I took almost 3 weeks off from work to go down-under. On my way to Australia, I stopped in Fiji to relax a bit before the big journey. The people are so friendly and I loved watching the sunrise.
First stop in Australia was in Brisbane. We mostly went there so I could visit the Koala Lone Pine Sanctuary. My childhood dream came true when I got to hold a koala! It was definitely my favorite part of the trip. I was able to watch tons of koalas eat, sleep, cuddle, snore, pee, climb etc. for hours!
We were also able to hang out with the kangaroos and feed them. It felt like feeding a dog. Both the koalas and kangaroos were friendly contrary to what people believe.
Afterwards, we went to Sydney. Sydney was much bigger than Brisbane but I actually liked Brisbane more. Brisbane still had a city aspect to it but was much more beautified (lights and flowers everywhere, public pool and beach at the parks etc.).
Of course, we saw a show at the Sydney Opera house and went to both Manly and Bondi beach. I had heard Australia was expensive but it was quite similar to visiting/living in the USA.
Next, we visited Bali, Indonesia. We stayed at a wonderful resort and never wanted to leave. With my Hilton status, I was upgraded to a huge suite that had a separate living room area. This was beneficial when we had the group over and needed some privacy. The Hilton also provided free continental breakfast to me and all of my guests. It was literally the best breakfast we ever had. There was a buffet assortment of cuisine from the USA, Japan, China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Europe.
I liked Bali because the entire island was decorated with temple like gates so it had a zen vibe. People were very friendly and everything was really cheap. We hired a driver for an entire day for only $50. For some reason I expected the Balinese people to be poor just because the cost of living was low, but truthfully everyone seemed pretty comfortable. Although they greatly appreciated any tips they didn’t expect any.
The food was so good! We got a taste of the Balinese jungle life by swinging into the abyss and visiting some rice terraces. My friends loved the monkey forest but there was no comparison to the koalas for me :D. Bali also has a bunch of beach clubs in the evening which are quite fun.
It takes several hours to get anywhere in Bali because traffic is so bad. So, I recommend staying in different areas for a few days at a time if you plan on visiting there in the future.
We ended the trip with a few days in Singapore. If you’ve seen the movie “Crazy Rich Asians” you know why. It was 90 degrees but luckily our hotel had an infinity pool with gorgeous views.
My favorite part of Singapore was the Super Grove Trees. These are electronic trees that have a music and light show at night time. Just incredible! I also really enjoyed the cloud forest nearby which reminded me of Avatar.
We went to the rooftop bar at Mandalay Bay hotel, which also had a light show at night. Singapore was cool but it had that Las Vegas/Dubai vibe – where you feel like it’s not a real place.
After being in what felt like another life for the past 3 weeks, it was a bit tough returning back to the real world. Luckily, I gave myself a few extra days to recuperate from the jet lag. It took me a good 3 days to adjust back to our time zone. Just to put it in perspective, Australia is 16 hours ahead of East Coast USA.
What an amazing trip! I was so fortunate to fly the 20 hours from Chicago to Brisbane in business class using my miles. This is the only way I was able to sleep a good 8 hours on the way there. Let me know if you want to book a similar trip in the future and I can help you acquire the necessary miles!
