Mauritius’ tourism industry started in the north, and today there’s plenty on offer for visitors. Although most of the area’s spectacular beaches have been claimed by hotel construction and became privatised, it is never hard to get away from it all and discover the little nooks that remain largely untouched by development. Grand Baie is …
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Ethiopian Airlines | The new spirit of Africa. We took ET852 TNR – ADD and ET859 ADD – JNB, both in J class as part of a miles redemption. Their business class sector is termed as Cloud Nine. We had some issue with check in at TNR airport as the airline system did not allow …
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Despite my busy travel plans, I still make it a point to visit the local attractions once in a while, especially when they have new exhibits or when I am showing my foreign friends around. This year’s Orchid Extravaganza celebrates Singapore’s pop culture with a creative spin on familiar icons, as seen through the eyes …
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Any trip to Africa would be incomplete without a safari tour. The same goes for Eswatini, despite its small size and that we had just come from South Africa Kruger National Park, we decided to visit Mkhaya Game Reserve. This time, I would not be the one driving and we could sit in a jeep …
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In 2018, the country of Swaziland became eSwatini. The new name, eSwatini, means “land of the Swazis”. The change was unexpected, but King Mswati has been referring to Swaziland for years as eSwatini. He explained that the name had caused some confusion, saying: “Whenever we go abroad, people refer to us as Switzerland.” So this …
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After our drive through Kruger National Park, we went to Nelspruit for a night’s stay. Nelspruit is Mpumalanga’s dilapidated but functional provincial capital, where bakkies (pick-up trucks) dodge potholes en route to shiny malls. It’s more a place to get things done than a worthwhile destination for tourists, but it’s not unpleasant and has the …
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Finally fulfilled my dream of visiting Kruger on my third trip to South Africa. Got to see many animals (elephants, buffaloes, zebras, impalas, giraffes, wildebeest, lions, hippos etc) while driving and imagine our delight when some wild animals appeared from the bushes, allowing us to stop by the roadside and happily snap away. This post …
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Mauritius is more than beaches and sunny islands. There is so many things to do here than in Maldives where we are restricted to the islands. In Mauritius, it is a relatively big island in the Indian Ocean so we have a chance to explore the inland attractions. For us, we rented a car for …
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Domaine des Alizées Club & Spa is a 10-minute drive from the centre of Grand Baie village. Pereybere beach is a 5-minute drive away. A scheduled shuttle service runs daily to Grand Baie and to an exclusive beach. From the airport, it is about 45 minutes by car or taxi to the Grand Baie area. …
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We were looking for a fun activity to do in Mauritius and chanced upon the undersea walk while doing our research. This activity is safe for non-swimmers and non-divers, which allows you to immerse yourself in the underwater world and walk freely with the add of helmets that supply oxygen. The excursion begins with a …
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On my recent trip to Bali to celebrate my bachelor’s party, we decided to stay in Canggu which is an expatriate area, away from the tourist crowds at Kuta and Seminyak. Canggu is a really nice area, with lots of hipster cafes, boutique hotels, set amidst the rice fields and also the surfing areas along …
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Flight: PR2383 Route: IAO Del Carmen Siargao to CEB Cebu Depart: 15h50 Arrive: 16h50 PAL Express, also known as Air Philippines Corporation and formerly branded as Air Philippines and Airphil Express, is an airline under the ownership of Philippine Airlines. It acts as PAL’s domestic division, with services from Manila, Cebu, Davao and Zamboanga. For today’s flight, we flew …
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Have you heard of Siargao Island in the Philippines? It is the number one island in Asia to visit according to the Conde Nast Readers’ Choice Awards survey in 2018. Siargao: The “teardrop-shaped Philippine island home to more than 15 separate surf breaks, including the legendary Cloud 9, which has been popular for a few …
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Is the new lounge at Cebu airport terminal 2 worth my time? Let’s find out more with this review. Location: Airside – International Departures. After Immigration, take the lift opposite gate 20 to level 1 where the lounge is located. Being at Cebu Mactan International airport with its newly opened Terminal 2 building, I finally …
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Having arrived from Minsk airport, we were back in the Schegen area in Vienna. The city airport train costs €11 for a one-way ticket and €19 for a return ticket. It is the fastest way to the city centre, taking 16 minutes only. However, we had rented a car so the staff came to the …
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Hallstatt had always been one of my dream destination after I saw numerous friends who went there. It looks mesmerising regardless of the season and there are always activities for everyone to engage in while they are there. Many years ago, I had visited Austria with my family but we did not get to cover …
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China Eastern Airlines is a major Chinese airline that is based in Shanghai. It flies to 217 destinations, within China and internationally. Its main hubs are at Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport,[ with secondary hubs at Beijing Capital International Airport, Kunming Changshui International Airport and Xi’an Xianyang International Airport. China Eastern …
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Shurijo Castle symbolizes the history and culture of Okinawa, and its history is that of the Ryukyu Kingdom itself. This distant province of Japan was closer in ties to Southeast Asia and Taiwan than to mainland China in the past. Shurijo Castle is situated on a small hill, surrounded by curving castle walls that protect …
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With plenty of intact pre-WW2 architecture, Hrodna (Grodno in Russian) is arguably Belarus’ prettiest city. It has a decidedly European flavour, much of it derived from its central pedestrianised street, ironically named vul Savetskaya (Soviet St). The Soviets demolished many of the city’s beautiful old churches after the war. Several have been rebuilt since, and …
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We flew two legs with Ukraine International Airline, the domestic leg from Lviv to Kiev and the international leg from Kiev to Minsk. Both legs were short flights so it may not be an accurate representation of UIA on long-haul flights. UIA is the flag carrier and largest airline in Ukraine, with its head office …
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Who knew that you could ski in Ukraine, home to the Carpathian Mountains? This mountain range is stretched across Central and Eastern Europe, making it the third largest mountain range after the Urals (Russia) and Scandinavian mountains (Norway, Sweden). The Carpathians and their foothills also have many thermal and mineral waters, with Romania having one-third of the European total. Bukovel …
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It has been a long while since I last flew with EVA airways. It is one of the national carriers of Taiwan (the other being China airlines). For our long-haul trip to Europe, we managed to secure cheap tickets from Hong Kong to Paris, returning from Vienna. Since it was on EVA Air, there was …
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Welcome to Belarus! Long regarded by travellers as little more than a curiosity, Belarus has suddenly emerged as one of Europe’s ‘it’ destinations. Fuelling that rise are relaxed visa requirements, a sneaky-good art and cafe scene, and hospitable locals. While political dissent remains muted, the country seems to be having fun again. Minsk is where …
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Having visited Kiev and Chernobyl, Lviv will come across as un-Ukrainian to the visitor. Mysterious and architecturally lovely, this Unesco-listed city is the country’s least Soviet and exudes the same authentic Central European charm as pre-tourism Prague or Kraków once did. Its quaint cobbles, bean-perfumed coffeehouses and rattling trams are a continent away from the …
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