As Southeast Asia’s most Westernised nation, with a Chinese, Malay, Indian and expat population, ‘bland’ is perhaps the last word you would associate with Singapore, yet it cropped up several times in my trip planning research. Surely there were places to visit in Singapore, an an international island with an historically diverse culture and community, that had some excitement to offer?
After moving to London two months ago, I realised I knew very little about the city. Beyond having a basic idea of how to get around, knowing what some of the major monuments are and the addresses of a few good restaurants, my knowledge was shamefully limited. I had no real idea of its architecture, history or what London has to offer its residents.
Imagine going to dinner at a stranger’s house, eating an excellent meal with a group of other unknowns and paying at the end of the evening. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? But this is exactly the premise on which London’s supper club phenomenon is based.
The Alhambra of Granada is one of the most popular places to visit in Spain and a prime example of the country’s Moorish heritage. Constructed in the mid 14th century, the Alhambra is a vast complex combining fortress, palace and gardens, the hilltop site is home to some truly beautiful architecture. The main attraction, the [...]
If it weren’t for the scorching temperatures and unfamiliar alphabet on the menus, Tel Aviv could have been any cosmopolitan European city. Bauhaus buildings, cool cafés and a beach stretching for miles give the city its distinct character, enhanced by the fading grandeur of the architecture, the unapologetic bustle of its inhabitants – and their [...]
During my year in the Spanish capital of Madrid, I saw it all: the human mosaic formed for the 2016 Olympic bid in September, the leaves fall from the trees in autumn, the snowy streets during the January freeze, the Easter parades of figures of the Virgin Mary around the city, the victory parade of [...]
On the third weekend of July 2009, I not only felt incredibly lucky to be visiting Venice with my family, I felt lucky to be in the right place at the right time. We had chosen to travel to this unique city on water on the weekend of The Feast of the Redeemer (Festa del [...]
Although it’s possible to travel between many continental European countries by bus or train, if you’ve got a long distance to cover or are travelling to or from an island, flying can often be the quickest and most cost-effective option. With an abundance of low-cost airlines operating in Europe, fares can be low, but these [...]
If staying in a hotel feels too impersonal and the idea of couch-surfing on a stranger’s sofa is altogether too personal, a bed and breakfast is the perfect middle ground. Although the practice varies from country to country and the accommodation itself ranges from boutique hotel-style luxury to a fairly plain bedroom with no ensuite, [...]
Visiting Oxford with a local When you think of visiting Oxford, UK, what’s the first image that springs to mind? The university, no doubt. Although the exact date of its foundation remains shrouded in mystery, Oxford is thought to be the world’s oldest university, with evidence of teaching as far back as the eleventh century [...]
