It's Spring!

Ramen from Yokohama Ramen Museum
I love going to Tokyo, can't deny it. There's just so much to eat there that I've not even bridged the gap to Michelin starred restaurants. Even their average joe's cafe/restaurant serves insanely delicious food. Everything pictured below is less than S$20 per item.

This resort on the island of Batam, Indonesia has been much raved about lately so naturally I had to give this a go as well. Developed by Singaporeans, Montigo Resorts is a mere 1h ferry ride from Singapore. Reservations for this resort can be done on MisaTravels for e.g. My friends and I got a great deal for 3D2N (breakfast included), ferry transfer and a sea view 2 bedroom villa for S$290/pax. Honestly speaking, whether you get a seaview or hillview villa, there is NO difference. There is no real sea view to speak of.


Hill view villas on the left and sea view villas on the right

Depending on which ferry terminal you arrive at on Batam, the transfer to the hotel will take approx 45mins by taxi. Do check upfront for the cost of the taxi ride with your driver. Check-in is swift and a buggy will take you to your villa (you have to call for buggy to take you everywhere). The resort is very self-sufficient with 2 restaurants and a bar (expect Singapore prices). TADD's serves international American breakfast daily, PANTAI their seafood restaurant serves fresh and pretty affordable dinners, TIIGO is the adults only bar and if you prefer a more private setting, in-room BBQ can be arranged for $50/pax.



If venturing out of the resort, there is a once a day shuttle bus at 10am to Nagoya Hill Shopping Centre. The return pick up is at 4pm at Nagoya. Montigo has an in-house spa which I did not try as Nagoya Hill has many massage joints. With an infinity pool per villa, there is no real reason to leave the resort either :)


The spacious living room (doesn't look like much but it's huge) and the disappointing seaview from the infinity pool


Master bedroom (looks small but it's not) and the guest bed room


Master bedroom bath tub (shower stalls on the left), guest bathroom and the night view when skies are clear

From the Michelin starred restaurants, food trucks to cubby-hole of a food joint, New York offers something for everyone. Shown here are some of the food you MUST try when visiting the Big Apple.

Day trips out of Sydney typically involve a 2-3h drive from Sydney center per way. There are many car rentals options; be it Hertz, NoBirds or East Coast Car rental. Car rental procedures are fairly easy to complete online and collection and return of cars will be clearly stated on the website. Do bring a GPS or rent one as navigating through Google Maps is quite tedious.

Within a 2h radius:

• Port Stephens: yacht marina, sand dunning and mountain climbing
• The Blue Mountains: a full day must be devoted to complete most of the major tourists spots like Wentworth Falls, Katoomba Falls, The Three Sisters, Scenic Railway, Orphan Rock and the Jenolan Caves (quite dangerous and long ride to Jenolan caves as roads are winding)

View from Princess Point on the Blue Mountains

 

View of the Three Sisters Katoomba

Katoomba Falls as seen from Blackheath Lookout Point



Area around the Jenolan Caves

Within a 3h radius: 

• Hunter Valley: basically an area with lots of vineyards belonging to the best Australian wineries. You can find Lindeman's, Rosemount, McGuigan's etc vineyards here. Do check online for vineyard tour timings. Unlike the American vineyards in Napa Valley where you pay for wine tastings, tastings in Hunter Valley are free but you'd be obligated to buy a bottle of wine.
• There is not much else to do in Hunter Valley besides wine tasting and the chocolate factory so do go with an open mind. 

McGuigan's Wines

Sydney being such a cosmopolitan city really offers a plethora of food choices; anything from Michelin starred restaurants to celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver (Jamie's Italian) and the simpler, fuss-free road side meals.

Pancake on the Rocks (open 24h) with its delicious pancakes and Belgian Chocolate Praline from the Guylian Chocolate Cafe 


Mee Goreng and Nasi Lemak from Mamak Haymarket. This outlet opens at 530pm but has a snaking queue as early as 445pm. A plain prata costs AU$5.50 which is ridiculous by Singaporean standards (S$1 per piece?!)

Sydney is surprisingly easy to navigate with a GPS (get a SIM card from OPTUS at the airport. AU$2/day unlimited 3G and calls). Scoot now offers cheap air tickets from Singapore to Sydney (8h flight) and I do recommend paying $30 more for extra seat space. It's really worth it!

Here I'll recap my MUST DO-s in a quick list:

Sightsee

• Sydney Harbour Bridge (Circular Quay)
• Sydney Opera House (Circular Quay)
• The Royal Botanic Gardens (Walk from Circular Quay and to see Mrs Macquarie's chair)
• Museum of Contemporary Art (free entry)
• The Rocks Weekend Flea Market (Circular Quay)
• Darling Harbour (IMAX sydney - AU$26 with the 20% off coupon in the visitor's guide found in the airport)
• Wildlife Sydney (AU$25 if tickets booked online as compared to AU$30 at the door)
• Sydney Fish Market (fresh produce and sashimi)

Sydney Harbour Bridge and the view from within the Royal Botanic Gardens

If you're looking for a quiet getaway for the weekend or travelling from the other side of the globe and looking for a quiet spot to relax by the beach, Lone Pine Hotel in Penang is the perfect place.

Refurbished from an old colonial building, this hotel is quieter as compared to its neighboring Golden Sands Shangri-La and Rasa Sayang Shangri-la Resort on the Batu Ferringhi stretch. Prices for rooms range from S$190 up but the room is big and beds are very comfortable. Reservations usually include breakfast (varied selection) and the hotel may even offer you a 15% discount at their Japanese restaurant Matsu. Staff are friendly and the hotel comes equipped with a spa (competitive prices) and is right on the beach. You never really have to leave the hotel!


A little bit of paradise

For a non-gambler like myself, going to Macau would seem meaningless if not hitting the jackpot or baccarat tables. Au contraire my friends, Macau is still full of traditional Portuguese culture and architecture.

Only Tiger Airways flies direct to Macau from Singapore or 1 can consider flying to Hong Kong and taking a ferry (45-60 mins) over. This is however very time consuming in my opinion, especially when flying out.

To put it mildly, Macau is all about the hotel shuttle buses and Portuguese egg tarts.

*Update: Airport limo tickets into the city can now be purchased at the ticket counter near Exit 4 of the airport. You no longer have to purchase the tickets from the bus driver or the ahjussi helping to haul your luggage into the bus. 

This post is focused on my recent trip to Seoul where I did a little more sightseeing than the usual shopping frenzy I get myself into.

Bukchon Hanok Village
Take Subway Line 3 to Anguk Station Exit 3. Walk 250m towards Jungang High School and you will start seeing signs leading to the Bukchon Hanok Village. The houses here have been preserved since the Joseon era and are a real piece of history amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. Do stop at the Bukchon Cultural Centre to get a map of the area. The map highlights the 8 photo spots of Bukchon where you can take scenic photos. Word of caution: the 8 spots are difficult to find even if you follow the map closely and look for the markings on the ground. It will take more than half a day to stop at the coffee shops, browse the quaint curios hand made by the locals and to locate the 8 photo spots. Personally, I only managed to find 2!


Around the Bukchon area


Quaint cafes

Around San Francisco & Napa Valley: 


At the San Francisco Fisherman's wharf for afternoon tea


The Spinnaker San Francisco - best clam chowder ever

Dubai isn't merely a stopover for flights en route to Europe. It really is a burgeoning city for expats and vacationers alike. There are only 2 direct flights to Dubai from Singapore; that being Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways. Do consider wisely when you intend to visit though, as temperatures can soar as high as 50 degrees celsius in the summer. A good time to visit would be Dec-Mar when the highest day temp is 30 degrees celsius and the night goes to a low of 12. Situated near deserts, Dubai is sandy to say the least. However, Dubai houses some of the world's greatest architectural feats, so the heat and sand is a small sacrifice for architectural buffs like myself. 

Airport customs
You've heard all sorts of stories about customs not allowing visitors into Dubai and throwing them in jail without informing their consulates. My personal opinion is to tread gently in this Middle Eastern country. Clearing customs can take 10mins to an hour depending on your arrival time.

My "bad" experience with Customs here was on departure when I was asked to go to the Customs office to get another stamp on my passport. I was not given a reason as to why I had to do that but the Customs Officer assured me it was alright?! After which I tried to cross the transit area and got promptly yelled at by another Customs Officer. The bottom line; STAY CALM.

Lodging
Hotels in Dubai are notoriously expensive and most hotels are situated along the main stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road. You have the world's only 7* hotel, the Burj Al-Arab, all you can name international brand hotels to the small, dinghy looking hotels along this busy road.

It's been 3 years since I've last been to Hong Kong but nothing has really changed in this packed city state. 吃东西，买东西 indeed. The location of the shops and restaurants have not changed much so just a few new pointers this time round.

On arrival
Hotel transfer from the airport is now very well organised. You meet your local tour representative outside Gate B and they will direct you to Counter 1 where you will be tagged with a letter representing your bus route. Much like clockwork, you will be hustled into groups to board your bus to your respective hotel.

Sightsee
The Symphony of Lights Show begins 8pm every night at the Star Ferry Terminal. Do arrive early in order to snag a good spot for some photography.



At the star ferry terminal day & night

1 of the best side trips from Hanoi is to go to Halong Bay or Sapa. Halong Bay has been decreed as a UNESCO Heritage site so this was a no-brainer in terms of choosing between Halong Bay and Sapa. You have to book a tour for Halong Bay as all junks operating in the area belong to some tour group or junk company.

Simply put, the amount you are willing to pay for your trip to Halong Bay reflects the condition and type of service you will receive. For US$100, you may get a 1 storey junk and for US$140, a slightly better 2 storey junk with meals included. There are many tour agencies organizing trips to Halong Bay and you can walk around the Old Quarters looking for the best bargain or simply arrange for the trip with your hotel concierge (and with a better peace of mind knowing the junk probably won't sink). We decided to take the Dragon Pearl 2Day 1Night tour with Indochina Junks for US$140 all meals and activities included.

Indochina Junk has Hanoi's finest luxury cruises and we were to board the Dragon Pearl I on arrival at Indochina Junk's jetty. The Dragon Pearl I was launched on June 2010 and the Dragon Pearls are modelled on the traditional Chinese junks that used to sail the Halong waters.

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A typical itinerary will be as follows:-

Day 1: Hon Gai Harbour - Bai Tu Long Bay - Thien Canh Son Cave

07.45 Pick up at your hotel in Hanoi by shuttle bus.
12.00 Embark at Hon Gai International harbour.
13.00 Check-in, enjoy a welcoming drink and cruise briefing.
13.30 Have lunch while cruising in the magnificent Bai Tu Long Bay, admiring the fascinating rock formations in the bay.
15.00 Enjoy swimming in the crystal clear water.
15.40 Explore the secluded Thien Canh Son Cave.
16.45 Short cruise to Hon Co Island where you can relax on a white sandy beach, swim or kayak.
18.00 Back to the junk for relaxation.
19.00 Have dinner and stay overnight on board.

Day 2: Vung Vieng Fishing Village - Hon Gai Harbour

07.30 Enjoy the bay’s morning landscape with a cup of tea or coffee. Have breakfast in the open air.
08.30 Visit Vung Vieng fishing village in a rustic rowing-boat, meet the local people and pass through the floating school and fish farms.
09.30 More leisure time for swimming in the middle of the bay.
10.00 Cruise back to the harbour while an a la carte lunch is served.
11.45 Disembark. Farewell.
15.45 Arrive in Hanoi. End of trip.
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Pho 24


Many aspects of Beef and Chicken Pho