4 Traveller ON SUNDAY
The Sun-Herald
DECEMBER 27, 2015
THE YEAR THAT WAS
Best Finds
For more of the best finds for 2015, see traveller.com.au
2015
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Best travel finds of 2015 The Traveller team traverses the globe, covering hundreds of thousands of kilometres every year, and continues to find new restaurants, new hotels, new gadgets and new experiences.
T
his is it. This is the reason travel is so great. This is why people love it so much, why it gets into your veins and becomes part of who you are: travel never gets old. It never becomes stale. Want proof? After years of journeys, the Traveller writers and photographers are still constantly finding new sights, new attractions, new restaurants, new hotels, new gadgets, new destinations, and new experiences that excite and amaze them. This year was no different. In 2015, our writers uncovered plenty of new places, while also rediscovering a few old ones. Their experiences ran the full gamut: they went boutique shopping in Hong Kong, mountainbiking in New Zealand, dancing in Rio, dining in LA, motorbiking in China, and relaxing aboard cruise after cruise after cruise on the high seas. They discovered the luxury of an infinity pool in Oman and they travelled by car, by train, by bike, by plane, and even on foot, in some of the most amazing destinations in the world. These are the highlights of a huge collective year of travelling. They’re the discoveries that have
Contributors Andrew Bain, Andrea Black, Jim Darby, Ben Groundwater, Belinda Jackson, Brian Johnston, Tatyana Leonov, Rob McFarland, Sally Macmillan, Tracey Spicer, Jane Reddy, Tim Richards, Craig Tansley and Lee Tulloch
excited our team the most; they’re the revelations that have reaffirmed our love of getting out there and seeing the world. This is a look back, but in a way it’s also a look forward, as all travellers begin to plan for another big year ahead. That’s the great thing about travel: it never gets old. BG
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BEST RIVER CRUISE Insider Tour APT If you’re on an APT Seine River cruise, sign up for the complementary Paris culinary tour with guide Flavia, whose flawless English matches her enthusiasm, producing an
insider tour that’s fun, informative and leaves you feeling you’ve done something special. Taste olives, pastries, cheese and fois gras in the Marais district, and finish over macarons in a cafe in gorgeous Place des Vosges. ‘‘Romantic Seine’’ cruise from $4695 per person twin share. See aptouring.com.au. BJ
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BEST GREEK ISLAND ALTERNATIVE Sardinia Still largely untouched by tourism in many areas, Sardinia is
a Mediterranean gem of mountain towns, coastal villages, rugged hills and crystal-clear waters. While Russian oligarchs and their entourages swan about the glamorous Costa Smeralda, much of the rest of the island retains its sleepy charm – towns such as Castelsardo, Tempio-Pausania, and even the capital, Cagliari, have plenty to offer those who step off the beaten path. See sardegnaturismo.it/en. BG
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BEST HOTEL FOR KIDS Legoland Hotel, Orlando Located precisely 130 kid steps from the Legoland theme park, this new hotel opened to squeals of delight in May. Inside it’s a Lego lover’s paradise with 152 Lego-themed rooms, 2000 Lego models and workshops with Lego master builders. Little ones will love the kids-only breakfast buffet, the giant Lego pit in the lobby and the whoopee cushion carpets. Adults will love that hotel guests get exclusive early access to the
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