Looking for more Road Trip ideas? Read our road trip to Hokkaido here
After the self-drive for 2 days along the great ocean road in Melbourne (part 1 here), we were worn out. Thankfully we do not have to drive around in Sydney city because it is quite accessible. Plus carpark fee in the city is going to cost us a bomb. The first thing that came to my mind when we arrived was food. & yes Asian food, please!
H did some research on Thai food and found Chat Thai – a very popular casual Thai restaurant chain. I remember the Thai food I had in Perth many years back was super awesome! Sadly, it didn’t live up to my expectation. Being a Singaporean, I didn’t expect the Pad Thai or Tom Yam soup to be sweet. Although the ingredient they used is fresh, they didn’t bring out the Thai flavour out. Not sure if it’s because most of the locals don’t take too spicy food thus the dishes have been localized. Anyway, the dessert was good though. I like the coconut ice cream!
Day 6: Parliament House for lunch - Royal Botanic Garden - Sydney Opera house- darling Harbour - circular quay - Cadman cottage- pancake on the rock - ribs and burger - Christmas walk- Queen Victoria Walk - St cathedral
We thought having lunch at the parliament house will be a unique experience – nice decoration and mediocre food but we were wrong. The decoration is plain looking but the food we had were exceptionally good. I would definitely opt for the three-course meal if I didn’t have a full breakfast. Plus, they were reasonably priced too! $45 per pax. Reservation required.
Strangers Dining @ Sydney Parliament House - 6 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Then, we walk over to Royal Botanic Garden and had a gorgeous view of Sydney opera house and darling harbour! I thought that place would be perfect for a picnic in the morning! Too bad I woke up at 10 am. We spend the rest of our day visiting Opera House, Circular Quay, Cadman Cottage as well as the famous pancake on the rock! The pancakes at Pancake on the rock was indeed thick and fluffy but not impressive.
Dinner at Ribs and Burger was surprisingly satisfying and affordable. H loves his beef burger! He said that the burger is tender and juicy! Plus the caramel onion makes the burger even better! I tried its pork rib but I find nothing special. Till date, my favourite ribs are still from Bali Naughty Nuri. They have set the benchmark too high for me to fall in love with others. We end the night enjoying the Christmas light in the city.
We end the night by taking a stroll along Queen Victoria to St Cathedral. Other than the architecture, the Christmas light in the city is so pretty!
Day 7: Sydney fish market - Manly beach -Barefoot Coffee Traderscafe- Chica Bonita
Sydney fish market, one of my favourite place in Sydney! H & I went back twice for fresh and affordable sashimi. Although there are many stalls there, Doyles is the one to go! The baked lobster is a steal! Huge and juicy yet affordable $29 – ½ lobster that comes with chips and salad. We tried other stalls too, the lobster is dry compared to Doyles. As for sashimi, we got it from Musumeci. Their sashimi seems to be slightly cheaper compared to the ones in the market.
Sydney Fishmarket -Bank St & Pyrmont Bridge Road, Sydney NSW 2009, Australia
After a good lunch, we spend the rest of the day chilling at the manly beach. We choose Manly beach instead of Bondi beach because online reviews were saying that Manly beach is popular among the locals. True enough, we didn’t see many tourists there. The beach was not overly crowded and we had a great time there! A pity we didn’t bring our beach attire if not it will be perfect to frolic under the sun! Plus the ferry to manly has the perfect view of Sydney skyscraper! The best part is it won't burn your pocket too
We had pretty good waffle at Barefoot Coffee Traders cafe in manly, where they serve real chocolate sauce over waffle. It tastes so good! Oh and try the mocha! definitely worth the calories! They are sweet but perfect for chocolate lovers like me. The downside? The café is small and could not accommodate a large crowd. One could hardly get any seats but you can always take-away and enjoy the food and drinks at the beach isn’t it?
We had pretty good waffle at Barefoot Coffee Traders cafe in manly, where they serve real chocolate sauce over waffle. It tastes so good! Oh and try the mocha! definitely worth the calories! They are sweet but perfect for chocolate lovers like me. The downside? The café is small and could not accommodate a large crowd. One could hardly get any seats but you can always take-away and enjoy the food and drinks at the beach isn’t it?
As we were pondering what to have for dinner on our last night in the city, H suggested Chica Bonita! The Mexican food at the manly beach is very popular and there is a queue even before the restaurant open. Dinner at Chicabonita was amazing! Truly lived up to the hype!
We ordered the veggie fries – Guacamole, black beans and cheese is the snack perfect combination you everyone! I didn’t know that black bean can go so well with err fries? Again, we ordered order different taco to share - Baja Fish, Pork Al Pastor , King brown mushroom, Grilled chicken and each of them are so good! My favourite got to be Ceviche Tostada! Serve with fresh kingfish and prawn ceviche, this tostada is easily the best tostada I had!
Chica Bonita -9A/B/9 The Corso, Manly NSW 2095, Australia
Day 8: Sydney fish market – Glennbrook Café 2773- Blue Mountain - Scenic world - Grand Canyon blue mountain -
We had our quick fix at the Sydney fish market before we pick up our car across the street. The drive to blue mountain was almost 2 hours long and we make a stop by at Glennbrook - 2773 café for a short break. Food serve in 2773 was good and the burgers are huge! Though H says that the one from Rib & Burger is better, I thought my chicken burger is pretty good. Ok honestly speaking, no burger can go wrong when you put pineapple slice into the burger!
19 Ross St, Glenbrook NSW 2773, Australia
Then we continue our journey to blue mountain to meet the “three sister” – Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo. Yes, you didn’t read wrongly, they have a name. We opt for the scenic world – the easy way out instead of doing our DIY blue mountain itinerary. In the scenic world, you can see the three sisters, Katoomba fall and echo point. Also, you get to ride unlimited ride skyway, railway and cableway. The whole thing can be completed in 2-3 hours. Last ride stop at 4.50pm. Some say it’s not worth the money because they are price at $34 - $39 per adult. If given a choice without time constraint, I would prefer to do DIY.
Scenic World - Violet St & Cliff Drive, Katoomba NSW 2780, Australia
Then, we visited Grand Canyon Blue Mountain before the sunset and end our last night in with Pizza (again!) and at a cosy Airbnb.
My second visit to Australia and that place is just amazing as it was before. Clear blue skies and beautiful coastline, nothing beats driving along these roads. Most importantly, I’m thankful to have H with me on this trip. The trip navigator, the driver “Ahmad”, the chef for my breakfast, the photographer assistant and most importantly my best travel companion.
Looking for more Road Trip ideas? Read our road trip to Hokkaido here
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