Innholdsfortegnelse for Nr. 116 - Spring 2022 i Vacations & Travel

When you think of Austria, imperial splendour, historic architecture, and the Sound of Music come to mind. But only 45min south of Vienna awaits a region that combines stunning nature with architectural masterpieces and culinary pleasure: The Vienna Alps. Ride on Europe’s first mountain railway over the Semmering Pass, hike up or take the Schneebergbahn to the region’s highest peak, the Schneeberg mountain at 2,076m above sea level, and find out where Vienna’s 1900-high-society spent their summer holiday. austria.info #feelaustria…

KEEP SCOOPING!” KYLIE JAMES from Cocos Islands Adventure Tours hollers from the helm as she steers our motorised canoe into gusty winds. Salt spray slaps my cheeks as we slam into oncoming swell, dumping ocean over us. Scooping is futile – for every bucket of water tossed out, another boomerangs back on the wind, filling our narrow vessel in the process. Wet and windswept, we finally slide our canoe up the sand at Pulu Blan Madar, one of 27 islets in the Cocos (Keeling) archipelago. Sunlight has replaced the storm, and now all around us, green turtles glide through the lagoon like reigning kings. Draw a straight line heading west from Darwin and you’ll discover this remote Australian territory, about pen-nib size, peeking out of the Indian Ocean. Deserted beaches…

LUGGAGE HAS EXPLODED ACROSS the floor of our rented Norfolk Island cottage. Cameras, drones, tripods, masks, snorkels, hiking boots, wetsuits and towels are scattered everywhere, tripping us as we scramble to get sorted. Emily Bay, one of Australia’s most beautiful lagoons, is minutes away yet there is that childish, panicky belief that it will disappear if we don’t get there in the next five minutes. Three hours ago we were in Sydney. That’s how quickly you can get to this tiny Australian territory, 1,600 kilometres off the east coast. It’s an international flight – but no passport is required. At the airport, there’s still the thrill of over-spending on duty free goodies. We’re starved of overseas holidays, so this trip warrants five kilograms of cut-price Toblerone and one of those…

FOR MANY YEARS, THE ROWLEY Shoals Marine Park has flashed like a shipping lane beacon in my brain, promising access to a reef so remote and ill-frequented that as few as 200 tourists a year arrive to indulge in its beauty. I ask myself what could possibly go wrong on an adventurous, 300-kilometre overnight steam from Western Australia’s northern outpost of Broome, leaving the shelter of shore and heading across the open Indian Ocean to one of Australia’s least frequented reefs? Well, quite frankly, everything – if the weather turns bad, that is. Which is exactly the reason tour operators typically only travel here between September and December each year, in a season known as the ‘doldrums’ (a period of light winds and calm seas), to access pristine coral cays.…

Day 1 7am Wake at Lake Argyle Resort, which may well have the dreamiest infinity pool in Australia. Splash about while gazing over the Kimberley countryside. 9am Hit Wild Mango for a smoothie, coffee and breakfast burrito. This cafe may be small, but it comes with plenty of personality. Plus home-baked cakes. 10am Kimberley Fine Diamonds cuts, polishes and sells pink diamonds from the Rio Tinto Argyle mine that once stood a few kilometres away. The gems here dazzle. Day 2 10am Waringarri Aboriginal Arts is the first wholly Indigenous-owned arts centre in the Kimberley. In addition to studios, the facility is home to galleries showcasing works from more than 100 Aboriginal creatives – painters and printmakers, boab engravers and sculptors. It’s the starting point for cultural tours, taking in…

“BOOOOOM!” OUR DAPPER CARRIAGE host Michael bellows into the microphone. He is telling us about how Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid robbed this train – “BOOOOOM!”well, a predecessor, 125 years ago –and blew up the safe. I am aboard the Rocky Mountaineer’s new ‘Rockies to the Red Rocks’ route, travelling from Denver, Colorado, to the red canyon country of Moab, Utah. And for two days, our extremely jovial host will extol us with historical tales, railway lore and local wildlife sightings. DENVER TO GLENWOOD SPRINGS Day one of the rail journey begins early, but I – like most of my companions – have enjoyed days exploring vibrant Denver and its surrounds. Including nearby Colorado Springs, where the recently restored Pikes Peak Cogway climbs one of the most legendary mountains…

The Ralph Lauren touch When a ship’s library is designed by Ralph Lauren, guests are right to look forward to unwinding in comfort and style. The space on the top deck of Oceania’s new ship, Vista, offers commanding views and a feeling of home in a sanctuary-like setting. The designer has also styled the three owner’s suites, which span the full beam of the ship. Vista’s maiden voyage from Rome to Barcelona will have guests sipping wine in Tuscany, gazing at the bucolic landscape of Provence, and exploring Monte Carlo in April 2023. oceaniacruises.com Shaken and stirred When two well-known entrepreneurs who like to have a good time team up at sea, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement. Richard Branson and actor/co-owner of Aviation American Gin Ryan…

ARRIVING AT ZULAL ON THE northernmost tip of the Qatar peninsula, I’m handed a sprig of flowers and herbs, the aromas of which inspire instant relaxation after my one-hour journey here from central Doha. I’m then asked – in the nicest possible way – to switch off my phone for the duration of my stay, which briefly propels stress levels skyward again. Instead of checking me in at a reception desk, the staff know exactly who I am, and whisk me to a dream space inside the main building that immediately makes my soul soar: a library stocked with 4,000 books, an Anish Kapoor artwork that is calming and yet exciting. I’m handed a cup of tea made with yet more soothing herbs and fragrant spices, and feel that twitch…

From experiential Indigenous experiences to plant-based dining, our list of food trends for 2022 has a focus on craft, sustainability and quality, and giving back to our hard-working hospitality sector. Here’s what’s on the horizon. THE THRILL OF THE GRILL News, hot off the sandwich press, is that the humble toastie is going to be even bigger and better in 2022. And it seems Melbourne’s newest eatery HiFi is plugged into the zeitgeist with its mushroom and taleggio toastie.  @hifi_collingwood PLANT-BASED DINING Ovolo Hotels has moved to a permanent vegetarian dining model in response to consumer demand. Proponents of plantbased dining can celebrate over a meat-free burger at Alibi Bar & Kitchen, at Sydney’s Ovolo Woolloomooloo. ovolohotels.com TEA AS THE NEXT COFFEE At Yugen Tea Bar in Melbourne’s South…

As if Positano on Italy’s Amalfi Coast wasn’t pretty enough, it’s framed to perfection at La Sponda restaurant, taking pride of place within the boutique Le Sirenuse hotel. At first it’s the view that fells you: the town’s pastel-hued houses tiered to a sea dotted with yachts, the iridescent church dome, the beach with its striped umbrellas. It’s eye-candy matched in the dining room’s style, luxuriously draped with vines creeping over walls and the ceiling, all set aglow with candles come sunset. sirenuse.it…

Walk this way Sapphire seas, cartoon-like red boulders, powdery sand where the only footprints are yours… At a time when space and serenity are the travel world’s greatest luxuries, Tasmania ticks all the boxes. The east coast’s Bay of Fires region is best explored on foot, giving you the chance to feel the full force of nature. When you sign up for a trek with Life’s an Adventure, you can leave your heavy pack behind and appreciate your surrounds, decoded by your expert guide. The four-day walk is one of numerous offerings in the company’s Australian portfolio, taking you to all corners of the country. From Kakadu to the Kimberley to the Great Ocean Road, local food and wine is the hero wherever you go. Cheers to that.  lifesanadventure.com.au Sleep…

United started flying to Australia in 1986, and celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2021. It’s the only airline that maintained passenger service between Australia and the US with daily flights during the pandemic, repatriating Australians and supporting essential travel. Through hubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco, travellers can connect to more than 300 destinations across the Americas. Flights are operated by 787-9 Dreamliner and 777-300, featuring United Polaris business class, United Premium Plus, Economy Plus and United Economy. When you touch down in Los Angeles, make your way south to The Westin Anaheim Resort, a dreamy wellness-inspired haven within easy reach of Disneyland Resort – you’re just across the street. And you can glimpse some of the attractions from the window of your Park View Studio. When you’re not…

1 Natural instincts Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley is the kind of retreat that spoils you for all other weekends – or weeks – away. On the edge of New South Wales’ World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains Area, it delivers every travel exclusivity imaginable: villas with private pools and fireplaces, moreish meals thanks to a new collab with Sydney’s Bentley Group (turn to page 131), dreamy diversions – and the luxury of space. The property sits on more than 2,800 hectares, which you can explore on jeep expeditions, horse riding or on foot. Keep your eyes peeled for the elusive albino wallaroos that live here, plus the rare Wollemi pines – once thought to be extinct. oneandonlyresorts.com 2 Re-set your compass Soar over sunburnt ranges, hike through gorges, swim in secret…

SOUTHLAND IS THE STUFF NEW Zealand dreams are made of – in this bottom right corner of the country, you’ll find dramatic scenery rightly famed the world over. Fiordland National Park delivers the most celebrated of these sights, including majestic Milford and Doubtful Sounds. Hikers will no doubt want to tackle one of the Great Walks – Milford, Routeburn and Kepler tracks are all ‘great’ for very good reason – but there are a multitude of ways to experience the park’s magic. In fact, the journey to Milford Sound on the Milford Road is as impressive as the destination itself. If you’re self-driving, stock up at the small town of Te Anau – there are no shops or petrol stations between here and Milford Sound, and limited phone coverage –…

I BOW BEFORE NO DEITIES, WORSHIP NO IDOLS, yet the ‘Rock Angel’ materialises from a downpour like an enlightened vision holding answers to forbidden questions. Curiously, the divine-looking, crowned copper statue on the Chronical of Georgia is throwing ‘hand-horns’ – the international symbol of rock’n’roll – in sassy contrast to her pious gaze. For some, perhaps, she’s confirmation that “God gave rock’n’roll to you”, as glam-rockers Kiss once prophesised. But I consider the Rock Angel a gatekeeper of the shadowy realm of yet-to-be-rediscovered Soviet-era treasures in southern Caucasus travel-nirvana Georgia. Creator Zurab Tsereteli’s in-joke is hidden in plain sight among the intense, immense historical scenes that unfold on the flanks of Chronicle of Georgia (1975-1985) – also known as ‘Georgia’s Stonehenge’ – a foreboding colonnade of 35-metre pillars that overpowers…

ELVIS WILL BE BACK IN THE BUILDING – or at least the box office – in 2022. With Baz Luhrmann’s Presley biopic opening in June, the spotlight will be not only on the ‘King of Rock and Roll’, but more pointedly on Memphis, Tennessee. If Elvis was still kicking around, he’d note a few changes across his hometown fronting the mighty Mississippi River. For one, there’s now a fancy new hotel opposite one of his favourite diners, The Arcade Restaurant, where you can order a fried peanut butter ’n’ banana sandwich and breakfast cocktails. Because why not? The 123-room Central Station Hotel opened in late 2019 in the historic South Main Arts District. As its name suggests, the property is located at the station where travellers can board the Amtrak…

WHAT MAKES A HOTEL extraordinary is the emotional experience you have while staying there. Too often you check in to corporate, cookie-cutter properties without personality; but sometimes, you find something sweetly unpretentious. Which is exactly what La Torre alle Tolfe – a third generation, family-run estate just outside the medieval city of Siena – is, and unapologetically so. This postcard-perfect estate in Italy’s Chianti region is an ancient ancestral home, with a vineyard, olive grove, organic herb garden, superb restaurant… and a luxury agritourism stay. It’s a little worn around the edges, but this only manages to add further charm. At the heart of the estate is the eighth-century hilltop tower, a huge villa and several restored farmhouses, all set in gardens created by a renowned Italian landscape architect of…

Sneaky soaks While spending all day at a bathhouse sounds heavenly, settling for a two-hour soak is sometimes easier to sneak in to your day. The Bathhouse at Douglas Park in Sydney’s south offers two-hour soak sessions with just this in mind. Choose between the sauna, steam room, hydrotherapy spas, plunge pool or mindfulness garden, or move from one to the other at your leisure. A range of treatment options are available, from a soak in the float room (a sensory deprivation experience in an open tank filled with 400kg of Epsom Salts), to facials, massages, body wraps and exfoliations. thebathhouse.com.au Wellness theme park What do you get if you cross a Roman thermae with a Japanese onsen, Turkish hammam bath and Finnish sauna? An inner-city wellness resort, of course!…

Pop a cork The world’s second-oldest champagne house, Chanoine Frères, has a new offering in Australia: welcome to the wonderful world of Tsarine. Founded in Reims in 1730, the company sold its inaugural bottles to Elisabeth the First, Tsarine of Russia. Her title on labelling is an homage, as is the distinctive bottle shape – designed to represent Russian buildings and powerful women. And speaking of powerful women… the French house is now helmed by Isabelle Tellier, who makes a mean bottle of Premium NV and Rosé NV, both of which have won awards internationally, and both of which you can now drink Down Under. tsarine.com PERUVIAN PERSUASION Dining at Central spoils your tastebuds for life – the applauded Peruvian restaurant has been at the top of just about every…

Love from the Louvre Created by celebrated restaurateur and art director Laurent Taïeb, Hôtel Madame Rêve sits pretty within a historic 1888 building that once served as the Louvre Post Office. Indeed, it’s just a block away from the fabled Parisian gallery. But you don’t need to leave the property to appreciate art – Taïeb commissioned some of France’s finest creatives to bedeck the 82 rooms and public spaces. In the grand café is a mural by artist Olivier Masmonteil; French typographer Jacques Villeglé created an immense fresco in the entrance hall, while portraits by Inès Longevial decorate the bedrooms. Every space is a dream, but the star suites – aptly named ‘Exceptional View’ – come with vistas over the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Coeur or Notre-Dame Cathedral. madamereve.com Reach for the…

THE RESILIENCE OF AUSTRALIA’S TOURISM INDUSTRY NEVER FAILS TO amaze. At a time when many are suffering, our favourite operators are working hard to come up with incredible new experiences and offerings. Yes, to tempt travellers back. Because who doesn’t want to try the world’s highest cliff-camping adventure in Victoria or be dazzled by Indigenous created light installations in the Northern Territory? But also because our travel world is about something bigger than booking a tour or buying a ticket – it is, and always has been, about inspiration. Creating generations of travellers who are worldly and educated, and are excited by every opportunity that comes their way. It’s with this in mind that I’m delighted to welcome you to the first edition of Vacations & Travel for 2022: The…

Underwater love The Great Barrier Reef has its fair share of blissful islands. Among the most untouched is Lady Musgrave, a wild and wonderful drop of land with a walking trail, lighthouse and composting toilets for campers – because sleeping under the stars is the only overnight option here. You can, however, bed down in style just offshore on the freshly minted (and carbon neutral) Lady Musgrave HQ pontoon. Curl up in luxe queen-size glamping beds on the upper deck, or fall asleep watching marine life swirl around you in the underwater observatory’s bunks. Wake to snorkelling and scuba expeditions, island picnics and seasonal turtle nesting and hatching tours.  ladymusgraveexperience.com.au Pedal power Cycling is one of the most eco-friendly ways to explore a destination. Now it’s even greener thanks to…

IT’S HARD NOT TO BE mesmerised by the lush Barossan countryside, a pocket of South Australia where the dusty greens of eucalyptus fade into the delicate scalloped leaves of grape vines, and the horizon seems as endless as the opportunities to indulge. This is your backdrop – your cocoon – at Kingsford The Barossa, South Australia’s newest luxury retreat that feels like it has been fine-tuning hospitality offerings since time immortal. Well, at least since the original Georgian style mansion was built here, amid 90 hectares of native bushland, in 1856. It’s the kind of setting you’d expect to see on postcards, or in movies – small wonder Chanel Nine snapped up the grounds in 2000 to act as the set of hit TV drama McLeod’s Daughters for eight seasons.…

SLEEP SOUNDLY Storied hotel or health resort? Mountain hut or modern abode? There are plenty of options when it comes time to bed down. Historic Südbahnhotel was built in 1882 – given its dramatic façade, you probably won’t be surprised to learn it was once a palace. Meanwhile, Grand Hotel Panhans on the Semmering comes with a sprawling spa, ideal for mountain-weary limbs. There’s more pampering to be had at Hotel Knappenhof at Reichenau an der Rax, which is like a little slice of Austrian tradition at the foot of Rax. The Looshaus hotel and restaurant on Kreuzberg reflects the uncluttered simplicity of Adolf Loos’ architecture, while the pretty Schneeberghof in Puchberg offers sleek rooms inside an alpine chalet that dreams are made of. FOR CENTURIES, THE VIENNA ALPS –…

IF A DESTINATION COULD BE ON Australia’s Most Wanted, it would be Lord Howe Island – for harbouring exotic fishes, supplying unspoiled beaches, touting delicious food, trafficking passengers to untouched coral reefs and being outrageously beautiful. Lord Howe – guilty as charged. At Ned’s Beach, Lord Howe’s dreamy northern cove, I tiptoe through the shore break, triggering hundreds of mullet, wrasse and garfish into a frenzy. Tiny, gaping mouths punch the surface and swirl around my feet. It’s a scaly mosh pit, the party disrupted, momentarily, by a juvenile Galapagos shark who snaps an unlucky mullet and shoots off. The ‘happiest fish in the world’ resume their watery dance. Nature experiences like this are what Lord Howe is all about. And for this tiny drop of land, just 600 kilometres…

IT’S STILL DARK WHEN WE START the slow ascent to the top of Headings Cliff. The air is breathless and cold, and the only sound is the distinctive cry of a whistling kite. As we climb a spiral steel lookout on the cliff edge, the sky begins to lighten, revealing a majestic sweep of Australia’s longest river and epic, horizon-straining views of the Murray-Darling basin. It’s fair to say I hadn’t been enthusiastic about today’s 5:50am start. But now I get it. Watching the early morning sun creep down the Murray River’s epic burnt-orange cliffs is mesmerising. Formed over millions of years, the headlands have distinctive layers of red clay, pearly white limestone and bright yellow, sun-baked sand. It’s only day two of the Murray River Walk, one of the…

STANDING ON THE SOUTH RIM of the Grand Canyon, I found it impossible to form any intelligent words. Words at all, for that matter. They were plucked from my brain as if swept up by the wind that swirls and dances around the canyon floor, where the mighty Colorado River twists and turns on its way to the Gulf of California. I had the same feeling when flying over this World Heritage Site in a helicopter a few years later, our pilot navigating us just metres from the textured rock walls before landing by the river. Looking up or down, it is a masterpiece of nature and geography. The Grand Canyon is Arizona’s jewel in the crown, and there are countless ways to experience it. You can go white-water rafting,…

THERE’S A MOMENT, AS THE sun glances over the horizon, when the Mediterranean turns into a peach, each coral ray of early morning light reflected and rounded across the surface of the sea in all its vastness. It’s a stirring way to begin the day, made even more memorable when glanced from your private PONANT balcony. The French-flagged cruise line doesn’t shy away from pinch-me moments, nor life’s little luxuries, for that matter. One of the world’s youngest and most modern fleets, PONANT’s 12 ships are as intimate as they are innovative, with the newest incarnations bedecked with trimmings like underwater lounges for spotting marine life, and Scandinavian-inspired spas. Across all there’s a focus on food, with legendary Monégasque chef Alain Ducasse overseeing indulgent culinary offerings. But everything is designed…

Picture this… Overcrowding has long been an issue in US national parks, but the pandemic-driven pause in international travel has given these outdoor wonderlands additional appeal. Reservation systems and fee hikes have been introduced in popular parks such as Yosemite, Glacier and Zion in an effort to control numbers, but further steps are being taken with strategically placed selfie-stations. The hope is that these simple wooden stands – designed to hold a phone and position a subject in front of a stunning vista – will disperse crowds from the best-known lookouts into lesser-known areas. Overtourism in national parks leads to pollution, habitat degradation and waste disposal issues – all things local wildlife can do without. nps.gov Standing up for dolphins If swimming with dolphins is a long-held travel dream, that…