We’re passionate about finding new destinations as well as seeking out new ways to experience the places we love. Whether it’s eating something fresh off the grill at a market in Borneo or gazing at the stars in splendid solitude in the African bush, we want to uncover different facets and fresh perspectives. Here, we share some of our latest finds from around the world.
Visit a Night Market in Siniawan, Borneo
Red globe lanterns bob in the breeze and fragrant smoke billows from open grills at Siniawan’s Night Market, a lively weekend event in this small village just 45 minutes from Kuching.
Our new evening tour lets you sample traditional street food with your local guide, including satay dipped in a spicy peanut sauce and kueh (treats made from sticky rice). You can eat as you walk or sit at one of the many tables and chairs in the open-front stalls and shops that line the street, many still sporting their original 1920s façades. After grazing on traditional street treats, enjoy dinner at one of the local restaurants.
On the drive from the capital, your guide can stop at Sam San Kuet Bong, a blindingly bright Buddhist temple known in English as Lord of the Mountains.
Explore Gawler Ranges National Park, Australia
Vast and shimmering in the relentless sunlight, Lake Gairdner is only a lake right after it rains. Most of the time, it’s a glistening expanse of silvery-white salt pan — a shocking sight in the dusty red outback. The outback itself seems endless, a rugged and raw landscape that goes on for days.
Exploring these immense spaces in an authentic way can be a challenge. We suggest allocating at least three or four days to visit the lake and Gawler Ranges National Park. This stony wilderness is known for its deep gorges, seasonal waterfalls and unusual rock formations, including the Organ Pipes, an eerie outcropping of regular columns thrust up from the ground, some of them canted askew at strange angles.
From there, head to the Eyre Peninsula to swim with sea lions and see pods of bottlenose dolphins frisk through turquoise waters. Along the way, sleep in capacious safari tents and nibble on ‘bush canapés’ in the central dining tent as you watch mobs of emus and kangaroos lolloping through the scrublands.
A tent with a view, Tanzania
Few people ever get the chance to spend time on their own in the vast African bush. A safari stay in a Bush Rover offers the rare opportunity of near-perfect solitude in the Serengeti National Park.
These Land Rover 110 Defender vehicles unfold into surprisingly spacious and comfortable two-story tents, with flush toilets and full beds. The camp staff determine the best spot for viewing wildlife and sets up your 4x4 there, before withdrawing and leaving you to enjoy your privacy. Staff remain just a short stroll away, but completely hidden from view.
During the day, enjoy game drives to the furthest reaches of the park. In the evenings, sip a drink on your porch and relax as the animals slowly grow accustomed to you. You might see zebra and Thomson’s gazelle grazing or wildebeest ambling through the grass.
You can also enjoy a Bush Rover experience in the Nyerere National Park.
Try Cape Malay cuisine with Zainie in Bo-Kaap, South Africa
Usually sporting a big smile and a bright headscarf, Zainie Misbach is Cape Town’s grand dame of Cape Malay cuisine. This lifelong local started the first Cape Malay restaurant in South Africa and now offers guided tours of the city’s Bo-Kaap area. She’ll teach you about the city’s complex and multi-layered cuisine as you explore the quarter’s well-preserved mosques and cobblestone streets that are lined with houses painted in eye-smarting neons and pulsing pastels.
Then Zainie will bring you back to her kitchen, where she will demonstrate the techniques of Cape Malay cooking, a unique regional cuisine that fuses Asian roots and African ingredients with Islamic traditions. She makes samoosas (spiced meat dumplings) and dhaltjies (chickpea-flour chili bites), as well as Cape Malay curry. You’ll also learn about the subtle art and science of blending spices.
Snorkel and dive off Lady Elliot Island, Australia
So small that you can walk across it in just 15 minutes, Lady Elliot Island enjoys an outsized reputation as (arguably) the best snorkeling and diving spot on the Great Barrier Reef. This tiny speck of a cay is surrounded by a remarkable abundance of coral gardens and marine life. Just walk from your room into the water to snorkel or dive amid shimmering shoals of small fish, shelves of bright coral and even lazy loggerhead and green turtles paddling through the shallow waters.
For a deep-water experience, walk a few minutes to the other side of the island to the Devil’s Marbles. The deeper water means you might see bigger animals like manta rays or spotted eagle rays. Between May and September, you might hear migrating humpbacks singing to each other as they pass by.
Be forewarned: The grassy island is beloved of birds and thousands live here, seemingly unconcerned by human visitors. Prepare yourself for feathered fly-bys and a very present avian smell.
Relax in Zihuatanejo, Mexico
A soft-sand crescent that curves around a placid bay, Zihuatanejo is a more authentic Mexican beach alternative to well-known destinations like Tulum and nearby Ixtapa. The sands here are wide and white, clean and mostly uncrowded on weekdays, with a beachside promenade where locals and visitors alike stroll in the evenings. In town, you’ll find cobblestone streets lined with small local shops, cafés and restaurants.
Despite its traditional feel, ‘Zihua’ offers good amenities for visitors. You’ll find pop-up massage stands and plentiful restaurants, as well as kayak and snorkeling options for those who want to explore the water and nearby small islands.
Indulge at the historic Château d’Audrieu, Normandy
Just half an hour from the storied beaches of Normandy, Château d’Audrieu’s long history begins almost 1,000 years ago. The estate was a gift from William the Conqueror to his cook after the Battle of Hastings — a generous prize bestowed upon him for heroic combat with a kitchen skimmer.
Nine centuries later, Nazi forces used the chateau as the headquarters for their regional operations. Snipers perched in trees over the carefully manicured Renaissance gardens and, during the chaotic hours after the Allied invasion, two dozen Canadian and two British soldiers were executed in the orchards and woods of the estate.
Today, it’s a lavish hotel and the one-time sniper’s nest has been converted into an airy treehouse suite. The hotel’s central location makes it a good base for exploring Normandy.
Mary Poppins tour of London, UK
Sing and dance in the footsteps of Mary Poppins and author PL Travers. Whether you’re a fan of the books, play or Disney’s movie, discover the London of the bickering Banks family and their practically perfect nanny. See pigeons on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral, admire London’s rooftops from a chimney sweep’s perspective and discover the history the dauntless suffragettes.
The tour is led by an energetic and informed guide bedecked in Mary Poppins’s signature outfit. She peppers the tour with facts about the author’s life and about the story’s complicated transition from page to screen, as well the music of the Sherman brothers. Singing and dancing are optional, but always encouraged. The tour covers less than a mile and is fully accessible — great for families with little ones in pushchairs (as Ms. Poppins would say).
Trip ideas with Audley
Start thinking about your experience. These itineraries are simply suggestions for how you could enjoy some of the same experiences as our specialists. They’re just for inspiration, because your trip will be created around your particular tastes.
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