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5 conversation topics for travelers afraid of awkward silences

Patricia Chui — Thu, 24 May 2012 18:02:10 +0000

You know the scene. You're in a new town, you're assiduously scoping out every bar within walking distance of your hotel and suddenly there's an eerie pause in the chatter between you and your local friends.

You've exhausted your stories from the time(s) you nearly died in Bolivia, they've tired of telling you where to go tomorrow while they have to work. And so as inevitably as an Icelandic volcano erupting the day you jet off to Europe, the fallback conversation topics make their appearance.

But which fallback topics exactly are they?

The problem is, they're different in every city.

Sure the weather crops up a lot, as do modes of transportation, but listen long enough, and eventually you'll realize you don't need to open your eyes to know where you are.

Don't break down here! 10 terrifying Aussie roads

Joanne Lane — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:55:02 +0000

by Joanne Lane

From their bone-shattering corrugations to sordid backdrops for horror movies or backpacker murders, the isolated swathes of Australia's roads aren't the best places to run into car trouble.

Home to little more than shifting sands, perspiration, flies, broken vehicle axles or the remnants of tires, many are in the kinds of locations where you might not see another vehicle in days.

They're also places where both explorers and random travelers have met their doom.

Belanglo State Forest roads and tracks

The isolated tracks in the Belanglo Forest were perfect hiding places for serial killer Ivan Milat.

Where: New South Wales

10 of the world's best city beaches

Duncan Forgan — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:40:09 +0000

by Duncan Forgan

When you hear the word "city," what do you think of?

Skyscrapers? Traffic jams? Great restaurants? Bad service?

How about beaches?

There are some cities where the working class can strip off the suit and tie, jump into the swimming shorts or bikini and enjoy a day with their toes in the sand without having to leave the urban perimieter.

By talking with our well-traveled friends and colleagues, collating data from tourism authorities and using our own experiences, we've put together a list of what we think make up 10 of the best city beaches in the world.

Boom! Vivid Sydney in your face

Sun, 20 May 2012 21:55:43 +0000

Hey -- if it’s good enough for the Guardian newspaper to rate as one of the world’s 10 best “ideas” festivals, then Vivid Sydney is all right by us, sport.

This year’s fourth running of the citywide event spans May 25-June 11, with the blinged-out Opera House as its focus.

Those peacock-like sails on the Sydney icon are the handiwork of German light artists Urbanscreen, by the way.

The now-annual winter festival appears to be playing a key role in attracting visitors to the New South Wales capital, according to Destination NSW’s Sandra Chipchase.

“Images of the illuminated Sydney Opera House sails have been seen by millions of people across the globe,” she said.

Melbourne hotels give away $20k Warhol classic

Sun, 13 May 2012 21:55:47 +0000

Starting this week, guests staying at a group of Melbourne hotels will get the chance to go home with something a little better than a tiny bottle of shampoo or a scratchy white bathrobe -- a genuine $20,000 Andy Warhol print.

All visitors need do is check into any of the city’s three Art Series Hotels and pick out what they think is the Real McCoy from the art hanging on the walls at the time.

Problem is, though, of the 10 “Warhols” hung between May 15 and August 3, only one will, in fact, be real.

The remainder will be expert forgeries created by art forger Tony Tetro for the “Which Warhol’s Warhol's?” challenge.

Given the high probability of more than one correct answer, the winner of the classic art will be decided by the best answer given justifying the choice.

Danger down under -- Oz's scariest water sports

Ian Lloyd Neubauer — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:55:33 +0000

by Ian Lloyd Neubauer

The waters of Tropical North Queensland are home to some of the deadliest marine creatures on the planet, but that’s no reason not to dive in and enjoy some of Australia’s best -- and most dangerous -- water sports.

Most-feared among the area’s critters is the saltwater crocodile. Known to grow as long as seven meters, Australian “salties” claim, on average, the lives of two unsuspecting swimmers every year.

Also lurking in these waters from November to May are swarms of deadly box jellyfish and the almost-invisible Irukandji.

Named after the Yirrganydji Aboriginal tribe, these peanut-size assassins killed two tourists in 2002, and put three more in intensive care this year alone.

Tiger sharks and white pointer sharks also feed near the coast, along with the venomous blue-ringed octopus and dreaded stonefish.

Facebook deal unleashes 'customer' fury on Aussie resort

Tue, 08 May 2012 21:55:20 +0000

Be careful what you wish for.

That’s a timeworn motto one Australian eco resort will be keeping in mind after a Facebook viral marketing campaign blew up in its face, leading to online outrage and damaging accusations of spamming.

Huon Bush Retreats, near Hobart, Tasmania, used the new Facebook Offers service with the aim of attracting a few first-time customers to its seven-room property.

Huon’s management had lined up 50 vouchers offering a lower-than-usual rate of $99 a night for three nights anytime before September. That was the theory, at least.

Instead of the handful of expected punters, the deal's details ended up cross-posted to the Facebook walls of more than 3 million people.

The New iPad Contest

Wed, 02 May 2012 08:13:01 +0000

Download the CNNGo app now: Android iPhone or visit CNNGo.com on your smartphone browser.

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The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2012: Who made the cut?

Anthea Gerrie — Tue, 01 May 2012 02:39:37 +0000

by Anthea Gerrie

Cooking with obscure Nordic ingredients paid off for chef Rene Redzepi, whose Noma was named World's Best Restaurant for the third year in a row. Paris, New York and Tokyo, eat your heart out -- the world’s best restaurant is not on your turf, but a dimly-lit warehouse in an obscure part of Copenhagen no one had heard of eight years ago.

That’s when chef Rene Redzepi opened Noma with somewhat strange ambitions -- to serve only food native to Scandinavia -- so no olive oil or other fancy Mediterranean stuff. He created dishes with obscure items like milk skin, hay and pine needles, and against all the odds, it worked.

Noma this week made it a hat trick in the World’s Best 50 Restaurants awards, taking the top award for the third year in a row. And behind him come a whole raft of new young culinary hotshots known as the New Nordics -- 10 percent of this year’s Top 50 restaurants are in Scandinavia.

Spain has done even better, mind you, with 30 percent of the Top 10 -- yet again -- in a row. Spanish restaurants remain at no. 2, 3 and 8, just like last year. And this is without the help of superstar chef Ferran Adria, first-ever winner of the awards, who broke records by holding the top spot for four years in a row with elBulli before closing it in 2011.

All are in the foodie north of the country, ditto another two which made the list.

Tune budget hotels set for Sydney, Melbourne

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:55:28 +0000

Complaints about the high price of holidaying in Oz are set to lose a little legitimacy with the news that Tune Hotels is about to set up shop with new budget hotels in both Melbourne and Sydney.

The no-frills hotel chain -- owned by AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes -- opened its first property in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2007 with rooms selling for as little as US$3 a night.

Melbourne will be first Australian destination to get a Tune hotel, when a Swanson Street branch opens in August next year.

After that, Melbourne appears to be next on a hit list that’s bound to have the established hotels looking over their shoulders.

More on CNNGo: AirAsia boss announces new airline for the super rich

Exhibitionists only: Visitors strip at Sydney expo

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:38:16 +0000

With a forecast high of 22 C this weekend, most Sydney visitors will be looking forward to some pretty-much-perfect weather, but there’s a select bunch who may find that a touch chilly.

That’s because they’ll be touring the city’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) completely naked in an event led by Melbourne Artist Stuart Ringholt.

He’ll be checking his clothes in at the door too, by the way.

Ringholt’s tour is actually billed on the MCA website as a performance, so that should give some clue as to his motivation here. He says he aims to address “themes of fear and embarrassment.”

The event itself comes with the equally attention-seeking -- not to mention long -- title, “Preceded by a tour of the show by artist Stuart Ringholt 6-8pm (the artist will be naked. Those who wish to join the tour must also be naked. Adults only).”

Stone the crows: It's the Sydney Comedy Festival!

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:55:45 +0000

Get ready for three weeks of big yuks with acts like Charlie Murphy at the Sydney Comedy Festival.Whatever you think about the Aussies, there’s no denying they have a sense of humor -- they pinched most of it from the Brits, after all.

Keeping that reputation alive is the much-loved Sydney Comedy Festival, which hits its eighth edition later this month.

Running from April 24 to May 12, this year’s bash features homegrown and international acts tickling ribs at venues across the city. Organizers expect the usual inrush of tourists as well as locals keen on yuks by the bucket load.

International appeal

“Its fantastic to see the festival grow year after year,” says Festival Director, Jorge Menidis. “Our audience members fly in from all round Australia to attend, with some performances bringing in visitors from New Zealand and even Southeast Asia.”

The festival opens with its traditional Cracker Night -- American readers might need an Oz dictionary, lest they get the wrong idea -- on April 24.

10 outrageous yachts for hire -- if you're filthy rich enough

Fiona Harper — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 22:25:00 +0000

by Fiona Harper

If all this talk about the Titanic centenery has you hankering for an ocean jaunt, check out these rides.

Few things are more indulgent than a private yacht charter.

There are scores of worthy contenders plying the world’s best cruising grounds, but these 10 are guaranteed to make your bank account crawl into a corner and start weeping.

1. Maltese Falcon

What: 88-meter mega sailing yacht
Where: Mediterranean and Caribbean
Crew: 16
Sleeps: 12
How much: US$74,000 per day
To charter: www.symaltesefalcon.com
Built by the innovative Italian firm Perini Navi, Maltese Falcon’s traditional sailing rig belies her extraordinary state of the art technology and design.

Record-breaking speeds, courtesy of her lightweight sail rigging, make 10-day, trans-Atlantic crossings commonplace. With head-turning, sleek contemporary styling, Maltese Falcon is for traditionalists who don’t mind a modern twist.

Sydney uncovered on urban gourmet tour

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 05:19:49 +0000

While most top-end hotels make every effort to keep paying customers happy, fed and watered on-site, the InterContinental Sydney is taking a very different approach from this month in pushing guests out the door on a food-centric tour of the city.

The hotel’s Sydney Gourmet Tour costs from $511 per night and includes a stay for two, breakfast at the Café Opera restaurant and the main attraction -- a choice of two tours of Sydney’s finest eating and drinking spots.

Expert guides from tour operator Ultimately Sydney pick up guests by limo at the hotel after breakfast and usher them round either the Asian and Mediterranean riches of the South Sydney Tour or the European accents on the Inner West Tour.

Each four-hour-plus excursion promises seasoned buying and tasting guidance on bounty from Taiwanese dumplings and Lebanese snacks to handmade chocolate and local wines.

Migrant heritage

Back at the hotel, the InterContinental’s chief concierge, David Patt, explains the appeal of the Gourmet Tour.

Bonza brews: The best pubs in Sydney

John Davidson — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:17:09 +0000

by John Davidson

Of all Australia’s cities, Sydney is renowned by both visitors and locals as the place to be if you’re thirsty and after a generous measure of Aussie pub culture to scratch that itch.

The watery city boasts a pub on almost every corner, such is the devotion to the humble tavern, making it the best place in the country to quench a thirst with a cocktail or quaff a cold amber ale.

With such a selection of hostelries it’s a tall order, of course, to know where to wet your whistle. To help out, here’s our quick-start pub-crawl guide to some of the city's finest watering holes.

The Rose Hotel

The Rose has a reputation for al fresco pizza par excellence. The beer's not bad either.

Popular with university students, which is no surprise considering its setting right next to the University of Sydney, this Chippendale venue is a cool pub without the pretense.

What recession? See Australia on the cheap

Lauren Fritsky — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:55:41 +0000

by Lauren Fritsky

With the seemingly never-ending global recession, the strong Aussie dollar and the increasing cost of living in Australia, some might say -- beyond the obvious broader economic hurt -- that there’s trouble in store for anyone in the business of tourism.

In fact, the latest statistics show the number of Aussies choosing to vacation overseas in 2011 was a record 7.8 million -- that’s a full two million more than the total of incoming tourists, causing something of a problem for a country that relies so much on being an attractive destination for vacationers of all stripes.

While it’s true that flights from abroad can be expensive and the cost of staying and playing in cities like Sydney exorbitant, it is possible to see Australia on a budget.

The tricks, as we’ll show you, include being smart about how you get around and discovering the alternatives to the pricey tours.

Read on and save enough for more than a few extra shrimps on the barbie.

Qantas to charter Australia's first commercial flight powered by cooking oil

CNNGo staff — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:00:24 +0000

by CNNGo staff

It’s difficult to believe that it’s only been four years since Time Magazine ran the headline “Can Airplanes Fly on Biofuel?”.

Now it seems that all airlines are jumping on the biofuel train (excuse our mixed metaphors), whether it’s for the marketing factor (hey, we're writing about it), or because it’s perceived as the hottest green initiative right now.

Case in point: Qantas is the latest airline to launch a flight powered by cooking oil.

Tickets are currently on sale for Australia’s first commercial biofuel flight, which is slated for April 13 from Sydney to Adelaide, not from Melbourne to Adelaide as some news agencies have been reporting.

The 300-seater Airbus 330 will use U.S.-imported biofuel in one of its two engines -- the same cooking oil that was previously used by Lufthansa in a six-month trial (the world's first) during which 1,200 biofuel-flights were completed between Hamburg and Frankfurt.

Qantas and China Eastern team up on new Hong Kong budget airline

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:31:39 +0000

In the first tie-up of its kind, Australian carrier Qantas and China Eastern Airlines are putting together a new passenger airline with the goal of tapping into the booming Chinese market.

Due to launch in 2013 and subject to regulatory hurdles, Jetstar Hong Kong will be a US$198-million joint venture, with both parties holding equal stakes.

Previous partnerships between Chinese airlines and overseas carriers have been passenger codeshares or freight-only operations.

Fares slashed

Jetstar Hong Kong intends to target the budget air-travel market -- a sector currently underdeveloped in the region.

With fares 50 percent lower that traditional carriers, the new airline aims to serve greater China, as well as Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.