Positano – The Popular Holiday Destination On Italy’s Beautiful Amalfi Coast

Positano – The Popular Holiday Destination On Italy’s Beautiful Amalfi Coast

by | Nov 20, 2016 | Italy

If you know anyone who has travelled around Europe then chances are you have heard of Positano. And like us, heard tales of amazement & awe. Well we are here to offer you an exaggeration free, more realistic version so you can make a properly informed decision.

We visited Positano during mid-September, when the peak season is supposedly waning. If possible, we would advise leaving a two day space to visit – hopefully ensuring you get at least one day of perfect mediterranean summer weather.

The town of Positano, despite being one of the larger towns along the Amalfi Coast, was surprisingly small. First up, there is almost no parking in the town, so whether you came by coach or drove yourself, expect a long walk along the side of the road. Hopefully the coach drivers can drop you off closer to the town. Like everywhere else, the earlier you can get up, the closer you can park close to the town. Our late rise on our first attempt to visit Positano beach meant we were a 3 kilometre walk from the beach… On a 35 degree day!

Once you actually reach the town of Positano you quickly realise a few things. Firstly, it seems there are 100,000 tourists in a town for 3,000. And where there are tourists there are overpriced restaurants & vendors.

The second, and most disappointing realisation, is that the beaches are very average. Coming from Australia where we have an abundance of pristine white sand beaches really made us wonder what all the fuss was about here. The beaches are wholly pebble and private beaches dominate the waterfront. You’ll see hundreds of metres of umbrellas with deckchairs sitting empty whilst the minimum public beach is filled with beachgoers.

 

If you are interested in the private beaches, you can use the umbrellas and deckchairs for 10€ per person per half day.

We really were astounded at how little of the waterfront was designated as public beach. And if you stray across the designated boundaries you will be shouted at by one of the many 60 year old walruses that guard their territory like a wild animal… Whilst there are a few more secluded beaches further from the town you’re looking at more walking or even hiking to get to them.

But despite all the negatives described above it was still difficult to not enjoy ourselves in Positano. The weather was amazing & the beach was clean. The water was warm, about 25 degrees for the time we spent here. We managed to find a reasonably priced cafe close to the waterfront to enjoy some food & a few beers.

It really is a postcard perfect town. Everywhere you look are amazing photo opportunities, even as you walk along the side of the road. Whether you’re looking back up the cliffs from the beach front or out to sea. Make sure you take your good camera along regardless of how far you have to carry it – you will certainly regret it if you don’t.

Whilst accommodation is very expensive in the area, we found that staying in nearby Sorrento was much cheaper and only a 20-30 minute drive to Positano. Ultimately, all to see & do in Positano can easily be done in a day and for us, the overwhelming numbers of tourists certainly diminish the experience. We had planned to come back for a second day but opted not to, and frankly, I don’t think we missed out on much at all.

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Packing – the little things…

Packing – the little things…

by | Oct 20, 2016 | Tips and Advice

Packing – The Little Things

You’ve had the countdown timer ticking away for a while now and the day of reckoning has finally arrived. Don’t let overlooked items put a dampener on your adventure or an additional expense, this money has far better uses.

Aside from the obvious destination specific items (hopefully you’re not going to forget your swimwear for a beach holiday… well at least not accidentally forget), health and personal preferences here are a few additional items we have found to help make travelling that little bit more relaxing.

Bottled water: Now that we have to deal with more stringent security checks, taking a bottle of water through security is impossible. Thankfully, taking an empty bottle through the check is fine and every airport we have visited has facilities to fill your bottle afterwards. Sipping water regularly helps combat dehydration caused by the reduced humidity in the cabin. If you need your bottle filled don’t hesitate to ask a flight attendant to fill it for you. And with the prices most airports & airlines charge, why wouldn’t you?!

Baby wipes are a low cost item that has come in handy more often than we care to elaborate on, and we don’t even have a baby! Eating something sticky and can’t escape easily to the lavatory? Or want to use your nice clean tablet/laptop without smudging all over the screen?

They are inexpensive and easily substitute for a makeup remover among other things.

Regardless of whether you’re a germophobe or not, hand sanitizers are also a good idea, especially in less developed countries.

First Aid items should also not be overlooked completely. Whilst you can’t really take a defibrillator along with you, the basics should be readily accessible to avoid losing time or opportunities. Pack some painkillers and at least some bandaids & disinfectant.

We have lost count of the times having a few bandaids & painkillers has saved us from missing a day of adventuring from blisters or a bad headache.

If you’re planning to do a lot of walking, you might want to pack a small container of moisturiser that will soothe your poor feet after a long day and also help with those blisters! Having moisturiser handy also helps during the flight, you lose a lot of moisture from your skin.

Packing a plastic bag or two into your bag is a great idea. Plastic bags have an uncanny way of being both useful and hard to find when you need one. Roll them up and they won’t consume any space and we guarantee you will find a use for one at some stage of your trip. Packing dirty clothes or wet shoes with clean clothes is more than enough to ruin a day.

Sunscreen is another inexpensive item that we have been guilty of leaving behind for conveniences sake. Pack some even if your destination isn’t sunny – you can just as easily get sunburn from the reflection of snow, ice or water.

We found sunscreen impossible to buy for a reasonable price in Italy during summer, street vendors were asking 15 euros for a 200mL bottle and the supermarkets & pharmacies didn’t stock it!! We managed to survive without it but life would have been much easier with some.

Ladies make sure you bring a scarf (or wear a t-shirt/jumper) to cover your shoulders if you’re going to visit churches. We had to return to the Vatican City on a different day to visit the Sistine Chapel because someone forgot to wear clothing that covered her shoulders!!

Almost all churches have this restriction on entry, and it applies to men aswell, so no singlets or flipflops.

Consider packing a satchel bag or backpack for your holiday. Convenient for day trips and prevents you from loading everything in your pockets. If you’re heading to a crime hotspot, there are excellent options that will prevent pickpocketing and deter theives.

Electronics are essential these days. To keep in contact with the outside world, share photos and have access to information. We invested in a pair of power packs that we keep charged in case we are unable to charge our devices when required. Very handy and take up very little space – there are some truly ingenious options out there if you care to spend a little more.

In addition to the power packs, we upgraded our car charger for the road & camping trips we have planned. We spent about 25 euros on the car charger to enable us to charge two USB devices at once at up to 2.4A. Easily charges mobile phones & small electronic devices.

One last and not essential item: If you love to enjoy a glass of wine or two while watching the sunset on the beach during your roadtrip you might also want to consider taking a corkscrew.

Plan ahead, be prepared and most importantly – have a great trip!

 

Melbourne

Melbourne

by | Oct 20, 2016 | Melbourne

It hasn’t been voted the world’s most liveable city for the past 6 years for no good reason. And this doesn’t just relate to the permanent residents of the city, it is an amazing blend of culture, food, scenery & shopping! All the best things you could hope for as a tourist. The only slight negative is that it is an Australian city, and this means it is a little more expensive than other destinations. But it is comparably cheaper than other major Australian cities.

Restaurants, Cafes & Bars

Melbourne has an impressive bar & cafe scene, a collective of all the various cultures and backgrounds that make up the populace. The multitude of small destinations make it impossible to pick a favourite – all we can do is recommend a good bit of bar hopping during your time here. And don’t feel restricted to only heading out over the weekend, most places are open late 7 days a week.

Spend at least a meal or two dining along the Yarra riverfront, there is an almost infinite variety spread over the north and south banks. It is picturesque all hours of the day & evening and affords you an excellent view of the city. I would also advise an evening at Young & Jackson Hotel, the building itself is over 150 years old and it has been a pub for the majority of that, a little piece of Australian history.

Whilst central Melbourne offers a huge selection of eateries, branching out beyond the CBD is equally as rewarding. The suburb of Carlton in particular boasts probably the foodies paradise of Australia, a seemingly unending strip of restaurants, bars & cafes along Lygon Street. This is an area you must make time for – the prices are very reasonable (by Australian standards) and the food & service excellent!

Sports

Melbourne is the sporting home of Australia and is among the top sporting cities in the world (previously taken this title for 2006, 2008 & 2010 to date). You’d almost be correct in calling it the religion of the city. Whatever sport takes your fancy, chances are you can find it during the year at one of the many amazing stadiums around the city. For those who are interested, there are many tour companies who cater to your tastes. Alternatively, many of the stadiums are well within walking distance of the CBD.

What time of the year you visit will dictate the sports on offer but year round there is an excellent variety! Please check the comprehensive Victorian sports listing at visitvictoria.com for an up to date list. I’ve prepared a schedule of the bigger sporting events and their regular dates to check yours against.

If you are in town during March – September then you should catch a game of AFL at the MCG or Etihad Stadium. It is only played competitively in Australia and offers something vastly different to other sports, think a cross between soccer & rugby.

The other sporting must do is a day at the horse races. Between Flemington & Caulfield racetracks most weekends are covered from Spring until Autumn, so maybe pack attire more fancy than boardshorts, singlets & flipflops!

Throughout the year there are numerous other world class events, including Formula 1 racing, PGA golf tournaments, football (or soccer) games, the Australian Open tennis championship & much more.

Arts & Culture

Melbourne certainly discerns itself from other Australian cities in this area. There are multiple public galleries (entry fee payable of course!) around the CBD. Our favourite gallery would have to NGV International Gallery, located in Southbank – you will most likely pass it (you CANNOT miss it, it’s HUGE) if you are exploring Melbournes CBD. It boasted an impressive collection for a pair of art amateurs and we certainly enjoyed our time here.

Melbourne offers several other public galleries, get the comprehensive list here, but we didn’t have the time to check them all out!

Beyond the public galleries, Melbourne also offers an unprecedented (we haven’t come across anything similar in our travels!) street art scene. Whilst you can take a tour (see here), it is quite expensive at AU$69 and if you aren’t that fazed, I would recommend stopping by Union Lane to check out the most extensive work for free!

Whilst not something we regularly partake in, Melbourne does offer theatre, musicals & other performing arts on a regular basis. There is plenty of information on what’s on in the Visit Victoria pages.

Scenery

All the amateur photographers out there needn’t leave their cameras behind. Whilst it doesn’t boast the picturesque, white sand beaches of many Australian destinations (nor the climate to get the swimming gear out of the closet all that often!) it does offer plenty of photo opportunities.

Whether it be the cityscape or looking down the Yarra River it is very visually appealling, particularly when well illuminated late into the night. By day there are many manicured parks & gardens to explore well inside the city limits.

Getting a view of the city can be done by heading to Eureka Tower in Southbank. The entry fee of AU$20 (please check current pricing here) gets you up amongst the clouds and a 360 degree view of the city. The tower is open until 10pm at night, so consider visiting at dusk to view the city in the last light of day and by dark!

Whilst not taking you as high as the Eureka Tower, the Melbourne Star (Melbourne’s equivalent of the London Eye) offers you a look over the CBD and ocean whilst putting on a pretty impressive light show. We did find it a little difficult to get to using the tram service, so allow some time if you plan to check this out.

General

Inside the CBD, Melbourne offers a FREE tram service. The trams run frequently and all over the CBD area so take advantage of this where possible (see here for the map).

THE CARLTON BREWERY: This didn’t really fit in under any of the categories but we feel it needs a mention. Taking the tour was really a highlight and we would recommend it to everyone with even a slight interest in beer. The tour cost is somewhat subsidised with a cold beer on completion & the lunch menu was decent too!

 

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Nacula Island, Fiji

Nacula Island, Fiji

by | Aug 20, 2016 | Fiji

Situated off the coast of Viti Levu, close to the capital Nadi is one of the most picturesque island chains in the world. The various islands that make up the Yasawa chain offer something for every traveller, from budget dorm style accommodation to private resorts. So there are options for every traveller!

For an additional charge the resort also offers a trip out to Turtle Island, made famous as the setting for the movie ‘Blue Lagoon’. I’ve never seen the movie (nor intend to) but the sound of a boat ride and cave diving was too tempting. This is definitely worth doing. Swimming underwater through passageways and the eerie glow of the water in the dark are great fun. If you aren’t confident around water this might be one to skip – but for everyone else, jump on board.

 

The resort offers varying activities each evening to keep things interesting but other than the Turtle Island diving the resort doesn’t offer anything significantly different to other Fijian destinations. Whilst it is an amazing destination if you need to do more than relaxing and enjoying life on Fiji time then Nacula Island probably isn’t for you.

For my stay, I was at Nacula Island (the most distant of the resorts by ferry) and stayed at the Blue Lagoon Beach Resort. Nacula Island offers beautiful white sand beaches & crystal clear waters. Perfect for swimming, sunning and enjoying a drink or five. And the accommodation & facilities are spacious & modern.

 

First up, the ferry – it took a good 4 or 5 hours to reach Nacula Island from Denarau Port, Nadi and I can imagine the ride can be pretty hairy at times. For my trip the seas were relatively tame and there were more red faces than green. I took the Yasawa Flyer, you can get an idea of pricing here, some resorts include it but it is rather costly (http://www.awesomefiji.com/transfers/)

There is some amazing scenery as you head around the various islands and a great experience all round, especially getting opinions from other tourists who are finishing up their stays at other resorts. As an added safety precaution, I would put valuable items in a sealed bag of some sort – transferring from the ferry to the smaller dinghies to take you to your resort is a bit messy – you would prefer to err on the side of caution and not damage electronics & valuables.

 

The Blue Lagoon Resort is perfect for rest & relaxation, especially for couples. When I was here about 95% of holiday makers were couples, and a good portion of those were honeymooning. So if you’re a single traveller I might suggest trying one of the more party oriented islands.

The resort offers snorkelling and diving trips, however the snorkelling opportunities at the resort are limited. I tried along the resort beachfront to no avail. Once a week the staff offer a walk to the top of the island to take in the surrounding scenery – it is definitely worth doing if you can sign up for it. Not only is the scenery amazing but it also gives you the chance to burn off some of the calories from all the cocktails! The walk takes about 4 hours and gives some great photo opportunities.

 

Sigatoka, Viti Levu, Fiji

Sigatoka, Viti Levu, Fiji

by | Aug 20, 2016 | Fiji

Located a two hour drive from Nadi, the capital of Fiji, on the main island of Viti Levu. We stayed at Namuka Bay Resort during our time here – it is remote but it is perfect. The resort offers waterfront villas, all meals as a package and for all the beachfront, only has 15 or so rooms. Did I mention it is also VERY AFFORDABLE, our double villa cost about AU$600 for 8 nights. If you want to relax and unwind then this is the place for you.

The beachfront here forms a part of the aptly named ‘Coral Coast’, where the crystal clear waters are perfect for snorkelling. The water sits around 25 degrees for most of the year meaning you can walk out for a snorkel instead of a shower before breakfast.

The water here is very sheltered due to the reef about 100 metres offshore and is no more than 1.8 metres deep, so it is suitable for even the most uncertain swimmers.

And while I am on the topic of breakfast, Namuka Bays pricing can include all meals or just breakfast. Due to the isolation, I would advise everyone to take up the all meals, even if you plan to be absent for a few. The food was amazing & they offered varied menu, I can assure you that you will not need any snacks between meals.

If you aren’t content just exploring the seemingly unending reefs & coastline or relaxing then there are plenty of things to see and do in the area. Taxi’s are quite cheap and if you have a lot to do, you can hire one for a whole day for about AU$35.

Sigatoka has some great offerings as well. I did the jet boat safari but you can do it on quad bikes if you would prefer. I thoroughly enjoyed the jet boat ride and the scenery was excellent – make sure to pack a waterproof camera for the day (see here for their website).

I would also recommend checking out the Kula Eco Park to catch a glimpse of the wildlife you won’t normally encounter in your travels. It is a little bit dated in some areas but being able to handle turtles, snakes & lizards was great fun.

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