Travel bucket list idea:
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
One of the world’s most famous beaches and home to Sydney’s beautiful people, this sweeping curve in Sydney’s affluent Eastern Suburbs has evolved from a backpacker destination into a global pleasure palace, brimming with up-market eateries and specialist retail outlets.
Bondi has largely shed its working-class roots and is now home to outdoor gyms, swish cocktail bars and vegan greengrocers. Only the thundering Pacific waves, sunbathers and vigilant lifesavers are unchanged.
Make time in your itinerary for a day at the beach – apart from being rejuvenating and a nice break from sightseeing, it’s a great way to get a taste of the Sydneysider lifestyle.
Bondi is a popular local surf beach, and it’s the perfect place to give surfing a try. Book a surf lesson for a quintessential Sydney experience.
The main beach has rip currents – children should be supervised at all times and only swim between the flags. At the north end, there’s a shallow ocean pool just for toddlers. Adults can watch from a pleasant adjacent grassy bank.
At the southern end of Bondi is the uber-stylish Bondi Icebergs swimming club, which operates a landmark ocean lap pool with stunning views. It’s a small entry fee, and there’s a kids’ pool too.
If Bondi is too crowded, walk around the scenic footpath at the southern end to the more exclusive Tamarama, or the family-oriented Bronte, which is also great for a picnic or lunch at a local café.
Getting to Bondi from the city is a bit of a pain. Your best bet is a taxi/Uber, as parking is a nightmare and expensive. The roads from the city get congested with heavy traffic at rush hour, so avoid these times if possible. You can also get a train to Bondi Junction and regular buses go from there (in about 10 minutes), but it’s a bit of a slog.
The north end of the beach, where the locals hang out, is best for swimming, while the middle section near the pavilion is the most touristy. There are dangerous currents all along the beach, so always swim between the flags.
The best times on Bondi are sunrise and sunset, when the day-trippers have left, and the locals emerge to meditate, jog, swim, and even perform yoga. Mornings are especially lovely, with beautiful light, fresh, crisp air and a sense of serenity.
School and public holidays get uncomfortably crowded, and though Sydney’s beaches are a delight at any time of year, the water is pretty chilly from July to September.
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
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