The annual display of tulips at Gardens by the Bay is back after a year – this time in October, long after tulip season in the Netherlands in April. It was on display in the Flower Dome until 14 Nov. As a Friend of the Garden, I made use of my annual pass to visit …
continue reading »
It is the time of the year again, to view sakuras. Most Singaporeans would normally hop on a plane to Japan to see the sakuras in real bloom, during pre-Covid times. However, leisure travel is definitely not possible and not feasible at the moment, so Gardens by the Bay has brought Japan to Singapore, where …
continue reading »
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 …
continue reading »
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 …
continue reading »
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 …
continue reading »
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 …
continue reading »
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 …
continue reading »
With a strong urge to get out of the noisy city of Jakarta with its incessant traffic and bad pollution, I decided to make a day trip to Curug Nangka, a famous waterfall located at the base of Mount Salak. It is about an hour’s travel from Bogor, a city south of Jakarta, in the …
continue reading »
1) trekking alone can be depressing at times 2) what goes up must come down (I was moaning at the steep ascents and was delighted at the downhills) 3) carrying my heavy backpack and hiking is not my style (I’m used to doing day trips with a small bag) 4) reserve your refugios or camping …
continue reading »
Yekaterinburg, is the fourth largest city in Russia, with a population of 1.3 Million. Yekaterinburg was founded in 1723, and was named after Peter the Great’s wife Catherine I. From 1924 to 1991, Yekaterinburg was known as Sverdlovsks (Свердло́вск) , which was named after the Bolshevik leader Yakov Sverdlov. Yekaterinburg is situated on the eastern …
continue reading »
Mongolia has been awesome so far. Staying in a ger with a Mongolian family is the best thing ever. They have four children, but the eldest son is studying in the countryside, so only the three girls stay at home with their parents; they go to school during the day and come back in the …
continue reading »
AUSTRIA Salzburg Salzburg’s Old Town Walk Old Town’s best sights in handy orientation walk. Salzburg Cathedral Glorious, harmonious Baroque main church of Salzburg. Getreidegasse Picturesque old shopping lane with characteristic wrought-iron signs. Hohensalzburg Fortress Imposing castle capping the mountain overlooking town, with tourable grounds, several mini-museums, commanding views, and good evening concerts. The Sound of …
continue reading »
Our expedition to chase the northern lights (aurora borealis) in Iceland failed because the elusive lights were playing hard to get with us despite four nights spent here, camping in the dark every night hoping to catch a glimpse of them. Nevertheless, in my opinion, it was my best Christmas in my life ever, thanks …
continue reading »