Heart

Living right next to a hospital always ranks low when it comes to holiday. That's what we did in Melbourne during my daughter's term break. Our hotel is right next to the Royal Children's Hospital.

When I say "next to", I mean we shared the same elevator and car park. And I mean the hospital cafeteria is an integral part of our daily life. My daughter really appreciates this special place.

The Royal Children's Hospital, I must say, is a fabulous place for kids and visitors, especially those with a kid like our family. The hospital is surrounded by the 181-hectare Royal Park, the largest of Melbourne's inner city park. With the hospital's child-centric decoration (including a more-than-real size tiger behind the story The Tiger Who Came to Tea) and innovative design (with the ward location named after animals like kookaburra instead of those boring number and alphabets), this place is a showpiece for their love for children. Everything that happens to patients - the picture they see on the corridor, the playground they visit, the books they find at the convenience store - profoundly changes the way a hospital journey is perceived. And more so for children hospital journey.

The location of our hotel didn't really get off the beaten track, but it gets us to the heart of a place.