Champagne Travel on a Beer Budget

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Pour yourself a glass of bubbly and settle back for a little bit of online travel browsing:

Travel podcasts

If you’re like me and couldn’t imagine travelling without your ipod, you can now justify your dependence as being a clever strategy to lighten your load. Vagabondish provides a great guide to all the fantastic travel podcasts available here.

Why not lighten the weight of your backpack or suitcase by exchanging a few of those travel and guide books with some of these travelcasts?

Do you have a favourite travel podcast? Please share it in the comments.

The World’s Best Beaches

I love a beach holiday - there’s no need to pack a great deal, you’re guaranteed to leave relaxed and there’s nothing better to daydream about in the weeks leading up to the holiday than laying on a sandy beach, cocktail in hand.

My favourite beach holidays to date have been spent at Haad Tien Beach, Ko Phan Ngan, Thailand & Paradise Beach, Mykonos, Greece.

But as it is currently winter in my homeland of Australia and I don’t have any beach holidays in my plans at the moment, Concierge is providing me with my fix through the 2008 Guide to the World’s Sexiest Beaches.

Read, dream and then start planning your next beach holiday!

Wedding bells…

When checking out the different search engine terms that bring people to Champagne Travel on a Beer Budget, I have noticed a few people searching for budget honeymoons. If that is what brings you here, you may appreciate another great blog along the champagne life on a beer budget philosophy - Champagne Wedding on a Beer Budget.

Our blogs crossed paths due to the similar names and I’m glad to recommend it, especially if you’re in the process of planning a wedding that has plenty of style without costing you plenty of cash!

Perhaps a future post on honeymoons is in order? My honeymoon was an absolute blast and was spent in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo & Byron Bay, Australia. If you have any tips or hints for anyone planning a honeymoon, please send them in!

Have you indulged in one too many reality TV shows or trashy magazines and feel like its time to balance out your culture karma?

Melbourne is a city with culture opportunities aplenty… and the best part? A full day of culture-immersion won’t set you back much more than the change in your pocket.  

So, if you want to experience Melbourne’s high brow offerings, here are my suggestions:

1. Jump aboard the Melbourne Tourist Shuttle. It will take you right around the CBD and outskirts, with plenty of opportunities to jump-on/jump-off at most of the attractions listed below. It will also help you to gather your bearings and learn about the history of the city. Cost: free 

2. Get along to Federation Square. Apart from being quite an ogle-worthy piece of architecture and one of the newest feathers in Melbourne’s hat, the tourist office is right next door. This has to be one of the best and most informative tourist offices I’ve seen. It is here that you will grab the brochures and information books you’ll need for your day of culture. Cost: free

3. Take in an exhibition or two. Currently, The State Library of Victory has multiple traditional exhibitions and new media displays within its galleries, while Federation Square is showing the David Caird Photographic Exhibition. Entry is also free to the National Gallery & other galleries around town. A full listing of current exhibitions can be found at the tourist information office. Cost: free

4. Browse through a selection of original art works, craft and gourmet foods. Every Sunday, The Arts Centre hosts the Sunday Market. Browse the works of some of the cities finest, albeit currently undiscovered, artists. Cost: free

5. Now it is time for lunch and a show. A fabulous Melbourne institution is the Lunchtime Theatre. Show, soup & bread will set you back a measly $5. Find out more about it here. Cost: $5

6. Tour the laneways. As with many cities, it is along the hidden lane ways and alleys where you will find quirky little shops, live music and other unforgettable memories that you won’t get to see from the window of a tour bus. Why not download this great podcast and let it guide you through the hidden gems of Melbourne that many people miss.

7. End the day with a culinary feast. You don’t want to leave Melbourne without indulging in some Italian cuisine from one of the many restaurants in Lygon Street, Carlton. And although you could probably afford to splurge a little on dinner after barely spending a cent all day, you can enjoy world class fare very affordably in this foodie-heaven street. Cost: specials spotted recently in Lygon St include soup, garlic bread, pasta & a glass of wine for $17 and a generous slice of cake & a coffee for $5.

Leave a comment if you have some Melbourne culture tips you’d love to pass along…