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January travel news

NOW AND ZEN
It might be the cultural and culinary heart of Japan, but Kyoto’s accommodation tends to be either bland business hotels or very traditional and expensive ryokan guesthouses. The newly opened Jijuden Guesthouse fills the gap in catering for style-conscious visitors who like a modern Japanese aesthetic but also want Western-style comforts and amenities. So, while Jijuden’s garden is clearly inspired by the many nearby Edo period Zen gardens, the rooms have baths big enough for two gaijin to share. The result is the best place to stay in Kyoto right now. Jijuden is owned and run by Yoko Ueshima, who can suggest itineraries to suit your interests, from old Kyoto food producers to the best kaiseki ryori restaurants. Ueshima designed and built Jijuden in 2008 in a quiet suburb just a few minutes’ walk from two of Kyoto’s most famous sights: Kinkakuji (aka the Golden Pavilion), and Ryoan-ji, home to the world’s most famous heap of raked gravel. Rooms from $470 per night. Jijuden Guesthouse, 1 Soumon-cho, Kinugasa, Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan, +81 75 466 2112. GUY DIMOND

NEW STYLE STRIP
The Grand Hyatt isn’t the only glamorous new opening in Melbourne’s CBD recently. The refurbishment of the landmark hotel has resulted in the development of a new-look luxury shopping district on the corner of Melbourne’s Collins and Russell streets. Two giants of the luxury scene, Paspaley and Emporio Armani, have opened their first stores down south, while Bulgari and Louis Vuitton have reopened impressive outlets on the prominent corner site. The openings boost the strip’s reputation as Melbourne’s premier destination for international designer goods, affectionately known as the ‘Paris end’ of Collins Street.

HIGH WATERMARK
While leaping dolphins and whales spouting in the bay aren’t guaranteed, they’re the icing on the cake for those lucky enough to catch them at Watermark at Wategos beachside apartments. The rumble of surf provides a constant soundtrack and the rooms themselves, while not arrestingly capacious, comprising a bedroom, ensuite and kitchen/lounge, are sweetly breezy. It’s an effect achieved partly through glass doors and timber shutters that peel back to make the most of the frangipani-scented setting, and partly through the pale, beachy décor. There are Sanctum products in the bathroom, WiFi, iPod and an enormous TV, and the kitchen’s dishwasher, two-hotplate stove and full-sized fridge make cooking possible. It’s all the pleasures of Byron without being in Byron itself. Peak-season rates from $490 a night for a two-night stay. 29 Marine Pde, Wategos Beach, Byron Bay, NSW, (02) 6685 8999. PAT NOURSE 

THE JET SET
Fremantle-based Sodashi, stocked at some of the world's top spas - including Soneva Fushi Resort in the Maldives and Emirates Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai - has launched a range of travel kits specifically for saving travel-ravaged skin. Four different kits are geared to different skin types, with one just for men: Balance, Rejuvenate and Calm ($226.60 each) and Mankind ($222.60). Each kit comprises a white canvas bag containing six travel-sized face products, all of which are free of chemicals, artificial preservatives, mineral oils and synthetic fragrances. They smell and feel fantastic. Another one to stash in your hand baggage is the Jet Lag Travel Kit ($51), a silk pouch containing a Recovery Gel and Recovery Mist for an in-flight boost.

INSIDE STORY
Contemporary American comfort food contrasts nicely with the stately vibe at Inside Park at St Bart's, set in the former Great Hall at St Bartholomew's Church on Park Avenue. Under the soaring ceiling, chef Matthew Weingarten turns out seasonal dishes made from local ingredients he sources at nearby organic markets. Byzantine-inspired wall stencilling, elegant stained-glass windows and the original wood floor are features of the 86-year-old hall, as is a projection screen at the rear of the dining gallery that displays old and modern photos of New York. Down in the huge new kitchen, Weingarten creates dishes such as house-smoked black cod, homemade smoked country sausage with cabbage and heirloom apples, and his own pâté. The lavender goat's cheese soufflé with Concord grape jam puts the chocolate sort to shame. Inside Park at St Bart's, 109 East 50th St on Park Ave, New York, NY, +1 212 593 3333. CYNTHIA ROSENFELD

NOOSA'S NEW LOOK
After a year of construction and just in time for the Sunshine Coast's summer crowds, Noosa's Hastings Street has unveiled its $10-million facelift. The redesign of the surf town's major dining and bar strip includes upgrades to its pedestrian walkways, lighting and paving, extensive tree plantings, improved beach access and the inclusion of public artworks.

RAISING ATLANTIS
Gross ostentation or new wonder of the world? Whatever your take, there's no ignoring Atlantis, The Palm - the latest megalith on Dubai's landscape. The multi-billion-dollar hotel opened in November on the Palm Jumeirah with a splashy $31-million dollar launch event. The 1539-room hotel has 550 chefs who dish up 15,000 meals a day, lavish (what else?) suites and a massive aquarium and waterpark. Surreal stuff.

SYDNEY WALKS
A walk through Sydney is on the cards (and no, we're not referring to the ailing public transport system). City Walks Sydney: 50 Adventures on Foot (Chronicle/Hardie Grant Books, $24.95) is a neat box-set of 50 cards, each with a map on one side and walking tour highlights on the other. Some are much-loved Sydney walks (Bondi to Bronte), some are themed (Kings Cross Nightlife), many are suburb-centric (Balmain), but all offer tips on where to eat, drink, shop and stop along the way. Handy for visitors, it's also a remedy for locals suffering what-do-we-do-today syndrome.

AIRLINE NEWS
NEW ROUTES
Downturn be damned, Etihad is continuing to expand its services, offering connections to Moscow from Australia via Abu Dhabi. The latest addition to Etihad’s service brings the airline’s total number of destinations to 50. Not to be outdone, Qantas, meanwhile, has launched direct three weekly flights from Sydney to Buenos Aires. The new return service is the first time any airline has flown a non-stop service between Australia and South America.

AIRPORT EXPANSION
The ongoing $500-million redevelopment of Sydney Airport’s International Terminal has seen the opening of three new stores to increase its duty-free shopping capacity and better service its increasing traffic, projected to hit almost 30 million annually by 2029. The upgrade and expansion will see more retail, F&B facilities and passenger waiting areas over the next 18 months. Meanwhile, Sydney pie icon Harry’s Café de Wheels is catering to the delayed, lagged and just plain hungry with a new outlet, also in the International Terminal, complete with 1940s caravan.

SINGAPORE SEATING
Singapore Airlines is giving its economy customers the chance to grab themselves the best seat in the class with Preferred Seat Selection when they book online. For a fee of $75 per sector on long-haul flights you are guaranteed one of the plum exit-row seats, subject to availability.