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.

Seljalandfoss is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland.

Podcast: How to do expensive things on the cheap

Some travel experiences are notoriously expensive. Here's how you can do them on the cheap.

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Don't expect to make friends easily in other countries.

My Spanish neighbour hates me because I'm Australian

As a short-term tourist you can very easily ignore a place's shortcomings and convince yourself that you're in paradise, but as a long-term resident you have to face up to the inevitable faults.

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Looking inwards while travelling is nice, but it's more important to look outwards.

Why travellers need to forget about selfish 'mindfulness'

There seems to be a trend in certain circles towards introspection in travel, towards soul-searching, towards self-discovery as the ultimate goal.

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Ramen bars let you drink in the flavours and the customs of Japan in all their glory.

The surprising rules for ordering and eating ramen

Forget everything you think you know about vending machines.

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Piedmont Park on Lake Meer in Atlanta, Georgia, US.

The 10 great US states Australian tourists are missing

Go beyond the coasts' big cities and discover a new USA.

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Greater than a flat white: Ten places that do coffee better than Australia

Australia is not the only country to contribute something interesting: plenty of nations around the world have devised their own special versions of coffee.

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Why you can't trust travellers on social media

Who are these people inspiring us on Insta? And what effect are they really having?

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How Gros! San Sebastian as it used to be

At Bar Rocardo in Gros, there's sawdust on the floor and precious few snacks on display in the cabinets.

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Airport review: Listen out for your last-minute gate announcement

The facilities aren't amazing but it's small and friendly. Sometimes you can't ask more than that.

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Table Mountain and the twelve Apostles, in Cape Town.

What a knockout: The world's most amazing-looking cities

These places make their impact with dazzling overtures and stupendous finales.

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One thing you realise when you travel overseas is how much Australians drink.

The 13 things travelling overseas teaches you about Australians

Here's the funny thing about travel: you go to learn about the world, but you end up discovering just as much about the place you came from.

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Expats at Yongkang Road, in the old French Concession area of Shanghai. When white immigrants gather together, you'll ...

Why is it white people are 'expats' and everyone else is 'an immigrant'?

Imagine if it was white people. Imagine if one of our politicians got up in front of cameras and microphones and started complaining about white immigrants in Australia.