Novelist Faith Bleasdale returns to an amazing sushi restaurant a short walk from Camden train station in North London.

I love sushi. I love food in general, but sushi is right up at the top of my favourite food list. I’ve also been quite lucky with my sushi ever since I first discovered it; living in London and then Asia, I was always spoilt for choice.

Then I moved back to where I grew up; North Devon, on the British coast. Now, there are many things I love about the area but there are also many things I miss about London. One of them is my friends and the other is sushi – because there is none to be found in my new home – apart from those little plastic packs you get in supermarkets, which I don’t believe counts.

Whenever I leave the area and go back to London I have a rule; I have to have sushi!. And as it’s for one night only (and generally only once every few months), it’s imperative that my friends and I get it right. So my sushi secret in London is Bento.

Situated in Camden it’s a lovely restaurant which serves affordable, delicious Sushi and a wide range of Japanese food. Whether you want Maki, Tempura, Sashimi, or noodles then you won’t be disappointed. I think it’s a bit of a hidden gem because it really does deliver on food, service and price.

The restaurant itself is comfortable but not ostentatious. It’s fairly simple decor doesn’t reflect the food, but the service is friendly and fast and you don’t have to wait for hours to be get your food. It also offers a great take away service and it delivers locally. What more could a sushi lover want?

I won’t tell you what to eat, but any of the Maki is fabulous, the Bento salad is a favourite as is the black cod. My three year old loved his chicken Teriyaki and noodles (the restaurant is also completely family friendly.) I just think the answer is to try as much as you can, and go there as often as you can. Well, that’s what I do anyway!

Website www.bentocafe.co.uk

9 Parkway, Camden, London, NW1 7PG

020 7482 3990

Photo: Courtesy Bento Cafe

Deborah Dickson-Smith shares some local secrets and deals fit for a Goddess at the Noosa International Food & Wine Festival.

The Noosa International Food & Wine Festival attracts the best chefs from around the world – a virtual who’s who of the global culinary world. However this weekend I discovered that you can experience great fresh produce and gourmet delights in Sunshine Coast year-round.

So where to start? We thought we’d start at the source (or as close as we could get to it) by exploring the hinterland, work our way through the farmers’ markets and then on to the menus of the many cafes and restaurants.

Starting at Mooloolaba, where great coffee can be found at the Good Bean Espresso Bar, we wind our way along a beautiful country drive through Mapleton, Montville and Maleny.

Highlights include the café with a view at Mapleton, the lovely selection of reds at Flame Hill Winery at Montville and the selection of cheeses at Maleny Cheese.

On to the markets.

On Wednesdays and Saturdays Eumundi Market has a huge range of stalls, selling everything from local handicrafts to nuclear-strength chilli sauces. There is also a great selection of hot food stalls with food to sample from all over the world.

Noosa Farmers Market is held on Sunday mornings and it really is a gourmet delight, with gorgeous organic fresh produce, cured meats, pickles and freshly baked sourdough bread.

Definitely try the fresh bread, chocolate croissants and cured meats at French Sin, the goats cheese at Gympie Cheese (divine) and the Cedar Creek Cheeserie is home to the best haloumie I’ve ever tasted.

So to the cafes and restaurants

My pick for Noosa would have to be the Metal Tiger Tea Emporium, although the choice is tough. Another favourite Noosaville café would be the Thomas Corner Eatery, on the corner of Gympie Terrace and Thomas Street (go figure) looking over Noosa River. We opted for the dips to accompany an afternoon beer – highly recommended.

Embassy XO, on Sunshine Beach is another winner. It’s a gorgeous selection of modern Asian cuisine, which I kick-start with a lychee martini. Fried pork dumplings with chu chow and black vinegar (YUM), crispy chicken ribs with chilli buttermilk, followed by beef cheeks braised in rock sugar, soy and black bean sauce.

More information

Goddess Deals

Noosa: The Outrigger on Little Hastings Street in Noosa is rather conveniently located at the eastern point of Noosa, backing on to the National Park. The starting rate for accommodation during the Noosa Food & Wine Festival is $279 in a 1 bedroom apartment. There is also an Ultimate Spa Getaway package from $990* per night comprising accommodation in a 3 bedroom villa for up to 6 guests, two bottles of Chandon and four divine floating dreams spa experiences at Stephanies Ocean Spa. Mmm. Book here

Mooloolaba: Mantra Mooloolaba is smack bang in the centre of Mooloolaba, surrounded by restaurants, with sweeping views of the coastline. Most of the one-bedroom suites have a rather divine spa bath which you can have a lot of fun with… Book here

The Sydney Morning Herald recently reported that Australians made a record 7.8 million short-stay trips overseas last year. New Zealand was our favourite destination. (1.1 million trips). If it’s luxury you’re after, Holiday Goddess editor Deborah Dickson-Smith thinks Queenstown is the place to head…

My flight to New Zealand on Air New Zealand is an exercise in pampering.

Non-stop food all the way to Queenstown accompanied by a lovely NZ Pinot Gris.

The road from Queenstown to Blanket Bay hugs the coast of Lake Wakatipu, flanked on either side by high snow-capped mountains. And this isn’t the scenic part of the country that New Zealand is famous for. That’s over the mountains to the left.

Blanket Bay Lodge sits on the waterfront at the northern end of the lake about 40 minutes drive from Queenstown. A gravel driveway winds past chalets to a grand main building. My chalet has an open fire, floor to ceiling picture window overlooking the lake and surrounding mountains, goose down doona and Italian triple stitch sheets. The shower even doubles as a steam room.

Dinner each night is a 5-course affair which starts with horsedouevres in the bar. The dinner menu here changes daily and includes such delights as lobster, venison and rack of lamb, however if that’s not good enough you can, within reason, order whatever you like and the chef will endeavour to prepare it for you. No one leaves New Zealand complaining about having lost weight.

After dinner I sink into my goose down bed and slip into a coma.

I manage, even though I’m on Sydney time, to sleep through breakfast but I’m served eggs Benedict and fruit salad anyway as I prepare myself for the day’s activities.

The jet boat arrives at the jetty to pick me up, I’m handed a packed lunch and we head off up river through Middle Earth. The scenery is truly breathtaking, and I know you’ve heard that before but, really, it is. And my photography (or use of adjectives for that matter) probably won’t do it justice.

And what better way to end the day than with a 60-minute massage? An entirely relaxing Swedish massage, during which I think I may have snored a wee bit.

My next day’s activity is a horse ride up one of the mountains surrounding our valley, at nearby Wyuna Station. The view from the top is truly spectacular and the atmosphere incredibly peaceful.

The afternoon provides spectacular views from an alternative mode of transport: a helicopter. My ride picks me up from the front lawn and we go on a tour over the mountain ranges, in search of waterfalls and frozen lakes.

The different scenery we pass within minutes is hard to comprehend. We fly through clouds and an alpine range of peaks and valleys before rounding the corner into Fiordland. Milford Sound is spectacular and it’s difficult to try and get a sense of scale, the mountains are so steep and high.

We pass countless waterfalls before heading out to sea and along the coast to land on the pink volcanic sand of a nearby beach before heading back into the mountains to land on a frozen lake.

My last day here is spent exploring Queenstown before a leisurely lunch at Amisfield Winery. It is recommended here to choose the “Trust the Chef” option. Available for two or more people, you will be served a 4-course meal at the chef’s discretion.

Blanket Bay offers a luxury retreat unlike any other. The solitude and restful atmosphere together with magnificent scenery and gourmet menu leave you truly refreshed, rejuvenated and indeed, spoiled.

www.blanketbay.com

Heliworks
 – www.heliworks.co.nz

Dart River Jet Safari
 – www.dartriver.co.nz

Photo: Courtesy Blanket Bay Lodge

Deborah’s first trip with her first child (at 4 months old) involved a 26 hour flight with no sleep, which is exactly when she realised travelling with kids wasn’t quite the same as without. Deborah has lived in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Edinburgh, London and now resides in Sydney’s northern beaches with her Brady Bunch-style family of seven – all seasoned travellers. Deb blogs at www.littlenomads.com and you can follow Deb on twitter @deborahzoe42

It may be a daycation or a staycation but our $100 and £100 weekly deals  are limited and disappear quickly. Follow us on Twitter @holidaygoddess for flash deals. This week, Australia’s off-peak travel sales kick in…

AUSTRALIAN GODDESS HOTELS UNDER $100

Every time you book through the Holiday Goddess search engine, the charities Dogstar and War Child receive a percentage of your booking fee. This week we have some amazing specials. The Arakaba Hotel in Adelaide (above) is down to AUD$64.50. The Coral Tree Inn Cairns is AUD$54.50 (below).

Coral Tree Inn Cairns Under $60

Tiger Airways’ lowest Australian fares for May

Vicki Arkoff, our Los Angeles editor, knows where Ashton Kutcher, Eva Longoria and Kelly Osbourne prefer to dine.

You may not have received an invitation to dine with James Franco on your next trip to Los Angeles, but you can still enjoy a romantic table-for-two at his place – or Ryan Gosling’s or Robert De Niro’s. You just have to know where to call for reservations.

Restaurants in L.A. come and go, just like the Hollywood stars that dine there. So if you plan on going, do it quick before your restaurant-of-choice closes (adios, Jeri Ryan’s Ortolan and Ashton Kutcher’s Dolce & Ketchup) to make room for a new one owned by a newer star. But one thing never changes: a handful of the best spots in town always manage to become as red-hot as their celebrity owners – some who used to wait tables for a living not many years ago.

Owning a high-end restaurant is a great way for A-list actors to invest big chunks of change in business ventures outside of “the biz” while enjoying the social perks of hosting a nightly party they don’t have to pay for or clean up after. That’s what their wait staff is for — between auditions, at least, and until they hit the big-time and open their own joints.

Ago

8478 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069. (323) 655-6333.

Tuscan. Expensive. Perfect pasta, risotto, formaggi and carpaccio, capiche?

Co-stars/owners: Robert De Niro (The Godfather, Goodfellas, Raging Bull, New Year’s Eve, Red Lights, Being Flynn, Freelancers), directors Tony & Ridley Scott (American Gangster, Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, Man on Fire and The Grey) and producers Bob & Harvey Weinstein (Lord of the Rings, The King’s Speech, Inglorious Basterds, Rambo, Project Runway).

Beso

6350 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. (323) 467-7991.

Pan-Latin. Expensive. Eva’s Avocado Guacamole (is there any other kind?) is finger-licking good.

Co-star/owner: Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives, Harsh Times, The Sentinel, Over Her Dead Body, Long Time Gone, The Truth).

Beacher’s Madhouse

7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA . at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. (323) 785-3036.

Speakeasy. Vaudeville theater obsessed with oddball acts. Order a Mar-Tiny from the “Midget Mixologists” who will also fly across the room to deliver your bottle order.

Co-stars/owners: David Arquette (Scream, Wild Bill, Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and Kelly Osbourne (The Osbournes, Dancing With the Stars, Fashion Police).

Boa

9200 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90068. (310) 278-2050.

101 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 899-4466.

Steakhouse. Expensive. Sleek and metrosexual, just like the not-so-silent partner. Sunday is wine lover’s night with half-price bottles.

Co-star/owner: Ryan Seacrest (American Idol).

Dominck’s

8715 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90048. (310) 652-2335.

Italian. Moderate. The 1940s Rat Pack hangout, updated, complete with San Gennaro Feast and Sunday Supper menus.

Co-star/owner: Laura Dern (Jurassic Park, Blue Velvet, Citizen Ruth, Inland Empire and Enlightened, her new series)

Geisha House

6633 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. (323) 460-6300.

Japanese. Expensive. Sexy sushi spot that puts you in the mood for an order of “Geisha Lips” or “Octopussy.”

Co-stars/owners: That ‘70s Show cast-mates Danny Masterson, Wilmer Valderrama, and Ashton Kutcher plus Jamie Kennedy (The Cleveland Show, Ghostwhisper, Malibu’s Most Wanted, Three Kings).

Mulberry Street Pizzeria

240 S. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212. (310) 247-8100.

15136 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. (818) 784-8880.

17040 Ventura Blvd., Encino, CA 91316. (818) 784-8880.

Italian. Inexpensive. Best New York-style pizza in town. Buy by the pie or slice.

Co-star/owner: Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull, Analyze That, Kindergarten Cop, The Mambo Kings, Law & Order)

Nobu

903 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A., 90069. (310) 657-5711.

3835 Cross Creek Road, Malibu, 90265. (310) 317-9140.

Japanese. Expensive. Legendary sushi institution with 24 chic locations worldwide.

Co-star/owner: Robert Di Niro.

The Porch at the House of Blues

8430 W Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069. (323) 848-5100.

Southern. Moderate. The perfect spot for a pre-show dinner (gumbo, baby-back ribs, voodoo shrimp) or the high-energy Sunday Gospel Brunch.

Co-stars/owners: Dan Aykroyd ( Ghostbusters, Blues Brothers, Saturday Night Live) and Jim Belushi (According to Jim, The Ghost Writer, Salvador, Red Heat, SNL).

Tangine

132 North Robertson Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA. 90211. (310) 360-7535.

Moroccan. Moderate – expensive. Exquisite food, cozy and romantic room. Lamb tangine…yum.

Co-star/owner: Ryan Gosling (The Notebook, Crazy Stupid Love, Drive, The Ides of March, The Place Beyond the Pines)

The Writer’s Room

6675 Hollywood Blvd., L.A., CA 90028. (323) 466-1900.

Lounge. Expensive. An exclusive, small, dark bar adjacent to the big nightclub venue Supperclub.

Co-star/owner: James Franco (127 Hours, Eat Pray Love, Milk, Spider-Man, and the title role in Oz, The Great and Powerful) , who infamously didn’t even show up to his own bar’s post-Oscar party.

Vicki Arkoff asks Russell Simmons (Def Jam, Phat Farm) for his worldwide travel favourites.

When price is no object, how do the super-rich choose which hotels to book? For music, fashion and media mogul Russell Simons, it comes down to location, location, location, and a simple matter of (vegetarian) taste.

When you jet-set around the world, running multiple empires, it’s nice to know where to lay your head. “I know some good hotels,” says Russell Simmons, putting it mildly.

The hip-hop impresario, Def Jam music mogul, film and TV producer (“Krush Goove” was based on his life in the early days of rap music, and he’s since created programs such as Def Comedy Jam), fashion CEO (Phat Farm), social activist and philanthropist, is a self-made entrepreneur who’s come a long way from his teenage gang past when “selling drugs was the only way in.” Like no one else, he’s tapped the spirit of success, selling everything from sneakers to energy drinks, wireless phones to Visa debit cards to amass a reported net worth of $350 million. And each time he sells a chunk of his empire he earns another $120 million to expand even further. “I’ve created a business that didn’t exist a generation ago,” says the life-long New Yorker, who many believe is prepared to run for the NYC mayor’s office.

As wealthy and driven as he is, Simmons’ personal philosophy keeps him grounded. A vegan, he practices yoga daily and insists that all his employees read and write a book report on Deepak Chopra’s “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.” “I surround myself with people that share the same spirituality that I believe in. People who are focused on living better.”

Few people are focused on a life more luxurious than Simmons’, judging by his list of favorite hotels, each one a gem offering a glimpse of what he appreciates most:

“I like water and I like great beaches — I care a lot about beaches – and I care a lot about service,” Simmons said when deciding on his Top 5 Favorite Hotels list for HolidayGoddess.com. Above all, one particular amenity is essential: “I need to have green vegetable juice and good vegetarian food.”

THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL: Beverly Hills. “I don’t know what the best hotel is in L.A. but I choose The Beverly Hills Hotel because I’m comfortable there,” says Simmons. I like the bungalows and some of the suites in the main building are nice, too.” Offering unsurpassed privacy, the famous pink palace is a luxe five-star hotel nestled one 12 lush acres in one of the world’s richest neighborhoods, with easy access to Rodeo Drive shopping and dining.

9641 Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 www.beverlyhillshotel.com 


THE DORCHESTER: London. Situated in the heart of London’s Mayfair, with rooms and suites providing expansive views of Hyde Park, The Dorchester is fit for royalty – including the king of rap. A glamorous art deco gem, it recently celebrated its 80th anniversary with the neighborhood planting of 80 trees, and The Dorchester Spa reopened in May 2009 after a multimillion transformation. A wide range of dining is offered — from traditional afternoon tea to Cantonese cuisine – and highlighted by three-Michelin-star Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, one of London’s finest contemporary French dining experiences.

53 Park Lane, Mayfair, London, W1K 1QA, United Kingdom. www.thedorchester.com

OCEAN CLUB: Bahamas. “I love the Ocean Club.” What’s not to love? Renowned for its elegant sophistication, this elite, 35-acre, 3-mile-long beachfront hideaway reflects the posh exclusivity of a grand colonial manor, once the private estate of A&P heir Huntington Hartford II. Today its expansive manicured lawns and coconut palms provide an enchanting backdrop to the pristine white-sand beaches of Paradise Island. 105 guestrooms and residential-style villas. World-class golf, tennis, spa, pool, diving, snorkeling, sailing and wind-surfing.

P.O. Box N, 4777 Paradise Island, Bahamas. www.oceanclub.oneandonlyresorts.com

THE PALM, ONE & ONLY: Dubai. Located on the peninsula of one of the world’s most spectacular landscapes, The Palm offers an exclusive and secluded enclave of impeccable style on white-sand beaches. Amidst lush gardens, fountains and pools and miles of key shoreline, guests enjoy exclusivity in a stunning setting like no other. Like Simmons, its chic and tranquil, exciting and vibrant. On the horizon is the excitement of the New Dubai Skyline, a short journey by water taxi or limo.

Palm Island, The West Crescent, Dubai, 37252, United Arab Emirates. http://thepalm.oneandonlyresorts.com/

RITZ-CARLTON, ROSE HALL RESORT: Jamaica. Guests at this luxury hotel enjoy an idyllic escape where they soak up the sun on a secluded beach, with warm sand, blue waters and green mountains as the backdrop. But it’s the accessibility that Simmons finds irresistible. “I like that you can get off the plane and be right there at Montego Bay.” Spectacular water aside, the hotel’s renowned amenities include five fine restaurants, a championship golf course. Each of the 427 guestrooms and suites has a private balcony or terrace.

1 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Rose Hall, St. James, Jamaica, West Indies. www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/RoseHallJamaica/

Sue Ostler wrote about London night life for our bestselling book, Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide. This is her take on the Costa del Sol.

When a girlfriend said, “let’s go to Spain for a summer break”, I said, “yes please!” When she said we were going to Malaga, the gateway to the Costa del Sol in Andalulicia and a well known seaport, I was curious, because on one hand, most people go through Malaga to get somewhere else right – somewhere better?

On the other hand, I spent most of my twenties head banging to the Pixies who sang about Andalusia, which as it turns out, has nothing to do with the place Andalucia. Hmmm, curiouser and curiouser! I turned to research; many travel websites say that Malaga is one of the most popular destinations in the world to visit and home to excellent weather and beaches. Upon visiting it I found that it’s a long way from that – don’t get me wrong, it is pretty, but not nearly so glamorous as its neighbors Marabella and Torremolino dotted along the stretch of Andalucian coastline like big shiny gemstones, but…

Luckily for this Holiday Goddess, Malaga has something different to offer besides Spanish beach glamour. It’s got music. It’s got soul. It’s got rock bars. It’s got fantastically friendly people. And it isn’t jammed to the rafters with rip-roaring British tourists – this in my mind made it the perfect seaside holiday. And to be fair, the beaches are fine, they just don’t have life changing capacities of the other more showy Costa del Sol beaches, but, with the sun shining down brightly as one lies for hours and bakes flaccid British bodies a toffee shade of brown, they do the job.

If you can drag yourself away from the beach for long enough, there’s a heck of a lot to explore. The Alameda Principal city centre offers good enough shopping opportunities, both quirky and cheap, but it’s the backdrop that smacks of medieval charm, cultural heavyweights and hidden treasures like the epic Catedral de la Encarnación which boasts the odd religious ceremony big enough and bad enough to shut the town down for a Sunday afternoon, and a cool stylish respite in the form of the Picasso museum (he was born there you see). Put it all together and you’ve got yourself a busy few days to wile away.

If you’re done lazing and culture-hopping, there are some very pretty sights just outside the town centre to behold as well. A fifteen minute bus ride will take you to up a steep mountain to the Alcazaba Fortress affording stunning views over the Port of Malaga. If you can hack the scenic walk back down to the town centre, you’ll be rewarded with a decent workout and the choice of hundreds of tiny eateries dishing up homemade tapas and long leisurely lunches washed down by sparkling Tinto de Verano for just a few Euros.

During the weekend, Malaga comes alive with the clubs and bars and interesting people from all over, and there seems no other option than to party all night. And party all night we did. But weeknights, your best bet is to bunker down with friends in one of the many absolute beachfront bars.

Malaga might not score points for being the prettiest place on the Costa del Sol block, but for wanderlust, fragrance, mystery and light, history, beauty, relaxed chills and thrills – it was a blast.

We stayed in a rather fine hostel which I would happily recommend: the Melting Pot Hostel Málaga · Paseo del Pintor Joaquín Sorolla, 30 · Málaga (Spain) · Phone: (+34)952 600571 · malaga@meltingpothostels.com

Photo: Flickr CC, mer de glace

Holiday Goddess editor Sue Ostler just found some incredible Sydney chiconomical escapes  for May.

Author and Editor Sue Ostler

Sydney Happy Hour Twilight Cruises  $15. 

Sydney's amazing $15 floating bar

Celebrate the end of the working week with the Happy Hour cruise on Rosman Ferries on the first Friday of the month (May 4 and June 1). The two-hour cruise features a fully stocked bar, and, includes a complimentary drink and entertainment. Cruise past the Sydney Harbour Bridge and take in the Prime Minister’s residence, Kirribilli House and all the famous landmarks. The cruise leaves from Circular Quay (Commissioner Steps) at 5.30pm each first Friday. $15 Book online on www.rosman.com.au

Ho’s Dim Sim Kitchen Yum Cha

Honestly, you haven’t lived till you’ve sampled every delicious morsel from Ho’s, the kind of place you can stock up on YumCha for your dinner parties, or pig out at on Fried Pork Buns, Prawn and Chive Rolls, Sesame Toast and BBQ bun. It’s all soooo good! Ho-Dim-Sim-Kitchen

Free Eye Liner

Head for the Victorian Galeries off Pitt Street - buy two sets of lashes, and get one free eye-liner.

Gloss Accessories

 Women Who Drink With the Sharks

The Shark Bar should be the sleaziest joint in town but funnily enough it’s not. Located just down from the Galeries, opposite the World Tower on Pitt Street it boasts $3.00 drinks. It also used to offer a Bikini Lounge and a real shark who once lived on the premises. Happily the babes are nowhere to be seen these days and the shark has been set free. Even better the sofas are low, the armchairs are a godsend after a day spent storming the shops and the drink prices are a dream! Shark Bar Pitt St   Better still, you can eat upstairs at  Holy Basil with Laos bar snacks, soups and curries from $8.90.

Karen Moline and her son review their home town of New York on the top of a bus – and think about a hot chocolate Thermos.

One of the most wonderful things about New York City is that, even for long-time residents like myself, there is always something new and surprising to discover. So when CitySights invited my son and me for a double-decker bus tour, we jumped at the opportunity. Locals are used to the sight of these busses, trolling up and down the avenues every twenty minutes or so, tourists on top no matter what the weather (they’re given complimentary plastic ponchos when it rains or snows), guides with microphones in hand walking back and forth, that we barely look at them except to complain if the drivers get in the way of a speeding taxi. But, we decided, it’s always fun to take a look at your city from the visitor’s perspective. (After all, what could be more romantic than a weekend stay in a posh hotel only a few miles from home?)

The two largest NYC tour bus companies are CitySights and Gray Line. They have downtown and uptown loops, add-ons like around-Manhattan boat tours, Brooklyn tours, Nighttime or Holiday Lights tours, visits to the top of the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, and more.

We boarded our bus in Times Square for the downtown loop, which takes about 2-2½ hours, passing through the Garment District, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Little Italy, Chinatown, Tribeca, the Financial District and World Trade Center site, South Street Seaport, and then up through the Lower East Side, the East Village, Gramercy, Murray Hill, the UN, and back across to end up in the Theatre District. The uptown loop goes up Broadway to Columbus Circle, along Central Park West to the Museum of Natural History, up to Columbia University, through Harlem, and then back down Fifth Avenue and the major museums.

We made our way to Herald Square, site of Macy’s. Along the way we saw the ghostly shadow of the original Macy’s logo on one of its earlier locations, and learned the history of the weeping Greek statues above one of the entrances in the middle of the 34th St. block—they were made after the then-owners of Macy’s, Isidor and Ida Straus, went down with the Titanic. Mrs. Straus had been offered a seat in a lifeboat, but instead put her fur coat on her maid, gave up the seat, and refused to leave her husband. Now that’s true love.

Hearing fascinating tidbits like that can make these tours so much more worthwhile than a stroll with a guidebook. Equally helpful are the plentiful stops, as you can hop on/off as much as you like within the timeframe of whatever pass you purchase (the least expensive is good for 48 hours). And for someone who likes to happily gaze in windows of businesses and homes, checking out the décor and wondering what’s going on inside, sitting atop the second-story level offers endless opportunities for sanctioned snooping.

That said, your tour will only be as good as your guide and traffic permit, and both variables can make the experience a joy or a misery If your guide is knowledgeable and personable, as many are, you’ll come away with helpful tips about where to go to eat or shop and with a much better sense of all this city has to offer. Be warned that if traffic is crazy or if the busses are full, they won’t stop to pick you up, which can leave you frustrated and upset and way off your intended schedule.

But for any visitor who wants to spend a few hours reveling in a birds’ eye view of how different neighborhoods morph into one another, a bus tour can be a lot of fun. And for those who dare, bringing a thermos full of spiked hot chocolate—because it’s blisteringly cold up there in winter—will make any inane comments by your guide zing past like all the crazed bike messengers riding the wrong way on a one-way street.

For more information and to book tickets online, visit:

CitySights www.citysightsny.com

Gray Line www.newyorksightseeing.com

Photos: Courtesy of CitySights NY and Gray Line NY

Deborah Dickson-Smith tries her luck with koala sights in Queensland.

The Great Green Way stretches from Townsville to Cairns in Queensland’s Tropical North, an area I’ve usually flown over in the past without thought.

Townsville, our starting point, turns out to be one of the most surprising destinations I’ve been to. Although, I suppose as I knew very little about it I was bound to be surprised one way or another.

First impressions upon landing: it’s hot, brownish in colour and judging by the amount of khaki bags on the baggage carousel, there’s an army here. I’m wondering where the Great Green Way might start.

Apart from “hot” none of these features are ones I look for in a holiday destination so it’s lucky I know a local to share the local secrets with me.

After a quick lunch overlooking the water we hop on a short ferry ride to Magnetic Island. Magnetic Island is traditional stopping point on the backpacker route up the East Coast and famous for it’s Full Moon Parties.

Traditional transportation around the island is by rental mini-moke or beach buggy, so let’s hope it doesn’t rain…

So begins the Green bit.

Magnetic Island has a healthy population of koalas – they were in fact introduced to the island in the 1930s and conditions are so perfect for them they have thrived.

A short stroll along one of the island’s many bush walks and you’re pretty much guaranteed a sighting.

If you want to get a bit closer, visit Bungalow Bay Koala Village where you can get up close and personal with a few of the locals, of furry, feathered or scaly kind.

One of the best way to get up close and personal with the island’s marine life is to hop in a kayak. The water is smooth as a pond and crystal clear.

Magnetic Island Sea Kayak centre do a sunset tour of Horseshoe Bay which comes complete with dolphins, turtles and a bottle of champers to quaff while watching the sunset – highly recommended.

Back on the mainland we visit Townsville’s aquarium and marine life sanctuary, Reef HQ. The turtle hospital here rehabilitates around 10 turtles a month – all victims of plastic pollution.

Before heading for the hinterland we stop for lunch at one of Townsville’s best kept secrets – The Sweatshop. A café with a conscious that serves up delicious gourmet jaffles and won’t charge you extra for soy milk.

The hinterland offers a whole different type of “Green” to that of Magnetic Island. Lush rainforest (accompanied somewhat traditionally by rain) and a windy cliff-hugging road take us to Hidden Valley Cabins – a little oasis of loveliness.

Hidden Valley Cabins are Australia’s first carbon neutral resort operates completely on solar power. But it’s eco-ness runs deeper than that. The family-run resort is located by a creek in a beautiful rainforest setting and much of it built from recycled materials including discarded railway sleepers.

Our wildlife experience here is very special as we creep along the banks of a nearby creek in search of platypus – perhaps the strangest creature known to man.

By the time I’m ready to leave I’ve forgotten I ever thought this place looked brown. Definitely green.

Holiday Goddess editor Vicki Arkoff prays for rain in sunny Los Angeles, because that’s when the best Mexican joints in town pour soup…por nada!

Any one who knows anything about great Mexican food in Los Angeles knows about Poquito Mas, the city’s best fast food chain. With this one exception, virtually all Mexican-food chains here are bland, Gringo messes: pale imitations of genuine Mexican cuisine. But the modest counter-service Poquito Mas chain is the real deal. It got its start as a dinky beach-side taco stand in Baja Mexico, and was the first to introduce fresh, non-fried mini-tacos stateside when it opened its first L.A. restaurant 23 years ago. Its soft tacos are widely imitated these days, but still Poquito Mas reigns as L.A.’s best multi-location Mexican fast food destination.

The restaurant’s eleven impeccable locations not only serve the freshest, healthiest and most delicious tacos (yummy fresh Ahi and shrimp tacos San Felipe are tops), burritos (including succulent braised pork “carnitas”) and grilled plates (the roasted pasilla and chicken combo is sublime) in the city…it also does it fast and cheap. You’d pretty much have to eat your weight in food to spend more than an hour and $6 to $10 here.

And when they promise fresh food, they mean fresh. No cans. No MSG. No frozen stuff. No kidding. The Nature’s Grill burrito says it best, with fresh grilled eggplant, mushroom, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, black beans, Jack cheese and a roasted red pepper salsa. The generous free salsa bar tempts customers with a dozen other salsas too, but I’m addicted to my favorites so haven’t tried them all. (I could drink the salsa “negro,” it’s that good.) The complimentary cilantro, crisp chopped onion and whole radishes ain’t bad either.

The wonderful food here is famous locally, but there are two cool things that only true Poquito Mas fanatics know. First, the modest Burbank, Studio City, and Warner Bros. studio locations are great star spotting spots, thanks to their close proximity to so many major studio lots. (Please respect the “No photos, no autographs” sign on all Poquito Mas front doors.) Celebrities are a dime a dozen in L.A. though, so the second secret is even better. On the not-as-rare-as-you-might-think occasions when it rains here, Poquito Mas lives up to its name by offering damp devotees “a little bit more”: they give away their fantastic tortilla soup for free. And you don’t even have to ask; the smiling employees behind the cash register ask you. “Welcome to Poquito Mas. Would you like our Rainy Day Tortilla Soup today? On the house?”

“Um…you mean…really? Well, yes I would,” the stunned cheapskate in me stammered the first time I heard this. Thinking I’d better order something to pay for, I decided on a mini, four-bite shrimp taco and an iced tea for a frugal but rich-ly rewarding dinner. I got $5 back from my $10, and guiltily looked for a hidden table in one of the booths. All were occupado, so I slunk into a seat at the granite bar, directly in front of the tortilla maker, hoping the cashier wouldn’t catch an error and have me arrested before my food arrived.

But it was no mistake. A small counter sign cheerily proclaimed “When it rains, we pour! Free rainy day tortilla soup today.” The place was packed, everyone had free soup, and soon the smiling manager brought me mine. I savored it – chunky roasted chicken, celery and carrots in a rich tomato broth — while watching the entertaining tortilla-making show from my front-row seat facing the kitchen. Two feet away, the tortilla maker worked as fast as she could to press little round balls of dough then quickly cook them on a rotating circular grill, trying hard to keep up with the orders. She must have noticed me drooling, because she smiled and asked if I’d like some. I sure did. I reached for my wallet, but she shook her head “No” and handed me a complimentary bag of absolutely fabulous, fresh flour tortillas — soft and warm, five seconds off the baking stone.

Take that, booth squatters. Anyone can pay a whopping 75 cents for a doughy slice of Poquito Mas heaven. Now I know where to get mine for free:

Burbank: 2635 West Olive Blvd.

Chatsworth: 9229 Winnetka Ave.

North Hollywood: 10651 Magnolia Blvd.

Rolling Hills: 2625 Pacific Coast Highway (Rolling Hills Plaza)

Sherman Oaks: 13924 Ventura Blvd.

Studio City: 3701 Cahuenga Blvd.

Sunset Strip: 8555 Sunset Blvd.

Woodland Hills: 21049 Ventura Blvd.

Valencia: 24405 Town Center Drive

West L.A.: 2215 Westwood Blvd. (at Olympic)

Warner Bros. Studios Lot, Burbank: Not open to the public. For studio employees, casts and crews and their guests only.

The USA’s most-awarded Native American author talks turkey about Seattle’s best restaurants. Holiday Goddess editor Vicki Arkoff takes notes and orders the salmon.

Sherman Alexie

Seattle is famous for coffee (does the name Starbucks ring a bell?), books (Seattleites read more books than the residents of any other American city) and rain…which is what makes coffee and books so popular. You can have both at The Elliott Bay Book Company (1521 Tenth Ave., Seattle, WA 98122. (206) 624-6600. www.elliottbaybook.com) the legendary independent shop in the heart of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

There’s no better place to sip, shop, talk and work up an appetite with one of Seattle’s most awarded writers, Sherman Alexie, prolific author of  22 books including The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,and the autobiographical The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, plus the movies Smoke Signals and The Business of Fancy Dancing, his directing debut. “Oh, man,” the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene tribe member laughs, “I so wanted the tagline to be: ‘If you’re only going to see one movie about a gay Native American poet going back to the reservation for his former best friend’s funeral, then see this one.’”

It should probably be mentioned that Alexie is also a stand-up comedian. All that improvising, writing, film-making, award-accepting, and basketball playing (he’s got a surprisingly strong game) can make a renaissance man hungry. So when it comes to food, he knows what he likes: “Salmon. It’s all about the salmon.”  Here is a tour of the Seattle restaurants that fuel Alexie’s muse:

Baitong Thai:  The standard for authentic Thai food in the Seattle area had humble beginnings: as a food stand at the SEA-TAC airport started by a Thai Airways flight attendant. Now in the Redmond neighborhood, it’s a stylish, welcoming place. Lunch, dinner & happy hour daily. 14804 NE 24th St. Redmond, WA 98052 (425) 747-8424   http://www.baitongrestaurant.com/

Cafe Flora: A cheery community-based vegetarian spot run by three old friends and local residents. Body and eco-conscious specialties include delicious vegan, gluten-free, seasonal items and a special kids menu. What’s not to love? Especially when they throw all-day happy hours to celebrate things like the state’s passage of gay marriage. 2901 E. Madison St., Seattle, WA 98112. (206) 325-9100. http://www.cafeflora.com/

Ezell’s Famous Chicken:  If you think KFC is what fried chicken is supposed to be, Ezell’s will set you straight. Crispy, juicy, with just the right spices, this is a recipe Southerners would approve of.  Louisianans (and I) go for the spicy recipe. I have no idea who goes for the gizzards and livers. Six Seattle locations including: 501 23^rd Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 (206) 324-4141; and 11805 Renton Ave. South Seattle, WA. 98178 (206)772-1925. www.ezellschicken.com/

Flying Fish:   Fresh Seafood is what Seattle is all about and this is no-nonsense the place to find the best. Chef Christine Keff was the first around to serve exotic catch-of-the-day fish like mong chong, opaka paka and cod cheeks, and offers a very, very nice oyster happy hour. Sherman would prefer I suggest their salmon dishes, but I say go for the salt-and-pepper Dungeness crab. Excellent bar.  300 Westlake Ave., N., Seattle, WA 98109. (206) 728-8595.  www.flyingfishrestaurant.com

Jae’s Asian Bistro and Sushi:  Sensational Pan-Asian cuisine with an every changing menu. I loved grazing the 5-7 p.m. happy hour featuring all sushi, sashimi, handrolls, appetizers (Korean short ribs and shrimp shumai, oh my), wine and sake for $4 or $5 each.  2801 East Madison St., Seattle, WA 98112. (206) 323-0171.  www.jaesasianbistroandsushi-seattle.com

Lark:  If you’ve gotta have meat, this is the place, one of the Pacific Northwest’s best artisan restaurants. Chef John Sundstrom features local and organic food – duck, charcuterie, vegetables, fish and grains – so seasonal menus are always intriguing from the extensive menu of cheeses you’ve never heard of to the Annual Whole Beast Feast in March.   26 12th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122.  (206) 323-5275. www.larkseattle.com/menu.

Rover’s:  James Beard Award-winning chef Thierry Rautureau calls his food “the cuisine of the Pacific Northwest refined by a French accent.” He uses traditional French techniques to reinvent sustainable, organic and seasonal local foods including (you guessed it) salmon.  This is special occasion dining; Rautureau has his own floral designer on staff.  2808 E. Madison, Seattle, WA 98112. (206) 325-7442. www.thechefinthehat.com/rovers/

Wild Ginger:  One of the most popular restaurants in the northwest. The Pan-Asian menu travels from China to Indonesia, Malaysia to Vietnam, and the house-made ingredients make every dish distinctive: hand-made noodles, fresh coconut milk, and pungent oyster sauce. Choose from the main menu or a special vegetarian menu. 1401 Third Ave., Seattle, WA 98101. (206) 623-4450. www.wildginger.net/

Read more from Vicki Arkoff in The Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide to Paris, London, New York and Rome.

Naked Art

Sue Ostler is the Holiday Goddess Sydney fun budget (fudget) expert. This week, she suggests you get naked…and try a genuinely Happy Hour.

Naked Art Tour                                                                                                                               

First of all, in this week’s Sydney Fudget Guide,  it would be remiss not to mention the exhibition of artist Stuart Ringholt whose work often deals with themes of fear and embarrassment. And he promises to do just that as he takes a tour of the work which anyone is welcome to join in – provided they are also naked! Apr 27, 28 & 29, 6pm-8pm [MCA Galleries]Adults $20/$15 Performance Space MCA.

Happy Hour Tapas & Sangria                                                                                                       

Get down to Glebe’s funkiest Tapas Bar in time for the daily cocktail happy ‘hour and a half’ from 6pm till 7.30pm. And since you won’t have to get up for work in the morning, you will love that it is licensed till 2am!                                          185 Glebe Pt. Road. Different Drummer

Friend In Hand Comedy Thursdays   

  This is a much loved Glebe institution, and when they’re not doing Life Drawing or Crab Racing, they’re kicking out the jams with local comedy. Get there early for a nice cosy spot with leather lounges, fireplace, and coffee tables. 7:30pm $10 donation. Friend in Hand

Betselling novelist Faith Bleasdale takes a picnic, a friend, some small children and a lifelong fear of spiders to the legendary London Zoo.

It was February when I took my three-year-old on his very first visit to London Zoo. Despite having mixed feelings about zoos, (ideally, in my opinion, all animals would stay in their natural habitats), I wanted my little boy to see for real the animals we read about and saw on television.

London Zoo is also very committed to conservation and spread over quite a distance (not to be tried in heels, I fear); the animals do seem to have nice, spacious habitats to thrive in. And I have to say most of them didn’t look depressed.

Myself, my three-year-old, and my friend’s seven-year-old all set off to attempt seeing 760 different species. I am pretty sure that although we were there for five hours, we didn’t quite see them all. But we did see the gorillas, which were impressive, and my son’s favourite – giraffes, (I couldn’t tear him away). The Zoo was incredibly busy and full of excited children which was lovely to see.

It is an attraction that is, of course, geared toward children,(although I did see some couples there), and so therefore most of the day was amazingly easy. We watched penguins being fed; I was made to face my fear by looking at spiders, (still having nightmares) and my toddler really seemed to enjoy actually spending time looking at the animals as well as running around and being outdoors.

As well as animals there was face-painting (we avoided that, due to the fact I actually find it almost as scary as spiders), a couple of rides, (couldn’t avoid that as my toddler insisted), and playgrounds for the children to explore – and play on. It feels safe and well designed, and there is pretty much everything you would want for your child. And, I should add, it was pretty exciting for an adult too.

On the downside eating wasn’t great. There are a choice of cafes, however they were packed and also, the main cafe is about as un-child friendly as it could be. Designed by someone who clearly doesn’t have children, the tables were so close together, that you could barely get to them. Trying to juggle a high-chair, two children and a tray wasn’t the most fun. But once the stress of lunch was over, then things improved.

The zoo is a friendly place. The staff were happy to stop and answer the children’s questions, and there were lots of happy families milling around.

However, it certainly isn’t a cheap day out. Ticket prices are high; under-threes might go in free, but adults’ tickets are £20.50, and children’s tickets £16.0 ( not including food, drink, rides and of course quite a few trips to the gift shop.)

They also try to get you to buy photos and maps too. Avoid that if you can. It is worth saving up for but it’s not for the faint hearted!

However, if you take a picnic and avoid the majority of commercial temptations then it is definitely worth it. London has many attractions both for adults and children; however the zoo is probably one of my favourites. Highly recommended.

ZSL London Zoo
Regents Park
London
NW1 4RY
www.zsl.org

Nekokaigi, a cat cafe in Kyoto, Japan.

If you’re in Japan and missing your cat, try one of its 150 tea-and-cats cafes. Most of them are in Tokyo, like Calico, where one hour of stroking costs 900 yen, with 200 yen for each additional 15 minutes. And would you like tea with that? The price is an extra 200 yen.

Cat Café Nekorobi, also in Tokyo, has Wii and board games on offer along with the moggies.

Nekokaigi in Kyoto (pictured above) has low-level seating, so you can meet the cats eye-to-eye. There is also kitty architecture for play, a three storey cat villa and plenty of toys.

Images Wikimedia Commons

Layne Beachley is a glamorous surfing world champion, a charity star,  a rock-star wife (married to Kirk Pengilly from INXS) and she’s even turned up in a few movies.  But would you be brave enough to ask her to teach you to surf? Holiday Goddess editor and author Sue Ostler tried it in Sydney, Australia.

Sue Ostler (left) and Layne Beachley

Winning the first prize of a Surf Lesson with Layne Beachley was the first shock. Seeing the total surfer babe and unbelievable bikini body in the flesh was another. “How do I get that?” I ask in awe, pointing to Layne’s washboard stomach. “Easy” said Layne smiling. “You surf every day!”

With a feisty attitude and figure to die for, Layne Beachley has a commanding presence. She is the consummate professional and mentor – when Layne speaks, you listen.

“The biggest problem with women is that they’re scared of making fools of themselves” she says as those piercing blue eyes go right through me. “They tend to be slow, and they tend to be scared.”

“Really?” I say, feeling more Marge Simpson than Surfer Girl as I blink away the sand that I’ve kicked into my own face. As we carry our giant planks down to the beach, I curse the fact that I didn’t spend Saturday afternoon nailing my surf moves, choosing instead to trawl Westfield shopping centre for industrial strength waterproof mascara and immovable Frangipani hairclips.

By some miracle, and because the waves are mellow, I overcome my nerves once we hit the surf and manage to stay on my knees for a split-second but from there, every effort I make to stand-up ends in a wipeout. “What’s the biggest wave you’ve ridden?” I yell out to Layne. My mouth opens and closes with Layne’s crisp answer: “50 foot”.

“Am I your worst ever pupil?”

“No.” says Layne. “I’ve had worse…believe it or not!”

Erm, thanks Layne!

Regardless, the two hour session with Layne Beachley changed my life, and here’s why.

When I responded to the blogging competition I just won at Women In Focus (where I picked up the surf  lesson prize) I talked about reconnecting with that feeling in your gut that tells you what you’re all about. And that’s exactly what I did in my surfing lesson.

The simple fact is this: the larger-than-life legend  warrior and superwoman, Layne Beachley, exudes extraordinary vigour and health – which, combined with an unflappable Zen, takes her to a superhuman level. Seeing her in action made something inside me click – the realisation that life, energy and nature are vital to living and breathing. It also made me woefully aware that as an adult, Action Woman has left the building. And I find myself in the most sedentary of all vocations – a writer! Lovely stuff but…

Layne’s superb physicality took me back to those things that rocked my world as a kid. She took me back to my teen aspirations. And as I battled the seemingly simple task of standing on a surfboard for a few seconds, I checked back into my old life, and revisited the fearless fifteen-year-old who flew along the beach on horseback, skated like a demon, and body-surfed with dolphins with reckless abandon.

Layne showed me that power and strength go hand in hand. “Get some strength girl!” she shouted as I flapped and flopped about trying hopelessly to paddle out.

High as a kite after the session ended, with endorphins and adrenalin charging through my body, I told Layne I’ll be going back to the Manly Surf School. Thankfully she didn’t laugh in my face or tell me there was more likelihood of a bag of pork dumplings learning how to surf – instead she said kind things about enthusiasm and dedication.

As the class finished, I hollered to Layne “You may not realise it,” (battered,  black and blue all over from getting dumped, half-drowned and dragged into shore) “but I’m having the time of my life!”

Discover Sydney’s most lady-friendly surfing lessons at Manly Surf School.

Photograph: Franki Pollick

Fudget (Fun Budget) expert and Handbag Guide editor Sue Ostler knows where the bargainista deals are on champagne, 0ysters and manicures in Sydney this month.

Sue knows Sydney...

Nail it with a glass of $3 – $5 bubbles and a complimentary manicure at the gloriously revamped Haymarket Hotel down in Chinatown on any Wednesday night from 5.00pm.

And don’t stress if you chip your varnish, as you can do it all again on Thursday at Pitt Street’s Mr B’s with $3.00 bubbly and $4 Coronas. If you’re smart you’ll sample some of the most delicious budget Thai food in Chinatown while you’re there; or head back on Friday for complimentary fresh oysters from 5.00pm.

Happy Hour is alive and well in Sydney

You just have to be in the know, but if it’s cheap and cheerful drinks to celebrate Bubbles O’Clock on Friday, you can’t go past the groovy Art House, rammed with glamsters – and at $3.00 for a glass, I’m not surprised!

The newly revamped Customs House bar down towards Circular Quay (not to be confused with *the* Customs House) wants your custom. And with $4.00 Friday Flutes in one of the best parts of town, they’re likely to get it.

The GoodGod Small Club – Chinatown’s Oasis for Live Music and Tasty Eats

The GoodgodGoodgod Club, Bar and Eatery nestled away in the Spanish Quarter is fast becoming the new place to hang out before, during after the gig.  The candlelit basement offers live music and treats to gig goers with the Meal Deal reward (upon presentation of your Metro gig tickets). Friday it’s free chips and salsa with your Sangria. It’s a rock’n'roll mess hall and a well needed addition to the main drag.

Sydney’s Vibe Hotel – Manicure Deal

Vibe Hotels have women in mind...

Book your accommodation at any of the funky Vibe hotels and you will be the proud owner of a Vibe bespoke nail polish package.     

Alison Carmichael-Rulten explores the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel near Circular Quay and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The Four Seasons Hotel is a one-stop destination – as we found out on a weekend staycation – you really don’t have to leave the hotel for anything!

While the hotel appears to be a mecca for business travellers it really pulls out all the stops for travellers just wanting to relax. One night felt like a week’s holiday.

From the moment we arrived the customer service was exceptional. Check-in was a breeze and our room was complemented by an eclectic collection of photography.

The the room was spotlessly clean and smelled divine. It really exuded the ‘wow’ factor and had glorious panoramic views of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge – what a backdrop!

As we looked around and unpacked, the room kept exceeding our expectations of luxury. The bathroom was indulgent and spacious with a gorgeous large bathtub.
A nice touch was that the toiletries are deluxe size, L’Occitane.

The room also featured a walk in wardrobe and a terrific office area with complimentary Internet. The bed is probably one of the best we have ever slept in.

During the day we enjoyed the beautiful swimming pool and sundeck – it was also the perfect place for an afternoon cocktail to finish off a perfect Sydney afternoon. We also enjoyed the steam room, sauna and the gymnasium.

We booked access to the Executive Club, which we used for breakfast, cold drinks during the day, and evening cocktails. The club was buzzing and yet never appeared to be overcrowded and, we managed a lovely harbor view table each time we entered.

The onsite restaurant, Kable’s, serves a delicious Australian menu with an extremely large selection of Australian wines and cocktails and our Lobster Ravioli, sublime.

In total the hotel offers 531 guestrooms all equipped with ultra modern facilities, Internet access, flat screen TV and DVD player. The hotel has recently completed the final phase of a two-year refurbishment and is ideally located in George Street, just a short walk from the city’s shopping and business centres and Circular Quay.

For more:

http://www.fourseasons.com/sydney

Four Seasons Hotel Sydney 
199 George Street 
Sydney 
NSW 2000 Tel. 61 (2) 9250-3100 Fax. 61 (2) 9251-2851

Anneli Knight takes time out from Melbourne.

The Victorian High Country was first put on the map when it became the hideout for Australia’s most notorious bushranger Ned Kelly – who had his own reason for appreciating the region’s vast untamed wilderness. This setting was later brought to world attention with the Man From Snowy River film – with its panning shots of horseman riding along ridgelines against a backdrop of blue and purple mountains disappearing into the horizon.

Today visitors to the High Country, with the town of Mansfield as its gateway, are drawn by its abundance of natural beauty. There’s the trio of rivers that converge in the area – the Delatite, Jamieson and Howqua – luring the fishermen and rafters. And there’s Lake Eildon, Victoria’s largest inland lake that has recently filled to capacity after more than a decade of drought, that brings water-skiiers and house-boaters. And there’s nothing quite like the song of falling snow: as tens of thousands of annual pilgrims know at Mt Buller.

And amid this beauty comes adventures for the thrill-seekers and gourmands.

Sightseeing for the adventurers:

For a bird’s eye view of this spectacular part of the country, you can head out on a chopper ride. The most popular trip is one that touches down at the iconic Craig’s Hut – with its Man From Snowy River star appeal: www.alpineheli.com.au

The film also led an upsurge of horse-trails in the area. You can be guided in relative comfort with well-equipped mountain horses – trotting along trails lined with Snow Gums that pass through dramatic forests of Alpine Ash – with views over the mountain peaks and valleys that will make you feel you’re on the set of a film. www.highcountryhorses.com.au

For those wishing to pedal on their own steam: the old railway line has recently been converted into a bicycle track. The first 20-kilometre stretch from Mansfield to Bonnie Doon has stunning views of lolling, luscious hills and a ride over Victoria’s longest rail trail bridge that runs across an arm of Lake Eildon at Bonnie Doon. www.victorianrailtrails.com.au

For those seeking culinary delights:

The Merrijig Pub serves up a great atmosphere with its hearty counter meals and jovial locals who are often happy to share some High Country mythology before you trek into the hills. It is most beautiful in Spring as the snow is melting and the cherry blossoms flourish. 1870 Mount Buller Road. (03) 5777 5508.

Mansfield is rapidly becoming a gentrified country village – now brimming with options for a gourmet feast or finely frothed cappuccino. Pick of the bunch is the Mansfield Regional Produce Store, where you can dine in or order a picnic hamper if you’re heading out for a picnic out of town. 68 High Street, Mansfield. (03) 5779 1404.

Autumn is a spectacular time in this region, with a climate cold enough to send the leaves off in a flush of deep reds and oranges. No better place to appreciate this than at one of the area’s vineyards. Try Snobs Creek Estate Wine views its across the Goulburn River at 486 Goulburn Valley Highway, Eildon (03) 5774 2017; or head no further than Mansfield’s main street to taste the region’s most celebrated drop at the Delatite Winery: 26 High Street, Mansfield (03) 5775 2922.

Photos: Courtesy of Alpine Helicopter Charter

To live the Baywatch dream, try a Malibu beach house vacation – Pam Anderson wants you to sleep over. Holiday Goddess Vicki Arkoff packed her red Speedo but didn’t have $49,000 to pay the lady.

Talk about a male fantasy come true: “Baywatch” lovers can now live out their slow-motion dreams in a red-Speedo, in Pamela Anderson’s beach house located in the exclusive, celebrity-packed Malibu Colony.

Yes, the buxom, peroxide beauty is renting her home to lucky vacationers for just US$49,000 a month.

She lists her 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, two-story home in a prestigious gated community via VRBO – the Vacation Rentals By Owner website, listing #387082 – with some serious come-ons to lure renters. “I’m finally willing to share my masterpiece,” says Pam in what you’ll just have to imagine is a breathless whisper. “I co-created (it) with a handful of green architects and designers, inspired by my favorite architect John Lautner. This is my humble stab at perfection. It’s a magical spot.”

It’s also just one beach-access path away from my cousin’s Malibu Colony beach house so I strolled by to see the place for myself. Salt-water pool with swim-up wet bar? Check. Rooftop deck with rows of teak lounge chairs? Check. Gorgeous view of world-famous Surfrider Beach? And how.

The home sits near the three-mile stretch of private beach known as Malibu Colony — the most exclusive beach community in Los Angeles County, and home at one time or another to Tom Hanks, Larry Hagman, Howie Mandell, Mel Brooks, and Sting, to name a few. Hence the 24-hour security. And the rental price-tag the size of Tommy Lee’s…well, you know.

Colony houses sit smack dab next to each other and have little beachfront sand, depending on the tide, so the homes’ interiors tend to be pretty spectacular. Pam’s interior is indeed fabulous in that classic, laid-back California beach style. Enter the front gate, cross the small courtyard, push open the ultra-wide swinging door and you’re in an open living room and chef’s kitchen with a top-of-the-line home theater and black baby grand piano. The home is high-tech, completely controllable by “iPorts.” Blonde teak floors run through the home (inside and out) and poured concrete sinks and table tops connect the rooms.

Up the teak stairway you’ll find the master bedroom. Pam’s bedroom. With Pam’s bed. Pam’s king-sized Tempurpedic bed. She describes the room as “romantic – very Pammy.” It has a mountain view, a marble wood burning fireplace and an open-tub with a large sliding glass wall leading to a massive deck overlooking the pool area below. The glass-enclosed shower has a built-in Finnish sauna with a TV which I imagine only screens old episodes of “VIP” and “Stacked.” The suite provides “unbeatable relaxation and detox.” Her words, not mine.

There’s a second deck, an outdoor fireplace, giant outdoor pillows, lots of flat screen TVs,” multi zone whole house music,” a second steam shower, beds for 4-6, and it’s kid and pet friendly. “Of course, pets are allowed to bring their owners,” says the owner, “as long as they’re house trained.” Oh Pam, you tease.

Not ready to shell out your annual salary for a month’s romp in Pam’s casa? Here’s the piece de resistance: Pam’s proud Canadian heritage shines through with the guest accommodation she custom built for her pool deck. It’s a wigwam. Yes, a really big wigwam. And if that’s not enough to convince you to relax for a month at Pam’s place, well, you’re just two tents. I mean, tense.

Photo: Courtesy of VRBO.com

Melbourne, Australia has a world-famous art gallery (with Henry Moore and Augustus John in the collection) but an even better-known street art scene. Mirka Mora has provided the mural on the exterior wall of Flinders Street Station, as a good starting point. Known for her primitive, colourful paintings, Mirka has made inner-city Melbourne her own. Stand in front of the Flinders Street Station steps, facing the clocks and then turn sharp right. Two minutes away, you’ll see Mirka Mora’s vision of Australia, from koalas with her characteristic big, all-seeing eyes to strangely green couples. Or are they parents with children? Cross the road to Federation Square, described by one taxi-driver as the ugliest collection of gigantic Rubik Cubes ever seen in Victoria. Well, maybe. But it’s a good landmark. Walk alongside it, keeping the wonderful cinema inside, to your right. Then look across the road. You’ll soon see the hip, tiny cafe/bar Movida, which is on the very edge of a much-photographed laneway. This is where Melbourne’s most messagey street art thrives, contained within a narrow space which challenges anyone with spray-paint. From there, walk back to Flinders Street Station and catch a bright yellow cab from the rank. It’s a short trip to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, with all its tempting shopping and bar/cafe culture. But more importantly, either side of Brunswick Street, you’ll find the laneways and side streets where street art goes wild. You won’t need a map or an app, just an eye for a squid, waving at you from a hidden corner – or an enormous portrait of a Melbourne businesswoman, in her specs. This is way beyond Banksy. And it’s all free to see, in the heart of Melbourne…Sometimes the work is hit-and-miss, which can happen when you’re spraying in the heat of the moment. Sometimes you wonder if the National Gallery of Victoria shouldn’t be taking away the bricks for future historians. Start the search from Flinders Street Station.

Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide editor and stylist Lily Evans has insider advice on Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York.

Williamsburg is fast becoming the new SoHo of New York. This means old charm is being replaced by new high rises and hotels but it also means that Brooklyn is no longer wrongly synonymous with gangland shootings, on the contrary Williamsburg is know as being a hive for the hip.

If you are a coffee lover start your day at Blue Bottle. The cost and cue are worth the prize of a cappuccino like nothing you’ve ever tasted before. On a hot day there is nothing better their “New Orleans” ice coffee and snickerdoodle cookies (dipped into your coffee). The coffee is velvety smooth, it seems to almost stroke your mouth, and holds the kind of caffeine that makes you invincible, which you need for everyday living in New York. The cookies are fresh baked and a little gooey in the middle. They also have smores, gourmet biscuit sandwiches and service with a smile.

Book Thug Nation is a small independent bookstore that you can get lost in, or at least spend a few hours in. They have beautiful old copies of every important book. The guys running the store are like literary encyclopedias, wonderful at helping you out if you’re looking for something and suggesting other titles to your taste. Arranged in themes, it’s easy to find unusual books to suit everyone and when you’ve read your purchases, you can bring them and the store will buy the books back from you. Brilliant.

Later, head to The Spectacle Theater a tiny art house cinema with a great taste for underrated or unheard of films. Run by a group of film enthusiast volunteers, the showings cost just $5. Popcorn comes with parmesan and chilli toppings and beer and sake are also served. You’ll often get a few sentences as a forward to the film, sometimes a clip of the director’s influence or a trailer from a similar genre and time period.

For more from Lily Evans, visit her website www.youngunsandco.com

Jody Hanson shares her $7.50 Morocco lunch secret with television chef, Luke Nguyen.

The Workers' Restaurant

Tucked away near the corner of Ouid Ziz and 11 Janvier, in Casablanca’s Derb Omar neighborhood, is my favourite place, the Workers’ Restaurant.

When Luke Nguyen and his partner, Suzie, came to Casablanca, I insisted on paying for lunch, which cost about $7.50 for the three of us– and that included the soft drinks and the bottled water Mustafa, our waiter, had to go and buy from the shop across the street.

Located on Ouid Ziz — a noisy block-long backstreet in the old part of the city and 50 steps from my apartment — this blue mosaic-covered doorway with Arabic writing doesn’t exactly look like a restaurant.

I dubbed it the Workers’ Restaurant,  because the place was filled with brick layers, construction workers and other manual labourers pouring cement or hauling garbage.

The food, however, was the best I ever ate in Morocco: succulent sardine balls.  While that might sound absolutely revolting, they were made with fresh-caught fish, purchased from the fish-seller on the corner of the street in the morning. Sardines, combined with potatoes and carrots in a spiced broth were spectacular. A side order of beans, scooped up with whole wheat bread – the Moroccan equivalent of a fork – was absolute food nirvana.

Not for rich tourists.

If I wanted a meal at the Workers’ Restaurant – it was only open for lunch – I’d arrive by 12:00 to beat the rush-hour crowd. Later than 12:20 and I’d take my own container and pass it over the heads of the workers hunched over their food. I’d shrug and say “Comme d’habitude” – the usual. Mustafa would pass my container to Mohammed, the cook, to fill and then glance back at me to see how many dollops of hot sauce I wanted. I’d hold up three or four fingers. The container would then be passed back to me over the heads of the diners, who would move it along if required. Meanwhile, I never left the doorway to get my meal. Mohammed was generous with his portions, so I’d get three meals for about $4.00. And that included a generous tip. It was much easier – and tastier – than cooking at home.

Since I was a regular – and always ate the same dishes – I’d order, “The same for two or four” or however many of us there were when I took friends there, and the favorite foods would magically appear.

Friends confessed that they were apprehensive about eating at the Worker’s Restaurant. “I have to admit that I was skeptical,” confessed one, “but it really was a great meal. Very Moroccan, and not anything you would ever find at a tourist place. And the restaurant is not one you would ever find on your own in a thousand years.”

I might claim sardine balls, potatoes and carrot are haute cuisine, but since my assessment is endorsed by Luke, that gives it serious foodie cred.

 NEED TO KNOW

Grab a petit taxi and tell the driver you want to go to the corner of 11 janvier and Rahel Maskini near the Acima supermarket. Walk back three blocks south to Ouid Ziz. Turn left at the lane between the bakery and Brassier Horse. Walk 30 or so steps, turn right and you are at the Workers’ Restaurant.  Give my regards to Mohammed the cook and Mustafa the waiter. If you want another cultural experience, go to “Omar’s 7-11” across the street from the Worker’s Restaurant and drink in the ambience of a Moroccan convenience store.

Images by Patricia Gorman.

Jody Hanson revisits the Fifties at The Lido Bar in Ascuncion,  Paraguay

The Lido Bar

So, when was the last time you saw women wearing pill-box hats secured with bobby-pins? I walked into the Lido Bar in Asuncion, and all of a sudden I was five years old and sitting in my Aunt Dot’s café—the Drop Inn Lunch – in Saskatoon, Canada. Except this place is much bigger than my aunt’s establishment and doesn’t have a juke-box where you can listen to Elvis songs for five cents a pop.

Blanca-Victoria takes my order for a chicken empanada and a glass of white wine and returns with an aeroplane- sized bottle. When I tell her I’m writing a piece about the place, she takes my notebook and records its opening date to make sure I get it right.

Behind the scenes

The Lido Bar opened on July 26^th 1953, and that makes it six months younger than me. While it hasn’t changed much since then, I have. Then Blanca-Victoria moves down the bar as she has other customers to serve. Midway she stops to put an unused paper serviette back into the holder. There is no waste in this establishment where the crusts for sandwiches are cut off, but carefully saved in a plastic bag destined for another use.

The Lido Bar isn’t an “undiscovered” place. Use Google and it pops up on Trip Advisor. And Lonely Planet rates it as the third of the 43 things you have to do while you are in town (the other 42 I’m not sure of and may subsequently miss). I linger as I am having a great time enjoying their space. Any moment I expect the Fonz from Happy Days to walk through the door.

Image: Jody Hanson

As I leave I stop to chat to Ramon to get a local opinion. He tells me he comes here frequently because of the “beautiful service.” The food – quite mundane except possibly for the seafood soup on my third visit – is not a draw card. “Yes, the Lido Bar is an institution,” he continues. I make a note of his name for the quotes, “Raymon.” He gently takes my pen and writes “Ramon.” Then he reaches over to the napkin holder, selects a tissue and wipes my pen before he hands it back. He has been eating a deep fried empanada with his hands. I smile at the thoughtfulness of his gesture.

Then I walk out of the 1950s and back onto the street. A car stops at the crossroad without traffic lights and wave me across. Local good manners. Asuncion may not be the first place you think of as a South American destination, but it certainly does have its own version of charm.

Additional Information – according to their serviette:

Lido Bar – Sabor Y Tradicion

Corner of Palma and Chile

Telephone: 447-232/446-171/444-607

Asuncion, Paraguay

All images Jody Hanson

Jody Hanson

Designer fashion is expensive. But if you’re in Adelaide on Saturday May 5th it suddenly became cheaper, and a lot greener. Round She Goes is moving from Melbourne to Adelaide in May, and looking for stallholders (and shoppers) to take part at the inaugural market.

Oh look, there's a Vuitton bag...

You pay just $2 entry to come along and shop. Common brands sold at the market are: Sass & Bide, Scanlan & Theodore, Bettina Liano, Alannah Hill, Karen Walker, White Suede, Calvin Klein, Zara, Zimmerman, Morrissey, Wayne Cooper, Mimco, Louis Vuitton and Alice McCall as well as a quality selection of vintage clothing and accessories.

Buttonistas will go crazy.

Round She Goes is owned and operated by savvy sisters Anne and Emma Morris. Anne and Emma grew up in Adelaide and both now live in Melbourne. After feedback from their shoppers (there have been Adelaide women flying over just for the market!) they are bringing their event to South Australia.  Holiday goddesses, grab your purses (or old clothes) and prepare to go round.

Serious vintage

Round She Goes, Adelaide
Saturday 5th  May 2012
German Club Hall at 223 Flinders St, Adelaide SA 5000
10am-3pm
entry: $2
Stalls cost just $55

Twitter: http://twitter.com/roundshegoes

Faith Bleasdale dines at an award-winning foodie paradise set in the stunning Dartmoor National Park.

Gidleigh Park restaurant has a huge amount to recommend it. Its location is simply stunning. The surrounding Dartmoor area, a wonder to explore, is worth a visit alone. But Gidleigh Park is also one of the country’s top eateries and hotels thanks to its executive chef, Michael Caines, MBE.

It is known as one of the leading country House hotels in the UK, although I didn’t stay there (it is pricey to say the least). Really, it’s the restaurant that I want to talk about, though. It has won a large number of prestigious awards; including being #3 in the Sunday Times Top 100 Restaurants list. It also has two Michelin stars.

The menu is original and creative, with a commitment to local produce and businesses. I also admire their determination to raise the profile of the local area; an area I visited often in my childhood and one I always remember as an area of outstanding natural beauty.

There are many B&Bs on Dartmoor that would be fantastic to stay in, so if you can visit the area for a few days then I cannot recommend it enough.

Although the status of Gidleigh Park is reflected in its price, you can sample a two course set lunch for £37.00 and three courses for £47.50. (Although this will be bumped up by a very lovely but pricey wine list).

We opted for a three course lunch with a glass of wine and I ordered Brixham Mackerel, with Thai puree and fennel salad to start with, and Chump of Dartmoor lamb with an olive crust, fondant potoato, and smoked aubergine to follow – finished with a Passion Fruit Mousse.

It was all utterly delicious. It was also generously served and I certainly didn’t go away hungry. They also offer tasting menus which at about £120 for eight courses for lunch is a little bit more of a stretch. And also definitely for foodies.

Gidleigh Park has also won awards for its service but be aware that there is no informal dining here. I went to the Ladies and came back to find my napkin had been re-folded – and if you want to have a conversation then don’t drain your water glass too quickly! Oh and you might not want to wear jeans either, as everyone in the restaurant with us was very smartly dressed!

The hotel would be lovely to stay in but with rooms starting at £310 per night, it wasn’t an option. And perhaps I would have preferred a rustic B&B anyway (I’ll keep telling myself that). I know that some people have found the hotel wonderful, whilst others want something a little less formal.

If you like your food, however, then this is definitely a place to save up to visit. Have lunch, take a leisurely walk in the wonderful grounds and explore the nearby area. It’s a little bit of heaven in Devon.

For accommodation in Dartmoor and to find out more about the area visit www.dartmoor.co.uk

Gidleigh Park

Chagford

Devon

TQ13 8HH

01647432367

www.gidleigh.com
Photo: courtesy of Gidleigh Park Hotel

In the heart of buzzing Bangkok is a restaurant that’s on a mission to get people using birth control. Tamara Pitelen drops by for Tod Mun Pla Krai (aka fried fish patties) and prophylactics.

“Our food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy.” Phew! If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s unexpected impregnation via my dinner. This reassuring message at the entrance is the first clue that Cabbages & Condoms (C&C) is not your regular Thai restaurant.

The next clue is the life-size mannequin of Tiger Woods made entirely of coloured condoms behind the ‘please wait to be seated’ sign. That’s when you notice the whole place is a shrine to condoms. There’s a giant Santa Claus and various superheroes made of condoms, as well as condom flower arrangements and lampshades.

Then there’s the prophylactic humour. “No glove, no love!” proclaims a sign in the Captain Condom sports bar next to the restaurant. “Weapon of Mass Protection” reads a t-shirt. Fighting AIDS and poverty may be a serious business but at this jungle-style eatery in a back alley of Bangkok, they’re having a laugh about it.

Established by the Population and Community Development Association (PDA), C&C is one of Thailand’s largest and most successful private, non-profit development organisations.

PDA was founded in 1974 by former politician turned activist Mechai Viravaidya to promote family planning. The name Cabbages and Condoms comes from Mechai’s belief that for any family planning programme to be successful, birth control should be as accepted and accessible as vegetables in the market.

At the time, Thailand was producing an average of seven children per family and ignorance about birth control was widespread, particularly in the country’s rural areas. So, volunteers were recruited from each village to be responsible for promoting and providing birth control.

Which is all an extremely worthy cause but what’s the food like? Happily, it’s wonderful.

C&C offers an extensive menu of authentic Thai food all at very reasonable prices. The Tod Mun Pla Krai (deep fried fish patties) is 200 baht ($US6.50) and the Pla Ka Pong Nueng Se-ew (steamed whole bass with black soy sauce) is 350 baht ($US11.50). A small bottle of Thai beer called Singha is 90 baht ($US3); a Coke is 30 baht ($US1) while a bottle of Remy Martin is 2,100 baht ($US69).

There’s nothing posh about C&C, the ethos is casual dining. The tables are covered in checkered cloth and on the ground floor all the chairs are plastic garden furniture. The setting is lovely though, you eat beneath a canopy provided by trees in an indoor-outdoor jungle setting over two storeys.

The vibe is laid back and fun, the background buzz is chatter, live Thai music, the whirr of fan blades on full power, and a waterfall wall. It’s popular too though so ring ahead and book a table to avoid being turned away.

CONTACT

Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant Thailand

10 Sukhumvit Soi 12

Bangkok 10110 Thailand

For reservations, call [662] 229 4610

Email, restaurant@pda.or.th

www.pda.or.th/restaurant

Alison Carmichael-Rulten and her husband celebrate an anniversary and visit Sydney’s Observatory Hotel.

We had heard the Observatory Hotel in Sydney had been named one of the best hotels in the world (Condé Naste Traveller magazine) and, as we had a special anniversary coming up, we thought it might provide the perfect weekend away.

From the moment we handed over the keys to our car, we knew we were in for something special.

The Observatory Hotel’s deluxe rooms have the comfortable, cosy atmosphere of a ‘very special home away from home’.  Our room was elegantly appointed with mahogany custom-made furniture, and featured a King bed. The room had been decorated with the utmost attention to detail. Rich tapestry curtains, set off by rope-tasselled tiebacks, provided the perfect backdrop for the down-filled armchair and antique-styled table. We also loved the fact that the Colonial-style sash windows could be opened to circulate fresh air and provide charming views of Observatory Hill and historic Walsh Bay.

After checking in and exploring our room it was time to hit the spa. As well as their luxurious day spa (which boasts the largest number of treatment rooms of any hotel in Sydney) we spent time at their breathtaking 20-metre swimming pool. It has a dazzling ceiling designed to replicate the appearance of the sky at night – just so peaceful and relaxing.

While the Hotel has two popular restaurants – Globe Brasserie & Bar and Galileo we decided to try room service. To us this is a great way to experience food and beverage service ‘behind the scenes’ and see how a hotel really performs.

Our meal, including a delicious seafood platter, was delivered within 30 minutes and our waiter set the in room dining table so that we could enjoy the meal overlooking our stunning Walsh Bay views. The hotel has been recognised for outstanding service and we now know why. Seriously, the staff could not have been more courteous, professional or helpful; and nothing seemed too much to ask for.

The five-star Observatory Hotel is located in the Sydney CBD in the popular historic Rocks area – perfect for an historic Rocks stroll and close to the weekend markets – and has 100 luxurious rooms and suites.

Goddess Tip: For pet lovers, this is something very special…the hotel has Pet-Friendly Rooms – not something normally associated with five-star properties unless you are in Europe. The hotel offers a small number of dedicated pet-friendly rooms at an additional charge. From $50 per night your pet will receive a pet bed and their dinner – selected from a ‘Scooby Doo’ room service menu no less.

This was a stay we wished had not ended.

For more:

www.theobservatoryhotel.com.au

The Observatory Hotel
89-113 Kent Street,

Sydney
NSW 2000, Tel: +61 2 9256 2222 Fax: +61 2 9256 2233

The 2012 Oscars are fading fast. And now is the time to apply to be a seat-filler for the 2013 ceremony. Holiday Goddess editor Vicki Arkoff discovers the secrets to attending Hollywood’s biggest night.

Unless you’ve been hired to MC the Academy Awards, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be invited to attend the grand Oscars ceremony, the annual event with more star wattage than the Milky Way. Held every February at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California, the awards show is seen by more people around the world than any other annual event…yet only 3,401 lucky attendees have coveted seats. That’s not nearly enough for the nominees, stars, special guests and everyone who belongs to the host organization, the American Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. There are 6,000 AMPAS members so you do the math.

So what chance does a mere mortal have of getting ticket? Your odds are greater being struck by lightning while eating Dodo McNuggets and singing “Hava Nagila” with Mel Gibson at an Israeli karaoke bar. Though the only sure way to be invited to the Academy Awards is to be Meryl Streep, there actually is a glimmer of hope for the rest of us. You can apply to be a seat-filler or register to buy seats on the red-carpet to watch the stellar parade at its best.

HOW TO BECOME A SEAT-FILLER: Approximately 150 people are chosen to sit next to the very biggest celebrities in the first several rows of the Oscar event. Why? So the cameras don’t show seats left empty by celebrity presenters and winners while they’re busy on stage and behind-the-scenes. Also, believe it or not, some invitees don’t show up, and they’re not permitted to transfer or sell their tickets so the producers need “extras” on hand to act as stand-ins and watch the show with the best of the best. Just imagine. This means you might be picked to sit next to George Clooney while his date visits the ladies room. And if she ate some bad calamari you may get him for the whole night. Don’t believe it? In the live telecast of the 2012 Academy Awards, Tom Hanks paid tribute to Carl, a man in a powder blue suit and ruffled shirt who’s been a seat filler at the Oscars for 59 years. Carl happened to be filling in for Jennifer Lopez when Hanks gave him his big moment.

To apply, visit the Academy Awards website months ahead of awards season at www.oscars.org. Qualification and selection is a lengthy and highly-competitive process requiring an applications, resume, cover letter and glamor-shot photo. This is a dream gig for out-of-work actors so know that looks matter: beauty isn’t required, but only those with polished and professional appearances need apply. To increase your odds, attend smaller events as a seat-filler to beef up your resume. And build a wardrobe befitting the occasion. For the guys that means a classic tuxedo, polished shoes and a suave haircut. For the ladies make sure to do up your ‘do and have a few formal gowns and cocktail dresses to choose from.

HOW TO SIT IN THE RED-CARPET BLEACHERS: If the seat-filler process is too daunting, you might find it worthwhile to apply for one of 700 bleacher seats. This won’t get you inside the theater but instead provides an arguably better, closer show outside the theater entrance on the red-carpet. Seat-fillers aren’t allowed to speak or even make eye-contact with celebrities, but bleacher fans can scream, flirt, photograph and beg for autographs all they want. Ever imagine yourself the ingénue in “The Artist,” planting a kiss on the arriving star? Well, this is as close to that as you may get. Every arriving Oscars star will parade right by your seat, pausing for photos and interviews as they slowly make their way inside from their limo and through the gauntlet. When the 3-4 hour arrivals show is over, those with bleacher seats are then invited to a local venue to watch the telecast live. Like seat-filler tickets, bleacher seats must be requested several months in advance. In recent years, some 20,000 fans have applied, so fill out your application early – along with up to three other friends — and cross your fingers. Names are usually drawn by lottery in October, giving you plenty of time to make travel plans after you clear final security in December.

More: Read how Joshua Crouthamel became an Oscar seat-filler here http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/holidaytype/showbiz/654414/i-was-an-oscars-seat-filler

Ehow has insider tips too http://www.ehow.com/how_4485666_become-seat-filler-hollywood.html

Exclusive to Holiday Goddess and Women in Focus - Up to 21 Nights Accommodation and Blogging Opportunity in Central London During the Olympic Games.

How would you like to rent a room in a central London flat, just ten minutes to the Olympic Village and report back to Holiday Goddess? One of our British editors, Sue Ostler, has one of the few central London spaces left, during the Olympics – at an exclusive 10% discount for Holiday Goddesses.

Sue Ostler, Holiday Goddess

Sue writes – “You’ll be a guest at my inner city pad in Islington in zone 2 with a garden-flat to share. I’ll be reporting (unofficially) on all the Olympic shenanigans, and I invite you to join me! The blogs will be posted to the Women in Focus community and Holiday Goddess as they come in from London.”

What’s included?

Up to 21 nights stay in an adorable garden flat in hip Islington. You’ll have a cosy garden bedroom with double bed, bedding and all linen provided, along with continental breakfast, coffee and tea making amenities, Wi-Fi connection and use of digital TV. The room can accommodate you + one. A fully equipped kitchen and a private back garden with BBQ is available to use.

Your room is a few stops from Piccadilly Circus

• 5 mins away from Highbury Islington station
• 10 mins to the Olympic Stadium by over-ground rail.
• 6 mins to Piccadilly line which will take you to central London within 10mins.
• 5 minute walk to Upper Street, Angel, Islington, London’s most exciting and diverse entertainment metropolis
• Many buses and night buses nearby
• Ref: Google Maps London N7 8PZ.

The room is available between July 10 – Aug 16 2012.

Minimum stay: 2 weeks. 10% off for Women In Focus members

Option 1. 2 Weekly Rate: $1,100.00 per week, per person minus 10% = $990 per week

Option 2. 3 Weekly Rate: $900.00 per week, per person minus 10% = $810 per week

Terms and Deposits 50% Deposit to hold Olympic room rental.
Balance Two Months Before arrival.

£500 damage deposit upon arrival.
Damage deposit returned on the last day.
Other deposits are non-refundable.

To apply for this offer, you’ll need to join Sue’s blog on Women In Focus. 

All prices in Australian dollars. Images Sue Ostler/Wikimedia Commons.

If you want to take your dog on holiday in England this year, think about the Isle of Wight – and download the wonderful Pawprints brochure, which is the result of months of research with dog owners (and dogs) from Appley Sands to Firestone Copse.

Foxy loves the seaweed beds

Exploring the woods, swimming in the sea and dining in dog-friendly pubs were rated as favourite Isle of Wights pursuits. Visitors say they are “amazed” at how many places are open to dogs on the Isle of Wight, including the Victorian train carriages on the old Wight Steam Railway.

Local dogs love it too. They travel in sidecars on motorbikes (some wear goggles). Even if you visit the Isle of Wight by ferry and car, rather than dog-customized motorbike, locals say the island is easier to explore than you might think. Dogs particularly love the sand dunes as do their human owners. For children, it’s an Enid Blyton holiday.

School holidays, dog holidays

Doggy Paddles Retreat is just one place to book (it has a hydrotherapy pool for dogs on-site). There are also plenty of boarding kennels, so your dog can sleep away by night, but join you for walks by day.

If your dog likes to surf, locals recommend Dunroamin or Compton Bay. The Isle of Wight is a ferry-ride away.

All images from the Pawprints brochure – Lee Higham

Maison Adam's boxed bliss

The box says it all: veritable macarons. St-Jean-de-Luz’s Maison Adam doesn’t deal in the pretty Parisian flavour follies that have come to epitomise the term. Here in the Basque country they come damp, dense and chewy, a macaron traditionnel of nothing fancier than ground almonds, egg whites, sugar and salt. These simple but seductively rich, fragrant biscuits have been made by Maison Adam since 1660. Said to have been created in celebration of the marriage of Louis, the Sun King, and his Spanish bride María Teresa at the nearby border, Maison Adam’s is a poetic and perfectly legitimate claim for the original macaron title. They are not the only contender, however, with several cities, including Nancy in Lorraine, Amiens in Picardy and Saint-Emilion, just outside Bordeaux, still turning out their own almond-rich versions along withe equally compelling back stories, if not the Sun King cachet.

Taste: Maison Adam, of course, for the macarons themselves but also for their fetching bright green tins, adorned with a black lauburu, the tumbling comma-headed Basque cross. They also do a fabulous gâteau basque à la crème.
Stay: Zazpi Hotel is a Euro day-glo riot set in a stately old central townhouse, or there’s Villa Arguibel – nestled in the verdant valleys behind Guethary, a bobo beachside village a few miles north – a wonderful maison d’hôtes with super stylish, wilfully eccentric décor. Not to mention lovely hosts. Story – Donna Wheeler.

 The Fan Museum, in Greenwich, challenges central London hotels (where afternoon tea hovers around £30-£40) with a simple, delicious home-made menu under £10 and a stunning Georgian townhouse environment.

Charles Sprague Pearce

Head to the quirky Fan Museum in Greenwich for the best £10 Afternoon Tea in London. Admission is £3 to see the highly collectable fans, and afternoon tea in the lovely Georgian Orangery, with scones and cake is a mere £6.

The Fan Museum is a short walk from the Greenwich overground / DLR station and the Greenwich, Cutty Sark DLR station. The museum is located on Croom’s Hill, almost opposite the Greenwich Theatre. There are guided tours (including admission £5) and fan-making workshops – just bring wrapping paper to start (admission £20). There are 4000 fans in the collection, ranging from a 13th century Chinese model to a strangely modern Dyson. The museum’s owner makes the fruity jam on your scones, and the cake is home-made too. Lovely! (Thanks to the Holiday Goddesses @holidaygoddess on Twitter for inspiration).

(Image Wikimedia Commons).

If you’re in London this April, don’t miss the 2012 Oxford v. Cambridge Goat Race on Saturday 7th at Spitalfields, in the East End. Tickets are £5 for adults and 50 pence for children at  Goat Race 2012 tickets http://is.gd/goats2012

Off they go!

Cambridge beat Oxford for the third year running in 2011 in a world record time of 56.9 seconds –  sadly, Oxford was delayed by her lavatory arrangements.

Cambridge wobbles into the lead

The Goat Race for Saturday, April 7th begins at 12 noon for lunch, and the actual race starts at 4pm.  It’s at Spitalfields City Farm in East London, situated near Brick Lane.  Spitalfields City Farm, Buxton Street, E1 5AR

Goat racing is taken very seriously in Tobago, Trinidad, where the idea may have originated. Every Easter, goat races draw international visitors to a $112 million track, created partly with the event in mind.

The London event may be held over humble cobblestones, but this will be £5 (all for charity) well spent. Holiday Goddess will be live Tweeting on the day @holidaygoddess. Thanks to The Goat Race for images.

Anyone can honeymoon at a ‘luxe hotel, but how many couples can say they slept in Elvis’s bedroom? Holiday Goddess Vicki Arkoff visits the private home where the King and Queen played house.

Palm Springs is filled with mid-century architecture, but when you arrive at 1350 Ladera Circle, it’s clear that this house is an authentic time capsule. Sloping roofs with deep overhangs, huge expanses of glass, post-and-beam construction, open floor plan, rock walls – it’s a classic from the vintage front walkway to the curvy custom 64-foot banquette sofa. And for the right price, the secluded landmark can be yours for a vacation rental, wedding location, hour tour, or overnight stay with some serious pop culture history.

The estate was built in the early 1960s by Robert and Helene Alexander, a stylish, wealthy couple who lived an exciting life of dinner parties, tennis and cocktails with friends like Frank and Barbara Sinatra. But as cool as they were – and their dream property still is – the real star here was the house’s second resident. On September 16, 1966, Elvis Presley paid $21,000 to lease the house for a year. It was a perfect escape from Hollywood, a great place to bask in the sun, entertain friends, relax…and start a new life with Priscilla as man and wife.

Rock ‘n’ roll’s King and Queen planned to have their wedding and reception around the pool of the estate until a nosey neighbor, gossip columnist Rona Barrett, spilled the beans when Elvis’s entourage started to assemble and Priscilla Beaulieu arrived with her entire family. So the couple slipped out of the house, flew to Las Vegas in Frank Sinatra’s Lear jet, and were instead wed at the Aladdin Hotel, before jetting back home for their Palm Springs honeymoon.

On May 1, 1967, Elvis carried Priscilla over the threshold singing “The Hawaiian Wedding Song.” (When I toured the house — for US$25 — my guide enjoyed adding: “On February 1, 1968, exactly 9 months later, Lisa Marie was born.”) The day after their honeymoon at home, Elvis went back to L.A. to finish filming “Clambake,” then rushed back to Palm Springs that same evening.

In the 1990s the house was restored to its original design and was opened to the public for tours, filming (the James Caan film “Poodle Springs” shot here), private parties, weddings, and as an exclusive holiday rental. Any lover of pop history would trade their blue suede shoes to stay here. Its appeal as a rock ‘n’ roll treasure is obvious and Elvis’ presence can be felt everywhere. I could practically see him swaggering through the entry gates and up the interior stairs, reading scripts by the diamond-shaped pool, making peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches on the round kitchen island, and wrestling with bee-hived Priscilla underneath the pink sheets of his pink upholstered and pink canopied bed.

The same bed that’s now available for new renters to make their own memories. Maybe even make their own Lisa Maries.

Rental inquiries: (760) 322-1192.

Tours by appointment only: (760) 322-1192.

To book online: http://www.elvishoneymoon.com.

Tamara Pitelen discovers chocolate for millionaires in Dubai.

The most expensive chocolate in the world is only available in two places, New York and Dubai. It’s made by a chocolatier called Fritz Knipschildt and is called La Madeline au Truffe.

About the size of a tennis ball, the Madeline costs AED 1000 ($270/£180) at the Chocopologie café chocolate lounge in Dubai, a church for the worshippers of chocolate/where lovers of chocolate go to worship.

Tucked away in a far corner of the Dubai Festival City shopping complex, Chocopologie was opened in December 2010 by the ruler of Umm Al Quwain, HH Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu’alla.

Along with Dubai, Umm Al Quwain is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates and, according to our waitress the day my friends and I visited Chocopologie for a look at the world’s priciest choccie, the Sheikh is a frequent visitor himself, often dropping by in his helicopter (a chopper pad is close by) for a hot chocolate.

The visits of the sweet-toothed Sheikh are always unannounced though so the VIP area, which is like walking to Marie Antoinette’s tea salon, is permanently kept free just in case the Sheikh pops in. Of course, the sound of helicopter motor gives staff some warning. We’re told the Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohamed, has also been a visitor on more than one occasion. These royal types like to flock together.

Most of the clientele though are Emirati women, which comes as no surprise. Little details like sugar ‘cubes’ in the shape of little red hearts are definitely not suited to typically masculine tastes.

The décor of Chocopologie is Rococo, the lavish and highly ornamental style of interior design that was popular in France during the 1700s, hot on the heels of the baroque period.

We’re talking oil paintings in elaborate gold frames, velvet upholstery, plush carpets, red chandeliers and delicate porcelain boxes, busts of young women and statuettes of angelic cherubs.

Our waitress tells us that, since opening in December 2010, seven of the AED 1000 truffle treats have sold. Five were bought by the Sheikh himself and the other two by Emirati customers. You can’t just pop in and pick one up htough, the Madelines are made to order. At least 24 hours notice is required because the cream must be infused for 24 hours and the rare Perigord truffles that go in the centre need to be flown in from France.

Happily though, the café lounge has a number of pretend Madelines made up customers can see what they look like. So, what’s in this posh choc?

La Madeline au Truffe is hand-crafted using a dark chocolate ganache and a French Perigord truffle. The ganache is made using 71 per cent single bean Ecuadorian dark chocolate mixed with fresh cream that has been infused for 24 hours with the flavour of vanilla beans and pure Italian truffle oil. The ganache is then shaped around the French Perigord truffle (the truffle alone costs up to $1000 per pound/454 grams), then dipped in 71 per cent Ecuadorian dark chocolate and rolled in cocoa powder and finished off with gold dust. The final product is boxed up on a bed of sugar pearls.

Apart from La Madelines, there’s a plethora of chocolate splendour to indulge in. For patron after handmade chocolates, a range is available that are all named after women who have befriended Mr Knipschildt, there’s chocolates with names like Keiko, Queenie, Aisha, Sophie, Stacy and more. We tried Jeanett, a cheeky little white chocolate ganache infused with fresh peppermint molded in white chocolate with a dark chocolate bottom. We washed it down with a cup of thick Spicy Hot Chocolate, a beverage of 64 per cent melted chocolate mixed with chipotle, cinnamon, ginger and cloves to give it a kick. Not an everyday drink! Unless you’re on a fast track to diabetes.

Desserts include chocogasmic creations with names like The Chocolate Love, Chocolate Truffle Beignets, and Chocolate Fondue for Two.

A full menu of non-chocolate food is also available but nothing is straight forward. Ask for a side of fries and you’ll get French fries in a cone with truffle oil mayo and Himalayan rock salt.

Chocopologie Dubai

1st floor, the Marina Pavilion
Dubai Festival City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Email: christel@chocopologie.ae
Phone: +971 4 232 9880

Hours
Mon – Tues: 10am – 10pm
Wed: 10am – 10am
Thurs – Sat: 10 am – 12am
Sun: 10 am – 10 pm

Cruising is my first love. I just love the fact that you unpack once and all the countries come to you.

Here in Australia no one does the South Pacific as well as P&O and their stunning ship, the Pacific Jewel.

Just some of the highlights on this ship include:

The Cabins

You will be impressed – they are modern and extremely functional. From an inside berth, outside cabin, balcony cabin or suite each is presented clean, fresh and with the special inclusion of your own personal cabin steward. Goddess Tip: If you want to be able to watch as the ship arrives or departs from a port, a balcony cabin is the perfect option.

The Food

You will be tempted by tantalising choices and you can choose who you dine with, when and where. No more of the 6.30 or 8.30 seatings. As all main meals are included in the fare you can choose from lavish buffet selections, pizza, pasta and burgers on deck to four-course à la Carte menus in their formal dining rooms. And just like any great resort, room service is available 24 hours a day. Goddess Tip: If you’re yearning for something just a little bit special, the Salt grill by celebrity chef, Luke Mangan is the perfect choice. You must try his mouthwatering signature dishes: Crab Omelette and Liqorice Parfait with Lime Syrup.

What to do

There is so much to do you can choose as little of as much as you feel like. The Pacific Jewel offers two incredible firsts for Australian cruising – an amazing high-wire circus and trapeze arena on the top deck and the largest spa afloat in the southern hemisphere. On sea days (when you are not in port or going on a shore excursion) you can -

Laze on a deck chair by one of the pools

Relax in a whirlpool spa

Try a rejuvenating, soothing massage in one of their ocean-view treatment rooms for the ultimate in pampering

Take an art or craft class.

Enjoy a workout at the gym

Try a wine appreciation seminar

Star in a karaoke session

Go shopping or dancing

Play a game – on our cruise, quoits, trivia and bingo along with pool sports were offered

Escape to the serenity of the comprehensive library, have a quiet drink in or go and see one of the nightly shows in the show lounge.

For more visit: www.pocruises.com.au

British Holiday Goddess editors love Hastings – one of the best London getaways by train or car. Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide editor Lily Evans revisits it for us, tries the Judges Bakery buns, and makes us want to go back…

Judge's Bakery (Lily Evans)

Hastings Old Town is a small fishing village made big by its character. Its mismatched and often historic houses are situated between two great hills, the west hill is crowned with the castle ruins from the battle of 1066 and the east hill swoops back into acres of the most magical forest complete with streams, waterfalls, caves and the sound of the sea.

Ecclesbourne Glen is in the heart of this forest. It boasts breathtaking cliff views and hidden paths that pull you into another world, one of nature untouched by time. A great place for picnics and walks and to just enjoy the sun, shining through canopies of tree leaves like sequins.

Hastings on the English Channel (Lily Evans)

In the town Judges bakery provides in-house-fresh-baked bread, local and organic produce and all kinds of mouth- watering baked goods. The croissants are more buttery and flakier than Paris’s finest and the cheese scones are worth getting up early for, when hot.

The creators of Green and Blacks, who have turned their hand to artisan bread, own the bakery. With traditional baking techniques and the finest ingredients they have created bread so delicious that it’s hard not to scoff the whole loaf before you’re home. It’s honestly the best bread I’ve ever eaten. Cakes range from bakewell tarts to heavenly chocolate brownies and these luxuries remain at small town prices, so you can try them all.

Opposite Judges is The Wardrobe, a fantastic vintage shop that remains a bit of a secret to those in the know. Dresses range from 1920’s gowns to modern looks by the big names in fashion. Best of all you’ll find a range of beautiful wedding dresses: 1940’s in ivory silk or bridesmaids dresses coloured like cupcakes. I spend hours trying them all on; these are clothes that remind you of the romance in dressing up. Visit Hastings by train from London – tickets available from The Trainline.

Lily Evans

Lily Evans is a writer and stylist living in New York. 

She has worked for Vogue and Teen Vogue, on runway shows including
 Victorias Secrets and as a writer for magazines including Vice.

 Originally from the south east coast of England. She now spends her
time between New York, London and India. 

blessthisdress.net

Oooh, Fitzroy Market.

Fitzroy Market $10 Vintage Vintage for $10 and less is pretty normal at Fitzroy Market. Held on the third Saturday of every month at Fitzroy Primary School on the corner of Napier Street and Chapel Street, Fitzroy. Starts 10am, shuts 2pm. Cool stuff, big bargains.

Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone Magazine Archives – Free Free at the library! Classic old copies of Rolling Stone downstairs, vintage Vanity Fair upstairs. Also free downstairs, Apple computers. State Library of Victoria, corner of LaTrobe and Swanston Street. Nearest train, Melbourne Central (emerge and see it opposite you).

Cheapest Hipster Pizza $4

The Bimbo Deluxe pub (look for the giant plastic baby over the entrance) has $4 pizza from 12-4pm weekdays and 7-11pm Sunday to Thursday, and 7-9pm Saturday. Open until 3am, 7 days a week. Live music and DJs on Saturday night. On the corner of Brunswick Street and Rose Street, Fitzroy. Visit www.bimbodeluxe.com.au for updates.

Buddhist Temple Tea

Fo Guang Yuan at 141 Queen Street is your stop for  tea and apple slices – and part of it is a temple.

Little Saigon Under $10

$10 Vietnamese Noodles

Victoria Street, Richmond is home to Melbourne’s Vietnamese community. Asian markets and noodles under $10.

The Coolest Pool in Melbourne Under $10

Melbourne City Baths at 420 Swanston Street has an Edwardian baroque exterior. Inside you’ll find more time-travel design, but a thoroughly modern pool and changeroom.

The Beach! Under $4

Take the 16 or 96 tram to St Kilda Beach. Under $4 no matter if you put coins in the machine on board, or have a plastic Myki card. Free gelato from 7 Apples Gelato once you arrive, if you register with them at www.7applesgelato.com. Find the beer at the two most famous rockstar pubs in St Kilda. The Espy at 11 The Esplanade (facing the beach) and The Prince of Wales at 29 Fitzroy Street.

Sunset at St Kilda

Free Country Escapes You have to play land girl as a Willing Worker on Organic Farms for this one, but join WWOOF and you’re on.  No wage. Free food and accommodation. There are over 1200 farms to choose from. Visit www.wwoof.com.au

Twitter Trucks

New York Holiday Goddess editor Karen Moline first told us about the New York Twitter trucks. Now Melbourne has them. Contributing Editor Jenny Valentish pulished the ultimate guide in Time Out magazine, where she is Melbourne editor.

Best for picnics in the park – Gumbo Kitchen. A shrimp po’ boy is $10. Follow @gumbokitchen

Best for lunch – Taco Truck. You may have to spend slightly more than $10 for this one but you’ll probably skip dinner. Follow @tacotruckmelb

Want to share a $10 Melbourne secret thrill with us? Tweet @holidaygoddess on Twitter and if we love it, we’ll retweet and follow. Promise.

Thanks to our bestselling Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide editors.

Travel writer Nina McGrath is an expert on Europe, so we asked her to walk us through the most famous event in Venice,  The Carnevale.

Black and white Carnevale (Nina McGrath)

Carnevale commences two weeks before Ash Wednesday and ends on Shrove Tuesday. It dates back to 1268, however promotion as a tourist attraction in the 1970s lead to the 30,000 visitors that now descend on Venice each day of Carnevale.

The full Carnevale costume covers the wearer from head to toe and, particularly for costumed couples or groups, conforms to a colour theme; black and white, green and gold or sunset. The face mask is painted and embellished with gold leaf, silver leaf, diamantes, brocade, lace and feathers. The mask is framed by a wig and a hat decorated with tulle, fabric flowers and feathers.

Others wear the traditional tricorn hat adorned with a feather or the jester’s hat jingling with bells. Women wear full length dresses with full shirts, long sleeved jackets and gloves. Some carry ornate lace or feather fans, parasols or delicate evening bags. Men wear puffy trousers, boots with elaborate buckles, shirts, vests, jackets and capes of all lengths with large stiff collars, and brandish sceptres with ornate tops.

I was delighted to discover that all the costumed Venetians desire is to be photographed, and as a result they will willingly pose for you or with you. The conduct of tourists was admirable, a quick pose with the costumed Venetians and then they’d step aside to allow the next person to do the same.

Some tourists go all out, paying extravagant prices to hire traditional costumes and attend the masked balls held in the old palaces and hotels. I found myself among the majority content to don a mask, hat or wig and take in the free entertainment such as street theatre, puppet shows, Commedia dell’Arte and mime. There is also music and dancing, from Tango concerts to bands to DJ sets, and even an ice rink at Campo San Polo.

When you’ve had enough of Carnevale, escape the crowded, confetti strewn streets around San Marco and find a small bàcari serving cicchetti. Cicchetti covers all manner of small snacky items such as olives, and small slices of bread or polenta with various toppings secured with a toothpick. Enjoy with a glass of local white wine, known as ‘ombra’ (shadow) – salute!

About Nina McGrath

For more, read Nina's travel blog

Nina is an Australian travel writer who has travelled extensively in Europe. Nina is also a sleep and fatigue expert, so knows all the tricks to minimise jetlag, a handy skill for a travel writer. She writes about Australian expat experiences in London for www.australiantimes.co.uk and also blogs on www.ninamcgrath.com.

For vintage wine, old books and great bands, head to Rutherglen this autumn. (Video soundtrack: Jesse Morris and the Three Beans).

This small town, in lush countryside, is an easy escape from Melbourne’s Southern Cross train station and you can either spend well under AUD$100 a night to stay here, or choose from four-star hotels. The town suits everyone.

On Saturday 14th April Jones Winery & Vineyard (a short walk from town) is holding a wine and food matching event. The Jones label was a fixture on the tables of the funkiest Melbourne foodies in the Seventies , but its vines go back 100 years. Run by a sister-and-brother team, Jones also has a dining room with seasonal produce to try – and after you’ve tried samples at the bar, you are free to buy.

Rutherglen is also hosting Tex Perkins, Eskimo Joe, Stonefield and Zoophyte at the Rock In The Vines festival in April. For ticket and concert details, see Time Out Melbourne.

Rutherglen is most definitely a one-street town, with a solitary bookshop – Tapsells.  It has Sixties Pan murder mysteries, battered orange Penguins  from the post-war period and fabulous Ita Buttrose-era copies of The Australian Women’s Weekly. They ship worldwide.

If you are looking for special places to stay, at tiny prices, then  try the Rutherglen Caravan and Tourist Park, next to the town’s historic lake, with ancient gum trees and ducks nearby.

I stayed at The Victoria Hotel (AUD$50 from Wotif) and loved it. It’s the next best thing to being asked to stay at a privately-owned, listed Victorian homestead. I stayed midweek, booked last-minute and ended up with a huge room with its own fireplace and sweeping views of the vineyards. Nobody else was there and so I ended up having the entire Ladies’ Wing  and its shared bathroom to myself…bliss.  See our video to view the hotel’s lovely, sympathetically restored  guest rooms.

If you are serious about sampling the vineyards before you commit to visiting, the winemakers of Rutherglen have $6 glasses to try at the information centre, also on the main street. You can hire bicycles there from $25 for a half-day tour. (The Victoria Hotel, too, has bicycles to hire – and amazing weekend packages for women-who-drink-and-cycle).

Finally, if the weather is warm enough, and you’ve had enough of good wine and great music – Rutherglen’s 1930s’ swimming pool, a signposted walk from the main street, is the only place to be.

Story: Jessica Adams

Holiday Goddess editor Sue Ostler explores Sydney for less.

Sue Ostler

If you want to save money when you travel, the first thing is to get into the mindset and turn the issue into a challenge. I’ve called my budget the fudget – the Fun Budget. My point is simply this: I don’t want to miss out on the fun stuff, nor do I wish to go broke enjoying all that our wonderful cities have to offer.

The facts of frugal-dom are thus: Online shopping will save you money, Groupon offers will save you money, preparing your own meals and packing lunch will save you loads of money, as will voucher books, Early Bird deals, fresh food markets and savvy retail choices. Build these fudget tactics into your weekly time-table and you’ll be laughing, otherwise you may go broke.

The best thing about the fudget is, you don’t have to miss out.

As a laptop warrior who depends on Wi-Fi cafes/coffee shops, galleries and libraries, I don’t leave home without a packed lunch and a sprinkling of snacks. That said, I’m only human so I factor in some treats, I just try to be canny about it. A flat white – hold-the-choc-mocha-cherry-coconut-double-cream-frapp–latte thanks – and you can still find an excellent brew for under $3.00. That’s a $5.00 per day outlay rather than $15.00. You’re saving money already!

So far so fabulous. Go the fudget!

But, and here’s where it gets tricky – the weekends. Then it’s time to wheel out the well-heeled friends who like to see and be seen in the most fabulous places. Fair enough, but do I have to spend my entire freakin’ food fudget for the privilege?

So far as I can see, Sydney and Melbourne are overflowing with what are unquestionably the best food and drink options on the planet. And they are keen for your business, that’s why they offer great deals like Happy Hour and special promotions. Fancy a free manicure with your Martini? No problem!

Sue blogs at Women in Focus. Share your fudget secrets with her there.

Holiday Goddess Contributing Editor Shonagh Walker recommends complimentary hair miracles in Sydney at the new Zuush Bar at The Ivy. It’s a free five-minute express hair touch-up from the Brad Ngata team. Plus you’ll get the chance to win a $1370 Makeopver package including personal styling by designer, Fleur Wood, a hair makeover with hair-maestro Ngata himself, and professional makeup.

Sydney’s Best Free/Cheap Luxury 

1. Take the ferry to Manly from Circular Quay (it’s a mini-cruise!) and stroll along the beach. Buy half-a-dozen oysters and eat them on the waterfront.
2. Enjoy gazing at that millionaire art collector’s favourite, Brett Whiteley, in The Art Gallery of NSW. Take in a free film, as recommended by Holiday Goddess editor Alana Hunt. Enjoy a drink on the cafe terrace and gaze at Sydney Harbour.
3. Chinatown is Queen for dinner under AUD$10. Pick up takeaway from either of the food halls in the mall, then walk to Darling Harbour to dine al fresco, with views.
4. Read the world’s glossiest magazines and a huge range of newspapers in Paddington Library. It’s like having a subscription to all of them – free. Later, enjoy a hot chocolate at Max Brennan, at the top of Oxford Street. Another great source for international magazines and newspapers? Editor Kris McIntyre loves Customs House at Circular Quay. Totally free. If you’re in Sydney on a working holiday or spending 2-3 months then don’t miss the brilliant clothes recycling scheme, Round She Goes. And make sure you’re on time for the May 5th Garage Sale Trail.  More than 3000 households participated in the project last year, and  you may set up your holiday home or find a new wardrobe just by registering. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore loves it and so do we.  Fudget!

Holiday Goddess reader Katherine Roy loves Paris falafel. But is it the best in Europe? (Photograph: Katherine Roy)

Lenny Kravitz likes it, apparently.

Would you catch the Metro to the Paris village known as the Marais, just to try the world’s best falafel? So many people do, that the queue outside L’As du Fallafel (The Ace of Falafel) stretches out of the doorway. And is it worth the queue? Holiday Goddess readers and editors agree – absolutely.

Lenny Kravitz is said to be a huge fan of L’As du Fallafel, and as the Marais is very rock star, with all its hipster boutiques and dark late-night bars, perhaps the rumour is true.

Before you even get to the Rue des Rosiers, the so-called ‘Falafel Alley’ of the area, you’ll probably want to lick the windows of someof the best tea, candle and perfume boutiques in Paris. Diptyque and Fragonard are both in the Marais, along with some tres charmant shops with ancient French telephones and playing cards.

Vegetarians should head straight for the Marais, and Falafel Alley (Rue des Rosiers) if they ever hit desperation point.

So is the New York Times (not to mention Frommers) right about the takeaway falafel at L’As du Fallafel? The answer lies in the smell, which is a wonderful mixture of warm bread, fresh hommous and spicy eggplant. It’s enough to convert any meat-eater.

The success of L’As du Fallafel has made it easier for other sandwich joints to set up around them. Mi Va Mi, at number 23, also attracts rave reviews, from no less than Emily Horne at Vegan Paris and Yelp.

Even though L’As du Fallafel has over 100 seats, you’ll still need to arrive early (try just before noon) to bag a place for lunch, in the height of the tourist season.

It’s cheap too. When Holiday Goddess visited in the 2011/2012 season, a takeaway falafel sandwich was 5 euros to go, and 7.50 euros in the dining room.

The nearest Metro station is St Paul, and you’re heading for Rue des Rosiers (just follow the signs, or the crowds of salivating women). When you’re done, spend more time mooching around the Marais in the company of Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide editor, Jane de Teliga.

After shopping, where are the best places to eat and drink in central London? Holiday Goddess editor Andreina Cordani has worked in Soho for the last seven years, which means there’s very few bars or restaurants around there she hasn’t been to!

Andreina Cordani

 The problem with central London, especially around Oxford and Regent Street is that there are just too many places to eat and drink and it can be impossible to tell the amazing gastro experience from the pretentious rip-off until you’ve gone in and sat down. But choose wisely and you’ll top off your day’s shopping with a fabulous meal…

Luscious lunches

There’s been a lot of hype around Polpo, an Italian tapas place in Beak Street and the food there is delicious, although it can end up being quite pricey. I recommend the hot chocolate pot* – it’s  only little so try to leave room for it! For a faster-paced Italian dining experience, there’s Princi on Wardour Street which serves great quality dishes in a fast-food canteen style. You’ll hear lots of customers chatting away in Italian to the staff which is about as good a recommendation as you can get. You can’t reserve tables here and it’s often busy at lunchtime, so be prepared to jostle. Fancy Indian food instead? Try a thali at Masala Zone on Marshall Street. If you’re eating on the move, there’s an increasing selection of street food available at Berwick Street Market where you can get a burrito the size of your head for around five pounds. There’s a great atmosphere at The Breakfast Club on D’Arblay Street, which is so good (especially at breakfast strangely enough) that people queue for up to half an hour to get in, so be warned! For a very civilised lunch with tables on a relatively quiet road, try Aubaine on Heddon Street.

Healthy choices and veggie treats

Hmm – healthy is a tricky one. Salad bars abound in the area, like Vital Ingredient on Berwick Street or Pure on Beak Street, but not many of them have places to sit.

Pure (Andreina Cordani)

The local Wholefoods Market on Brewer Street has an eating area which is good for catching a bite – it’s pricey but their freshly made sushi or vegetarian menu is worth checking out. Best veggie eats in town are to be had at Mildred’s in Lexington Street though – their burrito and veggie burger are both divine – there is no need to book but it gets lively and crowded at peak times.

Sketch, Hakkasan and Refuel

For big birthdays, proposals (listen carefully boys!)  and other celebrations, try Conduit Street, home to Sketch, beloved of celebrities and media luvvies alike. The food is fab but the appeal lies in that feeling of stylish exclusivity, the celeb-spotting and the bizarre toilets – the first floor loos feel like being in a music box and the ground floor ones are shaped like eggs.

Sketch can be difficult to get into, so book well in advance. The same applies to Hakkasan, the modern oriental restaurant on Hanway Street, but it’s worth a visit. Another good media/celeb hangout is the Refuel restaurant and bar, which is on the ground floor of Soho Hotel on Richmond Mews. For a classy but not unaffordable meal, head to Andrew Edmunds on Lexington Street. It’s a winner every time.

Watering holes

After office hours, especially on Thursdays and Fridays in summertime, the streets of Soho fill up with office workers standing outside their pub of choice. So for a truly authentic experience, find the nearest boozer and fall in the door. But if you’re a bit pickier, there are plenty of outstanding bars. If you’re looking for live music and the feel of an American dive bar head to Ain’t Nothin’ But... blues bar in Kingly Street. Get there early and you end up with a front row seat for some  earthy, sometimes riotous music. A few doors down is Red Bar – where they have great booths and sofas for lounging around on. Are you a smoker/immune to the cold, and looking for seats outside? Strawberry Moon, opposite Aubaine in Heddon Street is for you – it can have a bit of a pick-up joint atmosphere some nights though… that could be a good or bad thing, depending on what you look for in a night out! In and around Soho, there really is something for everyone.

The best ice-cream in Paris is sold at Berthillon, but in summer the queue is so long, it hardly seems worth the pleasure at the other end. Holiday Goddess contributing editors who love Paris, say winter is the best time to buy. And preferably the tail-end of the season, when it’s not too freezing – but just crisp and sunny enough, to enjoy the most outstanding French takeaway in the city.

Summer at Berthillon - crowded

This is a handpicked selection from the current winter menu, which holds until springtime in Paris becomes official.

Caramelized Apples

Vanilla ice-cream and pear sorbet

Pina Colada Ice Lite

Creole ice, coconut and  pineapple sorbet

Mango & raspberry meringues

Ice Cream & chocolate hazelnut, pear sorbet and meringues

Apricot and pistachio ice cream

Berthillon uses only milk, sugar, cream and eggs with flavours from natural sources – usually around sixty in number, according to the season. The salted butter caramel ice-cream is sought after, the city over.

Image: Kathryn Roy

Berthillon have been making ice cream since the 1950’s when Monsieur Berthillon started selling his homemade ice cream from his shop – still on the  Ile St-Louis, or Saint Louis Island. The Berthillon ice cream shop is located at number 31 Rue St-Louis en l’Ile. The nearest metro station in Paris is at Pont Marie, just cross the bridge when you get out.

Make sure you ask for the chef’s choice for the day. The weather may be cold, and the ice-cream colder, but there’s a lot to be said for dining away from the tourist season.

Holiday Goddess Contributing editor Kathryn Roy: ”Berthillon ice cream is wonderful. The creaminess is  like no other ice cream I’ve ever had and the flavours are just so prominent and consistent. I ordered a scoop of the flavour du jour as per the counter staff’s recommendation (vanilla laced with chocolate cake) and a scoop of the salted caramel, both fantastic. Five stars – just go!”

(Berthillon store image: Wikimedia).

Emma Killick (pictured, centre) wrote some of your favourite guides to Paris in The Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide. Here, she takes the five-hour trip from London to Lyon in search of the best places to dine, and wander…

Lots of cities claim to be the “Paris of the East.” I think that the “Paris of the East” is Lyon. It has the grandeur, the architecture, the history, and even an island in the middle like the Île de Cité, but all on a smaller, more manageable (and decidedly less crowded) scale.

For tourist attractions, don’t miss the Resistance Museum (14 Avenue Berthelot), the fabulous Hôtel de Ville (one of the great city halls at Place de la Comédie), and the Museum of Fine Arts (20 Place des Terreaux). Unsurprisingly, a smattering of impressive churches can also be found if you just wander the streets, which is always what I like to do. Then there’s the Roman Amphitheatre, up on the hill behind the old quarter (6 Rue de l’Antiquaille, Monteé de Fourvière). Lyon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for good reason.

All of France is really about food and wine, but Lyon promotes itself as the capital of all things gastronomic. Surrounded by the Burgundy and Côtes du Rhône wine-producing regions, great, local wine is obviously on offer. Apparently they call the local traditional restaurants “bouchons”. It kind of makes sense because a “bouchon” is a cork. But it is also a traffic jam . . . bottleneck, I suppose, stuff caught in your throat? Geez, I don’t know, but it is what it is. Lots of menu items will say “a la lyonnais”, which basically means it’ll have onions in it.

Head to Rue Mercière – one of the pedestrianized streets on the island between the Rhône and Saône rivers. The whole street is filled with restaurants with the tables spilling on to the road in the way the French do so well, with the change in style of chairs demarking one from the next. Generally, you can’t go wrong, but the traditional, and fabulous, Le Mercière is at number 56 (http://www.le-merciere.fr). When your senses are overwhelmed by the sights and smells of an entire street of restaurants, the best way to decide which one to pick is to: (a) meander down the whole street first, (b) see which ones are busy, (c) linger long enough to make sure the busy ones are full of the discerning French, not foreign-speaking tourists, (d) take a look at the food on the tables (if no one has any, move along because you’ll be waiting forever) and see if it is appealing, and (e) include a bit of destiny in your decision – if the place has passed the test so far and a table is just freeing up – pounce! If you aren’t starving, another suggestion (and what we did) was find a bar with a good vista – stools are good for this – and take in the surroundings while sipping on an aperitif. You can subtly sift through the above criteria and be ready to make your move casually.

We plonked ourselves down in the bar opposite Le Mercière and help was on hand from the barman when the table at the restaurant was nearly nabbed by new passersby. We were being so British (well, my partner was) and so polite – the waiter had said he would call us over when he had cleared and reset the table. Zut alors, two pushy people tried to sit down when the waiter turned his back! The barman saw our distress and ran across faster than I could clumsily remove myself from my barstool and took care of business for us. He was so friendly and helpful we said we would return for coffee after dinner. He insisted that we go away and explore the city by night, walking off our dinner over the Saône to the oldest part of Lyon. Only after this were we allowed to return. And he was right. The French really know how to light up an old building, don’t they? Lyon has an advanced degree on the subject and even has a festival of lights. We made our way to the Saône and walked over the Pont du Palais de Justice and wandered through Vieux Lyon. After a couple of quaint squares we reached Beef Street (rue de Boeuf – it sounds so much better in French, doesn’t it?) and couldn’t resist stopping at a little bar for a cointreau. But, yes, we did return to see Mr. Friendly for a coffee. . . and another cointreau.

There’s a good blog about Lyon at http://www.nileguide.com/destination/blog/lyon/category/travel-tips/ It hasn’t been updated in a while, but it has great local info (including stuff like how to use the city bike system) and is an entertaining read.

You can get there by train from London in five hours. Changing in Lille, rather than Paris, is the most stress-free way to do it (if you go via Paris you have to change stations, and that’s about 5 kms of a challenge you don’t need with luggage). Bon voyage.

Bestselling novelist Sara Foster also wrote our section on the best London books and films for The Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide to Paris, London, New York and Rome. This is her insider’s advice on Japan for new visitors.

• English is not widely spoken in Japan. Before you travel, go online and find out the kanji (Japanese script) for words you will need to use – e.g. hotel names, places of interest, train/bus/airport, etc. Take all these with you written down on paper, so you can show them to taxi drivers and the like. It will save you heaps of time and frustration.
• Credit cards are not widely accepted in Japan. Seriously, take plenty of cash with you.
• The ‘real Japan’ is often hidden away. Ask your receptionist where you can go to try the local cuisine and get a taste of the nightlife. Get them to mark it on the map and write it in kanji. Many superb bars and restaurants lie behind innocuous-looking front doors on darkened, empty streets.
• Chopsticks are used in Japanese restaurants. Do not leave them sticking up in your food, as it resembles the sticks of incense in bowls that honour the dead. Neither should two people pick up food together. The only time this is an acceptable use of chopsticks is when collecting the bones of the dead after cremation.
• Drinking etiquette in Japan is that you pour your neighbour’s drink and let them pour yours.
• Bear in mind when choosing your restaurant (or your table) that smoking is still acceptable in many places. If you don’t want to eat in a haze, pick your spot carefully.
• Protocol in Japan means taking your shoes off when entering temples, restaurants and houses. Pay attention to your hosiery. Socks or stockings should be clean and in good condition. Bare feet are not encouraged.
• If you want to travel around the country, look at getting a JR rail pass. Note, they need to be purchased OUTSIDE Japan before you go, but they can save you a heap of money. If you have the time, you can also conserve cash by travelling on slower trains rather than bullet trains.
• Don’t be put off by the complicated-looking ticket machines on the subway. Look for the ‘English translation’ button, and find your destination on the wall map, which will tell you the price of your ticket. Then use the touch screen prompts (and the buttons below the screen to select your ticket price).
• On the whole, Japan is a relatively safe place to travel. But watch out for people speeding along on the pavement on their bikes.
• If you want to experience Japanese hospitality, stay in a ryokan rather than a western-style hotel. Just bear in mind you will be sleeping on futons and there is usually no central heating available. Ryokans are sometimes located near onsens – which is the term for a hot spring/Japanese communal bath. The norm in these places is to get naked, so don’t go there unprepared! And remember to wash yourself thoroughly before you get in. If you have a tattoo, you may not be allowed to bathe, as they are a sign of the Yakuza (Japanese mafia).
• Finally, keep your cash to yourself, as tipping is considered rude in Japan. As is blowing one’s nose in public, pointing at people, and not wearing a bra.

So now that you know, you’re good to go! Happy holidays.

Sara Foster’s first book, Come Back to Me, was published in Australia in 2010 and reached the Sydney Morning Herald top ten Australian bestsellers list. Her second book, Beneath the Shadows, reached No. 4 on the Australian Sunday Telegraph bestsellers list, and had rights sold in the USA and Germany. In 2011 she was nominated for Cosmopolitan Australia’s Fun Fearless Female awards.

 L.A. MY WAY: NIGHTCLUBBING WITH KIRSTEN VANGSNESS  

Kirsten has the scoop.

Criminal Minds’ adorably quirky Kirsten Vangsness guides Holiday Goddess editor Vicki Arkoff through Los Angeles’ lively underground and alternative theater, music, dance and gay-lesbian scene.

Straight, gay. Old, new.  When it comes to exploring L.A.’s alternative scene, it’s all good, says funny, fearless, fabulous Kirsten Vangsness. Especially when it’s on the edgy side of things.

A highly creative experimental theater actress and performance artist, Vangsness is best known as scene-stealing Penelope Garcia in the TV drama “Criminal Minds,” especially to her devoted fan geeks (Vangeeks?).  When the California native isn’t on the CBS set or on location filming indie movies such as “Kill Me Deadly” and “The Chicago 8,” she can usually be found collecting local awards for performing oddly fascinating productions on small stages around L.A.

“I love the theater here,” she says with infectious enthusiasm. “That’s what I love to do any day of the week: go to my local theater and create something. Painting sets is great!” Kirsten belongs to the Theater of NOTE (1517 Cahuenga Blvd., L.A. 323-856-8611. www.thetheaterofnote.com) where the members produce “original world premieres, and a lot of brave, strange theater. Weird, experimental stuff but also things like ‘Kill Me Deadly’ which is a ‘40s noire musical which was huge.”

Vangsness also digs stepping back in time in L.A.’s revitalized downtown district. “Lately I’ve been going downtown to a lot to places like The Edison (102 W. 2nd St., Los Angeles. 213-613-0000. www.Edisondowntown.com) which is a cool bar in the basement of an old 1910 power plant.  It’s like a huge 1920s speakeasy with burlesque shows on stage and silent films projected on the walls with vintage vinyl playing. Another great place is The Library Bar (630 West 6th Street, Downtown L.A. 213-614-0053 www.librarybarla.com) where you’re surrounded by leather-bound books and good cocktails and can watch movies on Sunday nights.

But she’s always in the mood for music. “I like going to Amoeba Records (6400 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. 323-245-6400. www.amoeba.com). Best record store on the face of the Earth. I can wander around there all day, just combing through the vinyl. Then I’m ready to dance all night. I love going dancing! I love me a good gay club!  I’m gay but I like the boy bars for the dancing, especially The Factory & Ultra Suede (661 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood. 310-659-4551. www.factorynightclub.com). It’s fantastic. The Club Cherry and Hype club nights have all kinds of D.J. music in three rooms, plus dance concerts by club artists like Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj.”

“The girl bars are good too, especially Booby Trap!  (Various locations. www.clubboobytrap.com) which pretty much revolutionized lesbian nightlife in L.A.  It’s run by two women D.J.s who always throw their events someplace different, so you have to Twitter them to find out the secret dates and locations. It’s always on the Eastside. Oh, I love the Eastside! I love me some Masa!  (Chicago style pizza joint and bakery in a 1920s Automobile dealership. 1800 West Sunset Blvd., L.A., CA 90026. 213-989-1558. www.masaofechopark.com). And The Echo!  (Gritty indie rock club. 1822 Sunset Blvd., Echo Park. 213-413-8200. www.attheecho.com) I love the concert scene there! Let’s go already!”

Thanks for buying the Australian top ten travel book bestseller, The Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide to Paris, London, New York and Rome. These are exclusive extras for you to download to your iPod or print and pack.

Drawing: Anna Johnson

PARIS

Watch the chapter come alive, from tins of snails at Galeries Lafayette, to the streets of the Marais. All the v-cards in our book have been edited by  Holiday Goddess editor Peter Clarke at Heaven and Earth Films.

Continue your Paris journey with us online here.

LONDON

The Dove is one of our favourite pubs. But then we find it hard to leave The Victoria and Albert Museum too. Watch the video here.  All our London extras are online including a complimentary download from Sweet Tooth, featuring London chanteuse Fleurtini (pictured, below) with the sounds of Soho and Mayfair.

Sweet Tooth

NEW YORK

If you can’t listen to Woody Allen’s jazz on the flight to New York, the next big thing is a handpicked selection of the best Manhattan soundtracks around. Pick it up here, along with other NYC extras for the book. And don’t miss our New York video postcard.

ROME

Chapter extras are here. And this is the best place to see even more of Roma.

Drawing: Anna Johnson

The Central Coast, one hour from Sydney, offers beachside daycations or staycations.  Story – Holiday Goddess editor Alison Carmichael-Rulten.

Terrigal Beach

If you need an excuse to get out of Sydney and explore the Central Coast, the Australian Springtime Flora Festival is on annually – for other events  find a complete list at www.visitcentralcoast.com.au/events/thisyear

If this is a staycation rather than a daycation –

Crowne Plaza Terrigal has large rooms with fantastic beach or pool views. Don’t miss breakfast at Salt Restaurant – you won’t need to eat again until dinnertime – it’s one of the best!  Their beer garden overlooking Terrigal beach is the perfect spot to unwind on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Pine Tree Land, Terrigal -  www.crowneplazaterrigal.com.au

One of the most beautiful beach homes on the East Coast of Australia, Bells Beach House was built for advertising guru, John Singleton. Stunning views and beautiful beach décor.

80 Beach Drive, Killcare Beach (next door to surf club)-  www.bellsatkillcare.com.au

Only 200 metres  from stunning Avoca Beach, the Avoca Palms Resort has apartments with extras –  pick up your cocktail supplies and canapés from the stores right on the doorstep and use the gourmet kitchen to host a private party. Each apartment can sleep up to six people.

194 Avoca Drive, Avoca Beach at www.avocapalmsresort.com.au

Other ways to escape 

Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventures, the largest outdoor adventure centre in Australia has offered riding for years and now you can also enjoy a quad bike ride through the bush (as featured in the WildBoy TV Series on Channel 7). Try the new TiPis on offer and camp overnight. At 69 Cooks Road, Peats Ridge - www.glenworthvalley.com.au

Australian Reptile Park has to be one of Australia’s friendliest hands-on zoos. Holiday Goddesses will enjoy the interaction with the cute, cuddly and fury while the Holiday Medusas will enjoy the slippery, slimy and scaly.  Enjoy lunch while surrounded by the local population of kangaroos, wallabies and emus. At Pacific Highway, Somersby - www.reptilepark.com.au

The Mingara Recreation Club is the largest recreation club on the Central Coast and is a great family venue, housing the Mingara Playhouse. Holiday Goddesses can drop their children (4-12) into the Playhouse while they enjoy an uninterrupted dinner at Indigos.  The indoor swim centre is also a great option rain or shine – and they also have an amazing gym. At Mingara Drive, Tumbi Umbi - www.mingara.com.au

 At Treetops Adventure Park you can work your way through the five agility courses. Unbelievable fun. At  Ourimbah State Forest, 1 Red Hill Road, Wyong Creek - www.treetopadventurepark.com.au

The largest privately-owned panoramic photographic gallery in Australia is the landmark Ken Duncan Gallery. A. 414 The Entrance Road, Erina Heights - www.kenduncan.com.au

Philip Moore is Australia’s highest awarded gin distiller and offers conversation and samples at Distillery Botanica (formally St Fiacre Distillery). His smooth libations of gin, vodka and new Blackberry, blueberry and raspberry liqueurs are divine. At 25 Portsmouth Road, Erina - www.distillerybotanica.com

More Central Coast options -

Killcare Village Shops offer the Bouddi Gallery Aboriginal Art and Moochinside Gallery with Art, Fashion and Homewares. Grab a coffee at Fat Goose Cafe or try L’anxaneta Spanish Tapas.

Try the Bouddi Coastal walk in Bouddi National Park. The full walk takes approx two hours one way.

For a special dinner try Stefano Manfredi  in the restaurant at Bells at Killcare at 107 The Scenic Road, Killcare Heights

The Old Milk Factory has a beautiful river setting and artisan cheese makers on site.  Try their ‘Central Coast Gold’ it has a fabulous sharp flavour. At 141-155 Alison Road, Wyong 2259 - www.oldmilkfactory.com.au

Kims Beach Hideaway is a favourite of Sydneysiders and visiting celebrities – not that you will get any names out of the staff! At 16 Charlton Street, Toowoon Bay - www.kims.com.au

For updated information before you travel, visit www.getoutofsydney.com.au

Alison Carmichael-Rulten’s website is at http://www.acrcommunique.com

Images Wikimedia Commons

Bundaberg, in Queensland’s north, is known mainly for, well, Bundaberg Rum. Deborah Dickson Smith is in search of something more romantic. Nearby Lady Elliot Island provides.

If you’re a Bundy-and-coke-kinda-gal then the distillery is probably worth a visit but this Goddess is more partial to liquids made from grapes. Preferably with bubbles. Nearby, however, there are a couple of attractions that in my mind are much more special, the first of which we head off to as the sun sets: Mon Repos.

Mon Repos is a protected beach a few kilometres north of Bundy and home to the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles on the eastern Australian coast.

Each night volunteers take up to 300 visitors (in small groups) along the beach to share in the experience of nesting turtles.

On the night we visit there are several big mamas along the beach, toiling up to the sand dunes to lay 80 to 100 or so eggs, bury them and cleverly disguise the nest before shuffling back down the beach. It’s an amazing sight.

You’re pretty much guaranteed a turtle sighting between November and January but if you’re really lucky (like us) you may also get to see some hatchlings emerge. And they are darlings.

The following day we visit another nearby treasure: Lady Elliott Island. Well, I say nearby, it’s 80 kilometres off the coast but Bundy is the closest departure point.

Lady Elliott Island lies on the outer edge, at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. The continental shelf is a mere 10km to the east and the island therefore attracts large numbers of marine mega-fauna.

It’s a tiny coral atoll, decimated 100 years ago by early entrepreneurs who stripped the island bare while mining the guana produced by the 1000s of nesting seabirds.

A regeneration program has been in place for several decades now and the island’s endemic plants are thriving. This has brought the seabirds back in their 1000s. In fact, the latest estimates claim a population of 500,000 (it can be noisy – ear plugs are supplied).

The island is surrounded by beautiful coral gardens. Here you can grab a snorkel, step off the beach and be swimming with turtles within minutes of arriving.You don’t need to be a diver to appreciate the reef here – you don’t really even need to be able to swim – it’s within paddling distance at some points.

Swimming with these gentle, graceful creatures is a life-changing experience. I could spend hours following them around, tickling their shells and completely filling the memory card on my camera.

But wait, there’s more: further out on the reef we encounter manta rays, leopard sharks, wobbegongs, bull rays, and wrasse of all sizes and colours.  The palette  of colours is amazing, both the coral and the thousands of fish swimming around me.

The lagoon, sometimes too shallow for swimming, is home to a huge array of brightly coloured corals, giant clams and resident wrasse and clown fish.

When completely dived out we treat ourselves to some bubbles and nibbles and watch the sun set over the reef. It’s certainly a romantic spot.

Deborah’s first trip with her first child (at 4 months old) involved a 26 hour flight with no sleep, which is exactly when she realised travelling with kids wasn’t quite the same as without. Deborah has lived in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Edinburgh, London and now resides in Sydney’s northern beaches with her Brady Bunch-style family of seven – all seasoned travellers. Deb blogs at www.littlenomads.com and you can follow Deb on Twitter @deborahzoe42

Tamara Sheward packs her kit bag and checks out five destinations that are the cat’s pyjamas for feline fetishists. (Did you know Ernest Hemingway called them ‘love sponges’?)

Japanese cats are go!

Cat Island, Japan

Worship cats? Then you’ll be in good company on Tashirojima Island. Home to a cat shrine, 50-odd cat-shaped stone monuments and numerous buildings with pointy ears and whiskers, the island’s fisherfolk (who number far fewer than the feline population) believe that being kind to kitties brings good fortune. Go it alone or share the smooches on a cat lovers’ tour.

Back on the mainland, drop into any one of Tokyo’s 40-plus kitty cafes. Drink coffee! Play with cats! Be prepared to battle for the cream, though.

Festival of the Cats, Belgium

This one presents a bit of quandary for cat-folks. On the one hand, the festival (Kattenstoet) recalls and reenacts the hurling of cats from a belfry tower – the old “witchcraft” chestnut – an ancient ritual that puts the “evil” in “medieval”. But the modern event smacks of pussy payback: the “cats” thrown today are stuffed toys, and an elaborate parade pays homage to the mighty meowser with enormous cat floats, cat-shion shows and jaunty marching bands. Kattenstoet, a tri-annual event, will be held May 13, 2012.

Hemingway Home, USA

So, only lonely girls in embarrassing pyjamas and chubby chick-lit writers dig cats, hey? Dare you to travel back in time and say that to Ernest Hemingway’s face. The toughest, roughest, blokiest bastard ever to smash a typewriter was so smitten by kittens that he called them “love sponges”. “Papa” owned scores of cats, but it was the six-toed Snowball whose legacy lives on at Hemmy’s Key West estate: this popular tourist destination is home to at least 50 polydactyl pusses all descended from the white Maine Coon.

Kuching, Borneo

Kuching means “Cat City” in Malaysian, so it’s pretty much guaranteed nobody will twirl their finger at their temple when they hear you shrieking “Pusspusspuss ooooh cutie kitty!” (or highbrow exclamations to that regard) when you stumble across a backstreet moggie. The cleanest city in Malaysia – but of course – Kuching is home to a staggeringly comprehensive Cat Museum (enter through the gaping cat maw), a research centre focussed on cat-based religions and idiotically adorable (righto: “kitsch”) cat statues dotted across town.

Egypt

The Sphinx. Cat mummies. The cult of Bastet. Egypt is ground zero for femmes with a feline fancy. But you’re a crazy – sorry: “enamoured” – cat lady, so you knew that already. A gazillion tomb paintings – many which depict contented kitties lording it over their ladies (sound familiar?) – are on offer, as are decorative cat statues, all of which will be batted off the mantelpiece by your fave feline when you get home.

Image Palmerslodges.com

Private rooms in hostels (under £75 if you book months ahead) are one way to stay in London without wasting money on mini-bars. Even better, if you are prepared to stay in a dormitory full of other women, you can stay overnight for the price of dinner. It’s your choice, but these three are the hippest and the best.

The Designer One

Palmers Lodge (pictured above) is beautifully styled with retro furniture and leather armchairs, and costs under £60 for a private ensuite room, off-peak. Free internet and continental breakfast is included, as is a reading room. Also on offer? A games room, a bar in an old bike shed, cafe, restaurant, pool table, towel hire, hairdryer hire. It’s in Willesden Green, a leafy London suburb – thus the price drop. Holiday Goddess editors who’ve stayed, say – expect a short walk to 24-hour bus stops and the tube (London Underground train) station, with trains taking you into London, in the time it takes you to read Metro, the free local newspaper. Book here.

The Punk History One

Clink 78 is a hostel with a history. It used to be a courthouse, and it takes its name from the 1978 trial of punk legends The Clash, who were convicted here for shooting pigeons. It also happens to be the place where Charles Dickens worked on Oliver Twist between 1837 and 1839  so bring your laptop. It is an English Heritage  listed building and although a bit (just a bit) backpackery, it also offers private rooms. We booked six months ahead and found a rate for £75 overnight. Book here.

The One Near Harvey Nichols

The Meininger Hyde Park is within walking distance of Harvey Nichols and Harrods. It’s also a short walk from the Victoria and Albert Museum, which Holiday Goddess editors love for its fashion collection. This is a German hostel inside Baden Powell House, the boy scout headquarters of Great Britain. If you are travelling with a boy scout, he can get a discount. For you, it’s still cheap. The last time we checked this place was looking clean, modern, super-organised and very busy. We suggest booking as far in advance as possible to grab the incredibly low rates all under £60. Find your room here.

Our March update

Where are the best cheap Paris and London hotels, right now, for your Spring/Summer 2012 trip? Right here.

Best Paris Bargainista Luxury Hotel

If you want beauty, and a garden (but not a huge price-tag) then Hotel des Grandes Ecoles (nearest Metro train station, Cardinal Lemoine) is your best bet. Rooms are priced from 118 Euros (see our rough currency converter, below). A continental breakfast is 9 Euros.

Best Paris Cheap+Chic Area

If you don’t have time to waste on the internet wading through reviews and ever-changing prices, then just do this. Hit ‘Gare du Nord’ on your search. You will be looking for hotels around the major Paris train station, Gare du Nord. You won’t find The Ritz, so be warned. But you will find French charm, shabby history, lots of wonderful cafes for breakfast and low, low overnight prices. You will be a short walk away from all the Eurostar trains arriving from London (and connecting you from Paris to the rest of Europe).  You can also use the big Gare du Nord station itself to catch the Metro, which connects you in just a few stops to the centre of Paris.

Holiday Goddess specialises in Gare du Nord hotels under 70 Euros (under US/AUD$100) a night on its handpicked list with Bookings.com. Hit our list now and search Paris, Gare du Nord for the latest flash-sale bargains.

London’s Best Bet – The YHA Chain

Just go!

Book months ahead for these rooms. You’re looking for London Central YHA (right in the centre of London) and also London St Pancras YHA (next to the train station, Kings Cross St. Pancras, which connects you by Eurostar to Paris. It’s also central).

The YHA have been looking after people for years, so they know what they are doing. Both these hostels in their chain are recently renovated, close to tube (LondonUnderground train) stations and have a modern, fresh feel.  London Central YHA is at 108 Bolsover Street WI and the nearest tube is Great Portland Street. Rooms from £70 overnight. London St. Pancras YHA is close to the luxurious shops, cafes, bars and Paris-bound trains inside the mighty train station, Kings Cross St Pancras, just up the road. It’s at 79 Euston Road, with rooms from £61. Find both here.

The Biggest, Cheapest  European Hotel Search Website

Want to compare Holiday Goddess prices  with another vast booking site? We really love Hotels Fairy.

Best European Hostel Chain for Glampacking

The St. Christopher’s chain has hostels across Europe. We did a random price-check in the off-peak season and found a double room in Paris, with shared bathroom, for £42.71. If you can sleep in a dormitory, the prices for dorm beds are seriously low – you can stay over in some St. Christopher’s European hostels for the price of dinner.

ROUGH PRICE GUIDE

20 Euros = about $25 (Australian or US) or £17

Holiday Goddess Contributing Editor and New York stylist Lily Evans, admires Jade Jagger’s beach boutique in North Goa, India

Lily Evans hits the road

 Aswem beach, situated in North Goa, is a beautiful and peaceful destination. You can sit in the sun with the sea rolled out like a carpet in front and a thick wall of lanky palm trees behind you. The sea remains shallow for a long walk out, making it perfect for kids to play in or adults to lie in. Accommodation is easy, as the beach shack owners rent huts, rooms and “tree houses” above their businesses. They are very cheap, safe and fun.

Aswem is home to cult French restaurant La Plage. Handsome Indian men wearing black lungis float around to take your order in this outside dining space;  a perfect extension of the beach. “Simplicity is chic!” Serge, one of owners told me. And I agree. Seating is comfortable between palm trees, beautiful bougainvilleas and the cool crowd. It’s easy to enjoy the great menu, large wine selection and sea breeze. Rare tuna fillet with wasabi mash potatoes and the chocolate “thali” desert sampler are two favorite treats.

 Jade Jagger has also set up both a beach boutique and a bar on this shanty strip. The boutique is a modest hut, nicely camouflaged into its pretty surroundings. Inside a long table controls the middle of the room displaying Miss Jagger’s new jewellery line.

A Jade Jagger original

Expect lots of bright gold adorned with unusual colored gems; it brings to mind the treasure of some lost Egyptian goddess. The circling walls hold racks of Jade Jagger collection dresses, which you’ll want to buy and wear out of the shop and into the sun.

Next door is Miss Jagger’s bar, 1971. A cool, intimate space, that serves delicious fresh cocktails and plays great music (that can come as a breath of fresh air if you’ve spent days surrounded by Goa Trance). Order the strawberry daiquiris to kick start a fun night.

Read more from Lily Evans in The Holiday Goddess Handbag Guide(HarperCollins).  Lily  is a writer and stylist living in New York. She has worked for Vogue and Teen Vogue, on runway shows including Victoria’s Secret and as a writer for magazines including Vice. Originally from the south east coast of England, she now spends her time between New York, London and India. See her website at Bless This Dress blessthisdress.net.