Perth, Western Australia – Part One

Updated 14 March 2014, by Jess

Perth is located on the West Coast of Australia and is the Capital city of Australia’s largest state – Western Australia.  It is approximately a 4.5 hour plane flight from Sydney and Melbourne on the East Coast of Australia and is the most isolated city in the world.  The cities population is approximately two (2) million people.

Perth is popular for its laid back atmosphere and outdoor lifestyle including some of the world’s best beaches.

Kings Park

KingsPark is one of the largest inner city parks in the world at 4.06 square km’s (1,003 acres) and is larger than the very famous Central Park of New York City at only 3.41km.

KingsPark provides the greatest view of Perth on a whole. Behind the State War Memorial is the SwanRiver, to the left of the SwanRiver is the Perth CBD and to the right is South Perth.  From Kings Park you will also get views of Crowne Casino (Formerly Burswood Casino), The Old Swan Brewery and Nedlands/Matilda Bay.

KingsPark is the most visited tourist attraction in Perth and for good reason.  The grounds are kept immaculate, the views are stunning and there is something so very peaceful and serene about KingsPark.  Pack a picnic and head to one of the many family friendly picnic areas, ride along bike tracks or go for a walk, the activities are endless.

Trees lining the entry to Kings Park heading towards the State War Memorial

The State War Memorial resides on Mount Eliza in Kings Park and overlooks the CBD.  The Kings Park War Memorial comprises of Cenotaph, Court of Contemplation, Flame of Remembrance and Pool of Reflection.

The war memorial is a backdrop to the ANZAC (Australian & New Zealand Army Corps) Day dawn service held every year on the 25^th April at 5:30am.

2013 saw KingsPark hold the largest dawn service in the Nation, with 50,000 people in attendance.

The Bali Memorial is dedicated to the 16 Western Australian victims, the injured and those who helped the survivors of the Indonesian terrorist bombings in Bali on the 12^th October 2002.

The Botanic Garden consists of 2000 species of West Australian flora and is a great location for some beautiful photo opportunities.  The Botanic Garden consists of the Lotterywest Federation tree top walk, Pioneer Women’s Memorial fountain and water garden and the Boab Tree.

Lotterywest Tree Top Walk

Pioneer Women’s Memorial Fountain

The Kings Park Festival is held in September every year to promote the beauty of Western Australia’s native wildflowers. The festival attracts over 500,000 people each year.

The Kokoda Track is a tribute to the Australian soldiers who fought in Papua New Guinea from 1942 – 1943 and comprises of 150 steps that ascends a height of 62 metres.  The track is also used by many Perth residents for fitness.

Jacob’s Ladder is a set of 242 steps from Mounts Bay Road up to Cliff Street and is also used by many Perth residents for fitness purposes.

Queens Gardens

The Queens Gardens is a beautiful garden located in East Perth and named after Queen Victoria in honour of her Diamond Jubilee in 1899. Surreal to find such a peaceful and beautiful resting spot amongst city life, however Perth manages to offer a number of these “great escapes” throughout the city.

The garden is surrounded by Hay Street, Plain Street, Hale Street and Nelson Crescent, East Perth and sits opposite the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) ground.

The garden covers 3.3 hectares and includes the park bench made famous in the movie ‘Notting Hill’ starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.  The bench was anonymously donated after a man used it to propose to his girlfriend, she declined.  The bench reads “To June who loved this garden from Joseph who always sat beside her”.

Government House/Gardens

Government House is the official residence of the Governor of Western Australia and is located on St Georges Terrace in the Perth CBD. Government House makes a beautiful backdrop to the well kept gardens that surround it, another peaceful resting spot amongst the city.

Supreme Court Gardens and Stirling Gardens

Located along Barrack Street in the Perth CBD these gardens are a city workers dream to escape the office and the lunch time hustle and bustle.  The Stirling Gardens is regularly frequented by office workers for a lunch time picnic and to read a book.

Stirling Gardens

The Supreme Court Gardens is frequented more by the fitness enthusiasts for lunch time soccer matches, personal training workouts and exercise classes.

The Bell Tower is a beautiful backdrop to the Supreme Court Gardens

Beaches (Cottesloe/Scarborough/Trigg)

 Perth and the state of Western Australia have arguably some of the best beaches in Australia and the World.  The popular beaches in Perth line 12,000km of the Indian Ocean including the three most popular among locals and tourists;

 Cottesloe Beach –   Cottesloe Beach is affectionately known to locals as ‘Cott’ and is a 15 minute drive by car from the Perth CBD or you can catch the Fremantle train line (the blue line) to the Cottesloe train station and walk 600 metres to the beach.  Cott is popular among swimmers, snorkellers and the occasional surfers.  Cott also has a lively atmosphere on the weekends, with the street directly opposite the beach lined with cafes and pubs.  Popular among the younger crowd are the Cottesloe Beach Hotel (The Cott) and the Ocean Beach Hotel (The OBH).

Scarborough Beach – Is a 20 minute drive by car North-West of the Perth CBD or you can catch the Joondalup train line (The green line) to Glendalough train station and then catch the bus to the beach.  Scarborough is popular among teenagers, surfers, bodyboards, kite surfers, wind surfers and swimmers.  There is a larger amphitheatre which holds many events in summer including ‘Sets on the Beach’ (Beach parties with live music) and beach cricket events.

You can also take surf lessons at ScarboroughBeach, see the link below.

http://www.learntosurf.net.au/

Trigg Beach – Is a 20 minute drive by car North-West of the Perth CBD along the sunset coast.  Due to the reef break just offshore, Trigg is popular among surfers and bodyboarders.  Trigg also offers some good beach fishing and hosts the surf lifesaving carnivals.

Other Beaches

Metham’s Pool, CityBeach, FloreatBeach, CoogeeBeach and RockinghamBeach

Hillarys Boat Harbour

Approximately a 20 minute drive from the Perth CBD by car North-West.  Hillary’s BoatHarbour comprises of the harbour, a man-made beach, restaurants, bars and retail shops.  The Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) is also located at Hillary’s and offers an amazing insight into the creatures of the sea.  www.aqwa.com.au

Opposite the man-made beach is The Great Escape, a waterpark with great fun for the whole family.

Swan Valley

The SwanValley is a 25 minute drive by car East from the Perth CBD and is Western Australia’s oldest wine region.  The SwanValley is buzzing with over 70 restaurants and cafes, amazing picnic spots, gourmet local delights from olives, cheeses and preserves to chocolate, nougat and ice creams plus some award-winning boutique breweries and various wineries. During the summer time the SwanValley also puts on many summer outdoor concerts like ‘A Day on the Green’ which has hosted Michael Buble, Ronan Keating, Lionel Richie, Alicia Keys and many more.

My recommendations – Elmars in the Valley (German brewery offering amazing Pork Knuckle), Houghtons Winery (pack a picnic) and the Margaret River Chocolate Company.

Lake Louise – Alberta, Canada

Published 16 April 2013, by Jess

Located in Alberta Canada, Lake Louise is a 45 minute – 1 hour drive from Banff, Alberta.

The Lake itself is truly spectacular! To say Lake Louise is ‘postcard perfect’ would be an inaccurate statement because I honestly believe that the postcards don’t even do it justice! You really need to experience it to know how breathtaking it is.

The township is nothing to write home about and only consists of a couple of bakery/café style places along with a few retail stores. It is for this reason that I recommend you only need to stay overnight at Lake Louise.

There are many and various hiking trails to be explored, so if you have time, check them out.

It has been said before that of all the travellers who visit Lake Louise, the average time spent admiring the lake is only 5 minutes, definitely not long enough in my experience.

Where to Stay

Chateau Fairmont Lake Louise
While the Chateau Fairmont may very well break the bank, it is the only hotel with complete views of Lake Louise.

A Junior Lakeside Suite consists of 2x Queen size beds and a fold out sofa bed. The view was truly amazing (see picture below). The price in 2012 was $1055.97 CAD for 1 night stay.

View of Lake Louise out of our window at the Chateau Fairmont

Located in the Chateau Fairmont are various retail stores and restaurants. All restaurant have views of the Lake and can be used by all hotel guests as well as visitors.

View of the Chateau Fairmont from Lake Louise

Lake Louise

Glacier water makes this lake the unbelievably crystal blue colour it is. Unlike any water body I’ve ever seen, you need to experience the lake itself by canoeing on it.

Canoeing is offered in 30 minute and 1 hour increments and costs approximately $16 CAD. 30 minutes is plenty if you just want to experience the lake and go for a relaxing canoe with some superb photo opportunities. 1 hour is recommended if you would like to paddle out to the mountain that commands the backdrop of Lake Louise. Even in the middle of summer the mountain top was still snow capped.

In Winter the Lake completely freezes over and there is the opportunity to ice skate on Lake Louise.  I don’t believe you would get the desired effect of the glacial water during the winter months though.

Lake Morraine

Lake Morraine is a surrounding Lake approximately a 15 minute drive from Lake Louise. Well worth the drive not only for the incredible scenery you experience along the way, but in my opinion Lake Morraine and Lake Louise are equally as beautiful and stunning as each other.

Never before have I been so content to stand and stare (and could have done for hours) at the natural beauty and scenery that surrounded me.

Las Vegas ~ Nevada, USA

Published April 12, 2013 by Jess

“Bright light city gonna set my soul, gonna set my soul on fire” – Elvis Presley: Viva Las Vegas

“How ‘bout that ride in? Guess that’s why they call it Sin City” – Alan: The Hangover

Las Vegas, it’s the subject of movies, television shows and songs. Everyone is always talking about Las Vegas and for good reason, it is unbelievably over the top but that’s what makes it amazing!

Known for gambling, its tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment and its partying ways, Las Vegas became better known as ‘Sin City’.

The Las Vegas Strip

Getting There
Las Vegas is a 45 minute flight from Los Angeles and costs approximately $100 AUD.

Las Vegas is a 2hr 15 min flight from San Francisco and costs approximately $110 AUD

*Be warned – If you are flying with United Airlines, they will charge you for any check-in baggage.

Where to Stay
Caesars Palace
Is where I stayed and I highly recommend it!
It is located on the Las Vegas strip, opposite The Flamingo hotel and next to the Bellagio hotel.
Caesars Palace is massive, like many of the other hotels in Vegas. It has gaming areas, various restaurants, nightclubs, bars, shops and the Garden of the Gods pool oasis with 8 swimming pools. Themed in a Roman style as the name suggests, Caesars Palace has beautiful fountains, columns and magnificent art décor ceilings.

In 2011 I payed $126 a night for a deluxe triple share room through www.otel.com

Without requesting it, the lobby receptionist upgraded our room to a suite which included 2x queen size beds, two bathrooms with a double interconnecting shower and two toilets. Vegas hotels tend to upgrade frequently, so be cool, don’t worry about asking and generally if the rooms are available you’ll get lucky!

Caesars Palace Lobby

Other Hotels
Bellagio Hotel
The Bellagio is famous for the dancing fountain out the front of the hotel. The show is spectacular and free. For show times see the following link;
http://www.bellagio.com/attractions/fountains-of-bellagio.aspx

Located next to Caesars Palace and joined through an interconnecting bridge, the Bellagio in my opinion is not as impressive as Caesars Palace inside the hotel.

Bellagio Fountains

Venetian Hotel
Located opposite Treasure Island down the end of the Las Vegas strip, the Venetian Hotel captures Venice perfectly. The man made canels, ceilings painted with sky and clouds and singing gondolier make for a romantic gondola ride with your loved one, or a great experience with friends. Gondolas carry 4 persons or for extra you can pay for a private gondola ride. I recommend the inside gondola ride instead of the outside ride. The gondola ride costs $16 AUD (2011 prices) and cannot be purchase online.

Paris Hotel
Located across from the Bellagio Hotel on the Las Vegas strip, you can’t miss the Paris Hotel with its spectacular replica of the Eiffel tower. Beautiful and stunning hotel inside and out with lots of entertainment available.

New York, New York Hotel
Opposite the MGM Grand Hotel on the Las Vegas strip, New York, New York has a rollercoaster that starts inside the hotel and ends up on the outside. If you like a thrill, check it out!
New York, New York is also home to the famous ‘Coyote Ugly’ bar.

Grand Canyon Air & Floor Landing Tour
http://www.grandcanyontourcompany.com/helo.htm
$325.99 per person

You are picked up from your hotel in a limo and taken to the Las Vegas airport where your helicopter will depart.
I recommend you choose an early flight as it is the desert and temperatures can become extreme. We chose the 8:15am flight and by 9am it was 40C in the Canyon.
You will fly over the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Las Vegas Valley before landing in the Canyon for a champagne and a light snack. Perfect picture opportunities throughout the tour and some great views. You cannot go to Las Vegas and not visit the Grand Canyon!

*Please note: You will be weighed prior to your flight

Things to Know
• You can walk freely down the Las Vegas strip and through the hotels and casinos with alcohol.
• Many nightclubs have a higher cover charge for males than females. Many will also allows females to drink for free until 12am.
• Free in the USA does not exempt from tipping. If you do attend a club where females drink for free, a $1 US tip per drink is usually expected/appreciated.
• It is extremely hot in the summer months, as you would expect. All hotels and casino’s are air conditioned but going between those can be rough. People sell ice cold water on the street for $1US, take them up on the offer!
Bottle Service at Nightclubs
My experience with bottle service was at Pure Nightclub in Caesars Palace.
We paid $1200 (including tip) AUD for bottle service which included the following;
• Priority entrance into the club
• A reserve table all night in the VIP roped off area
• 2x bottles of Belvedere Vodka
• 12 cans of red bull
• And various mixers including orange juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice and water.
• Your drinks are poured all night for you by your table waiters (this can be dangerous as you don’t realise how much you are drinking when you aren’t pouring your drinks yourself!).

Highly recommend bottle service for the experience, however it is not something that is affordable for every night you are there. Sometimes it is just nice to treat yourself.

Nightclubs in Vegas are popular no matter what night it is but they generally don’t kick off and get a good crowd until 12am-1am. So I suggest you find a bar/club that offers good drinking deals and drink until everyone arrives.

Bali – Indonesia

Published April 10, 2013 by Jess

Bali can be so many different holidays depending on what you are looking for. I have travelled to Bali five (5) times, and each trip has been an extremely different holiday each time.

We had an excellent driver & tour guide recommended to us through a friend. If you are looking for great service and a friendly face, please contact my friend Gede Suryananta or visit his website
http://baliislandadventuretours.com/

Hanging out with Gede before our tour of the Safari Park.

Entering the Country
Upon arriving into Bali, you are required to purchase a Visitors Visa which will allow you to holiday in the country for 30 days. The Visa costs $25 US dollars and can be purchased prior to going through Customs. You can either pay with US dollars ($) or purchase with your own currency.

Due to some high profile cases in Australia, I feel it important to make all travellers to Bali aware of the following;
Prior to entering Customs, you will note a large yellow sign with the words;
DRUG TRAFFICKING CARRIES THE DEATH PENALTY
Please be extremely cautious when collecting your bags, porters will wait at the conveyor belt to take your luggage for you, I recommend you do this yourself!

Where to Stay (based on my experience)
This depends on the type of holiday you are interested in. My recommendation having stayed in Kuta, Legian and Seminyak would be Legian. It is still “amongst the action” but allows for a relaxed environment too.

Kuta
Is the main tourist area and where you will find a lot of young Australian tourists. Kuta is very busy and has a number of popular bars/clubs frequented by foreign tourists. A popular, cheap hotel where many young foreigners stay (in particular Australians) is The Bounty Hotel on Poppies Lane.
Kuta is also where you will find the Bali Bombing Memorial after the October 12, 2002 Bali Bombing terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 202 people (including 88 Australians, 38 Indonesians, 27 Brits, 7 Americans, 5 Swedish citizens and more).

Bali Bombing Memorial Site

Legian
Also popular among tourists and borders on Kuta. Legian is within walking distance to many popular spots in Kuta however it is not quite as busy. Legian still has a somewhat hustle and bustle feel to it though so if you’d like a nice mix of relaxation and party time/shopping time then Legian is the place for you.

I recommend the Padma Hotel (the Garden Club Chalet offer is also a fantastic offer if you enjoy staying around the hotel a bit). There are newly built pool rooms where you can walk out of your hotel room and you are in the pool. The staff are extremely friendly and the hotel grounds are kept immaculate.

Seminyak
Popular among couples, or those wanting a really chilled out, relaxed holiday. Seminyak is known for having some amazing villas that once you arrive are very VERY hard to leave.

I recommend Serene Villas. I stayed in the 3 bedroom (Garden Club Chalet) – 2 Storey villas with private swimming pool that was absolutely amazing!!! The villa comes with 2 Butlers that are yours for 8 hours of the day. Can not fault this place at all!

http://www.serenevilla.com/?gclid=CPuLl77VobkCFYpcpQod41cACg

Master Bedroom

Places to Go/Things to Do

Potato Head
A beach club opened in December 2010 and located in Seminyak.
Potato Head has a very ‘upper class’ feel to it and for Bali, the price tag to match. While the prices are just short of what you can expect to pay in Australia, in Balinese circles it is considered quite expensive.

Recommendation
For 500,000 Rupiah (Approx $50 AUD) you can hire a daybed/sun lounge by the Infinity pool. The daybed fits approximately5-6 people but to do it comfortably I would suggest no more than 4 people.
The daybeds cannot be booked, so in order to guarantee yourself a spot I recommend you arrive between 11am – 12pm. The Infinity pool has a swim up bar or you can order food and drinks through the waiters.
Potato Head is an ideal location for sunset drinks, so if you can survive the heat until then, make sure you check it out.
Drinks – Bintang beer approximately $4.50 AUD (including taxes) and Millionaire Martini with Champagne chaser approximately $16.00 (including taxes)

Millionaire Martini with Champagne chaser

Waterbom Park
Great fun for the whole family!
A water park with something for everyone, whether it be the speed slide for those that like a thrill, or the lazy river to float on your tube and by some beautiful native Balinese plants and around the park.
You’ll need at least half the day to go at a good pace and try out all of the slides. Waterbom Park is located in Kuta opposite the Discovery Plaza Shopping Centre.
http://www.waterbom-bali.com/info.php

Bali Safari& Marine Park
The Elephant ride is a short 10 minute ride, maximum 2 persons per elephant and you will have your photo taken at the end of the trip which is available to purchase.
The opportunity to ride a camel is also available.
Photo opportunities with some of the animals are also available to purchase. I had mine taken with Pongo the Orang-utan. Amazing creatures!

Pongo the Orang-utan

Safari buses leave every 15 minutes and will take you on a ride through the park to see the animals in the open – including Lions, Tigers, Zebras, Elephants and Orang-utans.
The Safari Park also has a water park which is a great option on hot days.
http://www.balisafarimarinepark.com/

Rock Bar
If you are into amazing views and perfect sunsets, this is the place for you. Located approximately 40 minutes from Seminyak, Rock Bar is part of the Ayana Resort and Spa Hotel an extremely exclusive and secluded hotel. Rock Bar is on a cliff top and you are taken down by cable car from the hotel area.

 

Arriving prior to sunset means the heat is extreme, staff will provide you with umbrellas to shield you from the sun but be warned, the heat is intense. Prices are very steep – a bottle of Evian water will set you back $9 AUD, more expensive than beer!

  

Jimbaran Bay
Consists of many seafood restaurants along the bay, set up with table and chairs along the beach. There are other options instead of just seafood, however Jimbaran Bay is known for its seafood.
I recommend the chilli crab. $14 AUD for a 700gram crab, the meal is messy but extremely delicious.

Echo Beach
A 30 minute drive from Seminyak, Echo Beach is frequented by the surfing crowd. The waves are big and the surf is spectacular.
Basically Echo Beach consists of a few restaurants up on a cliff side overlooking the beach. The water laps up against the cliff, very rare to be so close to the ocean without actually being in it.
Sunset drinks and dinner are a great way to unwind after a day of shopping. I recommend the seafood bbq.

Shopping
Discovery Plaza Shopping Centre in Kuta – Australian prices, designer shops as well as some market stalls.
Galleria in Seminyak – Australian prices, designer stores
Beach Walk in Kuta – Is new to Kuta and located opposite Kuta beach on the strip where Hardrock Café is located. Australian prices, designer stores and department shops as well as some restaurants.
Hardies in Sanur – Market prices and market stores
Seminyak Square in Seminyak – Market stalls as well as designer stores and restaurants