7 Things to Do in Batam, Indonesia

Batam is one of the Riau islands in Indonesia, just a short ferry ride from Singapore. Some of the things that come straight to my mind when talking about Batam are Kueh Lapis (Layered Cake), Polo factory outlet, finding a 2nd wife (Mistress) and etc.

Finally, I had this chance to make a trip there to take a look myself. This trip was pretty short, therefore we just explored around the city area.

The Train Journey from Ella to Kandy, Sri Lanka

Train travel is something that I always fascinated with. When I am traveling, I will look for any opportunity to take a train ride even knowing that the journey will be longer and slower. I really enjoy getting from places to places in a more nostalgic way, also it allows me to meet the local people and admire the landscape scenery as the train runs across the country.

So far the most beautiful and scenic train journey that I have came across was the journey running through the hill country of Sri Lanka from Ella to Kandy. The train ride took around 7 hours long but I felt like only 2 to 3 hours short; most probably because of the spectacular views along the way and also the comfort seats that I got in the observation deck.

The Christmas Wonderland @ Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Christmas Wonderland 2015 is back at Gardens by the Bay! The biggest yuletide fair in Singapore is back for the second time after a successful launched in 2014. The festival will be occupying a bigger area this year; bigger means more activities and more fun!

This dazzling festival will span across four main areas; the Fairground near The Meadow garden; the Festive Market around the Supertree Grove; the Christmas Toyland in the Flower Dome and lastly the majestic Luminaire light sculptures around the festival area.

:::CONTEST::: Invite & Win a Trip to Singapore

Singapore Tourism Board is running a Photo Contest Campaign for participants to invite their friends and relatives from aboard to Singapore.

Winners will be able to bring their friends or relatives to Singapore for a three-day stay, including return air tickets and 3 nights accommodation. There will have 25 winners in total, and each winner may invite up to three guests. 

The Faces of Myanmar/Burma

In 2014, I traveled to Myanmar/Burma for the first time. Since after, I became to like this country very much. The things that really impressed me are the people, food, culture and the countless temples around Burma.   

When I first stepped onto the Burmese soil, the very first thing that caught my attention was the yellowish white paste on the faces of the women, children or even young men. This yellowish white paste is called Thanaka and it is made from ground bark. This unique feature of Burma's culture is used as a cosmetic to beautify skin and also to protect skin from the sun.

Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand

The moment we released the floating lantern into the sky, my heart became heavy, shortness of breath, ear was blocked and saw things in slow motion; standing in that mind blowing scene, I had to remind myself to get back to work as in start taking pictures of the thousands floating lanterns. That was my unforgettable experience during the Yi Peng Festival back in 2013.

Yi Peng, the Festival of Lights is celebrated on the full moon day in the 2nd month of Lanna lunar calendar in Chiang Mai, the ancient capital of former Lanna Kingdom. The people celebrate this festival by releasing the floating lanterns into the sky; the release is to get rid of their bad luck and make a wish for a better future.

A Scenic Hike in Santorini, Greece

Santorini (Thira), an unique crescent-shaped island set in the Aegean Sea and this beautiful place is almost everyone's dream destination for a honeymoon or holiday.

There are quite a number of activities to do during your stay in this island; and the popular one is to take a scenic hike along the caldera of Santorini island. The hiking distance is around 10km, and usually it takes about 3 to 5 hrs depending on your pace and how many times you stop to rest and take photos.