The Tripologist: Travel advice and tips

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This was published 9 years ago

The Tripologist: Travel advice and tips

Exploring the Mediterranean, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, and some strange tastes from overseas.

By Michael Gebicki
Mediterranean dream: Stunning Sardinia offers sun, sea, sand and good food.

Mediterranean dream: Stunning Sardinia offers sun, sea, sand and good food.Credit: Alamy

MY PARTNER AND I HAVE BOOKED FLIGHTS TO FRANCE FOR A FOUR-FIVE WEEK HOLIDAY IN MAY. ONE WEEK IS IN PROVENCE, THE NEXT IN TOULOUSE. WE WOULD LIKE TO SPEND THE REMAINDER OF THE TIME SOMEWHERE ON THE MEDITERRANEAN AND SARDINIA LOOKS STUNNING. WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET THERE FROM TOULOUSE AND WHAT FLIGHT PATH SHOULD OUR DAUGHTER BOOK TO JOIN US FROM SYDNEY? WE LOVE THE IDEA OF BEACHES, MEDITERRANEAN SEA AND GOOD FOOD, AND WE'RE OPEN TO OTHER IDEAS SO ANY SUGGESTIONS APPRECIATED.

M. CURTIS, GERRINGONG

Sardinia is indeed stunning, and it fits all your requirements for food, beaches and the sun-drenched Mediterranean lifestyle. From Toulouse it's a 3½ hour flight with Alitalia to Cagliari Airport. Using Hipmunk (Hipmunk.com) I'm getting a price of $278 for the return journey, which is just a couple of dollars more than the one-way ticket, and therefore it makes sense even if you're heading back to Paris. For your daughter, the closest hub is Milan, from where there are several daily flights to Cagliari at a starting price of $121 for the return journey, and again just slightly more than the one-way ticket price. Singapore Airlines (singaporeair.com) has one-stop flights from Sydney to Milan, and so does Emirates (emirates.com).

Hard to miss: Petronas Towers & National Mosque, Kuala Lumpur.

Hard to miss: Petronas Towers & National Mosque, Kuala Lumpur.Credit: Alamy

Since it looks like you'll have two-three weeks in hand, another option is Sicily, which has all that Sardinia offers plus live volcanoes, a rich archaeological heritage, classical temples that date back to ancient Greek days and a treasury of splendid baroque cities that practically nobody has ever heard of. If you were to choose Sicily you could even include the Aeolian Islands in your itinerary, and islands such as Lipari and Stromboli are wonderful beyond words.

MY HUSBAND AND I ARE AGED 70 AND EXPERIENCED TRAVELLERS. WE WILL BE IN TOKYO FOR THREE DAYS AND THE SAME IN HONG KONG AT THE BEGINNING AND END OF A CRUISE. IN TOKYO WE WANT TO SEE CULTURAL AND HISTORIC SITES AND ESPECIALLY THE TSUKIJI FISH MARKET. WE ARE STAYING AT THE PARK HOTEL LOCATED OVER SHIODOME STATION. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND? WE'VE NOT BEEN TO HONG KONG, WHERE WE'RE STAYING AT THE MARCO POLO, ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR TOURS OR PLACES NOT TO MISS?

J. LARSON, CAMBEWARRA

Seafood platter: Frozen tuna laid out before auction at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.

Seafood platter: Frozen tuna laid out before auction at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.Credit: Alamy

The Metropolis of Tokyo offers English-language city walking tours, and these could be perfect for you. Tours operate weekdays and the tour desk is located on the first floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1, 2-8-1 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku. There are 10 tours to choose from, maximum group size is five, and they're either free or at nominal cost. You need to register online for the tours and the easiest way to find the website is to Google "go Tokyo walking tour".

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Tsukiji Fish Market operates its own guided tours (tsukijitour.com), which start from the Tsukiji KY Building at the intersection of Harumi Street and Shin-Ohashi Street just opposite the market, and a five -minute walk from Tsukiji Shijo station on the Toei Oedo Line, which is close to your hotel – take Exit A1 when you leave the station.

Tokyo Walking Tours (tokyowalkingtours.com) is another small group specialist with a range of tours including the fish market, with a pick-up and drop-off from your hotel.

The ride across Hong Kong Harbour on the Star Ferry, a stroll along Hollywood Road past the curio shops and galleries of Chinese art and furniture, the nearby Cat Street Market, an evening promenade from the Star Ferry Terminal along the Tsim Sha Tsui East Waterfront and the tram ride along Hong Kong Island's north corridor – be sure to sit upstairs – are just a handful of the small delights that await you in Hong Kong. I also like the free Tai Chi lesson, weekdays except Tuesdays, at 8am on the Tsim Sha Tsui Waterfront, close to your hotel. Book with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (discoverhongkong.com)

OUR FAMILY IS GOING TO A WEDDING IN KUALA LUMPUR AT THE END OF DECEMBER. WE WILL BE STAYING AN EXTRA TWO DAYS. CAN YOU RECOMMEND PLACES OF INTEREST WE COULD VISIT THERE?

D. SMITH, CHISWICK

The Islamic Arts Museum (iamm.org.my) has a vast collection of Islamic artworks and artefacts from Asia. China and Southeast Asia, and it gets a big thumbs-up from visitors.

The National Mosque is a sprawling, landmark building surrounded by reflecting pools and gardens, and non-Muslims are welcome to visit outside prayer times.

Take a look at the Petronas Twin Towers, once the world's tallest buildings, which are at their best at night when the dancing fountains at the foot of the towers put on their lightshow.

Aquaria KLCC (aquariaklcc.com) is a spectacular oceanarium located beneath the city's Convention Centre.

Bukit Bintang is a giant shopping centre where you could eat, shop, be entertained and, if you were content with dozing, satisfy every worldly need without ever setting foot outside.

Within the vast parkland of Lake Gardens, the Bird Park (klbirdpark.com) styles itself the "world's largest free-flight walk-in aviary", covering almost 21 acres and filled with exotic feathery species.

CONVERSATION OVER TO YOU…

THE QUESTION WAS "GOT ANY STRANGE FLAVOUR COMBINATIONS FROM YOUR TRAVELS?"

From C. Williams, "On a flower trek through Kashmir our cook surprised us at dinner time with a magnificent plum pudding, blue flames dancing on its surface. As they say the proof is in the eating. Somewhere between the brandy being provided for the flaming, it was substituted for metho. Not the delicious taste we had been expecting from the vision we had seen at the tent opening. Never forgotten."

K. Hobden writes "At a food festival on Shooters Island in the Vltava River, Prague, I was intrigued by potato ice-cream. Not surprisingly, it tasted exactly like that – sweet, cold mashed potato!"

L. Goldsworthy writes "During a holiday in Canada in 1988 my sister and I ordered "apple pie and cream" and my husband said "just cheese for me" assuming he would receive a cheese plate. When the apple pies arrived with cream, his apple pie came with slices of cheese on the top. He said to the waiter he was expecting a cheese plate but on the menu it listed "Apple pie and cheese" as it is served that way in Canada. They believe that an apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze."

"The Japanese possibly have the world's most adventurous palates," writes G. Clarke. "No surprise then to discover in Tokyo recently wasabi ice cream, an unusual combo of fire and ice. Wasabi raised its fiery head again on my last trip when I came across wasabi Kit Kats. The jury's still out on those."

S. and G. Weller write "Years ago I worked in Kuala Lumpur and attended a function for my children. Ice-cream was served for afters and the yellow ice cream in the container obviously held some passionfruit-flavoured fare. Wrong! How about sweet-corn flavoured ice- cream? The pale pink container looked suspiciously like strawberry ice cream but on testing turned out to be red bean! The range of curries and chicken dishes found at markets were a delight but I always steered away from ice-cream."

Next question: Brad Pitt or Madonna – ever had a celebrity encounter during your travels?

Send response to tripologist@fairfaxmedia.com.au. The best response will win a Lonely Planet guidebook.

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