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Ludicrous list of new entry requirements might make US travel too hard. Once Uncle Sam just wanted you, as per the famou...
12/12/2025

Ludicrous list of new entry requirements might make US travel too hard.

Once Uncle Sam just wanted you, as per the famous military poster entreaty; now, to gain admittance as a visitor to the US, he, or more to the point, the Trump administration, wants you to supply an unprecedented trove of information.

Here’s the list: your social media accounts from the past five years, five years of your phone numbers, 10 years of your email addresses, IP addresses, metadata from electronically submitted photos, biometrics, and information about family members.

Not even communist regimes have devised visa conditions with this degree of chutzpah. I completed a visa application myself for a visit to a certain such country only this week, and while it was a time-consuming and questioning process, there was none of the demands proposed by the Trump administration.

The timing of the proposed US plan is yet another bitter blow for an already beleaguered US tourism industry, which had been hoping for a bonanza of 5 million international visitors for the FIFA World Cup – arguably the biggest major event on the planet, while the Los Angeles Olympics is 2½ years away.

Brand USA, the Stateside marketing arm equivalent of our own Tourism Australia, this year had its budget slashed by the US government.

As recently reported by this masthead, the latest US Department of Commerce data shows overseas visitors to the US have dipped 2.5 per cent this year, driven by large declines from France, Germany and Canada.

At the same time, the number of Australians visiting the US has fallen by 5.6 per cent. When isolated to tourist visas – by far the biggest category – that figure jumps to 6.4 per cent.

- Anthony Dennis

Need a laugh? This year’s funniest wildlife photos named.A high-kicking gorilla, a seabird in a headlock and a heron hit...
11/12/2025

Need a laugh? This year’s funniest wildlife photos named.

A high-kicking gorilla, a seabird in a headlock and a heron hitching a ride on a hippo make up the starring subjects of this year’s winners of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

UK amateur photographer Mark Meth-Cohn was named the overall winner for his image High Five, taken in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains. The photograph shows a young male gorilla mid-high kick during a vigorous play session.

The image was selected from a record 10,000 entries submitted by photographers across 109 countries in the awards’ 11th year. The photo also won the mammals category award.

Meth-Cohn, who was also a finalist in last year’s awards, said his winning subject was “especially keen to show off his acrobatic flair: pirouetting, tumbling, and high kicking”.

“Watching his performance was pure joy, and I’m thrilled to have captured his playful spirit in this image.”

Topping the awards’ other categories, was a photo depicting the moment a guillemot – a fiercely territorial seabird – stares bemusedly down the lens as its neighbour’s beak begins to clamp down on its head (in the bird category), and an image of a smiley bluestriped fangblenny in the Philippines (in the fish category). In the video category, a clip of a heron “surfing” on a hippo in Kruger National Park in South Africa won over judges.

Sneak peek inside Qantas' new 'best on the network' lounge.An idea first floated a decade ago has finally become reality...
10/12/2025

Sneak peek inside Qantas' new 'best on the network' lounge.

An idea first floated a decade ago has finally become reality at Auckland Airport, with Qantas unveiling its completely revamped International Lounge.

The refurbished space will officially open on December 17, just in time for the busy Christmas travel period, and ahead of schedule.

It has taken eight months to build the lounge with a footprint 60 per cent larger than the previous space, expanding into what was office space at the airport, to provide capacity for more than 370 customers.

The new lounge has 15 shower suites built for customers to freshen up during long-haul journeys, particularly those transiting from Australia to the non-stop Auckland–New York service. The entrance looks like a day spa, with rolled-up towels making a feature of themselves behind the stone-top desk. A Quench station will help travellers to stay hydrated ahead of their flight with flavoured waters and teas.

I paid $2500 for an Emirates upgrade, and got a watered-down version. "I paid $2500 to upgrade to Emirates business clas...
09/12/2025

I paid $2500 for an Emirates upgrade, and got a watered-down version.

"I paid $2500 to upgrade to Emirates business class on my recent trip to Morocco via Dubai, expecting the full experience. Instead, I was told lounge access wasn’t included. At that price, it’s outrageous that they couldn’t even offer a drink before boarding. Business class should mean business class, not a watered-down version. Travellers deserve transparency about what’s excluded before paying such a premium."
- Traveller reader Melissa Green, Randwick, NSW

Ten things we’ll never understand about DubaiThe endless blingGilt and opulence everywhere, gold taps in some hotel suit...
04/12/2025

Ten things we’ll never understand about Dubai

The endless bling
Gilt and opulence everywhere, gold taps in some hotel suites, super-cars flashing past your taxi, Lamborghinis raffled in shopping malls, and more haute-couture handbags than there are people on the planet. Dubai is surely the gaudiest, most conspicuously consumptive city you’ll ever see. Visible displays of wealth aren’t considered immodest, and although the rich aren’t quite nouveau any more the excitement hasn’t faded – in fact, it’s fuelled by social media. Isn’t anyone over it yet?

The humidity … and cold
Think Dubai, think desert and dry heat, right? Nope. How Dubai can be so humid is a great mystery of geography and meteorology. In the middle of the year, Dubai can feel like a sauna, and windows run with condensation. Oh, and in winter the temperature can drop to 10 degrees at night. Irrespective, I guarantee you’ll be cold year-round, with air-conditioning running at frigid temperatures that pay no need to global-warming alarm. BYO sweater.

Why rush hour is hell
Dubai is one of the world’s newest cities, so why has traffic planning – or better, public transportation planning – been so overlooked? Prepare for peak-hour congestion. Steer clear of moving around between 7-9.30am and 5-7pm, especially on major arteries Sheikh Zayed, Al Khail Road and Jumeirah Beach roads. Choose a hotel in the district where you think you’ll spend most of your time. And yes, Dubai is hot, but not a single footpath in places? Madness.

The perfume overload
If, like me, you’re sensitive to perfumes, hold your breath in Dubai lifts and other confined spaces. The Emiratis smell delightful but are liberal with colognes and sprays. Perfumery and incense burning is a big deal – a sign of hospitality and heritage – but its ubiquity might be more than your nose is used to. Still, take the opportunity to discover aromas such as oud, frankincense and myrrh, and perfume brands such as Lattafa, Ramasat and Taif al Emirat.

The continuing gold rush
What’s with Dubai’s gold obsession? The city accounts for a fifth of the world’s annual gold trade and, in the past year, gold mania reached fever pitch, pushing prices up 30 per cent. The latest craze is monthly gold instalment plans in which buyers accumulate credit that can be redeemed for gold later. If you’re after gold jewellery, no need to look far. Heck, you can even buy gold bars from vending machines.
- Brian Johnston

A museum where staring at your phone is the point? We’ve lost the plot.At least you don’t have to get angry at all the p...
03/12/2025

A museum where staring at your phone is the point? We’ve lost the plot.

At least you don’t have to get angry at all the people staring at their phones. Here, it’s the entire point. This thought occurs to you while visiting teamLab Forest in Fukuoka, Japan. This is a digital art gallery and installation from the same company that runs teamLab Planets and Borderless in Tokyo, two phenomenally popular attractions filled with foreign tourists every moment they’re open, with reservations required weeks in advance.

The first exhibit at Forest is a large, dark room with wall panels lit with colourful displays of animals moving through vivid landscapes. To the naked eye it’s interesting, even beautiful, but then there’s a sign at the door telling visitors to download the teamLab app on their phones to properly view the work.

This is augmented reality as art. The app accesses your camera, which shows the room with its animals and its landscapes. The idea is that you tap the animals and watch as they move towards you (on your phone) or run away. Some are captured in nets. Some just stare dolefully.

The rest of the gallery is made up of more large rooms filled with colour, bubbles on the floor that burst with light when you step on them; large translucent eggs that wobble around a room; multi-hued fish swimming across the floor.

The necessity of the app was annoying to begin with. Like, why are you making me stare at my phone? I come to art galleries to avoid interacting with the tech that I spend all day doomscrolling on. I want to see something beautiful and real with my own eyes.

This isn’t the only modern art gallery to do that, either: Mona, in Hobart, also makes you download an app to read any descriptions or information about the artworks. You’re forced to spend the gallery experience staring at your phone.
- Ben Groundwater

The countries to put on your list for 2026: Ecuador: Many visitors to Ecuador head straight to the Galapagos Islands and...
01/12/2025

The countries to put on your list for 2026:

Ecuador: Many visitors to Ecuador head straight to the Galapagos Islands and miss exploring the many delights of the mainland nation to which the isles belong. The country has 40 national parks and reserves covering terrain as diverse as the Amazon rainforest and the Andean highlands.

Poland: For Central European charm on a budget, Poland is a brilliant choice. Beyond well-known cities such as Krakow, Warsaw and Gdansk, Poland is packed with smaller beauties including Wroclaw and Poznan, while the Tatras Mountains offer great outdoor activities.

Taiwan: Could it be the next Japan? Probably not quite, but increasing numbers of canny travellers are finding plenty to love about this compact island, from its mountainous hiking trails to the serene beauty of Sun Moon Lake.

Papua New Guinea: This island nation is blessed with coral reefs, jungles and tropical fjords, and is about the same distance from Australia as Fiji but receives about one-tenth of the visitors each year. As well as its drawcard tribal cultures and the gruelling Kokoda Track, its islands and beaches have plenty to appeal to travellers who enjoy going off the beaten track.

On our guard in Europe, we still fell for a classic thieves’ scam:A gentle warning about a classic scam that still exist...
29/11/2025

On our guard in Europe, we still fell for a classic thieves’ scam:

A gentle warning about a classic scam that still exists overseas. During our recent five-week trip through three European countries, we diligently kept ourselves aware of potential pickpockets, scammers and similar, particularly in crowded places. With only two days left of the trip, we were enjoying a delightful morning stroll, through the quiet botanic gardens in Madrid, feeling pleased with our successful, safe holiday.

As a seemingly friendly couple approached us, we were suddenly hit by bird droppings, with the couple commiserating with us and helping to clean the mess from our shirts, pants and hair. With the shock, distraction and fussing, they cleverly and swiftly, took my husband’s wallet (in his front pocket) and withdrew his Visa card, returning the wallet to the original pocket. A small amount of money was used before we realised the card was stolen or even thought to check the wallet and then lock the card. Kudos to ING for the calm and efficient handling of an annoying, embarrassing situation.
- Traveller reader J. Ryan, Ringwood North, Vic

The Irwins now offer luxury accommodation – complete with live crocs. The Crocodile Hunter Lodge, the accommodation adja...
25/11/2025

The Irwins now offer luxury accommodation – complete with live crocs.

The Crocodile Hunter Lodge, the accommodation adjacent to Steve Irwin’s internationally renowned Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast, has new luxury cabins. “Luxury” may not be a word one normally associates with the Irwins, given the family’s reputation for getting down and dirty with wildlife across Australia and beyond.

But luxurious these cabins certainly are – as fancy as anything you’ll find in capital city hotels. In fact, “cabin” feels far too rustic a term for something that feels more like a house. Our two-storey Crocodile Cabin (each cabin type is named after a native animal) features a large full kitchen, dining and living area, a gigantic television, a terrace with a heated plunge pool, two bedrooms, two large bathrooms and a laundry. We’re here for just one night, but it could easily accommodate an extended stay.

The Irwins might have been criticised for representing an old-fashioned stereotype of Australia and Australians to the world, but there’s nothing old-fashioned about the cabin – it’s all sleek, modern design with just a few cheeky elements of Irwin humour (the doormat, for example, is emblazoned not with “Welcome” but with “Crikey!”).

The lagoon vista from our room, complete with waterfall and (freshwater) crocodiles, seems entirely appropriate.

- Craig Platt

I didn’t want coffee, so my $1000-a-night resort gave me cheap tea bags.It’s a sultry morning in the Maldives and the me...
24/11/2025

I didn’t want coffee, so my $1000-a-night resort gave me cheap tea bags.

It’s a sultry morning in the Maldives and the mechanic is sweating as he tinkers with the sparkling La Marzocco espresso machine. All the while, hopeful guests watch, desperate for a morning hit.

Unperturbed, I order my usual cup of tea. Unlike the coffee, the tea arrived moments later; a pot of hot water and two budget supermarket-brand tea bags languishing, insouciant as a couple of down-at-heel gatecrashers, by the pot.

Not leaf tea. Not even a decent bag, but the sort of pesticide-laden, waterproof tea bags that make you want to thump your head on the table in the midst of breakfast service. Reader, this particular resort cost $1000 a night.

Hotels, restaurants and cafes will finesse the espresso, coo over the pour-over, obsess with the cold-press. Meanwhile, the rusted-on tea drinker is ignored.

And so, I call out to hoteliers; step up your steeping game, and let us at your loose-leaf.

- Belinda Jackson

BREAKING: Qantas, Virgin to ban use of power banks on planes after spate of fires. Passengers on Australia’s major airli...
20/11/2025

BREAKING: Qantas, Virgin to ban use of power banks on planes after spate of fires.

Passengers on Australia’s major airlines will face new rules on the use of power banks, as Virgin, Qantas and Jetstar update their guidelines starting next month.

The move comes as safety concerns over the use of the devices has prompted airlines and regulators to act.

Starting on December 1, passengers on Virgin Australia will not be able to use power banks - the small, self-contained battery packs used to charge phones and other devices - on flights. Starting on December 15, Qantas has announced the same restrictions in tandem with Virgin, which will affect Qantas, QantasLink and Jetstar planes.

Awareness of power bank risks on flights has risen as more cases of the devices overheating and catching fire emerge and are documented.

Just one Australian winery named in World’s 50 Best list. The World’s 50 Best Vineyards have just been announced and Aus...
20/11/2025

Just one Australian winery named in World’s 50 Best list.

The World’s 50 Best Vineyards have just been announced and Australia’s highest-ranked wine experience is South Australia's Henschke at No.47. It’s the first year since the awards began in 2019 that Australia has only had one vineyard in the top 50, despite this year's event being held here.

At the awards ceremony, held at Amelia Park Wines in Western Australia’s Margaret River, the coveted top vineyard title was nabbed by Vik in the Millahue Valley, Chile. Founded by Alexander and Carrie Vik, this integrated tourism experience combines architectural features like a floating roof of bronzed titanium with immersive wine experiences, fine dining, mountain biking, a luxury hotel, and soon, a wellness centre.

According to winemaker Stephen Henschke, the awards provide significant validation.

“I think it’s a fantastic tribute to our ancestors, the people who planted those vineyards way back, 150-plus years ago,” he says. “And obviously, our family and staff have played a huge role in focusing on just being better, rather than bigger.”

The awards list is compiled by UK company William Reed Limited, also responsible for the World’s 50 Best Hotels, Bars and Restaurants lists. Some may argue that lists are subjective, and in this case, that is entirely the intention.

The competition splits the world into 20 regions, each with an academy chair. Each chair selects 36 wine and travel experts, totalling more than 700 panellists who vote for seven of their personal favourite vineyards. Each panellist may only select a maximum of three vineyards from their home region.

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