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Category Archives: Oceania

The Selfish Guides to Australia and New Zealand are Up!

06 Tuesday May 2014

Posted by in Australia, General, New Zealand, News, Oceania

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I know it has been a while. I have no excuse, other than that we’ve been enjoying our time in SF. I assure you that Mr. Selfish and I are hard at work at our trip reports for Istanbul and Tanzania.

But in the meantime, we’ve finally finished our Selfish Guides for Australia and New Zealand.

Check out the Selfish Guide to Australia here.

This is the Bay of Fires in Tasmania, which was our favorite place to visit in Oz.

Check out the Selfish Guide to New Zealand here.

Milford Sound 23

This is Milford Sound near Queenstown. Take the private jet there. Trust me, do it.

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The Costs of 1 Year of Selfish Traveling

01 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Accommodations, Asia, Australia, Best Of, Europe, Oceania, Travel Hacking

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This is the final part of our 15 part series on the Best of Our Selfish Years of Traveling. You can check out the other parts below:

  1. It’s Almost Over: The Selfish’s Top 20 Experiences
  2. Now THIS is Living: The Selfish’s Top 10 Stays
  3. Stop Drooling: The Selfish’s Top 20 Eats
  4. The Selfish’s Top 10 Biggest Letdowns
  5. The DO’s of Traveling
  6. The DON’Ts of Traveling
  7. 10 Tips for Haggling Abroad
  8. 15 Things to Pack for a Year Long Trip
  9. 33 Things We Learned While Traveling Abroad for a Year (Part 1)
  10. 33 Things We Learned While Traveling Abroad for a Year (Part 2)
  11. 33 Things We Learned While Traveling Abroad for a Year (Part 3)
  12. The Selfish Guide to Photography – Part 1
  13. The Selfish Guide to Photography – Part 2
  14. A Selfish Year in Pictures

The World

Our great Selfish Years adventure started when I discovered the world of miles & points, back in September 2011. Mrs. Selfish and I applied for 2 Citi AA cards, for a grand total of 150,000 AA miles a piece: enough for two business class tickets around the world!

We’ve done some pretty awesome things, flown some amazing flights, and stayed at some world class hotels. So how much did it all stack up?

Let’s look at the numbers, shall we?

trip map

Mrs. Selfish and I spent a grand total of 372 days of straight traveling, leaving the States in August 2012, and returning in August 2013. During the course of the trip we saw 102 cities and flew 61 flights across 25 countries. selfish-days-by-country

We spent the most days in France, followed by Japan, Australia, and England. Expensive countries, indeed – though surprisingly, Australia was the MOST expensive country – coming in at roughly 50% more in costs than any other country.

Some random factoids:

  • Miles traveled: 70,150
  • Number of pictures taken: 50,326
  • Average number of pictures taken daily: 136
  • Best award redemption (value for cost): Park Hyatt Sydney
  • Best business class flight: Qantas, Sydney to Los Angeles
  • Number of beds we slept in: 97
  • Average number of days in same bed: 3.81
  • Best bed: Heavenly Bed, any Westin Hotel
  • Amount of time spent packing & unpacking bags: 3.36 days
  • Number of massages: 46
  • Number of native languages we encountered: 16
  • Number of languages we learned “hello” and “thank you” in: 8
  • Most expensive economy ticket: Siem Reap to Bangkok at $1.31 per mile
  • Most free attractions: Paris
  • Days we spent no money: 1

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A Selfish Year in Pictures

30 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by in Africa, Asia, Best Of, Europe, Living Abroad, Oceania

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Mr. Selfish and I are starting to settle down in San Francisco and are happy to be here for the next few months. It’s odd being in one place and being able to fully unpack our suitcases. We are definitely enjoying SF life thus far, especially our new view:

Biggie SF 002

We can’t believe how fast this past selfish year went by and are truly grateful for all of the wonderful experiences we had.

Here are our top 60 photos of the past year.  Enjoy!

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The Selfish’s Top 10 Biggest Letdowns

07 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by in Africa, Asia, Best Of, Europe, Oceania, Rant

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Mrs. Selfish and I were very fortunate to be able to travel the world (safely!) for a year, seeing and doing things we would otherwise never do. While the majority of the trip was amazing, we had more than our fair shares of letdowns.

Whether we went in with inflated expectations, or the experience really wasn’t that worth doing, there were things that just didn’t live up to their reputations.

For your consideration, I present you our 10 biggest letdowns (in no particular order). The first image is what I imagined the experience would be (thanks to the magic of the internet) and the second is reality.

Enjoy!

The not-so Sanguine Sunrise at Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat Sunrise

Imagination: Sunrise over mystical Angkor Wat. Peaceful. Tranquil.

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Reality: Shoving your way through throngs of tourists to catch a shot of overcast ruins at 5:00am in the morning.

Siem Reap, and Angkor Wat are awe-inspiringly awesome and totally worth doing. That being said, catching the sunrise was one of the most touristy experiences of our entire trip. We woke up at 4:30am to hit Angkor Wat along with what seemed like 1000 other people. Totally packed, and not that sanguine – definitely not what I was picturing.

 

Definitely not Downton: Highclere Castle

Highclere Imagination

Imagination: Strolling the grounds of Downton Abbey with Maggie Smith on a perfect day.

Reality: Rainy weather most of the time. Plus they rent it out for weddings. Wha-wha.

While we still had a blast at “Downton Abbey,” Highclere Castle is actually quite different from what you’d hope. The Castle is used to shoot the show mostly during the summer, and is open to the public for a few (hotly visited) months. The inside is peppered with familiar rooms, but it’s full of family skiing photos from the 80’s. Plus the duchess of Highclere will try and sell you her book on the REAL Downton Abbey in the gift shop. Classy.

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Stop Drooling: The Selfish’s Top 20 Eats

06 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by in Africa, Asia, Best Of, Europe, Food & Drinks, North America, Oceania

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Mr. Selfish and I had a lot of amazing food during this selfish year. It was incredibly hard to narrow it down but here’s our top 20 eats in no particular order:

Banh Mi in Hoi An

It cost under $1 USD for a deluxe Vietnamese sub (banh mi) at Tiem Banh Mi Phoung in Hoi An. Mr. Selfish was so obsessed with it that we ate over 10 banh mi during our five-day stay in Hoi An. We were able to identify about 10 ingredients in the banh mi, but we lost track after we hit the double digits. Needless to say, it was absolutely delicious.

Hoi An

Indian Food at Tayyabs in London

Tayyabs is located near White Chapel, which is close to Brick Lane in London. Although there is always a crazy line out the door, Tayyabs is completely worth it. It is by far the best Indian food we’ve ever had.

Tayyabs

Sisig from Gerry’s Grill Near Manila

During our stay in the Philippines, Mr. Selfish and I became fixated on sisig, which is made from parts of pig’s head and liver, usually seasoned with calamansi (a type of lime) and chili peppers. It isn’t the best for you, but man, is it tasty! The best sisig was from Gerry’s Grill, which is near the Taal Volcano close to Manila.

Sisig

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Now THIS is Living: The Selfish’s Top 10 Stays

05 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by in Accommodations, Africa, Asia, Australia, Best Of, Europe, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Oceania

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Prior to our year of reckless traveling, Mrs. Selfish and I only splurged once on a hotel, staying at the Sofitel Hanoi for our Honeymoon. Otherwise, business as usual was a 3-4 star hotel using sites like hotels.com.

And then I discovered the world of miles and points.

With a bank roll of millions of hotel points, spread out over 5 different hotel programs, Mrs. Selfish and I decided to spend our year abroad in style – hitting up some of the travel hacking community’s go-to destinations.

Here’s the 10 best places we stayed in chronological order. Some are miles and points accessible, though some can only be paid for with cold, hard cash!

Room with a view: Airbnb in Paris

Top 10 Stays 003

Mrs. Selfish and I spent an amazing 6 weeks in Paris in Montmartre, the same Arrondissement where the movie Amelie takes place. Taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of Paris was something I’ll never forget, and certainly nothing screamed “Paris” quite as much as waking up to a view of the Sacré-Cœur every morning.

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Anyone interested in renting the same flat can do so at Airbnb.

The Riad Pachavana: The full Moroccan Experience

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Mrs. Selfish and I arrived in Marrakech, disoriented and utterly confused. Marrakech’s old town is maze of twisting streets and Aladdin-style scamming street rats, children who try to get you lost so you’ll pay them to take you to your hotel.

Nevertheless, we quickly succumbed to Marrakech’s charms – especially after staying at the lovely Riad Pachavana, which we saved $150 on thanks to three Expedia BRG coupons.

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For more, check out our full post on the Riad Pachavana.

Staying in Protected Palawan: El Nido Resorts

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In the Philippines we were fortunate enough to stay at El Nido, located on Palawan – a protected island south west of Manila. Accessible only by a small private plane (max capacity of < 50), El Nido is a beautiful, isolated paradise. Despite being an all-inclusive resort, the food and activities were pretty great. Plus they have a killer happy hour with an amazing view.

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For more information on Palawan check out our full trip report.

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It is Almost Over: The Selfish’s Top 20 Experiences

04 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by in Africa, Asia, Best Of, Europe, Food & Drinks, Oceania

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Mr. Selfish and I are winding down our posts on the blog. We are currently driving cross-country and fondly reminiscing about our epic selfish year. We’ve had so many wonderful experiences that we both smile every time one of us says, “Remember that time…” We’ve decided to do some wrap-up posts, including some best of lists.

Here are our top 20 experiences in no particular order:

Best Drive: The Dingle Peninsula

Mr. Selfish and I took Rick Steve’s advice and did a driving tour around the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland. We were so fortunate to have perfect weather that day. It was so lovely that we even considered buying a summer home in Dingle.

Dingle

Best View: Milford Sound

Flying in a four-person plane from Queenstown to Milford Sound in New Zealand was truly amazing. It was more beautiful than I could have imagined it to be, and I don’t even like the Lord of the Rings series.

Milford Sound 23

Best Animal Experience: Holding a Panda in Chengdu

We had many wonderful animal experiences during this trip. The one experience that stands out the most for me is holding this 9-month old panda cub in Chengdu, China.

Pandas 05

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8 Observations about Gorgeous New Zealand

21 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by in New Zealand, Oceania, Rant

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Mrs. Selfish and I spent 2 weeks driving through friendly, jaw-dropping New Zealand. From bustling Auckland, to devastated Christchurch, to awe-inspiring Queenstown, New Zealand is a beautiful country with a very small population.

Here are some of the differences we noticed.

*Disclaimer * These observations are purely things I noticed after driving through New Zealand for 2 weeks and may not be entirely accurate. If you have any explanations or stories, please share away.

1. Everyone hates JAFAS.

JAFFAS are a very popular candy in New Zealand, and are a type of orange chocolate ball. JAFAs are “Just Another F***ing Aucklander.”

Where Sydney-dwellers hate Melbourners, and Northern Californians hate Southern Californians, EVERYONE in New Zealand hates people from Auckland.

While Auckland isn’t a big city per se, it does have 1.5 million people, which means it is THE BIG New Zealand city with slightly over 1/3 of the population.

2. Native New Zealanders are still part of New Zealand culture.

New Zealand Maori rowing ceremonial coreography

While Americans and Australians settlers crushed their native populations and forced them into reserves, the New Zealand natives (Maoris) are still a very large part of New Zealand culture. Maori art is prolific, many street names and sites have Maori names, and the Maori people seem very well integrated in New Zealand society.

3. Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of way.

New Zealand Observations 003

As a pedestrian, I have never felt more in danger than I did in New Zealand. Not crossing motorcycle infested streets in Vietnam. Not running across rural towns in China. Drivers in New Zealand just don’t seem to care about pedestrians, and it feels like they have the right of way at nearly all times.

We asked some New Zealanders why that was the case and were told that New Zealand doesn’t have any civil lawsuits, so pedestrians don’t have much recourse if they get struck by a vehicle. Apparently several North Americans are killed every year while crossing the street.

If you are from the States and you’re visiting New Zealand BE CAREFUL. New Zealanders will kill you.

4. You can still hitch hike across the country.

  New Zealand Observations 004

That being said, I have never seen more hitchhikers than I have in New Zealand. They are EVERYWHERE. Especially in the Queenstown area. It felt like America in the 70’s.

5. New Zealand (feels like it) has more sheep than anywhere else in the world.

And it probably does. There are sheep everywhere: fields, vineyards, hills, mountains, roads, etc. You can even see them in the city, like we did on the outskirts of Dunedin.

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You Only Live Once: Flying to the Milford Sound

20 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by in New Zealand, Oceania, Queenstown

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Mrs. Selfish is not much of an outdoor gal, so spending 2 weeks in New Zealand during the winter was a little bit of a stretch for us. Especially in Queenstown, which is known for skiing, bungee jumping, hiking, paragliding, and pretty much any other extreme outdoor sport you can think of.

But we knew we had to go to Queenstown when we saw pictures of the Milford Sound.

Milford Sound 15

One of New Zealand’s most naturally beautiful sights, the Milford Sound is a whopping 10 hour round trip drive from Queenstown. Jucy offers a bus service for around $100 NZD round trip, but driving 10 hours for a 1.5 hour ferry ride didn’t sound like a good deal to me.

Instead, Mrs. Selfish and I opted for the flying option under the banner of YOLO (you only live once). Coming in at $400 NZD per person, it definitely wasn’t the cheap option, but it was much, much faster – taking only 1 hour per direction.

The plane is not for the faint of heart. With only room for 4 people, it is a very turbulence prone flight.

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Fit for a Queen: The Food in Queenstown

19 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by in Food & Drinks, New Zealand, Oceania, Queenstown

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The food in Queenstown was amazingly fresh and delicious. Mr. Selfish and I didn’t have a single average meal. It was all outstanding.

Fergburger: The Legendary Burgers

Prior to arriving in Queenstown, we had heard tales about the hamburgers at Fergburger (42 Shotover Street, Queenstown Town Centre 9300). We were skeptical that the long line would be worth the wait but we figured that we would give it a try.

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I ordered the traditional Fergburger with blue cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, aioli, and tomato relish. After an hour of waiting, my Fergburger arrived. The patty on my Fergburger was perfectly cooked. The bun was delightfully toasted, and the aioli and tomato relish were a perfect balance against the blue cheese. It was quite tasty.

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Mr. Selfish went the less traditional route and ordered the Chief Wiggum, which is a pork belly burger with lettuce, tomato, red onion, hash brown, aioli, and an apricot seeded mustard. The pork belly was quite yummy, and the hash brown provided a very good crunchy texture. The apricot seeded mustard also added a nice sweet flavor. Although the traditional Fergburger was quite good, I think the Chief Wiggum was better due to the novelty factor.

NZ Food 18

If you’re in Queenstown, you should definitely try a burger or two at Fergburger. It met and exceeded all of the hype.

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Climbing the Lovely Queenstown Hill

18 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by in New Zealand, Oceania, Queenstown

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On a wonderfully sunny day, Mr. Selfish and I decided to hike Queenstown Hill, which takes about 1.5 to 2.5 hours round trip (sans photos). With lots of photos, it takes closer to 3.5 hours. It was a surprisingly steep walk but quite enjoyable.

Queenstown Hill 01Queenstown Hill 02HikingQueenstown Hill 05

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I wish I was still relaxing at the Hilton Queenstown

17 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by in Accommodations, Hilton, New Zealand, Oceania, Queenstown, Travel Hacking

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After the disappointing stay at the Hilton Auckland, Mrs. Selfish and I decided to give the Hilton one last go at the Hilton Queenstown.

From everything we’d heard, Queenstown is the most beautiful city in New Zealand, and the Hilton Queenstown is one of the best hotels in the city.

Neither disappointed.

Queenstown Hilton 01

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Dilly Dallying in Dunedin: Penguins, Haggis, and a Farmer’s Market

16 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by in Food & Drinks, New Zealand, Oceania

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One of my top priorities on our selfish trip was to see penguins in the wild. I did lots of research to determine whether we should see the penguins in Australia or wait until New Zealand. Since we were in Australia during the winter, we weren’t likely to see hoards of penguins ascending from the beach at dusk, which is more typical during the summer. I therefore opted to see the rarer yellow-eyed penguins in Dunedin.

Dunedin 11

These yellow-eyed penguin only exist in New Zealand, and there are only an estimated 3,000 left. These penguins are different from every other penguin in the world, because they are quite anti-social. They do not live in large colonies. In fact, each penguin has one long-term mate, and they can only mate when they do not see any other penguins. Other than mating and raising their offspring with one other penguin, they do everything individually. Hence, they go hunting alone and come up from the beach one by one.

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The Devastation that is Christchurch

15 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by in Food & Drinks, New Zealand, Oceania

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Mr. Selfish and I had heard about the 2011 earthquake that hit Christchurch but we hadn’t realized the extent of the devastation. Following an earthquake in 2010 that had a magnitude of 7.1, the 2011 earthquake had a magnitude of 6.3. Due to the succession of these earthquakes, Christchurch suffered immensely.

We had thought that by the time we visited Christchurch that the city would be mostly in repairs. We were wrong. The city center of Christchurch is still devastated. Apparently, other subsequent quakes have occurred, which kept setting the city back.

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The Drive between Marlborough and Christchurch

14 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by in Food & Drinks, New Zealand, Oceania

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The coastal drive between Marlborough and Christchurch takes about four hours and is quite lovely. Based on advice from our Highlight Wine Tour operator, we made two pit stops. First, we stopped at the Ohau Stream Walk, which is about an hour and a half away from Marlborough, to see the seal pups. Second, we had lunch at Pegasus Bay winery, which is about 50 minutes away from Christchurch.

The Adorable Seal Pups at Ohau Stream Walk

Mr. Selfish and I were lucky enough to visit Ohau Stream Walk during the height of the season for seal pups. During the winter, momma seals leave their pups at Ohau stream and waterfall while they are out at sea hunting for food. The pups frolic and play in the stream with the other pups while waiting for their moms to come back.

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