As a traveler, I think we all probably have a certain number of continents we want to eventually make it to. For me, I want to hit six out of the seven (sorry Antarctica). Before heading to Sydney, Australia, I had already made it to North America (not just the US, haha), Europe, and Asia. So it was a big deal to knock Australia off my list, which was pretty high at this point.
Sydney has the combination of a big city I really love – it’s a good mix of beach and city life! They have many beautiful beaches and I was lucky enough to stay right across the street from Bondi Beach. I stayed at Hotel Bondi, which is 3-star hotel and much more reasonably priced than I thought it would be. It’s nothing fancy, but the location to the beach can’t be matched. Plus, I found it clean and the bed comfortable enough. The one complaint which can actually be a positive depending on what you like to do at night. Hotel Bondi has a few bars on the ground level that gets a good crowd most nights (weekends especially) and it can get pretty loud at times in the 3 floor hotel. Now, if you looking to join the party and be apart of the noise – this is perfect, you don’t have to go far at all. I did stop down but from what I noticed, it was a pretty young crowd. Not saying I’m old by any means, but if the crowd looks mostly 21-25, it’s hit or miss on how I feel about it.
Getting back to Bondi Beach! It is a huge beach and beautiful. The sand is soft and the women are pretty. If you didn’t know, Aussies very much practice sunbathing to avoid visible tan lines, so that means a lot of women lay out with no tops on. Although, I’ve traveled a good amount, at first this still shocks me. It’s mostly cause in the US you don’t see it nearly as often, but it’s a good shock. Not that you sit there and stare, but as you are walking the beach you’ll notice it.
One of the coolest things about being at Bondi is the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk. Along the way you see such beauty you are almost in awe. The first thing you notice is the famous Bondi Icebergs Pool.
I believe it cost roughly $5-$7 USD to swim there for the day. Or you can just take pictures for your Instagram from outside for free – we are all guilty of this somewhere. I did pay to go swim and found out the pools are not heated, so keep that in mind when you go.
As you continue along the coastal walk you’ll see Tamarama Beach. Believe it or not, has public WiFi outside by the beach. I was floored when I saw this…
Along the walk before you get to Bronte Beach, it looks like the pictures below. Just breathtaking. Be sure to have some type of camera with you – all my photos are taken on an iPhone X.
If you’re anything like me, after a few days of beaching, you need some city action to keep the good times rolling. And Sydney has a lot to see. For the sake of time, I’ll list a few places I think are worth taking a look at.
Circular Quay (key) is a very popular place. It’s pretty close to downtown Sydney and this is the main spot to catch ferries to cool places like Manly Beach, Taronga Zoo, North Sydney and more. It’s also close to other attractions like the beautiful Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and The Rocks. The Opera House is magical because it has multiple outdoor restaurant/bars right next to it and it’s always crowded with people having a good time. You come here to meet up with friends and have drinks by the water, take in the beautiful scenery or have dinner with friends. People are pretty dressed up since a lot of the people going to shows stop here before as well.
Other notable places to checkout: Sydney Tower Eye, Hyde Park, Observatory Hill Park, Potts Point, Kings Cross, Surely Hills and Newton. Each has a different vibe, but either cool restaurants, parks, bars/nightlife or beautiful scenery. I enjoyed my week long stay in Sydney. Melbourne weather was pretty crappy at the time I went, so I decided to skip it this time around. To more adventures in the future!
In closing… More Travel, More Life!
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