I had to fly to Sydney for my client’s business expo three weeks ago, and I thought it was a good idea to bring hubby along.  It’s like killing two birds with one stone — we get to check one item in our couple travel goals, and I get an instant temporary marketing assistant in the shape of my very own husband!

As much as I want to come up with a thorough step-by-step Sydney travel guide with a rundown of our expenses in PHP, I can’t.  First of all, this Sydney visit was primarily a business trip, which means my generous client spent for almost everything (my airfare, visa application, accommodation, etc).  It just so happened that I brought along my husband, so what I’m gonna share with you in this blog post is a semi Sydney travel guide.  It may not be as comprehensive as what you’ll get from major travel blogs, but it may help you survive if you’re a first-timer in Sydney, Australia.

The Australian Visa

As you may already know, Australia is one of those countries that require a Visa.  So before you book that tour package, it might be helpful to apply for your Australian Visa first.  Don’t worry about that. Applying for an Australia Visa is so stress-free. You can do it online! My employer was the one who processed my Visa, but since I wanted hubby to accompany me to Sydney, I applied for his Visa online.

Click here to find out how to apply for an Australian Visa online.

Flight to Sydney via Qantas Airways

Since I wanted to skip the waiting hours during stop-overs, I booked a direct flight from Manila to Sydney.  Fortunately, Qantas Airways was on sale, and so I booked 2 seats for me and hubby. Total airfare for each was PHP36,937.  Direct flight time from Manila to Sydney is about 8 hours and 30 minutes.

Thanks to Qantas Airways’ entertainment system for keeping boredom away for the entire flight.

Click here to read about what our Qantas flight experience.

Sydney Accommodation

Nowadays, travelers have a lot of options when it comes to accommodation.  If you’re in for a luxury travel, go check out the high-end hotels of Sydney such as Park Hyatt Sydney and Shangri-La Hotel Sydney – places my hubby and I only admired from a distance.   If you’re a practical YOLO backpacker traveler who just needs a place to rest and freshen up, then you better check the many affordable hostels in Sydney.  You can book a room with a personal toilet for as low as PHP3,000+, and you can choose to rent a bed with a common toilet for less. There are many backpacker hostels in Kings Cross, Sydney. 

What I’ll be sharing with you in this blog post is the accommodation in between the expensive luxury hotels and the super affordable hostels.  If you’re looking for a not so expensive yet posh and comfy accommodation, then renting an Airbnb property might be best for you.

The Airbnb apartment unit where we stayed during our Sydney trip was at the heart of Sydney. It has 2 bedrooms, a nice bathroom, spacious living room, dining room, kitchen, and laundry area.  Plus, it has a veranda with a spectacular city view.  If you’re a family (couple plus two or three small kids), this Airbnb accommodation in Sydney is perfect for you.

Click here to know more about this Sydney accommodation.

Opal Card

Every travel blog I read for my Sydney travel research instilled in me the importance of the Opal Card when in Sydney, Australia.  And yes, I experienced the value of this mighty transport card myself during our trip.  Since Sydney has a highly effective train system, the best way to roam around the city is by train.  Thus, the importance of the mighty Opal Card!

Upon arrival at the Syndey International Airport, the first thing we did was to buy an Opal Card with a “load” that we can use for seven days. We paid around PHP2,000+ each.

The Opal card can be used on the following:

• All Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Intercity trains
• All buses in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Hunter and Illawarra
• All Sydney Ferries and the Stockton Ferry in Newcastle
• Light rail

SIM Card

If you have friends and colleagues that you need to meet in Sydney, it’s best to get a SIM card for easier communication.

Hubby and I bought an Optus SIM card at the Sydney International Airport for only 10 AUD (PHP400+).  It’s good for 7 days, and allows you to make up to 100 mins talk and unlimited text, and 15 GB data.

Sydney Tours

I had to spend two days for the business expo and a half day for the ingress of the expo.  That left hubby and me with only a little more than three days to do our Sydney tour.  With such limited time, we chose only the tours that were near our accommodation and tours that were flexible in terms of schedule.

I booked the Sydney Big Ticket from https://www.sydneyaquarium.com.au  For only AUD70 (PHP2,800+), the Sydney Big Ticket took us to four amazing Sydney tourist spots: Sea Life Sydney, Wildlife Sydney Zoo, Madame Tussauds Sydney, and the Sydney Tower Eye.

I also booked from the same website, our Big Bus Hop On Hop Off Tour.  It is a practical and enjoyable way to visit the iconic spots and famous places in Sydney.  For only AUD30 (PHP1,200+), hubby and I were able to explore Sydney at our own pace by hopping on and off the big red bus.

Sea Life Sydney

Wildlife Sydney Zoo

Madame Tussauds Sydney

Sydney Tower Eye

Big Bus Hop on Hop Off Tour

Through the Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour, you can visit the …

Sydney Opera House

St. Mary’s Cathedral

Darling Harbor

Bondi Beach

Too bad we didn’t have enough time to visit Blue Mountains, another famous tourist spot in Sydney.

What to eat in Sydney 

For our “budgetarian” diet, we had pies and sandwiches for breakfast.  We spent around AUD 3-4 (PHP120-160) for this simple meal. My favorite was the beef pie we had at Pie Face cafe. Plus, add a little more dollars for the cappucino.

For lunch and dinner, we usually went to famous fast food stores like KFC and McDonald’s.  A meal costs around AUD5-10 (PHP200-400). Remember, it’s a forced NO RICE diet in Sydney.