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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.

Bullfighting in Spain is a spectacle, but it’s morally wrong.

Respect local cultures? Sometimes that culture doesn’t deserve respect

Other countries do things differently to ours, the world would be a terribly boring place if they didn’t. But at some point you must draw a line.

  • Ben Groundwater
Tiramisu – the original Italian pick-me-up.

The awkward truth behind this favourite Italian dessert

While it’s on venerated lists of traditional sweet treats, tiramisu has a more recent and, some say, a more spicy past.

  • Ben Groundwater
Serene walking trails through Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia.

The 10 former no-go countries that are now must-see destinations

A world with these countries, that have pulled themselves back from the brink to become mainstream tourism destinations, is most certainly a better place.

  • Ben Groundwater
Beware the chequered tablecloth. It’s not usually a winner.

Don’t go there: 32 signs a restaurant should be avoided

There’s the Good Food Guide, but here’s Traveller’s Bad Food Guide – our comprehensive tips on dodging terrible meals when you’re travelling.

  • Ben Groundwater
There are some things worth packing for every trip, no matter where you’re going, writes Ben Groundwater.

Seven essential things I always pack (and three I never do)

There are only seven essentials I take with me every time I travel; they’re the things I know I need and will make use of on every journey.

  • Ben Groundwater
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Som Tam… don’t hold the spice.

Perfectly balanced, but this spicy salad is not for the faint-hearted

Order this South-East Asian dish “medium spicy” and prepare to have your world turned upside down.

  • Ben Groundwater
White Lotus is about power: those who have it and those who don’t.

If you can afford to travel overseas, you’re rich

The White Lotus highlights the power imbalance between tourists and the people who serve them. It’s not meant to inspire holidays.

  • Ben Groundwater
Lamb korrma… a dish that’s been remade, reinvented and ruined by the West.

The sublime Indian dish the West did its best to ruin

We’ve done terrible things to the food of India, making some dishes unrecognisable and completely fabricating others. One of these is korma.

  • Ben Groundwater
Street food being prepared at one of the many seafood stalls in the outer market of Tsukiji Fish Market.

Tokyo’s famous market closed in 2018. Except it’s still going strong

When the Tsukiji fish market closed, the outer market was expected to die – yet here we are today, shoulder to shoulder, queuing for grilled wagyu.

  • Ben Groundwater
Heian Jingu’s Torii and Okazaki Canal with cherry blossom.

Japan just got a lot more expensive. Here’s why we’ll keep going

Say it ain’t so. Tell me the dream isn’t over. Someone please reassure me that Japan is still a cheap destination.

  • Ben Groundwater

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