Our travel story usually begins with a cheap flight, and this one is no different. A year ago, we saw a huge sale for flights from NYC to Singapore over the Labor Day weekend for only $550 USD. Since we hadn’t been to Singapore before, and the timing worked out, we jumped at this opportunity. Once we started planning the trip, and realized that Kuala Lumpur was only a hop and a skip away, it made sense to combine the trips. Continue reading
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan is Puerto Rico’s capital and largest city, founded in 1509. Its convenient location on the Atlantic coast makes it one of the busiest harbors in the Caribbean. The charming city is full of colorful colonial architecture and massive fortresses that overlook the Atlantic ocean. The layered defenses of forts, ramparts, and cannons have guarded the walled city for centuries.
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The magnificent Batu Caves are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Malaysia. They are considered the most important Hindu temple outside of India, dedicated to Lord Murugan, a Hindu deity. Thousands of devotees and tourists from around the world make the pilgrimage to the caves each day, especially during the annual Hindu festival Thaipusam, that usually falls in late January/early February. The limestone forming the cathedral-like cave is said to be around 400 million years old.
Kuala Lumpur was added to our itinerary when we found out that it was only a short flight from Singapore. It didn’t hurt that there are also frequent and cheap flights between the two cities. We decided that a two day trip was just enough time to visit the Petronas Towers and to get a quick taste of the city. Compared to the high-costs in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur is a great destination for budget travel, with cheap food and reasonably priced accommodations. Continue reading
Dubai, UAE
During our long weekend trip to Dubai a few years ago, we stayed at Le Meridian Mina Seyahi, a beachfront resort located right in the heart of the city. A few minutes of walking from our hotel room brought us to the crystal clear water of the Persian Gulf, where we could look straight through the water and see many tiny fishes. Another interesting feature about the beach is the fact that you can look up behind you and see the skyscrapers of Dubai in the background. This picture perfectly captured that contrast between the laid back beach vibes and the sleek tall buildings of the modern city nearby.
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In Kuala Lumpur, we continued our eating streak, fitting in 4-5 meals a day. I’m not kidding. We started early in the morning each day, and we ate all the way until night, and repeat. It’s probably a good thing that KL is a big place and we got to walk around between meals to help digest the food.
When it comes to eating out, there is a great variety of cuisine in Kuala Lumpur, all for very affordable prices. The food reflects the ethnic mix of the local population with a vibrant mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian with influences from across South East Asia. Malaysia is known for its love of rich flavors and generous use of spices and ingredients such as coconut milk, lemon grass, kaffir lime, tamarind, ginger and galangal. When it comes to spices, few foods illustrate this as well as the national dish – Laksa. Continue reading
Hong Kong, China
One of my favorite views of Hong Kong is from the top of Victoria Peak. The Peak, as it’s known locally, is the most popular tourist attraction in the city. From this vantage point, you can see the glittering panoramic view of the harbor, lit up by the surrounding skyscrapers. To get to the top you can either take the Peak Tram or a bus. The tram is more fun and a shorter direct trip to the top, but due to the high demand the wait to get on can take hours. The bus is cheaper with less waiting, but the ride up the mountain can take about an hour. Either option is not too appealing, but if it’s your first time in the city, this view is not to be missed.
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During our frequent travels around the world, we have stayed at both low end and high end hotels. Often, we tend to stick to either Starwood or Hilton properties where we have the status and points. Once in a while however, we do venture out of our comfort zone and stay at new places. When we started planning the Singapore trip, I knew right away that I wanted to stay at the Marina Bay Sands, the hotel with the famous pool on the roof.
Singapore, the most developed and urbanized country in Asia where “Where East meets West”. This relatively new city-country is where a confluence of diverse cultures meet to create a truly unique place.
Singapore is very safe and easy to get around with its ultra modern subway system. Coupled with the fact that most Singaporeans speak English, its not hard to see why this country is often the top choice for people who have not been to Asia before. Here you can enjoy the same food and culture, minus the chaos and language barriers that exist with other Asian countries. The only drawback is that the costs are significantly higher than the rest of Southeast Asia. Continue reading
New York, USA
I finally made it down to the new World Trade Center Path station. Earlier this year the downtown transportation hub finally opened to the public after years of construction and delays. The highly anticipated structure was designed by renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, to resemble a a bird-in-flight. The stunning $4 Billion dollar building opened to mix reviews. The large open area in the center is known as the Oculus, and connects the train station, the September 11th Memorial plaza, and the many high-end retail shops. Inside the main hall, the sun pours through the steel and glass design giving the feel of an open space. Have you been inside the new World Trade Center Path station? Do you think it was worth the hefty price tag?
Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home. Most of my photos have little or no post processing. If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.
life after 9to5 