Category: travel

Many people stopover in Singapore whilst traveling to their final destination. If you do get the chance to visit the world’s cleanest city, I would recommend at least two days to fully appreciate this beautiful, underrate island(Yes I am a little biased since I grew up here). However, try your best to avoid the weekends as it gets pretty damn busy! Here are some options that will allow you to enjoy the best parts of the city, in a short period of time.

1. The best thing about this city is the food. The mixture of malay, Indian and Chinese flavours can often leave you wanting more. Although I found a little Malaysian/Singaporean food haven here in London, Roti King, it does not offer 95% of the dishes I so love. I would advice to avoid eating at restaurants when in Singapore and always visit the food courts. These are usually found in most shopping centres either at the very bottom floor or at the very top and you can expect to get a full, authentic meal for 4-6 sing dollars.

I would recommend Makansutra, an outdoor food court with a priceless view of the famous skyline! This is right next to the Esplanade (nearest MRT station). Check out my earlier post on the best dishes in Singapore on what you MUST try.

2. Everything in Singapore is accessible by either public transportation or taxi (it is cheaper to flag one down than to call, and try to avoid rush hour which comes with a ridiculous surcharge) and no journey will ever take more than an hour, even if you are traveling from east to west. Make your way to Bugis for the famous Bugis market, the actual products are overrated but you can get food here and it is also not far from Haji lane, Singapore’s smaller version of London’s Brick Lane. Haji lane attracts a more alternative crowd who enjoy chilled drinks and authentic, unique products. Check out Kolombiana if you get the chance and temporarily visit the colourful culture of Colombia. The products here are nearly as beautiful as Karen, the owner of the shop, and made by the indigenous people of Colombia.

3. If you are craving for some sand and sun, even though the beaches here aren’t the prettiest, head to Sentosa. You can get here either by taxi or with the skytrain from Vivocity (Harbourfront MRT). The best thing here would be the Co+Nut+Ink, Delicious coconut ice cream in a coconut shell with scraped flesh served with fresh, thirst quenching coconut juice. It is almost worth coming to Sentosa just for this.

The next best thing about Sentosa would be Mambo beach bar, where you can enjoy a drink by or in the pool while watching the Sunset and listening to some funky house tunes. The crowd is fun and the drinks aren’t crazy expensive.

4. If you prefer to stay in the city, check out Ku De Ta. This bar/restaurants sits on the top floor of the world famous Marina Bay Sands hotel, known for it’s over instragramed Infinity Pool. Unfortunately, to gain access to the pool, you have to have a room at the hotel, which in my opinion is overpriced for what it actually is. So to get similar views, head to the bar instead, anyone can. Have one or two drinks here as a pre-drink (I don’t think your bank account would want you to have more) before you head to Clark Quay(easily accessible by the MRT from Marina bay), the main area for hip clubs and bars.

5. Regardless of what night it is, there is always something going on at Clark Quay. Ladies, Wednesday is your night. All ladies get into most bars and clubs for free along with a complimentary drink or a few. Like many Asian cities, Singapore comes alive at night. And when you have had enough of the alcohol and loud beats and the hunger kicks in, many big food courts are 24/7. Jalan Kayu and Thomson road prata house are my two favourite after party food hangouts. The best way to get here is via taxi, roughly 20 mins from Clark Quay. Leave the kebabs and chip shops behind and leave your taste buds wanting more.

6. Finally, indulge your senses in Little India and China Town. Visit the biggest Buddhist Temple in Singapore in China Town, situated right next to the “street of death”. Back before Singapore’s success and sovereignty, there were many poor settlers. The Chinese believed it was bad luck for their families if they died in their homes. So when they were ill or dying they would take themselves to this street to die, and take with them the hovering cloud of death. Now the street is constantly busy with tourists visiting the temple and the parallel street, the food market.

 What are your favourite parts of Singapore?

If you are ever visiting the vibrant city of Barcelona, or Spain’s gay capital, Sitges, I would recommend making a day trip to the tranquil, rugged Montserrat mountain. This is roughly an hour away and can be accessed via organized coaches, trains or the best option, a car.

Various routes are available to take to and around the peak, accompanied by an impressive view.

The multi-peaked mountain overlooking the valley of Catalonia is not the only reason people visit from far and wide. Montserrat is also the home to the Black Madonna aka the virgin of Montserrat which peacefully sits in the Basilica next to the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat.

Expect a queue to see the Madonna statue up close. Even if you do not want to wait, entering the Basilica itself is worth it. This shrine has been visited by millions of Pilgrims throughout the years. Legend has it that a bright light erupting from a cave in the mountain was seen by shepherds in year 880 and that is where they found the Black Virgin Mary nestled in a cave. Although the more likely version of the story was that monks hid the sacred statue in the cave to protect it from the moors and now it continues to be protected in its shrine.

Once you reach the Monastery you are also able to get the funicular up to the peak of the Mountain. This is the perfect way to soak in the beautiful landscape, 360 degrees of it.

And if you are feeling adventurous, you can walk through the many designated pathways and through the Montserrat nature reserve.

Whether you want to see the geographical miracle or learn more about Catalonia’s culture and history, one thing is for certain, you don’t have to be religious to feel the magic of Montserrat.

There is more to Cornwall than the scrumptious cornish delights and surfers on the beach. For those that love the nature and greenery, wander of to the lost gardens of Heligan. From Emus to sleeping statues, as well as a beautiful tea house, this side of Cornwall does not disappoint.

Upon entrance, you can either turn right and head into the woodland walk or left into the jungle. On the woodland walk you are greeted with the beautiful mud maid, sleeping peacefully in the bed of grass. This along with the Giant’s head are the inspiration behind two heligan-themed childrens books “The Giant” and ” The Mud Maid” by Sandra Horn.

My mother is obsessed with trees and this was her paradise. I understand her love for trees, sometimes I wish they would just start talking to me and carry me across the woods like Pippin from Lord of the Rings.

An explosion of colours across the pond and the serene Canopy made me feel like I was somewhere in the amazon, the cold amazon.

I also mastered the art of being tinkerbell and looking like I’m sitting on a leaf.

There is a rope bridge to walk across, a jungle to get your shoes dirty in and beautiful birds nesting in homemade houses.

This beautiful garden deserves a half or even full day, whether you want a romantic nature break with your partner or to bring the kids outdoors or just to simply have a peaceful walk.

Not to mention, you’ll get to meet my lazy friends Queenie and Edmond!

I had a wonderful bank holiday in Cornwall, even though the weather and traffic wasn’t always on my side. Do NOT ever make the mistake we did, driving to Cornwall on the Saturday of the nightmare that is half term. 3 hours was added on to our journey and every rest stop was infested crowded with mothers running after their screaming children.

Despite this chaos, we found a peaceful getaway. We visited the popular stops on Cornwall’s north coast.

Padstow, seafood and cornish ice cream heaven, is a pretty, historical fishing port. Unfortunately we were hit by a full day of fog, keeping the sun captive.

Every street here boasts a selection of the “best” cornish ice cream and cornish tea. However, what makes Padstow so popular is Rick Stein’s famous seafood restaurant. An endless queue stood outside during lunch time, so we settled for cornish pasty.

Newquay did not deserve our time. It resembled Blackpool and nothing about the town appealed to any of my senses.

My favourite seaside town on the north coast, is St. Ives. Apart from nearly being mugged by a gang of seagulls, the town had an enchanting charm. Tip: Plan your meals in advance and if you want to bag a spot on one of the not so many restaurants or pubs by the beach, be sure to make reservations as it gets really busy!

However, my heart was stolen by Cornwall’s less touristic southwest end. Cawsand and Kingsand are small twin fishing villages and both joined through a narrow path, the prettiest street I saw in Cornwall/Devon. Hidden at the end of a side alley way you can see the quaint Cawsand church peaking through.

Kingsand was historically part of Devon before the borders changed. Kingsand beach is somewhat prettier than Cawsand’s, with a pretty pub on the coast, ideal for a cold white wine in the summer. These villages were not as covered with tourists like the north coast and that is what added to its beauty.

The cornish air had me constantly craving traditional cornish Pasties, something I have never been too keen on. However, in true cornish fashion, I had a pasty for lunch three days in a row. Absolutely no regrets. 

Who said Fairy tales aren’t real? Just one look at the Schloss (Castle) Neuschwanstein and I felt like Cinderella preparing to meet my Prince. Germany is a castle lovers paradise, with rich history and beautiful castles across the country.

There is a reason why Walt Disney was inspired by the King’s most majestic palace in Hohenschwangau,Bavaria. It stands at the top of the hill, isolated like King Ludwig II.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria, AKA the Mad King or Fairytale King, remains today a mystery. He built his 3 castles to escape reality and they are now all that remain of his imaginary, ideal world. Forced to be King at 18, when his father died, Ludwig II was subject to many pressures. However, it was his own obsession with building his fairytale that was his true defeat.

King Ludwig II was found dead along with his psychiatrist in Lake Starnberg, a few days after he was declared Mad by that same psychiatrist. Until today, it is still unclear what happened that day…However, Neuschwanstein was not completed when he died and it is said that there was still a fourth castle planned that was never realized.

There are various ways to get up the castle, by foot, by a shuttle bus or a romantic horse carriage. Either way, I recommend spending some time after you have visited the caste to walk around and inhale the breathtaking scenery. You can enjoy the Instagram-worthy views of the Marienbrücke ( Marien bridge) over the Pöllat Gorge.

A day trip here will surely leave you curious about the unsolved fairytale of Kind Ludwig II.

There is so much to see in Vietnam, unfortunately time was not on my side on this trip. With only two days in Hanoi and two in Halong bay, I had to make the most of the north of Vietnam, although, I will definitely return to explore Sapa, further north.

Hanoi is the bustling capital of Vietnam and retains its cultural heritage while Ho Chi Minh city has surrendered itself to civilization.

The first thing you have to learn in this city where rush hour never ends, is how to cross the streets and stay alive. Avoid just attempting to cross or waiting for the green man as he is mostly disregarded on the streets of the old quarter. By raising your hand up in a stop sign on both the right and left side you are signaling your intention to cross. While most cars stop, the motorbikes (majority) will just continue their way around you.

The one thing you will never learn is how to drive in Vietnam. With many vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road and overtaking without a care of the oncoming traffic, I was surprised I didn`t see any accidents. Yet there was no sign of road rage apart from the constant beeping to signal their presence, as if to kindly say ” move out of my way or you`ll get hit” while im in the passenger seat having a mini heart attack. So leave the driving to the more experienced.

With a population of roughly 9 million in Hanoi, 6 million own a motorbike mainly because they can`t afford the simple luxury of a car. Depending on the make of the car, it can cost up to 300% in import taxes.

Whether you join a walking tour, or decide to explore on your own, most streets take you back to Hoan Kiem Lake. This lake is thought to be the heart of Hanoi by the vietnamese and traditionally, many couples take pictures here before the wedding.

You cannot visit Hanoi without buying a few of the Vietnamese craft. Whether its the traditional silk Vietnamese outfits, or the endless range of home deco, there is no doubt you will find something that compliments your taste and at a very affordable price!

Here are some of the items I bought:

I fell in love with the lacquer ware ever since my dad brought a lacquer painting back as a gift.

The main shopping street in Hanoi is Hang Gai however, most things here are marked up at a slightly higher price than what you would get on the side streets. I would advice looking at hang hom street . SonSon is the name of the shop where I spent most of my evening bargaining and the prices were nearly 20% cheaper than what we were offered in other shops. One rule when shopping, always bargain. Shopkeepers are usually willing to go up to 6% cheaper than the offered price, so try your luck and have fun!

Let me know how your trip goes or if you find other amazing stores! I will leave you with something my vietnamese friend, Rocky, said to me:

” Vietnam is poor, but Vietnam is happy”