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There are regrettably few hotels or resorts in Australia with justifiable claims to being world-class but Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania is unquestionably one of them. Therefore, it was good to read Ben Groundwater’s glowing review (Traveller, July 21). It’s not just the stunning location, exemplary decor and Michelin star-quality food, but the superlative service so often lacking locally – the Saffire “no nos” ethos is definitely not just a marketing slogan. Although expensive on face value, Saffire’s all-inclusive package and range of free excursions – the in-water oyster and sparkling wine experience is truly unforgettable – ensures that those who can afford to visit will indeed be staying in “one of Australia’s leading properties”.
Chris Roylance, Paddington, NSW

Uninvited guest

I enjoyed Ben Groundwater’s article on Saffire Freycinet. I stayed there in 2012, and it was just as magical then. Each night there would be a hot water bottle at the end of my bed. The manager had to reassure a visitor from overseas who rang him in alarm saying there was a small marsupial in her bed.
Elizabeth Howcroft, Hawthorn, Vic

Exchange irate

We all know, or should know, that when travelling overseas, and if given the choice of paying in local currency (in my case euros) or Aussie dollars, we should always say local. The business offering the choice makes a cut on the exchange rate by using their bank if you select Aussie dollars and you lose. Recently, when picking up a hire car in the mayhem that is Taormina, Sicily, I was not offered such a choice. On checking my contract later, I noted that the car representative had deceitfully scribbled on my contract that I was offered such a choice and had elected to pay in Aussie dollars. Be aware.
Vince Vozzo, Elwood, Vic

Boiling points

Like most visitors to London’s British Museum (Traveller, July 22) I have enjoyed its wonders, but while the new Great Court roof is a beautiful design, it creates a hot environment if the sun is shining. My last visit was during late September and I couldn’t wait to escape to the cooler galleries. No doubt the design is fine in winter but in a city regularly experiencing hotter summer temperatures, I wonder how they’ll keep visitors cool.
Jennifer McKay, Ashbury, NSW

Hit the road

We can one-up the “packing and unpacking once” benefit of cruising (Traveller, July 12). Ocean cruising still can’t compare with land travel. We lease a car in Europe and put our shared case in the boot which becomes our wardrobe. No unpacking needed. Our tent, self-inflating mattresses and sleeping bags go in another case on the back seat. No need to book accommodation. Camping areas cost about €20 ($35) a night, often with swimming pools and restaurants. We mostly cook on a small campstove. We have been all over Europe and North America. This form of travel is not just for the young – on our last trip in French Languedic, Corsica and then Sardinia, we were 81.
Ainslie Morris, South Durras, NSW

Connection disconnect

Regarding Michael Gebicki’s otherwise good read on travel tips (Traveller, July 14), just because one has booked two connecting flights separately on two separate tickets doesn’t mean one has to collect bags and clear immigration and check back in again as suggested. Many legacy airlines have agreements with each other to check baggage all the way to the destination irrespective of ticketing. Of course, this doesn’t apply to most low-cost carriers. But it could be a problem if a passenger doesn’t check the rules. One of the downfalls of online bookings.
Colin Hood, Carlton North, Vic

Peace offering

Justine Costigan’s article on the Peace Hotel in Shanghai (Traveller, July 31) reminded me of the first time I was there in 1967. I was with 53 other students from Australian and New Zealand Universities on what was meant to be a fairly mundane travel tour, but it turned out to be quite the reverse. We arrived by train in Shanghai at about 2am and were met by hundreds of Red Guard students from Fudan University, who escorted us from the station on foot to the Peace Hotel on the Bund. The hotel was officially closed at that time because of the onset of the Cultural Revolution, and we were the only guests.

The elaborate art deco decoration and quality accommodation were quite spectacular and unexpected. Members of the Red Guard, who as students had been oppressed for years, were interested in change, and in their traversals of the hotel wanted to ensure we were looked after, and that all the exquisite and protected collections, including the wondrous crockery and porcelain, were uncovered, brought out, and used (which they were). At that time, as a student, I was extremely impressed (like Justine) and still have great memories of that hotel stay.
Paul Mulqueen, Melbourne, Vic

Tip of the week: End of the line

I have just returned from a trip on Far North Queensland’s Savannahlander train travelling from Cairns to Forsyth. We journeyed through the beautiful savannah woodlands to Cobbold Gorge and the Undara Lava Tubes, a simply amazing experience. This highly recommended journey was well-organised with the overnight accommodation comfortable. Sadly two sections of the railway – Cairns to Mareebba and the last section to Forsyth – have been damaged by flooding and we had to use buses. For the Savannahlander to continue, the Queensland state government needs to provide funds for repairs, especially to the Cairns-Mareeba section, though the famous Cairns to Kuranda section is still operating. But with funding in some doubt, no bookings for the Savannahlander are being taken for next year. How short-sighted of the Queensland government to not prevent the closure of this wonderful tourist facility.
Marian Birchmore, Bendigo, Vic

Hold the glitz

I would recommend Oman as a stopover en route to Europe. It is a fascinating country and with its low-rise and lack of glitz, so different in character to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The distances between sites are long (but roads are excellent), everywhere was clean and I felt safe. The original capital of Nizwa and the canyons of Jebel Shams were standouts. I used the services of Mytouroman and found it excellent to deal with. Oman Air also deserves plaudits for its service – Muscat Airport was spacious, clean and easy to negotiate.
David West, Berwick, Vic

Pace setter

Hiring a car with GPS allowed us to explore Croatia at our own pace, which is something flights and cruise itineraries can’t match. Letting weather, local tips and time shape our plans made each day an adventure. We stayed in old-town pedestrian-zoned areas that offered charm and easy access to sights and dining. Often we parked for free and walked to our accommodation. All bookings were during shoulder season and easy to make.
Dianne McGowan, Sapphire Beach, NSW

Nordic and nice

An inquiry to Michael Gebicki regarding driving around Iceland (Traveller, July 11) brought back wonderful memories of our self-drive, 11-day journey around the bottom half of Iceland. We used Nordic Visitor to book and plan our travels and were impressed with the level of service. They met us at the airport and the following morning took us to the car agents to select our car which was a Hyundai i30. It had a good GPS and a Wi-Fi hotspot which proved valuable when searching for cafe stops. On our return to the capital, Reykjavik, we spent a couple of days visiting the city’s museums and its amazing concert hall.
Judi Rosevear, Wantirna, Vic

Norfolk folk

The two-night trip by your readers Harry Tys and Richard Gould to the remote South Pacific home of 32 of the descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers is but a legacy of a fascinating backstory (Traveller Letters, July 19). In 1856, after two penal settlements were abandoned, Queen Victoria granted 193 descendants of the Bounty mutineers, who were living on Pitcairn Island, Norfolk Island. They left Pitcairn on May 3 that year. On June 8, with a baby born on board, the Morayshire landed at Kingston, the main settlement on Norfolk Island. The Pitcairners’ story continues with a move to bring the historic Pitcairn Island Register, a record of births, marriages and deaths from 1790 to 1854, from the UK in time for the 170th Anniversary of the ship’s arrival.
Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, NSW

Signed, unsealed and delivered

I was pleased to see Namibia included in your cover story (Traveller, July 4) as one of the best countries for driving trips. We spent three wonderful weeks on a road trip there in May and felt safe in our reliable Toyota Fortuner from Namibia2Go. Covering 4255 kilometres and with some days seeing few other vehicles, we travelled as far south as the magnificent Fish River Canyon and north to Etosha National Park. Our advice is to not stay in the park, as the accommodation is overpriced. There is lots of fabulous accommodation just outside the park that offers Etosha game drives. While the scenery in Namibia is varied and starkly beautiful, most of the roads we travelled on were unsealed and ranged from dreadful to smooth.
Barb Hilling, Watsonia North, Vic

The Letter of the Week writer wins three Hardie Grant travel books. See hardiegrant.com

The Tip of the Week writer wins a set of three Lonely Planet travel books. See shop.lonelyplanet.com

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