Category: City sights
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China: First Encounter

A mate of mine recently visited Beijing for the first time and was mighty impressed with the super high rise modernity and the cosmopolitan ambience. It threw me back to my first trip there in the late 80s. My first visit to China was on a whim in 1989. I saw an ad in the…
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How to rebrand and zoosh up a hotel
Furama Hotel, Darling Harbour When is a new hotel not quite a new hotel? When it is rebranded by an international group, zhooshed up to meet the demands and wants of guests and given a total personality transplant. Sounds about right? The Furama Hotel Darling Harbour, Sydney is a welcome addition to the Furama family…
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A Posh Pet-Friendly Stay?
Yes indeed, at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney Up until recently there were only three hotels, one a boutique, in Sydney that invited pets into the hallowed halls of a hotel room to share with their owners. Unlike Britain and Europe, who love to accommodate their guests’ pets, Australia has had a no-paws rule in accommodation…
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Birdsong – or uncaged birds
One of the most charming surprises on a walk through Sydney is an art installation in the laneway of Angel Place, just off George Street through to Pitt Street. Look up, look up to an array of empty birdcages of all designs suspended and hanging high. Artist Michael Thomas Hill had this splendid work Forgotten…
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Travel: Victorian Highlights
I‘m going out on a limb with this post, taking a risk, throwing caution to the wind, heading into troubled waters . . .that’s a bit dramatic. Posting this piece on Victoria today, 1 June 2021, while the state of Victoria is in a state of lockdown feels a little ambitious? Yes? No? Victorians have…
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How to capitalise on the capital

Australia’s capital city is a little different to those of other countries; it is confined to a territory and is surrounded by the bush, with a mountain range in the backdrop. It really began as a rather vast paddock with a view of the Brindabella mountain range to the west, the high country snow fields…
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How to indulge in Tasmania

The tiny island of ‘Tassie’ has an abundance of attractions and experiences to be indulged in. After a long period of being unable to travel, here is where you will breathe easy, enjoy glorious nature and get a taste of the best of what the island has to offer. Separated from the mainland by 240km…
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Vietnam’s Hanoi and a shining ritual

I do love tradidition, especially ones that have a gentle message.
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Travel: How to explore Tangier

Tangier, top of the continent and a name that conjures myth, legends and exotic stories of decadence is a city of intrigue. Go see for yourself. There’s the labyrinthine medina, an expat dream town, cafes and souks, tempting tagines – there is so much to uncover in Morocco’s top town. It’s a city on the edge,…
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Miss Saigon? Sure do.

#Throwbackthursday A day or so in Saigon is like a week anywhere else, staying in District 1 at the delightful Caravelle Hotel (yes, still the best breakfast in Asia). I’m a sucker for a good hotel breakfast, and as one who has the simplest morning meal at home I go crazy when I’m at a…