Melbourne joins my list of extremely livable cities. Originally meant to be a stop-over for my New Zealand trip, my time in Melbourne actually ended up being quite the highlight. Whether it’s the vibrant bar scene or the eye-catching murals at every corner, Melbourne will entertain and surprise you without fail. I found myself actually wondering what it would be like to live here, a clear sign that the city had already made an impression on me.

Melbourne basically has the Yarra River as its main lifeblood and walking along it will give you a good access to some of the key views of the city. I was lucky enough to be there in the Southern Summer and so I got to do one of my favorite activities – day drinking on the river. You can also take up the usual slew of river activities including the traditional boat ride. If you’re looking for a good day drinking spot – check out Arbory Afloat.

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You could spend a full day just walking around the heart of Melbourne City and exploring both the public spaces and magnificent interiors of the area. I’d recommend starting with a visit to the Royal Exhibition Building which has a garden for you to have breakfast at. The Royal Exhibition Building is a World Heritage-listed building built in 1879-80 that still hosts exhibitions. It is quite an awe-inspiring building so definitely worth the visit.

From there, you can walk down Spring Street, walking past notably the Parliament House and the St Patrick’s Cathedral which are both emblems of the city built in the 1800s. I personally enjoyed the Old Treasury Building which had a free museum exhibit you can check out.

From there, you can take the junction to Flinders Street which is arguably the main street of Melbourne. The looming St Paul’s Cathedral will definitely catch your eye with its neo-Gothic style, and you can check out some of the art exhibits and buildings around Fed Square which is an iconic public space in the city. Grab a photo with the iconic Flinders Railway Station that was built in the early 1900s, and then head up Elizabeth Street to end your day with some shopping and dining. Your feet will probably thank you.

Besides the condensed city walk above, I’d also recommend an afternoon stroll to the Shrine of Remembrance, a WW1 memorial situated in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Services of Remembrance are held every 30 minutes from 10.30am, during which, a ray of light illuminates the word ‘love’ on the Stone of Remembrance embedded below the sanctuary’s marble floor. I thought that was a very useful way to honor the sacrifices of the soldiers. The gardens are also quite an enjoyable place to walk and explore, and you can spend the time contemplating some of the information learned from the memorial.

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My love of markets brought me to Queen Victoria Market, a historical market in Melbourne that sells everything from produce to clothes to cooked food. Australian produce is rather famous so you can dig into tasty cheeses, deli meats and even wines at this unpretentious spot. You may actually get lost navigating the space, but in my opinion, that’s a good thing.

For something a bit more off the beaten path, there’s a cool trail area at Studley Park that’s away from the hustle and bustle of the main city. You can go to Abbotsford Convent to really enjoy the peace and quiet of the space and then just follow the Yarra through the park. You may not find many people around here, but that’s kind of the point.

Melbourne has a strong collection of museums that are definitely worth a visit. Firstly, knowing that Melbourne became a prominent city due to the gold rush, the city is sure to be home to many great stories of how immigrants and capitalists made a living in the region before finally making Melbourne the iconic city that it is. We also can’t forget the intrinsically stunning work of the indigenous communities in Australia that are also well profiled in some of these exhibits. There is also a strong arts and culture environment that’s not to be missed. You can check out the free museum exhibit at the Old Treasury Building (more gold-rush focused), as well as some of the art exhibits at the Ian Potter Centre and the National Gallery of Victoria.

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A must-do in Melbourne is to definitely explore as many alleys as possible, within your own comfort. There is just so much street art that I was always stunned by the cool walls you could find. Sometimes I found myself staying on the streets (e.g. Hosier Lane) rather than going into the actual buildings just so that I could find new artworks. The Collingwood area in the northeast part of Melbourne is famous for the proliferation of these street art works.

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When its come to food and drink, you will be spoilt in Melbourne. First of all, Melbourners love their coffee and will always have their favorite spots. As a tourist, I took the excuse to try them all, all before I get properly wired. Here are some of the spots I enjoyed:

1. The League of Honest Coffee
2. Lune Croissanterie (amazing croissants too)
3. Hardware Societe
4. Patricia Coffee Brewers

As you can tell, I definitely had a lot of good coffee. For food, there wasn’t anything particularly unique to Melbourne but you’re going to enjoy your brunches and munchies here. My top recommendations are:

1. Mary’s for irreverent burgers and drinks
2. Wonder Pies for a wide selection for Aussie-style pies
3. Belle’s Hot Chicken for basically good Nashville-style hot chicken
4. Archie’s All Day for tasty brunch food

For drinks and nightlife, there’s no shortage of destinations. The crowd in Melbourne seemed friendly and young which is always welcoming, and I wish I could have enjoyed more of the mingling. Unfortunately, COVID required me to practice some caution but I can’t wait to revisit the spots post COVID. Here my recommendations:

1. Candela Nuevo – a member’s club that has a sweet rooftop spot and a cigar bar
2. Eau De Vie – a hidden cocktail bar that has a bit of flair in its delivery
3. Section 8 – come here for a party in an alley
4. Union Electric – another alley bar that has a rooftop concept
5. Moondog Craft Brewery – a craft brewery that’s near the trail I mentioned above. Good spot to relax after the walk.

As always, here are some general tips to navigating around Melbourne:

1. The Melbourne Tram service is one of the best ways to get around the city besides walking. If yo stay within the “Green Zone”, the rides are free but make sure to pay attention because once you’re out of the Green Zone and caught without a ticket, you’d probably be up for a fine.
2. Most merchants take credit cards although I’ve had to use cash a couple of times, especially for street merchants. It’s useful to carry a good amount of cash anyway.
3. There’s a lot of great daytrips from Melbourne that I couldn’t do because I was only there for 2.5 days. I’d definitely plan for a longer trip to check out places like the Twelve Apostles and the Yarra Valley vineyards.

Finally, I wanted to just say that a big reason why Melbourne was such a great trip was because of my ability to reconnect with old friends, Shaan, Brij and Shu. They really took me around the city and reminded me that a good trip is as fun as the company you have. Much love to these awesome people and I can’t wait to party with them in Melbourne again.