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The new Great Southern luxury rail journey between Brisbane and Adelaide strikes the perfect balance between nostalgic adventure and contemporary comfort.

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Overview

Santa Fe is a terrific embarkation point for epic day trips. Follow the winding, highly scenic High Road to Taos through the shifting landscapes of the mysterious Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Artist Georgia O’Keeffe’s Abiquiú home and studio is a short trip from Santa Fe, as are the stark canyons, cliffs, and red rock mesas of Ghost Ranch and Bandelier National Monument.

After decades of rule by innocuous lagers, a small revolution is brewing in Beijing’s beer scene, with a handful of small-scale brew operations popping up over the past few years. Great Leap is among them and brings together foreign beer makers with local ingredients in a way that doesn’t make “East meets West” sound cliché.

Take the popular Honey Ma Gold Ale. It has peppercorns from Sichuan, in central China, and Shandong date honey from the coast. Meanwhile, Little General IPA uses Chinese hops, while Danshan Wheat Beer includes black tea from Fujian. All fun to try. Beers at Great Leap start at ¥25 for a pour of Pale Ale No. 6. Great Leap’s flagship brewery and pub, on Xinzhong Street, can handle everything from large parties to single imbibers, offers views of the brewing equipment behind a glass wall, and has a good range of bar food, including a tasty burger and fries at ¥40. Order it and you are almost sure to get one last pint.

If you’re looking for a unique souvenir, consider visiting the boutique at Great Greenland. A local tannery that has focused on clothing made from the hides of seals, reindeer and musk ox for nearly 40 years, Great Greenland sells through specialty retailers internationally as well as online. A visit to the boutique, however, offers a chance to see the company’s latest clothing and fur collections, as well as historic examples of the clothes it’s designed for Greenlanders for generations.

Many of the Smoky Mountains’ earliest tourists came here to shop from local craftsmen, popularized by the Pi Beta Phi women’s fraternity that chose supporting these mountain folk artists as their cause. In 1912, the women established a public school for the local children, evolving into the Arrowmont School of Arts of Crafts that persists today. Centuries-old trades continue to be passed down, and visitors will find woodworking, basket weaving, ceramics, and metalworks created in the same manner they have for generations. An organized eight-mile loop road includes stops at 120 artists’ studios and workshops, many with live demonstrations. Travel it at your leisure, or break it up over several days as you discover this thriving remnant of the culture that shaped Southern Appalachia.

The Alma G is a freighter that blew ashore during Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Rent a boat in Treasure Cay and head to Guana Cay for a day of snorkeling on the Atlantic side of the island. On your way from Treasure Cay, the Alma G will be visible off the starboard side. If you wish to explore the ship up close you can anchor in a protected cove about 100 meters slightly astern of her starboard side then quite easily walk the remaining distance. While some of the ship’s iron has been salvaged there is still plenty of the interior to see via the gaping hole on her starboard side. Lots of sharp edges and rusting metal so keep little ones close if they’re with you.

Located in the Muslim Quarter in Xi’an, China is the Great Mosque, the country’s oldest and most renowned mosque. The mosque dates back to 742 AD. From all outward appearances, it looks like a Chinese temple and not a mosque; pagodas have replaced minarets. Look closely though and you will see the Arabic lettering that tells you that this is an Islamic mosque through and through. If you happen to be visiting in the afternoon, you might even catch the call to prayer. The start of the Muslim Quarter begins at Beiyuanmen Islamic Street, which is located just around the corner from Xi’an’s Drum Tower. The mosque itself is tucked inside a neighborhood street and while there are signs that point you in the right direction, the signs can be hard to spot so you will likely have to ask for help. If you decide to visit the mosque, remember to dress appropriately before you go and if you’re a woman, make sure you bring along a scarf to cover your head. Only about 2% of China’s population is Muslim so it is rare to see a mosque. The Hui people are the predominant race of Muslims in China and their lifestyle is very different from that of the dominant Han race. If you have never had a taste of Chinese Islamic life, spend some time visiting the mosque and walking Beiyuanmen Islam Street. Try sampling some of the Chinese Islamic food specialties.

One of the best strolls through Venice begins in the neighborhood of Arsenale and finishes on the Island of Sant’Elena. Walk along the main drag of Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, a street full of shops and colourful local life until it dead ends. Make a right on to Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi where a monument to the streets namesake stands. From here the streets become very quiet. Follow Viale Giuseppe Garibaldi to the end and turn left onto the Fondamenta San Giuseppe. This is a mostly residential area where you see laundry hanging from pastel painted houses and hear small fishing boats tapping against the sides of the canal. Make the first right off the Fondamenta and get lost in the twist of back streets here until you come upon the Via XXIV Maggio. From here, look for signs pointing to the Church of Sant’Elena, a beautiful 12th-century monastery on the island.

While the waters of the massive Great Salt Lake are too salty to sustain anything more than algae, brine shrimp, and brine flies, the wetlands on its north and east shores are critical habitats for millions of migratory birds, making it a top-notch bird-watching destination. There are three state parks adjacent to the lake, including the Great Salt Lake Marina, where you can launch sailboats and kayaks. And if the water level is low enough, you’ll be able to see the famous Spiral Jetty, a 1,500-foot-long art installation made of salt-encrusted basalt slabs.