On the fringe of the Sahara, at the birthplace of Star Wars, the little Northern African country of Tunisia's drawcards are its medinas and souqs, its Roman ruins and Mediterranean seaside resorts. Stay in desert camps or in cave hotels carved into the mountains; you'll find spicy harissa, dramatic doors and ornate tiles everywhere.
"What's not to love?" asks co-host Belle Jackson, who travelled through Tunisia recently with Intrepid Travel, intrepidtravel.com
Also, if you enjoy going off the beaten track, travel insurance company Insure & Go lists the 10 global destinations you must visit before they boom, insureandgo.com And the bulk-billed travel vaccination clinic TravAX lets you search your travel destination and the vaccinations it recommends, travax.nhs.uk
Finally, our tip this week is about how to get a good dose of culture when you travel to Italy, from mask making in Venice to touring Milan in a Fiat 500. Find out more at avanihotels.com
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
The full length, 19-minute documentary about Belle's slow-food travels in Greece and Bulgaria with Eurail has now been released; watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf7ldApatlQ
This mini-series is brought to you by Avani Hotels & Resorts. With more than 40 properties across five continents, Avani offers city hotels, tropical resorts and retreats in nature. For more, visit avanihotels.com
Visit us at https://theworldawaits.au
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
Welcome to The World Awaits, this mini-series is
brought to you by Avani Hotelsand Resorts.
With more than 40 propertiesacross five continents, Avani
offers city hotels, tropicalresorts and retreats in nature.
(00:21):
For more, visit avanihotels.com.
SPEAKER_00 (00:25):
Hi everyone.
Hey, Kirsty, I am so excitedbecause the full-length
19-minute documentary about myslow food travels in Greece and
Bulgaria is now live.
In case you hadn't forgotten,last year I traveled with
Eurail, with a videographer, aphotographer, and a producer, as
well as a Greek-Australian chef,Ella Matas.
(00:46):
And we went from Athens toThessaloniki, Sofia, and on to
Plovdiv just eating.
So while we were doing all ofthat, Paolo, the videographer,
has captured these golden fieldsand the olive groves, these
vineyards that we visited at thefoot of the Greek gods, the
cities of Seven Hills and thevillage station masters in their
big hats waving us on throughthese tiny little crossroads.
(01:08):
And all those glorious tables offood prepared with care and
tradition and respect for theenvironment from which this
produce has been created.
So I'm going to put a link inthe show notes and you can find
it on my socials.
So that has been the absolutehighlight of my week.
And I also, because you can'tkeep a good woman down, I did
kick up my heels at the launchof Melbourne's newest five-star
(01:31):
hotel, the Hyde Melbourne Place,which is on Russell Street in
the grid.
And it's got it all.
It's got a super stylish rooftopbar mid-air up the top.
It's got a moody basement bar,Mr.
Mills down the bottom, and alsoa destination restaurant,
Marmello, around the backbecause Melbourne loves nothing
more than getting down a darkalleyway to find something
(01:51):
fabulous, don't you think?
Yeah, it's been a big week forme.
What about yours, Kirsty?
SPEAKER_01 (01:56):
While you were eating and drinking your way
around the place all over theworld and back here in
Melbourne, I was getting somevaccination.
So we went, we took the familyoff to get some vaccinations for
Cambodia.
I asked a few people about theirviews on this.
It seems people are reallydivided about whether or not to
get them or not before they go.
Do you vax before you go, Belle?
SPEAKER_00 (02:17):
Look, if I'm going somewhere that I think might
need a flu vax, I'm going to dothat.
So going to Vienna in the middleof winter and stuff like that,
where everybody's just snotty.
Because you don't want to getknocked out and miss your
holidays, do you?
And I'm usually up to date withmy tetanus.
But I guess the last time I hada big vax was for Kenya for
yellow fever, because they usedto check your card before you
(02:38):
came in.
And I had heard people not beingaccepted in.
What did you get done forCambodia?
Yeah, actually,
SPEAKER_01 (02:45):
we got quite a few done when the kids were a bit
younger before COVID when wewent to Vietnam, just because
the kids were little.
And I wanted to make sure wewere just completely up to date
because we were going out intosome regional areas and cycling
around.
But it cost us like hundreds andhundreds of dollars, close to a
thousand from memory for thefour of us.
But I know it's ridiculous.
But this time, I just wanted tomake sure we were up to date.
(03:08):
We just had the basics becausewe'd already had Hep A and Hep
B.
which are once-in-a-lifetimetype vaccines.
And Typhoid lasts about threeyears.
We just got that in a flu shot.
And yeah, we got them done in abulk-billed travel vaccination
clinic and they were just sogood.
They used a website calledTravax, which I tried to look up
because I thought that'd be acool one to keep up your sleeve.
(03:29):
But it's funded by the Scottishgovernment and it's just
provided to those in the medicalindustry.
But anyway, what you can do isyou can go to Smart Traveller
and just type in the country andit'll tell you under the health
risk tab, when you type in thecountry first, obviously, it'll
tell you all the possible thingsyou can get.
So it can be a bit overwhelming.
But yeah, look, the best thingto do is if you are in doubt is
(03:52):
just to go see the doctor.
And at the end of the day, itreally comes down to if you're
just prepared to risk it or notand where you're going.
If you're going out in junglesor farms or somewhere, then
ideally get everything.
But if you're in a resort, Iguess it's a bit debatable.
SPEAKER_00 (04:05):
Yeah, exactly.
If you're going to areas off thebeaten track where you need
those vaccinations and you can'tafford them, then, you know, do
you re-evaluate where you chooseto go?
And talking about destinationsoff the beaten track, travel
insurance company Insure and Gohas come out with some new
research showing 10 places itsays Australians should put on
the travel list because beforethey become too overcrowded.
(04:28):
I don't know how many of theseare going to need vaccinations.
Let's run through them.
SPEAKER_01 (04:33):
Nothing yet.
They say this travel insurancecompany, Insuring Go Research,
says that as travel continues togrow and more flight routes are
added, it's analysed someemerging trends and found some
underrated places it says thatwe should book now before they
come in the next hotspot likeJapan is at the moment.
It says that the expansion ofthe Qantas network with 220,000
(04:54):
more seats added this year, myGod, is fuelling ease of travel
and to these new travelhotspots.
And so top of its list isactually Lombok in Indonesia.
And it says you should forgetBali.
I doubt that's ever going tohappen with Australians.
And it says it's the perfectantidote for anyone who's tired
of those regions that are allbingtang and white singlets.
SPEAKER_00 (05:17):
I do Lombok, but it's been pitched as a new Bali
for decades and it still hasn'thappened.
That's not a bad thing, justkeeping it quiet.
Second on that list was Kuchingin the Malaysian state of
Sarawak, which is...
on the island of Borneo.
So here you can find orangutansin their natural habitat, not to
mention the world's best laksa,which Anthony Bourdain declared
(05:38):
breakfast of the gods.
And I have gone to thatrestaurant that he aided at,
very simple one.
And I think he was on the money.
Ensuring Go points to the morethan 117 flights per week to
Kuala Lumpur from Sydney alone.
with frequent connections ontoKuching.
So I was there riding forGourmet Traveller a few years
ago and you had to connectthrough KL.
(05:59):
There are no direct flights withAustralia, but as it says, there
are so many flights betweenAustralia and Malaysia.
SPEAKER_01 (06:05):
Yeah, that's a lot to come on board in two years
then, isn't it?
Next up is Ladakh, which is alarge area of the northern and
eastern Kashmir region of India.
And it's dubbed the land of highpasses.
And this Himalayan region hasall the culture and colour you
want in India.
And they say it's just a greatalternative to Nepal's
tourist-heavy trails.
SPEAKER_00 (06:27):
I still haven't been to Ladakh, but it is my dream.
In fifth place is Salalah insouthern Oman.
This is a really interestinginclusion because it's not like
Oman is top of the must-visitpeaks.
In fact, people love it.
People that do go there love itbecause it's so sleepy when you
compare it to, you know, itsneighbors like Dubai or Riyadh
in Saudi Arabia.
But Salalah has a cooler climateand a green season as well.
(06:50):
It rains a little bit, creatinga seaside oasis in the Arabian
Peninsula.
And it's got these spectacularbeaches and the souks are filled
with frankincense because it'sone of the world's first
producers.
And the survey says that Oman isinvesting in Salalah to
transform it into a hotspotreached by Doha and Dubai.
SPEAKER_01 (07:10):
And this was Sri Lanka.
Gosh, I remember before COVID,Sri Lanka was just such a
hotspot.
It was like more than Japan wasat the moment.
But the tourism was hit reallyhard there because There were
all those nationwide protests in2022 and that sparked, they were
protesting because of widespreadpower outages and there was a
(07:30):
shortage of things like fuel.
So that caused the president toflee the country, but Things
have actually settled down nowand there's a lot to love about
Sri Lanka and they do reallyneed the tourists to return.
And it's such a remarkableplace.
So when we were there in 2018,we stayed at Anantara Peace
Haven, Tangal.
And it has to be one of the mostbeautiful resort hotels I've
ever stayed at.
My God, it's just spectacular.
(07:52):
It's near the old fort town ofTangal.
And it has these, when you walkin, it has these...
giant doors open and you justgaze out across these infinity
pools overlooking this oceanwith these swaying palm trees
and all the villas are nestledin tropical gardens with private
pools and it's just perfect forthose who love food or wellness
(08:12):
because it's got an incrediblespa and the food was just to die
for.
And one other thing the reportpoints to is the incredible
wildlife in Sri Lanka.
And when we were there, wevisited Ujuwalawa National Park
Safari, which is one of the bestplaces in Sri Lanka to see wild
Asian elephants.
And it's more than 30,800hectares at this nature reserve.
(08:33):
And you wander around there andthere's elephants everywhere,
which we saw when we were theretoo.
And they often roam in herds ofup to 100.
We didn't see that, but we didsee them roaming in small herds.
And this research alsoreferences the Pico Trail, which
is Sri Lanka's first longdistance hiking route.
And we actually interviewed theman who created it, Miguel
Kunit, on episode 77.
(08:55):
If you want to head back andtake a listen.
SPEAKER_00 (08:58):
Yeah, Sri Lanka is a funny one, isn't it?
It waxes and wanes.
I dragged my two-year-old babyaround for work years ago and it
was incredible.
And then it dies off and then itcomes back again.
But it's always worse being onthe radar.
In six and seven places, Boholin the Philippines and Azores in
Portugal.
So Bohol is the home of thoseiconic chocolate hills, which
(09:19):
are geographical formations.
There's more than a thousand ofthese cone-shaped hills.
And Panglao Island, the insurersays that routes to Manila now
make it easier for Australiansto access.
And you are seeing a lot moreflights going up into the
Philippines as well as withinthe hills themselves.
And Desoros is an archipelago ofnine volcanic islands in the
(09:41):
Macronesia region.
And this is being seen as thenext Mallorca, which is fast
growing for travellers lookingfor unspoilt beauty and
ecotourism.
SPEAKER_01 (09:52):
Yeah, and eights and ninths were Albania in southern
Europe and Jeju Island in SouthKorea.
So the insurer says Albaniaappeals because of its amazing
beaches along the AlbanianRiviera and ancient UNESCO
sites.
but it doesn't have the pricestate of other European cities
or the crowds.
Although it did apparently havea 15% hike in foreign and
(10:13):
overseas travelers in 2024.
So it might not be under theradar for too long.
And also Jeju is also seen asthe Hawaii of South Korea.
So I don't know about that one.
That's probably long been knownas being pretty popular for
honeymooners.
And because it's home to allthese amazing beaches and
coastal trails and And also forkids, the area's largest water
park.
And the insurer says it'sbecoming increasingly accessible
(10:36):
because of new direct flightsfrom major Asian hubs and also
growing in the areas of wellnessand adventure.
SPEAKER_00 (10:42):
Yeah, absolutely.
I debate that Jeju one as wellbecause when you look at all of
those busiest routes in theworld, Sydney to Melbourne is
one of them, the flights down toJeju Island from Seoul are on
that top list as well becausethis is within the country
because every honeymooner inKorea seems to go there.
They do have lots of museumsdedicated to sex and health and
(11:06):
things like that.
It's very tailored toward thatparticular clientele.
But I've got to agree withAlbania taking off.
The hiking is superb andScandinavians and Germans have
already discovered that thebeaches are exactly the same as
the Greek beaches becausethey're separated just by a
border.
But it really is a fraction ofthe price.
And the last on this list isKyrgyzstan.
(11:27):
It says that Kyrgyzstan's TianShan Mountains, the Alpine Lakes
and the Yurt Stay experiencestransport travellers to a world
of rugged adventure and nomadicheritage.
And I have to say, we're seeinga lot more of Central Asia just
in the travel sphere anyway.
But with Turkish Airlines NewSydney Istanbul flights, it
makes it a lot easier forAustralians to get closer to the
(11:50):
capital of Bishkek.
And we're going to put a link tothe Insure and Go research in
the show notes for your nexttravel planning session.
SPEAKER_01 (12:08):
This week, I'm putting my co-host Belle Jackson
in the hot seat.
Belle recently went to Tunisiaand tells us about what this
underrated North African countryhas to offer and why it should
be on your travel to-do list forthose who love culture, colour
and deserts.
Welcome to the show, Belle.
Hi.
SPEAKER_00 (12:27):
How nice to have you on The World Awaits.
I know, I'd never done thisbefore.
I'm a bit nervous.
SPEAKER_01 (12:33):
So let's start by telling us.
where
SPEAKER_00 (12:35):
it is?
Tunisia, North Africa.
So if you look across the top ofthe continent, you've got
Morocco on one side, you've gotEgypt on the other, and you've
got Tunisia in the middle.
You can say Tunisia, Tunisia.
There's so many pronunciations.
The thing about it is that it isthe smallest country along that
top.
It's got Libya on one side,Algeria on the other.
Neither of them known asparticularly tourist-friendly at
(12:56):
the moment, but that may wellchange.
That's moving in a second.
But in the middle, Tunisia'sbeen a bit of an outlier in that
sense because it's the southernMediterranean so you've got
gorgeous beaches that thatEuropeans northern Europeans
flock down to for a cheap beachholiday if I was going to say is
it completely hidden I would sayno for north Europeans I would
(13:18):
say Australia it really hasn'tit really hasn't hit the radar
but its neighbors include Maltaabout an hour away and your
favourite island in theMediterranean Oh no Sardinia I
SPEAKER_01 (13:31):
was going to say that
SPEAKER_00 (13:33):
One hour away like it's just amazing so it really
is the stepping stone acrossinto Italy so there you go Yeah
SPEAKER_01 (13:41):
So how do you get there and do you have to have a
visa and what hoops do you haveto jump to get there from
Australia
SPEAKER_00 (13:46):
I flew with Qatar Airways so I came up through
Doha and I had just a couple ofhours connection in Doha and
then straight across to Tunis ona regional flight but it If you
were already in Europe, I wouldsuggest if you were doing an
Italian holiday or something,you can just jump on a flight
down from there.
It's actually quite surprisinglywell connected.
So it feels like you go, oh,it's in the middle of North
(14:07):
Africa and you're like, when amI going to go there?
But it is part of theMediterranean country.
So it is much more accessible.
And no, you stamp your passporton arrival and there's no need
for a pre-application for visasor anything like that.
SPEAKER_01 (14:21):
And is that the appeal because it's got that
Mediterranean coastline but alsothe deserts and mountains?
SPEAKER_00 (14:26):
If you look, I don't think Australians need to travel
for great beaches, do we?
So I would not say that's theappeal for Australians.
For me, the appeal was thedesert.
Although when you look at thewaters of it, it is just
magnificent.
But really, for me, it's acountry that's sliced in three.
So you've got the Mediterranean,you've got the mountains and
plains.
And then when you go in thesouth, you are touching the edge
(14:49):
of the Sahara.
And I find that just so romanticbecause the way people live is
so different to when you're on abeach and you're sitting under
an umbrella and you're doingthat kind of thing.
The desert is a whole differentworld.
And that, for me, is the mirrorof it.
SPEAKER_01 (15:04):
Yeah, amazing.
And you were telling me thatthere were quite a few films
that were shot there too.
Where were they shot and whatwere they?
SPEAKER_00 (15:10):
This is going to give you a bit of an insight as
to what you're looking for.
So probably I think the biggestone is Star Wars.
The original Star Wars was shotthere back in 96.
Sorry, 76 it was shot there andreally 77.
So we're talking a long timeago.
So if you remember, Luke wasliving on a desert planet and
(15:31):
called Katoun.
It's named after a town and aregion called Tatouine.
So when George Lucas went there,he was so inspired by this
region.
He just basically lifted thenames because he thought, ah,
Tatouine, that sounds like agreat name for a desert planet.
And let's think it's populatedby smugglers.
There is a lot of smugglingaround there, mostly coming
across from Libya.
(15:53):
And also when you see, when yougo back, everybody's walking
around in those hooded darkhooded cloaks.
They're actually worn, theburners is worn by Tunisians.
So he really took a lot fromthat.
And that gives us some clues ofwhat you're looking for there.
But I wouldn't say Star Wars isthe only one because the English
patient, which I read while Iwas there, it's absolutely
(16:13):
divine.
And it's set in North Africa.
That was shot there with RalphFiennes in these incredible salt
plains and desert landscapes.
Also Raiders of the Lost Ark.
I've got to say there was apoint in this trip when we were
running through these angledstreets of the ancient Karawan,
which is one of the cities inChinisha.
And then the guide goes, oh,this is the place where Harrison
(16:36):
Ford did blah, blah, blah.
And then we all had to reenacthaving a fight, a fist fight and
running away.
And there's people chasingthemselves through the street,
pretending to be on the set ofRaiders of the Lost Ark.
But the one I did not know wasLife of Brian was shot here.
So the Monty Python classic wasshot here in the 60s.
(16:56):
And I know it was so bizarre.
It shows, I think thegovernment's really interesting
in the sense that they're quite,that was a really racy film and
it was banned in places likeIreland when it first came out
because it's making jokes of aguy called Brian who everybody
thinks is the Messiah.
So when, you know, when his mumis hanging out the window going,
(17:16):
he's not the Messiah, he's avery naughty boy.
They filmed all of that in thesecave and clay cities that still
exist in the South.
of Tunisia now and also therounded cities of the spaceport
of Mos Espa.
So when George Lucas went thereand he built these film sets,
the government said, you canbuild the film sets in the
(17:37):
middle of the desert, but whenyou leave, you have to leave
them there.
Of course, the movie went on tobecome a hit.
There's been five Star Warsfilms now shot in Tunisia.
And so people still go backthere and they go to Mos Espa
and they Play around withlightsabers.
We may have done that.
You can dress up.
You can jump on a camel and roararound the place and just visit
(17:59):
all of these incrediblelocations.
And it's a constant source ofincome for the country because
Star Wars is such a cultexperience for so many people.
SPEAKER_01 (18:09):
So, yeah.
Yeah.
Set jetting anywhere is at themoment just taking off, isn't
it?
So once you've done your runningaround the desert with your
saber light sword or whateveryou've got, what do you do when
you're there?
What else are you doing?
And what sort of food are youeating?
What is there to do?
If I was going to go and I justhad my couple of days in the
(18:29):
desert and I saw these filmlocations, what am I doing then?
SPEAKER_00 (18:33):
Look, I have to say that the accommodation is one of
the most interesting things whenyou're staying there because
when you get right down thesouth into the Sahara, People
traditionally lived in a coupleof ways.
They either dug cave houses intothe sides of the mountains, and
they often had fortresses theretoo where they were storing
their food and granaries andstuff.
A lot of them are being turnedinto, not a lot, a few of them
(18:56):
have been turned into hotelsnow.
So you get to stay in these cavehotels.
And the other way that theywould build their houses,
considering there's no trees andstuff around there to be making
timber houses, is that theywould dig down So it's just
incredible.
So you've got these houses dugdown into the earth.
So you're walking along, thenyou see this massive hole, and
(19:17):
then down there is a housethat's being excavated into the
earth.
So it meant that you were hiddenfrom marauding tribes, because
at this time, there was a lot ofaction going across from the
Bedouin and the Berber tribescoming from the North African,
so from the Moroccan side, andthen from the Arab invasion from
the Middle East.
So it was a real crossroads ofactivity.
(19:38):
And so people would just sinkthemselves into the ground.
And you can go and stay in theseplaces.
And we actually had lunch in oneof them.
It was a house that this familystill maintains.
And so we turned up and walkedinto this underground cave and
had lunch.
And it was just incredible.
I thought, yeah, thoseexperiences of seeing how people
live and the fact that they'returning them into tourism
(20:00):
experiences now, but they're notmaking them too shishy.
So literally- dug out cave soyour bed and your furniture are
dug into the mountains.
Which I mean for me is greatbecause then when you're there
then you're doing, we did quitea few half day hikes as well and
you're climbing up over themountain plateaus and down
through these mountain passesand you're seeing springs
(20:22):
rushing past with fresh waterand you might find a mosque
dedicated to a Muslim saintthat's been there for 600 years
or something like that.
It's really quite astonishing inthat sense.
The hiking really had ahistorical bent to it, which I
really enjoyed.
Amazing.
SPEAKER_01 (20:41):
And what about the cities and the towns?
SPEAKER_00 (20:45):
Tunis is the biggie.
That is the capital that you flyinto.
And the noticeable part of thattown, it really gives you an
idea too that these cities werebuilt at a time of turmoil.
So when they did, they built theMedinas, the original old part
of the city, You were designedto get lost in them.
So if you were coming in withyour army, you couldn't just
(21:05):
ride up to the palace sitting atthe top and take it over.
The street, and you'll find thisin a lot of Arabian-style
cities, is that they've got deadends and alleyways.
They've got narrow littlelaneways so you can't ride with
three horses across and take outeverybody.
So they were designed tobamboozle and confuse.
So where do you go into thosecities?
(21:27):
Of course, you've got the moderncities.
city around the side of it, butinside you've got this knot of
laneways and hidden spaces.
So it's like peak Melbourne's,maybe how I would put it,
because we do love a goodlaneway.
And from there, that's whereyou'll find some of the more
interesting accommodation aswell, because they do love a
good tile.
If you are a tile freak, like Iam a tile freak, and you thought
(21:50):
that you had to go to Portugal,you could go to Tunisia because
it lends a lot of I thinkMorocco is its natural
comparison in that sense, andit's just this incredible sense
of design.
You go into the Medinas andthat's where you'll find your
accommodation for the night.
Either, even at hostels justcovered in gorgeous tiles, or I
went to some of, I also visitedsome of the high-end places in
(22:12):
Tunis just to have a look atthis gorgeous, cool,
atmospheric, tiny boutiquehotels that have been hidden
into the Medinas.
They're just fascinating to goaround.
And that's why you've had somany things filmed in there,
such as Raiders of the Lost Ark,because yeah, they're just,
they're so beautiful.
SPEAKER_01 (22:30):
And so is it easy to get around?
SPEAKER_00 (22:35):
When I was with my guide and I traveled with
Intrepid, it was easy.
And then when I'd stick out onmy own, it'd be like, oh my
Lord.
So you really did have to liveon your GPS when you were right
in the deep of the Medinas.
But there was always somebody tosay, are you lost by any chance?
Do you want me to lead you out?
And they'd go, yes, because Ihave no idea where I am.
But for me, that is really partof the fun, the whole thing.
Because there's always,eventually you're going to come
(22:56):
across a cafe or a hotel or justsomebody saying, you look like a
fundamentally lost woman.
And I'll be like, yes, here Iam.
Yeah, so you can get around tothem.
But some of these are 9thcentury cities.
They're not going to be designedthe same as we are with the big
open boulevards where we don'thave to worry about invaders,
where you don't have to worryabout food shortage and stuff
like that.
I think they have grownorganically.
(23:19):
to evolve with their politicalenvironment.
Because remember, this is areally ancient city.
At the top of Tunis, you've gotCarthage, which is where
Hannibal, the warlord come from,the warlord that took on Rome at
the time of the Punic Wars.
Remember, he led his warelephants across and tried to
conquer Rome and things likethat.
(23:39):
So While you've got all of thesemedinas, you've also got a lot
of Roman amphitheaters that arejust dissolving it slowly into
the environment as well.
That's another major reason thatpeople might go there.
They're seeing these worldheritage listed Roman ruins.
And they just, if you think ofthe Colosseum in Rome, insane,
right?
Here, you might be you andanother 30 people just wandering
(24:01):
around them.
And it's so incrediblyatmospheric.
SPEAKER_01 (24:05):
Is that what surprised you most about it?
SPEAKER_00 (24:08):
I think so, because I wasn't staying in the
Mediterranean resorts as well.
There's a lot of them.
There are areas that you'llfind, they've got the low-cost
carriers coming in from NorthernEurope, and they're going in
there for the flying flop.
Flying flop, I always mix it up.
But we were staying away fromthat.
So when you suddenly did see acoachload of a package tour,
you'd be quite surprised,because you don't see them in
(24:31):
most of those heritage sitesaround the country.
It's remarkably rare.
of the hustle and the crowds.
It's fantastic.
SPEAKER_01 (24:41):
It's really good to get an insight into your little
visits to these very unique,certainly not overcrowded
destinations that you continueto go to, Belle.
And if you want to see some ofBelle's images of her visit and
read and listen to more of herstories she's writing and
talking about, including for theSydney Morning Herald and ABC
Radio Adelaide about thisremarkable destination, go to
her Insta page, which is globalunderscore salsa.
(25:05):
And you can see more aboutIntrepid Travel's Tunisia
experience atintrepidtravel.com.au.
SPEAKER_00 (25:12):
This mini-series is brought to you by Avani Hotels
and Resorts.
Avani has multiple propertiesacross Italy, including in
Venice and Milan.
And we're going to discuss someof the exclusive experiences you
(25:35):
can have to immerse yourself inlocal culture when you stay with
Avani.
Find out more atavanihotels.com.
SPEAKER_01 (25:42):
Our tip this week is how you can get a good dose of
culture when you travel toItaly.
So Avani Hotels has come up witha series of immersive
experiences where you can doeverything from meeting
Hollywood mask maker Augusto onthe island of Giudecca to making
your own glass beads in Muranoor heading out on a Fiat 500
(26:03):
tour with a local guide inMilan.
I was in Italy last year andhave to say, we would travel
with the teams, so we didn't doany specific experiences like
this, but gosh, it's a good wayto get to not only meet the
locals, but learn about thetraditional artisan crafts,
which I just love doing when Igo away.
And sadly, a lot of them areoften lost to future
generations.
So it's great to experiencethings like that.
SPEAKER_00 (26:25):
Yeah.
Oh, look, I was child-free whenI was lost in Venice and did
visit the island of Giudica, butI love the idea of making your
own mask.
Of course, masks that are anintrinsic part of Carnivale,
which is held each February.
On this experience with theVanni Rio Novo Hotel, you'll
visit an artisan workshop hiddenwithin one of Venice's most
(26:46):
secret gardens.
And under the expert guidance ofAugusto, become a mask maker for
the day.
You don't have to be an artistto become one, and you're
creating your own souvenir.
And during the workshop, Augustoalso shares some of the city's
secrets and the stories behindsome of the most celebrated
Venetian masks.
SPEAKER_01 (27:06):
Yeah, glassmaking's another craft that Italy's
renowned for because of itscenturies-old tradition and the
high quality of the glassmaking.
And if you stay at Avani HotelsRio Novo, again, you can visit
an art studio near the glassmuseum where you can see
contemporary art and glassproduction.
And you can also watch the localglassmakers at work.
God, it's amazing when you watchglassmakers at work.
(27:28):
Gosh, it makes you realize whatan absolute craft it is.
And on this one, they use lampworking technique to create
artworks.
And then you can also put yourcreativity to the test and make
your own small glass artwork.
And then you have a memento totake home.
SPEAKER_00 (27:43):
So gorgeous.
But I do love this nextexperience, possibly even more,
which is a running tour of thecity at sunrise before it's
awash with visitors.
So you take a guide from thehotel who runs beside you and
you can see the main attractionsand provenance of Venice without
the crowds.
So I would suggest running alittle bit faster in between so
you've got some time to take afew snaps while you catch your
(28:05):
breath.
SPEAKER_01 (28:06):
Also at Avani Rio Novo Venice Hotel, you can visit
Luna dell'Evanzia Atelier, whoare masters and woodworking for
bespoke architectural andinterior projects.
And this experience is where youcan also get an explanation of
the history behind Bricola,which is the Venetian lagoon
symbol made of oak wood used toguide the boats through the
(28:28):
city.
I love this.
So guests can get the chance torefine that while converting it
into a more sort of functionaland stylish multi-use design
piece.
SPEAKER_00 (28:36):
And the last Venetian experience we're going
to mention is the one closest tomy stomach, and that is a
cooking class.
And that's because Venice is thebirthplace of Italian classics,
including Ciro Vesù and the VeriDenti Tramazzini, which are
perfect tea sandwiches.
And Venice did oversee theevolution of the spritz,
originally made with white wineand soda.
(28:58):
It took Venice to add thebitters to create the spritz
that we drink today.
So the cooking class at AvaniRio Novo Venice Hotel takes you
on a deep dive into Venetiancuisine.
SPEAKER_01 (29:08):
Heading to Milan and the Avani, so Moscova, this
experience is one that's goingto fill your Insta feed, and
that's a Fiat 500 vintage tourthrough Milan.
Oh my God, I'd love to do this.
So you go with Federico, and youtake a seat in his meticulously
restored vintage Fiat 500, andhe takes you on a tour and
reveals personal tales andantidotes along the way, and you
(29:29):
get to dive into Milan's designdistrict and wind around the
streets of the historic centre.
SPEAKER_00 (29:34):
I do think that of all the cities, you need a guide
for Milan.
Its best experiences aredefinitely hidden in the many
city courtyards.
One of those great experiences,creating personalized cosmetics,
because Milan, of course, isfamous for cosmetic production.
So in this experience, you cancreate a bespoke lipstick or
specialized skincare on a40-minute experience at the City
(29:56):
Lab Cosmetics, which I think isjust brilliant.
SPEAKER_01 (30:00):
And what's Italy without a shopping spree?
In Milan, you can find thecity's hidden vintage fashion
gems from prestigious fashionhouses like Valentino and Chanel
to local boutiques and stores,meeting some of the locals
behind the local labels alongthe way.
And for more information, visitavanihotels.com and we'll put a
link in the show notes.
If you'd like to help supportour production costs, you can
(30:22):
buy us a coffee at coffee.comslash theworldawaits.
That's ko-fi.com slashtheworldawaits so we can
continue to bring youinspirational travel interviews
with the world's best.
SPEAKER_00 (30:36):
My guest next week takes us on safari in South
Africa and the Kruger NationalPark.
If you haven't heard of him,Australian author Tony Park is
one to put on the bedsidereading list.
He now lives just on the fringeof Kruger and has more than 21
novels under his belt, all setin Southern Africa.
This is an interview not to bemissed.
SPEAKER_01 (30:55):
Wow, can't wait to hear from Tony Park and I will
put him on my bedside.
And if you have enjoyed thisepisode, please give us a rating
and review on Apple Podcasts.
Click on our profile, scrolldown to the bottom to ratings
and reviews.
And if you're on Spotify, go toour main page, click the three
dots under our photo.
We really appreciate a ratingreview because it helps us in
(31:17):
the ratings.
Or simply drop us a line athello at theworldawakes.au.
We love nothing more thanhearing from our listeners.
SPEAKER_00 (31:24):
That's a wrap for The World Awaits this week.
Click to subscribe anywhere youlisten to your favourite pods.
Thanks
SPEAKER_01 (31:30):
for listening.
See you next week.
Welcome to The World Awaits, this mini-series is
brought to you by Avani Hotelsand Resorts.
With more than 40 propertiesacross five continents, Avani
offers city hotels, tropicalresorts and retreats in nature.
(00:21):
For more, visit avanihotels.com.
SPEAKER_00 (00:25):
Hi everyone.
Hey, Kirsty, I am so excitedbecause the full-length
19-minute documentary about myslow food travels in Greece and
Bulgaria is now live.
In case you hadn't forgotten,last year I traveled with
Eurail, with a videographer, aphotographer, and a producer, as
well as a Greek-Australian chef,Ella Matas.
(00:46):
And we went from Athens toThessaloniki, Sofia, and on to
Plovdiv just eating.
So while we were doing all ofthat, Paolo, the videographer,
has captured these golden fieldsand the olive groves, these
vineyards that we visited at thefoot of the Greek gods, the
cities of Seven Hills and thevillage station masters in their
big hats waving us on throughthese tiny little crossroads.
(01:08):
And all those glorious tables offood prepared with care and
tradition and respect for theenvironment from which this
produce has been created.
So I'm going to put a link inthe show notes and you can find
it on my socials.
So that has been the absolutehighlight of my week.
And I also, because you can'tkeep a good woman down, I did
kick up my heels at the launchof Melbourne's newest five-star
(01:31):
hotel, the Hyde Melbourne Place,which is on Russell Street in
the grid.
And it's got it all.
It's got a super stylish rooftopbar mid-air up the top.
It's got a moody basement bar,Mr.
Mills down the bottom, and alsoa destination restaurant,
Marmello, around the backbecause Melbourne loves nothing
more than getting down a darkalleyway to find something
(01:51):
fabulous, don't you think?
Yeah, it's been a big week forme.
What about yours, Kirsty?
SPEAKER_01 (01:56):
While you were eating and drinking your way
around the place all over theworld and back here in
Melbourne, I was getting somevaccination.
So we went, we took the familyoff to get some vaccinations for
Cambodia.
I asked a few people about theirviews on this.
It seems people are reallydivided about whether or not to
get them or not before they go.
Do you vax before you go, Belle?
SPEAKER_00 (02:17):
Look, if I'm going somewhere that I think might
need a flu vax, I'm going to dothat.
So going to Vienna in the middleof winter and stuff like that,
where everybody's just snotty.
Because you don't want to getknocked out and miss your
holidays, do you?
And I'm usually up to date withmy tetanus.
But I guess the last time I hada big vax was for Kenya for
yellow fever, because they usedto check your card before you
(02:38):
came in.
And I had heard people not beingaccepted in.
What did you get done forCambodia?
Yeah, actually,
SPEAKER_01 (02:45):
we got quite a few done when the kids were a bit
younger before COVID when wewent to Vietnam, just because
the kids were little.
And I wanted to make sure wewere just completely up to date
because we were going out intosome regional areas and cycling
around.
But it cost us like hundreds andhundreds of dollars, close to a
thousand from memory for thefour of us.
But I know it's ridiculous.
But this time, I just wanted tomake sure we were up to date.
(03:08):
We just had the basics becausewe'd already had Hep A and Hep
B.
which are once-in-a-lifetimetype vaccines.
And Typhoid lasts about threeyears.
We just got that in a flu shot.
And yeah, we got them done in abulk-billed travel vaccination
clinic and they were just sogood.
They used a website calledTravax, which I tried to look up
because I thought that'd be acool one to keep up your sleeve.
(03:29):
But it's funded by the Scottishgovernment and it's just
provided to those in the medicalindustry.
But anyway, what you can do isyou can go to Smart Traveller
and just type in the country andit'll tell you under the health
risk tab, when you type in thecountry first, obviously, it'll
tell you all the possible thingsyou can get.
So it can be a bit overwhelming.
But yeah, look, the best thingto do is if you are in doubt is
(03:52):
just to go see the doctor.
And at the end of the day, itreally comes down to if you're
just prepared to risk it or notand where you're going.
If you're going out in junglesor farms or somewhere, then
ideally get everything.
But if you're in a resort, Iguess it's a bit debatable.
SPEAKER_00 (04:05):
Yeah, exactly.
If you're going to areas off thebeaten track where you need
those vaccinations and you can'tafford them, then, you know, do
you re-evaluate where you chooseto go?
And talking about destinationsoff the beaten track, travel
insurance company Insure and Gohas come out with some new
research showing 10 places itsays Australians should put on
the travel list because beforethey become too overcrowded.
(04:28):
I don't know how many of theseare going to need vaccinations.
Let's run through them.
SPEAKER_01 (04:33):
Nothing yet.
They say this travel insurancecompany, Insuring Go Research,
says that as travel continues togrow and more flight routes are
added, it's analysed someemerging trends and found some
underrated places it says thatwe should book now before they
come in the next hotspot likeJapan is at the moment.
It says that the expansion ofthe Qantas network with 220,000
(04:54):
more seats added this year, myGod, is fuelling ease of travel
and to these new travelhotspots.
And so top of its list isactually Lombok in Indonesia.
And it says you should forgetBali.
I doubt that's ever going tohappen with Australians.
And it says it's the perfectantidote for anyone who's tired
of those regions that are allbingtang and white singlets.
SPEAKER_00 (05:17):
I do Lombok, but it's been pitched as a new Bali
for decades and it still hasn'thappened.
That's not a bad thing, justkeeping it quiet.
Second on that list was Kuchingin the Malaysian state of
Sarawak, which is...
on the island of Borneo.
So here you can find orangutansin their natural habitat, not to
mention the world's best laksa,which Anthony Bourdain declared
(05:38):
breakfast of the gods.
And I have gone to thatrestaurant that he aided at,
very simple one.
And I think he was on the money.
Ensuring Go points to the morethan 117 flights per week to
Kuala Lumpur from Sydney alone.
with frequent connections ontoKuching.
So I was there riding forGourmet Traveller a few years
ago and you had to connectthrough KL.
(05:59):
There are no direct flights withAustralia, but as it says, there
are so many flights betweenAustralia and Malaysia.
SPEAKER_01 (06:05):
Yeah, that's a lot to come on board in two years
then, isn't it?
Next up is Ladakh, which is alarge area of the northern and
eastern Kashmir region of India.
And it's dubbed the land of highpasses.
And this Himalayan region hasall the culture and colour you
want in India.
And they say it's just a greatalternative to Nepal's
tourist-heavy trails.
SPEAKER_00 (06:27):
I still haven't been to Ladakh, but it is my dream.
In fifth place is Salalah insouthern Oman.
This is a really interestinginclusion because it's not like
Oman is top of the must-visitpeaks.
In fact, people love it.
People that do go there love itbecause it's so sleepy when you
compare it to, you know, itsneighbors like Dubai or Riyadh
in Saudi Arabia.
But Salalah has a cooler climateand a green season as well.
(06:50):
It rains a little bit, creatinga seaside oasis in the Arabian
Peninsula.
And it's got these spectacularbeaches and the souks are filled
with frankincense because it'sone of the world's first
producers.
And the survey says that Oman isinvesting in Salalah to
transform it into a hotspotreached by Doha and Dubai.
SPEAKER_01 (07:10):
And this was Sri Lanka.
Gosh, I remember before COVID,Sri Lanka was just such a
hotspot.
It was like more than Japan wasat the moment.
But the tourism was hit reallyhard there because There were
all those nationwide protests in2022 and that sparked, they were
protesting because of widespreadpower outages and there was a
(07:30):
shortage of things like fuel.
So that caused the president toflee the country, but Things
have actually settled down nowand there's a lot to love about
Sri Lanka and they do reallyneed the tourists to return.
And it's such a remarkableplace.
So when we were there in 2018,we stayed at Anantara Peace
Haven, Tangal.
And it has to be one of the mostbeautiful resort hotels I've
ever stayed at.
My God, it's just spectacular.
(07:52):
It's near the old fort town ofTangal.
And it has these, when you walkin, it has these...
giant doors open and you justgaze out across these infinity
pools overlooking this oceanwith these swaying palm trees
and all the villas are nestledin tropical gardens with private
pools and it's just perfect forthose who love food or wellness
(08:12):
because it's got an incrediblespa and the food was just to die
for.
And one other thing the reportpoints to is the incredible
wildlife in Sri Lanka.
And when we were there, wevisited Ujuwalawa National Park
Safari, which is one of the bestplaces in Sri Lanka to see wild
Asian elephants.
And it's more than 30,800hectares at this nature reserve.
(08:33):
And you wander around there andthere's elephants everywhere,
which we saw when we were theretoo.
And they often roam in herds ofup to 100.
We didn't see that, but we didsee them roaming in small herds.
And this research alsoreferences the Pico Trail, which
is Sri Lanka's first longdistance hiking route.
And we actually interviewed theman who created it, Miguel
Kunit, on episode 77.
(08:55):
If you want to head back andtake a listen.
SPEAKER_00 (08:58):
Yeah, Sri Lanka is a funny one, isn't it?
It waxes and wanes.
I dragged my two-year-old babyaround for work years ago and it
was incredible.
And then it dies off and then itcomes back again.
But it's always worse being onthe radar.
In six and seven places, Boholin the Philippines and Azores in
Portugal.
So Bohol is the home of thoseiconic chocolate hills, which
(09:19):
are geographical formations.
There's more than a thousand ofthese cone-shaped hills.
And Panglao Island, the insurersays that routes to Manila now
make it easier for Australiansto access.
And you are seeing a lot moreflights going up into the
Philippines as well as withinthe hills themselves.
And Desoros is an archipelago ofnine volcanic islands in the
(09:41):
Macronesia region.
And this is being seen as thenext Mallorca, which is fast
growing for travellers lookingfor unspoilt beauty and
ecotourism.
SPEAKER_01 (09:52):
Yeah, and eights and ninths were Albania in southern
Europe and Jeju Island in SouthKorea.
So the insurer says Albaniaappeals because of its amazing
beaches along the AlbanianRiviera and ancient UNESCO
sites.
but it doesn't have the pricestate of other European cities
or the crowds.
Although it did apparently havea 15% hike in foreign and
(10:13):
overseas travelers in 2024.
So it might not be under theradar for too long.
And also Jeju is also seen asthe Hawaii of South Korea.
So I don't know about that one.
That's probably long been knownas being pretty popular for
honeymooners.
And because it's home to allthese amazing beaches and
coastal trails and And also forkids, the area's largest water
park.
And the insurer says it'sbecoming increasingly accessible
(10:36):
because of new direct flightsfrom major Asian hubs and also
growing in the areas of wellnessand adventure.
SPEAKER_00 (10:42):
Yeah, absolutely.
I debate that Jeju one as wellbecause when you look at all of
those busiest routes in theworld, Sydney to Melbourne is
one of them, the flights down toJeju Island from Seoul are on
that top list as well becausethis is within the country
because every honeymooner inKorea seems to go there.
They do have lots of museumsdedicated to sex and health and
(11:06):
things like that.
It's very tailored toward thatparticular clientele.
But I've got to agree withAlbania taking off.
The hiking is superb andScandinavians and Germans have
already discovered that thebeaches are exactly the same as
the Greek beaches becausethey're separated just by a
border.
But it really is a fraction ofthe price.
And the last on this list isKyrgyzstan.
(11:27):
It says that Kyrgyzstan's TianShan Mountains, the Alpine Lakes
and the Yurt Stay experiencestransport travellers to a world
of rugged adventure and nomadicheritage.
And I have to say, we're seeinga lot more of Central Asia just
in the travel sphere anyway.
But with Turkish Airlines NewSydney Istanbul flights, it
makes it a lot easier forAustralians to get closer to the
(11:50):
capital of Bishkek.
And we're going to put a link tothe Insure and Go research in
the show notes for your nexttravel planning session.
SPEAKER_01 (12:08):
This week, I'm putting my co-host Belle Jackson
in the hot seat.
Belle recently went to Tunisiaand tells us about what this
underrated North African countryhas to offer and why it should
be on your travel to-do list forthose who love culture, colour
and deserts.
Welcome to the show, Belle.
Hi.
SPEAKER_00 (12:27):
How nice to have you on The World Awaits.
I know, I'd never done thisbefore.
I'm a bit nervous.
SPEAKER_01 (12:33):
So let's start by telling us.
where
SPEAKER_00 (12:35):
it is?
Tunisia, North Africa.
So if you look across the top ofthe continent, you've got
Morocco on one side, you've gotEgypt on the other, and you've
got Tunisia in the middle.
You can say Tunisia, Tunisia.
There's so many pronunciations.
The thing about it is that it isthe smallest country along that
top.
It's got Libya on one side,Algeria on the other.
Neither of them known asparticularly tourist-friendly at
(12:56):
the moment, but that may wellchange.
That's moving in a second.
But in the middle, Tunisia'sbeen a bit of an outlier in that
sense because it's the southernMediterranean so you've got
gorgeous beaches that thatEuropeans northern Europeans
flock down to for a cheap beachholiday if I was going to say is
it completely hidden I would sayno for north Europeans I would
(13:18):
say Australia it really hasn'tit really hasn't hit the radar
but its neighbors include Maltaabout an hour away and your
favourite island in theMediterranean Oh no Sardinia I
SPEAKER_01 (13:31):
was going to say that
SPEAKER_00 (13:33):
One hour away like it's just amazing so it really
is the stepping stone acrossinto Italy so there you go Yeah
SPEAKER_01 (13:41):
So how do you get there and do you have to have a
visa and what hoops do you haveto jump to get there from
Australia
SPEAKER_00 (13:46):
I flew with Qatar Airways so I came up through
Doha and I had just a couple ofhours connection in Doha and
then straight across to Tunis ona regional flight but it If you
were already in Europe, I wouldsuggest if you were doing an
Italian holiday or something,you can just jump on a flight
down from there.
It's actually quite surprisinglywell connected.
So it feels like you go, oh,it's in the middle of North
(14:07):
Africa and you're like, when amI going to go there?
But it is part of theMediterranean country.
So it is much more accessible.
And no, you stamp your passporton arrival and there's no need
for a pre-application for visasor anything like that.
SPEAKER_01 (14:21):
And is that the appeal because it's got that
Mediterranean coastline but alsothe deserts and mountains?
SPEAKER_00 (14:26):
If you look, I don't think Australians need to travel
for great beaches, do we?
So I would not say that's theappeal for Australians.
For me, the appeal was thedesert.
Although when you look at thewaters of it, it is just
magnificent.
But really, for me, it's acountry that's sliced in three.
So you've got the Mediterranean,you've got the mountains and
plains.
And then when you go in thesouth, you are touching the edge
(14:49):
of the Sahara.
And I find that just so romanticbecause the way people live is
so different to when you're on abeach and you're sitting under
an umbrella and you're doingthat kind of thing.
The desert is a whole differentworld.
And that, for me, is the mirrorof it.
SPEAKER_01 (15:04):
Yeah, amazing.
And you were telling me thatthere were quite a few films
that were shot there too.
Where were they shot and whatwere they?
SPEAKER_00 (15:10):
This is going to give you a bit of an insight as
to what you're looking for.
So probably I think the biggestone is Star Wars.
The original Star Wars was shotthere back in 96.
Sorry, 76 it was shot there andreally 77.
So we're talking a long timeago.
So if you remember, Luke wasliving on a desert planet and
(15:31):
called Katoun.
It's named after a town and aregion called Tatouine.
So when George Lucas went there,he was so inspired by this
region.
He just basically lifted thenames because he thought, ah,
Tatouine, that sounds like agreat name for a desert planet.
And let's think it's populatedby smugglers.
There is a lot of smugglingaround there, mostly coming
across from Libya.
(15:53):
And also when you see, when yougo back, everybody's walking
around in those hooded darkhooded cloaks.
They're actually worn, theburners is worn by Tunisians.
So he really took a lot fromthat.
And that gives us some clues ofwhat you're looking for there.
But I wouldn't say Star Wars isthe only one because the English
patient, which I read while Iwas there, it's absolutely
(16:13):
divine.
And it's set in North Africa.
That was shot there with RalphFiennes in these incredible salt
plains and desert landscapes.
Also Raiders of the Lost Ark.
I've got to say there was apoint in this trip when we were
running through these angledstreets of the ancient Karawan,
which is one of the cities inChinisha.
And then the guide goes, oh,this is the place where Harrison
(16:36):
Ford did blah, blah, blah.
And then we all had to reenacthaving a fight, a fist fight and
running away.
And there's people chasingthemselves through the street,
pretending to be on the set ofRaiders of the Lost Ark.
But the one I did not know wasLife of Brian was shot here.
So the Monty Python classic wasshot here in the 60s.
(16:56):
And I know it was so bizarre.
It shows, I think thegovernment's really interesting
in the sense that they're quite,that was a really racy film and
it was banned in places likeIreland when it first came out
because it's making jokes of aguy called Brian who everybody
thinks is the Messiah.
So when, you know, when his mumis hanging out the window going,
(17:16):
he's not the Messiah, he's avery naughty boy.
They filmed all of that in thesecave and clay cities that still
exist in the South.
of Tunisia now and also therounded cities of the spaceport
of Mos Espa.
So when George Lucas went thereand he built these film sets,
the government said, you canbuild the film sets in the
(17:37):
middle of the desert, but whenyou leave, you have to leave
them there.
Of course, the movie went on tobecome a hit.
There's been five Star Warsfilms now shot in Tunisia.
And so people still go backthere and they go to Mos Espa
and they Play around withlightsabers.
We may have done that.
You can dress up.
You can jump on a camel and roararound the place and just visit
(17:59):
all of these incrediblelocations.
And it's a constant source ofincome for the country because
Star Wars is such a cultexperience for so many people.
SPEAKER_01 (18:09):
So, yeah.
Yeah.
Set jetting anywhere is at themoment just taking off, isn't
it?
So once you've done your runningaround the desert with your
saber light sword or whateveryou've got, what do you do when
you're there?
What else are you doing?
And what sort of food are youeating?
What is there to do?
If I was going to go and I justhad my couple of days in the
(18:29):
desert and I saw these filmlocations, what am I doing then?
SPEAKER_00 (18:33):
Look, I have to say that the accommodation is one of
the most interesting things whenyou're staying there because
when you get right down thesouth into the Sahara, People
traditionally lived in a coupleof ways.
They either dug cave houses intothe sides of the mountains, and
they often had fortresses theretoo where they were storing
their food and granaries andstuff.
A lot of them are being turnedinto, not a lot, a few of them
(18:56):
have been turned into hotelsnow.
So you get to stay in these cavehotels.
And the other way that theywould build their houses,
considering there's no trees andstuff around there to be making
timber houses, is that theywould dig down So it's just
incredible.
So you've got these houses dugdown into the earth.
So you're walking along, thenyou see this massive hole, and
(19:17):
then down there is a housethat's being excavated into the
earth.
So it meant that you were hiddenfrom marauding tribes, because
at this time, there was a lot ofaction going across from the
Bedouin and the Berber tribescoming from the North African,
so from the Moroccan side, andthen from the Arab invasion from
the Middle East.
So it was a real crossroads ofactivity.
(19:38):
And so people would just sinkthemselves into the ground.
And you can go and stay in theseplaces.
And we actually had lunch in oneof them.
It was a house that this familystill maintains.
And so we turned up and walkedinto this underground cave and
had lunch.
And it was just incredible.
I thought, yeah, thoseexperiences of seeing how people
live and the fact that they'returning them into tourism
(20:00):
experiences now, but they're notmaking them too shishy.
So literally- dug out cave soyour bed and your furniture are
dug into the mountains.
Which I mean for me is greatbecause then when you're there
then you're doing, we did quitea few half day hikes as well and
you're climbing up over themountain plateaus and down
through these mountain passesand you're seeing springs
(20:22):
rushing past with fresh waterand you might find a mosque
dedicated to a Muslim saintthat's been there for 600 years
or something like that.
It's really quite astonishing inthat sense.
The hiking really had ahistorical bent to it, which I
really enjoyed.
Amazing.
SPEAKER_01 (20:41):
And what about the cities and the towns?
SPEAKER_00 (20:45):
Tunis is the biggie.
That is the capital that you flyinto.
And the noticeable part of thattown, it really gives you an
idea too that these cities werebuilt at a time of turmoil.
So when they did, they built theMedinas, the original old part
of the city, You were designedto get lost in them.
So if you were coming in withyour army, you couldn't just
(21:05):
ride up to the palace sitting atthe top and take it over.
The street, and you'll find thisin a lot of Arabian-style
cities, is that they've got deadends and alleyways.
They've got narrow littlelaneways so you can't ride with
three horses across and take outeverybody.
So they were designed tobamboozle and confuse.
So where do you go into thosecities?
(21:27):
Of course, you've got the moderncities.
city around the side of it, butinside you've got this knot of
laneways and hidden spaces.
So it's like peak Melbourne's,maybe how I would put it,
because we do love a goodlaneway.
And from there, that's whereyou'll find some of the more
interesting accommodation aswell, because they do love a
good tile.
If you are a tile freak, like Iam a tile freak, and you thought
(21:50):
that you had to go to Portugal,you could go to Tunisia because
it lends a lot of I thinkMorocco is its natural
comparison in that sense, andit's just this incredible sense
of design.
You go into the Medinas andthat's where you'll find your
accommodation for the night.
Either, even at hostels justcovered in gorgeous tiles, or I
went to some of, I also visitedsome of the high-end places in
(22:12):
Tunis just to have a look atthis gorgeous, cool,
atmospheric, tiny boutiquehotels that have been hidden
into the Medinas.
They're just fascinating to goaround.
And that's why you've had somany things filmed in there,
such as Raiders of the Lost Ark,because yeah, they're just,
they're so beautiful.
SPEAKER_01 (22:30):
And so is it easy to get around?
SPEAKER_00 (22:35):
When I was with my guide and I traveled with
Intrepid, it was easy.
And then when I'd stick out onmy own, it'd be like, oh my
Lord.
So you really did have to liveon your GPS when you were right
in the deep of the Medinas.
But there was always somebody tosay, are you lost by any chance?
Do you want me to lead you out?
And they'd go, yes, because Ihave no idea where I am.
But for me, that is really partof the fun, the whole thing.
Because there's always,eventually you're going to come
(22:56):
across a cafe or a hotel or justsomebody saying, you look like a
fundamentally lost woman.
And I'll be like, yes, here Iam.
Yeah, so you can get around tothem.
But some of these are 9thcentury cities.
They're not going to be designedthe same as we are with the big
open boulevards where we don'thave to worry about invaders,
where you don't have to worryabout food shortage and stuff
like that.
I think they have grownorganically.
(23:19):
to evolve with their politicalenvironment.
Because remember, this is areally ancient city.
At the top of Tunis, you've gotCarthage, which is where
Hannibal, the warlord come from,the warlord that took on Rome at
the time of the Punic Wars.
Remember, he led his warelephants across and tried to
conquer Rome and things likethat.
(23:39):
So While you've got all of thesemedinas, you've also got a lot
of Roman amphitheaters that arejust dissolving it slowly into
the environment as well.
That's another major reason thatpeople might go there.
They're seeing these worldheritage listed Roman ruins.
And they just, if you think ofthe Colosseum in Rome, insane,
right?
Here, you might be you andanother 30 people just wandering
(24:01):
around them.
And it's so incrediblyatmospheric.
SPEAKER_01 (24:05):
Is that what surprised you most about it?
SPEAKER_00 (24:08):
I think so, because I wasn't staying in the
Mediterranean resorts as well.
There's a lot of them.
There are areas that you'llfind, they've got the low-cost
carriers coming in from NorthernEurope, and they're going in
there for the flying flop.
Flying flop, I always mix it up.
But we were staying away fromthat.
So when you suddenly did see acoachload of a package tour,
you'd be quite surprised,because you don't see them in
(24:31):
most of those heritage sitesaround the country.
It's remarkably rare.
of the hustle and the crowds.
It's fantastic.
SPEAKER_01 (24:41):
It's really good to get an insight into your little
visits to these very unique,certainly not overcrowded
destinations that you continueto go to, Belle.
And if you want to see some ofBelle's images of her visit and
read and listen to more of herstories she's writing and
talking about, including for theSydney Morning Herald and ABC
Radio Adelaide about thisremarkable destination, go to
her Insta page, which is globalunderscore salsa.
(25:05):
And you can see more aboutIntrepid Travel's Tunisia
experience atintrepidtravel.com.au.
SPEAKER_00 (25:12):
This mini-series is brought to you by Avani Hotels
and Resorts.
Avani has multiple propertiesacross Italy, including in
Venice and Milan.
And we're going to discuss someof the exclusive experiences you
(25:35):
can have to immerse yourself inlocal culture when you stay with
Avani.
Find out more atavanihotels.com.
SPEAKER_01 (25:42):
Our tip this week is how you can get a good dose of
culture when you travel toItaly.
So Avani Hotels has come up witha series of immersive
experiences where you can doeverything from meeting
Hollywood mask maker Augusto onthe island of Giudecca to making
your own glass beads in Muranoor heading out on a Fiat 500
(26:03):
tour with a local guide inMilan.
I was in Italy last year andhave to say, we would travel
with the teams, so we didn't doany specific experiences like
this, but gosh, it's a good wayto get to not only meet the
locals, but learn about thetraditional artisan crafts,
which I just love doing when Igo away.
And sadly, a lot of them areoften lost to future
generations.
So it's great to experiencethings like that.
SPEAKER_00 (26:25):
Yeah.
Oh, look, I was child-free whenI was lost in Venice and did
visit the island of Giudica, butI love the idea of making your
own mask.
Of course, masks that are anintrinsic part of Carnivale,
which is held each February.
On this experience with theVanni Rio Novo Hotel, you'll
visit an artisan workshop hiddenwithin one of Venice's most
(26:46):
secret gardens.
And under the expert guidance ofAugusto, become a mask maker for
the day.
You don't have to be an artistto become one, and you're
creating your own souvenir.
And during the workshop, Augustoalso shares some of the city's
secrets and the stories behindsome of the most celebrated
Venetian masks.
SPEAKER_01 (27:06):
Yeah, glassmaking's another craft that Italy's
renowned for because of itscenturies-old tradition and the
high quality of the glassmaking.
And if you stay at Avani HotelsRio Novo, again, you can visit
an art studio near the glassmuseum where you can see
contemporary art and glassproduction.
And you can also watch the localglassmakers at work.
God, it's amazing when you watchglassmakers at work.
(27:28):
Gosh, it makes you realize whatan absolute craft it is.
And on this one, they use lampworking technique to create
artworks.
And then you can also put yourcreativity to the test and make
your own small glass artwork.
And then you have a memento totake home.
SPEAKER_00 (27:43):
So gorgeous.
But I do love this nextexperience, possibly even more,
which is a running tour of thecity at sunrise before it's
awash with visitors.
So you take a guide from thehotel who runs beside you and
you can see the main attractionsand provenance of Venice without
the crowds.
So I would suggest running alittle bit faster in between so
you've got some time to take afew snaps while you catch your
(28:05):
breath.
SPEAKER_01 (28:06):
Also at Avani Rio Novo Venice Hotel, you can visit
Luna dell'Evanzia Atelier, whoare masters and woodworking for
bespoke architectural andinterior projects.
And this experience is where youcan also get an explanation of
the history behind Bricola,which is the Venetian lagoon
symbol made of oak wood used toguide the boats through the
(28:28):
city.
I love this.
So guests can get the chance torefine that while converting it
into a more sort of functionaland stylish multi-use design
piece.
SPEAKER_00 (28:36):
And the last Venetian experience we're going
to mention is the one closest tomy stomach, and that is a
cooking class.
And that's because Venice is thebirthplace of Italian classics,
including Ciro Vesù and the VeriDenti Tramazzini, which are
perfect tea sandwiches.
And Venice did oversee theevolution of the spritz,
originally made with white wineand soda.
(28:58):
It took Venice to add thebitters to create the spritz
that we drink today.
So the cooking class at AvaniRio Novo Venice Hotel takes you
on a deep dive into Venetiancuisine.
SPEAKER_01 (29:08):
Heading to Milan and the Avani, so Moscova, this
experience is one that's goingto fill your Insta feed, and
that's a Fiat 500 vintage tourthrough Milan.
Oh my God, I'd love to do this.
So you go with Federico, and youtake a seat in his meticulously
restored vintage Fiat 500, andhe takes you on a tour and
reveals personal tales andantidotes along the way, and you
(29:29):
get to dive into Milan's designdistrict and wind around the
streets of the historic centre.
SPEAKER_00 (29:34):
I do think that of all the cities, you need a guide
for Milan.
Its best experiences aredefinitely hidden in the many
city courtyards.
One of those great experiences,creating personalized cosmetics,
because Milan, of course, isfamous for cosmetic production.
So in this experience, you cancreate a bespoke lipstick or
specialized skincare on a40-minute experience at the City
(29:56):
Lab Cosmetics, which I think isjust brilliant.
SPEAKER_01 (30:00):
And what's Italy without a shopping spree?
In Milan, you can find thecity's hidden vintage fashion
gems from prestigious fashionhouses like Valentino and Chanel
to local boutiques and stores,meeting some of the locals
behind the local labels alongthe way.
And for more information, visitavanihotels.com and we'll put a
link in the show notes.
If you'd like to help supportour production costs, you can
(30:22):
buy us a coffee at coffee.comslash theworldawaits.
That's ko-fi.com slashtheworldawaits so we can
continue to bring youinspirational travel interviews
with the world's best.
SPEAKER_00 (30:36):
My guest next week takes us on safari in South
Africa and the Kruger NationalPark.
If you haven't heard of him,Australian author Tony Park is
one to put on the bedsidereading list.
He now lives just on the fringeof Kruger and has more than 21
novels under his belt, all setin Southern Africa.
This is an interview not to bemissed.
SPEAKER_01 (30:55):
Wow, can't wait to hear from Tony Park and I will
put him on my bedside.
And if you have enjoyed thisepisode, please give us a rating
and review on Apple Podcasts.
Click on our profile, scrolldown to the bottom to ratings
and reviews.
And if you're on Spotify, go toour main page, click the three
dots under our photo.
We really appreciate a ratingreview because it helps us in
(31:17):
the ratings.
Or simply drop us a line athello at theworldawakes.au.
We love nothing more thanhearing from our listeners.
SPEAKER_00 (31:24):
That's a wrap for The World Awaits this week.
Click to subscribe anywhere youlisten to your favourite pods.
Thanks
SPEAKER_01 (31:30):
for listening.
See you next week.
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