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Novotel Melbourne on Collins Hotel Review

April 11, 2016 / Australia, Melbourne, Travel, Victoria / 6 Comments

On our recent visit to Melbourne, we stayed at the Novotel Melbourne on Collins. It was our first time in the city with Cheese, and we since our plans for the long weekend were hitting up museums and galleries, we wanted to stay somewhere central, family-friendly and comfortable. The Novotel Melbourne happily ticked those boxes for us, and we really enjoyed our stay.

The Novotel on Collins has a superb location if you want to be right in the centre Melbourne. Located on trendy Collins Street, it’s very close to the art gallery, museums, Botanic Gardens, the MCG, Federation Square, the theatres and shopping. The location was absolutely perfect.

We chose a room with two double beds and it was the perfect size for our family of three. The hotel very thoughtfully provided us with a large crib incase we needed it. The room had a great little nook in the wall where the crib fit in perfectly.

Our room was larger than I’d expected, with plenty of space and a massive desk which we used for putting all of our computers and Cheese’s toys on.

The room also featured a large modern bathroom, free in-room wifi, an LCD flat-screen TV, a mini bar/fridge and tea and coffee making facilities. Our room overlooked the glass atrium of the currently-being-renovated Collins Lane fashion and retail centre.

I found our room to be extremely clean and neat, with bright, fresh paint on the walls and spotless linens. The bathroom was similarly spotless with plenty of big fluffy towels.

We were on floor 7, which is the same level as the gym and pool. We probably experienced a bit more foot traffic as a result, but not much.

Our booking included breakfast, so each morning we dined at the Lane Cafe on Level 6 – the same floor as reception. Breakfast was a tremendous buffet affair, with all manner of fruits, cereals, hot food and pastries on offer.

The egg station, where you could order eggs in any manner you liked, and the fresh juicer machine were popular, as was the “Popcakes” machine with the kids – a fab little machine that you can use to make your own pancakes with the push of a button.

While we didn’t order room service, I did notice that the Novotel Melbourne on Collins has a large menu to choose from, including food that kids will actually eat like toasted sandwiches, pizza, hamburger, fish and chips and spaghetti bolognaise at reasonable prices. The kids’ meals ranged from $9 to $12 which is pretty standard for most restaurants.

We found the staff at the Novotel Melbourne to be extremely friendly and welcoming. They made quite the fuss over Cheese, enjoyed (or seemed to enjoy!) chatting with her at breakfast, and really made us feel like valued guests. We saw a lot of other families with kids of all ages in the hotel, so it seems that we were not the only ones who thought that the Novotel was an ideal hotel to stay in with a family.

In the lobby, right near the check in desks and concierge, was the most fantastic electronic games table. The table had four different age options, so preschoolers through to adults could enjoy games tailored to their age group. The table proved very useful at times when a wait was in order – what a fun idea to place it in the lobby to keep kids (large and small!) entertained.

Please note that the hotel is currently experiencing renovations out the front and underneath. St. Collins Lane, underneath the hotel, and the entire front of the Novotel, are being renovated to become a premiere shopping destination that I imagine will be a fantastic draw for future hotel guests.

We didn’t mind the scaffolding, and were only woken once out of three mornings with building works at 8am in the morning. I had a look on the site and saw that the works are scheduled from 7am – 7pm, Monday to Friday and from 7am – 3pm Saturday. The only noise we heard was at 8am on the Saturday. Monday morning, not a peep! The development was due for completion at the end of first quarter (which is now) and I don’t have an update on when the new completion date is. Other that this one loud morning, we had an excellent stay at the hotel, and really, renovations can’t be helped. I imagine this one will be worth the pain when the new centre underneath opens up.

The photos below were all taken within a 15 minute radius walk of the hotel. As you can see, it’s incredibly central.

Novotel Melbourne on Collins
270 Collins Street Melbourne, VIC Australia 3000
Tel: +61 396675800
novotelmelbourne.com.au

We received a media rate when we stayed at the hotel, which means we received a small discount off our room price. We were not required to write a review or share our experience in any way. All opinions are our own.

Melbourne: The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden

April 10, 2016 / Melbourne, Travel, Victoria / 8 Comments

A tip off from a friend led us to seek out the Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden, in the heart of Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens.

The Royal Botanic Gardens are a gorgeous place to visit in their own right – set over 38 hectares, the gardens are an oasis of peace in the busy centre of Melbourne.

The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden was opened in 2004, designed to encourage children to get their hands dirty and express themselves through play. The gardens are carefully planned to allow children to run free and wild within a contained environment. The gardens are gated so kids can’t escape, which also means you can really let them explore without worrying that they will do a runner when you lose sight of them for a moment!

Children enter the garden and embark on a journey through a jungle, a bamboo forest, a kitchen garden and creek bed. There are mazes, rocks to climb, characters to meet and an ancient Grandmother tree to explore. A wide variety of plants are set around the garden to give kids the opportunity to discover the delights of nature in their play, and to spark curiosity in the world around them.

The gardens have a clean bathroom right outside the gate, and a cafe a few metres away.

The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden
Royal Botanic Gardens,
Birdwood Ave, Melbourne
Hours: 10am-sunset Wed-Sun (closed during term time on Mon & Tue). 10am-sunset 7 days a week during Victorian State School holidays and all public holidays.
http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au
Get directions

Looking for more things to din in Melbourne with kids? This list of free things to do will help you holiday without breaking the budget.

8 Things To Do In Neisko, Japan, With Kids

April 3, 2016 / Asia, Japan, Travel / 4 Comments

Japan is one of my absolute favourite countries to visit. The culture is exquisite, the people welcoming and the cities and scenery spectacular. Like I said, already a huge, raving fan. I last visited Japan when I was footloose and fancy free, way before little Cheese came along. I can’t wait to take her back to experience this beautiful country, particularly a city called Niseko, in the Hokkaido precinct.

Niseko is renowned among ski and snowboarders for having the best ski terrain in Japan. Set amongst snow-capped mountains, and close to hot spring resorts (AKA onsen), this is a town that is majestic to visit any time of year.

While Niseko is known for its snow, it’s actually an ideal holiday location for all seasons – particularly for active families like mine. If you’re thinking of visiting Japan this year with your kids, consider adding Niseko to your itinerary, and enjoy some of these eight family-friendly activities. If you want even more ideas on planning your trip, you can check out Vacation Niseko.

Snow sports
Winter is peak season in Niseko for a very good reason. If you’re a snow bunny, this is the time for your family to visit and enjoy sports such as snow tubing and sledding. Families with kids aged three and over can enjoy these exhilarating winter sports at Hanazono Adventure Park, located at Hanazono 308, accessed from Hirafu village via frequent, free Hanazono shuttle buses.

Local cuisine
You can’t visit Japan without enjoying their regional dishes. Take kids to visit Hokkaido’s famous dairy, Milk Kobo, serving locally made ice cream, yogurt and milk, plus vegetarian dishes. They have cute souvenir shops, too. Milk Kobo can be accessed via the Niseko United Shuttle bus and is open year-round except Dec. 31st and Jan. 1st.

Summer water sports
Niseko sits on the twisting and turning Shiribetsu river, which means summer is filled with exhilarating water sports. Get on the river in a 2-person inflatable kayak for a Ducky Tour, or enjoy a relaxing rafting tour. Older kids can try SUP – stand up paddleboarding. It’s very easy to learn and a fun way to explore the river.

PURE Nature Activity Centre
When you’re staying in the mountains, there’s going to be a lot of nature to be had. If you want to really get out and enjoy the scenery, visit the PURE centre at Niseko Village for a wide range of family-friendly activities, including mountain biking, ziplining, horseback riding and hot-air ballooning. Tree Trekking particular looks amazing – kids can walk among the trees on a network of ziplines, nets and ropeways.

Indoor Rock-climbing
When you want a break from the great outdoors, indoor rock climbing will keep the kids busy for hours. A great activity that the whole family can enjoy, or you can sit back and enjoy a coffee from JoJo’s Cafe while the kids scrabble up the rock faces on their own at the Niseko Adventure Centre.

Zipline
The whole family can clip on a harness and fly on a 200 metre zipline, 10 metres above the mountain. The zipline runs year-round at Hanazono Adventure Park, located at Hanazono 308. It is accessed from Hirafu village via frequent, free Hanazono shuttle buses. Participants must be over 100 cm and below 100 kg. The zipline experience lasts roughly 30 minutes.

Ski school
The perfect opportunity for your kids to learn how to ski from expert instructors. Vacation Niseko will arrange it all for you, and ensure your child is booked into the correct class at NISS, their premier ski school. Kids aged 3-6 yrs can join the Tic-Tac Kids Club for a full-day program in Hanazono, a large area with three magic carpets and minimal hill traffic, making it a safe place for little ones to learn the basics. Classes are limited to 6 kids. Older kids can join the Yuki full-day program (7-14 yrs), where they will explore the slopes around Hanazono and Niseko with their instructor. Yuki groups are separated into skiers and boarders, and are limited to 8 participants.

Doumu Glass Gallery
A cultural experience I would love to explore is glassblowing, which the Shiribeshi region is renowned for. Glassblowing artist Kazuo Ikeda is known for his elegant and simple glass work, with his shop located near Hirafu in Higashiyama. At the Doumo Glass Gallery you can attend a sandblasting workshop and create your own Japanese-style glass or beer mug.The Doumo Glass Gallery is close to Milk Kobo, making them a great pair of activities to do together. Both are easily accessed via the Niseko United Shuttle bus.

Where to stay:
Choose from a range of accommodation from apartments to townhouses, depending on your budget. The most expensive time to visit is winter. In the off season, accommodation is a fraction of the cost, making it a fantastic option for a summer, autumn or spring holiday. Check out your options at Vacation Niseko.

Getting there:
Niseko is a two-to-three hour drive from New Chitose Airport, just outside of Sapporo. While it is an international airport, most international visitors will need to fly into Tokyo or Narita and catch a flight from there.

This post was produced in conjunction with Vacation Niseko.

Easy Peasy Passport Photos at Australia Post

March 12, 2016 / Travel / 27 Comments

Brought to you by Nuffnang and Australia Post

Every jet setting kid needs a passport – or two, if you’ve got dual nationality like little Cheese does!

As she was born in New York, her first passport was actually an American one, at four weeks of age, followed by her Australian one, at three months of age.

Yes, we were planning our first overseas flight with her pretty much from birth. At three months of age she jetted off to San Francisco, followed by Australia a month later. A little world traveller from the get go.

What I had underestimated about the whole process was how hard it was to get passport photos of an infant that would conform to the required standards! You know the standards your photos need to have? Head in a certain position, expression just so, hair just so – well, kids, even babies, have the same requirements. This is particularly tricky with babies, as they need to be held for photos, and the person holding the baby cannot appear in the photo. Argh!

Getting passport photos taken the first time around was a very difficult process, requiring the person who took them for us at a local pharmacy in Brooklyn to re-shoot them over and over and over again until we got them just right. It was painful and stressful and we all felt like having a good cry afterwards.

Taking Cheese around the world with her passports and baby photos in them has gotten entertaining of late, as she no longer looks like that squishy baby in the front. Her passports are both up for renewal so it’s finally time to retake the photos.

This time around, we went to Australia Post for her passport photos. They have instant photo-taking services in around 1300 of their Australian retail outlets, making the process that much easier for everyone involved.

The Australia Post staff have all taken many, many passport photos of children and babies, so they know all the tricks to getting the shot right the first time, with minimal stress for the whole family.

We were able to drop by one afternoon to our local Australia Post and quickly have photos taken for Cheese’s American and Australian passports – it was great to get the photos taken all in one go, and to have the Australia Post staff print them to the correct specifications for each passport.

What you need to know about getting your child’s passport photos taken at Australia Post:

It’s fast
There’s no waiting around. The photos are ready in minutes.

It’s convenient
You can have the photos taken and organise your passport application during the same
visit.

They’re compliant
With experts taking the photos, there’s no need to worry about whether or not they will meet the strict requirements. If you submit your images to the relevant authority within the necessary timeframe and for some reason the photos aren’t accepted, you can take them back to the same post office and they will replace them at no cost.

They’ve gone digital
As well as the instant photos you will receive printed, you can also buy a digital copy of your photo for use in online applications.

They’re internationally compliant
You can get compliant passport photos taken for UK, USA and New Zealand passports, too. Just be sure to tell the staff member taking the photos as each country has different guidelines. They may do other countries’ passport photos as well, but you’ll need to confirm with the post office.

Pricing and payment methods
It costs $16.95 for a set of high-resolution full colour photographs, printed on quality gloss paper, or $19.95 for a printed set and an emailed digital copy.
You can pay with cash, MasterCard or Visa, or by EFTPOS.
Please note: You’ll need two identical ID photos for an Australian or British passport application.

Find your nearest participating Australia Post

Webjet: The Best Travel Planning Apps

February 24, 2016 / Travel / 2 Comments

If you’re on the go (and, ahem, on your phone) all the time like I am, this great travel app from Webjet is going to make your holiday planning and booking so much easier. The app enables you to search for flights, hotels and car hire and then book them, all in the one app.

I do most of my travel research on my trusty phone, so I really enjoyed using the app to quickly find the best deals within my budget when planning out upcoming Hawaii trip. I found the app to be fast, very easy to use, and also very thorough. It had all of the options I needed to filter choices with when booking a family holiday.

The smart app knows what destinations you’re looking for and auto populates with the correct airport.

Select the number of adult and children.

Your options are presented in an easy-to-read manner.

Sort by departure time, airline, price, stops or duration.

You can also select filters from the bottom of the screen to refine your search by airlines or stops. I prefer “no stops”.

The date selector is easy and intuitive. Vastly easy to navigate than many hotel websites!

The hotel booking tool is similarly easy to use. The selection criteria makes it easy to find hotels when travelling with kids.

The hotel lists come with TripAdvisor ratings that you can click through to read.

Sort hotels by recommended, price, star rating, hotel name, special offers, or, my favourite, TripAdvisor review scores.

Using the filter button at the bottom allows you to select hotels matching a particular rating ot TripAdvisor review score.

Choose the map view to see hotels in the area you would like to stay. Zoom in and out for more detail.

Clicking on the hotel will bring up its location, price for your dates, star rating and TripAdvisor review.

Click on the hotel for further information. I won’t be staying here!

Select to view the price by “per night” or “total price”. I prefer “per night” as I find it easier to compare various hotels this way to see which gives me a better deal.

All your options are listed when you select the hotel. Choose your room type.

Total price and your dates for review.

Pay directly within the app.

Next – car hire. I love how easy this app makes it to book your hotel, flight and car hire all at once.

A variety of cars can be selected.

Sort by car price, company name, car type or make.

Filter by car type or make.

Choose to see the price “per day” or “total”.

All the info you need. How many people its fits, how many bags, info on the shuttle bus from the airport to the car hire, price for the duration, what’s included for your price.

Choose your extras – all of your family needs are here!

Pay within the app.

I really enjoyed the ease with which this app made researching and booking hotel, flights and car hire.

Try the Webjet app for free on iOS and Android.

This post was written in conjunction with Webjet. All opinions are my own.

Austinmer Beach: NSW’s Best Beaches For Families

February 21, 2016 / NSW, Travel, Wollongong / 4 Comments

Sydney’s beaches often get all the attention. It’s easy to see why – they’re glamorous, hip and all over Instagram. Head an hour south out of Sydney, however, and you’ll find beaches that are just as beautiful, but without the crowds.

Austinmer Beach is one such beach. It’s one of Wollongong’s most popular beaches, located 25 minutes north of Wollongong’s CBD and under an hour south of Sydney. It’s an easy drive south, too. The beach is located off Lawrence Hargrave Drive, with a large, free carpark and cafes lining the road opposite.

Local families love Austinmer Beach, particularly the fenced in playground (sadly no shade cloth) that has plenty of activities for kids of a variety of ages. The rock pools are a major draw for this beach, too.

Located at the south end of the beach, they attract children and adults alike with their amazing ocean life. We spotted fish, a crab, sea snails, an anemone, and some freaky looking creatures that none of us could identify.

Also at the south end of the beach are two large ocean pools.

Where to eat:

Shell’s Diner
An old-school fish and chips shop that makes fab lentil burgers and delicious fish and chips at a reasonable price.
Shell’s Diner: 106 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Austinmer. Hours Mon-Thurs 7:30am-4pm Fri-Sun 7:30am-8pm

Austi Beach Cafe
A wide variety of breakfast and lunch options, plus gelato and afternoon tea. We highly enjoyed their fresh, warm scones.
Austi Beach Cafe: 104 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Austinmer. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-4pm Sat-Sun 8am-4:30pm

Austinmer Beach
Austinmer NSW 2515

Fenced playground
Bathrooms
Lifeguard (Sept-April)
Rock pools
Cafes
Ocean Baths

Get Directions

Looking for more things to do in Wollongong? Click here for a great guide to the area.

9 Things To Do In Venice

February 15, 2016 / Europe, Italy, Travel, Venice / 2 Comments

Venice to me is like a trip back through time. A place with narrow alleyways leading to hidden restaurants and ancient cathedrals, with water lapping gently at the sidewalk as you walk along the canals. It’s literally a place out of a fairytale and considering it is slowly sinking, I think it should be on every traveller’s must-see list before it’s gone forever.

The capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, Venice is built on over 100 little islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. Images of its stone buildings rising out of the water have brought 20 million tourists a year from all over the world to wander through its maze-like alleys. There are no cars and roads in Venice – just boats on canals. It’s a unique place steeped in history that I would love to visit again.

When you visit Venice, whether it be a day or a week, be sure to do the following:

1. Get lost
Put down the map and just wander the alleys and explore the tiny squares they will take you to. Venice is at its most authentic when you get off the beaten path and just go where your feet take you to.

2. Take in the view
Catch an elevator 98 meters up to the top of the San Marco Campanile and get a birds eye view of this amazing city. At street level Venice is a rabbit’s warren of twists and turns and you need to get up high to really see the full impact of this city perched on top of the ocean. Get there early or just before closing to beat the queues.

3. Eat gelato
Ingest as much of it as you can, from chocolate and vanilla to tiramisú and stracciatella. Gelato contains less butterfat and air than regular ice cream and has no artificial flavorings or preservatives. Basically gelato is heaven and the Venetians do it damn well.

4. Go to church
From its Byzantine domes and luminous mosaics to the 24-carat gold leaf paint, Basilica di San Marco is a sight that won’t be forgotten. Dress modestly when you visit (ie cover your knees and shoulders).

5. Be a bird of a feather
Don’t be tempted to feed any of the 130,000 pigeons that frequent Venice’s historic centre as it’s now banned. If you’re tempted to get the classic “bird on head” shot, you’ll need to lure the pigeons without birdseed that was once sold in Piazza San Marco. The crack down is an effort to curb the “immense damage” caused by the birds, which costs taxpayers €16 to €23 per year in cleanup costs.

6. See the city by sea
Technically see the city by canals, but it doesn’t have the same ring to it. If gondolas aren’t your thing, hire a kayak, flag down a water taxi or relax aboard a cruise. This city is meant to be visited and viewed at water level.

7. Soak up history
A visit to the Doges Palace is a lesson in Gothic architecture and Italian opulence. Palazzo Ducale, or Doge’s Palace, was the home of the Doge (the elected ruler of Venice) and the seat of its government for centuries.

8. Carb load
I had the best spaghetti carbonara in a tiny hole in the wall cafe in Venice. Forget any carb-free diet you might be on and just enjoy the best pasta of your life.

9. Hear voices from the past
Join countless other tourists taking a selfie at the Bridge of Sighs, the bridge that crosses the channel between the ducal palace and prison. Built in 1962, it’s a somewhat notorious sight as the bridge was used to move prisoners directly from the court to their prison cell. The name “Bridge of Sighs” came from the vivid imaginations of the locals as they thought they heard (or perhaps really did hear!) the complaints of the convicted prisoners who crossed it.

First time in Venice? Check out this guide.

The Most Perfect Light: Antelope Slot Canyons

February 13, 2016 / Arizona, Travel, USA / 3 Comments

Some places stay with you your entire life, even if your time there was fleeting. My visit to the Antelope Slot Canyon was one of these times. I actually saw the canyons way back in 2007 when I did a road trip around this part of the USA – well before I started blogging! High on my list to see were these canyons, with their etherial colours and shapes. I thought at the time – and still feel today – like they were something out of a dream. Too incredibly beautiful to be real.

The Antelope Canyon is a “slot canyon” located on Navajo land east of Page, Arizona. The Antelope Canyon includes two slot canyon sections, referred to as Upper Antelope Canyon or The Crack; and Antelope Canyon or The Corkscrew.

We visited the Upper Antelope Canyon, the Navajo name for which is Tsé bighánílíní, meaning “the place where water runs through rocks.”

The name is very literal, as the Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, mostly through flash flooding.

The canyons have been accessible only by tour since 1997, which is when the Navajo Tribe made it a Navajo Tribal Park.

The upper canyon is the most popular to visit because it’s so incredibly photogenic (it’s also the easiest to access, with the entire length of the canyon at ground level and no climbing required). Beams of light radiate down through the slots in the canyon roof, bouncing off the walls and creating the most spectacular rays of light and coloured rocks. Depending which time of year and day you visit, the canyons will look different. The best time to see the canyons if you’re after this kind of light is summer, during the middle of the day – the beams are most often when the sun is in the middle of the sky, During winter, the colours are more muted.

My prime purpose for visiting the canyons was to get photos like these. And I’ll tell you, they weren’t easy to get. I was on a tour group with many other tourists, so in order to get these photos with no one in them, I had to lag behind the group, or walk slightly ahead. Lighting in the canyons is really tricky too. I brought my tripod and I’m pretty sure it’s the only reason these photos are in focus.

To visit the Antelope Canyons, purchase tickets for a tour in nearby Page. They range from $35 to $82 per person, depending on the time of the day and length of the tour.

The Best Castles In Europe: Neuschwanstein Castle

February 11, 2016 / Europe, Germany, Travel / 0 comment

Many moons before the little Cheese came along, hubbie and I travelled foot loose and fancy free all over Europe. One place that has stayed with me as something out of a fairytale is Neuschwanstein Castle.

This castle is one of the most beautiful (and popular!) in Europe, and is a place that photographs do no justice to. It’s impossible to capture in a picture the majesty of this spectacular castle, perched high in the mountains.

We visited Neuschwanstein Castle, nineteenth-century Romanesque Revival palace, when we were visiting Munich. We did a day tour out to the castle that included a fantastic bike ride around the country side, and ended up at the village Hohenschwangau, at the bottom of the castle.

Neuschwanstein Castle was home to King Ludwig II of Bavaria, a supposedly shy king who built the palace to keep the public at an arms length. It’s ironic that after the solitary monarch’s death his home is now one of the most popular of all the palaces and castles in Europe, with around 1.4 million visitors a year.

Our visit was on a busy day, but the timed tour groups meant that the inside of the castle never felt crowded. It was fascinating learning about the shy king who lived in such a magnificent dwelling – like something out of a children’s fairytale. Out on the terraces people gathered in larger amounts trying to take selfies or admiring the view. It was a lot more chaotic than the photos would lead you to believe.

Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle
Neuschwanstein Castle can only be visited within a guided tour.

Entrance tickets for Neuschwanstein Castle can only be bought at the Ticketcenter in the village of Hohenschwangau below the castle. More info. To get from the ticket office to the castle, you can take the 30-40 minute walk (Around 1.5km uphill) or check out these other options.

Info from the website: Your entrance ticket is valid for a guided tour of the castle at a particular time. We would like to explicitly point out that the tours begin punctually. Please allow sufficient time to get up to the castle, as if you arrive too late you will no longer be able to participate in the tour.

Please note that during the high season entrance tickets for a particular day may be sold out. We would therefore ask you to reserve your tickets well in advance.

Neuschwanstein Castle
Hours: 19 March to 15 October: 9am-6pm
16 October to 18 March: 10am-4pm
Open daily except 1 January and 24 / 25 / 31 December
Admission: From 12 euros (adult) / 11 euros concession). Children and young people under 18 are free.

Getting there (c/o the castle website)
By car or coach
Take the A7 motorway (direction Ulm-Kempten-Füssen) until the end. From Füssen first follow the road B17 to Schwangau, then the signs to Hohenschwangau
or take the A7 motorway until the exit Kempten and then the road B12 to Marktoberdorf. Follow the road B16 to Roßhaupten – OAL I to Buching – and then take the road B17 to Schwangau and Hohenschwangau.

By public transport
Take the train (www.bahn.com) to Füssen, then the bus RVA/OVG 73 in the direction to Steingaden / Garmisch-Partenkirchen or the bus RVA/OVG 78 in the direction to Schwangau until you reach the stop Hohenschwangau / Alpseestraße.

Information about the local bus lines: http://www.rvo-bus.de

Read about more beautiful castles in Romania here.

Entering the Forbidden City, Beijing

February 5, 2016 / Asia, China, Travel / 7 Comments

During my 2007 trip to Beijing, we were taken to see the Forbidden City – one of China’s biggest tourist attractions, with around 7 million visitors a year (up to 80,000 a day!).

This spectacular palace was home to 24 imperial Chinese emperors from the Ming dynasty in 1420 to the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912. The Forbidden City is located right in the center of Beijing (near Tiananmen Square) and is now home to the Palace Museum.

For 500 years the palace was off limits to the public, hence the name “Forbidden City”. Nowadays you can enter what is the largest palace complex in the world for around $10AUD. The palace is also China’s best-preserved and largest group of ancient buildings, making it an amazing trip back in time when you visit.

We had a tour guide for our group, who was full of interesting info that wasn’t on the audio tour – such as during our visit renovations were obviously in progress on the roofs. Our guide noted that the palace was so large that by the time they had finished re-painting all the roofs they would need to start re-painting the first ones they began with all over again.

It was at the Forbidden City that I had my first introduction to a dirty “hole-in-the-ground” Chinese toilet. Unless things have improved since our visit, I highly suggest you hold it rather than also experience this traditional gem.

Set aside most of a day to really explore the entire palace. Comfortable shoes are advisable.

The Forbidden City
Opening hours:
April-Oct 8:30-17:00 (60CNY)
November-March 8:30-16:30 (40CNY)