LATEST POSTS
Five Greek Islands for People Who Like Greece, But Not Elbowing Strangers for a Sun Lounger
There are two kinds of Greek island holidays: the velvet-rope, DJ-fuelled kind where you dodge influencers mid–engagement shoot, and the quieter, better kind with blue water, long lunches, locals who still outnumber visitors, and the radical luxury of space. These five islands belong firmly to the second camp – beautiful, storied, delicious, and refreshingly untrampled by the tourist throng.
Now why should newlyweds get exclusive rights to swanning about in luxury suites, clinking glasses of Champagne, and pretending they’ve never argued over the correct way to stack a dishwasher? Especially now that Australia’s marriage rate has taken a dramatic slide to a 20-year low, down from 7.1 per 1,000 people in 2004 to a rather sheepish 5.5 in 2023.
Books to take to the beach, the bush, the balcony, or that one relative’s house you escape into the bathroom to survive.
Beresford Wines has unveiled its 2024 Emblem Pinot Noir and it’s the kind of bottle that should arrive at Christmas lunch wearing tinsel and its own tiny crown. A fresh, silky, food-loving Pinot, it’s practically begging to be paired with gossip, and your aunt’s passive-aggressive comments about “portion control.”
If your idea of the festive season involves elbowing strangers for the last box of mince pies at Woolies, then Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary would like a quiet word. Nestled in the Neyphu Valley, this luxury retreat (the world’s only wellness-inclusive one, mind you) has decided that December is best spent in the crisp Himalayas with an eggnog in one hand and your chakras realigned in the other.
Slovenia, sitting pretty at number 12 on Abercrombie & Kent’s Top Places to Visit in 2026, is the travel equivalent of that impossibly stylish friend who never has lipstick on her teeth, even at midnight. While Italy is busy crowd-managing gondoliers and Austria is running out of Sound of Music hills to twirl on, Slovenia has been quietly perfecting the art of being fabulous without fuss.
But this is the magic of the InterCon Double Bay, you don’t have to care about rugby league to feel glamorous. Because here, it isn’t just NRL coaches and players gliding through the lobby. Oh no. The guest book reads like a Who’s Who of the 20th century. Princess Diana, David Bowie, U.S. Presidents, and our very own Bob Hawke, who famously jogged the nearby streets in budgie smugglers because why wear Lycra when you can wear less? It’s that kind of place.
The Aperol Spritz is less a cocktail and more a personality trait. It’s the colour of optimism, the taste of satisfaction, and the sound of someone clinking their oversized wine glass against a marble table while whispering, “We should do this every Thursday.” And frankly, it’s glorious.
But The Rusty Rabbit, newly hopped into Concord, has solved this existential crisis. This is not a café where vegetarians are forced into the culinary equivalent of sitting at the kiddies’ table with toast and butter. No, here you’re spoilt. Here, the meatless meals strut onto the stage, demand a round of applause, and frankly, steal the show. Of course there are plenty of meaty meals for the carnivores too.
Privacy in Fiji isn’t just about slapping a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your bure door and hoping the housekeeping team respects it. Oh no, this is Fiji. Here, privacy is more of an art form, a delicate brushstroke painted across turquoise lagoons and coconut palms.
Luxury Escapes has just announced its newest Signature Series tour to Türkiye, and it’s hosted by none other than Shane Delia, chef, TV personality, and the man most likely to know where the really good köfte is hiding.
If heaven has a lobby, I’m convinced it looks exactly like the rooftop of the InterContinental Double Bay during CINCiN’s spring takeover. The lift doors ping open and suddenly you’re bathed in sunshine, staring at a pool so glamorous it practically expects a cameo from Elle Macpherson circa 1996.
