Travel & Lifestyle

Tigerair recently announced a new schedule of flights direct between Melbourne and Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales north coast. The newly added service is providing three return flights per week. Tigerair have said that this will offer a total of 56,000 seats annually between Melbourne and Coffs Harbour, and that they are now…

With their first ever Queensland expansion for Art Series Hotel Group, Brisbane will be getting a new five-star hotel in June 2016, The Johnson. Master colourist Michael Johnson will be the inspiration and focus of the hotel, coming on board with his work to illustrate the property with his original paintings and giclee prints. Located…

The world’s newest Universal Studios Theme Park – Universal Studios Singapore – turned five years old last year, and there have been a few new additions to the park to celebrate. Towards the end of 2014, a new Puss in Boots themed show “The Dance for the Magic Beans” launched that preceded “Puss in Boots’…

Bangkok has earned itself a reputation as a consumer’s paradise, particularly when it comes to clothing, accessories and electronics. If you intend on shopping up a storm during your stay in the Thai capital, The Hansar Hotel is the place to be – it is situated within walking distance of five of the city’s most…

A towering monument on the Brisbane River, the Park Regis North Quay has become a go-to destination for Brisbane bound travellers (be it for business or tourism) since the 24 floor hotel opened in 1998. We stayed for two nights in a 1 bedroom apartment overlooking the beautiful Brisbane River – blessed with similarly kind…

On AU Abroad, we bring you a birds eye view of the world of travel. In this article series, we let you in on the best airlines to fly with. We continue things in North America with Air Canada’s direct route from Toronto to Los Angeles, which we took as part of our long journey home…

Nashville is a city well known for its music – but it’s also filled with some of the best examples of American cuisine, from breakfasts that are loved by Taylor Swift, to the superb Tennessee BBQ scene and some of the most impressive burgers you’ll ever have the pleasure of putting your lips around. Here…

As United Airlines celebrate 30 years of serving the Australia market without interruption, the airline is planning big changes. These plans include making Australia United’s very first all-Dreamliner market, switching to Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner airliners for all trans-pacific routes, a follow up to the success of the Melbourne-Los Angeles nonstop service where passenger have already been…

The annual Canberra Craft Beer & Cider Festival is back for its 9th year on Saturday 19th March from 11am to 6pm in the the gardens of the heritage Mercure Canberra in Braddon, and will showcase Australian breweries as well as live bands, food and family entertainment.  The Festival will present more than 80 beers and ciders for tasting, and visitors…

Food lovers in Melbourne have seen super chef Heston Blumenthal leave his mark on the city’s dining scene before, with the acclaimed Fat Duck popping up last year. Now the culinary master is set to return with four pop-up restaurants scheduled to open from early March, all in Melbourne, and all offering free food. As…

Four Seasons is one of the most recognised luxury accommodation properties in all of Sydney, and with them now housing Mark Best’s acclaimed Pei Modern, it makes sense for them to up their game when it comes to their Whisky-loving Grain. Situated off George Street and right near The Rocks, the warm, welcoming bar has…

Four Season’s Grain bar will welcome its fourth international Master Distiller in less than a year this week as they lock in Mike Miyamoto, the Global Ambassador for Suntory Whisky. Miyamoto will lead an exclusive Whisky masterclass this Wednesday 17th February as his only consumer event scheduled for Sydney. The intimate event will be a…

Though Waterman’s Lobster Co. in Potts Point is the brand’s official location, Bondi Beach really does seem a natural fit for them, which is why they opened up a very well received pop-up at the start of summer, bringing their Maine and Connecticut lobster rolls to Hall Street. Since kicking off the three-month residency, locals…

The region of New England in the North-East of North American is made up of six states; Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. It shares a border with New York, yet it’s often overlooked on the tourist trail. The region is seriously rich in history, so here are 6 unusual yet culturally…

The name Marilyn Monroe conjures up images of old Hollywood glamour and an enigmatic pop icon who still fascinates people to this day. The Bendigo Art Gallery will showcase some of her costumes, personal clothing and artefacts, curated and drawn from private collections worldwide, and never before seen in Australia. Those planning a visit to…

Sydney Festival returned last month for their huge 40th year anniversary, once again propping up their central hub in the leafy surrounds of Hyde Park, this year presenting a re-brand of sorts as what was once known as Sydney Festival Village now becomes Meriton Festival Village. Not much has changed aside from the name though,…

NYC & Company along with New York City officials have announced the annual NYCxDESIGN the citywide celebration of design, will be held from May 3 – 17 2016. Hosted at venues throughout New York City NYCxDESIGN focuses on commerce, culture, education and entertainment with events encompassing exhibitions, installations, trade shows, talks, launches and open studios….

Disneyland Hong Kong is the iconic brand’s second home in Asia, after launching its Tokyo location back in 1983. It’s also the Disney Theme Park that’s geographically closest to Australia – and with the park originally opening in September 2005, that means that this year they recently celebrated their 10th Birthday! I had the chance to…

The island of Koh Samui is a mere 50-minute flight from Thailand’s bustling capital of Bangkok, and a popular tourist haunt among people all over the globe, particularly Aussies. While geographically Koh Samui is fairly small, it offers a little something for everyone. Those that prefer to be in the thick of it head to…

A couple of years ago, Californian Andrew Smith was awarded the title of Destination NSW’s “Chief Funster”, a duty that saw him travel around the State for six months, creating digital content that shows off New South Wales in all its splendour. I had the opportunity to join Andrew for two days of his adventure,…

Is drinking the night before a gig a good idea? Is it necessary to bring a pillow while on tour? What kind of food do you eat in Canada? When you’re a musician, sometimes it’s tough making decisions on your own. Doing what you love in a new country can be scary and with it…

When one speaks of the cuisine of Quebec, it’s impossible to ignore the simple yet much loved dish “Poutine”. Essentially chips, cheese and gravy – something which is also popular in places like Scotland – it may seem hard to understand without experiencing it for yourself just what makes this stomach pleaser such an anticipated…

Flying into Newark (EWR) can not only often be a cheaper way to get into New York with some airline carriers, but it can also be an easier way to get into Manhattan on arrival, too. Unlike La Guardia (LGA) and similar to the crowded John F Kennnedy (JFK), Newark has a train station connected…

In today’s Flight review on AU Abroad, we take you on Singapore Airline‘s A380 service from Hong Kong to Singapore – with an ongoing connection back to Sydney, as well as one of the handiest check in services you’ll find in the world… Airline: Singapore Airlines Route: Hong Kong to Singapore, SQ861 (Virgin Australia codeshare…

Budget airline Tigerair are offering a sale from now until midday on Tuesday 16th February to celebrate the month of love, pushing a “Love Your Family” deal that will see 20% off all domestic routes across their Australian network. Selling for travel during April (and the school holiday period), the sale is being offered online,…

Iconic Hong Kong hotel The Peninsula has recently announced a new installment in their ‘Love Art At The Peninsular’ arts program. Working in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Arts, the program will launch an exhibition by British sculptor, Conrad Shawcross. Shawcross will become the second major artist to exhibit at the hotel when his…

Applejack Hospitality’s popular Neutral Bay small bar SoCal will spice things up in March when they team with Olmeca Altos Tequila to launch an outdoor ‘Cali Tequila Shack’, which will be showcasing a range of the brand’s Tequilas including Plata and Reposado Tequilas, and Avion Espresso throughout the month. The launch of this new feature…

In our recent article looking at the Hawker centres of Singapore, we outlined a few of the places to get some of the best and cheapest food in the city. But to eat some of the best food in the city, you may have to venture away from these areas… still, none of the items…

Launched this past Monday, a website signalling the partnership between The Hunger Project Australia and some of the top restaurants in the country, is auctioning some exclusive deals no food lover in their right mind would want to pass up. It’s all the support The Hunger Project’s worldwide goal, as a non-profit organisation, to end…

In continuing their fabulous Champagne Brunch sunday series, quintessential French restaurant Ananas Bar & Brasserie in The Rocks will be bringing back their popular Atlantic Lobster and Champagne brunch this month, following an incredible reception when they debuted the theme last year. Not only is it a chance to dig into some Atlantic lobster, which…