Category: Uncategorized

Western Australia’s best spots to visit

by editaroundtheworld, posted in Australia, Travel

From white sand beaches and turquoise water to pink lakes and diverse flora and fauna, Western Australia has it all and in a two weeks roadtrip from Perth to Exmouth it’s very likely to experience a bit of everything. The bonus to all this is that it’s way less touristy than the east coast of the continent, although it’s just as interesting and stunning, perphaps even a bit more outstanding. 
Considering that my roadtrip started in Perth towards the end of October, the weather has been still a bit unpredictable, windy and a bit chilly but as you make your way more and more north the temperatures rise and in Exmouth you’re happily swimming in warm water by the very end of the month.
In a laidback and rather relaxed travel rhytm, choosing the overnight locations happened always spontaneously, this way spent some time in little towns and also at popular attractions. 
A few of the places I enjoyed and would visit again would be :

Lancelin

The small fishing and tourist town located 127 km north of Perth has got a nice beach, a good bakery, a pretty lookout spot and a well positioned tavern, where you can sip on a wine while watching the sun going down. They serve amazing food as well, the prawns are delicious and the staff very friendly.

Lake Thetis

Heading more north, near the town of Cervantes, lake Thetis is a saline coastal lake, one of a few places in the world with living marine stromatolites. 

Hamelin Pool

Speaking of stromatolites, Hamelin Pool is a must visit, it’s  further up north, in Shark Bay, and it’s more impressive than Lake Thetis, also more touristy. It’s a World Heritage area and these stromatolites are the oldest and largest living fossils on earth. 

Jurien Bay

A popular coastal town, where lots of locals from Perth go just for the weekend, it’s attractive because of the beautiful beach and the great snorkeling opportunities. I’ve spotted also a dolphin in the far distance. The sunset has been magnificent and the caravan park just 2 min walk from the beach.

Geraldton

A coastal city with a quite nice downtown, lots of shops, cafes and restaurants. Great for a bit of a bigger city atmosphere or overnight.

Pink Lake at Port Gregory

The Pink Lake or Hutt Lagoon is a huge lake with entirely pink water, picturesque and unusual, the color of the lake being caused by the presence of the carotenoid producing algae called Dunaliella salina. 

Kalbarri

Probably my favorite WA town, Kalbarri is charming and offers plenty of activities both on water and land. Being situated at the mouth of Murchison River it’s home for pelicans, every morning there’s a pelican feeding opportunity as well. The Kalbarri National Park is nature lovers happy place, plenty of trails and amazing views.

Carnarvon

Not really a town that would impress, but it can be ok to make a stop, take a walk and possibly check out some of the few restaurants and the slice of nature at Chinaman Pool.

Monkey Mia

The world famous dolphin reserve is absolutely amazing, the main attraction being of course the daily feeding of the bottlenose dolphins that have been coming close to the shore for more than fifty years. It’s a wonderful experience to be so close to them and learn about this friendly creatures from the people that dedicate their lives to protect and keep the dolphins happy and healthy.
But that’s not all, Monkey Mia has also a very nice beach, a modern resort with plenty of entertainment options and nice and helpful staff. 

Shell Beach

Still in the Shark Bay region, this beach is covered completely in shells and it’s one of the only two such beaches in the world. 

Coral Bay

Another of my favorite WA spots, Coral Bay is small, relaxed and simply beautiful. The water is crystal clear, warm and nice blue, the beach is covered in soft sand and the whole surroundings are very friendly and inviting. The perfect setting for sunbathing, swimming and just enjoying the beauty of the place. It’s considered one of the best places for snorkeling, the Ningaloo reef being home for a large number of fishes, whale sharks and mantarays. As so many other places in WA, Coral Bay is also a perfect location to watch beautiful sunsets. 

Exmouth and around

The far north west town is known for its amazing Ningaloo reef and the closeby Cape Range National Park.
The town itself is relaxed and welcoming, but the real beauty lies outside the town. 
Just in Cape Range National Park I could have spent probably at least a week, it has so much to offer. Highly recommended to do the Yardie Creek walk, you’ll be rewarded with great views over the gorge, which has deep blue water, red limestone cliff faces and a wide range of wildlife, such as this cute wallaby that decided to hop out of the bush at the right time for a photo with a great background.


Osprey Bay has been amazing for snorkeling, the highlight was swimming with turtles. Also plenty of fishes of all sizes and colors to be seen.


Turquoise Bay is absolutely spectacular, definitely visit it once you’re in the National Park. As the name suggests, the color of the water is perfect turquoise blue, you feel like in paradise there. It’s known as western Australia’s best beach and one of the top best beaches of the whole continent – I can understand why.

It feels like there’s so much more to discover around here, but these highlights are probably the most spectacular ones and can easily be explored in aprox 2 weeks. The beautiful beaches are certainly attractive and the journey towards them is pleasant, occasionally some local animals may great you as well.

City2Surf Sydney – the world’s largest fun run

by editaroundtheworld, posted in Australia, Sydney, Travel

Runners might have it on the bucket list, Sydney siders love it and all participants are aware that City 2 surf is the world’s largest fun run and Sydney’s favorite sporting event. My long distance running experience started not too long ago with 4 k, at the second event I did a 5 k and this time I didn’t want to miss the opportunity of being part of what’s considered a blast and a challenge that everybody around me talks about. Therefore with all possible excitement I registered a week ago and with again a very minimal training but a much bigger determination I put my runners on and lined up at St Mary’s in the CBD to start the hardcore challenge.

The atmosphere from the very beginning has been very welcoming and entertaining, just as I expected it to be. Music, good vibe and many many keen runners of all ages started the countdown on this sunny Sunday morning.

City 2 surf attracts annually thousands of participants, last year reaching a fabulous number of 80,700 registrations. It’s impressive taking into consideration that it’s been only the 48th edition back then and the very first one in 1971 started off with only around 2000 runners.

This year didn’t disappoint either, the massive crowd giving the extra push and motivation along the way.

The race started on College Street in the CBD and following the route along the eastern suburbs, with beautiful Rose Bay and Vaucluse views, where many participants stopped for a quick foto shoot. So did I because I actually had no photo of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge from that angle. Yeah, a side of me is still a tourist here and yes, I do love those two gorgeous icons. So there you go, I skipped one water stop and replaced it with a few seconds break of posing with the beautiful background.

Making our way towards the world famous and spectacular Bondi Beach, where the finish line is set, meant another few km-ers to go, but mainly downhill from this point on, which made things slightly easier.

Over all, as any similar event, it’s been challenging and at times really hard to push through, but also a very rewarding experience that I’m so glad that I signed up for. No wonder that in the runners world it’s often a bucket list race to do, also named by notorious publications as one of the world’s most scenic runs. I reckon most of those runners will stop for a selfie on the top of the hill to catch the great background.

I couldn’t disagree and actually if my runner version had a must do list, City 2 Surf would certainly be on it, now ticked off with a result of 1h 45 min result. Must admit I surprised myself with this. More runs to come!

Iconic Bondi – Sydney

by editaroundtheworld, posted in Australia, Sydney, Travel

Sydney’s most famous and certainly the busiest as well beach, Bondi for sure rings a bell even for those that didn’t get the chance yet to visit it. The iconic beach attracts many people surprisingly even in winter. Winter at this part of the world is mild though, today in a pleasant 18 degrees sunny day I was lying on the beach, reading a book, while a few brave ones were taking a dip in the ocean.

Just recently Bondi hosted a typical winter activity location, an ice rink, where both young and older could enjoy some fun on the ice with ocean views. That’s probably the closest you can get to winter here.

Nothing to complain about, especially when you’ve got the amazing coast line to explore.

On a day like today, when it’s warm and sunny, but not too hot, coastal walks are the ideal weekend activities that keep you in shape.

The stretch from Bondi to Coogee is easy and starts right from the beach, passing Bondi Icebergs and going all the way along the coast.

Very relaxing, on one side with the waves hitting the rocks and above us the beautiful blue sky, amazing combination of what in my terms means perfection.

Along the way you’ll see plenty of interesting and picturesque stone formations that look great in photos.

Also, a few small beaches, such as Tamarama or Bronte, where there are barbecue opportunities and always good vibe.

Lots of people take their dogs on this walk as it’s a very pet friendly environment and I’m sure the dogs enjoy the walk as much as their owners.

As Australia seems to be encouraging a lot sport and fitness in general, this part of the city is in particular a great example of that. Everywhere around Bondi and the sea in general, there are always many super fit people doing their work out, run, stretch or yoga. While on our coastal walk we’ve been taken over so many times by runners that just casually jog from one beach to the other on a regular Sunday afternoon.

The walk goes through a cemetery as well and between the graves you still have the magnificent view of the ocean. One way takes usually just over an hour in a normal rhytm with occasional stops for drinking water or taking pictures. Whether you opt for one way or return, in either cases there’s public transport available.

It does worth it sticking to the area until sunset for having the chance of looking at the ocean on a different light, that is quite pretty and relaxing.

The atmosphere becomes quiet and romantic as the night falls and the waves sound much louder but in the same time more calming. In the distance the city’s light start turning on and the darkness begins to take over slowly. It’s handy to have a light jacket because it gets windy and chilly very quickly, as soon as the sun sets.

The return walk took almost 3 hours and at return  the night lights welcomed us back to reality: busy, noisy and always fun Bondi.

Wesak Day 2018 Kuala Lumpur

by editaroundtheworld, posted in Backpacking, Travel

I must admit the term Vesakha or Wesak didn’t mean anything to me until a few days ago, when I heard about a parade that was going to be happening near my accommodation in Kuala Lumpur.

I started researching online about it to see if it may represent me any interest to participate at all.

I found out that it’s also called Buddha’s birthday, which started to shed light on the topic. It’s a holiday celebrated by Buddhists and some Hindus and it commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha.

Wesak Day is on May’s full moon day and it’s public holiday in Malaysia.

The service started at the Buddhist temple Maha Vihara in Brickfields at 6 pm with meditation.

The streets were decorated as for celebration and lots of people gathered, unfortunately many beggars too.

The first float was carrying a big Buddha statue decorated all around with lots of flowers and in front a little Buddha that was being washed carefully by every single person that lined up for the ritual that represents the purification.

Several other floats followed, each of them carrying a different Buddha in a shiny and flowery set up and most of them having in front the tiny Buddha for the washing procedure .

In the honor of Buddha’s teachings, according to which we shall manifest generosity, volunteers were offering free soup, water and a little package that included a candle, a few flowers and some candies.

Ready to join the parade, we lit up our candles and started walking the streets of KL with a feeling of happiness in hearts and smiles on our faces .

The full moon was shining bright from between the skyscrapers during the whole route that ran approximately 12 km and lasted more or less 4 hours, ending at the same place where it started.

For Buddhists a celebration, for locals a day off, for tourists something new , for me another unique Kuala Lumpur memory.

Happy Wesaka!

Kuala Lumpur in a nutshell

by editaroundtheworld, posted in Backpacking, Travel

Getting around Transportation in KL is fairly organized and easy to figure out, but also ridiculously cheap. For instance a one way  ticket from KL Sentral – main station , that’s where you arrive from the airport whether you take the train or the bus – to KLCC – Kuala Lumpur City Center aka Petronas Twin Towers – will cost you 2,40 MYR, which is aprox 0,80 AUD or 0,50 Euros. When it comes to public transport the offer is wide: from a free tourist bus that runs to the main attractions, to the train, bus, monorail and bikes. However, is also not a bad idea to take long walks around the city, as most places are easy to reach by foot if you can cope with the humidity. Eating & drinking out One thing is sure: nobody will starve in this city. From street food to fine dining, everything is available at any time of the day and night. With such a diverse cultural and ethnic mix, food from pretty much all over the world can be easily found. Head to Chinatown to eat together with the locals at simple food courts and try the typical Malaysian claypot squid rice or claypot shrimps noodle.Make your way to Brickfields neighborhood , or Little India, as locals call it, where you can eat at one of the many restaurants or street vendors that are all around the neighborhood.Check out Jalan Alor at Bukit Bintang and you’ll find yourself on a street full of restaurants, this is the food street of the city where locals and visitors get together to enjoy not only the fresh meals but the live music, friendly faces and good vibe as well. Just a few steps away is another famous street, but this time with heaps of bars ‘cause after a good dinner one must get a drink or two, no? Changkat Bukit Bintang or “the bar street” , is a heaven for party goer locals, tourists and expats. To satisfy  everyone’s pleasure there’s a bar for all tastes, being that Irish bar, whiskey bar, night club, karaoke bar or Cuban lounge.I’ve heard from some sure sources that most places have ladies night on Wednesday’s when ladies get free drinks, but no problem gents, you can order your discounted alcoholic beverage any day of the week at late afternoon happy hour. In Kuala Lumpur, with so many skyscrapers, the rooftop bars are in trend as well, where for the price of the cocktail you get also a magnificent view over the city. The dress code is smart casual at such places usually, but the people just as friendly as everywhere else around KL. You might start your night alone, but most probably you’ll end it with a few new friends from different corners of this world.Things to see1. Petronas Twin Towers There’s no complete visit to KL without a stroll around the iconic Petronas Towers. Both at daytime and night they offer a magnificent view and the perfect background for your souvenir photo. Every evening there’s a light show going on when the water from the fountain dances to the rhythm of the music at 8, 9 and 10 pm.2. Perdana Botanical GardensApart from being a great spot for jogging or picnic, it’s picturesque art pieces will inspire you to start a photoshoting session.3. National Mosque of MalaysiaImportant building for the nation, impressive from outside and possible to visit inside as well at certain times of the day. It can hold up to 15,000 people and it’s main dome is star shaped with 18 point out of which 13 represent the 13 states of Malaysia and the remaining 5 represent the 5 pillars of Islam. 4. Islamic Arts MuseumSoutheast Asia’s largest museum of Islamic art, it’s located only 5 min walk from the mosque. 5. KL TowerAnother tall building, at its 421 m hight, it’s currently the world fifth tallest structure. It’s one of Kuala Lumpur’s iconic landmarks and offers spectacular views of the city.6. Kuala Lumpur City GalleryNot sure how popular is the gallery itself but the I love KL sign, which is just outside of the building is certainly a famous photo location. 7. Sultan Abdul Samad BuildingJust opposite the road from the Art Gallery, the impressive building is impossible to miss. It’s architecture is eye catching and it just makes the city simply beautiful. 8. Central MarketPerfect place to go for souvenir shopping or just for a casual day out. It’s a relaxed atmosphere, the venders are not pushy at all and the quality of the products seems to be good. It’s also great for a spontaneous fishspa session.9. Chinatown As a typical Chinatown: food, vendors, lots of people, bargain, cheap bags, sunnies, selfie sticks, fake D&G’s and much more.10. KL Forest Eco ParkA real treasure in the heart of the city. It’s the oldest forest reserves in the country and it’s a perfect spot for ecotourism. With its several nature trails and a forest canopy walkway, it’s an outstanding attraction which will help you get a small doze of adrenaline and a great view of the city from above the trees.Street art, temples, colorsThanks to the strong ethnic mix in the city and in the country in general, during a stroll around KL you’ll bump into many temples , either Chinese, Hindu or Buddhist.I found Kuala Lumpur very artistic in many ways. The contrast of the old and new architecture, the fancy tall buildings and the simple, small structures , the old fashioned and the trendy, they all create a diverse vibe. In some areas of the city street art is in particular impressive, making a casual walk a fun experience.With bright colors and some creative ideas, these streets near Bukit Bintang have been transformed from the ordinary into an attractive , happy environment that makes you laugh your head off even on a rainy day.To be continued…A trip that I initially booked just because of convenience – an affordable dental treatment in KL instead of a ridiculously expensive one in my current home city of Sydney – turned into another amazing travel experience that I will not forget.Although I’ve considered spending a few days out of the city, sometimes going with the flow means sticking to one place if that feels great.A week ago I landed without knowing anyone , in a few days I’m departing not only with amazing memories but also great new friends from different parts of the planet.A big shout out to the people that helped me patiently ( or not so patiently ) in taking the photos I wanted and for sharing big laughters:- Ilien and Alvin – KL- Nick and Nicki – UK- Akie – Japan- Tracy – Vietnam

Anzac Day in Canberra

by editaroundtheworld, posted in Uncategorized

When Australians couldn’t decide which big city to put as capital, Sydney or Melbourne, they came up with a solution: let’s create a new one and build it up between the two above mentioned ones.

The compromise seems to be working well and Canberra is proudly hosting now not just one, but two parliament houses, an old and a new. Besides all the government institutions, Canberra has a strong art and history presence as well.

The Australian War Memorial reaches its highest number of visitors every year on April 25 with the occasion of Anzac Day. The acronym ANZAC stands for

Australian and New Zealander Army Corps, whose soldiers were knows as Anzacs.

The powerful dawn service that takes place in the nations capital and every major city around the continent brings together thousands of people who pay their respect for the soldiers that lost their lives in the war.

The rather poor weather conditions did not stop this year approximately 38.000 people from making their way to the Australian War Memorial, even though for many of them that meant kilometers of walking. Powerful messages has been delivered by veterans in a solemn mood.

Thousands of hearts were beating in the same rhythm and tears shedding while singing proudly the lyrics of the national anthem with litten candles in hands.

Australians by nature or choice, we all placed our poppies to a name on the Roll of Honour and with a high respect for those that fought to make the world a better place : lest we forget …

New Years Eve in Sydney

by editaroundtheworld, posted in Australia, Sydney, Travel

The beauty of Sydney Harbour is on any given day mind blowing, but on New Year’s Eve it’s in particular stunning.

No wonder that people travel from overseas just to watch the famous fireworks when the clock hits midnight. It’s very common to see people struggling to find a good place already in the morning of December 31, taking their meals for the day and literally spending the whole day out, sometimes in terrible heat, just to experience a once in a lifetime event.

I was still little kid when I watched in the tv for the first time and I remember staring with my mouth open because it was absolutely beautiful. Back home, in Romania was still just after midday and those people on the other side of the world were yelling Happy New Year. I thought that’s amazing! And they did that wearing shorts and summer dresses, while I had warm pullovers on even inside the house. It was fascinating to think that it’s summer somewhere while at my place is winter and that it’s night when at me is day still. I started to develop a passion for Australia and especially for Sydney every year after. I am grateful for the tv channels that transmitted a short part of the New Years fireworks from the major cities around the world in the order of the time zones. Sydney was always the first, the most beautiful and my favorite every single time. Long story short: I made my bucket list item to be part of it not just spectator from my couch at home.

First time I spent New Years in Sydney was two years ago, loved it, but haven’t been so lucky to have the best viewing spot. This time, things happened differently .

I happened to be invited last minute to probably the most wanted places to be on this special evening.

At 11 pm, when we got to the Opera Kitchen, the atmosphere was great, the views amazing and the people more than excited. For starters some snack and a glass of wine, but at midnight the champagne didn’t miss either.

When the countdown started everybody turned towards the Harbour Bridge shouting out loud the numbers 3,2,1.

The spectacular fireworks lit up the sky of Sydney and colored it for a few seconds with bright blue, red and golden colors, offering us a memorable 20 minutes of show and excitement.

To my right was the Opera House, to my left the Harbour Bridge and both looked wonderful as the fireworks kept on going.

Any better view for New Years Eve in Sydney I don’t think I could have wished for.

The venue was full but not overcrowded, our table being located probably in the best spot, easily could see everything that did matter.

Another new year, quite a special one, has started in an unexpectedly interesting way in my favorite city.Happy 2018!

Byron Bay vibes

by editaroundtheworld, posted in Australia, Backpacking, Travel

Byron Bay is that hippie town on the east coast that everybody goes to once and will fall in love with instantly. On my previous Aussie trips I did parts of the east coast and whenever I met fellow travelers that heard I made it to Surfers Paradise, the next approach was if you liked Surfers, you will love Byron. I was excited and ready to be surprised when I boarded the plane in Sydney with destination Ballina.

Yes, you can fly to Byron very cheap either to Ballina or Gold Coast airport, Ballina being the closest one, only 20 min drive from the airport to Byron Bay town center.

Touched down in Ballina, took a shuttle and reached Byron Beach Resort, which was going to be my home for the next four nights. The location is great, just opposite Belongil beach, which I prefer over Main Beach, because it’s not crowded and it’s a better match if you just want to relax.

The town is maybe 20 min walk away, but bikes are available for rent or a free shuttle runs often to town and back.

Belongil Beach is perfect for daytime, sunset watching and at night for chilling under millions of stars. But the action , aka party, happens in the town.

Railway bar and Cheeky Monkey are the most popular bars for those that love live music and alternative vibes. The truth is that live music is impossible to avoid in any case in Byron -not that anyone would like to avoid it – because quite talented baskers are all around the town playing guitar and singing to the eager public. They do a good job and they keep the spirit of Byron Bay alive.

The iconic lighthouse is proudly standing on the top of the hill and can be seen from pretty much everywhere in town.

Bush walks, biking and running trails, they all lead to the beautiful lighthouse and just behind it a short trail will lead you to the most easterly point of the Aussie mainland.

For the sunrise I got up at 4:40 am, took the shuttle from Byron Beach Resort – they organize sunrise tours on specific days of the week – and walked to the lighthouse with half closed eyes still to capture the moment when the sun pops out of the Atlantic and rises over it, lighting up the town.

It wasn’t an easy job to get up at that time, considering that the previous night was a bit long, but it was certainly worth it. Surprisingly many people have been up there and we all together stayed speechless when the sunrise started to happen. It was beautiful!

Walking around the lighthouse I discovered that a big number of people choose this place for morning yoga and meditation or dog walking. I don’t blame them. You get stunning views and definitely a good boost to start a great day.

Byron is the place where I could keep on extending and extending my stay thanks to it’s laid back atmosphere, chilled out people, super friendly locals and fellow travelers and in my case also because I met wonderful swiss people that woke up my beautiful memories related to Switzerland.

I didn’t end up extending my stay, after 4 days I went to Brisbane, but in 4 days can’t back to Byron for the night not because Brisbane is not great, but because Byron is just a bit cooler if you’re after relaxed time by the beach.

This time I’ve chosen to stay at Byron Holiday Park, all ready for new adventures, hence I booked a tent instead of a room.

The staff at The Aviary are extremely friendly and my tent was more than comfy. It rained a bit at night and some birds made weird noises cause yea, it’s Australia, but the experience has been awesome. I’m about to check out soon and I know for sure that I’ll return again here and I’ll claim a tent. But by then I’ll tell you about some daytrip options that are easily doable from Byron Bay.

Nimbin

Nimbin could be considered the little sister of Byron, it’s smaller, even more chilled out and even more hippie and colorful.

Not that I’d have any interest, but involuntarily I saw how easily you can get marijuana there, just on the street and without any cover.

Some people walk their white camel as others do their dogs.

I spent around 3-4 hours in Nimbin, which happened to be the meeting point for catching up with a friend from Brisbane, but liked it. Nimbin seemed to be interesting place at daytime, I can imagine how much more interesting it becomes at night.

Crystal Castle

You may go to Crystal Castle if you want a little bit of spiritual experience, to relax and get yourself together. The experts there will introduce you to the world of the crystals, pointing out the healing effects that each type of crystal has and you can also participate in some demo activities that run daily.

However, even if crystals are not your cup of tea, the place is beautiful, more like a botanic garden type of park with nice plants and flowers, bamboo trees and Buddha statues.

Write your wish on a paper and tie it next to thousands others, maybe, maybe it comes true. Get your lunch at the restaurant that offers great nature landscapes. Buy a souvenir at the shop. Believe it or not it’s easy to spend half day there just wandering around and taking in the scenery.

Minyon Falls

If you made it to Crystal Castle, Mynion Falls it’s just a short drive from it and it’s quite nice, I assume even nicer if it rained the day before. If time allowes, hiking all the way to the base of the falls is an option, where a dip in the fresh water is a must.

Broken Head Nature Reserve

Broken Head nature reserve is near Byron Holiday Park and it has a nice and calm beach, a possibility to do a walk along the coast with views over the Three Sisters Rocks.

Relaxing and gorgeous, the surroundings of Byron Bay are just as appealing as the town itself.

Event of the year in Wollongong – Australia

by editaroundtheworld, posted in Australia, Backpacking, City break, Travel

For a typical tourist Wollongong is most likely completely unknown because it’s not one of those popular Aussie cities that must be on your bucket list.

It’s located less than 2 hours drive from Sydney, just around the corner if we speak in Australian standards in the matter of distance.

Even many locals commute on a daily basis to their work places in Sydney while living in Wollongong, where the cost of living is much lower than in the iconic city that hosts the Opera House.

Every December Wollongong becomes a big attraction though and that’s because it’s the location of the biggest Santa Claus pubcrawl in Down Under. It happens usually on the first Saturday of the month and it attracts thousands of people, all dressed up in white and red Santas and Santa’s helpers, elf’s and whatever could suggest Christmas .

All the income of the event goes to charity and everybody is happy because the party and good vibes go on the whole day, starting midday and finishing sometime around the morning hours the next day.

All the pubs and clubs of the town are involved and every single one of them gets overcrowded once the evening starts and the party goers spread around. It’s just normal to see drunk Santa’s stumbling around or the bit more sober ones riding their bikes.

What all have in common is the Christmas spirit and the eagerness to party all day and night.

But apart from the great santa pubcrawl, Wollongong is a good destination on other days too. The beaches are nice, less crowded than Sydney beaches and the atmosphere is very laid back.

For fit visitors renting a bike for a few hours and biking along the coast is a good workout and stunning photo shooting opportunity.

The views along the coast are wonderful and with a little detour you can reach the lighthouse, one of the iconic landscapes of the town.

Plenty of nice restaurants also around there. They serve amazing see food – until recently I wasn’t at all a seafood fan – which can’t be more fresh than that as the fish market is just next door.

Wollongong area is amazing for hikers too, Mt Keira being one of the greatest lookout points offering great panorama of the town.

A few days in Wollongong is enough to explore a bit also the surroundings. Daytrips to Fitzroy Falls or Carrington Falls are quite popular and doable in a few hours.

My favorite was Carrington Falls, where it’s impossible to resist not jumping into the fresh water to cool down on a hot Aussie summer day. The water is crystal clear and refreshing.

And if all these were not enough, on the way back to Wollongong make a stop at Robertson town, where for some reason the placed a big potato called massive stone, but that’s not even so special. Where you need to go it’s just next to it and it’s the best bakery you can find, called Petite Fleur. They bake right at the spot the most delicious cakes and cookies, just perfect to reward yourself in style in Wollongong area.

Fiji times

by editaroundtheworld, posted in Backpacking, Travel

A dream destination, hidden in the Pacific, away from everything, lie the beautiful Fiji Islands. Fijians are considered one of the friendliest people on Earth and with good reason. They smile, sing and dance and do all that in Fiji time, which means relaxed, chilled out, no rush mode.

My flight from Singapore landed in Nadi at 5 am and even at that early hour of the day there were two Fijians playing the guitar and singing their cheerful welcoming song followed by a big “Bula” , which means hello, welcome.

Nadi

Most international flights would land in Nadi, hence a stopover there usually occurs. My stopover lasted for two days, which is a rather long time in Nadi, but I decided traveling Fiji time.

As welcoming view I watched a sunrise like this.

And the very same day, a sunset like this.

But if you spend some time in Nadi the town must be checked out too. Taking the local bus is already an adventure in itself , don’t even bother stressing about the fact that it doesn’t come according to the schedule.

Nadi Town is small and quite compact, filled with many shops and some restaurants and cafes.

There are some markets and many handcraft items are sold at every step, all the sellers trying to give you a more and more convincing line, just to get you to buy something. It’s very common that they will start telling you their whole life stories and fill you in with way more information that you’d need to know. All this while having enormous smiles on their faces and being warm and friendly, as they know very well how to be so.

Nadi may not be the safest town, but I never felt unsafe either. There is a fair number of tourists and you can easily spot them because we do stand out between all the Fijians.

Bounty Island

Nadi is the starting point of the island hopping, ferries departing from Port Denarau and cruising up to the Mamanucas and further up north to the Yasawas.

Bounty Island is the second stop on the Yasawa Flyer and in 30 min cruising it already lies in front of our eyes. It’s a small island, in 20 min I walked it all around, but it’s pretty, cosy and filled with friendly Fijians at the only resort on the island, called Bounty Island Resort.

As at the airport, also here they sing to you when you arrive and they certainly not forget to sing you when you depart either.

The typical activities that happen are snorkeling, stand up paddle boarding , sunbathing and swimming and also the famous Kava ceremony.

Kava is for Fijians the most significant drink, they offer it with important occasions and so they do without any specific occasion too. They make it from the kava plant and it basically looks like dirty water. The taste is not very appealing either, but it’s not unpleasant. It’s nonalcoholic, but it does make you so relaxed after a few cups, that some people were literally falling asleep while sitting.

Bounty island is quiet and relaxing, the views are beautiful on sunny days.

Mantaray Island

It’s name represents the mantarays that can be seen in the season. It’s a bigger island, with a more vibrant atmosphere than Bounty and with another group of super friendly Fijian staff at the resort.

Besides the usual kava ceremony they do typical local dances for the public, where you are invited to join in and great fun is guaranteed.

From Mantaray a few hours trip is a must do and includes hiking and snorkeling.

Stunning views, fun and entertaining guides and most likely an adventurous half day is part of the deal.

Suva

Switching back to the mainland, 3 hours away from Nadi is Suva, the nations capitol. Not an impressive city, rather a bit dodgy town, Suva is less touristy than Nadi and feels a bit less safe too.

The Beachhouse

My favorite place in Fiji, the Beachhouse is on the beautiful coral coast and it’s one of those places where you go and you get stuck.

A decent beach, hammocks to relax, great people and in general a wonderful vibe.

A few hours I spent doing a bush walk with some fellow travelers and our only 18 years old Fijian guide. In our way we passed a friendly fijian families home and stopped for a chat.

These friendly, relaxed and positive people live in poor conditions, yet they are so much at ease with life that it gives us an example.

The Beachhouse was supposed to be my home only for 3 nights, but I enjoyed it so much that after several extensions it turns out that I spent 7 nights there and it felt that I could do even longer.

Every type of traveler will find an activity that suits them, whether the swing, the table soccer, stand up paddle boarding or the sunset watching.

What’s set for sure is that the day starts with yoga , of course it’s optional though, and ends with beer, that’s optional too, but there are always plenty of volunteers.

Whether you choose one or the other, do it in Fiji time.