Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, on the southeastern coast of Australia. It is the largest and most advanced city in Australia and is known for its spectacular bay, considered by many to be the most beautiful in the world.
My visit in Sydney was a part of an amazing two weeks trip in Australia, which was planned be Evyatar- the owner of No Worries Tours agency. He took care of every small detail of our itinerary, was always available and willing to help- therefore I recommend you to ask for his help in planning your next trip to Australia. I was in Sydney for 6 days, stayed 2 nights in the Bondi Beach neighborhood and 4 nights in the CBD (Central Business District), which allowed me to enjoy the two most interesting areas of Sydney without needing long public transport.
Hotels:
- Adina Apartment Hotel Bondi Beach Sydney– Bondi Beach is a suburb of Sydney which is located on one of the coastal strips of Sydney Bay. It is known for its stunning beach which is considered one of the most beautiful in Australia, and in a lively and young atmosphere, especially on weekends, which attracts many tourists. The hotel is a beautiful apartment hotel located on the main street of the neighborhood, a 5-minute walk from the beach. We enjoyed the room, the hotel, and the neighborhood so much that we were sorry we had to leave for CBD.
- Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney– A five-star hotel in the heart of the CBD neighborhood, where most of the city’s main attractions are located such as the Opera House. There are also major shopping centers and a vast range of restaurants and cafés within walking distance. The hotel itself is very luxurious, the rooms are beautiful and pampering (for example – a pillow menu that allows you to choose the most comfortable pillow), and the service is excellent.
Things To Do:
- Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk– a 6 km walk that begins at the southern end of the Bondi Beach Promenade, passing through bays, cliffs, caves, ponds and spectacular views.
- Sunday Market at Bondi Beach- a stunning and joyful market with stands for clothes, jewelry, accessories, flowers, household items, food and more. I found items there that I could not find anywhere else, and at good prices. Recommended for shopping lovers.
- Watch the Sunset From the Dudly Page Reserve– a hill which is a 10-minute drive from Bondi Beach, that offers stunning views of Sydney’s city center – opera house, the bridge, skyscrapers and so on. At sunset the sun sets behind the city, and the view is spectacular.
- The Rocks– a neighborhood in the center of Sydney that used to be full of crime, and after renovation it has become a trendy and colorful district with luxury shops, cafes, bars and galleries.
- Circular Quay, Harbour Bridge and the Opera House– Circular Quay is Sydney’s famous harbour, from which you can take a ferry to the suburbs of the city. The highlight of the area is the Opera House – one of the symbols of Australia, famous for its exceptional architecture. You can do a tour inside the building or watch one of the lights shows at sunset. I was lucky to get to watch this spectacular performance, but it doesn’t take place all year long, so it is recommended that you visit the Opera House to see if the show is taking place and when. Another famous building is the impressive Harbour Bridge, which is 500 meters long and can be crossed by walking, cycling or car.
- Darling Harbour– Another port, close to the Circular Quay, which is a nightlife and entertainment center and very popular with tourists. It has a beautiful promenade, restaurants, shops, cafes and bars.
- The Royal Botanic Gardens– In the middle of Sydney’s bustling business district are huge gardens filled with magical corners, beautiful vegetation and birds of various kinds. The gardens provide a stunning view of the opera house – recommended for photo enthusiasts. Entrance is free!
- Take a ferry to Manly– There are two types of ferries that arrive to Manly Beach from Circular Quay, either a half-hour cruise, with amazing views of Sydney and the surrounding area, or a 15-minute cruise. The ferry is anchored at Manly Cove Beach, and at the exit from the terminal there’s a visitors’ center where you can get great recommendations for trips in the area. We continued to the Corso pedestrian mall with many restaurants and shops, leading to the stunning Manly Beach. The beach attracts surfers from all over the world in all seasons, but it also has more relaxed parts suitable for tanning and bathing in the sea. We turned right on the promenade, and after a short walk we reached the charming and quiet Shelly Beach. It is highly recommended to walk on the beautiful promenade and stop at the observation points – the views of the area are different from the views of Bondi Beach.
- Shopping at Pitt Street– Pitt is the CBD’s main street, and between the streets of Market and King is Pitt Street Mall – a pedestrian mall surrounded by larger malls that contain all the major fashion chains. The area is considered one of the busiest shopping areas in Australia, and rightly so. So, if you love shopping but do not want to spend more than one day on it, you may want to get to the area where you will find what you were looking for.
Where to eat:
- Sunday brunch at Icebergs – A stunning restaurant overlooking the iconic pool of Bondi Beach, where the sea waves break. In fact, the restaurant belongs to the compound of the pool and provides the closest and best observation to it. We booked places for a Sunday brunch. We were a bit deterred by the fact that during the online reservation you must pay for the meal in advance on credit, but it’s worth it (you can cancel up to two days before, but why would you cancel?). The dishes may vary from time to time, but as for end of 2017, the meal includes an amazing appetizer of strawberries, cream and meringue, a basket of breads and a main course of your choice – eggs with mushrooms and potatoes or smoked salmon with cream. The descriptions may sound simple, but the dishes were special and very different from standard breakfasts. Highly recommended!
- Café Sydney – A famous restaurant with beautiful design and even more beautiful views – the impressive Harbour Bridge. I ate beef tenderloin which was excellent, and dessert of Salted caramel, chocolate peanut tart, fried banana and chocolate ice-cream. You must book a lot of time in advance, and it is recommended to arrive at sunset.
- The Meat & Wine Co Circular Quay– Excellent meat restaurant at reasonable prices (for steaks). We took fillet steak in blue cheese sauce (but there are plenty of other sauces) with mashed potatoes. This is a heaven for lovers of high quality meat. The restaurant is huge- but it was packed, so you should make a reservation.
- Mejico – A Mexican restaurant that does not serve burrito and quesadilla as standard Mexican restaurants, but special tapas and simply amazing dishes. The design of the restaurant is cool, colorful and noisy, the cocktails are excellent and the food …WOW. We ate Halloumi cheese with honey and pistachios, soft tacos with meat, and 3 lollipops of corn, topped with chipotle mayo, queso fresco, coconut & popcorn. For dessert we took the bite-sized citrus & tequila cheesecakes with tajin salt, dehydrated lime & coconut tostadas. The line at the entrance is very long, so make sure the make a reservation ahead of time.
The following two restaurants are in Gateway‘s dining area, which has a huge variety of all imaginable and high-quality food. Some of the restaurants in the complex are like fast food chains (but high quality), and provide an appropriate solution for a quick meal when you’re in a hurry.
- Zumbo – Pastry of the famous chef-pastry chef Adriano Zumbo. The pastries and desserts are extremely special – we ate a divine cake that is made from layers of cookie cream in different textures, and a baked pastry stuffed in Nutella called Zonutella. A cool place for sweets lovers.
- Four Frogs Creperie – a lovely restaurant serving French crepes of all kinds and has a big selection of fillings. We ate it on two different mornings- one crepe with Swiss cheese, prosciutto, fried egg and mushrooms, and another with Nutella, strawberries and whipped cream. We were sorry we didn’t have enough days to try their special dishes- that sounded amazing.
