V&T 101: Wild Wonders of WA - Alfiz Hotel - Anantara Hoi An

from the editor-in-chief

GO WEST YOUNG MAN!

I

first started with Vacations & Travel magazine in 1996.

I was skinny and bright-eyed with the Sydney 2000 Olympics in our sights. Then, I was the Features Advertising Sales Manager and Africa was a strong destination to sell.

With the success of a couple of African features, I was on my first trip with the magazine, a media familiarisation, better known as a junket.

Not only did I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be travelling on full wage, I was also in Africa on game drives seeing the big five, and staying in five-star luxury accommodation. Well, 21 years later I’m no longer skinny and several other junkets later, I’ve since travelled back to Africa twice and sent so many writers on our behalf. Africa’s had a rough trot in the last few years, yet recently travellers’ concerns have abated and it’s back on everyone’s hot lists. From the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, to the open plains of

Dan Avila is a travel writer and professional photographer with an insatiable obsession for capturing images that evoke emotion and stir wanderlust within the viewer.

Dan is the 2016 Australian Society of Travel Writers (ASTW) Photographer of the Year and is commissioned to produce images for books, magazines and tourism authorities across Australia and around the world. Ever the optimist and always as enthusiastic as the day he held his first camera, work and play remain intertwined in pursuit of the next adventure.

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the Serengeti in Tanzania and Kenya, we have had so much fun preparing this edition. I rate South Africa as the world’s best value-for-money five-star destination and its flora and fauna is unrivalled anywhere in the world.

As we are heading west, we also stop off in Western Australia and reveal its remote and isolated secrets. Firstly, we discover the Abrolhos Islands, the final resting place of the famed Dutch ship the Batavia. Inland, we go deep into the remote Pilbara’s Karijini National Park with a breathtaking photo feature, followed by highlights from the Kimberley down to Ningaloo Reef.

The Mumbai Indian food feature adds spice within our pages, and our quirky streets in Tokyo feature will leave you wanting to explore Japan’s most famous city. Currently, France has no crowds so what better time to visit and while you’re in Europe, battlefield tourism is popular and full of the history our forefathers fought for. For a modern twist we focus on Thailand’s art scene in Chiang Mai, revealing what makes this city so expressive.

I travelled to Jordan recently and although Petra was more incredible than the pictures suggested, my heart was stolen by the desert 'Martian' landscapes of Wadi Rum. Once again, the crowds are down, making this an ideal time to visit.

South America is also hot with Chile’s national carrier, LATAM, announcing 2017 daily direct flights from Melbourne to Santiago, its second daily Australian service. In this issue, we highlight some of Chile’s more unique hotels.

My next stop is Shanghai, a city I’ve longed to return to for some time now, and as I write, 2016 concludes, and I look forward to sharing another year of inspiring content across our print and digital platforms.

With sincerity I thank all of our team, advertising partners and readers, while wishing all travellers health and happiness in 2017.

Safe travels,

Anthony Gallagher Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Ulrike LemminWoolfrey tells us in this issue why Paris is always a good idea, especially right now.

She is a travel writer and guidebook author of three books on Australia. A roaming expat, Ulrike is currently living in the City of Lights, and still struggling with the French grammar and the enormous choice of cheeses to sample. Having always suffered from a serious case of itchy feet, she is more content out and about exploring Paris, France and the rest of the world, rather than sitting at her desk writing.

Roderick (Rod) Eime has been writing for Vacations & Travel for nearly 15 years and celebrated 2016 with the coveted PATA Gold Award for his story on Da Nang from issue 96. Rod has a penchant for remote locations and emerging destinations which he loves to explore from expedition ships. It seems he's not content unless travelling to some place no one has ever heard of, much less visited.

While producing stories and images from his explorations, Rod has won numerous awards including two gongs for ASTW Photographer of the Year. vacationsmag.com

WILD WONDERS

of Western Australia

BY RODERICK EIME

The northern part of Australia’s biggest state is full of Mother Nature’s best work with spectacular landscapes from Ningaloo Reef up to the wonders of the Kimberley.

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Opening page: The colours of time etched in stone and reflected at Casuarina Falls ©Berkeley River Lodge.

Clockwise from right: Cable Beach camels in Broome; Water rushes off Montgomery Reef during the fall of tide, True North II is anchored in a channel; Dinosaur footprints in Broome.

“I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains.

I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror The wide brown land for me!”

– Dorothea Mackellar

T

hese famous words by Dorothea Mackellar, one of Australia’s most-loved poets, perfectly describes the savage grandeur of the Kimberley region in the country’s remote north-west.

Even today, nearly 250 years after European settlement, this vast expanse of ancient rock and desert landscape is still one of the most sparsely populated regions on the planet.

Throughout much of the rest of the central Australian desert, fossils and prehistoric artefacts can be found strewn

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across the limestone and sand, like some child’s discarded toys. Not in the Kimberley. These rocks were laid down nearly 2,000 million years ago, well before there was anything living to fossilise. Walking among the jagged and hostile formations sprouting unfamiliar plants, it’s easy to imagine you’ve travelled back to the dawn of time or even a far-flung planet.

For many folks, the first glimpse of the Kimberley was Baz Luhrmann’s 2008 blockbuster, Australia. It was no coincidence that the tourism masterminds and movie makers chose to set their epic tale amid the arid hills and labyrinthine river gorges of this iconic landscape. “Her beauty and her terror,” precisely.

While this alien landscape may appear devoid of life, researchers have discovered what some claim to be the oldest known rock paintings. The only reason these mystical and beguiling, so-called ‘Bradshaw’ or ‘Gwion Gwion’ figures cannot be accurately dated is that they are so old, they’ve become part of the rock itself. Even so, they can be safely assessed as older than 20,000 years, perhaps even 50,000.

And who were these fantastic people? The present day Aboriginal clans responsible for the more modern ‘Wandjina’ artwork are split on their origin, while theories about a mysterious prehistoric race have fuelled debate for decades.

The Kimberley epitomises the uncompromising terrain and staggering ‘beauty’ that so mesmerised poets and scribes, yet

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Northern Territory & The Kimberley

Helicopter Safari The destinations are fantastic and the hundreds of kilometres between them are filled with waterfalls , ancient art galleries, crocodiles, buffalo, tranquil billabongs and parts of Australia few have ever seen.

LET US SHOW YOU AROUND

deterred settlement and exploitation for centuries. Even today, with mankind’s technological might, the Kimberley resists our incursions, thwarting attempts to plunder its mineral treasures. But for how much longer? The seemingly limitless natural gas reserves are tempting the hungry multinational explorers eager to drill, pipe and ship.

What is it that so drives conscientious travellers to immerse themselves in this land seemingly forgotten by time? Is it the urgency to see one of the planet’s last untouched landscapes before the urge to plunder prevails or the ancient mysticism that permeates every outcrop? Whatever the motivation, no-one returns from the Kimberley unchanged. It affects all who visit, intoxicating and beguiling in equal amounts.

BROOME – THE UNOFFICIAL CAPITAL OF AUSTRALIA’S NORTH WEST You could easily call Broome the de facto capital of the North West. Once a ramshackle outpost for pearlers and itinerant fishermen, wealth from pearls, mining and tourism has elevated the town way beyond its rough beginnings.

Broome is also the major port for adventure and expedition cruisers heading out to the Kimberley coast, so almost all passengers will spend some time in this remote community. Apart from pearls and the mandatory Cable Beach camel rides, there are some excellent Aboriginal art galleries and the hovercraft rides out onto Roebuck Bay are one of the last commercial hovercraft rides available in the world.

KUNUNURRA – GATEWAY TO THE ORD Situated in the East Kimberley, the outback town of Kununurra is the logical end of the Gibb River Road near the Northern Territory border and the ideal location to start or finish a Gibb River Road drive. It’s also the location of the famous Argyle Downs Homestead Museum, site of the original pioneering Durack family property, most of which is now submerged by the equally famous man-made Lake Argyle.

The mesmerising ancient landscapes of the Kimberley extend way past the coast, inland to the eye-boggling Bungle Bungles (now more correctly known as the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park) along the infamous Gibb River road and through some of the wildest, oldest and fascinating territory imaginable.

Kununurra and its manmade mini-ocean, Lake Argyle, which holds nine times more water than Sydney Harbour, is full of its own outback adventure and those keen to follow cinematic themes can trailblaze Hugh and Nicole’s Australia or venture to that place of nightmares, Wolf Creek.

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Truenorth Helicopters

would like to invite you to be part of our exclusive Helicopter Safari that will see you travel through parts of the Northern Territory and the breathtaking rugged outback of the Kimberley. This Safari is all about the experience from working cattle stations, natural wonders, river cruising to barefoot luxury in Australia’s remotest lodges. The 8 day safari will have you staying in a variety of award winning accommodation from eco friendly cabins to luxury ocean villas.

TRUENORTH HELICOPTERS 1300 145 407 –75– www.truenorthhelicopters.com.au info@truenorthhelicopters.com.au

KARIJINI NATIONAL PARK

Above, from left: The rushing tide at Horizontal Falls © Great Escape; Australian boabs with Cockburn Ranges in the background ©Roderick Eime – Travography.com

There are tours you can join, or the more independentminded can set off on their own self-drive adventure checking into any of the several homestead ‘resorts’ or international standard luxury retreats like El Questro or Berkeley River Lodge.

BUCCANEER ARCHIPELAGO MYSTERIES The Buccaneer Archipelago is a stunningly rugged area off the Kimberley coast consisting of some 1,000 islands. The scenery is spectacular with secluded white sandy beaches, patches of rainforest, mangrove estuaries, plunging cliffs, indigenous rock art and hidden reefs that litter offshore waters. Its distant location has kept it an unspoilt and remarkably pristine location to explore and experience.

Here too, tides of up to 11 metres are among some of the biggest in the world, and certainly the largest in Australia. In some places they are treacherously strong and unpredictable, surging up rivers and ripping through inland passages.

The warm weather, water and remoteness of the archipelago have created an incredible breeding ground for a huge array of wildlife including crocodiles, snakes, birds, bats and most importantly fish. Visitors to the Buccaneer Archipelago find the fishing here exceptional and many species inhabit the region in abundance. Your catch could include barramundi, coral trout, red emperor, trevally, snapper tuna and Spanish mackerel, as well as oysters and enormous mud crabs.

Even further afield, the Rowley Shoals is made up of three untouched coral atolls lying 340 kilometres west of Broome.

As a protected marine conservation park it is home to a wide variety of corals, fish, molluscs and other invertebrates, some of which are unique to Australia.

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If Australia’s North West is all about adventure, then exploring the ancient rocky tunnels and plunging gorges, paddling through crystal-clear waterways and swimming under stunning waterfalls are surely some of the best bits.

And what’s more, most of this amazing scenery is all within easy reach.

A great time to go is during ‘The Karijini Experience’, a five-day event that allows guests to see and enjoy this magical part of the world in a unique way. Now in its fifth year, the Experience is held on the traditional lands of the Banjima people, and is a celebration of environmental protection, connection and culture. On from 11–15 April 2017, you will see the best of the landscape as well as experience many cultural activities and special events.

CORAL COAST Follow the coast and discover some of the world’s most diverse marine habitats, just metres away from pristine beaches.

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Shark Bay and Ningaloo Reef is the largest fringing reef on Earth and one of the few places in the world where you can swim with the largest fish in the sea, the gentle giant whale shark. Swimming with these giants of the sea is an unforgettable experience, and even if they are not in the neighbourhood when you are there, you will be distracted by the coral gardens, giant manta rays, turtles and, at the right time, humpback whales. This undersea gem is absolutely world-class.

One of the best way to see the whale sharks is with Sail Ningaloo, which offers day tours and three-to-12-day tours to maximise your Ningaloo experience. For divers, this is about as good as it gets, but if you aren’t up to diving into the deep, the snorkelling is just as thrilling.

At Monkey Mia, the famous dolphins can be seen up close.

Wander the fascinating natural formations of the Pinnacles Desert moonscape, or for the ultimate coastal adventure, take a hike along Kalbarri’s dramatic landscapes, where 400-million-year-old river gorges meet the Indian Ocean.

BY AIR AND SEA Purpose-built vessels like True North and Great Escape have honed their itineraries over the decades to a truly fine art, engaging the most knowledgeable guides and lecturers to deliver the most complete and comprehensive explorations available. vacationsmag.com

Between May and September every year, a small fleet of expedition and adventure vessels conduct enriching, naturalist-escorted tours throughout the labyrinth of estuaries, waterways and coves. Teeming birdlife, mysterious archaeological sites, awe inspiring landscapes and natural phenomenon witnessed by very few Europeans are just part of the seemingly irresistible allure of the Kimberley.

At Talbot Bay, the Horizontal Waterfalls were described by David Attenborough as “one of the greatest natural wonders of the world”. This highly unusual phenomenon occurs as the huge, ten metre tides ebb and flow between a tiny gap in the ridge within the bay in the Buccaneer Archipelago. It’s possible to fly in by seaplane to do this experience, or else any of the small adventure vessels regularly conduct adrenaline rides through the rapids using high-speed tenders.

The more conventional Mitchell Falls are superb cascades, named after the marvellous plateau, and are perhaps the crowning glory of the scenic attractions of the Kimberley.

Scenic flights, either fixed-wing or helicopter, are the best way to view these falls which are at their most impressive early in the season before the deluge of ‘the wet’ is fully drained.

The way to cover a lot more territory in these wide open spaces is by air. Truenorth Helicopters offers a number of options but the most suitable is a safari that delivers breathtaking natural wonders, river cruising and a stay at a working cattle station or two. The nine-day safari is in an EC 145 twin-engine helicopter and you will be glued to the windows as you take in the sights with highlights being

Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles), rock art, waterfalls, King George Falls and more. Stay in a working cattle station as well as luxury locations such as Home Station, Kimberley Coastal Camp, Kimberley Wilderness Camp and Berkeley Lodge and Bullo Station in the Northern Territory. • Photography by various establishments.

travel facts GETTING THERE Fly direct with Qantas to Broome from Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Darwin. Virgin Australia (which acquired regional carrier Skywest in 2013) operates direct flights to Broome from Perth and connecting flights from all other capital cities: qantas.com; virginaustralia.com GETTING AROUND Cruising • North Star Cruises: northstarcruises.com.au • Great Escape: greatescape.net.au • Sail Ningaloo: sailningaloo.com.au Helicopter • Truenorth Helicopters: truenorthhelicopters.com.au FURTHER INFORMATION • Karijini Experience: karijiniexperience.com • Coral Coast Tourism: australiascoralcoast.com

ket c u te b rience a m Ulti t expe lis Snorkeling

Marine Safaris

Overnight Sailing Tours – Friendly – Personalised – Exclusive Experiences

Scuba Diving

Coral Bay, Western Australia • info@sailningaloo.com.au • www.sailningaloo.com.au • 1800 197 194

Eden Bleu Hotel, Mahé, Seychelles

By Helen Hayes

Sunglasses are a must at Eden Bleu as we settle into a daybed by the blue pool under the blue sky and next to the turquoise blue water of Eden Marina. This hotel is part of the massive new Eden Island development in the main Seychelles island of Mahé, encompassing the Island International Marina and Eden Plaza retail centre. The views across to the main island with its rocky spine and tangle of lush vegetation are quite surreal. The hotel has 74 Deluxe Rooms, 12 Luxury Suites and a Presidential Suite, and while the Presidential Suite would have been nice, the Deluxe Rooms are perfect for us.

The hotel is quite high tech, with an app that gives info on the hotel and its facilities. The aforementioned pool is on the Empereur Terrace, where we drink a few cocktails at a table in the pool. Yes you read that right. We also drink a few cocktails at the Bourgeois bar inside, and a few more with our Creole dinner at the Marlin Bleu Restaurant, where, like everywhere else in the hotel, the staff are ridiculously friendly and welcoming. The concierge is also very helpful booking a car and driver for us so we could have a look around the island, and after being picked up, the first stop is at a view point halfway up the range. We find ourselves looking down over Eden Island, the masts of the yachts in the marina sticking up like toothpicks, and out yonder, the silhouettes of other islands that we are yearning to explore. edenbleu.com

Alfiz Hotel Boutique,

Cartagena, Colombia

By Roderick Eime Cartagena is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed city steeped in history and swashbuckling adventure. Situated on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, it inherits all the romance and legend of Spanish-era treasure hunting, smuggling and pirates. In fact, the old walls that earned the city its heritage status were built expressly to repel pirates like Sir Francis Drake and John Hawkins. The Alfiz hotel, whose name derives from the term for ‘framed arch’, dates back to the 1600s and has performed various duties, from warehouse, hostel, hardware store, emporium, apothecary and bar. During meticulous restoration some 10 years ago by specialist architect, Pedro Ibarra, numerous artefacts were found including cannonballs, hidden features and even human remains.

Today this boutique hotel comprises eight completely different rooms, each reflecting some aspect of the city’s past and decorated to theme. While there is no restaurant per se, relaxed breakfasts are served in the bright and airy courtyard. There is also an ornate library and sitting room with volumes from controversial, leftist-leaning Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel Garcia ‘Gabo’ Marquez. Take one upstairs to the delightful rooftop terrace and Jacuzzi.

The location within the walled city itself is ideal for visitors who want to fully immerse themselves in the aura of this fascinating old town. Walking tours to all the attractions are a simple stroll, as are restaurants, shops, bars and museums. alfizhotel.com/ingles vacationsmag.com

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Anantara Hoi

By Roderick Eime

An Resort, Vietnam

In all of Vietnam, the historic city of Hoi An is one of the favourite places for Australians. While visiting the UNESCO World Heritage old town and all its wonders, staying in Hoi An presents many options but you’ll be hard pressed to find a more relaxing and culturally appropriate location than the Anantara Hoi An Resort, part of Minor Hotels. Ideally positioned on the banks of the Thu Bon River, it’s just a short distance to main attractions like the famous centrepiece, the centuries-old Japanese Bridge. A discreetly low-rise and tasteful resort, the architectural style incorporates the French, Dutch, Chinese and Japanese influences that define the multi-faceted history of Hoi An. The 93 suites are roomy with a split level internal design that also allows for an external daybed, perfect for a balmy afternoon snooze. Choose from either garden or river view.

Australian general manager, Noel Cameron, exemplifies the congenial hands-on approach that is evident throughout the resort, from the exquisite dining options (there are five to choose from) right through to The Spa, where you can luxuriate with a mud wrap, salt scrub or four-hand massage. Noel, however, leaves these specialised tactile treatments to his expert therapists.

Open-air Jeep excursions and river cruises can be organised directly for your convenience or take a complimentary pushbike for an energetic peddle around the flat streets of the neighbourhood. If the sky looks dark and gloomy, there are Vietnamese cooking lessons with Anantara’s signature Spice Spoons concept, as well as language, painting and lantern making classes.

Even if you are staying elsewhere, why not stop by for a memorable meal at Lanterns Restaurant, a refreshing drink at O’Malley’s Irish Pub (yes, true) or the more authentic heritage-themed garden bar, a perfect complement to the special atmosphere of this ancient city. hoi-an.anantara.com

QT Melbourne

By Anthony Gallagher

Located near the trendy Collins Street precinct in the heart of Melbourne CBD, the all-new QT Melbourne offers a creative and edgy playground of food, drink and art experiences for locals and visitors alike. Taking inspiration from the 1920s rag traders which once occupied this ‘Paris end’ of the city, this design-driven hotel is all about industrial chic and eclectic experiences throughout its 188 rooms and public spaces. Featuring a palette of contrasting textures such as steel, stone, and timber, alongside cutting-edge video art, the space is visually alive and intriguing, playing on the senses. From the eclectic staff uniforms, to the quirky extra touches, everything has been curated and created with QT’s signature flair and attention to detail. Being a Melbourne property, the focus is on dynamic food and drink experiences, which include European bistro Pascale Bar & Grill, Korean Japanese fusion Hot Sauce in the style of a laneway bar, a whimsical cake shop, and a rooftop bar where Melbourne’s hippest cool kids can be seen sipping expertly crafted cocktails to sweeping city views. Guest rooms feature plush designer furnishings, free Wi-Fi, a fully stocked minibar, and free new release movies, which is a nice bonus. qthotelsandresorts.com vacationsmag.com

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