Helloworld Travel Miranda

17/06/2024

Part 3 of Gada and Ibi”s Viking River cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. Next stops was Wertheim, Koblenz, the beautiful cruise down the Rhein with castles after castles, Nuremberg and then Kinderjijk to see the famous windmills before we sailed into Amsterdam. Such a wonderful cruise with fabulous staff and amazing food. Thank you Viking for
Such an amazing trip of a lifetime.

15/06/2024

Discover the Caribbean today at 5.30pm with Getaway on channel 9.

Witness Emerald Sakara's debut as she explores the stunning Caribbean.

Join presenter David Genat for Part 1 of his adventure, uncovering the region's iconic sights and hidden gems.

Helloworld Miranda has a group departure on this cruise 27 Dec 2025 for New Year. Come and join us Plus, when you watch Getaway, you'll receive an exclusive viewer offer of an additional $500* per couple when booking with Helloworld Miranda.

11/06/2024

Part 2 of Gada and Ibi”s Viking River cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. Next stops was Linz, where we tried the famous Linz torte, Nuremberg, Bamberg with so much history and the beautiful town of Rothenburg ob der tauber. This beautiful place is like something out of a fairytale which we went on the Romamtik road and crossed the Tauber River to get there. Such a beautiful way to travel and so much to see on a European River Cruise.

09/06/2024

05/06/2024

Ibi and Gada are currently on a Viking River cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam.
Viking have been absolutely amazing. Very comfortable rooms, fantastic food and wonderful staff. Some might have seen there has been major flooding in parts of the river and some rivers closed. They have not missed anything with the coordination of Viking and how they manage to swap ships so effortlessly which they are currently doing now. Today they are in Nuremberg and half way of their cruise. Some pictures of Budapest, Vienna, Melk and Passau

11/05/2024

From all of us at Helloworld Miranda wishing all the Mum’s, Grandma’s, and Nan’s a Happy Mother’s Day

24/04/2024

They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them.
LEST WE FORGET

22/04/2024

Over the weekend the team at Helloworld Travel Miranda had the pleasure of staying onboard the Scenic Eclipse II while it was docked in Sydney last weekend.

We were also honored and received the Scenic Group Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Pertnership & Support for Scenic Eclipse Sales

The stunning Scenic Eclipse is a 6 star ultra luxury discovery yacht that is definitely in a class of its own. It features spacious suites with private verandas, a diverse range of gourmet dining experiences curated by top chefs, a state-of-the-art theater, a rejuvenating spa for maxiumum relaxation, a personalized butler service for every guest, and even a helicopter and submarine for unparralled exploration experiences.

Scenic Eclipse II will be exploring the Kimberly Coastline and Australia's West Coast until September before moving onto Indonesia, Fiji and Pacific Islands and New Zealand later in the year. Next year, Scenic Eclipse II will be visiting Antarctica, Japan and South Korea as well as returning to the Kimberly Coastline.

For further details contact us at Helloworld Travel Miranda

19/04/2024

Helloworld Travel will be closed from 1pm today as we will all aboard the Scenic Eclipse over the weekend.
We will reopen on Monday 22 April at 930am.

19/04/2024

Milestone moment of the Scenic Eclipse II arriving into Australia she is now in Sydney Harbour and docked at the International Passenger Terminal
Thank you Mr David Baum for the video.

19/04/2024

This morning the first Scenic ship ever arrived into Australian waters and sailed into Sydney harbour. This is an iconic moment for scenic and all of us who work so closely with this company. The stunning Eclipse II is now docked at the overseas passenger terminal with the beautiful opera house and harbour bridge as its backdrop. Go and have a look you will be amazed.

18/04/2024

We are so excited that the Scenic Eclipse is finally coming to Australia tomorrow morning. Don’t forget to watch it live

Scenic Eclipse II is now cruising to Australia.

Tune in to our live Facebook event starting from 5:15am [AEST] on 19 April to watch the livestream of our Discovery Yacht's arrival into Sydney Harbour. It's the first time a Scenic ship has ever visited our home country and we'd love you to join us online for this special moment.

https://ow.ly/5QC250RhMJ0

17/04/2024

Scenic Eclipse II is now cruising to Australia and we invite you to join us in celebrating this significant moment in Scenic’s history by watching the ship’s journey:

• Tune into Channel 9's Today Show from today, Thursday and Friday to see the live weather crosses from Scenic Eclipse II​

• On Sunday morning, the Today Show and 2GB radio will do a live broadcast from Scenic Eclipse in Sydney Harbour​

• Watch Scenic Eclipse sail into Sydney and Newcastle Harbours on Friday and Monday mornings, by joining our live-stream events on Facebook and YouTube​.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com//streams
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScenicAU

• For those living in Sydney and Newcastle, there will be many vantage points on the harbours to see the Discovery Yacht at your leisure.​

• Join the Facebook event page here https://fb.me/e/23wRYG3gb

• For the last arrival times and port docking information in Sydney and Newcastle visit: https://ow.ly/5vEe50RgOUE

15/04/2024

Sayanara Japan
What an amazing country and an amazing tour. Thank you all for joining Helloworld Miranda on this wonderful adventure.
Thank you Evergreen for putting this amazing tour together with a great tour guide. A fantastic group and we had some fantastic memories that will last with us forever and some wonderful new friends were formed.
Till we all meet again for our next adventure.

15/04/2024

Today we boarded the bullet train from Hiroshima to Osaka. Our first stop in Osaka was the Osaka castle, one of Japan’s famous castles. The contrast of the old Osaka castle park and the tall skyscrapers sounding it was an excellent example of old and modern Japan. We then continued to Dontonbori. This district is full of cafes, restaurants, street food, markets and shops. A very buzzing area.
Our farewell dinner was at the Umeda sky building. We went up 40 floors to the 2 tower building which has an open air observatory which has 360 unobstructed views. It was such a beautiful dinner with the most spectacular views.

14/04/2024

Today in Hiroshima we travelled by local train and then a ferry to Miyajima Island. This is a small sacred island located in the Inland sea and has been a holy place of Shintoism since the earliest of times. This is the most photographed site in Japan , the Floating Tori Gates. Just a beautiful place to wander and experience local cuisine. Loved Everything on a stick.
We took the ferry to the Peace Memorial Park. Hiroshima is inevitably remembered for the atomic bomb that was dropped in WWII. The park is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in history to suffer a nuclear attack. The parks main attraction is the Peace Memorial Museum which provides an opportunity to learn about the devastating effects of the A-bomb had on the city and its people. Very very moving.

13/04/2024

Before leaving Kyoto some of us went to experience the markets on 4th ave and some went to experience the ways of a Samurai.
We then said goodbye to Kyoto and were on our way to Hiroshima by the high speed bullet train (Shinkansen)
Our dinner in Hiroshima that night was the traditional dish of Hiroshima which is a pancake called Konomiyaki. This is so yummy and consists of a pancake lots of cabbage and egg whichever filling you like eg seafood, chicken etc and yummy sauce on top. Just delicious.

12/04/2024

Our last day in Kyoto was absolutely spectacular with a visit to the town of Nara. During the eighth century Nara was Japans capital and many temples and shrines still stand today. We visited Todaiji temple, one of the world’s largest wooden structures and home to Japans largest Buddha. The park surrounding the temple is known as deer park and is home to over 1100 deers that roam freely.
From Nara we travelled to the iconic Fushimi Inari shrine. This shrine was featured in the movie memoirs of a geisha. The shrine is known for its thousands of red Tori gates leading up and through the sacred forest of mount Inari. This is definitely a highlight to visit Japan.
Some of us experienced 4th street here in Kyoto which is a very long shopping street and the small narrow streets that run off it with so many beautiful tiny restaurants which we had another fabulous teppanyaki meal.

11/04/2024

Our first stop on our sightseeing day of Kyoto we went to the Tenryu-Ji temple and the beautiful gardens. Then we experienced Kyoto like a local and jumped on board a rickshaw and enjoyed a fun and traditional mode of transport through the streets and through the bamboo groves. We enjoyed a fabulous wander through the beautiful town of Arashyama. Then we were taken to Kinkajuji also known as the Golden Temple. It is a remarkable sight with its shimmering top two floors covered in gold leaf.
Our last stop was Niko castle which was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first sh**un. Its architecture, decorated sliding doors and nightingale floors is something to be seen.
Our highlight dinner was taking part of a traditional Japanese dinner with a Maiko, an apprentice geisha. Geisha’s have entertained the elite in Kyoto for centuries. This Maiko was only 19 and has been in training since she was 15. So beautiful and mesmerizing.

10/04/2024

Sakura- that is what the Japanese call the Cherry Blossoms and have festivals all around the country for these magnificent trees. We have seen so many everywhere but nothing like what we saw in Kanazawa. I really didn’t know what the fuss was about the cherry blossom until I actually saw it in full bloom. Just absolutely stunning and I don’t think these pictures show it’s true beauty.

09/04/2024

We boarded the JR express train from Kanazawa to Kyoto. Being the former capital and home of the Emperor, Kyoto is famous for its exquisite castles and imperial palaces as well as the elaborate Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. We went on a tour of the Higashiyama district, where the streets are lined with tea houses and artisan shops. The Kiyomizu Temple with a 13 meter high verandah of the Temple’s main hall offers amazing views of Kyoto and was built without a single nail.
We then experienced a traditional Japanese tea ceremony at a temple with a tea master and learnt how to make a bowl of green tea.
At night some of us experienced a fabulous teppanyaki.

09/04/2024

Today we went from Takayama and travelled through the mountain scenery stopping at the village of Shirakawa-go. It is famous for its traditional thatched roofed farmhouses some are over 250 years old.
We then drove to Kanazawa. We stopped for lunch in one of the Geisha districts which has still kept its tradition. Then we visited the Kenroku-en Garden which is one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens with the castle. I have not posted anything on these gardens yet as it is Cherry Blossom season that needs a dedicated post just for this amazing site.
The legend of the Samurai is still strong throughout Japan and Kanazawa has one of the best surviving Samurai districts. Here we visited the Nomura Samurai house.

07/04/2024

Today our Evergreen group was filled with a cultural experience in Takayama starting with a visit to the Miyagawa morning market. This is one of Japan’s biggest morning market with stalls selling various local crafts and produce.
Then we headed to Takayama Jinya also known as the historical government house. For almost two centuries this building served as a local government office. Then it was off to the Matsuri-No-Mori-festival museum that showcases what we call floats for the Takayama festival, one of japan’s major festival.
Then we immersed into more culture with a visit to the Hida Folk Village, an open air museum exhibiting over 30 traditional houses from the mountainous region of Takayama. We then learnt the craft of making the cute sarabobo dolls and I think we did an excellent job with our souvenirs to take home. Just loved the mountain region of Takayama which is also famous for its delicious Hida beef.

06/04/2024

Shy Mt Fuji after 4 days trying to see it came out today and what a beautiful site. We drove from Hakone through the Mt Fuji region to Lake Suwa and then onto Takayama. Such a beautiful drive through mountains and lots of cherry blossoms and even cherry blossom rice cakes.

06/04/2024

Our time in Tokyo had come to an end and we began our journey to Hakone. We didn’t have luck on our side as the legendary and shy My Fuji was hidden. Our first stop was the Hakone shrine. The Shinto shrine was very popular among the Samurai during the twelfth century and is hidden away in a dense forest.
We then drive to Lake Ashi and took a Pirate Boat across the lake. We continued our adventure on a cable car via ropeway enjoying the views of the Owakudani valley. Some were even game by trying the famous black eggs. We stayed at an amazing golf retreat in a Japanese room with tatami mats, futon style bedding and our own private bath with a view. This resort is famous for its Japanese onsen. The outdoor hot springs are world famous in this area. Our dinner was courses of Japanese “kaiseki” dishes prepared using seasonal ingredient’s. A truly amazing experience.

05/04/2024

Today we drove north to Nikko, which has been the Centre of Shinto and Buddhist worship for many centuries. We visited the Toshogu Shrine complex, built as a mausoleum for Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder that ruled Japan for 250 years. The shrine is in a beautiful forest setting.
We then proceeded to Chuzenji Lake which sits in the mountains of Nikko. To get up there we zigzagged around 48 very tight bends.

04/04/2024

Our Evergreen group got to know why Tokyo is a famous city of contrasts. We began our exploration of Tokyo with a visit to the famous Meiji Shrine, dedicated to the spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Next we were taken to the 238m tall Roppongi Hills observation Deck for spectacular views of the city. We could see Tokyo tower and the Tokyo Skytree but Mr Fuji was hidden.
We then headed across town to Asakuda, Tokyo’s old town where we soaked up the atmosphere what Tokyo must have been like hundreds of years ago and visited Sensoji, Tokyo’s oldest temple.
We finished off a spectacular day by taking a traditional Yakatabune dinner cruise where we had a traditional Japanese dinner while sitting on the floor.