Luxury in the Blue Mountains

Picture an English manor house and put it in the Blue Mountains, and you have Lilianfels. We planned our stay at Lilianfels as a break from a very hectic travel schedule. My perfect 3-day stay there was a highlight of my visit of Australia. We had comfort, luxury, kind and attentive service, very fine food, and a large and lovely room. The views from this hotel are outstanding, as many of the bedrooms look out over the Jamison Valley and over to the Three Sisters. The Blue Mountains are World Heritage-listed and give every impression that you are in a most wonderful place to visit.

On arrival, you are greeted as a dear friend making a return visit. The hotel is not so large that you spend endless minutes trekking long hallways. My room was a five minute's walk from the dining room used for breakfast and lunch and also the wonderful lounge. My room, #203, all in rose and white, was perhaps a bit too frilly for my husband, but I certainly enjoyed it. The rooms vary in size and decor. We had a fine view of the valley, a generous seating area with a table and chairs for room service, a desk, and a fully stocked minibar. Of course, we also had a television! All the fittings and linens were high-quality. Everything was planned for your comfort and happiness. Even the overhead lights and thermostat had bedside controls.

The large bathroom has a massive soaking tub and a walk-in shower with plenty of room to set up for a relaxed bathing experience. The provided soaps and shampoo were wonderful but not overly perfumed.

There are many planned activities at this hotel, including guided walks through the rain forest at the bottom of the valley and wine-tastings. The entire health club, pool, and spa are luxury-class, as one would expect from a hotel that is one of the Orient Express group.

We had several great meals at the hotel, which I will write up in a separate entry. Although the village of Katoomba is nearby, you could do very well by having all your meals in the hotel.

A special pleasure for us were the evenings we spent in the lounge enjoying great Australians wines, including some of the best port wine in the world. The atmosphere of fires burning in the marble fireplaces, comfortable sofas, and kind, but not invasive service made us feel very much as if we were at home. We also had a light meal in the lounge one afternoon, as the views out over the valley from that location are outstanding.

I truly love this hotel and plan to make a return visit soon. At about two hours out of Sydney, it is easy to get to by train, bus, or private car. I think it would be a great place for a honeymoon.

For more info: www.lilianfels.com.au

I adore Lilianfels! Point made. This restaurant is for breakfast, lunches, and less formal dinners than the absolutely fabulous Darleys. Everything is fresh and tasty, for sure. The atmosphere is very bright and cheerful, and the service is attentive without wearing you out. Although breakfast is on the expensive side, at more than AUS$28 per person, it is certainly worth it for the experience, as well as for the quality of the food. I breakfasted alone and found the situation more pleasant than usual when on my own, as the scenery out the big windows is beautiful and made me feel that I was certainly not in Texas. The fresh honeycomb and variety of unusual fruits served made for a very interesting meal. Tea was excellent! On the second morning at the hotel, we had room service from this restaurant, and it was wonderful--very, very high-quality in a friendly and welcoming style. You feel at home with friends. For more info: www.lilianfels.com.au

You step out of the main hotel building for a short walk to the original homestead of Sir Frederick Darley, sixth Chief Justice of New South Wales. The home is over 116 years old and remains in beautiful, original condition,n with period Victorian furnishings and perfect service. We dined on an early winter evening, with the fireplaces blazing and the wind shaking the windows. In winter, dress warmly!

The food, in the style of 'new Australian cuisine', is fantastic and nearly magical. Everything is fresh and beautifully plated and presented to you. We spent a long evening at dinner, as we lingered over wine and concluded with superb Australian port. We dined in a small parlour in uncrowded elegance that we enjoyed so very much. My husband munched his way through yet more giant Australian prawns, beef steak, and a big dessert. I had a green salad (some vegetables new to me), roasted beef with a wine sauce, and an apple dessert. It was more than dinner—it was our entertainment on a cold evening. Truly enjoyable.

Our waiter was knowledgeable both about the food and the wine list. Part of our journey was to explore and understand Australian wines, and this was a very pleasant journey for sure. Go out of your way to dine at this extremely fine restaurant. Plan your vacation around it. Fly to Australia! www.lilianfels.com.au

We booked this company for round-trip transportation from Sydney to Katoomba and back, plus three side tours and a lunch on the way back. It is a very fine company with wonderful employees. On the way out of Sydney was a most unusual 4-wheel-drive minibus (I want one!). We stopped at a national park near Katoomba to have tea and to photograph wild kangaroos. It was great fun, even if I did fall down in the sticky mud. We made another stop to do some bush hiking up on the cliffs above the Jamison Valley and one for a quick lunch. We were dropped off at our hotel, Lilianfels, and picked up for the return with a stop at Featherdale Wildlife Park outside of Sydney. The cost of all this wasn't much more than the cost of transportation to and from Katoomba. I highly recommend this way of touring, but please try to stay out of the mud. There are very kind and knowledgeable drivers and helpers. They are really good-looking folks - more reasons to love Australia!

A word of warning for middle-age and older folks - when an Australian tells you a bush hike is easy, remember how fit THEY are. I had to quit for part of the way on the cliff walk when it got to the point that my method of travel was on all fours. I would rate the hike as at least of a medium difficulty. It was certainly not easy, but it was fun and had fantastic views.

www.mountnbeachsafaris.com.au

Although at first, this little wildlife park seemed like an odd stop for us to make on our return to Sydney, I got to talk to some of the employees. They truly care about their animals and follow all the required guidelines for care and displaying them to the public. It's an easy walk around for those who can't make a big bush walk or have limited finances. You get to see a lot of Australian creatures within an hour of walking. It's perhaps best to go on a sunny day for photo purposes. When I was there, it was too cloudy to get good shots of birds. There's free parking with one paid adult admission, plus a cafe and gift shop. There's no time limit on how long you can walk around the park. This is not a fancy, hyped-up place, but rather a nice family place with happy children. The animals are well-cared-for.