USA - It's just not meant to be...just yet!

Well after months of planning with a travel agent for our honeymoon in the US, the trip has been postponed :( We had planned an extensive itinerary for this October - starting in Perth > Hong Kong > New York > Orlando > Miami > Las Vegas and the a drive up to San Francisco. Overall a pretty awesome journey! Unfortunately there is just far too much pressure on us to come up with the cash! Overall the flights, accommodation & car hire was $13,000 - and then there is food, spending money, petrol etc...which bought the cost a little out of control!!! I imagine the trip would have been somewhere around $20,000!! Eep!

So we have decided to do the right thing and put that money towards a house instead! Oh the sad choices we make when we become adults! On a positive note, we are still going to go somewhere and this opens up a whole heap of doors. I mean, let's face it - if we can get away with a $5000 holiday, we will still be up by $15,000 so it's win win!

We have decided if we aim to have a reasonably priced 1 week holiday every 3 months then it will feel like we are constantly going on holiday :) Happy days.

The first one which I am thinking might be in July, we are tossing up between a few places - Thailand, Singapore or maybe somewhere closer to home ie. in Australia somewhere. The idea of Thailand excites me because it will be warm, there will be beaches, snorkeling, cocktails, massages and plenty of relaxing for not too much cash! But Singapore is also right up there, though it will be more expensive in the long run so I am not sure. Feel free to comment or give me any tips re these places....

One thing is for sure, I have very itchy feet and I need a break from work! So let me get on with it and plan some more :) Hopefully the outcome to this next batch of research will end well :)

Margaret River - Our gorgeous wine region

I love Margaret River - everything about it! For people that live in Perth, Margs is the quick getaway spot. A place where we all go to escape, pretty much any chance we get! With an quick 3hrs drive from Perth, you are there - it's too easy.

Margaret River is special for many reasons but for me it's all about the wine. This is where some of the worlds best wine gets made and I am a big fan. It doesn't matter what time of the year you go. Whether you go in Summer and take advantage of the amazing (world renowned) beaches & refreshing white wine or you go in Winter when it's cold and you get to sit by the fire with an amazing glass of red, it doesn't matter. It will be a perfect holiday either way.

I have been to Margaret River countless times, each with a new experience to take away with me. Although it is a small town, there is so much to do and see and every time we go, we try to do something new.

There are so many wonderful wineries to choose from & the perfect (and safest) way to see them all is going on a tour. This way, everyone can try the tasters & you don't need to worry about a designated driver! The tours are usually fairly reasonable and normally include a lunch at one of the well known wineries. Ours went to Voyager which is one of the most beautiful wineries around. This should definitely be on anyone's list of must-sees! Another one of my very favourites & probably a more understated winery is Fermoy Estate. Their wine is beyond divine. I have always been impressed by them & stock up as much as I can whenever I am down there. The Merlot is great & they also have a great cleanskin Rose which is only $10 but worth so much more in flavour! Some of my other favourites are Howard Park (Mad Fish), Knee Deep, Stella Bella & Willespie.

The list of wineries to see goes on & on. The ones I mentioned are my favourite but the best thing to do is to grab a map of the area and see what interests you. Most of them are close to each other and just by heading off and stopping in randomly, you might stumble upon your hidden fave!

Last time we were down, we visited the Grove Vineyard Liqueur Factory. This was very cool. You get to try delicious liqueurs for a couple dollars a tasting. The tastings are very generous and by the end of it, I couldn't handle the sweetness anymore! The turkish delight flavour was my best.
I also can't speak highly enough about the Venison Farm. I wasn't keen to go at first because I usually do not like the taste of game meat. However, as well as fresh meat they do have a large variety of other meats, including salami, chorizo, biltong (dried meat), cold meats as well as some delicious meat spreads. Definitely worth a visit.

Of course the Margaret River Cheese Factory is always a priority for me. If I could live on cheese, bath in cheese and build my house out of cheese, I would do. They have free testers & lots of different varieties, as well as crackers, relishes and more. A wine & cheese platter back at the apartment is always a great lunch. The same goes for the Chocolate Factory. You can help yourself to free chocolate drops as you wander around. Need I say more?

The Town Centre is basically one long road. It has some great restaurants, pubs and some nice little boutique shops and everything else you need. One of my favourite places to go for dinner is Must Wine Bar. The food is amazing & the range of wines is vast. It is small and intimate with a classy atmosphere. Last time I had the most delicious Carpaccio and then Crab with Angel Hair Linguine. Wow. I can recommend this place to anyone. We have actually stayed in the Must Apartments too (which are located above the restaurant) and they were also great. Very central and suited to couple on a romantic getaway. It cost more than what we would usually pay per night but is worth it and comes with a free breakfast in the restaurant. Also worth a mention is the seafood platter at Arc of Iris (near the top of the road). I have never tasted a better seafood platter anywhere in Perth.

So overall, Margaret River is a great place to visit if you are in need of some down time. I always feel relaxed & happy when I am there and refreshed when I come home. It is the perfect getaway in my eyes.

My rating for Margaret River is 9/10

Points to Remember:

* The Margaret River Tourist Centre is great and so helpful. They will go out of their way to help you out with whatever bookings you want to make - accommodation/tours etc...

* You need to book months in advance if you are booking in peak season or over a long weekend. All the reasonable places book out very fast and it is only the very expensive accommodation that you are usually left with, if any. So plan a long time in advance!

* Wine tours also book out fast so get in nice and early!

* It gets really cold and breezy down there in Autumn/Winter so pack lots of warm stuff

* Taxi's are very expensive there and some are unregulated so beware of being ripped off if you are staying out of town (near the beach or bush)

http://www.must.com.au/MMRfolder/index.html
http://www.margaretriver.com/
https://secure.thegrovevineyard.com.au/liqueur/liqueur.php

Albany...a little gem in Western Australia....

We have been to Albany twice now. It is 416km from Perth and every bit worth the drive. Not because Albany itself is out of this world but because the scenic coastal drive to get to Albany is amazing. The drive is easy, the little towns along the way are pretty and the beaches are just spectacular.

Once you get to Albany, it is pretty much how you would expect an ex-whaling, fishing town to be. It is packed with history and the architecture is great. Beautiful colonial houses perched on hills - almost every one of them with a view of the ocean. That's the thing about Albany, it is quite confusing because everywhere you go, no matter which direction, you see the ocean. Makes you wonder if you are even driving the right way? However, Albany is situated right at the bottom left point of WA so I guess this would make sense. I didn't mind the views whatsoever!

The last time we were in Albany, we were there with friends. The great thing about that is you tend to go to places that you wouldn't ordinarily go to. I liked that. We were only there for a couple of days so time was tight. One of the first places we went to was The Whale Museum. It sounded cool but it wasn't. The beach next to it and the views around it were awesome but with a fee of $25 each, I was highly underwhelmed. If you do decide to go, it has a couple points working in its favour. These are the photo opportunities from aboard an old whaling ship and the little animal farm. I got to touch a koala which I have never done so that was nice.

From there we went to a couple of look out points - one was the Blow Holes. In certain conditions, the sea crashes onto the rocks and sprays water through the blow holes. This is beautiful but the walk down the cliff to the rocks is not for sissies. It is a few hundred metres and has a massive flight of steps. Not bad going down but the return trip is quite tough. I wondered why on the way down there were so many rest points with benches. This is also a great photo opportunity & good workout at the same time!

Next stop, The Spirit Distillery. Fun place to visit on an empty tummy! Here you can pay a couple dollars and try some of the best whiskeys around. They also distill gin and a few other treats. The girls that work there are very friendly and good for a chat, as well as knowing a lot about the different spirits which is always good. They make a good milkshake too.

A little behind schedule, fairly hungry and a bit warm and fuzzy, we made our way to the Marron Farm. I love Marron. For those who don't know what they are, they are freshwater crayfish and are absolutely delicious. Our friends had the most impressive 'freshwater' fish platter I have ever seen and it was really reasonable. $80 for the whole platter (see pic) which is a bargain. I had a butterflied marron which was cooked on the BBQ and then had melted butter over the top. Yum. I was very impressed and can recommend it. They also have a bird 'park' on the property. Not really our scene but it looked nice.

While I am on the subject of eating, I have never come across a coastal fishing town that doesn't have a single proper seafood restaurant. The only places we could find were 'fish & chip' like restaurants. It is quite disappointing. When you are surrounded by sea air, all we wanted to do was eat a massive seafood platter & there were none around. So here is an idea - if you want to make some money, move to Albany and open up a seafood restaurant. Luckily we hit a luck with the Marron farm which kind of felt like seafood!!!

A great, social place to go for some drinks and food is the White Star Hotel (Tanglehead Brewery) It has a great atmosphere and often has comedy shows or bands on which is great. We have had a good time every time we have been.

The beaches in Albany are beautiful and I think Albany is worth a visit just to see some of them. I have lived in Western Australia for 5 years now and still get gobsmacked at how stunning the beaches are here. The turquoise, crystal clear water would rival any island on a good day.

So overall, if you feel like a road trip and have some time on your hands, drive that little bit further down the coast! It will be worth the ride and something different too...


Points to Remember:

* Albany is a fairly cool place and windy too. The best time to go would be the middle of Summer for sure but even then, we needed a jacket when we went out at night. So be prepared!

* If you plan to go over a long weekend or peak season, best to book accommodation long in advance. This goes for eating out once you are there. We found it was good to book a couple days before in busy periods.

* The Farmers Market is every Saturday - go early for some great supplies

My score for Albany is 6/10

http://www.albanytourist.com.au/

Operation Mauritius Layover!

On our last trip to South Africa, we decided to stop over in Mauritius on the way back to Perth.What seemed like a smart idea at the time turned into a bit of a mission from the start! It might be handy to mention that we were traveling over Christmas & this should immediately put things into perspective!

Mission no 1: Trying to get accommodation in peak season when you are only there for 2 nights! This was tough. All the fancy pants resorts that we all wish we could stay at (and should stay at) required a 10 night minimum over peak season. Even though I booked nearly a year in advance, I spent hours on end trying to find accommodation that would take us for our measly 2 nights. How dare we!

I had heard that Pereybere was a lovely spot & had decided that we would stay at a self catering apartment. Now before you make judgments and laugh at my expense - there really was no other choice!

Ok...let's fast forward to the good stuff. We arrived, the weather was slightly humid but lovely. Driving through the cane fields and seeing the island "mountain" scenery was a treat. There also seemed to be a trend - unfinished houses. Apparently if you don't complete your house, it essentially remains a "building site" and you don't have to pay taxes (or something like that) So as you drive along, you see house upon house three quarters the way complete with metal beams etc.....

So we arrived at the "hotel" without much struggle. First thing I noticed was that the hotel was not right on the beach - as mentioned on the website but actually across the road from it - and then across a big park. At this stage, I smile and shrug "It happens right?" The room was fine, no complaints there. We were excited and ready to go out and get amongst it. We heard the best place to go out was a 10 min drive to bustling Grand Bay.

The night life is great. We ended up drinking cocktails and watching amazing live bands playing Latin American/funk style music on both nights. I remember thinking, well this is the life, get me another Pina Colada!!! Got ripped off by a cab driver on the first night but by the second night, we were savvy to the whole situation!! It's amazing how fast you learn.

Mission No 2: Waking up on the Saturday was fairly painful after the night before but a swim would sort that out. Firstly, needed Coke immediately. Hmm...first problem. We never bought anything the day before did we? So off I go in search of a) something to eat and b) some coke. I go downstairs, the restaurant is closed (8am), I go across the road, the restaurant is closed. I walk 5 minutes down the road to the left, nothing. By this stage, I feel like I might die. My cotton mouth could not be worse and my head is pounding. I had to push on! So back the way I came and I just kept walking. I am not sure for how long but in hangover time, it felt like days.

Eventually I came across a little old lady with a giant french loaf. I wanted to steal it but instead I asked her where she got it from. After eventually figuring out what I wanted, she pointed down the street. So off I go....down the street, down a little alleyway...passed some stray dogs who might have been looking for the same place.....and then success. A tiny little shop, no signage, just a door. Inside had such a low roof and almost no lighting. But there was bread...and coke! They had nothing for the bread though, except some little packets of Nutella. So that was it. The breakfast of champions.

So back to the apartment with the 'breakfast', the sleeping boyfriend totally unaware of what I had to go through for it! Eventually, feeling slightly more alive, I got my stuff ready for the beach. Boyfriend needed more sleep so off I went.

I walked across the park, saw my stray dog buddies again and eventually got to the beach. Oh the beach! It made it all ok. I saw the sun lounges and headed for one. It was just like you see in the pictures. Except that my bum wasn't even on it when a little skinny indian guy wanted money off me for sitting on one. Damn. I decided I would be better off in the water anyway.

This was a good decision. The water was like a refreshing, yet warm, bath. You just walked right in and the sand is so fine, it is an amazing feeling on your toes. I could have spent ages in there. We ended up snorkeling and swimming really far out. The fish are beautiful & the water is like a pool. It is exactly how you imagine it to be (once you are passed the park!).

Later on we decided to try the public transport. This would be scary for any adrenalin junkie, let alone a normal person. The bus was packed & felt like it would topple with every turn. The driving was chaotic. Nobody else seemed phased. We got off and had a good giggle at the situation - mostly due to the endorphin kick we had just received. Either way, it was a pretty cool experience.

The markets were high on the agenda. They are very well known & we wanted to grab a bargain. It was a great experience. So much to see, so many lovely things, so much crap! It was a great day and I highly recommend it. We picked up some stunning things, including a massive table cloth I set out to find, for a steal. One of my best parts of the whole trip was a restaurant/bar called Cocoloko. It was amazing. The decor was brilliant, the food was delicious and the chilled out French lounge music completed the island paradise picture. I had the best pizza of my life there and I still dream about it.

Also got to drink the juice out of a fresh coconut. Something that still haunts me to this day. It looks so exotic & islandy! But picture warm, salty juice through a straw. Yeah. Not good.

Sunday morning we got up at a reasonable time which was obviously still not reasonable by Mauritian standards! Again battled to find somewhere to eat & since we were getting fetched for the airport at 12am, we needed to find somewhere, and soon. We went to a restaurant by the park at 10am. It only opened at 11. What breakfast did it serve? None, but we could have roast chicken & chips. We waited ages for it and then when it came, we think it might have been chicken from a couple days ago that was re-roasted. It was bad, the flies were bad and the fact that the stray dogs were allowed into the outdoor area was odd. On that note, finding somewhere that served traditional Mauritian cuisine, something I was eager to try, was almost impossible.

So with an fairly empty tummy, we went to the airport where we were told we had a 5hr delay.
If anyone has been stuck in an airport over the Christmas season - an airport meant for no more than a couple hundred people, you will feel our pain. There was ONE place for food and drinks. You had to wait for an hour in the queue just to get anything so when you got there, you bought double. There were tired, hungry, crying kids, no where to sit & I was with a smoker that had no where to smoke. It was hell. And that is no exaggeration.

In summary, I felt Mauritius has a lovely culture with a lot to offer and is definitely worth a visit but has it's own serious 3rd world issues. Infrastructure is pretty bad. As a traveler, most of the time you want to go there to experience this culture and get amongst it but then go back to your stunning resort and laze in the pool with cocktails. You don't want to stay where we stayed where the dirtiness and poverty is inescapable.  My advice: Always stay in a resort where everything is included & food and drink are there on request. If you are going at peak season and can't get into a resort, don't go at all.

My score for Mauritius - 6/10

Points to remember:

* Always lock in the cab fare with the driver before you get in. You can probably barter at least 50% off what they originally told you. They WILL try to rip you off.

* Stay in a resort

* Always barter at the markets and you will get very good deals

* Make sure you still have cash on you when you leave for your flight home. You may have a wait and will need to buy food and drinks.

* Check the shop opening times on weekends, they are very different to what you are probably used to.

* Buy an underwater camera :)

* Probably try and avoid peak season - the airport is a bit crazy & it can't really handle the amount of people that go through it

http://www.mauritius.net/index.php

The alarm bells are a constant....

I have called my blog "The Travel Alarm" for one reason.
For quite some time now my travel alarm has been going nuts. It is like a constant in the back of my mind, an annoying sound which likes to create havoc in my real life. Oh the perils of constant wanting!
So I work full time, don't have spare cash & day dream about traveling every moment I get. I research, make plans, check travel websites, am subscribed to probably every website offering 'flights on sale' known to man (a daily reminder in my email of all the bargains I can't take advantage of!) but that's about as far as I get. Cue the violins.... :(

Not that I think I am the only person with this problem - I know many people with the travel alarm issue. I guess it's all about the way you choose to handle your alarm. Some people quit their job & head off into the blue yonder for a long term holiday. "I'll be fine, I will get a job there, I will backpack my way around, it'll be fun!" Very brave indeed.
I on the other hand do not have the balls anymore for such a crusade which is probably half my problem & the main reason I will probably never live elsewhere again, unless I win the lottery. Just thinking of doing such a thing sends me into cold sweats - my all too logical brain telling me I have worked too hard to get to where I am.....endless, annoying questions bouncing around. Boring but logical nonetheless.

So my point eventually is - my focus for this blog is on short holidays. Quick getaways designed to keep you sane from everyday routine. I have created it to discuss places I have been to & my opinion, special spots that make me feel good, places I wish/plan to go to & the list goes on. So, welcome - and enjoy!