coups and architectural
intricacies. There are grand triumphs and small stories: it’s also a history of
the people that made the city. “Never stop being a tourist, never stop looking
up,” says Miller. Costs $29.99. See allenandunwin.com.

The Takeoff travel news column by Belinda Jackson is published each Sunday in Sydney’s Sun-Herald Traveller section.

Apr

Switch to island time: Escape to the South Pacific

Balmy nights, glo-bright beaches, lush greenery, and
welcoming people: the reasons for a South Pacific island holiday are as
clear as its aquamarine waters. Just follow our South Pacific island
travel guide for travelling like a pro.

The hotspots

While Fiji and Vanuatu are permanent favourites for Australian
holidaymakers, we’re now starting to discover upcoming stars, such as
the secretive Solomon Islands and PNG, while the Cook Islands and French
influences of New Caledonia are enjoying a renaissance. No matter if
you’re a diver, beachcomber or dedicated lounge lizard, it all boils
down to the beach. Kick start your island dreams at South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

Flying there

The main airlines linking the South Pacific include Fiji Airways (formerly Air Pacific,) Qantas, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia. Smaller national carriers such as PNG’s Air Niugini, Air Vanuatu , New Caledonia’s Air Calin and Solomon Airlines
hook Australia up to its nearest neighbours. Keep an eye out for sales
and you might snap up a flight from east-coast Australia to Nadi, Fiji
for around $650 return, and $250 return for kids under 12. During the
low season (November to May), $600 will get you to Noumea in New
Caledonia. Put skyscanner on your must-visit list, to compare flight prices and dates.

Cruising there

The South Pacific is our most popular cruise destination, with New
Caledonia’s Isle of Pines and Vanuatu’s Champagne Beach providing the
classic postcard backdrop to a South Pacific cruise. Choose your style:
from champagne luxury to party ships or the range of exploratory small
ships that are now discovering the hidden corners of thousands of
islands. P&O Cruises
offers wallet-friendly seven-night cruises departing Australia for New
Caledonia from $899, quad share in an interior room, which is always
cheapest, compared with $1999 a person for a suite. A good jumping-off
point for cruise comparisons is cruiseabout.

Getting around

What’s your tribe? The fly-and-flop brigade, who are content to be
spoilt poolside, or do you get out amongst the locals? The Pacific
islands each have their own special mode of transport: from PNG’s banana
boats that skip between its islands to Vanuatu’s little island-hopping
planes to the many live aboard boats that let you sleep on board,
stopping to visit a local village, get the snorkel on or take a dive. A
three-night cruise through Fiji’s Yasawa islands aboard Captain Cook Cruises’
live aboard MV Reef Endeavour costs from $980 a person, twin share.
Island-hopping plane transfers are usually priced into packages. If
you’re booking them yourself, get in early as the small planes fill
quickly.

Staying there

Nothing kicks off romance like a glowing sunset over calm waters.
South Pacific island holidays have more than their fair share of
super-luxe hideaways. Fiji’s top resorts can command over $1000 a night
for a slice of private paradise. For some spectacular beach island
eye-candy, check out the all-inclusive, complete island hire at Dolphin Island and Wadigi Island, or the luxe resorts at Likuliku Lagoon and Matagi Island.

For flight-hotel packages from glam to fam, check out Creative Holidays’
Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Cook Islands packages: you can pay
around $2000 a person for a week’s stay in the glam Raratonga Beach
Resort & Spa, with international flights, kids’ crèche and clubs,
daily cocktail parties and activities. Sleepy Samoa, as yet undeveloped
by the big international chains, offers good value, while going local in
a PNG village stay costs from $60 a night. Bookings.com and skyscanner.com yield unusual finds for those who prefer to wing it.

Hip pocket talk

As a rule of thumb, flight-and-hotel packages in the South Pacific
offer the best value, thanks to the big travel companies’ muscular
buying power. Check the fine print for meal packages, pay-seven,
stay-five deals and other bonuses. Kids under 12 can usually stay and
eat free when sharing with their parents, and many of the airlines offer
very reasonable kids’ air fares. Bargain hunters can slip into the
fringe of the wet, windy season to score a deal. Traditionally, the
South Pacific’s hot, rainy season runs from November to April, while May
to October is peak season, thanks to clear skies and lower humidity,
however climate change does throw a few curve balls.

Prices correct at time of publishing.

This article by Belinda Jackson was published on Art of Money blog by GE Money.

Apr

In the raw in Phuket, Tiger trims down, checking out the Flying Doctors: Takeoff travel news

FOOD

In the raw on Phuket

The luxury Sri Panwa hotel on Phuket’s southern coastline
has opened its newest dining option, an authentic Japanese restaurant called Baba
IKI. Order from the sake cocktail list and get up close and personal at the
sushi bar with head Chef Haru, who trained under Iron Chef Boontum Pakpo. Top
picks include the toro sashimi (premium tuna belly) and sake
sashimi (Norwegian salmon). Seating 60 people, Baba IKI has expansive views
over the Andaman Sea. This is the fourth restaurant at the hotel on Cape Panwa including
Baba Soul Food, which serves traditional southern Thai cuisine such as as Hell
Chicken and crab and coconut curry. The
hotel has been named Thailand’s best resort and its Baba Nest rooftop bar one
of the world’s best beach bars. A night in the pool suite ocean view costs from $800. See sripanwa.com.

AIRLINE

Tiger trims
carry-on kilos

Low-cost airline TigerAir is dropping its free carry-on luggage
limits to 7kg a person on flights booked from March 17 for travel from April
17. Currently, passengers are allowed to bring two pieces of cabin luggage
weighing up to 10kg in total. The airline said the move will help prevent
over-filled overhead lockers and save time both on the plane and at check-in.
Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Rex Airlines have 7kg carry-on limits on their economy
domestic routes, while Qantas allows two bags of 7kg, totalling 14kg. TigerAir
passengers can buy an additional 5kg of carry-on luggage, bringing the total to
12kg, with its new Cabin+ product, which costs from $18 in advance or from $36
at check-in. See tigerair.com.

KIDS

Backyard explorers

Teach the kids a love of the great outdoors, stylishly, with
a night under canvas in the new Joey tent. Created by outdoor goods
manufacturer Homecamp, the sturdy Joey is made
from canvas, has a waterproof floor and is fire and mould resistant. Pitching
at just under a meter high and 1.4m wide, it fits in the backyard or pitch it beside
the family tent for a kids-only zone on holidays. The Joey weighs 8kg and will
sleep three little ones. So all you have to worry about now is dead torch
batteries and marshmallow overdoses. Costs $325. See homecamp.com.au.

BOOK

Gallipoli No. 1 destination

Travellers wanting to visit the battle sites of
Gallipoli, Turkey, are being advised to avoid not only ANZAC Day, on April 25,
but also weekends until mid-June. Lonely Planet named the Gallipoli Peninsula
the world’s number one travel destination for 2015, and its new Turkey guide
advises that massive crowds are expected to visit the Gallipoli Peninsula
Historical National Park this year, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the
Gallipoli landing. Author James Bainbridge adds that weekends in September are
another peak time, when vacationing Turks visit the region. Lonely Planet
Turkey (14th Edition), $39.99.See lonelyplanet.com.

NEWS

Check-up at the Flying Doctor

The Royal Flying Doctor Service in Broken Hill has opened
a new GP clinic beside its visitor centre, where travellers heading into
central Australia can seek medical advice and ensure they’re in fine form for
the road. The RFDS has visitor centres at Broken Hill, Longreach, Alice
Springs, Kalgoorlie and Dubbo, as well as Charleville, which also as a GP
clinic. Last year, its 63 aircraft flew more than 26 million kilometres caring
for 282,000 people, and says about a quarter of its emergency medical evacuations
are road warriors driving in the outback. Broken Hill is 935km from Sydney and
725km from Melbourne, and the last medical service until Alice Springs, so plug
the new Clive Bishop Medical Centre into your GPS: it’s at the RFDS Base on
Airport Rd, next to Broken Hill Airport, open 9am to 5pm, Monday-Friday. The
Bruce Langford Visitor Centre lets you go behind the scenes and into the RFDS
airport hangar, open seven days. For medical appointments, call (08) 8080 3780.
To donate to the not-for-profit service, see flyingdoctor.org.au.

GEAR

Indigenous inspiration

Wear your country with pride with this fashion range
designed by indigenous artists. The Community Unity lifestyle bag is painted by
artist Robert Levi and measures 45×36.5cm. It’s made from polyester drill by indigenous
clothing brand Bundarra which designs, cuts and sews all its garments
here in Australia. Levi, who is from Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, says
the bag’s design shows hope for indigenous unification. It’s one of several designs across Bundarra’s range, which includes fashion leggings and its new
singlets. Bags cost $39.95. See bundarra.org.

This weekly column by Belinda Jackson is published in Sydney’s Sun-Herald newpaper’s Traveller section.

Apr

Airline review: Jetstar business class

THE ROUTE Melbourne to Phuket.

THE LOYALTY SCHEME None unless you pay an additional $200 for a Business Max bundle,
which earns points with Qantas Frequent Flyer or Emirates Skywards Miles
and gives access to the Qantas Club lounge.

CLASS Business class, seat 3C (aisle).

DURATION Eight hours and 50 minutes.

FREQUENCY Jetstar began flying three times a week between Melbourne (Tullamarine) and Phuket on the Dreamliner on February 9.

THE SEAT 38-inch (92.5-centimetre) pitch, 19-inch (48-centimetre) width. There
are just 21 business class seats with a 2-3-2 layout, and it’s fully
booked.

BAGGAGE Checked luggage up to 30 kilograms and two carry-on bags, each up to seven kilograms.

COMFORT It’s a low-cost carrier, so don’t expect lie-flat beds. The grey
leather recliners are like business class of yore: they’re broad and tip
back to a snooze-worthy level, though it does become squeezy for the
passenger behind, working on their laptop. The Dreamliner offers decent
27 centimetre (10.6-inch) screens, big overhead lockers that I can
actually reach and windows that are nearly half as big again as other
aircraft. Instead of shades, Dreamliners have an electronic dimmer
which, when the afternoon sun hits the window, turns the cabin a curious
aquamarine colour, surely like snoozing in a fish tank? Despite the
captain’s warning of some bumps, the flight is mostly smooth, another
Dreamliner feature.

The middle seat: Jetstar business class.

Jetstar’s Dreamliner business class seats.

ENTERTAINMENT Even at 40,000 feet, you can’t escape Two and a Half Men reruns. The new releases selection is extremely modest in size and the “summer blockbuster” section is dated (Avatar was released in 2009). Still, I’m happy with a new Maggie Smith film, My Old Lady,
and even test out the “health videos”, a blend of natural sounds,
orchestral music and seascapes of NSW’s Wattamolla Beach – a sort of
Enya-meets-Sharon O’Neill clip. I’m very surprised to find the R-rated Game of Thrones
available. I think I’ve selected one episode without full-frontal
nudity but I’m mistaken. Luckily, there’s a bulkhead between me and the
small children behind. I could turn on the “Seat Chat” feature to see if
someone wanted to chat online with me, but perhaps not …

SERVICE We’re stuck on the tarmac for 25 minutes awaiting late paperwork, but
it’s no hardship in business class, where the Piper-Heidsieck champagne
is making a showing. The flight touches down just a shade off schedule.
Staff are informative (but not too chatty), though obviously still
becoming familiar with the new aircraft’s features.

FOOD We’re served dinner and supper on this afternoon/evening service. The
appetisers, two little savoury tarts, are dry and pretty unappealing
but the Chinese spiced duck leg tastes as good as it smells. The
Australian cheese plate finishes me off. But wait… the staff circle
again, this time with Baileys or a Rutherglen muscadelle and chocolates
and shortbreads. Bizarrely, supper arrives just two hours later, and
still only 4½ hours into the flight, for those who didn’t eat a
three-course lunch. The chicken BLT is so large that eating it just
isn’t ladylike, but I persist and it’s a winner. The Eden Road
chardonnay from Tumbarumba is a welcome respite from the sauvignon
blanc.

THE VERDICT Jetstar’s business class prices reflects the fact that it’s a
low-cost carrier, with seats priced from $949 one-way ($399 in economy).
The convenient day flight to Phuket departs 3pm and arrives at 8pm.
However, I pity those who draw the short straw and get the middle seat
in the 2-3-2 formation: it seems to defeat the purpose of flying
business.

Tested by Belinda Jackson, who flew courtesy of Jetstar. See jetstar.com.

This review by Belinda Jackson was published in the Sun-Herald newspaper’s Traveller section.

Mar

Farewell, toxic world: Takeoff travel news

SPA

Farewell, toxic
world

Learn to achieve true wellness in a world where we are
exposed daily to toxins, in a once-off retreat at the luxurious Gwinganna
Lifestyle Retreat. The two-night retreat on the Gold Coast hinterland is led by
Professor Marc Cohen, head of Wellness Discipline in the School of Health
Sciences at RMIT University. With simple solutions to reduce your exposure and
increase your wellbeing, ‘Wellness in a Toxic World’ runs May 22-24. The
weekend includes two nights’ eco-accommodation, all organic food and drinks, transfers
from Gold Coast airport and a 50-minute massage in the indoor/outdoor Spa Sanctuary.
Costs from $1175 a person, twin share. Phone 1800 219 272, see
gwinganna.com.

FOOD

Master host

Eat like a local, with a local, on a new food tour by
Masterchef winner and proud Tasmanian Ben Milbourne. Like armies, adventurers
travel on their stomachs and we have an appetite for Tassie’s burgeoning food
tourism scene, unsurprising given that the isle produces not only apples, but
also truffles, wasabi, rare-breed meats, single malt whiskey and chocolate. And
that’s aside from the staples of salmon and wine. On the One Degree Experience
tour, Ben wines and dines up to eight guests at his residence,
Fairholme, a 1920s farmhouse in Spreyton, 10 minutes from Devonport. You’ll hit
the big guns, such as Hellyer’s
Road Distillery and Anvers House of Chocolate, but also go off-piste in
north-west Tasmania to dig out boutique beer, ginseng and dairy from the hands
of the producers themselves. The tailor-made tours include lunch, a take-home
hamper, cooking demo and five-course degustation dinner. From $550 a
person. Phone 0428 266 545, see benmilbourne.com.au.

GEAR

Light and bright

The old design maxim, “Say it in French,
it always sounds better,” also rings true for visual appeal – the Lipault Paris
luggage range is sure to brighten the world’s baggage carousels with its two
new spring-inspired colours, duck blue and orange. Taking cues from Parisian
catwalks, designer François Lipovetsky has ultra-lightweight luggage cred,
having created baggage for Air France.
The Original Plume is a soft-sided wheeled trolley that comes in three sizes,
55cm (2.8kg), 65cm (3.4kg) and 92cm (3.8kg), from $229. Best of all, it’s
foldable, so your storage cupboards aren’t full of bulky suitcases between
jaunts. Match it up with the Lady Plume carry-all, $99. First launched in 2005
and recently purchased by Samsonite, the Lipault Paris range has been available
in Australia only since November. Snap up in all the best places; Selfridges in
London, Galeries Lafayette in Paris or Myer in Australia, or phone 1800 331 690.

STAYCATION

Bird’s eye view

Think staycation, think walking past your office
on a weekend? Sail to a secluded island with world-class views, but still use
your metro card to get there when you stay on Cockatoo Island. The Sydney
Harbour Federation Trust has added a new two-bedroom apartment to the
accommodation on the UNESCO World Heritage site, which is on the Balmain ferry
route. The new self-contained apartment has a balcony facing the
harbour, an enclosed garden and sleeps up to four. Formerly a police station,
learn about the Federation-era building on an audio tour of Cockatoo Island’s
history or call for cocktails beneath striped umbrellas and watch the sun set
at the Island Bar. The Cockatoo Island Garden Apartment has a full
kitchen, laundry and all linen. Costs from $370 a night, midweek, or $280 as a
one-bedroom stay. See cockatooisland.gov.au.

CRUISE

That’s the Spirit

A new restaurant, more bars, two new cinemas and new
recliners are on the cards when the hardworking Tasmanian ferries, the Spirit of Tasmania I and II, undergo
major makeovers over the coming months. It’s the first time in 13 years the
ships will have had a major refit since they started working the Melbourne-Devonport
route in 2002. All decks will have changes, including refurbishment of the
deluxe cabins and a refresh in all other classes, a new kids’ zone and teen
area, and new lounge areas to showcase Tasmanian wines, ciders and beers. Some
things don’t change. “We’re still going to have the same ocean views, relaxing
atmosphere and sensational Tasmanian cuisine,” says Spirit of Tasmania CEO
Bernard Dwyer. The refurbishment will be complete by September. The Spirit of Tasmania ships are also increasing
day sailings this year, and offering half-price travel from May 16 to September
17 when you book by April 4. Day sailings cost from $43 one-way, night sailings
from $48 one-way in an ocean recliner. Phone 1800 634 906, see spiritoftasmania.com.au.

TECH

A novel idea

What’s the quintessential read of New York, Vietnam or
even Brisbane? Find a book that captures the soul of your destination with
tripfiction.com, which links up books and the regions in which they’re set. The
British website was born in 2012 with just 1000 books, and now has five times that
amount, covering fiction and non-fiction including memoirs, across 1100
locations. It’s free to register, which will allow you to create your own
must-read list. You can also add your own books and reviews, which are moderated
by the site’s founders, Tina Hartas and Tony Geary. The discussion board turns
up some interesting topics, from ‘best Scandiavian noir’ to ‘new Yemeni
thriller’, and is sure to guarantee itchy feet. For those who travel by
airplane or armchair. See tripfiction.com.

The Takeoff travel news, by Belinda Jackson, is published every Sunday in Sydney’s Sun-Herald newspaper’s Traveller section.

Mar

Build the perfect family holiday: choose from these 6 LEGOLANDs (or do them all!)

If you’ve got kids, chances are you’ve also got
crates of Denmark’s most famous export, LEGO. In a classic case of
‘build it and they will come,’ this modest toy has built an empire. And
its theme parks are about to rake over the world.

Empire building

LEGO is older than nearly all of its fans: the plastic brick was
invented in Billund, Denmark, in 1958. Fast-forward 56 years and there
are six LEGOLAND destinations across the globe: the Danish original, two
in the US, one in the quintessentially English town of Windsor,
Germany’s LEGOLAND Deutschland and the newest (and closest to Australia)
in Johor, Malaysia. The theme parks are designed for kids 2 to 12
years, and all have Duplo Gardens, with bigger bricks for smaller kids.

Try the original

Go back to where it all began. The first LEGOLAND opened in 1968,
just beside the first Lego factory. “My oldest boy wanted to go to
Lego’s heartland,” says Jacqui Davidson, who has taken her three active
boys, aged 12, nine and six, to the original LEGOLAND in Denmark, and
visited Malaysia’s LEGOLAND three times. “LEGO is more educational than
other theme parks,” she says. “The kids do building workshops, have
competitions and even robotics courses. It’s inspiring, and it’s not
just a boy thing.”

Eat, breathe and sleep LEGO

If too much LEGO is never enough, check the family into the LEGO
Hotel attached to your LEGOLAND destination of choice. The rooms have
either a pirate, kingdom or adventure theme. “I would definitely
recommend LEGOLAND Billund Hotel,” says Jacqui. “There’s LEGO kitsch,
LEGO soap, LEGO shampoo, LEGO pillows, and the excellent, very
child-oriented buffet in the bistro.” The four-star Hotel LEGOLAND also
specialises in corporate teambuilding using LEGO (and let’s face it, if
you can’t team-build here, then where can you?!)

Water play

In Malaysia, Jacqui’s boys give the new Star Wars section a big
thumbs-up, while the grown-ups love Miniland (which reproduces Asia’s
top landmarks, such as Cambodia’s Angkor Wat and the golden temples of
Burma, in Lego). “Be prepared with water and umbrellas for shade,” she
adds. The best thing is its waterpark, she says. “If you’re in Malaysia
for more than 24 hours, you’ll need a swim.” With balmy temps also the
norm in California and Florida, both of the US theme parks conveniently
have fabulously fun waterparks.

Enter the dragon

In comparison, Bernie Jackson took his three kids, aged 10, eight and
four, to visit LEGOLAND Deutschland over two rainy days, which kept the
crowds at bay. “The kids loved it. The park was manageable enough for
the older kids to explore by themselves, and there was plenty to keep
the four-year-old in awe. The biggest hit was Captain Nick’s Splash
Battle, and while our youngest was a late-adopter on the Dragon Coaster,
he rode it until the park closed.”

What’s next?

2014 saw the launch of the Lego Movie, featuring the voices of
Hollywood greats including Morgan Freeman and Liam Neeson, about an evil
tyrant’s plan to glue the LEGO universe together. There are also
another three LEGOLANDs in development, across Dubai, Japan and South
Korea.

But wait… There’s more!

Not even the 2015 Super Bowl could escape the Lego treatment. Enter the Brick Bowl
– the brainchild of British animation house A+C Studios. The
three-minute clip is a journey through nine of this year’s Super Bowl
ads edited together to make a story – and it took them an incredible 36
hours to create. Watch the video now and be amazed. Because everything is awesome.

This article by Belinda Jackson was published on Art of Money blog by GE Money.

Mar

Taking a break in Shanghai, lounging like a lizard, Townske launches: Takeoff travel news

NEWS

Lounge on Lizard Island

The luxurious
Lizard Island opens its doors on Tuesday to reveal a multi-million dollar
refurbishment. The resort, located 240km north of Cairns in the Great Barrier
Reef, has been closed since it was damaged extensively by Cyclone Ita in April
2014. New to the island is The Villa, a two-bedroom, 95-square-meter ridge-top
eerie, as well as a new restaurant, new bar and a wine room with menu by wine
critic Jeremy Oliver. There are more private plunge pools, more panoramic view
points and the Essentia Day Spa has partnered with Parisian apothecary La
Biosthetique What hasn’t changed are the 24 white-sand beaches and proximity to
one of the world’s top dive sites, Cod Hole. Garden rooms start from $1699 a
night while The Villa will set you back from $5200 a night. The resort, reached
only by private aircraft, will be all systems go from April 1. See lizar disland.com.au.

GEAR

Sightseeing on the run

Oh you were so good
last night! You evicted yourself from that exotic bar before midnight so you
could explore the quiet streets of this new city with a morning run. Give your
early morning a little help with Salomon’s newest city trail runner, the Sense
Mantra 3, which has a breathable mesh upper, cushioning for pavement pounding
and comes in various colours, including this sunshine-bright version.
Originating in post-war France, Salomon focuses on light weight – the women’s British
size 5.5 Sense Mantra 3 weighs just 250g – and its ENdofit technology wraps the
foot for a stable, protected yet natural stride. The Sense Mantra 3
is available in women’s and men’s fits, RRP $179.99. Kids’ sizes are available
in some ranges. See salomon.com.

TECH

Guide to glory

Not a backpacker or flashpacker, a tourist or traveller?
So you don’t fit the mould for a million travel guides? Find a guide that
grooves to your own style of travel on Townske, a new social media outlet that
lets you follow like-minded locals or become a guide yourself. Just emerging
from its soft-launch cocoon, Townske is the brainchild of the luggage/trend
aficionados behind Rushfaster.com. It’s already attracted guides sharing
spectacular photography from the top of Hong Kong’s skyscrapers bridge
climbers, proffering dinner tips in Paris or revealing the best of Stockholm
metro’s architecture, all on the one site. It’s ever changing, just like our
world. See townske.com.

TRAVEL WRITING

Get on track

Sick of reading others’ fabulous travel memoirs when you
could do so much better? Let award-winning travel writer Rob McFarland coax out
your inner Kerouac with
his travel writing workshops. McFarland, who writes for Traveller, conducts his
workshops in Sydney and also has a correspondence version, if you’re already on
the road. He also offers a story review service for those who have already
penned On The Road Mark II. The intensive
two-day course is limited to 12 students and runs on March 21 and 28 at Vibe
Hotel, 111 Goulburn St Sydney. Costs $599, or $549 for Sun-Herald readers. See robmcfarland.org.

FOOD

Hop in to a feast

Australia’s third-largest
island, Kangaroo Island, is laying the tables for its 2015 food celebration,
FEASTival. The annual festival is headed up by kitchen doyenne Stephanie
Alexander, who harvests her kitchen garden to help create the signature SeaLink
Enchanted Garden launch dinner. Other highlights of the nine-day food festival
include gin-making, French and Italian cuisine masterclasses, riverside picnics
and a family day in Kingscote with music, cooking demos, a farmer’s market and
food stalls. KI is famed for its wildlife, so there are also pop-up wilderness
events around the island, including Breakfast with the Birds, a bush brekky at
dawn with local wildlife experts and wildlife artist Janet Ayliffe. The island is
connected to Adelaide by short flights with Rex Airlines or by ferry from Cape
Jervis, two hours’ drive from Adelaide. FEASTival runs from May 1-8. See tourkangarooisland.com.au/kifeastival,
rex.com.au and sealink.com.au.

KIDS

Shanghai’s art of
glass

If you thought kids and glass didn’t mix, you’re wrong.
At least, you’re wrong in Shanghai, where the new Kids Museum of Glass has
recently opened. Aimed at 4-10 year-olds, kids can watch and play with glass
art, magic mirrors and rainbows in its DIY Creative Workshops, learning all
about glass through play. Attached to the Shanghai Museum of Glass, it’s a
little haven in a big city, with a chic cafe, lockers and wi-fi for your
Instagram uploads of cute kids doing wonderful things with glass blowing and
sand blasting. Costs 48RMB ($10) for a child under 1.3m (one parent goes free)
or 88RMB which gives entrance to both the kids’ and main museum and a Hot Glass performance. Open daily except
Mondays. See kmog.org.

The Takeoff travel news, by Belinda Jackson, is published every Sunday in Sydney’s Sun-Herald newspaper’s Traveller section.

Mar

Things to do in Phuket, Thailand: One day three ways

PENNY PINCH

Amble down to the food carts that congregate outside the mosque at
Bang Tao before 9am for a classic breakfast of lod chong (bright green
pandan noodles with coconut milk and red sugar) and sweet tea with
Carnation milk, served in a huge glass stein (THB40). Hitting the beach
is now a cheaper proposition since the government has stopped daybed
hires. Go early to nab a shady spot then call for a beachside massage
(THB500). Lunch is hokkien noodles at third-generation run Mee Ton Poe:
order the fish curry in banana leaf, mee tom yum (tom yum soup with
noodle) and mee hokkien. Arroy mak mak! (Yum! THB100) Tap into Phuket’s
Buddhist roots at the Big Buddha overlooking Chalong, then stop into the
super-ornate Chalong temple (free) before winding down with a Singha
beer and sunset over three beaches (Kata Noi, Kata and Karon) from the
Karon View Point (THB80). Dinner is by the obliging women who set up
their food carts in Kalim Bay, till 9pm (THB100). Looking is free on
crazy Bangla Road, with its ladyboy and girl-a-go-go bars. Thus dazzled,
doss in one of the Old Town’s gorgeous, tiny guesthouses – try Na Siam
(171 Soi Soon Uthit, facebook.com/nasiamguesthouseandcafe, THB800/double).
TOTAL THB 1620 ($64)

Charming: Dibuk Road, Old Phuket Town. Photo: Getty Images

EASY DOES IT

Call for mango juice and house-made croissants at your digs, the
four-star Swissotel Resort Phuket, but go easy before you line up for a
quick Muay Thai session at the hotel (free). Hot enough for you? Cool
down with a dip from a longtail boat, which you can hire off Kamala
Beach and cruise to little Laem Singh beach (TBH1500). Lunch is a chance
to rub shoulders with Thai starlets at One Chun restaurant: order the
rich, creamy crab and coconut curry (48/1 Thepkrasattri Rd, Old Town,
THB280), then unravel the cuisine’s secrets through an afternoon at the
Blue Elephant Cooking School, (THB 2800, 96 Krabi Rd, Phuket Town, blueelephant.com/phuket).
After slaving in the kitchen, reward yourself with sunset drinks and
dinner at BiMi on the swank strip of Surin Beach: don’t go past the
whole grilled snapper with spicy jim jaew sauce. Pair with a mojito made
from local Cha Long Bay rum (THB820, bimibeachclub.com)
or grab a Sly Thai vodka/limoncello/lime cocktail next door at Catch
Beach Club (THB290), then it’s sweet dreams at the nearby Swissotel,
which has one, two and three-bed suites (From THB 4720 a night, one-bed
deluxe suite with breakfast, swissotel.com).
TOTAL THB 10410 ($413)

SPLASH OUT

Get the yacht to pick you up at Cape Panwa Marina for Thai-style
breakfast aboard its five-hour cruise – leap off for a snorkel and kayak
through the Andaman Sea (thailuxurycharters.com,THB130,000)
then jump ship at Kalim Beach for lunch by the seaside at the modestly
named Joe’s Downstairs, where chef Aaron Hooper has been named
Thailand’s top chef. Order his Blue Crab Cake and/or Joe’s Famous Burger
(baanrimpa.com
THB1500) but don’t go overboard: this afternoon you’re hanging from the
treetops on a zipline eco-adventure, and the weight limit is 120kg (flyinghanuman.com,
THB3250). Dust down and gloss up to rub shoulders with royalty and
Rockefellers at sunset drinks at one of Phuket’s best bars with a view,
Baba Nest, in the luxe Sri Panwa hotel. For real, undumbed-down Thai
food, take a table at the hotel’s Baba Soul Food restaurant or order the
luxe toro sushi and do a Phuket versus Canadian Maine lobster
comparison at its new Japanese Baba Iki restaurant (THB5100) then call
for champagne and party the night away in your private plunge pool (sripanwa.com, from THB22,400 a night, pool suite ocean view).
TOTAL 162250 ($6448)

Belinda Jackson was a guest of Swissotel Resort Phuket and Sri Panwa.

This feature was published in Sydney’s Sun-Herald newspaper’s Traveller section.

Mar

On the road: Lang Co, central Vietnam

Well, today was the day that you do all the slog for: pay-off for all the rejection emails, all the silence from editors when you really need the cash, all the crappy deadlines and the ridiculous subjects you have to write about.

Today ran pretty close to my idea of nirvana: yoga with real yogi in a sala with windows open to catch the sea breeze. Organic cooking school amidst a garden of plenty, picking fresh herbs and lettuce before grilling and chopping amidst the greenery. Lunch and then more lunch with Vietnamese coffee. Massage that unknots, unties and unravels all those kinks down the spine. Swim in villa’s plunge pool. Dinner of local seafood, and a nightcap.

There may have been a little early-morning deadline (met), there may have been too much instagramming (see global_salsa). But in all, a spectacular day. Tomorrow, it’s back to Singapore.

Thanks to Banyan Tree Hotels, here in Lang Co, central Vietnam.

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The hotspots

Flying there

Cruising there

Getting around

Staying there

Hip pocket talk

Empire building

Try the original

Eat, breathe and sleep LEGO

Water play

Enter the dragon

What’s next?

But wait… There’s more!

<img decoding="async" class="lazyload" border="0" src="https://globalsalsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/phuket3ways1day.jpg" height="222" width="400" /> PENNY PINCH

EASY DOES IT

SPLASH OUT

PENNY PINCH