14 TRAVEL + INDULGENCE THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN, OCTOBER 28-29, 2017theaustralian.com.au/travel

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SNAP DECISIONS

Strike a pose with your happy feetSUSAN KUROSAWA

Hey, another survey. Research by Hotels.comshows that “getting a selfie in a waterfall” ap-pears on 26 per cent of respondents’ most de-sirable social media shares. That would be abucket (and towel) list, no doubt. Next mostpopular pose is at the top of a mountain.Hello, photoshopping.

The world of Instagram is polluted withselfies, from weirdo poses to gobsmackingsnaps of people with their mouths full.

You’ll wait a long time to see a selfie of meand my wrinkles and folds, although youmight see a shelfie (of favourite books) and aspot of tablescaping of odd treasures.

There’s no such reticence from the fabu-lously eccentric @baddiewinkle, who’s 89years old, wears bikinis and bad-girl dresses,and has millions of followers.

Pet pics are a reliable prospect and I followa west highlands terrier in Japan who wearspolka-dot dresses and has outings in prams,plus a supermodel of a squirrel that poses soexpertly I do wonder if it’s stuffed or on drugs.

Footsies are my thing, mainly to do with anobsession with tiles. This pic was taken atVilla Carlotta beside Lake Como, and theshoes are rubbery flats by a Malaysian de-signer that fold like bendy toys, are water-proof and impossible to scuff.

I mention this only because if you plan topop footsies on your Insta feed, you need tohave a perfect manicure or be well shod.

Which in the case of a Westie girl inTokyo, means knitted booties or kitten heels.

Follow on Instagram: @susankurosawa

ON THE ROAD

THE INSIDER

FAVOURITE DESTINATION?Paris. When I first visited at age 15, Iwas scared of its dark gothic-ness.On my last visit I spent my timelooking for coffee and the bestcroissants, wandering in and out ofshops, drinking wine and simplybeing in the city without thepressure of “how many icons can Icram into one day?”.

ACTRESSJENNI BAIRD

FAVOURITE HOTEL?Mandarin Oriental, New York. Itwas the first place I went to with mynow husband; right on Central Park,the hotel serves the best tomatosalad I have tasted. I love photo-graphs of me on a seat by the floor-to-ceiling guestroom windowswatching the sun go down on thecity skyline.

FAVOURITE SHOP?Astier de Villatte, Rue Saint-Honore, Paris. The ceramics in thisold shop are exquisite and quirky,such as an incense holder in theshape of Marie Antoinette’s head. Ibought a scented candle pouredinto Astier de Villatte’s signaturewhite ceramic, which evokes Pariswhen I am home in Sydney.

BEST TIP?Don’t travel with a separate hand-bag and carry-on. Take it all in awell-designed backpack with com-partments for your laptop and pro-viding easy access to your passport.

Jenni Baird stars as Regina Bligh in APlace to Call Home; Sundays at7.30pm on Showcase and Foxtel Now.

HOME + AWAY

Soaring 314m, a smidge below theheight of the Queensland GoldCoast’s Q1, the futuristic Maha-Nakhon skyscraper is Thailand’stallest building and an avant-gardeaddition to the Bangkok skyline.The Pullman Bangkok Hotel G, oncosmopolitan Silom Road, offersan up-close view of this strikinglandmark. It’s an appropriate out-look, given the property’s billing asa designer hotel. That vibe is frontand centre upon check-in, withyouthful staff in pinstripe blazers,white T-shirts and dark trousers.The pared-back look continues toguestrooms and suites featuring so

much dazzling white (walls, floorsand furniture) it’s tempting to donthe sunglasses. You could hold aparty in the capacious G Suites; infact, book a hotel bartender to mixyour drinks. And, if things get a lit-tle wild, consult the goodiesstashed in the G Box. Need a lift tothe nearest BTS Skytrain station?Hail the G Mobile, the hotel’s tuk-tuk service. If it all feels tooscreamingly hip, head to a nearbyfoot massage salon to be remindedthat Bangkok’s pleasures includethose of the more grounded kind. ■ pullmanbangkokhotelg.com.KATRINA LOBLEY

VICTORINOX SKY HIGH WATCH, $1350This limited-edition timepiece functions at altitudes up to 21,300m, has a hypo-allergenic and ultralight titanium case and a space-industry paracord band eight-times stronger than steel. It’s housed in a shockproof box, with a matching Swiss Army knife, key ring and additional wristband.■ victorinox.com. SHARON FOWLER

GOLDFIELD & BANKS DESERT ROSEWOOD PERFUME, 100ML SPRAY, $229Dimitri Weber’s Australian-inspired quartet of fragrances celebrates the legacy of botanist Joseph Banks and features concentrated aromatics derived

from landscapes includingdeserts, mountains and coastlines. T+I’s pick is

Desert Rosewood, inspiredby Victoria’s centralhighlands, with notes ofmandarin, cardamom andvanilla. Beautifully packaged for festive giving. ■ goldfieldandbanks.com.SUSAN KUROSAWA

WHAT IN THE WORLD

A decade in the making, and plagued by delays, the Jean Nouvel-designed outpost of the Louvre opens in Abu Dhabi on November 11 ■ A summer concert series, Twilights at Melbourne Zoo, will be held on weekends from January 26 to March 10; star acts include The Preatures and Neil and Liam Finn, with proceeds to at-risk animal programs ■ Palm Beach Collection’s Christmas range of candles features travel-ready miniatures (90g; $16.95) in blends such as rosewood and balsam ■ DriveAway Holidays has specials for

bookings by January 31 for rental vehicle collection, including motorhomes, from April 1 through to end of March, 2019; destinations include Britain, Europe, US, Canada and Australia ■ Pukka, T+I’s favourite matcha-maker, has a new Green Collection of tea bags with ginseng and mint added to the green-leaf mix (20 bags; $7.45) ■ Marriott International will open The Westin Darwin in 2020; the eight-storey property is being built at the Waterfront Precinct, close to Darwin Convention Centre and the city centre.

TASTE

Anyone who has been drawn by sweet aromas into Paris’s many chocolate shops knows the French love their chocolate. So perhaps it’s no surprise the City of Light has a themed festival. The 23rd annual Salon du Chocolat festival kicked off last night at the Paris Porte de Versailles exhibi-tion centre with its much-antici-pated fashion show, where chocolatiers team up with fashion designers to create dresses crafted from the sweet stuff. The festival attracts the biggest names in chocolate, pastry and sweets from around the world and runs until November 1, with highlights in-cluding chocolate sculptures, cooking demonstrations, work-shops and live performances. This year French artist Richard Orlin-ski has returned to create a giant chocolate sculpture with chef Yann Couvreur, whose patisserie in the 11th arrondisement is fa-mous for its Madagascar-vanilla buckwheat millefeuille. Don’t happen to be in Paris? That’s OK. Chocolate is a cause for celebra-tion around the globe, with salons held in the likes of Moscow (No-vember), Tokyo (January), Milan (February) and Brussels (March). ■ salon-du-chocolat.comPENNY HUNTER