Latest Reviews for Perth

We spent a fortnight over the christmas holidays at this lovely hotel, which comprises of apartments/suites instead of just a hotel.The restaurant is excellent, but the menu stayed the same whilst we were there.
The staff were an absolute credit, each and every one of them, from reception through to restaurant staff and housekeepers. Everyone so cheerful and friendly as well as going out of their way to be helpful. The location was very close to the WACCA, as it's in Hay Street, however quite a walk to the town centre approx 15 to 20 mins.
The shops are just divine. Our teenagers shopped for clothes and accessories every day almost, with the daily warning that they would be paying for excess baggage themselves should we get challenged at check-in. It was very odd to be listening to Christmas music in department stores though, when the temperature was 37 degrees outside. The girls felt safe in Perth, so much so that they would take themselves off shopping or to the internet cafe without dragging us along.

The beach at Scarborough (about 15minute drive away) was beautiful. Sea very clear, however quite rough on a couple of occasions, lots of surfers out those days.
We drove down to Fremantle, which is so quaint and relaxing. Some nice shops there and a good maritime museum. I believe the old gaol is a popular tourist haunt too.
Our Christmas lunch was taken in Frasers restaurant overlooking the Swan River. Again the restaurant was lovely with fabulous staff. The location of this restaurant is in Kings Park. Many locals enjoyed a picnic with their families in the grounds of the park on Christmas day.
I particularly enjoyed the double decker bus Tour of Perth. It lasts about 2 hours and is well worth it.(Bit of a suntrap on the top though if you sit at the back).
The highlight to round off our holiday was a 30 minute helicopter ride (with Heli-west)over the city of Perth, along the coast from Hillary's Boat Harbour down to Fremantle then back again. The views were stunning and I was left speechless.

The wine tour with Joe our guide(BIG SKY Tours I think) was lovely also, around the Swan valley. He collected us promtly at 10am and we got home about 8pm. We visited 4 vineyards, all very different, tasted about 11 wines and sparkling wines in each vineyard,visited the Swan River chocolate factory and ate a BBQ lunch alongside the Swan River. A very memorable day out which was enjoyed thoroughly by all, especially as Joe took us to his local pub for a few beers on the way home!
If only Oz wasn't so far away, we'd be back there in a flash.

The Windsor Lodge, South Perth.

Small and freindly, excellent all round service from maids, room service, reception - absolutely nothing was too much trouble for them. They went out of their way to make you feel welcome.

Everything was clean, well maintanied and most of the kitchen equipment was new. One of the biggest pluses of Windsor Lodge is it is away from the main highway and night times is wonderfully peaceful. It is situated near Perth Zoo. At the top of the road is a cheap and regular bus service to Perth and Suburbs, you are not stuck for getting any where you want to go. If you want small, personal and friendly then this place is for you.

With Perths fantastic public transport system you really do not need a hire car. The bus station is adjacent to the train station and guess what? They all run on time!

The highlight of Windsor Lodge has to be the restaurant, though not advertised enough, this is also open to the public.I can honestly say that in all the places we have eaten, this was a gastronomical delight. The service was amazing, everything was home made, all the sauces, fresh vegetables - everything prepared with the utmost care. Price wise for this kind of meal it was no dearer than the pub meals just up the road and there was no comparison at all to eating at the Windsor Lodge. The only difference price wise is you were getting the kind of service and food far more exclusive places would serve for a realistic price.

Singapore Airlines. The plane seemed cramped but the service was brilliant. As many snacks and drinks as you wanted, served always with those dazzling smiles and nothing was too much trouble for them for the entire duration of the flight. A plus of Singapore Airlines is joining the Kris Flyer airmiles via SA web site, when booking with who ever you chose cite the Kris Flyer membership number. It enables you to chose your plane seats 48 hours prior to departure, you also get a later check in (as your seats are already booked) and board the plane before everyone else does. The only gripe with Singapore Airlines is that every meal seems to consist of curry or Thai chicken.

If you can stand the humidity, Singapore for a stop over is a must. Boat Quay at night is awesome, Botanical Gardens, Sarasota Island etc. Taxis are so cheap, though not compulsory, you tip more than the actual air conditioned cab ride. There are strict littering rules in Singapore and you risk heavy fines for butt ends and litter dropped. Using authorised pedestrian crossings is also compulsory, but if you saw the speed of the traffic you wouldn't want to cross any where else but a crossing point!

The city is beautiful and clean and Changi Airport has a reputation for being the best in the world - with good reason. It makes me ashamed of the tatty farce they call Heathrow airport.

Perth is in a world of its own. Being the second trip, we had done all the tourist trails the first time round. The highlight this time had to be catching the Australind from Perth train station (pre booking is essential)to Pinjarra, then catching the steam train to Dwellingup. The steam journey takes you through the Darling Range and the scenery is breath takingly beautiful. For steam train buffs - this trip is a must. On the journey back you see scores of kangeroos at dusk and get a feel of what real Australian bush is all about.

Happy holidays where ever you go.

With best wishes.

This was our first trip to Australia and we were not disappointed. We spent 3 weeks at the Sorrento Beach Resort on a room only basis. The resort has a small swimming pool with jacuzzi but as the beach is just across the road, there is no overcrowding problem.

The rooms were a good size with adequate wardrobe space. Self-catering units are available and we returned to the Perth area we would definitely rent one of those. There is a laundry on site, although this is quite small and there was pressure on machines when the hotel was only half full.

Sorrento Beach is a popular tourist area, with a variety of restaurants, tourist shops and activities such as whale-watching and deep sea fishing. There is a daily ferry to Rottnest Island.

There are a couple of stations close by with trains about every 15 minutes or so into the centre of Perth. The bus service is reliable, cheap and avoids the problem of car parking at the station.

Although there was plenty to see, we felt that we had exhausted the Perth area in the 3 weeks we had there and would be looking at a 2 centre holiday next time round.

That said the people were very friendly, the hotel staff helpful and we would recommend the resort.

We flew direct ot Melbourne, 22 hours on a Qantas 747. Thankfully we flew business class so it was a bit more bearable. Getting through immigration and customs was easy, but the one downside to Melbourne airport is no rail connection to the city.

However we got on on of the city hoppers and 30 minutes later we were at our hotel. We had a deluxe room which was massive, the hotel is right in the middle of the CBD and is 2 minutes walk from the Yarra River. The hotel was friendly Melbourne is easy to get around, there is a city circle tram which is free and runs past most of the tourist places. Go to the observation deck down Collins Avenue, its the highest building in Melbourne and you get great views. Old Melbourne jail is ok for a quick look around and you can see Ned Kellys death mask. Along the Yarra is a complex known as Southbank and Crown Cassino. There are loads of shops and restaurants there and they are very good. My wife went to the Neighbours set, it cost $25 but she said it wasnt that great.

Perth wasnt as good as Melbourne. The city centre looked very much like the any town centre in England. The hotel was by the river but it has the appearance of a prison with the rooms on balconies overlooking the central atrium. We upgraded to the club rooms, which gave us free breakfast and evening drinks. We went to Freemantle by boat which was pleasant, and took a helicopter trip over the city (we managed to get a 30 minute journey for the price of 15) Other than that we sat around the pool as it was very hot. Eating in Perth is great, go to Northbridge for the Cafes and restaurants, or if you want to push the boat out go to Frasers in Kings Park.

We had been to Singapre before and just used it to break up the return journey. The Marina Mandarin is in the heart of a shopping complex. The hotel is massive and to me it is souless, it is just a big concern with no personal feel. We didnt eat in the hotel but instead went to Clarke Quay and Boat Quay. Here you can choose what sort of food you want and sit by the river, it is always warm and so it is great. You must go to the Long Bar at Raffles and have a Singapore Sling. You need to dress smart but you dont need a tie or jacket.