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Our recent visit to Bangkok was full of unexpected surprises, not least of which was the brand new and boldly beautiful Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4, a green, serene oasis secreted amidst Bangkok’s towers of concrete, right in the heart of the bustling business and entertainment district. The sleek, modern hotel is a brilliant choice for […] Read more…
Hailed as the “Venice of the East”, Thailand’s boisterous Bangkok offers visiting families a chaotic but cool combination of fast-paced city life and ancient culture. It is a city for all the senses with dazzling lights, the fragrant scent of street food, sprawling shrines to consumerism, and the cacophonous honking and tooting of tricked-up tuk-tuks. […] Read more…
Flying from Changi is always a treat, but it has quite been a while since I’ve had the pleasure of doing so with Qantas. And even longer since enjoying it in Business Class style. And what a treat it is. Seamless service, superior comfort and sublime food on the Qantas A330-200 business class service sets […] Read more…
Written by Raffles – Aged 10 I love travel more than just about anything, even eating. Ok, so maybe not more than, but at least equal to. But, luckily food and travel go hand in hand. Unfortunately, so do travel and airports. I mean, I love flying, unlike my scaredy-cat mum, but there’s literally nothing […] Read more…
Given Singapore’s national sports appear to be eating and drinking, it’s hardly surprising that, as a card-carrying glutton, it is a destination that has wormed its way into my heart, via my fickle stomach. Without doubt one of the best food cities on earth, traders and settlers from Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and Europe have […] Read more…
Tokyo is one of the world’s great culinary cities, so be prepared to eat. A lot. And often. Seriously, you need to forget Lost in Translation, because in this city, you’re far more likely to be lost in digestion. Street food is delicious and cheap, while at the other end of the dining spectrum there […] Read more…
From Sanrio’s sassy Hello Kitty to ancient Edo cat literature and cat art, cat cafés, cat islands and even an unofficial cat holiday – Nyan Nyan Nyan Day – held each year on February 22, you could be forgiven for thinking that Japan is utterly smitten with kittens. So, it turns out, are Raffles […] Read more…
Take one rumbling volcano, a sparkling blue harbour filled with galleons and gondolas, and seven enchanting ports filled with thrills, whimsy, creativity and adventure. Then add state-of-the-art special effects and a side of sushi, and you’ve got the incredible Tokyo DisneySea, a one-of-a kind Disney Park that I think might just be the most beautiful […] Read more…
Travel is an itch that the kids and I can’t help scratching. Instead of “are we there yet?”, my intrepid travellers, desperate to explore more of the world are more “where to next?” kids, and generally start nagging me for answers before we’ve even boarded our flight home from wherever we are. But sometimes even […] Read more…
What could be worse than more than 9 hours crammed into a tiny space with two farting and belching children, especially when they’re your own? I don’t know because somehow, we’ve won the airplane lottery and scored four seats between the three of us on our Thai Airways economy flight from Sydney to Bangkok. CHECK […] Read more…
On this, our fourth visit to Tokyo, we’ve already managed to see, eat and explore a whole other side to the city, thanks to the awesome local knowledge of Inside Japan Tours’ Mark. Our detour into local life has left us more hooked on this cool, chaotic and quirky metropolis than ever before, and while […] Read more…
Safe, clean and unapologetically oddball, Tokyo is a city where ancient shrines sit small but proud under the shadow of towering neon skyscrapers, and tranquil gardens share the same address as crowded and crazy shopping strips. Add a hefty scoop of samurais, ninjas and sumo wrestlers, a sprinkle of Hello Kitty and a pinch of […] Read more…
It is not often that a 10-year old gets to wax philosophic for an hour with one of his idols. But that’s exactly what happened when Raffles caught up with entrepreneur and philanthropist Bruce Poon Tip, founder of award-winning small group adventure travel company G Adventures. Raffles first learned about Bruce back in 2016 when […] Read more…
Cambodia is a place I first explored pre-parenthood. You know, back in the days when I was still spry and wrinkle-free. To this day it remains one of the few countries I’ve explored that has exceeded my expectations in every possible way. But I was a little nervous about returning all these years later with kids […] Read more…
Sure, Sri Lanka has endless beaches, a rich ancient culture, a cuisine that borders on the addictive and some of the loveliest people you’re ever likely to meet, but it also has elephants. Lots of them. So, when my British-based BFF agrees to meet me in Sri Lanka for a week of gin-infused cultural adventure, a […] Read more…
Move over Howarts Express. Dunedin Railway’s scenic Taieri Gorge route to Middlemarch has stolen the kids’ hearts as our favourite rail journey to date. And while we may not be en route to wizard school, it’s certainly a magical journey. The amazing Taieri Gorge Railway journey begins in Dunedin at the city’s historic railway station, a renaissance […] Read more…
Houston, we have a problem. Well, at least Raffles does. You see the boy is so obsessed with space that’s he’s saving up all his pocket money for a $250,000 a hit ticket on a yet-to-launch Virgin Galactic space flight (yes, he’ll be saving until he’s about 157 by my calculations), and has grand plans […] Read more…
With United Airlines launching flights direct from Sydney to Houston, an already popular hub that connects travellers to America’s Southeast, Midwest, East Coast and Latin America, Australians are wondering what the city, America’s fourth-most populous and most diverse city, might have to offer visiting families. I discover, after a few days of the city’s extreme congeniality, […] Read more…
It’s sooo fluffy” declares Raffles happily as he leaps out of our coach into the nearest heap of fresh snow, disappearing somewhere into its powdery depths. We’ve arrived at Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Tomamu, just a 90-minute drive from New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, to flurries of snowflakes dancing in the sky like frosty fairies. I’m so entranced […] Read more…
Written by Raffles – Aged 10 My mama is the only person I know who can actually make magic happen. She’s always conjuring up incredible creations in the kitchen and has this way of making everything my sister and I wish for come true. And she does it all without even needing to use an […] Read more…
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, travel for Mr Eats World and I meant finding a bargain deal for a random destination, chucking a handful of clothes, a camera and a toothbrush in a backpack and buggering off. But when two became three, booking a holiday suddenly required actual thought and planning, and to […] Read more…
Travel means different things to different people. When you’re flying solo, it may be for the chance to discover the world, or to discover yourself. And when you travel with kids, you might view it as a chance to bond or an opportunity to raise globally aware humans. No matter how or who you travel […] Read more…
A kids’ club and a cuddly toy at registration are not what makes a family-friendly hotel. I mean sure, they’re nice, and much appreciated, but if you ask Raffles and Sugarpuff what makes a hotel kid friendly, it is friendliness … to kids. Pretty simple really, but also sadly infrequent. But the new Pullman Tokyo […] Read more…
The true test of whether a holiday resort is kid friendly is to ask a kid. Here, our very own ten-year old junior correspondent and international man of mystery, Raffles, is sharing his thoughts on why Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort is cool for kids. 1. THE WELCOME From the second we arrived from […] Read more…