ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER ADVENTURE
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Another day, another adventure.
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Florence: stories carved into stone

Some cities are carved out of rock. Florence’s beauty is built on marble, carved and shaped by masters of art and architecture.

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Escape to Italy’s secret beauty spot

Italy without the crowds? Yes, it does exist. Head to the Dolomites in summer to enjoy fine food, superb hiking, and some of the country’s most beautiful scenery.

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Italy’s best small towns: Orvieto

An easy day trip from Rome, the hill town of Orvieto hides plenty of marvels inside its fortified walls.

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UTE JUNKER

Luxury Travel and Lifestyle - Writer, editor, podcaster. Co-founder, tonicmag.com.au

Ute Junker has been reporting on luxury travel and lifestyle for more than 20 years. She spends much of the year on the road and is happiest snorkelling a coral reef, tucking into a new cuisine, or enjoying an up-close encounter with wildlife.

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One of my favourite French phases is the term for One of my favourite French phases is the term for window-shopping: lecher les vitrines. It translates as licking the windows - and isn’t that exactly what you want to do when you stand in front of a French patissier’s display? Patisseries are one of the items that made it onto my list of eight things that France gets right. (No, submarines are not on there.) Link in bio, should you wish to check it out.📷 EmigrerenGranCanaria from Pixabay
So here’s a question: would you holiday in Saudi So here’s a question: would you holiday in Saudi Arabia? On the plus side, it has some stunning Islamic architecture, not to mention six UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Al-Ahsa oasis, the 10,000 year old rock art at Hail, and the ancient port city of Jeddah. On the minus side, its record on human rights is, shall we say, chequered.Is that a good reason not to travel there?And if you’re happy to boycott another country, how would you feel about international visitors boycotting Australia - for its treatment of refugees, its treatment of indigenous people, its climate policy?The issue of travel boycotts is a controversial one, and it’s one we sink our teeth into on the latest Flight of Fancy podcast. Host with the most @bengroundwater, @travellerau editor @cptraveller and I had a really interesting debate on the topic. Where did we land? Tune in to find out.📷 Ali Hassanien at Unsplash
It’s no secret that I love a good hotel, but I a It’s no secret that I love a good hotel, but I also have a lot of love for the more creative approaches now being taken by accommodation providers. Treehouses, underwater rooms, vintage caravans, bubble tents: there are so many great options out there that can add a playful touch to your holiday. Check out today’s @travellerau, where we celebrate some of the best options for when lockdown finally lifts.
Happy World Manta Day! I get excited about pretty Happy World Manta Day! I get excited about pretty much any sort of encounter with marine creatures, but manta rays are top of the list. It never ceases to amaze me how a creature of this size - their wingspans can reach seven metres - can be so unutterably graceful. I’ve had some amazing manta encounters, most notably at Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia and in the Maldives. Watching these amazing creatures put on a display of rolls, pirouettes and curves worthy of a Fonteyn is an experience that’s hard to beat. They are just one more reason to protect our precious oceans.
No-one would ever mistake my living room for Marra No-one would ever mistake my living room for Marrakech. Nonetheless, for the past week and a half I’ve been trying to channel the Moroccan vibe as I participate in the digital version of @pure_theshow, usually held in Marrakech. While there’s obviously a lot missing from the experience - mosaic tiles and mint tea, to name just two - j have been loving the chance to catch up with so many innovative, inspiring travel providers from around the world. This pic, for instance, is one of the rooms at Jetwing Surf, one of the Sri Lankan boutique hotels in the portfolio of the family-run @jetwinghotels, a remarkable company that trains and employs underprivileged youth, provides seed capital to female entrepreneurs and invests heavily in sustainability. So much inspiration for travels next year.
Whenever I post about Venice on Instagram, I feel Whenever I post about Venice on Instagram, I feel a little conflicted. We all know that, pre-COVID, the city was struggling to manage untenable visitor numbers, and that one of the biggest problems was the day trippers - cruisers and others - who come, take photos and leave, without actually contributing to the local economy. And I do worry that by putting more images of Venice out there, I may be inadvertently contributing to the problem.But today’s post is an alert for anyone planning to visit Italy next year. As of summer 2022, Venice will finally be introducing the fees for day trippers that they have talked about for years. Expect to pay between three and 10 euros - and expect other visitor-heavy cities to start considering the idea.And finally, a public service announcement: if you are planning to visit Venice, don’t make it a day trip. And if you can visit off-season, you’ll also have a much better experience. This city really is made for slow travel. The real treasures of Venice lie not in the Piazza San Marco, but in its quiet calle and alleys, which you need time - and space - to explore.

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© 2019 Ute Junker, All Rights Reserved | Site By Design Counsel

LISTEN UP

Subscribe to my podcast I Know This Place, a series about the world’s most interesting places, seen through the eyes of the people who know them best. Join me on the road as I talk with chefs, architects, historians and more about the places that are special to them.

I'M ALL EARS

Subscribe

Join my absolutely zero spam email list for insider travel tips and other news.

Get Social

Let's connect.

PRIVACY | CONTACT

© 2019 Ute Junker, All Rights Reserved | Site By Design Counsel

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