Face those fears and book that ticket. As a frequent traveller I am often asked why I choose solo travel over travelling with others. It is not that I don’t enjoy the company of others when travelling, it is just that my preferred form of travel happens to be by myself. In the last few years I have had family,…
I thought with all of my trips to South East Asia that I was a reasonably ok packer. In fact, the last trip I did to Bali in 2015 I only took carry on size luggage in an attempt to save money on the cost of my flights. And I did ok. Granted a trip to Bali generally means…
For Australian and New Zealand travellers, unless we holiday in our own countries, the Pacific Islands or South East Asia it is inevitable that at some point we will have to endure the long haul to the rest of the world. I think the longest I’ve done is Melbourne – Bangkok – Oslo – Tromso = 23.5 hours…
If you are anything like me you struggle with the idea of leaving your pets when you go travelling. Unless you take them with you, this can be something that could either stop you from doing extensive travelling or stop you from going anywhere at all. Some of us are fortunate enough to have a…
Our dogs are such a huge part of our lives, so why not treat them to a holiday too. A dog vacation is the perfect way to have a get away with our beloved fur kids. Well, the last twelve months for me, and for everyone else on the planet, has been all about staying…
Welcome to my new favourite place in Melbourne. In Thornbury. Where I live. The Thornbury Fromagerie. A short $8 AUD Uber from home. I could walk there it is that close. Winning in life! Imagine my absolute pleasure and utter delight in finding out early in 2020 that there was FINALLY a Fromagerie in my…
Zsa’s Bar Bistro Deli is a Mediterranean inspired one stop shop/café/bar/bistro located on High Street, Northcote. Opening a business in the middle of a global pandemic is definitely no easy feat. Trust me I know (I started my business Smart Artist Management *** at the start of 2020). But to open a restaurant while Melbourne…
What is now fast becoming the ‘French Quarter’ of the inner northern suburbs of Melbourne is the local staple Le Café Flo. Located on busy High Street, Thornbury, Le Café Flo has been around for several years and I have been a happy patron for as many years as they’ve been open. Owned by Frenchman…
I cannot stress to you that while in Rome and doing tours, especially the Colosseum Tour: Arena Floor that you really should be paying the little bit more to do a ‘Skip the Line’ tour. Who wants to be spending a good portion of their holiday waiting for entry into a famous historical site or…
For my Vatican Museum tour, I chose a ‘Skip the line’ through City Wonders. Mainly and importantly because I didn’t want to stuff around losing precious time waiting in line to get into to the Vatican. For cost of the ticket ($101 AUD), and 3 hours in the Vatican, I’d pay it again over and…
A great option while in Rome is staying in an apartment. I chose one that was a ten-minute walk from Rome’s main train station. Stella’s Apartment in the Monti area is a lovely charming place in an otherwise busy and crowded Rome. On the ground level, of an apartment building on via Dei Capocci the apartment is equip with…
When researching tours to do in Florence I wanted to try something different. Like really different. Sure, there’s plenty of wine, history and art tours. But I wanted something that combined everything, with a twist. Cause I am a twist kind of gal. So why not try out Vera’s Rooftop Tour. So, on a rainy late Florentine afternoon, I find myself…
After doing a Streaty tour in Venice I was really keen to do another one in another of the cities they covered. Streaty have just started doing Food tours in Florence. So I was happy to be a part of the start of something, especially when it comes to food. This was a tour for me. I met my…
Well of course I was going to do a wine tour in Chianti while in Tuscany. What a no brainer!! After getting lost trying to find the meeting point for this tour (it was a fair distance from the train station) I finally found my way to quite an organised set up. Quickly herded onto a big coach bus…
There was nothing I could find wrong with this place. Clean and filled with everything you need for an extended stay. The apartment is very secure with numerous locked entry points to the actual apartment. Easy communication with the owner upon booking and with arrival with the owner’s mother whom was absolutely lovely. Armed with…
What a cute little place to stay. Loved it Initially it is hard to find, as there is no signage until you walk into the small foyer. Even then it is confusing. For a while there I thought I was lost but admittedly I was early and the reception area wasn’t yet open. The staff here are incredible. Very…
The tour was run by Elisabeth whom I discovered through AirBnB experiences. Elisabeth is actually from the Netherlands but I specifically chose her to take the tour so I could gain an outsider’s perspective on living in Bologna. Elisabeth is a student and attends university in Bologna. Specifically choosing Bologna for the chance to learn more about Italian food, art and culture. The…
Apartment in Bologna I stayed two nights in Le Casine Di Vladimar whilst in Bologna. The apartment is about a ten minute walk from the main train station and less than ten minutes from the Centro Storico (main centre). There are some great café’s, bars, restaurants and grocery stores close by. Easily accessible on the second floor of the apartment building. The apartment is secure…
Located about 10 minutes from the Monterroso train station, Sull’ Arco is quite an easy find considering the winding streets and little alleys of the Cinque Terre. Just off the main little street in the old town, it is a very steep climb to find the hotel on the first level. If you have a lot of luggage,…
I cannot tell you how lovely Alla Marina is! My favourite of all hotels on my stay in Italy and for being in the Cinque Terre, it is reasonably priced. Modern, fabulous HUGE bed and the largest of showers I experienced in all of Europe. Thank you! It is NOT easy to find and luckily the staff know this…
Ca’ Due Leoni is old school Venice. Set in the Cannaregio area of Venice the hotel is about a 5 minute walk from the train station. Or in my case 20 minutes as I managed to get myself lost at every turn. The hotel is hidden away in a little courtyard which makes it nice and quiet, being away…
This was my first, but not the last time using Streaty for a walking tour while in Italy. I found them on AirBnb experiences and thought that what they had to offer suited what I was looking for in Venice. I chose to do the Venice food and wine evening tour which was hosted by a very knowledgeable local. Meeting point…
We stayed at the Novotel Queenstown, which is centrally located right on lake Wakatipu. The hotel is approximately 15 minutes from the airport and close to all attractions including the ski fields. Literally a two – five minute walk into the shopping and restaurant precinct of Queenstown. The hotel is equip with all necessary facilities…
I’ll start with saying, I am a moderately experienced fine diner. And with a great foodie reputation of course I was excited to try out some of Queenstown’s finest. I always like to treat myself to one ‘fancy’ dinner experience while travelling abroad. I go all out, and why shouldn’t I? When it came to…
‘In Ferg we trust” it says on the sign above the door at Fergburger at 42 Shotover Street, Queenstown, and after a burger or two, you know that you can’t do anything else but trust. And love. And love I most certainly did. There is so much hype that surrounds Fergburger. So much so, that…
Bergen has many a great hotel, but most are well beyond the mid range budget. Especially if you want to stay close to the water. However I was lucky enough to stumble across a true gem of a mid range motel. Immediately upon walking into Bergen Bors to enquire about a room I was met…
I was so very fortunate to have booked the 6 hour sightseeing bus trip through Arctic Buss on a day that there were no other bookings, so was picked up from my hotel in a beautiful black Mercedes. My driver (sorry I can’t remember his name) was a fountain of knowledge and gave me loads…
Anker Brygge – Rorbuer My stay at Anker Brygge, without a doubt, was my favourite in Norway. I stayed in one of the rorbuers right on the water which provided not only great views and subtle maritime sounds, but the accommodation was warm and cosy. Equip with a mini kitchenette, I was able to cook…
I am still stunned and overwhelmed 2 years after my Northern Lights tour with Jacek from Green Fox Guiding. As luck would have it I had chosen a perfect night, the sky so clear and Lady Aurora was on fire! Everywhere I turned she was giving us a big display, loads of movement, colour and…
This place is an absolute gem. The owners are really friendly and were very accommodating. The bed was huge, if not the largest bed that I have slept in whilst in Europe. The shower was delightfully modern with an overhead shower head rather than a hand hold which for this Aussie, was greatly appreciated. Within…
Auberge Flora Really enjoyed my stay at the Auberge Flora. The staff were really attentive, creating a personalised experience. Always happy to help and welcome you back after a day of exploring Paris. The bed was a highlight, super comfortable after 22 hours of flying. Rooms were immaculately clean and tidy and the food for…
Located within the Ayers Rock Resort complex at Yulara, the Outback Pioneer Hotel is a practical choice for the budget conscious without compromising on comfort and amenities. Staying anywhere within the Ayers Rock Resort is considerably expensive by Australian standards and for the cost per night of a room the Outback Pioneer Hotel is nothing…
In my opinion, if you are a first timer seeing Uluru then the Desert Awakenings tour is definitely where you should start. Yes, if you have a car you can get there yourself but what you miss out on by doing that is the experienced tour guides who give you so much invaluable information, geological…