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New York City, a symbol of Liberty, and one of the most iconic destinations in the world. Subject of many romance, horror, thriller, action and comedy movies. Site of many popular television shows such as Sex and the City, Friends, and Seinfeld.

The city was once called New Amsterdam as it was originally founded under Dutch control in 1624. Then after British colonisation in 1664, it was called New York. The modern New York is made up of Upper West Side, Soho, Greenwich village, Little Italy, Chinatown, Harlem, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. Each little district is like a small cultural hub in itself and each has its own unique qualities. 

New York city was also once host to the famous Twin Towers world trade centers, and now there is a Ground Zero site dedicated to the events on September 11th. If you go on the Ground Zero Workshop Tour, you will be able to have an educational and respectful experience via video, images and guided tours explaining the rescue efforts after the 9/11 attacks. New York city is also the headquarters of the United Nations and Wall Street, the financial capital of the world.

One of the most classic romance films which features a New York city architectural monument may be An Affair to Remember, starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, where they agree to meet at the top of the Empire State Building. The same tradition would then be repeated decades later in the popular film Sleepless in Seattle, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. During which time and since, many lovers, families, students and tourists have enjoyed visiting the Empire State Building and basking in the glory of the city that never sleeps.

Other widely recognised buildings which exist in New York include: Trump Tower, Rockefeller Centre, Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall. The two greatest department stores, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s are also New York and world shopping icons. 

The greatest icon of New York City, however, is the Statue of Liberty, and there is a free Staten Island ferry which takes you there daily. 

The popular culture references are almost infinite when it comes to a particular New York tourist or local attraction. For example, one may choose to enjoy a helicopter tour over the city, and see what the view is like for anyone on a reality TV show which provides a helicopter ride over New York as one of the prizes of its weekly challenges.

There is even a Central Park movie sites tour, which allows you to re-live all the magical memories from your favourite classic Hollywood flicks. Central Park is the hub of New York city living, and is a total of 341 hectares. And if central park isn’t enough for the most particular movie buffs out there, try the Showbiz Insiders Tour.

In terms of Broadway shows, well, New York is the world epicentre. Choose from Mama Mia, Chicago, Mary Poppins, Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and much, much more! The quality of New York stage theatre is the best in the world, as all the world’s best dancers and actors flock to New York in search of center-stage glory. Tickets can be purcahsed from the TKTS outlets in Times Square or at Getaroom.com.au. 

For more musical fun – and this is for the hard core rockers – there’s a New York City Original Rock and Roll Walking Tour, which takes you to the favourite places of some of the world’s most legendary rockers. From Led Zeppelin’s favourite place to perform, to Madonna’s first New York city apartment. This tour will open your eyes to what life must have been like for the rising rock stars.

Of course, New York city is not only famous for rock and roll. Many Hip-Hop and R & B stars grew up from the streets of New York and became world-wide music sensations. Now you can learn even more about the history and rise of Hip-Hop by joining a New York Hip-Hop Tour. It’s a four hour experience taking you through to the birthplaces of Hip-Hop: Manhattan, Harlem and the Bronx. There’s also a Rapper’s Tour in Queens which explains how rap is an art form, not just a fad.

For a more soothing music experience, you obviously have to visit a jazz bar in New York – any jazz bar. Live music is possibly one of the best experiences to be stumbling upon in New York, and what’s great is that it pops up often. Even when it doesn’t, jazz clubs are almost as abundant as MacDonalds in New York, and each has its own unique sense of musical sensuality. It’s a must-do experience not to be missed.

NBC studios is also headquartered in New York city, and provides an informative studio tour which explains the television stations growth from a small radio station to one of the world’s most recognised and widely-viewed television stations. There is also a general TV and Movie Sites Tour which takes you to the places where they filmed such popular shows as Friends, Will & Grace, the Cosby Show, and movies such as Devil Wears Prada, Men in Black and Ghostbusters.

For the sporting fans, of course, New York is home to many major basketball (Knicks), baseball (the Yankees and Mets) and football (Giants and Jets) league games, as well as other popular sports. Bike ride tours are also available, for those who love to mix exercise with sightseeing. Others who come to New York specifically for the iconic red bus hop-on, hop-off adventure, then, well, there are heaps of variations of the hop-on, hop-off tours. You could mix in a visit to the Empire State Building, or add in a good dose of shopping. There is also a heritage hop-on, hop-off, for the most enthusiastic history buffs.

One of the best features of New York city life is that it is filled with art and culture. For excellent family fun, visit the Museum of Natural History – setting of the popular children’s film, Night at the Museum starring Ben Stiller. Other great museums and galleries to visit include The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum. 

For the Fashionistas and fans of such shows as Sex and the City, New York city is a must-visit shopping destination. It is so magical to be following in the footsteps of your favourite characters Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha in a Sex and the City Hotspots Tour. And to add the cherry on top, join the SoHo and NoLita Shopping tour, two of the most hip and popular fashion districts in New York city.

New Years Eve in New York city may be one of the biggest celebrations that the city is host to. And aside from the cliched lining up in the middle of Times Square, many other luxurious options are also available, such as a romantic dinner cruise around New York harbour. Other popular cruises available include the Harbour Lights Cruise and the Twilight Cruise.

New York city is an ever-evolving buzz of commerce, entertainment, sport, art, culture, fashion and more. There is always something new to discover upon each re-visit, and many people become enchanted with the energy and spirit of the city and never want to leave! There is obviously a reason why so many movies, television shows, books and other events have all been based on and in New York city, and it’s truly a city that wouldn’t sleep if given the choice, because there is simply too much fun to be had at all hours of its days.

- Nicole Chiu 

Gold Coast - last minute hotels and accommodation

Gold Coast is the most populated non-capital city in Australia, and is visited by around 10 million tourists a year, all searching for the surf, sun and fun which the city offers as a major holiday destination.

Situated in the southern-east end of Queensland, and just above the border of New South Wales, Gold Coast weather is very comfortable with a subtropical climate throughout the year. December through to March is storm season, however the storms pass quickly and sunshine is abundant very soon after some rain.

Surfers Paradise is the tourist center of the city, with a skyline of high-rise hotels and apartments. Many popularised attractions within Surfers Paradise includes the Gold Coast Meter Maids – girls in bikinis who originally went around helping people place coins in their parking meters. Now the meter maids’ main purpose seems to be to look pretty and accept gold donations for a photo taken with them. Even in the colder months of June, July and August, they will be in their gold bikinis and some furry boots and jacket.

Surfing lessons are hosted all along the coastal area, and there are many brochures and information booths advertising various surfing coaches and surf schools. A great introduction to getting used to boards and the water, however, may be Boogie Boards or Body Boards, which do not require you to stand up straight on a board when riding the waves.

Some people like more of a motor thrill with their water sports, however, and a really fun activity for them may be the Extreme Jet-Boat Thrill Ride, which allows you to do slides, turns and all kinds of tricks, as well as soak in the grandness of some of Gold Coast’s most expensive real estate and super yachts along the broadwater.

Scuba-diving, skydiving, bungee jumping and pretty much any other extreme thrill or water sporting activity you can think of, Gold Coast will have it. The city practically exists to ensure that you have the kind of holiday where you can just have fun and feel alive. Other less thrilling yet equally recreational activities available are golf, mini-golf, tennis, horse-riding, and many other leisurely activities.

For a full day of rollercoasters and the like, you can choose from theme parks: Seaworld, Movieworld, Dreamworld, White Water World, and Wet ‘n’ Wild. There are also plenty of Fun Passes or Super Passes to obtain which allow you access to the parks for 5 days or 14 days at discounted prices.

Seaworld has magnificent dolphin and water sport shows, and Movieworld allows you to join tours which explain to you the ‘behind the scenes’ of moviemaking. Dreamworld has been the host of Australian Big Brother since its first season, and has many major thrill rides, as well as the famous Tiger Island, where you can take a photo with a tiger. (It’s always most exciting when there are a litter of new cubs!) White Water World and Wet ‘n’ Wild are both water parks, which are excellent in the scorching summer heat.

For the really little ones, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is a great animal sanctuary where you will be able to get very close the kangaroos and pet them as if they were your family pet. Really fun little train ride that goes around the park and some traditional Aboriginal dance shows.

Next door to Movieworld, is the Australian Outback Spectacular, presented by R.M. Williams. It’s a dinner and show package which features some of Australia’s finest stunt riders and horsemen, and includes a free souvenir Stockmen’s hat! The show provides a great sense of the Australian bush culture, and serves traditional Australian BBQ food as part of the authentic flavoured meal. (Yes, Kangaroo meat and other interesting flavours are featured on the menu).

As well as water sports and theme parks, Gold Coast has a beautiful, lush hinterland and mountain range area, including Springbrook National Park, which has an impressive 100 metre high waterfall nestled in the heart of an hour-long bushwalk trail. The national park also has amazing 2000 year old Antartic beech trees. In the evening, the grotto hosts tours to see beautiful glow worms light up the night like moving stars.

For more hardcore bushwalking, try a Lamington National Park Full-Day Tour, which takes you on 6 kilometre trek through the World Heritage rainforests of Lamington and Mt Tamborine National Parks. As the largest area of protected subtropical rainforest in Australia, Lamington National Park is pristine with lush greenery and a gorgeous variety of native Australian wildlife.

Four-wheel drive eco tours or outback eco tours are also available, which take you through Tambourine Mountain, and some shorter bushwalks. Kangaroos, koalas and other native Australian animals may also be spotted throughout the journey. Some tours offer other novel activities such as a lesson in boomerang throwing, or a refreshing swim in a cool mountain stream.

Another four-wheel drive tour that is really worth considering is the 2 Day Moreton Island 4WD Camping Tour. Moreton Island is renowned for sand tobogganing, as it has vast beach areas of sand hills which provides hours of entertainment for the young and young at heart. There are also beautiful rainforests to discover on the island, as well as lookout points with views of the Glasshouse Mountains.

The best views of the Gold Coast, however, may be from up above, in the delightful comfort of a hot air balloon. Always scheduled at sunrise, and dependent upon on the weather, when you’ve got the o-kay to go onboard, it is magnificent and extremely worth the wait. A luxurious champagne and breakfast package awaits you upon set down as well, which is a perfect finish to a truly romantic and fun-filled activity.

With all the fun of surfing, rainforests and outback spectaculars, however, naturally one may visit Gold Coast with the intention to shop til they dropped. And there are plenty of major shopping centres on the Gold Coast for all sorts of shopping styles. There is luxury shopping at Marina Mirage, which is also next to the famous six star Versace hotel; discount shopping at Harbourtown, and many other shopping centres such as Pacific Fair, Robina Town Centre, Oasis Shopping Centre, and Australia Fair Shopping Centre.

Whatever your preferences for a fun-filled or relaxing holiday, Gold Coast, with its beautiful, warm climate throughout the year, is sure to satisfy your holidaying needs and desires.

- Nicole Chiu

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Hong Kong is a city of 7 million people in an area of just above one thousand kilometres squared. Once a part of the British Commonwealth, Hong Kong is now one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, with a world-recognized local cinema culture, plenty of high and street fashion, as well as luxurious hotels and magnificent ancient culture and history throughout its streets and surrounding territories. 

Some of the most well-known tourist activities to do in Hong Kong include: climbing to Victoria Peak on the tram to enjoy the spectacular views, going for a ride on the Star Ferry, enjoying a decadent High Tea experience at The Peninsula, and of course, shopping! From awesome local markets to boutique luxury shopping, Hong Kong is a shopper’s paradise. 

For a first-time traveller to Hong Kong or even Asia, Hong Kong may seem a little overwhelming with its hustle and bustle. Yet there is a contagious energy about the hustle, and that is what many travellers have grown to love about this vibrant city.

A great way to start with your Hong Kong introduction is to join a general tour, such as the Hong Kong Island Tour, which covers a thorough overview of all the hot spots and picturesque destinations that will surely inspire a second-visit.

Hong Kong harbour is one of the most happening districts, and is a great place to start your Hong Kong journeys. Enjoy a romantic Harbour Night Cruise and Dinner on top the revolving restaurant, to marvel at the energetic city below, or enjoy the lights from a seafood dinner cruise. There is also the option of joining a cruise with the famous floating restaurant, featured in many a Hong Kong action or comedy flick, as well as in Jacky Chan movies such as Rush Hour 2.

Dim Sims are one of the world’s most widely-recognized foods from Hong Kong culture, and a trip to Hong Kong would not be complete without a taste of Dim Sim the authentic way. For a great food tour, try the Cheung Chau (Long Island) Tour with Dim Sim Lunch, which takes you along the island to visit many enchanting temples, as well as experience the local palette.

For the mystical experience of ancient Chinese culture and Buddhist zen philosophies, enjoy a Cultural Heritage Tour of the Buddhist Monastery and Big Hat Mountain. On this full day tour you will be escorted to Hong Kong’s New Territories, where there are ancient Buddhist temples, monasteries and quaint village life, as well as local markets. The greatest feature of the Buddhist history, art and architecture is of course, the three ‘Precious Buddha’, the largest Buddhist statues in Hong Kong. When you then arrive on top of Big Hat Mountain, you will be able to soak in the amazing panoramic view of Hong Kong city.

If the Precious Buddhas haven’t yet been enough, and you want an even bigger Buddha to worship, you must go see the Great Buddha, near Po Lin Monastery. The Great Buddha is 34 meters in height, the world’s largest, seated outdoor Buddha. The Po Lin Monastery is situated in Lantau Island, which also hosts many delightful markets, beaches and pristine mountainside scenery. A great place filled with plenty of opportunities for spiritual enlightenment.

Families with small children – or, simply, the young at heart – will surely enjoy a trip to Hong Kong’s Disneyland Theme Park. The best way to find your way to the park is to book yourself in for a transfer service, which ensures that a driver is there and ready from your hotel to take you to the park – no need to worry about intimidating traffic conditions that come with the hassle of renting a car. Though if you find the thought of intimidating traffic conditions exciting, then, by all means, rent a car in Hong Kong and have a field day navigating the narrow the streets and exploring the hot spots on your own.

When in Hong Kong, not many people realise, there are also magnificent Dolphin watching cruises to join, which provide a scenery of breathtaking animals and, most significantly, the world’s pinkest dolphins. The dolphins, found only in the waters between Hong Kong and Macau, are pinker than the Boto dolphins which can be found in South America in the Amazon river. These tours are also very conservationalist-minded, and therefore have been designed to cause minimal disturbances to the dolphins in their natural habitat.

More ocean-related fun can also be experienced at Ocean Park, which is an oceanarium with the world’s largest marine theatre. With 870,000 square meters of entertainment in total, many visitors will tell you that it’s barely possible to finish enjoying the whole park in just one day! At the park you may see sealions, dolphins, sharks, penguins, killer whales, as well as giant pandas An An, Jia Jia, Le Le and Ying Ying. There are also extremely fun roller coaster rides which will have you literally screaming for more!

With the influence of British occupation as part of Hong Kong’s modern history, the Hong Kong Jockey Club is now world-renowned in the racing world, and an exclusive tour is available to visitors over the age of 18, between September and June. The tour includes drinks upon arrival, buffet dinners, a general tour of the grounds and winner’s post, and, of course, really exciting horse-racing.

Given the fact that Hong Kong has 7 million residents in such a small area of land, it is a real marvel to be admiring the architectural geniuses that arise in such circumstances. Many architectural fans thoroughly enjoy the Western Shoreline of Hong Kong and Tsing Ma Bridge Cruise. The cruise is a showcase of Hong Kong’s greatest architectural achievements and town-planning strategies, from the Bank of China building, to Exchange Square, Hong Kong Bank, IFC (International Finance Centre) and Central Plaza.

As I mentioned earlier, Hong Kong’s night life and cityscape is vibrant, energetic and filled with mesmerizing beauty. All these characteristics of Hong Kong as a city can best be appreciated through the art of lights laser shows, in the form of the Symphony of Lights Hong Kong Harbour Cruise. It glorifies the already glorious atmosphere that Hong Kong creates for the first or returning visitor. The lighting show includes laser beams which bounce off of 33 skyscrapers, forming their own elegant little ‘dance’, with symphony orchestral music as accompaniment. It’s also a most romantic experience for couples on their Honeymoon.

Hong Kong is a great city for food, sights, shopping and excitement, and provides a marvelous scope of ancient Chinese culture and traditions, as well as modern technological entertainments and plenty of universally welcoming hospitality.

- Nicole Chiu

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Melbourne is recognised as the Fashion, Sport and Cultural Capital of Australia (in direct competition with Sydney, with locals from both cities snubbing their noses at the credibility of the other!)

Founded 1835, Melbourne was designed by city planners who set out to build an orderly city of rectangular lines which would make the area easy to navigate. What was once a large and very neat city by historical standards, is now a relatively small CBD area, with plenty of surrounding suburbs which form the Greater Melbourne area. (Historically, many of these suburbs were small towns of their own, so you may stumble across some historical town halls throughout streets of such suburbs).

From the moment you arrive, someone may offer you the advice of purchasing a Metlink ticket, which covers transport on trams, trains and buses, but not ferries (different to transport ticketing options you may find in Sydney or Brisbane). The city is divided into three zones, Zone 1 is the central area, Zone 2 expands beyond to places which take around twenty minutes to forty minutes by trains, and Zone 3 is much further out, to places which may take up to an hour by train.

If you’re going anywhere by taxi, make sure you tell the driver, “The fastest possible route, please, I’m in hurry.” In my experience some taxi drivers take the much longer road which result in much higher fees. Also, they add random taxes from time to time, which I haven’t been bothered to debate as it’s usually just a few dollars difference. If you don’t feel like haggling with the taxi drivers, then it’s best to hop on a tram or arrange some form of transport service with your hotel. (Though, don’t get me wrong, some taxi drivers are very nice and friendly. I once had a Greek driver who taught me how to say all the basics, from Hello to Goodbye, and showed me pictures of his children!) There is also a See Melbourne and Beyond Smartvisit Card you can buy, which is really worth it if you’re planning to travel to the outer regions. 

One of the major joys that Melbourne provides, apart from fashion, sport and culture, is the food. And although Australia as a country boasts itself on being multicultural and having plenty of towns and cities that has food from many different cultures, Melbourne is the place where there is the best quality food from many different cultures.

A great way to explore Melbourne and its many different food sensations is by joining the Melbourne City Tour – Afternoon, which takes you to many local hotspots, such as Chinatown and Queen Victoria Market. If you’re in the mood for spicy foods, Chinatown has some of the most authentic Sichuan restaurants in Australia, with extreme chilli overload, and plenty of jugs of water for relief.

Other famous food districts include: Italian food at Lygon Street (Brunetti’s is the largest, most beautiful bakery), Greek food on Lonsdale Street, Vietnamese food in Richmond, and chocolate cafes everywhere - San Churros, Koko Black, Max Brennar’s. The best high tea is at The Hotel Windsor, which offers ALL you can EAT of its dessert buffet, plus beautiful teas and silverware. 

You will find that although Melbourne has its obvious landmarks such as Federation Square, Rialto Tower, Eureka Tower, Crown Casino, the Arts Centre, Melbourne Central and the GPO, some of the best Melbourne experiences are tucked away in the tiniest alleyways where there are no carpark spaces and barely even tram tracks nearby. This is the fun of Melbourne shopping, it’s all about exploration and feeling like you just stumbled upon a treasure that nobody else yet knows about.

To explore Melbourne like the locals explore it, join a Melbourne Lanes and Arcades Walking Tour, and be introduced to some Melbourne’s best kept shopping secrets. The tour takes you to designer boutiques, hidden art galleries, basement bookstores and hole in the wall cafes throughout the city.

Though, of course, if you’ve had enough of the secrecy and just want loud and proud bling, go to Collins Street or the GPO for luxurious boutique shopping. Some other great tours which will compliment an enjoyable day of fashion indulgence include: the Spirit of Melbourne Dinner Cruise, the Sunrise Breakfast Balloon Flight over Melbourne – a magnificent experience, second only to the Sunrise Breakfast Balloon Flight over the Yarra Valley, and the Port of Melbourne and Docklands Sightseeing Cruise.

For animal lovers, there is a must-see attraction, which is the penguins at Phillip Island. There are many tours available, from small eco tours to night tours, to a full wildlife package such as the Phillip Island Nature Park and Wildlife Cruise, or the Phillip Island: Penguins, Koalas and Kangaroos Day Tour from Melbourne. Also try the Savannah Walkabout Australian Animals Eco Tour from Melbourne, which takes you to the outer bushlands area, where you’ll be able to see kangaroos and koalas in their natural habitats, as well as learn about the special Koala Research Project and how you can help their conservation.

For over 18s, in terms of alcoholic experiences, well, where do I start? Clubs, lounges and jazz bars are in as much abundance as cafes and fashion boutiques in Melbourne. Ask any local, and they will surely have their own favourites to recommend. In terms of serious wine tasting, you’ll have to venture out to the Yarra Valley (Zone 3), where there is a vast quantity of vineyards, best experienced with a Wine Tasting Tour.

For families, the Puffing Billy Steam Train, Yarra Valley and Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary Day Tour may be the best compromise, as the children will enjoy the wildlife and steam train, whilst parents get to have a moment of indulgence with the wine touring throughout the valley.

Other great sites of the Greater Melbourne area include Mornington Peninsula, famous for the little beach houses in bright colours lined along the sandy coast, and the Great Ocean Road, famous for the Twelve Apostles rock formations, a site of incredible beauty during sunrises and sunsets. (Just remember to bring some insect repellent if you’re visiting in the summer).

For winter sport lovers, Mt Buller is the place to be, and for the AFL football lovers (I have not forgotten you since I wrote that Melbourne was the sporting capital at the start of this post), there are plenty of great football tours.

Melbourne is a great place that accommodates travellers on all budgets, and often has free events that just pop up in the middle of the streets as part of advertisement for the featured events of major festivals. And in terms of festivals, Melbourne is the capital of those, too. From comedy festivals, wine festivals, food festivals, to writers festivals and flower festivals, as well as bridal expos, car expos, fashion week and the racing season in September which hosts the greatest horse-racing event of Australia: The Melbourne Cup. (And, much, much more!)

Melbourne is possibly one of the most romantic cities in Australia, and if you have the time to make a booking for this, you must experience the Melbourne Valentine’s Day Dinner Cruise with your sweety. It is sure to be the perfect compliment to a fun-filled holiday in Melbourne, Australia.

- Nicole Chiu 

• Hotels in Melbourne, Australia 
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• Australian Country Guide
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Paris is undoubtedly one of the most romantic and iconic cities in the world. Filled with history, culture, fashion and passion, Paris will unfailingly entertain any traveller, and always have even more to explore for returning visitors, as well as locals.

For the first-timer to Paris, a good introduction to the city may involve a tour via the transport mode of your choice – walking, cruising, bus, bike or minivan. If you’re only going to be around for a quick little stopover in a jam-packed Europe trip, then the fastest way to soak in all of Paris’ glory is with the Express City Tour.

The Express City Tour covers just about every major Paris landmark, from the Eiffel Tour to the Champs-Elysees, Arc de Triumph, Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, as well as newer architectural icons such as the new Opera House. You’ll also see the Luxembourg Gardens, Place de l’Opera, Place de la Concorde, and much, much more.

For the most beautiful experience of Paris, however, you must be around at night time to soak in the city’s romance. The Paris Illuminations Night Tour provides exactly the right amount of historical commentary, paired with seeing the city turn into a gorgeously ‘illuminated’ gem.

Aside from the most obvious reasons of art, music and fashion that the French are well-known for, there is also the physical activity of bike-riding that has been made most exciting with events such as the Tour de France. A tour of Paris via bike-ride would be one of the most authentic experiences of local life, as cycling is a very common form of transport – and will help you burn off all the calories when you are dining out on all the Parisian gourmet delights!

If riding is really not your thing, yet you do want a more local flavour to your trip, the Paris Night Walking Tour: Bars and Nightclubs is a great way to meet and mingle with locals, as well as check out all the coolest places that they enjoying hanging out at.

Now, a trip to Paris wouldn’t even be justified if one did not go on a shopping tour. Paris is the birth-place of luxury fashion houses: Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin, Yves Saint Laurent, and many, many others.

Any trip to Paris for first-timers would be incomplete without making a visit to the Eiffel Tower. In terms of how you wish to make this visit, there are many wonderful packages on offer. From having the site as part of a standard tour, to a romantic dinner on the tower followed with a Seine River Cruise (It’s one of the most popular tours and sells out weeks ahead so make sure you’ve scheduled it in!). For a combination of the night city tour, dinner at Eiffel Tower and the Seine River cruise, book yourself in for a four-hour package of Eiffel Tower, Seine River Cruise and Paris Illuminations Night Tour.

Paris is the home of the Cancan and cabaret, and for all music and dance lovers, a visit to Paris must include a trip to the Moulin Rouge. The dinner and show package is regularly sold out in advance, as it features a troupe of 100 artists, 60 Doriss Girls from the world over, 1000 costumes of spectacular features, rhinestones, and sequins, and beautiful sets designed by Italian artists. Plus, it’s just a night of good plain fun.

Aside from experiencing Paris as Paris, for those of you who didn’t have the time to take a full tour of France yet secretly would have loved to, you can visit France Miniature, a 12,000 acre miniature map of France. There are 130 landscapes and monuments of France, as well as a steering boat or self-rotating capsule activity in the recreation area. Essentially a theme park, France Miniature is one of the most popular tourist destinations, so in order to skip the long queues make sure you pre-order your ticket with Getaroom.

For families, especially with small children, Disneyland Paris is the place “where you wish upon a star.” It’s a little bit of American nostalgia on Main Street, however there is still plenty of the Parisian atmosphere to be discovered throughout the theme park.

Venturing a little further out from the city, you’ll be able to visit plenty of historic Chateaus, most notably the Vaux le Vicomte Chateaux, the masterpiece by Nicolas Fouquet, which then inspired King Louis XIV to build the Palace of Versailles. A great tour package to join is the Barbizon and Foutainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte Chateaux Day Trip. This is a full nine hours of visiting the renowned artists’ village of Barbizon, the Fontainebleau Forest which hosts the Castle of Fontainebleau, and then the Vaux le Vicomte. (After you’ve seen the inspiration, make sure you then book yourself a trip to the real Palace of Versailles!)

For Champagne lovers, the famous Champagne Region just outside of Paris is filled with vast vineyards, sparkling wines, and flavours galore from light, sweet and fruity to the most woody bitters. To get the full taste palatte going, join the Champagne Region Day Trip from Paris, which takes you on a full 10.5 hour day tour of all the greatest vineyards in the Champagne region.

For more appreciation of French tastebuds, you must try an Introduction to French Cooking class in Paris. Learn from Countess Rosabelle, who will provide you with classic French recipes in English. If you can’t be bothered actually cooking and just want to eat, eat, eat and eat, then go for the decadent Chocolate and Pastry food tour. Bring a good sized napkin for all your drool. 

Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world for many reasons. And the full list of things that you could do could go on forever. I don’t know about you, but for me, part of the fun of planning a trip is doing all the research and making the list of things I want on my itinerary. Getaroom provides a whole 14 pages full of fun-filled activities in Paris to suit all traveller types. Paris is the place for art, music, history, wine, shopping, amazing food and much, much more.

- Nicole Chiu

• Hotels in Paris, France
• Last Minute Hotel Deals in Paris, France
• France Country Guide
• Youth Hostels in Paris, France
• Things To Do in Paris, France
• Car Rental in Paris, France

If you’ve never been to Australia before, Sydney is definitely a ‘must-see’ and the best place to start your Australian visit. Home to the world-famous Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, 2004 Olympic Park & Stadium, and host to some of the most exclusive shopping districts in the country, Sydney is like the unofficial ‘Capital’ of Australia.

The focal point of the city, of course, is the harbour with the bridge and Opera House. This is the first on the ‘must-see destinations’ list for many first-time Sydney visitors. The Opera House provides short or long tours of the history of the opera house, explanations of the concept behind the design, as well as its modern features. High Tea is also available at the opera house, which is a delightful experience for high tea and opera connoisseurs, as you will be arranged to receive an exclusive operatic performance by an acclaimed opera singer. The views from the team room also include the nearby beautiful Botanical Gardens.

Outside of the Opera House area, at Circular Quay you can catch a Ferry to Taronga Zoo – one of the largest zoos in Australia – or visit some of Sydney’s most popular beaches, such as Manly, which also features Oceanworld. Taronga Zoo is lots of fun for families as there are plenty of shows throughout the day, including a really captivating bird show that features huge eagles, and some native Australian birds. The giraffes’s habitat has the most beautiful view of Sydney city itself, and is a perfect location for a photo-op.

Sharking diving tours are available at Oceanworld, Manly, which provide an up-close and extreme experience with not only sharks but other aquatic wildlife such as turtles, stingrays and much, much more. The tours are available for beginners or advanced shark divers.

At The Rocks near Circular Quay, you’ll find The Rocks Markets, featuring plenty of tasty Australian honey products, sheep wool and other unique Australian (and some, not so Australian but equally unique) items.

Over at Darling Harbour, where the Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World and Imax theatres can be found, helicopter flights or seaplanes are also available. These exciting tours of the city and waters gives you an awesome experience of not only being in a helicopter or seaplane, but also to grasp the geography and wonderous atmosphere of Sydney. For a family vacation, Darling Harbour is an excellent area to suit all needs – of both parents and children, with plenty of shopping and restaurants.

The best way to enjoy Sydney’s finest shopping experiences is through a guided shopping tour, which introduces you to all the major shopping destinations, loved by locals and tourists alike.

For the not-so-fond of flights and such, there are also Sydney Harbour Tea, Coffee, Lunch or Dinner Cruises available, as well as plenty of jetboat rides or even water taxis.

To fully appreciate Sydney’s embrace of diversity and multiculturalism, visit the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour, and Chinatown. Nearby Paddy’s Markets in Haymarket is not only one of Sydney’s largest markets, yet also hosts Australia’s largest Yum-Cha restaurant at the top of the shopping complex. (If you’re lucky, you may be witness to one of the restaurant’s may sporadic displays of dragon dancing – rumour is that it’s run by the Chinese mafia and the dragons come to collect ‘red packets’ of ‘protection money’ – but don’t quote me on that if you feel like confronting them about it! It’s just an urban folktale; a bit of a joke, really.)

More colourful flavours of Sydney may also be experienced with a guided tour of King’s Cross, Australia’s (in)famous red light district. If you happen to be visiting during Mardi Gras in early March, then Oxford Street is the place to be, with even more excitement and fun partying, as well as trendy shopping. 

A little further from the city centre, Sydney’s Bondi Beach is an iconic destination in itself for all Australians. It’s been the subject of many artist’s paintings and photographer’s prints, as well as, more recently, television reality shows such as Bondi Rescue and even now Bondi Vet Rescue. The attraction is not only the beach itself and beautiful waters, but also the beautiful people. For some decadent fun in the sun and surf, you really must try a lesson in surfing or include Bondi as part of your sightseeing tours.

For dolphin lovers, there are plenty of tours which involve dolphin sights as well as cruises that take you along for a refreshing oceanic escape. Jervis Bay, Port Stephens and Nelson Bay are amongst the top destinations for departure cruises that feature exclusive dolphin sightings.

Further inland from the coastline, and at much higher altitudes, is the Blue Mountains, home to the legendary ‘Three Sisters’ rock formation at Echo Point, in Katoomba, and also plenty of native Austrailan wildlife such as koalas.

The ‘Three Sisters’ are three distinct rock formations of 922, 918 and 906 metres tall. Aboriginal dream-time legend originates the three sisters, Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo as members of the Katoomba tribe. The three sisters, all extremely beautiful, had fallen in love with three brothers from the Nepean tribe, against the laws of the tribes which forbade them to marry. When the brothers tried to use force to capture the sisters, a major tribal battle began. When it became apparent that the lives of the three sisters were in danger, a witchdoctor from the Katoomba tribe turned the three sisters into stone to protect them – with every intention to turn them back, later on. Unfortunately the witch doctor himself was killed in the battle, so the sisters have since remained in their eternal beauty as rock formations, and also as a reminder of this kind of battle as a cautionary tale for later generations.

Many more interesting Aboriginal legends and stories may be stumbled upon throughout your visit to Australia, and particularly within the Blue Mountains area in Sydney.

Another awesome natural feature of the Blue Mountains is the limestone Jenolan Caves. These caves are so beautiful that many people have even hosted their wedding ceremonies in these caves.

Finally, for wine fanatics, a visit to Sydney wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Hunter Valley, where many of Australia’s greatest wineries exist and are open for tastings and tours.

Back in the city center, Sydney also has a real ‘chill’ factor for those seeking a moment of modern and otherworldly experiences. The Minus 5 Ice Bar is the ‘coolest’ experience in Sydney, where drinks are served in carved ice cubes, and everything else from tables and seats are carved in ice. Plenty of beautiful ice sculptures are also featured, and a must-try is the signature vodka cocktail.

If you’re visiting during the winter months (about June to mid-September), and you really want to see some snow, head to New South Wales’ Thredbo or Perisher Blue ski resort for your much needed snow fix. 

- Nicole Chiu

• Hotels in Sydney, Australia
• Last Minute Hotel Deals in Sydney, Australia
• Australia Country Guide
• Youth Hotels in Sydney, Australia
• Things to Do in Sydney, Australia
• Car Rental in Sydney, Australia

France sets you off on an adventure suited to your pace! Be it enjoying the high life in one of the world’s major capitals or enjoying a laid-back holiday in the countryside. Each region promises a hearty serving of the French culture!

Paris needs no introduction as its famed glitz is recognisable around the world. Walking past such renowned landmarks as Champs Elysees and Eiffel Tower or admiring art inside the Louvre are just some of the activities that still rank high in the tourist trail. From the capital, you can hie off to other fabulous retreats.

Not far from Paris are the scenic valleys of the Loire region! The French Riviera, with its year-round warm weather, welcomes visitors who flock to resorts in Cannes and Nice hoping to catch a golden tan. More sunny escapes follow when you reach Provence. The historic cities of Marseille, Avignon, Arles, Nimes offer explorations into France’s heritage.

To get into the heart of the French cuisine, you can spend some time in Lyon, Burgundy and Bordeaux where fine food and fine wines meet. If skiing is your top priority, the Alps and Pyrenees regions are the main destinations to look into. More picturesque encounters await travelers in lovely cities of Strasbourg, Lille and Toulouse.

Hotels in France

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I have personally stayed at the Forrest Hotel and Apartments (aka The Forrest Motor Inn) about 10-12 times over the past 14 years, so I thought it was appropriate to write a quick review.

Why do I keep going back? Well, there are two major reasons - price and location.

The Forrest Hotel is a relatively cheap hotel. For much of the year (when Floriade isn’t on), you can get a room at the hotel for $110 a night. That’s bloody cheap compared to other well-situated hotels in the vicinity of the Forrest Hotel.

There are certainly other hotels in Canberra that are cheaper than this (eg. the Formule One hotel out on the Federal highway), but few can offer the central location that the Forrest provides. My wife has commuted this year to work and her office in Barton is a mere 200m walk from the hotel. Indeed, Barton, Parkes, Forrest and Manuka are home to many government departments and businesses, all within walking distance of the Forrest Motor Inn. Not to mention the great cafes, bars and restaurants of Manuka and Kingston. And the plethora of national institutions - National Gallery, National Library, High Court, etc. - in the parliamentary triangle.

In terms of hotel and room amenities, there’s nothing that really gets the traveller too excited. The hotel is really a motel - two storeys with car parking right out front. The ‘drive up to your door’ arrangement means that early departees/late arrivals will wake you from your slumber. Beware the ‘grey nomads’ on their round-Australia trip who deem it necessary to warm up their diesel engine at 5am for 30 minutes in the car space outside your door…after all, they have to be in Newcastle by sundown.

Inside the rooms are always clean and well-serviced - another plus for the Forrest. All rooms have Foxtel and adequate (albeit quite old) heating / cooling systems. Heating is particularly important as the hotel gets extremely cold in the middle of winter. Each room is subtley different (I sound like an air hostess) and some rooms are better than others - indeed, the last room that I stayed in had a broken lock on the front door. The time before I was lucky enough to score a double suite - two adjoining rooms with kitchen facilities.

The no-frills nature of the hotel dictates that there is no mini-bar, which I personally don’t mind, but there are always two free bottles of still water in the fridge. A nice touch.

The bathrooms are pretty simple too - there are no soaps or accessories to steal. There is a soap dispenser in the shower, though, and this sort of reminds me of being an inpatient at a hospital. But remember we’re only paying $110 a night…

Downstairs, the hotel has a restaurant which doesn’t seem to be very popular, at least at night. I’ve not eaten there for dinner, but breakfast was good, although perhaps disproportionately expensive to the room rate.

So, will I be using the Forrest Hotel and Apartments again? Yes, in fact, I am staying there in two weeks’ time. Nice and convenient and cheap.

But if you are staying for leisure and your budget permits, I would consider upgrading to one of the more salubrious hotels in the vicinity.

Book the Forrest Hotel and Apartments here…
Other Canberra hotels…
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Last weekend we travelled to Melbourne to watch our footy team play and thought that we’d splurge by staying at the Sofitel Mansion and Spa at Werribee Park. 

Set in the heart of beautiful Werribee Park, the Sofitel Mansion and Spa Hotel is adjacent to the historic Chirnside Mansion (a 60-room Italianate mansion built by Scottish squatters in 1874-77), Victoria’s Open Range Zoo, National Equestrian Centre, Werribee Park Golf Course and the Victorian State Rose Garden.  It’s a wonderful little precinct and house guests are provided with a pass to enjoy the park during their stay.

My wife and I have previously visited the Chirnside Mansion and thought that it would be a good place to check out for a couple of days and to reminisce about old times when I was posted to nearby RAAF Point Cook.

By the way, we’re not luxury hotel snobs – this is probably the second time that I have ever stayed in a five-star hotel, so this review will not be ‘hoity-toity’ with snobbish criticisms about the quality of the provided bathroom accessories or other finer details expected by five-star regulars…

Now, the name ‘Werribee’ is not synonymous with luxury.  Werribee is certainly no Toorak or South Yarra.  It’s about 25km to the south-west of Melbourne in one of the city’s population growth corridors and it is perhaps best known by outsiders for its sewage treatment plant, which treats over half of Melbourne’s sewage.   As a former resident of the area, I never actually visited the treatment plant but breezy summer afternoons confirm that the plant actually does exist somewhere in the vicinity.

True to form, Melbourne put on a wet Friday for our arrival and the inclement weather made the access road extremely muddy.  The gravel hotel car park was also sodden which made it a bit of challenge not to traipse mud in from outside.  It was quite incongruous to walk into a wonderful old building, complete with majestic clock-tower and grand foyer, having trudged through the mud outside. 

The long, muddy access road is my only real criticism of the hotel and I suppose it would not have come to light had the weather been fine.  Although the prospect of fine weather in Melbourne during winter is quite remote…maybe it’s time to seal the road, although I expect that it would be a costly exercise for the hotel.

We were warmly welcomed at the front desk and the reception staff showed us to our room and gave us a tour of the facilities – I’m certainly not used to that in the hotels I normally stay at.  The room, whilst small, was – in my vernancular – quite ‘gucci’ and modern.  The best thing about the room was the European-style doona and fluffy pillows, which provided me with 3 nights of golden slumber.  My only gripes were that the television size was not befitting a five-star hotel (it was one of those small flatscreen computer monitor style TVs) and the room itself was a little cramped.  Structurally the building was designed to accommodate Catholic seminary students, so there was probably not a lot that could be done to change the room configuration.

Although I forgot to bring my bathers (again), I improvised with my underwear and headed to the indoor pool soon after settling in.  It’s a fantastic pool – 17m long in a purpose built pool hall, nicely heated for winter, with spa jets at one end.   Don’t you hate how boxer shorts seem to fall off when swimming?  Luckily I swam alone.  Adjacent to the pool are a small gym and a steam room.

That evening we checked out Joseph’s Restaurant and opted for the three-courser for $80 per head – as Accor Advantage Plus card holders we get a 50% discount on food, although this deal is not available on Saturday nights.  The service and food was top notch – particularly the eye fillet and the oyster selection, accompanied by a pinot noir from the on-site Shadowfax winery.  On a subsequent evening, we ate in the bar area and the chicken curry was great, washed down with several Prickly Moses wheat beers from the tap.  Breakfast was included in our package with a-la-carte hot breakfasts accompanied by a lavish continental breakfast spread.  Another thumbs up from me.

Overall, it was a great stay – nice accommodation, good amenities, tasty food, helpful staff.  The cost for the Winter Package was $199 per night using an Accor Advantage Plus discount card.  I recommend the hotel and I hope that I have the opportunity to stay there again in the future.

Book at the Sofitel Mansion and Spa Werribee Park

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Tiger Airways has been operating in Australia since the start of the year - it is our unofficial fourth domestic carrier after Qantas, Virgin Blue and Rex.  My first experience with Tiger last weekend wasn’t flash - in fact, I will consider paying extra to fly on Qantas next time around, particularly if flying out of Melbourne.

My first gripe - Terminal 4 at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport.  It doesn’t deserve to be called a terminal - it’s a shed.  A big, cold, ugly shed.  The arrival area looks like a prison exercise yard.  It’s probably not Tiger’s fault, but isn’t there room in the main terminal to accommodate another domestic airline?  They only fly a handful of flights a day from Melbourne.

My wife and I arrived at Terminal 4 two hours before departure time, so that we wouldn’t get struck off the aircraft manifest - this is a Tiger requirement.  We proceeded to wait in a long, slow-moving queue for over 45 minutes, as two check-in staff took their time to process everybody.  It seems that slugging every second person for excess baggage charges takes time - not to mention the requirement to tag every piece of cabin luggage (why?).  After 45 minutes or so, a third check-in station opened up and the lines started moving more freely.  My question is: why insist that everybody is to be at the terminal two hours before departure if much of this lead time is spent in a queue?  Indeed, those passengers who came later were rewarded by spending far less time in the queue, because there were more stations open upon their arrival!  Another thing - how come Virgin and Qantas can process their passengers in significantly less time?  Is it because most Tiger passengers have never flown before, I wonder?

Before I go on - I must say that the Tiger check-in procedure at Adelaide was much more efficient.  There was no tagging of cabin baggage.  The issuing of boarding passes / checking of baggage was conducted quickly and painlessly.

But back to my Melbourne experience.  After a wait in Tiger’s salubrious departure area (!), we were asked to board (or should I say, commence the long, cold trek from the departure gate to the aircraft - if you are wheelchair-bound, then I recommend flying Qantas) .  The ground crew announced that passengers were to board in stages - rows 1-15 last etc.  Unfortunately, the aircraft flight attendants were expecting to receive passengers through both the front and rear doors, except nobody told the passengers.  What ensued was a very long line of passengers at the front of the aircraft, followed soon after by a ground staff member running up and down the line, yelling over the roar of the jet engines: ‘If you’re in row 15-30, please go to the rear stairs’.  As you can imagine, people went everywhere.  A dog’s breakfast.  And despite us arriving at the airport more than two hours ahead of departure, we still ended up departing late.

My laborious journey was made worse by the loud people playing Uno behind me the whole trip, the overhead lockers filled to the brim with box upon box of Krispy Kreme donuts (why don’t Krispy Kreme just open up a shop in Adelaide and spare us all?), and the multiple attempts at humour by the customer service officer (particularly the ‘dig’ at Adelaide). 

I suppose I shouldn’t complain - that’s what you should expect when you buy dirt cheap airfares.  Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for competition which ensures that prices remain reasonable on each of our domestic airlines.

We’d like to hear about your experiences with Tiger Airways - or with any airline for that matter…