News from the world of travel
The AJN takes you around Australia and the world to see what’s new in travel.
Fans flock to Adelaide during festival season
ADELAIDE comes alive with festival fever every year in late summer when the month-long Fringe gets underway from mid-February with hundreds of shows, and it continues with the Adelaide Festival – this year from March 1-17 – taking centre stage alongside the four-day WOMADelaide music festival.
The 2024 Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Writers’ Week smashed attendance records with more than 500,000 people attending ticketed and free events, including many visitors from interstate who accounted for 30 per cent of ticket sales.
Adelaide Festival highlights included Igor Stravinsky’s opera The Nightingale and Other Fables, director Barrie Kosky’s The Threepenny Opera and singer Lior performing Compassion and Ngapa William Cooper on a double bill with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
Adelaide Festival artistic director Ruth Mackenzie said: “Adelaide Festival is artist-led and has a proud tradition of presenting the best artists, both established stars and the stars of tomorrow, from South Australia and around the world.”
The 2025 Adelaide Festival will be held from February 28 to March 16 while the 2025 Fringe runs from February 21 to March 23.
With the large number of interstate visitors to Adelaide during festival time, hotel accommodation is at a premium with one of the city’s newest properties – Vibe Hotel Adelaide – proving popular.
The hotel’s 123 rooms range from premier suites and urban retreat rooms to deluxe and guest rooms, featuring exposed concrete ceilings and Tasmanian Oak finishes plus floor-to-ceiling windows.
Set in Adelaide’s East End at 260 Flinders Street, it is part of a 20-year project by local developer GuavaLime.
The hotel showcases the work of local artists in the lobby, where Jeremy Herbert’s 15-metre-long serpentine chandelier is featured, and in the rooms.
The ground-floor Storehouse Flinders East restaurant and bar opens onto a courtyard and dining terrace. Adelaide-born chef Brent Potuszynski’s menu features regionally-sourced dishes.
Vibe Hotel Adelaide is a short walk from the Adelaide Holocaust Museum which features a permanent exhibition and a gallery paying tribute to Holocaust survivors who made their home in South Australia. Online bookings are required for museum visits.
During festival time the streets and laneways in the heart of Adelaide, especially around Rundle Mall, are closed to traffic to allow thousands of people to enjoy street dining. Restaurants and hotels are kept busy, especially with pre-show meals.
For those looking for a fine dining restaurant with a French flavour, the Adelaide Sofitel’s Garcon Blue fits the bill with it’s a la carte menu and relaxed setting on the hotel’s ninth floor.
Head chef Gianni Delogu has incorporated French cuisine with local produce in his menus, with the restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
For more information:
Vibe Hotel Adelaide: tfehotels.com Adelaide Holocaust Museum: ahmsec.org.au
In search of the Northern Lights
Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten, renowned for its voyages along the stunning Norwegian coastline, has appointed leading Northern Lights astronomer Tom Kerss as its first chief aurora chaser.
The appointment underscores Hurtigruten’s commitment to giving passengers on its cruises in Norway the best opportunity to witness the natural phenomenon Aurora Borealis.
Hurtigruten recently announced the extension of its Northern Lights sighting guarantee on select cruises between September 2024 and March 2025.
British astronomer Kerss, an author and a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, will act as an onboard expert on designated Hurtigruten voyages, offering invaluable insights into the Northern Lights. He will lead digital talks, webinars and workshops as well as organise activities and events for passengers.
“The Northern Lights is one of nature’s most mesmerising spectacles,” said Kerss. “We will not only witness the Northern Lights but also unravel the secrets and stories behind its beauty and nature, creating memories that will last a lifetime.
“Norway is undeniably the premier location for experiencing the Northern Lights, and Hurtigruten provides an unparalleled platform for travellers to witness this celestial marvel.”
Hurtigruten CEO Hedda Felin said: “With Tom Kerss as our very own chief aurora chaser, the world’s first-ever as far as we know, we’re taking our Northern Lights commitment to new heights, offering guests an unparalleled opportunity to witness this breathtaking phenomenon in the most immersive way imaginable.”
Accor’s big hotel boost in Japan
Accor has opened 22 new hotels in Japan during April, bringing its portfolio in Japan to 46 properties.
The hotels, comprising 12 Grand Mercure and 10 Mercure hotels, range in location from the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido to the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa and are located close to local attractions such as Cape Zanpa in Okinawa, Asuka village in Nara, Shiroi Koibito Park in Hokkaido and Senri Beach in Wakayama.
Each hotel offers a range of guestrooms, restaurants and wellness facilities such as onsen (hot springs), saunas and swimming pools.
Grand Mercure Hotels & Resorts is a premium brand of Accor while Mercure Hotels & Resorts is in the midscale segment.
Among the new properties is Grand Mercure Okinawa Cape Zanpa Resort situated on Zanpa Beach in Okinawa where rooms boast ocean views.
The hotel has one of the largest pool areas in Okinawa, with a river pool, an adults-only pool, water slides and a children’s pool area. It has 465 guest rooms and suites, a choice of dining options and a large public bath.
Garth Simmons, chief operating officer for premium, midscale and economy division for Accor in Asia, said: “As Japan continues to welcome back international travel and experiences a steady recovery of the tourism industry, we are excited to add these great hotels to our portfolio.
“We offer our guests a range of local experiences offered in charming coastal towns and amongst nature. Popular destinations such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto will always remain in high demand, however, if you want to truly immerse yourself in the authentic culture of a country, sometimes you need to escape the big cities and head off the beaten path.”
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