Possibly the last remaining honesty bar on the planet, the Washaway is a Niue institution. Open only on Sundays, this open-air watering hole has an anything-goes dress policy and a laid-back, help-yourself attitude. Locals, expats and visitors who have crossed the 2,400 kilometres of ocean between New Zealand and this coral atoll congregate around the circular bar, decorated with hanging buoys and other trinkets washed up on the beach. Beer and wine lubricate the conversation, as the sun sinks into the Pacific. Help yourself to the fridge, write down what you take on the bar’s notebook and fix up owner Willie before you go.
It may be constructed from salvaged materials, but this beer garden is as cosy as they come. It’s a bohemian hotspot with a beachy vibe, live music and an up-close view of Amsterdam’s busy waterways. You can even moor your boat right out front. Try their organic food or the evening barbecue.
Depending on the day, you might be able to join a craft workshop or yoga class, or scour the onsite vintage market. Chill out in a hammock on the rooftop terrace or claim an armchair by the fire when it’s frosty outside.
Nothing says beach bliss like a straw hut sitting beneath palm trees and overlooking one of the Caribbean’s white-sand beaches. La Zebra Cantina is part of a hotel, but you’re welcome to come and enjoy the setting, even if you’re not a hotel guest. Every day the bartenders press sugarcane juice to use in the bar’s full range of cocktails, and they go oh-so-well with dishes prepared using freshly caught seafood, local vegetables and homegrown herbs from the hotel’s garden.
Make your way through the cocktail list developed by award-winning mixologist Jasper Soffer and take a run at the extensive range of tequilas available, or order a cucumber mojito and watch the sunset. A salsa band gets busy after dark on Sundays, with staff leading impromptu dance lessons. The vibe is laid back, the staff are friendly and the view of the Caribbean Sea is picture perfect.
Situated away from the rows of beach clubs that are most commonly associated with Santorini, Theros Wave Bar is the perfect place to kick back and escape the crowds. With the spectacular sandstone formations sparsely dotted with shrubbery, you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve arrived on the set of Star Wars.
This is an all-day affair, with lounges along a private beach servicing sun seekers. Take a dip in the sheltered bay or organise a massage between cocktails. There’s a casual-chic restaurant and bar area overlooking the sea that, at night, is beautifully lit and primed for romance. For those who like things a bit more lively, Theros organises a killer full-moon party.
Although situated far from tropical climes, Arena Badeschiff definitely deserves beach-bar status. Created from the hull of an old 32-foot vessel, the bar was originally an art project funded by the city council. Now it is the only safe place to bathe along the banks of the River Spree, and comes into its own during the long summer days. There’s sand, deck chairs, a boardwalk, table tennis and, of course, an open-air bar, making it the perfect place to escape the city heat on a sunny day.
Beers and spicy chicken fajitas are the combination of choice for revellers, as DJs fill the air with chilled-out tunes to compliment the atmosphere. In the colder months it turns into a winter village, with Swedish-inspired wooden huts, ice skating, curling and artisan stalls.
Hvar has a reputation for attracting well-heeled types who like to party, and Hula Hula is one spot where you’ll be sure to rub shoulders with them. Built into the rocks that line the island’s coastline, drinks here flow from dawn till well after dark. Okay, in the morning they’re more likely to be fresh juices and coffees, but the harder stuff doesn’t take long to appear.
Choose the pavilion seating areas for a signature seafood platter or a waterside lounge for a cocktail. Rent a private beach or boat, or blend in with the hordes of locals and happy travellers. The club component of Hula Hula, located back over the rocks, opens at 2am so there’s no need to go back to your hotel.
Whirl down a jutting, spiral staircase and into the Void (Bar). You’ll find this subterranean establishment lurking on the lowest level of Mona; Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art, which hosts a rather unusual collection including a robotic digestive system that presents museum-goers with a Petri dish of poo daily.
Dwarfed by the vast slab of Triassic sandstone against which it rests, the sleek bar is the perfect place to sip on a brew and wax lyrical about your love of curious art. And booze – Void claims to serve the best cocktails in all of Tasmania. Indulge in a Poltergeist Bramble 20, made with locally crafted gin and house-made wild blackberry liquor, before plunging into a Modern – a delicious mix of whisky, sloe gin, absinthe and citrus.
If you’d prefer something more simple, beers from the on-site brewery, Moo Brew, are on tap, and you can admire the legs on a glass of Moorilla (from the winery next door) as you sink into an Edwardian armchair. Once you’re suitably sauced you’re ready to tackle the 6000 square metre labyrinth of provocative art.
A shot of absinthe helps the colours pop, but indulge in a second and find the museum’s wall of porcelain vaginas, or the working set of bowels, really speak to you – really. And if you need a trip to the porcelain yourself, there’s a surprise waiting in the third cubicle to the right. Be warned.
Mr Wow’s Emporium is a bar with balls. Bottles of premium spirits, malts and house-made bitters stand proudly behind a curvaceous counter. Dusk lighting falls on brick walls and a polished concrete floor. But it’s the boules that will catch your eye. Yes, two lanes of indoor bocce, and a billiards table – bar brilliance.
There’s a boules competition every Wednesday, complete with sweet beats and liquid treats. There’s often free popcorn floating around, so grab a bowl and line your stomach (just beware, the saltiness will have you shelling out for a few extra thirst quenchers). After a few solid drinks, the Melbourne road map plastered across the wall may be surprisingly helpful.
There’s no better place to indulge in a pint than the Belgian countryside. Begin in Brussels then journey by train and bike to Rochefort’s Abbey Saint-Remy, the first of many breweries on this tour. You’ll work for your liquid reward, cycling 400 kilometres through quaint towns and lush forests of the Ardennes.
Tackle rolling hills and scenic paths, enjoying a goblet of rich amber ale to quench your thirst at each stop along the way. Get stuck into the unique table beer, Orval Vert, at L’Arge Gardien and settle in for mass with the monks at Chimay monastery. Spend your evenings nourishing your weary body with a delicious meal and a beer, of course.
The Boca Juniors always put on a good show and their fervent, fanatical fans are the embodiment of soccer team pride. But for the ultimate sporting experience, score a seat at a Boca Juniors vs River Plate superclásico, and witness one of the world’s fiercest rivalries between the most raucous supporters. La Bombonera stadium (The Estadio Alberto J. Armando stadium) crams 49,000 soccer nuts into its shell, but tickets are hard to come by. Splurge on an agency trip or sidle up to stadium scalpers – just make sure you don’t snag a sham.
Shed all shades of red lest Los Xeneizes (Boca fans) mark you as a rival. Thrust a blue and gold flag in the air, and bellow along with the fans – we reckon no matter how hard you try, they’ll outdo you every time. As supporters swell with pride, they swing from scaffolding, guzzle beer by the barrel and litter the crowd with confetti. Keep an eye on La Doce, ‘the 12th player,’ a gang of ferocious fans who claim an entire section of the stadium to devote to their antics. The fanatics don’t stop at the final siren so expect singing, chanting and jeers at the losing side as the post-game rivalry spills onto the streets of Buenos Aires.
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