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Fantastic beaches, jaw-droppingly beautiful water views, great walks, sophisticated shopping and superb restaurants - it’s little wonder Sydney is regularly voted as the number one city destination in the world in traveller surveys. Cast against... Learn more...

We arrive in Abu Dhabi late at night, going straight to Shangri-la Qaryat Al Beri and to bed, awakening on our first morning to be confronted by the most magical monument- The Sheikh Zayed Mosque, or, as it is referred to colloquially, The Grand... Learn more...

Here, spirituality and sensuality co-exist in absolute harmony. Consumerism rubs shoulders with poverty. Shantytown-like structures and ancient temples sit amongst glitzy skyscrapers. You can visit Bangkok a hundred times and create a different... Learn more...

While Vietnam’s capital Hanoi is the seat of government, steeped in tradition and history, its southern sister Ho Chi Minh City, formerly and still affectionately known as Saigon, is the country’s commercial hub and most happening city: a... Learn more...

It’s a city that pulsates with an energy all of its own. A city that never sleeps, where everything happens at an accelerated pace, from the highspeed underground subway to the wheeling and dealing that goes on behind the neon-clad skyscrapers.... Learn more...

Cleaner than Bangkok but not as orderly as Singapore, KL is an exceptionally affordable Asian hotspot for luxury hotels, shopping and mouthwatering cuisine. At the time of writing, a room at the five-star Mandarin Oriental costs $160 a night.... Learn more...

Although Macau was handed back to China in 1999, its Portuguese past has left it with a substantial network of heritage buildings, plazas and churches such as the ruins of St Paul’s and Senado Square that placed Macau’s old town on the UNESCO... Learn more...

There’s no doubt Shanghai is China’s hippest city. It’s a place where European culture and architecture has been entwined in the fabric of the city for centuries. The British built their settlement in 1843 and were followed by the Americans... Learn more...

The Integrated Resorts – Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands – have turned Singapore into a magnet for celebrity chefs and glamorous international brands. Resorts World Sentosa is located on Sentosa Island, a former British garrison... Learn more...

At first the suggestion of a romantic wine - tasting weekend in the Barossa Valley didn't appeal to my man. Would a glass of wine taste any better because it's being sipped in the midst of the very vineyards from which it originated?... Learn more...

Turquoise. Sapphire. Aquamarine. Azure. Cerulean. Cobalt. Indigo. Powder-blue. Blues so resonant and intense you almost have to look away. Blues that envelop your every move and unfailingly dispel woes. Blues punctuated by pods of dolphins and... Learn more...

I’ve never been a fan of the bush, preferring instead the feel of hot sand between my toes and cool, salty water on my skin, but the majestic beauty of the surroundings (not to mention the five-star eco-amenities at my fingertips) has made me do... Learn more...

Budapest has all the hallmarks of other great European cities – but without the crowds, the traffic and the cacophony of the masses. It’s a gentle city, a gracious city, one you’ll want to go back to time and again. Considering that just 22... Learn more...

From high on the Tibetan Plateau,it races eastward,cutting through steep mountain passes and deep ravines, before winding its way past some of China's most spectacular scenery,including the Three Gorges whose dramatic beauty and scenic... Learn more...

A short one-hour drive north of Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast itself extends from Caloundra through to the gateway of Fraser Island, Cooloola. Over 100 kilometres of magnificent beaches fringe its coastline, including Caloundra, Kawana, Mooloolaba,... Learn more...

La Mamounia Built in 1922 when it daringly combined Moroccan architectural tradition with Art Deco, La Mamounia became a legendary haunt of the rich, famous and powerful, including Churchill and de Gaulle, during the 1950s. After Charlie... Learn more...

We’re at Masuwe Lodge, a few clicks from the township of Victoria Falls, near the Zimbabwian/Zambian border. A safari lodge in this part of Africa is no headline news, but Masuwe has a few special attractions that make it very special indeed.... Learn more...

The sun is just peeking over the horizon as the day’s first call to prayer issues forth from the local mosque, the beautiful notes filling the air with an almost mystical sound that we’ve grown accustomed to over the years spent travelling to... Learn more...

The Balinese people are warm and welcoming and have a genuine connection to Australians, in fact they love seeing us in their homeland more than any other nationality and they’re not afraid to let you know with wide smiles and hearty handshakes!... Learn more...

The streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s quaint yet increasingly cosmopolitan capital city and the former ‘Paris of the East’, are packed with fantastic restaurants serving the best in international cuisine and innumerable cocktail bars in... Learn more...

As you sit at a makeshift pavement restaurant, the smells of spices and incense merge in the air, offering an aroma that will be forever India in your mind. The heat, the honking, the haggling – they all come together to provide a vibrant,... Learn more...

Some of the most stunning are located in an archipelago of around ninety-nine islands off the west coast – known as Langkawi. This is ‘holiday central’ and who could ask for more? Langkawi is a duty free island, with bargains aplenty for... Learn more...

Thailand is also culturally rich. From the bustling capital of Bangkok with its Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha, amongst many other cultural sites, to the hill tribes in the north with villages dotted along well established trekking group trails,... Learn more...

Because of the country’s long, narrow shape, the best way to experience everything Vietnam has to offer is to hit the north-south trail between the country’s two main cities: Hanoi, the scenic seat of government in the north comprising... Learn more...

This Thai paradise is inhabited by peaceloving, largely Buddhist people. Explorers, looters and tourists have been attracted to Phuket since its earliest days with the French, English and Dutch fighting over it as late as the 1700s. But don’t... Learn more...

Tasmania has always been Australia's favourite holiday playground a place of rugged, ancient beauty and vast tracts of World Heritage wilderness contained in a compact package. Within just a couple of hours drive from Hobart you can... Learn more...

We glide across the deep cobalt-blue waters of the lagoon, which is the caldera – the sunken part of a volcano, now filled with water. There is a sense of mystery and excitement at knowing this, and that the distant landscapes with white-washed... Learn more...

PORT DOUGLAS became a bona-fide celebrity hang-out not long after Christopher Skase came to town in 1986, liked what he saw and turned the sleepy fishing village into the kind of place Bill Clinton chose to stop on his President’s tour of... Learn more...

There it is: that oh - so - familiar waft of frangipani on the breeze. It's what the South Pacific smells like; so warm it feels like a sweater round your shoulders. But there's something else on the wind that makes my skin heat up more:... Learn more...

All along the river, couples emerged from a maze of cobbled streets to stroll the promenade, pausing to ponder menus and settling at alfresco tables with glasses of ice-cold Bia Hoi. As the first irresistible scents of lemongrass and garlic... Learn more...

Perhaps it’s the laid-back vibe of the place - whatever the reason, Cairns is worth visiting just for itself ... and to experience the particular feel of the city. Surrounded by tree clad mountains which reach green fingers down to the outskirts... Learn more...

Gold Coast Beaches Along a coastline that stretches from Southport to Coolangatta, the Gold Coast boasts 30 different beaches each with its own unique personality. Wide expanses of sand are ideal for walking, while the more secluded enclaves... Learn more...

Things to Do: If you’re feeling active try hang-gliding, horse riding, 4WD tours, hot air ballooning, ATV adventures or canopy walks. Bed-and-breakfast outlets, wineries, boutique distilleries, breweries, restaurants, rustic homesteads, plus... Learn more...

The Sunshine Coast itself extends from Caloundra through to the gateway of Fraser Island, Cooloola and is only an hour’s drive north of Brisbane. For the discerning coast connoisseur, there is a beach for everyone with over 100 kilometres of... Learn more...

The drive threading across the top of the Blackall Range from Maleny to Mapleton, through Montville and Flaxton, is one of the most scenic on the Sunshine Coast with jaw-dropping views of the coastline. You can stroll through any of the charming,... Learn more...

The gateway to this magnificent area is the town of Airlie Beach, part of a picturesque peninsula that has recently undergone some startling development, turning it from backpacker haven into a millionaires hideaway, although backpackers still... Learn more...

Between these extremes the cycle of life and renewal is constant. Water lilies invade slow moving creeks with purple and white blooms. Gum trees burst open with the sweetness of flowers and fruit. Native grasses flourish, camouflaging the red... Learn more...