Road Trips
Four good wheels take you off the beaten path.
Getting there's half the fun, as the old saying goes. With an international driving licence, a road map and a good set of wheels, you are your own guide, and the journey is personal. Stopping to take in not-in-the-guidebook sites or unexpected scenery and exploring out-of-the-way villages can be done without the pressure of mass tourism. Here we present a trio of great driving trips from three countries: in Australia from Darwin to Ayers Rock; in Vietnam from Hanoi to Halong Bay; and in England through Devon and Cornwall.
CRUISING INTO THE RED CENTRE
The Stuart Highway, which stretches like a long black ribbon 1,500 km through the Northern Territories--from Darwin in the "Top End" to Alice Springs in the "Red Centre"--passes through one of the most rugged landscapes on earth. Waterfalls, canyons, open savanna and grasslands are scattered with ghostlike gum trees and rock formations resembling a moonscape lining the highway. Fill the car with fuel, stock up on plenty of water, slip a Yothu Yindi CD in the sound system and drive.
Before hopping on Stuart Highway, head east for Kakadu National Park, one of the world's most stunningly varied tropical environments as well as the spiritual home of Gagudju, an aboriginal (土著的) group who have lived in the park for more than 25,000 years. Some aboriginal rock paintings date back to beyond 35,000 years. Saltwater crocodiles that grow up to 25 feet also live in the park, so tourists are wise to obey the warning signs.
In the Northern Territories drivers should be wary of wandering kangaroos, camels
(Australia has more than Saudi Arabia), donkeys and wild horses. Convenient stops can be made every 100 to 200 km for fuel and the infamous Aussie meat pie. Accommodations are plentiful, but nothing beats night out camping under the southern stars. One stop worth making: Pine Creek, an 1870s mining town where you can still pan for gold. Farther south, the atmosphere of Alice Springs reflects its red-gold surroundings. Nearby are two very different attractions, the unlikely Chateau Hornsby Winery and the Virginia Camel Farm, where guests can swap (交换) their cars for camels. About 6 hours' drive from Alice Spring is Ayers Rock (Uluru in aboriginal language), Australia's most famous natural landmark and one of the most important sacred sites for aboriginal people.
DRIVING OUT TO TIME
Vietnam has plenty to offer to the road-tripping traveler, but the countryside's sometimes difficult driving conditions--and a scarcity of road signs--mean that driving yourself isn't necessarily the best option. The solution: hire a car and driver.
"We'll do the driving--you ask lots of questions," says Bui Tuan Ngoc of the Huong Hai Tourist Co. , which takes the visitors on a drive-sail excursion (游览) that provides a unique glimpse of Northern Vietnam.
On the four-hour drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay, travelers pass through tranquil scenes that have changed little in hundreds of years. Men and women wearing conical hats to ward off (避开，挡住) the sun toil with bent backs in rice fields that change color with the seasons. Several villages along the way--Bat Trang is one--display traditional pottery at the roadside. Try your hand at bargaining for items such as plates, bowls and laughing Buddhas which are molded, fired and hand-painted using methods dating from the 16th century.
At Halong Bay, the blood-red sails of the Huong Hai (Chinese-style) junk unfurl (展开) and the boat makes its way past bizarre karst (石炭岩地区常见的地形) formations and caves, grottoes and waterfalls. Legend says that Halong's 3,000 islands were created when a dragon split mountains into pieces with its tail to prevent an enemy pursuing Vietnamese boats.
In each of Halong Bay's many coves small fishing boats offer crabs

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