Mention Punta Cana and images of white, sandy beaches, tropical sunshine, pina colada in hand and all-inclusive resorts would come to mind. In the past few years, many resorts have sprung up along the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic. A Caribbean workhorse of sun and sand, the southeast is synonymous with go-big-or-go-home tourism and …
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Whether you approach from the west or from the east, the drive into the Arenal area is spectacular. Coming from Tilarán in the west, the road hugs the northern bank of Laguna de Arenal. The lake and forest vistas are riveting. On either side lovely inns, hip coffeehouses and eccentric galleries appear like pictures in …
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The Indian Nose (Nariz del Indio) is one of the most visited and hiked mountain on the shores of Lake Atitlan. From that point it is possible to catch the sunrise and the volcanic mountain chain of Guatemala. This mountain is also known as The Mayan Face. Hiking tours at Lake Atitlan don’t get much …
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Santo Domingo, or ‘La Capital’ as it’s typically called, is a collage of cultures and neighborhoods. It’s where the sounds of life – domino pieces slapped on tables, backfiring mufflers and horns from chaotic traffic, merengue blasting from corner stores – are most intense. At the heart of the city is the Zona Colonial, where …
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San José wasn’t the top destination on my list when I started planning my Costa Rica trip, but this city is the main gateway into the country. It’s true that Chepe – as San José is affectionately known – doesn’t make a great first impression, with its unremarkable concrete structures and honking traffic, but it’s …
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Flight: AF969Carrier: Air FranceOrigin: 22 Dec Punta Cana 21:05Destination: 23 Dec Paris 10:30 Originally, we had booked with XL Airways for our flight from Punta Cana to Paris. It was a budget airline which offered competitive fares. A French court ordered the closure of long haul low cost airline XL Airways in October after it …
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The latest theme at Gardens by the Bay features the poinsettias, in various colours and paired with Christmas decorations from the Nordic countries – Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Finland. If you notice the flags of these countries, they have a cross in their flag. With creative direction by the Ambassador of Denmark to Singapore, Her …
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After Salalah, we drove back up to the north to Nizwa for our second last stop of the trip. It was a long drive of around 9 hours, but thankfully the roads of the expressway were well-maintained so driving on them was a breeze. The historic town of Nizwa, with its giant fort and high-walled …
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This was my second time this year flying in business class with Singapore Airlines. With a dedicated business class check in at row 1 at Changi, check in for me was a breeze. I received my connecting flight boarding pass on United as well, and my luggage was checked all the way to Koror. In …
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The main highlight of visiting Palau would be to swim with jellyfish. Yes, the Jellyfish Lake in Palau is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it is possible to swim with thousands of jellyfish without being stung. Palau offers an incredibly high diversity of marine species and its pristine marine habitats support some of the …
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If you are not a diver, fret not, as there are many other interesting activities to check out during your trip to Palau. Just outside the main city area of Koror lies Long Island Park, accessible by taxi, a bicycle ride or a short walk from the hotel stretch. Turning left after crossing the Malakal …
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Where is Palau? Is it part of the Philippines? Is it under the US? There were many eyebrows raised when I told my friends that I am going to Palau. Palau is a Micronesian country of about 340 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It has an area of around 466 square kilometers. Koror is the …
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Flight: 4O 3930 Airline: Interjet Depart: Mexico City 10.20am Arrive: Varadero 2.15pm It was my first time flying with Interjet. After reading so many negative reviews on TripAdvisor and other flying websites, I was not too sure if I made the right decision to fly with them. I had spent three days in Mexico City …
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Salalah, the capital of the Dhofar region, is a colourful, subtropical city that owes much of its character to Oman’s former territories in East Africa. Indeed, flying into Salalah from Muscat, especially during the khareef (rainy season), it is hard to imagine that Oman’s first and second cities share the same continent. From mid-June to mid-August, monsoon …
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Day 1: Flight to Naha, arrival at airport, collect rental car and drive to Yomitan Day 2: Explore Yomitan Zakimi castle ruins, Cape Zanpa lighthouse. Drive north to Ogimi longevity village, visit Cape Hedo (northernmost point of Okinawa) Day 3: Wanted to see the whales in Chatan but there was no boat going out due …
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I came to Panama just for the Panama canal, would you believe it? Anyway I was on my flight from Toronto to Cartagena (Colombia), with a stopover in Panama City. Since we had a 7 hours stopover in Panama, it was sufficient to visit one of the attractions in the city. It was either the …
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Muscat is the capital city of Oman and also the first stop of our trip. Scenically wedged between mountains and ocean, with old forts and excellent museums, an opera house and flower-filled parks, the gentle city of Muscat is a delight to visit. Its name means ‘safe anchorage’, and the sea plays an important role …
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On our trip to Oman, we booked a redemption flight on Star Alliance, in business class. The first leg was on Singapore Airlines from Singapore to Bangkok, after which we connected to Thai Airways flight TG507 from Bangkok to Muscat. SQ 970 From: Singapore To: Bangkok Plane: Airbus A330-300 Check in at Changi Terminal 2 …
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Have you slept in the desert before? It was actually our first time and we were really excited! During my travels, I have passed by the Gobi desert (Mongolia) and the Sahara desert (Morocco), but I have actually never stayed overnight before. The sand dunes in Vietnam and Australia are not really counted as desert …
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Tana, as the capital is universally known, is all about eating, shopping, history and day trips. The town centre itself, with its pollution and dreadful traffic, puts off many travellers from staying, but bypassing the capital altogether would be a mistake: Tana has been the home of Malagasy power for three centuries and there is …
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Madagascar’s second-largest city, Fianarant- soa (Fi-a-nar-ant-soo, or Fianar for short) is like a mild version of Tana. Surrounded by hills, it is both a regional commercial, administrative and religious center, and a major transit point. Tourists typically come here to spend the night on their way to Ranomafana or Isalo. The Haute-Ville is the most …
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Morondava is a terminally laid-back seaside town with sandy streets and gently decaying clapboard houses. There is not much to do or see in the town itself, and most people come here on their way to/from Parc National des Tsingy de Bemaraha or Réserve Forestière de Kirindy. It’s also the starting point for the gruelling …
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Isalo is about 14 hours non-stop drive from the capital Antananarivo. But on our itinerary, we had spent a few nights along the way in Antsirabe, Ramonafana and Fianarantsoa before arriving at Isalo National Park. Isalo is like a museum dedicated to the art of the desert canyon: canyons full of yellow savannah grass, bone-dry …
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Ranomafana appears after a fantastic entrance through a dry rocky valley spotted with two-storey highlands houses. After a long day’s travel, it feels like you have reached a mysterious island. The air is fresh and cool, and the nearby presence of the forest, with all of its strange sounds, is alluring. ‘Ranomafana’ which translates to …
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