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1 month ago | 
exploretravel.com.au | Mark Dapin
The Thames River Boat from Kew to Westminster is licensed to carry 107 passengers. On the calm and sunny autumn afternoon when I board the craft, there are only 17 other travellers. The boat has two levels; the exposed bridge, where all of us are seated, and the lower deck, where there is a licensed bar that also sells tea, coffee and snacks. The captain is keen to impress upon us that he is a sensitive man.
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1 month ago | 
exploretravel.com.au | Ute Junker |Monique Ceccato |Mark Dapin |Steve McKenna
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1 month ago | 
exploretravel.com.au | Mark Dapin
I'd had a couple of drinks and a curry in Edinburgh, and I decided to treat myself to a chocolate ice-cream. Create a free account to read this article or signup to continue reading All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other in your areaI couldn't find a convenience store, so I settled for the next worst thing.
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1 month ago | 
exploretravel.com.au | Mark Dapin
According to the hotel's slightly odd reasoning, each of these people exhibits certain of the "five traits of the Tasmanian character", ranging from "curious and creative" through "hearty and resilient" to "fighting believer" (which isn't technically a character trait, but never mind). The hotel's storytelling and the gin come together in the MACq 01's Story Bar, which is decorated with historic front pages of Tasmanian newspapers.
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1 month ago | 
exploretravel.com.au | Mark Dapin
Even at peak times, the Qantas Club tends to lack the frenetic atmosphere that grips the Velocity Lounge when the hot food arrives. But then, the hot food is nowhere near as good as Velocity's. A recent dinner of bean nachos at the Brisbane Qantas Club tasted like a tin of baked beans with corn chips. Most customers choose from the all-day menu, which essentially means either an over-chilled salad or a self-service ham-and-cheese toastie.
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1 month ago | 
exploretravel.com.au | Mark Dapin
Every room is the same and everything in the rooms - from lighting to heating to the TV - is controlled by a hotel-issued iPad. As somebody who is not good with gadgets, I found this idea terrifying. The hotel is extraordinarily well located on the banks of the River Tiber. It looks out to Isola Tiberina, the only island on the Tiber in Rome, and sits on the edge of the old Jewish Ghetto. The beds are built into the walls, like they are in jail.
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2 months ago | 
exploretravel.com.au | Mark Dapin
Tourists visit the Oxford Bar with guidebooks stuffed into their cargo pockets, hoping to catch a glimpse of Rankin or a ghostly reflection of Rebus. They are rewarded with a small, framed photograph of the author and another picture of actor Ken Stott playing the detective in the ITV show, and a glimpse of a front bar, at least, that remains largely unchanged. There are about 385 establishments that identify as pubs in Edinburgh, but many of them are really just bars.
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2 months ago | 
exploretravel.com.au | Mark Dapin
Hotel Review: Tynecastle Park HotelWhere: McLeod Street, EdinburghCreate a free account to read this article or signup to continue reading All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other in your areaHow much: Executive rooms start at about $350 per night. Standard rooms begin at about $180. This is very good value for Edinburgh.
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Jan 23, 2025 | 
exploretravel.com.au | Mark Dapin
I'm not great with maps but I feel confident that I can find my way around the four-day Sydney Harbour Circle Walk, if only I keep the water to my left. Create a free account to read this article or signup to continue reading All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other in your areaSadly, this turns out not to be true. Sweeping views of Sydney from Gladesville Bridge.
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Jan 23, 2025 | 
exploretravel.com.au | Mark Dapin
There are three menus at Evolve Spirits Bar in the MACq 01 hotel in Hobart: a drinks menu, a food menu and a "fossils menu". Choosing from the fossils menu, a visitor might opt to sit close to a triceratops horn, a prehistoric tortoiseshell, or the towering skeleton of a Siberian cave bear. Evolve is the meeting point for MACq 01's 90-minute Hidden Hobart: The Viewfinder Tour.
