There are so many top things to do in LA! Let’s find out what are some of the things to do right here in Los Angeles LA! For our readers, we have listed this top things to do in LA in no particular order…
Top things to do in LA: Enjoy the sights and sounds at Santa Monica Pier
That’s right! One of the top things to do in LA is just to kick back and relax along the beaches of Santa Monica. If the kids are with you, you can simply let them have a ball of a good time at the amusement park complete with ferris wheel and roller coaster. For couples, a stroll along the beach at sunset would be unforgettable!
Top things to do in LA: Watch an LA NBA match at Staples Center.
Another one of the top things to do in LA would definitely be to watch an NBA match at Staples Center. The world renowned Staples Center is home to the LA Lakers and LA Clippers. If you prefer ice hockey or WNBA, Staples Center is also home to LA Kings and LA Sparks!
Top things to do in LA: Catch a celebrity at Hollywood
With premiers often held at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, you can be sure to catch a glimmer of these stars as they attend their gala premiers!
Top things to do in LA: Live the high life!
You can really live it up and enjoy the high life at Rodeo Drive. Luxury items abound along this road for the rich and famous. You may also want to take a ride to Beverly Hills and see how huge these mansions can really be!
Top things to do in LA: Do all the Hollywood Touristy Staff
There are so many things to do and attractions in Los Angeles California! Let’s find out what are the things to do right here in LA! If you have been following our posts, we did mention that we sneaked a short tour out of Las Vegas to visit Los Angeles California!
For a Singaporean, it is not common to see deserts or mountain ranges. So it was really a different experience as we rode across the desert terrain…
The distance from Las Vegas to Los Angeles was about 400km and it took us about 3 hours or so to reach there. Hmm, just a thought…wonder how long it would take for people to shift stuff from your house from Vegas to LA and vice versa…
Santa Monica
Our first stop in California is Santa Monica! Kate and I (well…mostly Kate) wanted very much to visit Santa Monica because of the many many times this venue has been featured in movies and partly because of the Savage Garden song of the same name. The following should be some familiar views of the Santa Monica Pier…
There, we had a romantic walk down the beach and of course along the Santa Monica Pier and to see the iconic ferris wheel. To end the day, we enjoyed the sunset along with corn dogs (excellent creation btw) and drinks…
Hollywood Sign
The following day, we set out to see the famous Hollywood Sign. We did some research on our own and found out that great views could be seen from Mulholland Drive.
From this picture, it seems a little small. This is mainly due to our not so professional camera (any sponsors out there?) However, with the naked eye, the view was breath-taking. There was also excellent views of the LA city skyline…
Hollywood Boulevard
Since we were at Hollywood, the most famous street there has got to be Hollywood Boulevard. There we visited the famous Kodak Theatre where we had a good view of the Hollywood sign as well. The Kodak Theatre is also home to the Oscars as well as the American Idol…
The nearby Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is also a famous tourist attraction not only because it is a prime venue for Hollywood movie premieres but also of its tradition of imprinting the hands and feets of celebrities at its fore court.
We also managed to catch a glimpse of some B list celebrities (Basically those whom you know are celebrities as you have seen them in movies but cant really pin point there names because they just played that odd role in the movie you’ve watched. ) at the movie premiere of Going the Distance (starring Justin Long and Drew Barrymore). Nope, we did not see either of the stars but we did see many limousines picking up well dressed people (directors, producers and rich people we reckon) and of course screaming fans.
Walking along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, we managed to also identify familiar stars of our favourite celebrities. Here we found out that celebrities were classified according to the 5 categories namely; Movies,TV,Radio,Theatre and Music
There are also other sights that you ought to catch when you’re here in Hollywood…
Where the rich and famous live. This district was made famous by a TV series of the same name Beverly Hills 90210
A great hangout place to just chill and enjoy the sunset.
Luxury brands can be found here. Though many shopping belts like Oxford Street, Champs Elysees and even Orchard Road carry these luxury brand names, Rodeo Drive offers a classy feel and even a hope of a glimpse of celebrities!
Los Angeles California
Kate then planned a walking tour of Los Angeles city. I just told her that we have got to visit the Staples Centre, the rest was up to her.
First, we visited Chinatown
Passing by a cantonese dim sum shop, we dropped by to have some egg tarts and char siew bao. They tasted nice, but in a different way.
A short walk away was the famous Philippe Original French Dipped Sandwich which we saw from Man vs Food on Travel Channel. We had to try it not only because it was recommended on MVF, but also because we had tried another version at Di Nic’s @ Reading Terminal Philadelphia.
After the food tasting, we pronounced Di Nic’s the winner. The sandwich from Philippe was quite tough even after the dip. The roast was also not as tasty as that of Di Nic’s as well.
Next begun our city tour!
We also armed ourselves with Starbucks coffee which tasted really good at an affordable price as well (slightly less than 3 bucks a cuppa)
We then arrived at the Staples Center…
We were at the home of the LA Lakers! (think Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson).
At the souvenir shop, we realised that the Staples Center was home to 4 teams – the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks!
We also popped by the Grand Central Market
and Little Tokyo…
When you see this tower, you know that you are at Little Tokyo. Here, you’ve got to try some Japanese food. We had a salad, the Char Su Ramen (Extra Large at 9.7USD) as well as the Pork Curry Rice at 8.20USD. The servings were huge and the taste was great! The Char Su was full of flavour and had a succulent texture to it! Yum!
We also had a nice stroll through the Mexican Market at Olvera Street where you would see mexican souvenirs, small guitars and traditional costumes. The walk through was shaded and had some lanes that you can visit and explore as well…
Nearby was the Union Station
Verdict
There are so many things to do, places of interest as well as attractions in California. The city of Los Angeles can provide nice walking tours while Hollywood exudes a different class of its own.
Be it the beach, the high life or the city, Los Angeles certainly makes a great visit for tourists and locals alike!
P.S. Did you know that Los Angeles means “The Angels” which is why the city has also a nickname of “The city of Angels”
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The Hollywood Walk of Fame stretches for about 2km it consists of mainly a star bearing an artiste or celebrities’ name that formally comes from these 5 categories
1. Movies
2. TV
3. Radio
4. Music
5. Theatre/Live Performance
Turns out that as we walked along the Hollywood walk of fame, we were so distracted and kept looking at the floor, thinking which celebrity would be next! Sometimes we would barely avoid oncoming pedestrians who must have thought, “What are these crazy tourists doing? Dont walk and look down at the same time!”
But that’s what we did!
It was fun to find stars that we know (because there were so many of them!) and these are just a few that we spotted…
The next time you are at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, try to locate the stars of your favourite artistes/celebrities. BUT! Be careful of oncoming (pedestrian) traffic!
P.S. You may also like to know that you need not travel all the way to Hollywood to see the walk of fame. There are also replicas at your nearest Universal Studios!
P.S.s. Did you know that stars are given only nominated artistes and these artistes can be nominated by anyone. However, there are 2 catches. 1. Groups or people who nominate must pay about $30,000 for the fabrication of the stars. 2. The celebrity must attend the ceremony. If deceased, family members must attend on his/her behalf. No one really knows how the selection goes (done by a selection committee) after the nomination…
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Venice is definitely one of the “must visit” destination of all travel itineraries, not only because of its gondolas and one of a kind canals but also because of the feel that Venice exudes at the mention of its name.
In addition, research has also shown that Venice is sinking at a rate faster than previously predicted. Venice could potentially go under in the years to come and that makes it a stronger point than ever to experience this beautiful city.
Venice island hopping tours includes visits to Murano, Burano and Torcello. In this post, we will talk about one of the islands in Venice, Murano. Glass making is an art form that started in Murano. The names murano glass and venetian glass are therefore synonymous with each other.
We were led by our tour guide to the glass making factory and we were treated to a performance whereby the shifu (master) created this beautiful horse out of glass in mere seconds!
Murano Glass Making Shifu forming a glass horse in seconds!
We were all very surprised at the skill that the shifu demonstrates in making this glass horse. He had to craft the horse in the seconds that that glass was hot enough to be crafted yet cool enough to be held in place quickly. According to the guide, he had merely 30 seconds to make each portion quickly and accurately. The finished product…
As shown in the video, it was a pity that this horse fell off the table and broke. However, it was definitely an eye-opener to be able to witness such skills in glass making.
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Hope you have enjoyed our post on glass making in Murano, Venice!
The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre was built in 1927 and resides along Hollywood Boulevard. It is actually a movie theatre and today still holds premiere for many of Hollywood’s most anticipated movies!
The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre was built by none other than Sid Grauman. He is also credited with the building of the Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre just further down the road.
The reason why the Chinese Theatre is alot of more famous and popular than its Egyptian counterpart is not only because of its uniquely classy traditional Chinese structure, but also because its fore court is home to the various handprints, footprints and signatures of artistes and celebrities.
Famous characters such as Donald Duck also got their chance to leave their mark at the fore court of the Chinese Theatre. This means that now, not only real life celebrities get to imprint their mark on the fore court of the Chinese Theatre, as long as your’re famous, you might have the chance to do so! *The Kind of Pop, Michael Jackson will also be immortalised on 26 Jan 2012.
At the fore court of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, there is usually a HUGE crowd gathered there. Most are trying to take a photo with the imprints of their favourite celebrities while others are on tours of the Chinese Theatre, listening intently to the stories of their tour guides.
There are several stories as to how this tradition of immortalising handprints/footprints/signatures of celebrities/famous people started. The more common one often refer to a female celebrity who happened to step on the cement of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre during construction. Sid Grauman thought that this was a good idea for famous people to leave their mark, then started this tradition.
The other version says that Sid himself made the mark and started the tradition. Whatever the story, today, it is a well loved tourist attractions for fans and tourists alike to get “close” to their beloved celebrities.
The huge crowd also presented a problem for Kate as she went about to take the photos. People were everywhere! Hence, this Harry Potter imprint had other avid potter fans in it as well…
Besides trying to haunt and hound your favourite celebrities in Hollywood, you might like to try catching them at the movie premieres at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. An easy way to do so is to look up the dates of upcoming premieres at the Chinese Theatre’s website and be there really early to get a good spot. Premieres are usually star studded events and fans will not be disappointed.
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Following the huge success of the premium outlets franchise, Malaysia opens its own premium outlet in Johor.
Named Johor Premium Outlets or JPO in short, the outlet mall boasts of 80 designer and premium brands at factory outlet prices. Discounts can range from 25% to 65% everyday.
Getting there
Johor Premium Outlets is just a short drive 1 hour drive from Singapore. From the north south highway, take an exit at Exit 253 and follow brown coloured signs that says “Johor Premium Outlets”. It’s quite hard to miss.
After all the hype that Johor Premium Outlets (JPO Malaysia) has garnered in Singapore, Kate and I decided to drop by JPO to take a look. As we have been to the largest premium outlet, Woodbury Common Premium Outlet it provides us with a basis for comparison.
Entrance to Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
At first glance, the look and feel of Johor Premium Outlets (JPO Malaysia) resembles that of Woodbury Common Premium Outlet. As we entered the entrance of Johor Premium Outlets JPO, we did something that would put all shoppers to shame…
Food court of Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
We visited the food court first!
Claypot Chicken Rice at Food Court of Johor Premium Outlets JPO Malaysia
After having our fill of the Claypot Chicken Rice (can give this one a miss) and taking a photo of the food court for our readers…
Internal view of Food court at Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
We headed to the information office to get the most important thing, the map of Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia!
Map of Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
With the map, we can ensure that we cover every square inch of the JPO! After taking a look at the map, we realise that it is actually quite a small outlet mall. There are basically 2 rows of shops for 2 levels and that’s pretty much about it.
In order to discover the best discounts here at Johor Premium Outlets, Kate and I made sure we visited almost every single shop at JPO for our readers! Unfortunately, the sales are not half as good as Woodbury Premium Outlets. Eventhough there were long queues at Johor Premium Outlets such as this one at Coach,
Long Queue outside Coach Outlet at Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
There werent really many buyers…
Not many people carrying shopping bags from Johor Premium Outlets stores
The truth is, once you have been to Woodbury Premium Outlet, you’ll realise that all other discounts are not really that fantastic. However, the bright spot here is that compared to retail prices, Johor Premium Outlets JPO does offer substantial discounts. Which is why we bought a pair of shoes eventually.
After a long day at “work”, trawling through the sales at Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Kate and I rewarded ourselves at Taang Shifu (translated as Master of Soups)
Taang Shifu @ Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
In order to get a 10% discount at Taang Shifu, remember to flash your Maybank credit card at the information store to get the VIP discount booklet (more like “pamphlet”). The 10% discount is only for ala carte items. We had the abalone mee sua as well as the double boiled pear dessert…
Abalone Mee Sua @ Taang Shifu, Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
Double Boiled Pear Dessert @ Taang Shifu, Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
After discount, the 2 items only cost about $25RM which was quite cheap considering it was a chinese restaurant. Plus, they tasted good as well!
After covering the second level, we decided to treat ourselves to crepes
Crispy Crepes @ Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
There was a super long queue at crispy crepes, primarily because of its cheap price at $5.20RM for sweet crepes AND $6.30RM for savoury crepes.
Making of crispy crepes at Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
We decided to go for the chicken floss as well as the chocolate banana…
Chicken Floss Crispy Crepe @ Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
Chocolate Banana Crispy Crepe @ Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
The crepes were super duper crispy! You can feel it and hear it as you land each bite on your crepes. No wonder the queue was so loooooong…
We have also captured a video of the entrance of Johor Premium Outlets, Malaysia just for our readers…
Entrance of Johor Premium Outlets JPO, Malaysia
Verdict
After all the hype about the Malaysia Premium Outlets, Johor Premium Outlets JPO, we must say truthfully that we do agree with most comments online that the sales and discounts are really not that fantastic.
Having said that, we do think that the Johor Premium Outlets JPO can be a good place to spend the weekend to shop and source for great deals. Kids can be “deposited” at the play ground and fed with yummy crispy crepes while parents shop for what they want.
If you have something that you would like to buy in the city, why not hold that thought and give Johor Premium Outlets JPO a go instead? You can be assured that it is at least 25% cheaper than retail prices. 🙂
So yup, our conclusion is that Johor Premium Outlets JPO is still worth a visit afterall!
Before we finally reveal our 2012 Logo – Venturing Forth, here is a recap of last year’s logo – Over the Fence
On May 22, 2011, 2bearbear.com was born and this was the first logo launched for the year 2011. The picture shows 2 bears (Kate and Tom) seemingly looking “Over the Fence”. It signifies the start of the website where Kate and Tom looks “Over the Fence” to see what is in store for them in the blogosphere.
For the year 2012, we are introducing our new logo – Venturing Forth.
Venturing Forth signifies that the 2bearbear have seen what is over that fence and are willing to venture forth and explore this strange but exciting world of blogging!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our supporters (those who have enjoyed our content and “liked” us on facebook) for having faith in us. A heartfelt thank you 🙂
Looking ahead to 2012, we would continue to deliver interesting articles to all our visitors. Hopefully, we will be able to expand our services and offer more interesting and exciting content this year!
To our partners, thank you for helping us get on track in the year 2011. We look forward to a continued partnership in 2012. Here’s to partnerships old and new in the year 2012!
As usual, Kate did ALL the planning! But it is important to note these few points as they can really help you stretch your buck…
Hotels
Did you know that the price differs ALOT if you stay in the same hotel on weekdays compared to weekends? Prices can differ by as much as up to 50%! Usually, hotel rates are cheaper from Sundays to Thursdays (mondays to thursdays for some hotels) and the prices sky rocket over the weekends (for obvious reasons – weekend getaways!)
Also, there are many fabulous hotels that do not cost a bomb. Try searching for hotels in Vegas and list them according to price. You will realise that cheap hotels that have excellent hotel facilities do exist in Vegas. This is because they usually attract tourists with low priced stays and free tickets to headline shows so that you will spend at their “you know what”. So try to snatch those good deals but dont fall prey to “you know what”!
Car Rental
It is advisable to rent a car in Las Vegas, simply because walking in the hot Nevada sun is not what you want to do, especially in the summer months.
In addition, with the mobility of a transport, you can visit hotels and restaurants outside of the strip which Kate and I were able to do.
Plus, parking is usually free at the hotels!
You can do so by visiting the car rental companies online and look for cheapest rate available. Also, you can just pop by the car rental booths when you land at the airport. Booking online could be cheaper given that there are deals going on every now and then. You could also save the hassle of wondering whether there are cars in the cheaper categories available.
Btw, it would be good to download USA maps to your GPS so that you would travel easy as well.
Tour Packages
If you are visiting Vegas for the first time (and probably the last time if you are from a distant land), make sure you sign up for the visit to Grand Canyon/Hoover Dam! The prices are relatively acceptable and they offer you a hassle free option to visit these world-renowned locations!
Having given some tips before hand, this is the low down of where we visited…
The Lowdown
Kate and I landed at the McCarran International Airport and got the keys to our car at the car rental booth. It’s a breeze if you have booked it online in advance.
We tried several hotels this time round and spent our first night at Hooters Hotel…
The view from our room was awesome as well…
As it was the summer season, the water in the pool was exceptionally cold! We think it was purposely chilled to make sure that the guests were not chao ta (smelly dry or burnt in hokkien) under the hot sun…
After a nice refreshing swim and some drinks by the pool, we headed out to see the sights on the Strip…
We returned back and enjoyed the famous hot wings from Hooters
**After the first night in Vegas, we actually drove to California before returning back to spend a few more nights in Vegas. We will talk about LA,Hollywood and Santa Monica in another post…
The next day, we headed out to Hash House a Go Go to check out this restaurant as introduced by Man vs Food on travel channel.
For more about the whole experience, check out the entire post here.
The following day, we checked into the Excalibur (increasingly better hotel each day; and thus the cost)…
At this juncture, we should remind our readers to always try to “negotiate” with the receptionist for a better/higher room with a good view of the strip. They are almost always able to do so on weekdays and off peak periods when occupancy is low.
At various hotels, they have various affliation with shows about town. At the Excalibur, we were able to get half priced deals for the stand up comedy “Defending the Caveman”…it was pretty much enjoyable although we dont really recall much about the show today…really one of those shows where you want to have a good laugh and let your hair down…
The next day, we took the option of going to visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Along the way, there was an opportunity to visit the Hoover Dam as well…
For more about what we did at the Grand Canyon tour, click here.
The last hotel we visited was the MGM. The best of the 3 hotels on our list this time round…
There was even a day bed in the room which added to the chic factor…
MGM Hotel has the best swimming pool on this trip to Vegas. It boasts of a 6.6 acre swimming area!! That is about 6-7 football fields!! We had an enjoyable time in the lazy pool and visiting different themed pools which was really cool…
On the way back, we were invited to rate an upcoming TV serial and vouchers were given to us in return. So we set down and were greeted by this…
It was really quite simple, all of us would watch the show (this time it was Hawaii Five O!) and rate it by turning the knob according the how good each part of the show was.
We recalled that the show was quite raw in that not all the special effects and sound effects had been added in. There were some parts that were quite boring as well (that was when we turned the knob to 0). However, the show eventually screened and is into its second season! 😮
Remember at the start of every MGM movie, there was a lion bursting unto the scene? These are his grandchildren at MGM!
We understand that they do not reside there but at a nearby facility and brought over to the hotel…
In the evening, we caught a magic show by Nathan Burton…it combined magic with comedy and was pretty much enjoyable.
On our last night, we enjoyed the famous fountain show at Bellagio…
For more details of the Fountains of Bellagio, click here.
Overall, Las Vegas is a great place to spend your holidays. Food and stays are relatively cheap and plenty of international shows and musicals abound. Just make sure that you limit your time at the tables and you’d surely enjoy the holidays at Vegas!
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The Fountains of Bellagio is definitely a must see attraction in Las Vegas!
Pictures do speak a thousand words doesn’t it? The lightings of the Fountains of Bellagio synchronises with music and the sound of the water jets to create an unique viewing experience!
Take a look at this video of the Fountains of Bellagio and enjoy the front row seats of the Fountains of Bellagio! (We were so close that we could feel the water mist from time to time!)
Fountains of Bellagio Show – Viva Las Vegas
Show Times of the Fountains of Bellagio
Monday – Friday
3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
show every 1/2 hour
7:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
show every 15 minutes
Saturdays, Sundays* and Holidays
12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
show every 1/2 hour
7:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
show every 15 minutes
*On Sundays Fountain show times begin at 11 a.m. and run every 15 minutes for the Fountains Brunch at Jasmine.
Even before one sets foot in Las Vegas, the fame of the Fountains of Bellagio must have preceded! The Fountains of Bellagio is so majestic and massive! It makes a statement from a distance away and even from the aerial view! You would thoroughly enjoy the Fountains of Bellagio if you were taking a helicopter ride down the Las Vegas Strip as well!
However, the best part about the Fountains of Bellagio, is that its FREE!! Visitors can just take a look at the timings of the Fountains of Bellagio and be there about 5 minutes before the start of the shows to enjoy!
The Fountains of Bellagio dance to many different tunes. Famous tunes such as “Fly me to the Moon” as well as “Viva Las Vegas” are favourites of the Fountains of Bellagio. The water jets of the Fountains of Bellagio time their bursts according to the tune of the music and synchronises the sounds and the lightings to create an unique and captivating water show!
The Fountains of Bellagio is definitely a water show not to be missed when you are in Las Vegas!
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Finally, Kate and I got to board the Singapore Flyer! It is currently the world’s largest giant observation wheel standing at a height of 165m!
We are so proud to have finally “flew” on the Singapore Flyer and I must applaud Kate for the courage of taking the flight because of her fear of heights and general dislike for thrill rides (see Busch Gardens and Universal Studios Singapore post)
Before we begin, we know that visitors would like to know the price and opening hours of the Singapore Flyer…
Opening Hours : 8:30am – 10:30pm (With the last admission at 10:15pm) Ticket Sales : 8:00am – 10:00pm
Ticket Prices
Adults (13 yrs and above) : $29.50
Children (3-12 yrs) : $20.65(Children below 3yrs : Free)
Senior Citizens (60 yrs and above): $23.60 (Singaporeans/PR)
Getting There
Of course, the most straight forward way is to call a cab and tell the cabby to take you to “Singapore Flyer”.
There are also buses where you will need to alight at Temasek Avenue. The buses are 106, 111, 133.
But we prefer the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit). You have basically 2 options. The first is to alight at Promenade MRT Station which is just a 5 minutes walk from the Singapore Flyer.
We prefer option 2 though. And on this trip, we took this option and really enjoyed the walk. Taking this option meant that you would alight at City Hall Interchange and walk along City Link Mall, cross over to Esplanade and walk along the River Front. This is about a 20 minutes walk…but along the way, you will enjoy these views…
View of the Singapore City Skyline @ Marina Bay
To allow our readers to see the benefits of this walk to the Singapore Flyer, here is a video of the views of Marina Bay…
As seen in the video, you would be able to take pictures of the Marina Bay Sands, Artscience Museum, Helix Bridge, Singapore City Skyline, Fullerton Hotel as well as the Singapore Tourism Icon – The Merlion!
After this nice leisurely walk, we were greeted by the Singapore Flyer…
The Singapore Flyer
We got our tickets in advance and headed straight to the entrance of the Singapore Flyer. There are scans as you enter so it may take some time during peak hours (i.e. sunset, school holidays, morning tour groups).
You would first be led into the Journey of Dreams. The Journey of Dreams is inclusive in the ticket price of the Singapore Flyer and it is basically a series of exhibits and multimedia interactives that allow visitors to know more about the Singapore Story as well as the Singapore Flyer itself…
3D Map of the Singapore Flyer and its vicinity
Did you know that so many parts of Singapore is actually reclaimed land? (Those in green are reclaimed land)
Fragment of Dreams – Use the “torch” and reveal portions of the screen!
Reservoir of Dreams
At the Reservoir of Dreams, you will see 3 giant spheres that are basically artistic displays. The first one is Oneiroi’s Orb that depicts the Flyer’s spherical shape through circular artifacts. The next is The Planet which is the first inflated PufferSphere using internal projection in Asia…
Description of the Planet @ Singapore Flyer
The Planet @ Singapore Flyer
The last is the Numeric that displays all numbers (Facts, Figures, Physique) associated with the Singapore Flyer.
After the Journey of Dreams, you would enter a tunnel that has numbers on the side that blinks 5,4,3,2,1 that is somewhat like astronauts entering the tunnel to their space flight with the numbers signifying the countdown to blast off!
As you approach the capsules, please note the curvature of the platform so that you wouldnt trip and fall. Recently, a dad did not hold on to his stroller and the kid was caught by the safety net…
The other thing you would notice is that smaller wheels (like tyres) that are used to rotate the Singapore Flyer itself. This is the mechanism used to turn the larger wheel (Singapore Flyer) using smaller wheels (tyres)…
Mechanism of turning the Singapore Flyer
Though it is not really clear, but you can also vaguely see the demonstration of the smaller wheels turning the Singapore Flyer here in this video…
Mechanism of turning the Singapore Flyer
You can also at this moment, opt to board a flyer with lesser people, but it really depends on the people who are enjoying the Journey of Dreams. If they stay there and you let the passengers behind you board first, you might just have a whole capsule of the Singapore Flyer to yourself! In our case, we shared with 2 others which was very enjoyable and private 🙂
At the top of the Singapore Flyer, you will enjoy basically 2 views…to the east, the shipping lanes and ALOT of HDB flats (HDB flats are Singapore’s public housing) and to the west, the Marina Barrage, Marina Bay Sands, parts of the port. And of course, a breath-taking view of the Marina Bay itself…
Residential Buildings to the East
Marina Bay Sands
Breath-Taking Views of Marina Bay Singapore
An Artistic Shot of the Singapore Flyer Capsule
We’ve also captured a 360degrees view from the top of the Singapore Flyer for our readers…
360degrees view from the Top of the Singapore Flyer
We were also able to see the aerial view of the marina bay where the wishes of Singaporeans are written on round inflated balls and lined up in the waters. Still cant figure out what it is meant to shape like though…(The island of Singapore maybe?)
After the flight, remember to disembark with care as there is curvature of the platform that you would need to look out for.
Kate and I then proceeded to the Singapore Food Trails for a sumptuous meal!
Singapore Food Trail
The Singapore Food Trail is actually a project undertaken by the Singapore Tourism Board to recreate the old street food hawkers of the 1960s…
Stalls at the Singapore Food Trail
Alot of effort (and money) have been placed into recreating the feel of the 1960s. The design of the stalls, the furniture and even the floor (made of tarmac to represent the road) have been meticulously thought through.
The best part about the Singapore Food Trails is its food!! It has a collection of some of the best hawker foods in Singapore! What’s more, the price is still within the acceptable range (though it is of course cheaper at the food centres)! Given that you just have to go to one destination to taste all the best hawker food in Singapore, the price is really well worth it. Today, we tried the following…
Drinks from authentic chinese cups of the 60s
Satay Beehoon
Orh Lua (or Fried Oysters)
Ice Kachang (or Iced Ball with Sweet Syrup)
What a sumptuous meal, all for less than $20!!
During this festive season, if you ride on the Singapore Flyer, you can also enter this snow dome to take some pictures with Santa!
Snow Dome
All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed the Singapore Flyer and all it has to offer! The views were splendid and the ride was enjoyable! Remember to pop by the Singapore Food Trail when you’re there, you’ll enjoy it as well!
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There are actually several options to tour Grand Canyon…
But first, to whet your appetite, this is what you will get to see when you visit Grand Canyon!
Majestic View of Grand Canyon
South Rim Tour of Grand Canyon
This was the tour we took, primarily because it is usually cheaper and the weather is usually better on this tour to Grand Canyon. This tour also allows you to make a stop at Hoover Dam to take some picturesque moments before moving on to see the majestic Grand Canyon!
The bus ride from Las Vegas was about 5 hours. Of course Kate slept along the way. I even got to snap pictures of her drooling!
Our first stop was at Hoover Dam.
The ride around the dam was amazing. It seemed as though you are transported into “Transformers” and imagine this futuristic structure (Hoover Dam does look futuristic doesnt it?) sitting right in the middle of a vast desert.
We also managed to grab a magnet at the souvenir shop there. Remember to take a picture with this Hoover Dam sign as well!
We were also told by our guide that Boulder City was actually built for the workers so that they could continue with the construction of Hoover Dam.
We made a stop over at the Grand Canyon visitor centre where visitors can watch an IMAX film of the Grand Canyon. We also had our chinese takeaway lunch here. Not bad for food out in the desert 🙂
Next was the Grand Canyon itself!
We were given 2 hours to walk ourselves. It was different. You get to find a spot, enjoy the vast range of the Grand Canyon and really just feel the tranquility. At times, you might even hear the call of the eagle!
West Rim – Sky Walk
The West Rim offers the world famous Sky Walk which is a horse shoe shaped platform allowing you to “hang over the cliff” of the Grand Canyon. With a transparent platform, you can have that feeling of walking over the Grand Canyon as well. We didnt choose this option because of the price and also mainly because Kate did not like the transparent floors. But Im sure visitors on this tour would have a great time as well. ______________________________________________________________
Other Options – Helicopter and Boat Ride
There are also other options to see Grand Canyon. The Helicopter ride offers you an aerial view and also descent into the valley whereby you can enjoy a boat ride on the famous Colorado River.
Of course, the helicopter ride, sky walk and boat ride will cost a little bit more.
However, whatever your choice may be, a visit to Grand Canyon will surely be one of your most memorable moments you’ll have.
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Saizeriya is a Japanese owned Italian-styled family restaurant.
No wonder it seemed so familiar when we first saw its sign from a distance away. The green and red colours of the logos immediately reminded us of the same chain of restaurants we saw in Japan…Now Saizeriya has hit our shores in Singapore as well!
The thing we love about Saizeriya is its price! It is truly a family oriented restaurant with budget of the family as its priority. Pastas, pizzas and dorias average about $8 and there are some that go as low as $4-5 bucks!
There are also lots of sides for the family to choose from, such as the chicken wings and escargots
Popular Saizeriya Chicken Wings
This Saizeriya we went to is located at Liang Court. It is usually crowded during meal times but the crowd clears very quickly because of its no frills eat-and-beat-it concept.
Saizeriya has recently installed a new system that allows customers to call for the waiter/waitress when they’re ready to order…
System to call for service
Much like the bell you use onboard planes or for that matter in hospitals, once you press the bell, a ring tone would be heard and your table number flashed on a board, informing the waiter that you are calling for them. This system of course makes it more efficient but it can get kind of irritating sometimes. But, the cheap and good food more than make up for any discomfort of this sort 🙂
A quick look at the menu…
Saizeriya Menu
We ordered the pork and beef meal as well as a spinach pizza ($7.90 nett for the pizza). We also ordered a pasta as well as the wings (we really cant remember the rest of the prices but rest assured they are competitively priced).
Pork and Beef Meal
Spinach Pizza
Pasta
We thoroughly enjoyed the meats, pasta and pizza. Though the pasta may look simple, it was full of flavour and the texture of the pasta was perfect! Not overcooked and still slightly springy (QQ as the chinese would say) in texture. Yum!
The pizza was also overlayed with generous portions of the spinach! The meats were again generous and juicy, not dried unlike some restaurants.
The highlight of eating at Saizeriya has got to be its drink bar where you can have coffee, milo, juice and other soft drinks, FREE FLOW for around $3! Hence, it is a good place for friends to have a meal and catch up over a cup of coffee (or many cups for that matter) without burning a hole in the pocket.
Drink Bar in Saizeriya
Overall, Saizeriya definitely rates highly for price and serving portions. The food at Saizeriya can be considered cheap for a restaurant, yet the portion and standard it delivers is comparable or much better than most other restaurants! Whats more, the price you see on the menu is the price you pay! Because there is no GST or Service Charge on top of the price you see on the menu, all prices are NETT prices!
The only setback would be that it could get rather noisy during peak hours. Other than that, Saizeriya is definitely a great place to hang out with friends or to have a no-frills meal with your loved ones!
There are so many things to do and attractions in London! Let’s find out what are the things to do right here in London! Be it history, monuments, musicals, river cruises or just plain old attractions, London has it all! It is ranked right up there with New York and (of course, our beloved country) Singapore as truly, the world’s metropolitan/cosmopolitan city!
Kate and I caught a train from Paris to London this day and were pleasantly surprised by the speed of the trains (in excess of 200km/h). Within 2 hours, we were transported to London!
There are many hotels and hostels here in London, so fret not! Our recommendation would be to pick a clean, cosy room, no frills. This is because there are simply so many things to do that the only time you’d be back in your room, is when you really need to rest!
Here are some of the top attractions we visited!
Tower of London
Tower of London
Discover the rich history (over 900 years) of the Tower of London as a palace and also its showcase of the royal crown jewels!
The London Eye
The London Eye
The view from the London overlooks the Thames river and all other attractions along it (Big Ben, Tower Bridge etc.). Once the world’s tallest observatory (now of course it’s the Singapore Flyer! 🙂 it boasts of panoramic views around the city of London.
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Why not try your luck at catching a glimpse of the royalties at Buckingham Palace? There’s also a daily change of guards, not to be missed!
Big Ben
Big Ben – Clock Tower
The clock tower synonymous with the city itself is an icon known throughout world!
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge (not to be mistaken with the London Bridge)
The Tower Bridge has got to be one of the most iconic bridges along the river Thames. With its hydraulic raising mechanism, it allows ships to pass through this shipping channel. Another fun fact is that, this iconic Tower Bridge IS NOT the London bridge often mistaken by tourists. The London Bridge is in fact the next bridge upstream.
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey London
Affectionately known as the Abbey, it is also where Prince William and Kate Middleton recently wed. Its unique Gothic design places it right up there with Notre Dame.
River Thames Cruise
River Thames Cruise
Not to be missed is a cruise along the River Thames. Not only can you enjoy the leisure ride as you enjoy the cooling breeze, you can also see all the attractions along the river such as Big Ben and The London Eye. Talk about killing 2 birds with one stone (chinese saying)…
Harrods
Harrods London
If shopping is your forte, the world renowned Harrods is definitely your place to hang out. At Harrods, you should be able to find almost all gifts for all occasions. Even if you have nothing you want to get, why not take home a Harrods bear for the little ones or just a Harrods recyclable shopping bag?
Others
There are of course many other things to do and attractions in London such as musicals, bar hopping, Hyde Park and free museums (British Museum, National Gallery). Take time to explore this grand old dame, reinventing itself as it prepares for the Olympics in 2012!
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“Yay! The motel we are going to stay is super near the airport! We can walk there and save money!”
To our horror, we arrived at the “wrong” airport at Niagara Falls, NY! (I blame the auto-complete function on most websites these days). Our trips have usually been well-planned and without hiccups, but this time round, we got to experience the mistake possibly many travellers made when they choose to fly to visit Niagara Falls.
I knew Niagara Falls was in Buffalo…so when I had to select the flight from Las Vegas and did not know which airport to go, I typed in “Buffalo”, and the auto-complete function “told” me that I will land in Buffalo Airport. We arrived there and was looking forwards to the walk to our motel when we discovered that we are more than 70km away from it!!!
The nice old man at the information counter produced a map and gave us our bearings. We were supposed to fly into Niagara Falls International Airport, not Buffalo Airport!!! He then told us there was a bus that comes every 45mins and it would cost us about USD20 per ticket to get to Niagara Falls State Park. We panicked as we happened to miss the last bus (and it was already 4pm). So we did some calculations and we decided to rent a car instead.
But it wasn’t easy either. Tom had to go from counter to counter to check what were the available cars left for the day. Thank the Lord there was a economy car at Hertz going for USD50/day! It was the only small car left at the airport. Phew~
We quickly loaded our luggage and relied on the GPS to get to our accommodation for the night – Swiss Cottage Inns. We drove across this bridge…
before we arrived at our motel…
The motel “boasted” of an outdoor swimming pool, a microwave in the room (that is how we heated up our leftover buffalo wings; see Original Buffalo Wings post), and provided pastries for breakfast.
The friendly owner told us about the fireworks on Fri/Sat nights during the summer months. As we arrived on a Friday and we rented a car, we were excited to catch the fireworks!
We parked at Seneca Casino, hoping to enjoy the buffet dinner but we were denied entry because we left our passports in the motel. Tom was totally devastated and we made our way to the State Park. We managed to grab a bite at the food court.
With a full stomach, we leisurely strolled down to the Falls. We could hear the loud roar and we enjoyed the cool breeze and mist as we approached it. The rapids looked amazing and mystical with the special lightings. Finally, we reached the Falls, and hurried to get a good spot for the fireworks. What a great way to end our first night at Niagara Falls! 🙂
Niagara Falls Lights Up with Fireworks!
Day 2 @ Niagara Falls
We were planning to take a ride on the Maid of the Mist, and as “kiasu” (scared of losing out) Singaporeans, we woke up early to ensure that we were the first few at the ticketing counter. The ticket costs USD13.50 for each adult ticket. We thoroughly enjoyed our ride even though it left us cold and wet. The Falls was truly majestic and we felt energized as we left the boat.
We then spend the morning lazing on the grass, having a small picnic (ice cream and chips!) and challenging each other in a round of word game that cannot be named. We even managed to catch a pretty rainbow! (where is my pot of gold? :P) Visiting the Niagara Falls in the day and in the night indeed allowed us to experience two unique and wonderful aspects of the majestic Niagara Falls!
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Ever wondered what is the origin of the world famous buffalo wings?
On our trip to the Niagara Falls, Kate and I thought that since we’re so close to Buffalo city, perhaps we could taste the world renowned buffalo wings?
So a quick check on google led us to Anchor Bar on Main Street…
Legend has it that one day the son of Mdm Teressa Bellissimo (who created the world renowned buffalo wings) returned one day with his friends. In order to feed her hungry guests, she deep fried some wings (in those days, in the 60s, wings were meant for the broth of soups) and covered them in a special sauce and served them with a cheese dip. Voila! The buffalo wings was born!
Kate and I keyed in the address into our GPS and headed over to Anchor Bar. We were there earlier than our usual dinner time in order to avoid the peak hour crowd. However, there was already a queue for dinner at about 6pm!
We parked our car (glad we came early, when we left, there were no lots left!) and took some time to look at the menu and placed our order. It took us about 20 minutes before we could get in!
We ordered the buffalo wings and seafood supreme with a couple of drinks. By the time we were seated down, it did not take that long for the food to arrive.
You know we always give our honest to goodness reviews to our readers so that they get the most informative source right from 2bearbear.com.
However, this time, we have got to say that the buffalo wings were a let down. The wings were overly fried and completely lost its moisture. The meat was tough and to be honest, this was one of the worst wings that we’ve tasted. The steep price (almost $1.20USD per mid wing) did not help as well. The sauce and dip did help somewhat but the meat itself was beyond salvage.
2 things came to rescue our night though;
1. The Seafood Supreme pasta was surprisingly good! The creamy sauce left one craving for more. The shrimp was also a highlight of this dish. It was really fresh and succulent! Although the serving was a huge one, Kate and I wiped it clean to the bowl!
2. There was live jazz music that set the mood for the evening. We remembered a young musician joining the team for the first time that evening and he played mightily well. Everyone in the audience cheered him on and that made the night really memorable.
We think that the buffalo wings must have been good before, perhaps given the crowd, the wings were fried in bulk and in advance. Hence, the poor texture.
When you’re in buffalo, give it a try though. If you experienced the lousier version, at least you could boast and say that you have tasted the original buffalo wings at Anchor Bar, Buffalo, New York!
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Have you ever wondered why New York is also known as the Big Apple?
According to our guide, it was said that New York used to be a great orchard. However, another saying goes, there were many “apples” or race courses in and around New York. Jockeys who wanted to race there often referred New York as “the Big Apple” or the mother of all race courses.
Whatever the real deal, we love New York! There is just so much life and energy in New York wherever you go! Needless to say, there are also many things to do and attractions here and we will go through with you what we have enjoyed at the Big Apple!
The Empire State Building
The Empire State Building often leaves a certain stature in your mind at the mention of it. It could be because King Kong somehow managed to get on top of it or because it is the meeting place of many many Hollywood screen couples (think Sleepless in Seattle, An Affair to Remember).
There are 2 observatories on the ESB, the 86th Story (Outdoor,320 metres) and the 102nd (Indoor,370 metres). Kate and I visited the ESB at about 11pm this evening (opens till 2am with the last lift up at 1:15am). Tickets costs about 20USD for adults and the queue can take quite a while. We waited for about half and hour that evening before we arrived at the observatory.
It was really nice and cooling at night. Though it is a little difficult to see all round at night, we were able to spot a few iconic places in New York…
Aircraft Carrier – USS Intrepid
The next morning, we arrived early at the USS Intrepid to set our feet on the air craft carrier. It was the first time we’ve ever been onboard an air craft carrier. The feeling was just fantastic. To top things off it includes entry to Growler submarine which was our first time onboard a submarine as well!
The Growler submarine was located at the entrance and since there was not much of a crowd we decided to head over first. Inside, we experienced the cramped spaces that the sailors had to endure onboard a submarine…
The Intrepid itself was a huge ship! We didnt even manage to go through the entire craft of exhibits!
It is definitely worth a visit to USS Intrepid as you will get to learn about the history of Sea, Air and Space crafts as well as some lessons on the wars that the the crafts have seen. In addition, we also got to see some actual parts from the World Trade Center after 911 (Ground Zero)…
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty was completed on October 28 , 1886. Originally, we were told, that Ellis Island was where the immigrants would have to go through to enter New York by ship. When the Statue of Liberty was completed, it also meant that immigrants thereafter must have seen the same Statue as they entered US with their renewed hopes and dreams…
It is important to prepare yourselves if you want to visit the Statue of Liberty because the queue is REALLY LONG!!
Eventhough the entry to the Liberty State Park is free, you would have to pay $13USD for the ferry to take you there. There is a queue on every part of this journey! From queuing of tickets, to queuing to get onboard the ferry, to queuing to get off the ferry and queuing to get back!
But once you’re onboard, you’ll be rewarded with views of the New York City skyline as well as the Statue of Liberty herself…
Once you’re on the island, there’s actually a souvenir shop and a very nice walk all around the island and fantastic views of Manhattan as well! But of course, you’ll be awed by her majestic stature up close as well…
New York City Walk About
We took a short walk around the city and visited the following places…
We passed by Wall Street and took a photo of the Trump Building
We then had dinner at the seaport where we had a fantastic view of the Brooklyn bridge. The lobster sliders and Avocado Eggroll were delicious!
Rockefeller Centre – Top of the Rock Observation Deck
Tickets to the Top of the Rock costs $25USD per person. This time, we visited Top of the Rock in the day so that we get both night view (from ESB) and day view from Rockefeller Centre. The good thing about visiting the Top of the Rock is that from here you will be able to capture the iconic Empire State Building!
The view from the Top of the Rock was simply fantastic and indescribable. If there’s one building you have to top in NYC, it has got to be the Top of the Rock!
Warwick New York Hotel
There was a deal which Kate got online and it was actually to book a 4 star hotel in the heart of New York City. The catch was you wont know which hotel it was until you book it. However, we were both happy with the choice because for $185USD (inclusive of tax) we stayed here…
We even got to enjoy great tasting turkish food from the roadside stall downstairs. There was always a queue for their food!
New Jersey
There are 2 things you would need to do when you take a short visit to New Jersey…
From New Jersey, you would be able to catch the best of the New York City Skyline. Here, take your time to take in the sights and perhaps enjoy a cuppa while time (and people) pass you by…
Visiting Cake Boss is also a treat. Though you may not want to join the queue, it is always nice to wander around and see if you can catch a glimpse of the man himself…
Broadway Musical
It is definitely a must to see at least 1 broadway musical when you visit New York City. It is important to note that you are able to buy discounted tickets right in the heart of Times Square…The TKTS booth at Times Square sells tickets for performances that day. Hence it is important to be there early to get the seats that you want.
Just as we were minding our own business and staying in line to queue for our tickets, guess what happened? Justin Bieber did a flash mob appearance at the Ruby Red Stairs singing “Baby”!
He just appeared and started singing out of nowhere! Kate and I were both taken by surprise as we scrambled take a snap of him live in person. And just as sudden as he had arrived, he left as quickly as well.Before long, we were left only with screaming girls and crying fans. They actually cried!
Soon, the booths were opened and we got our tickets for $61.50USD each. We then took the opportunity to of course taste some New York Cheese cake and chocolate cake before our show…
As we left our dinner, we caught a glimpse of Times Square at night.
The city just exudes so much life and energy especially right here at Times Square. A few walks down were where we caught Mary Poppins beside this iconic McDonalds.
As we were not allowed to film or take pictures during the performance, we took a picture of the curtains before the start of the show…
The performance was absolutely captivating. The story was about a family with kids that would not behave. They of course did when Mary Poppins became their baby sitter. There were some real magic and flying around the theater that kept the audience thoroughly glued to the show. The singing by the lead was also unbelievably beautiful. Overall it was a great show for a great night in NYC 🙂
Walk about NYC 2
With some spare time in NYC, we went to the central park…
We then searched for the Serendipity Cafe that was featured in the Romantic Comedy of the same name – Serendipity.
We also visited another movie venue in NYC, FAO Schwarz Toys – Home of the Legendary Toy Company!
It was here where Tom Hanks did the dance at the Big Piano in the movie “Big”
The staff at the Big Piano was answered almost immediately when I asked “Is this…” (didnt manage to complete “the piano from the movie?”) when he replied “Yes, and there will be professional dancers here 3 times a week to perform the actual dance from the movie”. Think he must be so used to guests/visitors asking the same question over and over again.
The Big Apple definitely lives up to its name and is probably one of the most Cosmopolitan city in the world. The energy and vibes it exuberates even in the wee hours of the night makes a city that truly never sleeps.
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To round up our list of things to do and attractions in Philadelphia, we are going to cover Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross and the American Flag as well as all the yummy stuff at Reading Terminal Market!
We start our historical trail at the independence hall and it all starts here, at the independence square…
While we were there, the independence hall was under renovation…
We were led into the hall where the declaration of independence was signed…
We were told by the tour guide (who by the way is very very knowledgeable) that there are currently 2 actual pieces of articles from George Washington’s time. The rest of the tables and chairs re-modeled to resemble what it was like during that time. So the two articles were…
The painting seen here taken with our Philly Bear from Radisson Hotel
and the chair which George Washington sat on…
We were told by our guide that George Washington often questioned whether the sun was a rising sun or a setting sun. The answer was obvious…a rising sun…
Next, we were told a piece of information that even most Americans would not know. The declaration of Independence was actually completed on the 2nd of July 1776! Then why was the declaration of independence only signed on 4th of July 1776? According to our guide, it was time taken to amend from the version that Thomas Jefferson had originally drafted. Some of the things like abolition of slavery as well as the mention of the tyranny of the king were removed from the final version…
Next we were led upstairs…
Other stuff upstairs…
The signer was fashioned to commemorate the fore fathers who signed 2 important documents in the history of America – The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.
What we really like about Philadelphia is that life in the city is so delicately interwoven and intertwined with its history. Just a few blocks away, we are along the historical trails where we arrived at the Betsy Ross House. We were just in time for the daily flag raising ceremony at about 10am.
You would almost certainly notice that there are only 13 stars on this flag. This was because it represents the number of states then that participated in the movement…
Next we visited the liberty bell with its infamous crack…
Well we didn’t exactly catch the crack (because of the crowd) as we took it from the back angle. There were many stories in the hall that leads up to the bell which tells of why the bell cracked what happened when they rang the bell when the declaration of independence was read and so on…
There were many recollections and many interesting snippets about the Liberty Bell, do spend some time reading them!
Next we headed to the famous Reading Terminal Market!
The reason why we were here was because of Man vs Food (MVF)! At that time, we were still having our Starhub Cable TV, so we watched MVF every Wednesday. This episode recounted the French-Dipped Sandwich of DiNic’s!
We took the liberty of ordering both the Pork and the Beef sandwich topped one with roasted pepper (Jalapeno – chilli pepper) and the other with Spinach.
We didnt regret it! In fact, even as we’re writing this post, we’re feeling hungry!! The roast was tender and flavourful while the peppers really packed a punch (definitely not for those who do not take chilli). The spinach also complimented the sandwich really really well.
Not only was the food good, there was some eye candy for Kate as well…
As we ventured along the walkways of Reading Terminal Market, we stumbled unto another gem…
The ice cream was o so good! It was because of the high content of butter in Bassetts ice cream, so do take note – especially for those who are watching those calories! The ice cream parlour also packs in alot of history, being established in 1861 and serving in this same spot for a long long long time now…
There was also chocolates galore here in the Reading Terminal Market…
After the delights, we took a walk along the river and caught a glimpse of the USS New Jersey
Along the banks, we saw the Olympia (World’s oldest steel warship afloat today, since 1892) and the Becuna Submarine used during WW2.
Further on, we walked by other memorials such as these Vietnam and Korean War Memorial…
On the last day as we walked about town, we came by the famous Philadelphia Stock Exchange…
Rounding up the trip, there was just one last thing we had to do…that is to enjoy a Philly Cheesesteak!
Philly Cheese Steak from the road stalls, the way the locals have them
Philadelphia has got to be one of our favouritest place in USA. It has got a rich history, modern architecture and great food. It is a must visit place when you are in the USA!
You can read about the other 2 Philadelphia Posts here…
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There are so many things to do and attractions at Kota Kinabalu! Let’s find out what are the things to do right here in Kota Kinabalu! We thoroughly enjoyed the weekend stay there! Attractions range from Island hopping, getting close to nature or even really really good shopping!
Kate and I managed to accumulate enough Krisflyer points in exchange for 2 tickets to Kota Kinabalu. Quite worth it to join the programme. For this particular trip, we flew on Silkair…
After a 2hrs 20 mins flight, we arrived at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport which looked quite new. From the airport, we took a taxi to Novotel. The taxi was $50RM and it is a fixed price. You will have to purchase a ticket from a shop within the terminal. The good thing is that it is a standard price and you save all the haggling that may be needed for “rogue” taxis.
Again, Kate was the one who arranged the entire trip. It is important to anchor a good location of your hotel so that will be the base where all your activities start. Kate found a relatively good deal on Klook where we stayed at the Novotel @ 1 Borneo Kota Kinabalu for only $70SGD per night.
The good thing about staying at the Novotel is that
1. 4 Star Hotel. It is smelly smelly (hokkien for at least) a 4-star hotel at an attractive rate, offering full hotel service and even a swimming pool for you to chillax under the sun.
2. Close to attractions. It is located away from the city but in the middle of the route to Mount Kinabalu, something that must NOT be missed when you visit Kota Kinabalu. Hence, it is a good location as a base for the attractions, yet still within a 20 mins travel time from the city.
3. Shopping. Located beside One Borneo (nowadays there are alot of One something something sprouting after the One Malaysia concept was introduced), it is currently the largest shopping mall/centre in East Malaysia. Though in a couple of years, it will be overtaken by One Sulaman (yet another One)
4. Free Shuttle Service. This is one of the most important aspect to why Kate chose this location. With the free shuttle service to the city, we could get to and fro for free. The only catch is that you will have to register early for your bus ticket. Priority is also given to guests of hotels in and around One Borneo shopping mall.
Novotel
The hotel itself also exceeded our expectation.
The room was spacious and even had a transparent glass that allowed guests to enjoy a bath and watch TV at the same time. For couples, this would be pretty romantic as well.
The swimming pool was also very welcoming, with views of the Crocker Range. Crocker Range is essentially a series of hills. Though they may look tall, locals still regard them as hills.
The next most important thing after checking out the room is to check out the bus timings!
The area to wait for the shuttle bus is at the other end of the One Borneo shopping mall. You can ask for directions at the information counter. It is important to note that this timing is merely a gauge and should be confirmed with the personnel issuing the tickets as timings varies over weekends and weekdays.
Night Market
Known as Pasar Malam (Market Night) in malay, the night market offers locals an avenue to shop for their daily necessities and also to solve their hunger pangs as there are many stalls offering fried noodles, rice, simple malay hawker fare.
Our initial plan on the first night was to catch the sunset at the city. However, we were slightly late as there was a traffic jam on the way (remember to buffer time if you are catching the sunset). The sunset timing is more like 6pm than 7pm in Singapore. So bear that in mind.
We also enjoyed some chicken murtabak (indian fried dough with meat , or for those of you who knows prata, it is like prata with meat $2RM) and a refreshing chilled coconut ($4RM)…
Back at the place where we dropped off (Warisan Square, opposite Waterfront) we caught the 9pm bus back to the hotel…
Breakfast @ Novotel
Daily buffet breakfast is included at Novotel. The spread is more or less the same each day. However, they do cater to different tastes so most palates would be satisfied here.
The spread includes noodles or rice, sausages, eggs, grilled tomatoes, baked beans, vegetables, nasi lemak and curry chicken. There are also pastries and breads with various spreads to choose from. Waffles, pancakes, cereals,porridge were available as well.
At the appetisers corner, there were various juices such as guava, orange and apple juice to choose from. Milk and soya bean milk were available as well. Fruits and appetisers such as pasta salad, salami, smoked salmon were available on different days.
It is strongly recommended for visitors (2 or less) to take the tours. Each person costs $180-200 RM that includes, lunch, guided tour, return trip, mount kinabalu park, pekan nabalu (small village/town where you can get the best view of the mountain),poring hot springs,tree top walk,dr fish spa and nature trekking.
The package is a day tour that starts from 8am to 6pm (depending on traffic). Really well worth it we must say. It is also important to follow an experienced agency and in our case, we chose Exotic Borneo. They arranged our time to cover Kinabalu first knowing the local weather that it may drizzle or pour in the afternoon. True enough, it did!
Our first stop was Pekan Nabalu, a small town that has really sweet pineapples, souvenirs and of course, stunning views of the majestic Mount Kinabalu.
Do not miss out on the pineapples. They cost $2RM a packet and is really as sweet as it gets, we thought perhaps they might have been dipped in sugar syrup! But of course not, it tasted naturally sweet. Enjoy!
The next stop we headed to was a private garden from the locals where we saw the largest flower in the world, the Rafflesia!
The thing about the Rafflesia is that it occurs naturally. Even when scientists wanted to cultivate them, they were unable to. It is a parasitic plant that feeds off the vine like a tumour. It also blooms only 4 to 6 weeks a year and you really have to be at the correct time to see them.
When the flower is in bloom, banners would be placed outside these private gardens and costs $30RM per visit. For this particular garden, we travelled about 5 minutes, crossing a small river before we got there.
Because of its rarity in bloom, the locals will protect the area around the Rafflesia to prevent wild animals from feeding on them. According to our guide, Andy, the flowers occurred naturally in abundance in the past. However, locals did not understand their uniqueness and importance in research. When the flowers were in the bud stage, they would kick them about like a soccer ball!
The flower also gives off a pungent smell, much like rotten meat. But this time we did not smell it, could be due to the wind direction. Still, if the flower is in bloom, do drop by a take a look. Helps in preservation by contributing to the locals, and also gives you an experience to enjoy the largest flower in bloom!
Poring Hot Springs
Next, we headed to Poring hot springs, of course, naturally occurring, where Kate enjoyed her book while dipping in the waters of the hot spring.
Tom on the other hand was given a tour by Andy on route to the Tree Top Walk.
Kate complained about missing stoppers at the hot springs. So she had to “prey” on other visitors and as they left, Kate would “take over” their territory…
At the same time, Tom followed Andy on a little trek towards the tree top walk. It is quite steep at the beginning so make sure you anticipate this if you are going for the tree top walk.
Along the way, we saw these interesting parts of nature…
Possibly the World’s largest Ants!
Furry Caterpillars emerging from beneath the leaves
We must first state upfront that the tree top walk is not for the faint of heart. Bridges are interconnected from TREE to TREE. The bridges also sway from side to side and for tall dudes like Tom, there’s a real possibility of falling over the side. What Tom did was to bend his knees while walking such that the netting would still be at the shoulder level.
Of course, at each stop of the tree walk, you would be greeted with amazing views such as this…
Andy told us that bees build their hives on top such trees because bears are not able to climb the trunk of these trees. The smooth surface do not provide the grip for the bears, thus giving safety to the bees. If you observe closely, it is like the tree in Winnie the Pooh!
To give our visitors a feel of the tree top walk, here it is…
“Death Defying” Tree Top Walk!
We ventured back to Poring Hot Springs to pick Kate and left for Kipungit Waterfall. The waterfall was about 400m high and had Dr Fish as its inhabitants! Free foot spa!! Yay!
From there, we took a half hour ride to Fair Garden Restaurant for lunch. The food was very good and portions were great for 2 people. Best of all, it was included in the package!
The food was definitely Chinese restaurant standard and there were also vegetables, fruits and Chinese Tea as well.
We then headed to the Botanical Gardens where we did the forest trail, the shortest one was Silau Silau Trail (to Bukit Tupai) that took us about 40 minutes. Kate and I enjoy such trails but according to Andy, most tourists dont take these trails.
Along the way, we saw what could possibly be the world’s smallest fern!
Andy then led us to this roadside stall that sells black pig (RM5), it was delicious especially with the home made sauce concocted by the owners…
Thanks to Andy from Exotic Borneo, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!
At night, Kate and I caught Johnny English 2 for only RM9 each!
On Sundays, there is a large market being put up by the locals in the city. Known as the Gaya Market, it offers locals and tourists alike, an avenue to shop!
We took a video for our visitors to have a feel of the market itself. There was also a musician playing on the gong which we thought was interesting…
A walk through Gaya Market
Musician on Traditional Gong at Gaya Market
Nearby, we were told that Signal Hill offered a marvelous view of Kota Kinabalu City. The starting point was at the Atkinson Clock on the top right of this picture…
After 15 minutes, we arrived at the Atkinson Clock…
Following the road for another 5 minutes or so, we were greeted by this view…
Breathtaking View from Signal Hill Observatory
After all that walking, Kate decided to reward herself with a foot reflexology at Suria Mall. It was only RM48 for 1 hour of foot reflexology and foot bath.
We then had lunch at the famous Kuo Man restaurant of the Suria foodcourt. The beef noodles was yummy. Noodles were Q (springy) and the beef was flavourful. The view of the islands from the food court was excellent as well…
Planning for the next day of island visits, we headed to the Jesselton Point
From there, we decided to go for only Manukan Island. Gaya Island being the largest is the most touristy. So it was out for us. It was then down to Mamutik, Manukan or Sapi. Manukan and Sapi was recommended for snorkelling. So Mamutik was out. Of the 2, we chose Manukan because Sapi had deeper waters (not good from the safety point of view). So by the process of elimination, we decided to go for Manukan!
An island ferry costs RM20 per pax and costs an additional RM10 for each additional island. You would also have to pay a conservation tax of RM7.20. At the island, there is also an entrance fee of RM10 for foreigners and RM3 for locals.
In the evening, we headed back to One Borneo shopping mall for more shopping! The deals were great especially because Parkson was celebrating its anniversary and giving out crazy deals!
We bought shoes, pants, shirts, dresses among other things that were 70% off! In the shopping mall, there is a Giant Hypermarket as well as many other small shops for you to explore!
Island Visit – Manukan
It was pouring in the morning and we thought that our day of island visit was over. However, the “storm” cleared and we did enjoy a sunny day at Manukan!
When we bought the tickets from beach bums, lifejacket (RM5) and snorkelling sets (RM20) were also available for rent.
The ride out was a bumpy one and Kate kept holding on to Tom’s arms leaving finger marks when we arrived at Manukan!
Bumpy Boat Ride from Kota Kinabalu (Jesselton) to Manukan Island
The island was beautiful and by the time we dipped into the water, the sun came out! The waters were clear and we were able to see the fishes and enjoy sand playing at the beach…
On the ride back, we were also able to see Mount Kinabalu from a distance!
After we got back, we decided to catch the sunset again this evening. We still had about an hour to spare so Kate decided to go for the classy Rafflesia Spa @ Warisan Square (RM55 + 6% tax) while Tom waited at Shamrock Pub (Irish).
Beautiful Sunset – See how the colours of the skies change
Dinner was at the Irish pub as well and we enjoyed the Homemade Beef Burger and Irish Stew (RM30 each).
The next day was a chill out at the pool for us. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip to Kota Kinabalu. Check out all these things to do and attractions in Kota Kinabalu and be sure to leave your comments back here!
We shall now leave you with a view from the our Silkair flight as we left the Kota Kinabalu International Airport…
View of the islands from the plane (Sunset Included)
There are so many things to do and attractions in Philadelphia! Let’s find out what are the things to do right here in Philadelphia!
Venturing on, we passed by the Franklin Institute where we caught a glimpse of Benjamin Franklin seated near its entrance…
There were also tonnes of statues along the way, commemorating different people and events (Philadelphians, care to help us name them?)…
We then saw an iconic structure…the Philadelphia Museum of Art
It was here where Rocky (in the movie) ran up these steps (known as “Rocky” steps) as he trained…which is why the Rocky statue is also situated nearby…
We had a refreshing view of the river along the Schuylkill River Trail…
Near the waterworks was a familiar figure…
Although not nearly as large as its Washington counterpart, but just as iconic.
On the way back, we also saw a statue of Joan of Arc…
as well as the St. Paul and St. Peter Church…
We also caught another view of the City Hall as well as the Independence Hall which we intend to visit the next day…
A wonderful sunset drew the day to a close as we ended our dinner at Elvez, a mexican modern restaurant…
To our surprise, the restaurant was fully packed for dinner and we were advised to return an hour later. We didnt make a booking because we didnt know if our hunger would over come us. Still, we saved the space in our tummies and returned to Elvez at about 8:30pm. It was still very crowded but the friendly staff gave us a cosy table for 2…
There are several famous foods at Elvez and we tried the 2 Nachos, namely Macho Nachos as well as Nachos with Guacamole…
Macho Nachos has got to be the best Nachos we’ve ever tasted. All the ingredients used were fresh and the flavours bursts in your mouth literally as you enter for the first bite. Hints of lime, mighty cheese, a little bit of spice,olives,fresh tomatoes and the meat all blended together to give that WOW taste…you’ve got to try it if you’re there!
Next, we also tried the famous original Elvez Guacamole Nachos…
Again, the ingredients were fresh and the portions were huge. The taste of the guacamole didnt disappoint and went interestingly well with the Nachos. Another favourite here…
We accompanied our dinner with a couple of drinks…
In our next post, we will give the details of the heritage trails (independence Hall, liberty bell, betsy ross house)
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There are so many things to do and attractions in Philadelphia! Let’s find out what are the things to do right here in Philadelphia!
Philadelphia is one of our favourite city in the United States. It is really the amalgamation (combination) of all things great for a tourist.
The city is rich in history, with the liberty (declaration of independence), liberty bell and the american revolutionary war as its background. However, a few blocks down you will see modern buildings such as the Comcast Centre, One Liberty Place and Two Liberty Place. There is really a good intertwine between the modern facade and history of the city. Walking in the historic district makes one feels like you are walking back into colonial times as well. For more about colonial USA, click here.
But to a traveller and tourist , a complete coverage of a city comes with its food! (well at least that’s true @ 2bearbear.com) Philadelphia is famous for….drum rolls….Philly Cheesesteaks! We’ll also visit some of the other famous eateries in Reading Terminal Market and of course features from Man VS Food (MVF)!
We started our drive early this weekend once again. The drive was approximately 4 hours and we were able to stop by the Jefferson Memorial (something we missed when we visted Washington DC the last time).
Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was not only one of the founding fathers but also the main author of the Declaration of Independence?
As we approached our hotel (Radisson Hotel Philadelphia), we were greeted by this building and awed by the city hall on the horizon…
We were somewhat misled by the GPS as we entered the central business district (CBD), the tall buildings must have clouded out the signals. However, we did eventually arrive at our destination – Radisson Hotel Philadelphia!
We were also pleasantly surprised by the room which was spacious yet had the cosy feel to it…
We quickly unloaded our stuff and headed out towards the city hall and we were greeted by him!
All over town we could see many many different versions of him wearing different costumes and designs. We then took several pictures around the city hall area…
Soon we entered the much talked about Comcast Centre. Not only because it is the tallest building in Philadelphia, but also because of these magical screens…
The screens displayed images so realistic that without looking closer, you would have thought the screens were part of the wall…(Note that the lines between the screens are also part of the screen) then it happened, it began displayed videos and animation. The smaller screens were integrated as part of a larger screen…
In our next post we will show you more of Philadelphia!
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deal.com.sg, goCrazy.com.sg, gobbler.com.sg, groupon.com.sg etc etc etc…there are so many online discount coupon/vouchers sites these days! Initially Tom and I were skeptical about these so-called “good deals” and we were worried about pushy sales people, so we let these deals slipped by. But one night as I was bored and surfing the internet to pass time, I came across this “$199 2D1N Philea Resort” deal. The photos of the resort look really inviting and I decided to check out the resort’s official website. Philea Resort was completed and officially opened in August 2010. Since it is still fairly new (it was Feb 2011 when we checked out the resort), we decided to book a weekend trip to Philea Resort Malacca in May 2011.
Our experience was marred by a 2 hour traffic jam at the Malaysia customs, and we arrived at the resort at about 3pm instead of the scheduled time of 1pm. We were hot and tired after the long bus ride but thankfully the check-in was smooth and there were welcome drinks and cold towels that quenched our thirst and refreshed us.
The hotel staff then helped us put our bags onto a buggy (is it pronounced as “Bud-gy” or “Buggie”?) and drove us to our room. On our way up, we could see the landscape of the resort, the tranquil swimming pool, and the spa facilities. We quickly settled into our room, checked out the amenities in the room (free pretty slippers!), and head down to the pool for a swim.
As it was a Saturday night, there was a seafood buffet dinner deal! Only RM69++ (approx $33SGD) per pax! The spread was awesome (esp the desserts for me, and the seafood for Tom), and we ate so much that we could hardly move. We even able to eat 2 whole snappers by ourselves and it was fresh and tasty! The BBQ corner also included other seafood such as prawn and crayfish. Yum! The quiet stroll back to our room on a cool night aided with the digestion, and we enjoyed the peaceful evening away from the crowded city life.
The next morning, we woke up early to walk around the resort and take in the fresh air. Soon we were hungry and we made our way to the restaurant where the breakfast buffet (included in the package) is served. Once again, the variety of food made us happy. With chefs at the different stations to cook roti prata, waffles and pancakes on the spot, and the spread from an international buffet, we were really spoiled for choice 🙂
After breakfast, we lazed by the pool and got a nice tan. It was a relaxing weekend, and we were all ready to conquer another week at work! 🙂
P.S Go visit Philea while it is still rather new and clean!
P.P.S Remember to plan activities for the bus trip eg card games or dvd to watch in case you get stuck in a unexpected traffic jam.
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This weekend, Kate and I decided to attend the Singtel Formula One F1 Grand Prix Night Race Street Circuit Singapore (what a mouthful!). As mentioned during a previous post, we are not really fans of F1. However, the main attraction for us this time round was Rick Astley and Shakira! (With hits such as Together Forever, Never gonna give you up, Hips dont lie, Waka Waka)
However, in order to catch them in the Fan Zone (dedicated area in front of the stage at Padang), we had to arrive at 3pm (gates open at 3pm) to get the Fan tickets that allowed us to enter the Fan Zone. It was quite fun to see that as soon as the gate opened, there were many people running towards the Padang Stage to get the fan tickets. We estimated that it was about a 200 metres sprint. Many faltered along the way, at the escalators and at the stairs.
For future fan zone tickets, it is worthy to note that even after most have gotten their fan zone tickets, there were still extra. So it really was unnecessary to run….
The first place we headed to was the Esplanade to catch the Rick Astley concert! There was already a long queue when we re-entered at 5pm! We entered from gate 3 because it was easily accessible via the City Hall MRT station/interchange.
Along the way, we got to catch the Porsche race as well…
However, we were slightly late for the Rick Astley concert
See how crowded it was!
Hence we had to settle for a bird’s eye view and enjoy an unobstructed view of the city…
Are you able to spot the energetic dancer in this clip? Clue: He is in white…
Next we headed to glutton’s bay to quelch our hunger. The prices were actually jerked up for the F1, fried oyster can cost up to $12 and people actually ordered it!
Of course we had to rush our dinner to ensure that we had a good view at Shakira’s concert…thankfully, there was a extension right in the middle of the stage that allowed Shakira to get closer to the fans in the middle. This was where we caught an excellent view of her.
Halfway through the concert, an enthusiastic fan just mounted upon his friend and bashed their way closer to the stage! But we could see he was a fan, being able to sing all the songs in Spanish as well…
After the performance, we are convinced that she is actually a very good performer live…take a look at these clips…
Shakira Dancing to the beat of the drums
Shakira on the harmonica and performing “Gypsy”
Shakira also did perform Hips Dont Lie and Waka Waka after the encore chants from the fans. This was how the concert ended, with mini fire works and confetti…
After the concert, we hurried back to catch the qualifying…however we were only able to catch the Q3 and final lap by the time we were seated (it took quite a while before we could leave the concert area at Padang)…
It was another long wait to leave the Bay Grandstand. However, we did enjoy this year’s F1 Race. We think that with all the festivities (sourvenirs, tents for food and drinks as well as concerts), it makes Singtel Formula One Singapore an unique event and one that is really prominent on the F1 calendar.
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To learn more about the history of USA, look no further than a visit to Colonial Williamsburg.
Kate and I looked upon this trip with much anticipation because we were told that this is a town re-constructed to be like that during Colonial times. We were also told that not only the structures were colonial, even the actors in Colonial Williamsburg dressed as a person during those times. So we were fascinated to just take a step back in time and history into Colonial times through Colonial Williamsburg. Actually, towns like these pretty much reminded us about the Village by M Night Shyamalan. Cool!
We parked our car at the designated car park and bought our tickets at the ticketing counter. At the entrance, there was a huge 3-D map of the entire Colonial Williamsburg!
Pictures of what you would be expecting at Colonial Williamsburg.
As we proceeded to the town, there were little milestones on the floor that leads you into thinking that you have been magically transported back in time….
Famous Quotes of USA Nation Makers along the way
After a short walk, we “magically” arrived at Colonial Williamsburg
We first took a short visit to the armoury to see all the weapons stored there. The armskote was telling a story about how they prepared themselves for the battle. It really sounded as if you were right there getting ready for the revolution!
We took out the programme sheet and headed for the first “show”
It was very exciting to be part of the show! The actors addressed all the audience as if they were villagers during the colonial times…
When the “traitor” spoke, actors that were planted in the audience jeered and all the audience jeered along as well!
A pastor sharing during the Colonial times and the imminent battle…
And the Hero is none other than General George Washington himself
After all that drama and fantastic show put up by the actors of Colonial Williamsburg (really inspiring speech from Washington), we headed to the “local bakery”!
As it was right after the show, everyone headed out for lunch. Good thing Kate and I targetted the bakery early and we arrived amongst the first at the queue (sigh…kiasu Singaporean nature). Here, we enjoyed the chocolate chip cookie, ginger bread as well as the root beer!
But Kate forgot to ask to open the root beer, so we had to queue again to get it opened….ahh…thirst quencher…
Thereafter, we took a short walk around the rest of the area. There are buses that take you from one place to another, but you can also choose to walk. We also realised that there are lodges where you can totally immerse yourself in colonial history!
All in all, we totally enjoyed ourselves. The actors immersed in their roles and that brought the characters to life, bringing/ transporting the audience back in time!
P.S. We visited Philadelphia later and learnt that the declaration of independence was actually completed on 2 July! There were things such as the abolishment of slavery and tyranny of the king included in the first draft, therefore it took 2 more days for refinement. Hence, the 4th of July. Picked this piece of information from the tour guide at the independence hall! Interesting!
P.S.S After we returned the car this particular weekend, we had a bad encounter at the 7-11. We were told by the cashier that 2 hotdogs were on offer at $2.50 but when she keyed into the cashier, we were charged $2.50 per hot dog! Sigh…so we piled on the cheese, radish and onions to make our hotdogs more hua…
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From Kate’s extensive research, Woodbury Common Premium Outlet is the “must-go” when you are in New York. It boasts of iconic brands and labels from all over the world. Girls go crazy there.
So we set off really early in the morning (at 3:15am, 15 mins behind schedule) as it was a long drive (7 hours). Something I’ve got to do to please the other bearbear. So Kate as usual gave me my shoulder massages and fed me as we drove…
We also got to catch the sunrise!
Along the way, there were hefty tolls (amounting to $44.30 to and fro!) but there were also nice bridges to look at…
Finally, after hours of driving and getting my butt all achy, we reached our destination!
By the time we got there, it was 10am. I was dead beat while Kate was raring to go at the shops! The whole area looked like a little village nestled in a Valley (literally – Central Valley). Look at the hills at the background of these pictures…
We soon realised that items here were really cheap compared to back home in Singapore. This is especially so for USA goods such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Levis, DKNY, Kate Spade and Coach. I bought 2 pairs of jeans (Levi’s at $20USD while DKNY at $15 USD – 70% off!) and a Polo Ralph Polo T-shirt at $30USD.
Kate bought so many bags from Coach and Kate Spade that I really lost count. But after taking a look around in the stores (especially Coach Store) I realised that Kate was actually quite sane. There were many ladies who were screaming, talking at the top of their voices saying how cheap things were, really turning the Coach store into a market place!
All this while I was psychoing Kate to buy whatever she likes since we were unlikely to travel back here again (all the way from Singapore?), or in my own words “buy lah,buy lah, since we’re never coming back here again, just buy lah, so cheap right?”.
The Chinese Tourists were buying the bags in truckloads. They even paid up in cash and we were able to see stacks of US dollars as they queued to pay up. It was fun to see the eyes of the ladies light up as they entered these bag stores…
In the end, we bought so much stuff that I became paranoid about whether we would get robbed and lose all the stuff that we bought. So I waited in the car with the goods (under the hot sun) while Kate continued to shop hands free.
Soon, we had to say goodbye. However, this trip taught us (or at least me) a few things
1. Never buy branded USA goods in Singapore. They are so overpriced in Singapore! We bought most of the bags , jeans and tops at more than 50% off Singapore prices!
2. Bags and Shoes are a girl’s best friends. You know they’ve always been saying that bags and shoes are a girl’s best friends. It is especially true if you had seen how their eyes glimmered with brightness as they laid their eyes upon their favourite bags, now with an additional 20% off!
3. Do something for the girl you love. Sacrifices are necessary. Kate knows how much I had to endure driving to and fro for more than 12 hours. But it’s nice to see the look on her face as she got the stuff that she wanted (also knowing that it is at a good price).
So…if you ever pass by New York and will be in the vicinity in the future, do drop by Woodbury Common Premium Outlet and experience the trill of how you can really shop till you drop!
P.S. The drive back was 9 hours because Tom was dead beat and had to drive in the dead of night.
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We were told by our friends that Doumar’s was a local cafe in Virginia that invented the world’s first ice cream cone! Of course we were excited to visit it, not only because it invented the first ice cream cone in the world, but also because it is a first hand experience of American-styled diners (not your usual Billy Bombers, New York New York kind). The authentic American-styled diners!
As we approached the place, it was not that easy to find Doumar’s, it sort of like blended into the neighbourhood. We were expecting it to really stand out, i mean, it’s the INVENTOR OF THE WORLD’S FIRST ICE CREAM CONE!!
The restaurant was full when we got there. As it was our first time there, we really did not know if we should queue or eat in the car like many other diners in the parking lot (they actually serve you at your car! ) But we thought that we came all this way, we should just dine in.
The wait was quite fast (compared to some wanton noodles stalls in Singapore) and we were seated within 15 minutes. Doumar’s felt homely and was somewhat close to what we had expected. People were chatting happily, enjoying their burgers, shakes and ice cream. The current owner, (still a Doumar) walks around like a celebrity (we reckon he is in his 80s) with many diners wanting to have a photo with him.
We had the cheeseburger and meat with slaw burger which were reasonably priced at $2.4 and $4 respectively. We also had 2 large cups of Banana and Strawberry Milkshake! Yum!
We shared one ice cream cone thereafter and we were happy that we were now part of history! Of course we took a photo of the machine that took the world by storm – The world’s first ice cream cone machine!
We were told that this manner of ice cream cone making is still the same today! Talk about lasting inventions!
We would definitely recommend going to Doumar’s for a bite if you are in the vicinity of Virginia. It is a homely American Diner’s with lots of history minus the pretentious hype when restaurants get famous. Opened since 1904, we’re happy that popularity did not influence this wonderful diners. Definitely worth a trip to be part of history!
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Over the long weekend, Kate and I were invited to be at the Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa for a staycation. The exciting thing was that the resort is a 5 star hotel and we’re staying at the most expensive place in the hotel, the 2 bedroom villa! It has 2 rooms, an open air bathtub and a private plunge pool!
As the villa was not ready when we arrived, we went to the sky pool to enjoy an afternoon swim. The sky pool had an excellent pool overlooking the ocean…
We took a look at the menu and there’s a fried hokkien mee that costs $34!! Of course there’s a reason why. It is served with abalone, lobster as well as roast pork. Yum. There’s even a jacuzzi at the sky pool!
After the swim, we were pleasantly surprised by the amenities in the room. The private plunge pool didnt disappoint. It even comes with its own water jets to do provide for some water massaging!
Next was the master room with an outdoor bathtub, shower points and 2 individual sinks.
The 2 rooms are connected at the back via the tatami mat area as well….
The 2nd bedroom had 2 super singles and an attached bathroom.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the 2 bedroom villa. The rooms had sliding doors that could open up such that we could watch TV from the plunge pool! The rooms were also stocked with different kinds of tea as well as a Nespresso machine with coffee capsules. The only thing was that there were quite alot of mosquitos. Which is why the hotel provides unlimited mosquito coils which we put to good use at the various corners of the villas. That also pretty much explains the mosquito nets.
Although we didnt ask the price, from the internet, we saw that the 2 bedroom villa costs about $2000 per night! It was a good experience and we thoroughly enjoyed the pools (both sky pool and private plunge pool) at the Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa!
Kate and I have been watching lots of American Drama/ Sit-Coms lately and the Golden Corral Buffet commercial kept popping up (along with chillis and subway…), argh…consumerism…
Yeah…we couldnt resist consumerism, so we went to Golden Corral to give it a try…
Golden Corral is really cheap for a buffet, it costs around 10-15 bucks per person. (Depending on Lunch or Dinner and your location). Here you can really enjoy an all American meal at a fraction of the price.
At the restaurant, we could see many families enjoying the food and having a good time. We also do see many with obesity issues in the restaurant…the price of consumerism…
The food itself was ok. Liked the fried chicken and the cuts of beef. Yum. In general, the food was not that fantastic but it more than made up in variety. There were asian, italian and of course american food served here. Kate and I tried the foods that we like for the first round and those that tasted good, we went for the second round…here are the foods we had
Overall, it was a good place to hang out and have a variety of foods. The price was really economical and makes it a very family friendly venue without causing a hole in the pocket. But if you really want to make your money’s worth, have lunch there and save for dinner!
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If you are not a local, chances are, you would not know about the Marina Barrage, one of Singapore’s most well kept secret.
However, with the increasing number of events being held at this latest lifestyle destination, it wont be long before this becomes an open secret.
NDP Theme Song 2009 Electrico – What do you see filmed on site at the Marina Barrage
In 2009 when Electrico performed the theme song for the National Day Parade, the marina barrage rose to fame. Forward to the last parts of the song and you will see stunning views of the Singapore City Landscape.
The Marina Barrage has a 3-fold function. Primarily, it is a water catchment area and helps to supplement Singapore’s water supply by cordoning off the marina bay area and converting it into a fresh water catchment area. In addition, the flood gates at the barrage helps to regulate the water levels within Singapore and helps to ease flooding conditions. Lastly, but most importantly, the Marina Barrage today, serves as a venue for families to gather and have fun together as it offers a venue for picnics, kite flying, water fun and water sports!
Bird’s eye view of the Marina Barrage
Well…for me and Kate, the Barrage holds a much deeper meaning. We have gone through anniversaries, dates at the Barrage and today we still very much enjoy just picnic and enjoy the views. Take a look at this view…
View of the Singapore Flyer from the Marina Barrage
Sometimes, it is just nice to lie down on the green pastures and enjoy the view of the clear blue sky….
A kite in the midst of the clear blue skies
The marina barrage has also accompanied us through countless sunsets…
Sun setting over the Marina Bay Sands
More Sunsets…
The Marina Barrage also accompanied us through earlier days, even before the completion of the Marina Bay Sands…
Marina Bay Sands without the sail at the top yet…
During one of our dates, we even encountered the helicopter fly-pass in preparation for the National Day Parade…
Close up of the National Flag Fly Pass
When all Singaporeans come together as one…
Of course, the reason why the Marina Barrage is a very well kept secret is because it offers the most fantastic view of the Singapore City Skyline!
At the Barrage, there is a cafe/pub with live music sometimes, a chinese restaurant as well as a souvenir shop. But most family nowadays head to the barrage for a time of gathering either flying a kite, having a picnic or having some water fun at the fountains…
But for Kate and I, the Marina Barrage will always be a well polished gem that both of us have discovered together…
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Kate and I always enjoy things that are cheap and good (in hokkien : ai pi ai chee). So when the formula one (f1) grand prix night race came to Singapore, we were eager to be part of the event. This is also because there are only 2 of such f1 night races in the world and it is also one of the most spectacular street circuits on the f1 calendar. However, the F1 tickets were quite expensive (eventhough it includes F1 live which includes acts such as mariah carey, linkin park etc.) and we were not really that much of F1 fans. So, in order to be part of the grandprix, we decided to hunt around the race track to see where we would have free close up view of the event.
After some scouting, we realised that the marina square food court had a good view of the formula one race. Not only that, as the Singapore f1 leg was also a night race, it provided a stunning backdrop to the grandprix.
Whats more, we also had food from the food court as we enjoyed the f1 race! 🙂
Before the race started, there was a display of vintage cars that went around the track…
As night descended, we also had splendid view of the marina bay area
It is important to note that, whenever you are attending any formula one grand prix race, BRING EAR PLUGS! For those who are sitting right at the podium of the F1 races, it is strongly recommended to bring ear defenders. These will help to protect your ears from the deafening sounds from those high-performance formula one engines! Also, if you are considering these free spots around the track, do remember to turn up early to chope (book) those seats. Kate and I were there 2 hours before the race started to ensure we had “one of the best seats in the house”!
The race this year was very exciting as Lewis Hamilton who was starting at 2nd position, crashed out in the 35th lap due to an accident. Later during the race we find Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber battling hard to gain the top 3 spots from 8th,5th and 6th positions respectively.
As the race wore on, we saw 2 distinct groups pulling away, namely 1,2 and 3,4,5,6. So as we watched the race, the first 2 cars would pass by,silence, followed by 4 cars ,silence then the rest of the pack. In the end, it was Alonso who battled and fought at corners to stay on course to clinch the top spot from the 8th starting position. Great race, great determination!
Kate and I thoroughly enjoyed the race from our free spot at Marina Square. Later on, many fans also packed the place as this is now an open secret! Hence, for those of you F1 fanatics out there who missed out on those valuable f1 tickets, you might want to consider the newly renovated marina square food court for air-conditioned, bird’s eye view of portions of the track!
However, with F1 live as part of the package of the race, it is definitely worth it to buy those tickets, especially when the acts are one of your favourites. Enjoy the race!
Kate and I were invited to the Chingay Parade and festival and it was our first time ever! We were of course excited and decided to be there early to join in the ra-ra (pre-show audience warm-up) before the show started. Before we go into the details, a little bit about the origin of Chingay…
The Chingay Parade had its roots as a street performance or masquerade started in the 1970s. Today, it has evolved and has become an international festival with audience from all over the world. Touted as the grandest streets and floats parade in Asia, the Chingay Parade boasts of dazzling displays of colours and multi-culturalism that Singapore offers.
The Chingay Parade has been held at the Pit-Building (the actual Pit building for formula one on the F1 calendar) for the past couple of years. It is primarily a street performance where audience are seated on both sides of a street as the performers and displays pass by. The performance would include street performers from all over the world. In addition, organisations in Singapore , both private and public companies or organisations, would also stage performanances that attracts the attention of the crowd. At the pit-building, more than 150,000 spectators can be seated.
As Kate and I begun to get seated at our Category 3 seats (costs about $25 dollars), we noticed 2 of Singapore’s most famous hosts – Gurmit Singh and Quan Yi Feng. It was exciting to see how they warmed up the crowd and entertained us, getting us all psyched up before the first performers arrived.
We were surprised by the first few acts whereby firecrackers (something banned in Singapore except at festivals such as this) and fireworks were used. Stilt walkers and performers from China held huge flags and balanced them superbly as they passed the audience. It was awesome!
The whole parade was filled with dazzling colours and wonderful floats. One of the 2 floats that caught our attention was the USS (Universal Studio Singapore) floats with all the characters such as Kung Fu Panda and the Madagascar Characters. The other float that caught our attention was the HDB (Housing and Development Board of Singapore – Provides public housing for all Singaporeans). This is because the float featured the latest public project that garnered design awards – Pinnacle@Duxton. Here are some of the highlights of the evening…
Of course, to round of the entire parade, what else but FIREWORKS!
Kate and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves (as you may have heard from the screams of our video) and we were pleasantly surprised by how great and awesome a street performance can be. We formerly typified floats as boring as we see them drive pass during the parade season.
However, having come close to the performance, it actually brings us to see how much work the performers have put in and how much attention to detail have been placed into all the costumes and float designs. Impressive!
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We hope you’ll enjoy the Chingay Parade in Singapore this year!
On one fine Saturday afternoon, as Kate and I were passing by the Ducktours booth in Suntec City, we thought to ourselves…”Hey, let’s be tourists for the day!”
So without much hesitation, we bought tickets ($33 per person) and waited to board our very first duck tour ride.
The Duck is actually a re-modelled WW2 Vietnamese amphibious craft.
The “Ducktainers” or tour guide would introduce us to the various structures as the Duck drove pass the landmarks. At the start of the tour was the fountain of wealth, right at the heart of Suntec City. Next, we headed towards the city hall area and viewed the Cenotaph, one of Singapore’s oldest war memorial. It was here where we entered the water…
We were soon in the basin of the Singapore River and we were able to see many of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks and structures such as the Merlion, Esplanade, Fullerton Hotel, Singapore Flyer, The World’s largest Floating Platform (where the National Day Parade is held), Tallest Hotel in Southeast Asia – Swissotel Singapore and the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort halfway built…
Singapore’s Tourism Icon – The Merlion
Overall, it was a nice refreshing tour. The “Ducktainers” were indeed entertaining and even “prepared” us as we entered the water (saying we’ll get wet and all, which we didnt). They were also armed with snippets of information which would be interesting for tourists.
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The fine dining experience onboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise – Legend of the Seas was one of a kind! The setting was classy (at the Romeo and Juliet fine dining restaurant). Kate and I were onboard the cruise for 8D7N and we stuck to the fine dining restaurant for all evening meals!
We are not exaggerating when we say that the food was EXCELLENT! The fine dining restaurant (Romeo and Juliet) was one of the highlights of the cruise. Each night we would anticipate the display of its menu and choose the dish that we want! It was something to look forward each night because
a. Service. You would be pampered by waiters and waitresses who will remember your names after the first night! They would remember your preferences such as whether you would like cold/hot water, pepper or not in your soup etc…
b. Presentation. The food would be very well presented! If it was a bisque, you would find a little artistic touch (like latte art) at the top. Likewise for the desserts, the plate would be decorated with fruits, chocolates, sauce etc.
c. Taste. The food we must say is of international standards! Not only would there be creativity in the types of food (fusion, western, asian), the tastes was mostly unforgettable!
d. Unlimited servings! This means you can try ALL the mains and ALL the desserts for the night! Can you believe it!?!
Here are just some of the wonderful food we’ve had…
The Mains
The Desserts
The fine dining experience really made the difference for Kate and I onboard this cruise. We were really pampered like royalties each night and returned to our rooms FULL! The food was excellent, ambience was good, value for money and the service was impeccable. If we were to rate, it would be FULL MARKS!