INDIA: Travel recommendations

India is said to be the most culturally diverse country on our planet and its easy to see why it has the ability to offer one of the most remarkable travel experiences you could ever imagine. If you have never travelled here or planning a trip in the future, one thing you must realize is India is a truly massive country that offers a rich and diverse travelling experience in every single corner of the country. India has the ability to shock, surprise, excite, and disgust you all in the same moment. For me, this was my favourite country I have ever been to and took my travels to a whole new level. They say there are two types of travellers; those who have been to india, and those who have NOT. I am pleased to be able to say that I now fit into the group of 'haves' instead of 'have nots'.

I spent 3 months in India and to begin my journey, I started on the far east in Varanasi and eventually made my way by train across to New Delhi in the west. I Volunteered working with street kids and children from the slums for a month and a half in a smaller city 30 km south of New Delhi. After that I Went up north for a week and then continued west to the Pakistan border and then travelled down south into the Thar Desert. From there I continued down south to Bombay and then eventually made it all the way down to Kerala in the south.

VARANASI:

This is by far one of the most holy and sacred places to visit in India. Its a densely populated city which lies along the Ganges river just before it flows out into the Bay of Bengal on the east coast. Varanasi is the city where almost all Hindus go to when they die and get cremated by their family along the river banks in hopes of breaking the life cycle and sending their spirit to freely roam in the heavens among the gods. If you plan to go to India, you need to put this city high on your priority list of things to do.

KHAJURAHO TEMPLES:

Is an amazing fortress of ancient erotic temples and best known as the Kama sutra temples. If you've been to Cambodia and seen Angkor Wat, its actually comparable on many levels! Although often overlooked by most travellers that venture to this foreign land; it is a must see in my books. For some strange reason that I never understood, the accommodation cost is a bit higher than most places in India so make sure you barter for the lowest rate possible and never take the first price they throw at you. I would recommend to hire a guide to drive you around and tell you all about the area and the history as the perimeter of the area that encases all the temples. The entire area is massive and would require days of walking to see everything. It is best to visit the main temples in the morning when the gates open before all the tourists pile in and ruin the ambience of the area.

AGRA:

Has to be on the the most famous places to visit in India. It is the busy bustling and grungy city that ironically enough, encases the most beautiful building ever built on our planet. The almighty Taj Mahal. If you go to India and don't see the Taj; to be very blunt, you are a fool. I had heard that the best time to see the Taj was during a full moon or right at sunrise if you can time it right. Since it was not a full moon when I was there, I decided to do the next best thing and see it at sunrise and make sure that I was one of the first into the compound. By doing so, it ensured me that I could be one of the few that got a first glimpse and photo of the Taj Mahal before the masses of tourists flooded in. The entrance gates open at varying times during the year depending on the actual time of the sunrise so be sure to ask at your guest house upon check-in. If you have to wake up early and looking for a great place to get breakfast and fill your belly before the gates open, I highly recommend a little corner side restuarant named: Joney's Cafe. This restaurant is quite small and doesn't have the most appealing appearance to it from the outside but rest assured, it has some of the best breakfast food and Lassi shakes I tasted in all of India. To top it off this little cafe is open early far before most of the other restaurants.

FATEPHUR SKIRI:

This is a smaller city in Indian standards that is approximately 20 km or a 45 minute bus ride from Agra. This not so well known city is full of amazing temples and buidling structures and is often overlooked by most travellers or tourists that flock to Agra just to see the Taj and then continue on back to Delhi or other busy areas of India. Its a bit off the beaten trail but a must see and the best part of all is its easy to get to using local transport from the main bus station in Agra.

NEW DELHI:

Is officially the most intense and full on city I have ever encountered along my travels. 'Full power 24 hrs' is the best way to explain this place. Most backpackers stick together in a busy section of the city called Pahar Ganj. New Delhi is full of amazing sights and people waiting to get your money lurk around every street corner so you always have to be on your toes anywhere you go here and be ready for what lies for you around each corner you turn. You also need to be very cautious who you trust and make sure you barter, barter, barter for everything and anything you purchase or when you use the rickshaw drivers for transport.

Things to Do in Delhi:

• Akshardam Temple - This incredible state of the art temple was built in 2005. Its a huge maze of buildings so give yourself 3-4 hours here to visit all the temples and watch a few of the various shows throughout the temple grounds.
• Jama Masid - Holds the title for the largest mosque in India.
• Kareems Restuarant - This restuarant is famous for its delicious mouth watering dishes and is located only 1/2 a block away from Jama Masid.
• Mandir Birla Temple - This is one of the most colourful and creative temples you might ever see.
• Red Fort - A massive fortress built to guard areas of the city against incoming invaders back in the day.
• Pahar Ganj (main bizzare) - this is the most popular place where most backpackers stay and there are loads of budget hotels or guest houses to stay at.
• Conaught Place - The trendy upscale shopping area of New Delhi. Only a 10 minute walk from Pahar Ganj and the main railway station.
• Deli Haat - A marketplace which offers the most genuwine and affordable pashmina and Kashmire scarves you will find.
  
  

FARIDABAD:

Is typically not a place to visit for most travellers but this small city is located approx. 40 km south of New Delhi and where I spent 1 1/2 months volunteering here. If your interested, I highly recommend it and have even started my own company for international volunteering after I was involved in this project.

*If your at all interested to VOLUNTEER in India or any other country you may be planning to go to, please take a few minutes and have a look at my website:

www.projectvolunteerabroad.org

RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK::

**If your feeling adventurous and looking for an out of this world experience than hire motorcycles and drive around New Delhi or other areas in India. My good friend Tom and I hired motorcycles and drove 1,200km over 8 days on Indian roads leaving from New Delhi up to the India/Pakistan border which was an intense week of driving. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND: its very dangerous and you must exercise extreme caution while driving as it is nothing out of the ordinary for tourists to hire motorcycles in foreign countries and get killed by getting hit.

For YOGA you'll want to check out Rishikesh, which is said to be the Yoga capital of the world. I did go here and took a few meditation classes and have a very good friend who has been doing yoga for 19 years that I would love to connect you to so please make sure you let me know when your serious about going here and I’ll get in touch with him. There is another peaceful place close by that I did not get to visit called Haridwar but heard its really cool too.

CHANDIGARH:

Is the most developed city in India. Probably the least favorite place I visited. It was pretty cool to see a different side of India but reminded me a lot of back home so if you find yourself running low on time, you can probably give this place a miss as the only thing here to see is the recycled gardens that aren't all that impressive.

AMRITSAR:

This magnificent area lies in the state of Punjab and is where the dazzling Golden temple is located and the pilgrimage site for all Sikhs. (Indians that wear the turbins). Amritsar is highly recommend as the energy of this place will blow your mind and surrounding area is like something I've never felt before. If you want to experience Amritsar to the fullest, you can even stay in the temple for 2-3 nights max if you want. Just make sure you contact them before your arrival so they hold a bed for you. Visit the temple both during the day and night and the mood and atmosphere changes dramatically. Also try to ensure you get to experience the final prayer at the end of the day and take your turn lining up to get inside the Harmandir Sahib (golden temple) to witness the spectacular devotees as the scriptures from the holy book are sung and the energy in this temple will ease your mind and any tension that may be lingering from your body. This is the holiest shrine in Sikhism and is said to be coated in over 100 Kg of gold. The water surrounding the temple is a sacred pool known as Amrit Sarovar (pool of nectar).

Every night after the closing prayer, they march the Granth Sahib (their holy book similar to the bible) out of the Hari Mandir (divine temple), along the marble causeway called Guru's Bridge (which symbolizes the journey of the soul after death) and into a secure room. To be part of the whole session will leave your body tingling and gasping for more.

ATTRI:

This city sits strong on the border on India/Pakistan. It is only about 30 km from Amritsar and worth checking out as everyday around 4:30pm there is a border closing ceremony and the guards have a march off and is a MUST SEE if you have the time.

JAIPUR:

Is the first big city worth checking out once you cross into my favorite state of Rajahstan. I suggest to spend as much time travelling around this state of India as possible. There is a lot of famous sights to see here and pretty touristy but definitely worth spending a few days taking everything in that this special place has to offer!

A few of the recommendations things I did was the Jaipur Fort, Hawa Mahal, City centre Palace, and Jantar Mantar (Astronomy Museum).

JAISALMER:

Is known as the fort city and is the farthest west city you could go to before you head into the vast openness of the Thar Desert. This is one of my favorite places to be in India and with a bit of planning and a lot of luck, I was there during the annual Desert festival in February which had several different events such as; Mr. and Mrs. Desert, as well as the best moustache of Rajahstan, and spanned over 3 days. Jaisalmeir is a famous spot to arrange a 1-3 day camel safari in the desert. I did a 3 day safari and it was definitely one of my favorite experiences in India. Marching far into the open desert with just you, your camel and a guide suddenly makes you feel like your a long way away from home and soon realize you don't have a care in the world . There are loads of different companies that eagerly await your arrival and will do just about anything to get your business! BE CAREFUL!!: It is quite easy to get ripped off anywhere in India and especially here if your not careful! Every company will tell you they can offer you the best price but please take my advice and go to 2 or 3 different companies to make sure your money goes as far as possible instead of signing up with the first one and soon realize you got ripped off and paid twice the price that anyone else did!

Where to stay: There is a huge fort that overlooks the city and there are guest houses or hotels inside the fort where you can stay. I recommend: HOTEL V VILAS which is located inside the fort just behind Laxminath Ji Temple and has a gorgeous roof top restaurant. If you stay here ask for Amin Jamin and tell him I sent you there and he will take good care of you. If you use couchsurfing and plan ahead Amin is on there and you can stay there for no cost if you get in contact with him before you arrive!

MT. ABU:

UDAIPUR:

If you go here, you will be pleased to know that there are lots to see and do. It is said to be the romance city of India. Its easy to see why once you visit here and take a tour of the city where high sandstone white buildings stand tall all along the rivers edge. There is lots to do and see here so 2-3 days would be the minimum amount of time you'd want to spend here.

MUMBAI/BOMBAY:

Is probably the most unbalanced yet booming city I've ever come across besides Phenom Penn in Cambodia. The idea of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer is all too commonplace here. It is like the New York of India and one of the most bustling and growing cities in India. Although there is a lot of wealth and business here, a huge chunk of the city still lives below the poverty line. In the middle of this city is the Dharavi Slums, which is the biggest slum area in all of Asia (42 sq km is the area). If you visit here I have a friend who would be more then happy to take you thru the slums and you get to see first hand what it means to have very little and most of the people living in this area live off $1 a day or less.

GOA:

I decided to give this place a miss but most people have heard about this place. It used to be a haven for hippies back in the day but from what I heard the magic here is lost and not as exciting as it once was. Goa is one of the most touristy areas to visit in India.

FORT COCHIN:

This is a small peaceful city in the tropical state of Kerala which is in the south. In the state of Kerala you can hire a houseboat and float the backwaters for as long as time will allow you and is why most travellers are drawn to this more of a relaxed and laid back area state in India.

**One thing I must mention is there is a big separation and difference between the North part and the South part of India. The north is mainly composed of Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhists where as the south is mostly Christian. The North can be very intense and full on and the real raw part of India where as the south is a lot more relaxed, peaceful, and tropical. India is such a massive country so if you only have a month or two to spend here then you must decide which part of India you want to focus on. To do both requires at least 3 months or more.

My experience of living in JAPAN

My parents have been doing an international homestay at their place in Calgary, AB so we have had students living at our family home since I was in high school from Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and Mexico. After realizing the struggle most of the students went thru in their attempt to get settled in Canada, I guess you could say it drove my curiousity and caused a deep desire within for me to want to go over to their country and see for myself what it would be like. I had quite a few friends who were doing their education degree at the University of Lethbridge during my years there and most of them talked quite highly of their degree and how much they enjoyed teaching. With my desire to live abroad in Asia and their positive feedback about teaching I figured that once I spent all the money I had on my 9 month journey backpacking, That Japan would be a good place to call home for a bit and a good part of the world to work and earn a decent amount of money.

As I was running out of funds I was in Austrailia backpacking the east coast at the time and realized I was not at all ready to return back home. My money was fading quickly because Australia is quite expensive to travel in so I booked a ticket to Bali, Indonesia and would spend the rest of my savings travelling around Indonesia where the cost of living was much much lower than in Australia. I applied for about 13 different teaching jobs in Japan and basically took the first job offer that was given to me. It was for a 1 year contract teaching at a Junior High School in a small rural city called Ashikaga which was located in the prefecture called Tochigi. It was about a 60 km train ride north of Tokyo but I was pleased that I was still close enough to Tokyo that I could jump on a train whenever I wanted to see what the city had in store for me. Once I got settled in I was dropped off at my school with little to no material or preparation and just expected to start teaching. I quickly realized that all the horrosr stories I had heard about working for Agencies were turning out to be exactly true. So for me, I had no teaching experience and was basically just dropped into a deep tank of water in hopes that I knew how to swim, or atleast that's exactly what it felt like! After weeks had gone by, I started to realize that teaching was a pretty chilled out job for me but I really don't think I could ever do it as a career as its a bit of a boring job and don't really get to talk much to the kids as the English learning system is pretty shifty here in Japan. The grade 9's who are in their 3rd year of English just look at me like I am talking a different language or from a different planet so the language barrier has definitely caused me a bit or grief at times. Since I was 14 I wanted to become a Police officer, and even after going thru university and now traveling and seeing a whole different part of life, I still feel like this is my calling in life.. I need a fast paced, changing job that keeps me going or else I get bored really quickly and lose interest. I noticed this even with girls too, I've had 2 amazing long relationship but a fading sense of interest was one of the major causes why they didn't continue to work out.. oh well! guess that's a sign i"m just not ready to settle down yet! still got a lot of living to do! lol.. as you know, you meet beautiful people from all parts of the world and its great to travel as it makes you realize there's no reason to feel you have to settle cause there's beautiful talented women or men all over this world..

So as for me and Japan, In my free time I helped train the girls volleyball team and they are really good. The head coach is a hard core guy who has the girls up in a sweat from the time practice starts till it ends 2 hrs later. They train 5 days a week 2 1/2 hrs after school everyday and usually do an hour in the morning too! I think a lot of success in sports has a lot to do with coaching and these girls are really amazing. We had a tournament on the weekend and ended up losing in the finals for the league champs so they were pretty torn and devastated that they only got 2nd place!! In Japan, sports take priority in life and they train hard like Olympic athletes. If you look at a sport like Judo and watch how tough the Japanese guys are, you'll begin to get an idea the talent over here.

The sad part is that once they get out of high school there is immense pressure for them to get real jobs and careers and all of a sudden all this training and talent they've gotten over training so hard during their youth is just pushed out the back door and suddenly they become so busy with work or university they have no time for sports and very few students will pick the professional athlete path in life as its more or less frowned upon..

I feel as if I've already learned a bit about this country after living here for just a short period of time. I figure if I'm only here for a year I might as well take in everything i can get from my experience here and anything to do with sports is always a keen interest for me to learn about.

The food is actually really good here and a huge bonus as to why one would choose to live in this country. I love sushi, I could eat it everyday for the rest of my life so that's always a tasty treat. its pretty cheap too, 2 pieces of sushi for $1 CDN.. you can get pretty full for like $7-8 dollars so a lot cheaper that back home... and the yakatori (kabobs) are pretty amazing too. all in all the food is great, lots of rice and noodles are common here too. Ive been cooking a lot of pasta and hamburgers and all the western food cause i didn't get to eat it for 10 months now so its a nice change..

Japan is a really humid climate here and rains alot, the people are pretty serious most the time as its a 1st world country but the girls are very beautiful. I think Japanese girls are the best looking girls of Asia for sure!

as for teaching: I'm really enjoying it now and its pretty cool!I teach around 18 classes a week to junior high kids and after school I'm helping as much as possible to train the girls volleyball team and we had a big tournament a couple weeks ago and kicked ass, won 5 of 6 games and lost in the league finals. still trying to figure out if the girls have that much talent or I'm just a wicked coach.. ha..!!

I have been keeping pretty busy with the kids so i can save money so its worked out quite well! The kids had a bit or a hard shell to break through and it didn't make it any easier coming into the school year half way through. But like most things in life, a bit of work and effort and now they have warmed up to me quite a bit and yell across the hall or classrooms as i walk by " Hi KEVINNNN!!!" its pretty adorable!

AUSTRALIA: Travel Recommendations

PERTH:

This is the biggest city on the west coast of Australia. Most travellers that venture to Australia tend to stick to the east coast but if your curiousity overwhelms you and you get the urge to head to the less populated west coast of Australia, I promise that it won't dissapoint you. Perth is a magnificiently green and clean city that lies right on the coastline. It has more of a business feel to the city than most places you pass by on the east coast but there is alot to do and several different backpackers that you could stay at that should suit your budget ($25 AUD/ Night). Where I stayed and recommend is Billabong backpackers. A rather busy place with very friendly staff and to top it all off they have an outdoor poor that could consume more of your time than you might have initially plan on. This is a great starting point if your planning to find others to team up with to make a trek up the west coast. When I was there I met loads of fellow travellers eagerly looking for people who they could team up with to do a trip. I would recommend atleast 6-7 days in Perth. The things I did that I highly recommend would be:

~ Venture downtown to the main city centre area and take a ride up the Swan Bells Tower to get a great view of the city below.
~ Catch a bus up to Kings Park and get lost walking the maze of trails and be sure to check out the War memorial area.
~ Spend a night or two on Rottsnest Island and be sure to hire a bicycle to ride around as transport is very limited.
~ Hire a car and take the 3-4 hour drive north to check out the Pinnacles
~ Wake up really early, Hire a car and drive south down to Bunbury and if your lucky you could get to swim with Dolphins.
~ Spend a day or two kicking back and relaxing on the marvelous beaches of Cottesloe or Freemantle.

MELBOURNE:

This place is by far the centre of the music hub of Australia. A backpackers heaven indeed and I have failed to meet a fellow traveller who did not thoroughly enjoy their melbourne experience. If you go here in search of an exciting nightlife, well you've come to the right place. You can walk down and lose yourself in some of the most random of alley ways in the city and almost always stumble upon a rocking bar that just seems to pop up out of nowhere.

If you are craving a more relaxing beach day to kick back and gaze endlessly into that vast openness of the seaside than St. Kilda is just the place for you. Melbourne to me, was a city that seemed to have alot to offer. Not to mention their is a massive stadium too called the MCG where your just a number and 1 of 80,000+ spectators rally together to cheer on their favourite clubs in this spectacular australian game of footy A.K.A. AFL.

GREAT OCEAN ROAD:

This drive is said to be one of the most beautiful drives you can take on our planet. Without a doubt this stunning coastline will surely leave anyone who ventures here breathless and screaming for more. This stretch of road is 243 km (151 miles) of pavement that winds all along the southern coastline of Australia. It is alot of ground to cover and I highly recommend taking your time during the drive and make as many scenic stops at all the lookout points as possible. If you happen to be here at the right time of the year its quite common to see the massive humpback whales passing by just off the coastline during their migration path away or back towards Antartica. I had the luxury of doing the road trip with a few Australian girls I had met in NZ and we took 3 days to do the drive and there are plenty of budget accommodations to stay at any of the towns/small cities along the way.

SYDNEY:

This is probably one of my top 5 favorite cities I've ever been to. Once arriving in Sydney I recommend to stay downtown central in a hostel called: Wake UP!. It is a very busy hostel but usually full of fellow backpackers eagerly waiting to begin carving their path up the east coast and there is an info booth in the hostel which has a wicked assortment of useful information for Sydney and area. If you decide not to stay in grand central I recommend staying in an area close by sydney called COOGE BEACH. There are several different hostels to stay there but I stayed at the Wizard of OZ and it was pretty cool and just a short 2 minute walk from the beach. There's nothing cheap about Sydney so be prepared!! There is a really nice walk you can talk from Cooge beach to Bondi beach. It takes about an hour and a half but unleashes splendid views of the coastline and if you time it right, you may see humpback whales out in the waters migrating their way up the east coast. BONDI BEACH is a must see for various reasons but I will warn you, its usually quite crowded and a little disappointing if you have your expectations set high. If you go down the coast a little ways, there are much nicer and quiter beaches along the sydney coastline. I never went but heard that Manly beach or Maroubra beach are nice spots, just watch out for the Surfer Gangs there. If animals are your thing, I suggest heading to the Taronga Zoo which is quite decent and you can get a ferry out of Circular Quay to it quite easily which is a great opportunity to take some photos of the ever so famous opera house and harbour bridge.



BLUE MOUNTAINS:

This is a National park that is situated just 2 hours by train from Sydney and a place I highly recommend going to. There are tons of great hikes you can do in the mountain park area and is the place to go to see the famous cliffside statues commonly called the 3 sisters. If have the time to stay overnight or for a few days, there is a hostel in the town area called flying fox and its a really cozy place to stay!

PORT MAQUARIE:

NEW CASTLE:

PORT STEPHENS:

COFFS HARBOUR:



BYRON BAY:

NIMBIN:

Is a small village that is approximately 70 Km west of Byron Bay. This place is probably one of the most bizarre yet memorable places you could visit in Australia along the east coast. With is bustling population of 352 people (2006 survey) its possible to spot most of the locals in just a few hours here. I can assure you that if you go here, this village is sure to rate high on the wow factor. It is a magical place that seems to be stuck in time full of pot smoking hippies and if you have the appetite for marijuana cookies or any other paraphernalia, this is your place to be. A writer Austin pick explained it perfectly: "It is as if a smoky avenue of amsterdam has been placed in the middle of the mountains behind frontier-styly building facades... Nimbin is a strange place indeed".

SURFERS PARADISE:

Is quite a popular stop for backpackers flocking along the ever so busy east coast but seemed to be a bit touristy for my liking so i didn't not spend any time here. I do have a good friend who did spend a considerable amount of time here so this is his recommendation for places to stay. Some good hostels include: The Islander (a bit pricey but great location), Surf and Sun, and Sleeping in Surfers. They are all decent so go with whatever is cheapest. He got a great opportunity to sell pub crawl tickets to travellers or other party goers along the beaches here and make a good amount of cash doing it so if this interests you and looking to earn some extra cash along your travels, Definitely let me know and I can get in contact with him for you.

SOUTHPORT:

This is a small town outside of Surfers, probably cheaper accomodation if you're looking to stay for a while and is only a 20 minute bus ride away. Accommodation near the University is probably your best bet.

FRASER ISLAND:




BRISBANE:

Not a whole lot there but did a walk thru the city along the river which was nice. Make sure you get to the Steve Irwin Autralia zoo about an hour north of brisbane, its wicked cool and they still have all the worlds deadliest snakes that steve irwin caught himself. When you arrive find out what time the crocidile show is at! its definitly worth seeing forsure.

NOOSA:

Is a really chilled out spot. I got up early to watch the sunrise and it was incredible! definitly worth it! We rented a catarmaran and sailed out into the open waters so if you or rich or someone ur with knows how to use them, definitly rent for a few hours and do your own cruise and keep a look out for dolphins. we ended up sailing with them and they were jumping all around our boat and close enough i reached into the water and touched the fin on one of them.. Amazing!!

1770:

There's not a whole lot of options of places to stay but if you book ahead there's 1 really cool hostel that was full but ask around and other travellers will know which one it is.
In this town you can hire chopper motorcycles (they train you how to ride one) and you have got to do the Chopper Tour its an all day ride with a big group and a must Do forsure


** Please be careful when you book whitsundays trip, there's lots of different boats you can take and the nicer the boat is the more expensive its gonna be so just don't book the first deal you find and shop around. We did the 'Freight train' and it was quite affordable and had a blast. you can even set up a fun dive when you get out there on it! if you take this boat and your host is Tane, tell him your my cousin. (i'm not sure if he's still on the boat but he may be!!

One thing i recommend doing if it fits your budget is doing the Yongala ship wreck Dive, it's in a small town called AYER. google it and find out if you can do it with open water i think you might need advanced cert. Its a bit pricey but worth every penny and you see more fish on 1 dive than any dive you could ever do on the reef!

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF:

If you have not heard already 70% or more of the dives done on the reef is out of Cairns.. Don't DO IT! i heard the reef is damaged bad from all the traffic and stupid tourists stepping on the reefs. Its better to wait to dive the reef till you get up to port douglas or cape trib cause its way more untouched and much more marine life there!

MAGNETIC ISLAND:

Stay at base backpackers and doing a hike up to the north tip of the island to the viewpoint, its gorgeous.

CAIRNS:

Stay at Calypso backpackers! its by far the best one and a great atmosphere!! Another great hostel is Mulligans ( i think thats the name ) it's basically a hotel/hostel but rumor has it, you gotta try it out for atleast a night. While in Cairns, make sure you go out one night to one of the two popular bars called the Woolshed or the Rhino Bar! its such a riot, there's no way you can't have fun there!!

PORT DOUGLAS:

I went to port douglas and there's a few hostels to stay at. If you have the courage go down to the harbour and rent out a tin motor boat and crusie up the crocidile infested river and have your own crocidile hunt! that's what we did! The beach is lovely in port douglas and i highly recommend doing the trail up to the lookout point over the coastline! its stunning

CAPE TRIBULATION:

I did not go here but wished I had the time as I heard alot of good things about it.

Have you experienced the goon bags yet? (boxed 4L of wine for 10 dollars) its dirt cheap and gets your pretty tipsy! If you travel in Austrailia and don't get to experience the wonders of the GOON, you will have missed out for certain!