My Quick Guide to Singapore

Got a long weekend and some leave credits to spare? Head on over to Singapura! I've gathered a handful of tips for you to enjoy a long weekend in the Garden City of Singapore. Allow me to experience some mishaps so that you don't have to lol. 

Here’s a quick guide to the incredible city-state of Singapura: 

1. Exchange Currencies at the Airport for Competitive Rates 

Traveling via Mactan International Airport Terminal 2 in Cebu, we stuck with our standard practice of changing our Philippine Pesos to American Dollars, then changing the US$ to Singaporean Dollars. It turns out that at the exit of Changi Airport, there are competitive money changers that accept Philippine Pesos as well. It’s quite a relief that we added cushion to our traveling allowance, as well as discovered that one does not need to panic if there’s no forex in sight if you’re carrying pesos.

2. Get a SingTel SIM Card for Communication and Data Needs (SGD $38)

 This can last you a week as the SIM Card is widely used in Singapore and Malaysia, plus it has free 3GB data that can be tethered and shared among family and friends if you’re staying a week or less. With the free calls to all SingTel numbers, you can keep in touch with friends and family who are also in SG and  it automatically turns on roaming when you leave SG, which is perfect if you have planned itineraries to Malaysia or if you’re back in the Philippines. You can purchase your SIM cards right at the airport upon arrival. 

3. Top Up Your EZLink Card and Take Advantage of Cheap and Efficient Public Transportation for both Bus and Tram

You know you’re in Singapore when the bus is on time, it’s clean and efficient. We were handed EZLink cards for access to bus and tram and learned how to take the right bus from one destination to another. In SG, bus rides cost only 60 cents, and if you have an established routine, a top up of SG$10 can last for a week or more. Topping up EZLink Cards can be done in 7/11 outlets all over the city-state.

4. Don't Be Afraid of Food Hawker Stalls! 

Food hawker stalls are all the rage in SG because they serve good local dishes, are affordable and highly sanitized. A meal in a restaurant can range anywhere from SG$15-20 with or without drinks. But hawker stalls can offer SG$4-7. I’ve enjoyed tons of dishes in these places and tasted the local flavor to boot. It’s also good for sharing with travel buddies.

5. Express Passes in Amusement Parks Will Actually Do You Good!

Being in SG for the long weekend also made me realize that we were not the only ones trying to explore Sentosa Island and Universal Studios. There are still a handful of families with children who have thought of bonding over the sights in Sentosa. In other words, expect a crowd in a huge attraction such as this. Thus, the waiting time for rides and shows can be very long. The regular pass will only fall short compared to the express pass when it comes to top choice rides and attractions especially in Universal Studios in Sentosa. Get the express pass, it will make you wait only 15 minutes for rides compared to the 90 minutes for the regular pass.

6. My Handy Dandy Travel Essentials 

"Don’t forget your good walking shoes, water bottle, cap, umbrella, foldable wind breaker, powerbank and stuff them all in a lightweight bag."

Now this has got to be my mantra if you will. I’ve learned that the weather in SG is not the same as it was the day before, so extra caution is still to be taken. It rained when I purposefully left my windbreaker at my aunt’s apartment, and we were forced to purchase expensive drinking water from a convenience store because we thought bringing water with us was just heavy. Some lessons still can’t be learned huh?

But despite all these experiences, I’m really impressed with the city and who knows when I will get the chance to go back. My time there is nothing short of incredible. Well at least with the quick guides that I churn out for these destinations, perhaps you can learn a thing or two which could come in handy when it’s your turn to visit these sites someday. Watch out for my next posts! Ciao!

You Know You're in Singapore When

Destination Diary: Singapore and Things To Do

Destination Diary: Shanghai, China

To complete our cultural experience in China, we headed on to the last part of our tour: Shanghai.

Arriving in the evening, Shanghai is the more metropolitan, modern version of the cities we visited. Shanghai is also a popular tourist destination because of the attractions that blend with both heritage sites and modern ones. 

Bullet Train from Beijing to Shanghai

Bullet Train to Shanghai

The weather in China is behind all the “normal” flight cancellations, but we had a schedule to keep. So our host arranged for us to leave for Shanghai no matter what. We were told the bad news that our flights were cancelled, but the good news was that we were to take the bullet train.

Speeding at 300 km/h, we got to see the countryside, train route and and wind-powered energy farms in wide view windows of the train, and just how wide the land is in this country. It took us six hours from Beijing to Shanghai, that’s how big China is, considering the speed the train travels in. The train stops for only a minute in each station, that’s just enough time to get in and out. Tickets are more expensive than airline fares, but train rides are rarely cancelled; whether it’s rain or shine, it’s a sure way of getting to one’s destination.

Yu Yuan Garden, Shanghai, China

Yu Yuan Garden

We passed by a small alley that led to Yu Yuan Garden. It is a historic temple in Shanghai that is now surrounded with many artisan shops and is a popular shopping site among tourists. It’s really a temple inside with many artisans selling their wares all over the place, from a tea shop, to jewelry, souvenirs, metal goods, even food and department stores can be found in this tourist destination. 

Choose your wild, an assortment of tea in Yu Yuan Garden

Tea to hoard in Tins 

Tea of the day in Yu Yuan Garden Tea Shop

Shadow Theatre in Yu Yuan Garden, Shanghai

Nanjing Road

This is for the person who cannot live without shopping and an unlimited amount of credit. Nanjing Road is a whole shopping strip consisting of a 5-KM stretch of shopping malls left and right. If you have a whole day for exploring the whole place, there’s so much to see. There’s an interesting vintage photo booth complete with props that can take your photo and process it Vintage Shanghai-style. There are also so many food stalls and souvenir stalls all over. There are so many brands and shops, hello 5-KM stretch.

Corner Entrance to Nanjing Road, Shanghai

Nanjing Road Alleys, Shanghai

A corner building in an intersection road in Nanjing, Shanghai

Sights and sounds, Nanjing Road, Shanghai

Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower and World Financial Center

Here’s a quick trivia, one building is privately called The Bottle Opener. By looking at the Shanghai skyline, one can guess which one. We went to the Bund Riverside Walkway at night to get a better view of the Pudong New Area and to get up close with the Shanghai skyline. One could see the mix of architecture from modern, to the renaissance style divided by the Bund Riverside separating the Pudong New Area and the Old District.

This was one of our last stops before heading on back to Tianjin for our closing ceremonies with TEDA and the Ministry of Commerce.

Oriental Pearl Tower

World Financial Tower and Jin Mao Tower

View from the Bund Riverside, Shanghai

In the Bund Riverside with our translator Grey

It has all been an amazing experience and we were all able to make friends and immerse in new cultural experiences in a different country. I’ll be keeping the official site visits private, but in the meantime, there will be more travel posts soon for the year.

China 2018 Series:

Tianjin

Beijing

Shanghai

Planning for a trip to China soon? Here are some things you may need beforehand. 

Disclaimer: All inputs are based on my experience while in China. A schedule was planned for our group beforehand given the limited amount of time.

Check out my video below and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Destination Diary: Beijing, China

There we were, all packed in a bus to Beijing after we were told that after the rigorous classes we had for our course, we were going to have time to relax. It took us two hours from Tianjin and we made it to Holiday Express Inn.

Formerly called Peking, Beijing is a must-visit for many tourists every year. Because of its cross between old and new, Beijing is still the seat of power and there are so many sights and sounds to savour. 

Memories made at one of the Wonders of the Ancient World

The Great Wall

No visit to Beijing is complete without seeing the Great Wall. The best time to visit is when the sun is up, so there will be good photos for you to take. There are souvenir shops so that you can purchase some memorabilia and also grab snacks after having explored the wall.

There’s actually a warning sign that says:

Advisory in Great Wall Beijing Station (nope that's not me pointing) 

But if you’re someone who can manage, the climb can give a beautiful view of the valley and other structures in it, like pagodas and the connecting moats. The bus took an hour and a half through the Great Wall Valley, so why not make the most of your time there? What you will need are a good pair of shoes, a cap and water. Once you get down from the top, some of the shops also sell ice cream to reward yourself after the climb.

Beijing Olympic Park

Beijing Olympic Park

In 2008, China was at the center of the world’s attention because of the Beijing Olympics. The Olympic Park was constructed solely for hosting the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. China was intent on putting on a good show, being the first time that the country hosted the Olympic Games. The park is vast, so again, walking from the entrance gate up to the main arenas will take patience, as I sat on the grass as soon as I got the chance in front of the Bird’s Nest stadium, and because it was afternoon that we arrived, must also be because of the heat that I thought of staying put for a moment.
 

There are benches and shops all over the place, but it looks like it’s a recreation park after the conclusion of the Olympic Games. It’s also surprisingly a quiet place to spend the afternoon in. How timely it is that I’m writing about the Beijing Olympic Park on the 10^th Anniversary of the Beijing Olympics.

Tiananmen Square in Beijing

Tiananmen Square

Known as the seat of power, Tiananmen Square has quite an extensive history, and with many structures around it, it’s no question why. To its north is the gate to the Forbidden City, to the left is the Great Hall of the People, and nearby is the Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum. In the center of the square is the People’s Heroes’ Monument, a silent spectator.

It’s the site of many historic events in China, and is one of the largest squares in the world. Our bus parked a distance away, and we took the underpass by foot and walked to the square mid-morning.

Rickshaw in a side street in Beijing, China

Statue in a side street cafe in Beijing

Side street in Beijing

The Pearl Market

To end our tour around Beijing, we had shabu-shabu lunch and had the chance to visit the Pearl Market for some souvenir shopping and of course, who’s not familiar with the term pasalubong? It’s fun to go around the Pearl Market, and the name of the game is to haggle, haggle, haggle. There are so many stalls and goods in the Pearl Market, but my personal favorites are the stamp engraver and the stall selling masks from the Peking Opera House. But my baggage allowance won’t allow it though, as after Beijing we were heading straight to Shanghai via bullet train. 

Shabu Shabu Lunch, Pearl Market, Beijing

Stamp Engraver in Pearl Market, Beijing

Masks of the Peking Opera House, Pearl Market, Beijing, China

Because of time constraints, our group didn’t have the time to visit the other attractions. I’d love to go back someday and visit the Silk Market, Forbidden City and The Temple of Heaven, but perhaps with family next time.

China 2018 Series:

Tianjin

Beijing

Shanghai

Planning for a trip to China soon? Here are some things you may need beforehand. 

Disclaimer: All inputs are based on my experience while in China. A schedule was planned for our group beforehand given the limited amount of time. 

Check out my video below and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Destination Diary: Tianjin, China

Our Home in China

At least that’s what our local Chinese friends called Tianjin. It’s where we spent half of our time in, began and ended our stay in China as a group. In some ways, I have to agree. It’s in Tianjin that we were able to feel like locals, walking two blocks to the mall and museum which is very near the hotel where we stayed. Remembering my room in the hotel makes me miss the time spent there too. 

Galaxy Mall in Tianjin (robot is actually an exhibit in our hotel lobby, car is a Tesla display inside the mall)

Galaxy Mall

You know how Filipinos are naturally “lacuacheros”?  Being in a part of a seasoned group of travelers has taught me that it’s alright to explore the locality in China, the private joke is that as long as you know where the nearest embassy is, then you’re fine. Galaxy Mall is only a couple of blocks away from our hotel.

It’s a high-end mall, carrying brands like Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Valentino, Bottega and of course, Tesla showrooms in the mall itself. And you know that I immediately went inside the bookstore at the top floor. I enjoyed the bookstore but couldn’t buy anything because all the popular books were published in Mandarin and my literacy in Mandarin is only limited to elementary speaking and a handful of greetings.

The mall is huge, with cinemas at the top floor, and a hockey ring at the ground floor. There are many other shops and it takes some energy to just walk around in. 

Traditional Restaurant featuring Tianjin Cuisine

This restaurant has been around since 1935 and has been open and operational ever since. We were brought here to savour traditional Tianjin cuisine and I made a mental note to copy some recipes once I arrived home. The star of the show is how to eat Peking Duck, the traditional way. So far, I haven’t mastered any dishes yet lol.

Tianjin Eye and the Riverside

We made it a point to visit the river at night. Here, locals unwind, take a walk, there were couples completing their evening photo shoots in their wedding dresses. The riverside must be a popular place, and it’s where people practice their evening photography by the water too. The riverboat passes by every few minutes, and the building opposite the Tianjin Eye flashes images of the flag every single night.

Eco Life Museum

Before we left for Beijing, we visited the Eco Life Museum after a short walk through the promenade. Now I’m really impressed with the way the promenade was planned out, there were also so many roses just growing outdoors.

As for the museum? My travel buddies all agreed that it’s world-class, combining a lot of audiovisual methods to heighten the static displays of the exhibits. For foreign visitors, it’s free to get inside the museum, simply show your passport. 

Tianjin was impressive, for a municipality of China, it sure has a lot of well-planned, green spaces and leisurely areas for its locals. It’s also where we stumbled upon a local bakery that sold delicious pastries, locals and foreign visitors alike were lining up for the freshly-baked treats. We bought our shares even if all we did was point out which ones we liked.

Local Bakery in Tianjin

 A lot will be missed from Tianjin, from the friends we made, and even the little freedom we enjoyed walking around its streets at night and in the morning after our sessions in class. There are a lot of sights and sounds to experience in Tianjin, and I hope to come back when I have the chance.

View from my hotel room

Planning for a trip to China soon? Here are some things you may need beforehand. 

China 2018 Series:

Tianjin

Beijing

Shanghai

Disclaimer : All input are based on my experience while in China. A schedule was planned for our group beforehand given the limited amount of time.

Check out my video below and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. 

Destination Diary: China and What You Will Need

Summer of this year, I went to China for 14 days to attend a short course with a delegation and it was one of the best experiences I’ve had, meeting new people and making new friends coupled with the chance to visit historical sites. We were invited by China’s Ministry of Commerce, so I went as a government employee as a member of a delegation representing the Philippines.

Of course, my excitement got a hold of me days before I was to leave. These are some things to remember when preparing for a visit to China:

Visa

Securing a Chinese Visa is one of the strictest, as it is particular with medical requirements such as ECG and X-Ray. The form alone is very comprehensive, so I spent a whole day completing all the requirements for the medical attachments for the visa alone.

Normally personal appearance is required in the Chinese Embassy but for our trip shouldered by the Ministry of Commerce, all we had to do was pick up our passports with visas from our contact and facilitator.

There are no shortcuts to getting a visa and yes, I went through all of those. For government employees, a travel order or travel authority is required upon immigration check and other relevant documents.

Facial and fingerprint scanner in China

Immigration in China

Before passing through Chinese Immigration upon arrival, all foreign visitors are required to pass through facial and fingerprint scanning. It’s easier because there are machines set up that are user-friendly and the printed slip is shown to the Immigration Officer upon arrival. The Immigration booths are modern and are well-manned. With your arrival card, passport and registration slip, you should be alright.

Electronics on Flight

Be warned that electronics checked-in are not allowed. Most of my companions during travel have mastered this, but not me. Oh no. I was able to pull out the Macbook out of my checked-in luggage but wasn’t able to save my powerbank in Guangzhou. Upon arrival in Tianjin, I discovered that my luggage was inspected and my Asus pink powerbank was confiscated. And thus, the lesson is to bring all electronics in the handcarried baggage. Check out what replacement I received here.

Side Street in Yu Yuan Garden, Shanghai

VPN for Social Media in China

One thing to remember about visiting China is that most social media platforms are banned, except for WeChat which has a WePay feature. However, WeChat can be validated by a user in Mainland China who has been using the app for 6 months at least. The next best thing to beat the restriction is by downloading a VPN router, some are paid apps, which can connect you to routers like in Hongkong for you to unblock the restrictions. I was able to discover that my phone has a built in VPN and I accessed and used it easily, so no worries there. Most hotels we stayed in had free wifi to chat with family and friends back home so that eased away the homesickness.

Basic Mandarin

Basic Mandarin is appreciated, so learning to say a few words can help with making new friends. It doesn’t have to be complicated, simply practice the basic like thank you, welcome, good morning and good bye and you can make friends with people who smile and nod at you. Chinese mainlanders are friendly, and you will be surprised at how many locals are actually willing to chat with you.

Chinese Yuan Reminbi

Local Currency

It’s better to have money changed in any accredited money changers before landing in China. We went around the airport to look for money changers inside the terminal but there were none in Guangzhou. In Tianjin we went around banks to change our American Dollars, only one bank was able to facilitate our exchange. Withdrawing from ATMs is no problem, but for Philippine accounts, your local bank might charge a Php 200 withdrawal fee. Credit cards didn’t work in Guangzhou airport in the Starbucks branch, (must be because there’s an activation notice to utilize the card abroad to prevent fraudulent transactions) though debit cards worked just fine.

Guangzhou Airport

Good Walking Shoes, Hat, Camera, Sunblock and a Water Bottle

Finally, these are the basics that I wish I brought along with me so that I didn’t have to buy them anymore. For the second part of our trip, we visited sites that one could cross off the bucket list, and so there’s a good amount of walking around to be done. Luckily I found a pair that I could wear in an outlet store in Beijing. Then I needed a hat, so I bought one in one of the souvenir shops in The Great Wall. As for a camera, I wish that I brought my mirrorless camera with me. Sunblock, whether it’s exploring a beach or going to historical sites, should be a staple in the luggage. And of course, airports and train stations in China have water fountains in every corner, it’s good to be able to bring a water bottle along. Hydrating is important especially when in transit. I know I’ll be bringing mine along the next time I leave the country.

Wearing my shoes in Nanjing Road, Shanghai

China 2018 Series:

Tianjin

Beijing

Shanghai

Note : All input are based on my experience while in China. A schedule was planned for our group beforehand given the limited amount of time.

Check out my video below and don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel.