● Time zone: Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), GMT+10
● Currency: Australian Dollars (AUD)
● Airports: Gold Coast Airport
Before planning your activities in Gold Coast, it’s essential to find the most comfortable accommodation for yourself and your loved ones. Check out our selection of recommended RCI resorts that you can book for your next Gold Coast getaway.
Wyndham Hotel offers a contemporary yet tranquil beach escape in Surfer’s Paradise, Gold Coast. Staying at this hotel brings you to the centre of Gold Coast’s tourist hub. Each room is spacious and stylish and offers magnificent views of the ocean, river, and hinterland.
Address: 3018 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217, Australia
Relax after a day of soaking up some sun at Golden Shores Holiday Club. Located in Broadwater (Gold Coast’s fishing and boating Mecca), Golden Shores offers stylish two-bedroom apartments that surround the pool and spa. Each unit also has its own private balcony that overlooks the tranquil waters of Broadwater.
Address: 210 Marine Parade, Labrador QLD 4215, Australia.
Jadon Place sits only a stone’s throw away from Broadbeach, one of Gold Coast’s most famous beaches. This resort offers one to two-bedroom apartments that overlook the beach, a landscaped courtyard, and a heated pool and spa.
Address: 31 Hooker Boulevard Broadbeach 4218, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
Gold Coast is all about beachside burgers, seafood under the setting sun, and delicious ice creams to help one cool down. Check out our top picks for must-try food options in this famous Queensland spot!
Your Gold Coast dining experience wouldn’t be complete without tasting amazing seafood! Start off at Rick Shores, which is known for its scrumptious offerings of seafood and Pan-Asian treats.
Nothing else feels as satisfying as indulging in savoury BBQ after a long day at the beach. Treat yourself and your loved ones to mouthwatering BBQ at WoodChoppers BBQ Smoke & Grill, which is grilled and smoked over real wood. Their menu includes pulled pork shoulder, chicken cooked three-ways, BBQ lamb, and tri-tip sirloin.
Cool down and get amazing gelato at Gelato Messina! Each gelato flavour at this shop is made from unique recipes created by their own pastry chefs. Their gelato is made with their own jersey milk from their Numurkah farm in Country Victoria.
Gold Coast’s main attractions lie in their world-famous beaches, which stretch beyond 70 kilometres of golden sands with big waves to catch. Beyond the beaches, Gold Coast is also known for its laid-back neighbourhoods, theme parks, and marvellous rainforests.
Your kids will be delighted to get up close and personal with the cute and cuddly koalas of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in the Gold Coast. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary prides itself on being Gold Coast’s most famous tourist destination and serves as the home to more than 800 animals including emus, lorikeets, kangaroos, koalas, and wallabies among many others. The sanctuary also participates in 15 conservation projects to help save critically endangered animals from extinction.
Let the kids discover wonderful marine life in Sea World, a theme park and oceanarium combined into one. Here, you can see King and Gentoo penguins, dolphins, turtles, polar bears, and seabirds! They also host animal exhibitions and presentations regularly while educating the public about marine life conservation.
Of course, your Gold Coast holiday won’t be complete without exploring its wonderful beaches! Head to Burleigh’s Heads Beach and learn how to ride the waves with the kids. Afterwards, you can always lay down and get baked under the sun with the glistening white sand beneath your skin.
● Time zone: Eastern Standard European Time (EST), GMT+2
● Currency: Euro (EUR)
● Airports: Helsinki Airport (HEL), Oulu (OUL) Rovaniemi Airport (RVN),
Whether you’re travelling with friends or travelling with the whole family, Finland has a wide collection of good accommodations for you to choose from. We’ve rounded up our top recos, from rustic family-run resorts down to your favourite hotel chains.
Located in the ski resort of Vuokatti, Holiday Club Katinkulta brings you closer to the beauty of Finnish nature. Each apartment suite is equipped with its own kitchen and sauna for you to relax at after a day of excursion. If you’re a sporty person, you’ll also be delighted to find that the resort has its own 18-hole golf course, outdoor tennis courts, and children’s play and game rooms.
Address: Vuokatti FI-88610 Finland
Set in the countryside of Lake Kankarijärvi, Holiday Club Pyhaenemi offers an idyllic lake shore retreat in the Western region of Finland. Each log cabin is made from the finest of Lapland’s logs and the cosy cabins are all equipped with a private sauna and natural stone fireplace. This accommodation is ideal if you want to get closer with Finnish nature and bask in peace and quiet.
Finnish cuisine is influenced by Swedish and Russian cuisine. Since day one, Finnish food culture has been built around surviving the harsh climate of the northern region. It’s characterised by fresh and natural ingredients — whether it means making cereals from scratch, creating “squeaky cheese”, or hunting reindeer meat. Check out our top picks for must-try food experiences in Finland!
Gain an in-depth understanding of Finnish culture by discovering Finland’s local markets! The best place to start is at Helsinki Market Square, where you’ll be greeted by various market halls that offer a plethora of local food, souvenirs, and artworks. Try grilled food or the famous lihapiirakka, a tasty meat pastry filled with ground pork or beef, spices, onions, and rice.
Karelian Pies (or Karjalanpiirakka) are Finnish pies made with rye flour and filled with talkkuna. Talkkuna is a traditional roasted flour mixture consisting of barley, rye, oats, and pea flour. There are many shops that sell Karelian Pies in Helsinki, but we recommend the ones in Konditoria Hopia. This rustic patisserie is well known for their Karelian pies that have been baked using the same recipe for over 60 years.
Set in the countryside of Lake Kankarijärvi, Holiday Club Pyhaenemi offers an idyllic lake shore retreat in the Western region of Finland. Each log cabin is made from the finest of Lapland’s logs and the cosy cabins are all equipped with a private sauna and natural stone fireplace. This accommodation is ideal if you want to get closer with Finnish nature and bask in peace and quiet.
Winter in Finland is characterised by glittering snow, adrenalin-filled winter sports, and cozy fires. Here are the top things to do in Finland during this season!
Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is replete with numerous museums and attractions for you and your family to discover. Take a boat to the Fortress of Sveaborg and Suomenlinna Islands and learn about the rich history of this fortified fortress, which was built to defend the country from the Russians during the 18th century. Bring the kids to the Linnanmäki Amusement Park, which has been a famous favorite family destination of both tourists and locals since its establishment in 1950.
Perched on the northernmost part of Finland, Lapland is the place to be at for pristine white wilderness, Santa Claus, and the majestic Aurora Borealis that lights up the sky. One of the best times to see the northern lights is during the darkest days of winter. For an unobstructed view, make sure to head outside and stay away from bright lights and buildings. We recommend staying in Oulanka National Park, which offers a good vantage point for chasing northern lights and has numerous wooden cabins that are free to use for hikers.
Perched on the northernmost part of Finland, Lapland is the place to be at for pristine white wilderness, Santa Claus, and the majestic Aurora Borealis that lights up the sky. One of the best times to see the northern lights is during the darkest days of winter. For an unobstructed view, make sure to head outside and stay away from bright lights and buildings. We recommend staying in Oulanka National Park, which offers a good vantage point for chasing northern lights and has numerous wooden cabins that are free to use for hikers.