The Best of Hotel Decor

I have been lucky enough to stay in some beautiful hotels around the world, which tempt me to spend all my time in their rooms instead of exploring outdoors.  Three stand out as inspirations for my home.

Byron at Byron Resort and Spa
This award-winning resort always makes me feel relaxed as soon as I arrive.  I love the way the outside blends with the inside.  The seamless design features of the louvers in the washroom and walls of windows opening to covered decks subtly allow one to experience the tropical environment.

QT Sydney
This quirky hotel features modern design, but what I enjoyed the most was the washroom.  I loved the feeling of the large, dark stone tiles with the rain shower and hidden drain.  I also think it would be pretty low maintenance for cleaning.

Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo
Attention to detail is what I took away from this retreat in the middle of busy Tokyo.  My favourite element was two chairs, resembling a love seat cut in half, with a feature table in between, as a nice alternative to a window seat or bench at the end of a bed.  It provided an inviting option, when most hotel rooms just offer a bed and desk.

For photo sources click on photos/links.

Word to the Wanderer #1

Marvelling at Aboriginal rock art at Carnarvon Gorge, Australia

What inspires you to travel?  For me, if it scares me, it is usually worth it.  I keep this quote on my desktop to inspire me each day.  Look out for more words to the wanderer to come.

A London Local Tells All

View of London from the Eye

Well surprisingly, I am off to London next week for a little vacation with my boyfriend. It is a long story, as we were meant to be in South East Asia, but I am more than happy with the alternative. After all, London is a special place for us, it is where our relationship began.

Walking home along the canals in Angel

My time in London was divided between Angel (my tiny flat), Bloomsbury (my school), and Notting Hill (my boyfriend’s flat). I am excited to revisit my old stomping grounds and check out my favourite places like these:

My boyfriend and I enjoying Notting Hill Carnival

Angel
The Breakfast Club: Funky, little spot for the British breaky.
Ottolenghi: A staple London café.
Jamie’s Italian: Jamie’s style Italian is so good.
The Duke of Cambridge: Organic gastro pub.
And walking along the canals…

My 25th Birthday at Santo

Notting Hill
Kitchen and Pantry: For a classic British breaky.
Hummingbird Bakery: For red velvet cupcakes!
Ping Pong: Lovely dim sum and ice teas.
Santos: Amazing Mexican food and fun atmosphere.
The Prince Bonaparte: Amazing gastro pub.

Notting Hill Banksy

No trip to London is complete without browsing through the markets. Most days I was surrounded by Portobello Road Market, which was such a treat. But I loved making my way to Borough Market to try all their treats. This time around I want to finally find time to visit Columbia Road Flower Market.

Halloween at Borough Market

I also plan on getting my museum fix. You cannot go wrong with the British Museum, as I still think I have more to discover there. The Tate Modern is an adventure as well. But I have yet to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, which is a must do for me on this trip.

The Rosetta Stone at the British Museum

Parks are a nice retreat in such a busy city. Hyde Park and Regent Park are must dos in London, but I plan on making my way up to Hampstead Heath for the first time.

Walks in London

And, the shopping! Around every corner is an opportunity to shop in London. Oxford Street is the busiest shopping area, so I always try to steer clear of that, opting for a more relaxing time in Covent Garden and Kensington.

My family and I at Gordon’s Wine Bar

Finally, most days in London are filled with tea at places like this and wine at places like this.

The Best of Brisbane

View of Brisbane at night from Mount Coot-tha

Since I first moved to Brisbane about three years ago, a lot has changed here in this modern city. To keep up with demand, there has been an influx of culture and character. New cafes, restaurants, and bars are constantly popping up, with markets as a great supplement. However, shopping and cultural institutions leave something to be desired. So here are some of my favourite places around Brisbane.

Australian rocky road towers at Eagle Farm Markets

Eat
When getting to know any city I usually find it best to check out the best cafes, restaurants, and bars around. Below are the best cheap to mid priced eats, but be aware that service is not a strong point for most Brisbane establishments.
Breakfast/Brunch
Pawpaw Café – Woolloongabba: Love the subtle twist on traditional breakfasts.
The Burrow – West End: Could sit here all day and keep ordering all the yummy drinks and food.
Au Cirque – New Farm: French twist breakfasts.
Lunch
Felix Espresso and Wine Bar – CBD: For a healthy lunch.
Three Monkeys Coffee and Tea House – West End: Best chai tea in the city!
Happy Little Dumplings – New Farm: Best dumplings in the city, they have multiple locations as well.
Dinner
Gerard’s Bistro – New Farm: Amazing sharing plates inspired by Southern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Beccofino – Teneriffe: Best Italian food in the city, just go early or late to get a table, no reservations.
Green Papaya – Woolloongabba: Best Thai food in the city.
Harajuku Gyoza – Fortitude Valley: Great atmosphere, plus the dessert gyoza is worth trying.
Wagaya – Fortitude Valley: Quality Japanese food, all ordered from the touch screen at the table.
Quan Thanh – West End: Best Vietnamese food in the city
Drink
Riverbar and Kitchen – CBD: Best patio overlooking the Brisbane River.
Alfred and Constance – Fortitude Valley: Funky atmosphere with yummy cocktail jugs.
Super Whatnot – CBD: Lane way post work week drinks.

Past exhibition at GOMA

Shop
Unlike most cities, Brisbane lacks high street shopping. So for the one stop shop, Queen Street Mall in the CBD is the best bet. Brand name shops include Seed Heritage, Witchery, Country Road, French Connection, and Topshop, along with high-end department stores like Myer and David Jones. I have also become a huge fan of Target lately, mainly for its stylish, affordable women’s fashion. But my favourite, little discovery is Daiso, on the top-level of the Myer Centre, it is basically a Japanese dollar store, and if you have been to Japan, you know it is not your average dollar store.
For boutique shopping, be aware of high prices and bad service, so window shopping is the best bet in areas like Paddington and James Street.  But head to Woolloongabba for the best antique centre in the city, treasures of all sorts are to be found there.

Giant watermelon at Brisbane Markets

Markets
The large amount of markets in South East Queensland makes Brisbane unique. The best quality and most affordable produce, along with yummy street eats are found at these markets.
Eagle Farm Markets – Sunday morning: Best all round experience.
Queen Street Markets – Wednesday all day: Mid week pick me up.
Eat Street Markets (Portside) – Friday and Saturday evening: Something different for a date night.
Davies Park Markets (West End) – Saturday morning: Best atmosphere.
But I am excited to try the new Boundary Street Markets.

Past exhibition at GOMA

Art
Brisbane still has a way to go to catch up with world-renowned cultural institutions, but a few stand out as nice retreats on hot, humid days. The Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), in the South Bank Cultural Precinct, always has interesting exhibitions and features leading technology. Neighbouring GOMA is the State Library of Queensland, offering free Internet and quiet hideaways overlooking the Brisbane River. A local favourite is the Museum of Brisbane, with its newly renovated, contemporary space above Brisbane City Hall.

Family at Eat Street Markets

Get ‘Cast Away’ in Fiji

One of the many beaches to discover on Matamanoa Island

A little while ago (November) my boyfriend and I vacationed in Fiji.  Both of us are more so the adventure travel type, but we always wanted to try the South Pacific islands, even though most days are usually spent on the beach, reading a book, rather than hiking and exploring local markets.  However, as one would expect, we loved the relaxing vacation that Fiji offered, and would love to go back and explore more of the islands.  Here are a few things to consider when travelling to Fiji.

Matamanoa Island Resort

Stay
We spent five nights at Matamanoa Island Resort, which was the perfect amount of time.  We choose this resort for its recommended, beautiful location in the Mamanuca Islands, which are just over an hour ferry from Nadi.  Side note, ‘Cast Away’ was filmed on one of the uninhabited islands here.

Inside our bure

We stayed in a beachfront bure (Fijian for hut), which was a bit dated, but impeccably cleaned.  The fresh hibiscus and frangipani flowers throughout the room were lovely additions each day.

The view from our bure

One of the best aspects of the resort was the staff.  They were very friendly, greeting us with song, shell necklaces, and local cocktails.  We also really enjoyed the acoustic songs and activities every night.  But the kava (South Pacific drink with sedative and anesthetic properties) was an acquired taste.

My daily essentials

Ultimately, the resort offered anything you could want from a resort.  It is an adult only resort, with a restaurant, spa, and many activities.

Our new friends preparing fresh coconuts for us

Do
The spa is like a tree house on the edge of a tropical island, so I definitely had a massage there.  And the complimentary foot ritual was nice too.

View from the highest point of Matamanoa Island

We tried to do at least one activity a day, some were complimentary and some were extra.  The fishing activities were not so good, as they were understaffed in that department.  But the hike to the highest point on the island, snorkelling in front of our bure, and coconut harvesting were great additions to our days.  We also took part in the ‘Cast Away’ Island tour, where our guide showed us the various filming locations, but the real highlight was snorkelling off that famous beach.

Snorkelling off of the ‘Cast Away’ Island beach

Eat
We didn’t book a meal package, as we didn’t think we would eat all the food they were offering, and it was more affordable not to.  But the food was amazing.  The menu changed everyday and I tried to have the local seafood everyday.

Pre dinner drinks outside our bure

We also stocked up on duty-free wine at the airport and snacks at the marina to keep us satisfied in our down time.

Go
We flew into Nadi, took a taxi from the airport to Denarau Marina, and got the first ferry with South Sea Cruises to Matamanoa Island.  The ferry operates two return trips daily, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  The trip takes just over an hour, but be ready to get your feet wet.  In the absence of docks, local aluminium boats met the ferry, as our luggage and us were loaded on for the short journey to the beach landing.

The ‘Cast Away’ Island

Nadi
We spent our last night in Nadi, to make it easier to catch our flight home.  We stayed at one of the big resorts on Denarau Island, which was a complete different experience from our lovely island getaway, and not in a good way.  To get the local experience we craved, we had dinner at Bounty Restaurant and Bar, which was a great local find.  On our last day we hit the markets, but the local markets were hard to find, most catered to just tourists.  However, when we stumbled upon the local produce market, we were amazed by all the kava.  While in Nadi, taxis made it easy to get around, as the drivers were really friendly and helpful.

Sunset from Matamanoa Island Resort