Now I am back in Norway and the travelling is on the minimum, but for once I can explore Norway a bit more. It is nice to check out your home place for a little bit. So the first place I went was Bergen! I have a friend there studying and she had room for me for a weekend. So why not!
Bergen is beautiful, when it is not raining. And incredible enough it was not raining once while I were there! Just sun and beautiful snow. We went up Fløien, saw the christmas lights, went out on town, saw the gingerbread house town and saw a theater play. What a dream trip. So now you can have a peak at it:
I really miss traveling these days. As I now have finished UNI and are about to leave for Norway, the question on whats next occurs on conversations all the time. Most of the time I would love to say “I am going to travel the world!”, but that would be a lie, at least for now.
So to help on the travel blues I am now going to tell you about a amazing business trip I took to Iceland in April! I were so lucky to get a job with the travel company Discover the world in London and they sent me to Iceland to document
one of their class trips. And what a class trip!
We went everywhere! I got to drive snowmobile on the top of a volcano, crawl in to caves, walk on glaciers, see seals, drive through the most amazing landscapes. One day we woke up to snow, during the day it turned into sun, then fog and in the end of the day it was raining! What a mess 😛
But if you ever get the opportunity or time to go to Iceland DO IT!!! It is the most magical place I know, I have been there twice and I want to go back again! AMAZING!
Have a closer look at what I did in Iceland on the official Discover Iceland with Discover the World video:
After months in Singapore we took our last trip to somewhere a bit different. We went to Cambodia! More specific the town Siem Reap, housing the well known temple Angkor Wat.
This is an amazing place. It is so strange to come from the rich and modern Singapore to the poverty of Cambodia. You do get a culture shock. We also managed to come in the
end of the monsoon, so everything was flooded. And that was amazing! We drove a Tuk Tuk in to town and I was amazed over all these people walking in the streets with water up to their knees. And all the kids playing in the water in the middle of the street, you almost didn´t see them!
Ankor Wat is not the only temple around, and if you book a Tuk Tuk for 3 days you can
get the 3 day pass and be driven around to the different temples for 3 days. Recommending this! But you can easily get bored of the temples, because even if they are beautiful, they are very alike…
So do remember to take some time of the temples and see the town, talk to the nice people and relax a bit. Last tips, always, always bring a bottle of water when you go and
Singapore is known for having a rich variation of food. Since Singapore is filled with people from all parts of Asia they bring with them a lot of their local food. The food is also much cheaper to buy already cooked out then to buy the groceries and cook back home. Something that is very different from most other countries.
When you go out to eat it is a lot of places to chose between. You can go from all range of prices as well as all kind of food. If you are unsure if you will like the local food it is more then enough American and
European restaurants to go to. But you should really have a taste
of the local delicacies. One of the cheapest places to eat is at a Food market/center were they have many small stands were you can get good food.
Singapore is one of the few places in Asia were you can be sure that everything is clean no matter were you are. Every place is checked regularly by the government to see if they are following the guidelines for food cleanliness. The places is then given a sign with A, B, C or OK. If you see a A or OK you know it is a clean place to eat. B and C is less clean, but still clean enough to stay open.
Dave brought his friend to Newton Food market and are presenting some local food you should try if you go to Singapore.
If you are lucky to stay in Singapore for a long time, maybe you work or study there, you should use it for all it is worth. Singapore is a central part of Asia and it is cheap and easy to travel for short or longer trips to other countries.
One of the places that also is a big hit among the locals is a trip to the island Bintan in Indonesia. It is easy to get to with a ferry and before you know it you are in Indonesia. We stayed in a bungalow at a place called Nostalgia Yasin. Beautiful place to just relax. You can get a massage, swim in the ocean or pool, go for a walk, eat some awesome food. And it is all very cheap. Really worth a trip if you have the time!
If you want to check out Malaysia one of the more historical places that often is forgotten is Malacca. This is a cute little town with a lot of hidden treasures. Here you can go mental with shopping in arts and crafts shops as well as the famous night market. They have some of the cutest cafes I have ever been to and the river is just so beautiful to walk along. You can also have the chance to learn something about their history with pirates!
If you want to go to Borneo, Kutching is a nice town to visit. It is in the Malaysian part of Borneo and is a really quiet and small place to visit. I have to admit that not much was happening when we were there. I think the biggest thing to do there is to get out of the city and in to the jungle. We didn´t do that because I got sick…
That happens and then you just have to make the best out of it. To bad, because I think Borneo would have been a great place to explore better.
One place we went that is really not worth visiting is Johor Bahru in Malaysia. This is a border city of the scary kind. I felt so unsafe when I were there, almost didn´t feel safe to film anything. The place is usually just visited to buy cheap stuff and things that are not legal in Singapore, like gum and porn. Not worth a visit at all, just keep away.
Kuala Lumpur on the other hand is worth having a look at. This is the main capital of Malaysia and a must see. You can take bus or plain there and stay at nice hotels for a fraction of the Singaporean price. Try the monorail, go in the parks, visit the Petronas towers and just look around. Not the best capital I have been in, but maybe you see something else when you visit it.
One of the biggest attractions in Singapore is the Zoo. The Zoo is made out of three parks; Zoo, Night Safari and Bird Park. You can buy tickets for one of the parks or all three. But I would not recommend to see all three in one day. Give it some time.
The night safari start round 7 in the evening. You have to start with the shows, this is something you cant miss. It is awesome to see the animals walk around on the stage looking at the audience. It is well planned and well executed. Then you can jump on a tram and driven around the park. You are told not to take pictures with blitz because that can damage the animals eyes, because of this the pictures don´t turn out that well. You can also walk around on a lot of different paths. They say that these animals are more active at night, but to be honest they didn´t look more active then when I see them in daytime. It was fun, but for someone that have done the real thing I think you would find it as a waste of time.
When you visit the Singapore Zoo you should book a jungle breakfast. Then you can come early to the park and eat a wonderful breakfast and then you can walk up and get a picture with the orangutans, that are eating breakfast with you! This is really fun for people in all ages. After that you can walk around in the park and look at the beautiful animals and also catch a few shows. You can also follow the feeding trail and get a look at the animals on their most active, when they get food.
The last park is the bird park. This park is located another place is Singapore and you will have to take a bus that go directly from the Zoo to the Bird park. It is very easy and cheap to travel between them. When you arrive at the bird park you should orientate you on when and were the bird shows are and see some magnificent birds up close. After that you can have a wonderful walk around. The best place I think is the Lory Loft. Here you can buy small cups with nectar and feed the small birds yourself. This really get a near contact with the beautiful birds. Just watch up so they don´t poop on you…
If you have a week in Singapore. It is loads of things to fill your days with. Some of these things should get a whole day reserved to them.
One of my favorites is Singapore Botanic Gardens. This is a huge park in the middle of Singapore. It is a perfect place to go for walks, runs or just to relax in the sun. You can take loads of beautiful pictures of flowers and if you hang around long enough you are sure to see a couple of animals like turtles, fishes, swans, squirrels and maybe even a Varan. They have a beautiful orchid garden, a concert scene, a Jurassic walk and so on. Really a place to learn and relax.
If you would like to go on a boat trip, “Cheng ho” harbor cruise is a good pick. On the cruise you get served high tea (tea with some different cakes and sandwiches) and a guide tell you about the Singapore harbor as we pass it. The boat stop at an Temple Island were you get some time to walk around and experience it. It is stunning.
On a nice sunny day you should go to the East Coast and rent a bike. It is perfectly maintained for bike trips along the cost. Beautiful cost line, beautiful beaches very good sea food and just all in all a good bike trip to take for a day.
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. After so much sea you would maybe like to experience to real jungle. At Bukit Timah you have a wide range of paths to take that lead you up to the Bukit Timah Summit. You can take a short direct route or take the longer once that will lead you deeper in to the jungle. If you are lucky you can bump in to a couple of monkeys hanging around. Be sure to check the weather report before you go, because in the jungle they have their own little weather system. So even if the rest of Singapore is sunny it may rain and thunder in the jungle.
Pulau Ubin is another place to go for a bike trip. This is a little island that still look like Singapore use to look like. Here you can rent a bike and experience the whole island in just some hours. Here you can see some real wild jungle and maybe even a snake if you are lucky.
Another island to visit is Sentosa Island. This is a very different island, more like a team park. Here they have Universal Studios team park, Hard Rock cafe and hotel, Segways, beaches and so much more. It is a island of fun that is cheap and easy to get to. Fun for the whole family sort of a thing.
These are just some suggestions on what to do for a daytrip in Singapore. If you want to see some more of these places have a look at the video below.
This summer I got the great opportunity to live and work in Singapore. Singapore is located in Asia and is a good place to have your base when looking at Asia for the first time. Finding yourself in Singapore, it is a big variation on what to do. One smart thing is to the the Hop on Hop of sightseeing busses around Singapore city center. They are worth your while.
When driving around be sure to hop of at Little India. Singapore is built up with areas reserved, in a way, to a certain culture. Little India is as the name say a area dedicated to the Indian way. Here you can get good curry and other Indian foods and cheap stuff from the many stores along the street. You can also have a look at some nice mosques that are spread around the area. Mustafa Center is probably the most known part of Little India. This is a HUGE store with everything you can possibly need. For me it felt a bit like a storage house with lots of cheap crap, but in fact most of it is ok quality for a ok price. So do have a look.
Another colonial part of Singapore is Chinatown. As Little India this is also a part of Singapore dedicated to one specific culture, China.Chinatown is beautiful I think. With wonderful small houses and interesting streets and cafes.
They also have a big street marked that sell all kind of souvenirs. Here is the perfect place to get some cheap gifts for back home. If you come here during the Moon Festival you have to come to Chinatown and by Moon cakes here. The Moon cakes are just made once a year at this festival, try the lotus flavored, it is delicious and very filling.
Another interesting food you can find in Singapore is Durian. This fruit you can smell before you see. If you get a sniff of something that remind you of old puke you are close to it. It is round and brown with spikes, but inside it is soft and yellow. It has a very distinct taste, either you like it or you don´t kind of food, it also have a strange texture like soft cream. You can also have it in ice cream, a often more popular way to try it among the tourists.
If you want to have a look at the nature, but don´t have the time, it can be a good call to look at the Urban Jungle. Take the MRT to Harbor Front and at Exit D “Telok Blangah” you should find a path up the hill. Keep on following this and you can have a beautiful overlook over the city framed by tropic plants that fill the hill. It is a nice and confutable walk that everyone can take.
When you are up there you can also take the cable car down again. The cable car go from the Jewel box and take you all the way down to Sentosa Island if you want to. It gives you a great view over the whole city, but if you are afraid of hight I do not recommend it.
Some of the best times in Singapore is spent at night. When the sun settle it is many places that are a bliss to visit. Have a walk to Arab Street. This part of the city follow the Arab way. Here you can admire the most beautiful mosque in the city, or maybe buy a carpet for your living room. The streets are crowded with cafes offering Shisha pipes (also called Hubbely bubbely or water piper) and ginger tea. This is a nice place to bring friend and just relax in the cool night after a long day.
If you want to have a look at the old fashion glamour of Singapore. Go to Raffles Hotel and Long Bar on the second floor. This part is open for everyone and offers a colonial bar preserved from when the first british colonized Singapore. Here you can drink, eat, talk and enjoy a live jazz band. Long Bar is also known to be the creator of the Singapore Sling, so it is a must to order one if you visit Raffles Hotels Long Bar.
The most beautiful part of Singapore by night must be Marina Bay. This is a newly renovated area of Singapore and the place is shining when the sun goes down. Have a wanter along the docks and look at the buildings light up like stars. Enjoy a water show that is held every no and then. But you have to go to Marina Bay Sands and go to the top to get a wonderful view over the city. And also have a peek at the world famous infinity pool. This is not open for public, so if you don´t want to pay for a hotel room, you just have to settle with a picture.
This is just some of the many things to experience in Singapore. I enjoyed it and hope you will too!
When we finished in Melbourne our next place was Alice Springs and road trip. At Alice Springs airport we picked up our small car and started our adventure in the outback.
We started with driving to Alice Springs town. Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern territory in Australia. And that tell u something when you see how small the town is. But it is also extremely charming.
I just loved walking around in there. It was so quiet and calm, not like the bigger cities Sydney and Melbourne. They sold beautiful homemade souvenirs and good food and coffee.
It was also very interesting to finally be at a part of Australia that had more Aboriginal residents. The whole time we had travelled around we had just heard about them in different historical places, but not yet seen or met any. In Alice Springs it was many. What I thought I would see was a happy people living a healthy and interesting mix of two cultures. What I saw was sad and poor people, sitting in dirt and hanging on the corner. Even on their own land they can´t seem to be happy.
Anyway, Alice Spring is still a little oasis in the wast desert around it.
Sovereige hill is an old gold digger village that is been rebuilt and made in to an historical amusement park. Here you can learn about how the first settlers lived, worked, dressed and ate.
You can buy all sort of old fashion things, eat the original food, see the shows they used to put on, look for gold in the water and go down in the old mines.
of the local delicacies. One of the cheapest places to eat is at a Food market/center were they have many small stands were you can get good food.
Young World 