This Month
What it’s like to stay at Southern Ocean Lodge II, from $3400 a night
The jewel in Baillie Lodges’ crown is back, following a $55 million rebuild after the original Kangaroo Island site burnt down in January 2020.
- Fiona Carruthers
Forget Phuket. Stuff Bali. Why Vietnam wins for the flop and drop
I’m checked in and ready for dinner all within an hour of touching down on the tarmac. Am I dreaming?
- Samantha Hutchinson
‘People thought I was crazy’: how to spend eight weeks in Nepal
A longer trip around the south Asian nation drops you into a gentler rhythm of daily life. But it’s still hard to resist some hiking.
- Jason Mowen
From baby races to hidden Mickeys: here’s what a Disney cruise is like
Finally, the brand’s cruise line has made its Australian debut. Our writer stepped aboard a sceptic. Not so his two children.
- David Marin-Guzman
November
How Aussies with a party bus turned Top Deck into a 50-year business
Flight Centre boss “Skroo” Turner was in London for the half-century birthday bash of his coach-tour company. A new film breathes life into its origin story.
- Hans van Leeuwen
What it’s like to do the Seven Peaks Walk on Lord Howe Island
There’s no Wi-Fi at the overnight lodge. But compensation for that is more than adequate on this five-day guided hike.
- Rose-Anne Manns
October
A 700km road trip you can brag about when you return to work
Cycling from Central Victoria to Canberra makes for an arduous break. But the quiet rail trails and pubs en route ensure it’s fun for those up for the challenge.
- Lauren Vadnjal and Tom Connell
How to immerse yourself in the Nordic food scene
Merivale’s Ben Greeno serves up a smørrebrød of tips from his travels to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo.
- Jill Dupleix
Yoga with the Central Himalayas as backdrop? Watch out for Ramani
A hiking, yoga and meditation luxury lodge being built at serious altitude by family-owned Shakti will be a no-nonsense eco retreat.
- Fiona Carruthers
What to expect on your first Greek Islands cruise
When cruising aboard Resilient Lady in a RockStar Suite, there’s only one way to spend your daytime shore excursions: like a rock star, in dark glasses and a cap.
- Tony Davis
September
Australians stranded on luxury cruise in Greenland
Ninety Australians are stuck aboard a luxury cruise liner in a national park in Greenland after it ran aground on Tuesday.
- Mark Ludlow
How to take a Gen X gap year
Dreaming of a midlife gap year overseas? Here’s what you need to do before jetting off.
- Andrew Hobbs
August
- Sponsored
- Life & Leisure
How this man persuaded a Danish prince to get a skin check
Scott Maggs and his Skin Check Champions provide a useful service to sailors and spectators alike.
Sponsored
by Hamilton Island Race Week
How much water should you really drink in a day?
Europeans and Americans have very different views on the subject, and even experts say it’s difficult to measure an acceptable amount to stay hydrated.
- Jessica Roy
- Sponsored
- Life & Leisure
The Oatleys loved Race Week. So they bought the island for $200m
Bob Oatley loved the annual Hamilton Island Race Week regatta so much, his family bought the island and created an iconic Whitsundays destination.
Sponsored
by Hamilton Island Race Week
- Sponsored
- Life & Leisure
Top chefs reveal gourmet menus for Hamilton Island Race Week guests
Coral trout, mud crab, Moreton Bay bugs, oysters ... Will Cowper and Guillaume Brahimi are preparing seafood feasts for the annual Whitsundays adventure.
Sponsored
by Hamilton Island Race Week
Sleep in a billionaire’s bedroom at Getty’s refurbished Roman villa
Jean Paul Getty spared no expense on La Posta Vecchia, located just outside Rome. It’s newly revamped, and you can even stay in his former suite.
- Josephine McKenna
Why your overseas holiday seems more expensive than ever
The Australian dollar is down 13 per cent against the euro in 12 months as the latest Big Mac Index points to its declining purchasing power in 2023.
- Tom Richardson
July
- Opinion
- AFR Magazine
Made a regretful Euro holiday purchase? You’re not alone
There’s a reason hotels and fashion designers collaborate often – when you’re on holiday, you’re primed to purchase.
- Lauren Sams
It was a failure at birth. Now it’s New York’s hottest new hotel
A Beaux-Arts building once known as “a shrine to capitalism” has been born again in a part of the city that’s undergone its own renewal.
- Ayesha de Kretser
