A family holiday in Samoa by Juliet Davis
With a 3 hour direct daily flight from Auckland and their time zone just 1 hour ahead, Samoa has proven to be a fantastic holiday destination for our family (with children aged 8 and 10). Our 12 days away was a mixture of time in Apia, Lalomanu Beach on the… Learn more
A week in Northern Spitsbergen in search of pack ice and polar bears. by Ian Collier
A few years ago, I wrote a short piece about how much I enjoyed my 2 day ‘digital detox’ aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train in the wilds of British Colombia. Disconnected from phone and internet does provide an increasingly rare opportunity to focus entirely on your surroundings and so a… Learn more
Oslo to Longyearbyen by Ian Collier
Oslo is often overlooked by travellers keen to explore Europe’s great cities, probably because it doesn’t have any obvious iconic landmarks and is perceived as being very expensive, so I was completely unprepared for how impressive it is for the first time visitor. This is a city with vast green… Learn more
Whirlwind 50 hours in Barcelona! by Ian Collier
We really packed it in, on Sunday afternoon we wandered the Gothic Quarter, jumped on the hop on / hop off bus ‘red’ route and strolled along the beach. On Monday we did the bus ‘blue’ route, went to Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, the Camp Nou stadium and explored… Learn more
Exploring San Sebastián & the Basque country by Ian Collier
After our sprint around Barcelona, we elected for a change of pace and a short flight from Barcelona to stay in an apartment for 4 nights in the old town of San Sebastián. This is truly a foodies paradise, with hundreds of excellent restaurants and the famous charming pintxos (tapas)… Learn more
5 days in Sydney by Peter Dunne
I had lived in Sydney in the late 80’s and been back a few time over the followings years, but never as a tourist so this year when I visited for 5 days it was an interesting mix of reminiscence and new experiences. Easter is a good time to visit… Learn more
Armchair Travel: Backroads’ Favourite Recipe for Spanish Tortilla! by Discover Travel
What do you remember most about the best trip you’ve ever taken? Aside from the people you shared it with, it’s probably the food. Great dining is an adventure—from exotic dishes to quirky restaurants and friendly waiters, it’s one of the best ways to experience a foreign place, even as… Learn more
Walking Japan’s Nakasendo Trail by Ian Collier
Japan is very popular for Kiwi visitors; with the Rugby World Cup last year and the Olympics upcoming in 2020, the country’s profile has never been higher. So many visitors to Japan use the impressive Japan Rail network to hop at Shinkansen (bullet) speed from one big city to another… Learn more
Antarctica on board Greg Mortimer! by Janine Hay
Arriving in Ushuaia with the anticipation of boarding The Greg Mortimer Ship the following day, I was buzzing with excitement. With a morning to spare before meeting my fellow passengers, I decided to explore on foot. It became obvious very quickly around the shore who my fellow passengers were. Everyone… Learn more
3 days in Moscow by Linda Weiss
I’m just back from a trip to Russia where I spent 4 nights and 3 full days in Moscow. I must admit, I thought 4 nights may have been too long in this city but now I am not sure that it is not long enough! Moscow has so many… Learn more
On safari in Tanzania by Juliet Davis
Heading off on safari to Tanzania this year has been one of the most memorable trips of my life! It’s a bucket lister for many of our clients and I can almost definitely say that I can’t wait to get back to Africa again. My trip was an 8 day… Learn more
A Turkish Odyssey by Peter Dunne
Having only visited Istanbul before, I was really keen to get to Turkey and visit the numerous interesting places I have read about over the years, could they all be as spectacular as they sounded? It took me two weeks to find out and yes they certainly were, read on… Learn more
