Hi.
Welcome to my blog. I document my adventures in travel, style, and food. Hope you have a nice stay!
Welcome to my blog. I document my adventures in travel, style, and food. Hope you have a nice stay!
I traveled to Amsterdam at the end of August for a few days, and it was the perfect choice for a calm city break. The city offers a wonderful mix of shopping, scenic walks along the canals, and cycling through charming neighborhoods. However, while cycling on a tandem bike initially seemed fun, it turned out to be more terrifying than enjoyable—I'd suggest opting for a regular bike instead. One of the highlights of my trip was a boat cruise around the city, where I passed through the iconic row of seven bridges, providing a serene contrast to the excitement of cycling.
I stayed at Soho House Amsterdam, located just a few tram stops from Amsterdam Central Station, on the edge of the Singel canal. The hotel is housed in The Bungehuis, a beautiful 1930s Art Deco building. We stayed in a Small room, which, despite its name, was spacious and filled with natural light. The room featured large windows, a compact Art Deco-inspired seating area, and monochromatic textiles that perfectly reflected the hotel's stylish ambiance.
The highlight of the hotel was its stunning rooftop terrace and pool, offering breathtaking views over Spuistraat. The service was superb, and the staff were exceptionally friendly. During my visit, I indulged in the unmissable waffles at Van Wonderen and enjoyed a hearty brunch at Greenwood, which offered delicious food and a lovely view of the Singel canal. For dinner, I dined at Sea Palace, a large floating restaurant near Amsterdam Central Station, where the food was absolutely stunning.
I took the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris, and the journey was smooth and hassle-free. One of the key advantages of traveling by train is the freedom from liquid restrictions and the significantly shorter wait times compared to flying.
I spent four days in Paris to attend the Olympics, with a focus on the athletics events. I purchased a four-day travel card on my phone, which made it easy to get around from our Airbnb. The athletics took place at the Stade de France, where the atmosphere was electric. Spectators proudly waved flags and cheered passionately for the athletes. A word of caution—the upper seats in the stadium are incredibly high!
During my stay, I also visited Soho House Paris for dinner, and the giant profiterole there was an absolute delight.
Soho House New York
Day 1 - Arriving in NYC
We departed London Heathrow at 12:55 and we landed in NYC at 4:10pm. Dinner was booked for 8:30pm and we just about made this booking as we picked up an Uber from John F Kennedy to the Soho House New York hotel. The traffic is very bad.
A day of exploring! We had breakfast at WILD (the NYC branch). I had fruit and pancake - it was super tasty. The decor was wholesome; their hashtag is #EATDRINKWILD (www.eatdrinkwild.com). We then walked to Dumbo crossing the Manhattan Bridge (we may have gotten a little lost). We visited Dumbo House, the Timeout market, where there was local sellers and the coffee place Butler.
We started the day off making our way to Ellen Stardust Diner. I had read Monday morning would be the best time to go as it was first come first serve. We ended up waiting approximately 45 minutes. There was also a souvenir shop close by we popped in there to pass some time.
After enjoying our time at the Diner (it did feel rushed), we made our way to the Rockefeller Tree and Ice Rink. Thankfully, I picked up ice skating quick enough to enjoy my time. A bonus was there were two proposals which were super sweet and romantic!
We then headed to Lotte New York Palace (a gossip girl destination where Serena stays). There was a gold and red Christmas Tree. We walked to Bryant Christmas market for dinner! Very Christmassy!
We walked into town, where we found Andrews Diner near Times Square. I had an American Omelette; it was great as it set me up for the day.
We ventured into Central Park and enjoyed the sun. Next, we went to Pier 78 to catch the ferry to tour the Statue of Liberty & Brooklyn Bridge. (we booked via getyourguide.com).
In the evening, we watched Moulin Rouge. The stage settings were creative - the cast were great.
In November 2019 I went to Salon64 in Soho, London UK for my full head of highlights, and in the magazine, I was reading I came across a Hugo Boss advert featuring Chris Hemsworth and thought of my Australian friend. On the 4th March, I was at London Heathrow boarding a British Airways plane to Brisbane Australia by myself. My mini-adventure began...
Days 1 to 3
The first few days I spent exploring Brisbane. I visited the Stanton Cafe for a latte, walked through the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, The University of Brisbane campus, Dry Dock, and the floral archways. The second day, I took a photo of the Brisbane sign, passed the Wheel of Brisbane, and walked alongside the Brisbane River. On the third day, Kim and I went for a hike on Mount Glorious. This was an adventure - to visit the waterfall we had to hike down a steep hill and a rocky stream. Once we arrived we cracked open a bottle of wine, had some bread and Haribos.
Days 4 to 7 Day
I traveled to the Airlie Beach on the Whitsunday Islands and stayed in an apartment at the Pinnacle Resort. The first night I had dinner at the Anchor Bar Airlie Beach, the food was lovely. The next day I went on an Ocean Rafting experience to Hamilton Beach, the sand was AMAZING and I was lucky to see a turtle swimming by which also reminded me of Crush from Nemo! I also ate a traditional Australian Lamington, yum. After such an adventurous day I ate cheese, wine and crackers.
Day 8 & 9
Last night my friend drove us to Cobbs Harbour, New South Wales. I visited The Big Banana, the Woolgoolga Headland, Woolgoolga beach, and Korora Lookout. I saw wild Kangaroos and joeys feet. We drove back to Brisbane and had a chilled night in.
Day 10
We visited the Lone Koala Pine Sanctuary where I got the opportunity to hold a Koala. They are super cute and light. There is even a retirement home for them there. In the evening we ventured to Mr Percivals to have cocktails on the Brisbane River. This was an amazing last night in Australia.
