Talking Travel with Pamela Wright on Eastside FM 89.7

Travel is something that we all love and on Talking Travel I have a variety of guests to whet your appetite for the passion of travel.

Of course I haven’t been everywhere but I’m getting close and I try to find different aspects in various countries so that we can talk about ‘out of the way’ places as well as the usual highlights.

My first travel assignment was in 1980 when I went white water rafting on the Sepik River in the jungle of New Guinea where many of the locals had never seen white people before and young kids just stood and stared. Some of my more recent adventures include a whirlwind trip around the world in twelve days – from Sydney to Guangzhou, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Buenos Aires and the quaintest, cobble street, historic town of Colonia in Uruguay:- A fascinating trip to the south Indian state of Kerala where their famous houseboats take visitors around the massive maze of waterways; – A trip to the Red Centre, my fifth, just as good as the first, with the majestic Uluru and Olgas, a variety of indigenous activities and my first experience of sleeping under the stars in a swag:- Horse riding through the snow on an enormous ranch in Colorado, escorted by the owner’s dog amongst Aspen trees which turn bright gold in autumn:- And one of my favourite places, Jordan, where I marvelled at the ‘rose city of Petra’ an amazingly visual and exciting place to be, floated in the Dead Sea and took a 4WD through Wadi Rum, a desert landscape with sheer sided, sandstone and granite mountains.

These a just a few of the many and varied trips I’ve taken over the years and I intend to do many more so I can bring some fun, excitement, fascinating stories and important information to the Talking Travel audience. I hope you enjoy listening.

Talking Travel is on alternate Wednesdays at 6pm

Beacon Hotel NYC my best bet

Dakota Apartments NYC

With a city as big and diverse as New York, how do you find a suitable hotel? Ask a friend, use the various internet sites or just take my advice?

The Beacon Hotel on the corner of 75th and Broadway in Manhattan's Upper West Side is a great choice for a brilliantly located property, good facilities, scrumptious beds and pillows, big TVs and a refurbished lounge and bar for either guests or passers-by. I know there's no such thing as too helpful or too friendly but the staff at The Beacon come close and Darryn I think it was, gave me some suggestions for loads of local restaurants from India to Italian. Not that I needed much help as we'd already discovered about six casual places, the type that I like, with a comfortable ambience, between 72nd and 74th streets (which are really short blocks) and the longer block to Amsterdam Avenue. The Beacon's rooms and suites have cable TV, free Wi-Fi and kitchenettes which makes the food store opposite a very handy thing to have across the road.

According to a few Aussies who've stayed at the Beacon, the Fairway Market is one of the best in town - best meats, fish, cheese and the prices are reasonable. In fact they're cheap. I bought a punnet of blueberries for $2, a walnut and fig wedge for $3 (would've been about $8 in Australia) and a couple of cheeses from a huge deli selection. All this food access is very important I'll have you know, as The Beacon makes eating in an 'easy and good' alternative especially if you've been traipsing around looking at everything important nearby. The Museum of Natural History is four blocks, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts less than a kilometer and the Beacon Theatre next door.

NY mates

A ten minute walk gets you to the Dakota Apartments where John Lennon lived and was later shot (1980) and then across the road is Central Park (which stretches from 59th Street to 110th Street and 5th Avenue to 8th Avenue.. Walk a few metres in and you'll find Strawberry Fields and while I was there, a busker was sitting on a park bench near the Imagine mosaic, playing the guitar and singing Hey Jude then Let it Be. It was much more moving than I thought it would be but then again, I grew up with the Beatles. And on the corner of 72nd is the subway, only four stops to Times Square.

So, for all these reasons, The Beacon's my recommendation for a great New York hotel and there are deals available year round.
www.beaconhotel.com

I Wanna Go Home - Is this the worst hotel in the world?

 

Seven hours of driving through winding roads in the north of India, barely missing scooters, trucks, other cars, people, cows and around a million trishaws would have been worth the nail biting if we'd ended up where we thought we were going. That was meant to be a fresh air, relaxing, hillside lodge with views across the valley and gardens full of fresh herbs. Now that I've survived the trip, I can reveal that it wasn't anything like that. Don't get me wrong. I love surprises when I travel but this surprise was above and beyond anyone's expectations and not good ones at that.

At a town about half way there we stopped for lunch and looking forward to eating at a local restaurant. I love Indian food and always have and I prefer basic restaurants or cafes as long as they serve good hopefully wholesome food. But this was unbelievable and none of us could face it. Take a look at the fish - the main dish. Nup - not possible to eat.

Just a bad experience, a crappy restaurant and no big deal perhaps. But let's just get to the accommodation which was truly astounding. The water in the taps was yellow, the beds were rock hard and so was the thing that was meant to be a pillow. It was a harrowing drive and all we wanted was something edible and a place to go to sleep as by the time we arrived it was well and truly dark so no view until morning. (By the way, we left early the next morning before sunrise to go back - so seven more hours dodging traffic and animals along the same winding roads).



During the night, or more precisely, around two in the morning I could hear people in the room next door chatting and laughing but by then I didn't really care. However, a guy in the room on the other side of mine couldn't stand it any longer. The whole scenario was just too much. He banged on their door and said"Shut up. People are trying to sleep". As he came back past my door I heard him say "I can't stand this. I just wanna go home." I reckon he was close to tears. Get over it some would say but it was bloody terrible and on a paid famil. Part of life's rich tapestry but not the part I'd choose as it was unnecessary dangerous driving and completely unhygienic all round. I was looking forward to staying in real Indian hotels - I'd stayed in palaces and in tents and loved both experiences but this hotel was a humdinger - and didn't even see the view. Don't even know if there was one.

Carefree Kerala

Taking to a houseboat, Pamela Wright explores the tranquil waterways of southern India, traversing a land of spice markets, hill towns and beach resorts

The lure of a luxury houseboat, drifting on the intricate maze of tranquil backwaters that link southern India's lakes, rivers and canals, is one of the reasons the south-western state of Kerala is among Asia's fastest-growing tourist destinations. Add to that the region's hilltop stations, excellent food, glorious beaches and still bays, dense tropical forest, fertile plains, glimmering rivers and happy people, and you have the recipe for a diverse and rewarding holiday.

Hundreds of traditional water vessels (kettuvallom) have either been converted into luxury houseboats or are being newly built as "old" ones. As they ply the waterways, they mingle easily with local canoes and watercraft steered by folk who use Kerala's backwaters as lifelines. Along palm-fringed river banks, women launder, kids swim and bathe, men fish for dinner and canoes transport necessary items from village to village.

Reaching up to 20 metres long, the larger houseboats are two-storeyed with four bedrooms, but

most of those afloat are two-bedroomed, cosily comfortable craft with separate dining areas, open but covered lounges and comfortable, air-conditioned sleeping quarters with decent-sized windows.

Our houseboat is too big for some of the narrow canals, so a morning canoe trip to explore them is arranged, the oarsman standing at the back of the craft like a gondolier. They do, after all, call this region the Venice of the East.

Designed for fun, relaxation, and absorbing the Indian way of life, Kerala's tourist houseboats come with a flotilla of staff for cooking meals and serving drinks, and a bunch of extra facilities. One or two nights afloat is probably ideal.

Another reason Kerala is thriving – especially now that many of the state's popular sand-strips are patrolled for patrons' safety – is the quality and relative tranquility of the region's beaches. Most of India's finest lie along this 600-kilometre length of coastline and, as this is the west coast, you get gorgeous sunsets thrown in.

In Kochi, a rapidly expanding south-western coastal city, you'll find the genteel Bolgatty Palace Hotel, its enormous rooms graced with elegant furniture dating, I suspect, from the days of the Raj. The hotel reclines on the shore of one of the trio of islands that make up the city.

Not only is Kochi the business centre of Kerala, it's referred to as the "spice capital". Here, peppercorns were once called black gold and spice shops are everywhere, and always bustling, with queues often forming for allegedly life-lengthening cardamon tea.

A short boat-ride delivers you to Fort Cochin, where fishermen catch their day's bounty using old-fashioned nets with large rocks as ballast. Any reasonable-sized catch is followed by an instant auction: every few minutes, a bundle of fish or prawns is

poured onto a cloth and, hey presto, in seconds, it has been sold.

Spread over a number of islands and connecting bridges, the fine natural harbour of Kochi is also perfect for sunset cruising. Our boat glides across the water, following the low-rise city skyline as far as the fishing nets, which take on a bluish hue in the setting sun. It's a tranquil scene, in complete contrast to the frantic activity that takes place during daylight fishing hours.

Often, hill resorts aren't easy to get to, but with a local driver and guide, the four-hour trip to Munnar from Kochi along steep, winding, narrow roads, with constant oncoming trucks and buses is bearable – as long as we don't look.

At 1600 metres above sea level, the tea plantations and wildlife sanctuaries of the hill station here enjoy lower temperatures and humidity. It's a welcome cool change after the hot, muggy weather on the coast.

Munmar's sprawling tea plantations, cultivated on a whopping 24,000 hectares of land, produce an annual yield of nearly 50,000 metric tons – and in anyone's language, that's a lot of tea.

Here, the tea-pluckers are all women: discerning girls who pick only the best leaves, high on the hillside and who, for a donation of a few rupees, will cheerfully let tourists photograph them at work, meeting their daily quota.

At elevated Eravikulam National Park, nearby, rare native Nilgiri Tahrs resembling hairy mountain goats are out in numbers in the early morning. Having beaten busloads of European tourists (the area is popular with Germans, in particular), we walk in peace among the animals and birds, looking back towards the rocky cliffs and the higgledy-piggledy pattern of tea bushes.

Sometimes chaotic and always non-stop, the traffic here is unbelievable. Horns honk incessantly, with the number and volume of honks varying depending on what the driver wants to convey to fellow motorists. I figure one quick beep means "get out of the way", two long ones seems to indicate "I'm coming past" and three quick beeps probably means "move or you're a goner". Some roads are only just navigable, with potholes at regular intervals. Once again, though, it's part of the adventure of travelling in India.

About 80 kilometres south of Kochi lies the exquisite Kumarakom Lake Resort. Perched right on Vembanad Lake, it consists of authentic heritage dwellings, up to three centuries old but all equipped with ultra-modern amenities. Some of the resort's 60 villas and rooms have their own swimming pools; others face a meandering, 250-metre-long lagoon pool, reputedly the longest in Asia. The resort even has its own mini- fleet of houseboats, on which, for around AU$350 a night, visitors can luxuriate in untold splendour.

Food, for the most part, is good in Kerala, with vegetarian and local seafood dishes the regional specialties. At the Pattrani Macchi at Kumarakom Resort, a fillet of fish marinated in coriander paste, mint and green chilli with freshly grated coconut, cooked until tender in a covered pan and served with mint chutney and coriander paratha, is delicious and, at AU$14, inexpensive.

For general nosh, our driver takes us to a local restaurant where it costs 70 rupees (about AU$2) for thali – as much fresh, aromatic vegetarian curry and Kerala rice as we can eat.

It's not advisable to drink local water or eat salad washed in it, or to add ice to drinks, but it's easy to get the bottled variety just about everywhere, including hotels and restaurants.

With nearly 100 per cent literacy, world-class health-care systems, comparatively high life expectancy rates and a booming regional economy, it's not surprising to see mobile phones everywhere you go in the state of Kerala, even in the hands of fishermen on the beach and porters on houseboats.

For the most part, the people are welcoming and here, in contrast to the streets of some parts of India, there isn't a beggar in sight.

Street festivals, however, are a regular occurrence and, though they disrupt traffic, no-one appears to care – they're part of a rich religious and cultural tradition. No matter what the celebration, people of all religions (in Kerala, that means about 60 per cent Hindu, 20 per cent Christian and 20 per cent Islamic) harmoniously join in, a fact of which our driver is particularly proud. And rightly so. •

Photography by Pamela Wright and Tourism India

Travel facts

gettingthere

Singapore Airlines has regular flights to Singapore from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth with a daily evening flight to Kochi (Cochin). Phone 13 1011 or visit www.singaporeair.com Qantas has 3 flights per week from Sydney direct to Mumbai (Bombay) with connections on Jet Airways to Kochi. Phone 13 1313 or visit www.qantas.com

Air India (phone 02 9283 3370 or visit www.airindia.com) and Thai Airways (phone 1300 651 960 or visit www.thaiairways.com.au) also fly to India.

gettingaround

Adventure Associates, phone 1800 222 141 or visit www.adventureassociates.com Asiaquest Tours, phone 1800 144 738 or visit www.asiaquesttours.com.au Ausindia Holidays, phone 1300 146 342 or visit www.auindiaholidays.com.au Banyan Tours, phone 02 9999 5270 or go to www.banyantours.com

Creative Holidays, phone 1300 747 400 or visit www.creativeholidays.com.au Intrepid Travel, phone 1300 364 512 or visit www.intrepidtravel.com Natural Focus Safaris, phone 1300 363 302 or 03 9249 3777 or visit www.naturalfocussafaris.com

Travel Indochina, phone 1300 138 755 or visit www.travelindochina.com.au Travman Tours, phone 1800 338 007 or visit www.travman.com.au Icon Holidays, phone 1300 853 953 or email info@iconholidays.com Wendy Wu Tours, phone 02 9224 8888 or 1300 727 998, or visit www.wendywutours.com.au

wheretostay

Kumarakom Lake Resort, Kottayam, phone +91 481 252 4900 or visit www.klresort.com Marari Beach Resort, Alappuzha, phone +91 484 286 301 1711 or visit www.cghearth.com Bolgatty Palace, Kochi, phone +91 484 275 0003 or visit www.ktdc.com Houseboats, NAS Tourism Group, "Apartment Afloat", phone +91 477 645 111 or visit www.nastours.com

Taj Hotels also offers some magnificent properties in various southern cities. Phone +800 4588 1825 or go to www.tajhotels.com

furtherinformation Contact India Tourism on 02 9221 9555 or visit www.incredibleindia.org and

www.keralatourism.org

SkyTeam adds Middle Eastern Airlines and Saudia to alliance

In its expanding network, Skyteam has closed the gap with the announcement that Saudia and Middle Eastern Airlines have joined their airline alliance. Making the statement in Jeddah, CEO, Mr. Leo van Wijk, Chairman of SkyTeam, emphasised the strategic importance of introducing competition in the Middle East.

The main competitors in the region are Emirates and Etihad and these additions will open the doors for Australians to have more choice in this important economic region.

SkyTeam has welcomed Saudia, the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia as its 16th member. From its hubs in Jeddah, Riyad and Dammam, Saudia operates a comprehensive network throughout the Arabian peninsula, the Indian subcontinent and northern Africa and adds 52 new destinations to SkyTeam’s global network. During the ceremony in May, Saudia unveiled two aircraft painted in SkyTeam livery – a Boeing B777-200 deployed on routes to Dubai/London/New York and Guangzhou and an Airbus A320 used primarily on routes to Europe and the UAE.

The addition of Middle Eastern Airlines, the 17th member, based in Lebanon means that SkyTeam will offer its passengers a wider access to the Middle East and Western Africa. This new member serves 30 international destinations in Europe, The Middle East and West Africa, with a modern fleet of Airbus A330, A321 and A320 aircraft. Passengers will enjoy luxurious service on the ground and onboard, reflecting the time honored Lebanese traditions of culture and hospitality.

As SkyTeam becomes more active in Australia, a growing network will offer passengers more options and an opportunity for low cost travelling, particularly with the RTW (Round the World) Pass.

Throughout Australia, SkyTeam is planning more organised workshops with travel agents and extra sales calls so that their extensive global connectivity is recognized.

The newly launched SkyPriority offers elite, first and business class passengers priory services at select airports which include check in, baggage drop off and handling, boarding as well as security queues (when possible) and service at transfer desks.

China Southern already offers an alternative route to Europe via Ghangzhou to London, Paris and Amsterdam and was the first Chinese airline to join a global alliance in 2007.

For those travelling through London, the new, very spacious and modern SkyTeam lounge in Terminal 4 Heathrow spans two levels and welcomes all member carriers.

“There is clearly more room for international growth and a need to consolidate international competition” said Rafael Despradel, Country Director, Australia. "Later this year we’ll be adding Aerolineas Argentinas with regular flights non-stop from Sydney to Buenos Aires and as South America increases in popularity with Australians, this addition will offer easy access to Argentina’s capital.” Also joining is Garuda Indonesia flying daily from Sydney to Jakarta and Denpasar.

SkyTeam is also lobbying to get India and Brazil on board which will further expand their network that already offers its 487 million annual customers globally over 14,500 daily flights to 926 destinations in 173 countries.

www.skyteam.com www.facebook.com.skyteam www.youtube.com/user/skyteam

Around the world with Sofitel in ten days. Yes ten!

When Phileas Fogg, a rich English gentleman decided to circumnavigate the globe in 1873, it was for a hefty bet with members at his local club in London. As the main fictional character in the Jules Verne novel ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’, the adventure was planned using rail and boat steamer with his French valet, Passepartout.

At the Reform Club, Fogg was involved in an argument over a newspaper article regarding the opening of a new train section in India, claiming to make it possible to travel around the world in 80 days. With a few complications, he makes it just in time and claims his money, worth well over one million English pounds in today’s money.

I made no such bet. When I decided to fly around the world in 2012, it was for a platinum, exhilarating exploration of five cities in five countries on three continents in just ten days. What? Are you mad? For both Fogg and me it was a world away from reality but the lure to travel so far so fast to so many exotic places was impossible to resist.

For the record, Fogg’s journey took him from London via the Suez to Bombay, Calcutta, Hong Kong, then Yokohama across to San Francisco, New York and back to London.

Mine however took me and five companions from Sydney to Guangzhou in China, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome then across to Buenos Aires, travelling by plane and train without a boat steamer in sight.

By moving at high speed in each city, miraculously we managed to savour the local culture, food, architecture and people who made each destination unique.

The itinerary made it clear that this was going to be around half sightseeing and half eating – a massive food component. We were however given the option to look and not taste!

Sponsored by SkyTeam alliance airlines, Sofitel hotels, top of the range with Accor Hotels and Rail Plus, we embarked on what was to be a huge adventure in constant five star comfort putting Phileas Fogg to shame.

GUANGZHOU

With the nickname of ‘Flower City’, Guangzhou, China’s third largest city with a mere 14 million people, is known historically as Canton. The Sofitel Guangzhou Sunrich, a super modern hotel with five bars and restaurants, combines French and Sino influences, oozes with French pastries and trendy bright red artwork but still portrays a traditional Chinese feel.

Cantonese cuisine is famous for soups and yum cha and there’s a saying that goes along the lines of ‘A woman needs to be able to make a good Cantonese soup before she can find a husband”. At one of the local favourites, Bingsheng Restaurant in the Haizhu district, we weren’t madly keen on the seasoned geese intestines but really enjoyed the Icy Fresh Shrimps and the Jin Sha Pork Dumplings.

On a smoggy day, we headed to the Canton Tower which, at 600 metres, has the world’s highest post office, a fact that tickled my fancy. Designed by Mark Hemel to look like a ‘sexy female’ it earned the name of “young lady with the tight waste’ and is a show case of buildings in this dynamic city. From the observation deck, you can see forever, almost across to Hong Kong.

A Pearl River cruise is worth doing, particularly at night and so is a visit to Shamian Island, a real surprise with a bit of European flair like stepping into parts of colonial London.

That’s because the territory was divided into two concessions given to France and the United Kingdom by the Qing Dynasty government in the 19th century. Its quiet pedestrian avenues and historic buildings are a magnet for weddings, some brides in bright red gowns, often borrowed for photo shoots.

AMSTERDAM

This beautiful city is made for walking and biking and both bikers and walkers respect or at least understand each other’s right of way. On a fabulous sunny day and heading into spring, we went on a guided walk around the UNESCO-listed canals and to the city’s most luxurious shopping street, PC Hoofstraat. Wandering through one of the major flower markets, thousands of tulips were in full bloom, albeit just at the end of their season. Famous for its red light district we ventured down three or four of the busiest streets and even though in broad daylight, yes it was still busy. Just up the road is The Grand Hotel where the Netherlands’ Queen Beatrix was married and Bridges Restaurant is set in the central courtyard garden displaying vivid orange tulips and sporting fine seafood dishes.

Leaving an indelible memory was Anne Frank’s House where, in incredibly close quarters, she, her family and four others hid from the Germans during World War II.

With more time, you’d have to visit the Rijksmuseum, the Royal Palace, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, Rembrandt’s House and art galleries at the Spiegelkwartier. The ‘I amsterdam’ city card is good value with a GVB transport ticket, more than 40 free entrances, 50 discount offers and a free canal cruise.

PARIS

Travelling by train in Europe is relaxing and is what we did courtesy of Rail Plus for the three hour trip to Paris, a favourite world city for many people with glorious architecture and a changing cultural scene. The food is ‘tres bien’ and to hone our skills, we joined a gastronomic tour with ATOUT France beginning with a macaron lesson at La Cuisine Paris.

The making of this popular meringue-based confectionery had everybody stirring, whipping and competing for what turned out to be every bit as good as those in the swish Parisienne cafes.

At Rue Mouffetard, a cobbled pedestrian food and wine street in the Latin Quarter, 5th arrondisement, the street-front shop windows made for non-stop ogling. Although touristy, it was down to earth with aromatic fruit and vegetables stores, olive oil specialists and shops devoted entirely to chocolate, pates and exotic cuts of meat.

With taste buds at the ready, we caught the metro to join a young wine and food connoisseur from Meet the French to get her version of wine and cheese tasting. The session was held in Miriam’s house with a detailed discussion on the wines of France; she provided a selection of wines and cheeses, suggesting which she thought went best together. Still she said, “It’s entirely up to the individual” though most agreed with her choices.

As night arrived, we were determined to dine at a typical Parisienne restaurant; in this case “La Brasserie de l’Isle Saint-Louis” with charming ambience and great food like the delicious cassoulet and entertaining waiters who’d been with the restaurant for decades.

The Sofitel Arc de Triomphe wasn’t a bad address one must say, just a stone’s throw from the Champs-Elysees and a great location for luxury shopping and sightseeing. It’s a hotel that certainly knows how to ‘do French’.

ROME

After briefly sinking our teeth into Paris, it’s time for an eleven hour train trip through French and Italian countryside with alps in the distance to another ‘best city in the world’ Rome. We headed straight to the Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese, an historic hotel near the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. From the top floor restaurant and bar the view across the Borghese Gardens to St Peters’ dome is outstanding and while sipping on a sparkling Prosecco, the nearby villas were subtly lit by the setting sun.

‘Walks of Italy’ organised a customised VIP tour of Rome’s highlights and hidden gems including the Vatican, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, the panoramic city view from Piazza Garribaldi and some things I’d never seen; Roma Capitale del Teatro di Marcello, a 2,000 year old theatre with one of the world’s most expensive apartments on top – 180 million Euros! and the ‘keyhole of Rome’. At the best peep show in town, located in the garden of “Consiglio di Malta” the perfectly miniaturised dome of St Peters, many miles away, can be seen from the green door keyhole at the end of a long corridor. Magical but unfortunately ‘unphotographable’.

The afternoon was spent with a guide from ‘Walks Inside Rome’ discovering gastronomical highlights. Open air markets were brimming with fresh produce and our tasting deli, with the best prosciutto ever, had been trading since 1870. A young, good looking Italian in an old bakery showed us first hand how to make typical pizza - white, plain with olive oil and salt and often had for breakfast. Of course we tried copious local wines and cheeses.

BUENOS AIRES

None of us had been to Buenos Aires so there was much excitement as we boarded the flight on Aerolineas Argentinas across eleven thousand kilometres to South America’s most electrifying city. An easy drive via July 9th Avenue, South America’s widest street with up to 14 lanes, brought us to the Sofitel, set in a charming street surrounded by antique shops and art galleries, a true epicentre of culture. The hotel has the perfect union between art deco and contemporary design with service beyond expectations. Mine host sprained her ankle and before you could say Jack Robinson, there was ice pack, orange juice and Panadol at the ready.

After lunch at the terrific La Il Matterello in La Boca, we walked around El Caminito, an area full of life with houses painted in bright colours, couples dancing the tango in the street and tourists taking more photos than you could shake a stick at. The locals embrace it because it was where the tango was ‘invented’. Years ago, immigrant male labourers at the nearby Port of Boca, were missing their women and started singing melancholy tunes. Over the years this progressed to a slow, sexy dance which is now being revived so teenagers keep the tradition going. Although slow it can be complicated, especially for the female. “Put your left foot back and swivel your hips in the other direction.” said an instructor at one of the many available classes.

At last – two nights in the same city - so why not spend one of them with the Argentine Experience consuming more food and learning how to make empanadas (Argentina’s small, stuffed pastries) and drinking mate (pronounced martay) - a green tea shared by people at home and in the street.

On night two we experienced three great restaurants (Guido, Leopoldo and Olivetti) in the chic area of Palermo Botanica, organised by Fuudis who create tailor made and unique dining experiences. This area is full of restaurants and swish clothing shops, much more sophisticated than I imagined.

And for an extraordinary tour, one of the many that Cultura Cercana arranges, is the amazing walk through family plots at La Recoleta Cemetery. With buildings and mausoleums of all shapes and sizes, it was fascinating, even before we arrived at Eva Peron’s fairly simple grave.

So to all those great cities, goodbye, Joigin, dag, au revoir, ciao, arrivederci and adios until we meet again.

Information

With 17 member airlines SkyTeam offers a very flexible way to fly around the world. Accor, meanwhile, has over 4500 hotels and resorts globally so wherever SkyTeam flies, there’s sure to be an Accor.

Where to stay:

We stayed at Sofitel Hotels in each destination.

Sofitel Guangzhou Sunrich

Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe

Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese

Sofitel Buenos Aires Arroyo

www.sofitel.com and www.accorhotels.com

Airline information

China Southern Airlines – Sydney to Amsterdam via Guangzhou.

Aerolineas Argentinas – Rome to Buenos Aires then Sydney

For the SkyTeam ‘Go Round the World’ pass visit www.skyteam.com

www.railplus.com.au

Rail Plus is Australia’s leading international rail specialist booking passes and point-to-point tickets on major rail networks around the world.

Crocosaurus Cove: Into the jaws of death

 

Face to snout – one strike and you’re out.

Pamela Wright takes a dip with a movie star: Burt the crocodile.

In Darwin’s city centre, thrillseekers are gathering to take on enormous crocodiles at face value. A large acrylic cage, carrying up to two swimmers, is lowered from an overhead monorail into any of four separate crocodile enclosures for a 15 minute dive encounter with the likes of Chopper. At 80, he’s the largest at Crocosaurus Cove weighing in at 790 kilograms. Now missing both front feet lost in fights, he was rescued from a nearby cattle station having refused opportunities to behave.

Holding a cute, baby crocodile and smiling at it adoringly is immeasurably different to connecting with the most ferocious looking creature on earth. As the Cage of Death brochure says, “Pleased to eat you.”

The three metre, transparent tank is filled with water, leaving enough air up top for breathing when lowered into the croc’s domain.

So, with this relatively new (opened 2008) and popular attraction, it’s time to invite you to meet some of my new found friends up close and personal.

A small group of spectators gather to watch the two adventurers, clad only in bathing costumes, poised for entry into the croc pools. We’ve heard the safety briefing and signed the indemnity release forms. “Knock on the cage walls to attract his attention.” says the park warden as he assists us into the heavily scratched cage. Was this monstrous looking beast cranky, hungry or both?

After hammering away on the cage wall to stir up the lazy, disinterested ‘dinosaur’ we go above water for an overdue breath but little did we know, the big fella croc likes the look of dangling feet and heads on over. We go back under to try again and are greeted by this huge bugger rubbing his belly on the cage right in front of our eyes. This was Burt, 5.1 metres long and a mere 700 kgs, the star in Crocodile Dundee with Paul Hogan and described as ‘the movie star with attitude and a reputation with the ladies’.

Finally coming snout to face with Burt was a reminder of Peter Pan’s.

“Never smile at a crocodile

No, you can't get friendly with a crocodile

Don't be taken in by his welcome grin

He's imagining how well you'd fit within his skin”

Keep your cool and just grin back.

Darwin lays claim to more crocodiles than any other city in the world - many of them at Crocosaurus Cove. The three storey venue occupies an entire block and shows off crocs from three months to 80 years old.

The reptile meeting place has goannas, lizards, geckos, turtles, frogs, rare pythons and venomous snakes all vying for attention. Next door, metre long barramundi ravenously gorge on irresistible tit bits offered by professional divers during the daily ‘barra’ feeding in the 200,000 litre aquarium.

At the ‘fishing for crocs’ pool, there are so many juveniles, it becomes a moshpit where the food is. These little crocs, that you’d think incapable of leaping that far out of the water, use their powerful tails to propel themselves from the tank to go after the blood dripping bit of meat dangling at the end of a long pole above them. Each one claws past his scaley brethren to gain prime pouncing position, creating a chaotic scene. “Thank heavens for the reinforced plastic walls and the fact that they’re only youngens” says an excited onlooker. The croc keeper knows the rowdy ones and stirs them up with his bare hands (which on closer inspection are riddled with scars). Suddenly, out of the corner, shoots this mischievous little croc, barely missing the top of the barricade. It was so close, even the keeper gulps.

But, we were assured, Crocosaurus Cove has the perfect safety record of 100 per cent. Believe me!

AT Verdict

Pamela Wright took son Jeremy to experience Crocosaurus Cove, highlighted by the Cage of Death, a perfect opportunity to get face to snout with these pre-historic creatures. Lots of fun with undivided attention from undecided onlookers.

The Details:

Where: 58 Mitchell Street in Darwin’s city centre.

Opening hours: Daily from 9am until 6pm - except for Christmas Day

Notes:

Cost: Fifteen minutes in the Cage of Death costs $150 per person or $110 each for two people which includes general, full day entry to all attractions including the world’s largest display of Australian reptiles – fishing for juvenile crocs eager to leap for fresh buffalo meat – holding baby crocodiles – twice daily croc feeding and the bite force exhibit.

(NB: Cage minimum age is 15 years of age. Children 15-17 years must be accompanied by an adult 18 years or older.)

Contact: Tel (08) 8981 7522

www.croccove.com