Asia – Pacific – All Around The World

Sydney Tower – Exploring Sydney From Above!

Touring the tallest tower in Australia

Sydney Tower is the city’s tallest structure and the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere. The tower stands 309 meter (1,014 ft) above Sydney central business district.

The tower is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in Sydney. It can be seen from a number of vantage points throughout town and from adjoining suburbs.
Four sections of the tower are open to public, three of it occupied by Sydney Tower Dining. The 360 Bar and Dining, which offers revolving views of the Sydney skyline, is located on level one of the Sydney Tower. The menu is of good variety and delicious, although a bit pricey. However, the view is worth the admission! We recommend a late afternoon seating so you can enjoy both the sunset and night view of Sydney.
The observation deck, called the Sydney Tower Eye, is located on level four. Visitors can buy a pass from the operating company, online or at the gate. The pass allows access to other Sydney attractions including Wild Life Sydney and the Sydney Aquarium. The Sydney Tower Eye is located 250 m (820 ft)above ground level. It has a fully enclosed viewing platform featuring 360-degree views of the city and surrounding areas.
Each year the Sydney Tower Stair Challenge comprises the challenge of running up 1,504 stairs from Pitt Street Mall to the Observation Deck. The event is to raise money for the Cancer Council, and the two winners become eligible to compete in the Empire State Building Run-up.

The tower has been featured in popular films like Disney’s ‘Finding Nemo’ and ‘Mission Impossible 2’.

Check out the video below for a quick tour of the tower eye and dining experience!

Road Trip Through South Australia to Kangaroo Island

A drive from Strathalbyn through rural South Australia to Port Jarvis

A Journey to Calicoan Islands, Eastern Samar, Philippines

A video blog of our trip to Calicoan island in the Philippines

In the winter of 2012 we set out on an exciting journey to the Philippines. We explored 3 key regions – from Manila we explored Luzon, from Cebu City we explored Visayas and from Giuian we explored Eastern Samar. The following video blog is about our trip from Guiuan through Calicoan island and eventually to Sulangan, the tip of Eastern Samar by the Pacific Ocean.

This part of Samar islands still has remnants of American and Japanese military bases from World War II. The Spanish history is evident from historic churches. And the journey on a motorized tricycle on a rural coastal road is a treat in itself! Hope y’all enjoy the video!

Australian Cuisine – Hearty and delicious

A culinary journey through Australia

Australia is a large country with diverse population and culture spread over multiple timezones. Naturally this diversity is reflected in the regional cuisine. We had the good fortune of experiencing such variety of meals during our trip to New South Wales, South Australia and Kangaroo island. A collection of pics below tells the story of our culinary journey down under!

A taste of Rural Australia

Strathalbyn is a town in South Australia by the Angus river. The large cattle herds and farmlands around the town are made world famous with the Angus beef brand! We were able to enjoy shopping at the local stores and preparing some home cooked delicious meals during our stay, courtesy of my cousin, Nabi.

Brunch – Australian Style!

The river port town of Goolwa has the 19th century feel of old rural Australia. We had brunch at a restaurant downtown famous for its variety of meat Pies.

Hearty lunch at Kangaroo island

Kangaroo island is Australia’s 3rd largest island, famous for its wildlife and national park with amazing scenic views and world famous trails. The island is only accessible by ferry which we embarked on after driving to Port Jarvis. An early breakfast of coffee and muffin kept us warm in the cold windy weather until some much welcomed sunshine greeted us when we started the island tour. In between watching seals and kangaroos and marvelling at the magnificent rocks, we had a hearty meal of beef sausage, pasta salad and chicken at a restaurant near the koala sanctuary.

Tasty treat in Darling Harbor

Back in Sydney after a 2-hour flight from Adelaide, we explored Darling harbour. The mall by the harbor had a great gelato shop!

Dinner and view at Sydney Eye

For dinner we visited the revolving restaurant at Sydney tower. In addition to great food, it gives us a 360 view of the city at night!

The cultural explosion of Sydney

In Sydney, we stayed at the Best Western in Haven Glabe. A great location with a variety of restaurants serving Asian, European and American cuisine right across the street. Here we tried out a special style burrito at a European restaurant!

“Sydney Harbor Cruise” – a video blog

Explore Sydney on a boat cruise!

How to get a first look at a large city quickly and comfortably? Chicago, New York, Toronto, Paris, London – all these cities are by the water and boat cruises are popular way to explore them.

So when we had a few hours to kill at Sydney on our way to Adelaide, such an excursion was an easy choice. Check out the video blog below to explore Sydney and its iconic landmarks!

South Australia – A Photo Tour

A photo gallery of our South Australia tour

South Australia is a state in the southern central part of Australia with a total land area around 380K square miles. It is similar to the rural landscape of west Texas although much larger in size and sparsely populated. Almost 75% of the state’s 1.7 million people lives in the metropolitan area of capital, Adelaide.

We visited South Australia in October 2018 which is early Spring season in Australia. We flew from Sydney to Adelaide and then stayed with my cousin Mizan at the picturesque town of Strathalbyn, a 90 min drive from Adelaide. We then visited nearby port towns of Goolwa, Port Elliott and Victor Harbor. Below are some photo highlights from that trip. Enjoy!