The supermodel continent…
She has lost a bit of weight lately (thanks to climate change), costs a lot to meet, and when you take photos of her, they reveal spectacular lines and an almost other-worldly beauty. Also, when things turn nasty you also don’t want to be around; you certainly get a cold shoulder! Meet Antarctica, the supermodel continent!
But I am getting ahead of myself. The inspiration for this trip lay many years ago when, as a schoolboy, I was spellbound by the almost-crazy bravery of Scott and his valiant crew as the chased Amundsen to the South Pole. More recently, I read of the exploits of Ernest Shackleton, who despite unbelievable odds, rescued his men after their ship, the Endurance, was crushed by converging sea ice. To top that off, the windswept beauty of what we hope to see has been showcased in so many documentaries that we couldn’t wait to tick this continent off our bucket list and complete the set we have been able to visit.
Of course, it is not easy to get to the Antarctic. We chose the method favoured by Scott and Shackleton, by sea. Of course, we were faithful to the conditions endured by them, if they had been thoughtful enough to provision themselves with a five star hotel for the duration. We sailed on the Quest, a smallish liner (almost a large motor yacht) by the boutique carrier, Seabourn. The service, food and other aspects of this cruise could be the subject of a whole article, but for this one, just to say that it was excellent, will suffice.
We cruised out of Valparaiso, a port city west of Santiago. Its geography is steeply sloping hillsides upwards from the port, traveled by time-worn funiculars.
One of Valporaíso’s aging funiculars
The city’s glory days were prior to the opening of the Panama Canal, where it was one of the busiest and most wealthy port cities in the world. It is a bit like a film star from a bygone era, that having fallen on hard times, has recently become cool again. You can see the beauty of the architecture of the late 19th and early twentieth century that covers the hillsides and city centre, that is a little tumble down with the ravages of time (and by the way, its personal hygiene that perhaps could do with some improvement) and an emerging raffish cool that comes from a buoyant nightlife and the local’s encouragement of graffiti art and sympathetic tourism development.
Vibrant street art in Valporaíso
Our cruise was for 24 days, which was more than double the length of any other cruise we had previously undertaken, so we were a little apprehensive. However, like the fine dining experience available on ship, it was structured in terms of an appetiser, main course, and dessert, to break the cruise into chunks for us.
Appetiser was cruising firstly the Chilean Lake District, and then Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
My travel companions heading into the rainforest across the volcanic carpet (Lake district)
First stop was Puerto Montt, a town reminiscent of fishing towns in the west of the South Island of New Zealand – it wasn’t a great surprise that the locals make most of their money from salmon fishing. We took a trip to the hinterland with a local guide, Hector, who showed us the magnificent volcanoes, lakes and verdant rainforest, that could easily understudy as a backdrop to a Lord of the Rings movie like its NZ lookalikes.
From there, we sailed to Chiloe Island to stop at Castro, a small village famous for its colourful houses on stilts that remarkably survived a tsunami about 20 years ago.
Colourful stilt houses in Castro, Isla de Chiloe
Here we visited the coastal national park, which was windswept and wild, with the next thing westward being Christchurch, so nothing interrupted the wintry winds. The landscape again reminded us greatly of New Zealand, so it wasn’t a surprise to learn from a naturalist that once the two continents were once joined, a fact confirmed not only by plate tectonic analysis but the close relationship of the two endemic flora collections.
From there we experienced our first rough day on the water. There was much excitement from our 11 year old Angus, as we were able to go on deck and experience the crashing waves and spray of 5 metre swells and a force 10 gale. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get out on the windward side of the ship as the door was blown shut and I couldn’t shift it with a full shoulder charge! Needless to say, it was a quieter day on the ship as many were struck down with seasickness, including my lovely wife Ann, who was a bit greener around the gills than usual.
The undulation ceased as we returned to the Chilean fjords, where we were able to enjoy a formal Christmas dinner with all the trimmings in calm seas. We really enjoyed a long evening celebrating with our new found American friends; a family from Austin, Texas, and a retired couple from a town near San Diego, California. The food was great, but luckily my tuxedo has expandable pants so I could fit everything in!
Next morning we awoke to the sight of the El Brujo Glacier, our first glacier sighting. It looked like a frozen waterfall, and there was a surprising stillness as we cruised up close through the primordial slushie that was the off cast of the glacier’s relentless passage to the water. It was quite a spectacular sight before breakfast; a dramatic offset to the tranquility of the fjord cruising.
Cruising in the slushie at El Brujo glacier
That day lead us to the eponymous straits of Magellan and Puntas Arenas, one of Chile’s southernmost cities. Surprisingly, the city was not much of a looker, being in the middle of Patagonia, but it bespoke its pastoral (wool) history and petroleum present with a fairly industrial feeling. A couple of interesting sights were the magnificent mansions of the early pastoralists that surrounded the Plaza de Armas and a hand hewn replica of ships – Magellan’s Victoria and Darwin’s Beagle. The small size of the two ships gave us pause for thought given the wind and waves we had experienced a couple of nights before. Those guys must have been pretty brave, or faced with unattractive alternatives, to want to go into uncharted waters in such vessels.
This lead to the crescendo of the first course of our trip, a journey through the Beagle Channel to Ushuaia, famously the city at the end of the world.
Even the beautiful backdrop and strongly laced hot chocolate wasn’t enough to make our entry to Ushuaia warm!
The Beagle was the most spectacular sight thus far; a seriously gorgeous collection of mountains and glaciers that was the Patagonia we had been anticipating.
Cruising sights along the Beagle channel
The channel led to Ushuaia which was very picturesquely located surrounded by show capped mountains and rainforest. The city itself was strongly reminiscent of Queenstown in New Zealand; upbeat, quite modern and filled with shops and restaurants that cater to the adventure bound. We took the opportunity to visit the Ushuaia prison museum, which was modelled on Port Arthur near Hobart. From here we took a train “to the end of the world” which terminated in a National Park where prisoners would log the rainforest to build the city, and fire its many hearths. It was easy to see why it was considered punishment to be kept in your cell at the old prison rather than go out on one of these logging parties. It was a truly spectacular wilderness we found ourselves in.
After we returned to ship, it was time to transition to the next course, but not before crossing the daunting Drake Passage, infamous for its huge seas and violent storms. Fortunately for us, the crossing was smooth as silk, leading the Captain to describe it as “Drake’s Lake”, to the sound of much touching of wood in our cabin for the return journey. It was on this crossing that we encountered our first icebergs – a couple of tabular ones that had calved from a glacier.
Our first iceberg sighting was very exciting. Also spot the Aussie kid who wears thongs in 1deg Celsius
These were huge, several miles across, although the largest ever was the size of Jamaica, so these were relative minnows. Even so they reminded me of an icy Marie Celeste, with a silent ghostly quality as they loomed over our ship.
As we crossed the Drake, the tempo on board transitioned to expedition mode. We were presented with information about what we would see from Seabourn’s retinue of resident oceanographers, ecologists, geologists, bird watchers, historians and sea mammal experts. All this added to our sense of anticipation about what was to come.
The next six days were a bit of a blur. Each day we embarked on zodiacs (small rubber runabouts similar to those used by surf clubs back home) fully Eskimoed up in our Antarctic gear, which made everyone look the same, which gave us something in common with the penguins we saw. We were blessed with 6 straight days of good weather, which was incredibly lucky.
All Eskimo for the day on the ice
It would be almost remiss to describe each place we visited without remarking on the overall feeling that accompanied almost every daily experience. I would describe it as a “peak travel buzz”, the same sort of feeling you get from seeing the Pyramids or going on an African Safari. You could tell by their gaping mouths that others next to you were experiencing much the same.
Each day presented us with dizzying vistas of soaring, jagged mountains, tumbling glaciers, dramatic icebergs, surprisingly abundant wildlife; penguins, whales, seals and albatrosses were visible at every turn. The wonderful contrasts and textures just begged to be photographed in black and white. In fact, this was where the supermodel continent really came into its own; every perfect scene just compelled you to pull out the camera. It was a truly awesome experience.
Got to love those contrasts and textures
Day by day, our visit was:
• Half Moon Island: our first penguins (chinstrap), set off by an abandoned whaling boat and an Argentinian summer station. During the afternoon we cruised past an active volcano on Deception Island and had an extended view of a pod of transiting orcas.
Half moon bay complete with cute penguins and abandoned whaling boat
• Cuverville island: we were greeted by a glorious sunny day as we explored the stunning views of the Palmer Archipelago. Today’s wildlife was Gentoo penguins as well as a smattering of seals and whales. A Crabeater seal or two were good enough to pose on icebergs for our happy snaps.
Crabeater seal posing for shots
• Neko Harbour: here we saw a substantial and pungent gentoo penguin colony. More impressive though was the climb to a sparkling view of the harbour and a glacier threatening to calve any second – throughout the afternoon it would send a crack like a cannon shot across the bay to remind us that it was thinking about nudging an iceberg loose. We also enjoyed a zodiac tour through the sea ice which fizzed and popped like we were motoring in a giant gin and tonic.
Your truly enjoying the fruits of a climb at Neko Harbour
• Paradise Bay/Gonzales Videla base: this was a small Chilean base atop a Gentoo penguin rookery. Their hospitality was lovely, but the very “aromatic” guano atmosphere and poor condition of their base was in stark contrast to the US base at the pole, which we had heard about from polar veteran Jon Fonseca just that morning. Hinting at the international politics that surrounded the Antarctic, the base was located on Waterboat Point, the historic site where two young British naturalists spent a year under a boat observing penguins hoping that the whaling captain that dropped them off would come back in a year’s time to rescue them. So remarkable was their dedication that when the captain did remember to come back, they told him to come back in a month because they hadn’t concluded their research. Apparently, Chile established this base while British heads were turned to pressing European matters in 1940.
Penguin colony and Chilean base boat house at Waterboat Point
• Yankee Harbour: this was a natural breakwater harbour created by a glacier’s terminal moraine. It was incredible how nature had created a breakwater just as a marine engineer would hope to build. Today was a little wet and windy, so a walk along the breakwater was all we could manage; the few penguins and seals suggested that they too thought better of a day on land!
• Hope Bay/ Esperanza station: we did a zodiac tour of this bay, on which we were amused by groups of adelie penguins who would queue up to go into the water like so many tube commuters in the heart of London. Our tour was cut short by looming katabatic winds (caused by falling cold air) which made continuing fraught for our fellow passengers. We were compensated though by the emergence of a beautiful sunny afternoon for cruising the Antarctic sound and in particular “Iceberg alley”, which showcased a gemstone like collection of bergs of all shapes and sizes. As a sign off from the continent, we were treated to a dancing pod of 6 humpback whales just outside our cabin. One waved its fluke to us about 5 metres from our balcony in fitting farewell to the last continent.
And with that, our visit to the Antarctic and main part of the holiday was over. The feeling I was left with over the next day of two as we sailed to South Georgia was one of anticlimax; how could the dessert stage of our tip live up to the first two courses? I needn’t have worried…
South Georgia is a remote island, pretty much in the middle of the nowhere. It is located North East of the Antarctic peninsula and South East of Tierra del Fuego. Interestingly, it was once the connecting point between the two, but being shifted roughly 700 miles eastward by tectonic movement. I had no sense of anticipation as I really didn’t know much about the place; Shackleton sailed there in a desperate pitch to save his men, it was a whaling hotspot and the odd angry shot was fired there during the Falklands war in 1982.
However, it turned out to be a fitting treat to finish the adventure part of our holiday. We saw three locations; Cooper Island in the South, Grytviken, an old whaling station on the Eastern coast, and Salisbury Plain, home to more than a million King Penguins on the island’s northerly tip.
We were most taken with Grytviken, which had wildlife like the other two spots, and also the haunting character of an abandoned whaling station that the place had once been. It is also Shackleton’s last resting place as he suffered a heart attack on the way there in 1922.
We found irony that the seals and penguins would lounge amongst the residue of the scene of a whale holocaust of yesteryear. The scenery was a mix of the angular snow capped peaks of Tierra del Fuego, the grasses and low shrubbery of Maui and the windswept isolation of northern-most Scotland.
South Georgian welcome party complete with tuxedos
Elephant seals jousted in water embraced by tendrils of seaweed so thick it coiled and spooled with the lustre of an oil slick. King Penguins paraded like they were a bad guy in a kitsch episode of the 1960’s Batman series. Baby seals just looked cute; amazingly cute!
Baby seals looking cute
All this had air cover provided by squadrons of albatrosses, petrels, sheathbills and the symbolic emblem of the recovering ecosystem, the pipit. In short, we hadn’t seen this extent of wildlife so happy in human company since we visited the Galápagos Islands a year or two ago.
The once thriving whaling town was a collection of rusting hulks of old whaling ships, evocative disused whaling factory equipment, a Norwegian church that looked like it has been unplugged from near Stavanger and transferred to the opposite side of the world and popped into place. All this was framed by snow capped mountains, and was topped by a museum that housed an impressive collection of articles that told the story of the town from its whaling origins to current times as a British scientific and fishery monitoring base.
So South Georgia was an unexpected treat to finish off our expedition to the supermodel continent. As I write this, we are sailing toward the vibrant cities that echo both European and South American continents, Montevideo and Buenos Aires, where we conclude the holiday and return home.
This visit to Antarctica, like presumably meeting a supermodel, will linger long in my memory. The scenery confirmed the highest expectations, the wildlife surpassed them and South Georgia created new ones that I wished I had enjoyed before. If you get a chance to visit the continent, like only about 35,000 people do annually, compared to more than that number daily in Venice, you will be rewarded with a captivating experience.
If you love street food and an outdoor atmosphere, Eat Street Markets in Brisbane is the place for you! So, if you’re in Sunny Queensland, make sure you stop by this dog-friendly event!
Location: Just put Macarthur Ave, Hamilton, Brisbane, Australia into your GPS.
Opening Hours: Friday & Saturday from 4pm – 10pm and Sundays 11am – 7pm
Parking: There are 500 free parks available! It does get busy, so get there early!
Entry Fee: Click here for current prices.
We recently stopped by with friends to see what all the fuss was about. It was great and when we’re next in Brisbane, we will certainly be making another visit!
Food
We walked the entire market on the hunt for something delicious to eat, and it was hard to walk past the smell of scrumptious doughnuts!
But, I decided on some Pad Thai which was exactly what I needed. Jenna, on the other hand, was on the hunt for wood fire pizza, but the joint had just sold out! Instead, Jenna decided the healthy option was the only option and bought one of those deep fried curly potato sticks, which was a little disappointing for the $5 they charged and backed it up with a cronut!
For those of you who don’t know what a Cronut is, it is a mixture between a doughnut and a croissant. Jenna joined the lengthy queue for one of these and with the help of the staff, picked the most popular, tim tam cronut.
The cronut vendor at the Eat Street Markets, who has been a vendor for nearly 3 years, uses only premium grade Cadbury chocolate. Jenna said at the time that she would have preferred her cronut warmed up, but we have since found out that the cronut cannot be served warm because not only would the chocolate melt on the top, it would actually make the cronut taste buttery!
The process behind each cronut involves 3 days of mixing, folding and resting. The final result is 64 layers of beautiful buttery pastry!
The cronut stand is by far the most popular sweet stand in the entire market!
Now, what we should have tried was a Funnel Cake. Now, no one seems to know what that is, but lucky for us, they have an explanation on their van! Funnel Cake = Donut + Waffle + Churro.
Their van was full of fun and excitement, playing their own burlesque style music with suitable outfits, they even dance while making it! The dessert looked great, we only wish we purchased one for ourselves!
Entertainment
There are live bands and musicians scattered all throughout the grounds. In the main area, there are tables and chairs so you can sit down and relax and listen to the music.
Other stuff
There is not only food and entertainment, but plenty of shops to pick up some other bits and pieces such as candles and clothing etc.
And if you like to just sit back and relax, you can grab yourself a bite to eat and head out to the large grassy area with plenty of deck chairs (but no alcohol is allowed in this part, so if you’re a bit cheeky buy yourself a mocktail and add a shot from one of the local bars!)
In a nutshell – it is a pretty cool, funky place to visit and very popular with the locals! So, if you have a Friday or Saturday evening free – definitely pop in for a visit!
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
Alternative accommodation
If you’re looking for alternative accommodation to either save some money or share with friends or family, click here for information on Air B&B ($50 discount on your first booking), hotel price comparison websites etc.
There is no love sincerer than the love of food – George Bernard Shaw
Here we are, at the end of our European adventure … I cannot help but think about the great experiences we have had, from city breaks, adventure, beach and ski holidays, all of which I consider only to have added so much knowledge and wealth to my life.
Here I am, already contemplating our next adventure… my mind drifting in and out of the adventures we have completed since this amazing journey began 24 months ago… not to mention the holidays we have been lucky enough to experience before moving to London!
Living in London – or is this really just a place to do some laundry before the next trip …
- Nov 2013: Arrived in London
- Dec 2013: Paris & Zürich and then skiing in St Anton, Austria
- Jan 2014: Glasgow
- Mar 2014: Lisbon
- Apr 2014: Morocco, including camping in the desert!
- May 2014: Budapest
- Jun 2014: Berlin & Norwegian Jade Mediterranean cruise including Olympia, Santorini, Mykonos & Corfu
- July 2014: Venice, Nice, Paris
- Aug 2014: Sicily with its crystal clear beaches and Ionian islands
- Sep 2014: Amalfi coast
- Nov 2014: Krakow
- Dec 2014: New York, Atlanta, Geneva & Skiing in Val Thorens in France
- Jan 2014: Atlanta (again, but sadly mostly work related!)
- Mar 2015: Bruges
- Apr 2015: Iceland (Amazing country!), Munich & Stavanger (Pulpit Rock hike)
- May 2015: Istanbul, Gallipoli, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Kusadasi & Cinque Terre (stunning!)
- June 2015: Cambridge, Bergen, Norwegian Star Baltic Cruise (Oslo, Copenhagen, Rostock, Warnemunde, Tallinn, St Petersberg, Helsinki, Stockholm)
- July 2015: Stavanger (Pulpit Rock), Budapest, Amsterdam
- August 2015: Athens, Zakynthos, Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, The Dead Sea, Cairo, Split – Dubrovnik Sailing Trip, Mostar
- September 2015: Milan, Lake Como, Sardinia, Ibiza & Formentera, Dubai, Brisbane, Sydney
Late September 2015, we relocated back to Sydney, Australia. Our travel journey continues and we look forward to sharing many more travel posts with you!
- October 2015: Sydney
- November 2015: Gold Coast
- December 2015: Melbourne, Blue Mountains, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane
- February 2016: Gold Coast
- March 2016: Darwin
- May 2016: Sunshine Coast
- June 2016: Kiama
- July 2017: Queenstown
- September 2016: Brisbane
- October 2016: Byron Bay
- November 2016: Tasmania, Port Stephens, Dubbo Zoo
- December 2016: Sydney to Brisbane Road Trip
- January 2017: Hunter Valley
- February 2017: Jervis Bay
- March 2017: The Entrance
- April 2017: Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An), Singapore
- June 2017: Brisbane (Mount Glorious, Mt Nebo & Mt Coot-tha), Brisbane
- August 2017: Adelaide
- September 2017: New Zealand
- October 2017: Perth, Sanctuary Cove
I’m not one who enjoyed studying history at school, at all, but the quote…
Travel is the most important form of education
…has certainly made an impression on myself, the things I have learned and the places I have seen has truly been an eye opener, I won’t go into it but some of the highlights included learnings about the…
- Byzantine Empire (Roman) – Turkey
- Greek Mythology – Delos (Greece), Olympia (Greece), Ephesus (Turkey)
- World War 1 – Turkey, most importantly for any Australian, visiting Gallipoli
- World War 2 – Berlin, need I say more? London with Churchill’s war rooms, Kraków in Poland …
- the list goes on and on …
Long story short, I thought it’s about time we captured some of these memories, jot them down (or shall we say blog about them on-the-line) and share these with anyone who cared to read about them!
Click here for a complete list of where I’ve been…
There have been countless times where we’ve stood in our room, thinking about what to pack.. and just stood still staring blankly at our cupboard… Particularly when it comes to packing our carry-on. What essentials do you need with you?
We’ve put together a carry-on checklist which we have found helpful when packing for a holiday.
Printable Carry on check list
The essential check list for packing your carry-on
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
Alternative accommodation
If you’re looking for alternative accommodation to either save some money or share with friends or family, click here for information on Air B&B ($50 discount on your first booking), hotel price comparison websites etc.
There is always a sadness about packing. I guess you wonder if where you’re going is as good as where you’ve been. Richard Proenneke, One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
When most people think of the Greek Islands, the ones that come to mind are Santorini or maybe Mykonos. There are so many more islands in Greece that are worth exploring and given we had already seen the more popular islands, we thought we’d give Zakynthos a try, especially since we found out ‘that’ photo from TripAdvisor’s home page is taken on this very island!!!
Getting to Zakynthos
We were lucky enough to pick up some pretty cheap flights, our flight to Athens was with Avios points and then we picked up a cheap domestic flight from Athens to Zakynthos with Olympic airlines. You can also get a direct flight from Zakynthos to London Luton with Monarch Airlines. We quickly booked them before they got booked up or the prices sky rocketed!!
Getting around Zakynthos
The best way to get around this fairly small island is by rental car. We booked our car through rentalcars.com and had no problems whatsoever. I’d highly recommend reading our blog on hiring a car in Europe for some tips and tricks when choosing this option!
Everything on the island is no further than 1.5 hours away. So, if you plan it properly you can see a couple of key sights in one day! The roads are good, and the drivers somewhat friendly! You’ll find when you drive around the island, there are plenty of windy roads in and out of mountain ranges… I found it quite fun to drive through, Jenna however, found it a little scary with the roads being so windy and fairly high up.
It is helpful to have a GPS, so either rent one from the car company or use your mobile phone for Google Maps. Just make sure you read our tips on using your mobile phone abroad!!
Unfortunately for us, the start of our holiday served us with very average weather.. it was warm, but very overcast and threatening rain clouds. It was our first day, and we were eager to get out and see the sights! We jumped into our hire car, and off we went en route to Porto Limionas. With the help of our GPS, we started driving through some incredibly windy roads, in between mountains and all of a sudden, the clouds turned into storm clouds, the rain was so heavy… then followed the thunder and lightning! Driving through the little villages was pretty cool – we were pretty much the only people around, it seemed deserted! Jenna was pretty excited as it was the first real storm we had witnessed since living in London!
Take a look at our quick GoPro video of our drive to Porto Limionas.
We started to think to ourselves that this was going to be a bit of a nightmare, exploring beaches in the rain – who does that?
Well, after about 50 minutes of driving, the rain started to die down and we arrived at our first point of call, Porto Limionas. Even with the weather, the place was incredible, the water was rough and choppy, the clouds dark and stormy but you could still see how amazingly beautiful this place is.
5 Day Zakynthos itinerary in a nutshell
Day 1: Porto Limionas and Navagio Beach from the top
Day 2: Porto St Nicholas, Navagio Beach (by boat), Mikro Nissi and Xigia Beach
Day 3: Keri Beach, Kalamaki Beach and Laganas Beach
Day 4: Turtle Spotting – half day tour and Zakynthos town
Day 5: Spend one day relaxing at the hotel pool before flying back to reality
What to see
Navagio Beach (Shipwreck Beach), aka the Trip Advisor Photo!!
A trip to Zakynthos is not complete without two separate trips to Navagio Beach.
The below is an overview of our time at Navagio Beach. For more detailed information, please click here for our blog post specifically on Navagio!
You’re probably wandering why you need two separate trips? Well, you MUST see the view from the top looking down, it is simply not to be missed. The moment you look over the edge and see the colour of the water, your immediate reaction is ‘WOW’, how can that be real?
We went on an overcast and drizzly day and the water colour was still perfect, it seemed unreal and if we hadn’t seen it with our own eyes, we wouldn’t have believed anyone who tried to tell us!
To get to this spot, it is quite easy, all you need to do is punch in Navagio Beach in to your GPS and it will take you to the parking spot and the walk down to the viewing spot is only a minute away.
We happened to wander through some bushland to a different vantage point and saw some guys setting up for their jumps the following day! They kindly took our GoPro and took some incredible photos for us – I don’t know about you, but this 200m drop is enough to make Jenna’s stomach feel funny, which means I’m constantly in trouble when I go near the edge!
The second trip will be via boat so you can swim at the beach and explore the shipwreck.
We pre booked our spot on a tour with Theodosius Cruises and the boat departed at 10.30am from St. Nicholas in Volimes. This spot is located near the top right of the island and took us around an hour to get there from our hotel.
The tour cost us €15 per person and lasted a couple of hours. It was a 20 minute speed boat right to get to Navagio Beach and we spent an hour on the beach exploring the shipwreck and having a swim in the bluest of blue water.
We then went to the gorgeous blue caves and were lucky enough to go in to one for a closer look! And from here, we stopped at another cave for a swimming stop and we were able to swim right in to one of the caves and swim in the perfectly clear water.
Porto Limnionas
This was our first stop on our first full day in Zakynthos. The drive was around an hour, and we drove through the mountains, there was thunder, lightening and rain (at only 9.30am!!) but when we got there, we were nearly the only people there (obviously due to the weather) but that didn’t stop us enjoying what was a beautiful stop!
Although it wasn’t calm, the water was a gorgeous colour and you could only imagine what it would look like if the weather wasn’t so stormy! There is a diving board there you can jump off in to the water and you can even swim over to the cave to see what it was like inside.
There is a little beach tucked away around the corner. To get there, you have to climb over a few rocks but it is a fairly secluded beach and quite nice if you want to take a dip without jumping into the deep water!
There is this lovely restaurant there where you can order some food and drinks at a very good price!! From memory, the cocktails were only €5 and the beer €2. You can hire sun lounges and umbrella’s there which looked perfect and if you get there early enough, you can get your chairs in the front so you have uninterrupted views of the water! You can easily spend the entire day here!! Again, it is such an easy place to find, you just type in Limnionas Port in to your GPS and away you go!
Hint: You can see both Navagio Beach from the viewing platform as well as Porto Limnionas in one day if you have a car as they are both on the west cost of the island. The drive is around 1 hour between the two destinations.
Porto St Nicholas
We stopped at this port as our day trip to Navagio Beach left from here. I would necessarily recommend coming here to spend time here as a tourist without doing a boat trip. However, it is nice watching the boats come and go from the port and the water is still very clear and I’m sure would be nice for a swim!
Mikro Nissi
We actually found this little beach as a result of looking at recommended restaurants on trip adviser and this beach is attached to a restaurant!
It was such a beautiful spot to spend a couple of hours swimming. From El Sueno, you walk down a lovely stairway to get to the rocky beach where you can either jump off the rocks in to the water, or you can go in via a small ladder to the right.
The water is crystal clear and there are so many little fish swimming around! Make sure you take your snorkel so you can enjoy what this area has to offer!
Xigia Beach
After we stopped at Mikro Nissi, we started our journey back to Zakynthos, with a stop along the way to Xigia Beach.
This beach is something different to all other beaches on the island. This beach has an underwater sulphur source so there is a strong smell a this beach. It is believed that the water is good for your skin so many people decide to spend some time in the water!
Hint: You can visit Porto St Nicholas, Navagio Beach (by boat), Mikro Nissi and Xigia Beach in one day as these are all located on the east cost of the island.
Laganas Beach
After reading about Laganas Beach (aka Turtle Beach) I had to make sure I went there for the chance to swim with turtles!
Having done some research, I quickly realised that this wouldn’t be possible, but we went for a drive to the beach anyway. We parked the car, walked down to the beach and very quickly realised that there was going to be zero chance of seeing any turtles. The beach was filled with tourists on sun beds, water sports and many boats… We spoke with one of the locals who said that Kalamaki Beach in the Nature Reserve is the best spot, but usually only before 7am or after around 7pm as this is when the turtles nest. We quickly hopped in to the car and drove around 10 minutes to get to Kalamaki Beach.
Kalamaki Beach
At Kalamaki Beach, you can see many timber huts that have been built to protect the turtle nests.
We were hoping for some to hatch while we were there, but no such luck, unfortunately. We spent some time on the beach sunbaking and making the most of the incredibly clear water!
There is national park staff walking up and down the beach to ensure people aren’t sitting too close to the nests and the Greek government have banned flights between these times to protect and promote the nesting of the turtles.
Keri beach
We were looking to go and see the lighthouse at Keri, however, we stumbled across the beach instead! The beach was absolutely gorgeous with views to Marathonisi Island (Turtle Island).
It is given this name because it actually is in the shape of a turtle! There are plenty of trees around to give you shade from the piping hot sun and the water temperature is lovely! There is a little kiosk there so you can buy snacks, drinks and ice cream as well.
Hint: You can visit Keri Beach, Kalamaki Beach and Laganas Beach in one day – they are all in the south of the island.
Zakynthos Town: We stopped by Zakynthos town one afternoon just to take a look.
To be honest, it wasn’t really worth seeing. There are a few restaurants and shops there, but there is so much more to the island than this, so unless you have a heap of spare time I wouldn’t worry about stopping in.
Turtle Spotting (loggerhead sea turtle, or Caretta Caretta in Greek)
Zakynthos is famous for its turtles! If you go in the right season and at the right time, you might be lucky enough to see some turtles hatch and make a run for it to the ocean! Given how busy the beaches are and how unlikely it is to see this for ourselves, we decided to take a half day trip out and go turtle spotting! We pre-booked our tickets at a local tourist centre in Argassi, however, the boat was completely fully booked up for the next 4 days… The staff person kindly rang and spoke with the company who advised that they had just put a last minute extra boat on for the Saturday afternoon and had two seats spare! Phew! The company we booked with was CruiseMar. It was by far the BEST option if you’re looking to get out on the water.
The boat was incredible and the staff super friendly and funny. There is a glass bottom section of the boat, but I think the best spot is up next to the skipper!
Because we seemed to have the best boat on the water, we seemed to get the prime spot for the turtle spotting. Within 5 minutes out on the water, we were lucky enough to see a turtle! It was pretty amazing… they are such beautiful creatures.. and surprisingly big. The loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta Caretta) have a lifespan of up to 67 years, on average measure 90cm long and weigh around 135 kg when fully grown!
After turtle watching, you stop by some caves and then lastly stop Marathonisi Island, also known as Turtle Island for a swim stop. On the island, there is a guy selling ice cream, beer and chips etc so if you feel like a snack, you will find what you need.
Where to stay on Zakynthos
There are so many locations on the island you can stay at so picking a place can be tricky!! We decided to stay at Argassi which is located on the south east of the island, just 20 minutes away from the airport. The hotel we picked was the 4* Ionian Hill Hotel as it was a pretty good price for a 5-night stay.
The pool area overlooks the Ionian Sea which is perfect, and next to the pool is the restaurant and bar. They serve breakfast from 8 am until around 10.30am and then have snacks available to buy from around midday until 6 pm and then a dinner menu from 6 pm – 11 pm. The rooms are fairly basic, they provide you with towels and sheets, although the flat sheet is only folded so you need to make that part of the bed for yourself. Upon request, the hotel can provide guests with a pool towel, although we didn’t know this at the time of our stay.
Where to eat
We had been told how cheap Greece is for food and drinks, but we never expected it to be as cheap as it was. In any given restaurant along the main street, if you paid more than €10 for a main meal, that meal would be considered expensive! Of course there are ‘fancy’ restaurants around which are more expensive, but on the whole, you can get incredibly cheap food and drinks.
Anadalis: We wanted to book one really nice dinner during our stay in Zakynthos to celebrate the end of our 2 years living in London. There are a lot of restaurants in the area, but not a lot of them are actually on the beach. We came across Anadalis restaurant.
It is part of the Windmill Bay Aparthotel and is situated right on the beach front. We pre-booked a table for the Saturday evening, and asked to be seated along the water as it was a lovely atmosphere. If you arrive just before sunset, you can enjoy eating your meal or sipping a cockail while watching the sunset.
For starters, I tried stuffed eggplant, it doesn’t look great, but it was delicious!
We both ordered the steak (you have no idea how much we were craving one by this stage of our travels) and Jenna enjoyed some delicious passionfruit cocktails. The restaurant also has live music in the evenings, it is really a perfect setting!!
El Sueno: We came across this restaurant after looking on Trip Advisor for nice places to eat. When we realised it was close to one of our stops, we knew we had to try it out! The restaurant is fairly popular and it was pretty busy when we were there, and it was just outside of their peak season too.. They do take reservations so it might be a good idea if you know you want to go there. However, the food comes out quickly so you probably wouldn’t wait too long for a table. The bonus with this place is the view! You’re looking right out at the ocean with picture perfect water, ideal for snorkelling (so make sure you take your stuff!). There are even some sun beds available for guests to use after their meal! Now, on to the food. It was lunch so we ordered something casual – a burger! We got between us a beef and a chicken burger. The service was fantastic and the food equally as great. Definitely recommend stopping in if you’re on this side of the island!!
Al Nur Restaurant We ate a couple of meals at the Al Nur Restaurant, which is part of the Ionian Hill Hotel, which is where stayed. The service was good, you could eat your meal by the pool, in the restaurant area (both overlook the ocean) or you could take it to your room if you wanted to. Between us, we ordered the greek salad and spaghetti Pomodoro.
Papillion Restaurant: We ate at this restaurant which is linked to the Papillion hotel, also in Argassi. They had a dinner special which was super cheap, around 10 EUR for a starter and a main plus a beer or wine. We chose a garlic bread and a grilled cheese plate for starters…
Jenna then ordered Spaghetti Bolognese and I had Beef Yiouvetsi. The service was quite quick and the food was delicious, especially for what we paid!!!
Piccadilly restaurant: We stumbled across this restaurant when walking down the main street in Argassi. It looked welcoming with tables and chairs on the grass surrounding the large fountain. We looked at the menu and quickly decided on the roast lamb (for Jenna) and I had the Beef Yiouvetsi. The restaurant was busy, so the service was a bit slow from time to time. In terms of drinks, they didn’t top them up, but this seemed to be the case in most restaurants in the area! Despite the slowish service, the food was delicious and the portions were big. Would recommend visiting if you’re in the area and have a spare night free!
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
Alternative accommodation
If you’re looking for alternative accommodation to either save some money or share with friends or family, click here for information on Air B&B ($50 discount on your first booking), hotel price comparison websites etc.
Getting to and from the airport
If you’ve decided not to hire a car, take a look at Welcome Pickups! They offer great options for airport drop off and pick up.
“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
Many of us have new year’s resolutions with the best intention, but unfortunately, they never seem to last, not even for a week! For those of you who have made a new year’s resolution to travel more, hopefully, these tips will help you keep your resolution.
When it comes to planning a trip, it can seem all a bit too much whether it is the large amounts of research, saving as much money as you can, or changing your lifestyle slightly to help reach your goal. Hopefully, if you follow the below steps, you will be well on your way to boarding a flight to your dream destination!
Now, where to start… This can often be the hardest part, but once you have the first two steps done, the rest will fall into place!
Planning for your trip
- Where do you want to go? Yep, something that doesn’t sound like it would be difficult to pick, but surprisingly can be! Do you have a destination in mind that you’ve always wanted to visit? Or, do you have absolutely no idea where to start? If so, perhaps you should check out Traveller’s suggestions on where to visit in 2017.
- When do you want to go? Now, once you have the hardest decision made… the second hardest decision needs to be made. You need to pick a date for your upcoming holiday. Have a look at your destination, consider the best time of year to visit the destination. For example, what is it you want to see and do there, also consider the average weather and rainfall forecast for the period. Generally once you have done the above, it will be exactly the same time everyone else would like to travel to the destination, so if possible, it may be worth checking your options and picking a few dates just outside of the peak period, this is where you can save yourself a bit of money and avoid the crowds!You also need to make sure it doesn’t clash with any of your existing commitments! A yearly wall planner is the best way to prevent double ups – click here for some tips on how to make the most of your available time.
- Book your leave. Once you’ve picked your destination, planned your dates – it is time to book your annual leave at work. The earlier you do this, the better off you’ll be, your supervisor is unlikely to know of colleagues requesting leave at the same period and won’t know of any impending deadlines that may come up closer to the date.
- Tell your family and friends. Once you’ve made the decision to go on a holiday, let everyone know – this way you will become accountable for your decision to go on a holiday and be less likely to back out! You could even ask if anyone is interested in joining you-you might end up with a travel buddy!
- Ask for advice. Since you’re already telling everyone on social media, you may as well ask for advice from those who have travelled to your destination before. They could help give you information on what tour company to use or what hotel to stay at (or what to avoid!).
Funding your trip
- Create a budget. It is so easy to look at flights and hotels and keep looking, checking and looking again, only to find out that the price you looked at 3 weeks ago, has gone up so much and you should have booked them when you saw them! So, spend a couple of days researching your flight availability, costs, accommodation, tour prices and meals to get an estimate of how much your trip will cost. No doubt, you will end up spending more than this, so perhaps add a 15% buffer on top of that price for any little surprises.
- Setting up a travel fund. If you have trouble saving for specific things, most banks will allow you to open up a subaccount, which you could call ‘My Holiday’ and set up automatic transfers from your bank account to your travel fund. To work out how much you need to transfer into your travel fund, you just need to work out the total budget, divided by the number of pay periods between now and when you expect to make the payments. This should significantly reduce the impact on your lifestyle as the amounts you put away will be much smaller than making lump sum and unexpected payments when the time comes.
- Monitor your travel fund. Keep checking to make sure your transfers are going through ok and everything looks in order.
Are you having trouble meeting your savings goal?
- Make a sacrifice: If you don’t think you can meet your goal set out above, then you might need to make some sacrifices in your day to day life. For example, take a look at what you spend each week. Do you spend excess amounts on non-essential things, such as coffee, alcohol, cigarettes etc? If so, work out how much you typically spend each week and perhaps put that money into your travel fund instead. It will pay off in the end!
- Remember why you made your resolution: No one makes resolutions just for the fun of it. You made your resolution to travel more because there is something in your life that either needs to change or you want to change, you want to experience new places, or meet new people. If you focus on that reason, you are more likely to stick with your resolution and make any sacrifices that much easier.
- Make some upfront payments: If you’ve managed to save a bit of cash towards your holiday already, why not pay for your flights in full (this is also a good thing in terms of your ticket price not increasing!) or even pay for your accommodation up front as well. Not only will you secure the price on the day, but you will be less likely to back out of your holiday!
- Frequent Flyer Credit Card: If you’re someone who is pretty good with money, and doesn’t get carried away, then you might benefit from taking out a frequent flyer credit card. Quite often, there are specials with banks to sign up to a credit card and get up to 75,000 frequent flyer points if you spend a certain amount in a specific time frame. This could help towards paying for your flights. I’m not a certified advisor, however, in my opinion, this option is only suitable for those who are careful and make sure they pay the credit card off BEFORE the payment deadline to avoid those excessive interest charges. You can always cancel the credit card once you’ve earned your frequent flyer points!
Now it’s time to prepare for your trip
- Passport: Step one, if you’re travelling internationally; make sure you have a current passport, usually with at least 6 months left and a few blank pages as certain destinations will issue a visa (that can take up a full-page) upon arrival even when you do not need to apply for a holiday visa before arriving (such as Indonesia, Jordan and Turkey to name a few).
- Visa: Do you need to apply for a visa for where you’re visiting? If so, make sure you apply for the visa as soon as possible to make sure it comes through in enough time.
- International Driving Permit: If you’re planning on hiring a car overseas, double-check the requirements as you might need an International Driving Permit (IDP). Check out our blog on renting a car in Europe for more detailed information on this.
- Leave a copy with a relative or friend: It is important to make a photocopy of all of your important documents and leave them with a family member or friend. This will be very helpful if you’re unfortunate enough to lose such documents while you’re away.
- Travel vaccines: Do a bit of research online to see if you need to get any travel vaccines before your holiday. If so, book in to see your doctor to get these done.
- Online backup: We store everything on Dropbox, which you can easily access through the app on your mobile. This way, you can get access to all of your important information at the click of a button.
New to Dropbox? No problem! Click here for a link to download and install Dropbox. - Download travel apps: Download some travel apps on your mobile, including some offline maps to help get you to the places you’re planning on visiting. We use MobilyTrip as it has an offline map together with a list of the most popular sites to see. Remember to check out our blog on using your mobile phone abroad to avoid those nasty extra costs!
- Language: Are you going to a country that speaks a different language? If so, it doesn’t hurt to learn the basics, such as hello, how are you, please and thank-you. Speaking even the smallest bit of the local language can go a long way! You could start with Duolingo to help learn the basics.
Remember, not all trips need to be extravagant overseas adventures. They could be simple weekend escapes to a city within driving distance, or a quick 2-hour flight away. Have a look online and see what might be close to you which will help you keep the costs down as well.
If you’re someone who struggles to get a bit chunk of time off at work, look at long weekend breaks. We have done hundreds of these where we fly out on a Friday night and then come back on a Sunday evening – you will be surprised what you can see in 2 full days!
In a nutshell, if you want to travel – there is nothing stopping you! Just lock it in and away you go.
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
Alternative accommodation
If you’re looking for alternative accommodation to either save some money or share with friends or family, click here for information on Air B&B ($50 discount on your first booking), hotel price comparison websites etc.
Once a year, go someplace you haven’t been before – Dalai Lama
Bruges is often called the Venice of the North due to the many canals that surround the city centre, has over 80 bridges which makes it the perfect city to explore either by foot, bicycle or boat tour!
These 24 pictures show just how beautiful this city is.
Belgium Beer
Bruges old town
Moules-frites
Bruges old town
Bruges old town
Bruges old town
Bruges old town
Bruges old town
Bruges old town
Fidel! The most famous ‘thing’ to see in Bruges!! He featured in the movie, In Bruges and sits at the window for 6 hours a day looking at everything happening around him!!
Bruges old town
Fidel! The most famous ‘thing’ to see in Bruges!! He featured in the movie, In Bruges and sits at the window for 6 hours a day looking at everything happening around him!!
Bruges old town
Bruges old town
Bruges old town
Bruges old town
Bruges old town
Bruges old town
Only the best waffles in the world!
Bruges old town – The most incredible waffle van you can visit!
Bruges old town
Belgium Beer
Belgium Beer Wall
“People don’t take trips, trips take people.” – John Steinbeck
New York City, the “Big Apple”, the “Empire State” or the “Concrete Jungle”, one of the most iconic cities in the world never made it onto my bucket list, but I have to admit I would love to go back for round two!
Our visit to NYC was very much for the sole purpose of making sure thewelltravelledwoman was a very happy little lady on our wedding anniversary. The frustrating bit about a wedding anniversary is that it falls on a specific date, which doesn’t move, and with work commitments, I could only squeeze in a quick 4-day trip and this was the perfect amount of time to squeeze in the incredible landmarks as well as a bit of shopping!
In a nutshell, here is how we spent our 4 days:
Day 1: Top of the Rock, Ellen’s Stardust Diner and then wandered around midtown to check out the most famous buildings in the world (see below)
Day 2: Woodbury Commons – a day of shopping!
Day 3: New York Financial District, 911 Memorial and Statue of Liberty
Day 4: Central Park – bike riding and shopping along 5th Avenue
Now, let’s just take a moment to enjoy some of our favourite photos from our trip …
Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Centre)
When deciding whether to head to the top of the Empire State Building, or the Rockefeller Centre there are a few things to consider. Do you want to go up the Empire State Building, or do you want to SEE the Empire State Building? We chose the Top of the Rock which has spectacular panoramic views over Central Park as well as the Empire State Building. For us, it was a no brainer!
“Concrete jungle where dreams are made of … there’s nothing you can’t do … now you’re in New York!”
Alicia Keys – Empire State Of Mind
With a massive day ahead of us we mapped out our walking route through NYC and it just happened that the Top of the Rock was first on the list for the day. Honestly, it was the perfect way to start our adventure – nothing will prepare you for the views and the completely new perspective you will have when you stand at the Top of the Rock.
Having been to many landmarks in the past we have been well trained to pre-purchase our tickets to avoid any potential queues, but to be honest, there was hardly anyone there when we arrived and we could have just as easily bought our ticket at the door. We must have spent at least an hour taking it all in, admiring the most incredible view you could imagine (and it was only 4 degrees Celsius!).
People tell you and you read how big Central Park is, but nothing can prepare you for what you see when you’re up the top. Incredible, unbelievable and gigantic – just a few words to describe the view! Not only do you see the park but you can see the Empire State Building and if you look far in the distance, you can also see the Statue of Liberty!!
Rockefeller Centre
This building is the actual building where we were able to get the bird’s eye view of the city! The building is also beautiful to see from the ground, and even better leading up to Christmas when it’s home to an ice rink and probably the biggest Christmas tree you will ever see!
Central Park
One word. “massive”.
The park is a whopping 843 acres, filled with tranquil lakes, bridges, a small golf course and thousands of fitness fanatics jogging or cycling the paths. It is the perfect place for anyone in NYC to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and feel like you’re in a whole new world. It really is just like the tv shows and certainly doesn’t disappoint.
We hired a couple of bikes and rode through central park, it was so much fun! But, a bit of helpful advice – there are specific cycling paths and if you’re on the pedestrian footpaths you’re more than likely going to get fined! Neither of us are keen cyclists, but luckily it’s flat and we had a great time exploring the park!
Take a look at our quick video!
At one point, we (well, Jenna) decided that she wanted to feed the squirrels. They seem cute she said… they look adorable she said… Well, turns out they can be quite aggressive when there is food involved! Jenna learned first hand how sharp their little claws are when it latched on to her hand to grab the nut! Thankfully the ones in Bryant Park were much friendlier (see below!).
Times Square
Mental. This particular intersection in mid-town is by far the most happening place in New York City! There are swarms of people, street performers and hundreds of neon-lit billboards, Piccadilly Circus in London has absolutely no chance of competing with it. It seems each billboard is trying to compete with the ones above, below and to either side of it. There was even a live cam billboard where I have to admit, it was pretty cool seeing ourselves on the screen in the middle of Times Square! Admittedly, right now, I have no idea what it was advertising (but it was definitely related to makeup)!
Times Square was originally named after the New York Times, although they have since moved to eighth avenue.
Our hotel was just around the corner and we wandered through Times Square multiple times both during the day as well as night – but if you’re limited from time and not as close, I would definitely recommend visiting it at night, it has a much more dramatic effect.
And now for a quick architectural tour of NYC:
Empire State Building
The name of the Empire State Building came from the nickname for New York. It is a beautiful building not only because it is so famous, but because it just looks incredible. When you look at it from the Top of the Rock, it is smack bang in the centre of the city, drawing you in.
Empire State Building is the third tallest building whilst One World Trade Centre in the background is the tallest building in NYC.
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler building is one you should take a wander past and grab a quick snapshot. At the time of completion, it was the tallest building in the world which was overtaken by the Empire State Building just one year later. It is now tied fifth tallest in New York City.
Flatiron Building
The Flatiron building is probably the most famous because of its triangular shape. It is this shape purely so it would fit the wedge-shaped piece of land it was built on! Another one to grab a snap of.
Statue of Liberty
Besides Central Park and the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty would probably be one of the most famous landmarks around the world. What many people don’t know is that the statue was a gift from France in 1886.
We had originally planned to take the free ferry across, but then decided to on the tourist boat which is faster, less crowded and also allows you to get off on the island. The boats are quite frequent and we didn’t have to worry about rushing so we enjoyed a stroll around the island and a bit of down time in the park.
Fun Fact: The seven spikes on the crown represent the seven oceans and the seven continents of the world, indicating the universal concept of liberty.
911 Memorial
This is an incredibly moving memorial, dedicated to the nearly 3000 people who were killed in the terror attacks on 11 September 2001. When you are standing at the base of the twin reflecting pools, which by the way are nearly an acre in size and feature the largest man-made waterfalls in North America, it is a surreal feeling. The pools are actually the footprints of where the Twin Towers once stood.
Surrounding the waterfalls are bronze panels which have the names of every person who died in the attacks.
You can walk around the area for free, but you can also visit the museums if you want for an additional cost. I would suggest purchasing your tickets online to avoid the queues when you get there.
Wall Street
A visit to New York isn’t complete without visiting Wall Street. I must admit, it wasn’t anything like I was expecting. The street was quite small and not very busy in terms of traffic etc. But it is still good to see one of the most famous streets in the world!
And you must line up and get a photo of the famous bull!!
Bryant Park
Bryant Park is a lovely park in New York and around Christmas time it is buzzing with Christmas markets and plenty of friendly squirrels (not like the ones in Central Park!!). It is a nice park to relax for a bit and check out your map for where you’re going next!
Ellen’s Stardust Diner
Normally this would fall under the ‘where to eat’ category, but I feel this deserves a section on its own! It’s a multi level 50s-themed diner with singing servers and some proper American food.
Skipping the hotel’s buffet that morning, we decided to on a real American breakfast in Ellen’s Diner and boy am I glad we decided on heading over early. It was first thing in the morning and we still had to wait (in the chill!) for around 25 minutes before being able to enter the Diner. It was jam packed, the serving singers were excellent and the food was alright too!
Shopping
No trip to NYC is complete without a bit of shopping! Having wandered through the high-end retailers we were told to visit Woodbury Commons, which is one of many premium outlets stores in the US.
If you’re staying in the city, there are two ways you can get there… by coach or hiring a car. It is around an hour north of NYC so not too far away. Given we simply didn’t need a car in the city, we decided on the bus. There were around 40 people in front of us, the majority of whom had large (empty) suitcases… at the time, we laughed at them and wondered why on earth you would bother with an empty suitcase… Well, let’s just say next time – we’ll do the same thing!!
We were lucky enough to get on the first coach, and off we went. It was surprising just how quickly the landscape changes when you leave Manhattan and we very much enjoyed the scenery along the way – there was even snow on the side of the motorways!
Having arrived at Woodbury Common, it’s an outdoor styled shopping centre rather than what I initially expected from America (being those malls!) so I was quite pleased. I was even happier when we walked into the stores and realised just how much cheaper the items were compared to London or Sydney! Needless to say, we bought a fair bit and wished we had both more time and an empty suitcase to fill up!
The buses are not as frequent and given the distance back to NYC we decided to head back to the bus stop around 20 minutes earlier than the departure time. Ridiculous. Everyone must have had exactly the same thought and it felt like the whole of Woodbury Common was being evacuated. There was no system to the madness and everyone was standing side by side and when the bus pulled up, it was absolute mayhem. We were lucky that the bus stopped where we were standing, we were being pushed and shoved to get on to the bus.. At this point, I was glad I didn’t have a suitcase to try to put under the bus.. if we did, we’d never get on… So we were lucky and got on and away we went, back to New York.
If we were to travel there again, we would hire a car. It would be nice not to have to rely on bus timetables and angry people trying to push you out of the way to get on the bus.
Shopping in New York also wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the usual suspects, Macy’s and Bloomingdales!!
Christmas time in New York
If you go to New York in December, the Christmas festivities and excitement are in full force. All of the shop windows are decorated and there are decorations lining the streets…
Where to stay…
We actually split our accommodation into two different stays. We thought we’d experience the Times Square area and then the Upper West Side as well.
Our first stop was the Sofitel New York. Wow, what a touch of luxury! We even had views of the Empire State Building through our window. We stayed in New York for our wedding anniversary. It was such a nice surprise after a rough trip from the airport, to check in and find a lovely welcome anniversary cake for us. Such a lovely added touch.
The room was incredible and I can tell you, that bed was exactly what you would expect when staying at the Sofitel… the Sofitel MyBed range so needless to say, we had the best nights sleep!
The Sofitel is in a perfect spot, we walked pretty much everywhere from this hotel and found it very central.
We will soon be completing a full hotel blog, so watch this space!
To mix it up a bit, we decided to spend our last night on the Upper West Side at a boutique hotel called Nylo. The hotel is a very hip hotel in a fantastic location. There is a bar downstairs with live music and it was a great place to unwind. It certainly wasn’t as luxurious as the Sofitel, but it was still great. Comfortable bed, great service – what more could you want?
It is very close to Central Park (for those wanting to go for a bike ride) and it has a very different feel to being in the centre of Times Square. I am so glad that we stayed on the Upper West Side, the neighbourhood provided me with a completely new perspective of what it would be to live in NYC.
I would recommend staying at this hotel, should you want to stay in this area! A full blog on this hotel will be coming soon!
Where to eat…
Ellen’s Stardust Diner: As mentioned above, Ellen’s Stardust Diner was a highlight of our time in New York. It isn’t just about the food when you visit, it is about supporting up and coming talent who are trying to make it on Broadway. They are all incredibly talented and made our breakfast extremely entertaining. I would recommend visiting at least once… I would love to go back! We went for breakfast and it was scrumptious.
Virgil’s Real BBQ: We walked past Virgil’s Real BBQ place several times on our way back to our hotel. It looked like exactly what we thought an American restaurant would feel like. So, we walked in, had a drink at the bar before we were shown to our table.
We looked at the incredible looking menu… decided to order to starters (one each) and a main to share. We thought that would be enough for the two of us. Well… it was enough to feed a small army! Little did we know that entres are the main meal… so we had a dozen chicken wings to share… and these chickens were massive.. plus a gigantic plate of nachos with chicken and beef…
We didn’t get through half of it, but it certainly explained the looks we got from nearby diners. We just about rolled out of there – so full.
Magnolia Bakery: So many people told me about Magnolia Bakery and that I had to visit at least once. The place was buzzing, it was so busy with many patrons being locals. It is worth stopping in – the only trouble is trying to pick what flavour you want!
The Meatball Shop: We were recommended this place by a New Yorker. We went to the Upper West Side restaurant and it was fantastic! The staff were super friendly and explained how the menu worked… Yes, you need it explained because you get a pen and fill in the piece of paper! The food was delicious, we were glad we stopped in!
Shake Shack: A visit to New York isn’t complete without a visit to Shake Shack. It is the busiest burger joint going around. The line is out the door and the seating in the restaurant is limited. But don’t let that stop you. We ordered the regular Shake Burger and some fries (you can even get cheesy fries!). The regular burgers aren’t massive, but probably all you need.
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
Alternative accommodation
If you’re looking for alternative accommodation to either save some money or share with friends or family, click here for information on Air B&B ($50 discount on your first booking), hotel price comparison websites etc.
“Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” – Ray Bradbury
Are you heading overseas? Do you love taking photos? If so, this article is for you and it will give you a brief guide on the type of cameras, what we use, as well as the basics (and I mean basics) to take that ‘perfect’ shot on your next adventure!
Taking photos sounds easy, right? Well, it is… but you need to know some basics to ensure you get the right shot. I am a long way off being a professional… I’ve had no lessons and all the photos on the blog are purely the outcome of a few tips we picked up from fellow travellers and through a bit of curiosity.
We have had a number of people ask what camera we use… but the truth is, we use a mid-range camera that is a great point and shoot camera – perfect for anyone! It isn’t the camera you use that captures great photos, it is how you use your camera and learning what to look for to capture that perfect photo.
What we use…..
It depends! We now choose between our Sony NEX-6 camera, GoPro Hero 4 Black, Panasonic HC-V520M 80x zoom video camera and iPhone 6s when on the run. The device we use purely depends on where we are and what we’re trying to capture!
What you may have just noticed is that none of these are overpriced and complicated devices. They’re easy to use, great quality and most importantly, affordable.
The Camera: Sony NEX-6
There are three common types of cameras:
- Compact point and shoot
My opinion: don’t bother, use your mobile phone instead! - Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR)
Many of your ‘photographer’ friends probably own a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera. I bet none of them actually knew what DSLR stood for when they bought it and I bet the majority of them still do not know how to correctly operate it!The good: the choice for professionals have the best battery life, the most flexibility for manual settings and collaboration and currently the best choice if you’re shooting pro sports or fast-moving subjects in low light. The quality of the photos and lens options are enormous as these have been around for years.The bad: Size. Weight. Price. Complexity. No live preview. Honestly, the biggest downside for me is the bulky nature of the DSLRs, I know too many people who bought a great DSLR and simply couldn’t be bothered taking it with them. - Mirrorless
This is what we use. This is what the majority will be using in a few years.The good: Size. Weight. Price. Live Preview. Electronic View Finders (and less damage to your eyes). Quieter. The quality of the photos are great and rivals the DSLRs. Adaptable lenses for those long-range shots, manual settings for the adventurous and simply There are many more benefits, but trust me, as an every day, great, camera. Don’t trust me? Google it!The Bad: Continuous focus, in particular for pro-sports and fast-moving objects in low light. Battery life is good but given the live preview and electronic viewfinders, these do not last as well as the DSLRs.
The camera you buy is the most important decision you need to make. You’re either going to love or hate your device and in my opinion, there isn’t a middle ground. Spend the time to get to a camera store and ask them what they would recommend!
Our NEX-6 is now a couple of years old, superseded but still performing strong! I’ll publish a post when we upgrade our camera next year to identify why we bought what we bought (when we buy it!).
The mirrorless cameras are small, light and you’re able to pop it into a small camera bag, or even better in your (or your wife’s handbag) when you’re walking around without it weighing anyone down. From this angle one additional feature, we love about the NEX-6 is the hand grip which you can see on the right, it is very comfortable to hold in one hand.
The cameras generally come with the body and the standard 50mm lens which is fantastic for about 95% of the photos you will ever need to take. The pack we bought included a 55-210mm lens which for the longer range photos. The lens quality is incredible and on a different level to the standard lens. If you’re looking for that ‘professional photo’ look, then it is worth spending the money on a lens, these days it has very little to do with the megapixels but much more to do with sensors and the quality of the glass!
Video Camera: Panasonic HC-V520
For around 18 months, we used the Panasonic video camera for all of our videos. The handy cam is extremely small, light and surprisingly records pretty good quality video! The most impressive feature of the handy cam is its intelligent 80x zoom / 50x optical zoom… you can literally see the craters on the moon!
However, since getting a Macbook, and struggling with compatibility with the files, we convinced ourselves to get the GoPro Hero 4 Black… The item has since become a bit of a dust collector, between the video option on the NEX-6 camera and our GoPro we simply have no need to have a separate handy cam.
GoPro Hero 4 Black: For the past 9 months, we have been using our GoPro Hero 4 Black for our video. The lens is super wide meaning you can capture so much more in your photo… so much more than a regular camera lens. If you’re taking a video, you can then freeze the frame on the computer and get a photo from the video – it is really incredible! The camera also shoots in 4K if you want… I would highly recommend the GoPro – money well spent! We take the GoPro with us everywhere we would take the camera. We take photos on both, and additional video on the GoPro to ensure we have everything covered. The GoPro is particularly good for taking selfies given the lens is so wide! You’re bound to fit everyone in 🙂
Watch this space for a complete blog on the GoPro Hero 4 Black!
iPhone: These days, no one travels without their smartphone! Sometimes you just don’t have your equipment on you, or you’ve just popped out for a walk or a bite to eat and you see something cool! In that instance, we would use our iPhone (5s, 6s or 6+) to take some happy snaps.. especially when it came to the group selfie on our selfie stick!
What is it you’re wanting to photograph?
This is probably the most important question to ask. Before you take a photo, you need to know what exactly you’re taking the photo of… Is it a structure, a person, an animal or landscapes etc? Once you have that bit covered, the rest will fall into place.
General tips
Following these simple tips, you will be sure to improve your photography skills!
Don’t leave your camera at home simple right? There is nothing more frustrating than missing a great photo opportunity. Now, assuming you have your camera on you, ask yourself:
Is your photo/horizon level? Speaking from experience, it is annoying having to level your photo on the computer afterward so taking the time to actually look at what you’re photographing is key. Our camera has a green level on the screen when taking a photo so, for the most part, it is quick and easy for us to see when the camera is horizontally level. But there is much more to it, look for those visual guides, and frame your picture not only by looking at the object you want to capture, but also the environment surrounding it.
Are there shadows? Can you see your own shadow in the photo? If so, move to a slightly different spot so you don’t get your shadow in the picture. If you’re capturing an object or another person, try to keep the full shadow in the frame rather than focussing purely on the object itself.
Are there people in your photo? There are two ways to look at this, people can really add to the photo, but sometimes all you need to do is wait a couple of minutes and you’ll capture that perfect shot as if you were visiting the destination completely on your own.
Does your photo tell a story? People can often take a beautiful photo, but sometimes it lacks a story or a focal point. For example, there are thousands, of bicycles and I could have easily taken hundreds of photos of bicycles and cobblestone streets which I’m sure would have been beautiful, but simply wandering the city we wandered down this gorgeous street with a bright red bicycle, to me this is the moment and photo that I wanted to capture, it is the first picture I think of when I think Amsterdam, bicycles and the buildings along the canals. Everyone has a different story to tell and you may look at the photo and think nothing of it, but to me this is perfect.
Something else to remember, what you’re photographing doesn’t always need to be front and centre. Quite often, the object you’re trying to capture can look more appealing in a photo if it is off to the side.
Landscapes
Landscape photos are picturesque, calming and just beautiful… Given there are no objects in the photo, one would imagine they would be easy to capture? Wrong! Landscapes are surprisingly intricate and can at times be difficult to capture. It can all come down to lighting… where the sun is at that particular time, is it dark, too bright, shadows etc… For example, we hiked to Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) for the sunrise. You really need to arrive before the sunrise so you can capture the lighting as it changes and the colours on the mountains appear to change with the light.
Using our NEX-6, there is an intelligent auto function which automatically changes the setting to landscape for you, otherwise, you can adjust the setting to landscape and let the camera do the rest of the work! Also, you may want to put the main object of the picture off to the side, for example in the below sunset picture.
People
How many times have you taken a picture only to get back to your computer and see that their face is blurry? Annoying isn’t it. Most cameras have a portrait setting.
If you select this setting, the autofocus should identify faces in the photo, illustrated by a box that will appear around the face(s) within the frame… when the box appears you know you’ve got it and 9 times out of 10 the face will be in full focus! Another thing you can do is to check the photo before you leave your location by simply zooming in on preview mode to check the quality of the photo.
Animals / Action Shots
Both animals and action shots require a similar style of photography. Using a standard setting, you will find it very difficult to capture moving animals without them being blurry or action shots (for example people running, or doing the ‘jump’ shot in front of the Great Pyramids of Giza) never working out…
A simple solution for this one… Use the speed priority setting on your camera. You may end up with 15 photos, but you can then go through and delete all of the ‘fails’ and keep only the successful ones!
When it comes to animals – don’t be afraid to get up close and personal!!
Structures
After travelling throughout Europe extensively, we’ve come across many beautiful structures whether it be churches, museums or the Eiffel tower. When taking the photo, remember to get some diversity and try putting the structure in the corner of the frame, or get down low and take the photo looking up at the structure. The options are endless!! Be creative – try out many different angles and check them out on the laptop afterward and you can decide which ones to keep!
Night Photography
Night photography .. probably the trickiest of them all. In the past, we have found it quite difficult to get the perfect night time shot. However, with our Sony NEX-6 and the incredibly easy to use settings, this isn’t too tricky for us now! To be technical, it is all about the shutter speed… but in simple terms, we use either intelligent auto, night portrait or hand held night scene and lean on something stable so the camera doesn’t move when you press the button in… Another sure tip is to use a tripod to ensure your camera is steady – this will help keep your night time image clear. With these couple of tips, you will be sure to capture the perfect photo! Simple as that!
Got the basics? ready to move on from intelligent auto?
There are three pillars in photography underlying the manual settings. There are many detailed guides and reviews online, but in simple terms:
- ISO – the International Standards Organisation set the sensitivity ratings for cameras. Examples of ISO: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600.When you change your ISO setting, you’re adjusting your camera’s sensitivity to light. Low numbers represent a lower sensitivity to available light, while high numbers mean more sensitivity. Whilst handy to increase the sensitivity to light (in low light conditions), allowing you to take photos without the use of a flash, it comes at a cost, as the ISO increases, so do the grain/noise in the images.You should always try and stick to your camera’s base ISO (generally a 100 or 200) to get the highest quality photos.
- Aperture – the magic of blurring items such as the background or ensuring everything is sharp and in focus.Basically, the aperture is the depth of field, created through a hole within the lens. The size of the hole is adjustable and the purpose is to allow light to travel into the camera body. The larger the hole, the more light passes to the camera sensor.Aperture is the “f” numbers in the adjustable settings. Examples of f-numbers are: f/0.7, f/0.8/, f1.0, … f/4.0, f/5.6, … f/32.0, f/38.0 and so forth.A large f-number such as f/38, (smaller hole in the lens) will result in all items within the frame to be in focus, while a small f-number such as f/1.4 will focus on the foreground and the background will become blurry.
- Shutter Speed is the exposure time, the length of time a camera shutter is open to expose light to the camera sensor. The faster the shutter speed, the quicker motion is frozen in time. This is ideal for fast-moving objects. Slow shutter speeds allow more light into the camera sensor and are used for low-light and night photos. Examples of shutter speeds: 1/15, 1/30, 1/125 and so forth. These are measured as fractions of a second.
If you’re about to head on a northern light expedition or want to create a trail of light or be a bit more artistic in your photography, then I would definitely recommend being curious and have a go at a few of these settings! I only play with the settings around 5% of the time and whilst it can be the most frustrating experience, it can also be one of the most rewarding.
Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything – Aaron Siskind
Do you have 24 hours in Milano? We did and we loved it, but trust me you don’t need any longer!
Milano is, and probably always will be known as one of the world’s most important fashion capitals of the world! It is the home to many designers including Donatella Versace, Gianni Versace, Miuccia Prada, Giorgio Armani and much, much more … but luckily for you, the fashion is not what drew us to the city, in all honesty, we only visited Milano as we were en-route to Lago di Como (Lake Como)!
Below is a quick summary of our day and the top 5 things you should explore when in Milan.
Milan Cathedral (Duomo) & the Duomo rooftop
Numero Uno! This would have to top the list of place to visit in Milan – many people actually say it is the only thing worth seeing! So, if you’re strapped for time this would be ‘the’ thing to see.
A few facts you might find interesting and help you understand the importance behind this church. The Duomo is a Gothic cathedral, dedicated to St Mary of the Nativity and the seat of the Archbishop of Milan. It is the 5th largest church in the world… yep, the world!! It also happens to be the second largest church in Italy, the largest being St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. But, the most amazing fact for me, is that it took nearly 6 centuries to complete with 78 architects and engineers working on the cathedral between 1387 and 1988!
You’re probably thinking to yourself, what’s all the fuss… it’s ABC (another bloody church) right? Well, wrong!! The Duomo is probably the most magnificent church I’ve come across. From the moment you stand out the front, you realise this is probably one of the most beautiful churches you’ve seen! To start with, it is massive, predominantly marble, and the detail in the design is simply incredible.
When you buy your tickets (which we did on the day, but if you’re planning on going in peak season, I would strongly suggest pre-booking tickets online to avoid the lines), you need to buy the entrance plus the rooftop terrace. You have two choices here, to buy the cheaper ticket and walk up the stairs, or the slightly more expensive ticket to go up in the lift. We chose the stairs (to help walk off the pizza and pasta we’ve been eating!).
We started with the rooftop walk. It is like nothing we’ve seen before! You see an entirely different perspective of the church and the square. Again, you enjoy walking around, marvelling in the detail that has gone into building this church.
When you’re finished on the top, you walk down the stairs on the other side and end up inside the church. It is quite breathtaking. From here, you do need to exit and re-enter the church from another entrance to validate the second ticket.
When you finally enter the church and have time to walk around you realise just how big and beautiful the inside of the church is. Pictures don’t really do it justice, it is something you must see.
Sforza Castle
This was actually our first stop in Milan, purely due to the location of our hotel. It is a pretty cool looking castle and you can spend some time here taking some pictures or looking at some of the museums inside or walking through the gardens.
As you approach the castle, there are a number of street vendors walking around trying to sell you bits and pieces, but just politely say no and keep walking!!
You can walk through the main entrance and enjoy a stroll through the courtyard or if you have more time you can visit some of the museums the castle has to offer. For us though, it was a quick visit to look at the castle before heading off to enjoy some more of Milan.
Piazza del Duomo
What can I say… this is THE square to visit in Milan. Not only is the Duomo (Milan Cathedral) located there, but it seems to be the place where everyone meets each other, enjoys some food or head down one of the streets off the Piazza to do some shopping.
There are plenty of shops if shopping is something you want and many of the streets that lead off the Piazza are filled with shops! However, if you’re interested in seeing a bit of history at the same time as snapping up a few bargains, then you should check out Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II which is located just off the square!!!
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the oldest shopping malls in the world!!! It is a 4 story arcade and happens to be named after the first King of the Kingdom of Italy!
Aside from the shopping, the building itself is absolutely stunning and worth taking a walk through just to get some pictures. However, a helpful tip – if you need to use the bathroom and you find yourself upstairs following the signs… you will need to have some change on you as they are not free, like many bathrooms in Europe!
Brera
When looking at things to do when in Milan, the Brera district popped up as a cool place to visit and grab a bite to eat. So, after we had seen all of the main sights in Milan, we ventured over to Brera to see what all the fuss is about!
It is a lovely part of the city, narrow walkways and lots of cafes and restaurants. We ended up having dinner in this area before heading back to the hotel. If you have some time, I would recommend just taking a walk around!
A bit extra…
On our way back to the metro, we happened to see this person jump across the road with a microphone in hand and start an impromptu concert… we had absolutely NO idea who this person was! The crowd very quickly built up and we had to ask a local who the person was performing… Turns out it was Skin from Skunk Anansie. She was brilliant and we stayed for a few songs! Below is a snippet of her singing, I hope you enjoy!!
Where to stay
We stayed at the Grand Hotel Villa Torretta Milano – MGallery Collection. The hotel is a beautifully restored residence from the seventeenth century, boasts 78 rooms which have all been furnished differently. We were recommended to opt for an attic room and it was spacious, plenty of exposed wooden beams and just the right amount of ‘old world’ charm.
The hotel has free undercover parking for our rental car, good metro connections and we knew we were going to walk around town, have a meal and a few drinks so the last thing we wanted to do was drive around in the city centre.
It is around 20 minutes into the city centre via the metro, so not too bad. There is a bar in the reception of the hotel, which is quite nice to sit and unwind after a day of walking (especially when you have complimentary welcome drinks as part of the Accor membership!). Together with the drinks, they served plenty of snacks, such as chips and crackers which were a nice touch.
The room was very spacious, so spacious we forgot about the safe in the cupboard at the entrance and left our passports there!!! Lucky for us, the staff were very helpful and kept it safe until we could return to collect them.
If you’re looking for a hotel that includes free secure parking then I would recommend staying here!
Where to eat
We had a quick snack for lunch at a little bakery called Van bol and Feste located just near the Sforza Castle. The place was filled with locals having their lunch meetings or something to snack on. The service was fast, and the options looked great. We picked up some pizza focaccias which were alright but given we were in Italy, I did have high expectations!!
We ate dinner in the Brera district at a restaurant called New Art Cafe. It was fairly quiet as we chose to have an early dinner before heading back to the hotel. The service was quick and the food came out really quickly. However, I must admit it wasn’t the nicest food we have had in Italy, but the price was reasonable and the food was still tasty.
If you are then looking for an incredible Italian island holiday, it might be worth looking into Sardnia! Click here to read more.
Do you have travel insurance?
Before travelling, make sure you get a travel insurance policy – you never know when you might need it! Click here for information on travel insurance, what company we recommend and a link to get an instant quote.
Alternative accommodation
If you’re looking for alternative accommodation to either save some money or share with friends or family, click here for information on Air B&B ($50 discount on your first booking), hotel price comparison websites etc.
“To awaken alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark
