INDIA

In Melbourne's freezing temps, I'm dreaming of Indian Summers! So here's a post full of throwback photos from my Indian Summer holiday earlier this year. India is where my family live, so normally I don't take too many blog-worthy photos as my trip is usually full of family activities. But this time we turned into tourists for a day and went to a 300 year old fort, a few hours drive from the city of Pune, that has now been converted into a beautiful resort complete with a spa, museum, cafe, two restaurants and a bar! This incredible place where history meets contemporary hospitality is Fort Jadhavgarh.

Photography is prohibited inside the museum, but its a must visit if you're in the area, it houses some extraordinary artefacts that were everyday objects in homes in the area 300 years ago and you will be amazed at the ingenuity and grandeur of these household items, However the drive to the Fort is bumpy for the most part once you are out of the city traffic, as you can imagine, so make sure you fasten your seatbelts!

Of course, no travel post is complete without an outfit of the day pic, so here you go...

Royal Lunch at Fort Jadhavgarh Outfit:

Loose White Top: *$15 (Cotton On)

Stripe Midi Skirt: $56 (ASOS)

Bangle: *$17 (Kate Spade)

Flats: $49.95 (Zara)

Usual Prada Sunnies

Outfit Total: $137.95

* = sale prices

DUBAI

If you've been following me on Instagram, you would know that a couple of months ago I was holidaying in India & Dubai. Here are a few photos I thought I'd share from my Dubai trip...

View from our room at the Arabian Courtyrad Hotel of the Dubai Museum

A quick coffee and a browse through The Atlantis Hotel at The Palm Jumeirah

The aquarium at Atlantis

  Sightseeing in Dubai Outfit:

Dress: *$80 (BCBG bought at a Sample Sale)

Flats: $49.95 (Zara)

 Outfit Total: $129.95

* = sale prices

Ibn Batuta Mall - Persia Court

Dubai Skyline

Driving past Burj Khalifa

Dancing Fountains at the Dubai Mall with Burj Khalifa in the background

Desserts at Cafe Blanc in Dubai Mall

Desert Safari - A MUST DO

Entertainment at the Desert Safari

My cousins & I recreating the SATC2 moment

 Desert Safari Outfit:

Offshoulder Top: $29.95 (Seed)

Chambray Baggy Pants: *$79.95 (Seed)

Comfy Shoes: $5 (Local convenient store in Dubai just to wear for Safari)

Outfit Total: $114.9

* = sale prices

Accessorised with Prada sunnies and Kate Spade bangle and other bracelets. These accessories I wear quite often and they have more than delivered on their cost:wear ratio so I won't count them in the outfit total. Cool?!

Dubai was so much fun! Can't wait to go back again. There's something for everyone there. Especially shopaholics like me! And malls like Ibn Batuta aren't just great for shopping, their unique concepts make it almost a day-trip destination.

Signing off now that it's turned into such a long post. Hope you enjoyed this little glimpse of Dubai. Until next time...

Hawaii - The Outfits

Needless to say, Hawaii had great tropical weather so it was all about dressing comfortably for the hot weather and long walks we did as tourists (one day we actually walked 12ks! That's a half-marathon!). But also going from winter in Melbourne to Summer in Oahu I was loving that I could finally add some colour to my look which I was very happy about. The most challenging outfit to plan was my travel outfit going from a cold and wet 13 degree wintery day and a 10.5 hour long air-conditioned plane ride (I get really cold on planes) to a warm 28 degrees. I'm not really the trackies+runners wearer when I travel. I usually wear jeans and a top and like to add some fun pieces to my outfit. So, for this journey, layering was key and I found the perfect jacket on Missguided.com to put me in the tropical mood whilst keeping me warm....

Left: Grabbing a coffee before take-off at Cafe Vue, Melbourne Airport; Right: Arriving to a gorgeous balmy morning at Honolulu International Airport

 Neoprene Palm Tree Print Jacket: *$43.98 (Missguided)

Black Silk Tank: *$5 (Dotti)

Black Long Sleeve Cotton Top (not shown in photo): *$10 (Dotti)

Embossed Jeans: $49.95 (Zara)

Black Ballet Flats: $12 (H&M)

Sunnies: *$27.50 (Zara)

Handbag: *$70 (Seed)

Polka Dot Neck Pillow: $14.95 (Typo)

Red Trolley Bag: Gift from Dad

Outfit Total: $233.38 (including Neck Pillow)

After a day of Outlet Shopping, dinner at Morimoto

 Dress: *$129 (Country Road)

Brown Peep-toe Flats: *$5 (Rubi Shoes)

Bangle: *$17 (Kate Spade Outlet)'

Outfit Total: $151

Driving around the island of Oahu, we stopped at this fruit stall for some fresh Coconut Water

Grey and White Sequinned Tank: *$7 (Banana Republic Outlet)

Denim Shorts: $14.95 (Valleygirl)

Red Peep-toe Flats: *$5 (Rubi Shoes)

Sunnies: *$27.50 (Zara)

Shell Bracelets: $5 (bought at a market stall in Thailand)

Outfit Total: $59.45

She gets a kiss, I get a chip!

 Navy & White Striped Cold Shoulder Top: *$12.95 (Valleygirl)

White Cotton Shorts: *$10 (Cotton On)

Brown Peep-toe Flats: *$5 (Rubi Shoes)

Shell Bracelets: $5 (bought at a market stall in Thailand)

 Sunnies: *$220 (Prada from Waikele Outlet Mall)

Outfit Total: $252.95

Asymmetric Hem Beach Dress: *$15 (Dotti Sample Sale)

Shell Bracelets: $5 (bought at a market stall in Thailand)

Sunnies: *$29 (Forever New)

Thongs: Gift (Havaianas)

Outfit Total: $49

Lounging around, Waikiki Beach

 50s-style Red Swimsuit: *$24 (ASOS)

White Cotton Shorts: *$10 (Cotton On)

Hat: *$20 (Kiosk at Chadstone)

Sunnies: *$27.50 (Zara)

Outfit Total: $81.50

Posing for the cam right before boarding the Atlantis Submarine, using our tour brochures as a Clutch ;)

Black & white Graphic Print Overlay: $19.95 (Cotton On)

Citrus Tank: *$19.95 (IDS Fashion)

Denim Shorts: $14.95 (Valleygirl)

Bangle: *$17 (Kate Spade Outlet)

Shell Bracelet: $2.50 (bought at a market stall in Thailand)

Sunnies: *$220 (Prada from Waikele Outlet Mall)

Outfit Total: $294.35

It wouldn't be a trip to Hawaii without a photo wearing a Lei!

Maxi Dress: *$89 (Sportsgirl)

Gold Chain Necklace: $30 (bought at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort)

Wallet: $36 (Charles & Keith)

Shell Bracelet: $5 (bought at a market stall in Thailand)

Thongs: Gift (Havaianas)

Outfit Total: $160

* = sale prices

Hope this post has given you some fun summer and travel outfit inspirations! xoxo

Hawaii - The Food (and Drinks)

 I'm struggling to write about my favourite meals in Hawaii. I don't really need to say much. The pictures say it all. I'll just tell you where they were taken.

Blood Orange Mimosa & Superfood Wrap for breakfast (with ocean views) at the Verandah Cafe, Moana Surfrider by Westin - our first meal in Hawaii

An All-American meal complete with Mac & Cheese on the side at the Hard Rock Cafe

We loved it so much, we went back a second time - Hot & Spicy Korean Style Chicken & Rice at the Steak Shack on Waikiki Beach (and it was only about $8)

A "Healthy" Food Truck we stopped at when driving around the island of Oahu - we had a shrimp salad thingy with a side of rice that you could swap for quinoa if you were so inclined

Full Aussie Breakfast at Bills Sydney in Waikiki! 

Bircher Muesli with Pinapple, Melon & Shaved Coconut at Bills Sydney

Yummy Tuna Salad at the Tropics Bar & Grill, Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort

Strawberry Smoothie also at the Tropics

Eel Avocado Roll at Morimoto, The Modern Honolulu (must do!)

Shrimp Tempura Two-ways: with Spicy Kochujan Sauce & Wasabi Aioli and Ranch Sauce (still can't decide which was better). Morimoto at The Modern.

Angry Chiken with Finger Peppers and Spiced Jus that made us very Happy. Morimoto at The Modern.

NY Style Pepperoni Pizza Slice on our last day there, because I couldn't leave America without having one of these! Food Court at the Ala Moana Mall 

My pool-side companions: a Lava Flow, my sunnies and an easy-read

Another variation of the Lava Flow at Duke's Barefoot Bar at the Outrigger

 Highly recommend Morimoto which is a great place for dinner before a night-out on the town with its trendy vibe and contemporary food with manageable portions (seriously, the portions in Hawaii were way too big for me). The Steak Shack was the best place to grab a bite on the beach. And of course we went to the Cheesecake Factory and while the Cheesecakes were great the food and drinks there were nothing to write home about (even more disappointing after the one hour wait). Oh and yes, we did go to Leonard's Bakery for Malasadas, a portuguese doughnut-type thing (absolutely divine) aaand we got a Red Velvet Cupcake to go (don't judge us, we were on a holiday!) Sorry, we scoffed those down before even taking a photo.

Hopefully this post has satiated your appetite for foodie must-dos (or should I say, must-haves) in Oahu.