Where to stay in Adelaide

See

Adelaide's main important attractions are mostly centred in the City and North Adelaide. Unlike Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth, Adelaide isn't a place you would want to go to specifically for city life and it's a lot less bustling than the other big cities. Instead, Adelaide is a place where you can enjoy a more laid back pace of life as if you were in the countryside, but with easy access to the usual big city amenities. Adelaide is known for its churches, and a trip to Adelaide is never complete without visiting one of its churches, not because of any historical or religious significance, but rather for their architecture.

Do

Adelaide's beaches are mostly in West Adelaide, given the fact that it's the only large district to have a coastline. While Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park—Winaityinaityi Pangkara also has a long coastline, it's protected and not really a beach for swimming. If there's anything that's a must at any Adelaide beach, it's surfing at one of the many surf beaches (Glenelg and West Beaches), an Australian classic. Some beaches have surf schools and places where you can rent surfboards, but to a much lesser extent than Sydney.

Eat

Adelaide's local cuisine generally does not differ much from standard Australian fare, but there are a handful of dishes unique to Adelaide that are worth trying while you're here. The pie floater is an Australian meat (usually beef) pie in thick pea soup, often garnished with ketchup. This is sold at numerous pubs and cafes throughout Adelaide, but the place locals will point you to if you want to get the most classic version is Cafe de Vili's in Mile End South. The AB is Adelaide's answer to the halal snack packs of the East Coast, consisting of yiros meat on top of a bed of hot chips, and topped off with tomato sauce, chilli sauce, garlic sauce and barbecue sauce, though it is not halal.

Drink

There are pubs and bars (also known as "hotels" in Australia) dotted all around the CBD, but a few districts are worth singling out. Rundle Street and its neighbouring area known simply as "The East End" have a number of popular pubs. Hindley St used to be notorious as the seedy home of Adelaide's strip clubs and bikie bars, but it has undergone a renaissance, along with "The West End". The eastern end of Hindley Street is more mainstream, whereas the western end, west of Morphett Street has a few trendier and more alternative venues. The seedy places are still there, but so too is a university campus and a number of trendy bars and clubs.

Stay safe

The Australia-wide emergency number is 000. The ambulance service, fire service and police are available through this number. For non-emergency police assistance, dial 131 444. Adelaide is considered a safe city, much more so than Sydney and Melbourne. People should however exercise personal safety, particularly at night. Most violent crime in Adelaide is fuelled by alcohol, so be vigilant and avoid any confrontations if you are in the bars or nightclubs at night. The city parklands are poorly lit and are best avoided after dark due to the presence of intoxicated people. If you need to cross the parklands to reach the suburbs, stay near the road.