Flight delays and drunk passengers: Aussies reveal top travel pet peeves

Australians don't hold back when it comes to laying bare what bugs them most when travelling, with almost 35 per cent saying delays annoy them the most, according to new research by travel insurance comparison site Compare the Market. Drunk and disorderly tourists also rank high on the list, with 26.5 per cent of survey respondents finding them annoying, followed by scammers and pickpockets (25.6 per cent) and exchange rates (24.7 per cent).

Oh, and next time you're rude to an airline or hospitality worker, remember there may be many people around you who may not be thinking highly of you, with that sort of behaviour leaving 24 per cent of the survey respondents irritated. comparethemarket.com.au

As slow, immersive travel rises in popularity, tour companies around the world are spoiling travellers with an embarrassment of ideas. Take, for instance, UTracks, which has just launched a guided seven-day pilgrim walk on the 500-kilometre St Paul Trail from the ancient city of Perge to Lake Egirdir in Turkey. In our own backyard, Australian Cycle Tours is doing its bit, too, to keep things in the slow lane, with a price freeze for its 2025 departures.

The promo allows people to book 2025 experiences for the price of 2024; a saving of up to 10 per cent - as long as they book before August 31. As visa-free travel benefits in China kick in for Australian travellers, Wendy Wu is wasting no time luring travellers with its own clutch of immersive tours. Highlights in its just-launched 2025/2026 packages range from the 18-day Tibetan Railroad tour, which journeys along the highest train track in the world, to a private tour that includes a laidback cruise on Yangtze River with giant panda sightings. utracks.com; australiancycletours.com.au; wendywutours.com.au

Japan may have exquisite cherry blossoms and the New England region in the US may lay claim to the planet's best autumn colours, but when it comes to seasonal spectacles, one of Mother Nature's most beautiful shows can be witnessed right here in NSW. As temperatures rise, millions of canola flowers burst open in Cowra in the state's Central West, transforming endless expanses into fields of gold.

A guided sunset tour, a hot-air balloon trip, a scenic flight or a twilight dinner with views of the bright yellow landscape are some of the best ways to experience the fleeting phenomenon, which unfolds from now until October (depending on the crop). visitcowra.com.au

One of the glitziest travel destinations and a key stopover for Australians on their way to Europe, Dubai attracted 9.31 million international overnight visitors in the first six months of 2024 - a 9 per cent increase on the traffic recorded in the same period last year. People from Australasia have contributed to the growth, with 154,000 travellers from our neck of the woods visiting Dubai during the six-month period this year - up by 27 per cent.

A number of standout new hotels - from Atlantis the Royal to the Dorchester group's Lana - seem to have ramped up the excitement about the Middle Eastern hotspot. Heading there yourself? Don't forget to read our story on Dubai's best hotels and a detailed reviewed of Atlantis the Royal.