Flamingos and Llamas

Forgive me if I have been lagging in my blog updates as I am currently working on a travel magazine article..

For now.. And by now, you would have already noticed how much I love animals.. :)

Here are my favourite animal moments from the Uyuni Tour in Bolivia!

Watching the pink and white Flamingos at the Laguna Hedionda (in English, Stinking Lake).. and loving the fact that they are Wild and in their natural habitat..

Wishing I walked faster to see this herd.. that Llama just gave birth a few seconds before I arrived at this spot.. and look closely, that's the baby Llama beside its mama :)

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And click here for a baby Alpaca ;)

Greece - Athens, Crete, and Santorini Itinerary

A lot of friends have been asking me where to go for their honeymoon..

And although we had a perfect one in Maldives.. My answer would be Greece.. Santorini to be exact! :)

I could stare at the caldera from our balcony in Imerovigli the whole day, everyday.. And those were just the most peaceful and beautiful moments..

Ruins in Athens. Shopping in Crete. Because in Santorini, the same things we bought from Crete were at least 3 times more expensive!

We spent 3 days in Santorini, and though it was enough to see everything.. it was not enough for me. And if you are wondering why we stayed in 2 accommodations, it was because I wanted to experience the difference between Imerovigli and Oia.

Oia is lovelier with all the blue domes and pretty shops, but Imerovigli has the panoramic view of the caldera. People say that the sunset in Oia is the most beautiful in the world. But I loved the sunset from our balcony in Imerovigli better ;)





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Flight - Singapore to Athens - Qatar Airways

Day 1 - Athens

Accommodation - Alice Inn Athens - 1 Night

Day 2 - Athens to Chania, Crete

Flight - Olympic Air - 50 Minutes

Accommodation - Room Honeymoon - 2 Nights

Day 3 - Chania

Car Rental - Athens Cars - 24 Hours

Accommodation - Room Honeymoon - 2 Nights

Day 4 - Chania to Heraklion, Crete - 2 Hours (By Car)

Accommodation - Kronos Hotel - 1 Night

Day 5 - Heraklion to Imerovigli, Santorini

Ferry - Hellenic Seaways - 2 Hours
Car Rental - From one of the companies at the pier - 3 days

Accommodation - Vallais Villas - 2 Nights

Day 6 - Imerovigli

Accommodation - Vallais Villas - 2 Nights

Day 7 - Imerovigli to Oia, Santorini - 15 Minutes (By Car)

Accommodation - Delfini Villas - 1 Night

Day 8 - Santorini to Athens

Flight - Olympic Air - 50 Minutes

Accommodation - Sofitel Athens Airport Hotel - 1 Night

Day 9 - Athens 

Flight - Athens to Singapore - Qatar Airways

Enjoy planning your trip guys! :)

Also check out: 

Chania, Crete and Santorini

New Zealand - Road Trip Itinerary and Tasmania, Australia - Road Trip Itinerary

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References:

September - Our Budget for 9 Days for 2 Persons sharing the Room ;)

Plane Fare from Singapore - SGD 1,200 x 2 = SGD 2,400

Plane Fare from Athens to Crete / Santorini to Athens - SGD 250 x 2 = SGD 500

Ferry from Crete to Santorini, Car Rental, and Gas - SGD 600

8 Nights Accommodation - SGD 1,400
Food and Entrance Fees - SGD 700
Total for 2 Persons = SGD 5,600 / EUR 3,600

Tasmania, Australia - East Coast Road Trip Itinerary

Tasmania, Australia.. if you like nature, turquoise beaches, colourful boulders, unique rock formations, and fresh raspberries in a bucket.. :)

To make this group trip successful, I imposed 2 "rules."

1. Small Luggage - Each person was allowed to bring only 1 "cabin" luggage. Sounds simple? No, it was a challenge for a 9-day trip. But it made it easier for us to load and unload, and not overload our mini van good for 8. 

2. Pre-assigned Roommates - A change in roommate for every change in accommodation, my husband and i, included. This allowed everyone to bond and become really good friends, and avoided any small group formations and conflicts.

It worked, and all 8 of us had a great time! :)

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Flight - Singapore to Melbourne to Hobart - Qantas Airways

Day 1 - Hobart

Car Rental - Collect from Hobart Airport - Avis Rent A Car

Accommodation - St. Ives Motels and Apartments - 1 Night

Mount Wellington

Day 2 - Hobart to Tasman Peninsula - 1.5 Hours

Accommodation - Abs by the Bay - 2 Nights

Tasman Island Cruise

Day 3 - Tasman Peninsula

Accommodation - Abs by the Bay - 2 Nights

Port Arthur Historic Site

Day 4 - Tasman Peninsula to Coles Bay to Chain of Lagoons - 3.5 Hours

Accommodation - Santosha at Little Beach - 2 Nights

Honeymoon Bay, Freycinet National Park

Day 5 - Chain of Lagoons to Bay of Fires - 1 Hour + Another 1 Hour back

Accommodation - Santosha at Little Beach - 2 Nights

Bay of Fires

Day 6 - Chain of Lagoons to Cradle Mountain - 3.5 Hours

Accommodation - Cradle Mountain Highlanders Cottages - 2 Nights

Dove Lake

Day 7 - Cradle Mountain

Accommodation - Cradle Mountain Highlanders Cottages - 2 Nights

Crater Lake

Day 8 - Cradle Mountain to Launceston - 2 Hours

Accommodation - Ashton Gate Guest House - 1 Night

Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Cafe

Day 9 - Launceston

Car Rental - Return at Launceston Airport

Flight - Launceston to Melbourne to Singapore - Qantas Airways

Cataract Gorge 

Enjoy planning your trip guys! :)

Also check out: New Zealand - Road Trip Itinerary

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References:

Our Budget for 9 Days Per Person with shared rooms and car
Plane Fare from Singapore - SGD 1,150
Car Rental and Gas - SGD 255
Accommodations - SGD 680
Food - SGD 310
Activities - SGD 205
(Tasman Island Cruise, Port Arthur Historic Site, Tasmanian Devil Conservatory, and Cradle Mountain Pass)
Total for Per Person = SGD 2,600 / USD 2,000

My 2014 Travel Treasures

If I could share only 1 picture to sum up my amazing year, it would be this :)

Boracay, Philippines

My 2014 was full of unexpected life events and beautiful experiences..

And I would like to share with you the 70% of what made it one of the best years of my life! :)

In February, after days of riding reindeer and husky dog sleds in Finland..

Our dream came true when we stayed in a glass igloo, and the northern lights showed up!

"The Times we had."

We also had the chance to visit the medieval old town of Tallinn, Estonia..

And no, i didn't edit that. That was really on the wall :)

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In April, I quit my job :D 

And that made all the difference!

In May, I danced every night for 4 nights with my ex-colleagues in this paradise called Cebu, Philippines!

In June, my sister and I bonded in Osaka and Kyoto, Japan..

..and a baby elephant and I bonded in Phuket, Thailand ;)

In July, I finally succumbed to my friends' constant persuasion for me to update my old blog and share my travels..

I am loving the outcome of my revamped travel diary.. and it is now my treasure!

So before I continue, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you guys! You know who you are because your picture is there! Haha! :D

And to everyone who has been supporting me in this journey, also, thank you! :D

In August, my articles on Shark Cage Diving in South Africa and Northern Lights in Finland were published in the Travel Now Magazine, Bucket List Issue!

In September, a whirlwind street art hunt in Penang, Malaysia happened with these girls..

In November, my husband had to consume all his vacation leaves, and my wish of stepping foot on South America was granted..

We were mesmerised by the beauty of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil despite all the danger warnings.. and I never thought I could say yes to hang gliding! :D

The Uyuni Salt Flats of Bolivia was finally crossed off our bucket list..

And I eventually loved the country for all the experiences it gave us.. the high altitude, the 4WD vehicle breakdowns, the sunsets, the lagoons, the baby alpacas, the slums, the cable cars, and all the friends we gained..

Aside from seeing Isla del Sol, which was on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca..

We were also able to ride this totora reed boat and explore the manmade floating islands of Uros, Peru..

Then after a torturous journey of more than 40 hours from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo to Barcelona to Singapore to Kalibo to Boracay..

Jet lagged and exhausted.. we still had a wonderful time at the wedding of our friend in Boracay, Philippines :)

In December, we celebrated our wedding anniversary and my birthday at the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore.. 

And I spent christmas with my family in Cebu, Philippines :)

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I am very grateful for all these beautiful memories of 2014. 

Facing my reality this 2015, I am starting my new job next week ;)

Have an awesome new year everyone!!