Third time's a charm for Bali

Before this time I'd been to Bali twice before. Once as a 12 year old the other for New Year's four and a half years ago. I've never been a "Bali person"... someone that loves it and returns year after year, but I must say on this trip, I actually enjoyed my time on the holiday island.

Holiday time!

It was a family trip with my partner's family for a friend's wedding. We stayed at a lovely resort in Seminyak called Vasanti, which was on a quiet back street but close to W Hotel and Potato Head. Everything at the hotel was perfect - they even screened football games in the early hours of the morning - but one point to note is you can't just walk out onto the street and take off for the day, you need to take a taxi to leave the hotel.

Vasanti Seminyak Resort

The four day, three night trip saw us leave Perth at 7.30am and arrive into Denpasar's new airport - impressive I must say - around 11am. When we arrived at the hotel we couldn't check in yet so the first stop was Potato Head for lunch. I enjoyed my first coconut of the trip and soaked in the holiday atmosphere. After lunch, my sister-in-law and I headed to Cocoon Beach Club for hens day celebrations for the bride to be. I'd never experienced the Bali beach clubs so it was nice to experience two in our first day.

Lunch at Potato Head

That night once more of the family had arrived we headed to Jimbaran Bay for seafood on the beach. We enjoyed lobster, crab, prawns, fish and more while the kids ran around and made friends.

Dinner in Jimbaran Bay

The next day the girls started the day with a bit of shopping around Seminyak Square, approximately a five minute taxi ride from our hotel. We then found a beauty salon to get manicures and pedicures, ready for the next day's wedding. Following we headed back to the hotel for a swim and lunch by the pool. That afternoon three of us headed to W Hotel for sunset cocktails. What an amazing hotel - will definitely stay there the next time we come to Bali! We sat on the deck laid with lanterns and overlooking the ocean listening to tunes by the DJ and enjoyed an espresso martini and lychee martini.

The amazing W Seminyak

Sunset Cocktails

That night we headed to Mozzarella's in Legian for dinner - a nice Italian restaurant. After dinner we checked out the markets on the street outside and then three of us took a taxi and braved Kuta. We headed for the Sky Garden - a multi-level club on Kuta's main strip. We went to the top level, which had views overlooking Bali and enjoyed some drinks and dancing.

The next day was wedding day. After spending the morning swimming, we then got ready and headed off to the venue in Nusa Dua early afternoon. We arrived with plenty of time to spare and sat around the bar admiring the view while we waited. At 4.30pm the ceremony started followed by photos, food and dancing. It was a lovely night under the lanterns and stars and marked my first overseas wedding so is sure to be something I won't forget in a hurry.

Nusa Dua Wedding

Swinging

Wedding lanterns

Sunday was our last day in Bali with a late flight home that night. We all headed into Kuta for some market shopping and then Andrew and I had a one hour foot massage (a must for any similar holiday). Following we all met up again at Bamboo for lunch - apparently owned by an Australian which was apparent with the number of screens showing AFL games. We then head to Beachwalk Shopping Centre which has the likes of Topshop, Zara, Victoria's Secret and many more international fast fashion stores. Our day ended with a coffee before Andrew and I headed back to the hotel to freshen up and make our way to the airport (the rest were staying an extra three nights).

All in all it was a much more enjoyable experience of Bali so I can actually say I liked it! I think staying in Seminyak and frequenting nice places helped with this ... who knows when I will be back!

New year full moon

On the bucket list for a while was a Full Moon Party in Thailand so when I started thinking about where to go for New Years around mid year, a New Years Full Moon Party was the perfect idea. We planned the trip with another couple and spent four nights in Phuket and four nights in Koh Samui.

I had been to Phuket with a girlfriend five years ago so I had a pretty good idea of what to see and do but it also helped to meet up with someone there who part lives there and had a car. In Phuket we enjoyed $12 massages everyday, did a day trip to Maya Bay and Phi Phi Island, hung out at Catch Beach Club, shopped at the markets, bought some artwork in Phuket Town, enjoyed the nightlife of Patong and all its quirky bits and hung out at our beautiful resort - the Kalima Resort & Spa.

Phi Phi Island Tour

Bangla Road

The plane ride to Koh Samui from Phuket was interesting. The plane was so small it used propellers instead of jets - scary! In Koh Samui we enjoyed $10 massages, made the journey to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party on New Years Eve, shopped at the markets, went to a Thai boxing tournament, did an elephant trek and went jetskiing. We also enjoyed the nightlife at Ark Bar and a meal at The Cliff Bar.

The view from The Cliff Bar

Koh Samui beach

The Full Moon Party was an experience in itself. We purchased a return transfer through our hotel in Koh Samui and left the port in Koh Samui around 5pm for Koh Phangan, enduring rough seas. When we arrived on the island, we were greeted at gates to purchase our 'ticket' (wristband) into the party. Past the gates, the buckets and body paint stalls started. I decided to get into the spirit and had my arm painted with colourful stars. I also added some flashing pink horns to my outfit which I picked up for a few dollars at the port in Koh Samui.

We made our way to the beach and checked out a few of the bars. It was still daylight but the sun was setting. We walked along the beach and had a drink at the bar on the far corner, perched above some rocks. We stayed there for a couple of hours looking out over the beach. We then made our way back to the beach where music was in full blare at each of the bars and stopped at one which had the music we preferred. By now people had overflowed out of the bars and were dancing on the sand. We bought some buckets and danced the night away, watching as thousands of tourists made their way onto the beach.

At midnight, for a few minutes, fireworks exploded into the sky as we all celebrated the start of 2014. The only real annoying part of the experience was the boat ride back to Koh Samui as there were massive lines at the port and a lot of pushing and shoving. I would recommend booking a room and staying on Koh Phangan for the night.

Koh Phangan beach - the night is just beginning

Flaming rope jumping

Beach partying

Full Moon Party Koh Phangan

Dancing the night away

All in all though it was a lot of fun and an experience I won't forget. Would definitely recommend to anyone who likes to party.

Shopping, wine and a spectacular show in Melbourne

I'm always up for a weekend to Melbourne so when my mum suggested we go over to see the musical King Kong playing at Regent Theatre it was an easy answer. We booked a four night trip and the musical was well worth it! The effects of the 20ft gorilla were spectacular.

The stunning Regent Theatre

And what would a trip to Melbourne be without food, footy and fashion! We made sure we made it to some of Melbourne's iconic eateries including Movido, Il Baccaro, Hopetoun Tea Rooms and Brunetti. We watched a Friday night AFL blockbuster at Ethiad Stadium and we shopped our way through the city and Chadstone shopping centre.

Our choice at Hopetoun Tea Rooms

Friday night footy at Ethiad Stadium

Shopping day at Chadstone

We spent our last day on a wine tour to the Yarra Valley with Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tours. It was the first time I had been to the Yarra Valley and I strongly recommend the tour if you're going to do it. There was plenty of wine, food, great scenery and it was just an all round great day! We visited four wineries including Yering Station, St Huberts, Domain Chandon and Rochford Wines where we enjoyed lunch. We also visited White Rabbit Brewery, Yarra Valley Dairy and Yarrah Valley Chocolaterie.

First stop - Yering Station

The beautiful scenery at Domain Chandon

It was a pleasure Melbourne... as always see you again soon!

South bound for a relaxing long weekend

With a Friday public holiday, what better way to spend the long weekend than a three day trip down south to Pullman Resort Bunker Bay! On my to do list for a while, it seemed like the perfect occasion for it and a much needed break.

My boy and I headed down on ANZAC Day and stopped by the Busselton Jetty on the way - a 1.8km jetty across Geographe Bay. We enjoyed the view as we wandered down the jetty to the Underwater Observatory and back again, stopping for a bite to eat on the foreshore before continuing on to Bunker Bay.

Busselton Jetty

When we arrived at the resort I automatically felt a sense of relief that I was going to spend the next three days away for the busy-ness of city life. The resort was full of couples and young families doing the same thing.

Poolside at Pullman Resort Bunker Bay

We spent our mini brief enjoying the world-class wineries of Margaret River, finding our way through The Maze in Yallingup, participating in the resort's complimentary pilates and yoga, getting massages, playing giant Jenga and Connect 4, enjoying local food especially the breakfast buffet, watching movies, reading, walking along the beach and admiring the view.

The view from the resort overlooking the ocean

The Maze

Bunker Bay

It was absolute bliss, can't wait to return!

Sliding through Japan

In January we spent 10 days in Japan where we explored a mix of culture, history, food, shopping and skiing. It was nice to escape the steaming hot Perth summer in place of Japan's cool winter and of course SNOW! We visited Osaka, Kyoto, Hakuba and Tokyo - all of which had something different to offer.

Shibuya Tokyo

In Osaka, we visited Osaka Castle and enjoyed department store shopping. In Kyoto, which was the original capital city of Japan, we explored Nijo Castle, The Golden Pavilion, shrines, temples, samurais and more. In Hakuba we skied and snowboarded for the first time. And in Tokyo we made the most of the winter sales, went to a sumo wrestling match (must do), spent an afternoon at Disneyland, visited Tsukiji fish market and more.

Osaka Castle

Sumo wrestling at Ryogoku

The snow and skiing/snowboarding in Hakuba was the main reason for this trip and was definitely a highlight. I skied and my boyfriend snowboarded and we spent two full days trying to master the sport. On the first day we both had beginner lessons in the morning. I must admit there were a few slippery moments where I almost ended up in the cafe, and on another occasion, taking out the board racks. By the end of my first lesson I could turn left and right and stop with my snow plow (when I didn't get scared and lose control).

At the end of the lesson I convinced my boyfriend we could take the chair lift up the small mountain behind my lesson and we would be experienced enough to ride down it. Sure enough he went down no problems at all, whereas I totally stacked it and gave up around 20m down. After being told I couldn't take the chair lift back down, my boyfriend walked me down to the bottom of the mountain - what a relief! After lunch I decided another lesson was a must for me so I could at least conquer one mountain and booked in for beginner novice the next morning.

The mountain I didn't make it down

Day two was a little more successful but I was still hopeless for the majority of it. We were separated into different groups of beginner novice standard and of course I was in the bottom group. Our instructor definitely had a lot of patience to handle the four ladies he was left with. Throughout the 2.5hour lesson we only made it down the mountain about four times as we were just so slow! By this stage I was too scared of not being able to stop so my snow plow was not going anywhere which meant I was so slow I almost wasn't moving! I finally gave way a little and by the end of the lesson I managed to do a run with my boyfriend, who had spent the morning practicing on a few different mountains.

Me after skiing the mountain

I really did love Japan's soft white powder snow! It was the perfect cushion every time I fell over, made amazing snow angels and made it so easy to build my snowman Bob. I definitely wished we had more time in Hakuba to perfect my skiing and experience other things like the snow monkeys and snowmobiles. One highly recommended thing to try when you are on ski trip to Japan is an onsen - Japanese hot baths - as it's the perfect recovery after a long day of skiing/snowboarding.

My snow angel :)

Our snowman Bob

I really enjoyed this trip to Japan. The Japanese people are some of the nicest people I have met and the food was delicious! Must try is the Ninja Restaurant in Tokyo. Can't wait to go back one day! <3

Lobster @ Ninja Restaurant

New year adventure

I've never been a camper so when I was sent a Facebook invite by my cousin to go camping for New Year's it was at the bottom of my list. As the days went on the idea warmed to me and I found myself camping on Ledge Point beach, approximately an hour an a half drive from Perth, on New Year's Eve.

We left home around midday on what was a 42 degree day in Perth in a non-airconditioned 4WD, and we arrived around 2pm after a lunch stop on the way. We got there just as the sea breeze settled in so it was nice and refreshing. Beneath us was soft white sand and in front of us crystal clear ocean.

New Year's camping at Ledge Point

There was a group of around 20 of us mostly consisting of cousins and their friends. We set up our sleeping arrangements (mine being in the back of the 4WD) and then cooled down in the beautiful water with my new giant thong bed - we all had a blast riding the waves with it.

Most of the afternoon was spent swimming, kicking the footy, playing with the dogs, eating and fishing. For dinner there was BBQ, salad and 3kg of pasta!! Only Italians would cook pasta camping. After dinner there were drinking games, cards and more chatter with the New Year being brought in with music, sparklers, party poppers and glow sticks.

Happy New Year

The next morning as the sun rose, people started getting up. After a bacon and egg breakfast roll I took a final dip in the water before we packed up and made our journey home to start a fresh year.

So what did I think of my first camping experience since high school? It wasn't too bad and I actually had fun!

Hong Kong high life

I'd been wanting to visit Hong Kong for a few years now and I finally had a trip booked to Asia's Manhattan with my godmother. And what a fascinating city it was full of life, colour and excitement!

Hong Kong Island skyline

Over 10 days we covered a lot of ground and even had some locals to show us around. We were there for the Mid Autumn Festival - the ancient Chinese harvest festival at Victoria Gardens where lanterns merge and moon cakes are eaten. It was nice to experience a cultural holiday with traditional song and dance.

Mid Autumn Festival

Moon cake

We stayed in the precinct of Kowloon and visited Kowloon Park, Avenue of Stars, Mong Kok Ladies Market, the Temple Street Night Market, and all the shops along Nathan Road and Canton Road. Hong Kong was literally designer paradise with every high end brand you could think of! I got into the Hong Kong spirit and bought some Jimmy Choo sunglasses and a Marc Jacobs bag. I thoroughly enjoyed the market shopping also but all the clothing was one size and you couldn't try anything on so a few of the clothes I bought had to be passed down as they didn't fit.

Kowloon Park

Avenue of Stars

Designer brands on Canton Road with national day
fireworks in the background

We also explored Hong Kong Island where the main corporate area is with high rise buildings that light up the skyline at night. We visited Man Mo Temple, walked up the Mid Level escalators (longest escalator sequence in the world), and went on the Peak Tram to the Peak - the highest point on Hong Kong Island - to get amazing views over Hong Kong.

View from the Peak

The Peak Tram

We went on a day trip to Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island. Accessible by a half hour cable car over the mountains, once we were there we walked 240 steps to the top to see the buddha. When we returned from the buddha, we took advantage of all the summer sales at Citygate Outlets shopping centre before getting back on the MTR.

Tian Tan Buddha

Other highlights included being a kid again at Disneyland, taking the ferry first class to Macau for the day and visiting the Venetian and Galaxy casinos, having afternoon tea at The Ritz Carlton, watching Symphony of Lights on Hong Kong's harbour, enjoying a Chinese degustation at Yat Tung Heen by a Michelin star chef, visiting Sky 100 observation deck at the tallest building in Hong Kong and enjoying the view over Hong Kong, trekking through the New Territories to Hong Kong's main water reservoir and visiting China's Shenzhen.

Hong Kong Disneyland

The Venetian Macau

Dinner with the locals

And with such a jam packed adventured filled trip, what better way to finish the trip than with a nice long foot massage!