Here are some of my travelogues and snippets of travels around the world since 2011, so blessed to have been able to been able to travel pretty widely!
Posted 25 July 2011
Nostalgia is the best seasoning, they say. Taking a chance with the secondhand SLR, it is with sheer delight that these two roll of films were developed. Snippets of my recent Melbourne trip through the lens of the Canon EOS for your viewing pleasure. Missing the refreshing, albeit sometimes stinging cold, ocean breeze and sunshine....Read more
Paper dreams of travels,
Posted 14 August 2011
Time you enjoy wasting isn't time wasted but time well spent, cliche but true. (I desperately seek Summer'12 already) Hopefully foreign exchange plans for next Summer materializes, I really can't wait ♥ I'll finally be able to translate these paper dreams into documented film and first hand experiences, which is something I've been yearning to do....Read more
Universal studios (Singapore),
Posted 19 December 2011
Woke up one sunny morning to head down to USS (finally after it opened for so long) ♥ Thanks to Shiany who got us a free ticket so we divided the cost for 2 extra tickets among the 3 of us! The glorious weather didn't hold up though, and it was pouring just a couple of hours after we set foot into the park. Our spirit wasn't dampened though and we headed for the indoor rides first before the thrill-seeking......Read more
Taiwan on film (Part I)
Posted 5 January 2012
Travelled from the outskirts of Taiwan to the inner cities. The weather was crisp and especially icy along the coastal areas, but I'm missing the good street snacks and friendly people there. The countryside was was blissfully therapeutic, with the breathtaking scenery @ Taroko gorge and quaint laidback culture of the small towns....Read more
Marina bay sands,
Posted 8 January 2012
Made my way to Marina Bay Sands the night after touching down from Taiwan for well-spent time with some of my favourite university friends for company ♥ All thanks to Delvin's treat heehee. I've never had the chance to stay at this glamourous hotel so it was a good opportunity to soak in the essence of what everyone has been raving about - the infinity pool and the sky park....Read more
Taiwan on film (Part II)
Posted 7 February 2012
A continuation from my previous film post, here are another batch of film pictures which I took during my trip to Taiwan two months back. I really enjoyed snapping these shots, so hope you enjoy getting a glimpse of the rolls I've developed too....Read more
Melbourne I,
Posted 27 May 2012
I'm finally getting down to archiving my six day Melbourne family trip in Winter June'11 and posting them in bite-sized parts. Touched down on the first day all groggy, but had to wait for the room which could only be ready at 2pm so we decided to take a stroll down to the famous Queen Victoria market for lunch. We stayed at Ibis hotel on Little Burke street, which was pretty cosy and public transport was readily available in the vicinity....Read more
Melbourne II,
Posted 3 June 2012
A continuation from Part I, we travelled down to Federation square the very next morning. Even though the temperatures reported comfortable levels of about 12 degrees, it was awfully cold in the morning (think icy cold gush) so we marched out in our winter overalls. The mist that shrouded the town that morning was hauntingly beautiful,.....Read more
Melbourne III,
Posted 15 June 2012
Located direct south of Yarra River, Southbank is one of the inner suburbs of Melbourne, and you can catch the beautiful skyline and Princes bridge very well from Federation wharf on the opposite side of the Yarra River. In the midst of all these hustle and bustle, Australia's tallest tower (Eureka tower) stands.....Read more
Phuket I,
Posted 29 June 2012
I'm finally getting down to posting about my virgin trip to Phuket, finally got to experience the ravings of my friends of this sunny little island! It was also my first weekend after I started work, so it came as a timely escape to soak in the summer joy (Unfortunately I had to lug along my laptop to do work on the plane as I had an important presentation on Monday) The morning of our flight, I scrambled to do last minute....Read more
Phuket II,
Posted 9 July 2012
We woke up early the next morning after a long night, only able to manage Pandan bread we bought the night before for breakfast in the arranged mini bus - for a day tour of the islands around. We went to Phi phi island, Maya bay, Monkey island, Viking's cave and many other attractions around. For a place so widely publicized for ecotourism and holidaying, the beaches and bays we visited were stunningly beautiful and seemingly untouched!...... Read more
Phuket III,
Posted 26 July 2012
On the third day, we woke up early specially for a hearty hotel buffet breakfast which was held at the pretty pavilion overseeing the pool. The spread was a decent selection of cereal, asian/western dishes, bread choices , salad and fruit platters for the price of THB200. Our mini bus came shortly after to pick us up for white water rafting quite a distance away, the journey took about an hour and a half.....Read more
Melbourne IV
Posted 22 September 2012
We headed to the Great Ocean Road, home to the Twelve Apostles and the famous Bells beach which I finally got to soak in the natural beauty of ♥ We also passed by coastal townships of Torquay and Lorne where most of the surfers retreat to during summer. Throughout the length of the road, there were many fern filled gullies and river inlets that added to the pleasure of the scenic coastal drives....Read more
Taiwan pebble beach,
Posted 21 November 2012
Spent my last few leftover film rolls from my Taiwan trip on these gorgeous shots of the famous pebble beach, or more affectionately known to the locals as 花蓮七星潭. These were taken along the coast of Taiwan, Hualien (花蓮), a pit stop made enroute back to the city. It spots a stunning view of the Pacific ocean by the quiet seaside town....Read more
Melbourne V
Posted 18 December 2012
Last part to my Melbourne photojournal - Melbourne is such a gorgeous city, especially the outskirts ♥ These were taken on the way to Philip island, which was a long drive from the bus we boarded from Federation square in the heart of the city. We also spotted wallabies hopping about along the way in the plains....Read more
Christmas market,
Posted 4 May 2013
I usually stay home for family gatherings during the december period and not travel out, hence it was my first time attending a Christmas market amidst the winter season. So, within the first few days of arriving in London, R brought me down to the Winter wonderland in Hyde park. Albeit the cold, the Christmas spirit was really heartwarming....Read more
Borough delights,
Posted 13 July 2013
My wise friends often advise me to travel out of London as much as possible - posing as an excellent springboard to Europe. But I realized that the true beauty of London could only be experienced by living there like a true Londoner. One of the many places which I returned to countless times during my stay there was Borough market, you can't go wrong treating those gastronomical taste buds of yours....Read more
Bienvenue à Paris 2.0,
Posted 27 July 2013
Paris never ceases to seduce, or so I have been told. It's my second time in Paris. The streets, the Parisian bistros claiming to serve modest meals, the cathedral architecture, the overly friendly buskers, the not so friendly waiters, and the dusty metro chairs ring a slightest bit of the bell. Faint, but definitely memorable....Read more
Vietnam I,
Posted 30 July 2013
There's something exotic about visiting Southeast Asian countries that the rest of the world cannot fulfill - the medley of cultures, the (almost) untainted countryside and the myraid of Asian cuisine bursting in your mouth. Before I went down to London, my family and I headed to Hanoi, Vietnam for an eye-opening backpacking trip....Read more
Along River Thames,
Posted 8 August 2013
A fine weekday night on boat Jubilee along river Thames. Newfound friends, great music and timeless dance-offs till the wee hours of the night - perfect start to my stay here. The night skyline of London was gorgeous, with the Big Ben, Tower bridge, London eye and Waterloo bridge illuminated in its glory, such a sight to behold (except that it was quite painful to stand there in the bitter cold)...Read more
The British museum,
Posted 2 August 2013
Culture without the decadent price tag. I'm not much of a museum person (thank you for the eyebrow raises, sorry to all you cultural buffs out there), but the collections here arrested my interest for at least half a day each time I walk through. Sporting impressive collections, it may be slightly daunting upon your entrance, and you can easily spend a couple of hours wandering about....Read more
Iceland I,
Posted 30 August 2013
"On earth's part all days start beautifully patiently it revolves and revolves with its trees and oceans and lakes deserts and volcanoes the two of us and the rest of you and all the animals" - Pétur Gunnarsson. Greeting you at the Keflavik airport, this quote really captures the essence of Iceland. It's a highly misconceived place,....Read more
Vietnam II,
Posted 11 October 2013
As continued from part I, we finally arrived in Sa pa. The overnight train ride on the sleeper berth was worth it, and so was the early morning dash out of the train wondering if we were at the correct stop. We rented a van to drive us down to our accommodations, which took a tad less than an hour's drive. In the morning, Aas the sun rose to reveal the rolling hills peeking behind the clouds, we were simply enlightened by the majestic view at.....Read more
Cambridge wanderlust,
Posted 23 October 2013,
My virgin trip travelling solo out of London entailed much fuss about amendments on the pre-trip tickets and a two hour bus ride from Central London. We stop halfway at Stanford to pick up more passengers, and I got all confused and groggy from my nap. But it was worth the wait, for I got to enjoy the beautiful English countryside and the not-so-English summer, here are snippets of my written travel log ♥.....Read more
Posted 15 October 2013
"Where do you guys go to in Singapore? Singapore's so boring!" is probably the most common dating woe I've heard. Often, I too wonder what there is to do on this seemingly mundane island, but upon research and also with much recollection, there really is a lot of unexplored gems in Singapore. R and I have been dating for close to 6 years now....Read more
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Vietnam III,
Posted 7 November 2013,
The last part of my Vietnam backpacking travelogue saw us trekking further into the countryside of Sa Pa before heading back to Hanoi for the last leg of the trip. Located in the commune of San Kingfisher lake, 4km southwest from the town center, making our way to Thác Tình Yêu (or known as love waterfall) was one of our highlights of our trip. It was a long track, and the visibility was getting worse.....Read more
London Regent's park in winter,
Posted 19 November 2013,
A throwback to the start of the year: a day out in the snow at Regents park, just a short walk away from my apartment. Snow angels, slippery sidewalks and toes freezing down to my bones building a snow fort for a couple of hours, pretending to be snow ninjas....Read more
Iceland II
Posted 6 December 2013,
With her relatively uncharted beauty and as one of the Nordic island countries located in the juncture between the North atlantic and the Arctic oceans, Iceland is no doubt one of the most beautiful places on earth. Topping it with the thrill of being 7000 miles away from home and the disarming charm of the locals, it was indeed.....Read more
Iceland III: Reykjavik
Posted 10 December 2013,
For its size, Reykjavik is a relatively modern city, only being found in 1786 and urbanely developed in the 18th century. Even though visitors are often distracted by the countless natural wonders surrounding this capital city (check out part I and part II of this travelogue), Reykjavik does have much to offer on its plate, be it for culture, history or dining.....Read more
Japan: Hokkaido,
Posted 19 December 2013,
Hokkaido has got to be one of the most beautiful countries I have ever step foot on, the untamed wilderness, bustling city of Sapporo and snowscape in her national parks. These pictures have been hiding in the cosy recesses of my virtual memory from 2007, but rewinding through our past family travels prompted me to look through photographs.....Read more
Oxford, England (in winter)
Posted 23 December 2013,
Housed within the county town of Oxfordshire, Oxford is a city in central southern England - merely a two hour drive away from central London and made extremely accessible via the Oxford tube. It has a humble town population of about 150,000 and home to the landmark University of Oxford, the oldest university in....Read more
Gardens by the bay
Posted 28 December 2013,
The gardens have grown to be a national icon of Singapore and promotes itself as an open urban recreational space, it also paints a futuristic landscape with the giant supertrees lining the walkways and staring down on visitors. (I love the warm glow they give out during the night). Facing the Marina reservoir, the waterfront garden is divided into 3 sections: the Bay central garden, Bay South garden and Bay east garden....Read more
Dover day trip,
Posted 2 January 2014
With our bus passes booked with National express, R and I scooted off to Dover, a small town in the county of Kent, in South east England. It was quite an impromptu day trip, so much of our itinerary was spontaneous and laid back. The origins of the unique name of Dover came from the name of the main river, River dour, that flows within the county of Kent.....Read more
S.E.A. aquarium,
Posted 8 January 2013,
It was my sister's birthday, and my dad got tickets
for all of us to S.E.A. aquarium, located in Resorts World Sentosa and housed together with Adventure Cove waterpark in the 8 hectare park. Tickets are priced at 38 dollars per person. When we reached, there was a huge crowd for the ticketing booths and another massive crowd waiting to get in......Read more
Bandung (Indonesia) part I,
Posted 30 January 2014
Travelled down to Bandung, Indonesia for a December year-end short trip with the family. It was a rather impromptu decision, with our air plane tickets and accommodation booked barely 10 days before we flew off. As the capital of the West Java province in Indonesia, Bandung holds the third largest city population. Bandung is the typical urban city - characterizing by great commercial shopping, traffic jams and glaring billboard advertisements. It is often known as the Paris of Java....read more
Posted 8 February 2014,
Located just across the English channel from London, Bruges is a lovely little city that sits in the country of Belgium. It was meant to be a pitstop enroute back to UK from Amsterdam, and it truly did more wonders than to alleviate the horror bus ride syndrome. This hidden gem spots one of the cleanest cobbled streets and well-preserved heritage buildings I've seen in Europe; and with it's calming waterways and a Belgian chocolatier at almost every corner, it's hard not to fall in love with this beautiful city.....Read more
Buckingham palace (in winter),
Posted 15 February 2014
Located in the City of Westminster, Buckingham palace is certainly a historical landmark in London that requires no introduction. Since 1837, the palace served as the official residence for Britain's sovereigns and continues to serve as the administrative headquarters of the Monarch today. It is also used as a venue for state occasions and royal hospitality, such as official receptions by the Queen. Part of the palace opens during summer.......Read more
A day's worth of London
Posted 20 February 2014,
Only recently finding out about Couchsurfing during my stay in London, this concept quickly got me hooked. It's the world's largest travel community, and an amazing platform that allows you to explore undiscovered parts of places and host new friends when you travel around. April was particularly popular and I managed to get a bunch of couchsurfers for a day's worth of London exploration, most of them were new to London so we visited the main landmarks in a day's worth ♥........Read more
Posted 21 February 2014,
Indie is a global trip planner to help you unravel your travel, as its tagline says best, and helps you sort out your transport itinerary and gets you the optimum travel route / cost effective way. Available online and accessible to all, it's an initiative that is part of the Bootsnall Travel network which was started by backpacking travellers in 1998.....Read more
Budapest I: Hungary for more,
Posted 25 February 2014,
Stepping into Budapest (pronounced as Buda-pesht) felt like I stepped into the dusty pages of a vintage fairytale. Perhaps it was the snow that blanketed the city in a white wash or the amazing architecture of the former Austro-Hungarian empire that shone through the white specks, Budapest indeed has a peculiar charm that is majestic yet soft-spoken. Much like a golden silence, but I can't quite put my finger to it. Walking down the wide cobbled streets and ascending creaky wooden staircases, it's easy to pretend that you're transported back in the days.......Read more
Covent garden (London),
Posted 7 March 2014,
As a district in the heart of London between Drury Lane and St. Martin's Lane, Covent garden reminds me of one of the many European piazzas, the town square that is bustling with never-ending activities and splendor. And true enough, the place never fails these expectations - especially so on a sunny summer day. Walking along the cobbled streets near the Apple market, you'll catch glimpses of the Covent garden market's former glory days, with the snapshots of old times being frozen onto brass plates nailed ......Read more
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Bali visuals,
Posted 11 March 2014
Took a weekend escapade down to Bali in January 2014 during term time with my closest friends from all my 4 years in college, and it was a good trip ♥ Just a 2.5 hour flight on Airasia, we were transported into an entirely different island and greeted with a beautiful myriad of colours in the sky whilst we were still on board - I remember inching from my seat against the window to catch a fuller view. We didn't really do much in Bali.....Read more
Regent's Park in Summer
Posted 19 March 2014
Located North West of Central London, Regent's park is practically just a stone's throw away from my backdoor ♥ I've previously visited the park during winter so click here if you want some winter scenery, but come summer the park blossoms into an array of colours enveloped in a beautiful golden tinge. The abundance of summer sunshine gives it such an extreme makeover, I didn't know seasonal transitions could be so gorgeous! Regent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London and spans across the the London......read more
Bandung (Indonesia) part II,
Posted 16 July 2014
Picking up from where I left off, Bandung has a cool climate which accounts for the springing up of strawberry farms around the hilly countrysides. Most farms allow walk-ins and visitors to do some strawberry picking straight from the gardens, complete with a pair of rugged scissors and a tacky looking basket. You get to choose the ripe ones and fill up your basket......Read more
Finding adventures,
Posted 20 July 2014
Looking through my travel logs really triggered the nostalgia department, playing around with fonts and quotes seemed perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. This was taken on a domestic plane ride from Chicago towards Los Angeles, and flying over the Grand Canyon was an omega bonus. "Look outside, see what greets you." chimed my seat companion, a middle aged American businessman who went out of his way to bend forward in his seat.......Read more
Budapest II: Shoes stained with history we can never fit,
Posted 5 August 2014
Sup from the Danube on top the Széchenyi Chain bridge - the only thought I had standing on the bridge: I AM FREEZING. And boy can I remember that very moment, because I was cold and wet from the rain and hungry from burning off my breakfast to keep warm in winter. Good times nonetheless I daresay :} The chain bridge spans across the Danube river, which is the main river that flows through the heart of Budapest.......Read more
Alive Museum Singapore
Posted 9 August 2014
Armed with tickets for the Alive museum, R and I set out to explore some trick eye craze which has been one of the hot topics of the town recently. Suitable for all, the Alive museum infuses and modernizes the concept of Art into fun and entertainment. It was originally known as the Trick Art museum, a trend which caught on with popularity since the Baroque era in the 16th century......Read more
Seeing things,
Posted 10 August 2014
And indeed, Life has its surprises. While targets and goals are extremely important within the work place, I find myself taking joy in the process of seeing new things in a different light....for each angle provides a new perspective. Life is never one dimensional, we all know that but how many of us actually appreciate it? This picture was taken in Auschwitz concentration camp in Krakow, Poland - just an hour's drive away from the city centre. The corridor was filled.....Read more
Venice I: Hidden History,
Posted 15 August 2014
Ciao Venezia! Making our way down in a flight from Lyon, we were greeted by an airport transfer by the water vaporetto - Venice promised to be unique. And it truly was, a city built on water and canals, which specifically no room for horse-drawn carriages or vehicles to move through. From the boat, Venice seems like a quiet beauty, an untamed gem….Read more
Venice part II: Island Hopping
Posted 2 September 2014
Whilst considering Venice as a pitstop for the family trip, many of my friends told me that the city gets pretty dead after a while - "All the canals look pretty, but they look the same after 6 hours", "Just stay there for 24 hours and fly out"....but I beg to differ because there was so much to see and explore! Off for some island hopping after a few days of gallivanting about the mainland, and while it was a heavy price tag for a vaporetto island hop ticket, it was well worth the euros ♥ Depending on the type of ticket you purchase....Read more
Brighton-ing up our day,
Posted 4 October 2014
Armed with nothing but a 15 pound ticket on the Southern railway and spontaneous plans, the Carpenter court flatmates embarked on a day trip to Brighton. Yvonne and Lina were horrendously bombarded with deadlines but Ana was bound for US soon, so we decided to go ahead in summer without full strength. It was close to about a 2 hour rail ride from London (Victoria train station) to Brighton......Read more
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Singapore hopping: Kusu island
Posted 8 October 2014,
Being avid explorers, we decided to venture out of mainland Singapore and hopped onto the Cheng Ho imperial cruise for a short trip out in the waters. The trip took us around Marina South Pier bay, Singapore Flyer, Sentosa Cove, Tanjong Pagar Port and the coastline of the various islands around. We also had an estimated 45 minute stopover at Kusu Island to walk around.....Read more
An open-palm book,
Posted 25 October 2014
And indeed, the world is a book that we can never read enough of. Lavished in some me time on a lazy Saturday morning, with no better companion than a National Geographic subscribe - which probably explains the stirred up wanderlust. This picture was taken at Barcelonette beach in Barcelona 2 years ago in March (my goodness, has it been that long), it was a fine day after a full day languish in a heavy storm. Oh how unlucky we were, as we were told that it only rained 3 days in a year. On hindsight, we were really blessed to have step foot into....Read more
Jamie's italian: Covent garden, London
Posted 8 November 2014,
Walked around Covent Garden when my family came over for a visit in London and we settled for a cosy lunch at Jamie's Italian. The bright colours and open dining concept caught our eye - and also because while we were spoilt for choices in lunch options, many were really expensive restaurants.....Read more
London ice bar,
Posted 15 November 2014,
After reading about Ice bar in a travel magazine and having a close encounter in Sweden (we didn't have enough time to find the place and also got lazy), we decided to visit the one at Heddon Street in London! We invited Nav along because he was visiting from Oxford......Read more
Somserset House, London,
Posted 30 November 2014,
Even though most of my time in London saw me shuttling between Bloomsbury and Central Camden, I've visited the beautiful Somerset house at the Strand on many occasions. It is a huge pale-washed Neoclassical building and a great delight to just relax by the side with a book or some doodles. It overlooks the River Thames and the Waterloo Bridge, and many.....Read more
Back from China 中国,
Posted 18 January 2015,
Hello folks, I'm finally back from the Land of Mao - even though parts of the trip was a battle against my stamina (thanks R for being so selfless and caring), thought it was a great experience for the first time setting foot on new grounds, we even made some local friends who infused the 小苹果 song into our heads. Here's a sneak peek of the trip, loving.....Read more
Thessaloniki,
Posted 2 June 2015
Thessaloniki (pronounced as thess-ah-lo-nee-kih) is the capital of Greek Macedonia and the second largest city in Greece. While more commonly known as Thessaloniki, some locals also refer to it as Thessalonica or Salonica, but they essentially mean the same place. Majority of the city's tourism comes from domestic travels. 16 June 2013: Flying in budget from Rome, it was the first time R and I step foot into Greece - and indeed it was outfitted with historical symbols of their glorious past.....Read more
Amsterdam,
Posted 13 June 2015
1 March 2013: Be at London Victoria Station by the Whistlestop Shop at 7pm, I was clearly on time and even had time to spare in fussing with my frizzy dry hair (winter blues). Zoe (from Georgia, US) invited me for a short weekend trip down to Amsterdam, as her friend had a spare ticket for an overnight bus ride across the English channel - saying yes to spontaneity, I had packed up my backpack in a jiffy. That's the charm of being on exchange, plans change and you're *snap* game......Read more
Greek islands - Santorini I,
Posted 29 Aug 2016
One of the most unforgettable summers we've had was in Greece, which will always hold a special place in our hearts. Ferrying in from Athens after our stay in Thessalonica, we arrived @ Santorini close to midnight - in darkness. Come morning, we were greeted by azure blue skies, calm caldera waters and white-washed cubiform houses by the coast. As one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean sea, Santorini's rugged landscape was.......Read more
Greek islands - Santorini II,
Posted 14 Mar 2017
Santorini is a fascinating island to explore, there are nooks and crannies that veer you off the tourist focal points. While it's the largest island of the archipelago, Santorini is a small island - I daresay that driving from one end to the other takes about an hour tops. The best way to enjoy the island is by renting a car, so you can take it at your own pace and not subject yourself to the mainstream transport routes. There are many villages within Santorini......Read more.
In Progress:
Budapest part III
Bandung (Indonesia) part III
Barcelona part I, part II, part III
Oxford day trip in Summer
Sherlock Holmes museum, London
Taiwan night markets
Stockholm in a day
Santorini islands (Greece) part III
Naxos (Greece) part I, part II, part III
Lyon, France
Florence, Italy
Rome, Italy
Lake district, United Kingdom
Norway, Oslo
Norway, Bergen
Athens, Greece
Bath, United Kingdom
California (Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco)
Chicago
Tokyo, Japan
Lijiang, China
Kunming, China
Tiger Leaping Gorge, China
Shangrila, China
Etc...Check back for more! ♥
