Innholdsfortegnelse for Nr. 118 - Autumn 2022 i Vacations & Travel

A RECENT 'STATE OF TRAVEL' SURVEY BY TOURLANE CONFIRMED WHAT WE COVID lockdown survivors are all feeling at the moment when it comes to booking our next holiday: we want adventure, the wilder the better. Adventure travel came out on top of the report’s wish list, followed by safaris, vacations in the middle of nowhere, and active holidays – like hiking, mountaineering and skiing. When asked why getting a little wild was so important right now, respondents cited reasons like: “I want to feel unconstrained” and “I want to decelerate amid nature”. You asked for adventure inspiration, and we’ve delivered in this, our Wild Issue. We take you around the globe to raft, surf, skate down volcanoes, walk with wolves and giant crabs, hike, scuba dive, kayak, cruise with crocs,…

WILD FACTOR Chiang Mai is home to Doi Inthanon (2,585 metres), Thailand’s highest peak and part of the Himalayan range. AT THE AONANG SANCTUARY IN Krabi, four elephants are booked into the spa for a skin conditioning mud scrub. Under the watchful eye of the pachyderms’ mahouts, several guests from the nearby Banyan Tree resort are assisting. They are knee-deep in an opaque lake, heaping handfuls of mud over the cracked, hairy hides of Somsri, Buatong, Kamsan and Poon Ngern. Exfoliation with a stiff brush is next. Rescued Somsri, 54, is so blissed out she appears to have drifted off into a nana nap, lying full length in the mud. The sanctuary aims to give elephants a more rewarding life; some have been bought outright, others have owners who have…

IF YOU HAVE ONLY ONE DATE WITH Australia’s Red Heart, swipe right for the introduction that embraces the Alice Springs art buzz, spectacular hikes and sleepovers in painterly settings. The Red Centre Way is a scenic alternative route from Mparntwe (Alice Springs) to Watarrka (Kings Canyon) and Uluru (Ayers Rock) via the West MacDonnell Ranges. Its pitstops include landmarks such as Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, Ormiston Gorge and Glen Helen Gorge. Also known as the Mereenie Loop, the Red Centre Way is one of many roads in Central Australia that traverse Aboriginal-owned lands and offer a taste of First Nations culture. Art in Alice Springs is the primer. In a back room at the Araluen Arts Centre, curator Stephen Williamson slides out a heavy wire frame that becomes a wall…

Day 1 12pm Touch down, and check in to Capella Lodge. Lowslung villas and pool offer postcard-worthy views out to Mount Lidgbird and Mount Gower, the striking peaks that cleave off the island’s southernmost point. 12:30pm Settle in for lunch – the menu in Capella’s light-filled restaurant changes daily, depending on what’s delivered by local farmers, fishers and growers. Think line-caught kingfish and tuna, organic island greens and foraged sea herbs. 2:30pm The best way to explore Lord Howe is by bike – the island-wide speed limit is only 25km/hr, so you will probably outpace cars as you pedal through forests dense with kentia palms and banyan trees. 4:30pm End your land ride at Lagoon Beach and jump aboard a glass-bottomed boat to traverse immense coral bommies. In the water,…

Day-trippers to pay way in Venice Planning a European winter getaway? Add 10 euros per person to the trip if visiting Venice for the day. With tourists piling back into the UNESCO World Heritage-listed lagoon city in record numbers, a booking system is being introduced in January 2023 to cope with the ever-growing influx. Prices will range from three to 10 euros depending on how many people are in the region at the time. The fee will be charged to those visiting the historic centre of Venice, as well as many of its islands. venice-tourism.com Garden highs A rooftop carpark in the heart of the Melbourne CBD has been transformed into a thriving urban farm. When complete in December, it will feature sustainable restaurants and cafes, environmental education centres, a…

THEY SAY WE EAT WITH OUR EYES first, and if that’s the case, brave was the person who first scoffed an oyster. Once you surrender to these gelatinous splodges, though, and tilt that perfect little bowl of a shell into your waiting mouth, it’s a flooding of primal pleasure – salt and softness and nature ravishing your palate. “Eating a raw oyster is like French kissing a mermaid,” aptly described author Tom Robbins. “Part of Virginia’s Chesapeake Oyster Alliance, William Smiley is a man who takes oyster sperm seriously.” To learn more about oysters and their fragile relationship with their host waterways, I’ve come to Chesapeake Bay in the US state of Virginia – the largest estuary in the nation and vital for food, recreation and employment. At the elegant…

WHILE THE NAME HIPCAMP might conjure up images of pitching your tent on a remote location or on someone’s back garden, the company is just as much about unique brick-and-mortar stays as it is about far-flung campgrounds across Australia. Case in point: Hill Top Tiny River House in Yarramundi, our base for two memorable nights. Just 90 minutes’ north-west of Sydney in the foothills of the Blue Mountains and beside a pretty stretch of the Hawkesbury River, the property lives up to its name – from the outside, at least. Stepping inside, it’s surprisingly spacious, its well thought-out design finished with finesse. A queen-sized bed dominates one end, with a picture window overlooking the Hawkesbury. A well-equipped kitchenette runs down another side of the cabin; on the other, a small…

WILD FACTOR Follow Alexander the Great and Lord Byron to the Cave of Antiparos, famous for its ancient stalagmites and stalactites. They signed the cave walls. I FEEL LIKE I’M IN A SCENE FROM Mamma Mia, half expecting Meryl Streep to flounce out from a bougainvillea-bedecked bar belting out an ABBA classic. But I am, in fact, in Limanaki, a historic Greek port in the vibrant town of Naoussa on the island of Paros. There’s no denying its movie-set appeal. A geometric rabble of whitewashed cubes glisten against the blue water of the harbour. Small boats bob about on the fringe, tied securely to the ancient stone of the quay. Add to this the thrum of bars and restaurants by the water’s edge and a backdrop of a 15th-century Venetian…

Walks along verdant clifftops with views across a shimmering ocean; a Farmers’ Market where you’ll find locally foraged truffles and freshly plucked fruit and vegetables; and funky bars where you can sip something refreshing while breathing in invigorating salt air – just a few of the reasons to visit Kiama on the NSW South Coast. Then there are the adventures. While small, it packs an impressive punch for those who love the great outdoors. FRIDAY Morning Hit the road early to make the most of the day and avoid traffic for the two-hour drive from Sydney, or just under three-hour drive from Canberra. Make your first stop Gerroa, the town that’s raised surfing legends, and with good reason – this whole region has dozens of diverse reef and beach breaks,…

MY FIRST LESSON IN DE-HUSKING a coconut is brutal. There’s a lot of sweat, mixed with swearing, that eventually crescendos into cool, sweet coconut water running down my chin. However, I didn’t anticipate the bone-crushing claws of the world’s largest crustacean to lumber out of the jungle towards me. Swaddled in a Jurassic Park-style jungle canopy, and now surrounded by giant robber crabs drawn to the smell of their favourite food – coconut – I am cautioned these critters can crush human bones and devour a corpse in a matter of minutes. All good tips for a newcomer. It’s an inimitable start to discovering the uniqueness of Christmas Island and many of its endemic species. Robber crabs, by the way, can weigh more than four kilograms and measure up to…

BEST FOR THE OUTDOORS: THE PEARL RESORT Top of most Fiji travel lists: spend time amid nature. From the land to the water, The Pearl doesn’t disappoint on this front. The resort not only comes with an 18-hole golf course and a swimming pool (swim-up bar compulsory). But it also offers a raft of excursions: whitewater rafting, game fishing, shark diving, snorkelling, jet-ski safaris and surfing at acclaimed Frigates Passage. At the end of an action-packed day, return to spacious rooms – some overlooking the water at Pacific Harbour – before a spa treatment, perhaps, or cocktails and dinner while the day disappears. thepearlsouthpacific.com BEST FOR CONSERVATION: JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU RESORT FIJI This award-winning eco-resort unites style and sustainability in equal measure. Overlooking dreamy Savusavu Bay, the property is as intimate…

The green tick Etihad Airways has been named ‘Environmental Airline of the Year 2022’ in the annual AirlineRatings awards. The accolade is for its research into eco-flights, sustainable aviation fuel and reforestation projects, including The Etihad Mangrove Forest project, which establishes carbon-absorbing forests in countries where the airline operates. Etihad also offers a Conscious Choices program with rewards for customers who offset their flights. etihad.com DID YOU KNOW? If you have a fear of flying do not despair. Flight Experience, in cooperation with psychologists and airline pilots, has a solution to help you overcome it. The group’s courses, conducted in Sydney, are tailored for the individual, are multilayered and real pilots are on hand. There is also a session in a real aircraft training simulator. Sweet Kiwi dreams Economy flights…

THERE’S A MOMENT, AS THE RAIN thrums rhythmically on the Jurassic-like palms outside my window, when I imagine I’ve been transported to the jungles of Southeast Asia. The downpour after the day’s heat releases a bottleable smell of the rainforest – herbal and peaty, lifted with unexpected floral notes. A chorus of insects spark up a tune, their conductor an owl who occasionally chimes in with a hoot as if to keep pace. To be reminded that nature always rules is just the tonic I need. And remarkably, this salve for the soul is only a 45-minute drive north of Sydney’s CBD – in one of the city’s most exclusive suburbs. Crane Lodge sits pretty atop the vertiginous hills behind Whale Beach, its five bedrooms perched amid a canopy of…

There is something in the water, or is that ice, in Swedish Lapland, with creative juices in overdrive. When the Arctic Bath Hotel was built on the cool Lule River, designers looked to nature to create the hotel’s wellness centre. Resembing a a beaver’s dam, the centre of the ring is where you will dip your toe, or immerse fully yourself, in the open-air bath. When it comes time to warm up, head for one of the three saunas on the outside. This mix of cold and hot is excellent for overall health. arcticbath.se 4 other saunas you will love Floating Sauna Sweat it out in this wood-fired sauna on Tassie’s Lake Derby. floatingsauna.com.au Wa Sauna by goCstudio Sauna, swim, sunbake and repeat in Seattle. gocstudio.com The Grotto A dreamy,…

1. Townsville’s coral-growing Museum of Underwater Art © Brinkley Davies/Tourism and Events Queensland 2. Melshell Oyster Shack in Tasmania © Prime Perspective/ Tourism Australia 3. Hayman Island’s coves never fail to dazzle © Christoph Hillenbrand/Tourism and Events Queensland 4. Vivid Sydney festival lights up winter months in New South Wales © Dallas Killponen/ Destination NSW 5. Crawley Edge Boatshed along the Swan River in Perth © Dan Avila/West Australian Tourism Commission 6. All signs lead to... the beautiful town of Queenscliff in Victoria is the gateway to all manner of destinations © Ewen Bell/Visit Victoria 7. Grape harvest at Brokenwood Wines in the Hunter Valley, NSW © Jesse Smith/ Destination NSW 8. Cooling off in the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon © Jesse Lindemann/Tourism and Events Queensland 9. Eye-popping art adorns the…

HIGH-THREADCOUNT BED SHEETS, rain showers and chocolates at turndown are hotel niceties we all look forward to. But at a time when space and nature are travel’s greatest luxuries, perhaps the ultimate place to check in is one that pays homage to your surrounds – with a quirky twist. Welcome to Switzerland’s Million Stars Hotels, a portfolio of one-off properties that all – whether on a mountain peak or rooftop – have an unimpeded view of the starry night sky from your bed. That might be because you’re sleeping outdoors, have a glass roof above you, or have picture windows that frame your outlook. Prepare to be dazzled. STERNENBERG Star Base Spend the night in the highest municipality in the canton of Zurich, where your altitude means you’re particularly close…

There’s a cacophony of chirping, fizzing and crackling: who knew fish could talk? AVENOMOUS SEA-SNAKE SLITHERS alongside me in the ocean, and I pause to watch it go by, studying its striking black-and-white body as it wriggles up for air. It’s as though the water between us acts as a safety barrier, and rather than panic, I am simply intrigued. I’m taking my first snorkel around Bacan Island in Indonesia’s breathtaking Banda Arc, navigating the high seas with SeaTrek Sailing Adventures, a voyage that begins in Ternate, North Maluku, crosses the equator and covers some 1,300 nautical miles to Labuan Bajo in the south. As sunbeams cut through the teal-tinged water, Frank Hyde, SeaTrek’s director and experienced freediver, rises beside me. “First, relax,” he smiles, seeing my tight-lipped jawline. “Breathe…

PICNIC REAL FOOD BAR IS THE kind of place you’d expect to see on a gourmet trail in greater New York – except it comes with much more country swagger. Co-owner Brenda Fawdon is not only the chef here, but also a culinary author. Because the produce in the Scenic Rim region of Queensland is so good that you want to cook with it, then tell the world about it. Brenda dishes up inspired creations like tacos with spiced pumpkin, kraut, minted yoghurt, chilli and lime. Or house-made granola piled high with pineapple (because we’re in Queensland), goji betties, coconut flakes and COYO. I feel healthy just reading the menu. Real Food is the foodie heart of her North Shores precinct on Tamborine Mountain, all pretty timber houses and wildflowers…

SAUNTER ALONG WHITE SAND where surfers head into aqua-coloured waters to tackle perfect breaks and further out dolphins dive. Then venture into charming towns framed by national parks that beg for exploration. Welcome to Shoalhaven, a region on the South Coast of New South Wales blessed with a string of beaches – there are 100 to choose from – where often, besides those surfers, you’ll be the only one there. Here, we take you to some of our favourite spots. BLISS OUT AT JERVIS BAY The most famed of the region’s bays is Jervis, home to some of the world’s whitest sands. It’s the gateway to Aboriginal-owned Booderee National Park to the south – but it’s not all tranquil forest walks here, although there is that too. In winter, head…

Elevated entertainment A world-first, three-level go-kart racetrack, sculpture garden, food hall and charcoal sauna are some of the experiences you can have on the new Norwegian Prima – the first of six new Norwegian Cruise Line ships. Blessed and named in Iceland by the ship’s godmother, American singer-songwriter Katy Perry, this ship of firsts has the largest suites on any Norwegian liner, 11 dining stations, two pools, the fastest slides at sea, an ice room, flotation salt pool and infrared sauna. For the art aficionado, a US$6-million collection includes an open-air sculpture garden. Entertainment will range from musicals to Las Vegas-style nightclubs. ncl.com Pre-testing on the out Virgin Voyages has become the first major cruise line to drop pre-departure COVID testing. If you are vaccinated, no testing is required on…

I’M AROUND 2.5 KILOMETRES offshore from The Spit on Queensland’s Gold Coast, just nudging eight metres below the ocean’s surface, when the structure emerges before me. Its unique shape reminds me of the spiral ridges of a shark’s egg – but one that’s larger than life. It’s my first glimpse of Wonder Reef, the world’s first artistically designed buoyant reef. Circling its curved ridge, diver’s tank strapped onto my back, I spot a lionfish swimming under the lip of the formation – its dazzling, striped pectoral and dorsal fins fan out like a peacock’s tail before it ducks for cover behind an already healthy growth of coral, both soft and hard, adding a kaleidoscope of colour and texture to this man-made structure, almost camouflaging it enough to appear natural in…

Smile, you’re in Bhutan Bhutan takes happiness so seriously, it’s set in law; before any new policies are passed, they must enhance Gross National Happiness. You can help widen the nation’s smile. Aman’s five lodges across the eastern Himalayan country have launched the ‘Quest of Happiness’ journey. Stay for a week or more and you can partake in activities that will help you find contentment – and uplift the local community. Assist at an orphanage or a learning institution for underprivileged children, offer a meal or spend time with the elderly in the first retirement home for Buddhist monks, or help create a sustainable food source for the Vajrayana Buddhist hermits. Regardless, you’ll leave feeling a whole lot richer than when you arrived. aman.com That’s cool Being in nature makes…

Into the woods Grab your favourite person for this adults-only woodland hideaway in the US state of Montana where mountains rule. The Green O is a wilderness escape within the nearly 15,000-hectare grounds of the Resort at Paws Up in remote Greenough. Twelve ultra-modern properties are perched across the landscape, with 50+ activities on call, from floating in a canoe down the Blackfoot River to hiking and horse riding. For those seeking a mindful experience, go forest bathing, or try vinyasa yoga. Or simply sit and soak up the surrounds. We wouldn’t blame you. thegreeno.com The coast is calling Off-grid cabin Maldhi might be small, but it makes up for it with big views. From your king-size bed, gaze across the glistening Sleaford Bay in South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. Made…