You no longer have to work at the Naidiri Marine Biodiversity Park to snorkel at the Naidiri Marine Biodiversity Park.
Renowned for its leading coral and marine conservation efforts, the park is opening its doors in a Willy Wonka-esque move that’ll give regular Joe’s the chance to snorkel its healthy marine ecosystem for the first time ever.
Not only will thousands of tropical fish, crabs, sea snails, blue-spotted rays, octopus and plenty of colourful coral now be at your pruny fingertips, but this snorkelling experience promises a firsthand insight into just how much work the park’s been doing in the conservation space over the past 15 years.
This work includes supporting marine restoration by planting coral and replenishing fish stock in the qoliqoli, and safeguarding the island’s coral reefs for future generations by educating both tourists and locals on the importance of protecting the environment. And because of the park’s Marine Protected Area status, a whopping 28,800m2 of shoreline is protected from fishing and other potentially destructive activities.
The park doesn’t even keep all this extra money they’re now making; every single cent you pay goes directly to the local community for staff training and village infrastructure.
The Stigull Stairway, consisting of a 40-metre-long ladder suspended above the Norwegian Fjords, sits a staggering 790 metres above the ground. Yep, 7-9-0. That’s the height of almost two and a half Eiffel Towers (sorry, it’s taken us longer than expected to get the Olympics out of our brains).
The ladder’s made up of 120 teeny tiny steps and sits at a slope of 45 degrees, which is enough to make even the steadiest of climbers a little shaky. Luckily, the attraction has a very low difficulty rating and experience level, so as long as you’re not deathly afraid of heights, you should be okay.
And when you make it to the end, hopefully with your lunch still firmly in your stomach, you’ve got the epic views from the top of Mount Hoven waiting for you. There’s also a restaurant, a gift shop (we’re sensing an ‘I survived’ t-shirt purchase in your near future) and the fjord’s famous Leon Skylift cable car to keep your adventure going.
But the stairway isn’t the only adrenaline-inducing attraction the Norwegian village of Leon has going for it. It’s also home to the Via Ferrata, one of the most spectacular climbing routes in the world, as well as a death-defying zipline and an only slightly less terrifying suspension bridge.
It’s the southern hemisphere’s biggest winter party.
Snow Machine Festival is like après, but all day. It’s like a music festival, but on the top of a mountain. It’s like a week of skiing and snowboarding in one of New Zealand’s premiere snow destinations, but with sick tunes and parties included.
The Remarkables are a mountain range which extend to and elevation of 2,319m high, and tower over nearby Queenstown, the home of adventure in New Zealand.
Ladyhawke, Bag Raiders, Zahn Walker, Angus and Julia Stone and The Rubens are just a few that are suiting up to play this year’s festival, which is set out over a number of stages.
The festival’s main stage is in Queenstown, but DJ sets play on the mountain’s après stages in what is surely the world’s most epic DJ booth, plus there’s a daytime winery stage which looks pretty lit too.
Last year a world record was set for the largest slope run by a bunch of people in swimsuits, a phenomenon dubbed ‘The Polar Bare’.
There’s even a night ski with DJs to greet you when you reach the bottom.
First there was Squid Game and now, after the resounding success of Netflix’s latest Japanese drama series Alice in Borderland, the world has a new immersive death game.
The hit TV show follows Arisu, a gamer who finds himself trapped in a survival of the fittest sickest game that takes place in a parallel universe. Japan’s Immersive Fort Tokyo has whipped out the UNO draw 4+ card equivalent, taking this theme and running with it by recently launching it’s 7th attraction “Alice in Borderland: Immersive Death Game”.
This is very much a play-at-your-own-risk type of adventure with participants experiencing the life-or-death game wearing the same ‘collar bomb’ shown in the series. Fully immersed in a set of visuals carefully created by the Netflix staff who worked on the show, it’s every man for himself as you fight to survive. We don’t even reckon Tim Burton could dream this twisted shit up.
The language barrier is one thing you won’t have to think about (a small yet welcome reprieve) as the attraction is available in English, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional) and Japanese.
And if one PTSD-inducing death game isn’t enough, Immersive Fort Tokyo has 6 other attractions you can try out. Maybe you’d be better at solving mysteries as part of an immersive Sherlock Holmes whodunit. Or perhaps you’re looking for something a bit more hardcore and fancy the sound of stumbling your way through a horror maze as Jack The Ripper takes chase.
Whichever attraction you choose, this immersive theatre theme park promises an adventure to die for, literally.
Melbourne hotels, you’re on notice. This new stay is literally setting the standard.
The StandardX, Melbourne is nestled in the heart of Fitzroy: a vibrant suburb bubbling with live music, street art and cafes that’ll sell you an $8 latte.
The cultural pulse is high here and the hotel’s interior, designed by firm Hecker Guthrie, reflects that. The revolving doors are bold, the ceilings are lofty, the columns are wrapped in macrame, the furniture is antique, and that’s before you’ve even checked into your room.
Whether you’re relaxing in the Cozy King or you’ve hit the Suite Spot, your senses are treated to an aesthetically pleasing colour palette, a focally placed bed you could easily get 10 hours in, a killer view of the city skyline and artwork spread across the walls by local talent.
That’s already gold standard kinda stuff, but with the addition of all-day Thai restaurant BANG, retail store The Box for all your lifestyle needs and luxe drinking spot The Roof (try and guess where it’s located), the hotel goes from above-par to off-the-charts.
Led by Executive Chef Justin Dingle-Garciyya, BANG bursts onto the culinary scene with a menu of dishes made from traditional recipes and locally sourced ingredients to bring you and your tastebuds some hibachi pork and octopus skewers, blue swimmer crab donuts and slow-cooked Wagyu beef short ribs.
The Roof is reserved exclusively for hotel guests. You’ll find all the regulars on the menu plus a few buzzworthy cocktails inspired by the hotel’s energetic surroundings.
From defrosting your car’s windshield in the morning to cranking the heater 24/7 (in this economy?!), winters are the worst. But don’t get angry at the drizzly weather and your skyrocketing electricity bill, get even.
Introducing Kathmandu’s newest winter-withering creation, the Any Time Down Vest.
Gone are the days of layering clothes ‘til you look like the Michelin Man or Joey in that Friends episode (you know, the one where he puts on every single piece of clothing he owns).
The Any Time Down Vest is specifically designed for fresh mornings (and fresher evenings) thanks to its 600-fill power down construction. In normal people terms that means it’s toasty, lightweight and durable. A.k.a perfect for your various adventures during the day and getting up to mischief at night – did someone say, ‘let’s go to the pub?’
It also has pockets! Two of them! For your hands! Throw out your gloves!
You don’t even have to worry about coming last in the style stakes because the vest has a cool diamond-quilted design (it’s giving wardrobe staple status) and comes in colours inspired by the wilderness in New Zealand.
If the vest’s not your thing, the same style comes in a hooded parka version and a short jacket version (for women only).
Moon Bay, Slovenia at number three. Stokes Bay Beach, Australia at number two. And coming in at number one—inserts drum roll—is Piha Beach, New Zealand.
An unlikely, but not unworthy, first placer on Enjoy Travel’s Best Beaches in the World list for 2024, Piha Beach boasts sparkling black sand, whipped white waves and the impressively shaped Lion Rock. Which may or may not look like an actual lion (it doesn’t).
While the water might entice you with its gorgeous blue colour and perfect clarity, don’t be fooled. This beach has many charms, but being swimmable isn’t one of them. Read: there’s no early-morning recovery sessions or late-night skinny dips happening here. The waves are formidably rough (sadness) and the currents are strong, like Dwayne Johnson strong, so swimming without the supervision of a lifeguard is dangerous.
But despite the conditions, it’s an epic spot to surf. It’s also a pretty good-looking one, thanks to the rugged cliffs at either end of the beach. Settling down for a picnic on the sand or abseiling down the Piha Canyon are popular ways to spend time here, along with surf fishing and taking surf lessons.
You might even see some blue penguins if you’re there after the sun goes down. Yes, Piha Beach gets to have the world’s smallest penguin species and be crowned the world’s best beach. Some beaches just have it all.
If you’ve got enough sand in your shoes (and in other places to last you a lifetime), you can wander the streets of the small coastal village behind the beach or go bushwalking through the surrounding wilderness to make your visit a full-day thing.
Hate hibernating in Winter? Got some spare annual leave? Feeling far too close to a full-on burnout? Sounds like you need to swap your day job for an Odd Job.
We don’t mean cleaning out gutters, pulling out weeds or replacing tiles in the bathroom that have been cracked for longer than you care to admit.
This winter Tourism Tasmania is offering Aussies the chance to step away from the desk in favour of doing something a little more hands-on.
And by hands-on, we mean donning a pair of waders and venturing out into Great Oyster Bay as an Oyster Organiser (apparently a thing). Or keeping temperatures warm and toasty as a Sauna Stoker (also, apparently a thing). Or Truffle Snuffling, which sounds more like a creature from The Fantastic Beats franchise than an actual job. And don’t get us started on the role of Wombat Walker, whose sole responsibility is to take them on a morning waddle.
If anything’s for certain it’s that someone in the Tassie Tourism office clearly froths alliteration. But all jokes aside, you don’t have to hibernate in front of the telly ‘til September.
Replace the daily grind for one or two days of volunteering for a local business and reconnect with nature, the community and your own sense of enjoyment; something a 9 to 5 job inevitably sucks out of us. Too dark?
As if all that wasn’t convincing enough, successful applicants also receive a selection of fine Tasmanian produce or goods, specially picked out by their Odd Job host as a ‘you did such a good job organising oysters/stoking saunas/snuffling for truffles/walking wombats’ present. Honestly, sign us up.
Is it too much to ask for a delicious pizza with a view? Not at Blossom Rooftop Bar. Melbourne has got a few to choose from, but not many can say their bar wraps around the building. So maybe it is a wrap-around bar more than rooftop as per se, but let’s not get bogged down in semantics.
Pullman City Centre is where you can find this beauty. Aptly titled, given its location on Swanston Street in the heart of Melbourne. If you’re wanting to sample their beautifully crafted cocktail menu, it is handy to know you can get home safely with a tram stop located right out front. Or treat yourself and stay the night – being a 5-star hotel that was renovated in 2019, you’ll get to enjoy their exceptional hospitality and uniquely designed spaces.
Blossom Rooftop bar impresses as soon as you step out of the elevator of the 14th floor with its industrial interiors and breathtaking mural by acclaimed artist Lisa King. Sure, you can cosy up inside and perch yourself close to the bar or, step outside and choose a view that best suits you. Bask in the daytime sun, savour the glow of a glorious sunset or marvel at the night sky by the heaters they’ve placed around the rooftop – this really is a bar you can get around at any time.
Their menu caters to just about everyone as well, with gluten-free and vegan options – or go all in with 250g Black Angus Striploin. If pizza is what you’re after, then you’ve come to the right place. We can vouch for their mouth-watering woodfire pizzas and on Tuesdays, you can buy one and get the second half price. They’re helping pizza enthusiasts through cozzie livs.
Weekends are where the party is at with a DJ from 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Keep an eye out for some of the parties they host throughout the year, including their legendary NYE party! With the STUH NING backdrop of Melbourne’s skyline coupled with their impeccable food and drinks menu plus some of the best DJs to boot, this is a great place to ring in the new year.
The brand-new adaptation of James Clavell’s novel, Shōgun, which you can watch on Disney+ and Hulu, can actually be experience in-person in Japan.
If you want to be a passenger princess on holiday for once, not having to organise everything – Inside Japan Tours Shogun campaign is for you. They can curate a tailored adventure that allows you to learn more about 17th century Japan and the Edo period.
The Shōgun trail entails learning about samurai culture of Kyushu in Nagasaki city. Surrounded by a bay and mountains, it isn’t just a picturesque place to visit but one oozing in history, most notably with the reconstructed man made island of Dejima. For 220 years this was the sole region of Japan accessible to Europeans, and for a limited number of locals, a unique chance to engage with the outside world before their country opened up in 1853.
You could get your steps up and walk where the Samurais and Daimyo Lords did, along Nakasendo. The entire route spans 534km through central Japan dating back to the 17th century, sprawling with tree-lined paths and mountain towns through central mainland Honshu….but you don’t have to walk the entire length like Samurais did, obviously.
What about a two-hour kenbu class in Kyoto? A dance with a katana sword and a fan, you could be just like samurai who would gather strength before a battle in a kenbu ritual.
Speaking of swords, you could also visit a workshop in one of Japan’s last-remaining traditional sword-smiths. See if you can figure out the traditional way to fold steel, and see first-hand some of their older blades.
As Shōgun says ‘Lose yourself in the music, the moment…’ wait sorry, wrong lose yourself.
‘Lose yourself in it, make yourself one with nature…’.
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