ITINERARY
What's your fave f*ck it travel experience?
Kate Gazzard @kate_gazzard
It's always been my dream to have a white Christmas, so in October of '22, I decided that I couldn't spend another Chrissie arguing with my grandma over the best pavlova toppings (it's just strawberries and raspberries, btw) and booked a last-minute flight to Paris.
AU$5,500 (for economy!!!) later, I was sitting at a cafe that probably hasn't changed since the 1800s on Christmas Eve, sipping hot chocolate so rich it could've paid my monthly rent, and eating croissant after croissant like I'd never see another meal (bc poor).
But, I found some extra coin (thnx mum & dad), so Christmas Day lunch was a feast of roast poulette, wheels of fromage and crusty baguette so good I started wondering if I could smuggle a few sticks in my suitcase without them going stale by the time I got home.
I couldn't figure it out, but I'd do the whole trip all over again in a heartbeat...if someone wanted to lend me the cash.
Maxwell Tooby @maxwelltooby
After finishing uni, I was keen to let my hair down and travel. I’d saved a bit of money and booked flights to Africa to meet my girlfriend, who was wrapping up a uni placement in Tanzania. We had an incredible trip through South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, but one experience really stood out.
We’d seen photos of hot air balloons drifting above the Namib Desert, but decided it was too expensive. Then, in a last-minute burst of impulse, we just said f*ck it, let’s do it. It cost what felt like a small house deposit (sorry Mum and Dad, looks like I’m never moving out) but it was worth every cent.
We arrived in Sesriem the day before, only to find a windstorm had wiped out all reception, so we drove to the launch site to confirm it was on. At dawn, we raced across the desert under the stars before lifting off to watch the dunes glow at sunrise. We landed in the middle of nowhere for a champagne breakfast. Talk about unreal.
Roberto Serrini @serrini
While visiting a girlfriend, I somehow managed to get shot at by her jealous ex-boyfriend in Leysin, Switzerland. One minute I was sipping coffee in a quaint alpine village, the next I was sprinting through snow, heart hammering, lungs burning, wondering how the hell I got myself into this mess.
I tore through the streets and dove into the nearest train just as it began to pull away, slamming the door behind me.
I hid in the bathroom for a good thirty minutes, shaking, sweating, and trying not to hyperventilate. When I finally emerged, I slumped into a seat opposite a random kid from San Diego. I told him the whole ridiculous story, and after a pause, he asked, “So… now where are you going?” I stared at him for a second, brain still trying to reboot, and replied, “Where are you going?”
A day later, we were in Prague, drinking cheap beer and laughing about how close I’d come to being Swiss cheese. That was one hell of a ride.
get in the know The midday nap in Vietnam is sacred. You’ll see a shopkeeper snoozing across their goods like a dragon hoarding treasure, and no one bats an eye.
