Arrivals & Departures Weekly Travel News & Views 14 October 2025

DINNER WITH US

We tell stories in many ways. Our Round the World Dinner is on Wednesday, November 12, exploring Europe in words, music and, of course, food. The story and booking details are here. It’ll be a flavoursome evening.

WORLD WATCHING

We never lose sight of the fact that the holiday destinations we write about are countries with their own domestic challenges. A significant part of our work is following and understanding the “backstory”, so that we really know what’s going on in the places you might consider visiting.

+ Australians no longer require a visa to visit Chile. Australian travellers can simply arrive and obtain a tourist entry permit at immigration checkpoints, with an authorised stay of up to 90 days, which is then extendable. No visa and no reciprocity fee to pay.

+ France is the world’s most visited country. It will welcome more than 100 million visitors this year, yet we haven’t seen the “overtourism protests” that have been held in neighbouring countries. But it remains in political turmoil, with the resignation of its third prime minister this year — the seventh to have served under President Emmanuel Macron.

+ There have been anti-government protests in Morocco. Young Moroccans have marched, night after night, demanding an end to corruption and a change of government.

+ Riots by young people in Madagascar have led to the government dissolving. Andry Rajoelina has stepped down as president, saying that would allow for dialogue with gen Z demanding access to water and an end to power cuts. At least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 injured, including bystanders.

+ Tourist hikers were among the many people caught in a blizzard near Mt Everest this week. Rescuers evacuated scores of people. October is a favourite month for hiking in the area, as there are usually clear skies and lower temperatures. Many hiking groups made their way to the Karma Valley hiking trail — a less well-known but scenic route to the base of Everest.

+ Torrential rains and floods in neighbouring Nepal have killed at least 47 people, blocked roads and washed away bridges.

MUMBAI AIRPORT

Navi Mumbai International Airport was inaugurated on Wednesday by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The new airport, 35km from the city centre, is planned to have four terminals and two parallel 3700m-long runways — but for now, only one runway and terminal will operate. The airport was designed by London-based Zaha Hadid Architects, which has based the terminal on India’s national flower. The steel and glass “floating lotus” terminal blends functionality with art, and reflects traditional Indian architecture.

POWER OFF

On October 1, Emirates became the first major international carrier to implement a full ban on the use of power banks during flights. Travellers can still carry one power bank under 100Wh, but it has to be stored under the seat or in the seat pocket, and not in the overhead bin. Last month, Qatar Airways banned the use of specific Anker power bank models. There are potential fire hazards linked to lithium-ion batteries.

INTREPID PARTY

Intrepid Travel has celebrated the 20th anniversary of its first destination management company in Vietnam. A DMC acts as local expert and logistical partner, arranging transportation, accommodation, activities and entertainment. Most travel companies use them — whoever you book with “this end”, a DMC will have put your holiday together and run it “the other end”. But Intrepid sets up its own DMCs, employing local people.

BOND DAY

It was international James Bond Day on October 5 — and, of course, lots of destinations have been made famous by the films. But I’ve turned my eye to Fleming Villa @ GoldenEye, Jamaica, which was voted world’s leading luxury hotel villa 2024. And travellers can stay in this place where author Ian Fleming created Bond. James Bond. For, as Fleming strolled on his private beach at GoldenEye, in Oracabessa Bay, he dreamed up a sophisticated spy who would become an enduring character in literature and cinema. The villa, pictured at the top of the page, has a beach, pool and tropical gardens.

UNESCO BOSS

The UN’s culture agency, UNESCO, appears set to appoint Egypt’s Khaled El-Enany as its new director-general. Its executive board on Monday voted overwhelmingly in favour of appointing Egypt’s former tourism and antiquities minister.

The most recent additions to the UNESCO World Heritage List were announced in July. The 26 cultural and natural sites inscribed by the World Heritage Committee include Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, the Megaliths of Carnac in France, Peruacu River Canyon in Brazil, and Murujuga on the Burrup Peninsula, in our Pilbara region.

Murujuga is one of the world’s biggest collections of Indigenous rock art, some petroglyphs dating back over 50,000 years (according to the UNESCO listing).

“Murujuga” means “hipbone sticking out” in the Ngarluma-Yaburara language. It refers to the 42 islands of the Dampier Archipelago, Burrup Peninsula and Murujuga National Park.

The petroglyphs show human forms, animals, birds and fish around today — and extinct animals, including thylacines (the Tasmanian tiger).

GHOSTS RISING

We are in the final stages of rehearsing our double-bill performance, Carcass and Ghosts.

Steve Richter has composed music on a piano carcass (with lots of electronic additions) for Carcass, for which Annmarie Clifton-James and Jo Omodei have choreographed movement.

And Steve has written and will play accompanying music for my scripted spoken-word piece, Ghosts. It strolls around the ghost towns of WA, but also considers the other ghosts that haunt us (bad and good).

There are two performances at Artsource Atrium, 8 Phillimore Street, Fremantle — on Thursday, October 23, and Friday, October 24. Tickets are $20 per person at trybooking.com/events/landing/1462446.

The performances are from 7-8pm, but doors open from 6.15pm and a bar will be open before and after, for chances to chat.

We never lose sight of the fact that we work for you, our readers. We create events and opportunities to meet you, and spend time with you. We put our time and effort into presenting new ways of telling stories, and always appreciate your support. (We’ve put heart and soul into this one. )