M A L D I V E S

 

              This destination had been on my bucket list for a while. I guess its true when they say, if you truly want something, stop waiting around and take actions to make it happen. I became a hawk when it came to searching for cheap flights to Maldives. It took a lot of patience and persuasion to make my mum agree to come, my sister just tagged along for fun but later got over excited when she realised she is actually going to Maldives. Mum gets awesome hotel deals around the world, booking a hotel took a bit of planning around the dates and the best time to travel. I also got to stay on an over water bungalow for two nights, another item ticked off my never ending bucket list.  

                 Day 1: Sunday 9th April, 2017

Maldives Airport

          The day finally arrived, I have dreamt about this place for two years and waited about six months for this day to come since we booked the tickets. I was overwhelmed with joy and just couldn't wait to go to the airport. We landed at Maldives at 11pm and unfortunately missed the last seaplane to the resort by few minutes. We lost all hope and thought we will be spending the night sleeping on the benches at the airport. Luckily, the airport security guard came to our rescue and found us accommodation for the night and helped us catch the bus to the motel.  We are so grateful to the airport security guard for helping us. 

Our room at the motel was really small. The room had one queen bed and one single bed. The mattresses on the bed were very thin that you could feel the springs underneath. I found it so uncomfortable to sleep on but eventually I dozed off.  

           
              Day 2: Monday 10th April - 14th April, 2017 

The Sun Island Resort

The motel provided us with basic breakfast (included in the package) and arranged a vehicle to drop us at the airport. The owner was very friendly and accomodating especially with getting us checked in quickly the night before so we could get some rest.

From my own experience walking through the narrow streets of Hulhule, I found a lot of rubbish along the path and the air was polluted. The apartments looked small and congested. People smiled at us, some said good morning and few sang a song as we walked past them.   

After reaching the airport, we took a seaplane and a speed boat to our resort, The Sun Island. All the guests were taken on the buggy to the reception with their luggages. The guests were greeted with refreshments and were asked to fill out the forms. My family and I booked the beach villa view room which was right on the beach. The manager greeted us when we received the keys for the room and offered us the $99 USD per night upgrade specials for the overwater villas. I convinced my mum to take the offer as this could be once in a life time opportunity and I gave the manager my travel card to purchase the deal. We decided to upgrade the last 2 nights to the overwater villa. It was definitely our lucky day! 

❥ The Sun Island Pool •

After we settled in, we decided to go for a swim at the beach. The water at the beach was so clear and warm. Couple minutes later, I was surrounded by baby sharks. It felt like I was swimming in an aquarium, such an incredible experience. Honestly, I could just stay here for weeks and get used to the humidity as long as I can escape the reality. 

Swimming for couple of hours made us very hungry. We got ready and decided to walk to the restaurant for the buffet. The resort looks like a maze, there's a lot of pathways and you could easily get lost. Most people rented a bike to get around the island. If only I knew how to ride a bike, I would have been able to cycle around the island whilst enjoying the great scenery. I will add bike riding lessons to my bucket list and work on it.

At night time, the island transforms into a magical paradise. The lights create the mesmerising effect along with the cool breeze providing the perfect ambience to wander around.

We moved into the Overwater villa after 3 days. The guy picked us up on the buggy and dropped us off in front of our villa. The best thing about the villa was it had a huge bath tub and a gigantic glass window in the bathroom so you could look into the ocean whilst you are bathing. Having a bath during the sunset and absorbing the view was just incredible. We had our own balcony with beach chairs to relax and access to the ocean to swim with the turtles. 

I did have a list of things I wanted to see and do such as the Blue Lagoon and Village Tours. However, I decided to talk to the workers at the resort and learn about their local life. All the workers at the resort live on the island with their families. I have seen women swiping the path and picking up the leaves in a big bag every morning and I believe they are wives of the men working at the resort as they weren't wearing the resort uniform. Few workers told us they get to take one week off every year to go visit their island and spend some time with their families. I always complain about wanting more than 4 weeks off in a year to travel, explore and relax. These guys are just so happy to go home and seeing the big smile on their face when they speak about the local life is just heart warming. It was delightful to yarn with the workers and listening to their stories made the days enjoyable.

❥ Maldives Sunset •

I am glad I chose to go to Maldives this year. Not only did I treat myself to an luxurious holiday but I sincerely loved meeting those workers, they have such humble and graceful personalties. 

Tanja, NSW

 

              This weekend we explored the surrounding areas of Tanja, NSW. I believe we have travelled through the majority of the small towns in the Sapphire Coast. I know we did not cover every town in depth but it feels like we know the Sapphire Coast to an extend. South Coast is absolutely stunning and easily to fall in love with. I am blessed to have several opportunities to travel to the South Coast this year and being able to reach the bottom destinations. 

                     Day 1: Friday 10th March, 2017

The Treat Factory - Old Creamery Lane, Berry.

This factory is rated as 4.6/5. The Treat Factory is an essential stop for the food lover visiting the South Coast.

          Coen and I made a quick ten minute stop at the Treat Factory. This shop is loaded with varieties of chocolates, confectionaries and preserves. It was a challenge to pick few things that I know I will be able to consume and not waste. The shop had a large variety of loose leaf teas that I have never tried. Some of them smelt so delicious that I had to make a choice between chocolates and teas. I decided not to buy chocolates and settle for two new teas. I picked the chocolate tea and Mango Mexican tea for $6 each. In the last couple of months, I have attempted to visit Berry twice. This time I had a chance to browse into the little shops in town. I was introduced to some new organic products but I decided to do a bit more research before committing.

  ❥ Eggs, Toast & Pepper •

• ⇢ 💜   S H O A L H A V E N  💜 ⇠ •

Tanja Lagoon Camp - Tanja, Sapphire Coast.

Rated as 5/5 and one of the top glamping places to stay in Australia.

          We decided to drive four hours straight to the Lagoon Camp. This was a surprise for Coen as he did not know where we will be staying and what to expect. We followed the directions from the entrance of the camp to find our tent. As we drove up to the tents, we were greeted by the lovely kangaroos. The Lagoon Camp only has four tents and they all have a waterfront view. I showed Coen around the tent and said 'Welcome to Glamping!'. He looked surprised, super excited and had a big smile on his face. This place was our home, our haven for two days. We were surrounded by nature, absorbing the fresh air, making new friends with the kangaroos and created some amazing memories. The only thing separating us from the outside world was a screen zipper. The owners provided us with linens, muesli, milk, fresh eggs with basic kitchen condiments. Our deluxe safari tent also included a kitchen and a bathroom with a massive bathtub. I had the privilege to have bubble bath twice. 

                       Day 2: Saturday 11th March, 2017

        Tanja Lagoon Camp - Tanja, Sapphire Coast.

          Coen made me breakfast whilst I was getting ready and cleaning up the place. He's such a gentleman. We had brekky outside admiring the water view and sharing ideas on what we wanted to do. We agreed to make a trip to Eden. 

❥ Eggs, Toast & Pepper • 
❥ Muesli, Mango Yogurt & Honey • 

On the way out of the camp, we said our good mornings and made friendly contact with these adorable and playful creatures. I absolutely loved it when they posed for the camera. Honestly, the adorable kangaroos were the highlight of my trip to Tanja. 

Wajurda Point Lookout - Mimosa National Park, Tanja.

This factory is rated as 4.6/5. The Treat Factory is an essential stop for the food lover visiting the South Coast.

          After we exited the camp, we saw a sign for Wajurda Lookout and Moon Bay. Coen suggested we should go to the lookout which was a two minutes drive to the carpark and a five-ten minutes walk to the lookout. We finally made it to the lookout. The lookout area is really small. Unfortunately, a couple beat us there. Coen and I did not want to disturb the couple and also there was no room for us. We did not want to stand right next to the couple, so we decided to leave and come back later. Sadly, we did not have enough time to revisit this lookout to watch the sunset. But I did get a chance to take a quick photo of the view from the lookout and a photo of Nelson Beach on the way to the lookout. 

❥ Wajurda Lookout • 

❥ Nelson Beach •

We enjoyed our little walk to the lookout. Our next destination was the Rotary Walk Lookout in Eden. This lookout was crowded. It's one of the top attractions to visit in Eden. For lunch, we decided to drive down the road and buy fish and chips from the takeaway shop. We bought a small seafood pack for one from Hooked on Seafood for $16, but it was big enough for both of us to share. Eden is a picturesque and serene town located in Bega Valley on the Sapphire Coast, NSW. 

 ❥ Watermelons with a glass of wine •
• ⇢ 💜  S A P P H I R E  C O A S T 💜 ⇠ •

We made a little pit stop on the way to buy a quarter watermelon from Woolworths and two bottles of Gossips Moscato from the bottle shop. A fantastic way to spend the evening with a bitter sweet combination of Gossips Moscato and watermelons whilst watching the sunset. 

We ended our night with roasting marshmallows on the campfire and watching a movie. This manifested a warm, pleasant and cosy atmosphere. You know its been a great day when you struggle to control your laughter and emerge yourself with the nature, wishing to stay a bit longer. Reality gives you a reminder that tomorrow will shatter this perfect illusion as we embrace another week of work. 

                                                                                  Day 3: Sunday 12th March, 2017

Tanja Lagoon Camp - Tanja, Sapphire Coast.

We rate this place 5/5.

          Our last day here. Tanja Lagoon Camp created a comfortable, homely and relaxing atmosphere where we could spend our weekend resting and enjoying ourselves with ease. I hope I did justice to Tanja by expressing my gratitude. This was a perfect retreat and time out from reality and an incredible experience. This was our first time glamping and certainly would not be our last! Thank you Tanja Lagoon Camp for introducing us to the exciting realm of glamping. It was a shame we could not meet the owners of the Tanja Lagoon Camp during our stay. They have definitely done a magnificent job at maintaining this campsite.

Bermagui Blue Pool - Bermagui, Sapphire Coast.

Bermagui's famous Blue Pool is a "must see" Sapphire Coast attraction. This place is rated as 4.6/5.

             This photo was taken from the viewing platform. The famous Blue Pool looks utterly beautiful and mesmerising. Coen was ready to take a dip in this natural pool but realised he did not have a towel on him. It was also bit windy and cold for me to consider swimming. There was only two people swimming in the pool whilst the rest of the crowd stood by and admired the views. Coen suggested for us to return this summer but this time it will be very early in the morning before the crowd gets in.  

❥ Bermagui Blue Pool •

          It was time for us to head back to Sydney. We did a fuel stopover at Cobargo. This town is only fifteen minutes away from Bermagui. Cobargo is known as the working village on the Sapphire Coast.  Although we did not have enough time to explore, the town looked quiet and picturesque. 

We spent majority of the time on the campsite relaxing and taking advantages of the amenities provided. This was truly a unique experience for both of us and we genuinely enjoyed every second of it. It was exciting, refreshing and definitely memorable. Although glamping is quite expensive, it's worth the experience and money if it's executed successfully. I would highly recommend Tanja Lagoon Camp to anyone who loves glamping or would want to experience it for the first time to save money and spend the weekend on this campsite. Everything was planned perfectly and the owners are really generous with providing the best service and experience.

Gerringong, South Coast, NSW

                  Three girls wanted to spent a girls day out in the country away from the city life doing something fun and different. Something we have not done before. Something that will only bring laughter and excitement. They were looking for a new experience and another way of having fun. Crooked River Winery gave us an wonderful opportunity to make this happen. It all started from researching places that do grapes stomping in New South Wales and planning it around a day we were all free. And for the rest of the story, please continue reading ... 

                     Saturday 18th February, 2017

Grape Stomping - Crooked River Winery, Gerringong.

Beautiful countryside town in the South Coast, NSW.

          After catching three trains and travelling for 2.5 hours, we reached Gerringong. We followed the directions from google maps to go to the winery. However, when we passed the petrol station, we realised the Crooked River Winery was on the other side of the highway. The only way we could get there is to walk 3-5 minutes on the Princes Highway and cross over to the other side. We decided to ask for directions at the petrol station. We met a kind and generous elderly lady. We asked the lady which direction is the best way to get to the winery. This lovely soul offered to give us a lift to the winery saying this is her good deed for the day. A little bit of kindness certainly does go a long way. God bless her soul <3

❥ View from the Crooked River Winery •
• ⇢ 💛  I L L A W A R R A 💛 ⇠ •

We followed the other guests to the restaurant till we found the section for grapes stomping. We did not know what to expect as this was our first time grapes stomping. We imagined it would be something like the grape stomping scenes from an American movie. However, it was different. The barrels were smaller and we wanted more grapes to stomp. A beautiful elderly couple offered to take a photo and a video of us stomping the grapes. There was live music playing in the background. It was a lovely experience regardless and we all enjoyed ourselves.

❥ Grape Stomping •
• ⇢ 💛  I L L A W A R R A 💛 ⇠ •

             

All the stomping made our tummy rumble. We headed inside to Oak Room Eleven Restaurant to have a fancy lunch. The girls and I ordered pizza, salad and three glasses of wine. After lunch, I checked the time for the next train. We had two hours to spare. Just enough time to get another round of drinks and reminisce about our life.

                            ❥ Roasted Chicken, Fetta, Baby Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes and Red Onion Pizza & Greek                                          Salad with Danish Fetta Kalamata, Olive, Cucumber   $25  •

❥ Wine and Dine in the country • 

❥ A day in Gerringong • Sipping on a glass of wine whilst reminiscing about life •
#grownups  $10 per glass

     As we were walking down the hill towards the highway, we stopped to stare at this refined and fascinating tree <3

                                                ❥ Yes, we did notice you =]  •

            I utterly love visiting small towns because the people are kind and graceful. It's so wonderful to be part of the community gatherings where everyone comes under one roof and shares a bit about their lives. An advantage of being part of a small community is everyone knows you and you will always find someone to spend time with. But the downside is everyone knows your deepest darkest secret and the word travels fast. It is such a blessing to see kids hang out together in harmony. I am sure this does not happen often but when it does, it's priceless.

Thank you to the people of Gerringong for this wonderful opportunity, experience and kindness offered to us today. This day will never be forgotten and the heart warming feeling of being there. We had an awesome girls day out. 

❥ Our special memories we will be taking away from this little country town   •  

Umina, Central Coast, NSW

                 

                        Sunday 22nd January, 2017

Breakfast at Six Degrees Cafe - West Street, Umina Beach.

The Cafe has a rating of 4.5/5 and is located in the beautiful Central Coast, NSW.

          Coen and I drove to Woy Woy to pick up our friend, Arthur. We were all hungry. Arthur suggested us to go to Six Degrees Cafe for breakfast. He said we would love the food served there. The waiters were welcoming, the service was great and the food was delightful. I absolutely love their Chai Tea. It was made a tad special with their own unique twist. I love returning to cafes where you can interact and make small talks with the waiters. Another wonderful thing about small towns, if they serve great food, people are bound to return. 

❥ Toasted Garlic Bap Melt •
• ⇢ 💜  C E N T R A L  C O A S T 💜 ⇠ •

❥ Big Aussie Breakfast & Toasted Garlic Bap Melt •
• ⇢ 💜  C E N T R A L  C O A S T 💜 ⇠ •

          After breakfast, we strolled down the street and checked out few shops. Umina is a small beachside town and I believe I will be visiting more often. All three of us travelled back to Sydney to watch XXX 3: Return of Xander Cage. This concludes our awesome weekend getaway travelling from the South to Central Coast. 

Road trip to Byron Bay, NSW

                  My friend, Nate and I decided to have a spontaneous road trip to Byron Bay. This was Nate's first time visiting New South Wales. We love going on road trips but this time we chose a destination that was really far away. However, we were so determined to go to Byron Bay and successfully achieved our goal.  We left home at 8 am and arrived at Byron Bay at Midnight. We did few stop overs along the way.

                                 

               Day 1: Wednesday, 28th December 2016

Brekkie at The Edwards Bar - Parry Street, Newcastle West.

Eclectic dishes and craft beer in a roomy former laundromat and subway tiles and exposed rafters.

Rated as 4.3 / 5 

          Our first stop was at The Edwards in Newcastle West. Nate and I both ordered Belgian waffles for breakfast. My waffles were beautifully presented. The waffles looked inviting and heavenly sweet. Honestly, The Edwards is my haven. I will definitely stop by this bar every time I make a trip to the central coast.

❥ Belgian Waffles with Mascarpone, Strawberry Compote & Mint         $15
• ⇢ 💚  N O R T H  C O A S T  💚 ⇠ •

Fingal Bay Beach - Nelson Bay, Port Stephens.

          Next destination on the list was the Fingal Bay Beach. I have been to this beach earlier last year on our vacation to Port Stephens. This beach is my favourite stopover in Port Stephens. The views are fabulous from the top of the hill. Nate and I sat down on the bench for 10 - 15 minutes. Next time, I am going to set a tent on this beach and spend the whole day relaxing in the sun.

❥ Fingal Bay Beach
• ⇢ 💚  N O R T H  C O A S T  💚 ⇠ •

Flynns Beach - Port Macquarie.

          We attempted to go to Foster after Fingal Bay but ended up going on a forty-five minutes detour into the crossing at the round about. We were stuck in traffic for about an hour and decided not to go any further as we would not have enough time to reach our final destination. Finally after an hour and a half, we stopped over at Flynns beach for a fifteen minutes break to stretch our legs. 

❥ Flynns Beach
• ⇢ 💚  N O R T H  C O A S T  💚 ⇠ •

Urunga Boardwalk and Dinner at Maria's Italian Restaurant - Coffs Harbour.

Classic dishes served in a down-to-earth, long-running place with pavement tables, plus takeaway.

Rated as 3.4 / 5 

          I have also been to this boardwalk on my trip to Coffs Harbour. I enjoyed my peaceful and relaxing walk to the end of the boardwalk. I thought it would be a great idea taking Nate to this place. My instincts told me that I would be revisiting this place again sometime this year. And they were right; Nate was really happy to see this place.

We had dinner at Maria's Italian Restaurant. This place was overcrowded and we almost had to share a table with two other people. We were satisfied with the food and service was great. By the time we finished dinner, it was around 8:30pm. We were thinking about whether we should head to Byron. It would take us another three hours. However, we did not book accommodation in Coffs Harbour so Nate decided he should drive till we find a place to stay. Luckily my friend offered his mum's place for us to stay in Byron for the night. We reached Byron at Midnight and both of us were exhausted from our road trip. We were so blessed to get two separate rooms and beds to sleep on. 

                  Day 2: Thursday, 29th December 2016

          Brekkie at The Folk - Ewingsdale Rd, Byron Bay.

Folk Cafe is a popular Byron Bay hangout where you'll get local, fresh and organic plant-based fare served thoughtfully on old-school enamel kitchenware, turned wooden bowls and kitsch 70's era ceramics.

Rated as 4.7 / 5 

          Nate and I both ordered the organic hotcakes. The flavour combination is amazingly delicious.  The waiters are friendly and welcoming. This cafe is local's favourite and now my personal favourite establishment in Byron. I am so excited to book my next flight to Byron. We headed back to Sydney after breakfast. 

❥ Organic Hotcakes
• ⇢ 💚  N O R T H  C O A S T  💚 ⇠ •

          Although our stay was short, I found people to be extremely friendly and welcoming in this beautiful hipster town. Next time I will come to Byron Bay for a week or two to explore the area and its surroundings. I am glad we got to visit a few places on the way to Byron as this was Nate's first time visiting New South Wales.



                                                               

Tasmania

“Take time to make your soul happy”  

― Hide and Seek

Day 1: Friday, 9th December 2016

Dinner at Spice Lounge Restaurant and Bar - Seaport Boulevard, Launceston.

Spice Lounge is a Modern Indian Punjabi Cuisine

        This restaurant is rated as 4.5/5. We ordered Butter Chicken and Chicken Biryani with Garlic Naan. Food tasted good. Service was great. The surrounding restaurants were crowded but the walk down the Seaport Boulevard was peaceful and beautiful watching the sunset.

Chicken Biryani $16.90 and Butter Chicken $18.90

Day 2: Saturday, 10th December 2016

Ross & Wineglass Bay Tour - TAS TOURS

Departs from Launceston and Hobart

       I booked a tour for Wineglass Bay with Tas Tours for $130pp. The tour guide picked my grandma and I from Mantra Charles Hotel at 7:15am. We got to Ross at 8am, this is where our tour began. Ross is a beautiful small town with two delicious bakeries. We brought our lunch from the bakery and took a short drive to Cape Tourville. I also purchased my first Scallop Pie and the famous, Vanilla Slice.

ROSS

Cape Tourville - Launceston

Stunning views

I captured this stunning view from the boardwalk. I was utterly awed by the view and the refreshing feeling of the wind brushing past me whilst I stood there. At that moment, I imagined myself being in that boat and venturing out to the sea. The lighthouse is one minute walk from this boardwalk.

Cape Tourville Broadwalk Lookout View 

                                            Wineglass Bay Lookout - Freycinet Peninsula

Breathtaking Views

My first favourite part of the tour was hiking uphill for forty-five minutes to see the Wineglass Bay. I struggled walking uphill and there were few times I just wanted to give up. However, I am glad that I pushed myself to do this walk. The end result of reaching the destination is breathtaking. I have never seen anything so magnificent and spectacular in my life. My heart skipped a beat when I first walked towards the Wineglass Bay Lookout.

Wineglass Bay Lookout View
45 mins one way uphill walk

Honeymoon Bay - Freycinet National Park

On my top five wedding venue list <3

My second favourite part of the tour was going to the Honeymoon Bay. This place is more beautiful than whats captured in the photographs. There was two weddings scheduled on the day. We accidentally happened to crash one of the weddings whilst they were setting up. Maybe couple years from now, I would not mind booking the Cafe for my reception and a corner for my wedding. Having a wedding overlooking the water and as a backdrop is sensational but probably would be a trek to get to this place. I absolutely enjoyed my time at Honeymoon Bay. They also offer rooms to rent out which makes it perfect for an overnight or weekend event combined with water sports or local activities.

Honeymoon Bay Boardwalk

Honeymoon Bay

Dreamy <3

Devil's Corner - Freycinet National Park

Award - winning wines, rated as 4.5/5

Our last stop for the day before we returned back to the hotel was at the Winery, Devil's Corner. We had fifteen minutes for wine tasting and eating the famous Tombolo Ice Cream.  I tried the Salted Caramel Ice Cream and it was delicious. They also sold Oysters and Fish and Chips. I was so tempted to buy the Fish and Chips as it smelt incredibly delicious. However, we were still full from lunch and Fish and Chips taste so much better when they are hot!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream $7.50

The tour guide dropped us back to the hotel at 6:30pm. Our guide was very informative and accommodating. I rate this tour 5/5. If I ever get an opportunity to revisit Tasmania, I would definitely do this tour again. Tas Tours offers a lot of options based on your fitness level and abundance of time to explore the Freycinet Peninsula. Also, not many tours are action packed and time efficient for the money you pay. Our tour guide catered to everyone's needs. It was truly an amazing day to witness and I am really happy that I picked this tour company.

Day 3: Sunday, 11th December 2016

Gorge  Scenic Chairlift, Cataract Gorge - Launceston

Magnificent views of Cataract Gorge

        We paid $15 return to go on the chairlift. It takes about ten minutes to get to the other side. It goes really slow giving you time to admire the surroundings from the above. You can visit the gardens and the Cafe on the other side of the Chairlift. You can also walk to the other side if you do not wish to take scenic view. The walk is about five minutes to the Cafe. Don't be fooled by the peacock's beauty, they get violent then they see food. So do not feed them food if you want to stay safe. 

Scenic View from the above

Alexandra Suspension Bridge

Grindelwald - Launceston

Small Swiss Village 

Grindelwald is twenty minutes away from Launceston CBD. It is a small Swiss village with few shops. It reminded me of my trip to Switzerland. People at this place are very friendly and delighted to chat with.

Coffee Republic - Launceston CBD

Rated as 4.5/5

Coffee Republic is a small funky coffee shop with good selection of flavoured lattes, coffees, hot chocolates, teas etc. I tried my first English Breakfast Latte and I loved it. I bought a regular cappuccino for my grandma and she was surprised that this place would serve a really good coffee. The Coffee guy is super friendly and sweet.  

Coffee Republic

Mantra Charles Hotel - Launceston

We booked a studio room for two nights. The hotel had a special offer for seven nights but we only paid $318 for two nights for two people.  This hotel is ten minutes walk from the CBD. It is also a popular choice for the visitors.  The staffs were very welcoming and helpful. 

       I enjoyed my little weekend getaway to Launceston. This getaway was a little present for my grandma from me. She has always wished to go to Tasmania so I decided to make her wish come true for Christmas. We had a blast in Tasmania. It is truly a remarkable and beautiful place to explore. I am looking forward to my next trip to Tasmania.