The usual stopovers, such as Singapore and Bangkok, have been joined by a host
of new options, from Mauritius to Mumbai, Shanghai to San Francisco. Here’s
our choice of the best, and how to make the most of a flying visit on your
way down under.
Stated fares are the lowest from Heathrow between April and June. Flight
times are from Heathrow to the stopover, then on to Oz (eg, 12 hours; 12
hours). The distance between seats in economy class is given for each airline
MUMBAI
The route: £1,448 with British Airways (31in), then Qantas
(31in) to Sydney (8 hours; 10¼ hours).
How long to stop: two days.
What to see: this south Asian supercity is crammed with
culture and mania. Start at the shallow end, by the iconic Gateway of India,
then walk to the excellent Prince of Wales Museum. From there, pass the
cricket pitches and Indo-gothic buildings along the grassy Oval Maidan, then
walk through the garden at Horniman Circle to the lovely St Thomas’
Cathedral, completed in 1718. It’s a short taxi ride to the Malabar Hill for
late lunch with the posh set, then on to Mani Bhavan, the house in which
Gandhi stayed when in Bombay, now an atmospheric museum. And don’t miss out
on the Mumbai-ker ’s sunset stroll across Chowpatty Beach. Next day, avoid
the crush and catch an early-morning boat to the Elephanta Caves. The
hour-long journey crosses the harbour to the small island, where statues
carved into the rock peer enigmatically from the gloom.
Where to stay: the Gordon House Hotel (00 91 22 2287 1122,
www.ghhotel.com) is a small, stylish spot with crisp decor; from £63.
VANCOUVER
The flight: £739 with Air Canada (32in) to Sydney (10 hours;
16 hours).
How long to stop: two days.
What to see: a beautiful city, backed by mountains, fronted
by sea, Vancouver has a very Canadian pace and charm. Breathe in the
atmosphere at Canada Place, the ship-shaped leftover from the 1986 expo;
from there it’s just a five-minute walk to Gastown, an olde-worlde makeover,
complete with cobbled streets. After that, walk into Chinatown and the
peaceful Dr Sun Yat-Sen Garden, created by 52 experts flown in from Suzhou.
Next day, board the False Creek Ferry for the scenic ride down past the city
skyline to Granville Island. It’s an atmospheric tumble of streets, shops,
bars and street life, like a nautical Covent Garden, and perfect for a
leisurely wander. Next, head west to the Museum of Anthropology and its
unrivalled collection of First Nations art.
Where to stay: the Inn at False Creek (001 604 682 0229,
www.qualityhotel.ca) has good facilities and comfortable rooms; from £55.
BEIJING
The flight: £894 with Air China (34in) to Sydney (9 hours; 12
hours) or Melbourne.
How long to stop: three days.
What to see: China’s capital is monumental in scale, magni-
ficent in its historic treasures and terrifying in its pace of change. Start
at the beginning, in the Forbidden City, and stroll around its stunning
red-roofed symmetry. After, climb the hill just behind in Jingshan Park for
a spectacular panoramic view of the city. Take a cab to the legations
quarter and pick over the bones of what remains from the heyday of European
building, walk along the glitzy shopping street of Wangfujing and finish by
sampling snacks from around the country at the Donghuamen Night Market. You
can also take an excursion to the nearest stretch of Great Wall at Badaling,
riding a cable car up to a restored section of this fairy- tale
construction, or stroll the impossibly harmonious grounds of the Temple of
Heaven, then head north via atmospheric alleyways to Tiananmen Square.
Where to stay: set around a courtyard is the Bamboo Garden
(24 Xiaoshiqiao, Jiugulou Street; 00 86 10 6403 2229), once the residence of
a Qing- dynasty minister; from £50.
JOHANNESBURG
The flight: £1,088 with BA (31in), then Qantas (31in) to
Sydney (10 hours; 11 hours) or Perth.
How long to stop: four days.
What to see: here’s your chance to see the “big five” before
you hit Bondi Beach. The vast, well-run Kruger National Park is a 45-minute
plane hop away (South African Airways: 0870 747 1111, www.flysaa.com; from
£180). Four days’ inclusive car hire with Avis (0870 010 0287,
www.avis.co.uk) starts at £133, letting you hop between the park’s camps and
watch the wildlife as you go.
Where to stay: there are several park-run rest camps, where
safari tents or rustic huts start at £20 for two, with ensuite bungalows
from £36 for two. Berg-en-dal, near the Malelane Gate, is very modern and
three miles from a water hole popular with rhinos. Lower Sabie is in a
lovely setting by a dam, where elephant sightings are common. Information
and booking: www.krugerpark.co.za.
MAURITIUS
The flight: £905 with Air Mauritius (33in) to Sydney (11
hours; 8½ hours), Melbourne or Perth.
How long to stop: from two days to a lost month.
What to see: with beautiful beaches, lush mountains and a
unique local culture and cuisine, as well as superb diving and watersports,
Mauritius is the best sun-seeking option on the route down under.
Where to stay: on the airport side of the island is the
three-star Le Tropical (00 230 480 1300, www.naiade.com), on a good beach
with comfortable rooms; from £95, full-board.
SHANGHAI
The flight: £609 with China Eastern (32in) to Sydney (13
hours; 9 hours) or Melbourne.
How long to stop: two days.
What to see: experience the energy of Asia’s new global city,
with its cutting-edge skyscrapers, bars and restaurants — but start by
exploring where it all began, on the Bund, with its fine riverfront
promenade and row of 1930s European-style buildings. Then walk up the
bustling Nanjing Road onto the vast People’s Square, to visit the new
Shanghai Museum and its world- beating booty of bronzes, before relaxing in
the feng shui’ed formality of the Yuyuan Gardens. Next day, cab it to the
French colonial legation and wander the tree-lined boulevards before
stopping for a sundowner in the sky on the 87th floor of the Jinmao Tower,
at the trendy Cloud 9 bar.
Where to stay: the lobby of the Grand Hyatt (0845 888 1234,
www.shanghai.hyatt.com) is on the 54th floor of China’s tallest building,
the Jinmao Tower; from £115. Built in 1846, the Astor House (00 86 21 6324
6388, www.pujianghotel.com) was the first hotel of its kind in Shanghai,
offering large, if plainly decorated, rooms right by the Bund; from £31.
SEOUL
The flight: £618 with Korean Airlines (33in) to Sydney (10 hours; 9
hours) or Brisbane.
How long to stop: two days.
What to see: more than just Tokyo on the cheap, Seoul has
temples, topography and tech-nology, all blended with Korea’s unique and
zesty cuisine. Start at the impressive Kwanghwamun Gate, then tour the royal
palaces just to the north, reminiscent of Beijing’s Forbidden City, but with
far fewer foreign tourists. Have lunch at one of the many traditional
restaurants in Insadong, sitting on a floor cushion, soothed by classical
Korean music, then visit the even larger palace complex of Changdeokgung. In
the evening, take the cable car up for a cocktail and the night-time views
from the top of Seoul Tower, in Namsan Park. Next day, head for the War
Memorial Museum for a well-presented rundown on the war that divided the
peninsula.
Where to stay: the Shilla (00 800 1010 1111, www.shilla.net)
is the luxury flagship hotel of the Samsung Corporation; from £138. The
intrepid should try the Seoul Guest House (00 82 2 745 0057,
www.seoul110.com), a traditional Korean house, built around a neat
courtyard, where you sleep on floor mats, Korean-style; from £20.
TOKYO
The flight: £615 with Japan Airlines (33in) to Sydney (11
hours; 8½ hours) or Brisbane.
How long to stop: two days.
What to see: Japan’s contra-dictory capital is space-age yet
villagey, consumerist yet traditional, and always fun to be in. Start by
reliving some history at the Edo-Tokyo Museum (£3), which creatively
illustrates the city’s 400-year pedigree, then sample the Blade Runner
backdrops of Shinjuku, with its skyscrapers, shopping streets, bars and
brothels. Get to the Tsukiji fish market before 8am to catch the action —
more than 2,500 tons of fish are sold daily. Next, take a morning stroll
around the former shogun hunting grounds of the Hamarikyu Detached Garden
before taking on the power-shoppers in the upmarket Ginza district.
Where to stay: the Dai-ichi Hotel Annex (00 81 3 3503 5611,
www.daiichihotels.com) has modern, fully equipped rooms; from £138.
SAN FRANCISCO
The flight: £730 with United Airlines (31in) to Sydney (11
hours; 13 hours).
How long to stop: two days.
What to see: sophisticated, photogenic, foggy and fabulous,
Frisco is the class act of California. Begin by exploring Union Square and
Civic Centre, and make time for the newly opened Asian Art Museum or the
nearby SFMOMA, the city’s answer to New York’s collection of modern art.
Then trundle by cable car to the tacky fun of Fisherman’s Wharf and gaze at
the Golden Gate Bridge from the park that surrounds historic Fort Mason.
Join the locals on their weekly provisions pilgrimage at the Ferry Plaza
Farmers Market before taking a boat out to Alcatraz, for the evocative audio
tour of its empty prison buildings.
Where to stay: the central Hotel Cosmo (00 1 415 614 2400,
www.hotel-cosmo.com) has just undergone an adventurous face-lift; from £90.
BUENOS ARIES
The flight: £874 with Aero- lineas Argentinas (34in) to
Auckland (15 hours; 13½ hours); Sydney from £1,036 via Auckland (3 hours).
How long to stop: two days.
What to see: the Paris of South America is a heady blend of
Latin exotica and awfully European familiarity. Take a walk down to Plaza de
Mayo, where you’ll feel humbled by the scale of the grand public buildings;
look out for the famous balcony used by Eva Peron. In the afternoon, head
for Recoleta and its famous cemetery, or the lively parks and squares of
Retiro. Next day, head to the colourful barrio of La Boca to sample the
atmospheric streets, soak up the sounds of the tango and visit the most
famous of the city’s 30 football stadiums, Boca Juniors.
Where to stay: the Claridge Hotel (00 54 11 4314 7700,
www.claridge.com.ar), by Ave Florida, has classic decor and good service;
from £99, B&B.
The best deals for trips such as these are available from consolidators.
The above fares are from Trailfinders (0845 058 5858, www.trailfinders.com);
or try Austravel (0870 166 2020, www.austravel.com), STA Travel (0870 160
0599, www.statravel.co.uk), Travelmood (0870 066 0004, www.travelmood.com),
Airline Network (0870 700 0543, www.airline-network.co.uk), or Travelbag
(0800 082 5000, www.travelbag.co.uk)
