Euro Travel & More

Marina Mandarin Hotel is not as old as her parent hotel - the Mandarin Hotel at Orchard Road but it is neither new too, I think it had to be up and running for a good 20 yrs now.  But a 5 star hotel it is .. that’s for sure.. but the Marina Mandarin is definitely a modern version of the Mandarin Hotel.  Owned by bankers if i am not wrong.. I think Alfred Lien is still at the helm.  And if you know Mr Lien .. not the older one.. but the younger Lien, you would come to like him a lot too.

Of course, not all the rooms looked like that.. this is the bridal suite.. but the Marina Mandarin had gone thru’ several renovations.. and had kept this property up to date, even the bathrooms are equipped with  Hansgrohe shower faucets, if i am not wrong.

Although claimed to be in the heart of the city, I beg to differ .. because if you are not driving .. it can be quite a walk.. and if you are it is quite a roundabout turn to get to the hotel.  But there are buses and the train to get you to Marina Mandarin.. but if you were a tourist .. you kinda have to depend on taxis.. and taxis although compared to other countries.. Singapore taxi or cab services are pretty reasonable.. but one cannot say it is cheap either.

Marina Mandarin Hotel Singapore is a 5 star luxury hotel and is the only member of The Leading Hotels of the World® in Singapore. It does have a breathtaking view of the Marina Bay and near to the financial district and if i am not wrong, they own the Marina Square shopping mall that one can access to directly from the hotel.  21 level with more than 500 rooms to house your whole company’s function or conference, I think they do tour groups as well.

Amazing architectural inside of the hotel which always leaves me in awe whenever i am visiting the lounge or staying for the weekend during business trips.  The atrium lounge always had someone playing the piano.. where one can sit and relax after a long day of business meeting and savor some wonderful pastries and mini sandwiches.   They also have a chinese restaurant called Peach Blossom that serves dim sum and cantonese fare.  I especially like the concierge service .. although i have to let you all know that locals are not served the same as the expats. Be prepared to pay as much as $200 for a standard size room.  Yes, they have business centers and the works.. and although i also enjoy the italian restaurant .. i have to say.. i’ve tasted better elsewhere and less expensive.

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The girlfriends had asked me .. which airline is the most generous, they said that I should know.. since I had literally flew all airlines.. and some more than the others.  It is true but to just choose one or two airlines.. as the most generous .. may not be that accurate.  But i can assure you . .that all airlines are generous . .but the trick question is .. what class are you flying on.

For example, I was taking a domestic flight one time .. with Malaysian Airlines.. and it was a very short flight.. less than 2 hours.  But i had taken a first class flight.. because it didn’t really cost very much. .and i was on company’s account.  As soon as I got onto the plane, the attendants were all over me (i mean it in a nice way) .. but having no appetite to eat .. because i was trying to lose weight.. and taking Leptovox, they kept wondering if i was feeling alright.  Very  nice indeed.. but really i wasn’t gonna tell them i was trying to lose weight right..??

So yes, I believed that all airlines are darn generous.. but if you are taking economy.. well, don’t expect too much, because flying from Hong Kong to Canada.. i only had a cup of Nissan noodles.. when i said i was hungry.  Go figure.

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The very first country that I had traveled to was Hatyai, Thailand. It was many years ago.. and i flew with Thai Airways then, economy class. It was a 2 hrs flight from Singapore.. and the flight was quite pleasant if i remembered correctly. It was in April that i went with a group of friends .. and it was during Songkla (the water festival), all the friends that i went with were men .. except for another girl who was the girlfriend of a guy.

Hatyai is a men’s paradise, everywhere you turned .. every corner you might go to.. are working gals.. and bars and night clubs .. and more gals. Everything was extremely cheap of course. Food, shopping .. t-shirts were like a dollar each. Yet you can bargain if you liked. The hotel that we had stayed in was a 3 star hotel.. but it looked like the guys were regular there.

Some of the working gals were so young, i felt really bad for them.. especially when you see them with a much older guy .. who was old enough to be her grandfather. The ppl are nice. .the weather was extremely hot.. but it was a fun experience.. and a real eye opener for me. Massages were aplenty and you can even date the massage girls if you liked. The night clubs were like 3 storey tall .. and you get to see naked gals/models parade in front of you .. while you stick money on their body by buying a garland make of money.

Of course for sightseeing, you can visit the many temples they have there.. and also the famous beach . .with a statue of a mermaid on it. I can’t remember the name of beach.. but there’s only one.. so you won’t miss it.

Street food..!  i rarely try them but if you are adventurous enough .. go right ahead.

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If you are on vacation in Singapore, you’ll have to visit the Night Safari in Singapore. World’s first wildlife park specially built for night visits only. The Night Safari is not like any other zoo. Officially opened on May, 1994, by the then Prime Minister of Singapore.. now the Mentor Minister Goh Chok Tong. An experience you must not miss .. or you’ll regret it.

Opens from 6pm right up to midnite if i am not wrong.  The Night Safari has animals out in an open area.. while you ride on a tram .. around the zoo.  But you can also choose to take a walk around the zoo .. if you wished.. and hop onto another tram anytime you want.  I think the entrance fees were like $16 per person. .and in the night safari.. they had bird shows and other kind of animal shows once a night.

You can find fast food like McDonald and a local food court there .. for you to eat and rest after a long walk.  Children can buy souvenirs at their souvenir shops around the zoo. The Night Safari is in a different location from the day zoo.  Just a tip for those going for the Night Safari, flash lights are not encouraged.. so if you want to take pictures.. you have to get some kind of special night camera.. and the video that we took .. didn’t turn out well either.  It was a real pity.. it just wouldn’t focus.

“Nestled in 40 hectares of lush secondary forest, the Night Safari offers guests the unique experience of exploring wildlife in a tropical jungle at night. Through the use of subtle lighting technique, guests are able to view over 1,000 nocturnal animals of 100 species in vast naturalistic habitats.”

An opening act.

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I had the privileged to stay at the Marco Polo Hotel, Hong Kong many years ago and I’ll have to say that it was one of the best hotels that i’ve stayed in. Not only is the room spacious, you should the bathroom.. it has both shower and bathtub…. plus the view was fantastic. Plus Marco Polo Hotel, Hong Kong is centrally located at Harbour City Kowloon, so one can conveniently go shopping or reach a MTR to go from one place to another. And not forgetting, it is just a few steps .. literally .. a few steps away from world famous Star Ferry.

The front desk receptionist speaks perfect english.. therefore it was easy to communicate my needs to them. We did dine at the Le Brasserie, a French restaurant.. and i remembered the excellent flambes we had. Enjoy their outdoor heated poor located at their 6th Floor, although it is a pity that they don’t have a gym within the hotel now.

The Ocean Terminal just next door, is for those who wants to go on cruises. Directly opposite the hotel are some smaller shopping center but of course with Harbour City just a few steps away.. with more than 700 shops/tenants.. one don’t really need to go anywhere else for food and shopping. They also have 2 cinemas in there. Awesome..!

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Picture was taken just outside of Gold Coast Airport and they do lived up to their words . .about being as cheap as chopsticks.  So you asked .. what’s the catch.. right..??  well .. there is no catch.. but this is what it works out to be.

First of all.. don’t expect any meals.  Make sure you book your meal before you board..because you save like a few bucks.  No worries if you don’t you only need to pay RM$25.  Don’t get too hopeful with the meals served on board.  I was advice to choose the western meal.. since the caterers were from Australia.

There are also no assigned seat.. so it’s a first come first served basis… don’t expect any special treatment. Your seats are assigned.. just before boarding.. and don’t get taken in to pay extra.. so that you can get the assigned seats you want.  So since there is no assigned seat.. you can imagine.. the rush and the crowd. .and the ruthlessness.. just to get in there first.

You also pay for what you carry, carry on luggage do not go free.. like your regular airliner. For every 15kg you pay like $7 USD.  Choose the lowest available rate when you pre-book and then top up .. when you check in… if needed.

In flight entertainment.. with your own screen..??  wach you talking about..??? hhahaha!!   no seriously .. there is none.. but you can rent en eplayer for about $9 USD, it is actually a portable player with some latest Hollywood movies. So if you don’t wish to pay extra.. bring your own entertainment.

But all is not lost.. i’m happy to let you  know that everyone flying AirAsia X .. will be enjoying some in flight entertainment by Thales.  I haven’t taken a flight in November.. so i won’t really know.. but I will be doing Melbourne next year. .using AirAsia.. so lets see where they are then.  As for the air stewardess.. i hate to be the  one to burst your bubbles.. but they are neither cute nor very friendly..but if you have a Westerner for a boyfriend or husband. .or with your boss like i am.. then you are ok.. they treat you way better.

So yes.. if you want to pay peanuts.. you fly Air Asia.

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I lived in Australia, Sydney for 6 months.. when a hotel I used to work for decided to build a no frill hotel there.  I wouldn’t say the name of the hotel because I had sign a legal contract binding me from talking about the negotiation to the opening of the hotel.  Because of my work in Sydney, I was able to visit Melbourne and Gold Coast a few times.

JetStar is owned by Qantas and flies around Australia, Singapore and New Zealand, because of their low fare, I was able to travel around Australia and even hopped over to New Zealand using JetStar.  Since Jetstair is also owned by Singapore Temesak Holdings, you can be ensured that the standards and quality of everything on the flight is not too, too bad.  My flights were always within a few hours.  Like from Melbourne to Gold Coast was only 2hrs.  I didn’t mind the seats at all.. but the stewardess could definitely need tack .. when dealing with the passengers. Remember flights are darn cheap.. as compared to flights in Canada.. so don’t expect to be served a lot of food.  And to avoid chaos or missing your flight, make sure you are there at the gate about 30mins before boarding, I hear they can be anal at times.

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My friends are sometimes very mean.. they think that if they fly Air China.. it would mean some old crickety 2 propeller kinda aircraft.  But truth be told.. it is not true.  Air China plane isn’t the greatest .. but this was the economy meal that we were served on the plane not too long ago.  It doesn’t taste as bad as it looks trust me.. muahahah!!  The air stewardess were quite nice even to me, i think they think my boss is my husband or b/f.

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The Merlion was my home once upon a time.  I’ve had many good memories in Singapore.  Born and raised in Singapore and now migrated to Canada in the name of love, I cannot but remember this beloved country of mine .. where everyone took for granted.

Sure it had lots of fines and restriction .. but if it didn’t have all these.. would Singapore have a reserve that my fellowmen here in Canada be envy of..??  The garden city is a place .. one can always be proud of.. and long for every couple of months.  There are just too many wonderful things to say about this shopping paradize.. where do i begin.

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Air Asia turns one .. and they are offering free seats.. to those who wants to fly from Malaysia.. to Perth, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Hangzhou (Shanghai).

Traveling period:
from 1 August 2009 - 24 Oct 2009

Booking Period:
from 3 Nov - 9 Nov 2008

The most expensive ticket would have to pay .. about $200 for surcharges, fee and taxes only.  It is not bad at all.  How I wished i was in Asia.. right now to take advantage of the free offer.  You know how we Asians are, we love to travel.. given any chance.

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