The Magic of Morocco

Morocco is a land of vibrant culture and colour. Tripwired's Michael Gebicki channels the Berbers and Tuaregs.

It’s late in the evening when we finally arrive at our desert camp deep in southern Morocco. It’s been a huge journey, two hours in a four-wheel drive from where we turned off the road at Foum Zguid to cross a parched, stony wilderness that morphed into the ochre sands of the Sahara. There’s ice, a miracle, and we gulp down chilled drinks handed out by Bobo, the camp boss. 

USA Canyon country: A matter of scale

Utah is home to some of the world's most astounding natural architecture. Graeme Willingham explores the canyons of the Quaker State.

It is zero degrees Celsius, confirmed by the layer of frost on the exposed roots of a sentry Ponderosa pine clinging to the top of the fragile ridge. We’re some thin-air 2.5kms above sea level, at 7 o’clock, on a Fall morn. The sun had just cleared the horizon and started its work in the clear sky to light the limestone pinnacles, known as hoodoos, in Utah’s Bryce Amphitheatre.

Bali off the beaten track

There is a lot more to Bali than Kuta Beach and noisy bars, Winsor Dobbin reports.

There is something for just about every traveller in Bali.

Looking for bars and nightlife? Sorted. Delicious food and affordable beers? Sorted.
Cultural experiences? Sure.

But what if you want to get away from it all? To chill out in a hilltop resort that’s surrounded
by local villages, temples, and farms.

Visiting Valletta

by Ian McIntosh

For a lot of people, Malta’s Valletta is a one-day stop on a Mediterranean cruise. As you roll up you firstly marvel at the height of the ancient walls built by the Knights of St John to protect the settlement. A quick stroll and you are at what is called the Upper Gardens - a magnificent lookout over the entrance to the port - and beyond. From here a short walk and you are in the colourful streets admiring the elegant baroque-style buildings. 

Viking Cruises Arouses History

As cruising makes a post-COVID resurgence, veteran journalist, Ian McIntosh, recalls earlier times at sea.

Before I outline why Viking is the best cruise line I have sailed on in recent times - a little bit of background. The cruising industry in this part of the world started when the P&0 line ships that used to cart just about everyone to Europe along with a hold full of produce suddenly faced an uncertain future. Aircraft were finally making an impact despite the fact that they were incredibly expensive. Qantas started to snatch away the younger crowd by introducing what was called the Pacesetter fare - a cheap deal to London that included a few days in Hong Kong and Greece. In my case Mykonos. These were the days of DC8s and 707s. 

A head for heights and Dolomite delights

High in Italy's mountainous northern Alps lies one of Europe's smallest wine regions where quality prevails. Roderick Eime sips, sniffs and spits his way through the misty valleys of South Tyrol.

His knee was now more painful than it had ever been as he struggled down the glacier, barely a few hundred metres ahead of his pursuers. In his mid-40s, he was now an old man with the body to match. His laboured breathing and awkward gait hampered his hurried progress across the ice when suddenly he felt a searing pain in his shoulder. He’d been hit with an arrow fired from behind and the exhausted fugitive fell forward heavily and waited for his fate.