Celebrating National Day in Singapore 2018

In Singapore, National Day celebration is a big thing. The show itself, though routine and expected, is always spectacular in its own way and involves a lot of performers and cast. In the year 2015, as Singapore is celebrating SG50 (50 years of independence), the golden jubilee celebration is even more grand. 

Naturally, a big budget is set aside for the event. Fortunately for common people like us, tickets are free, though have to be obtained through a ballot. So nothing is certain.

As Singapore is small, we only have a few places to host the celebration, usually the padang near city hall or the floating platform overlooking marina bay sands.

This year, 2018, it is held at the floating platform. Tickets are available for balloting for the Previews 1, 2 and the actual show. Previews 1 and 2, meant to be rehearsals for the performers, are scheduled on the last two saturdays before the actual show.

During balloting, we can choose to watch either the preview or the actual, but not both. I guess it may be easier to get tickets for the preview, which is what we did this year. Tickets can be had for 2, 4 or 6. Again, I think it's easier to ballot for 2 tickets rather than more.

Successful applicants for the ballot will receive notice by text and will be required to collect this ticket at the National Gallery Singapore, an under visited attraction in Singapore.

Anyway, coming to the National Day Parade preview...

A long queue starts at the Marina Square shopping mall.

Everyone gets to receive a free goodie bag. There are snacks, bottled water and some national day stuff. How cool is that?

Taking in the great views of the floating platform and the marina bay sands. This year, the show begins with the hosts introducing the 5 mascots, some of those dating back to my childhood days... Nostalgia haha!

My seat among the thousands of spectators. The audience is encouraged to be in either red or white attire, colours of the Singapore flag.

The red lions, an all time favourite of the NDP

The military parade, demonstrating Singapore's military prowess. The military vehicles didn't really make much of an appearance this year.

Even the packaging on the snacks in the goodie bag celebrates our national day

The Singapore flag flypast when singing the national anthem

After the military parade segment, the second segment is always the performing arts. This involves some of our history. I notice the aviation theme - aircraft engines and propellors 

Some interactive element with the audience showing the placards given in the goodie bag.

And of course, the NDP show always features a massive and impressive fireworks display. This year, they actually display the fireworks throughout the performing arts segment instead of concentrating them at the end.

For those who are not inclined to make the trip to the show venue, the entire show is also televised live on national channels on national day itself. This year's a usual three hours show and it certainly wows!

Faroe Island trip review 2018

Here's some background info on Faroe Island. It is a territory of Denmark. It has its own currency which is pegged to Denmark's at 1:1, so they can be used interchangeably. 

Faroe Island also has its airline, Atlantic Airways, with 3 narrowbody aircrafts that operate on few routes out of Faroe Island. On the way back to Copenhagen, I had a chance to try out this little airline and shall post a review then.

As expected, Faroe Island has a small airport terminal building, similar to Longyearbyen. I believe only Atlantic Airways and SAS fly here. Surprisingly, it actually has a rather big sized duty free shop selling alcohols and such. On both arrival and departure, all passengers are routed through the shop, presumably to encourage sales.

Being small, there are limited seating areas in the arrival or departure areas, so it's best not to arrive too early. 

Faroe Island, though a small territory, is well served by an extensive network of buses between and within the islands. Bus 300 serves the airport and Torshavn, the main city on Faroe Island. It's schedule is published on a stand at the Visitor centre at the arrivals area. Unfortunately, it is timed to meet, not all flights, but only Atlantic Airways flights. Having arrived on an SAS flight from Copenhagen, I had to wait over an hour for the next bus.

Faroe Island airport bus timing

I can't remember whether there is wifi at the airport though. The cons of delaying my trip review. Haha! Anyway, I simply had a seat by the airport door and just people-watch. Throughout that time and in fact for the days I'm there, I'm one of the very few Asian tourists. Something that I'm getting used to it by now, having been places such as Easter Island, Chile, the Baltic States and Macedonia.

Finally, the bus 300 arrived punctually. The bus ticket is purchased directly from the driver upon boarding, either cash or credit card. And it's a scenic, 45 minute trip to Torshavn.

After alighting at the bus terminal, my guesthouse is a 10 minute walk away. I shall review this accommodation in a subsequent post.

The bus terminal is also where the ferry terminal and the harbour is, right in the middle of Torshavn city.

I was on the island for three days. I arranged for tours through the helpful receptionist in the guesthouse.

The first day was a free day for me to simply wander around Torshavn.

On the second day, I visited VÁGOY on a half day tour.

On Faroe Island, sheep outnumber people. Much like on Svalbard, whether polar bears outnumber people.

The waterfall

Unique grass-roof houses

A church

And of course, beautiful views at every turn. It's often raining on the Faroe Island, so this is the usual weather. 

On the third day, I explored the Vestmanna Birdcliffs on a sightseeing boat. This required me to make my own way to Vestmanna to board the boat. Fortunately, the bus network is extensive and it simply involves a change of buses 100 and 300 at a petrol station bus stop.

When the big bus 300 reaches the stop, the minibus 100 is already waiting. No less than 5 seconds after I alighted bus 300, I was already on bus 100. The bus drivers had ensured that the bus doors are aligned to minimize exposure to the cold elements. Haha!

Vestmanna harbour

A museum in the ferry building. I didn't go in as the ticket price is over my budget.

Having a reasonably priced coffee while waiting for the boat.

I'm the only customer at the cafe

About the sightseeing boat. I felt that it is simply too small for the number of tourists. I'm not even sure if it had exceeded capacity on that day. There is not enough seats for everyone and I had to stand the entire time on the boat. I would have preferred a seat though, having paid for the boat trip just like everyone else. So hopefully they could upgrade to a bigger boat or limit the number of passengers. This is perhaps the only negative I encountered on Faroe Island. Not enough to dampen my mood though, as the scenery more than made up for it😉

There were many puffins spotted on this boat trip. Of course, the majestic cliffs are great too. This is the reason why a small boat is used on this trip, so it can traverse through the tiniest holes among the cliffs.

On the return, bus 100 has a stop near the harbour. Fortunately, it's a short wait in the cold. There is no bus shelter here, though they could consider building one since I presume there might be many tourists going for the boat trip.

At certain times of the day, bus 100 actually goes all the way back to Torshavn, so there's no need for a bus transfer.

I alighted at the sms shopping mall, the only one on Faroe Island. Within walking distance of the Torshavn bus terminal and the harbour. 

I was surprised to find burger king doing business here. Probably the only fast food on Faroe Island. In comparison, there are none in Svalbard. The menu features the usual for any burger king outlet. Anyway, I gladly paid the high price for a meal here. This is Europe after all.

This shopping mall also has a supermarket, good for stocking up snacks at affordable prices. There are convenient stores around Torshavn too.

With that, I walked back to my guesthouse, collected my luggage from inside the receptionist office and rested an hour or two in the empty communal area. There are toilets and showers conveniently accessible even after checking out for the day. Soon, I made my way to the bus terminal to board bus 300 back to the airport for my flight to Copenhagen to continue on my tour.

In conclusion, a very, very satisfying trip to the exotic Faroe Islands!

A continental travel milestone

By end of 2018, if my travel wish were to come true, I would have traveled to 6 continents of the world. My travels thus far has taken me to most of Asia, 

 Europe, 

Australia and 

North America multiple times.

In South America, I have been to Chile and Easter Island.

This leaves the Africa continent. I have recently booked cheap fares on Easyjet to fly from London to Morocco (in Northern Africa) at the end of 2018, as part of my European tour. Not sure why, but I keep returning to Europe multiple times.

Of course, there is the seventh continent, where not many people have stepped foot on, the Antarctica. As much as I would like to visit the polar ice caps and see penguins and others, realistically I'm not likely to visit it any time soon, if at all.

The exorbitant cost is certainly the one and important factor. Since I'm based in Asia, getting to anywhere on South America is expensive. From there, tour packages to the Antarctica is even more expensive. It is hard for me to justify spending a fortune just to visit it, when I can spend that money to travel to many other countries instead. So, it will definitely be the last, or one of the last places on Earth that I will ever visit.

To me, having stepped foot on 6 continents is already a huge milestone for me. And I felt humbled and fortunate enough to have explored these continents. "Humbled" in the sense that the world is just so big. Every trip that I have taken taught me so many things, history, culture, interaction, even values in life. "Fortunate" as in being physically, mentally and financially able to have gone overseas at all.

As with the uncertainties in life, I'm not sure how long I would still be able to travel. But I do know that time and tide wait for no man.

South America is a continent that I would  certainly explore again in December 2019. Probably on a cruise between Buenos Aires and Chile. Where I can see the Chilean fjords and passing by the southern tip of South America.

In Africa, I would like to visit South Africa in 2019 as well, in particular Cape Town to see the table mountain and cape of good hope.

Yup, so these are my current travel plans for 2019, in addition to Russia, which I mentioned in an earlier post, subject to change of course. Here's to hoping my travel wish will come true 😀

SAS flight review Copenhagen to the exotic Faroe Islands

After a pleasant and comfortable overnight stay at Copenhagen airport airside, I'm thrilled to be flying to the Faroe Islands. This is the other highlight of my trip, after Svalbard, and the reason why I travelled from Asia to Europe at all.

On approach to the Faroe Islands

At the time of booking, SAS is offering cheap flights to the Faroe Islands, around the same time to Longyearbyen, Svalbard. The flight to Longyearbyen leaves from Oslo while the flight to Faroe Islands leaves from Copenhagen. Since both are in Europe and within Scandinavia, I decided to visit these two exotic places on the same trip.

Turns out, they are indeed a trip of the lifetime!

I booked cheap SAS fares on the way to the Faroe Islands and Atlantic Airways on the way back since they are cheaper for the dates I want to travel. A three day two night trip to the Faroe Islands is sufficient for me to discover the place. Of course, to truly explore all the corners, a week will probably be better. As I'm travelling on a budget and with limited days to travel, I just stick to a three-day trip.

SAS offers mobile boarding pass, the reason why I'm able to stay overnight airside without having to get a paper boarding pass. Also, Copenhagen airport is made up of one terminal with all gates connected by walkways, making it easy to navigate.

This flight departs from a gate close to the Air Greenland flight, both departing around the same time. This gives me a chance to see the sole magnificent A330 aircraft for myself. The picture is covered in my previous post, so I shall not repeat it here. Another time perhaps. Haha !

This SAS flight departs on time and is uneventful. I was allocated the last row seat, and fortunately, has the whole row to myself. This means I was able to make myself an economy class bed and lie down for the whole flight.

As with all other intra-Europe flights on legacy airlines, a coffee/tea service was offered on this flight, though I skipped as I had earlier had an expensive breakfast in the airport terminal. Much like the rest of European airports, prices of food are significantly higher compared to Asian airports. 

But unlike other airlines such as Austrian and Lufthansa, no complimentary snack was offered on SAS. Intra-European flights are all short haul, so it's not really a big deal to me. 

Of course, the service definitely loses out to carriers in Asia, where a flight in similar duration on Asian legacy airlines offers a proper meal even in economy class.

On this SAS flight, the entertainment is definitely the scenery outside the window, especially coming into land on the Faroe Islands.

Interestingly, this aircraft features usb port at every seat. But I can't remember whether it's actually working.

I always feel good above the clouds ! 😀

It's usually raining in the Faroe Islands, according to my tour guide.

As with all remote airports, there is no jetways. So deplaning is always on stairs. This always makes for a picture of the aircraft that just brought me here.

A Russian travel aspiration for June 2019

It is always a good idea to set milestones for myself, to make life more meaningful. Though I have earlier said that I live my life on a day-by-day basis, which is still true today, that doesn't stop me from setting tomorrow's goals. It is these goals that give me directions in life and motivates me to keep myself in good shape to live the next day.

So with that, I have set myself some travelling aspirations for June 2019. I know it's still a long time till then. It doesn't really matter to me whether these aspirations come to fruition by then. These are just some things to look forward to in my life.

Anyway, I intend to visit Russia in June 2019. From Stockholm, I will embark on the St Peter Line cruise. The cruise itinerary includes stops at Helsinki, St Petersburg and Tallinn. It also comes with a 3-day visa free stay at St Petersburg, allowing me to explore the city! I hope this current arrangement continues till then.

Upon ending the cruise at Helsinki, I will hop over to Copenhagen, spend a day or two at visiting the city and Legoland. Then I will fly on Aeroflot, a Russian airline, to Tehran, Iran. The flight will transit at Moscow, where I will allow myself a long daytime layover, in both directions, to visit Moscow twice, with a hired tour guide.

After Moscow, I will continue on to Tehran, Iran. I will get around Tehran on its metro, with favourable online reviews. Then, I will take the overnight train to Shiraz and hire a tour guide to visit Persepolis.

So this is my travelling plan for June 2019. Fingers crossed it will come to fruition. 😀

Great Business Class fare from Johannesburg to South America !

Recently I learnt about a business class fare deal online which is going on for days now. Latam Airlines flight on business class costs ~S$1250 direct from Johannesburg to Brazil (GRU) return. 

And for a couple of hundreds more, you can travel onwards to Argentina (EZE) and Chile (SCL). Some of the short haul international flights within South America is on Latam economy or premium economy class on their narrowbody aircraft.

A search on google flight also shows the possibility of booking flights on a combination of Latam as well as KLM or Emirates, both on their B777 business class.

This fare do really entice me. This will be a new flight routing for me. I have never travelled intercontinental flights across the South Atlantic Ocean. Moreover, this will give me the chance to visit both South Africa and South America. Also, it will give me the opportunity to try out business class on Emirates and KLM.

Previously, I have taken Latam Airlines business class from Mexico City via Chile to Easter Island, all sectors on their B787 dreamliner aircraft , featuring 2-2-2 seating configuration. The downside of this, no direct aisle access for passengers like me who prefer window seats. It can be a hassle if I need to get to the aisle.

For this business class fare, the atlantic crossing will be taken on Latam B767 aircraft featuring similar business class seating arrangement, but probably narrower due to the smaller width of the B767 compared to B787 aircraft.

Also, for longer layover in Brazil, I'm not sure whether a yellow fever certificate is required.

Sadly, I have decided to exercise some restrain here and not to book this great fare. Though I intended to visit these destinations, but I would prefer to go in December next year, rather than this year, as I have fixed part of my travelling itinerary this December. Booking this fare will greatly increase my travelling expenditure, not to mention positioning flights to South Africa.

Another time perhaps!

Review of Brussels Airlines flight Zagreb to Brussels to Copenhagen and Overnight in Copenhagen Airport

Zagreb airport is modern, fairly small and easy to navigate. I arrived at the airport early on the airport bus. There are only a few shops and cafes at the check in area. But otherwise, there is nothing much to do while waiting for check in to open. 

Though there were only few people waiting to check in flights at that time, seating is rather limited at the check in area, so preferably not to arrive too early at the airport.

At the check in counter, I was asked to weigh my hand luggage trolley, which is over the limit by ~ 2kg. Then the check in agent asked me to fit into the nearby luggage sizer, which fortunately fits in, so I need not pay extra fees.

The luggage sizer seems to be of a standard size in various airports, as my luggage is always able to fit in with only a margin of space left. I'm glad to have brought this luggage along, saving me a ton of checked baggage fees.

At the gate area, there are plenty of comfortable seating with power ports and usb ports.

Soon I boarded my first of two Brussels Airlines narrowbody flight. By this time, I have taken many intra-Europe flights and have come to expect the services onboard. Which is mainly a complimentary coffee/tea service on legacy airlines. 

At Brussels airport, I have ~ 3 hours layover. At the airside, there are only several eateries with expensive food items. So I decided to head over to the Brussels airport Priority Pass lounge, located one floor up.

View from the lounge. The familiar sight of Ryanair, which I have taken from London to Oslo. The other aircraft is Easyjet, which I will be taking from London to Morocco in December.

The lounge is fairly small and not crowded. Food is limited to mainly the delicious Brussels waffles, hot soap and drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). No shower facilities though. 

After about an hour in the lounge, I headed to the departure gate for my second flight to Copenhagen. It was announced that the aircraft will be delayed to cater to connecting passengers.

While seated in the aircraft, I saw another Brussels airlines aircraft exterior decorated with smurfs ! 

I liked the slogan "brussels airlines - we fly you to the home of the Smurfs"

So on that day, I learnt that Smurfs came from Brussels. Haha !

The aircraft reached Copenhagen late, close to midnight. But it's alright to me, as I intended to spend the night in Copenhagen airport airside.

Fortunately, I checked in for my SAS flight the next day online and received the mobile boarding pass, saving me the trouble to exit and enter Copenhagen airport.

During my Europe trip, I actually spent two nights in Copenhagen airport. In the wee hours, the airport is quite deserted, with very few passengers around. It is possible to find a corner, lie down and sleep. The couches are very comfortable for a good night's sleep.

In the morning, I was actually woken up by another passenger asking me whether I'm heading to Paris, I think. Turns out, I was sleeping at the gate where the Paris flight is departing from. Haha! Such a kind gesture from a fellow flyer.

Anyway, my flight to Faroe Islands was due to depart at 1100. So I contemplated whether to leave the airport for a couple of hours in the morning. In the end, I stayed in the airside and had my breakfast at one of the eateries. Procrastination, I guess 😀. I had been to Copenhagen city previously, so didn't feel a need to visit again.

While walking along the airside corridors, I spotted this Air Greenland A330 aircraft, bound for Kangerlussaq. Prices are actually quite expensive for the short ~ 4 hours flight to Greenland, as there is no competition on this route. So I didn't choose to visit this time. Another day perhaps haha!

Yup, with this, I soon boarded my SAS flight, on my way to Faroe Islands, another highlight of my current trip, and an exotic destination to visit.

My upcoming travel plans - an update

My coming September travel plan is slowly taking shape. Recently, I have booked myself on Fiji Airways from Singapore via Fiji to Los Angeles.

First reason being, this is among the cheapest option to position myself to the United States for my return portion of my SQ Business class flight from New York City via Frankfurt to Singapore. 

The cheapest option is actually on Philippines Airlines via Manila. But online reviews has not been exactly favourable.

Second reason, this will give me an opportunity to visit Fiji for the first time. There is a layover of 10 hours which will give me sufficient time to book a short tour of Nadi and hopefully Desaru. According to online research, there are some tour agencies located at the airport. Otherwise, I could probably head out to Desaru for a visit myself.

From Los Angeles, I have yet to decide how to get to New York City for my return flight. I will be spending 3 days in the United States. My preferred choice is to visit Orlando in Florida. I have a desire, for some time now, to visit Walt Disney World, the biggest of all disney theme parks, as well as the Universal Studios over there. Though I will most likely have to leave this to another day. Yup, in the meantime, I'm regularly monitoring flight prices hoping for some cheap fares. Haha !

So come this September, I will be literally doing my first, albeit quick, round-the-world trip. Going from Asia via the Pacific to North America, then across the Atlantic towards Europe, finally across Europe and coming back to Asia.

Next, for my not-so-distant december trip. It will be once again another worldwide trip. If things go on smoothly, I should be travelling for the first time to Central Asia. This is due to the Asiana business class fares which I booked earlier. 

December will also see me in Europe, thanks to the cheap Turkish airlines long haul economy fares originating from Europe. While there, I will travel to Morocco, having just booked reasonably priced tickets on Easyjet from London to Marrakech, Morocco. I'm also considering parts of Eastern Europe such as Prague, Sofia and Bucharest. No concrete plans yet though.

As there is still some time to December, I'm still keeping my options open and waiting for more cheap fares to appear. 😀

Seems that I have deeply caught the travel bug! I always felt great in planning my next travel itinerary, and especially happy if I managed to book really cheap fares. I guess having had the fortune to travel to different parts of the world, I get to see some really beautiful views that I don't see at home. 

Think the Swiss alps in summer...

Or the mysterious Moais on Easter Island...

It is places like these that continues to encourage me to explore other parts of the world. As good as travelling sounds, I'm fully aware that this hobby costs alot.

Which is why, I have decided, from next year onward, I will not just randomly book cheap fares just to take advantage of the costs, but rather, only focus on fares to destinations that I really want to visit. Otherwise, I will find myself returning to Europe every now and then.

To reduce my travel budget, I have decided to limit my travels in 2019, hopefully to just South Africa, Russia and South America. These are places that I desire to visit. 

Right now, nothing else entice me more. I have been to most of the big cities of the world, and having fulfilled my own bucket list, now I travel not to tick off any list, but to discover more about the world.

I'm thankful for each day I live and I do not take anything for granted. So I tend to live each day like my last. This way, I'm more appreciative of the people and environment around me. This belief also shapes the way I travel, wanting to travel to different places, rather than returning to the same place each time. As I know we all have a limited lifetime and I want to make full use of whatever available time I have in my life to explore the world.

Yup, enough of these serious thoughts. In the meantime, I will keep myself in good health and continue to work hard to earn my travelling funds. 😀

Tour of Zagreb

Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is a tourist destination in Eastern Europe, though not as overcrowded as the big cities of London and Paris. During my visit, I chanced upon some Asian tourists as well.

Zagreb train station is conveniently located between the bus station and old town, both within walking distance, even with luggage.

Zagreb train station

After alighting from the train, I purchased some coffee from a vending machine and a snack within the station. Thereafter, my handy google map offline led me towards the old town.

June is definitely a pleasant time to visit Europe. Temperatures are great and weather is cooling, if sometimes a bit warm. 

From the train station, I walked towards the old town, taking in the marvelous sights of this Eastern European country along the way. There are also trams in front of the station to the old town as well.

The old town is fairly compact and easily covered on foot in half a day.

After some exploration, it is time to head towards the bus station and take the airport bus towards the airport for my flight. There is a dedicated enclosed waiting area and office for the airport bus. The bus schedule is pasted on the office wall, leaving every 30 minutes for the airport. The fare is paid directly to the driver upon boarding. 

Bus station building

Had a cappuccino at this cafe within the bus station. 

The cafe offers plenty of power ports at every table and free wifi. Great for travellers like myself ! 

Airport bus schedule with frequent departures to the airport

This is my last stop in Croatia. I feel that this country has plenty to offer for travellers. From picturesque Dubrovnik to the old town in Zagreb, there is certainly something for everyone. The ferry ride and the overnight train has given me some unique experiences as well.

It is these special experiences that kept the travelling bug in me. I travel not just to enjoy the destination but also the journey itself. As long as I'm able to, both physically and financially, I will continue to travel for the experience. This particular trip has been very enjoyable to me. I have been blessed with great clear weather for exploring. For the most part, I guess.

The airport bus dropped me right outside the airport terminal. I arrived plenty early for my Brussels airline flight via Brussels towards Copenhagen to embark on the second highlight of my trip. 

So next up is my brief flight review of the short haul intra-Europe flights with Brussels Airlines on two sectors, transiting Brussels airport and an overnight at Copenhagen airport