Ben Groundwater

Ben Groundwater

Traveller's globetrotting backpacker, Ben Groundwater, finds the good, the bad and the ugly in the world’s best destinations. Ben is a columnist, blogger, feature writer, and host of Traveller's podcast Flight of Fancy, who has visited more than 80 countries during his 12 years in the industry. Ben was named travel writer of the year by the Australian Society of Travel Writers in 2014 and 2015.

Sri Lanka is one of the countries we're keen to get back to as soon as possible.

Podcast: The places we can't wait to get back to

The question all travellers around the world must surely be considering right now is: where to next once global lockdown is over?

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While the curve still hasn't been completely flattened in Singapore, this is a nation that knows how to deal with ...

The 11 destinations Australians should be able to visit in 2021

The world is not your oyster right now. It's barely even your mussel.

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Hainanese chicken rice, singapore cuisine iStock image for Traveller. Re-use permitted.Â tra27-online-dishes

You have to be there: 10 overseas dishes Australia can't replicate

Travel on a plate: it's a concept I've embraced over the past few months, the idea that the best way to experience the world during lockdown is through food, through authentic dishes that capture a place and a culture.

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Soon we will be allowed to travel within Australia. But should we?

The rewards we've always enjoyed, as well as new rewards for taking a chance, will still be there, better than ever.

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Italian opera singer Laura Baldassari sings from her window in Milan during the lockdown.

Podcast: What lockdown has taught us about travel

There's nothing like a little isolation to give you time to think: about your life; your career; your relationships; and what travel mean to us in this crazy new world.

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Thousands of Virgin Australia employees have been stood down.

Why aren't Australians supporting laid-off travel workers?

I don't see a lot of love out there for the people in the travel industry who have been affected by coronavirus lockdowns and movement bans.

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Festival goers attend the Coachella Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club.

Fast trains, slow bars: The 11 things from overseas I miss the most

During these times of lockdowns and travel bans, I miss specific things. I miss specific places.

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American celebrity chef, TV host and author Anthony Bourdain has inspired a whole generation of travellers and food ...

Podcast: The weird and wonderful things that inspire us to see the world

Travel doesn’t happen by chance. The best experiences take place because we’ve been inspired to do them.

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It's a rambling beast of a property, with what real estate agents would describe as a 'leafy outlook'.

Trapped with my in-laws, here's my 'hotel review' of their home

If your current house was a hotel, how many stars out of five would you give it? Here's my review of my self-isolation accommodation.

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A microwave TV dinner can offer you all the joys of dining on a plane in the comfort of your own home.

Eight ways to bring the horrors of travel to your own home

Missing travel? From terrible food to wearing the same clothes for three days, here's how to bring it back in the comfort of your own home.

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Travel has the power to shrink the physical world while expanding your own.

I need to travel. Somewhere. Anywhere. And I'm sure I'm not alone

Somewhere. Anywhere. I need to move. I need to go. I need to see something different, see somewhere different, feel the joy and the fear and the amazement of stepping into a new world.