Remote beaches, primeval rainforest, waterfalls that drop hundreds of metres as they tumble and sparkle into the ocean, fluted canyons, sprawling cattle ranches, secret spring-fed pools where turtles graze and locals gather to ‘talk story’. And there’s the food! Hawai’i is so much more than Waikiki (and that’s pretty amazing). See the full story here
Insider’s Guide to Hawai’i
Palm Springs seems crazy – it’s hot, it’s rimmed by surreal mountains, it’s speckled with lush golf courses and palm-lined driveways, it’s endlessly evocative of its movie-star studded past, its retro architecture, restaurants and cool cocktails. And the colours are amazing. You just have to love it.
And that’s even before you consider some of the most amazing places to rent and soak up the vibe. Check out this story in Luxury Travel magazine, California Dreaming – Palm Springs
Hawaii’s famous Maui island is everything you’ve heard about and a bit more…
It’s not just beautiful beaches and crashing waves, swimming, surfing and mai tais.
There’s a food scene here that is Californian cool – fork to fork, as they say here but even a tad more laid-back and then
there’s horse-riding, zip lining, biking and more. See Escape (Herald Sun) on line
http://bit.ly/1LLK2mJ for the full story.
Aloha! 
Mexico City – Distrito Federal, or D.F. as it’s known – is one of the world’s megacities, a sprawling metropolis with a richly layered history and a powerful sense of its own culture. Change is in its DNA though, so it shouldn’t really be a surprise that it’s not all mariachi bands and mezcal. But it is a surprise to find pockets of the city with a contemporary edge that snap well away from stereotypes. Design hotels in leafy inner-urban areas, international galleries, a culinary scene that owes as much to LA and New York as to myriad Mexican flavours, cool bars, and hipsters peddling past on hire bikes. Who would have thought?
Unless you’re here for an extended stay, the secret is to hone in on a few key areas.
Roma, La Condesa and Polanco are the colonias or neighbourhoods you might choose to start with, but don’t discount the historic centre, El Centro – even there you’ll find surprises.
For more about Mexico City and its boutique hotels see International Traveller magazine May/June 2015 edition.MEXICO hip hoods, design hotels
La Valise in Roma Norte – how clever is this room, (in one of just 3 suites) where you can slide your bed onto the balcony for balmy Mexican nights.
A little bit gangsta, a little bit chic… in the heart of LA’s
Koreatown, The Line hotel serves up the goods in uber-cool LA style.
See International Traveller magazine March/April 2015.
Dipping south of Adelaide, South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula is one of those so-close yet so-far away destinations. It offers sun, sea, gorgeous coastline, wineries, good food and an intriguing history (from whales to wine). Here’s a sample from the UK publication, Australia and New Zealand magazine. For the full story see HolidayFleurieu Peninsula
and ps Thanks Tiger Airlines for flying us over – an early breakfast in Melbourne and morning tea in sunny McLaren Vale. Perfect!
Not only does Australia have brilliant beaches – it has some great pools.
A look at some cool hotel pools where you can chill out over the summer…
for the full story see The New Daily http://bit.ly/1IXTlzs
