Padma Resort, Legian

March 14, 2019Leave a comment

Padma Resort in Legian, Bali (Indonesia) is a luxury resort and a great place to stay, whether it be a couple for a honeymoon, a family or simply some friends travelling together.

We chose this because of its facilities and lower price point than Seminyak, whilst still being close to Seminyak. It’s a sanctuary with plenty of greenery, away from the hustle and bustle of the crowded streets. Architecturally designed to replicate a garden landscape with Balinese decor, it’s beautiful and peaceful.

The resort is so big and you could easily just hang out in the hotel if you wanted to.

The buffet is brilliant. Donbui Restaurant is where you will find breakfast served. It has a variety of cold options; fruit, cereal and antipasto. There’s an egg station, waffle and pancake station, hot food and also traditional Indonesian fare. Tea and coffee is served and fresh juice. It’s super popular, so get in early to avoid the crowds. We thoroughly enjoyed our daily buffet. At night, they rotate themed dining evenings.

A range of other eateries are also on site including Tenkai, brilliant Japanese menu, offering A’la carte and also an interactive Teppanyaki experience. There’s also two cafes by the pools or you can order food straight to your deck chair. If you’re feeling hot, the Deli cafe at the front of the hotel is great to eat in an air conditioned space.

We made good use of the pools and split our time between the lagoon pools, just outside the rooms, the main pool and our favourite – the infinity pool, right on the water and reserved for adults only. We liked the option of a peaceful pool. The deck chairs provided ocean views and it was lovely to hear the splashing of waves.

We liked that there was an activity program and we made use of the Aqua aerobics which was good fun! They also have a very good fitness centre with plenty of treadmills, bikes and weights, as well as a sauna. They also run yoga in the mornings down by the pool and a suitable standard for experienced people or beginners.

The property also has a tennis courts, a conference centre and a wide variety of rooms to choose from. Whether it be a deluxe chalet, premier or family room, you’ll find something to suit. Comfortable beds, large bathrooms, air con, free bottled water and fridges in each room.

The staff are absolutely delightful, there’s always plenty of staff around and it feels super safe. We thoroughly recommend this resort to stay for a relaxing holiday.

Address: Jl. Padma No.1, Legian, Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

Phone: +62 361 752111

https://padmaresortlegian.com/

Where to eat in Hobart

March 1, 2019March 1, 2019Leave a comment

Agrarian Kitchen – restaurant

Acclaimed restaurant, only a 20 minute journey from Hobart to New Norfolk to reach it, and it will see you dining in a modernised ex-mental asylum. The food has an emphasis on fresh, seasonal and local ingredients, prepared beautifully. Great for couples or small groups and the dining experience is excellent. For more details, see our blog here:

https://thewhereto.com/2019/02/18/agrarian-kitchen-tasmania/

Franklin – restaurant

Another highly praised restaurant with buzzing atmosphere, open kitchen and bar provide the ability to watch what is going on. Extensive drink list ad amazing food options; from scotch quail eggs to octopus and salt bush dumplings, oyster mushrooms, potato galettes and to wood roasted little wood lamb. For more details, see our blog here:

https://thewhereto.com/2019/02/23/franklin-restaurant-hobart/

Bear with me – café

Trendy little café in South Hobart featuring inspired breakfast, brunch and lunch choicest that could be described as creative twists to dishes you know, with lovely flavour combinations. Ona coffee is also served up here and we thoroughly enjoyed this café. For more details, see our blog here:

https://thewhereto.com/2019/01/31/bear-with-me/

Farm Gate Markets

The farmgate markets on bathurst st are an ideal place to grab a bite to eat. Primarily focusing on local seasonal produce with plenty of fresh fruit and veg on offer. There is also a bit of seafood to sample. Artisans are there with truffles, olive oil, seasonings, honey, mustards and preserves. For more details, see our blog here:

https://thewhereto.com/2019/02/05/what-to-do-in-hobart/

Salamanca Markets

There are all sorts of markets around Hobart where you can grab a bite to eat every Saturday at the marina. The Salamanca markets are hands down the best to visit with some of the best places to sample fresh local produce. Be sure to try one of the famous Smith’s Scallop Pies. For more details, see our blog here:

https://thewhereto.com/2019/02/05/what-to-do-in-hobart/

Street Eats @ Franko

Street Eats @Franko are held every Friday from 4:30-9:30 from November to April at Franklin Square Hobart and it is a busy night food market with plenty of stalls offering food, beers, wines and local spirits. Music gives it a good vibe and it’s a great Friday activity.

Other

Although we were only in Hobart for a weekend, we made a big list of other places to visit

Templo – small place serving up quality Italian fare

Small fry – small café with interesting brunch options and even crème brulee donuts,

Frank – Argentinian restaurant

Landscape – modern Australian food and they also cook asado

Urban Greek – trendy place with amazing Greek food

Aloft – on the pier

Pigeon hole bakers – amazing bread and baked goods

Fico – Italian/Japanese

Born In Brunswick – notorious as a top café

Room for a pony – café and bar

Franklin Restaurant, Hobart

February 23, 2019February 24, 2019Leave a comment

Another highly praised restaurant which we checked out in Tasmania was Franklin restaurant in Hobart. We had booked for a late meal at the end of a busy day seeing the sights. The restaurants has large glass windows which are very visible from the street. The restaurant interior is paired back with concrete and industrial fittings, providing clean visual features. The open kitchen and bar provide the ability to watch what is going on. It is a busy restaurant but the staff are attentive. The ambience is buzzing and this makes for a great dining atmosphere.

The drinks list includes craft beer, interesting wine options, including natural wine and there’s also a mix of cocktails and craft spirits.

The menu has a number of inviting options and was headed up with some exciting small bites. A must eat item is the scotch quail eggs. This tasty morsel has a crisp outer crust, a tasty mid layer of sobrasada and the yolk of the quail egg oozing out once cut into.

The octopus and salt bush dumplings may not be the most appealing looking bite, however this was made up for by the texture and flavour. We were also provided some amazing complimentary bread.

The mushroom dish was full of umami from the braised wakame and egg yolk sabayan. This was the tasiest dish of the evening. With the oyster mushrooms providing a meaty texture.

Potatoes are certainly abundant in Hobart and were well put to use in the potato galette with an emulsion of huacatay, a Peruvian herb sourced locally on the Tasman coast.

This accompanied the main source of protein we ordered, the woodroasted littlewood lamb, served with braised almonds and pickled kohlrabi.

This dish was very simple looking on the plate, however the flavour of the lamb was incredible and the almonds provided texture and the pickled kohlrabi cut through the richness of the lamb.

Franklin is great place to enjoy a meal in Tasmania to savour some local produce and wash ot down with a quality drinks list.

Franklin

30 Argyle St, Hobart TAS 7000

The Alexandra Hotel – Leura

February 21, 2019February 23, 20192 Comments

Fancy a getaway only 1.5 hours away from the Sydney CBD in the picturesque town of Leura? Look no further as we have the tips for you!

It’s hard to visit Leura without spending a small fortune, as there’s a number of extremely expensive lodgings and restaurants in the town and surrounds. However, we will point you to somewhere that is extremely good value for money at high quality.

The Alexandra hotel, established 1903 is the only licensed hotel in Leura and a short stroll from the mall. It is an old quaint boutique building with ornate trims and stained glass windows.

The hotel is sectioned off into a number of areas, with a sports bar and lounge bar (with floor to ceiling bookshelf). There’s also plenty of space for a party or function.

There is also plenty of outdoor space to enjoy.

The hotel is right beside Leura train station, but the noise isn’t obvious at all. The hotel aptly has has a railway theme to it, with the outdoor bar in the beer garden called “platform 3”, and a Leura Rail sign featuring in the dining room.

We also stayed in the hotel. It was a comfortable heritage room with vintage furniture, double bed and modern bathroom. The rooms have old world charm with some modern convenience including the addition of a/c and tv. The room opens onto a balcony with a nice outlook of the hotel’s backyard beer garden and out to the valley below.

The hotel is a great spot to dine, whether it be lunch or dinner, pull up a stump at either of the two beer gardens for a causal vibe or for proper sit down meal book a table in the dining room, named “Redfern Bistro”.

There’s something for everyone, casual food including burgers and pizzas, with the pizzas made in the wood fired oven in a traditional manner by Marco Marano.

The summer menu, prepared by chef Anna Borna features modern Australian gastro pub food, beautifully cooked and presented.

We were seated in the dining room and ordered a glass of bubbles.

Their Garlic bread made on a house baked baguette and is topped with melted garlic and parsley butter an ideal start to the meal.

This came out with the confit mushrooms dish, a tasty vegetarian opttion. Pan fried portobello and button mushrooms cooked in olive oil with rosemary and lemon with feta, almond and coriander dukkah (gf).

Other entrees on offer include oysters, pate, calamari and baked haloumi.

For the mains, the Pan roasted duck breast instantly piqued our interest. The meat was cooked to perfection, skin nicely seasoned, served with duck fat potatoes and rustic heirloom carrots. It’s accompanying home made Peking duck citrus sauce was brilliant and kept us searching the plate for more of it.

From specials board, we couldn’t go past the pan fried and seared ocean trout. This was a splendid fish dish, the skin salted, nicely rendered and crisp. The flesh was perfect; a lovely pink orange hue, flakey and melt in the mouth followed by the beautiful flavour of the fish. The sauce was a delicious combination of smoked paprika dill and grapefruit veloute, served with roasted potatoes, charred leeks, broad beans, peas and cherry tomatoes. Perfect Bistro fare and one of the better fish dishes that come to mind, highly recommended.

Whilst we were extremely satisfied at this point, we had to go with the dessert option on the specials menu, the banana spilt. Here it is the classic dessert that has been pimped up with two bananas, deep fried in a Moreish crisp salty batter. This has been placed atop a butterscotch sauce and served with vanilla bean ice cream. So tasty, it was irresistible .

It is worth driving up to the Blue Mountains for the charm of this beautiful old pub alone and the scenery in the area is an added bonus.

The Alexandra Hotel is well located a short stroll from the boutique town of Leura and a short drive to the tourist sights in the area. Book a room and make for a short getaway.

We would like to thank the Alexandra hotel and staff for their hospitality and Spooning Australia for the invitation to dine.

https://www.alexandrahotel.com.au

Agrarian Kitchen – Tasmania

February 18, 2019February 20, 2019Leave a comment

We went to the Agrarian Kitchen after visiting Mona (Museum of Old and New art). From one quirky establishment to another, Agrarian Kitchen has set up in an ex mental asylum and this time we were committed. The fit out was impressive, keeping many of the original ornate features and sprucing them up.

The dining room had plenty of natural light and a good playlist contributing to a great dining atmosphere.

Once seated, it didn’t even register what this building previously housed. The service here was impressive from the start, with many of the waitstaff greeting us on the way in and showing genuine enjoyment for the restaurant.

They weren’t without error, but dealt with the situation well. An incorrect dessert, which cannot entirely be attributed to the waitstaff, as there was two puddings on the menu. This worked out in our favour as we were rewarded with an extra dessert F.O.C.

With an emphasis on fresh, seasonal and local ingredients, with staff foraging the restaurant garden for ingredients. Each dish was presented nicely with an emphasis on sharing. The flavours and textures of each dish were very notable.

There were plenty of potatoes on offer around town, the Agrarian utilising this ingredient for their potato scallops/cakes, which had a nice crisp batter, and each scallop had a slice of locally sourced potato which they served with a tasty house made tomato sauce.

The pear, prosciutto and stracchiatella was beautifully presented, and a nice cool dish for summer. This dish had a great combination of flavours the sweetness of the fruit, saltiness of the prosciutto and creamy texture of the stracchiatella.

The farmer’s cheese dumpling was a singular pastel yellow in colour, with a souffle like texture with zucchini, olive and parmesan adding a good hit of flavour.

The pick of the bunch was the half wood smoked duck to share. The duck itself was tasty enough on its own, the skin so crisp, so good there was none to spare. It was served with a range of condiments to enhance the flavours, including mustard pickled cherries, which happened to be in season and the sweet damson plum sauce, both combined very well with the duck. The was also served sides including the deliciously crunchy roast russet burbank potatoes and an aussie favourite beetroots with shallots in red wine vinegar.

After this, we decided to share desserts and the salted honey ice cream and fennel pollen was a simple sophisticated dessert which went perfectly with the Belgrove Rye; a locally distilled craft spirit.

A great brunch or lunch venue not to be missed, the restaurant is bright, the service great and the food enticing.

What to do in Hobart

February 5, 2019February 24, 2019Leave a comment

Hobart is a beautiful city, only 1 hour flight from Melbourne or 1.5 hours from Sydney. Sitting beneath Mt Wellington, it is certainly situated in a beautiful area.

It is a city with a lot of history related to the convict period and they’ve done a great job in keeping with the heritage.

Hobart also has a reputation for good food, wineries, cellar doors and some world-class distilleries – whether you take a tour or drive around yourselves, there’s plenty to eat, drink and see.

Mt Wellington

Drive up Mt Wellington and get a breathtaking view of Hobart, though you may have to try a few times as there is often a great deal of fog!

Mona Museum

Australia’s largest private museum / Mona – the museum of old and new art is certainly a place recommended to visit. Only about a 20 minute drive from the Hobart CBD but most people catch the ferry for a relaxing journey over.

The museum is pretty cool, interesting but some pieces might be a little confronting for some. You get an iPhone and headphones when you enter to access information and stories about the works of art, which is helpful as you’re walking around.

It was suggested we start from the bottom floor and work our way up. Spiraling down you being in a huge sandstone space with a waterfall creating words of art and this is super cool.

There’s art work using different mediums and even a model of a digestive system and a fat Ferrari. There’s a stage and outdoor area where they often host shows and concerts.

It’s pretty accessible with lifts and ramps for those that need it. There’s a gift shop and plenty of places to eat and drink; museum cafe, wine bar where they offer guided tours of the vineyard and tastings, void bar (on the bottom level of the museum), the source restaurant and faro restaurant.

It is only closed on Tuesday’s and Christmas Day. Entry fee is $28 for adults, $25 for concession and under 18’s are free.

Farm Gate Markets

We loved the fresh local oysters and took every opportunity to give them a try, very fresh with a beautiful creamy texture. The cheese on offer looked spectacular as did the baked goods, we could not pass up Lady Hester sourdough doughnuts. The vanilla custard doughnut was phenomenal and they certainly didn’t skimp on the filling.

There was plenty of specialty coffee available we sampled the yipykayaa coffee with some honey, this was different to the norm and went down a treat. There’s boutique wineries and distilleries where you can try and buy some bottles. Then you have all of the food trucks with an array of food on offer including mexican, toasties, bao and more, take your pick. The wallaby burrito from pachamama was a tasty and filling bite to eat. Held every Sunday from 8:30-1pm

Salamanca Markets

Salamanca markets are synonymous with food and Hobart. We had a great experience at these markets and were impressed with the variety on offer. The markets were way bigger than we expected. Tip: get there nice and early, the markets officially open at 8:30am. We arrived at 8am and most stores were already set up and this gave us the opportunity to explore without the crowds.

The famous scallop pie by Smiths Pies was right at the top of our list. It was noted by a number of people that this sells out quickly. We made a v line straight to the caravan and were first in line. At 8 bucks a pie they are reasonably priced, a delicious pie with flacky pastry packed with plenty of scallops with roe and flavoured with a light curry gravy, this pie is well worth a crack if visiting the markets.

Then there was all of the fresh produce seafood including oysters, salmon and more. The fruit and veg on offer is as fresh as can be, we tried some delicious apples! Then there are the baked goods, one of our favourites being the Cygnet wood fired bakery. Their almond croissants were top notch, they were crisp and flakey on the outside and light and airy on the inside. There are also plenty of places to grab a coffee and some amazing donuts from Cream Coffee. The markets also have artisans selling truffles, beef Jerky, cheeses, honey olive oil, seasonings, honey, mustards and preserves amongst plenty more. There are plenty of crafts too from leather goods to antiques and jewellery. You can certainly spend hours exploring.

Street Eats @ Franko

Visit historic Richmond

In the 1820’s, Richmond was the third largest town in terms of population in Tasmania. There were lots of convicts there to work in the public labour sector with the discovery of coal. It has remained in keeping with its heritage and can be described as a Georgian Village with beautiful sandstone homes and quaint shops selling antiques, crafts and there are plenty of cafes offering tea and scones.

There are a number of vineyards and as doors to explore whilst you’re in the area. Only a short drive (25m) from Hobart but there’s plenty of accomodation if you’re interested in staying.

Richmond also have Australia’s oldest existing colonial gaol which was needed to house those convicts, that committed offences whilst working. The goal is very well preserved and conserved and super interesting to look around and learn. The gaol, including solitary confinement areas, the gaolers house, latrine and exercise yard. The site has been done really well and certainly worth a visit.

Visit convict sites

There’s 11 convict sites around Australia that are heritage listed and 5 of these are in Tasmania, including Port Arthur, Coal Mines Historic site, Woolmers Estate and Brickendon, Cascades female factory and Darlington Probation station. Visiting a few of these will give you great insight into the nations past. If you can’t visit them all, certainly consider at the very least Port Arthur, a scenic 1.5 hours drive from Hobart.

Port Arthur was one of the largest sites in Tasmania where the convicts lived and worked. The site today is an air museum with over 30 historic buildings, including houses, a church, school, as well as beautiful grounds and gardens.

Your entrance ticket gives you entry to the site, a guided tour and a short ferry ride around the bay, by the Isle of the Dead cemetery.

We also visited the Cascades Female Factory (prison) site where approximately 25 000 female convicts were transported and held. A small site, only ten minutes from Hobart. It is more of an interpretive site. You can read through the brochure, or it would be recommended to have a guide.

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

This is about 30 minutes from Hobart and it is perfect to visit for those interested in seeing animals like Kangaroos, wombats, birds, snakes and of course, the Tasmanian Devil.

A great place which is working in the field of conservation to assist in saving many of these species threatened by extinction. They offer guided tours to guests at 4 times throughout the day but you can also guide yourself through.

Tasmanian Devil Unzoo

We enjoyed visiting here and learning about the Tasmanian devils. The staff are working to ensure these animals dont become extinct and the park has been developed for conservation purposes. The entry fee is expensive (as everything seems to be) but at least your money is going to a good place. The staff presenter was extremely knowledgeable with information about the devils and passionate about his job. Be sure to go at 1:30 for the feeding and presentation time. The park has birds and kangaroos etc too and is about an hour drive from Hobart.

Mawsons Replica Hut

Only 50 metres from the waterfront, this is a tourist attraction and conservation project designed to teach people about Masons Antarctica expedition. It is a replica of one of the huts constructed by Douglas Mawson and his team on the expedition.

On the day we visited, there was a fabulous volunteer in the hut telling us heaps of information and stories about the expedition and she was very interesting.

$15 for adults, $12 for concession and $5 for children to enter. Money goes to preserving the original huts in Antarctica.

Port Arthur Lavender

A place to experience fields of lavender, a gift store selling products and food too.

Other

Other places to visit – Launceston, Bruny Island, wineglass bay (hopefully next time)

They also have plenty of events like the finish line of the Sydney – Hobart Yacht race, Taste of Tasmania festival, falls festival and more!

We 100 percent recommend visiting Hobart and we are sure you will love it as much as us.

Ubud – for wellness, art and culture

February 3, 2019February 6, 2019Leave a comment

Ubud, is an area about 1 – 1.5 hour from the hustle and bustle of Bali’s prime tourist destinations of Seminyak, Kuta and Legian. It is between the mountains and ocean in a forest location, known for its wellness retreats, cultural and artistic centres.

There’s always a swarm of tourists (the area made famous partly due to “eat, pray, love”) visiting ubud and as such you’ll find there’s plenty of yoga retreats, shops and bustling cafes. Tourists also enjoy visiting the nearby rice paddies and monkey forest.

We did not stay overnight in Ubud, but there’s plenty of hotels, wellness retreats and villas if you choose from. We took a day trip with a driver, which is recommended if you’ve done your research and know where you want to go. Otherwise booked tours can often take you to an array of craft shops, to try and make a sale or two, which may not interest you. A private driver for ten hours should set you back about $500 000 rupiah (or AUD $50) for the car, driver and petrol. We made a list of where we wanted to visit and he took us there, waited and continued on.

Some places to visit

Handicraft markets

The markets are great to visit, with many stores selling basketry, batik (Indonesian print), ceramics and more

Seniman Coffee

Seniman Coffee is a speciality coffee and design studio selling a range of coffee. From espresso to iced lattes, you name it, they’ve got it. They even do cold brew, pour over, syphon and you can watch the masters at work. If you’re not sure what to have, there’s a coffee tasting platter to try. Seniman means artist and the baristas here are certainly that. Your coffee comes out with some beautiful latte art, water class and shortbread which was nice and buttery. We also tried a “Jamu shot”, which apparently can do numerous things like reduce inflammation, prevention of cancer and cholesterol. Wouldn’t that be good!

Take a sip of your coffee as you relax back on your rocking chair. There’s a free wifi and the staff are super nice too. It’s also a workshop and they sell products like coffee instruments, glasses and beans which they can grind for you.

Yoga Barn

The yoga barn offers classes, workshops, retreats in a large serene environment, perfectly suited for you to find enlightenment and relax. With five studios catering to a range of levels, accomodation, cafe and spa, this is super popular in Ubud.

Tegalong rice terrace

This area is famous for tourists, flicking to the area for a walk around the beautifully lush green rice paddies, where local workers are busy on the crops. Walking higher than the paddies offers scenic pictures and the opportunity to ride a “giant swing”. It’s only a minimal entrance fee so bring small change, but lots of shops charge a small fee too, for a photo on their swing with the paddies behind. Take a walk through the paddies if you’re keen, just be prepared for for a decent walk and bring that insect repellent.

Monkey forest

This is right in the heart of Ubud with over 700 monkeys and three temples. Only go if you’re not scared of animals, as they’re very confident monkeys here! It’s possible to buy bananas, but beware they’ll grab anything they think looks appealing from you including jewellery and sunglasses.

Tegenungun Waterfall

Another popular tourist destination for its scenic waterfall. Again, a small entrance fee and numerous cafes and shops around. Walk down the trail and see the cascading falls for a beautiful photo and enjoy the peaceful serenity.

Bebek Tebaksarik Resto

This Balinese restaurant is located in the heart of Ubud in a floating gazebo with a beautiful outlook of the rice fields. The decor is bright and colourful amongst bamboo furniture. Staff are exceptional and provide excellent service. The food is upmarket Indonesian food at reasonable prices and we enjoyed our lunch here. It’s populartlity is evidence alone of its quality. We had the driver take us but you can get a free shuttle bus from the Ubud area.

In summary

Ubud is a lovely and super interesting place where you can enjoy art, eat, relax and find wellness. This list is really just touching at the surface, so enjoy our tips and read around before your visit.

Where to go in Bali

February 3, 2019February 9, 2019Leave a comment

Bali is an amazing place to holiday if you love a nice resort, good food, and a relaxing holiday! It is only a 6 hour flight from Sydney Australia, so it’s also great if you’ve only got a short time off.

If you have made the decision to travel to Bali, first task is to decide which area you want to stay. The main spots for tourists and the areas which have heaps of hotels are Kuta, Legian and Seminyak. That is also more broadly in order of their price. These are all 30mins – 1 hour away from Ngurah Rai International airport (pending traffic). Other popular areas include Ubud, Uluwatu, Nusa Dua and the up and coming Canggu.

Kuta

Kuta is generally cheaper than the other locations mentioned, it has heaps of pubs and there’s always plenty of tattooed up Australians in Bintang singlets. That may be a little bit of a stereotype and you certainly can find nice hotels there too. Best suited to those looking for a bit of a party or the family looking for a cheaper trip, close proximity to the shops and waterpark.

Legian

A little further north than Kuta is Legian with plenty of resorts, smaller hotels and numerous shops, restaurants and bars. We find this to be a bit nicer, also quieter and a bit further from the party atmosphere. Best suited to those wanting a more laid back vibe.

Accommodation wise, we did want to stay in Seminyak, but I was with a friend and we required twin configuration. All the super nice sophisticated places in Seminyak did not offer that. So we went for the Padma hotel in Legian. A huge resort with everything you need! Big rooms, three pools, daily activities, buffet breakfast and more. See our blog on the Padma.

Whilst in Legian, we mostly ate in the hotel as well as a few places in Seminyak as mentioned below.

Mugshot coffee

Mugshot is a coffee shop close to the beach in Legian. Serving proper quality coffee and has some good brunch offerings, if you’re not at a hotel with an all-inclusive buffet, we recommend you visit here. Even so, make sure you do pop by for a coffee at least. Staff are super nice and the barista has amazing latte art skills.

Seminyak

Seminyak is lovely and a place where you’ll find the more upmarket resorts, beach clubs, and plenty of villas. The restaurants and shops are generally high end and you’ll be paying prices close to that of Australia. But it’s certainly a great spot. Best suited to the socialites and instagrammers, or anyone with a little bit more cash.

Some places to stay (amongst hundreds of others) include:

The Haven

The Seminyak Beach Resort and spa

Courtyard by Marriot

W Bali
Double-Six

Anantara

Places to eat

The Junction House

The Junction House is right opposite Seminyak Village and is a 2 story premises serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. We visited here 4 years ago and it has undergone stylistic renovations. A cool house style, with trendy art and cane and plush chairs. We visited this time for lunch and tried the tuna carpaccio and ceviche, as well as a spinach salad and chicken bites. The price was good and servings were generous. I also love their latte art designs. Service was friendly and efficient.

Sardine

An amazing seafood restaurant in rice paddies, but in Seminyak. Beautiful clean white tables and cane furniture. Impeccable fine dining style service. The seafood is extremely high quality, but expect to pay higher prices.

Other restaurants: Naughty Nuris, Mamak, Bikini Bar, Clean Canteen, Mozarella, Barbacoa, Merah Putih, Mamasan

Beach clubs: Potato Head, Mozaic, Cocoon, Ku De Te

Canggu

Canggu is an area that has been developing quickly since we visited three years ago to today. A trendy coastal town, not dissimilar to a smaller version of Bondi beach. A resort area with plenty of spots to surf, healthy cafes and coffee haunts. Travel north from Seminyak and you’ll find yourself in Canggu in about 15 minute. Best suited to the surfer, hipster or bohemian babes.

Eats: Deus Ex Machina, Betelnut café, crate café, Ruko cafe

Beach Clubs: Finns VIP Beach Club, The Lawn

Ubud

If you’re looking for a more wellness style holiday, then perhaps Ubud is your thing. It is over an hour drive from the main towns of Bali, so you can do a day trip or stay in the area for a longer stay. Best suited to the yoga and wellness enthusiast. See our blog on Ubud here:

Where else to check out

Waterbom park
Bali safari park
Tanah lot
Nusa Lembongan
Uluwatu temple
Seafood in Jimbaran
Surf breaks in Uluwatu
Uluwatu is awesome: see our blog here

Tips

Money used is Indonesian Rupiah
Tap water is not suitable to drink
Appropriate clothes needed when entering sacred areas
May-September is the best as it’s dry season
English is widely spoken

How to pack for three months travelling

February 3, 2019February 3, 2019Leave a comment

Unless you’re a fashion blogger that needs some quality fashion pics for the gram, read this advice before your departure.

When we first set off, I’d been planning what to take for weeks. 1 month into the trip, I realised I didn’t need many of the things I’d brought. 2 months in, I realised I also didn’t need much more of the stuff I packed and proceed to get rid of things as we went. Pack light is the key. Most long term travellers like to carry a pack, however I found it much easier and safer with a suitcase, particularly in South America where we went. The Samsonite ones have an awesome lock and also have a warranty for 10 years. Selecting white also made it easy to find on the luggage carousel. Remember it is about the experiences, not the stuff.

Image – Pandotrip.com

Here’s what I learnt.

1 – you can wash cheaply
2 – no one cares what you’re wearing, really.
3 – all the hotels give you beauty products and toiletries are cheap overseas anyway

So what do you really need? Not a lot. This is despite the fact we were in a range of temperatures: humidity in Thailand, hot and humid and rainy in Hong Kong, 30 degree heat in Mexico, freezing in Peru and high altitude in many places.

Backpack

3 pairs of Shoes – comfortable walking shoes (I brought joggers/sand shoes/runners x 1) and since we were hiking, I also brought waterproof hiking boots. But wear these (they make your suitcase heavy), 1 x havianas/birkenstocks/ or sandals.

Underwear – x 5 pairs as you can wash.

Socks, take a mix of thick and regular socks.

T shirts – think plain with no branding: grey/black/stripe. They don’t look dirty and you look inconspicuous in shady areas.

1 x long sleeve shirt/thermal etc to layer of cold

1 x jumper – if you get one a high neck and hood, you reduce the need for a scarf!

1 x down jacket (Kathmandu or similar). These stay warm in cold areas and cool in hot areas. Expensive but totally worth it. They also fold up small.

1 x RIFD money belt

1 x International adapter that changes, changing plug, cords, spare battery pack for when you’re out and about (though keep in mind these have to be taken on board).

Reading material – I prefer books. But, we finished books quickly, and you can’t always buy good English ones overseas. Plus they’re heavy. I’d recommend a kindle.

1 x umbrella – we did use it!

1 x rain jacket

1 x beanie

1 x cap – the trendy panama I brought was unnecessary. No need for a fashion icon overseas.

1 x head torch / torch for those countries with poor electricity

Shorts x 2: tailored plus gym type

Tights x 1: can double as your exercise wear/ under your trousers if you’re cold

Pants x 3: jeans for day to day or day into night, hiking pants plain can double as those to wear out. Casual cargo/Jeanie/other for day to day. You can probably even limit this to two.

Towel: you don’t really need it that often unless you’re staying at hostels or plan to swim. Buy a small micro fibre one.

Toiletries

Lock: you’ll need a small one if staying in hostels.

Camera, phone, money belt, photocopies of bookings/passports etc.

Tip – wear your heavy shoes and bulky clothes on the plane if you’re worried about luggage weight.

Hopefully you’ll find this an easy guide to get ready for that trip.

Kurt and Sarah

Bear With Me

January 31, 2019January 31, 2019Leave a comment

Thanks to the knowledge of my hip little brother and trendy girlfriend, we found this cafe in South Hobart and were pleased to find it open on Australia Day, especially when pretty much everything was closed.

We enter into this good sized cafe with a little lounge area and the front, and plenty of tables inside and a huge shared table where we sat. The space is fresh and modern with lots of greenery and the ambience is buzzing and it has a really positive vibe about it. Our waitress was excellent and very hospitable.

We would say that the food could be describe as creative twists on dishes you know with lovely flavour combinations and everything that hit our table was enjoyed and devoured by all.

Always a fan of ordering granola, this is possibly the best we’ve had. It is far more than your typical granola. With Macadamia and Wattleseed granola, served with Waiora Natural Honeyed Yoghurt and fruits – the fruit gels were incredible!! We could have demolished a few plates.

We loved these Peanut Butter Salt and Pepper Tofu Gua Bao buns – with shaved cabbage and mustard cress and burnt chilli mayonnaise, roasted peanuts and cucumber. We enjoyed this vegetarian dish and were impressed at its quality of flavours.

Our friends sampled the eggs Benedict, sitting on a crispy potato rosti flavoured with thyme, crisp apple and smoked master stock braised ham hock. This was a great choice.

The breakfast salad would normally be my go to so I’m glad one of us got it; with grains, roasted nuts and seeds, kale, broccoli and avocado, pomegranate, beetroot, hummus and olive oil dressing. Add a poached egg and hot smoked salmon and you’ve got a healthy dish that is inspired.

Not to be left to last was the amazingly fluffy lemon ricotta hotcake that deserves accolades. With creamy ricotta, fresh local berries, blackberry gel, crisp raspberries, ginger crumble organic maple syrup, it’s such a generous serve and incredibly tasty.

They also have kaffir like coconut chia pudding, and açai bowl as well as Brioche breakfast rolls and toasted croissants. The chocolate and raspberry croissant looked incredible. The bread is from Imago bakery and patisserie and we personally enjoyed the gluten free bread.

This cafe also has great coffee, using ona brand. They also have smoothies and even matcha lattes. The cafe is really a top notch spot and it’s a shame it’s not in Sydney, we’d be there every week.