Uncategorized | GlobalSalsa: travel writer Belinda Jackson

Come with us to Marrakech & world’s most entertaining airports | The World Awaits podcast

Come with us to Marrakech with a shopping expert. When Melburnian Angela Mellak got lost in the 10th-century medina of Marrakech years ago, she found… a husband!

Fast forward a decade, and the Moroccan-Australian duo are now the owners of Riad Botanica, a classic five-room riad. The boutique hotel was awarded a Michelin Key and has been recommended by such travel luminaries as Conde Nast.

My guest on The World Awaits podcast this week, Angela joins us to chat about life in the medina and the changing face of travel in Marrakech.

One of the reasons for their success is Angela’s (not so) little book of local experiences for guests within Marrakech and beyond. Join Angela as she walks us through her favourite places in the wondrous city she now calls home, with restaurants, shopping tips, bars and experiential masterclasses, see riadbotanica.com

Click here to listen to the full interview with Angela on our weekly travel podcast.

Also on this episode, luxe for less – the most affordable luxury destinations from digital entertainment platform JB.com, and we reveal the airports with the best entertainment, from best shopping to slot machines, from casino.com

Vale rock brain Glenn A Baker, and his musical roadtrip through southern USA

Take a musical roadtrip through southern USA with Glenn A Baker, rock historian, eminent music journalist and travel writer.

This week, I’m remembering Glenn A Baker, a friend who was not only a rock historian and eminent music journalist, but an avid traveller who’d visited more than 150 countries, documenting his travels in books and the Australian media.

Tune into to my interview with Glenn about taking a musical roadtrip through southern USA

Click TO LISTEN

An accomplished radio presenter who was instrumental in the creation of radio stations JJ, he also presented Qantas’ inflight music entertainment for three decades. Glenn was also named the BBC’s Rock Brain of the Universe three times in the 1980s, a clear demonstration of his encyclopedic knowledge of music.

I can’t find any photos of us roaring through southern Ireland in a minibus (I was still in my no-photo stage of life) but I remember vividly going to a pub with Glenn one night to watch some trad Irish music. We had a table, watching the fiddles, and a bloke comes up to us and says, in his Australian accent, “Glenn A. Baker, didn’t think this was your scene!” He was just some punter who recognised Glenn, in a bar at a crossroads in Co Clare, so far was Glenn’s fame.

On that same roadtrip, I’d watch him leap from the a moving minibus as we were driving through a village one Sunday afternoon, a local band thrashing it in front of the pub – he was always on the look-out for new sound and talent.

Glenn was also my guest on the travel podcast The World Awaits. For our interview, I asked him to create an itinerary for a musical roadtrip through the USA, a task that he immediately said required at least two episodes to cover. We never did record the second, before he passed away earlier this week.

So I’m resharing his chat about travelling in southern USA, which reflects his deep passion for music, musical history and for the US. You can take a listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via our website.

My chat with Priscilla Presley

“Memphis is the centre of it all,” said Glenn, “and the aura – the spectre – of Elvis hangs over Memphis.”

Remember that Elvis cut his first record at Sun Studios, and Glenn talks about visiting Gracelands and seeing Elvis’ plane, the Lisa Marie. He even chatted with Priscilla about living in Gracelands – naturally, as an obsessive record collector, Glenn wanted to know what Elvis’ record collection was like. Priscilla also shared with him how Elvis listened to music, and how he chose new songs – jump onto the podcast to hear what she told him.

Key sites on a musical roadtrip in southern USA

Glenn’s suggested itinerary for a musical roadtrip of southern USA includes the key music cities of Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Add to that the three possible graves of Robert Johnson, the first great blues recording artist, famous for his song Crossroads, recorded in San Antonio, Texas in 1936. Famously, in the song Johnson sells his soul to the devil in exchange for fame. (If you’d like to read more about this story of fame bought, click here

Then, you could slip in Montgomery, Alabama, the birthplace of country singer Hank Williams, and the famous Tallahatchie Bridge from Bobbie Gentry’s song “Ode to Billie Joe,” is located near Greenwood and Money, Mississippi. He’d pass through Ferriday, Louisiana, where Gerry Lee Lewis was born, and went on to become “a very, very wild man,” and Vicksburg, Mississippi, home of blues songwriter and musician Willie Dixon.

For us, the iconic music journalist designed a custom soundtrack and playlist/mixtape alongside a guided itinerary of southern blues, soul, and R&B landmarks, which I’m sharing The World Awaits website.

Glenn’s mixtape for a musical roadtrip through southern USA includes:

When a Man Loves a Woman, Percy Sledge
Wild Horses, Rolling Stones
The American Trilogy, Elvis
Proud Mary, Creedence Clearwater Revival
Sweet Home Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Knock on Wood, Eddie Floyd
Crossroads, Robert Johnson
(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding
Green Onions Booker T & the MGs
Rainbow Connection, Jim Henderson
Last Man Standing (album), Jerry Lee Lewis

BB King's Blues Club, one stop on Glenn A Baker's musical roadtrip.

FAQS: Best places to visit on a musical roadtrip in southern USA

Who is Australia’s rock music expert?

Glenn A. Baker was Australia’s premier rock historian, as well as a journalist and travel writer. He was the Australian editor of Billboard magazine for more than 20 years and wrote 17 books. He also managed bands including Ol’ 55 and was a keen spotter of new talent. He won the BBC’s Rock Brain of the Universe three times in the 1980s. Throughout his life, he collected around 80,000 vinyl records and CDs.

What are the best places to visit in southern USA for music?

Rock historian Glenn A Baker suggested the key music cities of Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, on a musical roadtrip of southern USA. He also includes Montgomery, Alabama, which is the birthplace of country singer Hank Williams, and the famous Tallahatchie Bridge from Bobbie Gentry’s song “Ode to Billie Joe,” which is located near Greenwood and Money, Mississippi.

Why Ramadan is a season to travel in the Middle East: Canberra Times

We’re just about at the end of Ramadan – the Islamic month of prayer, fasting and reflection – with Eid forecast for later this week, and my story about best countries to experience Ramadan as a traveller.

It’s a chance to wander back in my mind about nights spent by the Nile, tables laden with small dishes of deliciousness, the ornate lanterns, song and shisha until first light.

Read the story here.

In a piece of dire timing that I’ve come to expect writing about travel in the Middle East, it was published in the Canberra Times and the ACM network of rural newspapers across Australia on the same day the US and Israel started bombing Iran. So while most are trying to flee the Middle East, I tried to convey that (when it’s safe!) far from a season to avoid, for the traveller, Ramadan can breach the divide between tourist and guide, between Muslim and non-Muslim, between them and us.

And, surely, that is needed now, more than ever?

Have you spent Ramadan in a predominantly Muslim country? Any favourites? For those who know me well, my bias toward Egypt is clear (but, as I argue in the piece, well founded). And a friend of mine based in Doha, Qatar, says she finds it’s absolutely the season for networking! While iftar, the meal breaking the fast at sunset is a place to gather and eat, it’s also become a place to do business. Whether doing deals is in the spirit of Ramadan is to be argued, it’s undeniable iftar is a time of togetherness.

Walking, wine and wombats: Tasmania’s lake lodge you need to visit; Australia’s best cellar doors & save on Swiss rail passes

In Tasmania’s Central Highlands, in Australia’s deepest lake, that’s where we’re all going this week, for walking, wine and wombats at Pumphouse Point.

Stuck at the desk? You can still come along to Tasmania via our latest episode of The World Awaits travel podcast. Jump on the pod to hear this week’s chat, (which I recorded while sitting on the floor of the business centre at Niyama Private Islands in the Maldives, while my co-host Kirstie Bedford was packing for Athens. If you’re going to be in a business centre anywhere, I thoroughly recommend this one, because you can look at at a turquoise lagoon in the Dhaalu Atoll while you’re working)

Listen via Apple Podcasts
Spotify
or via our website https://theworldawaits.au

Set in the glacial Lake St Clair, the lake lodge has recently opened its new Retreats, beautiful cocoons amidst the remote wilderness. The central highlands also a hub for walkers, wine and wombats; https://lnkd.in/gpia2S9N

Also, leading wine reviewer the Halliday Wine Companion reveals Australia’s top cellar door to put on your travel list https://lnkd.in/gVXNehpf and we’re sharing some great tips to save when travelling around Switzerland on its Swiss Rail Pass, https://lnkd.in/gAwp-_9p

And a spot of trivia; what do you think is the most expensive thing left in Brisbane Airport’s Lost & Found? Lloyds Auctions recently put all the items under the hammer, including one pretty surprising, pretty pricey item that would be hard to forget…

Mainland, not mainstream: hotel review Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino: Sydney Morning Herald

The blue eye dangles from my key ring as I drive south from Athens. The mati, as the amulet is known in Greece, wards off envy and jealousy.

Almost four hours later, I’ve driven across the much overlooked, history-making Peloponnese peninsula and, pulling my little rental car in to the Mandarin Oriental Costa Navarino’s porte cochere, the view is initially underwhelming. But stepping out of the blinding sun, I realise we’re on a hilltop, and walking into the open-air lobby reveals a perch worthy of a goddess.

I recently had the chance to review the Mandarin Oriental’s first foray into Greece and guess what, it’s not on an island.

To read my story in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspaper’s Traveller section, click here:

https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/forget-the-greek-islands-paradise-exists-here-on-greece-s-mainland-20250321-p5lle7.html

Train travel through Greece & Bulgaria with Eurail

Dream assignment: train travel through Greece and Bulgaria with the sole purpose to eat, think and travel deeply and slowly.

This journey started in Athens and ended in Ploviv, Bulgaria, with European rail pass company Eurail. With chef Ella Mittas and photographer Sarah Pannell, no mouthful went uninspected or undocumented. Also with us on the trip was videographer Paulo Magalhães , who has just released the trailer for his upcoming documentary about the furthest corner of eastern Europe. We visited restaurants, farms, vineyards, villages and the primary and secondary towns of the neighbouring countries.

The short for Paulo’s upcoming documentary is now out, and I love it! To keep the story going, Ella cooked a menu inspired by the journey for a group of media here in Melbourne at Julie restaurant in Abbotsford Convent last week, using trahana, a fermented grain and yogurt and a fabulous moussaka, which as its own, fascinating backstory.

You can also get a taste of our travels from my recent story for adventure.com https://adventure.com/off-the-eaten-path-slow-food-bulgaria/

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

Italy’s Amalfi Coast, 2025’s top travel trends & inflight skincare

Dream of days wandering Italy’s Amalfi Coast? Me to! In our first episode of The World Awaits podcast for 2025, we’re taking you there with Australian-Italian author Maria Pasquale.

Maria’s new book, Mangia: How to eat your way through Italy, explores the food histories and dishes across regional Italy, including Campania, which includes the Amalfi Coast, and is famed for its fragrant lemons and San Marzano tomatoes.

So let’s go explore some of the villages and beaches, Maria’s favourite eating experiences, and the best times to visit. maria-pasquale.com

We also chat about the top travel trends for 2025 from coolcations (think; cold-weather holidays) to radical sabbaticals exploreworldwide.com.au/travel-trends-2025, and we share some great tips from Etihad’s cabin crew about inflight skincare.

This episode is sponsored by Explore Worldwide, which offers small group adventures with local tour leaders. We dare you not to be tempted by these incredible tours.

Click here for Adventure Travel inspiration from our friends at Explore Worldwide. Don’t Just Travel, Explore.

You can follow my podcast, The World Awaits, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere you find good ear candy. I always love to know where you’re travelling next – drop me a line at hello [at] theworldawaits.au

Jebel Akhdar, Oman. Credit Belinda Jackson

Shuwa & chai: the best food in Oman

It’s sunset, and I’m in a taxi, getting a masterclass in how to order tea in Oman.

“You don’t even get out of your car to order karak chai,” says Ali, my taxi driver, wiggling two fingers.

Ali’s lesson occurs on a break on our 150-kilometre journey from the mountains to the sea, from the old capital to the new, from Nizwa to Muscat.

A runner emerges from the shop, sees two fingers for two karak, and disappears back inside, to reappear with two tiny takeaway cups.

Redolent of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and saffron, the tea is short and sweet – the perfect fuel for the taxi driver and the traveller. After Ali pays – because I am a guest first, and a customer second – we pull back onto the smooth, mountain-lined highway, hot tea carefully balanced in hand, for the descent to the turquoise sea.

One of my great trips of 2024 was a solo trip back to Oman, the Switzerland of the Middle East. Wealthy, calm, no high-rises, welcoming to all travellers. I’m afraid word is out about the reputation of this lovely little country on the eastern edge of the Arabia Peninsula – afraid because I kind of want it all to myself. Muscat has welcomed a brace of new hotels, and the glamping scene in the deserts are a feature on instagrammers’ feeds, but it hasn’t rolled over to change to suit travellers’ needs. That’s what I love about it. You go to Oman, you know you’re in Oman, not a generic version of a Middle Eastern country. It is genuinely warm and welcoming – saying this as a woman travelling alone in the country, and that doesn’t need to change.

I think that while there’s so much turmoil and tragedy in other parts of the region – the escalation of the Palestinian invasion, conflict in Lebanon and now in Iran – so many people are wary of visiting any country in the Middle East. But when there’s a problem in France, do we stop visiting Greece?

In Oman, I stayed at Anantara Jebel al Akhdar, at the Shangri-La Al-Husn (which is the adults-only hotel within this group, on the outskirts of Muscat and in Nizwa. The Anantara and Shangri-La stays were both hosted.

To read my full story written for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s Traveller section, click here:
https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/peaceful-middle-eastern-country-is-underrated-and-understated-like-its-food-20241111-p5kpi7.html

My slices of heaven: travel in Turkey & Egypt

Nisanyan was a stone house in rural Turkey, forgotten or ignored for generations and demoted to a lowly stable before its reincarnation into a small, family hotel.

Now, the hotel is its own village outside Selçuk; a series of hand made, whitewash-and-stone cottages, inns and villas along the tree-lined laneway, which I visited on a women’s-only expedition with @intrepidtravel

I wrote about the hotel recently for a cover story in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers, where we were asked to describe our own idea of heaven.

The nights here are cool and silent, save the toll of a goat’s bell and the final call to prayer from a mosque down in the valley. In my cottage, deep red rugs are thrown over stone floors, handstitched coverlets and cushions adorn well-worn armchairs and my daybed, where I languish, the’ bells and the muezzin’s voice carried to me on the jasmine-scented night air.

Why heaven? Turkish breakfasts are the best on earth – here, the tables are laden with locally pressed olive oil, deep red tomatoes, fresh eggs, honey, handmade cheeses.
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I also have an affinity with oases – their sense of remoteness and salvation for the traveller.

It may be remote – on the edge of the Great Sand Sea and just 50km from the Egypt-Libya border – but Siwa’s log book of visitors cannot fail to impress; top of the list is Alexander the Great, who came to consult the Oracle of Amun in 332AD as part of his campaign to rule this rich land.

A mudbrick Bedouin town, it sits on the edge of the Great Sand Sea. It is filled with palm gardens, and surrounded by perfectly clear salt lakes, while freshwater springs bubble up from the hot sands. The local Bedouin culture is very different from the rest of Egypt, with the warmth and hospitality that befits an oasis town.

It is my slice of heaven on earth.

On the flip side, my idea of HELL ON EARTH is The Wall in Bethlehem, Palestine. Hot, dusty, fume-filled streets are dominated by the paint-spattered topped by watchtowers, which epitomises everything that is broken in the current conflict.

Also, anywhere you witness injustice to people, animals or the environment. The street dogs of Cairo break my heart. As does the dumping of chemical waste on the Israel-Palestinian border. And the plein-air butchers’ markets of Kashmir, where the fly-to-customer ratio is inordinately high.

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