Melbourne

Ako Kondo

Port Melbourne Beach

ST. ALi Coffee Roasters

South Melbourne Market

Ako Konodo shares her gems on where to visit in Melbourne.

Ako Kondo - Travel Playbooks | Exceptional ALIEN

Melbourne with Ako Kondo

Melbourne with TEST

As the Australian Ballet’s first Japanese Principal Artist, Ako Kondo has received international accolades, including a  Prix Benois de la Danse nomination.

Ako Kondo - People | Exceptional ALIEN

Ben Shewry

Market Lane

Attica

Footscray

The Corner Hotel

The Tote Hotel

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)

Ben Shewry shares his gems on where to visit in Melbourne.

Ben Shewry - Travel Playbooks | Exceptional ALIEN

Melbourne with Ben Shewry

As the chef and owner of Attica, one of the world's top 20 restaurants in 2018, Ben Shewry has received various accolades and been on Netflix's 'Chef's Table.'

Ben Shewry - People | Exceptional ALIEN

Brian Ritchie

Melbourne Recital Centre

The Jazzlab

Sydney Road

Brunswick Ballroom

CERES Community Environment Park

Merri Creek

Mindy Meng Wang shares her travel gems on where to visit when in Melbourne.

Mindy Meng Wang - Travel Playbooks | Exceptional ALIEN

Melbourne with Mindy Meng Wang

Instrumentalist and composer Mindy Meng Wang’s global outlook has helped her redefine the parameters of traditional Chinese music.

Mindy Meng Wang - People | Exceptional ALIEN

Gertrude Contemporary

The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia

Proud Mary

The Alderman

Waxflower

Lost and Found Market

Retropolis

Listen

Atong Atem shares her travel gems on where to visit when in Melbourne.

Atong Atem - Travel Playbooks | Exceptional ALIEN

Melbourne with Atong Atem

Melbourne–based artist Atong Atem’s works have been exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Vogue Fashion Fair in Milan and Red Hook Labs in New York.

Atong Atem - People | Exceptional ALIEN

Yarra River

Finas

Green Refectory

Vegie Bar

Miscellania

Section 8

MaggZ shares their travel gems on where to visit when in Melbourne.

MaggZ - Travel Playbooks | Exceptional ALIEN

Melbourne with MaggZ

Born in Kunming, China, and classically trained in ballet for seven years as a child, she’s now a multidisciplinary artist specializing in waacking — a freestyle dance originating from the 1970s Los Angeles Latinx and Afro-American communities.

MaggZ - People | Exceptional ALIEN

Northcote Social Club

The Basement Discs

Happy Valley Shop

Kuu Café + Japanese Kitchen

Bass Centre

Straight Outta Saigon

Dave Symes shares his travel gems on where to visit when in Melbourne.

Dave Symes - Travel Playbooks | Exceptional ALIEN

Melbourne with Dave Symes

Dave Symes is the bassist for beloved indie-folk band Boy & Bear, which has been a staple of the Australian music scene for well over a decade.

Dave Symes - People | Exceptional ALIEN

Abbotsford Convent

Cam’s Kiosk

Shop Ramen

Goldy’s! Tavern

Yarra Bend Walking Trail

Jack Vanzet shares his travel gems on where to visit when in Melbourne.

Jack Vanzet - Travel Playbooks | Exceptional ALIEN

Melbourne with Jack Vanzet

Jack Vanzet’s dreamy, abstract visual style has adorned album covers and large-scale campaigns alike.

Jack Vanzet - People | Exceptional ALIEN

City Wine Shop

Hope St Radio

Napier Quarter

The Moon

Gerald’s Bar

Rhys Gorgol shares his travel gems on where to visit when in Melbourne.

Rhys Gorgol - Travel Playbooks | Exceptional ALIEN

Melbourne with Rhys Gorgol

Rhys Gorgol is the founder and Creative Principal of Melbourne-based agency TCYK (The Company You Keep), a design-led creative studio responsible for a string of high-profile clients.

Rhys Gorgol - People | Exceptional ALIEN

CIBI

The Rooks Return

Butchers Diner

Henry Sugar

Petty’s Orchards

Blusher share their travel gems on where to visit when in Melbourne.

Blusher - Travel Playbooks | Exceptional ALIEN

Melbourne with Blusher

Blusher are a Melbourne-based three-piece from Queensland and Victoria.

Blusher - People | Exceptional ALIEN

Ben Shewry is the chef and owner of Attica, named in the world's top 20 restaurants in 2018.

‘You can’t take the ingredients and not have some knowledge of the culture and the people.’

Ako Kondo moved from Nagoya to Melbourne after being awarded a ballet scholarship. Hear about how Australia has inspired her and her top gems for Melbourne.

Ako Kondo - Stories | Exceptional ALIEN

‘Ballet is a universal language in itself.’

Chinese–born composer Mindy Meng Wang is harmonizing Eastern and Western music. We chat to Mindy about musical identity, and her top travel gems for Melbourne.

Mindy Meng Wang - Stories | Exceptional ALIEN

‘My music can contribute to helping the world understand Chinese culture and people.’

We chat with award-winning, Australian–based artist Atong Atem about journeying the global African diaspora and her Melbourne Travel Playbook.

Atong Atem - Stories | Exceptional ALIEN

‘Melbourne is a medium to create real, meaningful connections.’

Melbourne

People

Ako

KONDO

Ben

SHEWRY

Mindy

MENG WANG

Atong

ATEM

MaggZ

Dave

SYMES

Jack

VANZET

Rhys

GORGOL

BLUSHER

Stories

Ben

SHEWRY

‘You can’t take the ingredients and not have some knowledge of the culture and the people.’

Ako

KONDO

‘Ballet is a universal language in itself.’

Mindy

MENG WANG

‘My music can contribute to helping the world understand Chinese culture and people.’

Atong

ATEM

‘Melbourne is a medium to create real, meaningful connections.’

Travel Playbooks

Ben

SHEWRY

Melbourne with Ben Shewry

Ako

KONDO

Melbourne with Ako Kondo

Mindy

MENG WANG

Melbourne with Mindy Meng Wang

Atong

ATEM

Melbourne with Atong Atem

MaggZ

Melbourne with MaggZ

Dave

SYMES

Melbourne with Dave Symes

Jack

VANZET

Melbourne with Jack Vanzet

Rhys

GORGOL

Melbourne with Rhys Gorgol

BLUSHER

Melbourne with Blusher