Bali holiday cheaper than camping in some national parks

IT'S cheaper for families to holiday at a resort in Bali over summer than to camp at the beach. Soaring fees are pricing the traditional beach camping holiday out of the reach of ordinary families and one NSW National Park is charging a group of family campers nearly $6000 for a two-week stay in January. The Booderee National Park at Jervis Bay on the NSW South Coast is charging $81 per night for a family of two parents and two children at group camp sites. A change in the way site fees are charged has seen the price almost double in the past 12 months. Privately-owned campsites at popular holiday spot Bateman's Bay are charging $86 per night for powered tent sites. Scott Minniece and his Melbourne family...

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Mexico's popularity with travellers on the rise

The sun may have set on the Mayan calendar but Mexico's popularity is on the rise. According to 2012 third-quarter results, travel to Mexico on Expedia group sites worldwide grew more than 20% compared to 2011, with Cancun being the country's top destination. Popular with both Expedia and Hotels.com consumers, the majority of international visitors come from the United States, Canada and Brazil. While travellers are initially lured by the area's pristine beaches and water activities, the Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau says more are exploring the region's culture and gastronomy, and venturing to nearby islands -- Holbox, Isla Mujeres, Contoy, Cozumel. The CVB says other factors such as easy...

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Isolated Bhutan a land of myth and mystery

Whoever coined the term "Getting there is half the fun" must have been a passenger on Drukair Flight 401 from Kathmandu to Paro. The flight takes barely an hour but the scenery will stay with me the rest of my life. The word "scenery" is a gross understatement, really -- looking to the north from my left-side window seat, a vast panorama unfolds a few hundred metres below. By the time we land in Bhutan, we've seen five of the six highest peaks on Earth, including the tallest of them all, Mount Everest. With such formidable obstacles blocking the route to its only international airport, it's no wonder the Kingdom of Bhutan has remained one of the most isolated and mysterious nations on the...

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