Hi Sheila's,
I am going to do my best to describe how amazing Sydney was but I suggest you go and see for yourself! It's such a cool place and the beaches are AMAZING!
So first off, the reason why I went to Sydney was to visit one of my very best friends. She moved there about 4 years ago for her boyfriend and never looked back. She raved all the time about how awesome Australia was and that I needed to come visit her. So me and 2 other friends made the trip (finally) and flew to land down unda. And it was a blast! We went for 1 week, which seems like a while but it was so not long enough! We visited a bunch of tourist attractions but we also did some local activities as well. I will list all of the must sees and things we did while we enjoyed our time in Sydney. Enjoy!
Beaches:
1. Bondi beach! This beach is so beautiful! There were a bunch of restaurants and shops along the water. I suggest doing the 6km hike between 5 beaches starting at Coogee and ending at Bondi! It was breathtaking! It takes about an hour and a half but we stopped and swam at a few different beaches along the way. I would allot for half the day if you decide to do the hike. Definitely worth it! Also, checkout Icebergs pool at Bondi Beach it's so cool. They also have a restaurant that we didn't have to chance to try but looked amazing. (Formal attire).
2. Manly beach! I suggest taking the ferry from Sydney to Manly beach! It was a beautiful 30 minute ride. Once on the beach, they have lot's of cute boutiques, shops and restaurants. Manly beach was also voted the best beach in Sydney (beating Bondi for the first time)! I loved it!
3. Bronte Beach. This is one of the beaches on the walk from Coogee to Bondi, it quickly became one of our favorites. It has a pool you can swim in and lots of photo opportunities. We also swam in the ocean with a bunch of gorgeous of rocks and took some great pics. I highly recommend!
Restaurants: (Look up happy hours)
1. The Opera House is a MUST see, it is gorgeous! Def my fav place we went! Their food was so fresh & delicious, I'm going to dream about those oysters. We sat outside on the ocean by some live music and couldn't have been more happy. I recommend their oysters, salt and pepper calamari (AMAZING) and charcuterie board.
2. Chin Chin's was definitely one of the favs while we were here. It is a take on modern day Chinese food. It was sooo good! The building was very industrial like and had a bar upstairs for some fun nightlife! Oh and the desserts are to die for!
3. Darling Harbour has amazing food! It is a harbour filled with restaurants and bars and we spent two nights exploring the different pubs and restaurants. We went to the Cyren and it was UNBELIEVABLE! They have great seafood and awesome drinks!
4. Another spot in Darling Harbour was the Adria. Their food was mediterranean and it was so good! I got their lamb souvlaki and it was great!
5. Harry's serves some amazing meat pies and sausage rolls which were coined by the Aussie's. If you come to Sydney you have to try them both! They are sooooooo yummy!
6. Thai Terrace was so good! For some reason Sydney has Thai food all over the place so naturally we had to try some! And Thai Terrace was sooooo good! Def get the Pad Thai and the Spicy fried rice!
7. The Vue at Bondi beach has great drinks and some awesome food! Definitely check it out! Espresso Martini's are super popular in Australia and The Vue makes a great one!
Nightlife:
1. The Carter was a blast! It's more of a club scene but the atmosphere and bartenders were so much fun! There's a really cool photo op on their second floor and it totally made our night!
2. Shangri-La Sydney was one of the most gorgeous rooftop bars I've ever been to. It's not huge but the view is amazing and the drinks are just as good. It is a bit pricey so maybe start there, have a drink and go out to the bars in The Rocks. The Rocks is a bar/restaurant filled area that's perfect for a fun night out.
3. If you're a wine lover then you def need to visit Hunter's Valley! My besties surprised me with a bachelorette party here. And we took a tour bus about an hour and half-two hours from Sydney into wine country. It is their version of Napa valley. So if you have the time I would HIGHLY recommend spending the day there. (Lots of tours on Groupon)
4. Keg & Brew was a very chill pub with many floors and a sweet rooftop! It is in Surry Hills which is a super fun and young adult area! Their beer selection was great!
5. Fortune of War Sydney's oldest Pub (that's what it's called) was such a cool place to visit. They had live music and they brew their own beer which was so delicious! We also met some awesome people here too, so the atmosphere was great!
6. Aussie's love their karaoke so we decided to check it out too! We went to K1 Karaoke Lounge and it was a blast. You get your own private room with just you and your friends and you can sing as loud and as horrible and you want.
7. Frankie's was an interesting place. It was a must see on most people's list that we spoke to so we went. It was definitely an experience and their pizza was pretty good! If you go let me know what you think.
Shopping:
1. Tigerlily was such a cool store. They have beautiful pieces and really simple outfits. I really liked their clothes and swimmies!
2. Westfield Mall is in the heart of downtown Sydney and has pretty much every store you can think of!
3. Tree of Life was another shop on Manly beach which I loved! Their style was more bohemian and they had beautiful pieces. I would recommend for sure!
4. Sportsgirl was a cute shop on Manly beach and had great clothing options.
Transportation:
1.When you land in Sydney definitely take the train. (The traffic is horrendous).
2. Uber. They do have Uber in Sydney. I know when you travel you never know what the transportation will be like. But they have it, I would just make sure to not schedule an Uber during rush hour.
3. We walked legit everywhere so be sure to bring those walking shoes. On average I think we walked AT LEAST 4-5 miles a day.
Phew! Writing this post makes me want to go back already and I will for sure be back! If you have any questions about the above places please feel free to reach out! It was definitely one of the best trips I've ever been on! I hope this post helps you!
xoxo Alexandra xoxo
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