Category — Australia

Forbes has come up with a slideshow of the 13 top skylines. Some are expected (Chicago, New York, Sydney, Paris). One is completely unexpected (Pittsburgh, which was a surprise, but in fact, the skyline is lovely).  One seems slightly wrong (Dallas, a little dull, I think). And one is just plain wrong (Dubai, proving that size isn’t everything). And kudos for showing the San Francisco skyline from an unexpected angle.

Lonely Planet has come up with a new Top Ten Destinations, rather unscientifically comprised of the top ten destinations in terms of hits on their website. But the changes—and similarities from year to year—are interesting.

Thailand, Italy, Costa Rica, and India are still at the top, year after year. Mexico, Argentina, Vietnam, and Australia also made the list. But two new destinations scored this year: Peru and Denmark.  I’ve been to both , and can vouch for them, but Denmark is a surprise—not because it isn’t lovely—but because when I was there, people were always surprised to hear I was from the US and visiting Denmark. Almost invariably, they asked if I was researching my family’s genealogy, as though that would be the only explanation for staying in Denmark. [Read more →]

There’s a fun post at Matador of 15 not-to-miss Australian travel experiences.  Some (like charter a fully crewed luxury yacht) I’m afraid I’ll sadly have to miss, and some (like gambling away my travel budget at the Crown Casino Melbourne) I’ll happily give a pass. Others (watching the sunset over Uluru, braving the waves at Bondi, or wine tasting in the Hunter Valley) I can vouch for. But I lust after Queensland and the Northern territories, Kakadu and the Kimberly. My score: 3 out of 15.