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.

Bottles of sake at Akita Public Market, Akita, Japan. Sake is a Japanese rice wine made by fermenting rice that has been ...

Japan's famous sake breweries, Akita: how only the perfect rice and perfect water make sensational sake

The secrets of great sake remain with their makers after a tour of one of Akito Prefecture's many distilleries.

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Airport review: There's a reason why this is the world's best

You'll be hoping your flight is delayed once you discover all the facilities available .

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This article contains a photo gallery

Put this country on your 2019 bucket list: Mount Fuji and Chureito red pagoda, Japan.

Podcast: Best destinations to visit in 2019

Where to go next? The destinations you should be travelling to this year.

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Surviving the stresses of travelling together is a true test of a couple's relationship.

Thirteen harsh lessons you'll learn from travelling with your partner

They say you never really know a person until you've lived with them – but what about when you've travelled with them?

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Despite all the amazing experiences in Amsterdam, people still choose to go and see waxwork models of famous people. ...

The eight worst attractions in the world's best cities

Some attractions just make you scratch your head. Like, how did this become a thing? Why are all these people here to see this?

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It might be cheaper to take a taxi or Uber to Sydney International Airport than use the rail link.

Airport review: Sydney international has two major problems

Sydney airport was once a lot worse but thankfully now customs and security is mostly a breeze.

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Bixby Bridge at Big Sur on California's Highway 1.

Cheap flights are killing one of the best ways to travel

It seems that maybe this fine form of travel is losing its popularity.

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If you want to avoid the throngs of tourists who descend on Rome, don't go there in summer – try January to March instead.

The nine travel hotspots you should visit at the 'wrong' time

You'd be crazy to go to a destination when everyone else is going.

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Check-in counters at the departure hall of KLIA2.

Airport review: An excellent budget carrier terminal with world-class facilities

KLIA2 will never compare to the major Asian airports – but then, it's not supposed to.

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The Golden Bridge on Ba Na Hill in Danang, Vietnam. If you love to travel and you don't have a lot of money to spend, ...

The world's best countries for backpackers named

You can tell a lot about a destination by the quality of its budget accommodation.

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Pornographic magazines will be removed from Japan's convenience stores ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

Why are the Japanese so obsessed with porn?

In this deeply traditional and, in many ways, very conservative country, "adult" magazine content is freely available and consumed with very little sense of secrecy or discretion.