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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.

The Eiffel Tower.

Eleven of the world’s lamest attractions (and why I still love them)

You can embrace the terrible nature of some of the world’s worst tourist traps and just enjoy them for what they are.

  • Ben Groundwater
Copacabana is the platonic ideal of egalitarian Australia.

The PM bought a house here. I can understand why

Copacabana is the ideal of egalitarian Australia. No one cares who you are.

  • Ben Groundwater
Spectrums of blue at the Perito Moreno Glacier.

The 25 ultimate sights (and sites) in South America

So epic is this land mass, even seasoned travellers will find fresh wonders to discover in the countries of South America.

  • Ben Groundwater
Local market hall Mercat de Sant Antoni in Barcelona, Spain.

Truly great cities all have one thing that Sydney doesn’t

Barcelona has them; so do London, Paris and Istanbul. Melbourne has at least three. But not Sydney.

  • Ben Groundwater
One sausage to rule them all: German bratwurst.

All hail the sausage to rule all sausages

When it comes to the world’s best sausages there’s Spanish chorizo, South Africa’s boerewors and English Cumberland. But nothing beats Germany’s bratwurst.

  • Ben Groundwater
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Most tourists in Barcelona end up around La Rambla, the city’s busy high street.

Dodge the crowds: Other places to go in the world’s top tourist cities

The world’s most popular cities may be inundated with tourists, but you don’t have to become part of the crowd – just switch neighbourhoods.

  • Ben Groundwater
The US remains one of the best travel destinations in the world, regardless of who’s in charge.

I’ve changed my mind about travelling to Trump’s America

Until a few weeks ago, my opinion was: why would you bother going there? But a conversation with a travel-loving friend changed my mind.

  • Ben Groundwater
Osso buco, a simple plate of greatness.

The hearty Italian dish that has no right to be this delicious

On a cold night, there are few things in this world more satisfying and delicious than a huge plate of osso buco.

  • Ben Groundwater
Street food in Ho Chi Minh City.

Greatest pho ever: I ate the best of Vietnamese food in 48 hours

It’s 7am in southern Vietnam, the air cool and crisp as Saigon awakes and thinks about what to eat. And it thinks about pho.

  • Ben Groundwater
Gaggan in Bangkok, where everyone is equal as long as they can pay $750 for a meal.

I went to one of the world’s ‘coolest’ restaurants. I don’t get it

There’s a type of attraction popping up around the world that really rubs me the wrong way: pretentious places that pretend they’re not pretentious.

  • Ben Groundwater

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