BozAround


My guides

 

The Best of Buenos Aires with Los Niños

22 Apr
2011

We came back to Buenos Aires after Mendoza, and all together have spent more than a week in the city. While I would not call BA a very family-friendly city, because it’s noisy and polluted, huge with lots of traffic, there are pleasant activities and itineraries to take with the children. What I found most fascinating in BA is the mix of old and new. A very unique city with lots of different parts of town to explore by foot.

On our 2nd stay, we rented one of the loft-apartment of Home Hotel. It’s an excellent place to stay with the family. You get the best of both worlds: an apartment with a kitchen and a small courtyard, very private, quiet and spacious, and you get all the great services of the hotel, swimming pool and staff help. It’s located in Palermo Hollywood, my favorite part of town in BA with San Telmos.
Here is Home Hotel’ Best of Buenos Aires with Kids, all tried and tested (almost!).
Buenos Aires Zoo, opened in 1988, with a surprisingly great diversity of animals. As per Marcelo: Better than Regent’s Park Zoo in London! People who live nearby complain they hear the lions roaring all the time. i think it’s a good sign. Right in the center of the city, in Palermo, Av. Sarmiento y Las Heras. Closed Mondays.
And right outside, you will see horse carriages…Marcelo and Amalya loved taking a stroll the old fashion way.
Interactive Science Museum (Forbidden NOT to touch). This is a super interactive science museum and Marcelo absolutely loved the place… while I got super stressed about not figuring out most of the experiments!!! It reminded me how bad I was at school with physics.
The museum is right in Recoleta by the famous Cemetery (a great place to visit too). It makes for a pleasant half day trip, to be followed by a mouth-watering and inexpensive lunch of empanadas at El Sanjuanino.
Botanical Gardens: designed by French landscape architect Carlos Thays in 1998. It’s in Palermo and there is also a lovely playground right beside it.
Parque Tres de Febrero: it’s Buenos Aires version of Hyde Park, or Central Park. In the middle lies a large pond with ducks, geese where boats can be rented, there are also bicycle rentals with a paved cycle around the lake. Rosedal, Parque 3 de Febrero in Palermo, very near the Botanical gardens.
Planetarium: There are telescope observing sessions several times a week, as well as sun sessions.
Museo Argentino del Titere (Puppet Museum): shows are held regularly.Puppets of all kinds, wooden, made of foam and rubber, articulated, made of papier mache, tango singers…It’s in the area of San Telmo (Piedras 905. Tel: 4307-6917 / 4304-4376)

In addition to the above children-centric places, these are some of BozAround favorites, equally easy on the children.

- A Sunday stroll in San Telmo…

Every Sunday, there’s the flea market of San Telmo. It’s not over crowded but beware of pickpockets. Enjoy a cheap and yummy lunch of empanadas (sooooo good) or pizza & pasta at Pedro Telmo (Bolivar, 962. Tel: 43 62 36 94), and stroll around with a few pesos in the pocket, to give away to the many street performers.

Marcelo found some super heroes comics at the market…

- A morning spent at La Boca…

La Boca is the notoriously dodgy yet most touristy part of the city, because of the very photogenic colourful streets (do NOT got there after dark!!). We went quite early in the morning and as such avoided the tourist buses. Loved it!! The atmosphere is very old-school, yet one of the most exciting art foundation in the city is there, PROA, with a Louise Bourgeois exhibition going on right now (and her famous spider which any child will be amazed at).

Marcelo and Ceki also visited the football stadium of Boca Junior, and we all met for a delicious Italian lunch at Il Matterello (MArtin Rodriguez, 517), an institution in the city.

In La Boca, I stumbled upon this store, owned by a very elegant Spanish-immigrant woman of 86 years old.

Beautiful vintage dresses and many other nostalgic objects. I don’t have the address but if you walk around, you might recognize it. She has had her shop for 25 years. She was so sweet, with such a gentle smile. I barely had any change on me, otherwise I could have bought so much. I left with a vintage silk dress, off-white, which I told myself Amalya might want one day (for her wedding?!)

- An afternoon in Palermo…

…Visiting the MALBA museum and its impressive collection of LAtin American contemporary art in a stunning modern construction. Nearby by is Persicco, for one of the best ice cream in town (remember, most of Argentines are of Italian-descent)..And not far is Plaza Alemana with a good playground. A great place to mingle with local children in their school uniforms at the end of the day.

You’ll find lots of guides about Buenos Aires so I won’t say much more about where to eat & shop…Just one address that I fell in love with: DIVIA. If you’re going to bring back one thing for yourself from Argentina, it’s shoes. And these ones are so beautiful and so unique.

 



Category: BozAroundTheWorld, City & Culture, My guides, South America
Tagged: , , , , ,
Permalink | 2 Comments »
April 22nd, 2011 | 8:32pm by BozAround
 
 

Wine tasting in Mendoza, Argentina. Children not permitted.

19 Apr
2011

We toured the wine region of Mendoza for 3 days, leaving the kids behind in Buenos Aires under the loving care of nonna. ¡Salud!

Mendoza is the 4th largest city in Argentina, and its wines are exported all over the world, especially the Malbec, which I am a big fan of. Actually Mendoza is about a 7 hours drive from Santiago De Chile crossing over the Andes and it’s supposed to be an incredibly scenic road. That would be a nice way to get there. We flew from BA, a 1h30 easy flight from the domestic airport right downtown BA.

We made our itinerary over 3 days: 2 nights in Mendoza city & 1 night in the country side in beautiful Valle del Uco (90min from the city). I think it was the right amount of time. Actually, after 4 winery visits the first day starting at 10am with our first tasting, I was ready to go on a detox…a result of five months going around the world and living healthily.

I enjoyed these 3 days for 3 reasons:

- Great wines

- Great architecture

- Great scenery

The two main wine producing areas around Mendoza are: Lujan de Cuyo outside the city, and the Uco Valley a bit further. It’s nice to spend at least one day in the first, and one day in the 2nd.

To visit Lujan de Cuyo, we based ourselves at a homey and welcoming b&b in downtown Mendoza called Casa Lila, simple and no fuss, wonderful hosts willing to help every bits. For dinner in town, everyone raves about 1884, a restaurant by the famous Argentine chef Francis Mallman, but I think it lives on its reputation. Azafran is a better option, relaxed on the sidewalks of Mendoza.

To visit the Uco Valley, we stayed at the posada of the Salentein winery, which is definitely not worth recommending.  There is apparently a wonderful relais&chateau called Cavas Wine Lodge, for pampering times. Or there are several wineries with rooms in the region. Watch out for Bodega Atemisque when it opens its posada. I think it will be beautiful because their winery is stunning, and beautifully located too.

Everyone advises to take a driver/guide when going wine tasting in the region. And I confirm it! Not only the wineries are not always easy to find, but they also often require appointments for visits…And if you plan 4 winery visits in a day like most people do, that’s on average 3 to 4 tastings per winery..I let you do the math for the don’t drink&drive formula. Our driver/guide was good, not the most chatty and willing to get out of his way type of person but he did put together a good itinerary: Javier on javiereppens@yahoo.com.ar

In Lujan de Cuyo, our favorite wineries are:

Achaval Ferrer. A smaller winery, only 5 years old, with 2 particularly good wines tasted: the Finca Mirador, and a dolce Malbec which I loved and can only be purchased at the winery.

Carmelo Patti. A one-man show (photo below, at his winery). A legend in Mendoza! He is what they call a garagista, ie a winemaker who does it all in their garage so to speak. And he has been doing some of the best wines in the region for close to 40 years, all by himself. He talked passionately about his wines and wines in general (in Spanish) and made a great impression on us. We were pleased to leave with an autographed bottle from Mr Carmelo Patti…

We enjoyed a five-course lunch at Bodega Vistalba, at their restaurant La Bourgogne. They also have 2 rooms in b&b inside the winery supposed to be nice. It’s pleasant to face the vineyards for lunch, and the food was good paired with good wines, but nothing to go home crazy about (so says the little Frenchie..)

Everyone recommends to visit Catena Zapata winery, maybe because it’s one of the biggest. I did not like it. The place is pompous and very touristy. The architecture is a strange and rather tasteless Mayan-style pyramide. But they did have a very good Angelica Zapata Malbec…

this is Carmelo Patti and his very old -school winery:

In Valle del Uco, our favorite wineries are:

Pulenta Estate. Super high-tech and stunning architecture, especially the cellar room. It’s a relatively young winery, like many in Mendoza, which says a lot about the dynamism in the region. They had a Gran Corte, a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Atamisque. So beautiful! Such delicious wines! And no, I am not biased by the fact that the owner is French. The architecture, first, is stunning and so understated. Minimalist yet perfectly blending with the surrounding environment. From local architects Bormida y Yanzon who actually did most of the beautiful wineries in the region (see Pulenta Estate too). The Catalpa Malbec, and the Atamisque Malbec were particularly delicious. There is also a restaurant on the property where the specialty is trout as they have a trout farming. And soon a pousada…

Bodega Salentein. Another impressive architecture, very grand this time yet done by the same local architects Bormida y Yanzon. Salentein is completely geared to the visiting wine aficionado. There is a home theater showing the whole process of wine making, an in-house art gallery with Latin American artists featured. A very pleasant cafe/restaurant for lunch…Their Numina Malbec, and Primus Malbec are delicious.

Don’t waste time at the winery Andeluna in the same region. Very unpleasant staff, and the place looks like a mock-up of a provencale house. Out of place..

this is Bodega Atemisque:

this is Bodega Salentein:

BozAround tip: at Bodega Salentein, you will find cardboard boxes in their shop for 3, 6 or 12 bottles with a hard foam inside specially made to check it in the plane. And some smart bubble wrap for individual bottles, resealable. Very convenient after 3 days of wine tasting delicious Malbecs…



Category: BozAroundTheWorld, City & Culture, Just the 2 of us, My guides, South America
Tagged: , , , ,
Permalink | No Comments »
April 19th, 2011 | 1:42am by BozAround
 
 

Stopping at Jose Ignacio, Uruguay for beach time.

15 Apr
2011
I am experimenting posting from my iPad…sorry if it doesnt come out all nice and clean. I lost ONCE AGAIN something somewhere!! This time, it’s the plug of my computer, which is now out of battery. This is the most frustrating part of our round the world, we can’t help forgetting things in places, and usually in places that we loved. Hope its a sign that we’ll be back. One day I will make an inventory…
So while my plug stayed in Jose Ignacio, Uruguay, I can still tell you what we LOVED about the place. First, the lighthouse (photo above), which makes this  -originally fisherman’s – village so iconic. The light also, so clean and pure, the sky with stars, so big. And the people in Uruguay everywhere so gentle and kind. Such gentlemen and handsome too..! I’d say, a mix of the roughness of the gauchos with the classiness of the polo players. The waves, big and still warm. The quietness as we got there at the end of the season (apparently January is to be avoided, a Latin American version of St Tropez…). I would say it’s understated luxury at its best. And off season, the prices are not so bad, and all negotiable.
I was inspired to visit Uruguay by an article last year in Conde Nast Traveller titled Barefoot on the Beach, from journalist Peter Browne. Since I don’t know how to put hyperlinks on my iPad, I will let you google it.
With plenty of time, the way to “do” the uruguayan coast is from Carmelo, then Colonia del Sacramento, then Montevideo, then la Barra and Jose Ignacio, la Paloma, la Pedrera, and finish in unspoilt Cabo Polonio towards the Brazilian border.

We focused on Jose Ignacio because it’s a quaint little village on the beach extremely child friendly as everything is walking distance. We rented a beautiful and colourful house (on the photo above, the green house) through Marcelo (!) at Inmobiliaria Ruibal, who was so dedicated to helping us. Gracias Marcelo.
Really, it’s so hard posting with my iPad, I will do this post with photos mostly. Do ask me if you ever plan on visiting the region, it is so beautiful and tasteful at the same time. I could say so much more if only I had my computer…
We stopped at CasaPueblo, an iconic hotel before Punta del Este, designed by the Uruguayan artist Carlos Paez Vilaro. Below is his studio, overlooking the Atlantic. I wish it was my office too…There is a museum with a permanent retrospective of the artist’ works, and a small cafe on the terrace with a marvelous view. Maravillosa!
It’s also nice to take the children to the sculpture park foundation of Pablo Atchugarry, right on Ruta 104km 4,500, in Manatiales. And there’s a cute little zoo right nearby, with a tiger. Marcelo was reminded of his cuddling times with tigers in Thailand.
The region is strong on art, with a lot of very interesting artists from South America. There was an article in the NY Times magazine recently specifically about it, to be googled…
In the morning, we were getting our fish ultra fresh directly on the beach of Jose Ignacio (Playa Mansa) from the fishermen’s boat. I was proud of my ceviche…
And the region is strong on architect-houses, many out of the most beautiful magazines in the world. Wealthy argentines, mostly, who come here in the season or the week end to get some beach time. Playa Vik is an incredible example (like it or not) of Titanium and Glass. It’s a hotel which opened last year and designed by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott. Artists from all over South America have been commissioned for each room. Quite surprising in this little village.
The beach house above was my favourite in the village, and also one of the oldest, designed by a well known Uruguayan architect whom I forgot the name..I know. Sorry..
This one below was very shabby-chic, looked like the first strong wind was going to blow it up, yet still standing proud on the beach. Sweet.
And long lunches of grilled fish at La Huella, children playing in the sand. A restaurant so delicious that people drive from all over the coast to come over the week end. Right there in Jose Ignacio. And Pisco Sour to die for, just before la siesta for everyone…
Plenty of activities for the family. Surfing on the beach of Playa Brava, waves were not that intimidating. Or horseback riding barefoot on the beach, with the horses of Jorge aka El Negrito who comes in front of La Huella with his 4 horses every afternoon.
We actually learnt to kite surf (sort of !!) at Laura Monino Kite surf / windsurf school. The best!! On Laguna Garzon, a beautiful eco-reserve, with shallow depth and constant wind, ideal conditions. Laura is so kind too, and owns a charming pousada near by, Halelau, that would be a great option with the family.
Hola chicos. Que tal. Que lindo..
BozAround tips:
- Rent a car with Interautos. They’ll come meet you straight at the arrival or departure terminal of Montevideo airport. And their prices are unbeatable. Speak with Gustavo (interautos@adinet.com.uy)
- Come here off-season to avoid the show-off factor. And bypass Punta del Este, a LatAm version of South Beach Miami. They say it’s coming back, but I am allergic to this kind of big developments on the beach.
- Make time to go up the coast all the way to Cabo Polonio. It sounds amazing. I am sad we could not go. No electricity, no cars, sand dunes only. And a few posadas.
- Pick up a map of Jose Ignacio at the tiny tourist information on the main square, It has everything you need.
- Posada del Faro has one of the best reputation in the village of Jose ignacio. And Casa Chic looked…quite chic and ideally located near the beach inside the village, with a small kitchen and separate bedroom for the family. Or Posada Halelau outside town for a more affordable option.
Ps: by the time i finished writing this article, i found my plug!!! youpi! so i put in some links..but i did not re-write everything..sorry if it’s a bit decousu…besos.


Category: Away from it all, BozAroundTheWorld, Fresh air, My guides, Play Time, Sea Sand Sun, South America
Tagged: , , , , , , , ,
Permalink | 1 Comment »
April 15th, 2011 | 7:21pm by BozAround
 
 

Retro times in Colonia, Uruguay: a perfect day trip from Buenos Aires

8 Apr
2011

I like Buenos Aires, but I did not remember how busy, dusty and noisy it is. It must be that 10 years ago when I first visited, I did not have children. I liked going out til late in the night, and you don’t see things the same way at 20 than at 30 (ok, 28 and 38). People go out for diner at 10pm here, not so feasible with little ones! Or maybe it’s just an urban allergy that I have developed after all those empty lands that we have been through in Patagonia.

So it was a pleasant breath of fresh air to cross the Rio de la Plata and go visit the colonial town of Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. Its historic part (dates back to 1680) is a Unesco World Heritage site.

I think this photo epitomizes Colonia: retro, colourful houses, bougainvilleas everywhere, paved roads, relaxed cafes. Only the view on Rio de la Plata is missing from the photo. And my Marcelito is not normally part of the decor.

How to get there / Where to stay:

Colonia del Sacramento is a smooth boat trip from downtown Buenos Aires, making for an easy day trip. Prefer the express buquebus 1h ride, and know that it’s best to book the tickets a few days in advance for a good fare. I think it’d be sweet to spend the night there in one of the many posadas as many places open only at night. El Capullo seemed particularly inviting. Posada del Angel is another recommended address.

Things to do with the chicos in Colonia:

Walk around and get lost (not for long as it’s tiny!) in the cobbled stone streets. Go up the faro aka lighthouse (children under 12 can’t). Rent a buggy (pricey! but it’s like everything else in Colonia, beware) and drive around to the beach. Eat ice cream al dulce de leche. Enjoy tea time with cake al dulce de leche. Eat pure dulce de leche and watch the children go crazy from the sugar overload!!

Have a long lunch in the courtyard of La Florida, the chef Carlos Bidanchon is a slow-food adherent and a great character himself. Or El Rincon for a simple parilla in a beautiful location right on the river. And for tea-time, the best-kept secret of Colonia is Lentas Maravillas on Santa Rita, 61. Loved it.

So we’ve crossed the Rio de la Plata from Buenos Aires to Colonia, and have therefore crossed a border this time by boat. Something that Marcelo found particularly fun…

We marveled at the architecture in Colonia, a mix of colonial colourful houses, and here and there some modernist constructions, such as this cafe (above, right) with a cactus garden overlooking the river…

More on Uruguay soon as we’re discovering this rather unvisited tiny little country in South America, squeezed between Argentina and Brazil…



Category: BozAroundTheWorld, City & Culture, Family reunion, My guides, South America
Tagged: , , ,
Permalink | 4 Comments »
April 8th, 2011 | 12:32pm by BozAround
 
 

The great outdoors of Patagonia

29 Mar
2011

We’ve just spent 5 days in the national park of Torres del Paine, in the Chilean side of Patagonia. Waterfalls, snowy mountain peaks, lakes of all colours, glaciers, icebergs, never ending lands, condors, huanacos, rain, sun, wind. And rainbows to top it all. It’s a nature lover paradise.

We’ve trekked 4 days in a row, total 26km plus long horseback riding trips. Sometimes with Amalya (in the backpack) and Marcelo (leading the way), sometimes without. I know it does not sound that much but believe me, for people like us who NEVER EVER trek, it’s an achievement! And a newly discovered joy. We can’t wait to be back on the trail.

How to get there / Where to stay:

Depending on the time of the year, low cost Sky Airline flies from Santiago all the way to Puerto Natales (5 hours flight with stopover in P. Montt and then Punta Arenas) which is the gateway to Torres del Paine. However, if that’s not the case, the best is to sleep in Punta Arenas, and then embark on the four-hour scenic drive to Puerto Natales or all the way to the park (another 1h30 drive). It’s best to do all of this with one of the many travel agent, or ask the hotel to arrange it.

Many people also arrive from Buenos Aires, then take a connecting flight to El Calafate (4 hours) for a sleepover of a day or more. El Calafate is in Argentina, 1h30 from the  Chilean border by bus or private transfer, and after crossing the check point, it’s another 1h30 to Puerto Natales. It’s also a fun way to make the journey, we did it on the way back today. The roads are very good and the views beautiful. The children enjoyed it as much as we did.

In high season (Dec. til March), if you want to sleep in shelters (refugios) on the trails inside the Torres del Paine park, you will need to reserve your beds many weeks in advance. Also, it’s probably best with children to trek with an experienced guide, as some trails can be very tough with the strong winds (there’s the famous Big W, did not do it but this is an example. We will come back when Marcelo and Amalya are older!.

Otherwise, there are many lodging options, from the b&b’s of Puerto Natales (and from there, day trips to the park), to the architect-designed hotels Remota or Indigo Patagonia outside of town, or the Explora Hotel Salto Chico whose location is stunning, right inside the park. Explora was our base, something we had booked and saved for a long time in advance. None of the hotels are particularly geared to traveling with the family though.

El Gaucho Marcelo:

We crossed the border by road to Argentina today, all the way to El Calafate, and are now exhausted, in a healthy way. Ready to hit the Perito Moreno glacier manana…to be continued.



Category: Away from it all, BozAroundTheWorld, Fresh air, My guides, South America
Tagged: , , ,
Permalink | 7 Comments »
March 29th, 2011 | 2:47am by BozAround
 
 

Waiting for you with open hearts, in Chilean Patagonia

28 Mar
2011

We found a gem of a little family hotel in Punta Arenas, the main city of Chilean Patagonia. Unfortunately, we only spent one night there, but it was a true home away from home.

this is the Chilean flag & the Patagonian flag

Ilaia means “further south” in the language of the Yagán people, the most austral population on the planet, now almost entirely disappeared.

Ilaia Hotel is run from the heart. You feel it from the moment you make a reservation by email, and they answer you in signature waiting for you with a smile. Loved it! If you ever need a place to stay in Punta Arenas, on your way to the great outdoors of Chilean Patagonia (writing from the natural park of Torres del Paine right now), book one of the family rooms in Hotel Ilaia.

There are several things to do with Punta Arenas as a base, including paying a visit to the penguin colony of Isla Magdalena (requires at least 5 hours), or closer, to Sono Otway. Taking a a day trip to see whales. The hotel can help you arrange everything.

the penguins did not mind the incredible wind

And from Punta Arenas (the biggest airport in the region), you can drive 4 hours to Puerto Natales which is then the gateway to the natural park of Torres del Paine. My feet, my arms, my hands hurt so much from all the trekking we did these past 4 days, sorry i can’t write more right now!

a hug into the light… (that was another of Ilaia’s email signature. Felt good too)



Category: Away from it all, BozAroundTheWorld, Family reunion, Fresh air, My guides
Tagged: , , , ,
Permalink | No Comments »
March 28th, 2011 | 2:56am by BozAround
 
 

Some Sydney tips for a week with a family

12 Feb
2011

Sydney is a great place to stop and rest after our intense travelling in South East Asia. It’s a very welcoming city to the family, big enough to offer plenty to do yet relaxed and stylish, and very child-friendly. There are not that many big cities in the world that offer great beach living with cool city lifestyle. I can think of Rio, or Tel Aviv but Sydney really is in another league..Oh if it wasn’t soooo far from everything, we could easily see ourselves raising our children here.

The famous Sydney Opera House above, and the famous Bondi beach below.

The beaches of Bondi-Tamarama-Bronte-Coogee are a great base with a family, and only 15-20 min drive to downtown. We ended up in Coogee, renting the Annex which is a nice family apartment managed by the Dive Hotel. Coogee is not as cool and lively as Bondi, but it’s super child friendly with a great playground overlooking the ocean, a ladies & children pool in the sea, and a great long beach. Breakfast facing the waves from the terrass of Barzura is a must. Another wonderful brunch place is Swell on Bronte beach. With courage, there is a 3 hour cliff walk from Coogee to Bondi along the coast. We did the abbreviated version from Bronte to Bondi, 30min with a stroller and many steps. It’s highly recommended.

After the walk to Bondi beach, it’s a good idea to stop for ice creams with a view at the swim club Icebergs, or get a babysitter in order to enjoy a diner tete-a-tete in the very hip top floor restaurant. Or family dinner at North Bondi Italian, a casual and delicious noisy place facing the surfers. Or just a glass of Australian wine at The Shop a few blocks behind the beach in Bondi. This b&b in North Bondi seems like a good address to bookmark but it was full for us, or this hotel for a more established place. Or these websites also had lots of apartments to rent that seemed well located (but we planned way too late..): Rent-a-Home and Stay-z.

If the weather is warm and sunny (which it is most of the time between December and March!), it’s nice to split the day between morning visits and afternoon at the beach, with a lunch break in one of the many cool spots in town. They know a thing or two about fooding in Sydney.

Children will love taking a ferry from Circular Quay to Darling Harbor, and getting off to visit the Wildlife World and the exciting aquarium (best to buy the combo tickets). Lunch break at Chinta Ria for Malaysian family food is a good option afterwards, right in Cockle Bay.

Another half day can be spent starting at the incredible Sydney Opera House (we got to listen to a concert of classic music Passion with Brahms last night, a nice prelude to Valentine’s day!!), then walking through the Royal Botanical Gardens to finish at the Art Gallery NSW where there’s a good cafe with kids pack. Or the Museum of Contemporary Art right near Circular Quay. March will see Art Month in Sydney, a month-long festival of arts in the city, with family programs as well. Too bad we’ll be gone by then.

For more art, head to Danks Street in Waterloo where you will find Danks Street Depot at number 2, the David Bramley gallery and Sonoma bakery for lunch break. And for a pleasant leisure stroll, walk the streets of charming Paddington area, stopping for Italian ice cream at Alimentari on William Street.

You see those charming houses with wrought iron balconies all over in Sydney. Love them. And a reminder that this country is a rich land of iron and many other commodities. Hence 1US$=1AU$ right now…a very expensive city for the visiting tourist.

And another afternoon can be spent in the arty / trendy area of Surry Hills, where one of Sydney’s coolest kids store Kido has a new shop on Crown Street, not far from Mrs Red & Sons another shop worth a visit. We had amazing sushi at Toko for early dinner with the children (everyone eats really early in Sydney!). Or the Italian Pizza e Birra next door seemed like a deliciously stylish alternative.

I could go on and on with good spots for meals in Sydney, because we ate really well in many design-driven places. The Foodie 100 article from Travel Leisure has lots of good addresses, and I am carrying a print for every country we go to.

We have not had a chance yet to walk the Harbour Bridge, maybe on our return from the Blue Moutains. I hear there are some great climbs organized on the bridge (top ten world’s heart pounding experiences), but am I still allowed this kind of adrenaline-filled activities now that I am a mother?



Category: Australia / New Zealand, BozAroundTheWorld, City & Culture, My guides, Sea Sand Sun
Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,
Permalink | 3 Comments »
February 12th, 2011 | 12:28pm by BozAround
 
 

Celebrating the Year of the Cat in Vietnam

7 Feb
2011

We left Vietnam on the 1st day of the Tet last Thursday, which is a very colourful celebration of the Lunar New Year. In the Vietnamese calendar, it’s now the year of the cat. If someone can explain why it’s different from the Chinese calendar which is entering the year of the rabbit, I’d be most grateful as no-one could tell me so far!

After the midnight fireworks, Hanoi streets were empty as we drove to the airport, a strange feeling in a city normally filled with noise and thousands of motorcycles.

So it wasn’t the usual Hanoi, but we enjoyed sharing this special holiday, an enriching cultural experience for all of us in the family. The Year of the Cat has arrived in Vietnam…Chuc Mung Nam Moi! Happy New Year!

Vietnam is a very easy country to travel with a family, but the country lacks in tasteful infrastructure for the tourist, as if culture and good taste have gotten a bit lost in the fast pace of development this past decade. I searched and searched for charming guesthouses or relaxed cafes, but most places were either geared to the backpacker or the package tourist, or the very luxury end.

We went from South to North. Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh city) & the Mekong delta by boat on an overnight trip. Then a flight to Danang in Central Vietnam to visit the charming town of Hoi An and the beautiful sites of Hue. After one month of intensive traveling, we recharged the batteries at Nam Hai for a few days, a very pampering beach resort near Hoi An. Unlucky for us, it was chilly chilly but the heated pool was perfect. And we finished in the North: Hanoi, and Halong Bay on a boat overnight. We skipped Sapa in the mountains because it’s an overnight train to get there, and a malaria zone but would have happily gone otherwise as it’s famous for the scenery and different tribes living there.

Here are some of our Vietnam favorites:

- Dinner in HCMC at Nha Hang Ngon. The concept is genius! The owner gathered the best street food vendors and turned them into chefs cooking at various stations in his restaurant. Super child friendly, well priced and delicious. The place is becoming very successful and has opened branches in Hanoi and Pnomh Penh too. We also had a very good meal at Temple Club in HCMC (848-3829 9244), more grown up than child-friendly though.

- Visiting the tumbs and the citadel in Hue, a former capital of Vietnam

- Chilling out at Nam Hai resort, a very pampering place outside of Hoi An.

- Riding with our very kind driver& guide Mr Pierre (bilingual French & English: peter74chinh@gmail.com) from Hoi An to Hue. There’s a very scenic road going through the mountain peak…Really worth it on a sunny day. We had to take the tunnel that day..

- Taking a cooking class in Hoi An at the Red Bridge restaurant and having dinner at the Secret Garden restaurant (te: 84-510-2212 6400) lost in a tiny street in Hoi An.

- Admiring the miniature wooden boats at the shop Dai Phu Giao in Hoi An.

- Getting some of our favourite clothes copied (booouh!)at Bao Khanh Silk, one of many tailor shops in Hoi An where you choose your fabric and they’ll deliver to your hotel in half a day. But plan on a few fittings for a perfect fit.

- Staying at the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi, a legendary hotel from the colonial times.

- Sharing the frenziness of Vietnamese New Year preparations in Hanoi.



Category: Asia, Away from it all, BozAroundTheWorld, City & Culture, Decoration, My guides
Tagged: , , , ,
Permalink | 1 Comment »
February 7th, 2011 | 10:54am by BozAround
 
 

Angkor Wat…? Encore un Buddha!

25 Jan
2011

We’ve just spent 7 days in Cambodia, and it went by too fast…! We flew into Siem Reap and started with the temples of Angkor Wat and around. Then we moved on to Pnom Penh by road (a pleasant 5 hours in a van & driver, US$100 was a great bargain compared to 4 plane tickets) and we hanged out with the local expats for the week end. Merci Jeanne for the insiders tour and a fantastic w/e together!!

I took this photo in one of the temples, loved the contrast between the Korea-Rock hairstyle of the boy vs. the studious monk. They seemed good friends and were hanging out together.

The temple of Angkor Wat is quite impressive, even though we couldn’t help comparing it to the thousands of seldom-visited temples of Bagan, Burma (read here). I particularly enjoyed the serenity inside Angkor Wat: clean lines, mono-chromes of greys punctuated by the bright robes of the monks.

Most Buddha statues lack their heads because they’ve been stolen over the years. It gives a strange feeling of what it must have been like to discover such a massive site under the jungle about 100 years ago.. Marcelo’s favorite new joke is Angkor Wat…Encore Quoi…Encore un Buddha??!!! Hard to translate but in short, he got a bit fed up of visiting temples. So he got to go around in Amalya’s backpack…

What we did not necessarily realize is that there are many other temples to see in the area, which make for great half-day visits punctuated by lunchtimes and naptimes at the pool. Loved Blue Pumpkin café in town, where I even had my galette des rois!!

Siem Reap is a city of 2 million people but it does not feel like it. Everything for the tourist is quite concentrated with a nice boutique-feel. Our hotel FCC Angkor was a wonderful base, perfect with children (but FCC Pnom Penh is not as recommended). It ticked many boxes: super attentive staff , great menu and room service, sweet babysitters and best of all, a beautiful swimming pool with an area convenient for young children. If you don’t stay there, at least get a drink in the early evening.

There are several nice shops nearby, such as Wanderlust and the French-owned WA Art Gallery. For dinner, we loved Alliance Café where there are Apsara dance performances 3 times a week, and also a few stylish rooms to stay at. All in all, Siem Reap felt relaxed, tasteful and well organized for the independent travellers. And the world-renowned site of Angkor Wat lived up to our expectations.

We spent the last afternoon in Siem Reap strolling by boat on Tonle Sap, the largest fresh-water lake in South East Asia.



Category: Asia, BozAroundTheWorld, City & Culture, My guides
Tagged: , , ,
Permalink | 1 Comment »
January 25th, 2011 | 9:02am by BozAround
 
 

24Hours in Singapore. Happy New Year!

1 Jan
2011

Waking up on New Years day, my first observation in Singapore is that the construction workers building that tall condominium across the street are still working today. As a matter of fact, at quarter past midnight last night, as we walked away from the beautiful fireworks at the Marina, there were some people fixing the entrance of a building behind scaffoldings. It says it all about this city that never sleeps. Business, business business. No wonder it’s one of the world fastest-rising economy, 15% growth rate forecast for 2010!! Things are fast here, real fast.

Yesterday was the first in Asia for our round the world, so we did what Singaporean families love to do.

We met our friends Audrey, Jim and their 2 sons for lunch at super child-friendly Casa Verde, a cafe inside the beautifully lush Botanical Garden. The children loved feeding the turtles in the pond.

And then we spent the day at the mall…

First, at the new Marina Bay Sands resort, we marvelled at the construction of that new building with a ship on top, and the highest swimming pool in the world. Non-guests can go up as a visitors, S$20 per person is not cheap but quite worth the 360* view.

It’s fascinating to see the amount of construction going on in the city. With reclaimed land, it feels as if the potentials are limitless.

And Amalya got her first photo shoot with local girls marvelling at her curly hair, the first of three in the same day!

Then we paused at a fish spa. Have you ever tried this? Hilarious! You sit with your feet in an aquarium and some little Doctor fishes come nibble on your skin to make them all exfoliated. Not sure if it works but it was a truly organic pedicure.

I even took Marcelo ice skating inside the Marina Bay mall. Me, who has not ice skated in 30 years and who jokes about the ridiculousness of skiing in Dubai..We did, and it was fun.

And before midnight, we enjoyed a delicious Chinese meal at Crystal Jade Palace in yet another mall, the Takashimaya on Orchard Road, where we then walked up and down. Just like any Singaporean family.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

新年快樂

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Category: Asia, BozAroundTheWorld, City & Culture, My guides
Permalink | 1 Comment »
January 1st, 2011 | 4:31am by BozAround
 
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »