My little corner of the world....

I truly believe I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

I live in the Illawarra, NSW, Australia. About an hr south of Sydney, it's an area stretching from Helensburgh down to Jamberoo, and at its heart you have Wollongong.

There are a million and one things to do and see in my area that appeal to people in all walks of life with all different interests, for example:

In the Northern Suburbs we have the picturesque suburbs of Scarborough, Wombarra, Coledale and Austinmer that are known for their beautiful beaches, lush greenery, cafes with cliff-top views and houses with multi-million dollar price tags. Many people migrate to these areas from Sydney to adapt a more laid-back lifestyle, and with the gorgeous surroundings and secluded areas in which these houses are nestled it's hard not to imagine throwing in the rat-race and beginning your own organic soap-making business.

Wollongong is the hub of the Illawarra, it's undergone some pretty radical transformations in the last 10 years. After the Global Financial crisis, not to mention the sacking of an entire council due to corruption (both of which occurred around 2008) a lot of businesses in Wollongong faced a sink or swim scenario. It has only been in the last couple of years that small business has been able to get stable footing in Wollongong again, allowing the CBD to become a breeding ground for trendy cafes, restaurants and bars.

http://mandyedge.com/dagwood

The central shopping mall has been undergoing a facelift and expansion for a while now, but after the redevelopment of Stockland Shellharbour (20 mins south of Wollongong), which offers hundreds of specialty stores as well as your big stores like Kmart, Big W, Target, not to mention all your food shopping needs (Woolworths, Coles etc) as well as FREE PARKING (which Wollongong central doesn't have) it's safe to say the Wollongong's shopping scene has suffered massively.

This brings me to my favourite part of the Illawarra- the South Coast. Technically anything south of Kiama isn't actually classed as the Illawarra, but I feel as though I'd like to embrace it in the warm hug of the Illawarra. Kiama is a seaside township about 120 kilometres south of Sydney, it's known for it's beautiful beaches and quaint township. One of the biggest attractions is the Kiama Blow Hole, which can be seen spurting water meters into the air on days with winds coming from the south-east. I have to admit my favourite thing to do in Kiama is checking out the farmers market.

From there you have other townships such as Gerringong, Gerroa and Berry. They are all different in scenery and have different characteristics but, like Kiama, all have quaint townships and offer a few great shopping and eating spots- Berry particularly is one of my favourite places to visit on a sunny Saturday for some delicious lunch and baked goods from Berry Woodfired Sourdough Bakery and Cafe, then for some shopping for home wares at Haven and Space.

Yeah I love that stuff!

Australians Travelling to Thailand

After my last post about travelling Thailand, I have found out that martial law has been imposed throughout Thailand due to a six-month long political crisis that has claimed nearly 30 lives.

Thai soldiers take up a position on a main road in Bangkok after the army declared martial law on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

If you have already planned and paid for your trip to Thailand this can mean that you are now panicking about if you should still go.. In truth, it is up to you if you feel comfortable going, but I would suggest doing a bit of research before throwing your trip down the toilet.

If you have plans to head to Bangkok and you're worried about if the issue escalates and not being able to get in or out of the city, then you may want to think of a contingency plan, perhaps changing your flight from flying into Bangkok to one of the other airports. Depending on who you fly with the charges can vary.

Usual cost of re-ticketing can be around the $100 mark, then you may have to pay the difference for the cost of flying into a different airport. Although if you have booked directly through the carrier (say Thai Airways) and not through a travel site (travelocity, wotif etc) then the fee may be waived depending on circumstances.

Depending on your accommodation, and the amount of notice you have upon cancelling your reservation, you may just lose your deposit, keep an eye out on sites like lastminute.com.au to get a good deal on hotels elsewhere in Thailand that may be safer then the Capital. If you already had plans to stay in some of the touristy areas like Phuket or Koh Samui, then at this point your holiday shouldn't be affected too much, just be cautious and aware of any military actions, road blocks, protests and curfews that may be imposed.

Regardless of where in Thailand you are travelling, there is martial law everywhere and the threat of the issue escalating so make sure you keep a close eye on http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Thailand and keep informed. In the event that your trip needs to be cancelled then I can only hope that you invested in travel insurance!

If you want to learn a bit more about whats going on in Thailand then have a look at some of these links:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/20/world/asia/thailand-martial-law-explainer/
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-04/timeline-of-the-lead-up-to-thailands-political-unrest/5234094
http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-essentials/travel-news/thailand-martial-law-tips-for-australian-tourists-20140520-38lpl.html

Cabbages and Condoms

What the hell am I talking about, you ask? Well it's a restaurant in bangkok of course!

We were staying at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, which is a great hotel, close to the BTS so you can go anywhere in Bangkok easily, and it's tucked away in a side street so it's quiet and not too busy. We asked the very helpful gentleman at the front desk where we could go for dinner and he sheepishly recommended this place, going bright red and giggling he tried to explain that it was just around the corner from our hotel.

A lightbulb went off in my head and I recalled watching about half an episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern where he went to this exact restaurant- I was sold! Out the door and headed there out of sheer curiosity!

As you walk through to the restaurant at the back of the building, you are transported to a world where everything is made of condoms, a condom santa is one of the more elaborate displays, and you can take a stop in the souvenir shop and grab a condom keychain or beer coaster.

You can marvel at the concept and wonder 'why would they do this? Why would they combine a restaurant with a theme of prophylactics?' Well the answer is simple, to raise awareness for sexually-transmitted infections in a city that is well known for its sex trade. This restaurant makes something that people would find embarrassing or something that you wouldn't normally discuss a main talking point and just a bit of fun.

They also use the restaurant to generate income to support various developments within the Thai family planning association (Population and Community Development Association).

But it's not all silliness and fun, once you actually get into the restaurant, the service is friendly, the drinks are strong and you are surrounded by tropical greenery that makes you feel like you're in the mountains of Chiang Mai, not an alleyway of the 'Sin City of Asia'.

You'd think a restaurant with the tagline 'Our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy' would be ridiculous and a tourist trap, but in all honesty, it's fascinating and the food is authentic and delicious. Matt and I shared a few different options;

We had the Mieng Khum, which is an appetiser of dried shrimp, ginger, peanuts, fried coconut, shallots and special sauce that are wrapped in betel leaves.











We ordered the Cabbages and Condom salad (how could you not?), which has a sweet and spicy sauce, finely shredded cabbage, rolled shanghai noodles and shrimp.











We had Pla Khao Phad Phrik Thai Dum, which is a stir-fried Grouper fish, with black pepper and bell chilis that comes out in a sizzling cast-iron pan.

And we had several cocktails, none of which I can recall the name of, all of which were fruity, tropical and deadly.








Overall this experience ticked all the boxes, good fun, good food, good service and I got some souvenirs at the end! Condoms of course!












Check out Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre foods, go to 7 minutes and 35 seconds to avoid watching him eat rotten fish... Yeah that I won't be doing, sorry.
http://youtu.be/oIsny-czbqA




Want to visit this restaurant?
http://www.pda.or.th/restaurant/

Planning a holiday... Accommodation Part 2

If you want to read about hotels, motels and hostels then refer to Accommodation Part 1, this post is about apartment rental, house swap and nomading.

Apartment Rental

This is becoming the more and more popular and is by far my favourite type of accommodation to use while travelling. There are two types of apartment rentals, serviced and non-serviced, both of which you will stay in a fully-equipped apartment with not only a bed and bath but also a kitchen(ette), living space, sometimes dining space and laundry facilities.

In the instance of 'serviced apartments' the apartment is usually serviced similar to a hotel where they will come and make your bed and replace your towels, the rest of the usual services you'd find at a hotel like room service, laundry services, porters and daily room cleaning usually aren't available in serviced apartments, meaning that costs are kept to a minimum. A non-serviced apartment is more likely to be privately owned, you basically rent out someones house or apartment for the length of your stay.

http://www.meritonapartments.com.au/

The Pros:

• The apartments are usually fully-equipped which means if you are staying for a long period you don't have to live off take-out, with a kitchen/ette you can buy groceries and prepare your own food, saving tonnes of money
• You have more space and facilities like a laundry which you would otherwise not have or have to pay extra for
• With less overheads the cost is usually a lot lower then a hotel
• Quite often the owners of the apartment will be readily available to give you advice and information on the area and attractions, places to eat and catch some entertainment

The cons:

• Serviced apartments have less servicing then standard hotels, there are no chances for room service or chocolates on your pillow
• Non-serviced apartments mean you have to leave it the way you found it, wash up any dishes you use and sometimes even bring your own bedding and towels
• They usually don't have the same amenities as a hotel, no gym, pool or spa. Although some serviced-apartments do have these.

https://www.airbnb.com.au/   - world wide, one of the more popular sites (my favourite)

http://www.cross-pollinate.com/      -  Europe and the UK only

http://www.venere.com/?kwp=100-255&ref=1650950     - world wide, also has hotels & B&B's

House Swap

House-swapping reminds me of the movie 'The Holiday' with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet... Basically you swap houses with someone! This can be a cheap alternative to an apartment rental, where you stay in someone else's fully-furnished home and they stay in yours. The only recommendation I will make is that you use an online site that is reputable and does a comprehensive check on everyone using the service. Most likely you will have to pay a fee and register to the site, but apart from that there should be a clean swap of living situations for whatever length of time you can agree on with your 'swappee'.

Pros:

• Cheap alternative to staying in an apartment rental or hotel
• You can immerse yourself in someone else's living situation and can avoid high-trafficked tourist areas
• Someone is watching your home while you're away
• You might meet Jude Law and fall in love (only if you're Cameron Diaz though)

Cons:

• There is a scrutinous process before you can be eligible for house-swap
• You really need to do a lot of research to make sure you don't end up swapping with the Manson family or something
• You're stepping into the unknown and can't rely on hotel policies or tripadvisor reviews to back you up
• Jack Black will most likely sing to you and embarrass you in a Video Rental Store in front of Dustin Hoffman (another 'The Holiday' reference if you haven't seen it)

http://www.aussiehouseswap.com.au/home

Nomading

The worlds most expensive caravan
http://www.marchi-mobile.com/en/world-of-elemment/luxury-rvs/

Otherwise known as renting a caravan or motor home and travelling from place to place... This can be
really cheap alternative (although not almost free like house-swap), or a really glamorous accommodation alternative. There is a massive variety of choices when it comes to nomading, you don't need to be confined to a single-berth rickety old caravan, now you can spend more then you would on a hotel room to rent a state-of-the-art mobile home with more amenities then you have in your own house.

Pros:

• You can see more because you are not confined to staying in one location
• Can be very cheap comparable to hotels
• You have the freedom to go more places then you would if you relied on public transportation

Cons:

• Staying in a caravan or motorhome can be cramped and unpleasant (especially if you have a toilet that needs emptying)
• You end up with extra costs of paying for camping sites when you do stop for the night
• Petrol costs can be expensive

https://www.airbnb.com.au/wishlists/airstreams/listings/1356448

Planning a holiday... Accommodation Part 1

I'm doing this post in two parts because I'm splitting between hotels, motels and hostels (part 1) and apartment rentals, house swap and nomading (part 2).

http://www.timeoutdubai.com/gallery/3254-10-to-try-iconic-hotels

Hotels

Hotels are establishments that provide accommodation, meals and other services for tourists, they are specifically set up to cater to all different travellers, whether you're a single, couple, family, travelling for business or pleasure. Hotels are very versatile, can easily customise your trip and they usually charge by the night.

They vary from serious budget to extravagance. You pay for what you get in hotels, if you just need somewhere to rest your head for the night or if you want the full kit and caboodle with every guilty pleasure imaginable.

Pros:

• No muss, no fuss, you can check-in and have everything done for you or retreat to your chamber and never see the light of day
• High-end hotels are fully-equipped with everything you need to the point of never having to venture out of the hotel for your entire stay- they have restaurants, cafes and bars, shops, gyms, spas, pharmacies, limousine and driver services, entertainment-music and shows.. And anything they don't have can be outsourced by helpful staff.
• You can customise your stay, being able to rent studio, one-bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom rooms and suites, you can accommodate up to 12 people at some hotels. You are able to choose cheaper or more expensive options to suit your holiday- if you want views, certain amenities etc.

Cons:

• Hotels can be very expensive especially for extended stays. 
• A lot of hotels basically supply a serviced room with beds, bathroom, a bar fridge and tea and coffee facilities. If you want meals you have to order room service or eat out which can be costly and impractical
• You pay for what you get, if you need parking you have to pay for it, if you use the minibar you have to pay for it, some hotels you have to pay for extra towels, laundering and any other basic services. These costs are optional and can be quite inflated

Motels

http://www.route66seligmanarizona.com/Historic_Route_66_Motel.php

A motel or 'motor hotel' are hotels designed for people needing to make a pit stop, or short stay while travelling cross country. They usually are a single building divided into standard rooms with very basic amenities, all of which facing a large parking lot (good for people with motor homes).

Motels are usually positioned on high-trafficked areas, on highways/freeways, and in commercial districts, with obvious signage which displays the vacancy of the motel. The purpose of this is so tourists driving can stop in for the night or any length of time without having to reserve a room beforehand. Being in areas with a heavy flow of traffic mean more people can easily access accommodation without having to stray from their designated travel routes.

Pros:

• Convenient for people travelling interstate or cross country, who need a place to sleep and bathe before resuming their travels
• Having only basic amenities means costs are low and people travelling on a budget can easily afford to stay in areas close to attractions without having to pay escalated prices
• If you are on a trip and are not sticking to a rigid schedule, motels are perfect because you don't have to pre book or ring ahead. Signage at the front will inform you if they have vacancy, making it easy to just come in off the street and instantly have a room read

Cons:

• As motels are in high-trafficked areas they can be noisy and busy
• Some motels in more corrupt areas are notorious for being the meeting points of criminals, drug addicts and prostitutes. Because of the way some motels are run (no need for pre-booking, no need for credit cards-running a cash business) they are a perfect safe house for fugitives.
• With the introduction of budget hotels and chain motels, many privately owned motels have gone into disrepair with the lack of clientele and business income.

Hostels

http://www.lonelyplanet.com

Hostels are usually a budget and social-oriented form of accommodation. Normally guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available.

Pros:

• Extremely cheap, even though now there is a wonderful variety of boutique hostels that are as schmick as a hotel
• Can be great if you're travelling in a large group and you can share a dormitory
• Can be equally great if you are travelling alone and can socialise with others at the hostel

Cons:

• Extremely budget, you will have to provide your own towels, sometimes your own bedding, and will have to share EVERYTHING with strangers. Including showers and toilets and sleeping arrangements. You. Will. Have. No. Privacy.
• Hostels have grown in popularity amongst young overseas travellers, you may be stuck in a room with a bunch of drunk Australians, rude Chinese, or space-consuming Americans (no stereotypes here, there are these kinds of people in all cultures...)
• A down side of communal living is your personal possessions are no longer sacred and can even be stolen.

Accommodation sites and links:

http://www.wotif.com for hotels and apartments

http://www.hostelworld.com/ for hostels

http://www.booking.com/motels/index.html for motels, also for hotels & apartment rental

http://www.super8.com/  a well known motel chain

Our Next Trip.. AMERICA, NYC

We're well and truly on our way to planning our next adventure. We're heading to the U.S.A. for the first time over Christmas this year.

http://wnpr.org/post/rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-connecticut-born-and-raised

Our main reason for wanting to travel to the U.S. is because we want to experience a white Christmas. Growing up in Australia means our only Christmas experience has been over-eating prawns and ham,  drinking in the sweltering heat, droughts, tacky Aussie Santa anthems about 'riding in a rusted ute' (instead of a sleigh).

http://christmas.lovetoknow.com/Christmas_Traditions_in_Australia

We do love the summer Christmas, but we'd love to experience that picturesque white Christmas and all the things a typical American Christmas entails.

We have already booked a 9-day stint in New York City from Christmas Eve to the day after New Years Day so we get to experience the iconic festive atmosphere of NYC and we fully intend to take advantage of all the touristy goodness NYC has to offer in winter- ice skating in Rockafeller centre, seeing the big tree, an icy-cold carriage ride through central park (please let it snow!), and of course seeing the ball drop in Times Square.

Although I'm not totally driven by all the touristy things, I've already decided to try and find a spot that I can see the ball drop without actually packing into Times Square will the millions of other people that flock from around the globe to experience the same thing, I'm thinking maybe a nearby roof top party or something- it'll be worth the exorbitant cost to have that once-in-a-lifetime experience.

http://www.nyctrip.com/Pages/index.aspx?PageID=1444

I've compiled a list of must-see attractions, obviously the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (that's if the weather permits), the amazing museums that NYC have to offer like MoMa, and possibly a Broadway play, but more importantly I have compiled an even bigger list of foods I want to eat!

We have booked an apartment using airbnb in Chelsea, which is a district on the Western side of Manhattan known for its trendy cafes, shops and hipsters. As the saying goes- 'you know a place is up-and-coming in NYC when the gays move in, followed by the hipsters and eventually you can expect housing prices to boom and urban-grunge cafes to pop up on every corner'. Chelsea is one of those places.

Chelsea's amazing street art and Highline http://streetartnyc.org/blog/2012/05/22/award-winning-photographerartist-jr-in-manhattans-chelsea/

It's filled with culture, art, great food and nightlife, and that suits me just fine. I was sold on the idea when I discovered Chelsea Market, I can see this place being my home away from home (call me the market queen- I look for them everywhere I go!). It is also only about a 10-15 minute subway trip to all the big attractions like the Empire State Building.

I've also mapped out how I can get from our Chelsea apartment to places like 'The Bacon Triangle', Katz's Delicatessen and I have already decided our one fine dining experience will be at Eleven Maddison Park... I just will need to win big when we head to Vegas so I can bank roll our extravagant meal there.

http://katzsdelicatessen.com/

I'm super excited about this trip, we have plans to visit other parts of America and I will be posting about those places too! I'm also keen to hear any recommendations of things to do and see so feel free to comment or send an email with some words of wisdom!

My email:
elise.colella@gmail.com

Hangry x

Planning a holiday... Know where you're travelling

All travellers have fallen into the trap of being caught out not knowing about where they're heading. Sometimes it can be part of the fun of travelling- getting lost in a city and discovering some beautiful landmark or restaurant that you wouldn't have found otherwise, or getting to know the locals by having them help you out of a sticky situation. But sometimes it can put a real damper on your trip.

Being aware of the customs, do's and don't's of a place where you are travelling can the fine line between having the time of your life and the worst trip imaginable. Quite often it can be as simple as learning 2 or three words of the local tongue or familiarising yourself with their customs by checking out online forums on sites such as tripadvisor, or even buying a copy of a Lonely Planet guidebook.

How in depth you want to go into learning about where your travelling is totally up to you, but the more you know the more you're likely to enjoy it. I'm pretty crazy when it comes to researching places I want to travel- here are some steps I take for just the most basic of necessities (Food), how I find places to eat whenever I travel...

• Get online, if you have a smartphone then download some free apps like tripadvisor, urbanspoon and yelp. I usually hop on these BEFORE I go away and bookmark places in the vicinity to my accommodation so when I get there I can use that as a reference. If you don't have a smartphone, check out the websites on your computer and print out or write down the information of the places you want to go.
  

• Talk to people you know who have been there that can make recommendations. People love bragging about their holidays, so it's a good excuse for them to carry on about their experience but even better for you because they've been your test dummy. Keep in mind that places are constantly changing so if they went 20 YEARS AGO their information will be dated and probably not as useful as someone who was there last week.

• When you get there, before you even check-in, the best opportunity to find out about local must-see attractions is by taking a taxi. The first thing I do when I travel is befriend our first taxi-driver and ask for their insight on the best spots in town. Most taxi drivers know the city better then anyone else, they know the current hotspots and places the locals love. We did this all over Europe and ate at some of the most authentic and delicious restaurants in our lives! In Barcelona we ended up in Le Cherriff- 'The best paella in the world!'. And in Siena, Tuscany we had lunch and dinner at two different restaurants committed to using local produce and only cooking dishes typical of the area (no touristy Bolognese here!) they were both absolutely mind blowing and we would never have found them if we didn't ask our driver!

  

  Taxis in Berlin

• At check-in if you are staying at a hotel or motel, ask the people at the desk for information, they will easily send you in the right direction.. In Thailand we ended up being sent to a restaurant called Cabbages and Condoms and it was one of the funniest and surprisingly delicious restaurants we found in Bangkok. And funnily enough I saw an episode of Bizarre Food with Andrew Zimmern where he went there and ate some of the same stuff as us!

  

  Hotel Information

These are just a few ways you can suss out the local area, these techniques can not only be used for restaurants, but also for attractions, nightlife and anything else local.