Hamilton Island - Family Trip 2015!

Hi lovelies, we are back from our family vacation to Hamilton Island! It was the first time Chloe was travelling and also sleeping away from home (and her cot, since birth!). It was very daunting, but we survived and while Chloe was not a happy bub all the time during the trip, it was nice to spend some QT with the family!


Accommodation
We stayed at the Shorelines number 18 apartment, which is on the western side of the island. It boasts stunning sunset views across the ocean! The apartment was equipped with a high chair and also a portacot. It has a self-contained kitchen so you can buy groceries and make your meals at home.  I really loved how spacious the apartment was and the views were just breathtaking. The only downside, was I thought that the apartment was not as clean as expected (we saw roaches) and also the decor and furniture did feel and look a little tired.

If we were to go again, I would probably choose to stay at a lodge on the Resort side of the Island near Catseye Beach. But staying anywhere is fine, as getting around the island is very easy, you can walk or ride a Buggy or Shuttle pretty much anywhere!

Things-to-do
We really wanted to just chill and relax so I didn't fill our itinerary with many activities. A couple things I would definitely recommend though (besides chilling on the beach):
1. Hike Passage Peak - the views will not disappoint! The hike is quite steep and in the bush so wear your sneakers!
2. Have lunch at the Hamilton Island Golf Club - $65 for a 2 course lunch, as well as a tour of the scenic golf course and includes return ferry taxi to Hamilton Island.

Restaurants
We only ate out a handful of times as we wanted to cook meals at home - I highly recommend ordering via Coles Online at least a week in advance! We left it too late and had to resort to the Island's only General Store (which charged exorbitant prices for groceries). We ate the Marina Tavern for dinner, I would say it is pretty average (order a burger or the parmi!).  We also had takeout from Popeye's Fish and Chips (yummy chips!) and Bob's Bakery (yummy pies).

Hope you found this helpful! Let me know what you recommend doing in Hamilton Island!

Switzerland Vlog! Part I - Lucerne and Lauterbrunnen plus Hotel (Chalet) Tour!

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Music by danosongs.com  

Anyone who's been to Switzerland will tell you just how beautiful it is. It literally feels like heaven on Earth...As I love being outdoors, Switzerland was definitely a highlight for me, getting in touch with nature and I thought Lauterbrunnen is the PERFECT place for a tranquil, back to basics, getaway :)

We arrived in Zurich, Switzerland from Barcelona and caught the train from Zurich to Lucerne where we had a stop over for lunch, then back on the train again from Lucerne to Lauterbrunnen.  The trains and customer service we received were top notch compared to Sydney! Below is what I thought of our first day in Switzerland...

What to do in Lucerne if you had 2-3 hours...
1. Check out the famous Kapellbrücke (wooden "Chapel Bridge"). It's so pretty and worth a picture
2. Try some cheese fondue or a sausage and some rosti
3. Buy some chocolate!! Go to Bachmann, you won't regret it!
4. Enjoy the scenery :) Lucerne is right next to a stunning lake, enjoy the sun, and the swans and pelicans!

Lauterbrunnen
We chose to stay in Lauterbrunnen because it was in the valley of the Bernese Oberland.  We wanted somewhere serene and close to walking trails.  So Lauterbrunnen is easily accessible by train as well as walking tracks from other nearby villages such as Murren.

We stayed at Chalet Horner which I can't recommend enough! It was a cozy chalet with a kitchen and the most spectacular view of Staubbach Falls just outside your balcony. What more could you ask for?

In the next vlog, and blog post, I'll walk through things to do in Lauterbrunnen :)

London Vlog! Part II - Tower of London, British Museum and Portobello Markets

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Music by danosongs.com 

London Tips Part II!

1. Visit the museums!
One of the best things about visiting London is checking out the free museums! We visited British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern and Natural History Museum.  British was definitely my fav by far, I enjoyed the artefacts of the various historical civilisations.  Highly recommend checking out the museums!

2. Tower of London - worth it?
Personally, no I didn't think it was worth it. I enjoyed it, the Beefeaters made a great tour guide, but just walking within the Tower of London wasn't amazing...the crown jewels were pretty but were probably not worth the travel or entry fee!

3. Ride a double decker bus!
Go on, ride on the second floor, front row!We don't have these in Sydney so I thought it was pretty fun :)

4. Food adventures!
We ventured out to west of central London for a taste of curry and I definitely recommend it if you have the time! Was one of the best Indian foods I've eaten! Also, definitely try high tea! We went to Charlotte Street Hotel and absolutely loved it!! Scones were delish!

5. Hit the theatre!
We went to see the Lion King, book your seats early! Absolutley loved the show :) If we had time, would have loved to see another! You can also check out Covent Garden which is in the area!

6. Visit the markets!
We went to Borough markets (we went late and it was closing but there was some interesting food stalls) as well as Portobello Markets (good for antiques, bits and bobs, a few food stalls)! Go early as they can get quite crowded, especially Portobello on a Saturday!

7. Stroll through the parks!
Loved the walks through Kensington park, it was warm and very calming - we even crossed paths with some squirrels! We stayed close to the park so we actually walked from Harrods back to Bayswater via the park!

London Vlog Part I !! London by Bike and Hotel Tour!

Ello ello ello! Don't you just love the English accent?! London was our second stop during our Europe voyage in April :) Check out what we got up to in the vlog below:

Camera: GoPro Silver 3+
Music by danosongs.com

Tips on London! (based on this vlog)
1. Pick a good hotel room suited to your needs
We stayed at Prince's Square Apartments in Bayswater. It's not smack bang in the middle of Central London but it was close enough by train! The room itself was a huge studio including a basic kitchen and lounge area! This was probably the second roomiest hotel we stayed in during the trip.  I loved how you can make breakfast or dinner if you didn't feel like eating out! and there are so many convenience stores walking distance from the hotel. I also liked how there were two stations close to the hotel, Bayswater and Queensway.  Queensway was on the red line, and took you directly to central london! Definitely recommend this hotel if you want to be away from the hustle and bustle from Central London and be close to the leafy greens of Kensington Park.

2. Do a bike tour on your first day
As per Paris, we went on a bike tour with BrakeAway Bike Tours ! We both really enjoyed it and was a great way to see the city in a small amount of time and gave you an opportunity to visit the places that you enjoyed. We did the Grand London Tour and it pretty much took us al over the city to the major sight seeing spots along with some informative tour guides!

3. London Eye - is it worth it?
Yes! Buy a ticket in advance and you can skip the long lines. Go at sunset or dusk and London looks just magical!  It's a 30 minute ride, there's seating and great photo opportunities. Plus its one huge ferris wheel and who doesn't love ferris wheels?

If you've been to London, what did you get upto on your first couple of days? Where do you recommend to stay?

Paris Vlog Part IV! Our last day in Paris...Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur

It was hard to say goodbye to Paris...I felt like I had not eaten all the pastries I had eyed, or visisted all the shops , or see all the paintings in the museums. But with every good thing, it must come to an end.  The last few days we spent in churches, Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur Basilica. We also went to Galeries Lafayette where I bought my new baby Celine Trapeze bag :)  We also went to check out the Pompidou Centre but I came down with an awful cold we barely saw any artwork. Even though, Paris was amazing, I will definitely come back one day for to savour the croissants and hot chocolate.


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Music by danosongs.com

 

Paris Vlog Part III! The magical Eiffel Tower

Definitely one of my highlights in Paris was the Eiffel Tower! Sure, its iconic and is one of the most recognised architecture globally, but to climb it, see it with my own eyes with a crepe in hand was just magical!!


Tips for Day 3 in Paris!
1. I've mentioned this in my last post, but buy a Paris Museum Pass!! Served us well today as it granted entry to  Arc de Triomphe (climb and check out the view of Champs Elysees!), Notre Dame bell towers (we arrived too late and missed the opening time but we checked it out the following day), and Musee d'Orsay.
2. Climb the Eiffel Tower - it's cheaper, the line is shorter, free workout and you can truly appreciate the entire experience of the Eiffel Tower. Arrive early!!
3. See the Eiffel Tower on a clear sunny day. If you've planned to go on a specific day and it happens to be cloudy, don't go. The views are significantly better on a clear day!
4.  Try the Nutella crepe place behind the Eiffel Tower (south-side). Yummers!
5. Is Angelina a must visit? Yes! If you love hot chocolate. Who cares that it costs something ridiculous like AUD10-12.
6. Try the falafel place in Le Marais. It was the best vego meal I had in Paris (not counting the croissants).

What are your favourite tips on Paris??

For more photos, check out my instagram @cozzle85 or the hashtag #cleurope2014 

Paris Vlog - Part II! Palace of Versailles

Is Palace of Versailles a must-visit if your in Paris? Yes!  Watch my adventure at Palace of Versailles below...

Camera: GoPro Silver 3+
Music by danosongs.com

Tips for visiting Palace of Versailles and why it's a must visit!

- It's only a short train ride away from Paris city centre
- The entrance cost is covered in the Paris Museum Pass! Great value for money!
- Visit the official page for opening times and there's a nifty chart that also shows you the most busiest times throughout the day
- We arrived fairly early and the line was huge! We only spent half a day there and by the time we left it was a little after midday and there was no line!
- Must check out Le Saint Julien Restaurant! Only a short walk from the Palace and was the best meal I had in Paris!

For more photos, check out my instagram @cozzle85 or the hashtag #cleurope2014

Travel Vlog: Paris Part I #cleurope2014

These Europe travel vlogs are long overdue! As I was editing them today, I fell in love with Paris all over again. It's easy to fall in love with the city of lights! The food, the architecture, the french tongue...too much to see, so little time!

Hope you enjoy our little adventure :)



Camera: GoPro Silver 3+
Music by danosongs.com

Place: Paris, France (Day 1)

Top 3 Highlights of Paris on Day 1:
1. The food! This was our first encounter with an authentic croissant and pain au chocolat...my oh my, I was never a bread or pastry fiend but alas, a bread fiend was born...

2. I could not dream of a better way to see Paris - by bike! Highly recommend the blue bicycle tours in France. It covered a wide variety of typical touristy places plus there's a break at Rue Cler...mmm crepes...

3. Love at first sight...Paris architecture is just beautiful. The cobblestone roads, the Hausmann buildings...the windy alleyways, it makes for the perfect adventure!

For more photos, check out my instagram @cozzle85 or the hashtag #cleurope2014

 

Europe Vlogs: Barcelona! #cleurope2014

Well well well. It's been aaaaaaages. I am finally posting up my Europe holiday vlogs from April 2014! First up....BARCELONA!


Camera: GoPro Silver 3+
Music by danosongs.com

Place: Barcelona, Spain

Top 3 Highlights of Barcelona:
1. The food! Loved the paella, tapas and pinxos...and the drinks as well! mmm give me some cava anyday!

2. The Gaudi architecture was also very impressive! It's nothing like I've ever seen anywhere!

3. And last but not least, the shopping...zara, pull and bear, topshop, H&M. I found that compared to other cities in Europe, Barcelona had the best prices!!

For more photos, check out my instagram @cozzle85 or the hashtag #cleurope2014

Queenstown! Most beautiful place on earth...

This is a late post, we have been back home for two weeks now but I wanted to share how beautiful (under-statement) Queenstown is! It is by far, the most stunning city I've been to, every morning I would wake up in awe of the mountains! It is truly breathtaking - see for yourself!

We stayed for 5 days and my highlights were:

1) Kayaking in Milford Sound
Pretty much lived in the water when I was a kid and I absolutely love adventure and nature so this was the best experience for me! We went with Rosco's Milford Kayaking and paddled the Afternoon Delight.  It was a long 17km paddle back from Tasman Sea through Milford Sound but was well worth it for the views! It felt so surreal!

2) Hiking up Queenstown Hill
I love to hike and was keen on walking Queenstown Hill since it was easily accessible from town.  Seriously, as soon as you start walking towards the Hill (more like Mountain), it is a very steep ascent! And it doesn't stop until you reach the summit! The good news is that it's a descent on the way back (maybe not good news for stubborn knees). It is WORTH the climb because the view is spectacular! Took us around 3 hours from town and back to our apartment.

We also got up to some cycling around the lake, enjoyed the sunset by the lake in town, and took in the majestic views as we did our day trips to Milford Sound and Lake Wanaka! I loved how it was away from all the malls, big concrete jungles and you can just enjoy the scenary and take all the nature in. It was a perfect break! :)

If you have yet to check out Queenstown, we highly highly recommend it!! :)

Holiday Snaps! Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong

Here are some of my favourite holiday moments and places when I was in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong.  It's an awesome feeling to immerse yourself in a different culture and experience what life has to offer. The world is a beautiful place :)