Welcome to Circular Quay, Sydney

The video above is a showcase of the area Circular Quay in Sydney Australia, featuring main landmarks such as the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, and additionally a yearly exhibit of the Vivid light show.

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group video for boy!

This video is showing travel topic. it relate to food in China and travel in sydney. so we choosing eat Chinese food in sydney.

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Things to do in Melbourne

I've visited a lot of cities and Melbourne ranks well up the list for high quality free attractions for both tourists and locals.

Melbourne

When I first came over here money was a bit tight so I googled and found a few websites listing 10 free things to do.
"Good!" I thought, "these should keep me busy for a while!".
Unfortunately a closer inspection revealed all the websites listed the same 10 free things!

They certainly didn't include theRAAF Museum - not only is it really big and interesting but they give flying displays in their old aircraft too - all for FREE.....




....then there is the free tour of the Parliament of Victoria where you even get to sit on the Speaker's and Premier's chairs - when they don't need the chairs themselves of course!......

Parliament House

.....and don't forget all those free Melbourne Festivals - 18 at the last count.....
......and loads of school holiday activities for the kids - they'll never be bored again and it won't cost you a cent.......
......or try the markets with entertainment such as live bands and circus performers roaming around.......
......or get your kids face painted.......
......watch a cookery demonstration......
......catch an exhibition of aborigine art...... 

333 Collins Street

.......have a look at some amazing buildings, built when the banks had more money than was good for them (some things don't change!).....
......and the gold vaults where gold bullion was stored during the gold rush era.....

......or drool in front of the shop where they have lollipop making demonstrations (not just for the kids this one!).


And the list goes on and on........
.......I've found over 150 different great quality free things for you to do and see in Melbourne.......
........keep coming back, I'm building the website most weeks........



.........In fact if you click on the orange RSS button at the top left of this page and follow the instructions you'll be forwarded all updated pages automatically.

It'll take you YEARS to see all these things properly........

........You won't have to pay those horrible things called "entrance fees" for a long, long time.......
.......Come on in and plan a trip for the weekend NOW!

Reference:
Living or Visiting Melbourne, http://www.free-things-to-do-melbourne.com/

Things to do in Sydney

Whether you are visiting Sydney for the first time or returning again and again, you will always discover things to do in Sydney for a truly memorable day, week or extended holiday vacation period. Sydney is an amazing world class city, rich in history, offering a vibrant culture, plus spectacular natural beauty. 


Looking for ideas on Things To Do in Sydney then why not check out the following sections of this website:

Sydney Highlights

Sydney Showcase presents a collection of “must see and do” landmarks and attractions within Sydney from the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge & Sydney Opera House, to the spectacular Manly & Bondi beaches and beyond to the awe inspiring World Heritage Listed Blue Mountains National Park.

Sydney Harbour Bridge & Luna Park

Sydney Harbour Bridge & Luna Park(http://www.experiencesydneyaustralia.com/images/sendbinary.asp?width=140&path=imagesDB/gallery/highlights.jpg)

Free Things To Do in Sydney

Sometimes the simple things in life are often the best. There are many things to experience in Sydney for Free including The Royal Botanic Gardens, strolling around The Rocks or perhaps visiting the Art Gallery of NSW. Take a look at a selection of things to see and do for Free in Sydney on Sydney Showcase’s Free Sydney Attractions Page.

Pools at Bondi Beach

Pools at Bondi Beach(http://www.experiencesydneyaustralia.com/images/sendbinary.asp?width=140&path=imagesDB/gallery/free.jpg)

Sydney Attractions – Top 10 Things To See and Do

Sydney Showcase has put together a Top 10 list of Sydney’s best commercial attractions. Plus a Top 10 list of top commercial attractions within Sydney Surrounds. Check out these Top 10 lists featured on the “About Sydney” information page within the Visitor Information section of Sydney Showcase.

Royal Botanic Gardens

Royal Botanic Gardens(http://www.experiencesydneyaustralia.com/images/sendbinary.asp?width=140&path=imagesDB/gallery/royalbotanicgardens.jpg)

Things to Do in Sydney when Time is Limited

It would be easy to spend several months holidaying in and around Sydney, however sometimes time is very limited and you may only have a day or two for your once in a lifetime Sydney experience. Sydney Showcase has put together a rough guide on how much time to allow for some of the top Sydney attractions, activities and things to see and do in Sydney Australia.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Museum of Contemporary Art(http://www.experiencesydneyaustralia.com/images/sendbinary.asp?width=140&path=imagesDB/gallery/mca.jpg)

Attractions and Entertainment

Sydney Showcase invites you to visit the many attractions and activities in and around Sydney. To this end Sydney Showcase features an informative Business Directory featuring attractions and activities, with many listings providing direct links to official attraction websites for more information, helping to make planning things to do in Sydney even easier! 

Sydney Official Attraction Pass

Save up to 50% & skip the queue at some of Sydney's top attractions and things to do. With your iVenture Card there are two ways to see more and save. Choose from the Sydney Unlimited Attractions Pass the official attractions pass, which includes entry to over 40 attractions or the Flexi Attractions Pass which provides you with the convenience to select your favourite attractions and use within 3 months! includes admission to Taronga Zoo , SEA Life Sydney Aquarium, Madame Tussauds, Sydney Opera House and so much more.
Reference:
Things to do in Sydney, http://www.experiencesydneyaustralia.com/visitor-information/things-to-do-in-sydney/

Full Moon Party, Thailand: 10 tips for how to survive

Full Moon Party, Thailand: 10 tips for how to survive (and have the time of your life)

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Beaches, buckets and body paint: 10 top tips on how to survive the legendary Full Moon Party at Koh Phangan, Thailand.

The Full Moon Party at Koh Phangan, Thailand is on most backpackers' 'bucket' list. But you'll need some expert help to make sure you have the time of your life. Our SE Asia correspondent Cat McGloin joins the party.

Full Moon Party: you may have heard about it. It's a must-do for any self-respecting gap yearer or young (and not-so-young) traveller on the SE Asian tour. While there are many such parties held throughout Thailand, usually in the second week of each month, the biggest is at Haad Rin beach in Koh Phangan.
Legend has it that it was started by a group of backpackers in the 1980s as a small birthday get-together. The idea caught on, and these days more than 10,000 revellers attend each month, decked out in neon, daubed with flourescent paint and loaded up on the infamous drinks buckets. Many have the night of their lives, dancing, skipping fire ropes and partying until morning.
Big nights like this one do, however, come with a few potential pitfalls. Here are 10 tips to help you avoid being a Full Moon casualty, and have a great time.

1. Book accommodation in advance

Hostels and hotels on Koh Phangan fill up pretty fast, especially in Haad Rin nearby to all the action, and the closer it gets to Full Moon the pricier any type of accomodation becomes. So avoid being ripped off by arriving at least four days early to book yourself a bed at a reasonable price. Most places require a four-night minimum stay during the Full Moon party period. If you're not a forward planner then you can get a ferry to Koh Phangan, party for the night and then get a ferry back the next day. But this involves a notoroiusly choppy boat ride, something best avoided when nursing the mother of all hangovers.

2. Stay away from the party as long as possible

There's no rush to get to Haad Rin and start partying. In fact, if you do you're more likely to be one of the unfortunate souls who pass out from over-excitment by 10pm and spend the rest of the night curled up in the sand, missing the party all together. There are some pretty beaches on which to chill out on on the west side of the island and a few rooftop bars to watch the sunset from. You'll also find plenty of 'warm-up parties' going on in bars away from the beach where the music and atmosphere is just as good but the drinks are much cheaper. Aim to get to Haad Rin no earlier than 11pm we say!

sunset on the beach, Koh Phangan, Thailand

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3. Buy your own paint

Fluorescent t-shirts and UV body paint is the uniform for any serious Full Moon reveller. Stalls offering to adorn your body with crazy patterns and not-so-witty slogans line the street leading up to the beach, charging between 50 and 250 Baht depending on the design. A few drinks later and this will seem like money well spent. But do it yourself and buy six tubs of paint from a local supermarket for a fraction of the cost. This way you can cover yourself in UV tats all night long, and you might find that you make yourself a few new friends who want to get in on the action and save a few pennies for that next bucket!

4. Buy drinks away from the beach

Like any festival, drinks past the gates are going to be three or four times more expensive than outside. The same rule applies at Full Moon. Buy a bucket on the beach and you could pay anything up to 500 Baht, but take a few steps away from the beach and you'll get a better, stronger (!) deal for about 150 Baht. Another option includes stocking up at the local 7-Eleven, but again, supermarkets closer to the beach will crank up their prices so grab your Chang beers early and from somewhere a bit further away.

5. Stay away from fire

At some point in the night you will start to think that fire rope skipping with a bunch of strangers is the best idea ever. It's not. There are plenty of fireshows all along the beach offering you the opportunity to jump through rings of fire, limbo under a fire pole or jump fire rope. None of these activities are wise and you'll see plenty of burns victims by the end of the evening.

fire throwers, Full Moon Party, Koh Phangan, Thailand © OlegD / Shutterstock.com

(http://www.skyscanner.net/sites/default/files/full-moon-fire.jpg

6. Save some baht for the bathroom

All those crazy cocktails are bound to take their toll on your bladder. Most guys choose to relieve themselves straight in to the ocean, so another piece of advice would be not to go frolicking in the waves. But if you're in desperate need of the bathroom and would prefer a little privacy then expect to pay up to 15 Baht for the privilege. The bars and restaurants along the beach will charge this small fee, so it's a good idea to keep some change handy for when nature calls.

7. Hydrate

It seems obvious, but water will be your best friend if you plan to make it to sunrise. Buy a six pack of water for about 50 Baht and take it to the beach, or at the very least buy a 2 litre bottle to nurse throughout the evening. You'll have tons more energy to dance all night and the hangover the next morning will feel considerably better.

8. Share the (bucket) love

The infamous bucket (think child's sand castle pale filled to the brim with a potent concotion of alcohol, soda and energy drinks) is available for purchase along the beach. The cost varies so haggling is a must. Some stalls will offer 2-for-1 or buy-two-get-one-free deals. These can be good value but two buckets is way more than one person needs, so share the bucket love with your friends and pass the party on.

Full Moon Party, Koh Phangan, Thailand © OlegD / Shutterstock.com

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9. Secure your shoes

The beach is littered with all sorts of debris, from beer bottle caps to shards of broken glass, so do not go barefoot, as tempting as it might be. By the end of the night you'll find orphaned flip-flops and discarded sandals all over the place. To avoid losing yours, either stick your feet through your flip-flop straps so they wrap around your ankles, or invest in decent duck tape. You might look silly, but it's better than having to bow out early with a nasty injury.

10. Leave valuables locked up

Whilst the majority of party-goers experience a fun, crime-free Full Moon, an unfortunate few lose their valuables or are the victims of petty thieves. Our advice would be to only take with you the bare essentials: money, phone, room key. Consider leaving the camera and designer handbag at home and enjoy a party that you'll remember for all the right reasons.

Reference: 
Full moon Party, Thailand, http://www.skyscanner.net/news/full-moon-party-thailand-10-tips-how-survive-and-have-time-your-life

Accommodation in Japan

Usually I recommend Shinjuku as a base. Shinjuku is neon Tokyo at its best. Plenty of options for small bars and restaurants in and around the station. Plenty of shopping including numerous department stores in the Station, Takashimaya, Tokyu Hands, Kinokuniya Book store etc.
The default recommendation for a hotel in Shinjuku is Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku, which is relatively new, a great location only a short walk from the station, although the rooms can be a little small (standard for Tokyo).
If you want to stay in Shinjuku and are happy with cheaper/less quality then Shinjuku New City is often a reasonable option. It is older, further from the station (has a useful free shuttle bus). Upper floor Park view rooms have a nice view of Tokyo Metro Government Buildings.
If you don't wish to stay in Shinjuku or Shinjuku is too expensive then Ueno makes a reasonable base and there are numerous hotels near Ueno Station. Asakusa is another cheaper area of Tokyo. For more detail on various areas read the link above.
If you want suggestions in the main thread then please quote budget range and if you know them then please quote exact dates.
Accommodation Types
One thing to note is that usually Japanese quote pricing per PERSON, not per ROOM.
Hostels


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These are either dorm style or some offer private rooms for couples/families. In general they are the cheapest, book through hostelworld or directly. Cost varies but expect roughly 3500yen per person per night. If you are a couple you will often find some of the cheaper business hotels are actually less than what you pay at a hostel, so don't always assume that the hostel is a cheap option. This is especially true outside Tokyo. I've stayed for <6000yen for two people in Business hotels in Hiroshima, Nagoya, Osaka. All were perfectly fine, clean and in good locations near train stations. If you are single and like the social aspects then a hostel can be a good way to travel.
Business Hotels


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These are usually small rooms with a cubicle style bathroom (like on a boat). Most have internet connections (usually wired). For foreigners just bear in mind that some may not have many/any English speaking staff, and they are usually located a bit further away from train stations than the higher priced hotels. Tokoyo-inn is a chain that have a huge number of hotels across the country with an english booking website. Other names like Chisun Inn, or Tokyu, will have hotels across some cities.
Note that most business hotels have semi-double beds, so the rooms can be used as a single or for a couple. These are usually only 120cm wide, half way between a single and a double bed size. This can be quite narrow for westerners used to a double or queen size bed. They are close to an Aussie King Single size.
Hotels


These are your normal western style hotel chains. Usually prices are high and rooms may be smaller than you are used to, especially in places like Tokyo.
Ryokan

Traditional Japanese inns, usually including a sizable set course dinner. Often pricing is high (15,000+ yen per person), but this can include dinner and breakfast.
Minshuku

Like a cheaper version of a Ryokan, usually without dinner included. Often Japanese style with a shared bathroom.

Shukubo/Temple Lodging
The most common place to experience this is at Mt Koya (Koyasan) near Osaka/Kyoto:-

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4905.html
When researching what accommodation to stay at I usually use a combination of Jalan, Rakuten, Agoda, Expedia, Japanican, Japaneseguesthouses.
When visiting Japan if you have the budget I usually recommend an overnight stay in a ryokan. For most people one or two nights is enough to get that authentic Japanese experience. Most good ryokan include dinner and breakfast and you will sleep on futon on a tatami mat floor. Some higher end ryokan will have onsen/baths attached to the room. Others will have a private onsen that you can book for usually a small period of time (45-60 minutes) so you can enjoy the onsen as a couple/family. Good cities to enjoy a ryokan are Hakone, Kawaguchiko, Miyajima, Kyoto, Takayama, Kanazawa although of course there are many others around the country.

Tomorrowland

So earlier this year I was lucky enough to secure myself a ticket to Tomorrowland, a music festival in Belgium which is being held in July, so fits in perfectly to my European holiday plans. I was extremely lucky to get these tickets, in 2013 the festival sold out in just one second! So I wanted to share a couple of tips with you to help you secure your ticket in the future.

1. Pre-register early
In order to be able to even buy a Tomorrowland ticket you need to pre-register. Use an email address that you check regularly and put the date that you can pre-register in your calendar so there's no way you'll forget. 

2. Organise a group with four people max. to go to the festival with
You can only purchase four tickets at a time if you're lucky enough to be able to connect to the website and buy a ticket once it goes on sale. It makes it a lot easier to have a group that's four or less so no one gets left out, and you can have four separate people trying to buy the tickets at once, so hopefully at least one of you will get through. 

3. Decide what ticket you want to buy in advance
Talk to the people you're going with and decide whether you want to purchase Dreamville tickets and camp at Tomorrowland, or whether you just want to purchase the three day festival access passes, or just a day pass. This just makes it more simple when you get through to the choosing ticket stage. If you do not get Dreamville tickets remember that accommodation in Boom sells out very quickly, so you should try to book as soon as you buy tickets, or if you want to take the risk, purchase in advance of getting a ticket. 
tip: when you get to purchase the tickets you can also purchase 'boozebags' which contain the Tomorrowland currency - if you plan on drinking or eating food at the festival purchase at least one of these per person, it works out cheaper in the long run.

4. Tips for getting through to actually purchase your ticket
Pre-register as soon as it opens, then you have the chance to purchase in an international pre-sale, so are pretty much guaranteed a ticket (this is what I was lucky enough to get). The first 10 people from each country are allowed to purchase tickets first, then Belgium, then the rest of the world, so it's in your best interest to pre-register ASAP. To be able to connect to the website to pre-register you will need multiple computers / devices connected to the site, do not give up, persist until you have successfully pre-registered. It took me maybe 15 minutes to pre-reigster, I had my iMac, a laptop, iPad and my iPhone all refreshing the website. The same goes for purchasing the actual ticket, if you don't make the top 10 to pre-register then you'll have to buy with the rest of the world, keeping hitting refresh and have as many devices refreshing as possible! 

So I haven't actually been to the festival yet, I'll be going in two months time, so I don't have any tips for what to do when you're there, but I've done a bit of research and have come up with the following for when you're at the actual festival:

• remember you're ticket & ID (duh)

• buy lots of water

• make sure you wear shoes that you can party in for a long time

• slip, slop, slap - protect yourself from the sun

Good luck for anyone attempting Tomorrowland 2015! For anyone going this year, hope you have the best time, cannot wait to party with you and 180,000 other EDM lovers!

Laters,
Maddy

Croatia Sailing Options

Eurotrip continued...

So as part of my holiday to Europe I really wanted to go to Croatia. I'd never been there, and it looked really cool on all the websites and in the pictures I'd seen from friend's holidays. I started to look into it and everyone was telling me that the best way to do Croatia is on a boat. Naturally I looked to Google for different options, but also talked about the different ways to sail in Croatia with my friends that had done it before. To help out future Croatia travelers I thought I'd post a comparison between the different options.

So just as a quick disclaimer I did end up choosing the Yacht Week, so may be slightly biased towards them, but I'll try my best to depict each of the options fairly :)

The main sailing options that I found for Croatia are:

• The Yacht Week
• Sail Croatia
• Med Sailors
• Busabout

I'm only going to compare the first three because they were the one's that I considered. I had friends that had done Sail Croatia and The Yacht Week, both having positive but different experiences.

Price

In terms of price the most expensive is the Yacht Week, and with this one the booking cost is not the only cost, there are many other costs including fuel and food which are not included. These costs are not hidden, you can read an estimation of them all on the website, they're just not included in the total price, so if you're price conscious this kind of trip might not be for you. The price also varies based on the yacht that you choose. Given that it's a private yacht the more people you have (reaching the yacht's capacity) the cheaper it'll be per person. €325 Euros is the cheapest yacht price per person, but there are additional costs of €78-119 and that's not including food and alcohol expenses. Comparatively, Sail Croatia offers four different tourist boats at different prices, the most basic being the 'standard ship' which you share with other people so it is a fair amount cheaper. Med Sailor is somewhat similar to The Yacht Week, despite not having the same reputation, you can get your own yachts or choose to travel with other people, prices start at £422, which translates to about €514, so is a bit more expensive, but breakfast & lunch is included, so the price is similar to that of The Yacht Week.

Who am I sailing with?

On the Yacht Week and Med Sail you can have your own private yacht with just your friends, so it's a bit more exclusive. If you can't sail that's no problem, just add on a skipper! If you're a group of guys you need to be wary that you need at least two girls on the boat in some weeks for The Yacht Week, 'in order to maintain a good gender ratio' according to the Yacht Week website. This worked fine for me because I'm traveling with girls. If you're traveling alone you can join other people's yachts, but it's a little more difficult as the Yacht Week does not facilitate this. If you're traveling alone or with a small group of people you may prefer Sail Croatia, where you are on a larger boat with other people. All Med Sail yachts fit 8-10 people, so if you're travelling with a smaller group you will need to join up with other people.

I personally chose The Yacht Week because it had amazing reviews and looked the best to me based on the experience I wanted. I didn't want to share bathrooms with people I didn't know and wanted a more luxurious experience than the other sailing options. I can't think of a more amazing holiday than spending a week on a yacht, I mean surely you aren't going to have that experience that many times in your life so you may as well go all out once!

One more Europe post to come, finishing off with Tomorrowland in a day or two :)

Peace out, Maddy X

Euro Trip Planning - Berlin

Next stop on my Europe holiday is Berlin, this capital city of Germany is well known for being the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia back in the day (17th century till early 19th century), it was also the Capital of Nazi Germany, so if you find history interesting, like I do, then there's a lot you can learn when traveling to Berlin. In addition to the historical attractions Berlin has beautiful forests, cool markets and what;s said to be amazing clubbing (keeping with the theme from my last blog post on Ibiza).


The main things that I'm personally interesting in doing in Berlin is shopping, clubbing and learning about the city's history, so that's what I'm going to write about.


The Shopping
I've been doing a bit of research on the best places to shop, the streets around Kurfürstendamm are said to be the main shopping area in Berlin.If you're more intrested in boutiques and non-department stores, like I am then the East of upper Friedrichstrasse and Northwest of Alexanderplatz are said to be the places to head.Apparently the best vintage store to check out is Stiefelkomninat, I honestly have no idea how to pronounce all these German names, going to need a crash course in German before I go!


When I go to shopping in different countries I like to buy the brands and products that the specific country specializes in, rather than just buying the brands I can purchase at home. Some of the more famous German brands include Adidas, Etienne Aigner, Jil Sander, JOOP! and Escada.

Clubbing

I'm really interested in deep house music, and Berlin is said to be one of the world capitals for house and techno and is renowned for it's clubs. The club that I've heard the most hype about is Berghain, it's one of the top clubs in the world (sitting at no. 14 according to DJ mag), and is known for being extremely hard to get into. Apparently once you get in you don't come out for days. It's hard to find pictures of this club because of the strict no cameras rule for entering the club, but from what I could find it looks like a very cool place to check out:

Other notable clubs include Katerholzig and Sisyphos which is said to not have as strict bouncers as the first two mentioned. If you're interested in attempting to get into Berghain there there are a couple of things you should do to give you the best chance of getting in:

• go in small groups, large groups don't get in

• dress cool, don't turn up in something you'd wear to Pacha Sydney

• act cool when you're in the queue, apparently it's not a good idea to laugh

• don't touch your phone, leave in in your bag

• Berlin Wall

• Brandenburg Gate

• Memorial to the Holocaust

Best of luck!

History
I don't actually know that much about Nazi Germany, apart from the general knowledge about Hitler, I don't know the details, but have always found history really interesting! I've done a quick Google and have found a number of key historical attractions that I'm going to try visit whilst on my trip:
Just a quick background on these places, the Berlin Wall is a symbol of the cold war and was the divide between Eastern and Western Europe, the Berlin wall fell in 1989, so it's only the remnants that are left. The Brandenburg Gate has been used to symbolise many things, it was intended to symbolise peace, but then was used as a party place by Nazi's, I want to see it because in my opinion it's one of the iconic things to see in Berlin.

Finally, I think it would be very interesting to visit the eerie memorial site of the murdered Jews, aka the memorial to the Holocaust. I think it's important to remember World War II and to pay respect to the millions of innocent Jews that were murdered by Hitler.

I hope you're enjoying our posts! First hand takes on Berlin to come in July :)

Cheers,Maddy