Described as ‘nostalgic surfer chic meets Miami catwalk cool’ this is really one of the most exciting hotels SHE’s spent time at in a long while. From the moment you arrive it’s pretty clear that things are very different here. The staff were, without exception, friendly, knowledgeable, relaxed, informal without crossing the line into too laidback. Their retro style uniforms scream personality – striped board shorts and neat jackets, red braces over crisp white shirts, bright blue outfits for the ladies at reception. Staff are a good looking bunch that are clearly encouraged to embrace their individualism. How refreshing. Importantly it really works. It’s hard not to smile when you’re greeted by these happy people who obviously enjoy their jobs.

SHE stayed in a mountain / river view room but pay a little extra and choose the ocean view; waking up in the morning to the stunning views of that gorgeous coast is part of the reason for being here isn’t it? It was the most comfortable bed SHE’s slept in – like sinking into a giant marshmallow! Rooms have a small balcony – SHE loves doors and windows that open. And ocean view room balconies catch the sun all day. And that fresh sea air.

The decor is retro, bright and breezy: there’s a cockatoo lamp by the bed, thongs hanging in bags, fresh lemonade on arrival, personality everywhere you turn (including the hairdryer). Minibar prices are reasonable: $3 for bottled water, $7 for a beer. No spirits but a bottle of reasonable wine cost $29. Everything in the room is for sale so there’s no excuse for accidentally popping that cockatoo in your suitcase!

Bazaar restaurant hosts breakfast. Happy, friendly staff greet guests, escorting diners to their tables via the buffet area explaining what’s on offer before seating. It’s a nice touch. And this isn’t your regular hotel buffet, it’s definitely more food station and certainly not standard. Chefs chat with guests, keen to assist with any special requests, and everyone seems genuinely happy to be here. Eggs to order, crispy bacon, housemade beans and crunchy hash browns, fluffy pancakes, a great selection of fruit, juices served in neat bottles. There are loose leaf tea bags as standard, and SHE heard a fellow diner comment on the excellent quality of the coffee. A latte was an additional $4 and was surprisingly good coffee – hooray! Even on a busy Father’s Day staff were still bright and breezy, and they don’t forget a face. Attention to detail. Nice.

Stingray bar has it going on…great music (Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, toe tapping tunes on a Friday night), great bar menu (tacos, sliders, salads, pizza) with table service, and flat screens on walls showing sport and footy games of all codes. A request to switch one of the screens to AFL (in a rugby state!) was met with a smile and ‘no problems!’. Fabulous.

This is definitely the grooviest hotel on the Coast – SHE can’t wait to come back.

Now let’s set the scene: it’s reported that there are around 5 million motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City. That’s a lot of traffic. The road rules (compared to ours in Australia) don’t seem to exist yet somehow all the mayhem just seems to work itself out. It’s not unusual to see motorbikes being ridden the wrong way up a street (and that’s not just the Aussies forgetting to ride on the other side of the road). Sometimes riders will take the footpath to avoid waiting at the lights (of course, that’s logical right?!). And it’s terrifying to be amongst all this. Crossing the road is an adrenalin rush: SHE found it easier to hang around for a couple of minutes to wait for a local and tag along behind them. So given all this it would seem crazy to willingly jump on the back of a motorbike for a tour…surely it’s much safer to be contained in a coach? Safe is good.

Well…travel is about trying something different, about stepping outside your comfort zone. As it turns out, this Vespa tour was the coolest thing SHE’s ever done in this city! It was a hoot! We were picked up from our hotel, whisked off to a local cafe to wait for others. Watching the world go by from Cafe Zoom was just plain entertaining. After a couple of drinks it was on with the helmet and on the back of the Vespa to our first food stop – of many it turned out! Our tour took us behind the scenes of Ho Chi Minh city – we dined with the locals, zoomed down tiny back streets and into areas SHE would never have discovered travelling solo. Surprisingly, SHE didn’t feel unsafe at street level, waiting at the lights, jammed amongst all the other motorbikes and riders. It would never happen in Australia but that’s all part of the appeal of this adventure. We laughed out loud at ourselves – and the locals laughed right back at us. We chatted to each other from the back of our bikes – and made some new friends. We visited a couple of local bars – our favourite was reached by walking down a dark laneway, through a building that looked like someone’s house, up a set of rickety stairs, and into a tightly packed room that revealed a solo singer performing beautiful live classical Vietnamese music. Completely random and absolutely unforgettable.

There was one more live music venue on the list to complete the night: a little more upbeat where the band bashed out everything from Adele to Oasis; with cocktails on offer this was a cracker! The tour officially finished here but our drivers offered to drop us at a local disco to continue our evening. Another hilarious venue, another story, another time! Hands down, flat out the best night in Ho Chi Minh ever!

SHE loves a good entrance but this one really did take the gold medal (pardon the Olympics pun!). A long walkway with shimmering candles set into the walls drawing you in to what you hope is the restaurant. There’s no clue to what lies beyond when you’re standing outside the door; that can be a little intimidating but, as it turns out, so worth it.

At the end of the walkway the restaurant reveals itself. Smiling staff to greet and welcome diners – SHE chose to sit in the bar area where tables of two and four are thankfully not too close together. On a busy night, you’re welcome to sit up at the bar and wait for one of these tables to become available. This is the less formal dining option but you’re able to choose from the bar menu or the full restaurant menu – SHE thinks it’s the best of both worlds.

SHE was seated, offered a drink, the menu, and settled in to choose something wonderful. And indeed it was: Alaskan King crab cocktail washed down with a glass of Vasse Felix chardonnay. It was absolutely delicious.

There’s something about Rockpool: SHE thinks it’s ‘grownup’. It’s like kicking back in a very comfortable, well worn leather lounge – it just feels right. The service was excellent: professional, slick without being impersonal, attentive without being intrusive. There’s a sense of style and class in this space and SHE hopes that it will rub off on other restaurants about to find their home in Crown Perth.

And there it was…just down the road…Cape Sienna Hotel & Villas (cue chorus of ‘hallelujah’!). This is one very stylish, contemporary hotel that impressed from the moment the lift doors opened on to an expansive view of the Andaman Sea. It’s hilly in these parts and the hotel takes full advantage of its position perched up high overlooking the village of Kamala.

Just 15 minutes drive from Patong (and around 400 baht or $11 in a taxi quite late at night!) this hotel ticks all the boxes for grown ups. Sorry folks with kids but in five days here SHE crossed paths with mostly couples and a few ‘more mature’ singles seeking an escape from the many family friendly resorts in this part of the world.

After a lazy day of lying by the pool and snacking on some really great food in the Poolside Bar Restaurant, SHE deserved a drink. Not just any drink mind you…preferably one that comes with a view to take your breath away: Vanilla Sky Bar. As the storm clouds gathered, SHE sipped a truly fabulous cocktail and enjoyed a sunset to remind you how good it is to be alive.

On this stormy night most guests were staying put and the restaurant was unexpectedly busy. The mostly young Thai staff stepped up nicely – smiling, apologizing for the smallest of delays, moving quickly but clearly enjoying the faster pace. The menu here is extensive – SHE could have happily dined here for the five day stay and not exhausted the options. That’s a nice change.

Service is clearly a priority here – the Customer Service Manager was ‘on deck’ by the pool most days, chatting with guests, asking about their stay, ‘Is your bed comfortable madam? We can organise a pillow top if it’s too hard.’ The response: ‘yes please!’ SHE didn’t even know it was an option but now that you mention it…by mid afternoon, it was done. The result: a great night’s sleep and one very happy girl!

Attention to detail, friendly staff, and a hands on approach go a long way in the highly competitive world of hospitality and tourism. The manager at the hotel up the road (who hasn’t responded to an email from this very unhappy guest) should drop by for a day or two. Maybe then she’d understand what all the fuss is about, and why guests are leaving her hotel in droves.

Here’s what SHE knows as surely as the sun rises and sets every day…you don’t know a person until you work together, travel together, or sleep together! Honestly…think about that for a moment. You and a friend think you have so much in common. You talk about travelling: where you want to go, what you like to do, the kind of places you want to visit and why. Yet nothing prepares you for the fact that when you finally begin this much anticipated journey things start to go a little wrong. Maybe it’s the hotel, it’s too hot, there’s too many people, not enough people…doubts start to build until something small finally tips one of you over the edge.

So SHE finds herself 4 days into a 9 day trip, after a few rocky days, and a rather large night on the town (its possible this contributed), on the receiving end of a text message (hello?!) announcing said friend is ‘on the way home, enjoy the rest of your holiday’. Wow. Talk about left of centre…

Finding yourself suddenly alone half way through a 9 day holiday, scratching your head, wondering what the hell happened is not the kind of travel experience SHE wants to repeat. As it turns out, SHE’s okay on her own, but how many of us would decide to get the next plane home too? What a damn waste!

On reflection, this is just one of the many reasons SHE travels was born: tired of travelling alone to beautiful places SHE wanted to share experiences, make new friends, but have the space to relax and retreat to some privacy without offending the buddy! SHE travels brings small groups of women together with shared interests, travelling to a destination that they’re interested in, or they wouldn’t have signed up for it. SHE doesn’t take our groups to places SHE hasn’t personally been to, hotels SHE hasn’t stayed in. No surprises for the ladies who travel with us. And women seem to be very comfortable travelling with other women they don’t know, when everything’s organised for them, as long as the don’t need to share room with a stranger. They can relax, no pressure to keep the ‘Bestie’ happy, party when they just want to sleep, or be the one who seems to have been labelled ‘in charge’.

If this sounds like you, or you’re afraid it might be you on the one valuable, much anticipated annual holiday….drop us a line. SHE gets it…BIG time! And SHE’d love you to join us.

Rating as one of the coolest things SHE got amongst during a stay in Los Angeles was a Segway tour through Beverly Hills. Our group were first time Segway riders – a little nervous, a touch apprehensive. After a safety demonstration, some expert guidance, and practice in the carpark, our confidence increased and we headed off in single file through Beverly Hills. Segways are licensed to be ridden on the sidewalk in America – how cool is that? They’re incredibly easy to ride, require little skill and limited training. They’re easy to manoeuvre and they ‘turn on a dime’ (and that’s a neat trick once your confidence increases!)

We glided down the palm-lined streets of Beverly Hills, past the houses of the rich and famous, and along Robertson Street for glimpses in boutiques and celebrity eateries. The highlight, without a doubt, was gliding along Rodeo Drive – absolutely awesome! SHE was surprised how forgiving the locals were…people happily moved out of our way as we rolled slowly down the centre of the sidewalk. Many joked with us that it was the best way to travel, and not one person was angry or upset with us. Can’t honestly say that SHE thinks it would be the same if we rolled through Bourke St Mall in Melbourne on a Friday afternoon!

The people at Another Side of Los Angeles Tour were fantastic: helpful, accommodating, patient, excellent teachers and knowledgeable guides. Our guide somehow managed to not only navigate her way through busy streets, but keep an eye on us at the same time – and she gave those of us who were feeling confident a chance to pick up the pace a little once we reached a quieter area – big fun! Some simple hand gestures and clear communication made this trip a stress-free experience. Thanks guys! SHE loved it and SHE’ll be back!

Arriving at the hotel SHE checked in and went to the room. Despite having booked two king or queen rooms (subject to availability of course and this is well understood) SHE found herself in a room with 2 single beds, on the lowest possible floor, facing the carpark, and as it turned out, with disabled facilities in the bathroom. Now there’s not one thing wrong with the disabled facilities, it just wasn’t what was expected. And of course there was no bath. As it turns out, one of the two booked rooms was a large corner room with a king bed located on a high floor. The two rooms could not have been more different and were clearly not the same room type. After one visit back to Reception and two further phone calls, SHE was finally moved to another room. A bit precious maybe? SHE just likes to get what SHE pays for.

On check out, the Reception staff member asked the question: “Was everything alright with your room?”. The answer was an emphatic “no, not really”. For a 5 star hotel SHE thought the facilities generally weren’t up to scratch. The room certainly did not resemble this lovely shiny photo! And he did ask the question, so he got an answer. He then spent some time explaining that if the booking had been made through the hotel website, a room type would have been guaranteed. Since the booking was made through WOTIF (and quote…”we don’t encourage people to book through WOTIF’) the room allocated was quite possibly the worst room in the house. After another 10 minutes giving more explanation about the pitfalls of booking through WOTIF, SHE turned on her heel and got out of there pronto.

SHE’s in the business of events, hospitality and tourism. SHE’s pretty confident that if a booking had been made through a hotel contact dealing in our industry market or indeed the hotel website, that a very different room type would have been allocated to this traveller. The message to the hotel: consider yourself  ‘mystery shopped’ and consider the result a great big ‘fail’. And as for the staff member who attempted to explain the situation: I’m sure WOTIF will be interested in knowing how little the hotel values their contribution to filling the rooms and keeping everyone employed as a result. Don’t bite the hand the feeds you folks.

More often than not hotels will charge for Wi Fi. SHE just doesn’t get it. Why not offer complimentary access in the bar or restaurant? No? Prefer the extra revenue you’ll think you’ll earn from us? $12 an hour/$25 a day – no thanks. So off SHE goes, with the laptop, Ipad, Iphone to the cafe around the corner: to catch up on emails, maybe a Skype call home, browse the internet, research the next stop. And this is thirsty work…SHE’ll order a coffee, maybe skip breakfast in the hotel and have it here…there could be a spend of $10 or a $100. So,  in fact, SHE has paid for the luxury of Wi Fi access, SHE’s just done it happily.

A recent Luxury Travel Magazine article quotes a survey that found “71 per cent of hotel guests say having Wi-Fi in their rooms influences where they stay”. And “free Wi-Fi was the most desired amenity for hotel guests”. Hello…hotel people…are you listening?

To the General Managers and owners of hotels who just can’t bring themselves to offer free Wi Fi – SHE thinks you have an opportunity here. In these uncertain times why not give yourself a competitive edge, and maybe increase your food and beverage revenue while you’re there. The smart hotels will give us what we’ll soon demand: free Wi Fi included in your hotel rate or we’ll vote with our feet.

A passing suggestion to a client ‘have you considered Ayers Rock?’ evolved into the beginnings of a 4 day program for a small group of lucky, hardworking resellers. So it’s off to the Rock SHE goes, leaving any real expectations behind on the tarmac in Melbourne. It’s a fact finding mission so SHE’s taking an open mind, a sense of humour, and warm clothes!

Straight up it’s worth mentioning (& clarifying) the names of where we are: the early explorers were responsible for the naming of the Olgas and Ayers Rock in Central Australia, as you do when you’re an explorer trekking to god knows where to find god knows what. The local indigenous people refer to Ayers Rock as ‘Uluru’ and the Olgas as ‘Kata Tjuta’. SHE henceforth follows suit in respect to the local traditional owners.

The centre of our country is pretty much 3 hours from Sydney, Brisbane or Perth. Qantas and Virgin Australia can get you here. A connection from Melbourne meant an early start (7.30am flight – not too bad) and arrival into Uluru at around 1pm. From the left hand side of the plane SHE had fabulous views of the salt lakes (who knew?) and that rock. Jeez…that’s a big rock!
A snappy luggage-on-baggage-carousel delivery (good work boys) and a 10 minute transfer to the hotel sees the beginning of the experience. The Ayers Rock Resort is the only option for accommodation if you want a room, hot shower, running water – oh, and a hairdryer! And it’s pretty good: SHE stayed at the Desert Gardens Hotel – the 4.5 star version. Very comfortable, a room on the first floor (that’s as high as it goes thankfully) overlooking the Rock. Admittedly its a fair way in the distance but absolutely no doubt that it really does exist! There are plenty of other accommodation options: SHE also liked the self contained apartments; nice to be able to whip up a meal if that’s your thing. Sails in the Desert (the 5 star option) is soon to undergo a room refurbishment; looks flash and a nice choice. Note: no rock view from here.

The Resort has plenty of facilities: the supermarket pretty much sells everything (there’s the self catering option checked). Prices are reasonable given the remote location. Restaurants: SHE visited the Red Rock Deli (ahhh… good coffee, surprise!) and Geckos for dinner one night – excellent chicken schnitzel. The pizza and pasta also looked great. Service staff were friendly, efficient, chatty, and happy to recommend their favourite thing in and around the Rock. How refreshing to see hospitality staff who enjoy the place they work in.

And now for the highlights…’this town revolves around sunrise and sunset’. Yep – sure does! There’s a flurry of activity as bleary eyed tourists meet for a 6am departure to watch the sunrise over Uluru. It’s hard to find a quiet space amongst all those tourists but a chat to your local guide will see you sharing it with fewer than a dozen. It was freezing (2 degrees) and the temperature dips as the sun rises (holy s…). Thermals, 3 layers, gloves, beanie – little defence against the icy wind that picked up post sunrise. Memo to travellers: be prepared if visiting in winter!

The Cultural Centre at the base of Uluru is well worth a visit. SHE tracked along with a small group gradually defrosting; a breakfast at the cafe following sunrise was light, tasty and warming. From here it was off on a guided walk with Anangu Tours, an Aboriginal-owned company providing tours at the Rock. Our guide, Sarah, spoke in her local language, using another guide to translate to English for us. It was fascinating and surprisingly entertaining: body language remains the universal communicator. Our tour ended at the base of Uluru, and it was here the sheer size and scale of the monolith quite literally took our breath away. SHE loved this tour, a great introduction to the area and the local people. And the biggest surprise of all was just how green the area is. Our guide told us that due to the amount of rain in the Centre, plant and flora varieties not seen in 14 years are raising their beautiful heads. The colours are amazing and so vibrant against the clear blue sky: reds, yellows, purples, and the rich ochre. Truly the colours of Australia.

SHE would visit the Cultural  Centre again, take some time to walk around, and then complete the base walk of Uluru (a flat, easy 2 – 3 hour walk). Oh – folks…no climbing the Rock. Locals won’t say it like that but just don’t. It’s not appropriate or safe. If you want to climb something, go to the Himalayas.

Sunrise at Kata Tjuta also makes the ‘must do’ list;  another early morning that’s worth dragging yourself out of bed for. SHE joined the wonderful people from SEIT Tours: small groups and personalised attention is this company’s point of difference. And you’ll find some options here no other company is offering. SHE thinks it good to share the love around the Red Centre.

And yes, the Sounds of Silence dinner is everything its cracked up to be. More relaxed than SHE had expected, and very social (travellers do love a chat don’t we?). Run like a well-oiled machine in true laid back Outback fashion, without any stress or drama. Pre dinner drinks with the accompaniment of a didgeridoo as the sun set over Kata Tjuta – wow. (Nice photo on the left hey?! SHE’s very proud of it!) A walk down a pathway through the glorious red sand (don’t pack the white runners if you want to see that colour again!) reveals white clothed tables and a dinner buffet. Service, again, was friendly and didn’t miss a beat. No shortage of drink service made for lively conversation with new friends.

Following dinner, the limited lighting was dimmed completely and, in darkness, Emma, our stargazer (love that for a job title), explained those amazing twinkly planets and stars to us. Fascinating. SHE now knows how to find true South, a very handy skill to have just in case SHE’s ever lost in the desert, or out on a very dark night! A peek through a telescope revealed Saturn – wow. And for those who’ve never been to the Outback – the stars alone are reason to get out here.

SHE saw the sun rise (2 mornings in a row – couldn’t get enough!), only right to see it set…this time on the back of a camel with the boys (and girls) from the Camel Farm! Fabulous. SHE’s been on a camel in Central Australia before but this experience topped them all. What a treat to plod through the desert – Uluru on the right, Kata Tjuta on the left, as the sun dipped over the horizon. Could you ever get tired of seeing that?

3 days and 2 nights just weren’t quite enough. SHE’s very much looking forward to getting back to the Red Centre next year, adding an extra day and night to pack some more amazing experiences into. There really is something special about this place, and it’s hard to put it into words. It’s the heart of our country.

For first time travellers to the Centre SHE has some tips for your consideration:

• Forget about how much everything costs and just get amongst it. In this place sits our history and our culture, right here in this incredible part of the world. You’ll regret scrimping and scraping. And that’s what credit cards are for.
• Drink water, travel with water, don’t leave the Resort without it. There’s plenty of places to fill your bottle. 5 times dryer than any other Australian destination, dehydration is a very real issue here.
• If you’re a dirty rotten smoker could you please not smoke in the middle of a pristine environment with real fresh air? Or while the rest of us are having dinner in the middle of the desert? And if you have to, pick up your damn butts. Honestly – get a patch.
• In the warmer months: buy Desert Dwellers insect repellant from the local Information Office (all natural and the only thing that works; apparently the pesky flies find Aerogard very tasty). Accept that heat, flies and red dust are all a part of it, and stop whingeing. Its boring.
• Invest in the ultimate fashion item – the fly net hat thingy. You’ll look like a daggy tourist but honestly – do you care?
• Travel in winter if you don’t want to deal with the flies. Do anticipate the freezing temperatures and pack accordingly. Yes – it really is cold and shorts and tshirts are SO NOT appropriate at 6am! Bring them out around midday for some of that stunning sunshine and blue sky we love so much…and other countries can’t quite believe is real. Lucky us.

In the words of that well known jingle written by local identity Barry Skipsey for Northern Territory Tourism all those years ago: ‘you’ll never never know if you never never go’. Go on…get out there.

And now, at last…what a wonderful surprise to find the very stylish Cafe Vue shining like a beacon in the newly revamped Melbourne International Airport terminal! Pass through security and customs, pick up your duty free and treat yourself to a great Melbourne cafe institution.  When SHE visited a few weeks ago, SHE perched up at a lovely high table and watched the airport world go by. It was early-ish (around 8am) so breakfast was calling.

Crispy corn fritters with avocado purée. Yum. At $11 it’s far superior to the buffet breakfast offering in the main airport. Real food, cafe quality, cooked to order and beautifully presented. Coffee by 5 senses with organic milk in lovely crockery. Delicious.(Of course you can do takeaway coffee but SHE doesn’t do paper cups or coffee on the run – life’s too short to drink from cardboard!)

Bread is baked on the premises using organic flour.  There’s sandwiches, pies, salads, cakes, pastries and biscuits made daily. Wonderful, fresh, appetising options. SHE loved the Plane Boxes: for those travelling on low cost airlines you can choose from a picnic style box that might include a sandwich, fruit and a macaroon (oh yumm!). Definitely more interesting (and much healthier) than the trolley offerings on board.

The licensed Cafe’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (menus are available for alacarte dining). There’s a ‘Menu du Jour’ 2 courses for $35. Open 21 hours.

It’s definitely not your standard airport fare. And it’s sure to scare some people away with it’s upmarket cafe presentation. SHE thinks it’s the perfect way to while away time waiting, waiting, waiting… Very stylish, very Melbourne.