Bay Of India

Pacific Jewel, Casino and Slot Machines (+playlist)

http://www.youtube.com/v/ZrCVwGIN-rU?version=3&list=UUDJfdTK3TOanBBSJpeaPM9w&showinfo=1&autohide=1&autoplay=1&feature=share&attribution_tag=aSv_6aLPFViREhOzoc6mkQ

Pacific Jewel On Board Entertainment - Art Auction Example (+playlist)

http://www.youtube.com/v/NEuyPPcwoeo?version=3&list=UUDJfdTK3TOanBBSJpeaPM9w&feature=share&showinfo=1&attribution_tag=V3slrYA2AURzl2gQNOlJ0w&autohide=1&autoplay=1

Touring around Masada, Israel overlooking the Dead Sea travel video ( מצ...

Muddy & swimming / floating at the Dead Sea, Israel יָם הַ‏‏מֶּ‏‏לַ‏ח ...

Dal Bhat (दालभात) - Delicious Nepali Food Meal (Motherly Cooked) (+playl...

Eating Dim Sum at Tim Ho Wan Michelin Star Restaurant on the cheap in Ho...

Tour of Yangshuo night life visiting a night market and eating Chinese s...

Bungee Gone Wrong Pentecost Vanuatu

Vanuatu

Jok (โจ๊ก) - Thai Rice Congee at the Market for Breakfast (+playlist)

Indian Desserts in Varanasi (and a Cow Stampede) (+playlist)

Shopping & Eating Malaysian Street Food along Jonker Street Night Market...

Visiting Insadong street (인사동) in Seoul for Korean culture, buying souve...

A tour around Guilin, China at night including night markets, street foo...

India & Pakistan Border Closing Ceremony in Wagah (Border Security Force...

Did we (or did we not) get our Chinese tourist Visa issued in Hong Kong????

Having Afternoon English Style High Tea at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong K...

Ferry boat ride from Macau to Hong Kong, China via HydroFoil TurboJet tr...

Sleeping Pods at airport

                                               Sleeping Pods at airport. - photo from news.com

This is a great idea and should be rolled out throughout all airports. They are a chair that reclines into a bed for if you have a few hours to kill. How many people will sleep in and miss their flight???? Anyway its a great idea. They have only installed 10 but really it should be a feature with plenty available, in my opinion.

Waterbom Park

Waterbom Park is a must see when in Bali. They Have plenty of slides and great ways to get wet. They have lockers but this does cost about $5 US. Entry to the park is also in USD. They have a good system for paying for in park food etc. You get a wristband which you load up with credit, after your finished the unused credit gets refunded to you on exit.
There is a new water park in Kuta. I haven't been there so its worth a net search to find out the details. Apparently its near Pantai Kuta (beach road).

Kecak Monkey Dance

The Kecak monkey dance is performed at Uluwatu. Its performed at dusk and is a must see. About 150 performers make the distinctive chant. I really cant tell you much more as this performance it is pretty unique and hard to describe. Having said that the dance is just simply stunning. You cant go to Bali and not see this, its such a great cultural event.

Matahari Department Store

Located in the main street in Kuta. The store has a great range of cloths, shoes and accessories. The ground floor has souvenirs and traditional dress. They have a perfume section and jewelry. A supermarket is also located on site and a pharmacy. The quality here is far better than you would get at a stall but the prices are a bit higher. Matahari has shops in Denpasar also. Its a must place to see and shop.They do have a website so have a look at that also. They good thing about this store is it has western sizes which are hard to find especially when it comes to shoes in Bali. If you have a size 10 foot or bigger you have to look here or Carrefour.

Carrefour

I love this place. Honest its great. It has a supermarket with great prices, so stock your hotel minibar and buy your food here. They have everything food, cloths, electrical, mobile phones, sim cards, cigarettes even motorcycle helmets. They have the lot and as I said before great prices.  When I get to Bali I usually grab enough from Matahari department store to get me by till I can get to Carrefour. We save a lot shopping here, we always buy a box of bottled water as you cant drink the water in Bali as per the infamous Bali Belly. Cigarettes will cost you $10 Australian dollars a carton for Marlbrough. I grab a tonne of coke and the different kinds of Fanta only available in Bali. I visit this place 6 and 7 times every visit as I just love it and the products they sell, every time you go there you see something different.

Hypermart

This is a great place to shop. At the hyper mart part of DFS Galleria center. You not only have the hypermart but many specialty shops. Hypermart has plenty of cloths, electrical, sim cards, beer, cigarettes and bags etc. Great place to visit a few times and with the product diversity you can gauge what the true cost of things are in Bali.

Discovery Shopping Mall

Great Location in the heart of Kuta. You get all your knock off DVD's and CD's here. You buy 10 get 3 free etc. Dvd's cost about $1 each not including your free movies. They have all the latest releases but the quality is sometimes not the best. Its easy to get taxis out the front. The fast food majors are here so eating is easy. They also have a Starbucks which is the better store than the others in Bali. They have a chemist here where you can buy antibiotics over the counter medications etc. If you get Bali belly stop in here for sure. You can also get Knock off watches that are a bit better in quality than any where else in Bali. If you need a hair cut get it here. Greta Value for money and a Average hair cut. Its about $3 for a mans hair cut. Girls if you want your hair died - Foils washed and Straightened cost about $12. Discovery also has a Marks and Spencer department store. Just to expensive for Bali in my opinion.

Elephant Safari Park

This is without a doubt a great thing to try. They have an elevated platform so getting onto the elephant is easy and safe. Once your up there and start moving it takes a bit to get used to being up so high. The other thing is elephants are hairy and sweaty. I didn't realise how sweaty they become its a bit gross. Its a very pretty area and on the elephant what a great time you have. The park is really well laid out. I went for the hour long safari, if I was doing this again I would only go for the half hour option. The food at the park is sensational. The only drawback is its about an hour from when your picked up till your at the park but hell I had a great time. Its a bit costly but when are you ever going to get the chance to ride an elephant at home.

Market Stalls Bali Indonesia

Market Stalls Bali Indonesia

A typical Market stall in "Poppies Lane 2" Bali Indonesia. At stalls like this you can buy all your knock off gear like T Shirts, Shorts and dresses. You have to bargain for a price as they will try and get $50 a tshirt but you can get them down to $4 or $5 at worst. They start at stupid prices to start with in case its your first time there or your Japanese who are the only ones paying that price. There has been the emergence of some fixed price stalls where you will just pay $4-$5 for a T Shirt without haggling but they take some time to find. Dont buy the first day you arrive unless you know the costs.

16ft Sailing Club Belmont NSW Australia

16ft Sailing Club Belmont NSW Australia

Most probably the best club in the area. The club is full of slot machines of which i dont like. The food is ok but theres better and cheaper around. They really do have great shows on, International and local acts. Someone is doing their job well. Maybe im a stick in the mud but if you have a sailing club you would think you could learn to sail, YOU CANT. Its really about beer and slot machines. If your into that sort of thing you will like the club. They do have awesome views and regattas are held on the lake all the time so its great to sit and watch or walk 50 meters and talk to the crews. Still its worth a visit and make up your own mind.

Christs Church Newcastle Australia (Anglican)

Christs Church Newcastle Australia (Anglican)

This was listed as the number 2 site to see in Newcastle on Tripadvisor. I would say not a big fan of churches but this was mind blowing and a must see. you can even get your name on a paving stone for a $100. I reckon its good value as it is such an unspoilt venue. If your in Newcastle go there its great, only takes half hour but they have people there that are very knowledgable about the history of the church etc.

Lake Macquarie NSW Australia

Lake Macquarie NSW Australia

This is a stunning part of New South Wales Australia. Located about 2 hrs north of Sydney its a great place to visit. The lake has all the usual activities such as boat hire, Fishing, Shark net swimming areas, Jet Skiing  tubing etc. The is plenty of good quality accommodation and great food places to go to.

Ubud Monkey Forrest Bali Indonesia

Ubud Monkey Forrest Bali Indonesia

This is a must see if you are in Bali. To get there takes anything from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours by taxi from kuta. You get to see monkeys running around and coming up to you. You can feed them but be careful as they will snatch your glasses hats and run off with them. The temples inside the monkey forest are absolutely wonderful. You just have to visit this place its a great time.

Newcastle Harbour NSW Australia.

Newcastle Harbour NSW Australia.

The harbour is a must see in Newcastle. There are plenty of options for eating from fine dinning to pizza joints. Most have great views and atmosphere. Minutes from the city beaches with great sand and surf. The harbour caters for the large freight ships and its very interesting to see them go by. Last year a big container ship was blown of course hitting the beach which took so much effort to salvage the ship. After that only in Newcastle, They renamed a street after the ship.

Mcdonalds Australia Price list

Mcdonalds Australia Price list

As people ask how much things cost in Australia I thought i would put up this photo of a mcdonalds menu board to see if this can be a guide for you.

Durian Coffee

Durian Coffee

Its amazing what food combinations are available in different countries. The durian the arch nemesis of Andrew Zimmern combined with coffee. Not a combination i would have thought of. I am yet to try durian. Anthony Bourdaine describes it like french kissing ylur dead grandmother. One things for sure you love it or hate it. I will update after i try it this week. 

Dual Sim Phones and International Travel

Dual Sim Phones and International Travel

On my last trip to Hong Kong I purchased a dual sim phone prior to leaving. I was already on prepaid so i took that sim and also purchased a local sim card. In Hong Kong you pay to receive phone calls, This is also the case with my Australian prepaid sim. The benefit of the dual sim phone with the local card meant if there was an emergency back home it was easier to recharge the phones credit if I needed to call back to Australia for a long call. An example of this would be sickness or death in family or another example would be your car was stolen while you were away. Its much easier to recharge locally than having to use a credit card over the net etc. Its just a consideration for you when travelling, you would need to see what best suits your needs.

Getting around Australian Capital City's

Getting around Australian Capital City's

Unless your staying in the heart of Sydney, Melbourne or the Gold Coast Queensland your going to need car hire. Sydney and Melbourne are well serviced by trains and light rail. The gold coast has buses that will get you around to the fun parks and major shopping centers. An app that gives train bus and ferry timetables is available for iphone and android its called tripview.

Car Hire companies that service the airport are the majors -

http://www.avis.com.au/

http://www.hertz.com.au/ 

http://car-rental.europcar.com.au/car-hire-sydney-airport
http://www.budget.com.au/ 

http://www.thrifty.com.au/ 

I believe all offer GPS as an additional cost but you should check with them directly.

International Travel - Hand luggage

International Travel - Hand luggage

Just so you have an idea in Australia Hand Luggage bags are pretty cheap so you are able to buy extra bags here if you get caught without enough room. The photo was taken at KMART though there are so many bag shops and department stores you should be able to get what you need pretty cheap.

Mobile phones and Inernational Travel

Mobile phones and International Travel

What ever you do, do not use an account based phone when you travel overseas. The plan you are on will cost you possibly thousands. The best idea is to purchase a prepaid phone that you have control over the spend. When traveling to Bali from Australia I already had an unlocked phone so I purchased a Vodafone sim. This gave me for a $79 recharge $1500 to use while overseas. This was a lot of sms and calls. Other providers offer simular deals but personally I fount Vodafone to be best. The other option is to purchase an unlocked phone here as per picture and get a local sim card. You can also obviously buy an unlocked phone at your destination though phones in Australia are just so cheap. If you just consider them dispossible you wont have any issue if they get wet when your away. Unlocked phones from Kmart, Big w, Coles and Woolworths etc start at around $28. You also dont Have the issue of worrying if your phone gets stolen etc. When its all said and done if you travel internationaly your crazy if you dont go prepaid or use a local prepaid sim at your destination.

Internet For Travel In Australia

Internet For Travel In Australia

When Traveling in Australia its best to use prepaid Inernet Rather than bring your own account sim or device. You can purchase anywhere a wifi moden both 3g and 4g that will work with up to 5 devices for tablets such as Android and Ipad. If your bringing a laptop or notebook computer your able to purchase a pre paid dongle. This is much cheaper than geting internationaal roaming data charges. Mc Donalds, Starbucks and Gloria Jeans Coffee shops all provide free internet access. Nearly all shopping centers now provide free net access also. If your doing banking or purchasing tickets online I would strongly reccomend you purchase a wireless device for security and also convenience. The Major carriers in Australia are Telstra (best coverage but not the cheapest) Optus and Vodafone

Australian Currency Exchange

Australian Currency and Exchange.

Australian bank notes come in $100 $50 $20 $10 $5 all Australian notes are plastic. Coins come in 50 cents 20 cents 10 cents and 5 cant denominations.

WHAT EVER YOU DO, DONT CHANGE MONEY AT THE AIRPORT OR USE THE AIRPORT ATM. You've been warned. The police should round up all the money changers and charge them with highway robbery. Its a disgrace the exchange rates at Sydney and Melbourne airports.

Credit Cards are accepted everywhere you would be hard to find a store that doesnt take them. Eftpos is also available so only exchange what you have to. The only time you will need cash is if your heading to a market like flemingtons paddys market but they have cash machines onsite as do nearly all markets.

All banks do currency exchange at a fair rate and outside of the airport there are many good money changers. I dont use Travelex as the rates in my opinion are not competitive. You honestly will never have a problem changing money at any shopping center as they all have banks open Monday through till Friday.

****Make sure your credit card has a microchip, They nearly all do now but its important to check if your card will be accepted without it****

ATM - Cash machines are everywhere, every shopping center every petrol station etc. You will never be without a cash machine.

Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Its a great day. It takes about 3 1/2 hours to do and the view and experience is simply sensational. You have to be fit its a long way up but having said that unless your mobility inhibited you should be ok. You cant take camera's etc to the top and you have to wear very sexy overalls. The biggest drawback is the price it rages about $250-$300 depending on the time of day. I just think this is too much money for the experience yet i paid it myself so i should shut up. Your group size according to their website is a max of 14 and that ensures its not too crowded. You also get great info from the guides about the history and construction of the bridge. 

http://www.bridgeclimb.com/

The Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is a must see. Amazing views even if your not seeing a show and why not jump on a tour. Located a short walk from circular key you will get no better view of the Harbour Bridge. The opera House has 40 performances a week so there is something for everyone (not just opera and ballet). Check the website for weekly schedule. Sydney Opera House

Harry's Cafe de wheels

There are plenty of interesting food joints in Australia. One popular place to get the hunger pains away is Harry's Cafe de wheels. Its mainly pies hotdog's sausage rolls etc. This morning I thought I would check it out seeing I had never tried it before. I had a sausage roll it would have been better with sauce though I was asked if I wanted it, but it was still yummy. Not the cheapest at $3.60 but it was a fair size for the price. The Harry's i visited was in Newcastle it was great as it had 5 minute parking out the front. Definitely worth visiting as it is an icon here.