We all have different ideas of what a vacation is for. Some want to be moving and doing the whole time. Others look forward to lazy days napping or reading. Some long for museums while others only want to be outdoors.
Take this quiz to find out how much adventure you can handle.
After living in Singapore for two years, I have gone from a mass-transit novice to a fairly competent public transportation user. But Seoul is an entirely different beast. The map of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway system resembles a tangle of multi-colored spaghetti that a mad chef has thrown against the wall. I prefer Singapore’s map…
Travel at its very basic level is all about finding things. Find a unique food. FInd a different language. Find a fresh way of interpreting the world around you. What you do with these finds determines their value. Will you place them in a photo album which rarely gets opened? Or will you keep them…
Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery is the oldest Buddhist monastery in Singapore, having been established in 1912. Fourteen years earlier, 12 Buddhist monks and nuns were invited to spread the faith of Buddhism in Singapore. Funds were raised throughout the Chinese community of Singapore for the construction of the monastery. The original monastery buildings were…
The guide books will tell you the best time to visit Cambodia is between November and April. I would agree but would add that the really best time to visit is right now as the Covid Pandemic is waning, countries are opening their borders, and crowds are not yet at pre-pandemic levels. The only negative…
When we moved to Singapore in December 2020, we knew that travel would be restricted for a while due to the Covid pandemic. Like everyone else, we had to wait a while longer before that could happen. With many countries in Southeast Asia requiring quarantine, pre-departure and on-arrival covid testing, a trip in these covid…
After a short flight from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh we began the second half of our Cambodian adventure. This part of our trip would prove to be very different from the first half. We left the ancient history in the peaceful countryside to explore modern history and city life. Read about our trip to…
Depending on your definition of “continental” I may or may not have stood at the southernmost point of Continental Asia which is proclaimed to be located on Singapore’s Sentosa Island. Either way, this destination makes for a nice walk along the beach and views of the Singapore Strait and South China Sea. While many Indonesian…
When you can only get away from the city for a day, head to Pulau Ubin for a semi-adventurous escape that will leave you feeling like you are world’s away from the city’s hustle and bustle. Pulau Ubin is an island located between Singapore and Malaysia and can be reached by a 15-minute boat ride…
Hiking the longest river in a country is usually seriously adventurous. Here in Singapore; however, the longest river is only 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) long which places it squarely in the semi–adventurous category! The river begins at the Lower Pierce Reservoir and ends when it empties into the Kallang Basin. This is an urban hike,…
A Semi-Adventurous play How can a play be semi-adventurous? Take away the stage and have the audience walk through busy city streets while listening to the story which takes place in those very streets. New World’s End, produced by Oh! Open House in Singapore, tells the story of Rosa and Kirin who meet in the…
Some of my favorite semi-adventures include a little bit of history. Throw in a few hikes through awe-inspiring landscapes that are a bit off the beaten path and I’m sold. Alaska’s Kennecott Copper Mine and nearby McCarthy, Alaska fit this description perfectly. Located 80 miles from the Canadian border and an 8 hour drive from…
When the temperature routinely hovers around 30° C (87° F), dipping into a hot spring doesn’t immediately come to mind as a expected activity. But a visit to Sembawang Hot Spring Park in Singapore is worth the trip for those looking to soak their feet and soak up a bit of Singapore history at the…
Hiking can take us out of the pressures of our everyday lives, providing peace and calm. But hiking can also take us out of the present, providing a glimpse into the past. This was especially true during my hike through Thomson Nature Park in Singapore. During the 1800s, the area was the site of rubber,…
One of the benefits of living in a foreign country, rather than just visiting for a few days or weeks, is that you have the time to move beyond the tourist sites and experience what daily life is like for the locals. On this day, we were able to observe a deep-rooted local hobby enjoyed…
I’ve been enjoying eating the food here in Singapore so I guess it’s about time I learn how to make a few of the delicious dishes that Singapore is known for. This is not a cooking blog and I am certainly not an expert in the kitchen. Therefore, I won’t be sharing specific recipes and…
Jurong Bird Park is the largest park dedicated to birds in Asia. Home to more than 3000 birds from around the world, the park is committed to conservation and education and has successfully bred many endangered species. Words won’t do justice to the birds in this park so for this post, I’ll just let you…
We had a really fun experience yesterday as we participated in a traditional Singaporean Chinese New Year activity. Yu Sheng is a salad which is eaten during the New Year celebrations. Each ingredient in the salad represents a symbol of good luck for the coming year. As ingredients are added to the plate, people recite wishes…
Urban hiking has gained popularity recently as our ability to travel to our favorite hiking spots has been curtailed. And that’s good news because it gives us all an opportunity to explore our own back yards. Just because you aren’t miles into the wilderness, doesn’t mean you can’t experience a a good hike! What is…
