Two things that are far too prevalent in our world today are reviews and awards. Every time we purchase anything or have an experience, it is followed up by an email request to review.

Those of you who read my journal regularly know that I enjoy the finer side of travel and food experiences. It will no doubt come as a shock that I have chosen to write about a recent mis-adventure, one that fills me with dread and woe, falling far outside of my usual luxe parameters.

The hotel landscape today is ever fluid. Unless you are invested in that world as a cog in the wheel, it’s almost impossible to keep up with the endless brand additions, switches and realignments.

I'm not entirely sure why I chose Helsinki. I had a little time off from work and could only squeeze in a week in Europe, it was towards the end of shoulder season and to take the break, I wanted an easy flight connection that wouldn't eat too much into my time.

One of the best things about staying in a luxury hotel is experiencing the in-house restaurant, of which there may be several…

Have you noticed the prevalence of particular words entering the zeitgeist this past year?

It was a long time ago that Hong Kong was known as “The Pearl of the Orient”. Now, it is referred to as the rather unglamorous “Asia’s World City”.

Current patterns of airline travel have changed significantly. The full-service carriers have had to step up for traveller’s high expectations and attract those who have altered their previous habits…

Dining out, in all its variety on offer, remains one of the most satisfying and essential leisure activities of them all…

It's not new that Italian cuisine continues its dominance as one of the world's favourites. The universal nature of it is without equal. Mixing and matching around the staple that is pasta is the key to this. As a base ingredient with an incredible variety of shapes designed specifically to hold particular sauces, the potential for both classic and newly creative dishes is endless.

I used to love writing reviews. When luxury travel and fine dining entered my world many moons ago, there was no going back. In those early days, I felt I owed it to the curious to tell of my experiences, good and bad, by way of a review.

OK, so it’s best to say at the outset that this article concerns the Australian national carrier, Qantas. Before you decide not to read any further, I can assure you that I'm not jumping on the barrage of massive (and well deserved) complaints bandwagon that has been so prevalent in the media of late. This little tale concerns one simple thing that is a staple onboard the airline, that I personally feel warrants a disagreeable mention.

We all now realise that the return to International travel will be slow. Whereas we are all looking forward to exploring the world once more, now is the time to be selective in our choices, as travel will be less frequent, more expensive and needs to be carefully considered.

In the restaurant world, much has changed over the past year. While we have mostly been confined to our own borders, and that includes our own four walls at times, restaurants have had to evolve, alter their offering, change their focus, or at worst, close.

I’ve taken only three flights in the past year, all of them domestic short-hops and completely non eventful. That’s a record for me. In the wrong direction. I am really missing the long-haul experience of old. When international flights (beyond New Zealand) become available to Australians, I know the experience will be quite different. But I really hope that one surprisingly special element that I miss, returns.

I have been an avid, proud wine collector for more than half my life. At one point, I thought my passion may subside as I explored new interests. It never has, and I know now that it never will.

I imagine upon reading this stories title that it was about the new “handshake” that some have adopted in these times. The dreaded elbow bump. Nope, not at all, although the elbow is turning out to be a lot more useful that we realise, including up in the skies.

Everyone loves a little souvenir of somewhere special. Most of us search for something to bring home that will remind us of our trips, whether it’s something unique to a countries culture, or an item that is entirely symbolic of that place.

Imagine life without noodles. Impossible, right? Noodles in all their shapes, styles, varieties and textures are such an integral part of world cuisines and have been for centuries, in so many cultures.

I’ve always been intrigued about how a hotel categorizes its available rooms. Through my years of travel, I have begun to see patterns emerging that are as much about marketing as they are about the actual physical spaces themselves.