Travel with Mon

West Jeju Tour

Jeju Island, South Korea

Jeju’s west coast has a lot to offer but nothing tops its mesmerizing sunsets, colorful skies painted in pink, purple, and red. In addition to tropical sunsets, many beaches on the west side of Jeju allow you to soak your feet in clear waters, walk on soft white sand, and enjoy the ultimate island life tanning by the beach. So join me for a late summer day’s trip to the west coast of Jeju and visit some of the hidden local restaurants near the beach. Since this is a very much delayed post, and it is now very cold and snowy here, but it might spark inspiration for your next summer trip to this paradise island.

Transportation

As mentioned in my previous Jeju blog, the island does not offer a variety of public transportation, hence driving is the best way to get around. Thankfully, my friends are nice enough to drive me around but if you are coming to visit only for a few days, renting a car is highly recommended.

Gwakji Beach

Colorful skies of Gwakji with a spontaneous painting session at the beach

Located in the famous Aewol district, Gwakji is one of the best beaches to tan, swim, and watch the sunset. It has a wide strip of soft sandy beach that is perfect for tanning but also for a small picnic dinner around sunset or a quick swim before dinner. I spent my time tanning and swimming during the day, absorbing as much Vitamin D as I could, then watched the sunset in the evening while painting the colorful skies. Definitely one of the most tranquil experience at a beach. There are a lot of surfers and paddle boarders, and during the summer it gets quite crowded with tourists, but still it is a great place to hang out.

Geumneung Beach

This beach reminded me so much of Cebu with its long strip of beach that connects all the way up to Hyeopjae, another famous beach on the west coast. Whereas Hyeopjae is a touristy beach, Geumneung is more of a local beach, popular for tanning and its view of Biyang island. When I went to tan, I saw many foreigners hanging out, tanning, enjoying the last bits of summer. It felt like Hawaii as the waters were so blue and crystal clear, soft sandy beach without seaweed (which is pretty common to spot at other beaches), and a more international crowd compared to other local beaches.

Maruna Kitchen

Cozy cottage restaurant in the middle of a quiet local village

So this restaurant was an unexpected finding, which turned out to be located in a very peaceful village with amazing fields of plants I do not know the name of (haha yes I grew up in the city what a surprise) and an amazing sunset view with windmills as its backdrop. So much green to enjoy – let your eyes rest for a bit and take in a huge breath of fresh air!

Panpo Pogu

Only 10 minutes away from Maruna Kitchen is this beautiful area called Panpo Pogu, where you are met with unbelievable sunset colors and calming windmills. The sky turns completely pink when the sun kisses the horizon, offering a bespoken view of Jeju’s sunset. I spent a good half an hour staring at the sky, completely mesmerized by the scenery. This was probably the best sunset that I have seen in Jeju, no doubt.

Summary

An unexpected but a beautiful trail near Maruna Kitchen

Overall Jeju’s West side has a lot to offer, especially during the sunset. If the weather allows, I’d even recommend renting a bike and driving along the coast, visiting all the places introduced above until the sun hits the ground. It truly is a wonderful area of the island, and a more peaceful and scenic neighborhood compared to Jeju si, the busy city area where I live. As 2021 is right around the corner, I wish you all a very happy new year and hope you stay safe and sound over the holidays!

East Jeju Tour

Jeju Island, South Korea

Welcome to Jeju, a paradise island in South Korea!
It has been a month and a half since I moved down to this beautiful area and I have been loving every single second of it. Palm trees and island breeze everywhere, beaches as close as 10 minutes by car, cute cafes all around…it certainly is a wonderful place to be.

The island is quite small, as it only takes an hour to go across from north to south, two hours from east to west by car. For a comparison, Jeju Island is 2.6 times bigger than Singapore – inviting all my Singaporean friends to explore a bigger island haha!
With the island being so small, tourists mostly choose a direction, either east or west, from the international airport (located in the northern part of the island) to explore for a whole day. This post will introduce several must visit spots along the eastern coast of the island. Total of six places, including three cafes, two beaches and one restaurant.

Transportation

In Jeju, you have to drive. There are public buses but the interval is too long, sometimes almost up to an hour! Thankfully my friends are kind enough to drive me around but without them I probably would have rented a car. There are many rental car services nearby the airport and in the city, and you can even download an app and order a car to be parked at the airport by the time you land. Super convenient!

Stop #1 Cafe Enough

Modern interior and perfect view with small bites to eat

-Address: 418-1, Goseong-ri, Aewol-eup, Jeju-si
-Menu recommendation: Hallabong cube pound 2,000 KRW (1.6 USD)
-What’s special: It was featured in a famous Korean dating show ‘Heart Signal’ season 3

Stop #2 Gimnyeong Beach

Emerald waves and the catamaran reminded me of the Maldives

-Address: Gimnyeong beach, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si
-Activity recommendation: banana boat, snorkeling, swimming, tanning
-What’s special: It has a wide strip of white and soft sandy beach, perfect for tanning!

Stop #3 Cafe Ri

Wooden furniture with unique shapes, only a minute walk from Pyeongdae Beach

-Address: Pyeongdae 2-gil 39, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si
-Menu recommendation: Hallabong sorbet 6,000 KRW (5 USD)
-What’s special: There’s a very friendly cat and a large front yard with many photo zones

Stop #4 Hado Beach

It was a raindy day but was still fun, as you can probably tell…

-Address: Hwado beach, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si
-Activity recommendation: swimming, snorkeling, tanning, canoeing
-What’s special: On a sunny day, the waters are super clear and blue, you can see everything under the water

Stop #5 Hado Pink

Cozy Korean traditional house renovated into a small restaurant

-Address: 43 Munjurallo 1-gil, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si
-Menu recommendation: Shrimp risotto, spicy avocado pasta, white wine, citrus ade
Set for two including all of the above: 40,000 KRW (34 USD)
-What’s special: One of the best pasta and risotto place in South Korea! Fresh and flavorful

Stop #6 Cafe Loklok

Cool vintage interior with floor to ceiling glass windows capturing the ocean

-Address: Hado seomungil 40, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si
-Menu recommendations: Egg tarts, but do ask them to heat it up.. 4500 KRW (3.8 USD)
-What’s special: Literally have a beach right outside the cafe, you can swim or snorkel and enjoy the sunset from outside seating

Summary

Stunning sunset from a walkway near Cafe Loklok

Here goes my first blog post in Jeju! Hope you enjoyed reading through my favorite spots. Refer to below summary for a quick recap on where to save on your google map!

-Transportation
Renting a car is highly recommended, expect to pay anywhere between 35-85 USD depending on the season and the type of car you rent.

-East side tour (1 day course)
#1 Cafe Enough -> #2 Gimnyeong Beach -> #3 Cafe Ri -> #4 Hado Beach -> #5 Hado Pink -> #6 Cafe Loklok

*conversion rate: 1,800 KRW to 1 USD approximately

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe

Prep time: 10 mins
Baking time: 15 mins

Yields 10-12 cookies

Ingredients

-1 cup peanut butter
-3/4 cup flour of your choice
-3 tbsp white sugar
-0.5 banana
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp cinnamon powder
-2 tbsp rice syrup

Alternative Ingredients
-I used Gompyo flour from S.Korea-a very standard all purpose flour-but you can use any flour ideally pastry flour or wheat flour.
-If you don’t have rice syrup, it can be replaced with 2 tbsp of sugar. Mine is called olygodang which literally translates to oligosaccharide, bascially just rice syrup or startch syrup.
-Not a huge fan of cinnamon? You can definitely take it out and would still have amazing cookies.
-White sugar can be overly sweet for some people. If you prefer something less sweet, try coconut flower sugar. I got mine from Coupang but I’m sure you can find it in Market Kurly or E-mart if you are in Korea. Try Market Place if you are in Hong Kong. My European and American friends, I’m sure you have so much more to choose from than us in Asia.
-Baking soda is optional. If you like puffier cookies, baking soda is recommended. If you are aiming for more densed cookies, I’d bake without.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F) and line a large cookie tray.
Cream peanut butter, sugar, and rice syrup in a bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved.
In another bowl, shift flour, baking soda, cinnamon powder, and combine them with the wet ingredients.
Mix everything well with your hands and roll out 10-12 cookie balls on the tray. Press them down with a fork and top them off with sliced bananas.
Bake them for 15 mins or until they are golden brown. Cool them for 10 mins before serving. If you want softer cookies, cool them for 7-10 mins. If you prefer harder cookies, cool them for 15-20 mins.

Side note

Hope this recipe inspired you to bake some vegan cookies this week! With the ongoing quarantine, baking has given me an outlet to exude all my stress of not being able to go out as often as before. But thankfully the situation in S.Korea has been so much better, I don’t have a problem going out, meeting friends, dining out…all these have been a privilege and I understand that not all of you are in the same situation. But let’s look on the bright side-at least there’s no more hoarding going on so we can find baking ingredients easily. Please feel free to leave a comment or shoot me a DM if you have any questions or have tried the recipe. I’d love to know how it turned out 🙂 Wishing everyone a safe and fun week ahead!

Vegan Lemon Pound Cake

Welcome bakers

What a crazy day and age we live in! With the virus outbreak and the unbelievable pandemic going on, most of us are stuck at home, practicing self isolation. It is very unfortunate for those who were planning on many trips this time of the year-or all around the year if you are like me-and now we are all “bored to death” when there are people physically suffering from the disease. So let’s stay positive and try something new at home, perhaps vegan baking for you and I. Although I’ve never baked anything from scratch by myself, I enjoyed accompanying friends who baked (and when I say friends I mean baking experts, they are so talented!) and I was always overwhelmed by all the different measurements and ingredients. I told myself I could never bake alone, I do not have the tools and the ingredients, I cannot possibly follow so many instructions… But here I am today writing a blog on how to bake a vegan lemon pound cake. It’s only been a couple of days since I’ve started baking things from scratch and boy am I surprised by the miracles that white flour make inside the oven!

Inspiration

The main reason I started baking is not only because of self quarantine but also because of my dad’s health. We recently came across his health issues and he decided to go vegetarian for a month or two which I’ve never imagined him to ever try. So I wanted to prepare healthier snacks for him to munch away all those meat cravings but do be careful, I ended up eating WAY more than he did. It is quite addictive. There are only six key ingredients to this recipe and it only took me 10 minutes to prepare everything and the rest was taken care of thanks to my beloved oven. I was thinking of the delicious lemon cookies we baked in Chester last year and got inspired to try a pound cake version with a twist of banana flavor to it. BBC’s Good Food Recipes helped me out a lot and I recommend you to go over to their website to check out tasty vegan recipes.

Recipe

Prep time: 10 mins
Baking time: 40 mins

Ingredients

-1 lemon zested & juiced
-100ml coconut oil (or any type of vegan oil)
-1 banana, mashed
-180g self-raising flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-150g white sugar
-150ml cold water

Alternative Ingredients
-I did 45ml of coconut oil and 55ml of canola oil and it was perfectly fine. If you are using more coconut oil, you can reduce the amount of sugar as the coconut flavor will add sweetness to the batter.
-It could be any type of flour from any brand. Mine was an old-schooled Korean flour brand and it worked. If you don’t have bananas, you can replace it with 100g of flour and add 10ml of water to the batter.
-No need to worry about fancy sugar, just use whatever you have in your pantry. They all taste pretty similar.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Oil an 18cm (7 inch) baking tin/cake pan/loaf tin and line it with baking parchment/paper foil.

2. Mash the banana in a bowl with a fork/spoon/any utensils you prefer until it is smooth with tiny bits of chunks for texture.

3. Prepare lemon zest and juice. If you don’t have a grinder, you can use a potato peeler to peel off the skin and dice the pieces finely. For the juice, scrape out all the transparent bits from the insides of the skin for extra zinginess.

4. In a large bowl, mix the mashed banana, flour, baking powder and lemon zest. Add the oil, lemon juice and 150ml of cold water, then mix until smooth.

5. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 30-35 mins. Poke the cake with a toothpick/fork/chopstick to check if it’s completely baked. If it doesn’t come out clean, bake for another 5-10 minutes. Once it is thoroughly baked, cool it in the tin for 10 mins, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool fully or just cut it if you are like me and want the good stuff right away 😉

Step by step photo recipe

Step 1 & 2

While your oven is being heated, mash your banana to the consistency of the above photo. The riper the banana, the sweeter the cake.

Step 3

Scrape out all the transparent bits of the insides of the skin and add them to the juice

As you can see, my lemon zest is not the finest but it did the job. Because it was slightly larger than grinded zest, it added to the texture of the cake. Also, scraping out all the small bits of the insides of the skin really made a difference. Since I did not want to use artificial lemon extract, I wanted to add as much flavor as possible, hence adding those bits really helped.

Step 4

When mixing everything together, I ended up adding 15g of flour as the batter seemed too runny. Depending on how thick you want your cake to be, you can add more flour. I enjoyed my cake with the above batter consistency as it was super moist.

Step 5

I used a round 18cm (7 inch) cake tin but you can use whatever you have to bake. Mine was ordered online and delivered yesterday to my door for only 3 dollars and the poor guy has already been in and out of my oven many times. My lining paper is called ‘paper foil’ and you can easily get it from any local marts or online malls. They are recyclable and reusable (I reuse them for cookies, 3 times max). After 30 minutes of baking, my cake looked like the photo on the right, but it wasn’t properly baked in the inside. I threw it back in the oven for another 10 minutes and voila!

The top was golden brown and the inside was soft and moist! Crunchy, crumbly, hot and lemony-the best combination ever. I waited another 5 minutes for the cake to cool but could not resist to cut the cake and eat. Because mine was in a round tin, I could not cut it in the traditional pound cake shapes but it disappeared in a few minutes so the shape didn’t matter much. Enjoy your yummy vegan cake and stay healthy everyone!

Skylight Rooftop Bar

Premier Havana, Nha Trang

That time of the day when pink and purple colors the sky is the perfect time to be at the top of the city. With a cocktail and a good companion, you are all set for the best sunset view rooftop bar in the city. The beach, the city, the island, the ocean, the sky, you name it they have it at Skylight-just come with your cutest dress and maybe a pair of high heels for a fun night out!

Transporation

Just a few steps away from Tower Incense on the long beach in Nha Trang is Premier Havana, a five-star hotel standing next to Intercontinental hotel. From Nha Trang city, it was only a 10-minute walk, 5 in the streets and 5 along the beach road. We enjoyed walking at this time of the day with such an amazing view from the beach side so I recommend walking if you are not so far away from the beach. But if you are staying somewhere further away, Grab is a cheap and convenient option. For a 5-minute ride, it would probably cost you anywhere between 25-30k VND, which is only a little over 1 USD. Just stay away from the tricycles as they are notorious for their threatening tricks after luring tourists with a deal then dropping them off at a dodgy area and asking for 5-10 times more! How crazy!

What to expect

Once you reach Premier Havana, you can easily spot the ticket box for Skylight. After purchasing your ticket or paying for your deposit, you can take the elevator that goes all the way up to the 43rd floor of the hotel then voila! The bar, the pool, the skydeck and the restaurant will be in front of you. Me being a sunset lover, I cannot stress less about this uninterrupted sunset view of the Vin Pearl Island and the ocean from our table. I highly recommend booking your table in advance for the best seat possible. We booked ours half an hour prior to our visit and secured the table closest to the edge of the bar, the only barrier between us and the ocean being a glass fence. You can reserve yours here: https://skylightnhatrang.com/

Perfect photo spot right next to our table & 360 skydeck above the bar

If you are only going for a drink, the entrance fee is 100 VND (4 USD) per head, which includes one drink and access to the 360 skydeck. If you are booking a table, you’ll have to pay a minimum of 500k VND per table and your orders will be deducted from that deposit. The drinks started at 220k VND and main menus were about 350k-750k VND or higher so you won’t have to worry about not being able to spend all 500k VND. After a few drinks and some good food our bill was 1500k VND so it wasn’t a cheap meal but definitely worth the price. Our grilled fish with sticky coconut rice and beef steak with mashed potatoes were beyond delicious and the atmosphere of the restaurant was incomparable to any other.

Pizza as our appetizer and steak & fish for our main…pretty decent choice

This meal was ranked as our top 3 in Nha Trang and the vibe of the restaurant/bar was impossible to top. The servers were friendly and kind with fine dining appropriate manners. I would definitely go back for the sunset and the delicious dinner if I visit Nha Trang again. Originally we were planning to check out their rooftop beach club-which is in the middle of the bar and the restaurant-but we enjoyed our meal so much that we were already so satisfied with our experience even before dancing the night away. According to the online reviews, they have a great clubbing atmosphere as well, so if you are into showing off some moves staying late could be an option to consider.

Summary

Cheers to this wonderful view (and the paper straw!!!)

Skylight rooftop bar is the place for you if you are planning a special night during your trip. Remember to prepare 500k VND for your deposit and get ready for some of the best city & ocean view. The best time to start dining is at 6-6:30 PM as the sun sets beautifully behind you while you wait for your dinner to be served. May you make beautiful memories under the ferry lights and enjoy the tasty food…and maybe some grooving involved as well!

-Transportation
Walk: 5-10 minutes from Nha Trang city / Tower Incense
Grab: 25-30k VND for a 5-minute ride

-Prices
Entrance & 1 drink: 100k VND per head
Reserving a table: 500k VND per table
Drinks: from 220k VND
Mains: from 350k VND (as high as 1700 VND)

*conversion rate: 10k VND to 0.4 USD approximately

Hon Tam

Merperle Resort, Hon Tam Nha Trang

When I think about South East Asia, I picture beautiful islands with turquoise water and soft sandy beaches. Hon Tam had all that and an amazing resort with a private beach and watersports to enjoy. If you are looking for affordable luxury on a private island, this should be on your to do list in Nha Trang!

Transportation

Hon Tam in Vietnamese means Tam Island. From Nha Trang city, we took a grab to Hon Tam Pier, which took 10 minutes and around 80-90k VND, approximately 4-5 USD. With the rapid escalation of Corona-19 virus spreadinig worldwide, we wore masks whenever we were in crowded places. It can get irritating especially when it’s so hot, but safety comes first in any situation. From Hon Tam pier, we walked into Merperle Resort’s reception and bought our daily sea tour package. They had two options-mud spa package and sea tour pacakge. We were not into trying mud spa as it may be crowded with people where diseases can spread quickly. Hence we went for the sea tour package that included boat transfers to and from Hon Tam, lunch buffet, fruit buffet, access to all resort facilities-outdoor swimming pool, sunbeds, canoes, private beach, gym, restaurant, bars, lockers-from 9AM to 4PM. Because of the virus outbreak, their dance shows were cancelled, which was understandable. This package was 560k VND per head, which is only 24 USD. Extremely cheap! For what you get, I think there isn’t a better deal than this. Most tour packages on Klook or other online websites start from at least 35 USD for a snorkeling tour on a wooden boat, couple hours at the resort, couple hours at another island, etc. But for us spending the whole day at Merperle Hon Tam went by so quick that we wouldn’t have traded it for a busy tour hopping from one island to another.

Things to do

Once we arrived at the jetty, there was a staff from the resort who showed us around the island. He explained where our lunch and snack areas will be, the timings for everything and what we can use for free. The lockers were free with a 100k VND deposit, towels weren’t free-200k VND each (which is too expensive in my opinion)! We didn’t bring our own towels but we also didn’t want to pay for them. So we went to the beach area without renting our towels but the staff there was handing them out for free-how weird! There were millions of photo spots around the resort, and we took a good hour taking pictures here and there. It was so fun just discovering all the cute displays along the beach and absorbing in as much sun as possible.

Too tired of taking pictures? Change into your bikinis and go for a cold swim in this massive swimming pool! There were pretty sunbeds and lounging areas around the pool if you prefer chilling by the poolside. But after a hot photo session we were down for a swim. There was a small jacuzzi next to the pool but we didn’t go in. By far I think this was the biggest swimming pool I’ve seen at a resort that does not have a waterpark. We were the only Asians at the resort except for one or two Vietnamese familes and the rest were Russians. There were Russian boys diving into the pool and girls tanning on the sunbeds, families hanging out by the kiddie pool…it felt more like being in Russia with Vietnamese staff than in Vietnam with Russian guests.

The long private beach was only steps away from the swimming pool, starting from the jetty to all around the island then back to the main jetty. The colors were vibrant and blue, just as I imagined it to be. I couldn’t help but to run into the water and return to that sandy toes, tiny bikinis island life all over again. The sun was hitting me from different angles and I felt nothing but happiness running like a kid on this beautiful beach. We found two empty sunbeds closest to the water and had a long, peaceful tanning session. Again there were only Russians on the beach, but maybe in a different time I assume there could be more Chinese, Koreans or Vietnamese.

To be honest, lunch wasn’t impressive. There weren’t as many options for seafood as the website promised and there were too many hungry Russian families diving for food whenever new plates came in. As much was we were disappointed in lunch, the fruit buffet was also not up to our expectations. There were only three options, although tasty, we were looking forward to various tropical fruits not just three. Maybe calling it a ‘buffet’ was a bit deceiving, but I guess paying 24 USD for all this probably gave it away. Despite the lack of food, we had a blast on the island. After the fruit buffet, we went for jet ski and spent a good 30 minutes driving around Hon Tam. Driving over the waves in that speed gave me thrills and the fact that I could finally drive on my own without someone coaching me made it even more exciting. Renting one jet ski for 15 minutes (2 pax maximum) was 600k VND (25 USD) and parasailing for 2 pax was 1million VND. We originally wanted to go parasailing but it was too windy for that.

Summary

If I ever go back to Nha Trang, I would definitely visit Merperle Hon Tam again. Because of the food I wouldn’t stay for a night but I would do the day visit for sure. I already miss the blissful sensation on the peaceful island. Highly recommend it to those who are staying in Nha Trang city for a couple of nights and are looking for some island resort experience.

-Transportation
Grab: 80-90k from Nha Trang city, 10 minutes per way
Private pick up service: currently unavailable from Merperle Resort
No public transportation
Speed boat: included in the day tour package, 10 minutes per way

-Things to do
Private beach
Kayaking
Jet ski (600k VND/jet ski/15 minutes)
Parasailing (1 million VND/2 people)
Lunch & Fruit buffet
Swimming pool

*conversion rate: 10k VND to 0.4 USD approximately

Gallery Walk

Central, Hong Kong

Behind the tall buildings and sparkly glass doors are the rustic streets of Hong Kong, tiny alleys filled with hidden galleries displaying local artists’ complicated minds through various forms of art. Many are familiar with Hollywood road in Central as the main street of art and culture, but there are more to Central than a few famous galleries. Discovering the unknown in the known tempted me to reveal and share a couple of alluring artsy spots in Central-but not all, that’s no fun.

Transportation

HK’s metro system allows budget travelers to explore the city without having to rent a car or to grab a taxi. Central station is on the red line, also called the Tsuen Wan line, which connects Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. It is also on the blue line, or the Island line, which runs only on Hong Kong Island. If you are traveling straight from the Airport, Hong Kong station is connected to Central via underground walkway. Airport line or the Tung Chung line pass through Hong Kong station, so it cannot be too hard for you to make your way to Central when the station is literally connected to four different metro lines.

Get yourself an Octopus card, the transportation add value card that works for MTR, bus, convenience stores, vending machines, or just about everything else. You can purchase one in any metro stations or at the airport for 150 HKD (20 USD), which includes 100 HKD for your future usage and 50 HKD for deposit which you can get refunded when you return the card. If you go over the stored value, that 50HKD will work as your backup, and you will have a negative balance. You can top up in any staions or convenience stores. Depending on your starting point, MTR will cost you anywhere from 5 to 10 HKD, which is less than or a bit over 1 USD per trip. However, if you are traveling from the airport, it will cost you around 100 HKD to get to Hong Kong station in 20 minutes. Buses run around the city with similar prices as the metro, and there are probably 5-10 stations around Central that you can get off at. Taxi or uber can be an option but not recommended as the traffic can get pretty hectic in the city.

Galleries

Located in 52 Wyndham Street, Opera Gallery is unique in the way that there’s a mixture of everything in one place. Once you walk into the narrow entrance, you won’t believe the amount of art showcased in this tiny space, and the never-ending stairways up to the third floor is an unexpected addition to all the artwork. This gallery confused me with its monochromatic displays in the second floor and colorful paintings in the first and the third floor. I went there twice, once in October and once in January, and some pieces have changed but some remained. Overall a very mysterious but a cool place to check out. No entrance fee-how lucky for me to have stumbled in-for all galleries mentioned in this blog. You’re welcome.

Not so far from the infamous Mid levels escalator is the Tang Contemporary Art Gallery in 80 Queen’s Road. It’s more spacious than the previous gallery with more consistent pieces in terms of style. I’ve only been here once so I’m not entirely sure if they swap up their displays but from Google photos, I could already find different artworks on the walls so I am going to assume that they do change their pieces regularly. Personally I preferred the art from this gallery but had more fun in the previous gallery. Why? You’ll see what I mean once you visit them yourself. Enjoy the surprise 😉

Closer to the station is White Cube, on 50 Connaught Road. The grand building with white marble walls and golden rims may make you wonder if you are walking into a gallery or a palace. But some free and spacious luxury is always good in such a densely populated city. It is a rare find, but a true gem. However, unlike its impressive entrance, there were only a few pieces. I was a little disappointed by its artistic scale in my first visit and gave it another try couple months later but unfortunately felt the same. Interestingly, I would go again for the lux feeling of entering through those massive doors and for giving it another chance-maybe third time is the charm.

Summary

Spending a few hours in these galleries when you visit Central for touristy attractions like Mid levels or Hollywood Road will open up your eyes to the city’s enchanting art.

“Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.”
Luke 12:2, ESV

-Transportation
MTR: 5-10 HKD per trip, 100 HKD from airport
Bus: 5-10 HKD per trip
Taxi / Uber: possible but not recommended due to traffic, price starts from 25 HKD, goes up to 100-200 HKD or more depending on traffic & starting point

-No entrance fee for all three galleries

*conversion rate: 10 HKD to 1.3 USD approximately

Haji Lane

Kampong Glam, Singapore

Colorful art, people, and culture beamed through the crowded streets, showing off Singapore’s diversity in one frame. The combination of vibrant murals and exotic scents exuded a hint of excitement even before reaching the main street.

Transportation

If this isn’t funky enough for you, I don’t know what is

Finding my way to Haji Lane wasn’t so difficult with Singapore’s budget friendly transportation system. I started off from Raffles station where I said bye to my friend who dropped me off, then got off at Bugis station to meet up with another friend who came to pick me up. I guess my journey was smooth thanks to my lovely friends but even if you don’t have anyone traveling with you, it won’t be a hassle as all the metro signs are in English and the locals are super friendly and helpful if you end up getting lost. From Bugis station we walked around 10 minutes to get to Haji Lane, where all the fun began.

Metro is obviously the most convenient option but if you are not near a metro station somehow-which is impossible in Singapore but let’s say you are-taking a bus or Grab is an option. Buses are as inexpensive as the metro but one thing I find confusing about the buses in Singapore is that they do not announce which station they are at. During my entire trip I only took the bus twice-once alone and once with my friend-and I had to ask the bus driver when to get off if I wanted to reach my destination. But if you are taking a bus, you can get off on Ophir Rd or Beach Rd and walk about 1-3 minutes to Haji Lane. If you prefer Grab, the price depends on your starting point but in general Grabs are relatively cheap in Singapore. I don’t think I’ve paid more than 10 SGD (7 USD) for a trip, even to the airport. Traffic wasn’t so bad compared to Hong Kong, Seoul, Cebu or other Asian cities I’ve been to.

EZ-link cards are Singapore’s public transporation add-value cards which you can purchase at any metro stations or 7-elevens. Single day pass is only 10 SGD and single trip costs 1-2 SGD depending on your travel distance. Super affordable!

Things to do

I would say there are two major parts of Haji Lane: colorful buildings with restaurants and clothing vendors, and an Arabic street with a big mosque and more restaurants. These two are seamlessly connected through countless local stores that sell beautifully designed clothes, shoes, lanterns, carpets, whatever you name it they have it. I was amazed by their unique fabric patterns, clothing designs and glass decorations. They seemed to be influenced by the huge Arabic/Indian culture around the area, especially those quirky shoes like Aladdin’s!

The Arabian culture hit its peak at the Masjid Sultan, a mosque at the end of an entire street filled with restaurants and palm trees. Dubai vibes! We took permission at a nearby lantern shop if we could take some pictures as the attractive lights were drawing us closer and closer with their exotic decors. Such a fun place to hang out!

Although there were lots of restaurant choices on that street, we went over to the other side of the mosque for dinner, where my friend introduced me to a martabak place on the second floor of a very local looking building. They had menus hanging on the wall, servers running around, tables filled with locals indulging in authentic Indian/Arabic/Malaysian/Singaporean/Indonesian food (probably more but that’s all I can think of haha). Do order some refreshing drinks if you are having spicy dishes, they had quite a kick (still very tasty)! I remember the meal being very cheap, around 7 SGD per person (only 5 USD) for two mains and two drinks to share.

Summary

I spy with my little eyes…a dress that looks exactly the same as mine but in a different color

Haji Lane was no doubt the most colorful place in Singapore. I had so much fun window shopping in all the local stores and having our own photo session on such eye-catching alleys. I’d say give it a go if you are into cute shops, lively cultures, and maybe a happy hour on the most hipstery street in the area 😉

-Transportation
MRT: Near Bugis station, 10 SGD for a day pass, 1-2 SGD for a single trip
Bus: Near Ophir Rd & Beach Rd, 10 SGD for a day pass, 1-2 SGD for a single trip
EZ-link card works on both MRT & Bus (can purchase from MRT staitons & 7-elevens)
Grab: relatively cheap w/o much traffic

-Things to do
Arabic/Indian shops for lanterns, carpets, shoes, clothings, etc.
Authentic & cheap Arabic/Indian/Malaysian/Indonesian dining
Photo session with colorful buildings
Masjid Sultan (mosque)

*coversion rate: 1 SGD to 0.7 USD approximately

Blue Lake & Desert

Bintan, Indonesia

This jaw dropping photo is not photoshopped! Literally in the middle of nowhere, there is this beautiful blue lake and desert, far away from where the beaches and tourists are. After many bumpy dirt bike roads and confusing stops, this incredible view shocked me for a while. If you are in Bintan island, I’d recommend visiting to experience the blue blue water and the brown brown desert!

Transportation

This post is going to be pretty short and striaghtforward mainly because there aren’t a lot of options for visitors. Because it is hidden from the main road-probably a good 10 minutes of bumpy bike ride without any signs-you can only get there by a motorbike. The roads are narrow, muddy, rough and unpredictable, and even Google Map doesn’t work! There must be more entrance points than the one we came across but honestly we randomly drove into the area after searching for the right entrance for 10-20 minutes. Wherever you start your journey from, set your destination to Bintan Blue Lake on Google Maps and once you reach anywhere near 1-3 minutes away, you need take any bike trailes from the sandy roadside. With some luck, you’ll be able to see the clear blue water and if you go in more, you’ll eventually see the sand dunes (a.k.a. the Bintan desert). There is no other way to describe this strange pathway, it’s just an adventure from the beginning! Me and my colleague rented a bike from Pujasera, inside Bintan Resorts, then biked for half an hour-got lost for 10 minutes after arriving but it was fun-to finally reach this beautiful scenery of blue waters and sand dunes. I believe you can get a good deal if you rent the bike for more than a day, my colleague rented it for months so I’m not sure how much he paid for it but they do have a standardized price in Pujasera for a day rental.

What to expect

There are more locals than tourists, hence not a lot of English speakers around. There are a few local stores/food stands but I didn’t really try anything. Also there are signs that you can take photos with that charge you a dollar or less, if you are interested. Either than that, this huge chunk of land is filled with sand dunes and lakes, ponds, small huts and bridges that connect these all together.

Just like the photos above, the color of the lakes differ from one another although they are all in the same area. It took an hour for us to explore and take photos, escape from the sudden rain under a hut, and wash our muddy feet afterwards. Make sure you wear shoes that are easily washable as mud will (and when I say will I mean it absolutely will) stick onto them. My leggings was covered in sand/mud and we had to use water from the lake to wash it off afterwards. Despite all the muddy experience, the entire scenery of sand dunes and lakes felt very surreal. Because I was working at a beach resort, I wasn’t aware of such a beautiful destination in Bintan outside the beach!

Resting in a local hut away from the sudden rain

20 minutes in, it suddenly started pouring and we ran into this small hut to stay under the roof for a while. There was a local guy sitting on the second floor, who saw us and invited us to sit with him. I’m sure he could have charged us, as there were lots of signs that asked for money just to sit down and take a photo. But he didn’t ask for anything, he just gestured to direct us to where he was. We sat with him for a good 10-15 minutes, peacefully listening to the raindrops. It was very nice of him to let us hang out there. I felt like although there are so many tourists in my resort, Bintan is still a small island with welcoming locals. Honestly, that’s the biggest aspect that contributed to how much I loved being in Bintan from other islands, as the locals were so warm and kind hearted. They weren’t taken aback by foreign residents or tourists but rather, opened up their homes and hearts to us and embraced us just the way we were.

Summary

I only realized after this photo that these sandy dunes can be pretty darn sticky! (and messy!)

My rainy visit to the blue lake and Bintan desert was such an unpredictable one. It was so rainy on our way back that we ended up speeding in the rain just to get away from it. I can confidently say it was the most dangerous bike ride I’ve ever done. But it was worth the trip, with endless sand dunes and blue lakes that I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.

-Transportation
Bike from Pujasera: 30-40 minutes
(no other options due to narrow, sandy roads)

-Things to note
No entrance fee
Waterproof shoes (flip flops or plastic sandals are ideal)
Small local shops/food stands but not much to eat

Canals of Amsterdam

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Strolling through the canals of Amsterdam on one sunny day in May was a dream come true. I’ve envisioned walking around European cities for many years and finally I had a 12 hour transit in Amsterdam on my way back from Boston to Seoul. It was my very first European city and it goes without saying that those 12 hours magnified my attraction towards Amsterdam and Europe in general.

Transportation

My plane landed at 8 in the morning so I had the whole day to kill. But since KLM did not do any luggage storing services on its own-at least for economy passengers-I stored my carry ons at a paid locker services located inside the airport (asked one of the securities for the direction and it was easy to reach once you pass the bagge claim area) and took the metro from Schipol Airport station to Centraal station. It only took 20 minutes and a liitle over 5 euros per trip, definitely cheaper than taking a cab for 40 euros. There’s also a bus that runs from the airport to the city, with only 5 euros per trip but it’s inconvenient as the drop off spot is not right in Amsterdam Centraal. If you don’t mind taking the subway, I’d recommend doing that and popping out to a gorgeous view of the canals.

Things to do

Walking straight out of Amsterdam Centraal station, I encountered busy streets with trams, buses, bicycles, and canals with boats all over the place. I was overwhelmed with all the liveliness at first but soon squeezed my way through all the traffic and started walking around random alleys with cute buildings. Along the way I found Anne Frank House and a fun flower market called Bloemenmarkt, full of locals buying flower seeds. It was so interesting how people literally bought seeds or roots of plants, not even in pots!

On the opposite side of the flower market, there was a street full of this specific brand’s cheese shops. Their logo was a man with ‘Henri Willig’ written on the top and all shops had ‘KAASKELDER’ on the front door. I went into a few, the layout of the shops were all very similar but this particular one in the photo above had a cheesery vibe which was super cool! At all shops they gave out free samples for all sorts of cheese and I honestly was so full when I walked out the door, but obviously with a bag full of Dutch cheese and dips. I got garlic & herb goat cheese with a pineapple & giner dip, and they were a match made in heaven. They took both credit cards and cash, prices ranged from 19 to 30 euros per block.

Views from different benches on the street

After my unplanned cheese feast, I chased the sunlight into small roads with colorful buildings and flowers. Then I spotted a few benches on the road, and of course I had to sit down, take some photos and journal under the glazing afternoon sun. I could hear everything-bicycle wheels, people talking on the bridge, trams ringing bells, buses stopping by, boats driving across, leaves falling to the canals-it was a wonderful moment.

Dining/Drinking

After walking the whole morning, I felt too tired to continue exploring the city. I came across a mall called Kalverpassage and went inside to find any cafes to sit down. Blue cafe had an unbelievable panoramic view of the entire city-what a nice surprise!-and had brunch menus and drinks. With a cold drink and a loungy sofa, I journaled comfortably with this mesmerizing view for an hour and it felt like seconds. I don’t remember exactly how much my drink was but it was not an overpriced cafe with tourists. There were more locals than tourists, but they still had an English menu.

Craving for some actual food but worried about not being able to finish a huge portion? Check out PIQNIQ for their small portion menus-it’s budget friendly and small person friendly! I knew I couldn’t finish one full serving and since I was traveling alone I couldn’t share it with anyone so I ordered this petit option with salmon and goat cheese for lunch. It was so fresh and tasty! It’s located in a small alley near the canals and it’s close to Centraal station so super convinient if you are hopping on the metro to head back to the airport, which is what I did. They have a whopping 4.7 stars from Google ratings and my entire meal was less than 7 euros so definitely worth a shot! There’s an English menu, a very adorable cat sleeping on the windowside, friendly servers, cute decor…the list goes on. I remember their lunch menu offering 8-10 options that you can choose from, and the deals get better if you pick more.

Summary

Amsterdam is such a cool city to transit in, and I’m positive that it would be amazing to stay for a couple of nights. Exploring the colorful streets and busy canals was so fun and experiencing the European atmosphere through its architecture and the locals was delightful.

-Transportation
Metro from Schipol Airport: 5-6 euros per way, 20 minutes
Bus from Schipol Airport: 5 euros per way, 30 minutes
Uber from Schipol Airport: around 40 euros per way, 20 minutes

-Places to visit
Flower market
KAASKELDER Cheese shop: 19-30 eruos per cheese block
Blue cafe: panoramic view of the city
PIQNIQ (restaurant): 6-20 euros per dish
Anne Frank House