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Luxury travel

This Month

A guide to hurkle-durkling, Scotland’s proud tradition of lazing in bed

If you love to lounge about and catch up on rest on holiday, this morning habit is for you.

  • Andrea Sachs

January

I get sick in a Sydney cab. Why am I going on a cruise?

A journey around Papua New Guinea’s remote south-east combines luxury cruising with some of the world’s finest snorkelling and diving.

  • Fiona Buffini
The recently completed Balzac Hotel in Paris.

How design studio Festen is redefining Parisian elegance

Interior power duo Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay are shaping the look and feel the city’s hotels

  • Stephen Todd
The soap at Josh Niland’s Grand National hotel.

Sydney’s newest boutique hotel comes with a fine-dining twist

What happens when Australia’s most celebrated restaurant couple extend their hospitality into the guest rooms above their landmark eaterie? We check in to find out.

  • Updated
  • Anna McCooe
Dar Tantora, Saudi Arabia.

Is a true luxury holiday about going without?

While ensconced in the plush Cheval Blanc, our travel columnist found herself dreaming instead of places so simple they’re lit by candlelight.

  • Maria Shollenbarger
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December 2024

The hotel is operated by IHG under its luxury Intercontinental brand.

Wealthy families to sell Sorrento’s ‘Conti’ hotel for $180m

The Continental stands at the gateway to some of Victoria’s most expensive real estate, including the clifftop mansion of Portsea owned by Rich Listers.

  • Larry Schlesinger
Palau_Four Seasons Explorer

6 luxury escapes including the best island holiday no one has heard of

From weekend escapes to gold-standard international adventures, travel is a gift that lasts a lifetime.

  • Updated
  • Ute Junker

A workaholic’s guide to successfully unwinding on holiday

How to mentally clock off to reap the benefits of your break from the office.

  • Luke Benedictus
Chris Lucas’ new restaurant Maison Bâtard.

Hottest new places to dine around the country right now

These much-anticipated restaurants and bars have opened their doors just in time for summer.

  • Necia Wilden
The Lazareth North and Astrid emperor penguin colonies, both of which were only discovered in the past two years.

Forget cruises, the only way to see Antarctica is to go ‘deep field’

For a taste of the frozen continent made legend by names such as Scott, Amundsen, Shackleton and Mawson, you have to venture into its heart.

  • Ronald Mizen
The pair of “eyes” at 12th floor terrace level.

Inside Melbourne’s latest luxury hotel

This CBD new-build is avowedly local, and intrinsically sophisticated. The essence of Victoria’s capital, really.

  • Stephen Todd

Why Lake Como has become a hot ticket in winter

These palatial family-run retreats in northern Italy pride themselves on making the festive season magical.

  • Jane Cornwell
Le Panier district in Marseille.

The magic of Marseille exists if you know where to find it

The French city’s gritty, colourful past is exemplified in the Panier district. Here’s a guide to where to stay and dine – away from the tourist traps.

  • Robert Bevan

We check into the next White Lotus resort

The third series of the streaming hit is set in the exclusive Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui. Here’s what it’s like.

  • Ute Junker

Egypt’s bygone glamour gets a luxurious new spin

In a land with an ancient civilisation comes a new offering for travellers seeking luxury with an authentic patina.

  • Maria Shollenbarger
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A new bronze age - the grand entrance.

How Sydney’s landmark Wentworth hotel rates after a $70m refurb

Adding four top-quality bars and restaurants to the mix will ensure the mid-century venue has a steady flow of patrons – guests and locals.

  • Philippa Coates
Michele O’Neill, standing in the centre in front of the fireplace, is Co-owner, La Chapelle, a 10th-century chapel restored as boutique accommodation in Provence, France

How Aussie expats celebrate Christmas with foreign flourish

Boxing Day might not include beach cricket for these five living abroad, but some customs from home can be honoured.

  • Tony Davis, Lauren Sams and Stephen Todd
Zoe Samios aboard her Cathay Pacific red-eye flight from Hong Kong to Sydney.

This business-class flight was so good I almost slept through landing

Cathay Pacific’s new Aria offering is now in the skies, but the traditional pointy-end cabin on the Hong Kong-based carrier still does the job.

  • Zoe Samios

November 2024

John Kehoe spots a bear (the grizzly kind). Here’s what he learnt

A three-night stay in a wilderness lodge off Canada’s south-west coast is a stunning way to connect – with nature, not the internet.

  • Updated
  • John Kehoe and Jennifer Palmer
xxYearBali cover story a year in bali indonesia ; text by Penny Watson
(handout image supplied via journalist for use in Traveller, no credit, no syndication)
Breakout: Banyan Tree Escape in Buahan

No walls, no doors – is this the future of luxury travel?

The first property launched under a new brand from Banyan Tree takes its history of boundary pushing further by doing more with way less in the Balinese jungle.

  • Ute Junker

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/luxury-travel-6gj1