Top Adelaide Hotels

The Festival Centre is the focal point of much of South Australia's entertainment and arts and is the venue of the famous Adelaide Arts Festival. The lively complex includes theatres, galleries and concert halls. The odd rock concert is held in the amphitheatre along the scenic riverbank.

Australia's largest Aboriginal history and arts collection is displayed at the South Australian Museum. The fine museum, which also exhibits natural history, is worth seeing. Another highly recommended museum is the Migration Museum, which chronicles the social history of the state. It explores the history of migration and settlement in the area since the first colonists of 1836.

Adelaide is also known as The City of Churches - there are 32 churches listed in and around the city. The most historic is the Holy Trinity Church, which goes back to 1838.

The state capital is a green city surrounded by relaxing parklands. For those interested in local birds there are guided bird walks along the river and parklands conducted by an Adelaide University biologist. Binoculars are provided.

The Adelaide Zoo provides landscaped rainforests and swamps for its endangered animals. The award-winning zoo has guided tours, activities for kids, walk-through aviaries and makes a fine day out for the family.

Within the subtropical botanic gardens is the largest greenhouse in the Southern Hemisphere, the Bicentennial Conservatory. The rainforest is impressively recreated with rare tropical plants and computer-generated mists and clouds.

Just 11km from the city centre is Adelaide's top beach destination, Glenelg. The lively beach has a good assortment of places to eat and drink. The calm waters are popular with both swimmers and windsurfers.

Adelaide is close to a string of good beaches. The better ones lie south towards the coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula O'Sullivan Beach, Christies Beach and Seaford are good spots close to the city. Henley to the North isn't bad and the mangroves at St Kilda will be of interest to ecologists.

The South Australian Tourist Association information centre is on the corner of King William Street and North Terrace. Rundle Mall has a useful information booth.

Adelaide offers some superb food and fine wine and pushes itself as Australia's culinary capital. It has more restaurants per head than anywhere else in the country and a broad selection of cuisine and good prices. Many fine restaurants allow patrons to bring their own bottle. The casual and urbane caf scene is part of Adelaide's laid back appeal.

The East End is the best place to relax on the sidewalk with a good coffee. There's also Italian, Greek, Chinese, Thai and vegetarian food available particularly around Rundle Street. The Universal Wine Bar at 285 Rundle Street is an excellent place to just put your feet up and watch the world go by.

Around the Central Market there are many affordable places to eat. Asian takeaways are available in the International Food Market in the Central Market Arcade or Hawker's Corner on West Terrace. Gouger Street in the town centre incorporates the Chinatown district and offers more great bites. If you enjoy Thai there's "Nu's", and for a casual Malay dinner there is "A Taste of Spice". The Hilton International has its own fine dining restaurant in The Grange, where Chef Cheong Liew, creates his mouth-watering east-west dishes. It's recommended to book in advance for this restaurant is very much in demand.

O'Connell Street in North Adelaide has plenty of casual alfresco dining and 40 odd restaurants, cafes, wine bars and century-old elegant dining rooms. A good spot to dine out and hang out is along trendy Melbourne Street.

A restaurant which is so successful that it hasn't changed in 18 years is The Alphutte, in Pulleney Street. The cuisine is international but leans more towards traditional and Swiss food.

The Bridgewater Mill in the Adelaide Hills serves only lunch and is a wonderful venue for a leisurely outing with friends. The Mill's main feature is its waterwheel and the wine list consists of Petaluma wines only.

When Adelaide folk aren't drinking wine they're drinking beer and there's no shortage of pubs and bars in the city. Some pubs offer genteel dining but there are more boisterous watering holes for those looking for drunken revelry. Hindley Street has the lion's share of the nightlife.

For a bit of a flutter, the Adelaide Casino on North Terrace provides all the gambling and gaming facilities required.

Adelaide has plenty of facilities catering for just about every popular sport. The barton has indoor ice skating rinks and an artificial ski slope. Glenelg Beach is a good place to arrange watersporting activities. Scuba divers off Kangaroo Island frequently encounter seals and dolphins in the cool waters.

South Australia is the world's leading producer of opals and Adelaide provides a massive choice of these semi-precious gems. As in any Australian city, souvenirs and Aboriginal arts and crafts are widely available.

More than 750 shops and stores are found in Adelaide's top shopping area, the Rundle Street Mall. The open-air precinct has everything from big stores to street markets, designer boutiques, jewellery shops, and heaps more. Buskers and performers entertain passers by.

Adelaide Arcade revels in its classic Victorian past and offers over 70 of Adelaide's finest retailers. The traditional Adelaide Hatters, the tempting Haigh's with its enticing chocolates and old-fashioned cobblers all offer welcome shopping alternatives.

The old Jam Factory is now a contemporary craft and design studio for Australian craftsmen with glass, furniture, metal and ceramics studios.

The new age Orange Lane Market sells all manner of hippy accessories and interesting clutter. Open-air massage and palm reading sessions give this weekend market a lively alternative edge.

Despite its many cafes Adelaide doesn't have much of an internet scene. Tilt on Hindley Street is one choice and close by is Talking Cents. If stuck try the better hotels to get online.

Adelaide is relatively small and well-planned. Getting around on the local public transport system is straightforward and prices are fair. Day trip tickets can be purchased for travel by bus, tram or train.

A Cityfree bus service links the train and tram terminals, running along King William Street and through the CBD. Other buses run regularly to the surrounding areas. The historic 1929 Bay Tram connects Victoria Square in the city centre to Glenelg Beach.

Taxis are easily hired from taxi ranks or hailed in the street. There are many car hire companies in Adelaide, good for those seeking to get off the beaten track and into the surrounding areas.

Adelaide has many good cycle tracks and bicycle lanes. It is easily and safely navigated on two wheels.

Interstate or country buses arrive and depart from the Central Bus Station on Franklin Street. Services run to regional towns and all major cities.

Trains to the suburbs and surrounding region leave from North Terrace. Interstate trains from major Australian cities pull up at Keswick Station to the west of the city. The famous Ghan leaves Adelaide on a one-day hike north for Alice Springs.

Major international airlines and Australian domestic airlines fly into Adelaide Airport 8km west of the city. The Transit Airport City Bus services both the international and domestic terminals daily, linking to major destinations and hotels in the city.

Perhaps Adelaide's greatest attractions are the significant wine producing areas. To the north are the Clare and Barossa Valleys, famous for their white Reisling and red Shiraz respectively. South of the city is the McLaren Vale, which produces Pinot Noir and Grenache, and further south still is the Coonawarra region, world famous for its red wines.

The Adelaide Hills, in the suburbs of Adelaide produces wonderful cool whites, perfect on a hot summer's day. The variety is growing, with many of the old and favoured varieties being joined with the more trendy and avant garde wines such as Zinfandel. If you're visiting Adelaide, a tour of the vineyards is something not to be missed whether you enjoy a glass or not.

The historic German village of Hahndorf is a popular spot for visitors. Hillstowe Winery offers tastings of classic whites and traditional German cuisine is available in the many bakeries and cafes that line the picturesque avenues. The main street has a string of touristy arts and crafts shops, galleries and museums.

Australia's best-known vineyards are found an hour northeast of the city in Barossa Valley. It has over 50 wineries and almost all are open to the public offering free wine tasting sessions. The German influence is still evident and there are regular festivals and regattas throughout the year.

The Fleurieu Peninsula offers more great wineries particularly around Mclaren Vale. Victor Harbour features various historical and marine interests including a penguin rookery. There are some good beaches on the Gulf St Vincent flank of the peninsula - the Southern Ocean tends to be too rough.

A major draw for nature lovers is Kangaroo Island, Australia's third largest island. It provides sanctuary for much of Australia's threatened fauna. Sea lions, koalas, kangaroos and platypuses can all be seen in the conservation and national parks.

Beyond lies the rest of the truly vast and sparsely populated South Australia. Tours lasting several days head out for the Great Ocean Road, the Murray River and Flinders Ranges. Possibilities for bushwalking in the outback are almost endless.

The Adelaide Arts Festival is a top national event falling around the beginning of March in even-numbered years. Drama, dance, music, poetry readings, literature and art exhibitions take centre stage as artsy types from all over the world descend on the 3-week cultural celebration.

The other massive event in Adelaide is the Fringe Festival occurring at the same time. Contemporary music, mime, stand-up comedy and fire-eaters provide an entertaining alternative to the festival proper.

Womadelaide is a 3-day outdoor music festival, taking place each February in odd-numbered years. A full spectrum of sounds and rhythms from around the world fills Botanic Park.

Borassa Valley holds the biennial Barossa Vintage Festival in odd-numbered years, starting on Easter Monday and lasting a week. Wine contests and tastings are the focus of the world's largest wine festival. Every October the International Barossa Music Festival bursts into life featuring rock, pop, jazz and classical performances for a fortnight.

Note: Adelaide no longer hosts the Australian Grand Prix.