If you're looking for that wow factor, this Australian city is the answer. It has EVERYTHING you want: beautiful beaches, beautiful nature and special sights. Moreover, you can eat delicious (halal) food everywhere, a not entirely unimportant bonus in my opinion 😉.
Waterfalls when visiting the Blue Mountains
Blue Mountains
Highlights⚡️
- Blue Mountains: These blue mountains are a ninety (90) minute drive from Sydney and are a must see, whether you are in Sydney or passing through. A built-in attraction (three different cable cars) ensures that you walk past waterfalls, get a glimpse of the 'Three Sisters' (a well-known rock formation) and if you are lucky, you can also see kangaroos. We rented a car (highly recommended with children) and drove there ourselves. You can also outsource this and book a tour with various providers ⛰️
- Sydney Operahouse: The Sydney Operahouse is one of the most famous and distinctive buildings in the world. It is recommended to book an opera in this beautiful building. We were here with young children (read: sitting still is a problem) so we took pictures around the building and enjoyed the view of the water, after which we went to the neighbors 🎶
- Botanical Garden: The neighbors in this case are the Botanical Gardens. More and more world cities are creating a chance to escape the hustle and bustle while still being in the city. We bought some food and had a wonderful time here with the children 🌿
- Beaches: Many go to Bondi Beach known from the Bondi Rescue series. We didn't find this beach very special and missed what Sydney/Australia was known for; stretch of golden sand along the azure blue Pacific Ocean. On the other hand, we loved Manly and Bronte beach! 🌊
- Harbour bridge: This bridge is an iconic bridge that you can climb for beautiful views. We only drove past this bridge (again those young children 😉) but the experience was absolutely amazing 🌉
Manly beach
Lowlights 😵💫
- Parking: Not something you directly think about when traveling, but parking in Sydney is extremely expensive. All parking garages around the harbor and opera house charge the same rates. You might pay around $19 for one hour of parking. Afterwards, we found out that you can book your parking in advance via an app (Wilson Parking) or park at hotels 🚘
- Toll: you'll have to pay a toll for most (highway) roads. This doesn't seem to be a problem, however, they will send you the bills later. So the bills kept on coming, long after we've left Sydney 💸
Location and transportation 🚗
Sydney is a beautiful city with millions of people, but it does come with a price tag. For this reason, it is wise to save money where possible. This starts with the location where you stay: it is best to avoid the city center and book a hotel or apartment a little bit further away. We traveled with two young children, so the choice was quickly made: a nice apartment with a good distance from the center. We stayed in a suburb of Sydney called Macquarie Park. To keep our costs down, we shopped at Macquarie Park shopping center, so we could have breakfast in our apartment before heading out all day. Once the children were in bed, one of us went out nearby. For your information, everything (except restaurants) closes at 6:00 PM (CET). This was not a problem for us due to our stay in Macquarie Park. For example, the shopping center had a cinema where you could end your evening in style (read: relaxed seats).
As for transport, a car is a must in Sydney so you can move around the city easily. If you rent a car, it makes a huge difference if you do this from a rental company that is not at the airport, but near the airport. You will be picked up by a van and the car will be ready for you a few miles away.
Sydney is known for its beautiful beaches. What you can do, for example, is not park the car near the center, but drive towards the beach (e.g. beautiful Manly), spend an afternoon at the beach, park the car near the ferry and then take the ferry towards the center. This not only saves on costs, but also allows you to have a beautiful boat trip where you will be amazed!
Manly beach
Diner with Rachida 🍛
We did not expect that we could eat good (halal) food everywhere in Sydney. There are many hidden gems, of which I can highly recommend the ones below!
Halal and vegan foodhotspots 🥕
Sydney Opera House
Views of the Sydney skyline!
Good to know before you go 🙋🏽♀️
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You need a tourist visa to enter Australia. Apply for this visa on time because it will take a while before you receive approval
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When it is cold in the Netherlands, it is warm in Sydney. If you are dependent on school holidays, my advice would be to go there during the Christmas holidays. It is cold during the summer holidays and therefore not recommended
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Coming from The Netherlands, you will literally fly to the other side of the world. We have therefore included several stopovers (Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Korea and Vietnam). This way you see much more and your body can adapt to the new time every time.
It is also my way to prevent a jet lag. If you want to keep up with the time in that country, night flights are a must!
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Five (5) days are enough to fully explore the city
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Fun fact: the capital of Australia is Canberra (and not Sydney 😉)
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Well-known Australian expressions:
G'day (hello), Mate (friend), I'm stuffed, Barbie (BBQ), Togs (swimwear), Aussie (Australian)
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Safe destination; penalties for crime are very high
Sydney was great! It was also easy to do with children. We will definitely go back when the children are a bit older to explore the rest of Australia (in sha Allah!).
Cheers,
Rachida
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