luxurytravel – Chris Parry Writes For Us

As published in the West Australian, “Courtesy & Lovely Customs”

August 13, 2021Posted in Bali, Bali resorts, family travel, luxurytravel, Pan Pacific Nirwana, Tanah Lot, travelTagged #bali, #balilife, #baliresorts, #balitravelLeave a comment

https://thewest.com.au/news/world/courtesy-and-lovely-customs-ng-ya-133501

For two families, comprising four adults and four children, our holiday to Bali has been much anticipated.

This is my family’s second visit to Pan Pacific Nirwana in Tabanan and on arrival I’m met by Riske, a member of the concierge team we met last year.

I tell her the kids are in the Sunset Lounge and she heads straight there. Before I catch up I hear the cheers and then I see the hugs.

There are not many places you stay where hospitality becomes friendship and these are the only places I return to.

Our days at the resort are defined by as much time by the pool as possible.

I’m there one morning with my daughter Matilda when general manager Guy Owen and staff member Romy Mansoer come over to introduce themselves. Matilda’s drawing of a turtle has been chosen as a logo for the Pan Pacific turtle conservation program and poster that appears around the resort.

***Matilda’s turtle design, adopted by Pan Pacific Nirwana***

They invite us to be blessed at the Tanah Lot temple so we dress traditionally and are given an offering of flowers and food to take. Tanah Lot attracts hundreds of locals and tourists each day, many drawn by the sunset.

Crossing at low tide, hopping between rock pools, we climb the steps to the temple which perches on the top of the island. We sit down, facing the main temple. After a blessing with holy water, we receive rice for our forehead. Rice is the seed of life and signifies a blessing by a priest for happiness and prosperity.

We’ve promised our friends a visit to Bali Treetop Adventure Park in Bedugul, in the north of the island, where the fun includes zip lines, rickety bridges, spider nets, flying foxes and Tarzan ropes suitable for all skill levels.

The quiet up in the jungle canopy is remarkable and is only pierced occasionally by an excited squeal.

After a couple of hours, we head to a hilltop overlooking Lake Bratan to enjoy a picnic lunch.

On the way back to the resort, we visit Melanting Waterfall and spend time looking at Pura Ulun Danu Bratan temple, on the edge of Lake Bratan.

There are horseriding adventures a short drive from Pan Pacific Nirwana and Matilda and my friend’s son Fallon enjoy a sunset ride at Yeh Gangga Beach, just to the north of Tanah Lot. The two younger kids, Tom and Saoirse, have a pony ride at the Bali Equestrian Centre and then get to brush and feed the animals.

Not far away, Splash Water Park at Canggu Club is a good alternative to Waterbom Park in Kuta. It’s not as big and there are no queues but there are plenty of rides and a lazy river, just right for a couple of hours with the kids. The club also has a Bounce Trampoline Centre, tenpin bowling and a day spa where a dripping dad and daughter got themselves metallic temporary tattoos. Unfortunately, mine didn’t make it through the day but Matilda’s gold tree of life motif lasted several days.

One of the encounters I’m most fond of on this holiday is the walk with the kids to the nearby Pop Mart for the necessities of life; chocolates, chips and toys.

Walking back along the resort entrance road, we’re hailed by a trio of travellers on a golf cart. Inviting us aboard, Tom and Matilda are up on the seat before I can even make a comment about accepting a lift from strangers. As it turns out, two of the buggy’s occupants, Eza and Umer, are getting married at the resort.

The resort hosts about 50 weddings each year, with a quarter being Australian couples. In 1998, Rebecca and I thought the Left Bank in Fremantle was very special for our wedding reception but if I had my time again a balmy Tanah Lot sunset and a village gamelan orchestra would be hard to beat.

That night I arrange for a small gift and note to be delivered to their room as a thankyou for letting us ride with them and wishing them all the best for their life together. The next day there is reciprocation when delivered to our room is a lovely letter and two packs for the kids filled with an assortment of treats.

Isn’t it wonderful how friendships are made? This has been everyone’s holiday and it has been a bit more. It’s been about friendship; travelling with friends, staying with friends and making friends.

On our last morning one of the staff, Paramitha, comes over to see Tom. She has been so attentive of Tom, making sure he is always happy. She has a gift for him, a substantially sized Barong statue. This knocks him over like nothing I’ve seen before. He knows he has a friend and gives her a big hug, forgetting he’s climbed out of the pool and is dripping wet.

Other holidays have opened my eyes to more history, adventure and spectacle, it is friendship that has made this one the best of all.

ABC Saturday Breakfast: From the Porongurups to Rotto, Tassy gin to South Australian cuttlefish and the wonders of Malacca.

February 10, 2020Posted in 6pr, 6prnews, abcadelaide, abcperth, abcperthsaturdaybreakfast, Chris Parry travel, experienceSouthAustralia, ExperienceTasmania, Holiday with kids, luxurytravel, Malacca, roadtrips, rottnest island, travel, travel essentials, travel fun, travel news, Western Australian TravelLeave a comment

A recent conversation with the ever bubbly Andrea Gibbs on ABC Perth Saturday Breakfast explored some destinations that took us around Western Australia, over the border to some of my favourite states and finally overseas to a destination that’s just so cool to say and even better to experience.

Firstly, with ABC Producer Molly Schmidt firmly twisting my arm, we explored her hometown and holiday hangout, the Porongurups and Albany. Then we ventured across the coastline with some descriptions of Elephant Rocks, Greens Pool, a bit of beach driving at Peaceful Bay and the discovery of giants in the forests around Walpole.

ABOVE: WALPOLE TREETOP WALK

Then we had a chat about new ways to see new destinations and Rottnest is a great example of this. This familiar destination is a rite of passage for Western Australians and a bucket list item for most tourists to the state. With the new seaplane service taking off from the Swan River in front of the city you’re on Rotto in 20 minutes and can explore this incredible island, both on land and beneath the waves, before making your way back on one of the many ferry services available.

ABOVE: SWAN RIVER SEAPLANES TAKE OFF ON WATER AND LAND ON … LAND.

ABOVE: THE BASIN AT ROTTNEST ISLAND, MORE THAN A FAVOURITE, IT’S A RITE OF PASSAGE.

Next we took a trip to Tasmania and Andrea got very excited by my descriptions of the more than 20 gin distilleries to be found on the island and various DIY gin courses that are available. We then came back to the mainland and to our great neighbour, South Australia. There’s so much to see and there’s more to see than amazing wineries. There’s some cage diving with Great White Sharks and a slightly more sedate wildlife encounter at Whyalla in the Spencer Gulf you’ll find the opportunity to snorkel with giant cuttlefish.

To finish our travel tour we hopped on a plane to Malaysia and visited Malacca. I love just saying it. Malacca. The Straits of Malacca have been an important sea trading route for centuries and led to an influence in this gorgeous town of food, culture and architecture in the styles of the Portugese, Dutch and British. Interestingly, as well as having world heritage significance, funky hidden bars, evening river cruises and smiling faces everywhere, it is also one of the first large towns anywhere in the world to ban smoking in public. Malacca. Say it with me. Malacca.

ABOVE: AN EVENING CRUISE IN MALACCA

ABOVE: MALACCA, OR MELAKA.

Travel discussions can lead you down a rabbit hole of inspiration. This year try and think a little bit about trying to benefit the destination you’re going to. Consider, for example, amazing destinations like South Australia who need our help as tourists to recover from the bushfires, particularly on Kangaroo Island. In Western Australia, try a road trip to a country town you haven’t visited before or find a new way to visit a familiar destination, like a seaplane ride to Rotto.

Enjoy your travels, don’t be put off travelling, just try and contribute with your travelling.

With Russ and Nadia on ABC Breakfast Radio: What have you taken from a hotel room? Be honest now.

December 10, 2019June 16, 2021Posted in abcadelaide, abcperth, abcperthsaturdaybreakfast, Chris Parry travel, family travel, Holiday with kids, hotel rooms, Instagram, karryon travel, luxurytravel, palace of the lost city, Perth tourism, quirky travel, tourism innovation, travel, travel essentials, travel fun, travel list, travel news, travel writingTagged quirky travel, travel, travel lists, travel writingLeave a comment

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HhYe64zC_Q_JH8k4Kl8eo6PdBLqfiOnC/view?ts=5df04623

Wonderful discussion on the ABC Breakfast Show with some very funny talkback callers confessing to all sorts of things that have just ended up in their bags.

Do we leave our values and compliance with rules at home when we check in to a hotel? As the hotel card is pushed down to activate the lights do you scan for what you can put in your bags? Pens? Notepads? Body Lotion? Do Not Disturb Sign? Lamps? Batteries from the tv remote?

I’m a pen guy. Love them.

Above: My favourite hotel pen from The Palace of the Lost City in Sun City, South Africa. If you’re reading this Sun City it was my daughter Matilda who put the pen in my bag.

My son Tom is still worried the Narrogin Police are chasing after him for taking the complimentary biscuits in the room at the Narrogin Albert Facey Motel.

The Top 10 items taken from hotel rooms:

Pens and notepads
Do Not Disturb signs
Shower Gel, body lotion, shampoo
Box of tissues
Coathangers
Globes
Batteries
Towels
Slippers
Robes

Things you will likely be charged for include:

Robes and linen
Emergency torch
Kettle
Hair dryers
Art work
Wheels on the bottom of the bed

Pocket a pen, squirrel away the toiletries and maybe take a few tissues if you need them but try and leave everything else for the next guest.

You’ve paid for the room, you haven’t paid for its contents.

ABC Perth Breakfast Show: Dark tourism popularity continues to rise

November 20, 2019Posted in 6pr, 6prnews, abcadelaide, abcperth, abcperthsaturdaybreakfast, adventure tourism, Batavia, battlefield tourism, Chris Parry travel, dark tourism, Geraldton tourism, luxurytravel, movie location bucket lists, Perth tourism, quirky travel, rottnest island, travel, travel bucket lists, travel list, travel news, travel writingLeave a comment

On the ABC Perth Radio Breakfast Show we recently discussed the continued popularity of dark tourism.

It doesn’t have to be morbid but it does have to involve death in wars, disasters, murders, terrorism or assassinations.

The darker side of history has meat on the bone and the gristle as well. We try to put ourselves in the shoes of the fallen and maybe sometimes in the shoes of those responsible.

It’s about confirming our fears, confronting the reality of the history books we grew up with and perhaps providing closure on those images we’ve seen on tv’s in our own lounge room, like that Paris tunnel in 1997 or the New York City skyline in 2001.

The rise in tourist numbers at destinations such as Chernobyl, Fukushima, the concentration camps of World War II, prisoner of war camps in Sandakan and Ranau and the killing fields of Cambodia are all examples of a phenomenon that is attracting those seeking a broader understanding of the events that took place at those sites.

In Australia, many events and sites may be seen as dark tourism. Off the Western Australian coast on the Abrolhos Islands in 1629 the Dutch East India Company ship Batavia ran aground and the ensuing mutiny saw 125 men, women and children brutally slaughtered. The islands can be visited for an understanding of these events and there are also museum exhibitions in Geraldton and Fremantle, displaying grisly skulls marked with the slashes of the mutineers swords.

In Snowtown, South Australia, the little bank where the bodies in the barrels were discovered in the late 1990’s is a popular stop for people wanting to take a quick pic.

Most issues in our lives have a line that we decide we will or won’t cross. Dark tourism has many lines that cross in different directions, challenging our sense of morbidity, appropriateness and thresholds of respect.

It’s a great topic for publication and radio and sure to get you thinking about your own dark tourism bucket list.

Radio Melayu: From KL to Putrajaya and over to Amazing Sabah

October 21, 2019October 21, 2019Posted in best sunsets, Bukit Bintang, Chris Parry travel, family travel, luxurytravel, Malay culture, Malaysia, malaysiatrulyasia, radiomelayu, Shopping Malaysia, Tourism Malaysia, Tourism Sabah, travel, travel funLeave a comment

https://www.facebook.com/radiomelayuperth/

Radio Melayu is such a wonderful community radio station and I love any chance to contribute to their programming.

If the link above works it may not take you straight to my discussion but if you scroll down through the posts then my latest chat was on October 18.

DJ Wan and I talked about KL nightlife and views, the pink mosque at Putrajaya and then we talked about my time off the coast of Semporna on Mabul Island and a bunch of other islands with high peaks, white beaches, sea gypsies and Nemo.

I was travelling on the Tourism Malaysia Mega Fam with a bunch of travel writers, journalists and bloggers from India, Hong Kong, Malaysia and New Zealand. We shared adventures and quickly felt like we were doing more than capturing moments we could write about or describe on radio. We became friends and fellow travellers, soaking up experiences that were genuinely breathtaking.

The land below the wind always takes your breath away, whether from the exertion of a trek or just sitting on a beach watching a Sabah sunset. The resorts are safe and friendly and the adventures feel undiscovered and exotic.

Make the most of your time in Malaysia. Whether its shopping, street food or hidden bars in KL or the tropical paradise of life on the islands off the coast of Sabah, there’s something for all travellers, all the time.

Mabul Island: All your days I will sing in praise of your forests, waters, your shining sands.

6PR Radio: Kids Travel Bucket Lists … And Just A Little Bit of Toilet Humour.

September 16, 2019Posted in 6pr, Blendedmovie, Chris Parry travel, family travel, luxurytravel, madikwe, madikwereserve, meetsouthafrica, movie location bucket lists, movie sites, quirky travel, sun city, sun city resort, Sun City Resort in Blended, travel, travel bucket lists, travel fun, travel news, travelling to see movie locations, wanderlustLeave a comment

What a rollicking chat about travel toilets, kids travel bucket lists and we even found time to talk about some day trip options from Perth.

Kids travel bucket lists is a wonderful topic. When I was a kid I always wanted to visit India because of Rudyard Kiplings story, Rikki Tikki Tavi, the story of a mongoose and his fight with some evil cobras.

We had a wonderful caller, Eloise, who described how she wanted to go to Hawaii because of the travel shows she had seen and some influences from social media as well.

Kids have travel dreams, just like grown ups. I was able to take my daughter to Sun City in South Africa and on safari at Sanctuary Retreats Makanyane Safari Lodge because of her love for the romcom movie, Blended which featured South Africa and in particular Sun City Resort.

ABOVE: SUN CITY WHERE MUCH OF THE ROMANTIC COMEDY MOVIE, BLENDED, WAS FILMED.

Books, movies, social media posts by celebrities and even sporting events inspire our destinations. What a great way to decide where you’re going to go next!

6PR Radio: Chrissy and ‘The Gentleman Traveller’ discuss Borneo and Footy Final Travel

September 9, 2019September 16, 2019Posted in 6pr, 6prnews, adventure tourism, Chris Parry travel, family travel, Holiday with kids, luxurytravel, Malay culture, Malaysia, malaysiatrulyasia, tourism innovation, Tourism Malaysia, Tourism Sabah, travel, travel funLeave a comment

Spend some time on a Sunday afternoon listening to Chrissy and ‘The Gentleman Traveller’ on 6PR 882, Perth’s only commercial talkback radio station.

Recently, we spoke about my week long adventure to Malaysia, spending some time in one of my favourite cities, Kuala Lumpur, before heading to the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo.

ABOVE: THE SEA GYPSIES ARE ONE OF THE WORLDS TRULY NOMADIC COMMUNITIES THAT LIVE ON THE SEA IN THE CORAL TRIANGLE BETWEEN INDONESIA, MALAYSIA AND THE PHILLIPINES.

I travelled to the small island of Mabul and from there took daily boat trips to other islands in the area to experience pristine snorkelling, intriguing sea gypsies and awesome views after trekking the peaks of small but tall islands.

ABOVE AND BELOW: SIPADAN-MABUL RESORT LOCATED ON MABUL ISLAND. USE THE RESORT AS YOUR HOLIDAY DESTINATION OR A BASE FOR EXPLORING OTHER ISLANDS IN THE NATIONAL PARK, INCLUDING WORLD RENOWNED SIPADAN ISLAND.

Sabah is easily accessible from Perth with direct flights to Kota Kinabalu with Malaysia Airlines. Boat travel to the islands is well monitored and accredited by Malaysian park authorities.

Come to Borneo. Come to Sabah.

We also spent a few minutes offering some tips to travellers to Melbourne who are attending footy finals. Some of the ideas we suggested were to form a collective group of other supporters to get some bargaining power when booking flights and accommodation or considering flying to other destinations and making your way to Melbourne from there, including flying to Hobart and catching the ferry across Bass Strait to Melbourne or flying to Canberra or Sydney and driving down in a hire car. It’s too late to expect a cheap fare but you can avoid the most expensive fares if you think about what options work for you.

6PR Radio: Chrissy and Chris talking about luxury destinations, including Apurva Kempinski Bali and the Ritz Carlton KL

September 9, 2019September 16, 2019Posted in 6pr, 6prnews, Bali, Bali resorts, Bukit Bintang, Chris Parry travel, Holiday with kids, Kempinski, luxurytravel, Malay culture, Malaysia, malaysiatrulyasia, Shopping Malaysia, Tourism Malaysia, travel, travel newsLeave a comment

A wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon is to listen to Chrissy and Chris on 6PR 882, Perth’s only commercial talkback radio station.

For this chat, I described how luxury travel can be exciting and affordable.

We talked about the all new Apurva Kempinski in Bali and how its architecture sets the heart racing with awe and how there is so much space to hide away and relax or strut your gut in front of other guests if that’s your thing. Most of the Kempinski rooms have their own private plunge pool or access to small lagoon pool while there is also a massive lagoon pool and another good sized pool that includes a water play are for kids, including three waterslides.

ABOVE: APURVA KEMPINSKI NUSA DUA, BALI. ARCHITECTURE INSPIRED BY THE RICE TERRACES AROUND UBUD.

We then talked about my experience at the Ritz-Carlton KL, located in the heart of Bukit Bintang. With a level of refined luxury, complete with crooners and jazz bands around every corner, this hotel reminds you of travelling on a 1920’s ocean liner with its sumptuous lounge chairs and library restaurant.

ABOVE: THE RITZ-CARLTON KL, FULL OF SUMPTUOUS LOUNGES FOR DRINKING, EATING OR COLLAPSING IN AFTER A DAYS SHOPPING IN BUKIT BINTANG, JUST A MINUTES WALK AWAY.

The food options at the Ritz-Carlton’s renowned Library restaurant provide some of the best food available in Kuala Lumpur.

ABOVE: RITZ-CARLTON LIBRARY RESTAURANT EXECUTIVE CHEF WAI COMBINES MODERN AND TRADITIONAL CULINARY TECHNIQUES AND DEVELOPING FLAVOUR PROFILES THAT ARE FRESH AND LUXURIOUS.

If you’re considering a luxury experience, take advantage of offers that pop up on popular websites and I always recommend then contacting the hotel/resort yourself and making yourself known and maybe negotiating some of the inclusions. Maybe you want more golf and less day spa time. Maybe you’d like to give up the fine dining vouchers for pizzas and chips around the pool for your kids. Try making a relationship on your own that provides the inclusions that are important to you.

As Published in Have A Go News: Top Ten No Tech Travel Accessories

July 10, 2019July 10, 2019Posted in 6pr, 6prnews, abcadelaide, abcperth, abcperthsaturdaybreakfast, adventure tourism, family travel, Holiday with kids, Instagram, karryon travel, luxurytravel, Perth tourism, quirky travel, radiomelayu, roadtrips, tourism innovation, travel, travel bucket lists, travel essentials, travel fun, travel list, travel news, travel packing, travel writing, wanderlustLeave a comment

Have A Go News newspaper recently published my list of the Top Ten No Tech Travel Accessories that you should have on every trip. They’re also all lightweight and easy to store.

Aquatabs are as close as I get to panic prep packing but because they are easy to tuck in your toiletries bag with other medications they’re worth having if you ever doubt the safety of the water you’re drinking.

Have a Go News is distributed throughout Western Australia to nearly 2000 community centres, recreation centres, supermarkets and more.

So, my Top 10, in no particular order but I must admit the first thing in any of my bags is a pen . . .

Radio Melayu: Lets begin the winter fightback! Get packing!

June 24, 2019June 24, 2019Posted in adventure tourism, Bali, Bali resorts, Batik Air, cathay pacific, Chris Parry travel, Disneyland, family travel, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland, karryon travel, Kempinski, luxurytravel, Malay culture, Malaysia, malaysian consulate-general, malaysiatrulyasia, Perth tourism, quirky travel, radiomelayu, Tourism Malaysia, travel, travel bucket lists, travel essentials, travel news, travel writing, Uncategorized, Western Australian TravelLeave a comment

I recently spent a brilliant evening on Radio Melayu chatting about my recent adventures and how we all need to find a way to get packing and escape winter by getting overseas or embracing winter and snuggling into a gorgeous resort down south.

The link below features descriptions for a few of my new favourite things, including Bali’s spectacular new resort the Apurva Kempinski Bali, Hong Kong Star Ferries and markets, Hong Kong Disneyland, Pullman Bunker Bay Resort and amazing airlines for travelling with children, including Malindo Air, Batik Air and Cathay Pacific.