Visiting Sydney

Next month (wow, now that it’s basically August I can say that) I’ll be heading to Asia with my little sister. I am so excited about this trip, because I’ll get to show her the part of the world that has really caught my attention – and my heart. I was born in Sydney, but when I was a baby my parents moved to New Zealand. Living here, Australia doesn’t really seem exotic and most kiwis aren’t really that interested in exploring it, so we often neglect it as a holiday destination – but there’s so much to see. I found cheap flights to Sydney from Kuala Lumpur with cheapflights.com.au and decided we’d spend a few days there on the way home, so my sister could see where our mum was born and to meet some of our extended family.

When I was sixteen I decided to spend my summer holidays in Sydney. I saved up, what seemed at the time to be, a ton of money and headed there to shop and enjoy the sunshine.Years later, when I first decided to leave New Zealand on my “overseas experience”, I chose Sydney as my first port, planning to live and work there for a while to fund my upcoming travels. I lasted a week, destroyed my bank balance and promptly booked a one way flight to Thailand. I visited Sydney again last year, on my way back to Europe.

I feel like as a traveler, I’m torn. Part of me loves budget destinations, where my money stretches much further, where you can really connect to a place and its people. The other part of me loves cities that are sleek and shiny, have great shopping and offer all the Western comforts I do love.

Sydney definitely leans on the more superficial side of my traveling needs. Despite this, I’m still fond of it as a city. It was the first big city I ever visited and I’ve developed a little ritual when I visit.

I always spend one day taking the ferry out to Manly beach – it is one of my favourite beaches in the world. Sydney Zoo also tops my list of favourite zoos in the world, in part because of the zoo itself, but also because of the ferry and gondola to get there. So I always make my way to the zoo to spend a day. The third thing I’ve done each time I’ve visited, is a little trip down to circular quay. It doesn’t matter if you visit during the day or not – it’s always stunning with the harbour, the bridge and the impressive skyline. There are a ton of things to do when exploring Australia. Next time you plan to visit here consider booking your Sydney hotel with Expedia. You can search different hotels online specially by location. This way you can ensure you are conveniently located to the activities that interest you. Without a doubt, Sydney is one of the best travel destinations out there. You will not be disappointed when visiting this city.

When I visit Sydney with my sister in October, I’ll take her to all of these places. Our time in Sydney is short, so we have to cram as much as possible in.

Have you ever been to Sydney? Are you visiting Sydney anytime soon? Do you have any suggestions of things we must do?

Share in the comments below whether you are a budget traveler, or someone who enjoys the glitz and glamour of flash cities like Sydney.