Tag: australia

Hostel Of The Day: FLINDERS BACKPACKERS MELBOURNE – Budget-Friendly & Extremely Popular Hostel In The Heart Of The City

Hey ho! Welcome to my newest Hostel Of The Day feature. Last week, I shared with you some details of the walkathon we made around Melbourne. We went to & passed by some interesting parks, gardens & historical sites. Don’t worry, that’s not all. I have a lot to share with you about Melbourne. Watch out for those posts in the coming weeks & months.

I mentioned in my previous post that my friends & I stayed in a hostel in the center of Melbourne. This hostel is Flinders Backpackers Melbourne, today’s hostel of the day feature. We stayed in this property for 8 days & 7 nights; basically the whole duration of our Melbourne trip. Flinders Backpackers has been awarded by Hostelworld as the most popular hostel in Melbourne for 3 years in a row. No wonder a lot of tourists & those on working holiday stay in this hostel.

Allow me to share with you some details about the hostel, it’s fantastic location, room pricing & the amenities included in the hostel. At the end of the this post, I will also tell you how my stay went in the hostel & if I will recommend this to my readers or not.

Location & Access

One of the reasons why this hostel is very popular is because of its location. The hostel is located at 35 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, right at the center of the central business district. The nearest tram stop (tram rides within the CBD zone are free!!) is a 1 minute walk from the hostel doors. Flinders Railway Station is about 2 minutes walk from the hostel.

The hostel’s location is unbeatable. The nearest Coles, Liqourland & Woolworths supermarkets are on the other side of the street. There are also food shops (pizza parlors, kebab & sandwich takeaway shops) & fast food restaurants (McDonald’s & Hungry Jacks) nearby. The nearest convenience store (7-Eleven) is at the corner of Elizabeth St & Flinders St. Everything one needs can be found within the area.

Melbourne Tullamarine & Avalon Airports are about an hour way from the hostel by public transportation. From these airports, one needs to take the SkyBus shuttle ($19-$22) to Southern Cross Station. From this station, take the local subway to Flinders Street Station. Get off the station & walk northbound up Elizabeth St until you reach the hostel entrance. Alternatively, from Southern Cross Station, transfer to the free city trams. Take trams number 86 & 96 up Bourke Street, change to any southbound tram to Elizabeth St. Get off at the Elizabeth St / Flinders St stop & walk towards the hostel entrance. The hostel reception is located on the 3rd floor.

I give the hostel’s location a 12 out of 10. It’s location is perfect for everyone travelling around Melbourne.

Private Rooms & Dormitory Rooms

Flinders Backpackers Melbourne is a large hostel that caters all types of travelers. They have different room & bed configurations that can satisfy the guests wants. They have private rooms with ensuites. You can get these rooms cheaper if you go with the one with shared bathrooms. They also have dormitory style private rooms with shared bathrooms. Instead of the usual double or twin beds, the rooms have bunk beds in it. The rooms with private en-suites have their own bar fridge. The other private rooms have the usual basic amenities – individual plugs, reading lights & a comfortable bed with pillow & sheets. Towels are available for rent at reception. All these rooms only have fans, no air conditioning – something to take note.

The hostel has 2 types of dormitory rooms – the basic & the premium dormitory rooms. The basic dormitory rooms are the usual dormitory rooms with individual lockers, reading lights, individual plugs & single beds. These rooms either have 3 beds, 4 beds, 6 beds, 14 beds, 16 beds or 18 beds in a room. Note that these rooms also do not have air conditioning. The 2nd & newest type of dormitory rooms are the premium ones. These dormitory rooms have the same amenities except that they have brand new shower areas plus the rooms have air conditioning. Towels are also included in these dormitory rooms. The rooms come in 6, 8, 10 & 12-bed configurations.

The rates of these private rooms & dormitory beds vary from one to the other. The basic ones will surely cost lesser than the premium dormitory beds. Rates also differ based on the season & how busy the hostel is. For those who plan to stay longer (like a week or 2), the hostel has weekly rates for the different rooms. Check out this page for the updated rates. For the general rates, feel free to head over to the hostel website & click Book Now.

Hostel Amenities

Like any other hostel, Flinders Backpackers Melbourne also has a long list of amenities to enjoy. Check out these amenities & perks below.

Free WiFi
All guests have access to free WiFi connection. The password can be obtained from reception. It’s not the best connection you can have (also due to traffic), but it can get you through whatever you need to do. I got myself a data SIM card so I didn’t really use the hostel’s WiFi.

Free Superb Breakfast
The hostel provides a superb breakfast to all guests. Pancake mixes are available every morning. You can cook your pancake depending on how big or how much you can finish. They also have bread with jam & all sorts of filling. There are also different types of cereals (with milk – non-fat, low fat & full-cream) to choose from. As far as I can remember, breakfast starts at 6:30 or 7 until 9:30 am.

Free Coffee, Tea, Rice Grains & Pasta Noodles
Aside from the superb breakfast, Flinders Backpackers have coffee, tea, rice & pasta noodles for free every day at all times.

Spacious Kitchen & Dining Area
Flindes Backpackers is a large hostel catering to hundreds of guests every single day. Their kitchen & dining area is spacious enough to accommodate guests. The kitchen has complete cooking facilities. There is a big cold storage for unfinished food or raw ingredients. Guests just need to put their name, room number & check out date in their containers. The kitchen is open as early as 6:00 am until 12 midnight. The dining area on the other hand is open 24/7. PS. The hostel follows the CLAYGO (Clean As You Go) policy.

Large Communal Toilet & Shower Areas
The hostel has large communal toilet & shower areas per floor. Of course, the male & female shower & toilet areas are separate. They even have hand dryers near the faucets. These facilities / areas are cleaned daily.

Lounge & Games Areas
The hostel also has a spacious lounge & games area. This place is perfect to meet new friends & also to mingle with other people. There are board games available to play with (including a giant Jenga) & a pool table for those who fancy.

Cinema Room
The cinema room is located beside the reception area. The hostel hosts movie nights (with free popcorn) weekly. They also hold viewing parties of popular series & movies. They had a Game Of Thrones viewing event during our stay.

Communal Personal Computers
The hostel has communal personal computers which guests can use to book onward flights or accommodations, research about Melbourne or Australia or use it for whatever purpose. These computers can be used for free.

24-Hour Reception
Hostel’s reception is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can always check with reception if there’s something you need to ask. Check in time is at 2:00 pm while check out is at 11:00 am. Remember that they take $20 deposit at check in. They give the money back when you check out from the hostel.

Daily Housekeeping
The hostel people go around all the rooms every day from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm for cleaning & daily housekeeping. They provide the every guest a container where things can be placed. These containers are not touched by the staff during these cleaning times. Valuables should be placed in the provided lockers.

Free Luggage Storage
Luggage storage is free for all guests both for the check in & check out days. Guests can leave their stuff in the area beside the reception.

Laundry Facilities
The hostel also has laundry & ironing facilities in one of the floors – I forgot sorry. Feel free to ask reception how you can use these facilities.

Helpful Staff
The hostel staff are very helpful & accommodating. They approach all guests with their warm smiles & lively greetings. You can ask them anything about the hostel facilities, activities & basically anything about Melbourne at any time of the day.

Secured Hostel Access
The hostel can be accessed by individual key cards provided during check in. These key cards have limited access – guys can’t access female toilet areas, key card only works on your room & not in any other room. Also, the key cards are needed to use the lifts up to the rooms. The hostel also has security cameras everywhere – including the cold storage. It’s definitely a secured place to stay.

Daily Hostel Activities
The hostel hosts daily activities for all its guests. They have movie nights, game nights & even free meals every Thursday night. I was able to take a photo of the daily activities last April 2019. Check out the activities below. These are the perfect opportunities to get to know your co-guests & meet people from all sides of the world.

Bar Discounts
The hostel has partnered with the bar on the 1st floor for guest-only discounts like free entry on poker nights, discounted alcohol drinks & free karaoke activities. Check with reception on what are the updated perks on the bar.

Free Walking Tours
Last but not the least, Flinders Backpackers have free walking tours daily. These walking tours basically talk about the history of & some interesting facts about Melbourne. The guide picks up the guests every 10:25 in the morning at the reception.

Quite a long list, eh? Now you know why Flinders Backpackers Melbourne is a popular hostel. This hostel indeed provides this long list of perks. This list makes one’s stay worth it.

My Stay

As mentioned earlier, my friends & I stayed in the hostel for 8 days & 7 nights. We stayed in a 3-bed basic dormitory room – perfect for us 3. My good friend Lord, stayed in another dormitory room because he only stayed for 4 nights. The daily rates during our stay were not the lowest because we were there during the Easter holidays. Weekend rates cost $38 per person per night while weekday stays cost $35 per night. We got 1 night free because we stayed there for a week. We paid $216 each (tax included). It’s one of the cheapest rates in the city at that time. We had the room to ourselves. Hey, we’re staying in an awesome hostel!

The 3-bed basic dormitory was clean but just alright. The room was a bit small but it contained all our basic needs. It has a single bed by the window & a bunk bed. All beds have a personal reading light, a power plug & a USB plug. The room also had lockers & personal storage spaces under the beds. The room didn’t have air conditioning, only a fan for us 3. The communal toilet & shower areas were a few steps from our room. Our room had a nice view of the city. WiFi was not the best, but still OK. The hostel has 2 lifts, but it takes a while to go up or down due to guest traffic.

We enjoyed the free breakfast during our stay. We made our pancakes every morning, even had cereals & bread with it. We were always full every morning. One thing I wasn’t able to enjoy during our stay was the hostel activities. We were out most of the time, so I didn’t have the chance to really mingle with the other guests. They had awesome hostel & bar deals (& even free Mexican dinner) during our stay. Perhaps I’ll check these activities out next time.

The staff mentioned they recently upgraded their WiFi,but looks like it’s still bad. I hope they fix this soon. Also, some areas like the 8th floor male toilet & shower area are already quite old. A lift system change can also be good for the guests. I hope they slowly refurbish their facilities for better guest experience.

Overall, my friends & I had a pleasant stay at Flinders Backpackers Melbourne. Are we going to stay here again? I don’t know with my friends, but me? A BIG YES. As mentioned above, I want to join their activities next time. Oh, they’re usually booked out so better plan your stay & book early. Also, book directly with them – it’s usually cheaper than other booking websites.

Just in case you have any more questions about the hostel or you want to contact them for your upcoming stay, feel free to reach them in the details below:

Flinders Backpackers Melbourne
Address: 35 Elizabeth St Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
Phone Number: +613 9620 5100
E-mail Address: info@flindersbp.com.au
Website: www.flindersbackpackers.com.au
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/flindersbackpackers

Have you stayed with Flinders Backpackers in Melbourne? How was your stay? I hope you had a great experience as much as we did. I am still in constant search for hostels to feature in this website. Do you know any cool hostel to feature? Feel free to share them in the comments below. You can also send your suggestions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thanks for your time.. Until the next Hostel Of The Day feature!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 1 – Parks, Gardens & Heritage Sites

Last August 2018, I went to Australia for a week-long trip with my N9 friends, Shane & Leng. We spent days around Sydney’s heritage sites & country icons, tried the extreme rides in Scenic World Blue Mountains, toured Hunter Valley & had a taste of the best wines in the region & walked along the beautiful Bondi & Coogee Beaches. I also had the chance to spend a few days with my relatives in Brisbane. It was the perfect dry winter trip, away from the humid & rainy Manila.

We all got multiple entry visas on our 1st application (find out here how we did it) & we agreed to fly to Australia again before our visas expire. Fast forward to April 2019, we all flew back to Australia for another week of adventure.. But this time, in Melbourne! Yes, we went around Melbourne & Victoria in general for 8 days & oh boy, we had a great time. I cannot wait to share everything in this platform. This trip to Melbourne also means I’ll be reviving the N9 In Straya Series which started last year.

We were joined by my good friend, Lord of LordAroundTheWorld, for the first 4 days in Melbourne. Lord was the one who invited me to go to Its The Ship 2018 last November. We had the best party nights on board a cruise ship – good times. Anyway, I will be dividing the trip write-ups into 6 or 7 sections & I’ll try to remember as much details as I can.

FLIGHTS

Last year, I paid around ₱11,500 all-in for a return ticket to Australia. Yes, that cheap! We flew with Cebu Pacific Air, a low-cost carrier, for 8-hour trips to & from Sydney. The experience was alright, though nothing beats flying with a full-service airline. Given our planned dates fall on the high (Holy Week) season, we decided to fly with the same airline in their Melbourne route.

This time, I paid around ₱15,000 for a round-trip ticket to Melbourne, Australia. The ticket only included shared baggage with my friends, no in-flight entertainment or food. Both flights were on time which were good. However, the experience was terrible. The flight was full, we had no space to change seats & have a row of seats to ourselves. The cabin was noisy in general & the service was a bit slow. The crew were fantastic, there were just around 400+ passengers on board.

This Melbourne ticket is amazingly cheap considering higher fuel prices & taxes. I’d still take the same flights but not during peak seasons.

ACCOMMODATION

My friends & I stayed in Flinders Backpackers in the center of Melbourne. We got a 3-bed dormitory room (perfect for us 3 – Lord got his own bed in another dormitory room) for 8 days & 7 nights. I will talk more about the hostel, its location & our experience in my upcoming hostel of the day feature. Watch out for that.

WALKING AROUND MELBOURNE

Last year, my friends & I joined the I’m Free Tours in Sydney & we had a nice experience. We opted not to take the I’m Free Tours Melbourne because we already know about the history of Australia. It would’ve been nice to know more about Melbourne in that walking tour but my friends didn’t want to take it again. Instead, we explored the city on our own. Trams are free within the central business district plus everything in the area can be reached by foot. Today, allow me to share with you the list of heritage & historical sites, parks & gardens we went to in the city.

Flinders Street Station

Flinders Street Station is Melbourne’s main train station. It was built in the 1850s & then transform into what it is now in the early 1900s. It is Australia’s first railway station. The station serves the whole Victorian metropolitan network. Flinders Street Station also has one of the world’s longest train platform at 708 m long.

St Paul’s Cathedral

Located opposite Flinders Station & Federation Square, St Paul’s Cathedral is another heritage structure built in the late 1800’s. It is an Anglican cathedral in Melbourne, the cathedral church of the Diocese of Melbourne & the seat of the Anglican Primate of Australia.

Royal Exhibition Building

Royal Exhibition Building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Carlton Gardens, Victoria. It was built in the late 1800’s & has been used for events & exhibitions in the city. Up to now, the place is used for those types of functions. Note that this building is undergoing a multi-million renovation & is expected to be completed by 2020.

Carlton Gardens

Carlton Gardens is a 26-hectare site located a few streets from the main city. This massive open space has the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Museum & IMAX Cinema in it. Just like the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

Shrine of Remembrance

The Shrine of Remembrance is a war memorial that is dedicated to all Victorians who served in the war, particularly during the World War 1. The shrine is located outside the Central Business District, but is only a few tram stops from Flinders Street Station.

Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne

Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is a 36-hectare botanic garden located at the south of the Yarra River. This botanic garden is home to thousands of plant species located along slopes, garden beds, lakes & lawns. This botanic garden serves as a breakout space & a bonding place for people who wanted to take a break from the busy city life. Entry to the garden is free of charge.

Fitzroy Gardens

Fitzroy Gardens is another 26-hectare block of greens at the back of the Parliament Square. This massive parkland is another park that is located within the Melbourne CBD. The Cook’s Cottage can also be found in this park.

Parliament House of Victoria

The Parliament House of Victoria is the house or meeting building of the Victorian Parliament. This historical & heritage landmark is located along Spring Street, beside the Old Treasury Building. The building was under renovation during our visit last April.

Old Treasury Building

From the name itself, the Old Treasury Building used to house the Treasury Department of the Government of Victoria. This old but beautiful building has then been transformed into a museum of Melbourne History.

St Patrick’s Cathedral

St Patrick’s Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. It is also the seat of the Archbishop of Melbourne. The church was built in the 1850s but took a while to be completed. The cathedral is located in Cathedral Place, right at the back of the Parliament Building.

Old Melbourne Gaol

The Old Melbourne Gaol used to be a prison that held the country’s notorious criminals. It also had records of people being executed & hanged. It stopped operating as a prison after the world war & has then become a museum. Entrance fee to the museum is at AUD 28 per person, quite expensive to be honest. My friends & I decided not to go inside because it was out of our budget.

Queen Victoria Market

Queen Victoria Market, locally known as the QVM, is one of Victoria’s famous landmarks. It is an open air market that serves as the main trading hall for Victorians & for visitors. We visited the QVM on a Wednesday night & it was also the 2nd night of the Europa Night Market. This night market showcased different food, delicacies & drinks from selected European countries.

State Library of Victoria

The State Library of Victoria is the state’s central library. Built in the 1850s, it is Australia’s oldest public library & at the same time world’s first free libraries in the world. The library has various reading & collections room where locals & visitors can have a look. I’ve been to this library twice last April, 1st one with Lord & the 2nd time with my N9 friends. This is by far one of my favorite places in Melbourne. The view from the topmost floor of The Dome is just stunning.

This ends the list of parks, gardens & heritage sites we’ve been to in Melbourne. I’m sure we’ve been to more but I can’t remember the other ones. Melbourne is such a nice city. Its buildings are combinations of heritage listed brick ones & modern & contemporary ones. Its one of those cities where you won’t get tired of walking around.

Have you been to Melbourne in the past? What is the most interesting building you’ve been to? How was your visit? Feel free to send your thoughts & experiences in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about the matters above? You can also send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Watch out for more Melbourne content in the future! Thank you for reading.

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.