A busy coastal city that hosts the Spirit of Tasmania ferry on its voyage to and from Melbourne, Devonport is Tasmania’s gateway to the North West. But after after disembarking the Spirit, most passengers scatter to other destinations on the island and Devonport slips back into obscurity.
Which is a shame for a town with such a stunning location; one with river, ocean and mountain views, and beautiful beaches which form a coastal trail that most tourists miss; a central base in terms of access to some of Tasmania’s best natural places, including Cradle Mountain and Narawntapu National Park – a place where the world is still wild, and a region that’s home to awe inspiring scenery, and the world’s cleanest air.
So upon disembarking the Spirit we weren’t in a rush to drive south as most do. We were ready for wineries, walking and wilderness; ready to dive into food trails, classic coastal drives and beautiful nature reserves. Instead of following the procession of cars bound for Hobart, we drove off the ferry and turned left.
We drove a minute up the road, and checked into Discovery Parks Devonport – a fully furnished cabin style apartment with ocean views would be our base for discovering Tasmania’s incredible North West.
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When you stay in the center of a city there are certain things you come to accept. Sacrifices you make for the luxury of staying in the most central location. Like the idea that you’ll likely wake up in the morning to the sound of an urban landscape. And potentially land a room with a carpark view.
But when we saw photos of Crowne Plaza Canberra, it painted a completely different picture of what we had come to expect. Like falling asleep in the heart of the CBD but waking up to breathtaking parkland views. And cracking your window to welcome the morning song of King parrots and Sulphur crested cockatoos.
And while Australia’s capital largely caters to politicians and business travel, leisure travel in Canberra is on the verge of a supersonic boom.
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British staycations have long conjured ideas of rainy days at family-friendly resorts with evening entertainment by some guy in a suit, and countless screaming children who are running around a hall.
Unsurprisingly, this is not everyone’s cup of tea, and in a day and age where adventure and excitement is particularly enticing to travellers of all ages, the staycation has always felt like a last resort for the epic summer holiday everyone envisions. However, with the value of the pound dropping, the idea of adventure holidays in far-off countries can often seem impossible.
Instead of resorting to the idea that you will be spending your summer at the family home, open your mind to the idea that there are countless adventures to be had around the UK.
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Let’s be honest, it’s a claim that most hotel search engines make, that their prices are the lowest you’ll find anywhere else online. But to date it hasn’t really mattered which search engine you choose – from the Booking.com’s to Agoda and Expedia, it’s much of a muchness, and you usually end up paying the same price.
This is because there’s very little room for hotel search engines to undercut each other; each hotel has an online login and sets their own price. The search engine then gets a small % of the booking, around 10% of the rate. And there are so many websites competing with each other that they’re usually all offering the lowest price.
So when we hear that a hotel search engine claims to offer better prices than other third party booking sites, I’m skeptical. It would take a fresh and creative approach to the established business model to be able to offer big enough savings to pull people away from their already bookmarked sites.
But a company called Sears Vacations has done just that; come up with an original approach which will noticeably save you the most.
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It was a welcome retreat returning to our cabin at Discovery Parks after an exhaustive day of activities. We had traveled for a relaxing break by the lake, however found ourselves seduced by the Snowy Mountains and its wealth of outdoor recreation.
We flicked on the TV and collapsed into the couch – the weather would be sunny tomorrow too. There was the choice of bushwalking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, horse riding, visiting the National Park, or water-sports on the lake.
Personally though, I was keen to dedicate a day to something people don’t often travel to do – searching for relics from the old town of Jindabyne; an alpine town at the bottom of a lake.
Swallowed by flood water in the 1960s when the Snowy River was dammed as part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, the town was abandoned and rebuilt on higher ground. The ruins have been submerged for over 50 years, though occasionally when lake levels are low, out from the depths comes the remnants of the old Catholic Church. Unbelievable to imagine the remains of a whole town beneath your water skis!
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When it comes to booking accommodation, hotels and hostels tend to be the first port of call. However, if you’re looking to infuse some extra adventure into your trip, there are plenty of wonderful and wacky alternatives.
In fact, accommodation should never be seen as a mere afterthought – it can really transform your experience of a place. Even if you’re more of a luxury hotel kind of person, it is definitely worth trying a more unconventional option at least once.
Here are some out-there accommodations and where you can find them.
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These beach camping destinations around Australia are gorgeous, and they’re some of my favourites. Here’s where to go to sleep (and wake up!) this summer by the sea.
Whitehaven Beach, Queensland: You’ll find a gorgeous array of beach camping sites in the Whitsundays, but one of the standouts is Whitehaven.
Pristine white sands and glistening blue waters await, with the campsite and toilets nestled in the bush just metres back from the beach. It’s only small (with seven sites), so book early to grab a spot.
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“When it comes to travel, if you don’t snooze, you lose, and that’s why your own pillow is probably the smartest item you can stuff into your carry on tote, suitcase or back of the car when traveling for any length of time. Even one night spent embracing an offensive pillow can mess with your rest and make you crabby and sluggish!”
But there are a couple of issues here. Pillows are bulky, and don’t often fit into your bag. And it’s difficult to maneuver trains, buses, taxis, and other forms of transport when you already have your hands full, and then try to stuff a pillow into the mix. Of course you drop it. And now your favorite pillow is dirty and wet. And probably smells like old beer.
Though there is a solution to our travel pillow woes!! An Australian woman named Di Tipper has created the SleepKeeper Case – a product which is so simple that it’s genius, and means everyone can travel with ease with their pillow from home. It might sound like an oxymoron, but the brilliance of the SleepKeeper means that you can now travel light, with a full size pillow!!
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Finding suitable accommodation is a huge part of travel, and choosing a hotel can be one of the more time consuming parts of our planning. And sometimes we don’t get it right.
But for a sure bet, have you considered staying in a Casino hotel? With luxury accommodation, cheap rates, and some of the tightest security around, casino hotels can be some of the best hotels out there. And who knows, you might just end up paying for your entire holiday just by staying there!
The following are reasons you should consider staying in a Casino on your next trip.
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Staying at a hotel is always exciting and fun. They’re clean, have beautiful facilities, and provide you with a new personal space with endless options for fun. But despite what you might thing, you don’t have to overpay.
There are many tricks you can use to find the best room rates, or score a better / upgraded room during your stay. The following travel hacks will help you find the best hotel deals whether you’re staying at a luxury resort, bed and breakfast, or run-of-the-mill hotel or motel.
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After years of full time travel, finding a frequent fix of life on the road is a necessity now that I’ve (kind of) re-joined the real world. But the need pursue adventure on a regular basis has a tendency to present financial obstacles, so I’m constantly creating new ways to explore on a budget, without having to feel like a backpacker again.
With a love of outdoor adventure, over the years I’ve developed a bit of a habit for sleeping out under the stars. So this time I set my sights on a week of wild camping in Greece.
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Nashville is a popular tourist destination, well-known for being an artsy university town with a thriving business environment and a lively country music scene. With a destination that is constantly in the spotlight, you may already have your itinerary planned and know exactly what you want to do. But do you know where to stay?
Hotel choice is an important part of the planning process for any vacation. Following are a few city-specific tips you should know before you book your accommodation in Nashville.
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New York City bears a reputation as a pricey destination, which is not wholly undeserved. Recent reports from Statista put the price of an average New York City hotel at $254 per night.
If you’re a budget traveler, the outlook doesn’t have to be grim. You can find great deals on New York City hotels, and if you’re savvy and use the tips below, you can also find cheap rates on comfortable, clean rooms, in prime locations, too.
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I’m loving the explosion of glamping in Australia; the availability of luxury accommodation in picturesque natural surrounds. I’m talking tents with real beds, cozy decor, and all of the amenities of home. I’m talking luxury cabins offering secluded wilderness with a hot tub.
From barns and cabins, to tree houses and caves, glamping is a way to connect with your surroundings without having to rough it. And with incomparable access to nature, “glamorous camping” is the newest Australian craze. Tucked inside mountains, scattered along white-sand beaches, unique structures with an amazing backdrop are beginning to pop up everywhere.
Located in the beautiful East Gippsland region of Victoria, one glamping site is particularily worth noting. Situated in lesser known Nungurner is a unique rural homestead; a contemporary vacation cabin nestled on 50 acres of stunning countryside. Just over three hours east of Melbourne, this property provides the perfect setting to retreat, relax and rejuvenate, and is the ideal base for exploring everything East Gippsland has to offer.
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Regardless of your destination, there’s something to be said about escaping the city limits for the countryside; ditching the urban sprawl for a destination where the air is cleaner, life is peaceful, and you can find distance from crowded spaces and personal space invading strangers. It’s an opportunity to recharge your batteries, reconnect with nature, and uncover the hidden gems that lie just a short drive from the big smoke.
And this is especially true of Buenos Aires. The most European, most glamorous, most hedonistic city in South America, you don’t have to travel far to swap city life for gaucho culture, and it’s a short one hour drive before high rise hotels give way to estancias (elegant ranches) where travelers have the unique opportunity to experience the countryside.
Estancias are found all over Argentina, though as this would be our first estancia experience we chose to experience the best. A stay at Puesto Viejo Estancia truly encompasses an experience like no other, offering the ideal leisurely countryside break to unwind away from the city. Seamlessly blending historic ranch life with contemporary accommodation, Puesto Viejo Estancia is an idyllic luxury country escape located right on Buenos Aires’ doorstep.
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New York City is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Over 50 million foreign and American tourists travel here each year, and the city receives international attention for everything from its culinary scene, to its architectural treasures, and everything in-between.
Though for a destination constantly in the spotlight, there are still a couple of things first-time visitors should know. And as hotel culture varies from one country to the next, the following are a few city-specific things to remember while planning your stay.
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In 2015 my boyfriend Tyler and I traded our stable jobs in South Lake Tahoe for a couple years of hot spring soaked adventures. We hitchhiked through Cuba and Central America, and cycled 1800 miles along the Pacific Coast.
When we loaded up Baby Beluga, a tiny Mazda pickup truck, we figured we’d be exploring North American national parks in luxury compared to the previous months of stuffing our belongings in a backpack or panniers. Au contraire.
For anyone considering the option of traveling and living out of a truck, I hope these tips will allow you to maximize the good, dwindle the bad, and prepare you for the smelly!
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Choosing a hotel is an important part of the planning process for any vacation. Whether you’re looking for the luxury of an upscale hotel or just a comfortable place to crash, there are many factors to consider before you book.
The hotel culture in one destination is not always the same as the next, but even if you’re only traveling domestically, you may notice slight differences in how hotels are run.
When it comes to Seattle, the following are a few things you should know before you book a hotel.
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For many travelers, it doesn’t take long before cities start to blend into each other. With chain stores, restaurants, and attractions, you may long for something different.
Take a look at these attractions that are unique to their city and will draw visitors from across the country, as well as our recommendations for the best budget friendly hotels when planning a visit to each.
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Ah, Spring Break. That annual week of respite from school, from work, from responsibilities. (Hey, we can dream, right?) The point is, Spring Break is for everyone– not just coeds.
But since the holiday is so widely marketed to college students, we wondered whether traditional party locations really dominated the Spring Break vacation market and how the rise in popularity of vacation rentals such as Airbnb affected hotel bookings.
To find out, Hipmunk analyzed the most-booked Spring Break destinations for airfare and hotels, which we defined for our purposes as beginning Friday, March 18, 2016, the week preceding Easter (although the dates can vary widely). To break it down further, we also looked the most popular destinations for Airbnb vacation rentals and compared that to the same week the year before to see how those numbers had changed.
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Cheap accommodations are abundant in the South, so the following is an overview to help you out with options for budget hotels in Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Hot Springs Village and more.
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Staying at a hotel is always exciting and fun. They’re clean, have beautiful facilities, and provide you with a new personal space with endless options for fun. Though the hotel culture in one country is not necessarily the same as the next and if you’re traveling internationally you will notice slight differences in how hotels are run.
When it comes to Australia, the following are a few necessary things you should know about staying in our hotels. These are the most common and most significant things you just must remember while planning your stay.
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New York State is one of the most visited destinations in America, though many tourists mistakenly believe that accommodations here have to cost a premium. In fact, there are many New York destinations with budget-friendly hotels, as well as some great deals if you know how to find them.
The following are affordable hotels in Buffalo, Long Island, Lake Placid and more cities across New York.
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The western part of the USA offers a good blend of urban and nature with posh shops, glitzy casinos, and clubs, as well as a rugged desert, relaxing ridge, and lakes.
From families on a much-awaited trip to busy career people looking forward to some R&R, there is always a perfect hotel in which everyone can stay.
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No visit to Australia is complete without a road trip. From coastal journeys and outback adventures, driving is one of the best ways to see this great Southern land.
Driving Australia can be easy on most routes, but you do need to be prepared for the distances. Once you find yourself outside the main cities, much of Australia is very spread out, and towns can be few and far between. So prior planning is essential, especially when it comes to choosing overnight stays to break up the trip.
For those traveling between Melbourne and Adelaide, we recently stayed at Horsham International Hotel which was the perfect overnight stopover for this route.
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