We all know of Flight Centre and Webjet, which are good if you have very specific travel periods you are looking for. If you can be a little more flexible with travel times and are planning your holidays well in advance, I would definitely suggest giving Adioso a spin.

In a very easy to use google like interface, you put in your destination and a travel period, such as mid March. It will then search all the major carriers and give you the prices for all the dates in your travel period and show you the cheapest options. Another great tool is the ability to subscribe to certain dates and time periods and be notified when the price drops.

Some flights I was watching dropped $20 below the “cheapest” price I was originally quoted in just over a week. So it definitely pays to plan ahead and be flexible.

Give it a try when you are next on the look out for cheap flights, Adioso

Petite Paris is an Aussie-based online booking service, offering over 60 bed and breakfast accommodations in Paris.

Regina of Petite Paris acts as the middlewoman between independent Australian and Parisian hosts – perfect for travellers who want to discover the ‘real’ Paris and interact with the city just as the locals do. Regina fell in love with Paris when she first visited the city of love three years ago and now she shares her love with the rest of us. Regina helps travellers choose between the diverse B&B living arrangements on offer.

We’re told that the hosts are as diverse as Paris itself: artists, theatre directors, interior decorators, antique dealers, actors/actresses, event producers, radio personalities, families, single hosts and more.

Have you been to Paris?

Zomg how cute is this room? They have a heap of themed rooms in the hotel (though I’m not keen on the “Luxurious Attic one?), and I think the “Sleeping on a Ballgown” is my second favourite…

Thankfully the Maison Mochino web site is also available in English, so you don’t have to hassle your Italian friends for translation!

[the style files]

All I ask is that you please not ask how I found out about this. It’s embarrassing.

HELLO!

I felt a bit out of place schmoozing with tech industry-types and Acer staffers, but everyone was really friendly and all slightly nasty about Britney ;)

I was too distracted by the excitement to take a photo of the room we got to hang out in before the show – the dips, party pies, mini quiches and free drink kept me occupied! Then they handed out Magnum icecreams and my night was made!

It was really weird to watch DJ Havana Brown, the support act (who was excellent, and I’ve since bought her latest album), but hardly hear her from behind the sound-proofed glass. We opened the door so we could hear her and almost popped an eardrum!

We eventually scoffed all the party pies and settled into our seats – so roomy, I had to lean over to talk to Gus, my buddy for the night.

Britney’s side-kicks for the night were a Circus troupe – and an amazing troupe at that! The highlight was a trampolining superstar – who had NO legs whatsoever. Confronting to watch at first, but she flew through the air like nobody’s business. I also loved the girl doing beam work with no matt:

And then there was Britney:

Yes, she mimed. She spoke a grand total of 3 sentences to the audience over the course of the show. Her dancing was pretty average. Without her backup dancer and circus troupe, it would have been a shit show. To be honest, if I’d paid even the $100 for the cheapest seats at Acer Arena, I’d feel ripped off.

But for all her faults, her genuine fans clearly loved it and I enjoyed the overall experience, as craptacular as Britney was.

Thanks to Lucy and all the Acer staff (whose-names-I’ve-forgotten-already) for letting me gatecrash their event! And biggest thanks to Gus for being my buddy for the night!

Zoofari Lodge is a unique retreat tucked away in a private area in the grounds of Taronga Western Plains Zoo. The only zoo based accommodation of its kind in Australia. Guest have an exclusive opportunity to view animals up close and personal through a series of behind the sense tours.

Accommodation is in African style tents. But these tents are like no tent you have seen before and you are by no means roughing it. They are packed full of all the mod cons, a lovely en suite, heated tiled floor, comfy beds and beautifully decorated.

You are taken on 3 guided tours during your stay. You join some of the other Zoofari guests in small bus loads to visit a variety of animals up close with very knowledgeable guides who can tell you all about the animals and answer any of your questions. We had the chance to hand feed the Giraffes, Bongo and Black Rhino. (you can check out my blog for more details and pics of the tours)

Dinner and breakfast were provided. For dinner you had the choice of 3 different meals for each of the 3 courses, they also have a children’s menu. Breakfast was a ginormous full buffet breakfast with everything you could imagine. The meals and service were just fantastic.

The package includes..

• 2 day Western Plains Zoo admission
• 1 night accommodation at Zoofari Lodge
• Three exclusive behind-the-scenes tours
• A three course a la carte dinner
• A full buffet breakfast
• Bicycle hire for one day to enjoy the Zoo’s 6km circuit and 15kms of
walk/bike trails.
• Discount vouchers

We all had an amazing time! Highly recommend a Zoofari stay. It was a once in a life time chance to get up close with some of our favourite animals, and we learnt so much too.

All money made from Zoofari and other park programs goes towards helping the Taronga Conservation Society in furthering their conservation efforts.

It’s a property nestled in the mountains outside Lithgow, near the Blue Mountains in New South Wales with 6 self-contained cabins for the perfect getaway with your special someone.

The cabins are well-appointed and feature a kitchenette with microwave and gas stove – perfect for casual meals when you’re not in the mood for going out. The balconies have a BBQ and 2 spring-loaded rocking chairs (which are fabulous).

We were told that breakfast provisions were included when we booked in, but we received far more than that! There was a basket full of cereals, canned fruit, chocolate, Oreos and baked beans. In the fridge we found tomatoes, bacon, juice, butter and milk. We were spoilt for choice!

Hands-down, the best part about Seclusions is the view. Big windows meant we were always getting a glimpse of the mountains around Lithgow. The famous Lithgow fog makes the view particularly breathtaking. We spent hours sitting on the rocking chairs soaking up the warm winter sun.

If you’re looking for a romantic getaway for one night or five, take a look at Seclusions. Their attention to detail will make your stay a memorable one.

Seclusions
209 Martins Rd, Rydal via Lake Lyell NSW 2790
Phone: 02 6355 6300

Nullarbor Links is due to open late October this year and it will be the world’s longest golf course. The course is 1,365km long and would take about 4 days to complete.

The par 72 golf course (I have NO idea what that means LOL) has one hole in each of the 18 participating towns or roadhouses along the Eyre Highway, from Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to Ceduna in South Australia. Each hole features a green and tee and an outback-style  fairway.

Looking at the web site, it’s actually interesting to see the effort that has gone into creating the whole shebang; the planning phase started back in May last year.

Golfing really isn’t my cup of tea, but I know some golf nuts who would LOVE this kind of thing. Imagine four days straight of driving, golfing, drinking and sleeping? Sounds like golf heaven to me!