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Ben Groundwater

Ben Groundwater

Travel writer

Ben Groundwater is a Sydney-based travel writer, columnist, broadcaster, author and occasional tour guide with more than 25 years’ experience in media, and a lifetime of experience traversing the globe. He specialises in food and wine – writing about it, as well as consuming it – and at any given moment in time Ben is probably thinking about either ramen in Tokyo, pintxos in San Sebastian, or carbonara in Rome. Follow him on Instagram @bengroundwaterConnect via email.

Pan con chicharron … a pork sandwich with slices of sweet potato and salsa criolla.

I’ve travelled the world, and these are the 11 greatest breakfasts

Breakfast doesn’t have to come in a box with a cartoon on the front. After traversing the globe, these are my absolute favourite meals to start the day.

  • Ben Groundwater
Hearty and hot… bun bo Hue.

Beyond pho: The other Vietnamese soup you need to try

Think of this as pho’s bolder cousin, with a heady mix of salty, spicy, sour, sweet and umami flavours.

  • Ben Groundwater
Is a stay at Saffire Freycinet really worth $3000?

This famous Aussie resort costs $3000 a night. But is it justified?

What does $3000 a night get you? It gets you anything you want. Or at least, that’s the idea.

  • Ben Groundwater
Rarotonga, Cook Islands, a six-hour direct flight from Sydney.

No jet-lag required: The 10 greatest short-haul holiday destinations

These 10 countries offer a great holiday without having to take a long, exhausting flight. You’ll barely even need to change time zones.

  • Ben Groundwater
The reality is most French – including waiters in Paris – are friendly and helpful.

Of all the stereotypes of Europeans, this one is the most unfair

The reality is that if you find the French unfriendly and rude, it’s probably your own fault.

  • Ben Groundwater
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Only getting bigger… the humble bagel.

Everything about a bagel is great, except one thing

They may have been described as “an unsweetened doughnut with rigor mortis”, but the bagel is only getting bigger.

  • Ben Groundwater
Chow down on a pulled pork sandwich – this one in Oregon.

America has some genuinely terrible food. It also has some of the best

To the uninitiated, food in the US has a bad name. But burgers and giant portions are just a small part of American food, particularly if you know where to go.

  • Ben Groundwater
Qatar Airways’ economy class is good, but it’s not the world’s best.

The world’s best airline? Not if you’re flying in economy class

The title of world’s best airline should be based on the whole plane, not just the pointy end.

  • Ben Groundwater
Traditional Japanese udon noodles with soft boiled eggs.

The best way to eat udon noodles is something we don’t do in Australia

Hot udon noodles are great, but for the true, unadulterated taste of udon, try them cold.

  • Ben Groundwater
Shogun-era Matsumoto Castle.

Want a taste of Shogun-era Japan? It’s harder to find than you’d think

There’s not much shogun-era history left in Japan but Matsumoto, north-west of Tokyo, is a great place to relive samurai rule and shogunate warfare.

  • Ben Groundwater

Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/traveller/by/ben-groundwater-hveu0