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Five of the world’s CRAZIEST train trips

Train travel is all the rage as a travel mode in the post-pandemic world, and rightly so; Not only is it sustainable, but get lost has always been of the opinion that the rails are an excellent way to peel back the layers of a country and find what’s underneath.

We’ve compiled five of the craziest train journeys from around the world – fast, slow, wild and remote – you don’t want to be late to the station for these.

West Africa Coal Train

NOTE: Not for the feint hearted.

The Sahara Freight crosses 700kms of desert and coast, sending iron ore from the middle of the World’s largest desert and dropping it (via Mauritiana’s capital Nouakchott) in the coastal town of Nouadhibou.

Climbing aboard the carriages filled with iron and taking it to your stop is considered an acceptable method of transport by the locals here. This definitely isn’t going to be the most comfortable of journeys, but it is as raw and unique, and otherworldly as you’re ever going to get. It’s the kind of journey that would appeal to extreme intrepid types, and if you find yourself in Mauritania in the first place, that’s probably you.

Check out Vlogger Fearless and Far’s journey below:

Techno Train Nürnberg

Germans love trains, responsible for many of the modern train technologies that are currently being implemented right around the world, and with several of the best subway systems anywhere in Europe.

They love techno music as well – you only need to pop into Berlin for a night or two for evidence of this.

It was only a matter of time then, that they married the two; in 2019 the ‘Techno Train’ was born.

After gaining popularity rapidly, COVID halted the train’s course, but a return to the tracks is set for October this year.

The train is essentially a hectic German nightclub within the confines of a seven-hour journey through Bavaria. There’s 11 carriages; two dedicated to smoking one for chilling out, and eight for DJs and dancing. What a great ratio. 

The Balkan Express

The word ‘Express’ in the title of this line is maybe a little misleading here.

This train isn’t winning any land speed awards any time soon. The 476-kilometre journey takes over ten hours.

But while it might lack in pace, and grandeur, it makes up for entirely when you look out the window. The train passes over no less than 254 bridges, and when you’re not passing through several 7-kilometre-long tunnels, you’ll get the relatively unexplored Balkan landscape: stunning mountainous terrain, crystal clear lakes and the Adriatic coastline.

Starting in the heaving Serbian capital, Belgrade, you’ve got the choice of finishing in either Bar or Budva, spectacular coastal towns in Montenegro that offer partying and relaxation in equal measures, depending on what you’re after.

World’s Fastest Train

From one of the world’s slowest trains, to the world’s fastest: the Shanghai Maglev.

At a mind boggling 460 kilometres per hour, the Maglev is a good 110kph faster than it’s nearest rival for fastest public train on the planet. It crushes the 30 kilometre journey from the Shanghai’s Pudong airport to the city centre in just seven minutes.

If that doesn’t wig you out, then get this: the train uses magnetic levitation technology, meaning you’re not actually ever touching the steel railway, more floating above it.

Are you then on a train at all? Or should this be considered flying? One things for sure:  this doesn’t count as ‘slow travel’.

The G Train

Toot Toot! All aboard the G-Train!

O.K, you can’t actually board this train yet. But you can buy it.

Thierry Gaugain’s extraordinary concept, which is being called the ‘Palace on Wheels’ – a kind of modern take on the world famous Orient Express.

Gaugain is a super-yacht designer, and he is now bringing that level of luxury to tracks. The train will feature sleeping space for 18 guests, a party carriage, and several carriages with all-glass exteriors (we hope they don’t go through any rough neighbourhoods).

The thing that is amazing about the G-Train is that it is being sold as a private train – imagine owning your own train!

Gaugain is looking for buyers – so if you’re in the market for a train, and you’ve got a cool AU $486 million to spare, get in touch.

 

15 Extraordinary Indigenous Experiences

... and no better way to do that, than to see it through the eyes of those that have always lived there. The OGs, if you will.

We’ve compiled 15 of the very best indigenous owned and operated experiences from around the world, from sledding with reindeer, to bow and arrows in the African desert. This is how to do it.

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1 Sled with Sámi reindeer herders in Norway

The indigenous people of Norway have lived in harmony with reindeer and nature for thousands of years.

You can do the same for a day yourself, flying across the snow on a wooden sled as the Sami people herd reindeer, before learning about the meaning of those dancing lights in the Northern sky.

SLEIGH IT

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2 Walk among the dead at Tana Toraja

In a remote slice of land among rice fields and mountains in Central Indonesia, foreigners are invited to the extravagant funerals of the Tana Toraja people, often lasting several days.

You can also visit the extraordinary cliff-side burial site, which is guarded by tiny ‘Tau-Tau’ statues, and then there is the once a year Ma’ Nene ceremony: where the Torajans dig up their relatives (yes, we’re serious) in order to stay connected.

CAN YOU DIG IT?

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3 Up close and personal with big Grizzlies in British Columbia

There’s nothing quite like being up close and personal with a big ol’ Grizzly bear.

Run by the local Kwakwaka’wakw people, Seawolf Adventures supports local Indigenous communities as well as a more sustainable approach to wildlife viewing, and takes you as close as you’ll want to get with one of the big, brown beasts.

GET YOUR BEARINGS

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4 Live with nomads and ride horses in Mongolia

Saddle up and load all your gear onto a caravan of carts, because this is a horse riding adventure like no other.

The Steppe Nomads in Mongolia are the largest remaining pastoralist people on the planet. Sleep under a clear sky and watch the stars as you completely disconnect from the world in Central Asia.

STIRRUP SOME FUN

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5 Rumble in the Jungle in Peru

On a Bonanza Tour you’ll trek, climb, paddle, wade and crawl through the Peruvian section of the Amazon rainforest, where anything from monkeys and spiders, to giant otters and even jaguars roam one of the densest slices of wildlife in the world.

Bonanza was kickstarted Ryse Huamani Choquepuma and is now co-owned by him and his four brothers and sisters, all of whom grew up in the jungle they lead groups through. A large portion of the proceeds from their tours go toward buying essential provisions for people in communities like the one the family grew up in.

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

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6 The Canadian Arctic is out of this world in Canada

Kylik Kisoun Taylor has been proudly sharing authentic Canadian Arctic experiences for more than a decade.

His business Tundra North Tours is an Inuit company based in Inuvik, Northwest Territories and runs boat tours, flights to Tuktoyaktuk, Reindeer Experiences and adrenaline packed Ice Road adventures.

I’VE GOT YOU, TUNDRA MY SKIN

Image: Tourism Australia
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7 Didgeridoo Dreaming in Australia

The desert, the ocean and the brightest stars you’ve ever seen all converge at Gutharraguda (Shark Bay), near Monkey Mia on the north-western corner of Australia.

It’s here you can learn to play the Didgeridoo from Darren ‘Capes’ Capewell, a descendant of the Nhanda and Malgana people and owner/operator of the business, while a small fire crackling nearby cooks seafood and bush tucker for dinner. You’ll never want to leave the outback after this magical experience.

DREAM ON

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8 Visit the Lord of The Forest in New Zealand

Tāne Mahuta, otherwise known as ‘Lord of the Forest’ is the biggest kauri tree alive, in the Waipoua Forest of Northland Region, New Zealand.

Travel to this mesmerising corner of the Land of the Long White Cloud with a Maori guide to ensure you follow all the correct protocols for your visit. Every step through this ancient landscape will be a lesson of the affinity that early Maori had with the forest and these giant trees.

EM-BARK ON AN ADVENTURE

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9 Stay in a luxury lodge in the Atacama

Terrantai Lodge is a native owned, bespoke and architecturally designed hotel which honours the traditional customers of the Atacama desert, while at the same time offering guests a luxurious stay in one of the harshest landscapes in the world.

Terranti (which means ‘people of the earth’) is in the heart of San Pedro de Atacama and is crafted with stone walls, a modest wading pool to symbolise the importance of water conservation and interconnected stone passageways.

SMITTEN IN STONE

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10 Storytelling with the ‡Kohmani San in the Kalahari Desert

Kalahari Desert bush-woman, Vinkie Van der Westhuzien’s takes the more intrepid travellers among us to the remote, sandy outpost that is the Northern Cape, giving them an unforgettable experience with the ‡Kohmani San, who have been based in the desert for 20,000 years.

Learn how to hunt with a bow and arrow, before an exhilarating four-wheel drive trip over the desert’s red dunes.

DUNE IN

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11 Camp with the Bedouin in Jordan

There aren’t many prettier night sky views than in the Wadi Rum Desert.

On this unforgettable indigenous experience, you can camp with the nomadic Bedouin people, who have had front row seats to the Wadi Rum sky for thousands of years, and learn about their culture over tea and khobz.

BEDOUIN AND BREAKFAST

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12 The greatest collection of tribal dancing in Papua New Guinea

The world’s largest collection of indigenous cultures sits just in Australia’s periphery. Papua New Guinea and its distinctive tribes from the highlands to the coastal regions are a literal time capsule of people and their connection to their environment.

The annual Hagen show is a homogeneous kaleidoscope of colour, dance and sound with tribes from right around this small nation all converging in the same place for a dance festival like no other.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

Image: Tourism Australia
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13 This cellar door is connecting with Country in Australia

Fruits, flowers and herbs sprout throughout the botanical haven of Firescreek Winery on the Central Coast of New South Wales in Australia.

Shining the spotlight on native ingredients, Firescreek does wine tasting with a difference. Hints of feijoa, elderberry, mountain pepper and Davidson plum rippled through the 25 wines produced on the property. But what’s truly special about the Firescreek experience is the chance to wander through the lush grounds with Aboriginal Darkinjung Elder Gaving ‘Gavi’ Duncan on the Firescreek Aboriginal Storytelling and Wine Tasting Experience.

BEST CELLARS LIST

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14 Haida Tourism is an eco-adventurers paradise in Canada

Haida Gwaii (an island just off the northern coast of British Columbia, Canada) is an ideal destination to experience the rugged and remote wilderness of Canada, but also a place where you can develop an even greater understanding of the Haida people and their connection to this sacred place (and the waters around it).

Haida Tourism is 100 per cent indigenous owned and offers immersive eco-adventures, food tours, wildlife experiences and recommendations for indigenous owned accommodation offerings.

ALTER ECO

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15 Discover the streets in South Africa

Soweto is the largest and most famous of South Africa’s townships with 1.5 million people crammed into just 200 square kilometres worth of tiny laneways and ramshackle homes.

Lebo’s Backpackers is a hostel in name only. It is a four-star accommodation and bar that also organises tours by bicycle and tuk-tuk that allows you to explore the beating heart of Soweto. You’ll even drink a beer in a Shebeen – the township’s version of the pub.

Lebo’s was founded and operated by Soweto trailblazer Lebo Malepa, who provided opportunities for underprivileged in his local neighbourhood to work through the tourism generated by his business.

TUK A LOOK

A Mountainous Feast

“Welcome to the other side of the mountains,” smiles a local woman I’ve just met by the name of Sarah, clinking my pint glass of dry ‘Scrumpy’ cider.

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A warm fire billows just behind us in the elbow of a discarded earth-mover shovel. Sarah goes on with the local pride I’ve grown familiar with over the last few days, “the best views have always been from this side,” she says.

She’s not wrong. There’s a low mist hanging over Bilpin in the Blue Mountains today. It’s damp and dewy, but that only adds to the atmosphere as I reach down to pat Smudge, the local dog who’s now saddled up between me and the fire.

Smudge is a bit of a mascot here at the Hillbilly Cider Shed and he nuzzles his wet nose into my palm as if to signal that I’m welcome here.

Smudge the Hillbilly Cider mill dog.
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The Hillbilly Cider mill shed in Billpin is a local's favourite. Grab a dry cider and Hawaiian pizza.
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A sandstone escarpment in the Grose Valley, Blue Mountains.
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It hasn’t always been like this. Often overlooked for the more traditional driving route into the lower mountains via the Great Western Highway, this wedge of idyllic and pristine mountain range – only 1.5 hours north west of Australia’s largest city – has emerged as a preferred tourist route of the curtain of sandstone and eucalypts that flank Sydney’s outskirts.

And sadly in 2019, it was also a catastrophic flashpoint for some of the worst fires in Australia’s recorded history.

The Gospers Mountain fire, nicknamed ‘the monster’, eventually made its way south to where we’re sitting and drinking. Those that witnessed it tell me that walls of flames ripped past Hillbilly Cider, almost upending the then under-construction dream of Shane and Tessa McLaughlin.

Like the green shoots that now sprout from the blackened trunks along the roadside of the famous Darling Causeway, Paul reflects with a near reverence on the phoenix-like revival of tourism in the region.

Fast forward more than two years and chuck in a global pandemic for good measure, I’m now winding through the Bells Line of Road on a tastemaker experience with Paul McLaughlin from Western Wine Tours. He’s guiding me to some of the best new breweries, wineries and distilleries that the Blue Mountains have on offer. And I’ve packed my drinking boots because there’s quite a few of them.

Like the green shoots that now sprout from the blackened trunks along the roadside of the famous Darling Causeway, Paul reflects with a near reverence on the phoenix-like revival of tourism in the region. He’s lived in Katoomba his entire life and never before has he seen such growth.

At the very regal-looking Carrington Hotel in Katoomba, there’s a familiar sense of history repeating itself in the place where it all started. As owner and General Manager Mark Jarvis explains, “the Carrington Hotel was built in 1886 and the rest of the mountains, and tourism, was built around it.”

Jarvis says this exciting era we’re witnessing post-pandemic is “a foodie renaissance,” which is reminiscent of the early settler days, when young entrepreneurs from the city sought out opportunity in these lush and fervent green hills. My great-grandfather was actually one of those, taking on the publican licence of the Family Hotel in Katoomba back in the early 1920s.

In 2022, Sydneysiders are again not only rediscovering the Blue Mountains as a potential tourist destination, but as a business opportunity.

Champagne Charlie's Bar at The Carrington Hotel in Katoomba.
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The Victorian-era dining Room at The Carrington Hotel.
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Nowhere is this more evident than in the depths of the old electricity substation that sits beneath the Carrignton. This is not just where the pub has its famous cellars, but also where it brews Katoomba Lager under a cobweb of fairy lights. But Jarvis tells me he and his team have grand designs on soon transforming this historic space into a public brewhouse that returns it to its Victorian-era grandeur, bringing in a new metaphorical bolt of electricity to the city and attracting new customers from around the world.

There’s a precedent to give Jarvis confidence this will be a good business move. Just over the road at Mountain Culture Brewing, DJ and Harriet McCready also embarked in 2017 on transforming what was a dilapidated, historic building (formally a Civic Video) into the first brewpub in the Blue Mountains. They’ve since been recognised as the best brew pub in all of Australia.

Emma and Simon McMahon of Dryridge Estate. Click to view gallery

Travel a short distance into the Megalong Valley and Sydneysiders Emma and Simon MacMahon also bought Dryridge Estate seven years ago on a whim. They’ve since transformed it into a premiere events space, accommodation and a tasting room with a to-die-for shiraz, plus a view of a sandstone escarpment so magnificent it could be a watercolour painting.

This sort of investment in tourism infrastructure in the region is evident just about everywhere I go. It also permeates every conversation with locals eager to show off their home.

“Have you tried the new …” they say to me. “You’ve got to taste the …” another person brags.

The Bootlegger Bar is situated in a building over a century old, and has live music, whiskey tastings and unique cocktails.
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Beneath the flickering Edison globes and Bric A Brac of Bootlegger Bar in Katoomba, the timber panelled ceiling here hangs in a low arch and feels like a warm hug on this cold, wet night. I’m snug and content after several cocktails but also struggling to breathe after eating my body weight in brisket.

The lobby of the Kyah Boutique Hotel in Blackheath.
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Blaq restaurant at the Kyah is a breath of fresh air.
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Thankfully, after a full day of gorging myself it’s time to retire to the new Kyah Hotel in Blackheath. This boutique and recently renovated 1970s motel would not look out of place in Palm Springs. The delicately arranged cacti and gold plated signage at the front door shouldn’t work at this altitude, but they do.

And as I ascend the staircase to my room, out of the corner of my eye I catch a young, smartly attired bartender muddling a pink cocktail beneath two pastel painted arches in the hotel’s restaurant bar and restaurant, BLAQ. If you put a frame around what I see, you could probably sell it as a Slim Aarons photograph. Ok, just one more drink.

Paul and Steph from Beyond The Blacktop 4WD tours with their truck named 'Wombat' .

Morning arrives and Paul Davies from Beyond The Blacktop 4WD tours pick me up for a morning of exploring in ‘Wombat’ which is their converted Australian Army passenger Landcruiser. If ever there was a car built for this terrain, this is it. Davis’ cuts through the morning fog that’s rolling off the Grose Valley like a hot knife through butter. Making a beeline for Anvil Rock, we leave his truck and scurry up hidden bush trails, past wind eroded rock formations and watch kangaroos fetch their breakfast in the dawn light. Once at Anvil Rock Lookout, this side of the mountains reveals itself as a place without tourists or handrails.

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While it might now taste a bit different up here with the slew of new restaurants and bars, there’s a lot of things that have also stayed much the same for millenia. Despite the wet weather scuttling later plans for astrophotography, I still manage to squeeze in a private stargazing session with Cultural Astronomer Dimitri Douchin but this time we’re inside an inflatable ‘planetarium’ which is basically like an upside down jumping castle for adults, with a projector. It’s super nerdy, but I’m into it.

Up in the mountains, where the light pollution is low and the air is clear, Dimitti says the stars reveal themselves in a way that just isn’t possible when you’re in the city. And when you see the stars more clearly, you start to understand why they’ve been revered by civilisations dating back to the byzantines.

If booze or stars are not your regular jam, there’s always nature. And there’s one such tree endemic to this region that predates even the byzantines. The Wollemi Pine has seen its fair share of shooting stars and celestial events, so much so that it lays claim to being the world’s oldest and rarest tree, dating back to prehistoric times.

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Along my way home, still following the Bells Line of Road, I stop in at Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens in Mount Tomah to catch a glimpse of several of these pines in their Gondwana Garden and to meet Acting Curating Manager Ian Allen who takes me on a journey through one of the most ecologically diverse botanical gardens in the world.

“I want people to feel like when they’re walking through our [Gondwana] garden that at any point a dinosaur might jump out at them,” he says excitedly.

The Blue Mountains Botanical Gardens in Mount Tomah. Click to view gallery
A favourite autumn photo spot beneath the Garden's Japanese Maples. Click to view gallery

I lose track of time wandering the gardens in the setting autumn sun. The red and yellow hues of the Japanese maples dance in the wind, while the sound of bellbirds symbolically mark the end of my journey of discovery.

My ears pop as I rapidly descend into the Blue Mountains’ foothills, but I’m reminded by my host of one last stop I must make before returning home. I’ve been told there’s a hidden distillery called Karu tucked like a bedsheet where bush meets farmland in what’s better known as the Devil’s Wilderness.

A cocktail made using Karu's famous infused-gin.
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Nick Ayres holds a bottle of Affinity Gin by Karu.
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Husband and wife Ally and Nick Ayres have clearly created something special at Karu Distillery and their House of Spirits which is nestled amongst gum trees and Kookaburra calls. And with over 40 awards to their name, and a unique gin distilling method steeped in science, sustainability and experimentation, others around the world seem to think so as well.

So, if I must, I’ll just have one more taste for the road.

get in the know There have been over 500 sightings in 20 years of the elusive Blue Mountains panther.

Ready Offset Go

Our near-silent, fully electric Nissan LEAF speeds through the lush, green valleys of the stunning Nelson Tasman region in New Zealand, and it dawns on me how much the humble road trip has changed.

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As a Kiwi, road trips are almost part of our DNA. They’re ubiquitous with summer holidays in a small country like ours.

But with the rising cost of fuel and our ever expanding awareness of the effect that carbon emissions have on the environment, it’s become even more important to incorporate sustainable travel into itineraries. Travel is changing, and so should we.

A fully electric Nissan LEAF sits outside the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary.

The Nelson Tasman Region is still an enigma to both local and international visitors. It doesn’t get nearly the sort of airtime that the rest of New Zealand is afforded through mega marketing campaigns. So there was something serendipitous about the opportunity to take on a fully carbon neutral road trip – something that’s not been attempted before – in a region so untouched by the masses.

Our hosts had made sure that every supplier, each hotel, our meals, beers and even our modes of transport (thanks Nissan!) would be fully offset or completely carbon zero. A real road trip, without the guilt.

The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary.
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At the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary in the sleepy seaside city of Nelson we’re in a vast, tree-filled sanctuary dedicated to protecting local flora and fauna. Meandering through the delicate mossy streams of the predator-free forest, our guide points out a few of the forest’s secrets, like where to find fresh honeydew and hidden weta ‘motels’ (homes for a native insect endemic to this region). With such rich birdlife and dense greenery, it’s easy to feel as though we’ve stepped back in time to somewhere prehistoric.

A bridge crossing through the luscious Brook Waimārama Sanctuary.

Standing outside the unique Free House pub in a converted church.
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Fresh local brews on tap at The Free House in Nelson.
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From there, it’s time for a beer, and what better place to refuel than New Zealand’s first climate positive pub, The Free House. I think to myself, “Could this really also be my first ever guilt free hangover?”

We’re greeted by an elegant cocker spaniel at the door of the renovated church, before the owner and his son proudly pour us tasters of their favourite locally brewed craft beers. Humming with locals who are cozying up outside under recycled heaters next to the small onsite brewery, it seems that this is certainly the place to be.

Delicious delicacies inside Pic's Peanut Butter Factory.

Waking up next in my brightly coloured room in the clean, comfortable and carbon neutral Nelson YHA, my tummy rumbles in anticipation of the morning’s activity. We park up and charge our car at Nelson’s solar-powered Pic’s Peanut Butter factory. I’m mesmerised, not just because this is my ideal breakfast, but as I also watch the process of the humble nut transform into creamy deliciousness, while also learning about the factory’s waste reduction method that uses all parts of the peanuts, leftovers magically being made into tote bags and paper.

Quad bikes at Cable Bay Adventure Park. Click to view gallery

As a rare deluge of rain sets in for the afternoon, we opt to embrace the mud and try a speedy hybrid quad bike ride through the thriving native forest at Cable Bay Adventure Park. The carbon zero adventure park offers a range of activities for anyone brave enough to try them, including a 1.6 kilometre zip line over the property for sunnier days.

You can get some seriously stunning views from the Abel Tasman Track.
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Once we’ve explored the local op-shops it’s time to get back in our Nissan LEAF and drive along the coast towards one of New Zealand’s most loved jewels, the Abel Tasman National Park. Despite this being one of our longest stretches of the drive, we’ve only needed to charge up the car once so far. Thankfully there’s a very handy online map to help travellers like us find the nearest charging point.

Originally populated by early Māori, the native bush was almost lost when Europeans arrived and tried to farm the land. Fortunately, however, their efforts were thwarted by the soil climate, and the Abel Tasman was returned to its rightful state as a thriving bush in 1942. Now it attracts visitors from all over the world, keen to experience its beauty in a uniquely New Zealand way.

The Abel Tasman was returned to its rightful state as a thriving bush in 1942.

Eager for an early start in the park, we stop at Kaiterteri beach to check in to the picturesque Kimi Ora Eco Resort. With an electric vehicle charging station, jacuzzis, pools, vineyards and even private spa baths in their suites, it’s the perfect place to relax and recharge after a day of on and off-road driving. At night, we saunter from the jacuzzi straight to dinner at their onsite vegetarian restaurant named ‘The Views’, enjoying a delicious gourmet meal with local wines and as the name suggests, stunning views of the harbour below.

Views from the Kimi Ora Eco Resort.

As the sun rises over the water, we head to the beach for a morning cruise with Abel Tasman Sailing Adventures on their new catamaran. Gliding peacefully past private sandy beaches and protected islands filled with adorable seal pups playing in the shallows it’s easy to see why locals work so hard to protect the area. The experienced sailors and owners of the catamaran happily fill us in on the history of the area and the initiatives they’re a part of to keep the Abel Tasman pristine.

Ready to set sail with Abel Tasman Adventures from Kaiteriteri beach.
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At lunchtime, we are dropped off at a small, untouched bay for the next part of our adventure. It’s a sea kayak tour of the Abel Tasman with Mārahau Sea Kayaks and Abel Tasman Aqua Taxi. Floating through valleys filled with birdsong, stopping at secluded golden bays to hike and explore at our leisure. Every inlet we visit appears to offer a different landscape, some with crystal clear blue water, others with cool cola coloured bottom and wild overgrowth. Each is as tranquil and striking as the next.

Kayaking through the Abel Tasman with Mārahau Sea Kayaks.

It’s finally time to unwind as the locals do after a day of exploring Abel Tasman. We grab a table at Hooked On Mārahau, a relaxed seafront restaurant with a garden bar soaking in the day’s activities.

For a change of scenery we check into the quaint, eco-friendly Abel Tasman Ocean View Chalets. Built into the hillside and surrounded by trees teeming with birdlife, the chalets provide all the benefits of nature without giving up any creature comforts. Morning comes and the sun pours into the quaint hillside cabins like honey over the edge of a spoon, making for some beautiful sunrise photos from my private balcony overlooking the water.

Our Nissan LEAF parked up to watch the sunrise at Mārahau.
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Sunrise on the balcony at Abel Tasman Ocean View Chalets.
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An easy cycle tour with The Gentle Cycling company.

The airport beckons, but not before making one last stop on the way to Nelson. In the small town of Riwaka we meet with The Gentle Cycling Company for an effortless two wheeled tour of the area. Gliding through bountiful berry farms, wineries and orchards, if I wasn’t so enamoured by the smell, the experience is almost dream-like for even an inexperienced rider like myself.

Sitting in the airport waiting for my flight back home (which has been carbon offset) I look back in wonder at the effort and passion that local tourism providers on this trip have shown towards a more sustainable future.

There’s an eagerness not just to change the way people travel, but also to change the world.

get in the know Nelson Airport is built with locally sourced sustainable timber, designed to blend into the beauty of its mountainous landscape.

Beyond the strip

For decades, the state of Nevada has been an enigma to Australian travellers; a mystery that's been overshadowed by mischaracterisations of brutal desert landscapes, obscene neon and as the backdrop of some terrible Hollywood films. But scratch the gritty surface of this breathtaking landscape and American cultural time capsule to discover a U.S. state that punches well above its reputation.

If you’re an Australian and you’ve ever dreamed of visiting a Nevada beyond the bright, neon lights of Vegas, after a week of road tripping through the seventh largest state in the US, I can tell you that a hedonistic weekend visit to what’s better known as ‘The Strip’ doesn’t come close to what is on offer.

Nevada is unassumingly massive. It straddles the elbow of a big-armed California like a bicep that’s continuously in flex. And with one of the highest percentages of public land per state in the country, its eclectic mixture of state parks, ghost towns, endless opportunities for legal gambling, open-air museums, haunted hotels, extraterrestrial beings, public art and stunning scenery, Nevada ticks just about every box for the idyllic road trip destination.

Valley of Fire State Park is serious eye candy for the avid road tripper.
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And just like most other west coast states, it’s also a perfect year-round place to visit. During our Spring road trip, the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain range pairs perfectly with moderate desert temperatures ranging from 26 to 32 degrees celsius. Comfortable for both early morning strolls through the 27 state parks as well as evening beers at one of the best roadside Mexican diners outside of Mexico.

Our road trip starts in Reno, better known as ‘The Biggest Little City in the World.’ With a public art scene that would rival Sao Paulo or Singapore, theres an avalanche of casino-lined streets, bars and riverfront restaurants ripe for exploring.

Sounds good? Ready to book this epic trip for yourself?

BOOK NOW

Or keep reading. There’s more to this story…

Reno is the best place to start any Nevada road trip itinerary.
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The Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City.
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Slowly working our way along dusty desert highways towards Las Vegas, every stop during our visit helped unfold a new layer of Nevada I didn’t expect. We met generous, hat-tipping locals propped up against saloon bars, celebrities, modest chefs at world-class diners, motorsport athletes and more.

This is Nevada in a nutshell. A remarkable homogeneous mixture of natural beauty and late-night culture.

But more than this, a road trip through Nevada also reveals an unexpected kaleidoscope of both people and experiences which can be tailored depending on what you want from your visit. There’s luxury hotels or haunted motels, adventure, history, roadside art, boutique shopping, craft breweries and epicurean delights. Get your motor running, because its now or Nevada.

LENA’S TOP NINE SPOTS

Here’s nine epic recommendations, a detailed road trip itinerary from our creator and the best way to discover (and book) the real Nevada with us:

Lake Tahoe is perfect for every season.
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1. LAKE TAHOE’S PICTURESQUE BEACHES

Going out on a limb, I’m going to say that Lake Tahoe is the most stunning body of water I have ever visited on the planet. The crystal clear, turquoise waters are surrounded by bahama-like beaches, hidden inlets, snow-capped peaks, ski resorts and lakeside towns which come alive in the summer, making Tahoe the perfect first stop on your road trip. From luxurious dinners at The Hyatt’s Lone Eagle Grille to the five degrees celsius sunrise swims at Sand Harbour, Lake Tahoe is a grammable destination fit for all types.

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AU$20 National Park Entry per car per day

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2. MIZPAH HOTEL, TONOPAH

This hotel exudes old world charm and does not shy away from its chequered history. The incredible hospitality does wonders to help sway your mind away from realising you’re actually sleeping in one of America’s most haunted hotels. The Mizpah Hotel is an absolute hidden gem and a step back in time that we were more than happy to take.

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AU$200 per night twin share

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3. LA CASITA MINA

Apparently the perfect roadside pit stop does exist and you’ll find it two-hours south of Reno, or four-hours north of Vegas depending on which way you flip the map. This Nevada icon serves up authentic Mexican cuisine along with American fast food essentials. If you chat to other diners, you’ll find someone who stops and eats here daily.

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Tacos AU$4, Cheeseburger AU$10, Philly Cheese steak AU$13

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4. GOLDFIELD

If the ghosts of the Mizpah Hotel didn’t visit you during your overnight stay, you can try your luck again in Goldfield. Once a booming city with over 20,000 residents, Goldfield is now a mostly abandoned ghost town that has shades of zombie apocalypse about it. Most of the buildings here were destroyed by a fire in 1923, but the eerie empty streets and ghostly history make for a great spot to stretch your legs and pull out the camera in search of poltergeists.

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Free

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5. INTERNATIONAL CAR FOREST

Leaving the ghosts behind, the International Car Forest begins an entire day on your itinerary of outdoor museums and quirky installments. Think of this place as an outdoor sculpture garden, made from cars, buses, trucks and vans. Once an attempt to break a Guinness world record, this outdoor museum is bright, bold, loud and quirky. Jump on the bonnet of an old, rusted out Chevrolet and you’ll be transported to an America of the past.

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Free

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6. VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK

If you have ever been to Las Vegas and you haven’t road tripped to Valley of Fire State park you’re missing out. This place is so perfectly imperfect it is like a scene from the movie Cars. Tens of thousands of acres of bright red Aztec sandstone set among winding roads and viewing points makes for a picture perfect day of exploring.

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AU$20 National Park Entry per car per day

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A visit to the Neon Museum is a must for a touch of nostalgia and old world Vegas.
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7. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

Is it even a visit to Las Vegas if you don’t see a live show? I’m pretty sure you could stay in Vegas for six months and see a different show each night. From the upcoming live concerts by Adele, Billie Eilish and John Legend, to the over-the-top magician and illusionist performances of Chris Angel, and the world famous Cirque du Soleil residencies. And yes, of course, there’s Human Nature. I am a sucker for Cirque du Soleil and this trip The Beatles came calling (or should I say singing?) with their re-produced and re-imagined music intertwined with the athletic and artistic stage performance of the Cirque performers.

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Tickets from AU$95

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8. BACKSTREET VEGAS FOOD TOUR

Leaving the Strip behind, the Downtown Lip Smacking food tour winds you in and out of the downtown and Fremont Street area. Downtown Vegas has a booming food scene with top restaurants and secret underground bars hidden among art covered buildings and back streets filled with grimy, criminal history.

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AU$170 per person or AU$235 including cocktails at each stop

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9. EXTRATERRESTRIAL HIGHWAY

Strap yourself in, because the weirdest and wackiest adventure in Nevada is out of this world! However, the famous Extraterrestrial Highway (otherwise known as State Route 375) is so much more than just little green men. On the road to Tonopah you can explore everything from quirky signage, alien murals, alien jerky and even alien burgers at the very aptly named ‘Little A’Le’Inn.’ Nevada is also home to the famous Area 51, so keep your eyes peeled at night and you might be lucky (or unlucky) to have your very own UFO or space probe encounter.

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Free

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Views over Lake Tahoe.
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Vegas backstreet food tour.
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Death Valley.
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Is This The Best Diving in Japan?

 

Punging into clear blue waters off the rocky coast of Yonaguni-jima, I follow my dive guide ‘Shorty’, through a narrow tunnel, curious what I’ll see on the other side.

I’m diving Yonaguni’s famous underwater ‘Monument’, which some speculate is the remains of an ancient civilisation, lost to the depths by a catastrophic event. It has been the subject of several books and TV documentaries, and a topic of debate between archaeologists and geologists, since its discovery in the early 1980s. There’s also debate that this is the best diving in all of Japan.

My levels of anticipation and excitement are high, kept in measure by a healthy level of scepticism. I’m envisioning myself as a modern-day Thor Heyerdahl, where after this adventure I’ll come up with my own amazing theory and dazzle the world. Or maybe it’ll just be a fun dive and I’ll see some turtles, who knows?

Emerging from the narrow passage onto a flat rock platform we see two tall identical pillars directly ahead. From a depth of around 15 metres, they almost break the surface of the water, an impressive structure worthy of fascination.

Steps in the background at Monument.
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We then swim along a wide ledge, much like an underwater road, and as we round a bend, the Monument looms before us. A high platform that drops 30 metres almost perpendicularly into a wide trench. The water is so clear, that from my shallow depth I can see a couple of turtles at the bottom munching on algae and a giant moray eel peering out from under a cluster of coral, swaying in the current.

As we approach, I see three wide steps leading to the platform from our ‘road’, each one the same width, height, and depth and this is where my scepticism starts to falter. How can nature produce something so geometrically perfect? At the back of the platform, more steps lead to a higher level, and on the far side, steps lead back down to our road.

Divers above Turtle rock at Monument, Yonaguni Okinawa.
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Diver looking up at Monument diving Yonaguni.
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Turtles swimming along the bottom of the trench.
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Further down the road, our guide shows us a ‘chapel’, a narrow triangular cut in the rock platform, and in the open space beyond, a large formation that looks exactly like … a turtle. It’s an ancient turtle god, according to our guide.

It’s my first day on this remote Japanese island, and I’m already in love with its wild landscape, above and below the water, and the wonderful, animated storytelling of our hosts, father and son, Kihachirou and ‘Shorty’ Aratake.

This is the most remote island in Japan’s Okinawa archipelago, roughly 60 minutes flight from the capital city Naha on Okinawa’s main island. It’s the western-most point of Japan, where on a clear day, you can see Taiwan just over 100 kilometres away.

On our flight from Naha, in a little Dash-8 plane, we’re served tea and white-bread sandwiches (with the crusts cut off), and the flight attendant hands me a hand-written postcard; “Welcome aboard Ryukyu Air Commuter!” informing me of the captain, first officer and flight attendant’s names, the estimated time of arrival, altitude, speed and weather, signed off with a smiley face. It’s all very Japanese.

Kihachiro and Shorty Aratake.
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Kihachiro Aratake proudly showing his magazine article.
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The good-natured Yonaguni horse.
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The island’s other natural attraction is the Yonaguni horse. These critically endangered small horses are endemic to Yonaguni, and historically used to carry sugarcane and rice around the island. They now roam as they please, with some of these good-natured ponies available for good-natured guests to ride.

Yonaguni’s Hanazake Sake is 120 proof and highly flammable.

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Okinawa’s Awamori sake is distinct from that found in other parts of Japan. First, it is made from Thai long-grain rice, a legacy of the archipelago’s long history as an important trading route, and importantly it is not just brewed, it is distilled, a technique also introduced to Okinawa by Thai traders, and is typically 60 to 86 per cent proof. Meaning it’s by no means hangover proof.

Yonaguni’s Hanasake sake is 120 proof and highly flammable. Despite its combustibility, the distillery is well worth visiting – if just for a taste of this surprisingly smooth-tasting liqueur, and a photo of the accompanying fire safety message.

The tiny wild island of Yonaguni has much to recommend it: a rugged windswept landscape, stunning underwater world, and fascinating legends, shared with lucky visitors by some of the world’s best storytellers.

Hanasake is a unique distilled spirit produced on Yonaguni.

The view from Yonaguni lighthouse.
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Japan's western-most point is in Yonaguni.
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get in the know Yonaguni Island was occupied by the US from 1945 to 1972 before being returned to Japan and integrated back into the Okinawa Prefecture.

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SAND DUNE BUGGY EXPERIENCE
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

When it comes to adventuring and touring at extreme speeds through wide desert expanses, Big Red Adventure Tours in Dubai do it best and will have you comfortably cruising under the Arabian sun in your own one-seater, 4-wheel drive buggy. With no licence or training required for this white-knuckle experience, you’ll also be given the option of a sunset tour as well as a traditional Bedouin campsite dining experience under the stars.

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POLARIS SLINGSHOT X-TREME TOUR
Lanzarote, Canary Islands

There really is only one way to cruise the mountainous and craggy outcrop of Lanzarote, one of the remote Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa. Grab yourself a three-wheeled, roofless Polaris Slingshot from the team at Aventura LanzaBuggy and explore hidden beaches, inland desert roads and some of the most picturesque landscapes in the entire Atlantic. The Slingshot vehicle is lightweight, and designed for hugging the road of this island’s endless tight turns.

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LAVA TRAIL ATV TOUR
Lagazpi, Philippines

Take one of multiple routes in an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) up the Lava Trail of Bicol’s Mount Mayon Volcano in Legazpi, Philippines. Depending on both your budget and your experience, you’ll cross rivers, fields and accelerate up some pretty steep terrain while always looking ahead at the ominous, conical mountain in the distance. Once you meet the lava front, you’ll have the chance to turn the bike around and meander back through friendly local villages and rainforest with the promise of a hearty meal (and a cold beer) at the end.

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MULTI-DAY SNOWMOBILE ADVENTURE
Svalbard, Norway

Everyone in Svalbard drives a snowmobile, just like everyone in Amsterdam rides a bike. Svalbard Adventures can take you on single-day or multi-day trips to remote abandoned Russian settlements, overnight northern lights tours as well as ice cave hikes to the famous Tellbreen glacier. After a long motorised journey through the snow covered landscape, you’ll turn off your engine and disappear into the hidden, glittering ice passageways, in some places the layers of ice here are as clear as glass.

Click here to SNOW FORTH AND CONQUER

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ATV OFF-ROAD EXPERIENCE
Las Vegas, USA

Only in America (and more specifically the state of Nevada) would a government designate a natural area of sand dunes as an Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation area. Just outside Las Vegas, Nellis Dunes is an adrenaline junkie’s playground and the site of Las Vegas’ ATV (All-Terrain Vehicles) Tours. With over 4,000 rideable hectares consisting of sand dunes and canyon trails, lose yourself in the desert. At sunset you can also ride to the highest point and watch the twinkling casino lights of ‘The Strip’ in the distance. On most days fighter jets will also zip overhead from Nellis Air Force Base, definitely adding an edge of adrenaline to this experience.

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get in the know The Luxor’s light in Las Vegas is not just one giant bulb, but rather, 39 individual 7,000 watt bulbs.

The World’s Best ‘Secret Eats’.

We get it. The pizza in Naples is great, the pintxos in San Sebastian are to die for and the boulangerie pastries in Paris are worth the extra 10 kilos you take home.

But what about the eats that not everyone knows about? Everyone has a secret, especially when it comes to food. These are ours

Here’s five of the best ‘secret eats’ from around the world that are just as delicious, but probably aren’t on your radar.

Potato Cakes at Blue Lips Fish and Chip Shop, Exmouth, Western Australia

“Four bucks for a potato cake? Are you joking?”

Incredulous, I went ahead with my order of three of them, plus some chips and a piece of gold snapper in the renowned fishing haven of Exmouth, on Western Australia’s north-western tip.

In a direct, real life replica of The Simpsons episode where Moe starts overcharging for beer – this was the best bloody potato cake I ever had.

They’re like a deep-fried mash potato that melted in your mouth.

Some research would suggest it won Australia’s best potato cake in 2020 (with no shortage of competition). Whether you call them scallops or cakes, this is the absolute cream of the (potato) crop.

Mammy Johnston’s Ice Cream, Strandhill, Ireland 

The west coast of Ireland is wild.

Hurricane-like winds belt the shoreline, whipping up gigantic swells and rippling through towns to create Baltic conditions through the little towns that dot the shoreline. Doesn’t seem like the place to put an ice cream shop.

This then, proves just how good Mammy Johnston’s homemade ice cream is in Strandhill. The award winning gelato shop has been there for almost 100 years, and in the hands of the Bryne family for the last few decades. This is as good as ice cream gets….which is really saying something. get lost recommends the Oreo gelato.

Berlin Toilet Burger

When you exit the U-Bahn at Schlesisches Tor station, in Berlin’s uber-cool Kreuzberg area (they’re all uber-cool, right?) and walk across the road, you will find a large queue at a fairly elementary looking public toilet most hours of the day and night.

No this is not some sort of secret Berlin nightclub. This is Burgermeister, an institution for travellers and Berliners alike since 2006. And I shit you not: The best burger I have ever (and I mean ever) eaten came from this public-toilet turned burger shop.

The toilet people make their own buns, make their own meat patties, and produce their own fries – all fresh. This is unusual in itself for a fast-food restaurant, a trait they clearly aren’t scared of.

After a particularly big couple of nights that may well have been a week, a friend and I queued at Burgermeister for what seemed like another week, looking for sustenance and keen to see if this famous burger was worth the hype.

Long story short: it was.

Omelette-Kebabs, Tajrish Bazaar, Tehran, Iran

You know something’s going to be good when, after ordering, you are given a set of plastic gloves to deal with the greasiness of what you’re eating.

This place is so secret that this writer has no idea of its name, despite returning 3-4 times over the space of a weekend.

It is not a secret in Tehran, though. Lines snake around each corner of the Tajrish Bazaar in the north of the city. The queue is an experience in itself: an unorderly jostle, a matter of holding cash out and shouting, hoping the store person takes it and admits you.

The lamb, chicken or beef insides are delicious but unusually for a kebab, that’s not where the best bit is. Instead of using bread, the maker here (in front of your eyes while you wait) makes greasy, buttery, delicious omelettes to hold the insides, hence the gloves. Greasy goodness.

 

Paella, Four Ways Farmer’s Market, Johannesburg, South Africa

In the north of the city is the Four Ways Farmer’s Market, a farmer’s market offering exceptional local fare, as well as foreign dishes from all over Africa and the world. There’s also several bars with craft beers on tap, local gins, champagne and more, and all your usual market mainstays.

This is not the part of the world you’d expect to find a world class paella. But in a dark corner of the market is Tutto Food Co who, in truly gigantic pans/woks, cook what would surely be the best paella outside of Iberia.

 

When reality BEATS Instagram

We all know those places that look a million bucks on Instagram or a Google image search, but have been amplified by talented photo editors, and are less impressive when you actually arrive.

Maybe these places really ARE this beautiful, but have fallen victim to over-tourism by the time you get there, and are instead intense jostles for a photo (Venice, cough).

But not everywhere is like this and in some cases, it actually goes the OTHER way – places that are far better when you are there in-person, which can be tough to convey the beauty of to people when you arrive home.

Here’s five places that look far better IRL than on the Gram:

Five places where reality is BETTER than Instagram

Belgrade, Serbia 

This writer once misunderstood an online bus ticket system, affording 24 hours to kill in Belgrade. Best mistake ever.

Initial impressions were not encouraging. It was cold, and blocks of bleakly designed Yugoslav buildings gave the city a depressing mood.

But things picked up; joining forces with some Germans and an Australian, I devoured Pljeskavica (a spicy combination of meats served with relish) and beers at a café, found some cheap books at a cool bookstore before winding up amongst the frenzy of Rajko Mitić Stadium, where former European Champions Red Star Belgrade were playing.

After the football (2-1 to Red Star) we visited another (actual) fortress in the form of the Kalemagedon: a crumbling castle where American indie-rock giants Interpol were playing a gig. There are few places in the world where you can watch a quality international act play at a 2000-year-old fortress.

With time winding down until my 6am bus, we made sure to investigate every inch of the very, very lively DJ scene on the Danube’s riverfront.

Yes, I missed the bus.

European soccer crowds are another level.
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Melbourne, Australia

It might seem sacrilegious to throw shade on your hometown, but let’s face it: Melbourne doesn’t have Sydney’s beauty or the balmy beach tan of Perth. Even tree and church-lined Adelaide has a sort of quaint charm if you go by a Google image search.

Sure, the Yarra River is disgusting with probably a few dead bodies, but the city it flows through has its own sort of charm.

Grungy and fancy suburbs that sit next to each other teem with café-laden streets that hum with people catching up for a coffee, complaining about the weather. The cultural hotpot of people that have somehow landed here has brought an eclectically diverse and delicious mix of food to the city.

Despite being at the bottom of the world, the city attracts world class events transcending art, music and sport. No-one has ever been short of things to do in Melbourne.

This is a city that didn’t invent laneways, but acts like it did, taking more pride in narrow dirty alleys than anywhere else, highlighting them rather than trying to cover them up. This might be the best thing about Melbourne: it acts like it’s a cool place, therefore it is a cool place.

Philadelphia, USA 

Good Dog bar, central Philly.

Esperance, Australia

This one is on a bit of a different tangent to the rest but here’s the thing: the town of Esperance on the south-west coast of Australia is actually so beautiful that images other people have taken really don’t do it justice.

Like sure, it does look stunning. Bt it probably won’t look as nice in real life, you tell yourself, and prepare to settle for a little less.

The pristine white sand and crystal clear, turquoise waters are real, genuinely taking the breath away when you arrive for the first time.

Perhaps two full days of driving across the Nullarbor that it takes to reach it probably enhances things, but there’s no doubting Esperance gives weight to the theory that West is Best.

Wylie Bay in Esperance, Western Australia
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Literally any Irish pub

When you think about it, drinking in an old, dark, dingy space with stained-glass windows could be a pretty difficult sell before you mention it’s an Irish pub.

A proper Irish pub session will start with a pint next to a warm fire, and a few tall stories. Soon there’ll be Guinness being passed over heads, and before long you’ll be dancing a proper jig with someone with a ridiculously spelt name like Aoife or Oisin, to a catchy old tune you’ve never heard but feel you’ve heard 100 times before.

All this craic doesn’t really translate to social media, and a good thing at that; get lost likes to think the magic of a lock-in is something you have to experience for yourself.

O'Donoghues on Merrion Row, Dublin.

Live by the sword, dine by the sword

I look at the tar-coloured black skin of the thumb-sized fish in front of me. It sits meticulously plated, its plump little belly diagonally sliced, head on its side, eyes withered and sad.

“Oh, it’s our friend, the mudskipper,” one of my dinner companions half-laughs, half groans. “We spent hours watching them yesterday; they’re so cute.”

“Mutsugoro [mudskipper] is a real Ojisan [old man] delicacy,” says our guide, with a knowing smile; she’s obviously seen our lame display of shock before, “they’re a real Yanagawa speciality.”

After a full day of exploring the canal-lined streets of Yanagawa, a city on the southern coast of Fukuoka Prefecture, I can think of far more specialities that more adequately represent the charms of this picturesque town than the sticky, mud-dwelling, sweet-soy drenched, googly-eyed fish I’m trying for dinner.

Ah well, I think to myself, let’s give it a go. After all, I’m a guest; I’ll show my appreciation to these modern-day samurai through gluttony and a display of culinary bravery!

Ohana's Shoto-en garden was the creation of 14th lord, Tomoharu Tachibana.
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Before I know it, I’m happily five or so plates deep into a kaiseki (multi-course) meal in the Japanese dining room of Ohana, the home to one of Fukuoka’s most legendary and centuries-old samurai families, the Tachibana Clan.

Given my very Australian habit of tall poppy syndrome and near constant suspicion of social hierarchies, I’ve never been the type to be impressed by family titles, royal connections, old money and the like. But these mudskippers for dinner and my Tachibana hosts, they’re very different.

“I want to play with the cultural assets we have,” explains Chizuka, Ohana’s CEO and an 18th generation Tachibana clan member.

That night we’re swooned by Chizuka over a series of alcoholic and non-alcoholic aperitif style post-dinner drinks.

Ohana commissioned an artisanal freelance drink artist – maybe the only person with said title in Japan – Emmy, to create the tasting flight after the pair connected on Instagram.

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Fine dining in Seiyokan which is the name for Ohana's Western style building.

Unagi (eel) is one of Yanagawa's culinary specialities.
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Ohana's modern dining experience borrows elements from its past, ensuring guests are treated like Japanese royalty.
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“The new theme for Ohana is ‘the future’,” Chizuka continues, “mixing elements from old and new cultures, trying new things.”

The family isn’t resting on the laurels of what their great-great-great-someone did two centuries ago. They’re spearheading new tourism initiatives, including envisioning an online platform that allows individual travellers to curate their own Yanagawa experience, scaffolded by the rich Tachibana familial network.

Part of why I’m visiting is to give Ohana’s experiences a trial run— a pretty sweet gig even with all the mudskipper munching we’re doing.

The priest of Sanbashira Shrine is and 18th generation Tachibana.
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On arrival I receive a blessing from the town’s chief priest – Chizuka’s cousin, Seitaro – and the next day I learn the cultural history of the mikan (a Japanese citrus fruit) at Kikko’s Orchard. The Orchard is the clan’s campsite, farm, and occasional music festival location that’s run by Chizuka’s uncle, a 17th generation Tachibana.

Welcoming tourists into your home is a rare move for any royal family, but it’s a natural evolution for this family when you look at the history and context of why they did it in the first place.

Chizuka’s grandmother, Ayako, first decided to open Ohana in the 1950s as a restaurant and hotel. It was a way for her to contribute to the future of Yanagawa, while also saving her family from financial post-war ruin.

In many ways, Ohana today is the embodiment of the entrepreneurial energy that surges right through Fukuoka. Fukuoka City was actually Japan’s first to launch a specific start-up-visa, which is an immigration program dedicated to helping international businesses looking to shake things up in a fresh environment. A bold move for a nation where following rules and tradition – particularly in the corporate world – is considered of the highest virtues.

Seitaro Tachibana performing a prayer for safety at Sanbashira Shrine.
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17th generation Tachibana and Kikko Orchard head, Tamio.
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Food and the dining experience is central to a guest's stay at Ohana.
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A display of Noh theatre masks.
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In many ways, Ohana today is the embodiment of the entrepreneurial energy that surges through Fukuoka.

Like many other prefectures across Japan, Fukuoka Prefecture is misunderstood as just being a singular city, when in fact the name of the prefecture just coincidentally matches its capital. Many think Fukuoka Prefecture is just about Yatai and Fukuoka City’s famed Canal City Hakata shopping mall. But go beyond the bright lights and escape this busy metropolis and you’ll discover a region filled with outdoor adventures and quaint mountain villages.

Hiring a car from the city will give you great flexibility to adventure through this lush and idyllic landscape, stopping in places such as Hoshino-mura. Like a jewel, this town is cradled in the mountains of southern Fukuoka. Better known for its rice-field structures, if you’re visiting Hoshino-mura from late May you may also bear witness to one of the greatest firefly displays on the planet.

The gondola boatmen of Yanagawa are one of the town's icons. Click to view gallery

After a busy few days dining with ancient samurai families, I reluctantly leave Yanagawa and head north to cycle the circumference of the beachy Shikanoshima Island. Later gorging myself on cheap but deliciously fresh oysters along the waterfront of the charming, up and coming port town of Itoshima. With its new water view cafes, restaurants and a burgeoning creative art scene that would rival most European cities, Itoshima’s main beach is also fast becoming a surfer’s paradise. For arguably the best view in all of Kyushu, you might also attempt to hike to the top of Mount Tateishi which will certainly test your fitness.

This is a hidden coastal corner of Japan not many tourists have seen. A true representation of the experience-rich prefecture that exists far beyond Google searches and Trip Advisor reviews. For example, did you also know Fukuoka Prefecture is one of the first places in Japan where the Cherry Blossoms bloom? So to get your dose of hanami (flower viewing) skip the busy March crowds of Tokyo or Kyoto and be sure to head here instead.

Fukuoka Prefecture is one of the first places in Japan where the Cherry Blossoms bloom.
Itoshima has a burgeoning creative art scene that would rival most European cities. Visit for waterfront cafes, bars, restaurants and surf beach.
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The best part? You’re just a 35-minute drive from Fukuoka City’s international airport.

So after my coastal road trip and dizzying stay at Ohana, I meander back to the centre of Fukuoka City with a few hours to kill before a flight back to Tokyo. I ask a local for some advice and she points me in the direction of Manu Coffee. Turns out it’s the perfect antidote for my rabid Australian caffeine addiction.

Manu is cool and very trendy, but in a cosy, worn-in way. You can tell that the walls and furniture here have stories to tell; from first dates to new business ideas and creative projects. This is a cafe built for social interaction, not Instagram flexing. In fact, this is a true microcosm of Fukuoka City.

After a brief moment flirting with the almost disorientingly-long list of flavoured coffee options — including something called the intriguing ‘Geisha Guatemalan’ — I’m so flustered that out of panic I simply order what I always do, “cafe latte, hot.”

Taking up residence in the back corner, I open up my laptop and already start researching my return to this intriguing region, which is when one of the great travel paradoxes hits me.

Lunch at Kikko Orchard in Yanagawa.
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Kikko Orchard's unique glamping experience.
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For all that I have done, I become aware of all that I missed: Fukuoka is a leader in olle trekking, a Korean-inspired type of hiking based around blending cultural landmarks with sensory experiences. There’s the prefecture’s new love of both forest and coastal style glamping, with new accommodation options popping up almost monthly.

Fully caffeinated, I head to the airport with my next Fukuoka adventure already planned.

It seems Ohana’s mantra of looking to the future is already rubbing off on me.