I had been wanting to visit the picturesque Hungarian capital, Budapest, for quite some time. Originally two separate cities bisected by the Danube River – Buda on the western side and Pest on the eastern -, it has been unified since 1873, and is today home to nearly 2 million people. Many tourists tend to … More Travel memories: 2 days in Budapest
You’ve no doubt heard of New York, and you’ve probably also heard of York in England. But have you heard of York, the oldest inland town in Western Australia? Situated 97 km (65 miles) east of Perth, in what is known as the Wheatbelt region, York has a population just shy of 2,500, and is … More Travel memories: York day trip from Perth
This is an older, narrative-style post on how I spent 4 days in Rome. I hope it can still be of use in helping you get an idea of how you can build your own itinerary when visiting the Eternal City. Arrival and general impressions of Rome It’s fair to say my 4 days in … More Travel memories: 4 days in Rome
I feel I should preface this post by saying that it is going to be far from a detailed destination guide to Melbourne, as I have always gone there for a specific purpose. As a big tennis fan, my main motivation was the Australian Open, which I attended every January from 2002 to 2015 (except … More Travel memories: Melbourne
At one point I thought I may not even make it to Beijing, given the debacle we had flying in there. What was supposed to be a 2-hour flight from Shanghai saw us on the plane for 7 hours – 5 of which were spent sitting on the tarmac at Shanghai airport with no idea … More Travel memories: Beijing
China is one of those countries you hear so much about on the news, especially here in Australia. It is a global economic powerhouse, a heavyweight in manufacturing and trade with countries all over the world. And I must admit I had been intrigued by it for quite some time. So when an opportunity came … More Travel memories: What to see in Shanghai
‘And the winner is… Sydney!’ For those unaware, these were the words uttered by the president of the International Olympic Committee, the late Juan Antonio Samaranch, in 1993 as he announced which city would be hosting the 2000 Olympics. They became extremely iconic words for all Australians, and, for the rest of the 1990s, excitement … More Travel memories: What to see in Sydney
There are a couple of reasons why Los Angeles feels a bit like a second home to me. On the one hand, the sunny climate and beach lifestyle is not all that dissimilar to the way of life in my hometown of Perth, Western Australia. I indeed often comment on the ‘Californian’ nature of some … More Travel memories: Los Angeles
I have noticed that many non-Americans who visit the USA as tourists tend to stick with the two coasts. They will generally have visited Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas in the west, and New York and Florida in the east. Perhaps even somewhere like New Orleans in the south. But ask them if … More Travel memories: What to see in Chicago
Despite having been born and raised in Perth, I am embarrassed to say I had never been to this popular south-west region prior to this trip (it’s a 3-hour drive each way). So my friends and I decided to put this right and go for the day. Many people of course spend several days down … More Travel memories: Australia’s south-west
