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EXCLUSIVE: Kevin and Janetta on their Travel Guides journey

Retirement sure looks good on Travel Guides favourites Kevin Moloney and Janetta Stones!

It’s a gloriously sunny day when New Idea arrives at the couple’s stunning home in Maldon, Victoria. We’re here to get an exclusive look at their lives away from the popular Channel Nine travel series.

As you might expect, no two days are the same for the dynamic duo – although their mornings have something of a routine. Janetta gets up and enjoys a long walk, then she and Kevin download the daily papers and catch up on the news over a cup of tea.

WATCH: Travel Guides 2023 sneak peak. Article continues after video.

The textbook definition of a green thumb, Kevin, 65, spends a lot of his time maintaining his prized garden. When he’s not pottering around in the flower beds, he can likely be found in his workshop.

As for avid reader Janetta, 71, she is kept busy with exercise classes and volunteering at the local hospital.

“It’s not a bad life,” Kevin admits with a big smile.

WATCH: Kevin and Janetta visit a gift shop. Article continues after video.

The couple’s Travel Guides journey began in October 2015. Janetta was the driving force behind their application, with Kevin having some reservations.

“Don’t be silly. What would they want with us?” he recalls telling Janetta at the time.

Six seasons on and the pair are bonafide TV stars – and fabulous ones at that!

For the extravagant couple, being retired with no children or pets means being able to say yes to travel “at the drop of a hat” with “no worries”.

Throughout their 36-year marriage, the pair have lived relatively harmoniously, but admit disagreements can arise when manual tasks are to be completed.

“Sometimes we have a disagreement, but I’m always right,” says Kevin.

Using the example of pitching a tent, Janetta jumps in, claiming: “Kevin is not wanting to read instructions, where I’m forensic about instructions and I’ll tell him he’s doing something wrong.”

“Well, that’s because the argument is we should not be pitching a tent,” says Kevin, chuckling. “We shouldn’t be camping full stop!”

While the pair say filming can be both “challenging” and “tiring”, they “wouldn’t give it up for anything”. When it comes to their relationships with the other guides, Kevin and Janetta reveal they get on very well, having all travelled together over the seven years of filming. There are also occasions where they catch up outside of the show, such as at the Logies or weddings.

“It’s like a family,” Kevin shares.

 “The cast and crew are about 40 of us. Everybody appreciates what a gift this has been for everyone.”

Travelling has been in Kevin and Janetta’s blood all their lives. Both worked in the airline industry and Kevin later became a travel writer. 

Holidaying religiously throughout their marriage, the pair reminisce that during their honeymoon to Singapore, Hong Kong and Borneo, the most expensive meal they had cost $120 each.

“At the time we thought that was outrageous! Now you pay that for an entree in Sydney,” Kevin says.

Reflecting on some of his favourite modes of travel, Kevin adds, “We particularly like small ships for cruising which are all inclusive.

“They’re expensive. But it’s worth it to us because it’s exactly what we like.”

Given their love of boats, it was a no-brainer that the pair celebrated their most recent wedding anniversary on board the Queen Elizabeth 2, where they renewed their vows.

Kevin and Janetta have embraced their fame but still can’t believe the impact they have on people. Fans will often stop them in the street “for a selfie”.

“We were filming in New Zealand in January at a restaurant and a girl of about 10 came up to me and asked for a picture,” shares Janetta.

“The next morning on Instagram, she sent me a message and said, ‘Thank you so much,

I spent last night looking at your photo and cried happy tears.”

Travel Guides airs Wednesday, 7:30pm on Channel Nine

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Meet the cast of Travel Guides 2024

Travel Guides is back for a new season – and so are your favourite cast members!

From the picturesque mountains of Nepal to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, the seventh season of the beloved travel show has already delivered its fair share of enviable experiences and hilarious moments.

Alongside Travel Guides’ once-in-a-lifetime itineraries, our favourite friendly faces will also be returning to our screens alongside a few new globe-trotting friends.

As they prepare for their next adventure, scroll down to meet the cast of Travel Guides for 2024.

Karli and Bri

Joining Travel Guides on the road for the first time are Karly and Bri, two besties who met while filming  Beauty and the Geek  for Nine a couple of years ago and have been inseparable ever since.

“We were roommates on the show, so we had no choice but to be friends,” Bri told our sister site TV WEEK. “We were like the love story from  Beauty And The Geek … we walked out best of friends.”

“We bring a different dynamic to the show, and I think people will be pleasantly surprised by us. We might look a certain way on the outside – we like to dress up and look nice – but we also give everything a crack. We are tomboys at heart.”

Matt and Brett

Bona fide travel addicts Matt and Brett joined the show in season four, hailing from Newcastle in New South Wales.

The married couple, who have been together for 20 years now, describe themselves as ‘high-end travellers’ who also love a bargain.

While Matt is organised, and packs his outfits into plastic bags via the suitcase, Brett is much happier going along for the ride, leading to a delightful Bert-and-Ernie energy that makes for great TV.

They’re also hilarious, giving biting commentary, and always making the audience laugh.

The Fren Family

The delightful Fren family have been regulars since season one, bringing immediate joy to the show with their upbeat nature.

Dad Mark is upbeat and forthright, with a knack for negotiating room upgrades. He’s been married to his wife Cathy for over 30 years, and their two kids, Victoria and Jonathan, are always along for the journey.

Their family grew in 2023, with Jonathan marrying his long-term partner, Danielle Clarke.

Other members of the Travel Guides cast Matt, Brett, Kevin, Janetta, Mel, and Stack were all in attendance – too cute!

Kevin and Janetta

‘Holiday snobs’ Kevin and Janetta always bring the laughs.

The pair, who are in their 60s, are passionate wine enthusiasts and seasoned travellers. They’re also avid researchers when it comes to their holidays, making sure they have the best possible experience, so being thrown into strange situations on the show always makes for a good laugh.

They also won’t hesitate to ask for the manager, which has earned them the catchphrase, “We don’t suffer in silence”.

Kev, Dorian, and Teng

Besties Kev, Dorian, and Teng love food, computer games, movies, and music.

Kev is a pop-culture expert, Dorian studies teaching, and Teng is the risk-taker, who keeps deferring university in the hopes of finding a good time.

Their combined heritage spans China, Greece and Vietnam, giving them a unique take on the world when it comes to the show.

Travel Guides Season 7 airs Sundays at 7:00 pm on Nine and 9Now.

Erin Christie is a writer at WHO (digital), keeping across pop culture, reality TV (especially Survivor), and the occasional fashion trend.

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Interview: Travel Guides’ Kevin and Janetta

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“I’m not going to drink Scotch whisky out of a plastic drink bottle.”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

And so goes the conversation when two of Channel 9’s Travel Guides , Kevin and Janetta, are faced with the prospect of finding clean glasses in a slovenly Argentinian hostel kitchen.

Check out our interview with Stack and Mel from travel guides. They tell us why they nearly missed out on the show.

Dubbed ‘The Snobs’, Kevin and Janetta are the show’s resident purveyors of luxury travel. The well-travelled retirees – who have over 20 luxury cruises under their belt – know what they like, and what they like is nothing less than the best. So how in the world had they found themselves in that unkempt kitchen?

Kevin and Janetta are one of five groups of ordinary Aussies who comprise the cast of Channel 9’s Travel Guides. The show sends the groups around the world to take on the job of professional travel critic – with experiences ranging from budget to premium. Entertainment ensues as the Travel Guides venture from country to country, which over the past three seasons have ranged from Austria, Taiwan, Israel, Sri Lanka and beyond.

Travel Guides season three has just wrapped up airing on Channel 9, and casting for the next season is currently open. If you think you’ve got what it takes to explore the world and take on the once in a l ifetime experiences the show undoubtedly has in store, head to travelguidestv.com.au . Casting closes 22 April 2019.

In the meantime, check out our interview with Kevin and Janetta, where they talk us through some of the ups and downs of the show.  

What have been some of the most challenging moments for you during the show?  

Not knowing where we’re travelling to until we got to the airport was certainly a challenge. As travellers, we like to be organised and prepared and although the element of surprise makes a good change, missing out on a very important part of the travel process, being the planning, can be challenging. We’ve always said that travel has three parts – the anticipation with the planning, the excitement of the actual trip, and the memories we keep for years.

Which locations have taken you most by surprise?

In season one we were surprised by Oman. We hadn’t been there before and were blown away by how the country and particularly the city of Muscat, was dragged into the twentieth and twenty-first century from a sheltered and thirteenth-century backwater in a matter of 40 years. Israel also surprised us – the diversity and tolerant sense of inclusion was not what we’d heard from media reports. Just proves that you must see things for yourself to get your own take on situations – and really, for us, that’s what travel is all about.

Unfortunately, we were also surprised that the Philippines had no definite cuisine. We would’ve thought that a country with so many ethnic influences over history would have developed a notable cuisine. Hawaii has become outrageously expensive, but I suppose that’s no real surprise.

Are there any you would go back to experience ‘your way’?

We would definitely love to repeat the European river cruise (we’ll take any excuse to get on a ship). Although we’d been to Israel before there’s plenty to do and see, so a return visit wouldn’t be out of the question. We loved Canberra and saw a different side to the capital and could happily spend more time there. Italy, of course always beckons so we’ll be back there for sure .

What made you decide to go for Travel Guides in the first place, knowing you would likely not be travelling the way you’re used to?

Any travel is good so the thought of testing the waters with someone else in charge of the planning was too good an opportunity to pass up. When it comes to travelling, we’re always up for a challenge and Travel Guides certainly promised that. Even though the process and experiences may not be what we’d necessarily plan ourselves, we were able to ameliorate some of the difficulties and unfamiliar experiences by using points or dollars to upgrade on flights where possible. The long hauls can be killers .

Would you consider yourselves more open-minded in your approach to travel now?

We’d have to say that we’re probably more open to new things as a result of Travel Guides. We still like the ‘nice’ things that travelling has to offer but having been tossed out of our comfort zone with experiences such as climbing Masada and bungee jumping at 60, we’re pretty well up for anything now. Skydiving – we’ll see!

Words of advice for future Travel Guides?

To any future Travel Guides we’d have to say: “be prepared for any experiences and do them, keep an open mind and literally enjoy the wild ride”. Also, constantly remind yourself how lucky you are to get this amazing opportunity.

You’re both very well-seasoned travellers; what are some of your tried and tested travel tips you’ve picked up over the years?

Strangely, one of our most valuable tips is incredibly basic. Take a collection of Ziplock plastic bags with you on your travels – you’d be surprised how many times and for how many different reasons you’ll use them. But on a more esoteric note, our advice would be to not cheap out and miss out on unique experiences for the sake of a few dollars, euros, yen or pesos. You don’t go on holidays to save money and the airfares and accommodation are only a part of the experience.

Which destinations are still on your bucket list that you still haven’t travelled to?

We’ve always wanted to go to Iceland (even before it became a ‘must-see’ destination) so hopefully Travel Guides have that country on their list. We’d also love to see Scotland, the Arctic Circle and parts of Spain and Portugal that we need to explore. And for the record, we don’t call it a ‘bucket list’. The reality, at our age, is a bit too daunting. Let’s just say we want to see this world before we leave it!

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Kevin and Janetta are the self-professed “ holiday snobs “. They are well-recognized as the hosts of the famous TV show   Travel Guides .

The couple first came into the spotlight while appearing in the first season of Channel Nine TV show. Viewers nail down this pair as “ high-end and discerning ” travelers.

Travel Guides  features six groups of ordinary Australians who review accommodations, cuisine, and local sceneries of the same holiday destinations. Their trip usually spans over a week and critiques some international and domestic holidays.

How much is Kevin and Janetta’s salary in Travel Guides? What is their net worth? And what are their other TV shows?

Let’s drive through the personal details of these travelers. Continue reading to learn about Kevin and Janetta wiki, bio, age, height. Then see their married life and children.

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Kevin and Janetta Wiki, Biography, Age, Height

Kevin and Janetta are the locals from Maldon, Victoria . It is a small town in Southeast Australia best known for its maintenance of 19th-century appearance.

Among this married couple, Kevin Moloney was born in the year 1959- his age is currently 65 years old. Whereas, Kevin’s wife, Janetta Moloney age is 71 years old. The duo has an age gap of 6 years.

Unlike other similar TV shows,  Travel Guides  isn’t scripted. So, stressing their honest reviews, the snobs said,

” We speak our minds and say exactly what we think. You’ll find what one likes, the other hates.”

The casts learn about their travel destinations at the airport and prior plans are made. Speaking about the spontaneity of the show, Kevin said,

“Really there are no negatives. We love it. We’ve never had so much fun on a holiday!”

Kevin and Janetta Married Life and Children

It has already been 36 years since Kevin and Janetta Moloney are happily married. Their similar interests and outspoken nature has stuck them together.

The ‘holiday snobs’ were married in the year 1988. At the time of their wedding reception, Kevin was in his late 20s while Janetta was only 35 years old.

Despite the fact that this couple has been married for more than three decades, they still don’t have any children. Given this privilege, Kevin and Janetta don’t focus on family holiday spots instead they opt for five stars of a luxury hotel.

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Travel Guides Kevin and Janetta Net Worth

These senior  Travel Guides  are retirees. Having said that, Kevin still works as a part-time travel writer and food critic. On the other hand, his wife, Janetta has fully retired from her work as a former airline employee.

The salary figure of  Travel Guide  casts is off the record. So, Kevin and Janetta’s salary in the show isn’t revealed.

Sources have reported that an airline employee in Australia earns an average salary of  $40,000 per year to $75,842 per year.  So, it is safe to assume Janetta does have a decent net worth.

According to the reports from Channel Nine , Kevin and Janetta sold their house in Melbourne to afford travel for at least 4 months each year. Their net worth of 2024 is currently under review.

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[…] These are just a few of the many destinations that Kevin and Janetta have explored and highly recommend. Their travel recommendations are based on their personal experiences and aim to provide fellow travelers with unique and unforgettable adventures. So, pack your bags and get ready to embark on a journey inspired by Kevin and Janetta’s travel expertise! […]

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The Travel Guides Kevin Moloney and Janetta Stones pack their bags for the final time this season

When Kevin Moloney and Janetta Stones began their Travel Guides journey, they never imagined they would still be on the show six seasons, 55 episodes and 16 equivalent months of travel later.

Now, the self-proclaimed “travel snobs” can’t wait to pack their bags for their next adventure.

The final pit stops of the 2023 season are close.

“As long as we’re fit and healthy, we want to do Travel Guides ,” Kevin, 65, and Janetta, 71, agree. “It’s the best gig in the world.”

The final pit stops of the 2023 season are close to home for the Victorian-based pair, being a week-long holiday in Melbourne, followed by a trip to Phillip Island, 90 minutes from the city.

The guides take in the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest sporting event – the Australian Open – take a trip to comedy club The Rubber Chicken, and get a taste of performance driving at The BMW M Driving Experience.

“As long as we’re fit and healthy.”

Being the oldest of the cast, Kevin and Janetta have found the Travel Guides experience has helped keep them young.

“We learn all sorts of new jargon and swear words,” Janetta says with a laugh.

Also keeping them on their toes is not knowing where they’re going until they get to the airport.

“We get a packing list and a temperature guide,” Janetta explains, Kevin adding, “We play a great game of ‘Where the hell are we going?'”

And what do they attribute the immense success of the show to? That would be its authenticity due to the cast being “100 per cent honest”.

“We realise the responsibility to the audience to be truthful, and if that means preferring business class, five-star hotels and not liking buffets, we have to [say that],” Kevin declares.

“We have no reason to sleep outside or under a million stars: five stars is enough for us!”

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Greece’s President awards the Order of Honour to composer Stavros Xarchakos

Mykonos mafia in spotlight of greek police amid murder investigation, us president joe biden introduces ukraine’s zelensky as ‘president putin’, four greek australian athletes selected for australia’s olympic team, england to face spain in uefa euro 2024 final, peter antoniou named on subway young socceroos squad for asean championship, saint paisios the athonite: patron and protector of australia, a community milestone: celebrating a decade of macarthur greeks, single mum in a war zone: stella papavasilliou and the turkish invasion of cyprus, from greek hub to multicultural centre: the changing face of adelaide’s henley beach road, new sydney pound named finalist for world architecture prize, hatted greek restaurant unveils plans for new spin-off eatery in surry hills, greek australian ‘travel guides’ star left speechless after visiting greece for show’s season premiere.

An opportunity to travel the world for free? Sign me up!

This is exactly what Travel Guides trio Dorian (24), Kev (28) and Teng (25) did after seeing a Nine Network casting ad posted to Facebook, while on the hunt for cheap flights to Bali.

“We thought it could be fun to maybe make a video and audition tape and send it in and we’ll never hear back from them,” Dorian said to The Greek Herald .  

“All of a sudden we heard back from him three days later.”

The three good mates are former Target co-workers and budget travellers who share a love of junk food, computer games, music and movies. The trio made their first appearance in season 2 of the show and have continued their travel adventures this coming season (Season 4).

Despite referring to themselves as “the three Asian boys”, Dorian comes from a Greek Australian family, with his yiayia arriving in Australia in the mid-to-late 60s and settling down in the Melbourne suburb of Oakleigh.

Despite his proud Greek heritage, Dorian never had the opportunity to visit Greece until he was sent there in 2019, unknowingly, by the Travel Guides producers.

“The thing that I love most is we never know what to expect, because we’re not told what country we’re going to go to until we rock up at the airport and we don’t know what activities we’re going to do until we rock up in the morning to film,” Dorian said.

“I was meant to go (to Greece) I think three times and always had to cancel last minute.”

In the series return, the trio, along with the other Travel Guides, take off on a Greek island-hopping holiday. Starting in the ancient capital, Athens, they hop aboard the ferry to the party island of Mykonos and the traditional island of Milos.

Most Greek Australian families know that when they plan a trip to Greece, a visit to see the relatives is a high-end priority. However, under a tight schedule of only a week in Greece, Dorian said there was no time to visit his extended family.

The “three Asian boys” have collected many fans throughout the show’s airing, but none bigger than Dorian’s mum.

“Mom is our biggest fan,” Dorian said.

“I sort of can’t go to any supermarkets or anything without mum having told the people at the checkout that I’m going to be on the show tonight.”

“My whole family was super stoked. Obviously they wish we could have met relatives, but there just wasn’t any time and we weren’t in the right places, unfortunately.”

To kick off the Greek holiday, the Travel Guides checked out the historical sites of Athens and, putting their own twist on history, they go for a few Olympic records of their own, with varying levels of success.

Leaving Athens they head to the party island of Mykonos, to which when Dorian was asked about the differences in the party scene between Greece and Australia, the Greek Australian said it “doesn’t compare”.

Back on the ferry, the travellers head for more stable shores. The best-kept secret in the Greek Islands awaits them on Milos, where white volcanic cliffs curve like marble into vivid blue seas.

But the party has also followed them to this traditional paradise, where it’s one of the biggest festival days of the year and the whole island has gathered to celebrate with bells on.

Dorian revealed to The Greek Herald that Greece has been his favourite visited location on the show so far, with Athens’ history and beauty being a lifetime highlight.

“It’s the heart of everything, so much history there,” Dorian said.

“The people sort of reminded me of Oakleigh times 20; People calling out to each other on the street, walking around with their coffee, sitting at the cafes all day.”

“My least favourite moment was probably boarding a plane to leave.”

The fourth season of Travel Guides will premiere on Wednesday, April 28, on Channel 9.

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My Travel CV: Travel Guides' Kevin and Janetta share their top tips

Self-professed "holiday snobs" Kevin and Janetta share their travel highs, lows and everything in between.

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We are currently based in….

Both: A little town in Central Victoria – Maldon. It looks pretty much like what it did during the Gold Rush of the 1860s when it was founded.  We moved here permanently from Abbotsford when we retired and love country life.

I grew up in…

Janetta:  Malvern – A suburb of Melbourne

Kevin: Mount Waverley – a less salubrious suburb than Malvern.

I got my first passport when…

Janetta: I was a late starter as a traveller and my first passport was issued to me at the age of 28. That was back in the day when passport stamps were things to collect.

Kevin:   If I could have arranged it, I would have had a passport at the age of five but I was actually 18. I considered it my ticket to ride.  I filled that first with stamps before its expiry date.

My first holiday memory is…

Janetta: As a child, I’d travel around the country with my parents and sister in a caravan (I know, ironic, right? Me in a caravan!)

Kevin: My first real holiday was while I was working for TAA (carbon dating me) in 1975. At the very first opportunity I flew to London and drove around the UK for a few weeks. I never lost the taste of travel from that first trip.

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I’ve been to...

Both: Well it’s probably easier to list the countries we haven’t visited. Zambia’s one of them. Actually, the world’s so huge, there’s still plenty more to explore. When you’ve cruised all over the world, the countries and cities add up pretty quickly.

My favourite place in Australia is…

Both: Sydney. We just love the beauty of the harbour and the vibe of the city, So, why haven’t we moved there? There’s still time.

The place I’d love to visit in Australia is… 

Kevin: We’ve both always had the urge to visit the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, but we’ve never been. It’s a destination we’d like to drive to and we’ve always said that our road trips will be during our retirement. We’re retired now so we have no excuse. But if we have to camp, it better be top of the range. 

The thing about travel I missed during self-isolation is… 

Kevin: The smell of aviation fuel. It’s the sweet perfume of travel.

Janetta: Some may find this strange but I miss the research, planning and packing – they’re an adventure in themselves. And then of course is the actual trip.

If all the international borders were lifted tomorrow, the first place I’d want to go is…

Kevin: We both agree on this. While we’ve been to Spain a couple of times we want to explore further. Now, San Sabastian is high on our hit list. 

Janetta: I always believe food from a certain region tastes better where it originates, and I can hear the Basque Cheesecake calling me.

The place I’ve visited most often is...

Both: We both love Sydney and can’t get enough of that beautiful harbour. We honestly couldn’t count the number of times we’ve visited either for work or pleasure and loved it every time. When we research a hotel in Sydney, a harbour view is essential.

The place that most surprised me was…

Kevin: While filming Travel Guides, we were blown away by Israel. It sits on the forgotten side of the Mediterranean and is so liberal, inclusive and beautiful, and so are the people. It wasn’t what we expected at all. 

Janetta: And the shopping and fashion? - well that’s just another thing to love about the place. 

The place that didn’t live up to expectations…

Both: Surprisingly, it’s Venice. When we arrived, the city was drowning under the weight of a couple of million fellow tourists. The shops were filled with tacky foreign-made souvenirs and it was difficult to see the city’s beauty. The second visit however, proved us wrong...we succumbed to its magnetism.

The advice I’d give to young travellers is…

Both: Adopt the NIKE tag line – Just Do It! The older you get the richer you become from travel experiences. Building your travel wealth from an early age is imperative. The things you do as an 18 year-old traveller are very different from that of a 60 year old, but just as rewarding. Start travel banking now.

My holidays are mostly devoted to… (eg, the outdoors, eating and drinking, history, arts and culture, adventure)

Both: We’re not adrenaline junkies or thrill-seekers but we love exploring on foot. We can spend hours walking around a new city and love turning a corner to find a new food or wine treasure. It’s a way to burn off the calories that travel seems to bestow. Many of the European cities are crammed with incredible galleries and museums. It’s hard not to be pulled in by their booty. 

The sickest I've been on holiday…

Janetta: We were on a European cruise and I was struck down with Norovirus which ran through the ship. Staying confined to our cabin for three days was torture. The world was literally passing by me and Kevin kept reporting on the magnificent meals being served in the magnificent dining room. So compassionate!

Kevin: I fell victim to a dodgy ice cream in India (I know, it should have been a vindaloo) I felt like a visiting Australian cricketer- knocked for six by India! 

The souvenir I always buy…

Kevin: If we had bought souvenirs from all the places we’ve been to, we wouldn’t be able to move in our house. 

Janetta: However, that gives me licence to seek out the local fashion. Some of my favourite ‘souvenirs’ are clothes I’ve bought along the way)

The worst thing that’s happened to me while travelling…

Janetta: My first overseas trip was to Japan, on a cruise. I packed way too many bags and wore the most inappropriate shoes. Of course, I tripped and sprained my ankle badly. Carrying all those bags on my own after that was not fun.

Kevin: I was robbed while working as a travel writer in Ireland. I lost everything – passport, cash, computer, all my work. My entire travel life support system probably ended up in the River Liffey.

The most interesting person I've met on a plane is…

Janetta: I was chatting to a man sitting next to me in First Class from LAX to MEL but never got his surname until he gave me his business card on arrival. He was fascinating and said he was a confectioner. I asked him if I could give him a lift into town when we landed which he politely declined. His card read: JF Mars. I think he could afford his own lift into Melbourne.

Kevin: We managed to score an upgrade to first class from Dubai to Melbourne a year or two ago and was sure we’d be rubbing shoulders with at least one huge celebrity. Alas, the cabin was empty except for us. Sigh. Still waiting to meet someone interesting. I worked at Perth Airport back in the eighties. My office was airside. Charles and Diana were arriving at the airport without an official welcome party. With airside access, I stood at the steps of the aircraft with one of my colleagues, held my hand out and shook both their hands. The Royals must have thought we were someone special.

The best/weirdest things I’ve eaten while travelling was...

Kevin: In Argentina, we dined on Piranha. Oh well, better to eat them than be eaten by them!

My go to dish for room service is…

Kevin: Well that depends on where we are in the world and what sort of a hotel we’re staying in. If the local speciality isn’t on the list (and most room service menus are so homogenised these days) we’ll resort to a club sandwich. It’s been a bit of a quest for us to find the world’s best club sandwich. The Peninsula Hotel (one of our all-time favourites) in Hong Kong is the current award winner. Footnote: A good club sandwich must come with a side of mayonnaise.

The best hotel I've ever stayed in…

Janetta: The Peace Hotel in Shanghai. This is an incredibly old and grand hotel with more history than the ancient Greeks. The walls could tell a million stories. Its glory is a little faded now but that’s its charm. In the basement is a famous jazz club that comes alive every night. The musos would have been in their 80s and were sensational. We loved every minute of the stay.

The travel tips I’d like to share are… 

Kevin: First – pack ziplock bags in a range of sizes, they’ve got so many uses. Second –adjust to the time zone as quickly as you possibly can – there’s too much to see and do and plenty of time for sleeping when you get home. Learn a few commonly used words in the local language – even though you’ll probably be answered in perfect English, at least you’re trying to assimilate. Be a traveller not a tourist.

Janetta: The most useful tip? ...If you’re trying to smuggle duty free booze onto a budget cruise ship, decant it into smaller plastic bottles. They have x-ray machines that detect alcohol bottles and will confiscate them. The ignominy of retrieving your suitcase from the ships lobby with a huge “ALCOHOL” sticker plastered over it is the travel equivalent of a public flogging. (Of course, we’ve only been told this tip, not a firsthand experience. No, of course not!)

Travel has taught me...

Kevin: More than any school or university could. Things have to be seen and experienced firsthand to round out an education, and the world offers plenty to see. 

Janetta: And we’ve still got a lot to learn.

Travel Guides airs Wednesday 7:30 on Channel 9 and 9Now.

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February 28, 2024

Travel Guides' Kevin and Janetta selling their 100-year old home in Maldon, Victoria

• Owners: Janetta Stones and Kevin Moloney
• Address: 21 Boundary Road, Maldon, Victoria
• Type of property: A renovated 100-year-old cottage with a Tuscan-inspired garden
• Price guide: $1.45 million-$1.55 million

For the past eight years, Janetta Stones and Kevin Moloney have travelled the world as critics on Channel Nine’s Travel Guides .

Between trips to places like Tokyo, Argentina, India and Morocco, they’ve returned to their 100-year-old home in the small gold rush-era town of Maldon in Central Victoria.

Declared a Notable Town by the National Trust in 1966, Maldon is a tourist destination known for its well-preserved 19th-century buildings, historic railway station and relics from its gold mining past.

“From the front of the house, we look at old gold diggings – a lot of the history of Maldon is right outside the front door,” Stones says. 

“There’s always something going on in town. From closing the street off to have a twilight dinner for 1000 people to folk festivals, every second weekend there’s something on.”

Originally from Melbourne, the couple moved to their former weekender in Maldon after retiring in 2012 and bought their current home – a five-minute walk from the centre of town and flanked on three sides by bush and crown land – in 2018.

While it “required a lot of love”, the two jumped on the opportunity to reinvigorate the old property, drawn to its views of Mount Tarrengower and the chance to turn a self-contained one-bedroom cottage into the perfect guest house.

“I suppose you could call it a renovator’s delight,” Moloney says. “We’d often drive past it and it’d been on the market for quite some time, but I could really see the potential in it.”

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Living between the cottage and the main house, they embarked on a year-long renovation, raising ceilings, removing internal walls, ripping out old carpet and building a wrap-around verandah.

While the revamp was extensive, they were careful to retain the home’s historic features, including its quaint weatherboard facade, wood-panelled ceilings, and bevelled glass French doors and windows.

“The last place we had was sort of lodge-like and I wanted to go with what I call the ‘Edelweiss theory’ here – small and white, clean and bright,” Moloney says, referencing lyrics from The Sound of Music. “We wanted it to be light and airy with clean lines.”

Channelling his passion for gardening, Moloney took on the challenge of transforming the outside, taking inspiration from their travels to create a Mediterranean-style space complete with olive trees, a grapevine-covered pergola and a lush walled lawn.

“Central Victoria can be a pretty grey and dry place in summer; I wanted to create something that was very green,” he says. “Everyone said you can’t grow grass in Maldon but I wanted to prove them wrong.”

It has a Tuscan feel, Stones adds. “All the levels of brickwork have been bagged in a terracotta look.”

The resulting home is one that they are happy to return to after trips away. They spend time reading in its “sun-trap” courtyard, host yearly garden parties, and often look through Moloney’s extensive travel journals, reminiscing about their experiences.

“We’ve had some really lovely times just having a glass of wine, looking at the sunset and talking about our travels,” Stones says.

The separate cottage – named The Little Cottage (TLC for short) and made up of a living space, kitchen and bedroom with an en suite – has proven a hit with friends, family and paying guests.

“We’ve spent so much time in B&Bs around the world and said, ‘If this was ours, this is how we’d do it,’ ” Stones says. 

“After many years of threatening to do it, we are actually running our own, and it’s exactly as we would like it – lots of cute touches and we get the most amazing reviews.”

The 1100-square-metre terraced block also features a studio with its own street address. Moloney uses it as an office space for his work as a justice of the peace.

While they’ve had some “amazing times” at the home, the couple have recently decided to put it on the market, with plans to make a sea change north to Lake Macquarie in NSW.

“We don’t think it’s ever too late to try something new,” Stones says. “We’ve got a lot of years left in us and we just want to keep trying new things.”

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What I Learned From Two Gutsy Tour Guides Changing the Male-dominated Indian Travel Industry

From facing harassment to being passed over for jobs, Neha Agrawal and Shristi Shukla are overcoming extraordinary obstacles while changing the travel industry.

Lydia Price/Travel + Leisure

Shristi Shukla 's first day as a tour guide did not go as planned.

She’d just set out with travelers in Jaipur , a historic city in India’s northwestern state of Rajasthan, when a stranger approached, launching into a misogynistic rant about "so-called feminism."

“What kind of woman are you, being on the road with so many men?” he added, all in English so her European guests — a group of men — could follow along.

“Out of nowhere, he just came and started abusing me,” Shukla told me.

While female tour guides are becoming increasingly common at monuments and other traveler hot spots in major Indian cities, it’s infrequent to see a woman leading on-the-street Rajasthani excursions like Shukla began conducting in 2018.

“In Delhi, a lot of young women do this job. But Rajasthan is very orthodox in terms of the gender system — and it’s too much here,” Shukla told me. “It was very weird and uncomfortable for them to see a woman leading the tour.”

Shristi Shukla/Travel + Leisure

When I met Shukla and fellow history expert Neha Agarwal while visiting the ornate city last fall, I was blown away by their perseverance and poise amid the scrutiny. Their approaches to teaching Indian history and culture were just as remarkable. Each woman uses fresh narratives and insights that are uniquely their own, and I left Jaipur a wiser woman because of our time together.

Travel + Leisure named Rajasthan one of the best places to visit in 2024 , with world-renowned hotels adding to the allure of its lavish history as a trading hub and the land of Maharajas. Jaipur is one of the region's big draws, called the Pink City because of its centuries-old terracotta buildings. Travelers can experience ancient wonders of art and architecture alongside bustling bazaars and a thriving artisan community. 

Neha Agrawal/Travel + Leisure

Shukla grew up in a forest-filled region of central East India, miles from Jaipur. “They still think that I’m unemployed,” she half-joked about her family back home. “I’ve always been rebellious in my house. I’m the first woman who has actually gone out on my own.”

Like her family, strangers don’t stand a chance of shaking her confidence. “Men always weirdly stare at you. I always stare back at them,” she said. And as for women? “They always come and counsel me,” she said. “‘You’re very sweet and beautiful; you should not do this work. Your skin will be burned doing this walking tour daily, and who will marry you?’”

After their father's passing, Agrawal’s brother encouraged her to become a tour guide. She was the only woman in her guide training class. Sixteen years later, demographics among her colleagues are improving but still heavily skewed — Agrawal recounted being the only woman out of more than 700 men at a Jaipur guide convention in November and feeling distanced from her male colleagues.

The stigma has significant repercussions. Agrawal is an outstanding tour guide — I can’t imagine one with more thorough knowledge of Rajasthan’s history or a warmer spirit — but despite extensive qualifications, over 15 years of experience, and ever-increasing tourism to Jaipur, Agrawal has trouble booking work.

She checks in with the hotels daily, but they don’t send gigs her way unless guests request a female guide. “It’s a polite ‘no.’ But I keep on knocking,” she said. “This is the problem we are facing: We are not getting much work because people do not know the lady guide exists.”

Shukla has also been passed over for opportunities that ultimately go to men despite dozens of satisfied customer reviews on her Airbnb Experiences profile . “Recently, a man told me, ‘You need a man with you to control the crowd,’” she said. She recalled telling the man she had easily led groups of upwards of 15 people — but the whole tour still went to a single male guide.

Piero M. Bianchi/Getty Images

Luckily for anyone visiting the Pink City, Agrawal and Shukla persevere amid the challenges.

I spent my first day in Jaipur with Shukla. Equally gutsy and charming, she has a way of immediately putting you at ease. The storyteller glides through Jaipur’s bustling streets with a calm grace, and that confidence rubs off on you. 

“I was not comfortable sharing only the king’s story,” she told me of her mindset going into the travel industry. “No one is used to seeing history from a female perspective. In our history books and everywhere, we have always read stories about the kings.”

Where textbooks fail her, empathy does not: “If I would have been a woman in that era, how would I have felt? That’s how I started curating the stories and showing the city from a female perspective."

“For example, Hawa Mahal, the wind palace,” Shukla continued, referencing the famous palace facade constructed for royal women to observe outside life without being seen. “It’s magnificent and a landmark of India. But the men proudly say it’s a ‘security wall’ for the women. I would not feel secure being trapped on the other side of a wall.”

Shukla’s work profoundly impacts her female visitors, and she believes they become confident after hearing her storytelling. “I see an excitement in their eyes," she said. "And I think they see hope in India and how a woman can be [here].”

Like Shukla's, Agrawal's ideology emphasizes the impact and experiences of women. “Kings came, kings went, just because of women. They have been strong mothers and strong maidservants. Indian history is full of women who took strong steps, were brave, and had a say," she told me.

When you’re with Agrawal, you find yourself standing up straighter, listening more closely, and asking as many questions about this elegant, wise woman as you are about the centuries-old monuments. She took me to Jaipur’s City Palace, where she had a story to tell about every vase, tapestry, and garment we encountered in the sprawling complex.

akegooseberry/Getty Images

Before moving to Jaipur, Agrawal was a guide in Agra, teaching visitors about one of the world's greatest wonders through a female lens.

“Every single person is going to tell you that the Taj Mahal has been built by the emperor in memory of his wife, right? The history won’t change. But the way you are telling it and talking about that person in the 17th century is the most important thing," she said. "I always tell them that the man loved the woman, no doubt, but the woman has more power to make him fall in love with her.”

While educating travelers about India's history, Agrawal is also learning a lot. She's forged friendships with people worldwide, and her work with women travelers has been especially gratifying.

“When I am with my lady guests, we are in a different zone," she told me. “We talk about everything and anything: their personal lives, struggles, and how they achieved those levels. That is a beautiful day for me, always. I love to hear their stories because they inspire me a lot. I’m at one place, but I’m getting a bit of the whole world every single day.”

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Travel Guides trio Kev, Dorian and Teng reveal what they do behind the scenes on The Block 2022

Most of us know Kev, Dorian and Teng from their hilarious adventures on Travel Guides . But when the men aren't reviewing holiday experiences they're actually working on The Block .

The trio are part of the behind the scenes crew on The Block, and this year they've taken a camera along with them to film their own online series Block Guides .

Stream the latest episodes of The Block for free on 9Now.

In the first episode, which you can watch above, Kev, Dorian and Teng explain what they do on site before "dishing the dirt" on the teams.

Teng is audio assist on The Block , helping to capture everything the contestants say while renovating their homes.

Kev is camera assist, which he described as "even more important" than Teng's sound role.

And Dorian is responsible for making toasties and coffees and handling ad hoc tasks.

These roles mean the men are in prime position to hear any goss that goes down on site. Despite that, they seem to know as much as anyone else does about the reason behind Joel and Elle's shock departure two days after arriving on site.

Dorian asked Teng for any insight on the couple's exit but he had no further details.

"I don't know bro, literally one day they were there, the next day all 80 of their suitcases packed and gone," he said.

"They did what most dates do to Dorian – smoke bomb," Kev joked.

Kev, Dorian and Teng also shared their thoughts on the other couples and gave early predictions of which teams they think will win the series.

The Block airs Sunday at 7.00pm and Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm on Nine. Catch up on all the latest episodes on 9Now .

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