TRAIN HOPPING: The top 10 best train trips
1. Shonan Monorail, Japan
This short but mighty danglebahn (a train suspended from the rail above it) offers a thrilling 6.5km route for Tokyo and Yokohama residents (and visitors) heading for the beaches, baths and parks around Enoshima.
2. The Skeena (Prince Rupert to Jasper), Canada
In a country of stunning rail journeys, this is the tip of the moose’s antler. An unbeatably scenic two-day adventure through the Rockies, with a Prince George stopover to maximise daylight sightseeing.
3. The Sunset Limited, US
A true American epic, the Sunset Limited makes a thrice-weekly pilgrimage from New Orleans to Los Angeles via San Antonio, Tucson and Phoenix. It crosses five states in 48 hours, brushes the Mexican border and, once beyond the Southwest and into California, its terminus is just a taxi ride from the Pacific.
4. Septemvri-Dobrinishte, Bulgaria
Amble off the main line between Sofia and Plovdiv to tackle this venerable narrow-gauge route: part tourist service, part local lifeline. Expect spiralling ascents and dizzying views climbing up as high as Avramovo Station (1267m).
5. Cuba’s changing railways
New rolling stock has sped up services and improved reliability, comfort and facilities on the main Havana Santiago de Cuba line. On other stretches, including the iconic Hershey Line, the unpredictably old-school experience is all part of the fun.
6. Bentham Line, England
This near-secret railway runs from Leeds in Yorkshire, to Morecambe, on the Lancashire coast. Enjoy the Bentham Line, a scenic day out in itself, or use it as a gateway to cosy pub stays and walks in the Yorkshire Dales National Park from Clapham and Giggleswick stations.
7. Montpellier-Perpignan, France
TGVs (high-speed trains) from Paris to the south of France unfussily slow down and hug the coastline, particularly while passing Bziers and Narbonne. Sit on the left if heading down France for Mediterranean views and to spot flamboyances of flamingos in the seaside waters.
8. The Karwar Express, India
After sampling the craft beer and coffee-fuelled delights of Bengaluru (Bangalore), a trip on the Karwar Express is the perfect preparation for some languid down-tempo beach life in Gokarna. It takes just over 15 hours to travel through and enjoy 711 km of tropical greenery, in particular the section of rolling hills between Sakleshpura and Subramanya.
9. Le Train du Desert-Iron Ore Train, Mauritania
Arguably travel’s filthiest frontier, to ride on the Train du Desert through the Mauritanian Sahara, from Zourat to Nouadhibou, is to endure a day and a night in the open, travelling on a pile of freshly mined mineral dust. There is a seated car, but that’s not really the point. Seek and heed local advice.
10. Brasov-Ploiesti, Romania
This scenic section of the longer train journey from Budapest to Bucharest travels through evocative Carpathian forests, home to bears, hiking trails and castles. The area contains Romania's best-known ski resorts too — which is where, in winter, most of your fellow passengers will be headed.
FOLLOWING THE MUSIC: The top 10 best venues
1. The Ryman, Nashville, USA
The Ryman Auditorium is Nashville’s premier music venue. This historic stage was the original home of the Grand Ole Opry and where superstars like Dolly Parton, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash jump-started their careers.
2. Hayden Homes Amphitheater, Bend, USA
A summer concert in Bend’s biggest backyard is a music lover’s dream. Located along Oregon’s Deschutes River, this intimate yet expansive spot has plenty of chill. Bring a chair, grab a local brew, graze the food trucks and let the music move you.
3. Rudolfinum, Prague, Czech Republic
The grand Rudolfinum (pictured above), designed in 1884 by architects Josef Schulz and Josef Zitek, is considered one of Prague’s finest neo-Renaissance buildings. It’s home to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and the impressive Dvorak Hall, one of the Czech capital’s great venues for classical music.
4. De Barra’s Folk Club, Cork, Ireland
Known as the "Carnegie Hall of Cork" — with walls splattered with photos and press cuttings, dramatic masks and musical instruments — this Clonakilty stalwart is one of Ireland’s top spots to listen to traditional Irish folk music, with a perfectly poured pint in your hand.
5. Dalhalla Amphitheatre, Rattvik, Sweden
Dug into the limestone bedrock of a former quarry in the middle of the forest near Rattvik, this sunken, open-air venue benefits from incredible acoustics. Its stunning setting is as much of a draw as the various rock and opera performances that take place during the summer.
6. Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, USA
Summers in LA wouldn’t be the same without alfresco melodies under the stars at the Bowl, a huge natural stadium in the Hollywood Hills. Its annual season, which usually runs from June to September, includes symphonies, jazz bands and iconic acts.
7. Royal Opera House, Mumbai, India
Commissioned by King George V and originally completed in 1916, India’s only surviving opera house reopened to suitably dramatic fanfare exactly a century later after being shuttered in the 1990s. Portraits of musicians are painted on the ceiling of this Chowpatty-area landmark.
8. Melbourne Forum, Melbourne, Australia
One of the city’s most atmospheric live-music venues, the Forum’s striking Moorish exterior (an over-the-top fantasia of minarets, domes and dragons) houses an equally interesting interior, with the southern hemisphere’s night sky rendered on the domed ceiling.
9. Municipal Theatre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Built in 1898 and also known as the Saigon Opera House, this theatre is one of the city’s most recognisable buildings. The only way to get inside and see its elegant chandeliers, bronze statues and pretty granite floors is to attend a performance.
10. Mansa Floating Hub, Mindelo, Cape Verde
Designed to resist the effects of climate change, this "floating music hub" consists of three sustainable timber, connected A-frame structures. Designed by Kunle Adeyemi of Amsterdam-based firm NLE, the venue hosts a rotating slate of performers.
MARVELLOUS MARKETS: The top 10 best markets
1. Tha Kha Floating Market, Bangkok, Thailand
Tha Kha may not be the most famous, but it is a local favourite, known for home-made cooking, sellers showcasing produce grown in their own gardens and the requisite row boats. Arrive early in the morning or visit at night when the fireflies come out and light up the trees.
2. March Atwater, Montreal, Canada
Housed in a 1933 brick hall off the Canal de Lachine, this market really has it all: fresh produce from many local farms, excellent wines, crusty bread and more, these are all best devoured picnic-style on the grassy banks near the water.
3. Pike Place, Seattle, USA
You haven’t lived until you’ve witnessed the fish fly at this Seattle hot spot. If taking a whole salmon home isn’t an option, pick up treats from any of its specialty food stores, offering everything from momos (Nepalese dumplings) to doughnuts.
4. Queens Night Market, New York City, USA
The scene at this seasonal night market is an olfactory bonanza, befitting an NYC venue that celebrates innovation.
Here, young up-and-coming cooks all work energetically to ply their trade, turning out a plethora of cuisines and infusions, which are all at a mercifully low price.
5. March des Lices, Rennes, France
Every Saturday, France’s second-largest market comes alive. For 400 years, shoppers have been procuring Brittany’s best fish, meat, produce, cheese from an array of indoor and outdoor stalls and food trucks.
6. Neighbourgoods Market, Cape Town, South Africa
On weekends, locals and visitors congregate to see and taste the region’s freshest produce, oysters, wine and coffee, along with global dishes made with locally sourced ingredients.
7. Nishiki-ko ji Ichiba, Kyoto, Japan
Nishiki Market is a wonder for anyone with a passion for cooking and eating. Known locally as Kyoto’s kitchen, high-end restaurateurs shop for ingredients here, while visitors can ogle the unusual foods that go into the city’s traditional cuisine.
8. Farm Gate Market, Hobart / Nipaluna, Tasmania
When Sunday morning rolls around, Farm Gate (aka Farmy) comes alive with local purveyors hawking their bounty of locally produced items: fruit and veges, baked goods, spirits. Before perusing, fill your belly with breakfast from the food trucks at Farmy’s Grub Hub.
9. Mercado San Pedro, Cuzco, Peru
The food on offer at vibrant San Pedro Market runs the gamut from fresh fruit and smoothies to fall-off-the-bone beef ribs and river fish. The aromas are the most alluring.
10. Khari Baoli, Old Delhi, India
This famous labyrinth of spice and colour feels frozen in time. There’s a throat-tickling pungency hanging in the air and mountains of lentils and rice, enormous jars of chutneys, nuts and teas at every turn.
LOCAL FLAVOURS: Top 10 best food experiences
1. Dolsot bibimbap, South Korea
This Korean culinary staple of rice with a crusty bottom is served in a hot stone pot layered with veges, egg and occasionally meat.
Top it off with red gochujang (chilli paste) and give it a stir to best savour the layered flavours and textures.
2. Cozido das Furnas, the Azores, Portugal
You’ll find this singular stew only in the Furnas region of Sao Miguel in the Azores archipelago.
It cooks in fumaroles underground for five to seven hours, its vegetables and meat infused with a smoky touch of sulphur from the volcanic soil.
3. Jerk, Jamaica
Jamaica’s spicy jerk marinade is doused on meats and fish, then smoked slowly outdoors over a pimento-wood fire. Scotch bonnet chillies bring the heat, and allspice rounds out the piquant flavour — always order the jerk!
4. Asado, Argentina
Argentina is known for the quality and preparation of its beef: salting the meat then slowcooking it on a grill with slanted runners that funnel the fat to the sides while an adjustable height system directs the perfect amount of heat to the meat.
5. Jollof rice, West Africa
The origins of this vibrant, celebratory dish are the subject of some debate: a jollof-off, so to speak, among West African nations.
But whether you sample jollof in Nigeria or Senegal, Gambia or Ghana, expect to find similar foundational ingredients: tomatoes, peppers, onions and herbs.
6. Pho, Vietnam
Ubiquitous throughout the country, this comforting noodle soup is inextricably linked with Vietnamese culture.
Slurp as much as you can, as often as you can, be it on a street corner in Hanoi or at Michelin-starred Anan Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City.
7. Biryani, India
Hyderabad is commonly thought to be the epicentre of biryani, the flavourful rice-based dish one might find at Indian restaurants the world over.
However, the variations found in other parts of the country, from the more vegetable-forward Assamese biryanis to Kerala’s prawn, beef and fish varieties, showcase subtler, more complex flavours than their well-known counterparts.
8. Hoppers, Sri Lanka
Made with a fermented batter of rice flour and coconut milk, hoppers — also known as appa or appam — are bowl-shaped pancakes with crispy edges and fluffy middles.
9. Momos, Nepal
Wander the streets of capital Kathmandu, or any town in Nepal, and you’ll see these delicious dumplings everywhere; steamed or fried and filled with sweet or savoury ingredients — apples, chocolate, vegetables, fish, water buffalo.
10. Lamingtons, Australia
While Australia and New Zealand like to duke it out over ownership of the pavlova (the meringue and fruit dessert), Australia is indisputably the home of the lamington: a sponge cake coated in chocolate before being rolled in coconut. It might sound simple, but it’s unbelievably good.
The book
Lonely Planet’s Best In Travel 2025 Guide, RRP $34.99 NZ.
