Following our post on Tips to Renting Holiday Apartments — A Checklist a reader asked for tips on how to avoid holiday rental scams and getting ripped off when booking self-catering accommodation, such as how to handle money, how to make sure places are reputable, and whether there are ways to vet holiday rentals. We … Read more
Arriving back to a very sultry Southeast Asia after six days meandering around a warm Northern Thailand on the Eastern and Oriental Express train, has got me thinking about cooler climates and opportunities for hitting the slope at one of my favourite snowboard and ski escapes. We’ve spent almost a decade and a half in … Read more
I’ve lost count of the number of self catering properties we’ve settled into, from holiday houses and villas to serviced apartments and apart-hotels, from staying only in holiday rentals during our yearlong 2010 grand tour of the world that launch this site to spending a month testing out short-term apartments in Melbourne and Sydney as … Read more
A self guided stroll around Sydney is something you should do the first day you arrive – and by around, we mean around the city’s perimeter. The city of Sydney may look large with its lofty towers and mini Manhattan-like skyline, but Sydney’s city centre or CBD is surprisingly compact. It’s Sydney’s metropolitan area that is … Read more
Most visitors to Sydney make a beeline for Bondi Beach, including every backpacker who arrives in the city. There’s no denying Bondi boasts a beautiful stretch of sand, but Manly has more charm and a laidback local vibe we find more appealling. Bondi Beach is gorgeous. I’ve always had a strong connection to the place … Read more