Friend and Tastemaker Alex Malloy's BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA

Our good friend Alexandra Malloy runs a brand development, public relations, and marketing business based in Venice, CA. She does everything from sales driven in-store events, to multi-tiered public relations and inbound marketing strategies, all of which are highly personalized and catered to the specific needs of her clients, (which have included Bulgari, Gilt Groupe, Tory Burch, Floral Art, and Kimmel Kids to name a few!).  We trust Alex's taste in everything and as she is an avid traveler and has just returned from a week in Byron Bay, Australia, we thought we'd hit her up for her tips for Down Under!  And here they are....

Byron Bay is a beautiful beach town that is a mix of funky spots catering to backpackers and very chic restaurants, galleries and boutiques for the more discerning traveler. The food is great and the people are delightful.  Here are some highlights from our adventure.

Stay

The Byron at Byron Bay. Hands down the best place to stay. Modern rooms that felt more like a tree house set in the rainforest. It is a beautiful setting with a great staff and a six- course degustation menu that can’t be missed.

A few friends also suggested Victoria’s at Wategos, which is on a stunning beach and is a small romantic boutique hotel.

For Your Coffee Fix

Australians take their coffee very seriously and from what I heard (and tasted!), there is nowhere better than Baylef Café at 8/87 Jonson St.

Do As the Locals Do

Hit the surf with Black Dog Surfing.

Beach

I loved Tallow Beach as it's rugged and quiet and a bit removed from the main part of town. Great for an end of the day walk with all the locals and their dogs.

A Sweet Treat

You have to try one of the homemade ice creams from The Pink Ice Cream. Our favorites were the macadamia and mango and the coconut.  Located at 20A Jonson St.

Can’t Miss...

The picture perfect town of Bangalow, which is a lovely short drive through the hinterland. This is where all the best stores, galleries and cafes are. It was my favorite place we went. I loved Island Luxe, Little Beach, and Wax Jambu, which is housed in an old general store and now filled with amazing worldly finds. Have lunch at Satiate.

Sunset Drinks

Two of our favorite nights out:

1. Grab a bottle of wine and go to the main beach in town and watch the sunset and all the colorful locals. Keep your buzz going with a drink on the porch at The Balcony. The drinks are amazing! Located at 7/3 Lawson St.

2. If you want a slightly more romantic and less hectic environment, it’s really fun and incredibly beautiful to go to the lighthouse at sunset with some wine and cheese and take in the incredible 360 degree view.

Get Your Koala Fix

For an exciting day trip that is absolutely unique to Australia, head north to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, which feels like a small zoo with a collection of over 1400 mammals, birds and reptiles. It also happens to be the only place in Australia where you can hold Koala bears!