Mudgee is a small country historical town located 268 km northwest of Sydney, past the Blue Mountains. It is surrounded by dozen of wineries, which is the obvious reason visitors flock to the colonial town. The food scene in Mudgee has a lot to offer too with an array of restaurants and cafes lining the main street. Mudgee is about a 3 and a half hour drive from Sydney, making it a perfect distance for a weekend break or an extended weekend throwing in a stop off in the Blue Mountains on the way. Best time of year to visit: Spring and Autumn are undoubtedly the best time to year to visit Mudgee. Due to its inland location, it can get bitterly cold during the winter and extremely warm during the summer, neither of which make ideal conditions for sitting in vineyards sipping wine. The cherry blossoms are in bloom in Spring (Sept- Nov) which make a gorgeous backdrop to vineyard photos. The night time is still chilly (lows of 7 degrees) but the days are sunny and dry in general. In non COVID times, September is when the calendar peaks with the Mudgee Food and wine festival which is…
Singapore is such a great city. It is so diverse and has a eclectic mixture of cultures. My favourite part of the city is the mix of the old and new, bright lights, modern shopping malls juxtaposed with the old temples, grand mosques and traditional shops. For such a small country and relatively compact city, there is such a wide range of things to do. There are great hikes and wildlife within a few mins from the heart of the city. Best time to visit Singapore I went during the rainy season which wasn’t ideal as a lot of the sights are outdoors and when it rains, its pours. Although for the most part, Singapore is a year round destination, the best time to visit is during Singapore’s dry season, between February and April. Singapore’s monsoon season is December- January and is slightly cooler. Although the torrential downpours of rain weren’t ideal, the run up to Christmas is a wonderful time to experience the bright lights of Singapore. The Gardens by the Bay are extra special during the festive period. Here are some of the highlights from my trip to Singapore and…
This is got to be the best way to travel between Coron and El Nido in Palawan if you have the luxury of time and a bit of extra money. It is definitely the most unique way of traveling between the islands and I would recommend it to everyone if they have the time. The expedition cruises last between 3-5 days depending on what option you go for. I opted for the 3 day cruise between El Nido and Coron. It was a fantastic experience islanding hopping around remotes islands visited only by a very lucky few, sleeping on private islands in little huts, enjoying incredible food freshly caught from the sea by our resident spear fisher, meeting families from the remotes islands, snorkelling with turtles and making friends for life around the camp fire at night. Trip overview: The trip I did and the most popular one lasts 3 days, 2 nights. It leaves from Coron/ EL Nido at 8am and everyone meets before at the pier for a safety briefing. You arrive into Coron/ El Nido (depending on the direction you travel in) just after sunset (6pm) so you can enjoy one last sunset from the boat…
The Kawasan falls are arguable the most beautiful series of waterfalls in the Philippines and are the most visited of all the waterfalls. The are on the island of Cebu and can be reached from anywhere on the island but the closest place to visit them from is from Moalboal in the south west of Cebu. The waterfalls are famous of their gatorade blue colour and for the canyoneering you can do from the various cliffs into the pool beneath. Every corner or hostel in Moalboal will have signs for canyoneering tours and full day tours to the Kawasan falls which if you’re tight on money, tight ton time and hate tours like me you will want to dodge. The tours start from 1500 peso upwards and can be as much as 3000 peso from Moalboal. It is the perfect spot for canyoneering as Kawasan Falls in Cebu offers all the activities that compromise canyoneering: swimming, climbing, hiking, cliff diving and so much more. This includes you transport, entrance fee, tour guide, lunch and equipment. The tours usually pick you up at 9 am and return somewhere about 3-4pm in the afternoon. I prefer having the freedom…
A country made up of over 7,000 islands, pristine waters, white beaches, Gatorade waterfalls and countless lagoons, the Philippines must be one of the most instgrammable countries in the world. It’s one of those places that looks better than the photos and was so much more beautiful than I could have imagined. General/ things to know: The capital is Manila, most international flights fly into here or Cebu. I didn’t spend any time in Manila itself but from what I saw moving between airport terminals, the traffic is crazy. Most people try get out of Manila ASAP and get to the islands. Airport terminals are up to a 30 minute drive from each other. Leave plenty of time to get between terminals. The domestic and international terminals and terminals 1,2 and 3 are all a drive or bus away from each other and with the horrendous traffic, it can take 30 minutes in a taxi or by bus to get between terminals. Bare this in mind when planning your flights. Currency is Philippine Peso ₱ (€1= ₱ 55/ USD $1= ₱ 50/ AUD $1= ₱ 34). Things in the Philippines run on islands time. The timetables and…
Shaka. They have a few of these around the Philippines. Some of the best smoothie bowls I’ve had. They do great coffees too and baked vegan goods. The place is always busy and the view out from it of Cloud 9 surf break is pretty great. Opening hours | Daily 6.30am – 5.30pm 2. Kitay’s Place. Rustic, quirky restaurant named after it’s music loving owner. The restaurant aims to be plastic free to preserve the beauty of the island and is environmentally conscious. I always try and support small businesses like this who are promoting sustainable tourism. The menu caters for veggies and meat eaters. Every Sunday they host live acoustic and DJ sets. Opening Hours |8am to 11pm – Tuesday to Saturday, 3pm to 2am – Sunday 3. Kermit. Get ready for the best pizza of your life. Kermit do amazing pizzas and pastas but also have mains too like vegetarian curry, salads, soups and fish if you fancy something lighter. They also run surf lessons, have cottages to stay in and daily yoga classes. Opening Hours | Daily 7am – 11pm 4. Kali Ma Vegan Cafe. This is the cafe which is apart of…
Things to know before traveling: Best time to travel to Japan depends on what you want to see. Early spring is a very popular experience the short lived cherry blossom season and probably the best season but crowds are prices are higher. Japan receives four distinct seasons although it will differ depending on the region. Winter will be freezing and snowy in the north whereas down further south in Okinawa and the southern islands, the weather remains warm all year round. June to October is typhoon season and also rainy season hits during these months. Japan’s summers are be stiflingly hot and humid. Either spring or autumn are best in my opinion or winter, between Dec- Mar, if you are going for skiing in the Japanese Alps. Currency: Japanese yen ¥ (€1= ¥1.20) Language: Japanese, English is not widely spoken and a lot of restaurants only have menus in Japanese so downloading google translate offline is really useful. The signs in the train stations are in English and Japanese and some restaurants have English menus too. Transport: JR Pass! I’ll cover this in detail further on. Taxis are exorbitantly expensive so avoid at all costs. Uber…
No trip to Japan would be complete without spending some time in the crazy, eccentric city of Tokyo. The list of things to do in Tokyo is endless. It is such a huge city and can take time to get around. I’ve made a shortlist of the best things I did in Tokyo. Robot restaurant. For an assault on the senses, check out robot restaurant for one of their shows. This is a crazy show and not really a restaurant as the name suggests but you can order food there and preorder a bento box meal for ¥1000. The food isn’t great here so I would just go to enjoy the show. They serve alcohol too but at triple the price of a drink in 711. Its not a cheap show but if you book online you can get it for 38% less and booking an afternoon show is also cheaper than an evening show. It is an experience for sure and other than in Tokyo, I don’t know where you would ever see something quite like it. An afternoon ticket online costs, ¥5246 (€44) and an evening one is ¥6500 (€55). 2. Hike…
Hong Kong, my favourite city in the world! Hong Kong has so much to offer and so much to do. It is one of the most diverse cities I’ve visited and has something to offer everyone weather you’re a foodie, a beach bum, hiker or city lover. Hong Kong is a compact city with incredible public transport that is incredulously cheap that it makes getting around so quick and easy. The main languages are English and Cantonese and the majority speak English or have some level of pigeon English making it a hot travel destination with very few barriers. If you are smart and plan your days well you can do and see a lot in Hong Kong in just a few days. I stayed on Hong Kong Island and I would recommend staying on that side or near the Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) on the Kowloon side. Most of the expats tend to live on the island side and hang out there, the central area and night clubs and bars are on that side too so best to base yourself there during your stay in Hong Kong. I spent four days in Hong Kong and…
Argentina is a travellers paradise with so much variety of terrains, landscapes and activities to suit everyone. It’s the second biggest country in South America spanning from the tip of Bolivia down to near the Arctic circle. Argentina has everything from out of this world waterfalls and tropical climates, South America’s highest peak, skiing in the winter, glacier carved landscape in Patagonia, metropolitan cities to the finest wine regions in the world. Argentina is safe,cheap, easy to travel and the people are so helpful and friendly. It is a massive country so be prepared for long night buses or several internal flights to explore the country. General info and tips Capital: Buenos Aires Language: Spanish Currency: Argentina Peso (AP); €1= 61 ( at time of writing, 3/9/2019). Money in Argentina- the AP is a volatile currency going through hyperinflation. The Argentine economic situation is very unstable and in just one day the stock market and value of the peso dropped by 30%. The dollar is seen as a very valuable currency in Argentina due to its stability. ATMs often run out of money and charge about €10 to withdraw and they have a maximum…