Category: Birthday Trips

The Wonderful Indonesia Series: YOGYAKARTA – A Relaxing Weekend In Indonesia’s Special Monarchy Region

Hello & long time no post! After about a month of being quiet, I am back. I just came back from a big trip somewhere far & I cannot wait to share more details about you guys. For now, it’s time to catch up on some backlogs. Today, I will revive my Wonderful Indonesia Series. In the past, I have shared with you details about my trip to Bali, Nusa Penida & Komodo. Today, I will bring you to another amazing place in Indonesia – YOGYAKARTA.

Borobudur Temple – one of the 2 big temples you will see when you go to Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Last August, my friends & I went on a relaxing weekend trip to Yogyakarta in Indonesia. Yogyakarta, in the local terms Jogjakarta or Jogja, is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta. It is the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarch. The city has a long history in terms of arts & culture. Nowadays, the city is the center of Indonesian education. Many youngsters move to the city to finish their degrees. To the tourists, it is the home of the world-famous Borobudur & Prambanan Temples.

Join me as I share with you the details of this quick but relaxing weekend getaway in one of Indonesia’s most beautiful cities.

Flight Tickets

I didn’t have plans of going to the city & country this year until my Indonesian friend Yudi, whom I met on Its The Ship 2018, invited for a weekend trip in Indonesia. Last June, I managed to book a return Cebu Pacific Air piso-fare ticket to Jakarta for ₱2,471 for an August long weekend. I immediately contacted my friend Yudi & we decided to spend the trip in Yogyakarta. I booked my Jakarta-Yogyakarta-Jakarta ticket with Indonesia Air Asia for only ₱3,155 return.

Overall, I spent ₱5,626 for 4 flights from Manila to Yogyakarta (via Jakarta) & back. Not bad, not bad at all. Actually, I posted reviews about 3 of these 4 flights. Check out the flight reports here: Manila (MNL) to Jakarta (CGK) with Cebu Pacific Air, Jakarta (CGK) to Yogyakarta (JOG) with Indonesia Air Asia & Yogyakarta (JOG) to Jakarta (CGK) with Indonesia Air Asia. I decided not to cover my flight back from Jakarta to Manila as I was asleep most of the time.

last minute joiners

Yudi & I have been in constant communication about the trip & tried to plan where to go or what to do. About 2 weeks into the trip, Dallin & Lord decided to join us for the trip. Dallin is Yudi’s friend while Lord is a Singapore-based good friend of mine who runs the LordAroundTheWorld blog. Lord was responsible for me joining Its The Ship 2018. He also joined us for a few days in Melbourne last April. Lord & I met in Yogyakarta Airport & we eventually met the other 2 guys in our hotel in the city.

Gallery Prawirotaman Hotel

We took a break from the hostel / dormitory life & decided to stay in a hotel in Yogyakarta. It didn’t hurt much cost-wise since accommodation in Indonesia is cheap compared to other cities in Southeast Asia, way cheaper than Manila hotels. We picked Gallery Prawirotaman Hotel & paid IDR 1,736,836 (₱6,511.39 reflected in my statement) for 3 nights in a 28 sq m superior room for 2 people.

This 4-star hotel is centrally located in Jalan Prawirotaman II where nice hotels & restaurants are located. The nearby Jalan Prawirotaman is the hipster street of Yogyakarta. The hotel is fab & well-designed. It has an inhouse fitness center, swimming pool, spa, art gallery, bar & restaurant. The hotel staff was accommodating, helpful & friendly. The hotel WiFi connection was fast & reliable.

We got a spacious superior room with a private balcony & a view of the city. The room has impressive lighting, lots of space & has an ‘office corner’ where guests can do some work. The hotel is clean & well-maintained. Buffet breakfast is included in the room rate. I am happy to say they have a good variety of dishes in the 3 mornings that I had breakfast.

We had a pleasant stay at Gallery Prawirotaman Hotel; we were able to take advantage of the hotel amenities. Food was good, the service was top notch & the location was perfect. I recommend that you consider this hotel when going to Yogyakarta.

Getting Around Yogyakarta

We used my friend’s car to go around the city. There was no need to hire a private car charter or to take public transportation, Grab, Gojek or rickshaws to go from one place to the other. There are multiple options in going around the city, but the best way in my opinion is to rent a motorcycle for a day or two or to rent a car & drive around for the whole duration of stay. The highlights of the city like Mount Merapi, Borobudur & Prambanan Temples are located far from the city & far from each other.

places visited

Let me warn you. All of us went to Yogyakarta with no plans or anything in mind. I didn’t do any research & I asked my friend to plan out our itinerary. Apparently, they also didn’t plan anything. We ended up going to the places we only feel like visiting. Most of the time was spent eating in nice restaurants (wait for the post about this!) & in our hotel. We were there to take a break & relax. Anyway, check out the places we went to.

JALAN MALIOBORO

Jalan Malioboro, commonly known as Malioboro Street, is Yogyakarta’s major shopping street. This street is the best place to go shopping & have the local street food. At night, the long strip transforms into a busy market with all sorts of stuff you can think of. Both locals & tourists flock this street every night. Warning! Prices can be expensive, especially if know that you are tourists.

TAMAN SARI WATER CASTLE

Taman Sari used to be the garden of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta. It used to be the sultanate’s hiding place, also his place of rest & meditation. The water castle is now one of the city’s top attractions with only a few buildings left from the old times. Locals also started to reside in some of the castle buildings / grounds.

MERAPI LAVA TRAIL TOUR

My friends & I drove about 1.5 hours away from Yogyakarta center to Mount Merapi & take the lava trail tour on a 4 x 4 jeep. Mount Merapi is an active volcano located in the border of Yogyakarta & Central Java. It is a popular tourist destination because of its lava & boulder trails brought by the volcanic activities.

There were 3 options for the lava trail tour. We opted for the shortest one. The tour & the bumpy ride around the lava trails took about 1.5 hours. I’m sorry I forgot how much we paid for the whole tour. It wasn’t that much. Was it worth the time & effort going to the volcano grounds? It was alright; not much interesting things to see. I won’t do it again in the future.

BOROBUDUR TEMPLE

My main reason of flying to Yogyakarta is to see the world famous Borobudur Temple. This UNESCO World Heritage Listed Site is the world’s largest Buddhist temple built in the 9th century. The temple is also famous for its round stupas containing a unique Buddha structure inside.

Most tourists go to the temple during sunrise / sunset, but we opted to go there during midday. An entrance ticket is required to enter the temple grounds. Lord & I opted for the US$45 combined entrance ticket for Borobudur & Prambanan Temples.

PRAMBANAN TEMPLE

Prambanan Temple is another UNESCO World Heritage Listed Site found in Yogyakarta. This Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva was built in the 10th century. This, together with Borobudur Temple, are the main attractions for people visiting Yogyakarta.

We got a combined entry ticket worth US$45 per person (for the 2 temples) to access the temple grounds.

This pretty much sums up my Yogyakarta weekend with friends. It felt good seeing them again after a while & spending quality time over good food & drinks & amazing scenery. Nothing much really happened, it was all about taking a break from our daily routines.

Have you been to Yogyakarta? How did you find the city? Is it a place you’d love to go back or maybe a place you’d love to visit? Post your thoughts in the comment section below. Do you have any questions about the information mentioned above? Send them to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll respond as soon as I can. Please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for taking time to read this post. Watch out for the list of restaurants you shouldn’t miss when in Yogyakarta – that’ll be the next post about this amazing city.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

2018 Run-Through: Reuniting & Travelling With Friends

Hey, you! I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday with your families & friends. 2019 is just a few hours away. Another year will soon pass. Before we go into 2019, join me as I look back on how another year of travels went by.

2016 was all about going solo & exploring places by myself. 2017 was about exploring both known & relatively unknown places. 2018’s theme is about reuniting & travelling with friends. After months & years of travelling alone, I reunited & travelled with friends in all of my trips this year.

Let me share with you where my friends & I went to this year. It was a fun & memorable year exploring with friends!

sapporo🇯🇵

Last February, Shane & I went to Sapporo for a week. We flew in to Tokyo & took another domestic flight to Sapporo. We explored Sapporo city on our 2nd day – walked around historic buildings & structures plus tried the famous Genghis Khan meat for late lunch. We tried the world-famous Hokkaido king crab in Nijo Market on our 3rd day, then went to explore the port city of Otaru in the afternoon.

Shane & I went skiing on our 4th day. We took a beginner’s ski course in the morning & skied on a downhill slope in the afternoon. It was tiring but a fun experience. We enjoyed it & we plan to do it again on our next winter trip. We chose to relax on our 5th day & tried a traditional Japanese onsen on a snowy day. At first, it was weird walking around naked but hey, everyone’s naked so there’s nothing to worry. We flew to Tokyo on our 6th day & do some last minute pasalubong shopping before flying back to Manila on our last day.

Believe it or not, we only spent less than ₱45,000 each including airfare & hostel accommodations. It was a trip of many firsts (my first legit winter trip) & also an affordable one. Check out the Sapporo blog list below.

Blog List:
Hokkaido Winter Series: The Ultimate Japan Winter Experience Without Breaking The Bank (7 Days For Less Than ₱45,000 all-in)
Hokkaido Winter Series: SAPPORO – A Winter Paradise City
Hokkaido Winter Series: OTARU – An Afternoon In The Nearby Historical Harbor City
Hokkaido Winter Series: SAPPORO TEINE RESORT & HOHEIKYO ONSEN – Recommended Day Trips From Sapporo City
Hostel Of The Day: THE STAY SAPPORO – Budget Sapporo Accommodation With Top-Notch Amenities
Hostel Of The Day: OAK HOSTEL ZEN – My Favorite Tokyo Hostel
Tuesday Tip: 7 SAPPORO Eats You Shouldn’t Miss

Hong Kong🇭🇰

My high school friends & I went on a weekend trip to Hong Kong last March. We left for Hong Kong on a Friday late afternoon & arrived back in Manila Sunday night. It was a quick 48-hour trip but we managed to visit a number of interesting places. Jericho & I explored went to Victoria Peak, Quarry Bay Monster Building, Nan Lian Garden & Kowloon Pier while our friends went to Hong Kong Disneyland. We met them in Mong Kok for dinner & went shopping together.

The following day, the whole group went to mass at St Teresa’s Church in Kowloon Tong in the morning. We all went to Ngong Ping via the cable car in the afternoon & went last-minute shopping at Citygate Outlets. We headed back to our accommodation to pick up our bags & went straight to the airport for our flight back to Manila.

Blog: High School Squad Weekend: 48 Hours In HONG KONG

Nacpan Beach🇵🇭

Maanne, a friend who is now based in Vancouver, went home for a few weeks & asked us to join her visit Nacpan Beach in El Nido. I’ve been to El Nido & Nacpan Beach a number of times. It was Maanne’s 1st time in Nacpan. We spent a whole day at the beach area. The weather didn’t cooperate so we found ourselves having a good time (having lunch + free drinks / shots) at Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach. Our stay in El Nido & Nacpan was mostly spent in our hostels, Mad Monkey & Outpost Beach Hostel due to rainy weather.

Blog List:
Hostel Of The Day: MAD MONKEY HOSTEL NACPAN BEACH – Beach & Party In One Place
Hostel Of The Day: OUTPOST BEACH HOSTEL – Social El Nido Hostel By The Beach

Port Barton 🇵🇭

After spending 2 days & 2 nights in El Nido, we headed down south to the small coastal village of Port Barton. I’ve been to this place in 2017 & had the best times so I decided to bring my friends to this paradise. We spent another 48 hours here, went island hopping, relaxed on the village beach & had great times with old & new friends.

Blog: PORT BARTON Revisited – 48 Hours In Palawan’s Next Popular Destination

Siargao 🇵🇭

My colleague & friend, Shiela, & I went to Siargao for 4 full days last July. We booked our tickets a few months back before I left for the airport for my Sapporo trip. Another friend in the name of Geof (from Siquijor 2017 trip) was also on the island with friends. We met up on our 1st day for dinner & decided to go together for crazy party nights & inland tours. We took the Sugba Lagoon & Magpupungko Rock Pool tour together & met a new set of friends. This marked the birth of the Siargao Squad. Half of the group left the island on our 3rd day while we took the Sohoton Cove & Tri Island Tour.

Shiela & I also had crazy nights with our roommates at Bravo Beach Resort & our ex-colleague Vanessa. This trip was all about exploring the island in the morning & drinking / partying at night – typical Siargao getaway. I look forward to flying back to Siargao to do the same time.

Blog List:
4-Day Siargao Weekend: It’s All About Epic Tour Days & Crazy Party Nights
Hostel Resort Of The Day: BRAVO BEACH RESORT SIARGAO – Reasonably Priced Shared Luxury Accommodation in Paradise Island

Sydney 🇦🇺

Last August, I flew to Sydney with my N9 buddies, Shane (from Sapporo trip) & Leng. It was my first trip outside Asia (finally lol). We took the free walking tours & explored Sydney by foot. The weather was not too hot & not too cold (well for me) so it was perfect for walking. My friends & I also went to see Bondi Beach & Coogee Beach, 2 of the many suburban beaches of Sydney.

We took a wine-tasting day trip to the mountains of Hunter Valley. We went to 3 wineries, tried different kinds of wine & had lunch at a fancy country club. We drowned ourselves with free wine that same day. We took another day trip to Blue Mountains National Park in Katoomba. The place is about 2 hours by train from Sydney. We walked around the peaceful rainforest of Jamison Valley plus enjoyed the thrilling rides of Scenic World. It was a perfect day out with the nature. Check the N9 in Staya Series blog list below.

Blog List:
N9 In Straya Series: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 1 – Heritage Sites Within The City
N9 In Straya Series: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 2 – City Icons, Alleys & Harbours
N9 In Straya Series – BONDI BEACH & COOGEE BEACH – A Short Trip To Two of Sydney’s Suburban Beaches + BOUNCE SYDNEY HOSTEL Tribute
N9 in Straya Series: HUNTER VALLEY Day Tour – Australian Wine Tasting At Its Finest
N9 in Straya Series: SCENIC WORLD BLUE MOUNTAINS – Nature & Adventure In One Place
Hostel Of The Day: THE POD SYDNEY – Minimalist & Contemporary Hostel In The Middle Of A Busy City

Brisbane 🇦🇺

I left my friends in Sydney & flew to Brisbane to spend a weekend with my relatives & cousins. My uncle, aunt & cousins took me around the city. We went to the koala sanctuary, had lunch at Mount Coot-tha overlooking Brisbane CBD, walked around South Bank, rode the Brisbane Wheel & drove around the central business district. They also took me to Gold Coast to see the famous beach, to go up Gold Coast’s highest view deck & to have lunch in a revolving restaurant.

Blog: N9 In Straya Series: BRISBANE Weekend – Quality Family Time In QLD

Bohol 🇵🇭

My high school friends & I went on a quick weekend getaway to Bohol last September. We flew in Saturday morning, went straight to the countryside tour. We saw both the chocolate hills & the tarsiers on our first few hours on the island. We decided to skip the Loboc River Cruise & went to Bohol Bee Farm to have lunch. We passed by a few more places before heading to our booked accommodation near Alona Beach. On our 2nd day, we chased dolphins, swam with the turtles & snorkelled in Balicasag Island. We flew back to Manila the morning of the 3rd day. The trip was just right for a small island like Bohol.

Blog: High School Squad Weekend: 48 Hours In BOHOL

Penang 🇲🇾

Both planned trips in November got cancelled so I booked a last-minute trip to Malaysia. My initial plan was to spend 3 days in Penang & another 3 days in Kuala Lumpur but I had to cut short my trip for another last-minute invite. This 36-hour Penang stopover was the only ‘trip’ of the year when I was alone.

I flew in to Penang via Kuala Lumpur on the 1st day, explored Kok Lek Si & Georgetown (plus the murals) on the 2nd day & left for Singapore on the 3rd day. I stayed in a very cool shop-turned-guesthouse property called The Frame Guesthouse. I haven’t posted about my Penang trip, but watch out for the article soon.

Blog List:
Penang Blog – To Follow
(Hostel) Guesthouse Of The Day: THE FRAME GUESTHOUSE PENANG – Beautifully Restored Heritage Property In The Heart Of Georgetown

Singapore 🇸🇬

As mentioned above, I had to cut my Malaysia trip for another trip in Singapore. I flew into Singapore a day before the event. I headed my hostel near Haji Ln & Arab St & met up with my friend Lord who is now based there. We first had late lunch in a Japanese restaurant at Bugis Junction Mall then headed to ATLAS Singapore to have afternoon drinks.

I sneaked in a quick trip to Marina Bay Sands & Gardens By The Bay before heading over to Zouk Singapore for the pre-sailing party of Its The Ship 2018. Check out how I managed to spend by 24 hours in Singapore. It was a quick one, but hey, I’ve been to a lot of places in such a short span of time.

Blog List:
SINGAPORE Stopover: Quick & Packed 24 Hours In The Lion City
Tuesday Tip: SINGAPORE Tipid Hits – 9 Ways to Explore On A Budget

Its The Ship 2018 🇸🇬🇹🇭

Its The Ship 2018 was the main reason why I had to cut short my Penang / Kuala Lumpur planned trip & why I flew to Singapore on the 3rd day. Lord, my friend based in Singapore, invited me to join him in this party cruise. Thank you, Lord! Double meaning, I know. LOL.

This yearly 4 days / 3 nights cruise trip to Phuket (from Singapore) & back is Asia’s largest festival at sea. This year, the cruise turned into a massive party boat with international DJs over 3 stages. The cruise also had scheduled fun activities with the artists, plus an international buffet (which runs almost 24/7). This was my 1st cruise experience & will definitely be not the last.

I haven’t posted anything yet about my Its The Ship 2018 experience. Make sure to wait for that post next month.

Blog: To Follow

Cancelled Trips 🇨🇳🇲🇳🇯🇵

I know I have a long list of trips that pushed through this year, but I also had 2 international trips that didn’t push through. First is the 10-day trip to Beijing, China & Mongolia. My friend & I booked tickets to Beijing for less than ₱1,800 each & planned to go to Ulanbaatar by land. Unfortunately, we had to forego of this trip due to visa restraints. Apparently, the Chinese consulate does not grant double entry visas to first time applicants. We need this type of visa because we planned to go back to Beijing to catch our flight back to Manila.

Another cancelled trip was another set of flights to Japan. I was supposed to fly to Tokyo & Nagoya with my high school friends (from Hong Kong & Bohol trips) but I had to cancel. I had to attend an important family event that falls in the middle of that supposed to be 11-day trip. These China, Mongolia & Japan trips might have been cancelled, but I know I’ll visit these places soon. I’m still thankful most of my planned trips pushed through.

This pretty much sums up my year full of travels with friends. It was a year of many firsts – first winter trip, first out-of-Asia trip, first cruise experience & the list goes on. It was a year full of unforgettable experiences & memorable laughs. I may not have a clear plan on what’s in store for 2019 but I am positive it will be another year full of travels. Thank you very much for joining me. Happy new year & cheers to more fun travels in 2019!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

N9 in Straya Series: SCENIC WORLD BLUE MOUNTAINS – Nature & Adventure In One Place

Hello & welcome to the final installment of the N9 in Straya Series. Last week, I shared with you our Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Sydney. My friends & I had fun going around wineries & cellars & trying the best wines these businesses have to offer. Today, I will share with you some details & photos of our day trip to Scenic World Blue Mountains.

Hello Blue Mountains National Park! 😍

Blue Mountains National Park is a famous go-to place of people visiting Sydney. This World Heritage Site is the perfect place for everyone’s nature needs. It has a lot of walking tracks, camping sites, trekking & outdoor activity areas. It is also the home of the famous Three Sisters, Echo Point, Katoomba & Wentworth Falls.

Group photo at the Cliff View Lookout. Thanks Shane for the photo!

One of the famous destinations in Blue Mountains is Scenic World Blue Mountains. It is a private tourist facility located in Katoomba that offers great views of Jamison Valley, Three Sisters & Blue Mountains in general. The facility has 4 main attractions – Scenic Railway, Scenic Walkway, Scenic Cableway & Scenic Skyway. I will share more information about these attractions later in the post.

Applying for an Australian tourist visa soon? I shared with everyone how I applied for my visa a few months ago. Check out these 6 easy steps on how you too can get your visa to Australia.

How We Went By Public Transportation

Katoomba Station is the nearest station to the Blue Mountains!

Scenic World Blue Mountains is very accessible from Sydney. We took the Blue Mountains Line from Sydney Central Station to Katoomba Station. The ride takes roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours & 5 minutes, depending on the stops included in the trip. One way train ride costs AUD 12.20. After getting off at Katoomba Station, we walked for 110 meters to the Katoomba St before Bathurst Rd bus stop. We boarded Bus 686 to Scenic World Blue Mountains. The bus ride took us 30 minutes to the tourist facility. We took the same modes of transportation back to Sydney. By the way, the Opal Card works for both the train & bus rides.

Guide map to locate the stop of Bus 686

Attraction Tickets

Scenic World Blue Mountains tickets cost AUD 37 – 43 per person, depending on season. We got our discounted tickets from Klook. My friends & I paid AUD 29* each instead of the regular ticket price on the day of visit. Redemption was easy – there is a dedicated fast line for tickets & vouchers purchased online.

Three Sisters & Jamison Valley in one photo 😍

*Regular tickets during our visit were at AUD 33 per person because 1 of the 4 attractions was closed & under redevelopment.

Scenic World Attractions

Scenic World Blue Mountains has 4 main attractions. Of these 4, Scenic Cableway was closed due to an ongoing upgrade of the cableway cabins. My friends & I enjoyed every second spent in the other 3 attractions.

Scenic Railway

Welcome to the Scenic Railway!

Right before boarding the world’s steepest passenger railway

Scenic railway is the world’s steepest passenger railway in the world, with seats that incline up to 52 degrees. The glass-roofed carriage passes through a cliff tunnel & a forest before reaching the final stop. The ride takes about 5 minutes per way & passes through a 300+ meter railway.

View upon getting off the train 😍

Scenic Walkway

Pathways around the rainforest 😍

The Scenic Railway exit will lead you to the Scenic Walkway. It is a 2.4 kilometer pathway around the base of Jamison Valley. The elevated walkway gives stunning views of the rainforest. Walking around the forest can be tiring & relaxing at the same time.

What a peaceful & relaxing place..

Scenic Skyway

The other side of the Scenic Skyway

The Scenic Skyway is a little over 10-minute cable car ride suspended 270 meters above the forest. The ride goes back & forth a 720-meter pathway & gives a 360-degree view of Blue Mountains. The ride also gives the best views of the Katoomba Falls, the Three Sisters & the Jamison Valley.

View from the aerial cable car – beautiful!! 😍

That’s me after the thrilling Scenic Railway ride!

My friends & I had fun in the rides & walking through the peaceful rainforest at the foot of Jamison Valley. There were other nice places to visit such as the Echo Point Lookout & Wentworth Falls but we didn’t have enough time & we had things to do back in Sydney. A visit to the Blue Mountains is a perfect nature day trip from the very busy city life. I am so glad we took this day trip.

The day trip up to the Blue Mountains was worth it! 😍

This pretty much sums up our day trip to the Blue Mountains. This is also the last post about our N9 Sydney trip last August. Thanks a lot to everyone who took their time to read all the blog posts.

In case you missed the other posts, allow me to give a quick recap about the trip. My friends & I took our time exploring Sydney by foot. We joined a free walking tour & went around different heritage buildings & city icons. We also went on day trips to the Hunter Valley, the suburban beaches of Coogee & Bondi & the beautiful Blue Mountains National Park. I left my friends in Sydney & spent a weekend with my relatives in Brisbane. It was indeed a packed but fun week in Australia. I look forward to visiting Melbourne soon!

Do you have questions about Scenic World Blue Mountains or Sydney in general? Don’t be shy & post ’em in the comments below. You can also send it to me via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll try to answer your queries as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow my social media pages – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Like & share my Facebook page too!

Again, thank for reading & see you in the next Australia trip! ✌️

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

N9 in Straya Series: HUNTER VALLEY Day Tour – Australian Wine Tasting At Its Finest

Welcome back to the N9 in Straya Series. Last time, I shared with you our day trip to Coogee Beach & Bondi Beach, two of the many suburban beaches in New South Wales. I also shared some photos of my Bounce Hostel Sydney which recently ceased operations. Today, I will share with you our Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Day Tour experience. One of the most recommended day trips from Sydney is a visit to the beautiful wine estates of Hunter Valley.

This is Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia 😍

Hunter Valley is known as the oldest wine region in Australia. This region produces one, if not the best, wines in Australia. A big portion of the area is occupied by vineyards, wineries & wine cellars. The region also has a fertile soil & temperate climate which makes it the perfect place to produce wine.

I’m not a wine person. I won’t be able to discuss some critical information about the wines produced in Hunter Valley, but I’ll try my best to share as much information as I can about our wine tasting tour.

Day Tour Package

The Hunter Valley Region is about 160+ kilometers away from Sydney. The most economical way to explore the region is by taking a day tour from Sydney. My friends & I searched for the most affordable & most well-reviewed day tour package online; we found the tour offered by Sightseeing Tours Australia.

Took the day tour with my N9 friends Leng & Shane 😍 Photo credits to Leng.

The Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Day Tour from Sydney cost us AUD 120* each & included the following: pick up & drop off in selected Sydney CBD locations, chartered coach to & from Hunter Valley, a visit to 3 of the best wine estates in the region, wine tasting activities in these wineries, a set lunch & a tour guide. The tour started at 7:00 in Sydney lasted for 12 hours. The tour runs every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday. We went there on a Friday, so there were no other tourist groups in the wineries we visited.

The tour didn’t disappoint! My friends & I had fun & we had too much wine in a single day. I’l share with you below some specific details about our day tour.

*Price includes GST but doesn’t include credit card surcharge. My friends & I paid AUD 121.44 each after check out.

Glenworth Valley Stopover

We had a stopover at Glenworth Valley on our way to Hunter Valley. We dropped off 2 ladies taking the horse riding trip in this area. We had a few minutes to walk around the main recreation area.

McGuigan Wines

McGuigan Wines is one of the big names in the Hunter Valley winemaking industry. The love for wine started with Owen McGuigan in the 1880s, which was passed on to his son, Perc McGuigan. This love for wine was transformed into a wine business by Perc & was then made big by Brian McGuigan & his wife Fay McGuigan, with the help of brother Neil McGuigan.

McGuigan Wines is now a multi-awarded winemaking company. They bagged a number of awards in different wine competitions in Australia & in the world. At present, they remain to be one of Australia’s biggest & best wine producers.

We were given the chance to go inside McGuigan’s wine cellar & try their specialty wines. I liked the 2013 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon & the Personal Reserve Tawny. Check out the list of wines we tried below.

Loved these 2 wines from McGuigans

Cypress Lakes Golf & Country Club

View for lunch~ 😍

Next stop, lunch! We had our meal in Cypress Lakes Golf & Country Club. Lunch is included in the tour fee. I ordered lentil burger & a glass of chardonnay for my meal. Guests have the option to get a glass of wine or soda for the drink. The view from our lunch area was very peaceful & relaxing.

Signature lentil burger

A glass of chardonnay paired with the lentil burger

Iron Gate Estate

Iron Gate Estate is a small family-owned boutique winery in Hunter Valley. The wine business was started by Roger Lilliott in 1996. He launched his business in 2000 & then opened his cellar in 2001. Just last year, Roger handed over his legacy to another family-owned winery business, Iron Gate Winery. This small wine business may not be as big as McGuigan’s but I love how everything is personalized in this winery – from the structures, to the cellars & even the wines.

Beautiful view from Iron Gate Estate’s main building

We were given samples of their best wines in storage & in production. Their 2018 Rose, also their newest product, was one of my favorites.

This 2018 Rose was super good!

Savannah Estate

An artsy corner in Savannah’s main building / store

Savannah Estate comes from the owner’s name, Savannah, who is the youngest granddaughter of Petersons Family. The Petersons is another big name in the Hunter Valley wine industry. Savannah Estate is a small wine business & is independent from The Petersons. Savannahn wines are produced from fruits grown in various locations in Australia. The wine estate is located in Mount View, one of the smaller suburbs in Hunter Valley Region.

The estate personnel gave us a few wines to try. I really liked their 2015 Chambourcin & Sparking Pink Moscato. Savannah Estate also has the most Instagram-worthy facility among the 3 wineries we visited. Check out some photos below.

Savannah Estate’s Pink Moscato was really good!

Scarborough Winery Stopover

Our tour guide brought us to Scarborough Winery to take some photos. This winery had stunning landscape views of the Hunter Valley Wine Region.

Wild Roos Hunting

Check out those wild roos~

Our tour guide gave us a small treat before we left Hunter Valley. He brought us to some random places to spot some wild kangaroos. We saw a lot of them, from the baby roos to the big ones. These kangaroos are freely roaming around the wine estates & grasslands. They were cute & scary at the same time.

More wild kangaroos!

That wraps up our day tour to Hunter Valley. The tour cost might be expensive at first but it was actually worth it. Everything has been arranged & all you need to do is to enjoy those glasses of wine prepared for you. I will 100% recommend taking this day trip to Hunter Valley when visiting Sydney. If you have more time in Sydney, I suggest staying overnight in the area. This side trip is one of the highlights of my trip last August.

Wine, anyone? 🍷

Have you been to Hunter Valley before? Anything else to see aside from the wine estates? Are you planning to visit Sydney soon? Make sure to visit this region- it’s peaceful & very laid back. Do you have any questions about the tour or Hunter Valley in general? Post these questions in the comments below! You can also send an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll reply as soon as I can. Check out my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Like & share my Facebook page too!

Thanks for your time. Watch out for the last part of the N9 in Straya Series to be posted soon. ✌️

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

N9 In Straya Series – BONDI BEACH & COOGEE BEACH – A Short Trip To Two of Sydney’s Suburban Beaches + BOUNCE SYDNEY HOSTEL Tribute

A trip to Sydney will never be complete without a visit to the famous suburban beaches. Sydney, or New South Wales in general, has a long list of beaches. The city is also home to one of the most famous beaches in the world – the Bondi Beach. My friends & I, together with our new found friend Hari, went to see this beach & Coogee Beach on our last afternoon in Sydney. We didn’t go swimming because the weather was a bit cold.

Bondi BeacH

Bondi Beach is Sydney’s most popular beach. The beach is located about 7 kilometers away from the Sydney central business district. Locals & foreign tourists go to this beach to relax & have a quick swim while surfers enjoy the big waves. People also go to the famous Bondi Icebergs tidal pool to have a good view of the beach. For those who don’t want to swim or surf, there are nice cafes, restaurants & pubs along Campbell Pde which you can visit.

In case you missed it, my friends & I went on a walkathon around Sydney. We walked around a number of heritage sites & modern city icons. Check out the individual posts here – part 1 & part 2.

The Kanzler… Aus Jus Burger with a glass of German beer for lunch 😋

[L-R] Hari, Shane, Leng & myself at The Bavarian having lunch 😎

My friends & I had our late lunch at The Bavarian Bondi Beach (menu here) as it is one of the only few ones open during that time. Some stores close during down time (after lunch) & open again for dinner. The area also has some shops where you can go shopping for food & goodies. Bondi Beach’s area is relatively commercialized that those of the other beaches. The beach has a common amenity & a changing area for those who enjoyed the beach.

How To Go To Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach is very accessible to the public. From Central Station, one must take the local train to Bondi Junction. This train ride takes about 13 minutes. From Bondi Station, one should go to the Bus stands & take either Bus 333, 379 or 380 from Bus Stand A or B. Get off in front of Bondi Beach. The bus ride should take about 10-15 minutes.

Coogee Beach

My friends & I also went to Coogee Beach that day. Coogee Beach, compared to Bondi Beach, is relatively more relaxed & more laid back. This small beach is located in the eastern suburb Coogee, about 8 kilometers away from the Sydney central business district. This broad beach appeals to both local & foreigner swimmers & surfers. The beach also has a natural rock pool area which was closed to the public during our visit.

Coogee Beach has beach side pubs, bars, cafes & restaurants that offer alfresco dining. The place has lesser establishments & shops compared to that of Bondi Beach. The establishments in this beach area are closer to the beach. This beach also has a shower & changing facility for those who went swimming & surfing.

Coogee Beach’ rock pools 😍

Applying for an Australian tourist visa? I did the same thing a few months ago & got a 1 year multiple entry visa. Check out these 6 steps on how you can get yours.

How To Go To Coogee Beach

View of Coogee Beach from the start/end of the coastal walk

There best way to go to Coogee Beach from Sydney CBD is by bus. There is no train line / link servicing this area. The buses to take from the city area M50, 370, 372 & 374. The bus ride from the city should take about 30 minutes. This beach is also accessible by taking bus 313 or 314 from Bondi Junction Bus Stands K or F. This ride will take around 15-25 minutes.

Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk

One of the most popular to-do at these beaches is the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk. This 6 kilometer cliff top coastal walk features awesome views of beaches, parks, rock formations & rock pools. One way walk takes about 2 hours to complete. They say the track is relatively easy with a few stairs. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to walk from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach or vice versa. This is already in my to-do list when I fly to Sydney!

Did you know that I also spent a weekend with my families in Brisbane? Check out the places we visited in this post.

BOUNCE HOSTEL SYDNEY

I was about to write about my 2 night stay in one of Sydney’s highest-rated hostels – Bounce Hostel Sydney – for the Hostel Of The Day feature but I found out that it recently ceased operations. Apparently, the government bought the site early this year & they are planning to do something to enhance Sydney Central Station. Bounce Hostel Sydney’s building & the rest of the buildings along the street will be demolished early next year. It’s so sad to see nice hostel close. Thank you Bounce Hostel Sydney for the fun 2-night stay & for the memories. Let me share to you first some photos I took during my stay at Bounce.

So sad to know Bounce Sydney Hostel has closed 😭 

Beautiful Sydney skyline over Sydney Central Station from Bounce’s rooftop 😍

Back to the beaches.. That pretty much sums up our short trip to two of the many Sydney suburban beaches. I want to go back to these two to finally swim & also to try the coastal walk. Have you been to other suburban beaches in Sydney? Are there other beaches which are worth-visiting? Share your experiences & thoughts in the comments below.

Do you have any questions about Sydney or budget travel in general? Feel free to send them via email to to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Check out my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Like & share my Facebook page too!

Watch out for our Hunter Valley Wine Tasting Tour & Scenic Blue Mountains Trip in the next N9 In Straya Series posts. Thanks for your time & have a good day! ✌️

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.