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Flight Review: KLM

April 3, 2017

Update: 5 May 2019 I flew with KLM again to Bali. KLM offers a flight between Amsterdam and Bali, with a stopover in Singapore. This flight is popular with European revellers who are headed to Bali for their beach vacation. Since I had not taken a KLM flight before, I booked the Singapore-Bali return journey …
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Eat Pray Love Bali

March 21, 2017

What a tropical paradise Bali is. I had long avoided visiting Bali because it is touristy and filled with drunk Australian tourists. However, I was so wrong! I found my inner peace in Bali. This Indonesian island known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches and coral reefs is more than meets the eye. …
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Southern Africa on a budget

March 1, 2017

An astonishingly diverse region fused by its prolific wildlife, breathtaking landscapes and remnants of ancient culture, Southern Africa will etch itself on your heart. Most people will immediately think of safaris or impoverished people when ‘Africa’ is mentioned or ask “Is it dangerous?”, but did you know that South Africa is the second largest economy …
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Overnight stay at Semonkong

February 5, 2017

Maletsunyane Falls is a 192-metre-high (630 ft) waterfall in the Southern African country Lesotho. It is located near the town of Semonkong (Site of smoke), which also is named after the falls. The waterfall is on the Maletsunyane River and it falls from a ledge of Triassic-Jurassic basalt. Having heard about its natural beauty, I decided to venture out of the capital city Maseru to …
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Crossing the South African-Zimbabwean border

January 31, 2017

It has to be one of the longest border crossings I have ever experienced, besides the China-Kazakhstan one. This time, I took an overnight bus from Johannesburg as we headed up north to Beit Bridge to cross the border. Many of my friends had warned me about the horrendous queues, but in order to save …
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Victoria Falls (is falling down)

January 30, 2017

The original plan was to head to Harare (the capital of Zimbabwe) to find my friend before going to Victoria Falls. However, due to a lack of time and sold out bus tickets, I had to change my route by going to Bulawayo (second largest town) before taking the train to Victoria falls. I took …
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Pitstop in Port Elizabeth

January 18, 2017

Most people only know Johannesburg and Cape Town when they think of South Africa, both of which are serviced by direct flights from Singapore. However, this time I decided to venture deeper into South Africa to explore other regions. Port Elizabeth caught my eye because it is a coastal city and also it was holding …
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Helsinki Suomi

November 16, 2016

After spending two days in Tallinn, it was time to head over to Finland. Finland has been named one of the top three destinations to visit in 2017.The capital Helsinki is just a two hour ferry ride from Tallinn. The national airline Finnair also has five weekly flights between Singapore and Helsinki. It offers the …
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Capital of Scandinavia Stockholm

November 14, 2016

Did you know that Stockholm has a gender equal snow-clearing policy? Men are statistically more likely to be drivers, while women are more likely to use pavements, cycle paths, and public transport. Instead of clearing main roads first, day care centres, where parents typically take their children first thing in the morning have been prioritised, …
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Bandung ain’t the place for rose syrup drinks

October 29, 2016

Bandung is the capital of Java Barat province of West Java in Indonesia. It is well known for its fashion and wide varieties of flowers, trees and parks. Café and boutiques are spread throughout its street. The climate of Bandung is very pleasant throughout the year. This city is situated at an elevation of 768 …
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How to get to Bandung

October 28, 2016

There is at least one daily direct flight on AirAsia from Singapore to Bandung. Silkair flies to Bandung thrice a week. However, since I was looking for an evening flight and also due to budget, we decided to fly to Jakarta, then take a bus to Bandung. From Jakarta airport, there is a direct airport …
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Indian Himalayas

October 3, 2016

Just 5 hours away from Amritsar, the Himalayan foothills of Dharamshala provide a calm and serene alternative to the crowded city. If you are looking for malls and buzzing touristy avenues, then this is the wrong place for you to go. The picturesque natural beauty of the mountains offers a unique mix of Tibetan and …
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The holy city of the Golden Temple

September 20, 2016

The incessant honking, the heaps of rubbish on the dusty streets, roadside stalls selling fried food or snacks, beggars with pitiful looks on their faces, welcome to incredible India! It is overwhelming for the senses, especially for the first timer like me. Even though I’ve visited other congested and polluted developing cities (eg. Manila, Jakarta), …
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Mostar Stari Most

September 4, 2016

Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a country that would immediately come to your mind when you think of Europe. However, this small country in Southeast Europe is definitely worth a visit for off-the-beaten-track travellers and only recently till 1995, it was struggling with a civil war. It was the year 1991, Yugoslavia disintegrated under the …
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Chiangrai

September 3, 2016

Wat Rong Khun, better known as “the White Temple” is one of the most recognizable temples in Thailand. The temple outside the town of Chiang Rai attracts a large number of visitors, both Thai and foreign, making it one of Chiang Rai’s most visited attractions. It is a unique temple that stands out through the …
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It hurts so much

September 2, 2016

*** Update: I managed to get my Indian visa after applying a second time!*** Facing a rejection is normal for us, but having a rejection without any reason is outrageous. I am officially hating India and its bureaucracy. In short, my application for the Indian tourist visa was rejected and if I were to reapply …
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Istanbul

July 17, 2016

In light of the recent news about the military coup in Turkey, I felt that it was unjustified and would put off many people from traveling to this beautiful country. While safety is an important issue to consider, I believe that Turkey will clean up its act and restore faith among travellers quickly. One of …
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Poking around Pokhara

July 6, 2016

After trekking in the Annapurna circuit for almost two weeks, it was nice to be back in the city again. Pokhara is  the next largest city in Nepal after Kathmandu, and with its dramatic backdrop of the Annapurna Massif over the lake Phewa Tal, which can be compared to the Switzerland of Nepal. Pokhara is …
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Chronicles of Annapurna circuit trek

July 4, 2016

Day 1 From Kathmandu we took the morning bus to Besi Sahar which is the starting point of the trek. We had to carry our backpacks on our laps as the bus got more crowded and it was uncomfortable for us. We were not sure when the bus reached Besi Sahar as it was supposed …
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How to choose your hike in Nepal

July 3, 2016

 Nepal is home to 8 out of 10 of the world’s tallest mountains, including the mother of all mountains Mt Everest (8848m), so naturally when you think of Nepal, you would associate it with mountain climbing. The best way to discover Nepal is on foot; nothing beats walking from teahouse to teahouse under crystal-clear Himalayan …
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How to stretch your dollar in Maldives

June 6, 2016

Welcome to paradise! The Maldives is home to the best beaches in the world; they are available on almost every one of the country’s nearly 1200 islands and are so consistently perfect that it’s hard to fault them. With the white sandy beaches, serene turquoise lagoons, richly colourful coral reefs renowned for their biodiversity, the …
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Day trip from BSB

June 3, 2016

On the day that my Brunei friend was not free to show me around, I decided to be adventurous and try out the public transport system. You know, so that I can write a review on it. The main bus terminal where all long-distance and local buses leave from and arrive is at Jalan Cator …
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Things to do in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

May 30, 2016

Brunei is a small and rich country in Southeast Asia thanks to its oil and gas resources. It is not a famous destination on the tourist map, but normally visitors to Borneo would spend one day in Brunei just to get a feel of this oil – rich state. For Singaporeans, Brunei is synonymous with …
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Prague-matic guide

April 24, 2016

After hearing about the proposed name change to “Czechia”, I felt that Czech Republic deserves a post. Well, I find that the new name would sound like the Chechnya separtist region in Russia, or that it sounds like the “chacha” dance. I guess most of the locals are opposing to the new name as they …
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