All posts by duckie

Cat is a travel addict, tech nerd and former IT teacher. She is a travel blogger who uses her teaching skills to share stories and support others in planning their own adventures. She travels at every given opportunity, with the goal of experiencing a variety of different cultures and engaging in adrenaline pumping activities.

Travel

Tel Aviv, Israel

March 13, 2016 duckie Leave a comment

Landing in Israel was a bit of a shock to the system and I will admit I felt incredibly ignorant about the country when I arrived. I had assumed, being in the Middle East, that Israel was a Muslim, Arabic speaking country. But it is actually a Jewish, Hebrew speaking country. Compared the Arab countries I had been to recently, the infrastructure in Israel is better, the streets and buildings are cleaner and newer. The city and it’s people are much more modern and open minded – it was a welcome breath of fresh air.

The only unfortunate aspect of my visit to Tel Aviv, was the weather. As a three day break between gorgeous sunny days, I got to experience cold, wind, rain, thunder and lightning. Not to be deterred, I made the most of those three days.

Jaffa, the Old City

As I try to do with most places, I started my exploration of Tel aviv by doing a free walking tour. On this occasion it was with a company called Sandemans.

The tour started near a clock tower in the suburb called Jaffa, which is the old part of Tel Aviv. For two hours we wandered by the Tel-Aviv promenade to the wharf area and through the narrow stone laneways and alleys that make up Jaffa.

The buildings are all a beautiful yellow stone, with many stairways and arches. Colourfully painted doors and windows frames. While the area is quite small, it provides a lovely little labyrinth of old architecture to wander and get lost in.

Street Art

Squirrel Street Art tagged by the artist Dede One of the first things that struck me about Tel Aviv is how much street art there is. Some of it is fairly average, as you might expect, but loads of it is really cool.

Almost every street I walked down had street art worth taking pictures of. Areas particularly dense with street art were the narrow laneways east and west of Elifelet Street.

Neve Tzedek

Neve Tzedek is a gorgeous suburb. It looks like an area that used to be quite run-down, but has had new life breathed into it. It feels a bit like a artists, urban zone. The houses are all colourful and compact. The main streets are lined with boutique stores and cafes.

I really enjoyed just wandering through Neve Tzedek, it is a suburb with a very chilled out vibe.

Rothschild Boulevard & Dezignoff Street

Tel Aviv’s White City is the central area of the city of Tel Aviv. It was UNESCO Heritage listed in 2003 and has the worlds largest concentration of Bauhaus architecture.

To see the architecture it is best to walk up and down Rothschild Boulevard and Dezignoff Street. Everywhere you go are interesting buildings and sculptures to look at.

Carmel Market

Carmel Market is a local market worth visiting. You can see and try local fresh fruit and vegetables, juices and sweets. On Tuesdays and Fridays the market is extended for arts and crafts.

It was a pleasant market to visit and I certainly indulged in a couple of tasty treats. Unfortunately it rained my entire visit to Tel Aviv, so when visiting the arts and crafts section of the market, very few stalls were set up.

The Nitty Gritty

Transport

I arrived in Tel Aviv by taxi from the airport. It cost 144NIS, which I thought was a huge expense. The bus and train combo costs 6NIS (bus) + 13NIS (train) and takes the same amount of time or less.

Getting around Tel Aviv I walked everywhere. It is a fairly easy city to get around and in my opinion the things to see were all within walking distance.

Accommodation

I stayed in the Florentine Backpackers Hostel. It had a great location, it had a very enthusiastic (sometimes overwhelming) community feel. It was reasonably clean and tidy, but there are only four showers available for all the dorm rooms.
A bed in a 4-bed female dorm costs 82NIS per night.

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Travel

Amman and Surrounds, Jordan

March 9, 2016 duckie Leave a comment

After departing Petra we headed northwards via Kerak Castle and the Dead Sea before making our way to Amman.

Kerak Castle

Kerak Castle was built around the 12th century AD and it’s history relates to the crusaders using it as a base point when trying to take back the holy cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

At 900 metres above sea level and perched on a hilltop overlooking valleys, it had a good strategic position for defense. It is a reasonably large castle with a great deal of history. Parts of it remain in good condition.

It was fascinating to see, but I didn’t seem to retain much of the information about it.

Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is an absolutely fascinating place. We had anticipated a dark coloured sea and were surprised to find clear blue waters, with a white crystallized salt rim.

The Dead Sea is approximately 400 metres below sea level. It earned the name the “Dead Sea” due to the fact that it contains no life. The water has a very high percentage of salt in it. 290 grams of salt per litre of water, which is roughly a 34% saturation of salt. When you look through the water the salt content makes the water appear oily.

While I had heard that swimming in the Dead Sea is quite the experience as you are very buoyant, I really never could have anticipated exactly how it would feel. You float like a cork in the sea. You can stand vertically with your head and shoulders above the water, without your feet actually touching the ground.

In addition to all the salty buoyant water, the Dead Sea mud is fairly well known for it’s ‘health’ properties. Dead Sea mud contains 25 or more minerals and sells for a fortune in the form of body masks, face masks and well as various other creams.

We paid 3JOD (approx. $5) to spread the thick black mud all over ourselves. It was great for a laugh, but whether it improved my skin or not I can’t say.

Time spent at the Dead Sea was AWESOME!!!!

Amman Citadel & Roman Forum

In the center of downtown Amman, on the hill between several valleys, is the Amman Citadel. In terms of fortification and safety, the location had a fantastic position and provides a view over Amman in all directions.

The site was built and rebuilt numerous times over the years by many different civilizations. Evidence of which can be found in the architecture and carvings.

Very few structures within the citadel are in tact. The two best maintained/restored were Hercules’ Temple and the Desert Castle.

Looking down from the citadel into one of the valleys, the Roman Forum can be found. The Forum dates back to the 2nd century AD, in a time when Amman was known as Philadelphia. The Forum is a nice spot to visit but was absolutely overrun with people. It does however provde a nice view and has been fairly well restored.

Jerash

Jerash is approximately an hour drive north of Amman, close to the Syrian border. It is a Greco-Roman city dating back to around 2000BC. This ancient city boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years.

While the site is enormous, not many of the original structures are intact. It was hidden beneath the sand for centuries, but has been undergoing excavation and restoration over the past 70 years.

The highlights of the site included Hadrian’s Arch, the Theatre, Zeus’ Temple, Temple of Artemis and the Cardo.

Amman Downtown

Eating like a local — A delicious local meal for 2 people, with 6 dishes, bread and two cups of tea cost 5JOD

The city of Amman is large and used to be referred to as having seven hills. Over time the city has grown and now covers more than seven of the hills in the area. It has a population of roughly 4 million people, some people claim that approximately 1 million of whom are refugees. Currently the city hosts a large number of Syrian refugees.

The Downtown area of Amman is busy, noisy and smelly but in a way that is reflective of the culture. Wandering around is a very pleasant experience.

It’s great to stop by local food places for a savoury treat, a tasty dessert or even just a cup of tea. You can easily eat a meal out for 2.5JOD or 25JOD. I would recommend heading to the places that have big queues of locals as the food is likely to be the best and most affordable.

If you head to the right areas, the Amman Downtown has some pretty awesome street art. I went on a little mission to find some and was not disappointed!

If you are keen for a treat, then I would highly recommend a visit to a Turkish Bath (Hamam). There are a few around, but I went to Al-Pasha and was very happy with the service there. Over the course of 1.5 – 2 hours I sweated in the steam room and sauna and I roasted some more in the Jacuzzi. I was also scrubbed from head to toe, washed with soapy bubbles and had a full body massage. All for 25JOD, the cheapest Hamam I have visited to date. For an extra 3JOD you could add in a facial.

For me this body scrub and pampering treatment was a great way to wash off the collective dirt of the desert and city, and relax at the end of a fantastic adventure through Jordan.

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Travel

Petra, Jordan

March 4, 2016 duckie Leave a comment

The city of Petra is hidden in the hills below Wadi Mousa. The city was originally known to the Nabateans as Raqmu, meaning colourful. Since then it has received the official name of Petra, meaning rock in Greek, and the nickname of the Red Rose City due to the pinkish-red colour of the rocks.

Entry to the city is via a chasm in the rocks called the Siq. The walls of this chasm are approximately 80 metres high, and the distance from the start of the Siq to it’s end point of the Treasury is 1200 metres.

The Treasury earned it’s name from rumours that it was where all the gold was hidden in an urn at the top. Bullet holes in the urn show the Bedouin attempts to determine if this was the case. Building of the Treasury started around the 9th century BC, which was some time after the city of Petra was established as the capital city for the Nabatean people around the 4th century BC.

Walking through the valley you can see many tombs, a facade wall, the royal tombs and other interesting carvings. The sandstone by itself is even fascinating as it is multicoloured and patterned.

The place of High Sacrifice was one of the sites higher up on the mountains that was recommended for us to see, but most strongly recommended was the walk up to the Ad-Deir Monastery at the end of the city’s road.

According to our guide it is 866 steps up to the monastery, the path is constantly winding upwards and around the mountainside. In the heat of the day the walk is exhausting, but once you reach the top it all becomes worth the effort. The monastery is in my opinion equally as spectacular as the Treasury. In fact it probably feels a bit more special as there are fewer tourists and Bedouin touting their wares and services.

Sitting at the monastery and soaking up the atmosphere is a fantastic way to recharge your batteries before walking several kilometres back to the visitor centre to end your visit.

Cost: 50JOD for a single day pass, or a single day pass is included in the Jordan Wanderer pass.

Petra by Night

After having seen photos of the event on Instagram, I was ridiculously keen to see Petra by Night. The show starts at 8:30pm sharp from the visitors centre and takes 2 hours including the walk in and out of the city.

The walk in to the city is lit by candles on either side of the road and through the Siq. It is beautiful and calming.

Passing through the end point of the Siq the Treasury shimmers in the golden glow of hundreds of candles. It is an absolutely breathtaking sight.

Everyone is seated behind the candles on rugs, the crowd is silenced and the show begins. Echoing through the valley is the sound of a flute playing a local melody, this is followed by the playing of an old style violin/guitar and the lone voice of a Bedouin man singing a traditional song. The show concludes with a Bedouin gentleman recalling a story of the history of Petra.

When the show concludes you have some time to take photos before meandering back to the visitors centre.

I absolutely loved the Petra by Night experience, I felt very grounded and calm; it was almost a meditative experience. It was simply breathtaking to see such ancient architecture by the glow of the candles. But I must say that I consider it excessively overpriced for what it is and the actual ‘show’ is ridiculously short.

Cost: 17JOD

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Travel

Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan

February 29, 2016 duckie Leave a comment

Visiting Jordan

Before I launch into my adventures in the Wadi Rum desert, just a few quick notes on visiting Jordan. Firstly it is worth considering buying a Jordan Pass. The tour company advised me to buy the Jordan Wanderer Pass which waives the visa entry fee to Jordan, covers a one day visit to Petra and covers the entry fees of numerous other attractions. It costs 70JOD (approx $99USD) which is expensive, but is actually worth the money. It’s new to Jordan, so make sure you print out your copy and always keep it on you, together with your passport.

The Jordanian currency is very strong and with the turmoil in the Middle East they seem to have very few tourists visiting. As a result, prices can be obscene and it feels like they are trying to get every possible penny out of you! Despite the crazy costs of many things, eating locally is actually incredibly affordable. I mostly eat for under 2JOD per meal, but you could easily pay up to 20JOD depending on where you go. You are also expected to tip for any kind of service.

Even though the locals want all your money and can sometimes hassle you a little, I did find them all to be very friendly and mostly respectful when you say “No Thankyou” or “Shukran” with a wave of the hand to indicate “no”.

Wadi Rum Desert

The Wadi Rum desert is often referred to as the Valley of the Moon due to it’s moon-like landscape. Fittingly it is also where parts of the movie The Martian were filmed.

The term Wadi actually translates to Valley and Rum stems from the word rum which refers to the tribe who inhabited the region for a long time. Over the years erum got shortened to rum. Though wikipedia implies that it may have an Aramaic root meaning “high” or elevated”.

The desert became popular for tourists as it was seen as a great location for rock climbing and bird watching. I assume it remains popular for these reasons, in addition to the gorgeous natural rock formations in the area.

I spent one night in the Wadi Rum desert, staying in a tent/hut in the Hillawi Camp. As it is low season, and with the tourist issue previously mentioned my tour buddy and I were the only two guests at the camp, the staff were incredibly friendly and helpful throughout our visit. For dinner a bus loads of Jordanians joined us for a traditional Bedouin meal, music and dancing. This made the evening rather entertaining.

I did two activities in the Wadi Rum, a Camel Ride and a Jeep Safari.

Camel Riding for Sunset

At around 4:30 in the afternoon Abdullah the camel rider turned up at our camp with a small caravan of camels. We hopped on up and off we wandered into the desert. Abdullah taught me a new, and more comfortable way to ride a camel. Rather than sitting with a leg either side, as you would when horse riding, sit cross legged. It is much more comfortable.

The camel driver Abdullah was an absolute hoot!! We walked through the sands, took photos of ourselves on the camels and of the beautiful environment around us.

Suddenly with the cry “Yalla! Yalla” (Let’s Go!!!) we were trotting along in a rather ungainly fashion on our camels. It was hilarious!!! For all those women out there reading this, if you go camel riding and think there might be a chance of travelling faster than a slow walk, wear a sports bra!

As the sun dropped we “parked’ our camels by a mountainous rock and climbed up for a good view of the sunset. The rocks were lit up a fiery red and while the sunset wasn’t a huge array of colours it was simply magical. After some entertaining sunset photography we headed back to our camels for some more laughs before dinner time at the camp.

Cost: 15JOD

Jeep Safari

Promptly at 9am our jeep driver Akram turned up at the camp to take us on a jeep safari into the desert. Jeep safari’s in the desert are mostly driving with a few stops.

We sat on the back of the ‘jeep’ and enjoyed the wind whipping through our hair and the golden red/orange glow of the sand and rocks around us.

The desert scenery was spectacular. I was throughly surprised at how much vegetation there was when I had expected to see none. There were even sea’s of little purple flowers.

We made a stop at some ancient inscriptions on the rock walls, Lawrence’s house, a natural bridge, some sand dunes and some spectacular view points. Along the way we also made two stops for tea in Bedouin huts. Also learning how to tie a headdress/scarf like a true Bedouin. While I didn’t feel like we actually saw much of what the Wadi Rum has to offer, I certainly had a spectacularly fun time seeing the bits I saw!

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Travel

Dahab, Egypt

February 25, 2016 duckie Leave a comment

Dahab is a small resort town on the coast of the Red Sea on the Sinai Peninsula, neighbouring Israel and facing Saudi Arabia across the Red Sea. Accessing the Sinai Peninsula involves passing under the Suez Canal, a major trade route for goods. As this is a major source of income for Egypt it is very well protected with numerous police and military checkpoints.

Dahab appears to have once been a lively town, very popular with snorkelers and divers alike. Due to recent turmoil and the closure of a nearby airport, it has become a very quiet holiday town.

After the fast paced tour through the main sites of Egypt, it was nice to use the time in Dahab both to see the town and to enjoy some rest and relaxation in the resort.

Aside from catching up on sleep, emails and reading my book I enjoyed two of the activities on offer in Dahab: Quad Biking and Snorkelling at the Blue Hole; as well as spending some time in the city center.

Quad Biking

In the hills of Dahab is a desert landscape. While the quad biking wasn’t overly epic, it was certainly fun to have a look around. We visited three sites: A valley within the mountains, a bedouin camp for some tea and Laguna Beach on the coast.

Cost: 170EGP

Snorkeling

The Red Sea is well known for it’s beautiful coral, so I headed up the coast to the popular diving location of the Blue Hole. The water was colder than anticipated but the coral was beautiful and teeming with sea life.

I snorkelled along the reef edge before passing through the saddle into the Blue Hole. While the Blue Hole is best for divers, it’s rim has plenty to offer those who are snorkelling.

Cost: 150EGP

Check out all my Dahab photos on Flickr

Travel

Aswan, Egypt

February 22, 2016 duckie Leave a comment

Aswan is a great starting point for a few visits, primarily Abu Simbel Temples, Philae Temple, and Edfu Temple part way between Aswan and Luxor.

I heard that the town of Aswan is quite a nice place to explore, but after a bout of food poisoning and a bad cold, I was in no state to explore.

Abu Simbel Temple

The most important pharaoh in the history of ancient Egypt is Ramses II, who ruled Egypt for 67 years. Abu Simbel is one of his temples and is dedicated to four gods: Ra, Ramses II, Amun and Bitah.

The temple is in fantastic condition and shows absolutely stunning scenes of the fight between the Egyptians and the Hittites. A temple with fight scenes is unique as all other temples show scenes of Coronations and other similar things.

The entrance to the temple has four large sculptures of Ramses II at various stages in his life. The smaller statues between his legs depict his children.

The neighbouring temple is a temple Ramses II had built for his wife Nefertari, and it is dedicated to the cow god, goddess of fertility, Hathor.

Both temples were originally built along the banks of the Nile. When a decision was made to build the Aswan Dam, people became aware that this would flood the section of the Nile were the two temples are found. A huge effort and absolutely astounding effort was made to move the temple to higher ground. For the untrained eye, little to no damage to the temples was sustained in the process. If you weren’t told, there is no way you would guess that the temples had been moved.

While Abu Simbel is most definitely the more impressive of the two, they are both stunning temples, with such detail in the carvings and paintings. Many of the original colours still remain.

Be aware that the trip to Abu Simbel takes 3 hours each way from Aswan. Typically this is done as a police convoy departing Aswan at 4:30am, it then leaves Abu Simbel to return to Aswan at 10:30am.

Cost: 100 EGP

Philae Temple

Similarly to Abu Simbel, the Philae Temple was found on an island in the Nile River. Unfortunately, it was not rescued prior to the Aswan Dam being built and as a result was submerged.

Some years after it was originally submerged a restoration process was undertaken to move the temple to a nearby island. The temple is by no means complete, but it is a reasonable representation of what it once was. It is a greek design built during the Greek Empire and is dedicated to the goddess Isis.

Cost: 60EGP

Edfu Temple

Edfu Temple is roughly halfway between Aswan and Luxor. It is dedicated to Horus and is the second largest temple in Egypt. While it may not be the largest temple, it is the most well preserved.

The temple took 47 years to build and has the same design as basically all temples in Egypt. The temple first has a gate or pilons. Entering through the gate goes into an open court, followed by a colonnade hall and ending in a sanctuary.

Check out all my Aswan photos on Flickr

Travel

Luxor, Egypt

February 19, 2016 duckie Leave a comment

Luxor is in Upper Egypt, south of Cairo. I would have anticipated that Upper Egypt was north and Lower Egypt was south, but it is the exact opposite. The terms upper and lower are reversed due to the altitude of the land.

Luxor can be found along the banks of the Nile River, once again monuments related to life are typically on the East Bank and monuments related to death are on the West Bank.

Luxor has numerous breathtaking, history-rich monuments worth visiting, but with limited time my visit had four highlights: Hot Air Ballooning, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and Karnak Temple.

Hot Air Ballooning

With a 5am hotel pickup, followed by a ferry crossing the Nile, we had the opportunity to get carried into the morning sky for a most peaceful sunrise over the West Bank of Luxor. We had hoped to fly over the Valley of the Kings, but the wind didn’t work with us in this regard.

Despite not flying over the Valley of the Kings, we did fly over some spectacular temples and monuments, including the Temple of Hatshepsut. The sun rising and casting golden-orange light on the mountains and temples was absolutely breathtaking. It was a fantastic way to start the day.

Cost: 75GBP (approx. 840 EGP)

Valley of the Kings

A ticket to the Valley of the Kings provides you access to three tombs. Not all of the tombs are open all of the time, so you need to pick which three you would like to visit, based on what is open (our guide gave us recommendations). In the event you want to visit the tomb of Tutankhamen, it is an additional ticket. I visited the tombs of Setnakht, Merenptah, Ramses IV and Tutankamen.

It is forbidden to take photos inside any of the temples, if you try to sneak a photo you are likely to be fined and excessive amount of money or have your camera confiscated. We were advised to leave our cameras in the bus. There is a ‘safe’ storage facility on site for you to check in your camera, but the staff there advised us that anything left there will be stolen. So either leave your camera on the bus or keep it out of sight.

The tomb of Setnakht was recommended for us to visit as it is viewed as the mummification temple, based on the scenes depicted on the walls. It was an absolutely beautiful temple with many of the painted walls retaining their original patterns and colours.

The tomb of Merenptah was the tomb that extended the deepest into the mountain, of all the open tombs on the day we visited. Based on what I know about the depth of the various tombs in the Valley of the Kings, it wasn’t as deep as I had anticipated, but nonetheless amazing. The thing that is most mind blowing is the size and weight of the sarcophagus’, boxes and treasures that would have been inside each tomb.

The tomb of Ramses IV is the most spectacular of the open tombs in the Valley of the Kings. The colours on the walls are the most vibrant in this tomb. The attention to detail is absolutely amazing.

The tomb of Tutankhamen is actually really small and he was a quite an insignificant king. The reason that it took so many years to find is that it is actually situated beneath another tomb. When it was found, it had been untouched and all the treasures were all still tucked neatly into their separate rooms within the tomb. As it was the only tomb to have been discovered completely intact, Tutankhamen became one of the most well known kings in Egyptian history. These treasures can now be found in museums, but the mummy of Tutankhamen remains in his tomb and the walls remain beautifully decorated.

Cost: 100EGP + 100 EGP to visit the tomb of Tutankhamen

Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple

Hatshepsut is the only Queen to have been buried in the Valley of the Kings. She was a woman, but portrayed herself as a man, though I can’t recall why this was. The scultptures of her at the front of the temple clearly depict the body and clothing of a man, but with the facial features of a woman. While I did not visit her tomb in the Valley of The Kings, I did visit her temple outside the Valley of the Kings.

Around the temple of Hatshepsut are many hieroglyphics and paintings. Including many depictions of the Cow Goddess of fertility, Hathor.

While completely unrelated to the Cow Goddess, the Egyptians have an interesting belief in regards to the cow and earthquakes. They believe the earth is carried on one of the horns of a cow. When she tires and moves the earth from one horn to the other the earth experiences an earthquake.

Cost: 50EGP

Karnak Temple

Karnak Temple was found in 1985 in very poor condition. The complex housed seven temples, only two of which remain. The main temple which remains is the biggest of it’s type in the world.

Karnak Temple has been a popular location for Hollywood movies and some of the more famous films it has featured in include The Mummy, Indiana Jones and James Bond (I’m not sure exactly which one for any of those).

Cost: 80EGP

Check out all my Luxor photos on Flickr

Travel

Cairo, Egypt

February 16, 2016 duckie Leave a comment

My trip to Egypt was part of a Travel Talk tour of Egypt & Jordan. Within Egypt there were four main places we visited, Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Dahab. Egypt has a population of around 91 million, approximately 22 million of who live in Cairo.

On arrival in Cairo I was met by the Travel Talk driver Baseem, who helped me with the arrival visa and security. Before entering the security line, on the right are some banks where you pay US$25 to buy a single entry visa. You stick the visa sticker on a blank page, which gets stamped as you pass through security.

Out on the roads, I was unsurprised to discover that Cairo roads are absolute mayhem. You duck and weave between cars and trucks, tooting the horn to prevent being side swiped by another vehicle. There is always one more lane of cars than marked lanes on the road. People occasionally pull over on an outer lane of the highway to wash their car or chat to someone else. Motorcyclists plow through the mess without care for helmets or any kind of safety. Pedestrians run across the highway at random, even mothers with babies seem to have no fear running across multiple lanes of crazy traffic. It was an interesting welcome to Cairo.

Cairo, Giza and New Cairo are all parts of greater Cairo. Cairo and Giza are the two main areas visited by tourists, and the Nile River separates them.

On day one the tour guide Mega introduced himself to the group and with great enthusiasm and love for his country and history he took us on our Egyptian adventure.

The Pyramids of Giza

As most people are aware the Ancient Egyptians believed in reincarnation and that they worshipped many gods including the sun. The concept of reincarnation comes from the sun as it rises (is born) every morning in the east and it ‘dies’ at the end of every day in the west, to rise again the next day. For this reason, all tombs are built on the West Bank of the Nile, the body is buried on the West, so that it may rise again in the East. In alignment with this belief all pyramids were built on the West Bank of the Nile. For those that haven’t established the link, all pyramids are the tombs of Kings.

It is not part of the pyramids of Giza complex, but the first pyramid we visited was Sakkara. There are several pyramids in the complex. The most famous one is the Pyramid of Djoser. Djoser has a stepped construction and was one of the first pyramids ever constructed.

Within the Pyramids of Giza complex are also several pyramids, though the design is more refined and doesn’t display the stepped construction seen at Sakkara. Some of the pyramids show the remains of a smooth rendering over the top of the construction.

The Great Pyramid of Cheops is the largest of all the pyramids, with a height of approximately 149 metres. It is one of the original Seven Wonders of the World, and was the world’s tallest construction until the Eiffel Tower was built. King Cheops was one of the most loved Kings of ancient Egypt and to the people of Egypt it seems fitting that he is celebrated with such a magnificent monument.

The other pyramids in the area belong to Cheops’ family members, son, wife and sister. The famous Sphinx guards the area. The Sphinx has a construction of a lion’s body with the head of a man. The head of a man represents wisdom and the body of a lion, representative of strength or power.

The site is spectacular to visit. It is so challenging to understand how people in ancient times were able to build such immense structures. I felt awed to be a witness to such creativity and display of ingenuity.

In addition to wandering around the complex, I enjoyed a short camel ride around the site, to get some fun photos!

Cost of Sakkara and Giza: 160EGP
Cost of Camel Ride: 50EGP (from memory)

Cairo Museum

Cairo Museum is certainly worth a visit to see many ancient Egyptian artifacts. Many of the treasures found in the tomb of Tutankhamen can be viewed here. You can also see the mummified bodies of many of Egypt’s great rulers of ancient times, including the most important pharaoh in history Ramses II.

Be aware that if you want to take your camera into the museum you need to pay an additional 50EGP. You can leave the camera in a storage space for free. We were advised it was very secure, but with stories of theft out of safe storage spaces at other sites, we decided against this.

Cost: 85EGP

Mohammed Ali Mosque

The Mohammed Ali Mosque is in the old citadel overlooking the city of Cairo. It’s alabaster walls and meticulously designed interior are absolutely gorgeous. While I probably wouldn’t have put it high on my “to see” list, it was a thoroughly enjoyable place to visit.

Cost: 60EGP

Cairo Markets

Around Cairo downtown are many different markets where you can buy souvenirs. I would recommend visiting at least one or two. Be prepared to haggle, but don’t engage in discussion on price unless it is something you are actually willing to buy.

They are some fabulous jewellery stalls which can create rings, bracelets and pendants with a cartouche of your name in hieroglyphics.

Pyramid Light and Sound Show

At the Pyramids of Giza there is a nighttime Light and Sound show. It’s a little bit cheesy, but otherwise fantastic. I did this at the end of my tour and they presented a reasonable summary of the Egyptian history I had learned throughout the tour, which pulled together the information nicely for me.

It was fun to see the pyramids and sphinx lit up with various different colours. If you are on a budget, I would not recommend going, but otherwise it’s quite a bit of fun.

Cost: 170EGP

Check out my Cairo photos on Flickr

As the wifi in Egypt has been very poor, the album is not yet complete – I will add the remaining Cairo photos as soon as I can.

Promotions

Eurail Promo

February 5, 2016 duckie Leave a comment

The Offer

Free extra travel days on Eurail Global Pass Continuous (15d, 22d & 1m) and Eurail Global Pass Flexi (5d,7d,10d & 15 d)
Select Passes 4 Countries, 3 Countries, and 2 Countries, offering one additional travel day for free for all combinations
One Country Passes, offering one additional travel day for free for all Passes
Greek Islands Pass (previously named Attica Pass) will not participate in the Extra Day Promotion

Promotional Sales Period

From 1st Feb 2016 until 30th April 2016 (inclusive). There are no restrictions on the travel period.

Eurail passes can now be bought 11 months in advance!

Check out the Eurail site now!!

Australian Adventures

Tasmania, a tourist guide

January 29, 2016 duckie Leave a comment

It’s no secret that I don’t love living in my state, I made that quite clear in my recent post Tasmania, Why I love and hate my home state. But you will recall that I said it is an absolutely beautiful place, and it’s a place I would highly recommend visiting.

As a local who has frequent visitors from overseas I have a bit of an insight in what Tasmania has to offer. Most of my experiences are in the South and the East of the state, so that’s what I will focus on.

Getting To Tassie

Flying

If you are looking at flying to Tasmania from an international destination, flight prices can look horrendous. This is because there are very few airlines that fly to Tasmania. I would recommend booking flights to Melbourne and then booking a separate flight to one of Tasmania’s two airports, Hobart or Launceston. I would recommend Hobart as the starting point as it is the state’s capital.

There are three airlines that fly into Tasmania: JetStar; Virgin Blue; and Qantas. JetStar is typically the cheapest, with one way flights sometimes as cheap as $39 + checked baggage.

Sailing

You can get to Tassie by boat from Melbourne. The Spirit of Tasmania sails between Melbourne and Devonport, Tasmania, regularly.

You can take the boat as a day or night sailing, with or without a vehicle. A walk-on day sailing can cost as low as $86. Night sailings can cost as low as $96 if you are happy to sleep in a recliner,a s opposed to a dorm bed or cabin. Unsurprisingly, sailing with a vehicle costs more (and no you cannot sleep in the car).

Getting Around

Unfortunately getting around Tassie isn’t all that easy. As I have never backpacked around my own state, I don’t know exactly what services are available, but I do know that the easiest way to see Tassie is with a car. In fact, it’s very challenging to see the best parts of Tasmania if you don’t have your own transport.

So I highly recommend renting a car if you can afford to. Every airline that flies into Tassie has a discount agreement for a car rental company. It’s possible to rent a car (or pickup a pre-organised car rental) from the airport or from the city. (If you are renting a car, perhaps enquire if a parks pass is included)

Once you have a car, it’s also important to know what places you are going to want to see, and if it includes more than two days within a National Park then the best plan is to purchase an 8 week holiday parks pass for $60 for the car (which covers up to 8 people). This will give you access to all national parks in Tasmania.

Be aware that the best things to see in Tasmania are all in National Parks.

Communication

The really beautiful parts of Tasmania, the parts worth seeing, have little or no cell phone service. If you are planning on purchasing a SIM card to use when visiting, then Telstra will provide you with the best coverage. Alternately anything using Optus networks is ok, but avoid Vodafone.

Hobart

Mt Wellington

Cost: Free
Access: No Public Transport, approx. 15 minutes drive from Hobart to the pinnacle
Details: Mount Wellington is the mountain overlooking the city of Hobart. At 1271m it provides an awesome view of the city. If you are into hiking, there are loads of walking tracks on the mountain. A good starting point is The Springs, part way up the mountain. The Zig Zag track to the Pinnacle is pretty cool; also the short walk from there to Sphinx rock is nice and has a great city view. Some other mountain walks that are a bit longer, are The Lost World and Wellington Falls.

MONA

Cost: $25
Access: MONA ROMA Ferry or Coach from the city’s waterfront, Brooke Street Pier $20 return
Details: Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) is a private museum/gallery at the Moorilla Estate Winery site. The museum is fascinating. I love the architecture of the building, the location is fabulous and as someone who is not into art I would have to say that the gallery is controversial, quirky and worth seeing. Numerous visitors fly in to the state, just to visit this museum.

On Sundays in the summer, outside the museum is a free market (MoMa) which is a very pleasant place to spend an afternoon tasting various local foods, drinking local wines and craft beers in pink bean bags on the lawn, often with live music. Even if it’s not market day, there are two cafes from which you can grab a bite to eat and you are still able to enjoy a wine or a brew in the pink bean bags on the lawn. I would highly recommend this!

Salamanca Market

Cost: Free
Access: It’s in the city center
Details: Every Saturday from 8-3 Salamanca Market is on at Salamanca, near the waterfront. Visiting the market is basically Number 1 on the every list of things to see and do in Tasmania. There is a large variety of crafts, local products and local produce to be found. It’s a pretty pleasant way to spend a morning.

Mountain Biking Mt Wellington

If you are an active person then I would highly recommend finding a tour company to take you down the North-South Mountain Bike Trail. It’s an awesome, incredibly challenging, but super fun downhill mountain bike trail.

Eating and Drinking in the city

For eating out there are three main areas to go.
Elizabeth Street, North Hobart has the largest variety of restaurants in a concentrated area.
Salamanca also has a large number of restaurants to visit, though the scene here is a bit more drinks focussed. Many of the restaurants have outdoor seating and I consider the general vibe here to be pretty cool. This is the area to head to if you want to head out for drinks.
Battery Point is the suburb directly behind Salamanca, it’s the older part of town, and has some nice restaurants but there aren’t heaps of options.

Some of my favourite dinner options:

The Drunken Admiral, themed restaurant by the waterfront with AMAZING seafood.
Pancho Villa, Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar in North Hobart has delicious food and awesome decor.
Frank, South American Restaurant by the waterfront is also amazing
Cargo at Salamanca, is one of my default go-to restaurants, they have brilliant wood fired pizzas (the Hoi Sin Duck is an absolute winner!!), a great selection of wine, beer and ciders and they even have a gelato bar.
Jack Greene is next to Cargo at Salamanca and has a great selection of craft beers and gourmet burgers. If you want to taste Wallaby (the smaller breed of kangaroo) then this is a place where you will find it on the menu!

Some of my favourite breakfast (and coffee) options:

Machine Cafe at Salamanca Square
Room for a Pony on Elizabeth Street, North Hobart
Jam Jar in Battery Point
Ginger Brown in South Hobart
Straight Up Coffee + Food in Liverpool Street, Hobart City Center
Tricycle in Salamanca
Pilgrim Coffee in Hobart’s city center, on the corner of Argyle Street & Liverpool Street.

Greater Hobart

Bonorong Park

Cost: I think it’s $26
Access: No Public Transport, approx. 50 minutes drive from Hobart
Details: Bonorong Park is a wildlife rescue centre, where injured animals are brought, nursed back to health and released back into the wild. If animals are injured to the extent that they will not survive if released, they are kept in the park. If you haven’t seen Australian animals before and are interested in learning about them, with the opportunity to pat and feed wallabies, then I’d recommend it. There is a free tour where you are introduced to the animals and you can see Tasmanian Devils get fed. I believe the tour is at 11am, but you should call ahead and check.

Pennicott Wilderness Journeys

Cost: $100+ dependent on which tour & tour option you choose
Access: Each tour includes the option of pickup/dropoff from the city
Details: Rob Pennicott has created a name for himself in EcoTourism with his absolutely fantastic jet boat cruises showing off Tasmania’s amazing coastline and wildlife, sometimes you are lucky enough to see dolphins and whales.

The current tours on offer include Bruny Island, Tasman Island (which can be paired with a visit to Port Arthur) and the Iron Pot. There is also a seafood cruise. The tours are absolutely brilliant and I can’t recommend them highly enough!

Port Arthur Historic Site

Cost: $37 for two days
Access: approx. 1.5 hours driving
Details: Tasmania was initially settled as a penal colony, by the British. Port Arthur is one of these convict sites and is a fascinating insight into the states history. I find it quite enjoyable to wander around the site and appreciate the older architecture. In addition to it’s historic significance, the site is in a beautiful location and is quite a nice spend some time.

A ticket includes a tour of the site, but additional sites such as the Isle of the Dead are an additional cost. If you stay on after dark, the ghost tour can be quite fun.

The Pennicott Tasman Island Cruise can be taken from this location, and through the Pennicott site you can purchase a ticket for both.

Tasman Peninsula

Cost: Free
Access: approx. 1.5 hours driving
Details: If you have headed to Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula, then some natural sights that are along the way and worth the visit are: Remarkable Cave, the Tasman Arch, Devils Kitchen, the Tasman Blowhole and the Tesselated Pavement.

Mt Field National Park

Cost: Free, provided you have a national parks pass.
Access: No Public Transport, approx. 1.5 hours drive from Hobart
Details: Mt Field National Park is really gorgeous. If you want to do some easy grade hiking and see waterfalls, then the walk to Russell Falls from the visitor centre is fabulous. If you have the time, continue driving up to Lake Dobson, as the walk around the lake is beautiful. As it is higher altitude than the falls the flora is actually quite different, and is absolutely magical when covered with snow in the winter.

Gordon Dam Abseiling

Cost: $210
Access: Transport provided with the tour, approx. 2.5hours drive from Hobart)
Details: For the keen adventurer, Aardvark Adventures offer trips to abseil the Gordon Dam. This abseil is claimed to be the highest commercial abseil at 140 metres. As the dam wall is concave, most of the abseil is spent dangling from a rope, without the ability to touch the dam wall.

The company has fabulous guides and adheres to strict safety regulations. I was one of those crazy cats who hung like a starfish for the fun of it (after requesting the guide to hold my descent while I did so). It’s certainly not for the faint of heart, but an activity I would highly recommend.

Bruny Island

Cost: Free… kind of..the island is accessed by ferry, which costs $38 for a car, and you really need a car in order to see the island
Access: approx. 40 minutes south of Hobart to the ferry terminal.
Details: On the island there are loads of beautiful places to go, it is mostly destination to go for nature, to check out the views of the neck of the Island, the visit the beaches such as Adventure Bay and also the sand dunes at places like Cloudy Bay. The lighthouse is worth a visit, and doing a Pennicott Wilderness cruise is a fantastic idea. The Bruny Island Cheese Company is also worth stopping at for some tasty cheese.

Tahune Air Walk

Cost: $28
Access: 1.5 hours drive south of Hobart
Details: For the nature lovers, a visit to the Tahune Airwalk is a great way to get amongst it. Crossing the bridge over the Picton River, you walk onto a suspended walkway in the forest canopy, 20-30 metres above the ground. The walkway ends at a cantilever viewing point providing a stunning view of the forest and river below.

Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs

Cost: $24 guided cave tour and access to the thermal springs pool ($5 for the thermal springs pool only)
Access: approx. 2 hours drive south of Hobart
Details: Within the Hastings Caves State Reserve you can visit two main sites, Newdegate Cave and the Thermal Springs.

Doing a tour of the Newdegate Cave allows you to go underground and see stalactites, stalagmites, beautiful formations, and of course the creepy crawlies that typically live in caves.

The other part of the site is the thermal springs where you can swim in the thermal springs pool, use the BBQ facilities and enjoy a walk through the forest. I remember when I was very young, I was once lucky enough to spot a Platypus in the river here.

Launceston

Cataract Gorge

Cost: Free
Access: approx. 2.5 hours driving north of Hobart
Details: The Cataract Gorge and Basin is a pleasant scenic spot to visit and relax if you have time to spare. It’s a nice place to wander amongst the gardens, walk across the bridge or ride the chairlift. Perhaps pack a picnic and spend some time by the pool.

Platypus House

Cost: $24
Access: approx. 3.5 hours driving north of Hobart
Details: Australia has a very strange native creature called the Platypus, it is a very shy creature and it’s very rare to see one in the wild. If you want to see these beautiful but strange creatures, a visit to the Platypus House is a great idea.

Seahorse World

Cost: $22
Access: approx. 3.5 hours driving north of Hobart
Details: In the neighbourhood of the Platypus House, is Seahorse World. A great opportunity to learn about and see the seahorses native to our waters.

Hollybank Treetops Adventure

Cost: $120
Access: approx. 3 hours driving north of Hobart
Details: Another activity for the keen adventurers is ziplining amongst the treetops at Hollybank Treetops Adventures. They also have segway tours around the forest floor, but certainly my favourite way to see the forest is in the canopy and preferably at high speed. Zipping amongst the treetops is loads of fun!!

East Coast

Freycinet National Park

Cost: Free, provided you have a national parks pass.
Access: approx. 2.5-3 hours driving north-east of Hobart
Details: Ideally you need a few days here. The gateway town to Freycinet National Park is Coles Bay, and this is where you will find accommodation.

Coles Bay has loads of fantastic things to offer, the beaches are gorgeous and a great place to spend a day or so soaking up the sunshine. For more active people, Freycinet Adventures offer awesome Sea Kayaking tours, but also offer kayak rentals.

For the seafood lovers, approximately 10 km out of Coles Bay centre, is Freycinet Marine Farm where you can buy fresh oysters, scallops, mussels or abalone.

Another amazing experience in the area is a scenic flight over the national park. Near the airstrip is a turn off to Friendly Beaches, and there are some of the most pristine white sand beaches you will find. If the swell is right, it’s also a great surf spot.

Just 2 kilometres down the road from the centre of Coles Bay is the entrance to Freycinet National Park. In the park are many more amazing bays and beaches (such as Honeymoon Bay and Sleepy Bay), Cape Tourville lighthouse and the highlight of the area, access to Wineglass Bay.

Wineglass Bay is an absolutely stunning beach of pristine white sand, crystal clear waters and edged with rocks coated in fiery red lichen. It is an absolute must see for all visitors to Tasmania.

The most common walk to Wineglass Bay, is the Wineglass Bay lookout track. It’s approximately 30 mins walking uphill to the lookout which provides a lovely view of the bay. From this point you can also continue down the other side of the mountain to get access tot he beach itself. Sitting by the beach with a picnic lunch is a good idea. Once there I would recommend strolling along the beach, the far end has less wind and is actually more pleasant.
To return to the carpark you can go back up and over the saddle the way you came, or return via the hazards circuit. Which is also beautiful, but takes a few more hours.

For the best view of Wineglass Bay, the Mt Amos hike (3hour return) is my recommendation, however it is only suitable to people who are very fit and who are seasoned hikers. It is a very challenging track.

For super keen walkers, there are also multi-day hikes in the area.

In terms of accommodation, if you are travelling with a family then my recommendation is to check out one of Andrea’s places on airbnb (I have a vested interest in Utopia), alternately Iluka Holiday Park has some decent options.

Bicheno

Cost: Free
Access: approx. 3 hours driving north-east of Hobart
Details: Bicheno is a super cute little town worth visiting. It’s nice to stop by and check out the blow hole and drive along the coast. There are also lovely beaches and a few cute cafes.

If you stay in Bicheno or a neighbouring area overnight, then I would recommend doing a penguin tour. You can see the penguins emerge from the water and visit their burrows. This doesn’t need to be done as a tour, you can also just take yourself down to the shore after dark and wait quietly to see the penguins appear. If you choose to go see the penguins, be sure to remain very still and very silent. You also cannot use any form of lighting. Noises, movement and lights will scare the penguins.

Binalong Bay & The Bay of Fires

Cost: Free
Access: approx. 4.5 hours driving north-east of Hobart
Details: Binalong Bay and the Bay of Fires is an absolutely gorgeous place to visit. The Bay of Fires, along with Wineglass Bay, are the two coastal sites of Tasmania that receive the most national and international publicity.

The beaches are pristine white, barely a soul in sight (except for in the middle of summer). The name Bay of Fires comes from a red lichen that grows on the rocks, so the crystal clear water and pristine white beaches are offset against the fiery red rocks and it looks spectacular!

Central Highlands

Cradle Mountain

Cost: Free (if you want to drive into the park yourself you need a national parks pass, however there is a shuttle bus that runs from the visitor centre)
Access: approx. 5 hours driving from Hobart
Details: Cradle Mountain in the central highlands of Tasmania is a beautiful place. There is such a great range of flora to see, the mountains and lakes are just spectacular.

Within the Cradle Mountain National Park there are loads of short and long walks that you can do, I can’t recall the names of them all. Some are close to the lodge and visitor centre, other are deeper into the park. This is another place where you really need to stay a few days to get the most out of your visit.

At an absolute bare minimum I would suggest doing the Dove Lake Circuit. Though with enough time Marion’s Lookout and potentially even climbing to the peak of Cradle Mountain are pretty awesome. Lake Oberon is another walk that I believe to be spectacular, but have never got around to doing.

There are also multi-day hikes available for the keen hikers.

For accommodation there are limited options and most are very expensive. The cheapest option is the Discovery Holiday Park. They have tent sites, dorms and cabins. Be aware that they do close fairly early in the evening, so it is best to advise them in advance if you may arrive after closing time and they will give you an option for key collection.

Cradle Mountain Canyons

Cost: $105 – $210
Access: approx. 5 hours driving from Hobart
Details: Another highly recommended activity for the keen adventurer is Canyoning. Cradle Mountain Canyons offer three canyoning tours, Dove Canyon, The Lost World Canyon and Machinery Creek.

You need to be fairly fit and fairly brave to participate in these tours, they include swimming, abseiling, jumping from rocks and in some cases you get to use natural waterslides.

They are full day tours with lunch provided, and are 100% worth it! I did the Dove Canyon tour a few years ago and absolutely LOVED every second of it!!

Mole Creek Caves

Cost: $19
Access: approx. 4 hours driving from Hobart
Details: Mole Creek Caves are definitely worth a visit and have a brilliant showcase of rock formations, stalactites and stalagmites. I am always torn between King Solomons Cave and Marakoopa Cave.

When choosing between the two cave tours, I simplify it down to the fact that Marakoopa Cave has glow worms and King Solomons Cave has more elaborate formations. They are equally amazing to see, but it depends on what you are after as to which one you would prefer to see.

Recommended Itinerary

My recommended itinerary is a fairly vague road trip, but I would recommend at least 9 days or more to do it in. I would also add time at the start or end to see Hobart and surrounds.

Starting from Hobart, head North on the Midlands Highway turning off at Melton Mowbray pub to drive the highway through the Great Lakes.

Make sure to stop at various scenic lookouts, all of which are amazing. Take the turn off to Liffey Falls and do the short walk in to see them. The falls aren’t massive but they are beautiful and it’s a great interruption to the long drive.

Continue along the highway in the direction of Deloraine, stop there for some lunch at the Red cafe, they have nice pizza.

Head from Deloraine to Mole Creek to do a cave tour, before continuing on to Cradle Mountain.

Spend a few days at Cradle Mountain, see notes above for ideas. Depart Cradle and head to Launceston, to visit the various sites and go zip-lining. You may need to spend a night in Launceston.

From Launceston head towards the East Coast via the Tasman Highway aiming to get to St Helens/Binalong Bay. Spend a night in the area in order to see the beaches, before heading south along the Tasman Highway towards Freycinet National Park. You could possibly stop in Bicheno for a night on the way.

Book in to some accommodation in Coles Bay for a few nights to enjoy the absolutely stunning beaches and walks in the area.

From here I normally head back to Hobart, but you could also head to Port Arthur for a night or two before heading to Hobart. On the trip down, I would recommend a few stops for food/drink.
Stop 1: Devil’s Corner Vineyard. At the cellar door is a look out tower, some food options (Tombolo make delicious pizza!!), and some fantastic local wine. The wine is my favourite part at this particular location. The deck on the eastern side has a beautiful view and is a relaxing spot to sit and soak up the sun.
Stop 2: Kate’s Berry farm, the turn off is on the right, shortly after passing through Swansea. Kate makes the most delicious berry ice creams and berry pies. I stop here EVERY time I drive past.
Stop 3: In the small town of Orford, on the left on the southern side of the bridge is a restaurant called Scorchers. They have a pretty tasty Wallaby Salami and Brie pizza which I can recommend. As of December 2015 it is under new ownership, so I am hoping the standard of pizza is maintained.

Things to Note

Most Tasmanian’s pride themselves on the cleanliness of our state, please be respectful of this, use recyclable bags, recycle what trash you can and don’t litter. You will frequently see this slogan:
“Take only photographs, leave only footprints”
Please keep our state clean and tidy.

In reference to cleanliness and being as eco-friendly as possible, many supermarkets don’t provide plastic shopping bags, so please bring your own bags, or be prepared to pay for one at the store.

We also care greatly for our wildlife, please be respectful. Drive slowly on our roads and keep your eyes open for animals. If you are out walking and see animals, keep quiet and keep a respectful distance, do not try to pat or feed the wildlife.

Jaffa, the Old City

Street Art

Neve Tzedek

Rothschild Boulevard & Dezignoff Street

Carmel Market

The Nitty Gritty

Transport

Accommodation

Kerak Castle

Dead Sea

Amman Citadel & Roman Forum

Jerash

Amman Downtown

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Petra by Night

Visiting Jordan

Wadi Rum Desert

Camel Riding for Sunset

Jeep Safari

Quad Biking

Snorkeling

Abu Simbel Temple

Philae Temple

Edfu Temple

Hot Air Ballooning

Valley of the Kings

Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple

Karnak Temple

The Pyramids of Giza

Cairo Museum

Mohammed Ali Mosque

Cairo Markets

Pyramid Light and Sound Show

The Offer

Promotional Sales Period

Getting To Tassie

Flying

Sailing

Getting Around

Communication

Hobart

Mt Wellington

MONA

Salamanca Market

Mountain Biking Mt Wellington

Eating and Drinking in the city

Some of my favourite dinner options:

Some of my favourite breakfast (and coffee) options:

Greater Hobart

Bonorong Park

Pennicott Wilderness Journeys

Port Arthur Historic Site

Tasman Peninsula

Mt Field National Park

Gordon Dam Abseiling

Bruny Island

Tahune Air Walk

Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs

Launceston

Cataract Gorge

Platypus House

Seahorse World

Hollybank Treetops Adventure

East Coast

Freycinet National Park

Bicheno

Binalong Bay & The Bay of Fires

Central Highlands

Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain Canyons

Mole Creek Caves

Recommended Itinerary

Things to Note

I wish you happy travels!

Explore the world with me!

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