Sydney is officially my favorite English-speaking city. Sydney is sunny, modern, clean, and easy to get around using public transportation. The people living there are generally happy, active, and love being outside. The city has beautiful sites, free botanical gardens, a huge waterfront, great restaurants, and beaches. The neighborhoods range from artsy to touristy, luxurious, historical, and multicultural. The city has so much to offer and there was no way I could do everything I wanted in the short amount of time I had.
The highlight of my trip to Sydney was the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk. I took the bus to Coogee beach and walked north to Bondi. The walk was stunning, with picturesque beaches, colorful rocky cliffs, and turquoise water. When I got to Bondi, I paid the small fee to enter the Bondi Icebergs Pool for the day. Bondi Iceberg is a pretty well-known ocean pool on Bondi beach. In Sydney, ocean pools are fairly common, with most beaches having access to one. Bondi is fairly large and built into the rock face of the cliffside. I expected to go to it and swim a few laps, nothing crazy. But I was in heaven! The swim club is right up against the beautiful Bondi Beach, but away from the sand, heat, and crowds. The pool is refreshing and fun to swim laps in — although I am a former swimmer, so I am biased about lap pools. I spent the greater part of the afternoon bathing in the sun on the concrete pool deck, watching the surfers and waves beside the pool, while periodically going for a swim. Bondi Beach itself was also really lovely and I spent a lot of time there, relaxing with friends. The beach is huge and there are some impressive graffiti artworks on the walls of the pathway that walks along it. My hostel was one of the worst hostels I’ve ever stayed at, but the common areas were great and the people staying there were even better. There was a rooftop that everyone would hang out on all afternoon and evening, with a big seating area in the kitchen that we would hang out in after hours, and a TV room in the basement. At dusk, all the bats in Sydney would come out and we could see dozens fly over our hostel’s rooftop. Unfortunately, the night before my last day in Sydney, I ate something that gave me pretty horrible food poisoning and I was bedridden for most of the day. I spent the morning laying in bed, trying to hydrate and rest. When I finally started to feel better, I hung out on the hostel’s rooftop, chatting with my friend Nico, who’s from Germany and has been traveling Australia for almost a year. I managed to have enough energy to walk around by the Sydney Opera House one last time, as the sun set and the lights of the city began to shine. Watch my video blog from Australia:
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When In RomeTwo of my most cherished hobbies go hand-in-hand. Writing is my favorite way to reflect after traveling to a new country. I have kept this blog ever since I studied in Rome to share my travels with families and friends. I hope you enjoy learning about my experiences and getting a sense for my writing skills. If you have any questions, please reach out! Categories
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