Three stylish new hotels are shaking up Auckland's accommodation scene this year
Plus, three other things Explore is loving this week.
Three hotels are set to swing their doors open in Auckland before the end of this year, giving visitors their pick of new places to stay. For eye-popping interiors and pocket-friendly prices, keep an eye on Jo & Joe. It opens in early November and will offer dorm-style shared accommodation with bunk beds and shared bathrooms, as well as rooms (with ensuites) for families and couples. For digs just as stylish but on a more boutique scale, consider booking a room at Tribe Auckland Fort Street (pictured), which will open in mid-October with 60 guestrooms. For a CBD location, check out the Radisson group's debut in New Zealand: the 322-room Radisson Red in the heart of the city's buzzing Queen Street. joandjoe.com; all.accor.com; radissonhotels.com
Aussies head deeper into Asia
Travel to central and northern Asian destinations, such as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, is setting new records, according to data from Intrepid Travel. The tour operator has recorded a 66 per cent year-on-year increase in global bookings to this region. In fact, bookings made by Australians and Kiwis to Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Kazakhstan have gone up by 137 per cent, 206 per cent and 1550 per cent, respectively, when compared to pre-pandemic figures, with Intrepid launching six new trips in this region. intrepidtravel.com
Hepburn's hot new makeover
Five new private bathing areas have just been added to Australia's oldest bathhouse, Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa, as part of the Victorian wellness sanctuary's $1.7-million makeover. Visitors can also expect new menus at the retreat's spa and cafe, along with a general refresh of its entrance area and 23 luxury villas. hepburnbathhouse.com
Stargazing on the Sunny Coast
From beaches and national parks to an excellent food and drink scene, Queensland's Sunshine Coast is renowned for many things; astro-tourism, however, is not one of them - yet. Amid a local council-led push to establish a Dark Sky Reserve in the coast's hinterland, tourism operators Mystic Mountain Tours have launched Night Sky Journey, a monthly excursion that takes visitors to a viewing platform in the Blackall Range, just 30 minutes inland, for an astronomer-guided stargazing experience with state-of-the-art telescopes. mysticmountaintours.com.au
Akash is the Deputy Travel Editor for Australian Community Media. He has lived and worked in four cities around the world – Sydney, London, New Delhi and New York – and, at last count, travelled to 42 countries.
My all-time favourite destination is ... New York. You can drop a pin anywhere in Manhattan and start walking in any direction, and the sights and sounds of the city that never stops will begin to stimulate all your senses in an instant.
Next on my bucket list is … Scandinavia - at the peak of summer, when the sun almost never sets.
My top travel tip is … If you’re flying to Sydney from anywhere in the world, pick a window seat far from the wing on the left-hand-side of the aeroplane. If the weather gods and flight path align, you’ll have the most incredible views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House.
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