Nina Karnikowski

Travel Writer

Nina Karnikowski is a travel writer focused on sustainability, and the author of two books including Go Lightly: How to Travel Without Hurting the Planet.Connect via X.

Beach and island holidays

There’s a new way to stay on one of Australia’s most exclusive islands

It has a reputation for being both pristine and eye-wateringly expensive, but there’s a new way to experience this pristine paradise.

Nina Karnikowski

Phaplu is an unhurried part of Nepal far from the crowds trekking to Everest.

Opinion
My happy place

Despite attracting celebrities, my remote happy place remains relatively unknown

It may have attracted high-profile travellers since the days of Sir Edmund Hillary, but you won’t find tour groups or selfie-takers here.

Nina Karnikowski

Getting to gorgeous areas of Indonesia, such as Gili Lawa Darat in East Nusa Tenggara, is becoming easier.

Indonesia

Forget Bali. Indonesia has 17,000 islands – here are 10 of the best

For decades, many Australian travellers have treated Indonesia as though it begins and ends with Bali. It’s time to move on.

Nina Karnikowski

New South Wales

One of the east coast’s wildest treks just got a lot easier

A new offering takes the hard part out of a long-dreamed-of adventure with friends.

Nina Karnikowski

Asia

What the travel brochures omit about ‘the world’s happiest nation’

Bhutan is often sold as a real-life Shangri-La. But what’s life really like beyond the postcard?

Nina Karnikowski

Savvy traveller

Want to take an extended holiday? Here’s what you need to do first

Careful planning can help make spending a longer time away from home carefree.

Nina Karnikowski

Ghami has the feel of a living lost city.

Central Asia

Once forbidden to foreigners, this remote place is now accessible

A new road will bring trade, and tourists, to the remote village of Ghami – a place that currently has the feel of a lost city.

Nina Karnikowski

Kopan Monastery hosts 3000 visitors each year seeking spiritual guidence.

Opinion
Kathmandu

I left this retreat ‘reborn’. All I did was focus on one scary thing

We’ve heard whispers about this meditation since the start of the retreat, and been primed for the 40 minutes we’ll spend “focusing on our own impermanence”.