Land Down Under Trip Planning

I thought that if i have a chance to travel during my birthday week I see to it that it will be a major trip so this year I was given the opportunity to visit the Land Down Under. It’s my first time in this continent and in the Southern Hemisphere. I was supposed to go early this year in time of the Australian Open but it’s the peak of summer during this time and read in the news that it reached 45°C in Sydney this January so it’s good that I decided to move my trip autumn time where it’s not too hot and not too cold as also advised by friends.

Being a Filipino, visa is a big consideration so I processed by visitors visa a month before my planned trip. The processing was not so bad either as long as you have complete requirements to submit. Also learned that the visa application is now being handled by a third-party office as referred by the Australian Embassy. By the way, there’s no visa stamp on the passport instead a visa grant letter if your visa application was approved.

For the flights to Australia, there were many options to choose from. My original plan was to take the direct flight from Manila to Sydney via Philippine Airlines but since got a chance to fly A380 via Singapore Airlines, then I chose the latter. Also the cost was almost the same since I did not book a two-way ticket (flying back to Manila from Melbourne). It’s quite an experience actually flying in a jumbo jet but too bad did not choose to sit on the second deck. It was a short layover in Singapore Changi airport so I’ve had the chance again to explore the airport which is one of the best in the world. Budget airlines fly to Australia now via Singapore or Kuala Lumpur so there are many options when flying.

For the accommodation, I was lucky to have a friend in Sydney who offered her place in Chiswick suburb. But since I also traveled to Victoria on my 6th day, I booked a hotel near Melbourne CBD so I can walk to the city attractions anytime. I can say Australia is not for budget travelers as a destination so money is a big consideration on your trip. But personally I’ve had a great time in my short stay in Australia. The people are wonderful and learned to appreciate the Oz culture more.

Min Resa I Sverige

Min Resa I Sverige means My Trip in Sweden.

It was actually a business trip and I was blessed to be sent to Sweden. I learned that i’ll be going to Sweden three weeks before the scheduled trip so the processing of visa via the Swiss embassy was done right away. We got no Sweden embassy here in Manila and the nearest is still in Bangkok so the processing was done quickly in Swiss embassy where Schengen visa applications are processed. The consideration too was the weather and lucky that it’s spring time in Sweden so i must say it was the best time to visit.

We got two offices in Sweden, one in Kista in Stockholm and another one in Linkoping, two hours drive from the capital. Most of our counterparts are assigned in Linkoping, so we stayed in this city, the 5th biggest in the whole of Sweden. Very laid back town and with charming old town , Swedish are really nice and friendly people. Also like Filipinos, most Swedes speak English fluently and at least understand it. It was great experience to really engage with the locals in my month’s stay and I could say one of the most memorable trips in my life. We flew Manila to Linkoping via Amsterdam. Luckily KLM flies to Linkoping directly so there was no need to change flights. We arrived there in time for the start of spring celebration so right away our Swedish hosts invited us in the bonfire that signifies the start of spring.

Then the first experience of Swedish beer at the city square makes it more appropriate for an expat. Swedes are beer and coffee drinkers and in this case, a cold beer in 10 degrees spring weather was not totally bad.  People stay the whole day and night outdoors during spring and summer seasons as they usually stay at home for the rest of the year at the end of fall and winter. It’s “depressing weather” for them until the snow arrives where it will brighten the dark atmosphere.

The following days were spent in touring the city. Important sights to visit include St. Lars Cathedral, the Domkyrka, Swedish Air Force Museum and Linkoping Museum.

Linkoping is such a small city and just like most of European cities and towns, it has charming old town, city square, laid back downtown and lovely sights. This was my home for four weeks.

I fell in love with the city and can probably say I can always go back. It’s not only the place but also the people there who were really nice and accomodating.