Unfiltered Travel Guide: Perth & Fremantle

YHA is one of Australia’s major hostel brands, with a huge number of locations across the country. If you use their APP, you can grab exclusive discounts, usually starting at 10%.

The best part? If you keep using it—say you stay in Brisbane, then Perth, or Sydney and Melbourne—your discount can increase up to a maximum of 20%. This is amazing for solo travelers or backpackers looking to save money while exploring Australia.

They also host weekly activities like meditation or free pancakes. There’s almost always someone on-site 24/7. So, if you accidentally lock yourself out of your room or check in very late, there’s usually someone there to help. However, the exact situation depends on the city, so it’s always best to send a direct email to confirm.

If you come to Perth, the Fremantle Market is a weekend staple nearby. It’s generally open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but you’ll need to check the official website for public holiday hours.

This is my favorite place, with a ton of great food and fruit. I highly recommend "What the bao." They have fantastic Asian specialties; the roast duck and braised pork flavors are incredibly delicious. If you go with friends, you can try different flavors together.

Inside the market, there’s a spot selling Soufflé pancakes. This is an Asian-style dessert that I personally love. But be warned: Asian-style desserts are usually "not too sweet," which fits the palette of most Asian people. If you prefer something extremely sweet, this might not be for you!

However, I really don't like their milk tea. I'm not sure if it just wasn't brewed properly that day, but I felt like it had no milk flavor and no tea fragrance, and it wasn't sweet enough. Sorry, but it’s a 0/5 score for me.

As a hardcore bubble tea lover, I actually feel like the milk tea in all of Perth is a 1/5. It honestly can't compare to the authentic brand chains in Melbourne, Sydney, or Brisbane. In those big cities, you have plenty of authentic boba chains, whereas in Perth, it’s mostly small, self-started "workshop" style shops. So, I wouldn't suggest Perth for boba lovers—even in the CBD, it’s not as good as a random milk tea stall you’d find in regional areas of other states.