Hello boys and girls!
What's the one thing that's really important for you to be more productive in life? Do you have that one thing you want to escape to that makes you more energetic? What's your soul food? For me, it has got to be traveling! I have always been that person who saves up all her money and spends all of it on traveling. I believe that's the only way you get to experience new things, new cultures and gives you a peen into a whole new world you never knew existed. I am glad you guys enjoyed my last post on what my husband and I did in Melbourne. I will link the post at the end of this one.
Anyway, my brother and sister-in-law who flew from India wanted to check out Melbourne and we decided to spend two and a half days there and somehow, we ended up doing things that we didn't do during our last trip. We took a super early morning flight this time and reached our Airbnb at Southbank by about 10 am I suppose. Melbourne was more fun this time because traveling with family is always a trillion times more fun than when you're by yourselves. Agreed? So here's a detailed post on what we did, how much we spent, where we ate and how much fun we had doing what we did. And if you want more, then you should check out the highlights on my Instagram page right away!
Lunch at Red Petite Cafe
We wanted to eat something new but something that was close to Indian food. We found a beautiful Thai restaurant and had some green and red curry with rice. My family thoroughly enjoyed the food as it was coconut based and well, all Mangaloreans enjoy a little bit of coconut in their food!
I'm Free Walking Tour
Walking tours are the best way to get to know a city. We found one online and decided to go for it. The guide, Alex, did a fantastic job and showed us around the city. We were taken to a bunch of spots like the State Library of Victoria, Old Melbourne Gaol, the Parliament House, the Exhibition Building, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Hosier Lane, the Yarra River and so much more! He also told us about all of his fave cafes and bars and we did manage to go to a few.
Fries at Lord Of The Fries
Lord Of The Fries is a popular vegan food joint that makes the best fries and burgers you'd have ever tasted. I could have totally finished one whole box of large fries by myself, but I decided to be nice and share it with everyone. Hehehe! But anyway, if you happen to be in Australia, this is something you cannot miss out on!
Drinks at The Mill House
We were thirsty for some beer and nothing could have been better than this funky little bar called The Mill House. The ambience has a really fun vibe to it and the food was amazing too.
Dinner at Sarvana Bhavan
The South Indians in us came to life after a couple of beers. We were so desperate for some dosas and sambar and found ourselves walking to a nearby Sarvana Bhavan. It was a real treat!
MCG Tour
My brother is a massive cricket fan and the trip would've been incomplete without the MCG tour. The tour was actually pretty impressive and we were taken through the stadium and explained what each area is used for. It was a really proud moment for us when we saw a framed picture of Sachin with Don Bradman at the hallway. The tour must have cost us around 30-40 AUD.
Lunch at Touche Hombre
According to Alex, this is the second best Mexican restaurant in Melbourne and I couldn't agree more. Since we had already been to the best Mexican restaurant on our last trip (Fonda Mexican), we decided to try this one out. From tacos to churros, this place is simply awesome if you like Mexican food.
Yarra River Cruise
The last time we were here, we were late for the cruise and missed it. For about 20 bucks or so, we were taken on a cruise all across Yarra River, under several bridges of Melbourne, with unlimited tea and biscuits. It was a wonderful experience!
Melbourne Star Observation
We did not want to go to Skydeck this time and hence decided to go to Melbourne Star instead. Melbourne Star is basically this ferris wheel that gives you a 360 degree view of the entire city. And boy, this was the highlight of my trip! We witnessed sunset on the ride and the view from different levels of the ferris wheel was breathtaking! This was probably around 25-35 AUD and it was worth every penny!
Dinner at Achelya Restaurant, Cafe & Bar
I desperately wanted my brother and sister-in-law to try out some Greek and Lebanese food, so we decided to go to this restaurant at Docklands. While my sister-in-law is not a big fan of any cuisine other than Indian, the rest of us enjoyed the falafel and hummus. It's not a great place to eat at, but it's not too bad either.
Crown Casino
We stayed very close to the Casino in Melbourne and decided to check it out. Of course, we lost some money, but it was all about the experience. Also, it's much easier to win money here than in Vegas and is also way cheaper! So, do give it a shot when you're here. Sadly, they have a strict no pictures policy and hence you can go to my highlights and check out a glimpse of the casino I secretly caught on camera.
Drinks at Crown Sports Bar
We chilled later at the Crown Sports Bar with some beers and Sydney Swans playing at the AFL. AFL is the Aussie football which is quite a popular sport down under. It was my first time watching this game and of course, Sydney Swans won, so it was really splendid! :D
We walked to a nearby cafe and had some delicious French Toast with berries and a cup of flat while, of course. This is a really cute cafe in Southbank that has some great coffee.
St. Kilda Pier and Beach
I have already spoken about St. Kilda Pier and Beach in my last post. Since we had a couple of hours to kill before we boarded our flight back to Sydney, we decided to show them our old friends - the fairy penguins and the beautiful blue waters at the pier and the beach.
Lunch at Sister of Soul
Vegan food always got the three of us excited and my husband would end up eating ghas-pus for nothing. However, this restaurant had some amazing veggie food that even he seemed to enjoy. They have a lot of Indian-fusion items on the menu and we tried out a few dishes.
I hope you guys get a chance to explore this beautiful city. Melbourne has a completely different vibe in comparison with Sydney. The number of things to do in this beautiful city is countless! I still have a few things left on my bucket list that I wish to do in Melbourne. So, stay tuned. I might probably end up there again next month? Haha! Let's see!
Link to my previous Melbourne trip post: A Weekend In Melbourne
What's the one thing that's really important for you to be more productive in life? Do you have that one thing you want to escape to that makes you more energetic? What's your soul food? For me, it has got to be traveling! I have always been that person who saves up all her money and spends all of it on traveling. I believe that's the only way you get to experience new things, new cultures and gives you a peen into a whole new world you never knew existed. I am glad you guys enjoyed my last post on what my husband and I did in Melbourne. I will link the post at the end of this one.
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| Me and the city of Melbourne, Victoria |
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| The four of us set to explore the city |
Day 1
Lunch at Red Petite CafeWe wanted to eat something new but something that was close to Indian food. We found a beautiful Thai restaurant and had some green and red curry with rice. My family thoroughly enjoyed the food as it was coconut based and well, all Mangaloreans enjoy a little bit of coconut in their food!
 |
| Thai Green Curry |
I'm Free Walking Tour
Walking tours are the best way to get to know a city. We found one online and decided to go for it. The guide, Alex, did a fantastic job and showed us around the city. We were taken to a bunch of spots like the State Library of Victoria, Old Melbourne Gaol, the Parliament House, the Exhibition Building, the Royal Botanical Gardens, Hosier Lane, the Yarra River and so much more! He also told us about all of his fave cafes and bars and we did manage to go to a few.
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| The husband goofing around before the walking tour began |
Fries at Lord Of The Fries
Lord Of The Fries is a popular vegan food joint that makes the best fries and burgers you'd have ever tasted. I could have totally finished one whole box of large fries by myself, but I decided to be nice and share it with everyone. Hehehe! But anyway, if you happen to be in Australia, this is something you cannot miss out on!
Drinks at The Mill House
We were thirsty for some beer and nothing could have been better than this funky little bar called The Mill House. The ambience has a really fun vibe to it and the food was amazing too.
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| Broccoli and cheese |
Dinner at Sarvana Bhavan
The South Indians in us came to life after a couple of beers. We were so desperate for some dosas and sambar and found ourselves walking to a nearby Sarvana Bhavan. It was a real treat!
 |
| Channa Batura for starter |
Day 2
MCG TourMy brother is a massive cricket fan and the trip would've been incomplete without the MCG tour. The tour was actually pretty impressive and we were taken through the stadium and explained what each area is used for. It was a really proud moment for us when we saw a framed picture of Sachin with Don Bradman at the hallway. The tour must have cost us around 30-40 AUD.
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| Melbourne Cricket Ground |
Lunch at Touche Hombre
According to Alex, this is the second best Mexican restaurant in Melbourne and I couldn't agree more. Since we had already been to the best Mexican restaurant on our last trip (Fonda Mexican), we decided to try this one out. From tacos to churros, this place is simply awesome if you like Mexican food.
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| Pumpkin and beans Tacos |
Yarra River Cruise
The last time we were here, we were late for the cruise and missed it. For about 20 bucks or so, we were taken on a cruise all across Yarra River, under several bridges of Melbourne, with unlimited tea and biscuits. It was a wonderful experience!
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| Chilling on the cruise |
Melbourne Star Observation
We did not want to go to Skydeck this time and hence decided to go to Melbourne Star instead. Melbourne Star is basically this ferris wheel that gives you a 360 degree view of the entire city. And boy, this was the highlight of my trip! We witnessed sunset on the ride and the view from different levels of the ferris wheel was breathtaking! This was probably around 25-35 AUD and it was worth every penny!
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| The Melbourne Star in all its glory |
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| The view of the city from the Melbourne Star |
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| Sunset from the Melbourne Star |
Dinner at Achelya Restaurant, Cafe & Bar
I desperately wanted my brother and sister-in-law to try out some Greek and Lebanese food, so we decided to go to this restaurant at Docklands. While my sister-in-law is not a big fan of any cuisine other than Indian, the rest of us enjoyed the falafel and hummus. It's not a great place to eat at, but it's not too bad either.
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| Lebanese food at a Greek restaurant |
Crown Casino
We stayed very close to the Casino in Melbourne and decided to check it out. Of course, we lost some money, but it was all about the experience. Also, it's much easier to win money here than in Vegas and is also way cheaper! So, do give it a shot when you're here. Sadly, they have a strict no pictures policy and hence you can go to my highlights and check out a glimpse of the casino I secretly caught on camera.
Drinks at Crown Sports Bar
We chilled later at the Crown Sports Bar with some beers and Sydney Swans playing at the AFL. AFL is the Aussie football which is quite a popular sport down under. It was my first time watching this game and of course, Sydney Swans won, so it was really splendid! :D
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| Crown Sports Bar |
Day 3
Breakfast at A Treat of FranceWe walked to a nearby cafe and had some delicious French Toast with berries and a cup of flat while, of course. This is a really cute cafe in Southbank that has some great coffee.
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| Loved how there was a rainbow on my coffee! |
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| French toast with ice-cream and berries |
St. Kilda Pier and Beach
I have already spoken about St. Kilda Pier and Beach in my last post. Since we had a couple of hours to kill before we boarded our flight back to Sydney, we decided to show them our old friends - the fairy penguins and the beautiful blue waters at the pier and the beach.
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| St. Kilda Pier and Beach |
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| Cute lil fairy penguin |
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| Chilling on the Catani Arch |
Lunch at Sister of Soul
Vegan food always got the three of us excited and my husband would end up eating ghas-pus for nothing. However, this restaurant had some amazing veggie food that even he seemed to enjoy. They have a lot of Indian-fusion items on the menu and we tried out a few dishes.
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| Gobi Pakora |
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| Tofu Peas Curry and Rice |
Some tips and suggestions to have a great time in Melbourne -
- Book your tickets well in advance. This time we barely spent around 160-170 AUD return (from Sydney) on JetStar, which is around 8000 INR.
- Melbourne is super cold at this time of the year (May-June) and you need to go prepared. Buy a super thick jacket, a pair of tights, thermals, a beanie, a muffler and everything you think you might need to protect yourself from the cold.
- Walking shoes are a must no matter where you are in Australia!
- Do your homework on all the cafes and restaurants you'd like to visit. Melbourne has the most amazing food ever and you should definitely try and go to the best ones in the city.
- Read both of my Melbourne posts and share them with all of your friends and family :p
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| My OOTD/OOTN at all times! |
I hope you guys get a chance to explore this beautiful city. Melbourne has a completely different vibe in comparison with Sydney. The number of things to do in this beautiful city is countless! I still have a few things left on my bucket list that I wish to do in Melbourne. So, stay tuned. I might probably end up there again next month? Haha! Let's see!
Love,
Hand On The Hip
Link to my previous Melbourne trip post: A Weekend In Melbourne
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