A highlight of a visit to Bangkok is undoubtedly the wide variety of food on offer from street cart vendors.
From the quintessential Pad Thai Noodles, to banana pancakes, to barbecued chicken, to dishes you’ll not know what you’re eating unless you speak fluent Thai – you can get it all from the street carts. And you should. Put any food hygiene concerns behind you and spend a day wandering from street cart to street cart sampling their specialties.
The best part? You’ll be hard pressed to spend over $2 on a dish.
Yesterday evening, Adventurous Kate (@AdventurousKate) and Pamela (@Spunkygirllogue) hit the streets of Bangkok looking for another Bangkok specialty – bugs.
Crickets
It took a bit of exploring, but near the Bangkok street famous the world over – Khao San Road – we found them. A cart full of bugs; ants, worms, crickets – you name it.
Cart Full of Bugs
20 Baht ($0.67) got Kate and myself an assorted bag full of bugs. Some were salty, some slightly sour, some were gooey, while others (namely, the crickets) were crispy – surprisingly, they weren’t that bad.
Do you have a picture you’d like to share here? Email me at matt <at> backpackingmatt <dot> com and I’ll gladly feature it with a link back to your blog.
My visit to Sydney is unfortunately going to be a quick one – I’m here essentially on an extended layover en route to Thailand. Shortly after arriving, I realized it’s a city I could quickly fall in love with.
Almost as quickly as I fell in love with the Sydney Harbour YHA.
It’s a flash, recently built, and perfectly located backpackers in Sydney’s historic The Rocks neighborhood. The backpackers brings everything to the table you could ask for on your visit to Australia’s largest city – a central location, clean four and six bed en suite dorms, WiFi throughout, a well equipped kichen, on-site cafe, and as it’s purpose-built there are brand new facilities throughout.
Sydney Harbour YHA Lounge
A Hostel With … History
The Sydney Harbour YHA offers something you’d rarely expect (or even look for) in a hostel – an interesting history. You’re greeted with a variety of things when you first step foot into a backpackers – sometimes it’s a bar while other times it’s a nauseating stench.
When you enter the front door of the Sydney Harbour YHA, you’re greeted with the archaeological remains of Australia’s earliest European settlement.
Sydney Harbour YHA Archaeological Remains
The First Fleet arrived to the new colony of Australia only a few hundred meters away from where the YHA now stands. These early European settlers arrived in 1788 and soon began to build a settlement including houses, hotels, abattoirs, a bakery and even an illegal still. The site was inhabited until the late 1800s and was the home of over 300 people.
In the early 1900s the bubonic plague broke out in Sydney, and the government used this as an opportunity to demolish areas they saw as slums – including this site. Many buildings of the area were destroyed, the inhabitants relocated and the area built up with industry and car parking.
In the late 1990s archaeological excavations began to unveil the remains of this early community – over 40 houses and amost 750,000 artifacts on this site. YHA was approved to develop the site and the purpose built hostel opened in November of 2009.
The hostel was built on pillars to maintain visual appeal and physical access to the site. It’s an interesting twist to the hostel with informative signs throughout highlighting the location’s history.
Sweeping Views Across the Sydney Harbour
Rooftop Terrace
The highlight of the hostel is the rooftop terrace. You’re afforded some unbelievable views of the Sydney Harbour, the Harbour Bridge and of course the Sydney Opera House. It’s a fantastic place to recover from a night spent sleeping in the Christchurch airport – and there’s WiFi too.
Eco-Friendly Accommodation
Something I found many hostels in NZ boasted about – but very few followed through on – was the commitment to being green. YHA runs eco-hostels in rural areas in Auz and have taken steps to ensure the YHA Sydney Harbour is environmentally sustainable as well.
Some sweet things they’re doing include …
Solar hot water
80,000 liter rain water retention tank for toilet flushing
Key card activated lights in the rooms
Air-con in the rooms turns off when the window opens
The Bottom Line …
You can’t beat the location – you’re in a great neighborhood (where you won’t find any other budget accommodation) with excellent bars, cafes, galleries and restaurants nearby.
You’ll have to pay for it though. With six-share dorms at about $40/night – and WiFi $9.95 on top of that, it’s one of the most expensive hostels in Sydney. A complimentary hour or two of internet time on check in would good – chances are I’d tell my Facebook fans and Twitter contacts how great the hostel was, only benefiting the YHA in the long run.
Nonetheless, with brand new facilities it’s well-worth the extra $5 – $10 / night compared to cheaper Sydney Hostels. Many of Sydney’s main sites including the Opera House, the Botanical Gardens, and the Harbour Bridge are only a minutes walk away and it’s the ideal spot to base yourself on a visit to the city.
For more about the Sydney Harbour YHA, check out their website.
Disclaimer: While the Sydney Harbour YHA provided me with a complimentary nights stay in return for a review on Backpackingmatt.com, the opinions above are entirely my own.
Today’s Friday Travel Photo takes you to Bary, Italy – an unsuspecting port town on Italy’s east coast.
Fate would result in me spending a night here after traveling some 16 hours via train, bus, and ferry from Sicily. My goal was to catch a ferry to Athens – I unfortunately missed the ferry and ended up spending a night here.
Bari Italy Alleyway
I spent the evening wandering the cobblestone streets and taking in the feel of the place. It’s an excellent example of how unplanned changes to your travels may result in you finding your new favorite destination.
Do you have a photo you’d like featured here? Send it to matt (at) backpackingmatt (dot) com and I’ll gladly feature it with a link back to your blog.
Kia Ora. Thanks heaps for checking out my blog. After you read this post, please head on over to my latest project – Planit NZ. Planit NZ is a New Zealand travel guide and booking website I’m working on full time at the moment. You can research all things travel in New Zealand on the website, and you can also book hop on, hop off backpacker bus passes, small group tours or activities. I’m a web based New Zealand travel agent, and I’d appreciate you letting me help you plan and book your trip. Thanks!
Since arriving to New Zealand just over ten months ago, I’ve published loads of destination specific New Zealand backpacking advice. I still have plenty of New Zealand experiences and advice to share – yet often I find this is a country that is best described through a photo.
It’s a great place for aspiring photographers. Why? Almost every direction you turn, every road you drive down, and every new destination you visit, you’re greeted with a stunning vista, a snow capped mountain, a rugged beach, or vast expanses of green rolling hills.
It’s a pretty great place to take pictures.
Below you’ll find 20 of my favorite New Zealand views.
1) Raglan Sunset
Raglan Sunset
Raglan is an epic little surf town found about 90 minutes south of Auckland. It’s home to the world’s largest left hand break and has a great bohemian feel. Raglan is a town where you can go to the supermarket, pub, or cafe barefoot and not one person will judge you.
If you have any interest in throwing yourself off a bridge or out of a plane, then New Zealnd is the place for you. Pictured above is the Taupo Bungy which is the home of New Zealand’s highest water-touch bungy. Why wouldn’t you want to touch the water after jumping from 47 meters?
4) New Zealand Traffic Jam
New Zealand Traffic Jam
There are no shortage of sheep in New Zealand (we’re talking over 30 million), so don’t be surprised if you find yourself dealing with the odd road block of sheep.
5) Emerald Blue Waters of the Marlborough Sounds
Marlborough Sounds
To get from the North to the South Island of New Zealand, you’ll have to cross the Cook Strait. Your budget-friendly option is crossing the strait with Interislander. The crossing is billed as one of the most beautiful ferry rides in the world – you’ll understand why on a clear day.
6) Marlborough Vineyards
Marlborough Vineyards
New Zealand is home to some excellent wines – specifically the Sauvignon Blancs of the Marlborough Region. There is no better way to take in this region than by a wine-tasting tour on a bike.
7) White Sands of Abel Tasman
Abel Tasman National Park
The South Island’s Abel Tasman National Park is filled with plenty of beaches very similar to this. The Abel Tasman Coastal Track can be experienced as a great one-day walk.
8 ) Big Franz Josef Glacier
Franz Josef Glacier
The Franz Josef Glacier is the world’s fastest moving glacier and moves at speeds of up to one meter a day. This budget travel video tells you the best ways to experience this fascinating area of New Zealand.
9) View from a Caravan
View from a Caravan
Caravans such as this one seem to be everywhere in New Zealand’s countryside. Every house you pass seems to have one parked out back – the perfect opportunity for a Kiwi weekend escape. I was lucky enough to live in one on New Zealand’s West Coast for three months. All its inconveniences aside (slightly smelly, leaky, had to run inside through West Coast rain storms to get to toilet/shower/kitchen/living area), you sure couldn’t beat the view.
10) West Coast Sunset
West Coast Sunset
Step outside the above caravan at sunset and this was your view. Not bad, eh?
A day trip on the West Coast should include a trip to Lake Matheson which will give you stunning mirror lake views of Mt Cook and Tasman. This shot was from just outside the cafe near the lake – a great place to relax after your hike around the lake.
13) Evening Sky Over the Pacific Coast
Kaikoura Sunset
Kaikoura on the South Island sits at the base of the Seaward Kaikoura Range on the Pacific Coast.
14) Pacific Coast Sunrise
Pacific Coast Sunrise
Wake up early on the Pacific Coast and you stand a chance of catching a sunrise shot similar to this one.
15) Geothermal Rotorua Lake
Geothermal Rotorua Lake
Rotorua is a bubbling hotspot of mud pools, boiling geysers, and smells strongly of sulfur. It’s a geothermal wonderland and worth no more than a day of your time.
16) Sperm Whale in Kaikoura
Sperm Whale in Kaikoura
Whale watching in Kaikoura is a must on your visit to the South Island. If you’re quick enough at the draw, you stand the chance of catching a shot like this.
17) Rugged West Coast
Rugged West Coast
The rugged, windswept West Coast of the South Island is home to glaciers, rainforests, and views of the Tasman similar to this. A drive down the West Coast is one of New Zealand’s 5 Best Drives.
18) View over Queenstown
View over Queenstown
Queenstown is one of New Zealand’s most epic towns. This shot from the top of the Queenstown Gondola gives you a good taste of the town’s setting.
19) Undiscovered Caitlans Coast
Undiscovered Caitlans Coast
The south coast of the South Island is home to one of New Zealand’s best kept secrets – the Caitlans Coast. Vast expanses of green rolling hills, unpopulated surf beaches and marine wildlife are only some of the reasons you should make sure you spend some time here.
20) Majestic Aoraki
Majestic Aoraki
Aoraki/Mount Cook is New Zealand’s highest peak at 12,316 feet and stunning to see on a clear day form the shores of Lake Pukaki.
Have you been to New Zealand? Do you recognize these views? Or what is your favorite view in the Land of the Long White Cloud? Leave your comments below.
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After a week long hiatus, today’s Friday Travel Photo brings you to a pull-off on the Queenstown to Glenorchy Road.
On a clear day, it’s an epic 45 minute drive from busy Queenstown to the quaint little village of Glenorchy. The road twists, turns, and skirts along the shores of Lake Wakatipu with excellent views of Afton Peak and the surrounding mountains.
Once you arrive in Glenorchy, there are heaps of hikes in the area and the Routeburn Track starts 20 minutes outside of the village. After your hike, warm up by the fire with a pint of Speights at the Glenorchy Hotel – a great South Island pub.
On most days, this view would show the mountains in the distance rising from the vivid blue waters of Lake Wakatipu.
Clouds over Lake Wakatipu
On the evening I snapped these shots, the clouds had dropped to the lake level resulting in this stunning series of photos.
Clouds over Lake Wakatipu
It was an epic, if not freezing, place to watch the sunset.
Clouds over Lake Wakatipu
Do you have a photo you’d like featured here? Drop an email to matt <at> backpackingmatt <dot> com, and I’ll gladly feature it with a link back to your blog.
Kia Ora - I'm Matt. Adventurer, Instagrammer and New Zealand travel planning expert living in Queenstown, NZ. Founder of Planit NZ - New Zealand's largest travel planning & booking website.
Hello! I’m Matt. Thanks for checking out my blog. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for loads more New Zealand travel inspiration. Comment on one of my photos so I know you came from here!
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