Sea World and Harbour Town Outlet

Alex — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 06:38:00 +0000

Sea World was the next theme park which we visited other than Warner Bros. Movie World during our Gold Coast trip. The main draws here are definitely the sea animals such as penguins, seals, dolphins, stingrays and the sharks. The kids can spend one whole day just by looking, or rather, staring at them. However, I suppose their favourite animal activities would be the feeding time and the entertaining live shows. The first stop was none other than to see the penguins and their feeding presentation at 10:15 am.

Sea World
Seaworld Drive, Main Beach
Queensland 4217

Thereafter, we grabbed our seats and waited for the Affinity Dolphin presentation to begin at 11:15 am. This show is one of the main attractions of Sea World where the dolphins dazzle the audience with their acrobatic acts. Itâ€s definitely a crowdâ€s favourite and the seats filled up rather quickly.

Next up was yet another Dolphin show at 12:30 pm where some participants get up close and personal with the playful animal. We stayed on to watch for a while before heading for lunch.

There was some time to kill before the next Seal Guardians show at 14:30 pm, so to kiddy rides we went.

The Seal Guardians show was entertaining and hilarious that the kids were still talking about it after the show.

The last presentation for us at 15:00 pm was at Ray Reef where we got to feed the Stingrays with small fishes. We spent almost the whole day here at Sea World and had so much fun. The kids truly enjoyed themselves that they asked whether we are coming back again LOL.

Harbour Town Outlet Shopping

Harbour Town is known to be the largest outlet mall in Australia so I suppose we should check it out. The drive to Harbour Town took us around 20 minutes and the parking is free. It definitely looks like a popular place for both the locals and tourists alike, judging by the crowd that day. The place is spacious and has a similar setup like most other outlet malls. There are international brands which are commonly seen at the outlet mall such as Armani, Boss, Calvin Klein, Coach, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren alongside with Australian brand like UGG.

Harbour Town Outlet Shopping Centre
147-189 Brisbane Road
Biggera Waters
Queensland 4216

I have thought the ladies in the group will be spending substantial time around here while I find something for the kids to do. But that did not happen and they mentioned that the outlet price was rather disappointing when compared to those in Europe or the USA. Anyhow, that’s good news for a hungry me and it’s off to Peterâ€s Fish Market for another seafood fix.

[alert]

What are your thoughts about Sea World or Harbour Town Outlet? Leave a comment and share it with me.

[/alert]

FoxTown Outlet and Lake Lugano

Alex — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 02:51:44 +0000

FoxTown Factory Outlet is situated in a sleepy town of Mendrisio, near to the Swiss-Italian border. The Outlet is a highlight by shopping tours coming from both Milan or Como. FoxTown is in fact way nearer to Milan than to Zurich. But we went ahead to check out this outlet mall anyway. It’s within a short walk from Mendrisio train station surrounded by a somewhat industrial-looking neighbourhood. There werenâ€t many shoppers on that particular day and no sighting of tour buses either.

There is quite a good selection of well-known Italian brands like Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, Gucci, Prada, Tods, Valentino and Versace. Another good thing for non-Swiss residents to shop here is that the Tax Refund can be processed and collected in FoxTown.

However, the prices here seem to be on the higher side as compared to other Factory Outlets we had been to. For some reason those Outlets with Euro pricing looks to be a better deal especially after the Tax Refund. Needless to say, no shopping bags for us here.

After some cheesy Swiss Fondue lunch at the nicely decorated Chalet Suisse restaurant, I made an impromptu plan to visit the nearby Lake Lugano, known for its scenic surroundings.

The beautiful Lake Lugano

The southern Swiss city of Lugano feels more like being in Italy than Switzerland. There are plenty of Italian influence here that can be seen in its architecture style and food. Lugano can easily pass off as an Italian city if not for the Swiss flags and Francs when paying. But of course, it is well known for the beautiful Lake Lugano surrounded by magnificent mountains. It’s somewhat similar to the equally beautiful Lake Como in Italy.

It takes a few minutes to walk from the main train station down towards the lakeshore. Thereafter, the relaxed stroll along the lakeshore promenade was such a joy for its scenic views. How I wished to have more time here to explore further.

It looks quiet and laid-back all around the neighbourhood as I wandered about. The colourful buildings and squares like Piazza della Riforma are like reminders of Luganoâ€s nickname of the ‘Little Italy’.

Dinner at La Cucina di Alice

The restaurant with a nice view of Lake Lugano was recommended to us by a local. And indeed, the food at La Cucina di Alice did not disappoint, itâ€s delicious! I must also mention about the impeccable service rendered by the friendly waiting staff. I would definitely visit again if I find myself back in Lugano.

Thereafter, we made our way back to Zurich and prepare for our return flight the next day.