Best Things to do in Singapore for a first time Visit
Travelling to Singapore is like leaving planet Earth and landing on a magical planet full of lights, happiness and simply out of this world experiences! I loved every moment of my trip to Singapore and here…
Travelling to Singapore is like leaving planet Earth and landing on a magical planet full of lights, happiness and simply out of this world experiences! I loved every moment of my trip to Singapore and here are the best things to do in Singapore for a first time visit:
Visit Merlion Park - A leisurely stroll along the river, admiring the Merlion statue which symbolises Singapore’s origins. More here
Eat at Makansutra Gluttons Bay - Where the locals eat! Be brave and order a bunch of different things! Check it out here
Visit Pulau Ubin - A small island easily reachable by ferry. It’s less explored and a real hidden gem in Singapore. More here
Have Drinks at Haji Lane - A vibrant area in the city centre full of locals and tourists alike. I recommend Piedra Negra for drinks
Eat at a Hawker Centre - Newton food centre is where we ate and I highly recommend it! Hawker centres are essentially open air complexes where fresh local food is cooked and served all day. More here
Ride the Cable Car & Visit Sentosa Island - Sentosa island is essential a big amusement park island with rides, beaches, hotels, resorts and more! Get there by Cable Car for views!
Visit Gardens by the Bay - My personal highlight of the trip! By day it is a mystical, tropical rain forest where you can see the famous Super Tree Grove, a cloud forest and more! And by night it turns into an Avatar like kingdom! Do not miss the daily free light show!
Drink a Singapore Sling at Marina Bay Sands - The most famous cocktail in the country with the best view in the world - any questions? Book ahead though.
Eat the world’s cheapest Michelin Star meal - You’ll find it at Hawker Chan
Do a HBD tour - Learn everything about social housing in Singapore!
8 Reasons why Bali surprised me
Would you agree with me when I say that Bali is one of those dream destinations? You see pictures, you hear stories and you dream about visiting. So did I. So I went. I flew 7 hours from London to Doha, 9 hours from Doha to Denpasar…
Would you agree with me when I say that Bali is one of those dream destinations? You see pictures, you hear stories and you dream about visiting. So did I. So I went. I flew 7 hours from London to Doha, 9 hours from Doha to Denpasar with Qatar Airways and landed in Bali, ready for my Indonesian adventure.
1. I didn’t need any make up! Now, you might be wondering what this has to do with Bali, but let me explain. I thought I had packed like a full fledged minimalist when I decided ‘only’ to take my foundation. Little did I know that the humidity and heat was so strong that I genuinely laughed at myself for even considering putting anything on my face other than sun-cream!
2. It is even cheaper than you think. For 10 days I lived in a private villa with 3 other people, we ate out at least twice a day, we rented a scooter the entire time and I paid for extras like dresses, ferries to Nusa Penida and snacks. Believe it or not when I tell you I spent just under £300 including everything above, excluding the flights. On average a dress will cost you £3 and a meal out for one person will cost you £2. The life! :)
3. Plastic pollution is a real problem. This was surprising because you simply don’t see any of this on all the pictures and just imagine it to be paradise. Bali really is paradise, don’t get me wrong, but tourists as well as locals throw plastic bottles on the street once they are done with it. The government is aware and you can see efforts to stop pollution here or there but it is still a long way to go.
4. The wildlife is wilder than you think. Our taxi driver told us: ‘I have never seen a snake or a huge spider in Bali!’ - Honestly, either he lives a sheltered life OR he just has been very very lucky! :D We were frequently visited by frogs, mini crocodiles, bats, geckos, snails, ants, spiders AND snakes! A little green tree snake lived next to our pool where I liked to sit and drink my cocktails - oh heyyy! Let’s not talk about that time I grabbed a toilet roll and a huge, black hairy spider crawled out, let’s not!
5. The locals are the friendliest people I have ever met. Normally, when you travel you always say ‘Oh, everyone was so friendly!’ - Right? This surprised me nonetheless because this was a new level of friendliness. Incredibly caring, respectful and polite is probably the best way to describe it. You really feel more than welcome everywhere. Karma plays a big part in this, too.
6. Nusa Penida surprised me as a whole. You know, that beautiful island with the turquoise water and the island arm that looks like a T-rex? Yes, that one. The beauty of this place really took my breath away. I thought I had seen it all, but it was a sight I will cherish forever, and a feeling of freedom I will never forget. Pretty much untouched nature in it’s absolute beauty. A must visit. Take the ferry from Sanur in the morning and off you go. Please be prepared for bumpy roads and a sore bum! It’s not that well developed you just.
7. People know about Bali and it’s incredibly popular! What I mean by that is that there were more tourists than I would have expected. Locals have caught on and charge you for everything btw. :D You want to take a picture from the viewing platform? Please pay 10K Rupiah! Overall I had expected many places in Bali to be kept more of a ‘secret’ than they actually were. Pura Lempuyang for instance already feels like a mini Eiffel Tower when you look at it’s popularity. Maybe it was my naivety but let me tell you, Bali is no longer a secret.
8. Vegan food is all you will need! I hadn’t planned to eat much meat our there anyway, but what actually happened was that I didn’t eat a single bite of meat or dairy. I didn’t need to. The vegan food on Bali is one of the most sophisticated vegan cuisines I have ever seen. It almost feels like magic and it was oh so scrumptious! Zest, Ubud for me was a personal highlight!
Top 5 Warsaw Travel Tips
My Grandad was from Warsaw, and when I was growing up he told me about this city and that I should visit. He was right! We flew 2h and 20m from London and our weekend adventure began…
It’s meant to be beautiful they said. Little did I know that I was about to visit a town so colourful and full of energy, yet so much in touch with its historical past.
My Grandad was from Warsaw, and when I was growing up he told me about this city and that I should visit. He was right! We flew 2h and 20m from London and our weekend adventure began.
1. Eat ‘Lenin’s Lamb’ at the Red Hog restaurant. An iconic and must visit Polish restaurant which books out days in advance. Make sure you book ahead and laughs and full (or very full) bellies are guaranteed.
2. Visit the Communism museum! It’s a tiny little time capsule back to what life was like under communism. I felt like I was in my Granddad’s old house - it even smelt like it! Super cheap, super fun!
3. Look at Stalin’s so called present to the Polish people and highest building in the country: The palace of Culture and Science. It’s like Marmite - you either hate it or love it! I like Marmite!
4. Eat more at the coolest street food market in town! Hala Koszyki is pretty cool and one of the most modern places in Warsaw. International food and Polish Pierogi in one place! We tried cherry beer at 10:00am - woop!
5. Be in awe at the Lazienki Park! The most golden park I have ever seen. Perfect blogger spot to shoot outfits, for a romantic stroll and for a proposal! We didn’t see anyone proposing but if you watch my vlog below you’ll get me :)
Enjoy
x Sandy