Thailand - Ayutthaya

Day trip to Ayutthaya on the second weekend of our stay there! The historic City of Ayutthaya was so-called the former capital of Thailand and a Siamese Kingdom till the 18th century, when it was destroyed by the Burmese. The city was never really rebuilt and remained as an archaeological site since then.

We assembled at the hotel lobby at 6am as proposed by some overly-enthusiast peers (oh-god-why). As expected, 2 of the girls wasn't able to wake up on time and passed on the trip. The rest of us took the 7am train to Ayutthaya. We arrived at close to 9am and the sun was already pretty hot. Ayutthaya was a lot bigger than I thought and quickly we abandoned the plan to cycle around and instead took up a 4 hours tour ride with one of the local drivers. The tour guide told us that he will drive us to 7 different landmarks covering the main attractions in Ayutthaya.

We set off at 10am after grabbing some food. The driver brought us to various temples around Ayutthaya over the 4 hours span and soon we realized everything seems to be around the same. As the weather was scorching hot in the afternoon, we decided to abandon the final landmark and head back to Bangkok earlier.

Above are some of the more prominent landmarks that we went. Among them, the one that really stood out for me has to be this:

According to its description, the Buddha head fell off from its original statue and landed beside a tree. It was then gradually engulfed by the tree's growing roots and became like this. How interesting is that. All in all, Ayutthaya is worth going if one is already in Bangkok and has spare time. But is it a must? Not really.

Indonesia - Batam

Short weekend getaway to Batam thanks to mum company's family day. Batam is a small island which is a 30 minutes ferry ride from Singapore. We boarded the ferry at 9.20am and reached Batam at about 9.30am (Indonesia time).

The tour guides first brought us to some place where there are flying fox, archery, shooting and other games. Didn't play flying fox as the sun was way too crazy. After playing some archery, they brought us to eat seafood lunch. In the afternoon, we visited some shopping place, a temple and a mall, before finally driving back to the hotel at 5pm. Omg, the whole trip was so boring and I was dying to check-in the hotel. Guess the hotel was the only bright spot of the trip.

The hotel is Harris Resort Waterfront Batam. Had a forgettable BBQ dinner beside the pool. The tour guides brought us to cheap massage place next morning and the foot massage was really good. It's a free trip nevertheless so nothing to complain about.

Japan - Hokkaido

Last grad trip before I start work. This time we are took up the tour package with Hong Thai to Hokkaido. This will be a 7 day 6 night trip but the actual tour only consists of 5 days. Woke up really early in the morning to catch the flight to Tokyo, followed by transiting at Narita Airport for evening flight to Chitose Airport, Hokkaido.

Day 1: First stop of day 1 is to Lake Shikotsu-ko, the deepest natural volcano lake in Japan. We enjoyed a breezy cruise ride on the lake.

We then visited the Shiraoi Ainu Village, here we experienced the culture of the Ainu minority race in Hokkaido.

After lunch, we continued to embark on our bus trip to Hakodate (函馆). Stopped by Konbu-Kan to see how the Japanese harvest the Konbu (seaweed) from the sea. Upon reaching Hakodate in the evening, we visited Meiji-Kan to look at some souvenir and seafood and then had a really satisfying Japanese set dinner. The main attraction of Hakodate is it's panoric night view that is ranked top 3 in the world. We took a cable car ride to the top of Mt. Hakodate and the view was indeed spectacular.

Day 2: Time to get used to daily morning call at 6:30am. After buffet breakfast at the hotel, we visited the Hokodate seafood market. We then toured Fort Goryokaku where my sis, Kaixin and I dressed up in traditional Japanese costume for some photo shoot.

We had lunch at the base of Mt. Uzu and took the cable car to the top of the mountain for some great view.

We then drove by Lake Toya for a brief visit before reaching Hell Valley. The Hell Valley is a sulphurous boiling spring valley where a lot of hot spring hotels are located there.

Our hotel was located near the valley and I had a satisfying hot spring experience at night.

Day 3: Another long morning bus ride towards Sapporo. Along the way, we visited the Sapporo Beer Factory for some free Asahi beer. Reached Sapporo and bought some White Lover Chocolate and then had lunch.

After lunch, we toured the Ishiya Chocolate Museum. The bus then brought us to Otaru where walked around the romantic city and its famous canal.

Stayed in Otaru Grand Park hotel and had some great buffet dinner with panoramic view of the sea.

Day 4: Another long morning bus ride towards Furano to see lavender (薰衣草). Along the way, we stopped by some Cheese Workshop for a short visit. Had pork cutlet rice for lunch and we continued our ride to Farm Tomita at Furano. The plantation at Farm Tomita is indeed a great place to chill and relax.

After leaving the farm, we drove by Biei for great views of wide fields and hills before reaching the Ice Pavilion. The temperature inside the Pavilion is kept at -20 deg all year round and we were given winter jacket before entering. Stayed in a Japanese style hotel for the second time and experienced the hotel spring again.

Day 5: Last day of the tour. We will be heading back to Sapporo to visit the city. The tour guide first brought us to the waterfall beside our hotel for some morning breeze. Upon reaching Sapporo late in the morning , we visited Hokkaido Shrine, a traditional Japanese worship place. After an awesome Shabu-Shabu with Long Legged Crab buffet lunch, we headed to Odori Park located at the main streets of Sapporo. This time we checked into our hotel early, then our tour guide walked us to the JR Tower building, which is the city center. We finally had our famous Ramen at Ramen Republic for dinner. After feeding our stomachs, we went up the JR Tower for one last glance at the city.

Day 6: Woke at 4.45am to catch our 7.50am flight to Tokyo. Visited some premium outlets near Narita Airport before flying back to Singapore. Guess everything has to come to an end and it's time to start work.

Malaysia - Cameron Highlands

Second grad trip is to Cameron Highlands with WFC. We boarded bus from Boon Lay at 8.45 am and started the tortuous bus trip to KL. We reached KL at around 3pm, had lunch, and embarked on a even more tortuous bus ride to Cameron Highlands. After hours of swirling and turning we finally reached Tanah Rata Bus Terminal in one piece at about 9pm. After a satisfying dinner at a curry house, we took cab to our Bungalow. The Bungalow was so awesome that it made the entire ride worth it.

Day 2 - Woke at 9.30pm and derped until everyone as woken.

Walked down to golf club for lunch and waited for our driver to pick us up for the afternoon tour. We (as expected) chose the more relaxed tour which will drive us around to 8 different places of interest. Throughout the afternoon, we visited: rose farm, tea plantation, bee farm, butterfly farm, strawberry farm, temple.

Had a rather disappointing steamboat dinner at some Malay steamboat place recommended by our driver. After dinner we strolled around the night market and bashed in the heavy rain before heading back to our bungalow.

Day 3 - We were ready to derp in the bungalow for the rest of our stay as there are nothing much for us to see. Had lunch in Tanah Rata before sending blah off. Cabbed back to our bungalow and played cards till dinner. We tried to call for delivery from Curry House but the number was wrong so we had no choice but to walk down to the golf club for dinner.

Day 4 - Another derp day. Limyi left in the morning and the rest of us slept till noon. Walked down to golf club again for lunch and played cards all the way till evening. We were unable to get delivery from Curry House once again and had no choice but to take cab to Tanah Rata for Zi Char dinner. It was the only legit dinner we ate for the entire trip.

Day 5 - Checked out from bungalow and home sweet home.

Malaysia - Langkawi

Finally resume travelling after a long semester. First stop for my graduation trip is to Langkawi, with Kaixin, her mum, and uncle. This trip is just my second time going to an island for holiday (first was Bintan).

Took Tiger Airways and arrived in Langkawi at about 3pm. We took cab to our Villa and settled down. The Villa is very beautiful and situated by the beach.

After a brief rest, we headed to the Underwater World and Penguin Watch. There are more species of fishes and marine creatures there than the Underwater World in Singapore.

It was about time for dinner and we took taxi all the way to Kuah (city centre of Langkawi) for seafood dinner. Despite it being the so-called city centre, streets are rather empty. It seems that Langkawi does not attract a high volume of tourists as compared to more commercialized islands like Phuket and Bali. We ate dinner at a recommended restaurant which certainty did not disappoint, the food was awesome.

After dinner, we strolled around the quiet and unhappening streets of Kuah before heading back to our Villa.


Day 2: Woke at 9am and strolled to a nearby bakery for breakfast. We then took cab to the Oriental Village to visit the sky bridge. Unfortunately, the cable car was closed for maintenance on that day (the only day of the month -.-). Without a choice, we shifted day 3's plans to day 2 and booked an afternoon island hopping tour. As the tour only starts at 2pm, we headed back to our Villa area and had a KFC lunch before strolling back to the Villa to wait for our pickup. A bus came to pick us up and dropped us by the Jetty. The sun was scorching hot at that point and I was starting to question if this island hopping tour will turn out to be worth it. We sat on a speedboat with several other tourists and it took us to three different islands. The islands are pretty boring to me especially when the blazing sun is close to intolerable.

It was already 6pm after the island hopping and we went straight to a promising seafood restaurant near our Villa for dinner. However, the food turned out to be really bad.

Day 3: Woke early for Para-sailing. Unfortunately the wind wasn't strong enough in the morning and we had to wake till 10.30am. The sailing cost 60RM and the overall experience was average. The initial ascending part was awesome but the strap wasn't secured nicely under my butt and throughout the flight it was under my crotch which was painful. 

Kaixin and I then went for some swim in the Villa's swimming pool before heading for lunch at Subway. After lunch, we went back to Oriental Village for sky bridge. The cable car ride was a little scary as the entire ride was really long at a very steep angle. The awesome scenery at the top of the mountain was really beautiful and we stayed up there for quite a while.

As it was still early, we went to Eagle Square at Kuah for a quick visit before dinner. The Eagle Square was an unexpectedly nice place.

At about 5pm, we went back to the awesome seafood restaurant we visited on Day 1. It only opens at 6pm so we had to wait there patiently. 

Day 4: Last day on this island. Did not do much in the morning and checked out at 12 noon. Went back to nearby mall for lunch at Old Town White Coffee. Afterwards, went for a foot massage before heading back to the Villa to collect luggage.

For a person who has minimum interest in beach and the sun, the overall experience was pretty good. Yeah the hot weather was a bit of a turn off but the holiday mood was clearly in the air.

Ireland - Dublin

This post is a reflection of the experience I had during my exchange in Dublin (2nd September - 18th December). It was an amazing stay in this peaceful and scenic city.

My exchange university was University College Dublin (UCD) and it is the most beautiful campus I have ever been to. It is located a little far from Dublin's city center, about a 20 minute bus ride. The entire campus is very clean and peaceful. I lived in Merville Residence, where it was literally a 5 minute walk to Quinn's Business School. Below are some of the photos I took of my hostel on the first day I arrived (2nd Sept).

Yes the room is a little small, but really cozy due to its powerful heater. 

The campus has two beautiful lakes and some really awesome facilities. There are two auditorium-size gyms for students, at least 5 football fields (too many to count), two indoor sports halls, and several beautiful residents for students (just a little ex!).

Due to some peer influences, I bought a second-hand bicycle on my second week there. It did not result in much cost savings eventually but it was really worth it. As I did not really know other people in UCD and was skipping lectures most of the times, I had plenty of free time everyday (when I wasn't travelling). I would use some of these free times to cycle around outside the campus. Here are some of the scenery I took during some of my rides.

Beautiful city isn't it

Random cycling routes behind campus, look at the view

Dublin city center is a happening place, like most Europe countries capitals. I did not go there very often as it is a 30 minute cycle from school (20 minute bus ride). The city center has absolutely everything you need. Fast food, Chinese restaurants, pubs, river, cheap apparel shops, you name it. 

Spire of Dublin, marks the city center

Speaking of cycling, it is one of the things I missed most about my stay in Dublin. During my long bike rides, I often took the opportunity to listen to some music, reflect, and relax my soul (although exchange is already very relaxed). I cycled to several great landmarks during my stay. The photos below are Dublin Castle and Phoenix Park.

One interesting festival I managed to experience during my stay was Halloween. Halloween is held on last day of October every year (I think). Due to my budget, I only spent 11 euros on a cheap vampire cape. With the help of some make-up and the cape, I thought I looked quite like a vampire. Instead of calling it Halloween, it was essentially clubbing in Halloween costumes. The pub culture of Dublin is way too strong and everything evolves around it.

4 months fly by real fast, guess that I can't be playing forever. Reflecting on my stay here, I would really have to say that Irish people are really friendly people. Although I did not manage to make any close Irish friends, it was a wonderful experience interacting with them through projects and school trips. Exchange is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I am glad that I have the privilege to spend it in Dublin.

Germany - Frankfurt

One finally stopover at Frankfurt before flying back to Singapore. When we checked out from Kaixin's hostel and reached Frankfurt, the sky was already dark. After checking-in to our hotel, we made our way to the city center for a final dinner in Europe. The shopping streets were brightly lit with Christmas decorations and the atmosphere was really nice. Snow was the only thing that was lacking for a perfect Christmas.

We managed to find one promising German restaurant and had Pork Knuckle and Mussels. After dinner, we strolled around at the main Christmas Market which was really beautiful. The night ended with a final stroll along the river.

This concludes my 4 months trip to Europe. I am really thankful for the privilege go on an exchange and broaden my horizon. I have gone to eight different countries over this 4 months in the order of this sequence: Germany, Italy, France, Ireland, UK, Belgium, Greece, Austria. Here's my bucket list for the future: Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Budapest, Turkey, Netherlands, Morocco, Egypt.

Germany - Cologne

Finally exams has ended and it's time for Christmas! Flew to Mainheim to put luggage and set off with Kaixin to Cologne the next day. Totally underestimated the cold and I only realized I was under-dressed upon reaching Cologne.

First thing to see upon exiting the train station was the Cologne Cathedral. This Cathedral is the third biggest in Europe behind the Cathedrals in Barcelona and Milan.

We then had a quick lunch and took train to Cologne South to check-in to our accommodation. Due to minimal sleep the previous two nights and fatigue from exams, we decided to take a late afternoon nap and woke up two hours later at 6 pm. Hungry bellies led us to Neumarkrt, one of the main Christmas Markets for dinner. We had fried fish, grilled salmon, steak burger, grilled mushrooms, hot wine, and one lousy waffle. The night ended with really cold and windy stroll along the bridge to take pictures of the Cathedral from the other side of the bank.

Day 2 - Woke up at noon and we took train to a nearby city called Konigswinter to see a beautiful castle. Sadly the castle was closed for maintenance but we at least managed to see some really beautiful scenery.

It was even colder there than Cologne and I was really freezing while waiting for the train back. We were starving when we were back at Cologne and ate at some Peking Duck restaurant. Ordered Peking duck but it turned out to be roast duck like what we eat in Singapore instead of the true Peking duck.

Scotland - Edinburgh

Day trip to Edinburgh is a no-brainer as one does not simply spend 3 days in Glasgow. It was only a 50 minute train ride over and I was immediately greeted with a great sunny weather. Edinburgh's architectures are out of this world, every street along the old town is worth capturing on camera.

First official stop is the Edinburgh Castle. Despite having been to so many palaces and castles in Europe, this castle has completed exceeded my expectation and once again I was overwhelmed. Was previously told by my friend not to enter as the ticket was really pricey: ~15 pounds. Upon reaching the entrance, the security told me it's free to enter, what??! and I quickly ran in before he changed his mind. After Googling I found out that it is St Andrew's Day (30th November) which is the only day of the year the Castle allows free admission! How lucky am I?!

Met up with Tung Lin and he brought me to a nice Scottish restaurant. One of the dish we ordered was Scottish specialty which is made up of animal intestines, but it turned out to be soso.

I climbed up the Calton Hill in the afternoon and caught a perfect view of the New Town, really chilling. In the late afternoon, I randomly roamed about the Christmas Market and Old Town before travelling back to Glasgow.

I guess I covered around 60% of the main attractions. Edinburgh has quite a lot to see and I believe that 2 or 3 days will be ideal for one to fully explore the city.