• Lani
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Southeast Asia Summer 2023

Vietnam, Cambodia, Siam Reap, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapur, Indonesia Læs mere
  • Malakka: Like the cloud

    17. august 2023, Malaysia ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    Today I tackle the next 200 km. The destination is Johur Bahru. And I will afford myself the luxury to go to Johur with Grab today.

    I have briefly considered to go directly to Singapore. But the nights in Singapore are so expensive that I stay as planned still 2 nights in Malaysia. From the 19th I have an apartment in Singapore. And on the 20th Chun arrives.
    If we would not meet in Singapore, I would have already been there and probably now on my way home. Slowly I have enough of traveling and am looking forward to my home.

    Yesterday I didn't feel like doing anything. It was raining. Thanks to Netflix, the day also passed! Also now it rains like crazy.
    Last night I ordered food with Grab. Thai food. Tom Yum and Thai Basil leave Chicken. For 4.50.- and it tasted great. AND for days I have a little more normal stomach today.
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  • What happens when China invests

    18. august 2023, Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    It does not get any uglier than this. This construction has no respect for people, their culture or life.

    Iskandar Malaysia is the oldest and by far the most important economic corridor in Malaysia. Located in the southernmost state of Johor, the corridor is home to several real estate projects (such as Princess Cove - where my apartment is located - and Forest City) involving multinational companies from China.

    Iskandar Malaysia, the oldest and by far the most significant of these corridors, has become a test bed for adaptive Chinese investment strategies in Malaysia.

    Among these high-rises is also a huge shopping mall. 97% of the space is unrented and vacant. Probably a result of Covid. A sad sight, as is the real estate.

    This is what happens when you sell out to the Chinese and under the pretext of breaking away from the US dollar.
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  • 2 last target: Singapur

    19. august 2023, Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    And it's getting green again!

    In my experience and many conversations with other travelers, Malaysia is not worth a trip. With the exception of Borneo, I would have been better staying in Thailand or flying directly to another place like Bali.
    Afterwards one is always smarter.
    I personally don't like Malaysia at all.
    And although it is raining like crazy here in Singapore right now, I already feel much more comfortable here.
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  • Chuni has arrived

    20. august 2023, Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Chuni has arrived. Today I took the subway across the city to the airport and picked up Chun. After my long solo trip now begins my last travel week.
    We will explore the airport on the last day. He is also 2023 to the best airport worldwide gekürte been.
    Nevertheless, a first impression of this airport😊.
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  • SP, Street Art in China Town

    20. august 2023, Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Singapore’s neighbourhoods are great places for art hunting. Some of the neighbourhoods where you can find street art around Singapore are Chinatown, Haji Lane and Gelam gallery, Little India, and Joo Chiat, to name a few.

    Unlike in other countries, where street art is done in secret, illegally, and often hurriedly (unapproved graffiti and street art are still illegal in Singapore), here they have embraced the culture, commissioning and creating beautiful finished pieces that tell the story of the area and its people. And I absolutely love it.
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  • Sri Mariamman Tempel

    20. august 2023, Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Chinatown is home to Singapore's oldest Hindu temple, the Sri Mariamman Temple, built in 1827.

    The history of the temple, which was known as Mariamman Kovil and was built by immigrants from the Nagapatnam and Cuddalore districts of southern India, dates back to 1827.

    It is dedicated to the goddess Mariamman, who is known for her ability to cure diseases.

    It is believed that a large part of the building, which is now a national monument, was built by Indian craftsmen between 1862-63.

    In addition to worship services, the temple was also an important site for community activities during the colonial period. Here was also the registry office for Hindus - at that time only the temple was authorized to perform Hindu marriages.
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  • Singapore Streets

    20. august 2023, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Singapore is quiet. Believe it or not. And deeply relaxed. In contrast to Bangkok where it is loud and busy.
    We are extremely surprised. There are few cars on the streets. Why we have not yet found out.

    Correction, now we know! Thanks to Google! So go ahead: google "why does Singapore have so few cars"!

    The architecture is magnificent. So many beautiful buildings - old and new.
    I am totally in love with this city.
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  • Mount Faber

    21. august 2023, Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Originally named Telok Blangah Hill.

    In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles established a trading port in Singapore and trade flourished, resulting in many ships arriving at the Singapore port. Captain Charles Edward Faber from Madras Engineers then built a new road to the summit of Telok Blangah Hill and installed a signal station and flagstaff for ships that sailed into the harbour. In recognition of his contribution, the government renamed Telok Blangah Hill to “Mount Faber” in July 1845..Læs mere

  • Beach Sentosa by Night

    21. august 2023, Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Sentosa is a small Singaporean island that can be easily reached from Singapore. Through land reclamation, Sentosa has grown to five square kilometers (as of 2006). The island, formerly used as a British military base, is now a recreational area for the Singaporean population with many gardens and numerous amusement facilities and, above all, a major tourist attraction.

    Sentosa's beaches are located on its southern side and are divided into three sections: Palawan Beach, Siloso Beach and Tanjong Beach. All beaches are artificial, the sand was obtained from Indonesia and Malaysia and filled up.

    In order to develop tourism in Singapore, it was decided as early as 1968 to build a cable car link from Mount Faber to Sentosa via the HarbourFront intermediate station.
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  • Indonesia: Bintan Island

    22. august 2023, Singapore Strait ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    We are leaving Singapore: for 1 day. 🤷🏽‍♀️
    Destination is Bintan, an Indonesian island off the coast of Singapore.

    Bintan is known for its beautiful beaches, rich historical sites, amazing fauna, as well as abundant Chinese temples and seafood restaurants. Some good places to visit on Bintan Island is Tanjung Pinang, which is the capital city, as well as the surrounding islands.

    Ferry duration from Singapore to Bintan Island ranges from 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes depending on the ferry route operator, and ship. The distance between Singapore to Bintan Island is approximately 42 nautical miles.
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  • Bintan: Telaga Biru

    22. august 2023, Indonesien ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    It's hard to imagine that this crystal blue lake was once just a large crater in an abandoned mining site, but as time went by, it began to gradually fill with rainwater resulting in a "post-apocalyptic oasis" in the middle of Gurun Pasir Busung desert. The entrance fee to this area is only IDR 30,000 per person, and as the spot is still quite secluded, there are not that many food or trinket sellers in the area just yet. This barren land is a great place to explore during your trip to Bintan.Læs mere

  • Bintan: Magroven

    22. august 2023, Indonesien ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    The mangroves play host to a variety of exotic wildlife. Some of the shy wildlife includes the macaque and silver leaf monkeys, monitor lizards and mangrove snakes. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to see snakes sleeping in the branches right above you and even monkeys swinging through the trees. Marine life fills the riverbed including, mudskippers, crabs, mud lobsters, snails and clams amongst many others. Towards the end of the river, the guide will also share the different uses of the plants found in the mangrove such as weaving of hats or building of roofs.

    We were extremely lucky today and saw many snakes and also many monkeys.
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  • Bintan: Lagoi Beach

    22. august 2023, Indonesien ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Lagoi Beach is located in the subdistrict at the northern tip of Bintan Island. Its majestic beach view rivals that of the ones in Bali or Lombok with an unblocked view of the horizon from which one can admire the rising and setting of the sun. Tourists can enjoy outdoor activities such as sunbathing, swimming, snorkelling, diving or simply walking along the coastline.

    Lagoi Beach is also a short walk away from Plaza Lagoi so guests may swing by the many dining establishments there serving local delicacies such as seafood and traditional Indonesian cuisine.
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  • Little India

    23. august 2023, Singapore ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Little India today is one of Singapore’s most vibrant districts, with a fascinating past that stretches back to the 19th century.

    Serangoon Road —the historic heart of the district— was once called Soonambu Kamban (Village of Lime in Tamil) for its lime pits. Over the decades, the district evolved into an area of commerce, with rattan works, wheat-grinding sheds and pineapple factories emerging alongside cattle trade.

    As you walk through this bustling neighbourhood, you’ll find places of worship with beautiful architecture and interiors, from the Corinthian pillars of the Abdul Gafoor Mosque to the fifteen-metre-tall Buddha statue in the Temple of a Thousand Lights.
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  • Gardens by the bay

    23. august 2023, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    The Gardens by the Bay are one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Singapore. This is mainly due to the huge Supertrees. "Trees" that are made of steel tubes, overgrown with plants, and have thousands of lights on the outside.

    Already during the day, we liked the Supertrees very much, especially because of their extreme size. But when it gets dark, it really gets going. Then the artificial trees suddenly start to glow in different colors like a spaceship.

    It seemed to us as if we had landed in another world. It looks completely unreal and at the same time just beautiful. For us personally the most intense Singapore at night - highlight.

    Opening Hours & Prices: There is no entrance fee for the Gardens by the Bay. You can see the Supertrees completely free of charge. It is open until 2 o'clock at night. So enough time to enjoy the shining trees extensively.
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  • Singapore: Hotel recommendation

    24. august 2023, Singapore ⋅ 🌩️ 31 °C

    Looking for an affordable hotel in Singapore? We have that too! If you take a look at the hotel prices in Singapore, you will quickly realize: it's damn expensive here.
    We found our boutique hotel in Singapore via AirBnB a few months ago and can only recommend it.
    It has a great location, offers many amenities like workstations, gyms, several kitchens where you can cook, good coffee machines (free coffee, tea and water), ice machine, refrigerator, self-service snacks, food and drinks, pool and various gardens.
    And free wifi.

    All major bus and metro stations are just minutes away. Also shopping and dining facilities. It is very quiet here and the staff is extremely nice.

    It is very well kept, clean and very cheap. It costs around CHF 100 per night which is a bargain for Singapore. We find the price-performance ratio more than good.

    The rooms are rather small, which does not bother us. There is a save, hair dryer, shower soap, shampoo, conditioner etc., and tv with Netflix. We are only here to sleep. The bathroom is super clean, stylish and has everything it needs.
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  • Vietnam day with Thais!

    24. august 2023, Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We have arranged to meet Chuni's family in Singapore once again for dinner at a neighborhood that is just opening. The quarter has been completely renovated. Unlike in Switzerland, this is not done house by house. But the quarter is completely closed, renovated and then reopened. Impressive!

    I have my Vietnam day today! At least as far as the food is concerned Vietnamese lunch and now Vietnamese dinner.
    Chun finds my love for Vietnamese food only conditionally good🤪 but I enjoy it! So many memories!

    Bun cha and oysters au gratin. Simply delicious! Also in Singapoure!

    I'm going to miss it. The food corner. Here you can find food from all over the world. China, Vietnam, India, Thai, Japan, Korea, USA, Europe and much more. For little money. In Switzerland, I wouldn't even get a sandwich for that.
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  • Today program

    25. august 2023, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    We had a really great time together and understand each other almost blindly. What you can see and experience in a week, amazes me again and again.
    Chun is hooked on traveling and we would love to continue traveling together. Our first destination would be Indonesia. But: Tomorrow is our last day in Singapore, in the evening our flight goes via Bangkok to Zurich. And unfortunately, we haven't won the lottery yet.

    Luckily we know that in about 114 days we are allowed to go to Thailand for 5 weeks. That makes it a little bit better.

    Remember: the 1st and last hotel of a trip is always a very good one.
    As a frequent traveler, I now have VIP status on various booking platforms and get the hotels cheaper.

    So we do it! We stay tonight at the Marina Bay!
    At 11 am we have to check out at the hmlet. And check in at 3pm at the Marina Bay.

    I booked myself a beauty morning and go for a manicure and pedicure after checking out. Even if Singapore is expensive, it is still much cheaper than in Switzerland. And somehow you want to look civilized when you enter the Marina!
    In the past few days, we have walked about 15,000 steps per day.
    Today we won't do much except enjoy the special place.
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  • Marina Bay❤️

    25. august 2023 ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    The adventure begins with the pre-drive! As soon as we get out, we are greeted and our luggage is not only unloaded but also immediately brought to the room. We walk through the imposing hall to Tower 3, where our room will be located.
    The room is "only" on the 7th floor but has a sensational view of the Garden by the Bay and the Supertrees. It is clear to us: we will enjoy the show again tonight: 1x from the room and 1x from the 57 from the pool 👍🏽. And to the pool we go also without detours. A dream come true!!!
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  • Slut på rejsen
    27. august 2023