Category: Travel Resources

Specific information and tools you can use to plan your next trip anywhere in the world.

Cost of backpacking in Europe

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How to Get Travel Visas? What all Beginners Need to Know.

Guide on how to get visas for beginners

When you’re planning a trip there are typically 4 aspects you have to consider: Flight, hotel, itinerary, and visas.

Now, depending on what passport you have, every time you travel you’ll have to apply for a visa or maybe not.

I know that last part wasn’t very helpful, but the thing about whether you need a visa or not depends on what passport you have and what country you’re traveling to.

How to get travel visas? Here’s what all beginner travelers and even some experienced ones need to know.

 

 

Visa Requirements are Different for Holders of Different Passports.

The passport you have matters a lot. There are travelers that could go their entire lives traveling without even knowing what a visa application form is.

These are usually the holders of passports of developed nations. According to Economictimes, these are the strongest passports as of 2019.

Country of Passport Number of Countries Allowing Visa Free Entry
Japan 190
Singapore 189
South Korea 189
France 188
Germany 188
Denmark 187
Sweden 187
Finland 187
Italy 187
Luxembourg 186

So as you can see, anyone who holds a passport from the above nations won’t have to worry too much about visas since there are 180+ destinations where they can enter by just showing their passport.

On the other hand, we have the weakest passports. If you happen to have one the passports in the list below, then most likely, you’ll have to constantly apply for visas if you want to travel internationally.

Country of Passport Number of Countries Allwoing Visa Free Entry
Afghanistan 30
Iraq 33
Syria 37
Pakistan 39
Somalia 40
Yemen 40
Sudan 43
Eitrea 43
Lybia 44
Ethiophia 46

As you can see, your passport matters a lot when traveling internationally. When somebody asks me if they need a visa to visit X country my answer always is: It depends. What passport do you have?

 

How to Get a Visa?

There isn’t just one answer for this question, it pretty much depends on which country you want to visit.

The first thing you have to do is find out whether you need a visa for such a country. Go to the official immigration website of the country and look for their visa policies.

They’ll usually have a list of the passport holders of specific countries they let in visa-free. If your country is not there then you’ll have to apply for a visa.

 

In the government websites -immigration- they usually make it clear on how to apply for a visa and the types of visa you can apply for.

They also let you know the procedure and how much you’ll have to pay for it.

 

Steps on how to apply for a visa

 

  • First. Make sure you need a visa. You usually find this info in the country’s immigration website.
  • Second. If you need a visa then keep on looking in the website for a visa section.
  • Third. Select the type of visa you need and follow instructions on how to apply.
  • Fourth. Make the application and wait for the response.

Maybe the previous steps were very vague. The truth is that the process of how to get a visa varies a lot from country to country.

For example.

As a Nicaraguan passport holder, I need a visa to go to enter Hong Kong. Last time I applied for one I had to mail a lot of papers, along with a bank check to an address in Hong Kong.

Once my visa was approved they mailed back a visa sticker which I had to put in my passport.

I also need a visa to visit Japan. To apply for this one I simply have to go to the nearest embassy, present a bunch of paper and pay for the visa fee in cash.

They tell me right away whether I meet the requirements or not. If I do then I leave my passport there and I can pick it up within one week with the visa sticker on.

To go to Australia I also need a visa. For this one I have to do the whole process online. I have to scan a lot of papers and submit an online application and make an online payment.

 

If approved, the immigration department of Australia will send me a PDF file stating they will let me visit as a tourist, no sticker.

If I want to go to Vietnam I first need to apply for an approval letter, which I have to pay for. Once I arrive in Vietnam I can apply for a visa on arrival without presenting too many papers and just making a payment.

The point I’m trying to make here is that the process of getting a visa will vary from country to country.

Even if two persons with different passports need a visa to visit the same country, the applying process might be different.

For example, someone with a Japanese passport needs a visa to enter India, someone with a Nicaraguan passport also needs a visa to enter India, but there’s a difference.

The person with the Japanese passport can simply get on a plane and pay for a visa on arrival in India.

The person with the Nicaraguan passport can not do that. This person would need to first apply for an electronic visa.

 

Common Documents You’ll Need to Apply for a Visa.

Even though is true that visa application procedures and requirements vary from one country to another, there are still a set of documents I believe are quite common to be asked to present when applying for any visa.

 

  • Bank statement- with a lot of money to support yourself during your stay.
  • Accommodation reservation.
  • Flight tickets showing you’ll get out of the country soon.
  • Travel Itinerary.
  • Photocopy of your passport and any other relevant ID.
  • Passport size photos.
  • Prove of previous travel such as photocopies of previous tourist visas.
  • Health check or vaccines certificate, depending on which country you’re coming from. For example, Colombians need a yellow fever vaccine certificate to enter Thailand.
  • A filled out visa application form.

Once you gather all the documents the country requires, you upload them or mail them to them or simply take them to the nearest embassy and you’ll wait for the results. They might let you know if you get the visa right away of after a couple of weeks.

 

How to Get a Visa Easily?

After reading all of the above you might start feeling like applying for a visa is a little bit complicated and stressful, and you know what, sometimes it is.

 

A Memorable Trip to Hong Kong.

I almost didn’t get my Hong Kong visa and I had already paid for my ticket and hotel, both were non-refundable. So how do you make the process easier?

Well, you can ask for advice from people that have experience processing visas for people that hold the same passport as you and that have traveled to the same destination where you want to go.

If you’re looking for an agency that can help you process a visa this is the one I recommend. They have a nice search engine where you can enter your country (country of passport) and your destination.

They’ll tell you whether you need a visa or not, and if they can help you process one they will let you know.

 

Common Visa Types

There are 3 visa types I consider to be the most common ones anyone might need to apply for.

 

Tourist Visas

This is the most common one. You can apply either for single entry or multiple entries depending on the country’s regulations.

Sometimes countries will let you in visa-free for a short period of time and then you’ll have to apply for a tourist visa if you want to stay longer. For example, UK passport holders can enter Vietnam visa-free and remain there for 15 days.

If they want to stay longer then they’ll have to apply for a visa in advance, or before the 15 days are up.

 

Transit Visas

For anyone with a not so strong passport, it will be possible for you to need a visa only for transiting a country.

This means that if you have one layover before arriving at your final destination. Please make sure you can transit the country in between visa-free.

For example, when I fly from Taiwan to Nicaragua, I have to go through the USA, in order to do so I need a transit visa, otherwise, they wouldn’t even let me get on the plane.

The same thing goes for Hong Kong since I have a Nicaraguan passport I need a transit visa, but if I don’t leave the transit area of the airport then I’m okay, allow me to explain.

A transit visa allows you to go through customs, get your luggage and go out of the airport, maybe your connecting flight departs in 12 hours and you need a hotel while you wait for your next flight right? Well with a transit visa you can do this.

 

But what if you have a connection that only lasts 4 or 6 hours, one where you don’t even have to get your luggage and check it in again because the airline will send it directly to the final destination?

In this case, I don’t need to apply for a transit visa because I will never leave the airport. I won’t even go through customs. I’ll just get out of the plane and go to another boarding gate to catch my next flight, with a little security check-in between, this is what is known as remaining in an airport’s transit area.

 

Visa on Arrival

Some countries offer travelers from certain nationalities the possibility of getting visas on arrival. This means that once you land in the country’s airport or you arrive at some border checkpoint.

All you have to do is fill out a form, present some photos and flight ticket to show you’ll get out of the country and pay a fee and you’ll be granted a visa.

Tourist visas durations may also vary depending on your passport. When I applied for a Chinese tourist visa it was granted to me for a period of 20 days, a friend with a USA passport was granted 5 years I think.

 

What is the cost of backpacking Europe?

 

Some Information About Visas

 

  • Visa fees are nonrefundable, meaning that if your visa is denied you won’t get your money back.
  • Not all visas are stickers on your passport, in some cases, you’ll just receive a PDF file with your visa information and you’ll show it before boarding and after landing.
  • Visa durations vary greatly, you can be granted a tourist visa stay of 1 or 3 months or sometimes up to 5 years.
  • Some countries will let you know right away if you meet the visa requirements, others will tell you in a month or two.
  • Visas processing time might take 1 day or 1 month.

 

Conclusion

Applying for a visa can be a little bit overwhelming, there’s a lot of information on the web right now that it becomes so easy to get lost on what to do.

If you invest the time in doing your research and have the patience to deal with bureaucratic processes then there’s no visa you couldn’t apply for on your own.

But if you don’t have the time nor the patience then I’d recommend you to contact someone who can help you process a visa. Nothing sucks more than having your whole trip canceled because you couldn’t get a visa on time or get the right visa.

One more thought.

Be aware of online scams, no one can guarantee you that they will get you a visa, if someone tells you, pay me 500 USD and I’ll get you a USA tourist visa or Australian visa, that’s most likely a scam.

What most travel agencies can do is help you prepare documents, guide you through the process of applying for the visa, make sure all the data you provide is appropriate and also make sure you select the adequate visa type.

All of this increases your chances of getting your visa approved.

 

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Japanese Food, A Guide of The Food You Can’t Miss

types of cuisine food in japan

Raise your hand if you like JAPAN!!!!! Yeah, me too, who doesn’t right?

If you’re like me and you’re wondering which are the most famous, common or easy to find types of Japanese food then this is a post for you.

Let’s get right into it, this is a Japanese Food Guide

 

1-Sushi

 

japanese food Sushi

This could be the most famous Japanese dish in the whole world right? Well at least one of them. They come in different colors and different flavors, and one thing is for sure, you’ll be left asking for more.

The dish is said to have originated in South East Asia. It was until the Edo period in Japan (1603-1868) that the dish was made popular all over Japan. Sushi rice is vinegared rice, with a little bit of salt and sugar.

Sushi ingredients and shapes vary widely, but the most common ingredients are seafood, vegetables and some times tropical fruits.

 

How healthy is Sushi?

It depends. If you go for the more traditional type then the main ingredients will be raw fish and rice, both are naturally low in fat and high in protein and carbohydrates. The latter is only in the rice.

When vegetables are added to Sushi, vitamins, and minerals are being added. Some seafood is high in omega 3 fatty acids which may have a good effect on cardiovascular health, so yeah Sushi is healthy.

Unless you go for the not so traditional Sushi, you know the ones that are made with fried shrimp and a lot of mayonnaise, that’s not healthy.

 

The best Sushi restaurants in Japan

I think it would be a Titanic task to go to every single Sushi restaurant in Japan and make the final decision on which are the absolute best. I certainly did not do that.

But here’s a list of the best Sushi restaurants in Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka, based on public reviews.

 

 

2-Sashimi

 

Japanese food sashimi

The cousin of Sushi, it’s similar to Sushi but not quite the same, mainly because there’s no rice. It’s possible to be served Sashimi and rice, but on separate plates.

The most common way to eat Sashimi is by dipping it in soy sauce and putting it in your mouth, it’s that simple. Sashimi is not just seafood, there is also beef Sashimi and even beef liver Sashimi.

Just like in Sushi there are different varieties. What is there in Sashimi? It’s just fresh raw fish or meat, there’s a lot of variety in the way it’s cut. It can be very thin slices, thick or in cube shapes.

Some Sashimi, like octopus Sashimi, is cooked due to its chewy nature.

 

Is Sashimi Healthy?

Considering that Sashimi is pretty much raw, sometimes it might be slightly boiled to avoid risks of infections, it’s safe to say is healthy as there’s no oil or breading added to it.

Tuna and Salmon Sashimi are particularly high in omega 3 and proteins and have low-calorie content.

 

3-Ramen

 

types of cuisine food in japan

This staple dish from Japanese cuisine actually has its roots in northern China. The most accepted theory is that Ramen was introduced to Japan by Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century in Yokohama, China Town.

After the end of world war 2, Japan had one of the worst rice crops ever recorded, and the USA, they were occupying Japan at the moment, introduced a lot of cheap wheat flour to the market to help cope with the lack of food.

It was like this that Ramen became a very popular dish in Japan, and bread too.

The dish is made out of noodles, soup, which is usually made of stock based on chicken or pork, and is also mixed with other ingredients such as onions, baby sardines, tuna flakes, among other things.

There’s also vegetable-based broth for vegetarians

 

Is Ramen Healthy?

Well, I would say this is a bit more difficult to settle since ramen bowls can be so different from each other in terms of ingredients.

There are a couple of publications out there that have tried to answer this question and they conclude that even though is not easy to make a final conclusion, Ramen tends to be high in sodium, low in protein and high in carbs.

The above doesn’t sound super healthy to me, to anyone who’s trying to build muscles and lose weight you should stay away from carbs and eat protein. Although I don’t think eating Ramen from time to time is bad.

 

4-Okonomiyaki

 

okonomiyaki japanese pancake

Okay, now we’re moving into the not so popular Japanese food, although this one is still fairly renown, Okonomiyaki, or how I call it, the Japanese pancake.

This is yet another type of Japanese food where ingredients can vary greatly from region to region in Japan.

The basic batter for the pancake is made out of flour, grated yam, water, eggs, and shredded cabbage, those are the basic ingredients, after that, it all depends on which style you get to choose from, it could include fish or even noodles.

In Osaka, where the dish is supposed to have originated, the dish is cooked like a pancake. It’s pan-fried and two spatulas are used to flip it and then cut it into pieces before serving.

 

Is Okonomiyaki healthy?

Let’s see, Okonomiyaki has eggs, vegetables, meat or seafood, and other toppings, and is pan-fried, so yes, it is healthy, whatever variation you choose will most likely be high in protein and other vitamins and minerals.

There are regions in Japan where they add a large amount of cabbage which is abundant in dietary fiber, great for digestion.

 

5-Takoyaki

 

Takoyaki popular japanse snacks

This is more of Japanese snack, very popular street food as well. This ball shape appetizer is made of wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan.

The filling of Takoyaki is usually minced or diced octopus, pickled ginger and green onions. The balls are brushed on top with Takoyaki sauce

Takoyaki is said to have originated in Osaka, by a street vendor named Tomekichi in 1935. Something that’s very particular about this dish is that it requires a specially shaped pan to cook it.

 

Is Takoyaki Healthy?

Let’s see, Takoyaki is made out of batter that contains eggs and wheat and in the inside has octopus and a few vegetables, oh and it requires some oiled to be cooked.

The only ingredients you might argue are not healthy is the wheat and the oil, but come on Takoyaki is not a big dish, some small bite-size waffle-like snacks won’t ruin your diet.

 

6-Ebifurai

 

ebifurai or friend shrimp japanese food

Okay let’s make this clear right away, Ebifurai is deep-fried so is not healthy but man they’re good.

This dish is popular in Japan and in many Japanese restaurants around the world, the most common shrimp used for it is the black tiger shrimp and is said to have originated around the year 1900.

Cooking this is easy, some restaurants will straighten the shrimp out and pull the digestive track out, then they coat the shrimp with flour, beaten egg and bread crumbs, then they deep fry the shrimp.

You can find many variations or similar dishes in other Asian countries such as Korea and the Philippines.

 

7-Oden

 

oden japanese food guide

This might be one you haven’t heard of if you haven’t been to Asia, is not just popular in Japan, is also popular in Taiwan and China.

Oden consists of different food that’s been boiled in a mildly flavored broth. It’s considered to be a winter food for some, but you can find this food year-round in Japan.

It’s common to find Oden in night markets offered by street sellers. There are also restaurants and pubs selling it, you can even find it in convenience stores.

The way you usually go about ordering or buying this dish is by selecting only the food you’d like and put it in a small bowl or paper cup and add some of the broth, then you’ll be charged based on what you got.

Common ingredients are eggs, radish, konjec, processed seafood cakes, tofu, and corn.

 

Is Oden healthy?

It really is, first of all, everything is boiled in a broth that is almost water, and the ingredients are eggs, seafood, and vegetables, this is what you call a low in fat and high in nutrients dish.

In Taiwan Oden is also popular and you’ll find it in most convenience stores such as Family Marts and 7-11

 

8-Yakisoba

 

yakisoba japanese street food

I do enjoy eating this one very much. It’s both tasty and cheap, Nomadic Matt recommends it as a budget dish in his Japanese travel guide.

Yakisoba is basically a mixture of ramen style noodles combined with tiny pieces of pork and some chopped vegetables such as cabbage. It’s also mixed with something similar to oyster sauce, that’s how it gets its flavor and color.

This is a very common street food dish and you can also find it in some restaurants.

Interesting fact, Yakisoba can sometimes be served on top of a hot dog.

 

Is Yakisoba healthy?

A portion of Yakisoba for one person will be around 250 calories. It’ll be heavy on carbs and will contain a bit of protein thanks to the meat in it, some nutrients might be added if you mix it with vegetables.

As part of a balanced diet, eating Yakisoba once or twice per week shouldn’t represent any major health risk.

 

9-Dango

 

dango weird japanese food

Aha!!! I bet this is one you don’t hear about every day, or maybe yes I don’t know who you are.

This sweet Japanese food is said to have its origins in Kyoto. Four to five balls are served in a skewer just like in the picture above. Dango is made from mochiko, which is rice flour.

You can find Dango in Japan year-round, although some special flavors can only be found during some seasons. There are different varieties of Dango, they’re mainly differentiated by the main ingredient which provides the flavor.

Some popular ingredients are eggs, green tea, red beans, potatoes, and chestnuts.

 

Is Dango healthy?

You might be thinking, okay if this is dessert then it must not be good, well think again, desserts in Japan and other Asian nations are not the same as western desserts.

Even though they might be a bit high in calories, there are some options which are very low in fat and high in nutrients, Dango is one of those options, so don’t be afraid to eat it.

 

10-Sukiyaki

 

sukiyaki, japanese meal

This is also known as hot pot. It’s supposed to be a winter dish but you can find it in many restaurants all year round. Something peculiar about this dish is that you have to cook it yourself.

You will usually be asked what kind of flavored broth you’d like and they’ll put it in a pot in front of you, then they’ll light the fire, you wait for it to start boiling and then you throw the ingredients in.

You will also get to choose what you want to eat, you can choose seafood, different cuts of beef and different types of vegetables.

There is one thing that makes sukiyaki different from a traditional hot pot, like the one you can find in China and Taiwan, which is that, after the food is done cooking, you’ll have a bowl of raw egg next to you where you’re supposed to dip the food a little bit.

 

Is Sukiyaki healthy?

Well, it is, it’s a bunch of meat, seafood, and vegetables put in a pot and boiled, this is a dish low in calories and fat and high in protein and other nutrients.

Although, in some sukiyaki and hot pot restaurants is common to get free rice and ice cream, so be careful with that.

 

Healthy additions to your post-workout shake.

 

11-Natto

 

natto weird food from japan

This is one you either love or hate, or maybe is one that you will definitely hate and only if you eat it many times ( I don’t know why you’d do that) you’ll love.

This is made out of fermented soybeans and is -hear this- a breakfast dish, nothing is better than the taste of fermented soybeans at 7:00 a.m., right? In a 2009 survey, 70% of Japanese people said they enjoy eating it.

And some who said they dislike it said they eat it anyway for its nutritional value. Natto is sticky and slimy, is usually served with rice or green onions.

 

Is Natto healthy?

I think this might be the healthiest food in the list, Healthline called it super healthy and nutritious, if they did then it’s settled I guess. Natto is high in protein and other nutrients, the fermentation process actually decreases its antinutrients.

 

12-Onigiri

 

onigiri, rice triangle japanese

If you don’t like Onigiri then don’t talk to me ….. It’s one of my favorite Japanese food. Onigiri is also known as rice balls, although they have a triangular shape.

Onigiri is pretty much that, white rice formed into triangular shapes and often wrapped in seaweed, traditionally onigiris were filled with salted salmon, but nowadays you can find them coming with many different fillings.

My favorite one is Tuna. You can find Onigiris all over convenience stores, it’s a very popular food. For Onigiri, white rice is the norm, although it is possible to find, in some restaurants, onigiris made with other types of rice, including fried rice.

 

Is Onigiri healthy?

Okay, we all know how white rice is not the healthiest of all types of rice right?

But considering that onigiri (often) is just plain boiled white rice with some sort of seafood inside, it makes for a nice post work out snack high in protein and in carbs, this is great for anyone who is trying to build muscles.

There are exceptions though, there are onigiris that are filled with bbq meat and even mayonnaise, I would try to stay away from those.

Now onto the last one in this Japanese food guide.

 

13- Dorayaki

 

dorayak, japanese sweet bean pancakes

This is very similar to a pancake, with a sweet red beans paste on the inside, it doesn’t taste bad, but I must say I’m not a fan of its flavor.

According to information found in wikipedia, The original Dorayaki consisted of only one layer. Its current shape was invented in 1914 by Usagiya in the Ueno district of Tokyo.

 

Is Dorayaki Healthy?

Well, this is a very sweet pastry, there’s a lot of sugar in it, white sugar, since we all know how bad white sugar is for our bodies then the answer to the question would be no.

Although, if you’re in the mood for cooking, here’s a healthy Dorayaki recipe I found online

Hope you enjoyed this Japanese food guide.

 

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You’re Not Allowed to Take Selfies Here

these are the places where taking selfies is forbidden

Whether you like to admit it or not, we all like to take a selfies from time to time. But did you know that there are places where selfies are prohibited?

It’s true, there are several places in the world where it is a criminal act to take a selfie. If the authorities see you doing it, you will get into trouble.

This is a list of 10 places around the world where selfies are not allowed. Not only will I mention each place but I will also show you photos of the place, and the reason why selfies are prohibited.

 

Mumbai, India

 

India-places-where-taking-selfies-is-forbidden

Not in the whole of ​​Mumbai. There are 16 tourist places in Mumbai where it is forbidden to take selfies. Some is the promenade near the beach and the beach of Girgaum Chowpatty.

And it’s because some people have died, literally, for taking a selfie. They climbed on the concrete barriers and then fell into the sea.

There was a case in which three girls fell into the sea for wanting to take a selfie and a passerby tried to save them.

He also died in the attempt.

So now you know, if you visit Mumbai, be careful and do not take a selfie in a place where it is prohibited.

 

Pamplona, ​​Spain

 

pamplona-spain-places-where-taking-selfies-is-prohibited

In Pamplona it is forbidden to take selfies, in fact, you’re not allowed to bring a camera with you during the festivities. A person was stupid enough to want to take a selfie with a bull, he died.

That guy died for being stupid. The authorities will put a fine of 3000 euros to anyone who wants to take a selfie with a bull. But seriously, how idiotic do you have to be to want to do that?

 

Mecca, Saudi Arabia

 

you-can-not-take-selfies-in-Mecca-saudi-arabia

Here, selfies are forbidden, not because someone died after falling from a barrier or because an idiot wanted to take a picture with a wild animal.

The ban here has more to do with a religious issue. Many young Muslims decided to make their first pilgrimage an event for their social media, we are all influencers, right?

This was not to the liking of the holy religious authorities of the free world of the Middle East, so they put a ban on the use of cell phones to take selfies during the pilgrimage

 

Lake Tahoe, California

 

selfies-with-bears-are-now-prohibited-in-lake-taoe

I mean, what is wrong with people? one might think that, with so many years of evolution, you should automatically know that if you see a bear in its natural habitat, that is walking around, maybe, in search of food you do not go and approach it to take a selfie !!! No, people No!

All it takes is a simple Google search to see all the selfies with bears in Lake Tahoe people are uploading.

The authorities have banned them because they fear that, sooner or later, some bear will rip some idiot’s head off for wanting to take a selfie with it.

 

Hong Kong

 

Things to do in Hong Kong, boat at victoria harbour with city skyline in the back

You know something, human stupidity is inclusive, no matter the culture, race or geography, it’s worldwide.

It turns out that during a marathon in the beautiful city of Hong Kong, a marathon runner stopped at the beginning of the race to take a selfie, which caused several runners to stumble and finish one on top of the other.

 

12 Places to Visit in Hong Kong

Hong Kong authorities have banned selfies during marathons, I’m sorry you can no longer share your fitness life from Hong Kong.

 

Van Gogh Museum

 

selfies-are-banned-in-amsterdam

If it irritates you when you go to a museum and see many people running from one place to another to take selfies, you’ll be glad to know that, selfies in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam are prohibited.

In fact, it is forbidden to take any kind of photos in this museum.

 

Garoupe Beach, South of France

 

beach-selfies-are-now-banned-in-france

You’re fed up with those hot dog sausage legs photos on the beach that many like to upload to their social media, are you that kind of hater? Well, you’re not the only one.

The authorities of Garoupe Beach are also that type of hater and have banned this type of photos. According to them, too many people come to the beach just to take these types of photos and upload them to their social media.

 

Winter adventure in Rovaniemi.

The beach authorities want to promote an environment where people really enjoy the beach and do not take selfies or other photos just to show off on their social media.

 

Westminster Abbey

 

westister-abbey-in-London-the-most-beautiful-church-in-London

This is one of the most famous churches in London. The authorities have decided to ban selfies to preserve the sacred environment and purity that has always characterized  Church.

So if you visit this church you cannot take photos inside of it. But there is no law that prohibits you from taking photographs from outside.

So don’t worry, you can still share a selfie with the church in the background on your social media.

 

Similar Tourist Destinations in Europe and Asia.

 

Taj Mahal

 

the-reasn-why-you-can-not-take-selfie-in-the-taj-mahal

Taking pictures inside the Taj Mahal is completely prohibited. Yes, it’s an incredibly beautiful place, but don’t forget you’re in a mausoleum, it means it’s someone’s grave.

I think it’s a bit tackles to take pictures inside someone’s grave, don’t you think?

Just think about it, you and your friends doing the peace and love sign and smiling in a place that’s supposed to commemorate the death of a person.

The authorities have made it very clear, you can not take photos inside the mausoleum, from the outside it’s fine.

 

The Sistine Chapel

 

the-roof-of-the-sistine-chappel-and-why-you-shouldnt-photograph-it

Well, this is a place of which for sure you have seen several photos on social media, and it is possible that you have friends who have visited this place and have taken photos or you have done it yourself.

But did you know that according to information in CondeNast, since 1980 it is technically illegal to take pictures inside the chapel, including taking pictures of the roof of the chapel

The thing is that the Vatican granted the exclusive rights of photo and video of all the art in the Sistine chapel to a Japanese television network, this in exchange for 3 million dollars for repairs.

 

11 Movies that will motivate you to travel.

 

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A List of 11 Travel Movies That Will Inspire You

Travel Movies that will inspire you to travel around the world

We all like watching movies right? whether they’re super hero movies or horror, drama, comedy or something else, we all have a specific movie genre we look for when we sit on our couches on a weekend night.

Me, I have a thing for alien movies, whether I’m using Netflix or looking for Blue rays to buy on Amazon I always find myself looking for some outer space beings story.

But this post will be about Travel Movies, I’ll list a total of 12 that are related to traveling and I’ll speak my mind on why you should watch them.

Some of them are sad though, let’s begin.

 

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Go to the office every day, do the same repetitive job over and over again, and to get away from all of it all you can do is daydream, do you relate?

If so then for sure you’ll be interested in this story. The first one in this Travel Movies list is a story about an office worker who is stuck in a repetitive office job until he gets the chance to actually travel the world in the search of the perfect photo.

Now, doesn’t that sound cool? In a way is pretty similar to my life, I have a very boring average routine and from time to time I travel a bit on a search for relaxation and nice pics too.

Here’s the trailer of the movie, starring Ben Stiller

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD6cy4PBQPI

And even though the movie did not get much love from the Rotten tomato critics, the audience did show more love for it.

In my humble opinion, this is a movie you must watch if you like travel adventures, and I don’t think is a bad movie. If you watch and you don’t like it please let me know in the comments.

 

Under the Tuscan Sun

 

Have you ever read the following travel quote before?

 

a-list-of-best-travel-movies-that-will-make-you-want-to-travel

Well, this movie fits in the second part of the previous quote. If something bad happens, travel to forget it.

When France Mayes finds out her husband is cheating on her, her whole life falls apart and in order to get out of her state of depression she….you guessed it!!! She travels

 

You’re not allowed to take selfies here

But she doesn’t just travel. While she is in the Tuscan country side she impulsively buys a house and decides to start her new life there, and well I don’t blame her.

Take a look at the Tuscany

 

Movies-that-will-make-you-travel-Tuscany-Italy

Next time I feel depressed I’ll go to Tuscany, I can’t afford to buy a house but the cheapest hotel will do for me.

Will France Mayes get over her divorce while living in such a beautiful place? There’s only one way for you to find out

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdJGMZDY0-8

 

Eat Pray Love

What is better than an around the world trip, that’s right Nothing!!!! Seriously I can’t think of anything better than that.

Well, perhaps winning the lottery and doing many around the world trips, yeah that’s better.

In this movie we get to know Liz Gilbert, she has a nice home, a husband and a successful career, but for the sake of drama everything falls apart and she decides she needs to start a journey to reconnect with herself.

Her journey takes here to Italy, India and Bali

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjay5vgIwt4

What a trip, 3 countries with totally different societies, culture, and cuisines. I’m sure we can all agree that we’d love to do the same trip right?

And if you’re wondering about the critic’s reviews about this one, well let me save you the search and tell you that it got a lot of hate in Rotten tomatoes.

This movie is based on a book which many critics claim was way better than the movie, they claim the movie failed by a lot to take the story to the big screen.

I think the movie is not that bad. If you watch and hate it please let me know in the comments.

 

Beyond Borders

This is not a love story, this is not a happy story, this is not a trip to find yourself or get over depression with a romantic ending.

This is one of those Travel Movies that takes you on a trip through a war-torn country so we, the viewers, have a better understanding of the struggles of what ordinary people in third world countries go through.

And how will this movie inspire you? Well, even though I wouldn’t expect most people to drop their job and go into a war zone to help people.

There are still many touristic places like Thailand, Cambodia, Peru, among others, where there are people living in precarious conditions.

Instead of just passing by the popular tourist landmarks taking photos for our social media, we could all make an effort to research in what way we could help someone while we travel through a certain country.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C98QNRlQgZ8

 

The Bucket List

Have you ever seen a quote on social media about traveling while you’re young, something like the following

 

travel-while-youre-young

Well, I totally agree with that. Actually is one of the things travelers regret the most, not traveling more while they were young.

In this list of Travel Movies, The Bucket List takes us through the journey of two older men who after being in the hospital due to their advanced age and illnesses, realize that there’s still so much they want to see before their time is up.

This movie, beyond being a trip all around the world that any person would kill for, it tries to give us the viewer a moment to reflect on life and death, is what we’re doing with our lives right now really worth it?

Just remember that nothing is more precious than time, it never comes back.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc3mkG21ob4

 

Wild

The real-life story of Cheryl Strayed brought to the screen by Reese Witherspoon. In this inspiring movie, we see Chery trying to get rid of the demons of the past by doing the hike of a lifetime.

She did the Pacific Crest Trail, a hiking trail that expands for 4,270 Km from Mexico to Canada. On the way, she encounters threats of different kinds. She gives us a glance at what loneliness on the road feels like.

The average time it takes to finish the whole trail is 5 months. It’s needless to say that you must be in a decent physical condition and have experience doing long hikes to finish this trail without any major issues.

I wouldn’t even know how to pack for such a trip, should I pack power bars??

But hear this, Rachel Strayed – the real person behind this story- did it with no previous hiking experience at all, isn’t that amazing?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn2-GSqPyl0

This is one of my favorite Travel Movies. The landscapes are breathtaking and the acting is great, Reese Witherspoon makes one of the best performances of her career.

 

The best exotic Marigold Hotel

 

You think it’s gonna be alright?

 

I Think it’s gonna be extraordinary

A group of retirees decides to live out the rest of their days in an exotic destination. Lured by good advertising they decide to go to India and stay at the beautiful Marigold Hotel.

But here’s the thing, the hotel is actually a shell of what it used to be. Their journey quickly becomes one full of new experiences, new food, new adventures and old feelings they thought they were too old to feel again.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzxpbWfCvjk

This is one of those Travel Movies that does a great job at exploiting India’s best cultural side. The music, dance, the colors, the smiles, the food is all there, making you want to get on a plane to India right away.

This movie is definitely more on the dramatic comedy side. It’s colorful and cheerful enough to entertain you for a couple of hours.

 

One Week

A Canadian movie that will make you realize that life can have bad news for you at any time and sometimes there’s nothing you can do.

A young man receives a dire medical diagnosis, but instead of going into an immediate medical treatment to try and saves his life, he decides to take a motorcycle trip from Toronto to Vancouver.

Along the way, he meets people that will make him reflect upon the current relationship with his fiancée, his job and his dreams.

The amazing Canadian landscapes are prevalent throughout the whole movie.

What would you do If you knew you had one day, one week or one month to live?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL-PbsZKGfw

 

The Beach

The reason why we all want to go to Maya Bay. Before this movie, the island of Ko Phi Phi and Maya bay were very underdeveloped and it was not common to see tourists.

After the release of The Beach, Maya bay became a huge tourist destination in Thailand and is completely understandable as the place is beautiful a true paradise on earth.

 

Maya-bay-in-ko-Phi-Phi-Island-

The movie follows a young American backpacker who is in the search for adventure. After arriving in Thailand he decides to go on an adventure to find the secret beach, once he gets there is a story of drama that ends up becoming a thriller.

 

A Beautiful Trip Through Thailand

Unfortunately Maya bay is far from being a secret place. For the past 18 years, tourists have been visiting the island non-stop. All the boats and trash carried by tourists have severely damaged the island’s ecosystem.

Maya Bay has been closed by the Thai government and is expected to open to tourists again in 2021.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqDoxUxpobg

 

Into The Wild

This one is another classic. This is a movie that makes us reflect on the way we live life.

Commute to work every day, get a mortgage, work non-stop in an office to pay our debts, retire when you’re old and if you’re lucky you’ll have saved some money to live out the rest of your life decently.

But what if it doesn’t have to be that way?

This is the story of a rich boy who graduates top of his class and as a good athlete, but instead of getting a job and become part of the system, or use his money to travel and be a tourist, he decides to leave it all behind.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7ArZ7VD-QQ

He gets rid of all of his possession and donates his money to charity, then he embarks himself on a journey to the Alaskan Wilderness.

The movie is based on a true story by the way.

Let’s see one more movie in this Travel Movies list

 

Jungle

 

This movie is all about survival. A group of 4 travelers goes into the Amazon rain forest looking for adventure, but things go down south and it ends up being a nightmare.

Based on a true story, we see a group of people fighting to stay alive, this story for sure will keep you at the edge of your seat.

Needless to say that the cinematography is amazing, the landscapes of the Amazons are breathtaking making you want to visit ASAP without the getting lost part of course.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJYJmYQ0AGw

 

Conclusion

This Travel Movies list has a good variety of movie genres. From drama and romance to comedy and thrillers, all of them revolving around one thing, traveling.

Some of these stories are more fun and romantic. Others are a little darker and raw, those are the ones based on true stories.

In all of these movies, you’ll see beautiful landscapes and experience different countries’ cultures. You’ll also learn about some of the dangers of traveling and things you need to prepare before a journey.

Hope you enjoy this list, let me know if there is a movie you think I should add.

 

Crossbordering South East Asia.

 

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What Do Travelers Regret?

List of Things Travelers regret

So, after traveling for 3 years around Asia, and finally starting a blog, I started thinking about all the things, travel related, that I regret, for instance.

 

  • I did not signing up for Arline’s reward program when I first started traveling
  • I did not buying a decent camera to record my early travels

So I thought, what do other travelers regret?

I decided to do some research, and these are some of the most interesting answers I got.

How to make money while traveling?

 

There was one answer that appears to be a consensus among the travel community, which I’ll share at the end.

Backpacking Europe Cost in 2023

36 Things Travelers Regret

1- Not traveling when I was a University student just because I had no friends to travel with.

 

Travelers regrets not traveling alone

2- (A mother said) Not traveling with my daughter while she was young

 

mom and daughter gif

3- Not traveling to Mali before the civil war

This one is a very specific one, the Mali conflict between the north and the south began in January of 2012 and is still ongoing as of today (January 2019)

 

Timbuktu Mali before the war

4- Traveling and forcing myself to be on a diet, I didn’t eat Wagyu beef in Japan nor fried Pizza in Naples .

 

Being on a diet gif

5- Taking so long to build the courage to go on a road trip in my own country, I was scared about getting lost on the road.

 

Travelers regrets getting lost

6- Traveling by plane way too often.

 

Travelers regrets using planes too much

7-Not visiting the Galapagos Islands when I was in Ecuador.

 

Galapagos Island Ecuador Iguana

8- Always packing too much.

 

9- Coming back home while is still winter time (March was still very cold)

 

Travelers regrets coming back home in winter time

10-I love my children, but I wis I had waited longer to have them so I could have traveled while I was still young instead of struggling being a single mom.

 

strugling being a single mom

11- Lying on the beach too much instead of going on excursions.

 

Lying on the beach too much

12-Leaving my luggage in full view in a locked vehicle while I was hiking … uninsured.

 

car unsecure

13- The Dominican Republic. Women are not respected especially English speaking women. Never again.

What do you guys think about that statement?

 

dominican republic gif

14- Not taking a camera with me in the early trips ☹️At the time I always said you can’t experience anything if you’re glued to the camera all the time but now I have few images to look back on 😲This was long before mobile phones were commonplace.

 

travelers regrets, not taking a camera

15- That I didn’t take to the road for long durations when I was younger. It was always four weeks here, four weeks there. I never took the leap and went out for half a year or more. Just financially I felt at the time it wasn’t possible for me to just quit my job, and leave my partner behind. I’ve enjoyed my experiences but just wished they could have been longer.

 

travelers regrets, not traveling for an extended perod of time

16- Not having enough battery in electronic devices, especially on mountainous areas.

 

travelers regrets, not having enough battery in electronic devices

17- A couple of years before the outbreak of war I had a trip to Lebanon and Syria booked. To please someone else I canceled the trip. Big mistake.

 

Children in Syria in war ruins

18- Diving without a camera in New Caledonia. That was the best dive in my life and I have nothing to remember it or to show it around 😢

 

Diving in New Caledonia

19- Losing a phone in Sydney with our only photos of Ayers Rock😣

 

Ayers rock in Australia

20- Not carrying enough gifts back home.

 

not buying enough , Travelers regrets

21-Spending all the day only sleeping in the hotel room and realizing the trip is pretty much over.

Don’t fall asleep, let’s continue with this list of Things travelers regret

 

sleeping too much what travelers regret

22- Not traveling around México while I was living there (for 2 years!!) because “I could do it later”… 😯

 

Regret leaving things for later

23- Going west instead of East.

 

A Cross Border Trip in South East Asia

 

great wall

24- Not going to Easter Island when I was in Chile.

 

Easter island

25- Not going back to Nosara when I had the chance and the dollar was strong. For that matter, not recognizing the whole of the late ’90s as the golden era of travel when the dollar was strong.

 

Nosara Beach in Costa Rica

26- Not staying longer on my eastern Europe trip.

 

Russia Saint Petersburg Eastern Europe

27- Cramming in too many activities in a given period of time.

 

Cramming many activities on a period of time, Travelers regrets

28- Filming so much that I kind of missed the country.

 

29- Only spending one day in Paris. You need a month to see everything in Paris. I ran around that day like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to get pictures of every landmark in Paris.

 

running around as a tourist

30- Only spending one day in Kyoto.

why would anyone do that?

 

Kyoto during winter time

31- Not taking my husband to Russia before we had kids…it’s now too far and too expensive.

 

having babies too expensive to travel

32- Not being able to snorkel much in Belize as it costs 150 US dollars per person to get to the reef .

 

Reef in Belize

33- Not taking pictures of the beautiful and historical places during 1980’s

 

places also stop existing

34- Going to the same place so often instead of trying other places.

 

I did it again

35- Getting 2 phones with all the photos stolen because I get a little bit to beer excited sometimes.

 

Drinking during holidays

AND THE FINAL ONE, THE THING PEOPLE MENTIONED THE MOST

36- Not traveling more when I was young.

 

Travel more while you're young

Interesting list we’ve got here right.

 

Conclusion

Not everyone has the means to travel, if you do and you’re not doing it simply because you’re afraid or you’re waiting for the right person to tag along please stop, start traveling as early in your life as possible.

 

How to make extra money to go on vacation?

 

Once you start traveling make sure you take at least a cell phone with a nice camera so you can record those exciting moments and then look at them in the future, who knows, those places you’re visiting might no longer exist after 5 or 10 years.

 

So what are you waiting for, go book a flight, if you’re not sure about how to do it on your own please read this post I made about how to find the best fly deals for international travel.

Hope you liked this post -Things travelers regret- what do you guys think?

Do you agree? Is there something you would like me to add to the list?

Please comment below.

 

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Cross Bordering South East Asia Trip

Crossborder Asia Plan

Video

In this post I’ll tell you all the basics you need to know to start organizing a crossbordering South-East Asia trip, using one backpack only.

I’ll take you from Singapore to Vietnam by plane, then by bus to Laos, after that we’ll take a Train to Bangkok.

Next we’ll catch another bus to Cambodia and finally a plane to Malaysia.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWOspTURuo8

The route I just described above is the one I did in the summer of 2016, it was the most convenient way for my needs and desires.

There are many other different routes you could follow, and you’ll equally catch a very good glimpse of all of southeast Asia.

 

Start Organizing a Cross Border Trip in South East Asia

The first thing you need to decide, for this cross bordering southeast Asia trip, is how much time you’ll have available to go on this crazy adventure, that for sure will give you some of the best memories of your life.

I am based in Taiwan, I decided I was gonna go to South East Asia for 1 month and 2 weeks during my summer break of 2016.

 

Taipei, The Healthiest City in Asia

I believe this is enough time for you to get a good look at this part of the world, some might disagree and say you need more.

It all depends on how deep you want to explore each country.

These are the countries I wanted to go to

 

  • Vietnam
  • Singapore
  • Laos
  • Thailand
  • Malaysia
  • Cambodia

Here is a map of South East Asia

 

Cross_border_South_East_Asia_Map, crossbordering south east asia

As a first time traveler to all of these countries everything was gonna be new to me, so I decided to visit only the capitals or more touristic cities.

Honestly, if you wanna go deep into the culture of one specific country you could spend months in just one of them, and see and experience a lot.

And of course you could do a cross bordering southeast Asia trip for months or years if you want to.

 

Find the Best Airfare Deals

 

First thing I did was to start checking for the cheapest airfare.

To do that I used Skyscanner, here you can see a post I wrote about this flight search engine and how to find the best deals

After checking different budget airlines and comparing prices.

I found some cheap flights that were very convenient and cheap for the trip I wanted to make.

 

From Home to Singapore and then to Vietnam by Plane

 

From Singapore to Hanoi by Plane, crossbordering south east asia

 

Ten Fun Things to Do in Hanoi

I found a Cheap Flight from Taiwan to Singapore and another one from Singapore to Vietnam, both flights one way, I bought them.

If you look at the map of South East Asia you might tell me that logistically it doesn’t make sense to do that, but hey the tickets were really cheap.

Then I thought, Okay, How will I get back Home?

I searched for cheap flights from South East Asia to Taiwan and found something that worked for me.

A flight from Cambodia to Malaysia and another one from Malaysia to Taiwan – they were cheap- I bought them.

So I was all set with my flights, I had a way out of Taiwan and one in.

Just like that I already had on the schedule 4 countries, I still needed to figure out how to include the other 2 and how to get to 3 of them.

 

If you’re in the USA or in Europe, I recommend you to make Singapore your gateway in and out of Asia.

 

Singapore has one of the biggest international hubs in the world, there are tons of flights in and out of Changi Airport every day.

 

At this point, this is what my trip was looking like

 

Organizing crossborder trip around South Eas Asia

So I was all set to depart from Taiwan on June 1st and start my cross bordering southeast Asia Trip.

First I’d spend 5 days in Singapore and then fly to Hanoi-Vietnam.

From that moment on all I knew was that I had to be in Siem reap Cambodia on July 7th to catch my flight to Malaysia.

So now it was time to figure out how I was gonna go from Hanoi-Vietnam to the next country on my list, Laos.

If you take a look at the map, that’s the one that made more sense to go to geographically speaking.

After doing a lot of research I found that the only way to go from Hanoi in Vietnam to Vientiane in Laos –traveling cheap– was by taking the DEATH bus.

It wasn’t really that bad believe me.

 

From Vietnam to Laos by Bus

 

Crossing the border from Hanoi to Vientiane by bus

The name of this article is cross bordering southeast Asia and this is where the fun begins.

So why is it called the DEATH or nightmare bus? Let me tell you about it.

It’s because is a freaking long bus ride, it took us around 24 hours to be done with the whole thing.

Definitely horrible, and even though you’ll have a lot of space to sleep

 

Sleeping-Bus-from-Hanoi-to-Vientiane, crossbordering south east asia

Being on a bus for that long is just exhausting.

If you do a bit of research on this you’ll find some bloggers sharing really horrible stories about these buses.

I know I read them before taking this bus and I was a bit scared, but honestly, it is doable and you shouldn’t worry about this too much.

The bus I took had a bathroom, although  I recommend not eating after breakfast time on the day you take the bus, those bus bathrooms might get nasty.

The bus also had wifi from the city center in Hanoi to the border with Laos.

This is also the first leg of the trip, I remember it took us around 9  hours to get to the border with Laos.

 Interesting post: The cost of backpacking Europe 

Going Through the Border of Vietnam and Laos

We departed at around 8:00 pm, the border opens at 7:00 AM so when we got there we still had to wait a couple of hours for them to open.

 

Bus to Laos, sleeper bus, crossbordering south east asia

Once it was open we had to get out of the bus, go to the Vietnamese checking point for departure, pay US$1 for stamping fee or its equivalent in Vietnamese Dong.

While you are doing this the bus will move forward as it has to be checked before entering Laos.

All your luggage will remain on the bus, so remember to keep essential things in a hand-carry bag with you.

After you’re done with the process on the Vietnamese side, you have to walk for about 1 km to reach the Laos checking point, where you’ll pay for your visa.

Don’t forget to take passport-size pictures with you.

Don’t worry if all you see around you while walking is mountains and bushes, that’s what crossing the border between these two countries looks like.

Just follow the paved road and you’ll reach the Laos immigration point, follow the crowd you won’t be the only one there.

 

Border in Laos vietnam, crossbordering south east asia
Crossing the border between Laos and Vietnam

 

What Does Laos Immigration look like?

Going through the Laos immigration point might take a while.

Once you are done with this, the bus will already be on the other side waiting for all its passengers.

In the Laos checking point, you’ll find little bazaars selling snacks and you’ll get a chance to go to the bathroom if you need it.

 

Old Gods in Vientiane

But beware, if you need to go to the toilet to do number 2, you will likely run into one of this.

 

And voila! You are standing now in Laos territory. After that is gonna be another 6 or 7 hours to reach Vientiane, the bus I took made a stop at a big sideroad eatery station, it was a good chance to have a proper local meal.

Once we reached Vientiane, I took a TUK TUK to my hotel

 

Arriving at Laos immigration
Arriving at Laos Immigration

 

How to book the Bus? Where is the bus station in Hanoi? How much?

I paid US$25 for the bus from Hanoi to Vientiane.

I was staying in a nice little hotel in the old quarter of Hanoi, one day before I had scheduled myself to depart I asked the receptionist to help me book the bus.

She made one phone call and got me on a sleeper bus, I paid her the US$25 and she told me to be ready the next day at 5:00 pm, they’ll come here and pick you up she said.

Check out was at  2:00 pm, so I left my bag in the lobby, they took care of it, I went for a walk and got back to the hotel lobby to wait for the “Pick Up”

 

A crazy tourist in Hanoi Story

A guy shows up and the receptionist tells me: That’s him, go with him, and I’m like ok, I stepped out and I see the guy is riding a motorcycle, the receptionist tells me, you have to follow him.

The bus can not come in here because the lanes are too narrow, and indeed they were.

My reaction was: WTF!!!!!

There were 2 Korean girls next to me who were taking the same bus as me, the guy asked them to hand him their luggage to carry it for them and they agreed, I held onto mine.

The guy starts riding away and there we go doing some fast walking trying to stay behind the guy.

We followed him for around 7 blocks until we reached a minivan, he told us to get in, my reaction was: WTF!!!

This guy is telling me to get in a random van, this doesn’t look good, but then I saw that there were other tourists sitting in the van so I said ok this looks legit.

Then the guy went to find and guide other tourists to the van, after it was full they took us to the  bus station.

I must say things got a bit chaotic here, they just dropped us there and we didn’t know exactly on which bus we had to get in.

After asking around we got to the right bus and started our trip.

There are two major cities in Laos, Vientiane and Luang Pra bang, so make sure you get on the right bus. I was heading towards Vientiane

 

Bus from Hanoi to Vientiane
Bus from Hanoi to Vientiane

 

From Vientiane, Laos to Bangkok, Thailand, by Train

Let’s keep cross-bordering Southeast Asia

After enjoying some days in Laos I was ready to move toward my next destination, Thailand, more specifically Bangkok.

It’s very simple to go from Vientiane to Bangkok, all you gotta do is take 2 trains, and the first one is a very short ride. Here’s how it works.

 

Crossing border from Vientiane to Bangkok by train

From Vientiane, you can take a taxi or tuk-tuk to Thanaleng Railway Station, also known as Dongphosy station.

This station is already super close to the border with the north part of Thailand.

There, you’ll go through a little immigration process, you’ll fill out your departure card and pay a small amount –500 kip– to stamp out of Laos.

You’ll also have to buy a ticket towards Nongkhai in Thailand which is around 500 kip too.

 

Thanaleng station, crossbordering south east asia
Train from Thanaleng station to Nongkhai

The ride from Thanaleng/Dongphosy station to Nongkhai in Thailand only takes around 15 minutes, very quick and comfortable.

Once you arrive at NongKhai station you have to go through a little immigration process and just like that you’re now in Thailand.

I had already processed my Thailand Visa so all I did was show it, you can read more about visas further down in this post.

 

Buying a Train Ticket from Nongkhai to Bangkok on the Same Day

You’ll be exactly on the same platform where the train from Nongkhai to Bangkok departs, you’ll see a ticket office where you can buy your train ticket.

I didn’t book my ticket in advance.

So when I got to the ticket office they told me that all they had available on that day was 3rd class seats, in a train departing at 7:10 pm, it was just 11:00 AM when I arrived there-.

What could I do right?? I bought the ticket and decided to wait for the train.

 

What to do in Nongkhai?

 

Nong Khai Town
Nong Khai Town

I did a little tour of Nongkhai and also spent a lot of time just chilling in a hotel right in front of the train station, the name of the hotel is Nongkhai Resort.

They allowed me to stay by the pool as long as I was buying from the restaurant.

This is me doing what they told me

 

Waiting for my train at Nong Khai resort

Now, it was 7:00 pm and it was almost time to get on that 10 hours overnight train to Bangkok- in 3rd class.

My advice DON’T GET THIRD CLASS.

It was the most uncomfortable ride ever, the bus from Hanoi to Vientiane was a luxury compared to the 3rd class seat on that train.

The train was very dirty, the seats were very uncomfortable to sit on.

Weather was hot, so I pulled down the rusty windows to get some air, next thing I know there are bugs hitting my face as they get suctioned into the train as it moves.

I don’t think I was able to sleep on that night.

 

 

A Beautiful Trip Through Thailand.

If you are lucky, when you arrive at Nongkhai station you’ll still be able to buy second or first class tickets, which I heard have sleeper berths and AC, if you wanna play it safe you should book your ticket online

 

Timetable for Trains from Nongkhai to Bangkok

In the infographic below you can find the timetable and ticket prices for different train class.

 

Train timetable and prices Nong Khai to Bangkok
Timetable and prices

I took train 26, 3rd class. I paid around 300 THB

So, after a long overnight train ride, I finally arrived at Hua Lamphong train station in Bangkok, and then I took the metro to my hotel.

Click here for the official train ticket website of Thailand

After an amazing time in Bangkok, I was ready to move to my next destination.

 

The Thai New Year Celebration

 

From Bangkok to Siem Reap Cambodia by Bus

 

Crossing border from Bangkok To Siem Reap, poi pet by bus

The last part that actually counts as cross bordering southeast Asia

This bus ride is not as intense as the one from Hanoi to Vientiane, and it will only take around 8  hours and is a direct bus ride.

There are many bus services that will take you to Siem Reap

But some of them make you switch buses once you go through immigration at the border.

The one I took was the one managed by Natakkan Transport

 

Nattakan bus-Bangkok-to-Siem-Reap
Inside of The Bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap

When you take a direct bus, yes you’ll still have to get out of the bus and go through immigration and then the bus will be waiting for you on the other side, but you can leave your luggage inside the bus.

The process is very similar to the one crossing from Vietnam to Laos.

 

Border Thailand and Cambodia, poipet, crossbordering south east asia
Border Thailand and Cambodia, Poipet

You will first go through a departure process from Thailand, right after that, you’ll have to walk for a bit and enter a little building where you apply for your Cambodia visa.

After that, you walk some more and go through an immigration process in another building where they check your passport and visa.

And just like that now you are in Cambodia.

 

The 3 Must See Temples of Cambodia

The bus takes around 3 hours from Bangkok to the border and then another 3 from the border to the center of Siem Reap.

Once I got there I took a tuk-tuk and was on my way to my hotel.

 

Where do you buy the bus ticket? How much?

The ticket price for this bus is around US$35

To go from Bangkok to Siem reap you have to go to Mochit Bus Terminal.

Also referred to as Chatuchak bus station

 

Mo-Chit-2-Bus-Terminal-Chatuchak terminal, crossbordering south east asia

One day before I wanted to leave Bangkok I went there morning time and purchased my ticket to depart the next morning. They asked me to show them my passport to buy the ticket so remember to take it with you.

After visiting the amazing ruins of Siem Reap I was all set to go to my last destination on the list.

 

From Cambodia to Kuala Lumpur by Plane

 

From Cambodia to Malaysia by Plane

This was very straightforward.

I just took a tuk-tuk from my hotel in Siem Reap to the Siem Reap International  Airport and took my flight to Kuala Lumpur.

The process at the airport was just as common as in any other one.

Siem Reap International Airport is pretty decent, you can find places to eat and different retail stores where you can get some last minute souvenirs.

 

Siem Reap International Airport
Siem Reap International Airport

After being done with my visit to Kuala Lumpur  I just took my flight back home and that was the end of my South-East Asia trip adventure and god I wanna do it again.

 

In the end, this is how the whole trip turned out to be

 

Cross border Trip around south east Asia, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia

 

VISAS

Okay so in this cross bordering southeast Asia trip you’ll visit quite a few countries, so will you need a visa? It depends.

 

Singapore

All I have to say about his is that most nationalities do NOT require a visa to enter Singapore, so you shouldn’t worry too much about this.

For more specific information you can visit here

If your country is not on that list (The link) then you do NOT  need a visa to enter Singapore.

 

Vietnam

There are only 24 nationalities in the world who can enter Vietnam Visa-free, the rest of us have to apply for one

For the full list of countries that can visit Vietnam  visa-free click here

Applying for a Vietnam visa is really simple, first, you have to make an online application prior to arriving at Vietnam, once the Vietnamese Government approves it you’ll receive a PDF file that will look like this

 

  • Approval letter
    Approval letter

They call it the approval letter, you have to make an online payment to process and receive this.

You have to print that out and take it with you.

Once you arrive at Vietnam you show that printout and fill out a form, provide passport size pictures and US$25 for visa fee and that’s it.

You can go here to apply for your approval letter

The fee is US$17

I must tell you I did not use the link above to get my approval letter, I used this one , it’s NOT a government website, and for whatever reason it is, they only charge US$8 and it worked for me, I got my approval letter and I had no problem at the airport in Hanoi.

 

Laos

Most nationalities can obtain Visa on arrival at Laos, so there is no need to worry about any online procedure.

To check the list of travelers from Nationalities that can NOT apply for a visa on arrival please check here

All you need to get a visa on arrival is, your passport, fill out a form, passport size photos and pay the fee, is around US$30.

 

Thailand

There are only some nationalities that can enter Thailand Visa-free or that can apply for a visa on arrival, for a full detailed list please go here

If your country is not on that list and you need to apply for a tourist visa. You have to head to the nearest Thai embassy and apply for one.

Pretty much all you need to apply is

 

  • Fill out a form
  • Show flight tickets to prove you’ll get out of Thailand
  • One passport size picture
  • Pay for the visa fee which is around US$40

Since I was entering Thailand through Laos by Train and leaving by bus to Cambodia.

I had no flights arriving to and departing from Thailand to show.

So, I explained my situation to the embassy personnel, they told me it was okay.

They asked me to show that I had a flight from Cambodia to Malaysia and another one to Taiwan.

It usually only takes 1 business day to get the visa. More info here

 

Cambodia

Pretty much everyone can apply for a Visa on arrival, so there is no need to worry about any online process, the fee is U$30 and all you have to provide are passport size photos and fill out a form.

 

Visa_Policy_of_Cambodia_Wikipedia
All countries on a yellow and greenish color can apply for a visa on arrival

For more details you can check here.

 

Malaysia

Most nationalities can enter Malaysia Visa Free or can apply for an e visa

 

Visa_Policy_of_Malaysia_Wikipedia
Countries in red require a pre approved Visa to enter Malaysia

 

Please remember it doesn’t matter where you travel, your passport must have at least 6 months of validity left.

 

CURRENCIES

In this crossbordering south east Asia trip you’ll also need to think about different currencies.

 

Singapore

 

  • Official currency: The Singapore Dollar
  • US$1 is S$1.38
  • You can exchange money at the airport

 

Vietnam

 

  • Official currency: Vietnamese Dong
  • US$1 is 23,411 VND
  • You’ll be a millionaire in Vietnam, don’t be surprised if after taking a taxi from the airport to the city center the charge is 500,000 VND !!!! that’s only U$20
  • You can exchange at the airport

 

Laos

 

  • Official currency: Lao Kip
  • US$1 is 8,572 LAK
  • This is another currency with big numbers
  • There are banks and other spots in the city center where you can exchange your money.

 

Thailand

 

  • Official currency: Thai Baht
  • US$1 is 33.05 THB
  • You can exchange your money in banks or other exchange spots in the city

 

Cambodia

 

  • Official currency: Cambodian Riel
  • US$1 is 4,071 KHR
  • You can exchange your money in banks in the city center, but if you’re carrying USD you don’t have to, all retail stores and restaurants take USD.

 

Malaysia

 

  • Official currency: Malaysian Ringgit
  • US$1 is 4.18 MYR
  • You can exchange money at the airport or banks.

 

YOUR BACKPACK

This is a very long trip you wanna make, and you might be thinking about what to pack? you might be even making a list of all the different things you want to put in your backpack, but hey remember something, keep it simple.

I took one and only one backpack only. It’s great to travel like this as you only have to care about one piece of luggage, easier to move around on the streets, and easier to get out of an airport.

My backpack was small enough to fit in the cabin of the planes, I took it as a carry on in every flight I took, what did I pack?

 

  • 10 T-shirts
  • 5 shorts
  • 1 jeans
  • 10 pairs of socks and underwear
  • Deodorant
  • Toothpaste and toothbrush
  • Cellphone Charger
  • Small camera
  • An envelope with some documents and passport size photos
  • A little flashlight
  • Flip flops
  • Sunglasses
  • Tanktops
  • Basic toiletries like shampoo, in small bottles of course.
  • Hat

You’ll have the chance to do some laundry from time to time. If you’re staying at a small hotel they might have a laundry service, or there might be one nearby, and they’re not that expensive so don’t worry too much about clothes.

Here is a picture of the backpack I used

 

Swiss_backpack_for_traveling, crossbordering south east asia

If you are into activities like camping or diving then definitely you’ll need a bigger backpack and you’ll have to check it in at the airport.

I would recommend you to look for posts about this topic.

So there you have it, a basic guide about how to do a crossbordering south east Asia trip.

To finish this post I just wanna say, THANK YOU for reading and whatever route you decide to take through South East Asia always do it with a good attitude and you’ll have an amazing time.

Once again Thank You

 

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What To Do On a Long Overnight Layover in Singapore|With Photos

Things to do In Singapore

Long Overnight Singapore Layover on Your Own

 

If you have a 10-hour layover in Singapore’s Changi Airport, there are plenty of ways to make the most of your time. First, head to the Butterfly Garden, which is located in Terminal 3 of the airport. This beautiful garden is home to over 1,000 butterflies and offers a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of the airport. After spending some time in the Butterfly Garden, head to the Airport Wellness Oasis, which is a tranquil space where you can relax and rejuvenate before your next flight.

If you’re looking to explore Singapore during your layover, there are several options available. Singapore Airlines offers a free heritage tour for passengers with layovers of at least 5.5 hours, which takes you on a tour of the city’s cultural and historical landmarks.

Alternatively, you can take a trip to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the city’s top attractions. With over 160 years of history, the gardens offer a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of the city and are home to over 10,000 species of plants. So whether you want to explore the city or simply relax during your layover, there are plenty of options available in Singapore.

Alright so you have a long overnight layover of more than 6 hours in Singapore, and you landed in Changi Airport after 6:30 pm and you can no longer join the free tours offered by Changi airport.

No worries, I’ll tell you exactly how to go out and tour the city for a little bit on your own.

Singapore is a small island nation, it is only 721.5 km².

This means that most of the landmarks are close to each other and you don’t have to pay money for cabs to take you around, or spend a lot of time using buses or metro.

All you have to do is get to the city center and then start walking.

It was during  2016 when I was on my way to Indonesia and I had a 12 hour layover in Singapore at Singapore Changi Airport.

I landed in Singapore around 7:00 pm and my next flight was at 6:00 am the next morning.

I had 2 choices, spend the night at the airport scrolling through Facebook, or venture myself into the city and make memories, the latter is what I did.

Is Singapore a Safe City to Explore at Night on your Own?

Singapore is one of the safest cities in Asia so don’t worry about being robbed or somehow attacked for walking into the wrong neighborhood, that won’t happen.

 

Taipei, is it the healthiest city in Asia?

In a study made by Numbeo.com, called “Asia crime index 2018”,

They made extensive research to rate the crime level of cities in Asia within a scale from 1 to 100 – 1 being the lowest crime rate and 100 being highest.

Singapore was ranked the third lowest crime rate city in the region

Top Five cities in Asia with the lowest crime rate

 

  • Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 13.63
  • Doha, Qatar 14.48
  • Singapore, Singapore 16.23
  • Osaka, Japan 16.77
  • Tokyo, Japan 16.86

So now that you know Singapore is super safe, let’s continue with your long overnight layover in Singapore

I was traveling with one backpack so I didn’t have to worry about carrying many suitcases or bags.

 

Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia-1 Backpack only.


 

 

If you are traveling with a big suitcase you can store it at the airport for a while, click here for more info.

 

Your Long Overnight Singapore Layover Itinerary

Think of this as your Singapore Layover Guide

So, the first thing is, getting out of the airport, this is very simple as the subway line connects the airport directly to the city center.

You’ll only have to transfer once at Expo station, the ride altogether takes around 45 minutes by metro.

 

Route from Singapore Airport to City enter, tour on your own
Route from Singapore Airport to City Center

That’s gonna cost you around 4 SG dollars.

When at the airport,  once you’re out of immigration just follow the signs and you’ll get to the subway station inside the airport.

You’ll see some vending machines where you can get your ticket.

There will be some personnel around to assist you in case you have doubts about what kind of subway pass you wanna buy.

You have to get off at Bayfront Subway station.

Getting from the airport to the city center is way faster by car -around 20 minutes- but it’s gonna cost you way more too -around 20SG dollars-

If you have a layover of more than 6 hours and feel adventurous better take the metro.

 

Route by Car from Changi Airport to City Center
From Changi Airport to City centre

After getting out of the MRT station all you gotta do is walk a bit and you’ll find yourself surrounded by the beautiful buildings of

 

Marina Bay and Gardens by The Bay

You’ll be close enough to go and stroll around the Gardens by The Bay and get a really good look of Marina Bay Sands.

Once you arrive at Bayfront station take exit B and follow the underground pass and cross the bridge to arrive at the Gardens by The Bay in all of its splendor.

 

Gardens by The Bay at night time, long overnight layover in singapore
Gardens by The Bay

Take your time to walk around, take some pictures, rest and grab a bite if you’re hungry, there will be some restaurants around.

 

Sculptures in Gardens By The Bay

A very important aspect of Gardens by the Bay is the number of beautiful art sculptures you will run into as you walk around, my favorite one is “Planet”

 

Planet sculture in Gardens by The Bay, long overnight layover in singapore
“Planet” Gardens by The Bay

It looks as if it’s floating right? And the background of the city makes the whole view in front of you more interesting.

If you look carefully, you’ll see that the whole weight of the baby is incredibly balanced on his right hand.

Another favorite of mine is

 

The dragonfly fliers sculpture in Gardens by The Bay, long overnight layover in singapore

“The DragonFly Riders”, definitely a stunning piece of art, and an even more incredible background from that angle.

They are located in the dragonfly lake, the sculptures are supposed to remind us all of the joy of childhood.

If you take a closer look at the picture you’ll see that there is a child riding the dragonfly.

For an entire list of the sculptures, you can click here

At the Gardens by The Bay, you’ll also have the chance to see the amazing

 

Marina Bay Sands

It’ll be just right behind you.

 

Gardens by The Bay with Marina Bay Sands in background, long overnight layover in singapore

After you’re done strolling around The Gardens by The Bay, I would suggest you head over to


 

Marina Bay Financial Centre,

It’s gonna take from 15 to 20 minutes to get there on foot.

If you’re carrying a backpack it might be a bit exhausting depending on your physical condition.

Remember that Singapore’s weather is hot most of the time so don’t forget to bring your water bottle as it’s important to stay hydrated.

If you are interested in my tips on how to live a healthy life please click here, traveling is more fun when we are feeling and looking our best.

 

Walking from Gardens by The Bay to Marina Bay Financial Center
Walking from Gardens by The Bay to Marina Bay Financial Center

Once you get to MBFC (Marina Bay Financial Center) you’ll see views like these

 

  • Singapore Skyline
    Singapore Skyline
  • Marina Bay Sands
    Marina Bay Sands
  • Singapore Skyline
    Singapore Skyline

You could just sit somewhere there, maybe get a beer from a 7-11 and enjoy the view.

Right after this head to

 

Lau Pa Sat

This is one of the most popular night markets in town, its location – right in the center of the city- makes it super convenient to get to.

 

The Most Famous Night Market in Taipei

From Marina Bay Financial Center it’ll only take you 9 minutes to get to Lau Pa Sat

 

walking_from_Marina_bay_financial_center_to_Lau_Pa_sat

You’ll find a lot of tasty food and drinks here

 

Food at Lau Pa Sat, long overnight layover in Singapore on Your Own

Once you are done chilling and enjoying the view you can head on to your next stop, this will be

 

Merlion Park

It’ll take you around 16 minutes to get there.

 

walking_from_Lau_Pa_Sat_to_Merlion_Park
Walking From Lau Pa Sat to Merlion Park

Here is a picture of what you’ll see

 

Merlion Park at Night, long overnight layover in Singapore
Merlion Park

I think this covers some of the most touristic spots of the city you can visit during a long overnight layover in Singapore just using your feet.

 

Last Thoughts for Your Long Overnight Layover in Singapore

After walking around all night long for sure you’ll be tired, I know I was when I did it, but hey a little bit of cardio never hurt anybody.

What better way to work out than doing it while you explore a beautiful city like Singapore.

Now, I know that the screenshots I provided do not say where to turn and where to go exactly to reach all the city spots I just mentioned, but do not worry.

Booking.com

All you need to get to those spots are your eyes and your mouth, once you are in the city center (Bayfront Sation) everything will be nearby and reachable to the eye.

And if you feel a little bit lost just ask for directions, Singaporeans speak English.

There is no need to worry about getting a sim card or portable wifi to have internet on the go.

If you’ll only be in Singapore for some hours it doesn’t make sense to pay for it.

If you feel like keep on walking some more then go ahead and do it, for sure there are many more spots in the city that are worth seeing.

It all depends on how much time and energy you have left.

 

How did I get back to the Airport?

Well since I walked around and did sightseeing for around 4 hours, it was already past midnight when I decided to go back to the Airport.

I just took the first cab I saw, I paid around SG$24; if you are accompanied by one or more friends you can share the cost.

 

Going from Merlion Park to Changi Airport by Taxi
Going from Merlion Park to Changi Airport by Taxi

 

Long Layover on Your Own During the Day

If your layover is during day time and for some reason, you don’t want to join the free tours provided by the airport.

Maybe because being on a tour means you have to follow the itinerary and you are not the kind of person who likes to be rushed.

Just go out on your own and follow the route I provided you above, you can also add other spots like

 

  • The Esplanades theater, only 2 minutes away from merlion park.
  • Singapore Flyer, 15 minutes away from The Esplanades, by foot.
  • China Town, 26 minutes away from Singapore Flyer, by metro. Go to Promenade station and get off at Chinatown Station
  • Little India, 22 minutes away from Chinatown, by metro. Go to china town station and get off at Little India Station.
  • From Little India station you can go back to Changi Airport, just transfer at Expo station, get on the green line and go to Changi Airport station.

Hope you find this post useful, ultimately, if you have a layover of at least 5.5 hours, just go out and explore the city for a bit in any way you want, I promise is worth it.

 

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What to Do on a Long Layover in Singapore? For FREE| With Video

Singapore

Free Tour During a Long Layover in Singapore

So, you are on your way to your next big holiday destination or on your way back home from that already amazing trip.

But you have to wait 6 hours or even more at Changi airport, and you’re just wondering what the hell you’ll do during all that time.

 

In this post I’ll tell you what you can do on a long layover in Singapore for free.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HbgEY8jp-c&t=15s

No need to worry, there is only a very small amount of countries whose citizens require a visa to enter Singapore, you can check the full list here.

So chances are you will have no problem walking out of the airport and go  explore the city for a bit, grab a bite, visit the touristic landmarks and add more memories to your trip.

And if you get lucky you’ll do all of that without having to worry about transportation.

That’s right someone else will arrange all of that for you, who? The answer is Changi Airport.

Changi Airport is always ranking as one of the best or the best airport in the whole world.

One of the reasons must be because they offer free tours for passengers with layovers of at least 5.5 hours.

Changi airport has held the number 1 title for the sixth year in a row.

 

List of best airports in the world

The airport offers two tours

 

The Heritage Tour

Which runs between 9:00 am to 6:30 pm, this tour takes you around

 

The Colonial District

Singapore used to be a British colony, it was from 1946 to 1963 that Singapore was under the rule of the British Crown.

Singapore was a strategic port to make trading along the spice route easier for the British Crown.

Singapore’s location was privileged, located halfway between the ports of China and India.

And also positioned on the Malaca strait.

It was certain that all ships going between China and India and going from Europe to the East would pass near Singapore, making it an important commercial hub.

The cost of backpacking Europe 

As a result of its past colonial history now remains a beautiful colonial district that attracts many tourists.

 

Colonial District Singapore
Colonial District Singapore

 

The Central Business District

This is an area where you’ll find beautiful skyscrapers, together they make one of the most beautiful skylines you’ll see in Asia.

It’s so beautiful some movie directors decide to shoot one or two scenes for their movies with this skyline as a background.

 

What do travelers regret?

Other movie directors might decide to use the city skyline and destroy it (with computer effects) as it happened in “Independence Day: Resurgence” where the city’s skyline gets completely shattered by some mean aliens.

Regardless of the final purpose, directors like to include it in movies because is just a stunning skyline and it’s worth checking it out.

 

Singapore central business district
Central Business District

 

Merlion Park

This is one of the most iconic spots of the city, so expect it to be a little crowded, but the views are fantastic.

The merlion is a Singaporean mythical beast, which has the body of a fish and head of a lion.

The story of how this statue or symbol of Singapore came to be is very simple.

The fish body represents the origins of Singapore as a fishing village and the lion head represents the original name of the city -Singapura- which means lion city.

Mer means sea in Javanese language, and lion, well, it means lion, this equals to Merlion= Sealion.

The design was made by Alec-Fraser Bruner in 1964.

 

Merlion Park
Merlion Park

 

China Town

Just like many other China Towns around the world, you’ll find many stalls selling all kinds of products and also restaurants serving Chinese food.

The story of Chinese people in Singapore goes way back in time.

It was around 1330 when Wang Dayuan – a Chinese traveler- visited Singapore, back then called Temasek, and recorded the presence of a small Chinese community.

As Singapore flourished more and more, Chinese settled in the area to take advantage of the job opportunities.

 

Shanghai and Beijing in one week

 

China Town in Singapore
China Town in Singapore

 

Little India

It’s located across China Town, here you can find Hindu temples, nice Indian restaurants, and spice shops.

From the very beginnings of Singapore history, there was always a constant contact with India due to the trade route.

But it was until 1819 when Indians started settling in the island.

 

Turmeric, a secret from South East Asia

At first, it was just a population mainly composed of young men looking for jobs, but as time went by it became a more balanced community of both genders and different age groups.

 

Little India in Singapore
Little India in Singapore

We have one more activity to do in the first tour, in your long Singapore layover for free

 

Kampong Glam and Malay Heritage Center

This is the last stop. This neighborhood and museum remain as a memory of the High Malay Aristocracy that was settled here before the colonization.

 

Malay Heritage Center
Malay Heritage Center

How crazy is it that in your Singapore layover you’ll be able to experience a bit of China, India, and Malaysia.

The second tour is

 

The City Sights tours

This tour runs between 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, this tour takes you around

 

The Singapore Flyer

A big ferry wheel that serves as an observation point to catch a view of all the city.

It first opened in April of 2008 after 2 years and a half of construction.

Opening time is from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm daily. If you wanna ride it, the ticket cost is SG$33 for adults and SG$22 for children.

 

Singapore Flyer
Singapore Flyer

 

The Esplanades Theaters on The Bay

This is a home for the performing arts, they constantly have different plays and music shows that cater to all tastes.

The design of the theater is very peculiar and is often compared to the shape of a fruit called durian or the eyes of a fly.

It’s common for locals to refer to the structure as the big durians.

 

Esplanade Theaters
Esplanade Theater

 

Marina Bay Financial Center

This place consists of 3 office towers, 2 residential towers, and a retail shopping mall.

Visitors to this area can expect to have a pleasant stroll around the 3.5km of a paved public walk near the bay.

Here you can catch a very beautiful view of the city and rest at a nearby park.

 

Marina_bay_financial_center
Marina Bay Financial Center

 

Merlion Park

Just like the first tour, this one also makes a stop at this special Singapore landmark.

 

You’re not allowed to take selfies here.

 

Marina Bay Sands

One of the most beautiful buildings there is, this is another iconic landmark in Singapore.

Also known as the building with the pool on top.

The design was made by Moshe Safdie who claims took as inspiration the shape of decks of cards.

The building is owned by Las Vegas Sands Corporation and has a casino as one of the attractions.

It also has 2,500 hotel rooms and the always amazing Skypark.

A park on top of the three towers with restaurants, bars, an infinity pool for hotel guests, gardens and jogging tracks.

 

Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands

 

Gardens by The Bay

This tour closes your long Singapore layover with, according to me, the best spot of the city.

The magical gardens by the bay, for some reason it reminds me of Avatar (The movie of James Cameron),

You could walk around here for hours and never get bored.

It spans along 101 hectares of land in the central region of Singapore.

The gardens by the bay are divided into 3 sections, the largest one being Bay South Garden with a total of 54 hectares, the flower dome within is the largest glass greenhouse in the world.

 

Gardens by The Bay
Gardens by The Bay

If you ask me, the best tour you could join is the second one as you’ll have the chance to visit the Gardens by The Bay and believe me, you WANT  to go to the Gardens by the Bay.

Plus you get to see the city shining during night time.

Please have in mind that the latest you can register for any of these tours is 6:30 pm.

Here is the link to the airport website so you can take a look at all the details.

So what happens if you have a long layover during the night and you landed after 6:30 pm?

 

Don’t worry you can still go out and tour the city on your own,

Singapore is a small island nation, no need to worry too much about how to get around, click here for my post on how to tour Singapore on your own for one night.

Thank you for reading

 

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How to Find The Best Deals for International Flights with Layovers.

Find the best international flight deal

Don’t waste money on travel agents.

As a young person who is always traveling on a budget, it’s really important for me to save money in all aspects of a trip.

The most important one is the flight.

It’s really important to make sure you find the best deals for international flights with layovers.

By best deals I mean how much you’ll pay for the flight ticket and how long it’ll take you to get to your final destination after 1 or 2 layovers.

Now, this is what I do to find the most convenient flight for the dates I wanna travel on.

It’s a very simple guide to follow.

 

1- Find some free time for research

Grab a couple of hours of your weekend, maybe on a Saturday afternoon, get a cup of coffee or tea and open your laptop or use your phone.

 

2- Open any flight search engine of your preference

As a first-time or still novice traveler like me, this is a very important step so you know which airlines operate the route for your flight, average price, and other important travel details.

It will give you a good understanding of all the things you have to consider before and during your flight.

My favorite one is Skyscanner

Proceed to input the date for your trip and destination, plus other information such as one way or return, how many adults, cabin class, etc…

 

How to use Skyscanner

 

3 Pay attention to the important details

Click Search Flights

Now take a really good look at the information presented to you when the search is done.

For this example, I’m trying to find the best deal in terms of money and time for a  flight from Miami to Rovaniemi, Finland.

 

Budget for vacations in Rovaniemi, Finland

At the top of the results, you’ll see three categories, Best, Cheapest, and Fastest.

Now you wanna go and take a look at the “Best” is always the one that makes more sense regarding money and time.

The fastest is always very expensive and the average time it takes is almost the same as the “Best”.

 

How To Use Skyscanner, how to find the best deals for international flights

The “Cheapest” option will always take longer to get you to your final destination.

This means long layovers of up to 8 hours or more, but if you don’t mind the waiting then is not a problem.

 

You might even have the chance to go out of the airport and explore the city for a little bit.

Or join free airport tours for passengers with long layovers like the one Singapore’s airport offers. Changi Airport Free Tours

 

Important pieces of information you need to pay attention to

These are 3 very simple things you need to know to find the best deal for international flights.

First, which airlines operate the route? In the results you can see is British Airways and Finnair.

Second, the layovers, how many layovers will there be and where? all of that is shown in Skyscanner.

Third, is the connecting flight in the same airport?

When you have a connecting flight, usually you have it within the same airport where you just landed.

But in case you have to change airports it will be stated clearly in the results page.

When you click Select, you will see all the details for outbound and inbound flights.

 

  • How to use skyscanner
    Outbound Flight
  • How To Use Skyscanner 4
    Inbound Flight

 

In the outbound itinerary, you can see it takes 16 hours and 55 minutes total to get to Rovaniemi. Things to do during winter in Rovaniemi

You can also see the breakdown of the connections.

In New York, you have to go from La Guardia to JFK for your flight to Helsinki.

From La Guardia to JFK is around a 20 minutes car ride, and the time allotted for the layover is 3 hours and 47 minutes so you’d have no problems making it on time.

The return flight is different

It takes 27 hours and 50 minutes, but hey you have 12 hours and 35 minutes in  Helsinki.

This would be a great opportunity to go out and see a bit of the capital of Finland.

You’d be getting the chance to explore more of the world, that doesn’t sound bad to me at all (If you’re not short on vacation time of course).

 

In summary, this is the Important information you need to know

 

  • How much is the average cost?
  • What is the average flight time?
  • Which airlines handle the flight?
  • How many layovers are there?
  • Do you have to change airports for a connecting flight?
  • Does one of my layovers give me enough time to tour the city for a bit?

After checking all of that, now you have a pretty good knowledge of what the flight to your desired travel destination requires.

Now, you can start budgeting and decide how much vacation time you need to enjoy where you’re going while considering how much time you’d be spending just flying.

 

What do travelers regret?

If you ask me the main deciding factor will always be the price, but the rest of the information is also important.

And depending on how many days you have available for your trip you can play around with that.

If your time is limited, of course, you’d want to find the most direct flight possible.

But if you have plenty of free days you might even opt for a cheap flight with two long layovers and stroll around those cities for a while.

Now comes the final and most exciting step of them all, BUY THAT TICKET

 

4- Choose where to buy the ticket

To finally make the purchase you have 2 options.

I truly believe one is the best to accomplish the purpose of finding the best deal for international flights.

Just read a little bit.

 

A) Buy it with a third party vendor.

This is the option most flight search engines provide, for this example, Skyscanner will redirect you to Opodo or eDreams to buy the ticket.

After clicking select, you’ll be redirected to their sites and there you’ll have to input all your personal info and credit card details to purchase the ticket.

After a successful purchase, you should receive, in the inbox of the email address you would provide, a receipt for your purchase and an itinerary of your flight.

Most likely they’ll send them in the form of PDF files.

 

How to use Skyscanner 3, find the best deals for international flights
Third-party companies

 

B) Go directly to the website of one of the airlines that operates the flight

In the example above, Miami to Rovaniemi, we can see that the flight is operated by Finnair and British Airways.

So I would go to either one of these airlines’ websites and input the same departing and arriving city, also the same dates.

I’d make sure the rest of the information like layovers, and the price is the same or at least similar, all you have to do is follow the steps of the Airline website’s form.

Just like in a third party vendor, after a successful purchase, you will receive an email with the receipts and itinerary of the flight.

Expect the final prices shown on a third party vendor or an airline website to vary from what you see on a flight search engine.

The flight search engines, sometimes, might not take into account tax fees and luggage fees.

So, you have two choices, but the one I recommend is option B.

The reason why I believe this is the best options is that, in the case of an eventuality like missing your flight or having to cancel it.

You’ll get full support from an airlines’ customer service team or any staff at a boarding gate.

You can also sign up for a member’s club program which is never a bad idea.

 

Why buy it directly from the Airline?

If you buy your ticket through a third party vendor, in the case of an eventuality, airlines will simply tell you to contact that third party vendor and solve your issue with them.

And third-party vendors customer support, most of the time, is no good believe me.

Even if you call an airline’s customer service phone number.

Before you actually get to talk to anyone, there’ll be a recording asking you if you bought your ticket with the airline (press 1) or a third party vendor (press 2).

If you did the latter, you’ll get a recording telling you to contact that third party vendor and treat your issue with them.

So remember, find time for research, open a flight search engine, find all the important details of the flight.

And -I recommend- buy the ticket directly with an airline

Here is a very helpful info-graphic summary I made for you guys, hope you like it

 

Info graphic, How to find the best deal for international flights

 

Other important information to have in mind.

-When you have a flight operated by more than one airline, the baggage policy of the airline that covers the longest part of your trip, in the example above that’s Finnair, will prevail above the one of the other airlines.

If in your flight Finnair states that you are allowed to have 1 carry on suitcase plus 2, 30kg check-in suitcases, then that’s what you’ll be allowed to carry in all the legs of your trip.

-Most people don’t need to apply for visas while transiting a country, this depends on your nationality, but in order to be sure please refer to a government immigration site of the country you are transiting through to confirm this.

Hope you guys enjoyed this post!!!!

 

Cross Bordering South East Asia