World’s best stopover cities to visit now
PERTH
A stopover in Perth just got more popular, thanks to the Qantas Dreamliner 17-hour direct flight to London. A day trip to Rottnest Island (pictured above) via the historic port town of Fremantle is a great way to break up the journey. In Freo, see historic attractions such as the convict era Roundhouse, the maritime museum, and then take the boat across to Rottnest from the ferry terminal and visit as many of the island’s 63 beaches as you can by bicycle, stopping to get a selfie with the island’s loveable mascot – the quokka!
STOPOVER: To London on new Qantas Dreamliner, qantas.com.
To Go: westernaustralia.com.
SINGAPORE
There’s good reason Singapore is the ultimate stopover city. This compact, yet culturally diverse city-state is teeming with things to do. Renowned for its culinary excellence, shopping, theme parks and beautiful gardens, Singapore really sets the standard for stopovers. Animal lovers will want to check out the Night Safari, the world’s first nocturnal Zoo (opens at 7.30pm).
STOPOVER: To Europe and Asia on Qantas, Scoot or Singapore Airlines.
To Go: visitsingapore.com
SEOUL
Seoul is a futuristic city that’s brimming with outstanding food options and great nightlife. Newcomers should check out the excellent bus and walking tours offered on the city’s website. For the price of a single ticket, you can hop on and off the bus service all day, as many times as you like. The range of culinary options is remarkable, but local cuisine is the stand-out. Visit a roast pork eatery like Seogang Kkeopdegi, where locals and tourists pile plates full of pork crackling between sips on OB Golden Lager.
STOPOVER: On the way to Europe on Korean Airlines. koreanair.com
To Go: visitseoul.net
AUCKLAND
Just a short hop across the ditch, Auckland is the perfect place to break up a journey. It’s
a cosmopolitan city surrounded by incredible nature, and the shopping is great too. There are some great day tours that get you out of the city to places of scenic wonder such as dormant volcano Maungawhau (Mount Eden). For those interested in architecture and history a leisurely, guided City Heritage Walk is recommended. A short ferry ride away is the gorgeous Waiheke Island, full of beaches, wineries, and restaurants.
STOPOVER: On the way to LA, Houston, the Cook Islands, to name a few, on Air New Zealand airnewzealand.com.au
To Go: aucklandnz.com
GUANGZHOU
Guangzhou ranks second on this list of fastest growing tourist cities in the world and it’s easy to see why. This southern Chinese city combines two thousand years of history with world-class accommodation and excellent public transport. Try authentic dim sum along the ancient streets of Xiguan, or take in some serious toy shopping at the International Toys Market. Hikers might want to venture up to the city’s most scenic spot Baiyun Mountain, and gaze out upon the remarkable vista.
STOPOVER: On the way to Europe or North America on China Southern Airlines csair.com/en.
To Go: lifeofguangzhou.com
