Lifestyles of the rich and the famous – Nice, France

As the gateway to the French Riviera (Cote d’Azur) I knew Nice was going to stretch the budget. Straightaway going against the title of this blog my first night’s accommodation consisted of the floor at the Cote d’Azur Airport. The next three nights were at Villa Saint Exupery Hostel, of which I had high expectations…

Review: Tay Street Beach Cafe

Tay Street Beach Cafe (154 Marine Parade) Literally metres away from where my Mum lives, somewhere I have never really been to because when I’m there we tend to venture further into town. Seemingly popular, I had always wondered whether this place was worth the hype, or if it was popular purely because it was…

South Coast

When we visited the South Coast we based ourselves at Mirissa and Galle, where it was to make a few day trips from. Arriving at Mirissa by bus from Ella involves the bus terminating at Matara and then catching a tuk-tuk onwards to Mirissa (or whatever beach you are headed to). You can also bus…

Goa

Described by Lonely Planet as a cocktail of sun, sand and spices, it breaks my heart to say that I was somewhat disappointed by Goa. I think that the reason for this was not necessarily due to Goa itself, rather it was just a run of bad luck for us (a combination of not enough…

Uluwatu

Uluwatu was one of the more surfy and relaxing spots we went to. Lots of Australian accents drifting past, and loads of modern dining options. We were advised to stay near Padang Padang beach, and although our hotel’s description of ‘beach front’ was pretty misleading, Padang Padang was a pretty cool spot. The Uluwatu Hotel…

Nusa Lembongan

Nusa Lembongan couldn’t be more different than Gili T. Given that we had just jumped from one island to another, we had expected them to be somewhat similar, so it was exciting to see such a massive change. Gone was the party, the hectic streets and the mass of vendors; Nusa Lembongan was all about…

Gili Trawangan

Getting to Gili T (as it’s more fondly known) is pretty easy, even if it feels time consuming. Most places you visit in Bali assume that visiting the Gili islands will be on your itinerary somewhere, and can suggest, and even organise, your means of transport. Our hostel in Canggu organised ours. It was pretty…

Canggu

The first place we stopped off in Bali, Canggu is essentially Australian owned and Australian occupied. Canggu isn’t a patch on Kuta or Seminyak when it comes to drunk Australians though, and the Australian influence sure creates a good recipe for brunching options. It shouldn’t be surprising to hear that with so many Australians around,…

Devonport, Auckland

Only a short 20 minute ferry ride away from Auckland’s CBD, visiting the seaside village of Devonport can sometimes feel like a whole world away from Auckland. You can catch a ferry from Queen’s Wharf and it costs $12 for a return trip (although you can get a concession if you plan on making the…

The Botanist

The Botanist (219 Onepu Road, Lyall Bay) Lyall Bay’s latest addition, The Botanist, is off to a cracker of a start. It only opened in January 2017, and already I feel like most people I have spoken to have either been there or it’s on their to-do list. A few of us headed out there…