Mr. And Mrs. Travel

VENICE

Venice is one of the most romantic and beautiful in the world. This is my second time to Venice and i’m so excited to be back. Clearly, the time I spent there were not enough and I would have absolutely loved to stay longer. In this blog, I’m going to tell you where we visited and where we stayed.

Let’s dive in!

If like me, you’re travelling to Venice from Milan, the easiest way to get there is by train. The trip takes about 2 hours 10 minutes by Trenitalia and one-way ticket costs 100 Euro. Booking in advance online can save you an average 50% compared to buying your ticket on the day at the train station. So it is better to book your train ticket online. The Venice Santa Lucia train station is the main train station that travellers arrive/depart from Venice.

Where to Stay in Venice

We stayed at the “Carvinal Palace” which is an amazing hotel. The hotel is situated in a quieter area of the city but has lots of nice restaurants nearby that are a little cheaper than staying closer to Mark’s Square. The hotel location is very close to Tri Achi ferry station.

What to do in Venice

St. Mark’s Basilica is located in the heart of St. Mark’s Square. It is probably the most identifiable structure in the city. Like most popular attractions, there are many ways to experience the Basilica. By far, the most interesting academic visit was to the upper floor museum, as the history of the church was covered fairly comprehensively.

Doge’s Palace

This is an extremely beautiful, incredible art, statues inside and outside and full of history. I suggest to book the secret as this gives so much unknown background and you explore otherwise unseen parts of the palace.

Burano

Burano island is about a 40 minute boat ride from Venice. Once you get there, be prepared to be charmed by the colorful picture postcard views. The island is very relaxing, peaceful and rejuvenating and the colorful houses are definitely a worth seeing site. You won’t regret it!

The island is a gem tucked away from the city and it is much less crowded then Venice itself.

Gondola

Although it is expensive, you can’t miss taking a gondola ride in Venice. It is a very romantic way to spend with your loved one. We didn’t take the gondola ride this time because we had the experience last time when we visit. But if you are in Venice, it’s definitely worth it. It’s 80 Euro for a 30 minute ride.

Prepare to get LOST

Venice is very small and we have only ever wandered around without a map and you can cover the entire place in this way within a day. However, prepare to get lost! We spent half an hour trying to find a restaurant we had spotted earlier in the day and could no way find it. Prepare to walk a lot and it’s part of the fun. ENJOY!

MILAN

The fashion capital of Italy, and the second-most populous city in Italy after Rome. The best way to get around the city is by foot. If you are not a shopaholic, then this is a guide in Milan for you.

Duomo di Milano

It’s the main attraction of Milan. It’s actually breathtaking. We went there for photos in the early morning to beat the crowd. This is such a beautiful cathedral. It’s definitely worth the climb up to the top for the stunning view of Milan. My advice would be to purchase the fast track tickets online to avoid the 45 mins queues.

Navigli

Best to visit the Navigli canal during the evening. It has a large option of restaurants where you can enjoy dinner. This is also a great place to stroll, shop, and people watch.

The colors in the sky that reflects in the water make this place a romantic destination. I think this is the most beautiful place in Milan.

Castello Sforzesco

The castle is maintained well and it is probably the 3rd most important sight in Milan. ( We walked to the castle after visiting the Duomo.) We enjoyed leisurely walking through the castle grounds and the surrounding park.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

The structure and layout of this building is very impressive. For those whose sightseeing is like shopping, this place is a true paradise. Full of high-end brand shops like Prada, Louis Vuitton, Versace and Gucci. Did you know this is home to the FIRST PRADA STORE?

The Leonardo Da Vinci Museum is also located at the end of the mall.

Exchange Rate: If you have cash and go to exchange it, you will get robbed. It’s better to put your money on your credit card and use that as your debit card. The exchange rates are much better.

Overall, we had a wonderful time in Milan. We are looking forward to visit Milan the 3rd time. This time we only spent 2 days here in this beautiful city. Hopefully next time when we come back, we could spend longer time to explore much more.

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand is naturally breathtaking and we wish we could have spent more time in there. Minimum time frame for visiting both the North and South island is 14 days and that’s roughly one week’s travel time for each island.

6 DAYS ITINERARY IN NORTH ISLAND NEW ZEALAND

Day 1 – 2 Auckland

Day 3 – Hobbiton Movie Set

Day 4 – 5 Rotaru

Day 6 – Auckland flying back to Sydney

AUCKLAND

Auckland is New Zealand most populated cities. It is very easy to get around in the city. It offers a well-run public transport system of trains, buses and ferries. The great way to see the city is to go up the Auckland Skytower. If you’re brave enough, you can even do a bungee jump which my husband did.

Fine dining in Auckland offers the absolute finest in food, wine, service and atmosphere that your money could buy.

HOBBITON

Either you are a big fan of Lord of The Rings or as a non-Hobbiton person, I still think you would enjoy the tour. Walking around this amazing film set, it is a bit like stepping into another world. You will see the magnificent views of the countryside, sheep, cows, rolling hills, enormous trees and much more. The scenery is gorgeous! Our guide was very informative and the tour was a lot of fun. It’s amazing what they have done with this place.

The tour ended at the Green Dragon pub, where we got to try some hobbit brew, which tasted very good.

WHAT TO DO IN ROTORUA

Hells Gate Geothermal Park and Mud Bath Spa

There’s a lot of geothermal parks in New Zealand, but Hells gate for me is one of the best. There is a BEAUTIFUL walk through many different kinds of geothermal ponds and lakes. Once you finish this magnificent walk, you get to relax in beautiful natural hot pools—-one is a natural mud bath, you can smother yourself in mud—-which is very cleansing and youth giving—and also sit in a natural sulfur hot spring.

ROTORUA ZIPLINE CANOPY AVENTURE

This is an absolute must do when visiting Rotorua. The forest was spectacular and seeing it from high above the tree tops on a zip line was incredible. The tour was incredibly informative as we learned all about the fauna, birds, and animals of the area. We had great guides and even made friends from the other tourists.

SKYLINE LUGE ROTORUA

You can easily make a full day of Skyline, the Gondola and all it has to offer. We did the gondola and seven rides. The luge was really good and the three tracks makes it interesting. I recommend first timers to take the ‘scenic’ track first. This is a slower track that gives you the chance to go slow and get used to how to maneuver the luge. After that you can try the intermediate and advanced tracks if you want. You can also just do whichever track is your favorite, every single time.

CONCLUSION

New Zealand is an amazing country! I now understand why everyone raves about New Zealand. I’d love to go back as soon as possible and visit the south side of New Zealand. Hopefully I don’t need to wait too long to do so.

SINGAPORE

Singapore is a wonderful, first-world oasis in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia has many exotic charms. There are a myriad of developing countries filled with ancient temples which rise from steamy jungles, exotic warm-water dive locales, and many diverse cultures and peoples and everything is extremely affordable by western standards. It’s an adventurers paradise. But those exotic locales come with a price. Traffic, pollution, tainted food and water, humid hotel rooms with damp sheets, beggars and the never ending parade of hawkers to name but a few. And then there is Singapore.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT SINGAPORE

Singapore is a year-round destination and the average humidity in Singapore is always above 80 percent. April is the warmest month, January is the coolest month and November is the wettest month. Brief showers/storms do build up some afternoons throughout the year (but only last 20-30 mins). Always have a light, foldable umbrella with you so that you will have protection from both rain and sun.

PLACES TO SEE

Merlion Park, Gardens by the bay, Marina Bay Sands Skypark, Singapore Flyer, Clarke Quay, Bontanic Garden, Sentosa and much more.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN SINGAPORE

Singapore is indeed expensive compared to most other countries in Asia, but it’s pretty much on par with Western countries, may be slightly cheaper. Singapore has a cheap and excellent public transport system, with the bus and MRT train network spanning the entire city state. Use of the EZLink stored value transport card is highly recommended. Taxis (good for wildlife parks and airport runs) are generally cheaper than in Western countries, drivers are reliable, honest and will always use the meter.

Currency – Currently now with $1.00 US, you will get $1.39 Singapore Dollar (SGD)
Most locals are bilingual – Their official languages are Chinese, English, Bahasa Malay, Tamil (South Indian).
Singapore visa requirements – Most nationalities do not need to arrange a travel visa before visiting Singapore, travelers from the United States and European Union are permitted a 90-day stay for free. You’ll get stamped in for free on arrival.

THE BEST OF SINGAPOREEAN FOODS

Singaporean cuisine is as ethnically diverse as its people, blending Chinese, Indonesian and Malay. Hainanese chicken rice, chilli crab, kaya toast, laksa and Bak Kut Teh. My favorite food in Singapore is Bak Kut Teh and laksa.

Bak Kut Teh or pork bone tea is a Chinese dish. Infused with herbs like dong gui, cinnamon, star arises, fennel seeds and garlic and loaded with pork ribs. Typically served with white rice. Laksa is a spicy noodles soup with a creamy coconut base. Top up with chicken, spring onions, bean sprouts, coriander, chilli, fried shallots and tofu puffs. Laksa is so popular in Singapore that you can find it anywhere.

WESTIN SINGAPORE

We stayed at the Westin hotel during this trip. The lobby sits on level 32 along with the main restaurant, the views were undeniably fantastic from any vantage point. The pool was on the 35th floor, also with fantastic scenery. Although the hotel is in the Business District, our room has views over the docks and water. The Westin is located within walking distance to the Marina Bay area and only 5 mins away walking distance to the metro.

So far, we didn’t get a chance to see everything that we wanted to. Hopefully next time we will explore more in Singapore!

W KOH SAMUI

The view of the large white W in foreground of the tranquil ocean as you walk through the entrance is breathtaking. We were greeted by a staff and provided us with a refreshing towel and a mocktail drink while we checked in. The checked in process was quick and smooth. The location of this resort is quite near the main Cheweng area and close to the airport as well.

ROOM

We stayed in an Ocean View Escape Villa and had a fantastic view out to the sea, a beautiful pool and found the room and terrace to be well-appointed. Our villa was extremely spacious and lacked nothing for a comfortable stay.

The red accents in the villa can really finish the scheme and give the interior a contemporary look.

The bathroom and a full-sized tub open directly to the pool which is a nice and convenient touch.

The private pool was fantastic, with a very comfortable undercover daybed nearby and the pool is long enough to do laps. There’s a sliding door from the bathroom to the pool just in case you wanted to jump out of the shower directly into the pool.

COMPLIMENTARY DRINKS AND ICE CREAM

The resort has awesome ‘Sweet Spots’ around the property that offer complimentary Haagan Dazs ice cream and drinks (non-alcoholic) all day and night.

NAMU RESTAURANT

This fusion Japanese restaurant has great variety and high quality ingredient. It is a bit expensive, but not that much compare to the same level place in Bangkok. They also have a good collection of wine.

WOOBAR

Sunset views at the WOOBAR are to die for. It’s a hotspot for photos, so reserve the round in water booth in advance to enjoy the view and drinks.

MUAY THAI

We did a Muay Thai class and it was very enjoyable with an excellent and attentive trainer who gave very personal instructions. A wide range of choice of classes from Tai Chi to yoga, running on the beach, stretching, Thai boxing and more.

OVERALL

Overall the hotel itself, it is very beautiful. The only downside is that the hotel looks a little bit tired and worn out. I would likely return if I do ever go back to Koh Samui, but this is more like a 4.5-star hotel than a true 5-star.