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Articles by Mark Dapin
'Completely compelling': this unmissable tour of London ends with a murder trial
Explore Travel/Destinations/International How a historic London walk leads into the Old Bailey dock. Lady Justice on top of the Old Bailey. Picture by Getty Images I'm sitting in the gallery in Court 5 of the Old Bailey in London, watching a real-life murder trial as if it were a theatre performance.
'Completely compelling': this unmissable tour of London ends with a murder trial
Lady Justice on top of the Old Bailey. Picture by Getty Images Loading the Text to Speech Player... Produced by ElevenLabs and ACM using AI narration. I'm sitting in the gallery in Court 5 of the Old Bailey in London, watching a real-life murder trial as if it were a theatre performance. A barrister sums up the case for the defence, advancing the unlikely sounding theory that the victim was accidentally shot dead by one of his friends in the confusion of a confrontation between two gangs.
'Completely compelling': this unmissable tour of London ends with a murder trial
Explore Travel/Destinations/International How a historic London walk leads into the Old Bailey dock. Lady Justice on top of the Old Bailey. Picture by Getty Images I'm sitting in the gallery in Court 5 of the Old Bailey in London, watching a real-life murder trial as if it were a theatre performance.
'Completely compelling': this unmissable tour of London ends with a murder trial
Explore Travel/Destinations/International How a historic London walk leads into the Old Bailey dock. Lady Justice on top of the Old Bailey. Picture by Getty Images I'm sitting in the gallery in Court 5 of the Old Bailey in London, watching a real-life murder trial as if it were a theatre performance.
'Completely compelling': this unmissable tour of London ends with a murder trial
Explore Travel/Destinations/International How a historic London walk leads into the Old Bailey dock. Lady Justice on top of the Old Bailey. Picture by Getty Images I'm sitting in the gallery in Court 5 of the Old Bailey in London, watching a real-life murder trial as if it were a theatre performance.
'Completely compelling': this unmissable tour of London ends with a murder trial
Lady Justice on top of the Old Bailey. Picture by Getty Images I'm sitting in the gallery in Court 5 of the Old Bailey in London, watching a real-life murder trial as if it were a theatre performance. A barrister sums up the case for the defence, advancing the unlikely sounding theory that the victim was accidentally shot dead by one of his friends in the confusion of a confrontation between two gangs. It's puzzling, heart-breaking and completely compelling.
Why a tour in this unique vehicle is the ultimate way to explore Singapore
Follow a long line of celebrities on an exhilarating vintage Vespa tour. The writer stops by Raffles for a photo with the doorman. I'm sitting in the buttock prints of Winston Duke, star of the Black Panther movie; one of the Weasley twins in the Harry Potter series; several Cantopop stars; and a member of Drew Barrymore's family. And it's not every day you get to say that.
Forget train-spotters: this is the curious new obsession among travel lovers
Explore Travel/Experiences/Cruising Meet the devoted Australians who head to the coast for an unlikely hobby. Surrounded by city-lights, Sydney Harbour is one of the best locations in Australia for ship-spotting. Picture by Getty Images It's a plane-spotter who explains to me that cruise-ship spotting is a thing. I'm chatting with camera-toting flightseer Kevin Alexopoulos outside Melbourne Airport when he mentions that he also likes to spot and photograph cruise ships coming into Port Melbourne.
10 reasons why Australians will love cruising with AmaWaterways
Australians love a river cruise and AmaWaterways is a fabulous cruise line and has just about everything we would love out of a holiday. These are some of the reasons why we would love sailing with AmaWaterways. The magical thing about river cruising is that a huge amount of international exploration (and dramatic travel photography) can be accomplished by doing nothing at all – simply looking out of your cabin window, or sitting on the balcony and pointing your phone at the ever-changing scenery.
How I got to experience two AmaWaterways ships on the same sailing
The food onboard was fantastic. The unlimited drinks onboard. Some of the activities might not be considered ‘active’. Limited appeal for families. The best moments of my AmaWaterways’ Europe’s Rivers & Castles cruise come as AmaCerto sails the impossibly scenic 65-kilometre Rhine Gorge, where about 40 castles, palaces and ruins look down upon the valley from the hills. The most unexpected episodes occur the next day, as I pass through the same gorge again. Twice.
I went to Liverpool searching for my father, but the city had other surprises
Explore Travel/Destinations/International A family pilgrimage in England, with Beatles and other legends for company. Inside Hard Days Night Hotel in Liverpool. Picture by AAP Photos I know that my dad loved me, because when I was little he used to bounce me on his knee and sing the Beatles' hit She Loves You. My dad was born in Liverpool, England, and he liked everything Liverpudlian, from the Beatles to the singer Cilla Black to the comedian Ken Dodd and his Diddy Men from Knotty Ash.
I went to Liverpool searching for my father, but the city had other surprises
Explore Travel/Destinations/International A family pilgrimage in England, with Beatles and other legends for company. Inside Hard Days Night Hotel in Liverpool. Picture by AAP Photos I know that my dad loved me, because when I was little he used to bounce me on his knee and sing the Beatles' hit She Loves You. My dad was born in Liverpool, England, and he liked everything Liverpudlian, from the Beatles to the singer Cilla Black to the comedian Ken Dodd and his Diddy Men from Knotty Ash.
I was on a European river cruise when the water dropped: here's what happened next
In a scorching summer, the Rhine ran low and the journey took an unexpected turn. The town of Kaub. Picture by Getty Images What really happens when you're on a luxury river-cruise ship and the river begins to run dry? I didn't imagine I would be racing against time during a languid journey around Europe's Rivers and Castles on board AmaWaterways' lovely 162-passenger AmaCerto.
I’m a historian, this is why good tour guides matter
I often travel in the hope that history will somehow come alive around me, but, as I learnt recently, visitors make history too. This article may contain links from our affiliate and advertising partners. We may receive payments when you click on links, buy through them or share this content. I used to think I could be a tour guide to historic sites. After all, I’m a historian and a journalist so I already know everything.
The world is going crazy for Japan and Japanese food - but I beg to differ
Explore Travel/Destinations/International I want to be worldly and cultured, by my stomach just disagrees. Some Japanese dishes look closer to ornament than aliment, the writer says. Picture by Unsplash Although I might look a bit thuggish, with two heavy armloads of faded tattoos, I'm actually quite polite. If somebody puts a meal in front of me, I will generally do my best to eat it.
I lost my passport in Singapore, this left me speechless
There are many reasons I have fallen in love with Singapore, but this travel disaster made me realise it's the best city on Earth. This article may contain links from our affiliate and advertising partners. We may receive payments when you click on links, buy through them or share this content. My heart nearly dropped to the tiled floor of the hotel lobby when I slipped my hand in my back pocket and realised my passport had slipped out.
At this coastal Japanese hotel, one unexpected detail stole the entire show
This is a bath worth travelling 600 kilometres for. By Mark Dapin Where: 2018 Wakayama, Nishimuro District, Shirahama, Japan How much: A twin room with balcony is priced at about $330 per night, breakfast and dinner included; a lanai suite room with open-air bath costs about $550 per night, breakfast and dinner included.
Behind Singapore's glossy skyline, this neighbourhood reveals a different rhythm
Arrive at Singapore's tastiest neighbourhood ... hungry. Little India in Singapore. Picture by Getty Images By Mark Dapin From the rooftop bar of the Hilton Garden Inn Singapore Serangoon, visitors can get a true feeling for how, well ... little everything in Little India really is.
Skip the stage shows: Canberra's most chaotic performance plays daily at 2pm
Explore Travel/Destinations/Australia Some of Australia's best theatre is free to watch at Parliament House. The PM arrives for Question Time. Picture by Keegan Carroll By Mark Dapin For the very best in Australian improv theatre, tourists should visit Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Question Time generally begins at 2pm, and spectators are asked to arrive at least half an hour before.
Move over, Rihanna: Japan's 500-year-old log rafting tradition is the ultimate chic adventure
Explore Travel/Destinations/International History afloat on the island of Honshu. The raft-masters of Japan's Kitayama River, and the individuals who ride with them. By Mark Dapin Every working morning, the raft-masters of Japan's Kitayama River build four seven-tonne, 30-metre rafts from about 200 tree trunks bound together with metal wires. Every afternoon, they take them apart again. Subscribe now for unlimited access.
'And my life began to change': how a trip to Thailand reshaped everything
Explore Travel/Experiences/Culture I did so many things that I would like my children to experience. Grand Palace demon guardian. Picture by Shutterstock By Mark Dapin Once I arrived in Bangkok, I never wanted to live at home again. Subscribe now for unlimited access.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hobart offers top-notch comfort and convenience
Explore Travel/Destinations/Australia There are some misses but this city stay - for the most part - is a hit. Where: 179 Macquarie Street, Hobart How much: King rooms start at $147 per night Explore more: hilton.com The 206-room, nine-storey DoubleTree Hobart opened late last year in Hobart's CBD. It's the first Hilton hotel in Tasmania. Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Japanese mixed grill: all fired up for Charcoal Crazy Man's creations
Explore Travel/Destinations/International 'I sometimes just wish the Japanese would, you know, cook their food a bit more.' Chef Ueno Akihiro. Picture by Mark Dapin By Mark Dapin Okay, so Japanese cuisine is among the finest in the world, particularly if you have a sophisticated and refined palate - which I don't. Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Where to drink in Ho Chi Minh City, from historic haunts to new hotspots
Explore Travel/Destinations/International Killer views and cold brews at Saigon's best rooftop bars. By Mark Dapin Saigon Saigon Rooftop Bar, Caravelle Hotel The rooftop bar at the art deco landmark Caravelle Hotel was a favourite of journalists during the Vietnam War, and black-and-white photos of war correspondents hang in the stairwell as if they are queuing up for a happy-hour beer. Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Where to drink in Ho Chi Minh City, from historic haunts to new hotspots
Explore Travel/Destinations/International Drink in history with killer views and cold brews. By Mark Dapin Updated September 12 2025 - 2:36pm, first published 2:35pm Saigon Saigon Rooftop Bar, Caravelle Hotel The rooftop bar at the art deco landmark Caravelle Hotel was a favourite of journalists during the Vietnam War, and black-and-white photos of war correspondents hang in the stairwell as if they are queuing up for a happy-hour beer.
Medieval secrets and curious tales await in one very English town
Explore Travel/Destinations/International Sink your teeth into the marvel of Sandwich. The town of Sandwich. Picture by Shutterstock By Mark Dapin At the Sandwich Shop in Sandwich, I'm eating an Earl of Sandwich sandwich: two slices of wholemeal bread with thinly sliced roast beef and horseradish sauce. It tastes very English, like a steaming mug of tea outside a transport cafe on a chilly motorway morning.
Ireland's wild late-night snack combines three favourite takeaways in one bag
Explore Travel/Experiences/Food and Drink It is also the perfect 'drunk' food. Fast-foodies believe spice bag was invented in about 2006. By Mark Dapin I admit it: I have been known to drink too much Guinness and forget to order dinner, and leave the pub to go in search of a cheap takeaway.
Asia's best cheap hotels? Two surprising cities go head-to-head
Explore Travel/Destinations/International Two travel writers, two cities, one winner: Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur? Street-side eateries in Jakarta. Picture by Shutterstock By Mal Chenu and Mark Dapin Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur both promise buzzing street food, wild shopping and serious culture. But only one of these under-the-radar cities can come out on top. Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Why the tanks pointing towards this palace are a symbol of national unity
Explore Travel/Destinations/International Tour one of Vietnam's most important historical landmarks. By Mark Dapin Updated June 26 2025 - 5:36pm, first published 5:33pm Most former government palaces are guarded by guns pointing outwards, to deter invaders and protect the head of state. In the grounds of the Independence Palace in Ho Chi Minh City, the barrels of two tanks are aimed at the building itself.
Checking in to this Ho Chi Minh City hotel is like going back in time
It's the perfect base for exploring the Vietnamese metropolis. The hotel's outdoor pool. The Majestic Saigon celebrates its centenary this year, but the hotel won its part in the cultural history of the world in 1955 when author Graham Greene chose its rooftop bar as a drinking spot for the conflicted anti-hero of his classic novel, The Quiet American. Subscribe now for unlimited access.
No trip to Ho Chi Minh City is complete without a dessert at this bar
If I could have only one dessert in my life, it would be tiramisu. I like everything about it: the coffee, the cream, the alcohol content - even the funny, squiggly name. But I didn't expect to find tiramisu in a dessert bar in Ho Chi Minh City, where the "Western" concept of dessert barely exists. Subscribe now for unlimited access.
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