About Briar
Briar Jensen is a Sydney-based freelance travel writer. Her blog covers travel tips, reviews, insights and inspiration, travel accessories and gadgets.
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Loved meeting the inspiring women getting their hands dirty and doing what they love for my story on Passionate Producers for @greatersydneyliving mag. Organic flowers, cheese and vegetables, many delivered to your home. Grab a copy Greater Sydney Living mag when you do your next shop. #passionateproducers #greatersydneyliving #freshproduceTurn the volume up and listen to the awesome sound of Vanuatu’s water music. These are the women and girls from Leweton Cultural village in Vanuatu. Using just their hands in the water, these girls evoked the sounds of a waterfall, boiling water, a big swell hitting a stone wall in a cyclone and landing a big fish ashore. The sound was hypnotic! I could have listened all afternoon, but it is exhausting work for them. Wow, what a privilege to watch this. @vanuatuislands @mindfoodmag #vanuatumoments #watermusicFierce young warriors in full ceremonial dress ‘captured’ us on arrival at Leweton Cultural Village in Vanuatu, escorting us into the meeting ground where we were able to convey we had come in friendship. Then we were welcomed with cultural lessons, ceremonial dances and their amazing ‘water music’ (more on the latter in next post). Vanuatu @vanuatuislands #mindfoodmag #vanuatuculture #vanuatumomentsCheck out my digs at @ratuaislandresortandspa made up of two vintage teak cottages transported from Java and Sumatra, one for the bedroom and one for the bathroom, linked by a patio. The worn and weathered timber evokes years of stories and the simple, rustic furnishings work perfectly. Swipe left to see the views from each room. The last photo is the view from my bathroom!!! #spoilt #vanuatumoments #mindfoodmag #ratuaislandresortandspaSwimming with horses is a thrilling experience! 🐎 From @ratuaislandresortandspa we rode bareback out along a sandbank, slowly sinking deeper and deeper into the water, then we turned and the horses swam through the deep water back to shore as we held their manes and floated above them. Amazing! (Only the horses who like swimming do this activity.) Check out the clarity of the water!!! #vanuatumoments #swimmingwithhorses #ratuaislandresortA cooking class may not be top of mind on a holiday in Vanuatu, but spending a few hours at @papayalococookingschool you’re guaranteed to have a fantastic time learning to cook some island dishes for lunch, served with delicious sangria. The effervescent Marcus kept us entertained with endless stories (while partner Stoney tried valiantly to keep us on schedule) as we grated cassava for local dish tuluk, wrapped dolmades, and made tortellini. This energetic pair also offer a couple of rooms if you fancy getting off the grid, staying by the beach and enjoying their amazing food. Scroll through the images to see their ‘swimming pool’ and add a cooking class to your Island holiday. @vanuatuislands ##vanuatumoments #cookingclass- My Tweets
Category Archives: Accommodation
Tai Chi with the locals in Bangkok
Apparently, tai chi is all about internal energy flow, but the only energy I’m channelling is nervous energy. How much of a goose (or perhaps that should be crane?) am I making of myself? But I don’t care. I feel … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Bangkok, Thailand, Travel
Tagged Lumpini Park, Sofitel So Bangkok, Tai Chi
8 Comments
Postcard of the week – Outback recycling
I love this shot of a battered XXXX Gold beer can attached to a fence in the middle of the Australian outback. I hope someone enjoyed consuming its icy-cold contents before it was re-purposed to dangle like an earring on … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Adventure, Australia, Northern Territory, Outback, Postcards, Road Trips, Travel
Tagged accommodation, Kings Creek Station, outback, Quad biking, XXXX Gold
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Free accommodation on Sydney’s Pittwater
Fancy a weekend getaway in the bush free of charge, staying at a historic property overlooking Pittwater’s Morning Bay? Spend your free time watching the local wildlife, hiking through Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, kayaking the bays or just relaxing in … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Australia, Sydney, Travel, Volunteering
Tagged bush regeneration, Pittwater, voluntourism, YHA
2 Comments
Last weekend for Bondi sculpture walk
Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, finishes this Sunday 9th November. So it’s your last chance to see the exhibits, the work of 109 artists. We visited the exhibition this week, together with some friends from New Zealand. As my girlfriend … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Attractions, Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Travel News & Events
Tagged Bondi, Sculpture by the sea
2 Comments
Teen-friendly family accommodation on the Gold Coast
Finding accommodation that suits a family with teens can often be challenging. You want to give them some freedom and a room of their own, especially if they are older, but you also want to have them close and know … Continue reading
Au naturel is best – please don’t wrap hotel soap
Ok, I’ll be upfront, this post is a rant about a first world problem, so if you don’t care if hotel soap comes wrapped, sometimes multiple times, then you might want to switch off now. I just don’t see why … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Hotels, Travel
Tagged accommodation, environmental initiatives, hotel amenities, hotel soap, soap
4 Comments
Fairy Tale Castles – German Fairy Tale Route
Ever dreamt of sleeping like a princess – in Sleeping Beauty’s castle? Fancy letting down your hair in Rapunzel’s tower? What about a romantic weekend at Snow White’s palace? Or perhaps you just want to stay in a real palace, … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Germany, Travel
Tagged accommodation, castles, Fairy tale castles, Fairy tale route, travel
3 Comments
